by Huw Powell
Jake looked down to find his top glowing.
‘Your pendant,’ gasped Kella.
Jake pulled it out. The gold object sparkled with light, its bright colours reflecting off windows and display screens. It was as though the three crystals had come alive, filling the room with their brilliance.
‘Incredible,’ said Farid. ‘How did you get it to do that?’
‘I didn’t.’ Jake was just as surprised as everyone else. ‘I didn’t do anything.’
‘Don’t look at me,’ said Kella. ‘I’ve not touched it.’
‘Maybe crystals react to cloud electricity,’ suggested Nanoo. ‘Static make my skin feel funny.’
Jake held the pendant in his hand. What a curious object, he thought. All those years it had hung around his neck and never before had it lit up. What other secrets did it hold? He ran his fingers over the glowing crystals and something in the pendant clicked. He turned it over and discovered a crack running right round the edge. It seemed to be splitting in two. Was that supposed to happen?
Carefully, Jake prized the pendant open with his nails.
It was a locket and there was something hidden inside. He stared at the contents in disbelief.
‘What inside?’ asked Nanoo, trying to catch a glimpse. ‘Secret technology?’
‘Or a rare jewel?’ croaked Granny Leatherhead.
‘How about a treasure map?’ asked Farid.
‘No, it’s none of those things,’ said Jake, holding up his pendant for all to see. ‘It’s an old photograph.’
Inside the locket was a picture of a young woman with chalk-white skin, ivory-blonde hair and blood-red eyes. The woman sat in front of a window that opened on to an orchard, bathed in bright coloured light.
‘She’s beautiful,’ said Kella. ‘Who is she?’
‘I think she’s my mum.’ Jake took another look at the image. ‘I have no memory of her, but there’s something familiar about her face.’
‘There’s definitely a family resemblance,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘If you ask me, you have the same smile.’
‘I’ve never seen such stunning red eyes,’ remarked Farid.
Jake didn’t hear them. He was too captivated by the tiny photo. He had always wondered what his parents looked like and here was a picture of his mother, Zara Cutler, happy and full of life. He ran his finger over her pretty face and tried to imagine the sound of her voice.
‘It would make sense for you to have a picture of your mother,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘But that doesn’t explain why your pendant has suddenly activated.’
‘Maybe Nanoo is right and the crystals are reacting to the ionised atmosphere,’ said Farid.
‘It’s not just his pendant.’ Nichelle pointed to the window. ‘The whole nebula is getting brighter.’
Around the ship, the clouds had become lighter and more transparent. Jake could now make out the shapes of Callidus and Capio floundering in the mist. It took him a moment to realise they were waving their arms and flashing their helmet lamps.
‘Two flashes,’ he cried. ‘Stop the ship.’
‘He’s right,’ shouted Granny Leatherhead. ‘Avast, Nichelle, pull back.’
It was too late. The whole ship started to rock.
‘What’s happening?’ asked Kella, losing her balance. ‘It feels like we’re falling.’
‘That’s because we are,’ said Farid. ‘Quick, everyone, grab hold of something! We’re entering a gravity field.’
‘More black hole?’ asked Nanoo.
‘No, this is different,’ said Nichelle. ‘It’s the sort of gravity generated by a planet.’
‘Altus,’ whispered Jake.
The Dark Horse burst out of the nebula clouds into colourful skies, no longer supported by zero gravity.
‘It so bright,’ said Nanoo, shielding his eyes.
Jake squinted at the screen. ‘We’re heading straight for the surface!’
‘I know,’ said Nichelle, slipping on sunglasses and wrestling with the controls.
The Dark Horse didn’t perform well as an aircraft. It was only designed for simple landings and launches. Jake could hear the engine moaning and the hull rattling as Nichelle pulled the ship into a rough orbit. His eyes adjusted to the light and feasted on the planet below them. It could only be Altus.
His Altus.
Home.
It was as beautiful as the legends described, a secret paradise hidden in the stars. He marvelled at the perfect sphere, which sparkled with a gold-dust desert and blue ocean water. Three crystal moons surrounded the planet: one diamond, one ruby and one emerald. Powered by the nebula, the moons radiated light and warmth to the surface below.
