Jak answered, “We’re coming.”
By the time Jak and Nell caught up to them they were sitting on some large rocks, waiting. They were at the entrance of a large cavern.
Jak’s eyes widened, “Whoa! This is huge!”
The cavern was deep cold and damp. The entrance was partially blocked by small sharp rocks. As their lights began to shine into the cavern, small furry creatures ran for cover.
“Look,” one of the three said as he pointed to a spot near the entrance. He turned on a bright light and lit up a small portion of ground. The bright light fell onto a perfectly round deep impression in the ground.
Nell blared, “That’s a landing gear! Boys, this is promising!”
Jak spoke into his COM, “Aderian? Wish you could see this. We found a large cavern and I’m looking at an impression in the ground. A landing gear and that’s no doubt.”
“Jak!” another voice exclaimed. “Where are you?”
“Queen? You’re back! I’m shooting into the air! I’ll signal you.”
Space gunners were small one-manned ships and she had no problem landing on top of a few sharp rocks. She jumped out and landed in a very narrow pebble-covered stream. She marched up to them and they all turned on their lights. They were all waiting for her before investigating the cavern.
Rena looked at the three volunteers, “You didn’t search it?”
“No, Queen. We’ve been, uh, listening, though.”
She nodded, “Oh. Kukupas? Well, their screech is unmistakable. We’ll all go in together.”
The six of them slowly entered the deep cavern. Judging by the bright beams that pierced the darkness they couldn’t tell how deep it was. They walked slowly, pistols pointing the way and listening very carefully.
“Smell that?” Jak asked.
“Fusion-based reactor,” Nell said. “Very faint, though.
Rena ran her finger down part of the cavern wall and smelled it. “There is no doubt a ship was here. I’m thinking it wasn’t that long ago.”
Jak added, “I’m thinking it was the Night Star.”
Rena looked at him and hoped for it. They continued their search into the back of the cavern as the light from its entrance behind them was now beginning to fade.
“I see something,” one said. He advanced quickly. “Look at the footprints,” he said as he pointed to the soft sandy soil. Rocks and pebbles covered what appeared to be a side tunnel.
“I see more tunnels,” another said as he shone his light in a different direction. They saw a total of five tunnels. They were all filled with piles of large and small rocks.
Rena looked at Jak, “I think you should go get everyone. Bring lights, also. We may be here a while.
One of the three searchers went further into the cavern. Inside one of the tunnels, he fired his blaster at one of the rocks on top of the pile. It did little damage to the rock. Rena quickly ran to him, grabbed his gun tightly, and struck him in the face with it.
“Fool! What are doing? If you hit the device, you’ve wasted all of our time!” She turned the barrel of his phase pistol; it made a whining noise as it charged to a higher setting. She raised her arm and pointed it to his head. His eyes widened. She let out a deep long sigh.
“I don’t allow such stupidity! Understand?”
“Yes, I do! Please? I’m sorry. I was just testing it. To see if it was possible.”
She lowered her arm and discharged the weapon. “It’s not!” She handed it back to him. “You better not mess up again. I don’t tolerate such unwise decisions.”
…
Boone looked at the crowd of people surrounding his bed – Lorin, High Guard officer Kola D’su, Investigators Lincoln DeKator and Phia Sa’vo, Pryce, Mace, and Jona. The doctors and nurses that once filled the room had gradually left, feeling as though they had a celebrity staying with them. Terra was being attended to by a nurse and Nurse Callie stood off to one side and listened to the discussion with amazement.
Boone said, “Everyone needs to get ready for…” He scratched his jaw and grinned, anticipating a bunch of objections from his trusted friends. “A little trip.” He looked at Pryce who was still upset with the court and many others about how they were treated after the gamma mission. He dreaded to hear what the court dictated. Boone was expecting him to be upset. “Pryce, we need to go and get the device.”
“I knew it,” he blared. “I can’t believe the court was here in your room! What did they order you to do? You’re not going to…”
“Hold on,” Boone replied holding his hand up and calming him down. “They apologized, Pryce. They apologized to all of us.”
