by Lee Watts
"Yes," Aulani affirmed with trepidation. "I saw a dress I liked, but hoped you could do something special with it."
"Doll, I'z can make you looks like a princess."
She smiled.
"Oh, by the way, I'm supposed to tell you that Q says hi."
"Q?! How is old Queeny?"
"Her Highness is fine. She's been a wonderful friend to me."
"Any friend of Queeny is a friend of mine. Ya know it was her idea to offer me to go state-evidence instead of hard time."
"No, she… hadn't mentioned that."
"Well, some tings is best kept quiet ya know."
From the other side of the wall came high-pitched laughter.
"Speaking of keeping quiet," Aulani mumbled.
"I knows that laugh; it's Lady Canton. She's gettin' her last fitting today."
"Yes," Aulani confirmed with a frown.
"Oh, you knows her too?"
"Unfortunately."
"Big fan I see. See'n as how dat's the case, I'll lets you in on a secret that'll make your day. She wanted this fancy dress see. So, I makes one for her, but she's not happy so I gotta alter it. She's still not happy so I changes it again. Finally, I gets it the way she wants, and when it's done there's less of it than there is more, if know what I mean. My girls convince her that the gala isn't the kind of event she wants to be wearin' something like that. So, she tells me to fix the problem and make a brand-new dress from scratch. So, I fixed 'er a new one if ya know what I mean - fixed 'er but good."
Aulani suppressed a laugh as she nodded.
"Anyways, every time she comes in here she's mean to my girls and acts like she owns da place. So, I've had a little fun wit her."
"What kind of fun?"
"You're goin' to that fancy party at the palace, right?"
"Yes."
"You'll see when ya there. Anyway, let's take care of you. You're nice and a friend of Queeny, so I'll make for you da best dress of dem all, and I guarantee nobody, but nobody will have one like it. What ya got in mind?"
Aulani withdrew a printout of the dress she had selected and handed it to Ed. They discussed it, chose materials and slight changes to the design. Ed had Charlotte come in and take Aulani's measurements, which turned out to be the precise same as Vivica's. When they were finished, Ed told Aulani to return in a few days for a fitting. During the next several days she came in for fittings and adjustments. When at last the gown was complete, Aulani was so excited she hugged Ed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Ed told Charlotte to have the dress delivered to the palace. Aulani thanked them both for their kindness and help. As they watched her leave Charlotte turned to Ed.
"You've outdone yourself this time, Ed. That dress is the most gorgeous gown I've ever seen."
"Thanks, Charlie."
"She's nice, Ed; you're not going to do to her like you did to Lady Canton, are you?"
"Nah, I like dis one. Dat Aulani's one classy broad."
***
On the starship Fame, which was stuck inside The Cloud with three Ramillie light cruisers closing, a non-functioning cloaking device, no shields, and only minimal weapons, Sosimo LaRouche started issuing orders. As usual in such situations, his instructions came without explanation.
"That's right," he spoke into the intercom. "I want all the torpedoes taken from weapon's storage to the docking bay. Load the two shuttles with as many torpedoes as you can fit in them, then report back to me, and be quick about it."
Just then the ship rocked as the first blast of the lead Ramillie ship impacted the Fame. He switched the intercom to speak to the engine compartment.
"Engine Room, how's it going down there?"
Holding a tool, Mei raised her arm to wipe sweat from her brow as she answered while continuing to work.
"Things could be better, Captain."
"How long until you can get the cloak on-line?"
"Maybe never," Mei answered in complaint.
"Never? Never is no good for me," Sosimo retorted. "How's ten minutes? Ten minutes I can deal with. Have it ready in ten minutes."
"But we need parts they don't have down here," Mei explained.
"Then rip the ship apart to scavenge them. Do whatever it takes, Mei. It doesn't need to hold long. Just a minute or so."
"I'll do what I can, Captain," she offered without much confidence.
Jaiden turned and looked at the ship's commander with concern.
"Mei will get it working," Sosimo assured him. "She always gets those techy thingamabobs to work."
Another blast jolted the ship.
