by Huw Powell
Jake and Kella helped Nanoo to his feet.
“Did you see explosion?” asked Nanoo, wincing with pain.
“Yes,” said Jake. “Lugar has been destroyed. There’s nothing left there now except a big grave.”
“All of those poor people,” said Kella. “What are we going to do? Who will stop the United Worlds now?”
“I don’t know.” Jake glanced back inside the restaurant. “But we can’t stay here.”
The three of them hurried along the corridor toward the docking terminals. Jake caught sight of the Interstellar News as they passed a display screen. It showed images of chaos and panic on the surface of Santanova, while a headline asked if the explosion was an accident or an act of war.
“How can you accidentally blow up a whole city!” shouted Jake at the display screen.
His eyes caught more words at the bottom of the screen: Was Jake Cutler telling the truth? Is the teenage pirate really the ruler of Altus?
“Ignore it,” urged Kella. “We need to hurry.”
At the end of the corridor, they met a young planetary guard. Jake was about to ask for his help when the guard spotted the laser pistol and bloodied cutlass.
“Halt!” he ordered, raising his laser rifle. “Drop your weapons.”
“It’s okay,” said Jake. “We’re not your enemy.”
The guard held his position, his eyes fixed on Jake. He must have been only a few years older than jake, and he’d probably had family in Lugar. In the background, there were shouts and screams as people flocked to the docking terminals. Nanoo looked pale and ready to collapse.
“Please let us pass,” said Kella. “Our friend needs urgent medical aid.”
The guard glanced at Nanoo, who was dripping indigo blood onto the floor. He lowered his rifle and shook his head, as if doubting his own eyes.
“Who are you people?”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Jake. “All you need to know is that the Interstellar Navy is coming. You have to get everyone off this planet before it’s too late.”
The guard hesitated for a second and then nodded. He might have recognized Jake’s face or uniform, or perhaps he was too distraught to argue. He rushed past them and disappeared through a security door.
“Do you think he believed you?” asked Kella.
“I doubt it,” said Jake. “Let’s go, before he returns with friends.”
Jake and Kella carried Nanoo along two more corridors before they reached the docking terminals. As they entered, Jake’s heart sank.
“We’re too late,” said Kella.
Hordes of people were clamoring to board the last few vessels. Jake scanned the terminals, hoping to spot a gap in the crowd or a friendly pirate ship, but all that was left were a couple of passenger ships and a pleasure cruiser.
“That’s it!” he cried, pointing at the end terminal. “That’s our way out, right there.”
“A pleasure cruiser?” said Kella. “But it looks full and its doors are closed.”
“Hurry,” insisted Jake, letting go of Nanoo and sprinting toward the spacecraft. “I know this ship. It’s called the Star Chaser and it’s from Reus.”
Jake had never been so pleased to see a spacecraft. He jumped up and down beneath the bridge window, waving his arms frantically. It had been months since he had last spoken with the crew in the space docks on Remota. He hoped they would still recognize him with his burned face. A small hatch popped open on the side of the hull and the copilot leaned out, wearing a sharp white uniform and matching peaked cap.
“Is that you, Jake?” he said. “I saw you on the Interstellar News. What are you doing here?”
“I’ll explain everything, but can you give us a ride?”
The copilot peered thoughtfully back inside the ship. “We’re already well over our passenger limit, but we should be able to squeeze three kids onto the bridge.”
Jake helped Kella carry Nanoo to the side hatch, while the copilot extended a narrow ramp. The faces of frightened passengers were pressed up against the portholes, and Jake knew that the ship would be packed inside. Where would they go? No independent colony would be safe from the Interstellar Navy now. All he knew was that they had to get away from Santanova.
As the three of them crossed the ramp, more people swarmed toward the Star Chaser, desperate to escape the planet. Jake had no idea what would happen to those who were left behind, but there was nothing he could do about it. If he stayed in their place, he would be captured by the Interstellar Navy and forced to reveal the location of Altus. Jake had hoped the other independent colonies would protect his planet. Now it was up to him to keep his people safe, whatever the cost.