‘Magnifty,’ said Jake, unable to blink for fear of missing something.
Kella and Nanoo nodded in agreement, their eyes wide and their mouths agape.
‘Scuttle my shuttle,’ said Farid. ‘It’s just like Callidus envisaged –’
‘Callidus!’
Jake had forgotten about the fortune seeker and his companion. He pressed his face up against the window, but the two men were no longer in front of the ship.
‘Where did they go?’ asked Kella.
Granny Leatherhead activated the intercom. ‘Maaka, check the tow cable. Are our friends still attached to the other end?’
There was a brief silence before Maaka reported back.
‘Aye, captain,’ he said. ‘Neither of them look very happy, but they’re still with us, hanging on for their lives.’
‘Well, don’t just stand there, you metal-faced marauder,’ she bellowed. ‘Reel them back in.’
A short while later, Callidus and Capio were back on the bridge of the Dark Horse. They were a bit battered and bruised, but otherwise OK. When Capio caught sight of the three crystal moons through the window, he forgot about the pain and almost exploded with delight.
‘Look at those giant jewels,’ he squealed. ‘It’s real, Cal. Altus is real and we found it.’
‘Yes, we did,’ said Callidus, his blue eyes soaking up the view. ‘And it’s exactly how I imagined it.’
‘So what happens now?’ asked Jake.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ said Callidus. ‘We prepare to land.’
‘Today we have made space pirate history,’ announced Granny Leatherhead to everyone on the bridge. ‘This crew has succeeded where others have failed. We’ve found the legendary Altus.’
A few shipmates whistled and stamped their feet.
‘Now comes the tough part,’ she said. ‘We’ve got a planet to spacejack, so young Jake can take his rightful place as ruler. This means finding Kear Cutler and removing him from power, only we don’t know what’s waiting for us below. I want you to keep your wits about you. Let’s get to work, Space Dogs.’
‘Aye,’ cheered the crew.
Granny Leatherhead turned to Farid. ‘What have you found out?’
‘There are no obvious defences,’ said the first mate. ‘I’ve not seen any Altian ships and we haven’t passed any observation stations or atmospheric mines. If there is a planetary guard, it’s not expecting an invasion any time soon.’
It was difficult to know where best to land. If Amicus Kent was right, Kear Cutler would dispatch his troops to arrest Jake the moment he realised his nephew was alive and on Altus. Were the Space Dogs ready to take on the entire Altian army?
‘We should head to the largest city,’ proposed Callidus. ‘That’s where we’ll find Kear Cutler.’
‘It would be safer to land somewhere more secluded,’ said Farid. ‘Until we know what we’re facing.’
‘I prefer the direct approach,’ insisted Callidus. ‘We’ll only have the element of surprise once, so let’s not waste it.’
‘Why land at all?’ said Capio. ‘Instead of risking our lives on the surface, why don’t we just fill the cargo hold with moon crystals and leave? We could let the Interstellar Navy have the location of Altus in exchange for our freedom.’
‘Hey,’ shouted Jake.
‘That’s my planet you’re talking about. What about the Altian people?’
‘It’s not like you know any of them,’ said Capio. ‘And you certainly don’t owe your uncle any favours.’
‘Capio, when will you learn?’ said Callidus wearily. ‘The Interstellar Navy would never honour a deal with space pirates.’
‘But –’
‘Silence,’ barked Granny Leatherhead, holding up her hands. ‘You’re all giving me a headache. Farid, what’s outside the largest city?’
‘It looks like farmland, captain.’
‘That’ll do nicely,’ she said. ‘Nichelle, set us down in a field, preferably near a river or stream.’
‘Aye, captain.’
‘As for the rest of you.’ Granny Leatherhead cast her eye around the bridge. ‘You’d best get strapped in, ready for landing. It’s going to be bumpy.’
Chapter 24
Kear Cutler’s Reign of Terror
The Dark Horse plunged towards the planet’s surface, its plump hull barging through the turbulent sky. Nichelle lifted the nose at the last second and fired the landing thrusters, but the ship refused to slow. It hit the ground with such force, the windows cracked and the floors buckled. The old cargo hauler bounced and scraped across the Altian farmland, gouging a trench in the mud behind it. Jake felt his bed straps digging into his flesh as the ship finally ground to a halt.
