by John Short
“I know Jar, but I agree we only want the best pilots we can get.” Jon commented.
“Ground troops are itching for a fight sir” his new troop commander told him.” I've even started building that group of specialized troops you asked for. Give me another month and they will be able to walk into the King's Palace, kill their target, then leave before anyone knows they were even there.”
“Will they also be able to get me intel without giving themselves away?” Jon asked.
“Oh yes sir. I've already started them on that. I've got some of the best in the business at scanning computers and drawing out the things we want to know without anyone being the wiser. That Carney kid we picked up on Haven is a real wizard with the computers. If you go down there you can't miss him. He's the guy wearing pink. Says it’s his house colors. Claims to be a direct descendant of the first Dean Carney who helped your ancestor destroy those machines. He was mated just before we hired him and his mate is a real beauty, especially in that pink color. She's a real asset down there in the Data Center too. That female can break any code we've come across so far.”
“Coms, I want you working with them on this. Give them all the transmission time they need.” Jon ordered and accepted the COM officer's nod as his agreement.
“I have some things now I want you to start working on. Both of you stay, everyone else is released.” When the room had cleared except for the two men Jon had asked to stay, he had them sit closer to him and then laid out his plans. “Beloij, I want you to break this group of computer guys away from your regular troops. They are to become our new intelligence service. Appoint someone over them to be responsible to give reports at these meetings. Also, break the Special Troops into their own division. They will work with the computer guys to help find the stuff that's not in the computers. If that means we have to kidnap some crime boss and beat him half to death to get the information we want, that's what they are going to be doing. I need you to concentrate on getting our ground troops in top shape. I don't ever want to send in troops who are not ready for whatever comes at them from small hand weapons to heavy cannons including little old females with walking sticks.” he kidded. “I want the criminals to fear us more than they do the crime bosses.
“It will be done by the end of the day sir.” the troop Commander told him.
“Good, have your selected leader for this new group report to me later today in my stateroom. Coms, will you be able to set up a place for the computer team to work and not clutter up the bridge while they scan the transmissions?”
“On this ship sir? You have to be kidding. They can have any room or rooms they need.” the Coms Officer said.
“We should also let them see if any of the stuff on either of the two captured Destroyers will be any use to them.” the ground commander said, “Maybe some better computers and the bigger screens.”
Let them go over and see,” Jon told him. “Just don't let them take anything that Wrenches might need for her experiments. She has an idea she wants to test, which is why we brought those ships back instead of just blowing them and their engines to bits. Next, I'd like to train our own network of planet-based spies.
Someone is behind all the pirate's activities and I think its the same people who tried to kill our passengers as we were leaving Hiliost 5. One of the attackers said something about a Boss King. That's the same name I've been hearing a lot lately. Then when we picked up our next passenger, the Captain of that ship said that Boss King had plans for her that involved having her drugged. Apparently, to her credit, she is a fighter and she prevented them harming her in any way. So gentle males, here is your first assignment as the two people currently in charge of gathering intel. I want to know who Boss King is, what part he plays in recent events, where I can find him and who is pulling his strings. No criminal plans this kind of operation across planets and the slipways without someone above them telling them what to do. Let me know as soon as you have anything on him we can use. Plan our future operations around using Leviathan as a base that we can rely on for combat support. Maybe Phillie can fix those other two Destroyers to be our gunships along with Defiance. I've changed my mind about stealing them. I think we can use them for our own purposes.”
“We'll get started right away sir.”
Once out of the conference room the Coms officer turned to the ground troop Commander and said, “I think we just started our own planet, not just some antique spaceship.”
“I do believe you're right about that, maybe even our own galaxy. I like the whole idea.” the Commander smiled.
“So do I. I've had enough of the Central Committee and their politics. Seems the more they say they are doing for us, the more gets done for them. Send your spymaster up to see me,” he laughed, as the two males took different paths back to their work areas.
Jon gave them a few minutes to leave before he slowly rolled himself down to medical. May as well give the tube another try. The first time seemed to help, if the Healer could target his most pressing injury instead of trying to fix his hangnail, maybe he could stop the terrible pain in his back.
“Hello Healer,” Jon announced to the empty room. “Healer Hukor?” he called out louder. Jon was about to leave when a very dirty Healer finally stuck his head out of the crawl space between two of the tubes.
“Welcome to Medical Jon Connell. I was just reading something and dropped my tablet between these tubes.” Brushing the dirt from his white tunic he continued. “I’ve found some very interesting files about your human ancestors in the medical records. Have you come to let me try to fix your back?”
“I can come back if you're busy.”
“No, this ship has the healthiest crew I've ever seen. Not so much as an upset stomach in the lot of them. Come, let's get you into this one.” He offered pointing to a tube that was at his own waist height. “I think it’s at the right height for you to get into without much help.” The Healer made a few adjustments that he had not made the first time Jon had been placed in the tube and then told him, “You'll sleep through this. There should be no dreams as your body is basically shutting down while the tubes work. Just relax and let it happen sir. When we meet again, you'll be a new male.”