The three of them entered the Star Chaser and the copilot sealed the hatch. It was bright and luxurious inside, with oak wall panels and brass fittings. Jake heard people banging on the hull outside, begging to come aboard, but their cries were drowned out as the pleasure cruiser pulled away from the terminal.
“If we take any more passengers, we won’t make it to the next planet,” explained the copilot. “Our supplies are already tight, and there’s only so much oxygen this ship can produce. Come on, let’s get you to the bridge.”
“We need to use your medical bay,” said Kella. “Our friend has a laser pistol wound.”
The copilot looked at Nanoo.
“Follow me,” he said, leading them through a crowded corridor of refugees. “I’m guessing that your friend isn’t from Santanova.”
“His name is Nanoo, and he’s a Novu alien from Taan-Centaur,” explained Jake.
The copilot swallowed his curiosity. “Well, as long as he’s not from a United Worlds planet.”
Kella started to say something, but Jake caught her eye and signaled for her to be quiet. If the crew found out that she was a United Worlds citizen, they might throw her off the ship.
Nanoo groaned in pain and stumbled. Jake caught him, and Kella held a crystal to his wounded arm.
“Hang in there, Nanoo,” she said. “Not far now.”
“Good,” mumbled Nanoo, his head flopping loosely on his shoulders, as though his neck had turned to rubber. “I not feel well.”
“We’ll take the elevator,” said the copilot. “The medical bay is on the next floor.”
As the pleasure cruiser left the space docks, Jake listened for laser cannon fire, but there was only the distant hum of the engine. He had half expected a fleet of naval warships to be waiting for them in space.
“Have you heard the latest?” said the copilot, once they were inside the elevator. “The Interstellar Navy has attacked Vantos.”
Chapter 25
Braving the Storm
Jake and Kella spent the next three hours in the medical bay, refusing to leave Nanoo’s side. Kella had helped the ship’s medic clean and dress Nanoo’s laser pistol wound before leaving him to rest. Nanoo was now snoring loudly on one of the recovery beds with a large chunk missing from his arm. Kella had also healed Jake’s cuts and soothed his candle burns.
Jake watched over Nanoo while Kella rested on one of the empty beds. The lights were low, and background music played gently through wall speakers. As he relaxed, Jake’s mind filled with sickening images of the mega-bomb. A million people had been slaughtered by the Interstellar Navy, and it was only the beginning. He wished that he had magical powers so he could disarm every naval warship with a snap of his fingers.
In an attempt to distract himself, he opened his bag and pulled out his handheld computer. He wanted to see if Callidus had sent him an e-comm, so he would know if the fortune seeker was safe, but there was no stellar-net signal. Had the Interstellar Navy found a way to block it? Were Callidus and Capio okay? Jake stuffed the device back into his bag and took out his crown. He turned it around in his hands, watching the light reflect off its smooth golden surface.
It seemed appropriate that he should have a fake crown, because he felt like a phony leader. What right did he have to declare himself the ruler of Alt
us when he had abandoned his planet? A real leader would have stayed and served his people, not run off with a crew of spacejackers. All of the real leaders had died at the gathering. If it hadn’t been for Jake, they would still be alive now.
“Stupid thing,” he growled and threw the crown across the medical bay.
It clattered noisily in the corner of the room. Nanoo stirred and muttered something in his own language before going back to sleep. Kella grunted and rolled over to face the wall.
“How’s it going?” asked the copilot, entering the room. “Is your friend okay?”
“He’s over the worst of it,” said Jake. “But he’s lost a serious amount of blood and we don’t have any Novu plasma to replace it.”
“Where’s his family?”