It took everyone a moment to recover.
‘That could have been worse,’ said Callidus. ‘Not many pilots can land in a field.’
Granny Leatherhead’s voice crackled over the intercom.
‘Right, I want everyone in the cargo hold in five minutes, dressed for combat and ready to go.’
Callidus and Capio released their straps and climbed out of their bunks, rubbing their bruised bodies. Jake quickly took another peek at the photo inside his gold locket. Was the beautiful albino woman really his mother? What had she been like? What had she been thinking when the photo was taken? At least they had something in common. Her red eyes might have been more natural than Jake’s purple implants, but she would have still known how it felt to be different.
As Jake looked at the photo, something inside the lid caught his attention. He rotated the locket towards the light and discovered a tiny engraving. It was a skull in a space helmet over two crossed bones.
‘What’s that doing there?’ he muttered to himself.
Before he could examine it further, Callidus shook his arm.
‘What are you waiting for?’ asked the fortune seeker. ‘An invitation? Don’t you want to see your home planet?’
‘Yes, of course,’ said Jake, putting the locket away and climbing off the bed.
As he got ready, he glanced through the porthole window and saw that they had landed in a field full of crops. There were several farm buildings nearby, none of which looked particularly alien to him, except for a scattering of hexagonal panels on the rooftops that Jake guessed must be used to harness the power of the crystal moons. In many ways, the farm was similar to those on Remota, only without the grey dust.
It had taken eleven years, but he was finally home.
In the cargo hold, the others were already lined up. It reminded Jake of the monastery attack, except this time he knew who was beneath the skull-shaped space helmets. These pirates were here to liberate Altus, not destroy it.’
‘OK, the plan is simple,’ croaked the captain. ‘We find a way into the city and track down Kear Cutler, so Jake can avenge his father and take control of the planet. Farid, check everyone’s weapons and hand out extra palm grenades. We leave in two minutes.’
There weren’t any combat suits small enough for Jake, Kella and Nanoo, so instead they had painted the space pirate logo on their tops, which Granny Leatherhead thought was hilarious.
‘Right, Space Pups,’ she cackled. ‘I hope your bite is worse than your bark.’
‘It’s not funny,’ said Jake. ‘We don’t even have weapons to defend ourselves.’
‘Have you ever fired a gun?’
‘No, but I’ve been practising with a cutlass.’
‘Well, you had better go and find yourself one,’ she said. ‘Just be careful where you stick it.’
Scargus and Manik had agreed to remain behind to guard the ship and work on the engine.
‘Here you go, Jake, take mine.’ Scargus handed over his cutlass. ‘You need this more than me.’
‘Thanks,’ said Jake. ‘I’ll take good care of it.’
‘Kella, Nanoo, take these.’ Manik passed each of them a sword. ‘You’ll have a fighting chance if you’re attacked.’
Kella and Nanoo took the weapons and swished them about to test their weight.
‘Listen, you don’t have to come,’ said Jake. ‘This isn’t your fight.’
‘It’s OK. We want to help,’ insisted Kella, stroking the side of her blade. ‘Don’t we, Nanoo?’
‘Yes, we in this together.’ Nanoo puffed out his chest. ‘You help us, so we return favour.’
Jake looked at their determined faces and nodded. He was worried for his friends, but also pleased that they would be there to cover his back.
Granny Leatherhead watched Kella hacking the air with her sword. ‘Mind you don’t cut yourself, prissy pants. It’s not safe outside for posh United Worlds girls, you know.’
‘It’s not safe for any of us,’ said Kella indignantly. ‘I’m tougher than I look, captain, and I want to do my bit.’
‘Why?’
‘Because if it wasn’t for Jake, I would be a slave by now. I’m sick of bullies pushing around my friends and family. If it’s not the Galactic Trade Corporation, it’s the Interstellar Navy, or the space mafia. I’ve had enough of space thugs and I want to fight back.’
Granny Leatherhead regarded Kella with something that resembled pride.
