Starblazer- Through the Black Gate

by Reiter

  In the rear of the ship, Ephaliun sat with Nulaki and it looked as if the Black Scarab was making the most of his capacity as instructor. They were discussing the techniques used in driving a ground-car through a high-speed turn when she walked up on them. The virtual control console flashed with a white light when the steering was performed correctly.

  “Mind if I snag a minute, Mr. Conadier?” Jocasta asked.

  “Not at all, Captain,” Nulaki replied, deactivating the simulation.

  “Dugger, how are you?” Jocasta asked. Ephaliun took in a breath to speak and found the barrel of Jocasta’s gun in his mouth.

  “Holy sweet-mutha-funker, gottah be-mo careful!” Nulaki exclaimed, moving up the wall of the shuttle as he did everything he could to increase the distance between himself and JoJo. He had heard of people being faster than his eye could track, but he had never seen it before the drawing of the silver blaster.

  “Have I made myself clear?” Jocasta said as her demeanor remained unchanged. The soft and warm grin was still on her face as her head tilted slightly to the right. “Every stitch of clothing you’re wearing, every bit of food you’ve shoveled and shat, and every sparkling tool and trinket the lot of us are stacked with came from his mind… made with his hands. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time among the stars: you never, ever piss off the engineer! And if there’s one thing you should take from this: I don’t warn! As far as I am concerned, the lot of you are one belch or fart from needing to be replaced.” Jocasta stood up slowly and smoothly holstered her blaster. “If you bring it back to, ‘oh shit, at my last landfall, I was a slave’ I think we’ll be good to go!”

  “You know, Dugger,” Nulaki said softly after Jocasta returned to her seat next to Dungias. “… you and I have had a month to train and start to get you up to speed on what I need… and we’ve shared some things… gotten to know each other a little better… just hung out in general.” Nulaki made his way back down to his seat very slowly. “So I think I can say that I might be somewhat accurate when I anticipate you looking at me and asking if I’ve ever seen anyone that fast.” He paused, mulling over what he had said. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s how it would go.”

  “Well… have you?” Ephaliun asked, barely able to speak.

  “Boy, I didn’t see a damn thing!” Nulaki exclaimed, dropping to his seat. The shuttle was beginning to rock, which meant they were about to hit atmosphere. “Neither one of us did! And we were both looking dead at her when she pulled!”

  With the ‘mystery of the Captain’ sustained, the only sound that could be heard was the delivery of information from Satithe to Silnee. The young woman acknowledged the update and readied the shuttle for entry. The heat shields were activated and Dungias heard the engines increase their output. He knew immediately that was simply the hallmark of the Captain’s instruction. She was always very good for an entrance and an exit.

  When the shuttle leveled off, Jocasta put her hand to her nose and squeezed it shut. She then tried to blow air through it, which caused her ears to pop. Activating her brace-com, Jocasta put her voice to the intercom of the ship. “Okay, people, we’re in the mo-sphere. Act like you have a lick of sense and try your very best to keep a cool head in all situations. And by all means remember you’re not alone.” Lowering the brace-com, Jocasta took hold of her cane and leaned over to Dungias. “You did it, Z. You surprised the hell out of me… and that was before you gave me this.” She held up the cane with one hand and patted Dungias’ leg with the other. “Kick-ass simulator program, by the way. Makes me wish I was back with Kallbren, if you know what I mean.”

  “Drawing greater numbers into a chase is still a sound tactic, Captain,” Dungias pointed out.

  “No doubt,” Jocasta said as she stood up again. “But I’ll be damned if I wouldn’t have run with more style!”

  The gangplank lowered from the side of the shuttle and, as was the custom, Jocasta was the first one off the ship. The bottom of her long coat caught the strong gusts of wind as she walked, and she stopped after only a few meters to give everyone enough space to file off. Dungias was the last to leave and closed the shuttle door after he stepped down from the gangplank. Again he felt the trace of ThoughtWill, but more time and effort had been put toward removing any sign of its presence. Dungias decided that this was not the first move.