Pryce, Mace, and Jona were very surprised by the comment. They couldn’t believe it. They gazed at Boone in disbelief.
“Look, I’ll replay the whole conversation in a minute. OK? I want you all to hear it?” He studied Jona and Mace who were also very upset with the court at the moment. “You won’t believe it until you listen to it. But, we have to get ready to go. It’s all about the Ambulas right now. Not us. OK?”
Mace, Jona, and Pryce nodded but very much wanted to hear the court’s conversation. Lorin added to the somber mood due to the urgency of their upcoming mission. She was compelled to inform Boone about one other very important matter.
“Boone,” Lorin said, “I need to…” She sighed deeply, very troubled about her recent discovery but she had to tell him. “I need to tell you why I came to see you.” Then she paused. What she wanted to tell him was for everyone to hear but especially personal for Boone.
Boone gazed at her. “Lorin, you’re not going! I know that’s what you’re thinking.”
“No,” she replied with a concerned look on her face. “Yes, I’d love to go. You know that but I realize it is far too dangerous for me, now.”
She looked at the chief investigator and Officer Kola then studied Boone once again. The news was not only upsetting for her but it would be very upsetting to him. Kola nodded to her, trying to assure her and give her some confidence.
Phia asked, “Something else has happened? What?”
“Lorin?” Boone asked. “Stop worrying about us. What is it?”
“Can I speak to you alone?” she asked as she glanced around the crowded bed.
Mace quickly uttered, “What?”
Jona abruptly uttered, “No!” Everyone chuckled at Jona’s demeanor. “Lorin!” he exclaimed as his anticipation grew.
“Um, excuse me,” Lincoln interjected while studying the large brown man. “This is the daughter of the 5th prime. You should address her a Ms. Ta’mian or Prime or Your Majesty. Not by her first name.” He looked around and saw their reluctance. “What?” he asked.
Lorin answered, “Lincoln, we all just spent a few weeks together working very closely and it’s quite all right. They don’t mean any disrespect. Please trust me. They have also earned the right to call me Lorin, having gone through what we’ve gone through.” She looked at Jona. “Right? Jona?” she asked him.
Jona’s eyes went from her to the floor. He uttered, “Yes, prime’s daughter but I like the name, Lorin.” They chuckled again.
Then they looked at Lorin, expecting some disturbing news. The awkward moment lasted and Lorin felt obligated to tell them as everyone stood waiting to hear the news.
“I must tell you something. Something very important and something… it’s very troubling and I’m afraid you will react very rashly and do something foolish.”
Boone studied her and waited. He noticed she was becoming emotional. She studied him. She could see the apprehension on his face. She found herself trying to read him again – as she often did. She wanted to know his every thought and emotion as well as his feelings for her. She was already emotional about the news.
“Boone, you know we captured Kwelling,” she said. Boone nodded, gaping, filled with anticipation. “And you know we captured another man,” she said as she turned her head and noticed Terra, sitting on her bed, listening and not missing any of the conver
sation. “The man that went for Terra, we don’t know who he is… exactly.”
“Exactly?” Pryce blurted. His anger piqued as his only concern was that this man tried to find Terra and attack her while Kwelling went for Boone. He was ready and ripe for revenge. “What is that supposed to mean? Exactly?” Lorin glared at him. “I’m sorry, Lorin.” He changed his tone. “But who is he? I want to know!”
Lorin sighed. A tear developed. She looked at Boone, “We are trying to find out but Boone, I recognized him.”
Tears started to roll down her face. She quickly dried them. She held her head up with as much strength and dignity she could muster. Everyone started to realize how upset she was when they saw her tears and how difficult it was for her to explain.
Boone took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. She gladly accepted the gesture. She continued to wipe her tears with her other hand.
“You’ve seen him before? Lorin?” Boone asked.
Lorin could only nod her head, yes, as tears streamed down her face. Phia retrieved some tissues for her and Lorin quickly took them with both hands and started drying more tears.
“Boone,” she blurted. “He’s the man that abducted us that night.”