‘You’ve got gumption, girl,’ she croaked. ‘You remind me of my daughter, Jenny. She would have made a good pirate captain, had things worked out differently.’
‘Your daughter?’ said Kella. ‘What happened to her?’
‘Not every buccaneer makes it to retirement,’ muttered Granny Leatherhead sadly.
With that, the captain turned sharply and activated the loading ramp. It cracked open with a slow mechanical whine, flooding the cargo hold with coloured light and fresh air. Jake took a deep breath and held it. He had become used to the stale odour of the ship and was surprised how sweet the Altian air tasted.
‘Let’s go, Space Dogs,’ barked Granny Leatherhead.
The crew stomped down the metal ramp, weapons at the ready. Jake, Kella and Nanoo followed behind.
A crowd of people had gathered around the cargo hauler. Jake assumed they were Altians, but they could have been from any planet in the seven solar systems. They seemed very interested in Nanoo and were pointing at him, making comments about his lilac skin.
‘Greetings,’ said one of the farmers, stepping forward. ‘My name is John Daxton. Are you from outside the nebula?’
‘What of it?’ Granny Leatherhead gripped her laser pistol.
‘Forgive us for staring, but we’ve never seen outsiders.’ John wore a tall straw hat and had the same clipped accent as Amicus Kent. ‘We’ve heard stories of other worlds, but it’s been such a long time since anyone left the nebula.’
‘Are you undertakers?’ asked a woman holding a rake.
‘What?’ said Granny Leatherhead.
‘Well, you’ve got skull-shaped hats and a skeleton on your spacecraft.’ The woman had clearly never seen space pirates. ‘Is that your funeral vessel?’
‘No, it’s not,’ said Granny Leatherhead. ‘And we’re not undertakers . . . but death does feature in our line of work.’
Callidus quickly changed the subject. ‘Tell me, is this Altus?’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ said John. ‘Have you lost your way?’
‘A little. We’re looking for Kear Cutler.’
A few of the Altians exchanged nerv
ous glances and shuffled their feet.
‘Are you friends?’ asked John.
‘Not exactly,’ said Callidus. ‘We’re here on business.’
‘Is he dead?’
‘Not yet,’ muttered Granny Leatherhead.
‘Did they say Kear Cutler is dead?’ said an elderly farmhand, mishearing the exchange, and sparking frantic gossip.
‘Are you here to collect his body?’ asked the woman.
‘We’re not undertakers,’ said Callidus, trying to restore calm. ‘And your ruler is alive and well, as far as we know.’
‘It takes more than a title to rule,’ snorted the woman, who was quickly silenced by John.
‘Forgive us,’ he said. ‘We’re just simple country folk and we know little about politics. Hilary, my wife, meant nothing by that comment. We live to serve.’
‘Really?’ scoffed Farid. ‘If you ask me, Kear Cutler doesn’t seem very popular in these parts.’
‘No, not at all. We love our leader.’ John dropped to his knees and encouraged others to do the same. ‘Long live Kear Cutler, ruler of Altus.’
Granny Leatherhead had heard enough. ‘Get up, you yellow-bellied yokels. We don’t care what you think about that jumped-up jackass, we just want to know where to find him.’
The Altians stopped cowering and stared at Granny Leatherhead, their mouths wide open. Apparently, nobody had ever called Kear Cutler a jackass, especially not one who was jumped-up, whatever that meant.
‘Please, don’t be afraid,’ said Jake, stepping forward and helping the farmer to his feet. ‘Nobody is going to hurt you.’
John regarded Jake curiously, but he was used to people staring at his bright purple eyes. The farmer lowered his gaze and gasped.
‘It can’t be . . .’
‘I’m sorry?’ said Jake. ‘Oh, the skull and crossbones? Don’t worry, it’s just a picture.’
‘Where did you get that?’ John pointed at Jake’s chest.
The crystals were still shining through Jake’s top. He pulled out the pendant and held it up, attracting further gasps from the crowd.
‘I’ve had it for as long as I can remember,’ he said.
‘Is it possible?’ John dropped back on to his knees. ‘Can it really be the lost seal of Altus after all this time?’