“You try to make me drink any of that junk you handed me the last time and I'm going to make sure you wear it over your head.” Jon told him as the tube closed him in. The lights dimmed and gentle music began to play. This was new; his last experience had nothing like soft lights and gentle music. He could learn to like this.
“I think we're ready to give it a try.” Phillie told Jar, who was standing by in a jump capable shuttle. “I have dialed in the coords and will execute jump in 3, 2, 1 Jumping NOW!” The captured pirate ship disappeared from where it was floating in space beside Leviathan and reappeared several steps away. “Looks like the short range test was a success, now for the long range test. Get ready to come get me if I call you Jar.”
“I'll always come for you my sweat Wrenches.”
“JUMP!” Phillie called out and was gone.
“Wrenches. Wrenches, come in? Wrenches where did you go?” Jarrieal called out with worry beginning to rear up inside him. He'd lost a wife to the service and the arms of another male. He did not want to lose Phillmma too, especially not in some experiment to turn a slipdrive into a jump drive. “Furball! Where have you gone my beautiful mate!” he called out not caring that the entire crew was listening.
With a blinding flash, the pirate ship reappeared floating right on top of him with just a gentle wobble as it bled off speed. “What did I tell you about calling me Furball in public you big hard headed Libirian Warrior?” Phillie commed. “Did you just call me your mate over an open com channel?”
“Goddess female. You scared me! Where did you go?” Jarrieal asked. “Yes I called you my mate! By the Goddess Phillmma, you already knew that!”
“I went to Haven, just wanted to hear them scream one more time when a Warship appeared over their planet. It was fun,
I'll take you with me next time.” Phillie wasn't really angry at her big male. The guy was really a warmhearted youngling inside and she loved him all the more for it. “Leviathan, reel us in please, I've got some things to check out, but I think once we fix her guns, this one will be ready to get back into action.”
“We'll get you Wrenches. Shut down your engines, we have you. Jar, you coming in or do you want to try and beat her time to Haven and back?” the Lev's COM officer asked with a smile in his voice.
“I'm coming around. I'll land in my usual place.”
“Wrenches?”
Phillie's concentration was broken when Bar-rat called. Because she was one of the Commanding Officers onboard Jon's ships, she always tried to present a professional attitude, but to be interrupted in the middle of making love with her mate was beyond annoying! “What do you want now Bar-rat?” Phillie asked. She was still majorly upset about having both Jon's heart mother and his mate onboard.
“I need to speak with you again” Tiaz commed. She really did need to convince Phillie to give her a new name but as angry as the furry little female had been the last time she had seen her, Tiaz didn't want to ask for one yet.
“What could we possibly have to talk about?” Phillie demanded. “All I want to hear from you is how much longer until we can be rid of all three of you.”
“I must speak to only you. In person. Not on coms. Please Phillie, it is necessary to the truth we both seek.”
“I'm busy bringing in a new ship.” She lied. It wasn't a full lie, Jar had joined her onboard the captured Destroyer and things had gone the way they often did whenever the pair were alone. “Meet me in the mess in an hour. I might have had time to bathe by then.”
Satrina chuckled. “You must never upset Phillie. She is a terror when she is upset. I learned that in person. She once stood in defiance of two of my Royal Guards.”
“Why must she insist on calling me by that terrible name?” Tiaz asked desperately.
“You'll have to earn a new name Tiaz” Satrina told her. “Once someone gives you a name on a ship, it sticks with you until you earn a new one. She used to call Jon sweet-cheeks and he hated it until she saw how cleanly he used a plasma cutter on the hull of the ship we were in. She said she'd only seen a butcher slicing fine cuts of meat make cuts so smooth. That is how Jon became known as Butcher. She renamed him. I'm just happy that I have not yet earned her anger. She once made the word Princess sound like something vile!”
“That’s why she was so upset when we first came on board. I never knew that she had given him that name or the reason behind it. I was guilty of believing that the news vids had given him the name after the Canari raid. If she keeps me locked up in this room, how am I to earn a new name?” Tiaz asked almost in tears now at the thought of the name being with her for life. “Judging from her reaction when you came onboard, I think she is very angry with you right now just for being here. I will try to smooth that part with her. That much of our truth I can share with her now. We need more before we can share more.”
Tiaz had waited in the mess room for over an hour and Phillie still had not come. Perhaps the small Engineer would not meet with her today at all. Tiaz was on her third cup of the delicious Lexon tea and was about to find the nearest relief chamber when the doors to the mess swung open and Phillie came in walking beside a huge Libirian Warrior.
“Bar-rat, you’ve met Jackal, my mate when he brought you to our ship. Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my mate from now on. Unlike some people on this boat, my mate and I do not keep secrets from each other. I've already told him exactly who our two passengers are. Oh yes, and he knows what you can do, so no touching!” Finished with the introductions, both sat at the table with her.
“Pleased to meet you Bar-rat.” Jarrieal said. “I'm one of Jon's trusted teammates so you better be telling us truth or he'll put you off the ship as soon as he finds someplace safe to put you. One thing you should know about our Admiral, he cannot abide lies or a liar! So I have started with our first truth. What's yours?”