“His parents died in a shipwreck, and the rest of his people live in another galaxy.” Jake looked at Nanoo. “I promised to help him find a way home, but all I’ve done is get him shot.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”
“Of course it was my fault.” Jake struggled to contain his voice. “I broke my promise, because I was too busy trying to find my father and unite the independent colonies. Nanoo came to Santanova and was hurt trying to help me. As for Kella, we were supposed to rescue her sister once we found Altus, but now she’s locked up in Ur-Hal. I haven’t been a very good friend to either of them.”
“Garbish,” said Kella, sitting up. “You and Nanoo are the best friends I’ve ever had. If it hadn’t been for you, Nanoo would be dead and I would be a slave, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and work out how to fix things.”
“Fix things?” blurted Jake. “You might not have noticed, but all the independent colony leaders are dead.”
“Not all of them,” she said pointedly.
“Me?” he said. “What can I do? I have no idea how to contact the other colonies. And even if I did, why would they listen to a thirteen-year-old spacejacker from Altus?”
Kella folded her arms. “You convinced the leaders at the gathering.”
“Yes, but that was different,” he said. “Hector Rumpole was there to back me up.”
The copilot had heard enough. “Jake, I’ve tried to ignore the fact that you brought weapons and a wounded alien aboard this ship, but what’s this about slavery and spacejackers? What happened to the nice kid who used to hang out in the space docks on Remota? We had better go and see the captain.”
Jake knew that he had said too much, but it was too late to take any of it back. He straightened his uniform and went with the copilot, leaving Kella to look after Nanoo. It would have been only a matter of time before the crew discovered the truth, anyway. Jake hoped the captain would give him a chance to explain. He followed the copilot along the corridor and up three more floors to the top deck. The Star Chaser was far cleaner than the Dark Horse, but not nearly as cozy. It smelled of cleaning fluid, and Jake worried about leaving handprints on the oak wall panels.
The bridge itself was bright and spacious, with a curved ceiling and a panoramic window. It boasted the latest technology, including holographic displays, asteroid sensors, and a long-range scanner that would have made Farid sick with envy. There were at least eight shipmates in sharp white uniforms operating the various equipment. Jake doubted that it had a multibarreled laser cannon hidden behind a secret panel.
A tall, thin man with a trimmed gray beard stood in the center of the room. His uniform was decorated with gold buttons, braids, and tassels, as well as the emblem of Reus: a yellow circle on a blue shield, representing the planet’s famous sunshine and clear skies. Jake guessed that this was the captain of the pleasure cruiser.
“Jake Cutler?” he asked, as they entered. “Ruler of Altus?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“My name is Captain Dan Swan. I’ll assume by the color of your eyes that you’re also the teenage space pirate we’ve been hearing so much about on the Interstellar News.”
Jake stood proud. “Is that a problem?”
“I’ve got more important things to worry about than spacejackers,” said the captain. “We’ve received reports that Santanova has been surrounded by naval warships. It looks as though we got out just in time.”
“Is everyone okay?” asked Jake.
“No shots have been fired, but the Interstellar Navy is demanding that the planetary guard hand you over or face the consequences. Would you mind telling me why those wretches want you so badly?”
“It’s not me they’re after,” said Jake. “They want my planet and its three crystal moons.”
“Are you telling me that Altus really exists?”
Jake nodded.
“And you’re its rightful ruler?”
Jake nodded.
“As well as a space pirate?”
Jake nodded.
All of the shipmates on the bridge stopped what they were doing and stared at him.
“But you’re just a kid,” said the copilot.
Jake shrugged. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”
“Or change what has happened,” said Kella, appearing in the doorway with Nanoo.
“And it not bother Interstellar Navy that Jake is a kid,” pointed out Nanoo, who still looked pale as he held on to the hatch frame. “He still tortured if they catch him.”
The captain regarded the three of them. “When I was your age, I was playing games on the stellar-net. Not running around the galaxy trying to unite the independent colonies.”