"Return fire," Sosimo ordered.
"Aye, Cap'n, but it won't do much good at these power levels," noted Byron.
"I don't need it to do much good just some good, and I like to think there's some good in everything and everybody." He paused as he thought of one particular person who violated that rule. "Well, almost everybody."
***
"You know what I want," Merrick told Koraden as they stood in the shambles of the room. "And I know you would keep them on you. Hand over the stones."
"What you're doing makes no difference," Koraden said. "Eventually, the gate will open, and when the legions pour through all your precious mortals will fall."
"All the prophecy says is that the gate will open, nothing more," Merrick reminded him.
"You're only delaying the inevitable!"
"THEN I DELAY IT," the Guardian retorted. "And this time when I disperse the stones it will take you another thousand years or more to find them again! Now, hand them over."
Koraden reached into the pocket at his thigh and withdrew a rectangular, metallic canister and stared at it, and then turned his abhorrent gaze to the Guardian and extended the container to him.
"Open it," Merrick instructed while keeping his weapon trained on his opponent.
Placing his thumb on the top center of the device, a cobalt light swept over the digit to verify Koraden's identity. The box then clicked as the magnetic seal released, and the lid slid open. There, encased in depressions fitting their individual forms, were the twelve stones that served as the keys to open and stabilize the portal. Each stone was etched with script of a language from another plane of existence. Merrick recognized each stone and thought of the friends long gone who each sacrificed their lives to keep the gems from the fallen ones. His mind flashed with the faces of Shania, Tycon, Garibaldi, and others he known for centuries of mortal existence, and for countless eons in the celestial life before taking mortal form. He was the last of the Guardians who pledged to keep the stones from the Dridmor for as long as possible. This time, he wouldn't condemn others to his fate, he would disperse the stones himself, maybe even beyond that galaxy. For a moment he hoped the promised return of Elkanah would take place before the stones could be found again, but soon remembered the prophecy of the seer who foretold the death of all the keyholders and of the gate's activation. Despite this, Merrick knew he must do all he could to keep the legions from entering the mortal plane, for if they did, they would rampage to destroy all life in the universe, and nothing except the return of Elkanah himself would be able to stop them.
"Hand them over, Koraden. I'm not leaving without them."
As he was about to hand over the keys, Koraden suddenly stopped and retracted his arm as a wicked smile slowly crept across the Dridmor's face.
"You're right on that, Merrick, because you're not leaving," he sneered as Merrick heard the soft raising pitch of weapons charging behind him. Lowering his rifle, he glanced over his shoulder to find three Ramillie guards aiming at him. Subtly using his thumb to flick the setting of his weapon to overload he pulled the trigger, which sped up the process significantly then tossed it at the guards. The tone emanating from the gun let everyone it was about to explode, and half a second later it did just that. With the structure of the room already weakened from the grenade blast, more support beams collapsed, debris rained down, and dust filled the room. There were a few flashes of weapons fire, but by the time
the smoke cleared Merrick was nowhere to be found. Koraden immediately ordered searches, but the Guardian was able to 'obtain' another guard's armor and, being fully helmeted, was easily able to disappear into Ramillie society as one of the countless soldiers commonplace throughout The Cloud.
***
"The docking bay says the shuttles are loaded with the torpedoes, Cap'n," Byron said.
"Excellent," Sosimo said with a smile then another blast of energy slammed into his fleeing ship. "Tell them to activate the magnetic locks then evacuate the bay."
"Aye," Byron answered without bothering to ask why. "Docking bay reports ready."
Before Sosimo could issue his next order, the entire ship rocked from the impact of another blast and lights momentarily extinguished.
"I've about had enough of this," Sosimo grumbled. "Byron, release the magnetic claps for one of the shuttles."
"Oookay," Byron remarked, not understanding what purpose was behind the odd instruction.
"Now depressurize the bay," Sosimo instructed.
With nothing to hold it in place, the freed shuttle was forcefully sucked out into the great vacuum of space.
After several moments of silence, Jaiden asked, "Now what?"