“Are all of Jon Connell's crew as mean as you two?” Tiaz asked.
“What are you talking about? We're the most pleasant out of the bunch.” Jar said. “But everyone on this ship, except for three female passengers, only want the best for our Admiral.”
“You said you needed to talk to me Bar-rat, what's so important?”
“You reacted in such an angry manner when the novice came aboard. I wanted to know why?”
“You mean you don't know who she is? She is the reason Jon is how he is now!” Phillie exploded out at Tiaz until Jarrieal reached out and calmed her with his gentle touch.
“All I know for sure is the order was told she is in mourning for a mate who rejected her. We were asked to escort her to Sanctuary.” Tiaz figured she could get away with a small lie if it would bring her closer to the truth she sought.
“You're not serious?” Jarrieal asked.
“Yes, I am very serious.”
“So you expect me to believe you are nothing more than one tiny Lexon mourner, escorting another one to some mysterious place called Sanctuary that no one really knows where is and a tall blue Mind Witch who speaks for them. Oh, and who just happen to be on someone's hit list of wanted people so they get shot at leaving a planet and then we get a message to make sure your novice is drugged properly before we deliver her some place we are expected to already know about. That's what you really expect us to believe? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, those two mourners just happen to be my friend's mother and his mate!” Jarrieal snapped.”
“Don't forget Bar-rat. I know who our passengers really are, and so does my mate. Like I said, we don't have secrets between us.” Phillie paused in her tirade. “The only reason Jon doesn't know is because we both agreed not to tell him. He finds out that lying Princess is on his ship and I don't know what he'll do. I’ve seen what he can do when he’s angry and I don't want to have to clean up Princess parts!” Phillie forced out from between her clenched teeth. “One wrong step and I'll have you on a shuttle going nowhere so fast it will turn your blue skin pink!”
“Neither do I. I've seen what that male can do with that thing he calls the Dragon's Breath and while there is very little blood, its still not pretty. He makes two or three swings and the next thing you know you’re in pieces all over the deck.” Jarrieal told her.
“I've seen the remains of at least twenty enemies who tried to stop him once. So be very careful what you tell us next. Why did Satrina reject Jon?”
“WHAT?!?!?! No Phillie, that's wrong. It was Jon who rejected her. She has shown me hundreds of messages that she sent to him and he never answered any of them!”
“Wait, something is very wrong, because I can tell you that I personally saw Jon message her each and everyday he was on tour, sometimes more than once a day. He would gobble up the news vids hoping to see that his mating to the Princess had been made public news and his heart sank lower each day it didn't come. When he was in so much pain he could barely breathe he begged her to visit him in medical back on Lexon II. She never came. Between her never messaging him and then the death of Zeprik, which he still blames himself for, he has lost hope. It finally drove him to waking this ghost ship from the distant past.” Jar told Tiaz with Phillie nodding her agreement to his every word. “Take it from someone who has stood by his side in battle, that male is hopelessly in love with his Princess. He believes in his heart that she has turned her back on him and each day that goes by takes another piece of his soul and seals it somewhere no one will be able to reach.”
“Why should we believe you Bar-rat? We don't know you and my mate was shot at just for giving you passage in his shuttle.” Phillie wanted to know. “For what both of you are saying to be true, there has to be someone at the Palace blocking their messages. Why? Why would anyone go against established Lexonian customs and laws to deny mates being together? Even the King could do nothing more than cast out a child who mate
d with someone he did not approve of. He could not prevent the mating.”
“I think their messages were blocked now also.” Tiaz thoughtfully agreed. “If Jon messaged her and she messaged him it had to be so. Just as you believe what you know about Jon to be truth beyond any question, I also know about those who enter into mourning. As you know Phillie, my kind's touch exposes lies and evil in the heart. I have found neither in either the High One or the novice. Even while your Admiral's heart has been locked behind walls so high and tight it’s turning his soul dark, he is still filled with truth in his every thought. I learned that much when I first touched him on Hiliost 5. This is the work of an evil mind. The Princess' heart is pure and filled with remorse and confusion. She cannot understand why “Her Giant” has rejected her. Now that she is so close she wants to run into his arms! It is all we can do to keep her in check. His aunt and I both agree with you Phillie, there is still much truth to be found before Jon will allow himself to love her. Truth that we must find if either of them are to be happy again.”
“Go back to your quarters Skinny, “Jarrieal told her. “Jon has established a group on this ship who have one task, to find the truth and expose it to the light of day. Phil and I will have them see if they can find anything on the Palace computers.”
“Have I earned a new name that easily?” Tiaz asked.
“We'll have to see if the truth you've told is indeed truth, but the name suits you better than Bar-rat. A true bar-rat would have wanted to be paid for her truth, not freely given it.” Phillie remarked as she stood and Jarrieal followed her from the mess room. Out in the corridor Jarrieal bent down and whispered to Phillie, “Do you believe her?”
“Back on Lexon station, my best friend was a Blue Witch, she told me once that they never lie. So for now, until the computer guys say different, yes I'll take a chance on her.” Phillie whispered. “Now take me to our quarters and give me a bath. I suddenly feel dirty just from being near her.”