Everyone was amazed and shocked. Lincoln and Phia could only try to understand as they were not completely informed about what happened that night.
Pryce asked, “The man that abducted you and your father?”
She nodded and answered, “Yes,” as she continued to wipe tears.
Jona moaned, “The man that took the Night Star!”
They all looked at Boone as Boone uttered, “The man that shot me in the back.” They all pondered the event. “Lincoln? Did you interrogate him? He could lead you to whoever set up that whole abduction and…”
Lincoln interrupted, “Luweena. Tanner and I discovered the mole. It was a servant in the royal palace, Luweena!”
“Luweena? That short young girl? I know her,” Boone said. “She’s a snitch? I can’t believe it! She was so nice to me when I stayed at the palace.”
Lincoln, surprised that Boone had such access to the palace, asked, “You stayed at the palace?”
Lorin answered, “My father ordered him to return to O'bipherion after the mission. I now suppose Luweena took every advantage against my father, myself and you, Boone. I can’t believe I never suspected her!”
Lincoln added, “She’s not talking and either is the man. We will try again in… well, forty-eight days.”
Jona said, “That rule is dumb! I can get him to talk in one minute if I am alone with him. I’ll tear his…”
Everyone chuckled as Mace put his arm on his shoulder and got his attention.
“I’m going to talk to him,” Lorin said. “Very soon. When my emotions settle down. After all, I was the one who saw him roll you down the cargo ramp of the Night Star and drop you off on that moon.”
“Lorin,” Boone said. “I’ll be OK. I would like to see him, though.”
Mace laughed, “Oh, I bet you would! You probably want to see his back!”
Jona said, “And with a blaster tucked away in your jacket! Lorin? Can I buy him from the High Guard? Would they sell him to me?”
They all laughed and the change in mood set everyone at ease.
Lincoln asked, “Boone? Don’t we need to talk about the mission?”
Phia said, “Boone! You and I need to talk, too!”
Lincoln replied, “Look. We can’t waste too much time. If the Ambulas ventures toward O'bipherion, she would have our battlecruisers on the run. I need to know what this device can do for us and I need to know what the court was talking about. I’m not even sure what the device is! I need to be briefed!”
Phia frowned at that news. She had plans to take Boone to Kova and answer for his crimes. It seemed those plans were now less important. She accepted the fact that the Ambulas was more important. She also had every expectation that she was not going to leave his side until the day those questions and accusation about what Boone did on Kova were answered.
“Phia! Please?” he groaned at her. “Not now!” She frowned and he quickly added with a kinder tone, “In a minute. OK?” She nodded.
“OK,” he uttered as he looked at Pryce. “I want you, Mace, and Jona to replay the court’s message. Take the chip and find a reader. Find a secure place to watch it. Also, tell Lincoln about the device. After that, we will all meet back here and figure out our next move.”
Pryce nodded, grabbed the chip and Terra’s reader which lay at her bedside and left with Mace, Jona, and Lincoln close behind. Lincoln needed to hear it again as he did not understand the context of the court’s message. He bombarded Mace and Jona with questions about the device and the gamma mission while on the way. He was astounded to hear what the device could do.
Boone continued to issue orders as he opened a small cabinet and retrieved his clothes. He looked at Kola, “Get your men. They can bring one bag with them. I also need a surveillance pack.”
Terra interrupted, “Three of those, Boone. Not one.”
He looked at her as she was now sitting on her bed facing him. The doctor and nurses had wrapped her leg and applied a final coating of facial healing cream to the side of her face, neck, and the lower left side of her skull where her hair had been shaven off. She pulled a curtain and started to change clothes and didn’t mind who was present. The only men there were Boone and Kola.
She added, “The surveillance packs need to include dual monitors, Kola.”
Boone smirked. “Yes, OK. I also need a few meal packs and do they still have those low-grade EMP shoulder cannons?”
“You mean portable EMP guns?” Kola asked. “You know about the shoulder cannons?”
Boone could not let slip the fact that he was once a Kovan Defense Force cadet and in a program to integrate with the High Guard – something his father was greatly opposed to.
“Yes,” Boone replied. He started changing out of his hospital garments. He walked in and out of the bathroom for Lorin’s and Phia’s sake. Everyone watched. “They are guns, now? Wow,” he muttered. “I need one.”
Kola and Terra nodded and wondered about his knowledge of High Guard technology.
“What about ships, Boone?” Kola asked. “I hate to tell you this but… uh…”
Terra finished his statement, “I agree with the court! You’re beloved Night Star is not up for this, Boone. We need the fastest ship we can find. A starliner, if we can…”
“No! Terra, sorry. We need the Night Star!” He gazed at her. She was upset by his tone. He disappeared into the bathroom and out flew his hospital garment. He was putting his pants on. “I’m sorry, Terra,” he said while in the bathroom. He stepped out momentarily, shirtless. He studied her expression. “I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m still mad if you know what I mean.”
“I do. I know. But we now have the guy that shot you. So, don’t even think about him. Now, we need to get the device and stop the Ambulas. So, why do we need the Night Star? And we all can’t fit in your ship. Can we? Don’t we need to get ‘wherever the device is’ and fast? And Boone, don’t you need to tell someone else where it is?”
“Terra,” he muttered.
She added, “You expect me to believe you’re the only one right now that knows where it is? Isn’t that foolish?”
Chapter 11
The Sim-Sa Gale still remained idle. They had contacted all twenty-seven mining operation posts within three hours of their position – in hopes of finding a laser powerful enough to deter the Ambulas. There was not one available but several of them were working feverishly to build one. She continued to watch the Ambulas make very slow maneuvers around the listing Ganes Trek. The hologram they studied filled the forward section of the bridge. They watched expensive and precious cargo slowly make its way into the large open bay of the large make-shift battlecruiser. They also watched the Ambulas to see if its five forward laser turrets would begin to glow. The live-action feed of the
hologram also allowed them to determine if the Ambulas was targeting them. As they watched, a light reddish glow appeared.
“Sir,” Ellswood quickly shouted. “Laser is charging!”
Captain Eisen jumped to his feet, “Mr. Grainer! Adjust position!”
Everyone on the bridge braced for what could be a laser strike.
“Sir?” Ms. Ellswood uttered in disbelief. “She is not targeting us.” She slowly stood to her feet as she gazed at her monitor. Captain Eisen and Commander J'Dar came and stood next to her.
“What? What are you saying?”
On a smaller hologram, floating above her station, they watched the Ambulas fire upon one of the life pods.
Ellswood, in shock, exclaimed, “Captain! They just destroyed a life pod!”
She looked at him, horrified. They all turned and looked at the large hologram of the Ambulas. The light reddish glow of its forward laser turrets went dim.
Captain Eisen loudly cursed. “COM! Who’s leading the ships?”
“Major Banks, Sir. I’m opening a channel.”
“Sir?” Banks asked.
“Major,” Captain Eisen said. “The Ambulas just destroyed one of the pods! Issue evasive maneuvers for all of your ships. How long before you reach them? We think ten minutes.”
“Sir, one ship is already tracking the closest one to us. Less than a minute, Sir. I’ll send out a message to the pods. They have the ability to thrust, Sir. We’ll get them.”
“Remember to continually adjust…”
“Sir!” Ellswood exclaimed. “The turrets!”
“Major! Spread the word. Now! The Ambulas is about to fire!”
Moments passed as the bridge of the Sim-Sa Gale held their breath. The reddish glow turned into a series of blinking lights then they faded.
The captain asked but when Ellswood placed her hand over her mouth it was enough. A second pod had been destroyed. The captain sauntered into his chair. Commander J'Dar stood bewildered.
J’Dar uttered, “Who are these people? I’ve never seen such… such…”
“Evil,” Ellswood replied.
Captain Eisen said, “Jamisen, open COM to HGCO.” He did and a hologram of Commander Jackey appeared. “Commander Jackey?”
BOONE NOVA AND THEPIRATE QUEEN Page 10