"Now we wait for the torpedoes to do their job," Sosimo explained with a smile.
Jaiden was concerned that Sosimo had forgotten one minor detail.
"Uh... Captain, the crew loaded a bunch of torpedoes in the shuttles, but they don't have launch tubes or a way to detonate them."
"Correct," Sosimo confirmed without bothering to explain further.
As one of the three pursuing Ramillie cruisers noticed a shuttle leaving the Fame, they figured some of the crew might be trying to escape. With this assumption, one of the cruisers veered off to intercept the tiny craft. Taking up position alongside the shuttle, the cruiser hailed the ship.
"Nobody home," Sosimo whispered. "Byron, lock weapons on the shuttle and fire."
Activating the aft cannon, orange light shot from the Fame and slammed into the Hateeg shuttle. The tiny craft, with no shields and crammed full of explosives was easy to destroy - even for the low-powered energy beam. The shuttle's destruction caused the eleven high-yield torpedoes aboard to explode. Being in such close proximity to the shuttle, the Ramillie cruiser took the full brunt of the explosive force. The cruiser's starboard side shields were blown out by the detonation and chunks of charged debris slammed into the craft, which caused even greater damage. Cascading blasts rolled through the Ramillie ship.
"Escape pods launching," Byron reported.
Jaiden beamed and almost cheered, but a vengeful blast of energy from one of the two remaining cruisers cut him off from any premature thoughts of victory.
Turning to the helmsman, the pirate captain issued his next instructions.
"Jaiden, I want you to tie into the navigational controls of the remaining shuttle."
"On it," the young man replied, trying to mask his concern and sound business-like. Keying the control panel, he linked his console to the main computer of the shuttle. "Ready," he called out.
"Byron, release the magnetic locks. Jaiden, activate the shuttle's thrusters and launch it out of the bay. When it's clear, cut thrusters and let it drift."
Noticing a second shuttle leaving the fleeing Hateeg craft, the Ramillie weren't going to be fooled by the same trick twice, and altered course, but this time they did it to avoid the little ship.
"They're going around, Cap'n. They didn't fall for it."
"Yes, they did," Sosimo assured with a coy smile.
"Jaiden, set the shuttle on a vector ninety degrees from our current heading then punch it up to its best speed.
"Aye," Jaiden answered.
Detecting the shuttle, they passed was suddenly powered and flying directly for the blanketing cover of The Cloud, one of the Ramillie cruisers deduced the first shuttle was only a set up so that the second shuttle could be the real means of escape. As the cruiser adjusted course for the shuttle, Sosimo instructed Jaiden to have the shuttle also change heading to add to the deception.
"There's no way it can outrun them," Jaiden commented, "and the shuttle is out of our weapon range."
"Exactly," Sosimo replied being quite pleased with the younger man's assessment. "You're starting to catch on."
Not really, Jaiden thought, not having any idea why having the shuttle captured was a good thing.
"They got it," Byron reported. "They're lockin' on a tractor beam."
"Wonderful," Sosimo said.
"Why don't they just shoot it," Jaiden asked.
"Because they don't want it to blow up next to them the way the other one did," Sosimo explained.
"I can't break it free of their beam," Jaiden reported.
"Good, I don't want you to. Instead, cut the engines and spin the shuttle around to face them."
"Ready."
"Punch it."
With a sudden flare of the shuttle's engine, the tiny ship lurched forward, the tractor beam serving to hasten the approach. Disengaging the beam, the cruiser quickly raised its shields, but not before the explosive-laden ship was within the defensive screens. Colliding with the unprotected hull of the cruiser, the shuttle exploded, causing the torpedoes it carried to detonate. Compounding the damage was the shield of the cruiser, which prevented the explosive force from escaping into space. Overwhelmed, the shields popped as they collapsed and the entire front end of the cruiser disintegrated.
"Two down, one to go," Sosimo quipped. "Not bad for only firing one shot," he added being quite pleased with himself. Before he could further relish his self-satisfaction, the remaining cruiser loosed a volley of torpedoes that slammed into the Fame causing it to rock violently and a console on the left side of the bridge to explode.
