Jock and Dom looked at each other and hesitated, but the Captain gave them a polite nudge forward.
Jock was still on guard and asked the chief when they would be able to help fix their engine. “In due time, Major, ha ha!,” the chief replied. “First we feast and drink. Then we rest. I assure you your ship will be fixed in no time and you can leave first thing in the morning.”
Jock wasn’t hungry but when a harem of beautiful servant girls suddenly surrounded him and Dom, and a group of gorgeous palace boys also surrounded Desire and the princess, he knew he needed to stay close. No one seemed in too much of a hurry to get back in the stale air of the TX. JAXX would have to make do on his own tonight.
Jock tapped a quick message to JAXX to put up the shields and hold down the fort for the night. As exotic music and incense permeated the air, Jock whispered to Dom, “This seemed a little too convenient, don’t you think?”
“I’ll worry about that right after I get to know that harem hottie over there,” Dom said.
They were all seated on golden embroidered pillows before a massive elaborately carved table, piled high with mounds of delicious food and carafes of Boru wine. Grapes and cheeses and meats and delicacies and little baubles of delight were laid out on the table before them. The skimpy outfits of the servant girls were enough to make even Jock take notice, as they bent over in front of him to fill their bejeweled goblets with wine.
The chief sat at the head of the table with Desire and the princess on either side of him. Jock protectively sat next to the princess and Dom took a seat next to Desire. Neither wanted their women to be charmed by the chief and his men. The Captain set himself up on the other end of the table, and the six went about discussing.
“I’m sorry to be nosy, but how did you get all this here?” Dom asked. “We don’t have much info on the Boru system, let alone this moon. Though we’re still coming across new planets all the time.”
“We were doing quite well for ourselves as desert dwellers for some years,” the Chief explained. “A few years back, the Aliens arrived and took pity on us for living in such inhospitable surroundings. They gave us advanced technology and rather than make out for new worlds, we spent time reinventing what we had here rather than explore beyond our moon. We had the resources and made a few trips around the Boru system, but for the most part, we used what they gave us to create better lives for our people. It has worked well. I’m sure you agree, ha ha!”
“That’s a novel approach,” Jock said. “Most species would be dying to get away and seek out what else is among the stars.”
“Ha ha!” the chief said slapping Jock on the back with his longer than normal arms. “Yes, that’s true. And a few of our younger ones were more than eager to get out and explore. So we let them sow their oats and seek out new places. Most missed being here, especially with the improvements and came back. We found if we gave them their freedom to explore without limits, most would not leave the palace forever.”
“Where did you get this food and drink? This is much like Earth.” Desire asked.
“We have spent many turns of our moon studying the multitudes of species in the known universe,” Chief Rygel explained, “Once we made contact with the Aliens we were able to access their archives and learned of your culture. Ha ha! Your entertainment alone was a highlight for my men. I could not stop them from pulling up old transmissions of what you call Dynasty and Dallas, and we wanted to treat you to such finery.”
Dom, Jock and Desire were completely baffled.
The feast was an extravagant multi-course dinner with exotic dancers and fire eaters between courses. The wine flowed freely, and Dom, Desire, and the Princess Amaratis drank up.
As girls danced all around him, Jock quietly grew more worried. He pulled Dom over and whispered, “I know you’re having fun, but things don’t add up. What do you think they’re covering up? How can they afford such a lavish lifestyle?”
“Lighten up, Jock,” Dom said patting him on the back. “Why don’t you go pay attention to your long lost princess? The Chief’s getting mighty friendly with her.” Jock grimaced.
The Chief sensed Jock’s uneasiness and had his best servant girl lavish extra attention on him.
The next course appeared and the group was served fresh lamb, pork and goat on golden platters.
The princess exclaimed, “I love Earth food!” She could still enjoy this type of food and lifestyle even if she were running away. She took a long sip of wine and thought back to her father and the way he raised her. She wanted to forgive him for tearing her away from Jock. Sometimes she even understood. Even if he was finally marrying her off, she knew he loved her.