  “Vobis,” Jocasta called out as she waved the man to approach her. He stepped forward and was surprised when Jocasta removed the restraints, tossing them over to Dungias. “What can I say… it’s been chuckles!”

  “You’re letting me go?” Vobis questioned.

  “Everybody keep your mouths shut,” Olkin whispered to the other hopefuls as he secured his backpack. “We just had the dumbest question since we landed. Let’s keep it that way.” Vobis glanced toward his shoulder as Jocasta chuckled.

  “That is exactly what I’m doing, Cast-Man,” Jocasta replied. “And to cut to the quick, you’re worth more to me alive than dead right now. You see, at the current moment your superiors, you know, the ones that sent you to me, they’re full of questions and know-it-all suppositions. You get to be my cred. Where they have questions, you’ll confirm that they’re like most virgins their first time out: full of fervor and not a single clue as what to do! Once you deliver that message, one of two things will happen: they will either send more people after me and I’ll loot them for every scrap they haul, or they’ll put the word out that Casi Reddur is no pushover, and at the very least deserves a measure of respect.

  “You may go now, InvokeR… before I change my mind and see how much cred I can get for selling a potty-trained spell-tosser to a Slaver who knows how to handle your kind.” Without ceremony, Vobis Slonn quickly took his leave. Jocasta waited for him to be out of sight before she turned to address her group.

  “Okay, dumbest question since landing goes to Vobis. Dumbest move made since we landed goes to all of you who looked around like ‘who is she talking about’ when I gave the name of Casi Reddur. This is why you call me nothing but Captain, and consider this Lesson One of how to keep a cool head. Our faces tell stories without us even opening our mouths to speak. Anyone scoping us would have instantly known I was pulling something with that name by the way some of you were looking. Dugger, obviously you’ve been working with Nulaki on that. Good job!”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Ephaliun quickly replied.

  “Nulaki, is your business here in Oasis City?”

  “I wish it were,” Nulaki replied as he stepped closer. “We have a bit of a hike ahead of us, but our destination is still inside the Dirk Sector. It’s a small town called Borheem; just north of the southern edge of the region.”

  Jocasta pressed her lips together and started licking them. Nulaki realized at that moment he should have been more forthcoming about the time it would take just for him to get to where he needed to go. “Mr. Conadier, the zone is five hundred kilometers in all directions. You’re telling me… now… that where you have to be is just about three hundred miles from here? Three hundred miles where we can’t use air-cars, ground-cars, or shuttles; unless we want to make a shadow run, and I hear the scoping eye of the Bricks is pretty sharp!” Jocasta was nearly hissing at the man, and it looked as if she was ready to strike. But she stepped back and took in a breath.

  “And for the record, kiddies – despite what I told Mr. MajiK – here in the Gulmar System, I am Dien. But you are still to call me Captain. Okay, let’s put some distance between us and this place. If memory serves, there is an Imperial Embassy about an hour’s walk from here. Z?”

  Looking at his brace-com, Dungias checked the location of one of the trackers they had put on Vobis’ person. “He is still walking, though somewhat faster than what would be considered a normal gait.”

  “He might’ve already picked up some fans,” Jocasta said as she started to smile but stopped. “I think I just had a great idea. Z, get the kids some milkshakes or something, I’ll be right back.” Jocasta tur
ned and started jogging away. Her First Mate only took one step in the direction of following her, stopping when he saw her reach for her choker and don her goggles.

  “Consider this, Traveler,” he thought. “What if the first move is made while she is away from you? You cannot be in two places at once. Then again, I do not need to be!

  “Tolip, Mel, Olkin, shadow the Captain, and remember to keep your distance,” Dungias commanded. “Watch her back, and each other’s, and do so in the standard triangle formation I taught you. Mel, you are in charge and the back point.”

  “What is our safe distance from the Captain?” Mel asked as his chair turned.

  “No less than fifty meters,” Dungias directed. “Link with Satithe to keep bearings on her position if you lose visual contact. Furthermore, maintain an open channel between yourselves. Use channel Beta Rho. Be off now.” The three went off without another word with Olkin walking toward the right flank and Silnee moving to take the left.

  “Standard triangle formation?!” Nulaki repeated. “Sounds like I could stand to take some of your classes, Z.”

  “I was thinking the very same thing about yours,” Dungias replied, looking to change the subject. He looked at the clothes and weapons Nulaki was wearing. “I trust everything is to your liking?”

  “Z, if word gets out about how good you are, people will be coming after the Captain for a much different reason!” Nulaki answered, looking over his ensemble. “Everything is fabulous! If it’s okay with you, I’m going to take Dugger with me and see if we can secure some transport.” Dungias nodded and started looking around.

  “The rest of us will procure what we will need for the journey,” Dungias said as he looked briefly at his brace-com and started for the closest exit.

  “I don’t suppose you know how to ride, eh Z?” Nulaki questioned, wondering if he had finally found a chink in the blue man’s armour.

  “Ride what?”

  “You know… ride! As in a mount of some sort?”

  “Procure what you must,” Dungias directed as he continued to walk, donning his goggles. “The rest of you, put on your goggles.”

  “What exactly are we looking for?” Llaz inquired as he put his on.

  “Food and supplies,” Dungias answered. “I do not know in which direction we will be traveling, and it would be foolish to assume we can gather nourishment in the surrounding areas. My brief review of the topography has shown that Oasis City is well-named if nothing else.”

  “Nothing but desert?” Pristacia asked.

  “In all directions,” Dungias informed as he walked. “In three of the four major compass points, however, you are more likely to fall prey to the wildlife before the heat could claim your life.”

  “Sounds like a real friendly place,” Llaz said. “But I am still curious as to what the Captain wants with that guy.”

  “Maybe she thought of a way to recruit him,” Pristacia suggested.

  “It’s more likely that she wanted to make sure her message would actually reach the Empire,” Annsura said as she looked around. “This place looks like it’s just waiting for an opportunity to add to the body count.”

  “That is desperation you are seeing, Cutter,” Dungias stated. “This is the spaceport of Oasis City, the absolute definition of deliverance from a world where the advancements of technology are denied.”

  “Who would want to live here?” Pristacia asked.

  “Someone on the run from the IA, or the Empire, or the Ardrians, or any one of the guilds that can afford assassination contract work,” Llaz guessed.

  “Or someone seeking peace in an otherwise tumultuous Rims,” Dungias added.

  “You call this peaceful?” Pristacia asked in a voice that was a little louder than she had intended.

  “Not here, Pris,” Annsura said. “But away from the city where you don’t have to worry about the noise and stench of machinery… yeah, that could be kind of nice.” Dungias looked back at Annsura for a moment. She was still engaged in checking their perimeter and he thought better of saying anything further. Besides, the three thieves who had been mirroring their walking trek had built up enough courage to make an attempt at acquisition.

  “Red shirt, left flank,” Dungias said softly as he turned to the right to face two men, one with his hand behind his back. “I will handle our right.”

  There was no significant energy signature coming from the man who kept his hand hidden. If he was holding a weapon, it was either a non-energy projectile device or a direct-combat device. Either way, he was not the one who suddenly lunged forward, thrusting his hand forward in an awkward heel punch. Using his left hand, Dungias swept the hand wide of his right shoulder and brought his fist back into the man’s face. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. The second man gasped and quickly produced his small and very crude crossbow which he fired over Dungias’ head. The man then turned and ran.

  Dungias turned quickly, hearing the sounds of struggle. He saw the red-shirted man fall to his face as his feet were swept out from under him. Annsura’s punishing move stunned him and he just laid there moaning. With a single hand gesture, Dungias commanded the others to follow him as he moved quickly for the exit door.

  “Master, the Captain has asked me to notify you that we are still in need of crewmen for the Xara-Mansura,” Satithe broke in.

  “Which would only suggest she does not mean to keep the ones we have,” Dungias thought. “… or she has seen the error of her ways in having only a skeleton crew.

  “Acknowledged, Satithe. Hopefuls, let us continue,” he said as he walked out of the spaceport.

  “Z, no!” Annsura cried.

  “Such concern. How very touching.” Dungias stepped out of the main building. The others were far enough behind him to where he could afford to duck in order to avoid the metal club that was swung for his head. Dungias leaned and put his shoulder into the man wielding the crude weapon, causing him to stumble into a fall.

  “CK are you receiving me,” Dungias muttered.

  “I am receiving you, and yes, I am very well established at what passes for a computer system in this region.”

  “How many spaceports are there?”

  “There are seven, Master,” CK answered. “I am now looking into who designated your landing directives.”

  A slender woman threw back her arms, so that the poncho she wore would not get in the way of her drawing and throwing her knives. She had drawn her fifth before she realized the other four had been caught. Her purple-dyed hair partially covered her face as her hazel eyes squinted.

  “This guy’s a master!” she proclaimed and suddenly everyone who had stood with her was ready to run from the area.

  “Turn to run and I will slay you!” Dungias quickly retorted. The man with the club was the first to test Dungias’ resolve. When the throwing knife stopped hard in the back of the man’s skull, the other six decided not to push an already bad position.

  “Your landing instructions came from a Director M’Galotrid, Master,” CK reported. “His orders were com’d into the hub. He’s not even working today! I’m showing heavy Imperial activity on his personal com-channel that started up fifteen minutes before the shuttle left the Xara-Mansura.”

  “While we were being inspected,” Dungias concluded. He came to the quick conclusion that during the inspection he was focused on protecting the minds of the crew and the ship itself. There was one unshielded mind, a desperate mind, that might have been reaching out at that time.

  “He’s only got three more,” the young woman stated.

  “Indeed,” Dungias said calmly. “Then I shall kill you and the next one who moves, leaving me with only one. That would be a foolish price to pay, when all I want is information.” Dungias used his left hand to keep the others, who had just exited the main building, behind him.

  “What kind of information?”

  “What is the latest Imperial activity at this spaceport?” Dungias asked. The woman’s eyes squinted a
s she tried to make sense of the reasons behind such a specific question. That told Dungias that there had been significant activity recently. Why and how were matters he would have to attend to at a later date, but he needed to gauge the level of activity before he could adequately respond. “Speak quickly, woman! Before I am forced to visit upon you the same regard you had for my life.”

  “They cleared the white streets,” the woman quickly answered.

  “The what?” Pristacia asked.

  “The streets that lead from the Imperial Embassy to wherever it is the dignitary might be going,” Llaz informed, just beating Annsura to the response.

  “Come and take back your weapons, child,” Dungias commanded. “There is much we must be about, but you are not among those things.” Wanting not to anger him any further, the woman moved quickly to take back her throwing knives. Dungias allowed his hand to touch hers as he turned himself into a conduit for Alpha.

  “Curse me for a fool,” he thought, looking into the most immediate memories of the woman and seeing nothing but a mangled swirl of manipulations. “The stealth field of the ship was not active and Vobis was out of his cell!” Dungias quickly calculated the time it had taken for the ship to reach its orbit and the shuttle to launch en route to reach Oasis City. ‘Too long’ was the only answer he could find. “Cihpares might have been right to pose the notion to me, but the real question should have been whether the first move had already been made. Captain!

  “I need the three of you to procure a very fast means of transportation,” Dungias directed. “Once you have, open a channel to me.” Dungias did not wait for a response. He took two steps and jumped up to the ledge of the second floor of the building. From there he jumped up and disappeared over the roof.

  “Excuse me, Miss?” Llaz called out. The woman with the throwing knives looked to see he had drawn his gun and trained it on her. “You seem to be a wealth of information. We’re going to need your assistance for just a little while longer!”