"GET THAT FIRE OUT," Sosimo ordered. One of the crew rushed over, grabbed an extinguisher and doused the flames. Two more beams of red energy lanced out at their ship and impacted the aft section.
"We just lost the starboard engine," Jaiden called out as the ship rapidly lost velocity. This was followed by more bad news.
"They're powering up their tractor beam, Cap'n. We'll be in range in thirty seconds."
Before the next breath, a call came over the intercom.
"Engine room to bridge."
"Go ahead, Mei."
"Captain, we think we have the cloak working."
"Think?"
"I'm sure it'll either work or blow us all to kingdom come. Soon as I hit the switch, we'll know either way."
"Ah," Byron dismissed with a shrug, "Who wants to live forever anyway?"
"I'm planning on it if you must know," Sosimo interjected. "So far, so good."
Another blast of energy from the Ramillie ship struck them.
"It looks like our fate is in your hands, Mei. Hit the switch," Sosimo ordered.
Everyone tensed as they waited to either turn invisible or blow up. The lights of the bridge dimmed and turned a bluish tint as the Fame faded from sight.
"I guess it worked," Jaiden said as he released his breath.
"I told you Mei always gets those techy things to work. Quick, change heading before the Ramillie project our course and fire again. Set course one-seven-zero mark zero-two-three."
"Coming about," the young helmsman replied.
No sooner had Jaiden veered the ship in the new direction when the Ramillie did just as Sosimo predicted and sent a volley of torpedoes along the Fame's previous heading.
Cloaked, the Fame flew directly past the ships protecting the jump gate, entered the portal then safely exited from the gate on the outside of The Cloud. Sosimo smiled proudly as The Cloud shrunk away in the main viewscreen. A minute later one of the doors to the bridge opened, and Mei stepped out. Sosimo smiled upon seeing her.
"Great job, Mei. I owe you one."
"One more," she corrected.
"Of course. Just think about it, Mei - caught, imprisoned, escaped, and out of The Cloud all in less than a
day. That's got to be a record," he declared in great satisfaction. "Now, let's find The Vault."
Pushing up the left sleeve covering his artificial forearm, Sosimo used his real hand to activate a few commands. With the whir of tiny servo motors, his robotic ring finger retracted, causing his map ring to deposit onto the command station console. A moment later, the bionic finger slid back into place. Activating a few more controls, Sosimo caused a panel of his robotic appendage to slide back and the Eye of Xerxes prism to eject. With the ring flat on his workstation, Sosimo moved a finger in a clockwise motion around the top edge of it causing the map to activate. Unlike times past, when the floating holographic projection of the galaxy was blue, this time it was purple. This let whoever possessed the map know when they had all the layers. Still a jumble of nonsensical images, the map had yet to reveal its secrets. Lifting the prism, Sosimo set it on top of the ring. A shallow circular indention in the prism's center, which served as the pupil in the Xerxes statue, fit perfectly onto the ring. With the jewel in place, the floating map image changed and reformed into a coherent, detailed chart of the galaxy. Only one of the stars was flashing, and it was double encircled. Reaching out, Sosimo touched where the blinking section was. Immediately the galaxy-wide image was replaced with the map of a single star system. As before, the entire projection was uniform lavender, except for one quickly flashing planet. A series of alien symbols was by the image of the blinking world.
Mei, knowing her surrogate father had spent years studying the ancient Ramillie language, knew he could read the floating symbols. "That's it, isn't, Captain?" she inquired softly.
In awe of the moment, Sosimo stood there silently for a long time. Slowly, a smile crossed his face, and he answered, "Yes, Mei. We've found it." Taking a deep breath, he added two words. Mei wasn't sure if they were meant for her or if Sosimo was talking to himself, because he was the person he conversed with the most. "At last."
"What course, Captain?" Jaiden asked.
Leaning back in the command chair, Sosimo turned to his young helmsman and announced, "Set a course for the third planet of the Por Tabello system, Mr. Suchet. My fortune awaits."