Back on the TX, JAXX had the ship in lock down mode running sim after sim on the faulty engine. He tapped into the mainframe to see if there were any other methods to repair the ship without the help of the foreigners.
During his sims, he found a strange quark in the engine caused by a code that had been implanted into the firing system. He tracked when the code had been implanted and discovered it had been done after the princess and the Captain had been teleported onto the ship.
JAXX cross-referenced the time code of when it was implanted and it did not sync with his routine monitoring of the ship’s systems. JAXX found a few minutes were missing from his time logs.
The AI knew that the Captain was in the cockpit around the same time.
He pinged Jock on his comm link, eager even for an AI. Jock answered and JAXX could hear the fray from the feast. He wasted no time, “Major Jock, I diagnosed the problem with the engine. The Captain seems to have sabotaged it with a faulty code.”
“How is that even possible?” Jock said, stealing away from the crowd. And then he remembered that he left the Captain in the cockpit to go check on the princess. “Damn it.”
“I can fix the ship,” JAXX said. “But I believe the team should leave very soon.”
And the feast raged on. When servers juggling fresh fruit while standing on their heads started serving dessert, the energy in the hall reached a crescendo.
Dom and Desire were all in for the fabulous. Dom was feeling the effects of the wine. Desire had completely given up on reading these being’s minds and relaxed a little. The Princess was having a great time and they were all falling under the spell of the Veibon Chief. With his hunky new exterior instead of the old dirty dusty facade of when they first met, it was quite the change.
She was growing fonder of him as he described the riches of his planet. “Maybe I should just stay,” she thought.
Meanwhile the Captain stood watch and Watu remained ever devoted to the Princess’s whims.
Jock walked back to the group, sussing out how he could get the team back to the ship. He didn’t know what to do about the princess, however. He looked over to her. She was enjoying herself and she smiled at him, much like the old days when they were happy and in love, but different. “Times really have changed, I guess. How am I going to save the day this time?”
Chief Rygel stood and pulled the princess to her feet, spinning her around as she squealed with delight. “Let us dance, ha ha! It is time that our visitors be truly celebrated!” He pulled Dom and Desire from their chairs. The musicians went into high gear and the entire banquet hall became a mass of swirling bodies.
Just then the Chief’s best servant pulled Jock into the crowd. It was just what he needed to put a plan in action. “No, dear, I have a better idea. Is there some place we can be alone?”
The servant girl pulled Jock in close for a kiss and then his hand and led him down a dark stone hallway with great expectations. Jock took one last look back to ensure his team was safe. They were all dancing and celebrating.
But the hallway was clear. Everyone was enjoying event. It was the perfect moment for Jock to make a break for the ship. He would then contact with Commander Weisman and get backup. But first, he had to play the part.
He let the girl lead him further into the dark hallway and let h
e slither all over him for a moment, but said, “I’m so sorry to do this to you, but…” Jock gently put her in a strangle hold and she passed out.
Then he went to look for a way out. As he ran down other hallways, he gasped. A group of beings in black robes entered the hall with weapons drawn.
Jock ducked behind the wall and pulled out his blaster. He watched in horror as the beings in black stunned Dom, Desire and the Princess as the danced in the chaotic revelry.
“Yes, we have successfully taken them hostage, ha ha!” the Chief yelled. “But wait, where is the annoying one? Check my servant’s quarters!”
Jock ran blindly down the hallway unsure of where to go. He darted down what seemed like a maze looking for any way out. “If I can just get to the ship, I can call for help,” he thought frantically. He kept running and ducked into an open doorway. It wouldn’t be long before the beings came after him, so he had to get out now.
The room turned out to be a bathroom of sorts. He pulled up JAXX on his comm link. “JAXX, we’re in trouble. Lock my coordinates and teleport me onto the ship stat. The team has been captured. We need to get a message to Commander Weisman immediately.”
JAXX was working on an engine, but quickly switched gears. “Major Jock. I read. Stand by to teleport in 3..2..”
The door slammed open and Chief Rygel burst in with the beings in black. “Ha ha! We have found the annoying one. He will fetch a great price!”
The beings in black rushed forward just as Jock disappeared into thin air.
“Get to that ship right now,” Chief Rygel ordered the beings in black. “We will have the annoying human and his most valuable ship, ha ha!”
8
Jock ran to the cockpit as soon as the teleport was complete. From there, he saw Veibons coming from all directions. “JAXX! We have company. What is the status of the engine? What can we do to hold them off?”
“Sir, the sim is still running on the engine,” JAXX replied. “If it is successful, we should be back and running in seven minutes.”
“Seven minutes!” Jock yelled. “We don’t have seven minutes! Did you contact Weisman?”
“Sir, I tried, but the solar storm is blocking all communications. There won’t be a clear signal for another twelve Earth hours.”
Jock ran his hand through his hair. He was sweating. “Any way to use the shields to take out our friends out there?”
“Excellent idea, sir,” JAXX said. We can shoot a quick plasma pulse from our shields.”
“Do it. Now!” Jock said, strapping in to his seat.
JAXX fired up the shields and the beings were treated to a brilliant red burst of goo that stopped them in their tracks. Whether they were dead or out cold, Jock had no idea.
Jock tried to figure out his next move. A plasma burst could only hold them off for so long. “How are we doing on the engine sim, JAXX?”
“Sir, we should know in two minutes,” JAXX replied.
Jock considered his options. With the solar storm, they couldn’t get reinforcements from the Constellation. And the Federated Union didn’t have any allies in the Boru system from what he knew. Also, based on this experience, they could be enemies. Jock sighed loudly. He knew he only had one choice.
“JAXX, how far are we from the Fedlin system?” Jock asked.
JAXX pulled up the coordinates. “Sir, we could be there in 9.13 Earth hours.”
Jock sighed again. “JAXX, try to locate a frequency to Aesneia. We need to talk to the Glitter King.”
JAXX went to work trying to make the connection. “Sir, bad news. We are not authorized to transmit a message on a royal frequency. I can try JACOB, but it can’t be until the solar storm is clear.”
Jock sighed a third time as he saw another group of Veibons running toward the ship pulling a giant rapid-fire laser cannon behind them.
“JAXX!” Jock yelled. “We have more company! How’s that engine?”
“30 seconds, sir.”
“We don’t have 30 seconds, JAXX,” Jock said. Jock punched in the coordinates of the princess’s home planet. He’d memorized them once upon a time, looking up at the stars at night often dreaming of seeing her again. But now he had to get to her father and get her help. She wouldn’t like that Jock took that action, but he also didn’t want her to end up dead, or worse.
“Setting coordinates to Aesneia now,” Jock said. His mind swirled. He would soon meet the man who tore his one true love away from him. A man that despised him. If he was going to save his team and the princess, he would have to make amends with her father first. He’d need to meet him face-to-face and man-to-man to make it happen.
Jock’s snapped to his present precarious situation. “They’re about to fire their weapon, JAXX!” Jock said preparing for takeoff. “Prepare for lift off NOW! We can’t let that laser blast hit us.”
“Yes, sir.” JAXX said as the TX came alive. “Engines are ready. Sim successful.”
“Thank, God.” Jock said. The hum of the shields was soon drowned out by the roar of the twin engines. He couldn’t believe he was leaving his friends right now, but there wasn’t anything more he could do without help. One man against a large contingent of weird beings wasn’t going to work. He was a GOON and a damned good one, but even he knew when he was outgunned.
Jock watched as the being with the laser cannon powered it up and let loose a flurry of proton rays at the TX. With the shields at full power, they bounced harmlessly away but not so harmlessly back at them. A few beings took the full brunt and vaporized instantly.
The ship still rocked and his head hit the side of the cockpit. It stung, but he was more concerned about getting out of there in a hurry. “JAXXY, get us ready for a warp jump as soon as we’re clear of the atmosphere.”
“What about Agents Dom and Desire?” JAXX asked.
“There’s no time to argue,” Jock said, anguished at the thought of leaving his team. “Just get us set while I get us out of here!”
Dom and Desire could handle themselves, for now. He would race to Princess Amaratis’ planet, grovel to her father, and bring back a royal armada.
Jock lifted the TX off the dirt and rocketed skyward. The ship shot into the air just as the beings fired a second giant flare. The proton rays had just been a warm-up for the main event. Green light glowed through the cockpit as it encountered the planets’ stratosphere. Jock went full throttle and did a 360 just as the TX barely escaped the blast. The green light soon faded, and space took on its usual inky black silence.
Once they were clear, JAXX finished the calculations. “Ready for warp jump, Major Jock,” he said.
“GO!” Jock yelled.
The starfields blended together in a haze of light as they made the jump to the next system. Jock leaned back, the sweat dripping from his face, wishing only that he could get a message to his team and the princess.
9
USSS Constellation
Commander Weisman was very concerned. He paced around his office, on edge. The last communication from his team indicated that they were under attack. With the solar storm, he hadn’t heard from in hours.
To make matters worse, an Adjuster had just arrived on the Constellation looking for Agent Wagner. He demanded a meeting.
Commander Weisman went to the door as the Adjuster marched in. He tried to shake his hand, but the Adjuster waved him off. The Adjuster took his seat. He was wearing a crisp white lab coat and had a blood red face that made him look like he’d just been at the beach.
“I’ll just get right to it, Weisman. The Aliens tipped me off that Agent Dom Wagner was in Turks and Caicos. Based on his files, I expected that weasely SPOOK to be lounging by the pool with a bevy of beauties by his side. But when I arrived, they informed me they hadn’t seen Agent Wagner in weeks after he disappeared one night.”
Weisman smirked. “Imagine, that. What else did the Aliens tell you? Not to wear sunscreen?
The brilliant white of the Adjuster’s lab coat set off the lobsterback lo
ok of his sunburn.
“Now tell me, Commander Weisman,” the Adjuster said, “we have reason to believe you’re in possession of one of our last Receivers. We would appreciate the speedy return of our property. They are quite valuable as you know.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.” Weisman hadn’t heard him say his name.
“Adjuster Peitz,” he replied.
“I’m sorry, Adjuster Peitz,” Weisman continued, “but that is in the hands of the Federated Union now. They took possession of it as soon as Agent Wagner returned from stopping the Froree incursion.”
“That’s no excuse, Commander,” Adjuster Peitz said. “That is our property and must be returned immediately.”
“I’m sure you’re aware of the red tape involved in getting anything back the Federated Union,” Weisman said. “I have trouble enough getting through the b.s. just to get all the supplies I need to run this station, let alone getting back property that’s been impounded. Maybe you ask the Aliens for their help. Judging by your radiant glow, it looks like they’ve been pretty straight with you so far.”
Commander Weisman smiled broadly. He was stalling. He had more clout than most with the Union and could easily make the call to get the Receiver back. He wasn’t in the mood after the last time an Adjuster came sniffing around the Constellation. He was more than ready to toy with this prick and tie him up all afternoon.
“Well then, we’ll need to take up a claim with Agent Wagner,” Adjuster Peitz said, shifting his seat. “The damage to a Receiver carries quite a hefty fine. We’ll need to locate him and make prompt payment in the equivalent of $50 million Earth dollars.”
“Just let me get out my checkbook,” Weisman grandstanded, tapping his finger on his desk. “I’m sorry, Adjuster Peitz, but Agent Wagner is out on assignment. It’s open-ended, and I have no scheduled return date. With the solar storm, I will not be able to contact him for another twelve hours.”
Escape of the Glitter Princess Page 6