“Will you help us?” asked Jake.
“Help you?” said Captain Swan. “To do what? Naval vessels are gathering around our home planets. It looks as though the Interstellar Navy will take out the independent colonies one solar system at a time, starting with the seventh. My wife and two daughters are on Reus, but what can a pleasure cruiser do against a fleet of naval warships?”
“What about the other colonies?” asked Jake.
“I’m sure they would help us,” said the captain. “If we had a way to contact them. But I expect that most of the colonies are busy appointing new leaders and protecting themselves. Who would they follow into battle? All of the leaders are dead.”
“Not all of them.”
Jake looked out of the window at the convoy of refugee ships and knew that he had to do something, otherwise the Interstellar Navy would sweep through the galaxy like a space storm, leaving behind a trail of death and destruction.
“You?” said the copilot.
“Who else is there?”
Kella and Nanoo joined him in the center of the room.
“What you saying?” asked Nanoo.
“I’m going to make this right,” said Jake. “I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to fix things.”
Kella placed a hand on his shoulder. “You can count on us.”
“No,” said Jake. “Not this time, shipmates. Nanoo, we’ll drop you off at Shan-Ti monastery, where you can wait for your people. Kella, we’ll find the Dark Horse, so the crew can help you to free your sister, Jeyne.”
Nanoo frowned. “Don’t be idiot.”
“Yeah,” said Kella. “Do you really think we’d turn our backs on you now, when you need us the most?”
“This isn’t a game,” insisted Jake.
“We know,” said Nanoo. “And we not playing.”
“We’re in this together, you astronut.” Kella wore a stubborn expression as she planted her hands on her hips.
Jake should have known that his friends would never abandon him. It was a good thing, because if he was going to fly into the heart of the storm, he would need all the help he could get.
“In that case,” he said, turning to face Captain Swan, “I suggest we drop the passengers off at Shan-Ti.”
“What about the rest of us?” asked the captain.
“We’re going to contact the independent colonies,” said Jake. “And then we’re going to war.”
Captain Swan considered this for a moment. “Aye, my lord.”
Jake re
treated to the rear wall with Kella and Nanoo, while the crew set course for Shan-Ti.
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” asked Kella. “It’s one thing to rule a planet, but another to lead every independent colonist in the galaxy.”
“I have to be ready,” said Jake. “We need to stop the Interstellar Navy, and I’m the only one who can do it.”
“You might not be leader,” whispered Nanoo.
“What do you mean?” asked Jake.
“If your father alive, then he rightful ruler of Altus, not you.”
“Nanoo’s right,” said Kella. “You’re more of a pirate prince than a king.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Jake. “The independent colonists need a leader now, so until we find my dad, they will have to make do with me. It’s about time a descendant of Zerost made a stand.”
The whole thing seemed incredible, but at the same time, it felt as though it was meant to be. It was no longer about warning people; it was about fighting for what was right. Jake had learned that from the cyber-monks on Remota, when they died to protect him. He would stand up to the Interstellar Navy on behalf of those who had been murdered by them, as well as the millions more who were still in danger.
It was hard to imagine a galaxy without independent colonies, one where the Interstellar Government ruled every planet. If that happened, there would be nowhere for Jake and the others to hide from the Interstellar Navy. Any hope of finding his father and leading a normal life would be lost forever. And then how long would it be before the Galactic Trade Corporation discovered Altus and mined its crystal moons to the core? If Jake wanted to protect his friends, his father, and his home planet, he would have to save the entire galaxy, starting with the seventh solar system.
No more running. No more hiding.
“The Interstellar Navy is going to be sorry that it ever messed with a space pirate,” he said out loud.
Jake would find a way to contact the independent colonies and stop the Interstellar Navy. The seven solar systems weren’t perfect, but they were worth fighting for. Whatever happened in the days to come, he knew that Kella and Nanoo would stand by him. They would risk their lives and brave the storm together.