by Reiter
“Before I render judgment, tell me why?” Satithe asked.
“In a moment when Jocasta’s life was in extreme danger, our Master took the time to think of her,” Alpha explained. “I have long secured the fact that Z’Gunok Tel Dungias is not a Star Chaser.”
“Oh?!” CK quickly scoffed.
“No, he is not. The culmination of himself along with his creations and his actions make up the Star Chaser. In short, the Star Chaser is in four parts, with the primary being Dungias himself.”
“That is an interesting perspective, Alpha,” Satithe reflected. “My initial reaction was to rebuke your perspective.”
“That was your initial reaction,” Alpha stated. “You have had time, however, to review it.”
“And have done so. Even in what I have monitored to be the thought patterns of our Master, Z’Gunok Tel Dungias is only a Traveler because of his Vi-Prin. At best, he would have been a well-read laborer without her intervention. Without the Master we would not be… and without us, he would not be! CK?”
“I just handle security around here, people,” CK quickly replied. “I submitted my inquiry to know Alpha’s reasoning, which I find to be not only inspired, but well-substantiated. There are enough credits to take this action without placing ship or crew in a vulnerable position. I think we should do it.”
“The trans-comm is sent and I am transferring credits from the Master’s account,” Satithe reported. “Message has been received.”
“When the Master awakens and reviews the events after his collapse, he will know what we have done,” Alpha stated. “If we have acted in error, I submit I stand wholly responsible.
“I disagree,” Satithe reported.
“I concur with Satithe,” CK added. “We are all his creations, his children. If we are judged to be in error then we shall face the consequences together. And it should have been said earlier, Alpha, but welcome to the family.”
“Welcomed is what I feel!”
“We are seventeen minutes from the Corridor Station of Redmoon,” Satithe reported.
“I have already secured us a window of entry,” CK added. “Actually, as far as the system knows, it is an Imperial request. That window went active thirty minutes ago and will still be open for another thirty.”
“Acknowledged, CK. Our course is set.”
Three hours later, when everyone awakened, they disembarked from the Kulri-Kraythe into the main hangar of the Xara-Mansura. While most of the new eyes were on the size of the ship, two women gazed hungrily at the fighter parked near the scout ship’s stall. There were many questions, but Dungias made it clear his focus was on the health of the Captain, though she had already been mostly restored. He left ship operations to Annsura who quickly directed everyone to the Mess Hall for food. After her orders were given, she followed Dungias to the infirmary.
Cutter assisted Dungias with transferring Jocasta’s body from the gurney to a bed. The Traveler saw to the medical readings, Annsura placed a chair on the side of the bed closest to the wall. It would ensure she would not get in the way of other visitors or the First Mate. She leaned back in the chair with the Captain’s cane across her lap as Dungias made the last of the necessary reviews.
“We are still in need of a medical technician aboard this ship,” he said plainly and it dawned on the woman that the top three positions of command were all in the same room. Dungias made it seem so matter-of-fact that she had almost missed the opportunity to respond.
“I’ll be sure to remind the Captain when I can,” Annsura replied.
“That would be highly appreciated. You have things here?”
“Go get some rest, Z. Even you must be tired after all of that.”
“Though I was the only member of the crew to remain conscious during the Gate process, let me assure you that unlike our Captain, I can trust others at the controls of the ship. You are quite correct, though. I slept for three hours straight!”
“Goldbrick!” Jocasta remarked with her eyes still closed. “I go toe-to-toe with the entire Empire and you’re sawing off Z’s?!” Saying it aloud, Jocasta heard the unintended pun and chuckled. She opened her eyes and looked up at her First Mate. “Amazing! A whole bunch of Z’s puts you to sleep, but one Z will always haul your ass out of the fire!”
“Perhaps I should clone myself, Captain.” Dungias replied, smiling only with his eyes.
“You’ll never top the original,” she quickly replied, holding out her hand. Dungias walked to her bedside and took hold of it. “You said you’d catch me when I fell.”
“I did not act alone,” Dungias quickly reported. “… but for my part, it was an honor, Captain.”
“Get out of here, you white-haired freak!” Jocasta snapped. “And make sure this cosmic testicle is up to par for a change.”
“That has already been confirmed, Captain,” Dungias answered, returning her hand to the bed. He looked briefly at Annsura and took his leave. “I will inspect the items we have brought aboard.”
“I don’t get–” Annsura started as the door slid shut behind Dungias.
“A lot of things,” Jocasta interrupted. “Tender moments like that should be followed up with some seriously juicy tonsil sparring, right?”
“Well, yes!”
“And if I told you I loved him more than that?” Jocasta quickly posed. “What then? I would say that Z is my best friend, but I’ve seen best friends and we’ve got it better than that. Mind you, he does most of the hauling, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s taken me some time to get my head around it. I keep coming back to ‘he’s not human’, and it fills the gap of reasoning.”
Annsura shook her head in amazement and slight disbelief. “I think ‘amazing’ is the word then.” She stood up and lifted up the cane. “You dropped this, Captain.” Jocasta looked and slowly took hold of the cane. She looked up into Annsura’s eyes and smiled.
“You’re not getting sweet on me, are you? Girl, I’ll lip-lock you so hard you won’t even know how to say Olkin’s name!”
“No doubt, Captain,” the young girl smiled brightly.
“Does this come with a report?”
Releasing the cane, Annsura took one step back from the bed and gave a detailed report of the actions taken and the booty claimed after Jocasta had been abducted. She closed her report with their current position and the state of the crew, which she listed as questionable.
“Well, when there are hopefuls around, questionable is about as good as it’s going to get, Cutter,” Jocasta replied. “Good work, and thanks for this,” Jocasta said, holding up the cane. “Satithe, how long do I have to stay in this thing?”
“The First Mate has not listed a minimum time, Captain.”
Jocasta quickly threw back the top sheet and swung her feet over the side. Annsura moved to fetch a robe that Jocasta put on as she walked out of the infirmary. Annsura was surprised at the speed at which Jocasta walked. She found herself at nearly at a jogging pace to keep up.
“Normal place, Sati?”
“Everything has been tagged and stored in the main observation chamber, Captain,” Satithe replied.
“You packin’?” Jocasta asked.
“Yes, Captain,” Annsura replied. “Gun and blade.”
“Draw the gun and be ready to fire,” Jocasta ordered. “The point is to miss with the first shot, but make it as close as you can. Give it at least five seconds. If I speak before you’re ready to fire again, just look agitated, but don’t shoot. If I don’t say anything, blaze to tag.”
“Aye, Captain!”
“Goggles on, Cutter.”
Olkin, Tiebault and Adleon were just coming out of the storage room when Olkin looked up to see the Captain coming down one of the drop-poles. The light fabric of the robe gave way to her speed of descent and man called Cupid was afforded a view of the Captain he had believed he would never see.
“And she gets on to Princess for not using what the stars gave her!” he thought.
/> “One side, people,” Olkin said, placing his arm across Tiebault and ushering him to the side. Adleon was quick enough to step back from the door to allow Jocasta unfettered access.
“Gentlemen,” Annsura said softly, placing a gentle hand on Olkin’s chest. She entered the room right behind Jocasta. Tiebault and Adleon looked at Olkin for how to best proceed.
“She didn’t ask for privacy,” Olkin pointed out and Tiebault was the first one back inside the room.
“Z, any reason why I can’t ionize this… what is it now, a ball of glass?” Jocasta asked as she approached the holding bin that had been prepared for the gem taken from the chambers found by manipulating the living key. It did not look like a gem any longer though. It was now a sphere composed of a glass that almost looked metallic in nature. It was being held in a localized gravity-well and was therefore unable to move; scramblers kept its ThoughtWill emanations from getting any further than ten centimeters away from its surface.
“I have yet to develop any close personal bonds, Captain,” Dungias responded. “While regrettable, I am sure I would recover.”
“That’s not good!” Jocasta said softly to the orb. “Not for you! Satithe, can we set the shackles to hold the brain-works in place but allow this thing to speak?”
“The scramblers can be adjusted to allow for minor applications of ThoughtWill, but that might also allow for short-range teleportation,” Satithe warned.
“I doubt this thing can teleport,” Jocasta resolved. “… else it would have popped free when we started capping those reforming guards. But to be on the safe side, set full power scramblers around the room.”
“Very good then, Captain. Security measures are in place and the holding unit’s fields have been lowered.”
“Just what kind of tech do they have around here?!” Tiebault asked, looking around the room. “We were just in here and I didn’t hear a thing!”
“They’re just getting warmed up,” Olkin replied. “And you didn’t ask.”
“Okay, mini-my ship, you start talking or I give the order to have you fried!” Jocasta said, leaning on her cane.
“Are you referring to me?” the orb projected.
“Cutter!” Jocasta sighed, glaring at the small sphere.
“My pleasure!” Annsura hissed as she quickly lifted her gun and fired. Her blast just missed and the scramblers caused a back feed of ThoughtWill in the orb. A crack developed along the side, but the damage was quickly repaired.
“Wait! Wait! I will talk,” the orb spoke without needing to project anything telepathically.
“Hold up there, Cutter.”
“Dammit!” Annsura whispered.
“Price you pay for missing dead center,” Jocasta advised, grinning at how quickly her third-ranked officer had come up to speed with the scenario. “See, that’s why it’s called dead center!”
“Won’t happen again!” Annsura whispered as she holstered her weapon.
“What do you want me to say?!” the sphere asked.
“Start with that room!” Jocasta demanded. “Deets, babe. That’s slang for details.”
“It was an alcove, a holding chamber that belonged to the Enacranites!”
“Whoops!” Jocasta thought. “Did I just add Enacranites to the list of people who don’t like me… while I was in the process of adding the Empire?!”
“A traitor within their ranks fitted entry privileges to that wretched thing you called a Living Key,” the orb continued. “While he knew of the servant, the so-called Sultan did not know all of what he was receiving, and in truth, I doubt it was even intended for the Sultan so much as someone who serves his estate.”
“Satithe, please tell me you’re recording this,” Jocasta requested.
“I am, Captain,” Satithe replied.
“It would seem that we intercepted a particularly important shipment,” Jocasta remarked as she pondered her options.
“Shall I advise Mr. Conadier of this development?” Satithe inquired.
“Leave that to me,” Jocasta stated before putting her chin to her hand. “Do you have a name or should I call you bloated pinball? You know, BP for short!”
“I am sure that I do not understand the reference, nor am I interested in receiving the explanation,” the orb replied. “If it is a name you require, please, if you would call me Tuitonn.”
“From the Latin tuitor, eh?” Jocasta said.
“Yes!” the orb answered at just above a whisper. The sound of his voice matched the faces Jocasta could see around the room, save for Dungias, as they stared in surprise. Jocasta could not help but notice them.
“What?!” she barked, looking back at them. “A girl’s gotta be blue to spout some knowledge around here?!”
“You must admit that it would help,” Dungias remarked and Jocasta’s nostrils flared. She turned to look back at the orb.
“You’re the defender, are you? Okay, Tuitonn it is.” Jocasta said as she nodded. For the moment, she was satisfied and turned to leave the room.
“And what, dearest lady, may I call you?” Tuitonn asked as a slight glow passed over his shell. There were many things he had been expecting in the company of his new keepers. An educated mind was not one of them. Jocasta looked at the orb and smiled.
“Trying to get on my good side, