Return of the Guardian King

by John E Bujanowski Jr

  Boone nodded and replied, “Yes. But, I think I can clear my name.”

  “I’m not gonna turn you in, Boone. I’m glad to help but your father has taken steps to leave his past behind him. His last whereabouts was that small old hangar five hundred miles west of the Wayland Town strafing range. It’s called, Blessens. It is just a mile or two from the abandoned Kovan Defense Force Maintenance Center. He went into business with another High Guard dropout, Clay Hasten. Remember him? Anyway, they started restoring and selling old flyers, racing them, modifying them and such. That was over four years ago, Boone.”

  “OK. Thanks, Silo. I appreciate it.”

  Silo nodded. “Let me know how you make out.”

  The COM ended and he set a new course. The Kenos headed toward the small town of Blessens.

  …

  Jess, Mace, Leake, and Ulius set down behind the old large hangar in Wayland Town. Their trap was set and their ships were on the tarmac in formation with several other ships. They wanted everything to look business-as-usual. A few High Guard members were inside the hangar awaiting them. They set their trap by planting themselves in key locations and waited, hoping the Pereon infiltrators would show up for Boone Nova. Two other High Guard members were sitting in ships, hiding, and waiting to pursue any ships that tried to attack from the air. Everyone was waiting expectantly.

  Chapter 20

  Pryce, Terra, and Lorin arrived at Peos Tower and set down on a royal tarmac. Prime Pierce and the Kovan High Guard investigator, Cade Maclin, greeted them alone.

  “Prime,” Lorin said. “I understand you are willing to help?”

  “What?” he asked as surprise rushed over his face. “How did you know? Wait, don’t tell me. Your father speaks highly of your abilities and discernment. You understand I had to appease Prime Jale?”

  “I do. And now, I need your help if we are to discover the infiltrator.”

  The prime nodded and replied, “I hope it is a single infiltrator and not many! What do you need?”

  “Send a message, please.”

  Everyone looked at Lorin who seemed to know exactly what to do. She posted High Guardsmen at the three exits of the COM Center. Prime Pierce then entered the COM Center and broadcasted the following message planet-wide:

  Important Notice: High Guard Investigation Command confirms Boone Nova and Mace Starling escaped with the aid of several entrusted members of the Detention Center. Reports now suggest a device has been discovered with details concerning the attack and death of the Pereon diplomat, Yulee Braconna. The Kovan High Guard is now conducting an extensive search for the device, those who assisted Boone Nova’s and Mace Starling’s escape, and the infiltrators who misled the High Guard COM Center on Emancipation Day. Please contact the Kovan High Guard if you have any information.

  Lorin’s trap was now set. She and the others anticipated the infiltrators would immediately attempt to leave the COM Center. The exits were guarded, the docking bays were being monitored, and all their hopes were now on the simple premise that the infiltrator was somewhere inside the complex. They waited.

  …

  “Finn!” Clay screamed.

  Finn bolted from the hangar and into the workshop. Clay was standing in front of the hologram; his left hand laying on top of his head in a show of disbelief. Finn’s eyes fell upon the latest news glowing inside the hologram. It displayed a message:

  Reports now suggest a device has been discovered with details concerning the attack and death of the Pereon diplomat, Yulee Braconna. The Kovan High Guard is now conducting an extensive search for the device, those who assisted Boone Nova’s and Mace Starling’s escape, and the infiltrators who misled…

  Finn’s jaw dropped open. Clay blasted at him, “Still want to do nothing!” Clay glared at him, angered. “Cause if you ‘do’ nothing, then ‘nothing’ is going to happen!” Finn, becoming emotional by it all, slid onto a nearby stool and gazed at the hologram and at Clay. Clay added, “Finn! He’s your son!”

  Finn was speechless. A tear surfaced as Clay’s words reached his heart. “He’s your son! He’s your son!” Finn wiped his face as if he was wiping away years of guilt. He stood up and turned away from Clay and the hologram. He was looking at the storage room in the back of the workshop which led to an old rusty metal door. He discovered a tear in his eye as Clay’s words echoed in his mind, “He’s your son! He’s your son!” Memories flooded into his mind as he thought about Boone and Liana. He glanced at Clay and the hologram again.

  … A device has been discovered with details concerning the attack and death of the Pereon diplomat, Yulee Braconna…

  Clay watched Finn as he slowly stepped toward the back of the workshop. Finn came to the entrance of the storage room. His gaze fell upon the big rusty metal door in the back of the storage room. The metal door seemed to speak to him. He glanced back at Clay who was then standing next to him. Clay put his large hand on Finn’s shoulder and together they studied the rusty metal door.

  Clay softly uttered, “Finn, I know you want to. What’s holding you back?”

  Finn wiped his face again and blew out a loud sigh, “Pride. Shame.” He looked at Clay as tears streamed down his face and said, “She was always better than me. You know? I think I despised her for that. I really hate myself. You know?”

  “I know but don’t hate yourself, hate your actions. I say we stop chatting and start doing. That’s your family, Finn, and it’s time you treat them like family. They’re fighting, Finn. They’re fighting for their lives.”

  Finn brushed away tears. Amidst shelves full of spare parts and a concrete floor cluttered with small pieces of engines, they made their way to the back of the storage room. Finn gripped the handle on the rusty metal door with his right hand and unlatched it with his left. The door creaked as it opened. Clay helped him then they entered a concrete staircase. They went down into the basement and into a room where a large black vinyl duffle bag sat on a shelf. Finn grabbed it and lifted it off the shelf. He looked at Clay who was smiling.

  “You know? I’ve wanted to do this for years! I know I should have.”

  Clay nodded. “Pride and shame will do that to a man.”

  Finn nodded. Together, they carried the bag up the concrete steps, through the storage room, and into the workshop. They unzipped it and saw a large round disc, eight inches thick and fourteen inches in diameter. It had a small placard mounted on one side with an inscription that read, ‘Zenith Class 2 Gunship TX7013.’ Scribbled in black marker were the words, ‘Guardian King.’ They gazed at each other and smiled. Finn’s eyes were filled with tears. He wiped them as Clay patted his shoulder.

  Clay said, “Come on. We’ve got to wrap this and shield it from being scanned.” Finn nodded.

  They grabbed some flexible shielded mesh which was able to shield it from any scan. They carried it to Finn’s ship, a Class 1 Star Flyer, dark blue with light gray pinstriping and the words, ‘Sky King’ written near the canopy. Star flyers were twice the size, speed, and maneuverability of the smaller jet flyers. They stowed the device inside a storage compartment. Finn climbed into his cockpit, smiling as Clay jumped in his own ship. It was noon when they darted off into the sky and headed east toward the capital city, Tela KaTura.

  …

  The Night Star, disguised as the Kenos Verisian, glided over treetops, farms, and wide opened landscapes until it came to a small town called Blessens. Boone circled around the town as not to be seen and got a fix on the hangar’s location. The infrared scans were not pleasing to Boone.

  “Uh!” he moaned. “Déjà vu!” he grumbled. “Looks like Isoter all over again! Those kukupas!”

  He pointed to the scanner and saw dozens of small heat signatures. Phia became concerned when she saw his anger. Boone opened a hologram, displaying an image of one of the creatures below so she could see what they looked like.

  “What is it? A Kukupa? I know it’s too small to be a person.”

  “It’s called a Puda. They
’re fat furry chubby four-legged creatures about three-foot-tall. They have sharp teeth and they can scurry across the ground real fast, on two legs or four legs, like a monkey. I hate these things. I used to shoot them for fun, Mace and I. They will destroy anything they can get their hands on. So, don’t think you can outrun them, just shoot them! OK?”

  She gazed at him. “OK. I will. Sounds bad!”

  “They are!” he added. “And they will work together to snare their prey, or you! These things need to be exterminated.”

  “Well, I don’t see any near the hangar.”

  “Good!”

  The Night Star slowly set down and Boone and Phia saw a deserted hangar which was across from an old café and a large broken down ranch-style house. A few rusted and broken spaceships dotted the area. They set down in the wide open space between the buildings and the hangar. They wanted to see the puda’s come at them if any of them wandered near them. There was no tarmac, just dry dusty dirt. The hangar doors were opened and no one was in sight.

  Boone and Phia stepped out with their phase blasters pointing the way. They cautiously checked out the café and ranch house, slowly examining everything they saw. They hardly said a word to each other as despair was settling in - they found nothing to indicate Finn Nova was ever there. After an hour of diligent searching, they exited the ranch house and stepped into the courtyard. Boone had a tear.

  “Boone? Are you OK?” she asked. “I’m sorry.” Boone wiped some tears away. Tears of despair. “Let’s check out the hangar. OK?” she asked. He nodded.

  They slowly made their way across the large dirt courtyard and Boone saw something in the corner of his eye. He fired at it, thinking it was a puda. They didn’t hear anything so they proceeded into the hangar. The hangar was very large and tall with a few piles of junked ships scattered about. Phia spied a room in a distant corner. It was an office.

  Phia exclaimed, “Boone! An office!”

  They holstered their guns and scurried to it. They began searching every desk, filing cabinet, box, and drawer. Boone found a receipt for work done on an old ship. Phia read a document pinned to the wall that stated their lease had run out. Then she studied a map on a wall.

  “Boone!” she exclaimed. “Look!”

  On the map, in the lower right corner, they saw the name, Finn Nova and Clay Hasten. They studied the map and saw a large arrow traversing a location several thousand miles away. The words ‘New Site’ was written in red ink and circled with an exclamation mark. Phia smiled and watched Boone. Boone had a tear. She put her arm around his shoulder.

  “I think we just found your dad.”

  He nodded and looked at her. “Now, I’ve just got to figure out what to say to him. Once we get there.”

  “I believe he still has that device. Don’t you?”

  “I know my dad and I know for a fact he has it. I don’t even question it.” He wiped another tear. “Phia, I’m about to clear my name.”

  Suddenly, and to their shock, the sound of small jet flyers were heard screaming through the sky. Then a tremendous blast was heard. They glared at each other and ran back into the hangar and toward the Night Star. They made it to the hangar doors when tremendous explosions rocked the massive structure. The sound was deafening. The ground shook and they stumbled and fell down. Boone, looking up, realized the hangar was leaning to one side, falling toward the café, the ranch house, and his precious Night Star. They quickly got back up but Boone knew they weren’t going to make it out, so he grabbed Phia and held her.

  “Look up! The beams are coming down!”

  They looked up and saw the entire structure slowly falling to one side, twisting with loud creeks and the snapping sound of tin and metal breaking apart. As it started to come down upon them, Boone immediately surmised where the large metal beams would fall. He had every intention of avoiding the falling beams. He could do nothing about the hot metal roof landing on them.

  “Don’t let the beam hit you!” he yelled at her as he carefully let go of her. “Dodge the beam!” he shouted as once again, phaser blasts from the three airships pelted the hangar. Booms, bangs, and loud creaks filled their ears.

  They studied the roof and falling metal beams as it crashed upon them. Boone and Phia fell as the roof landed on them; a metal beam separated them from each other.

  The three jet flyers were happy to see the burning twisted carnage of what used to be an old hangar. They made several more strafes at the hangar then darted off.

  Boone moaned, as he felt the hot tin roof against his chest. He lay as still as he could and assessed his injuries. He knew the roof hit his head but otherwise, he was OK. “These beams, I think they are about sixteen inches thick. They are hot! Phia! Phia?” he muttered. There was no answer. “Phia!” he shouted. “Phia!” But his call went unanswered. “Lord, I can’t go through this again. No!”

  …

  Officer Kio’tak entered a back stairwell in an attempt to make a surreptitious escape. He quickly communicated with a friend and opened a door which led to his luxurious jetliner. Upon opening the door, several High Guardsmen greeted him with phaser rifles and blasters pointed at him. Kio’tak froze in his tracks, lowered his COM device, and grimaced. The guardsmen grabbed his COM device and placed him under arrest. Lorin and Prime Pierce were summoned immediately.

  Inside the detention room, Lorin gracefully walked around the officer, her hand gently touching the table at which he sat, and her eyes fixed upon his every movement. She studied his eyes, his mouth, his forehead, his neck, his shoulders, and every part of him. She started the read the moment he sat down.

  She deliberately remembered most of the danger she and Boone had recently gone through. She remembered Ko’Sak’s foot that fell out of a bag she carried. She remembered the place where he was killed and the dreadful kukupas. She intentionally aroused her emotions and her read reached a new level. She was thrilled by it as her emotions piqued.

  “What is your name?”

  “Jennis Kio’tak.”

  “Where do you work?”

  “In the High Guard Com Center. That’s all I’m going to say. I’ll be killed if I talk to you any further. And, I might add, they will know.”

  “Oh?” Lorin asked. “Is the Prime in on your infiltration?”

  He looked away, “No, he is not. Is Investigator Maclin involved?”

  The investigator gazed at Lorin with concern but realized she was just being thorough with her investigation. Kio’tak, though, pursed his lips.

  Lorin thought, “He is not. Is another officer involved?” He gazed at her and a slight movement of the brow gave her the answer. “Yes, there is another. More than one?” He sighed ever so slightly. She read it, “I see. We have several other infiltrators. Don’t we?”

  “I’ve not answered! I’m not answering.”

  “Kio’tak, I already have my answers. You answered me with your eyes, your mouth, your breathing, and your forehead. You see?” Kio’tak was amazed as was the prime and investigator. Pryce and Terra were pleased. “Kio’tak, we have the voice records from that day. We are going to announce you have been discovered to be part of the conspiracy in the death of Yulee Braconna, Boone’s and Mace’s accusations, and infiltrating and deceiving the High Guard. We will also announce you have just verified some facts for us.” She nodded to Officer Maclin, the Kovan High Guard investigator. He started to leave.

  “You can’t do that. I know the law.”

  The prime interrupted, “The Court of Primes changed the law for dealing with infiltrators and insurrectionists. You’re going to talk or you’ll be immediately sent to solitary confinement in a stasis pod. No one will know where you’ve gone. They won’t even see you leave. The pod is coming now. So, are you going to talk or are you going somewhere?”

  Kio’tak sat stunned, contemplating the news.

  …

  Evening had set in and shadows were growing longer as they waited for the Pereon infiltrator. Jess and her team had wai
ted over an hour. They sensed something was wrong. They left their hiding places and gathered together to discuss their next move. They were confused. They assumed the infiltrators were waiting for night to set in before making their move. They grabbed a bite to eat and returned to their hiding places. They continued to hope.

  …

  Sable roamed the lower decks, searching for any COM station available. He managed to descend from deck to deck by accessing small portals and climbing down thin metal ladders. He was frustrated because the only COMs he came across were ship-to-ship COM panels and they did not have the main components for sending a signal. He needed to find a COM Center. He was headed to the aft section of the ship, assuming a COM Center would be there. He had already lost precious time in the search and hoped his disappearance from the others went unnoticed.

  It didn’t go unnoticed and Lincoln had every guard searching the main facility for Sable. Though Sable’s rough-cut escape hole went undiscovered, Lincoln assumed he was not on the main deck. Lincoln spoke to Captain Dillard and immediately reprogrammed eleven available ASOP units to search the decks below. They didn’t know what Sable was up to. They stationed more guards near certain cells: Kwelling, Indrayel, Luweena, and Brock, and began to search the lower decks. The egress bays where the ships were kept were under extra security. The search was full on.

  Lincoln and Captain Dillard surmised Sable could be attempting to either cause an explosion which would force the Exoteric to port or perhaps send a message to someone about its location. Captain Dillard ordered the Exoteric deeper into dead space, further away from the constellation. It was a maneuver which would force an enemy to come at them directly, as opposed to flanking them or circling them from behind. If someone was coming to the Exoteric, Captain Dillard wanted to see them coming from a great distance.

  …

  Meanwhile, on the outer edge of the Abdomanon Constellation, inside the star system of Adjelon, on the planet Kurros, inside the confines of her underground lair, Rena and her crew studied several large holograms of the constellation. She was monitoring every spatial corridor and trying to ascertain the locations of the High Guard’s five battlecruisers. The Pirate Queen was furious because several key components to her evil plans had just been thwarted by attacks from the High Guard. Her two main communication hubs had been attacked and were now under High Guard control – one in the city of Tala Veegan on the planet, Ta'Jeon which Merrick managed and one in the town of Kopiter on the planet, Isoter. The High Guard Command was now using the INTEL she once collected and coveted against her. Her greatest fear was about to happen – her secret underground lair was about to be discovered.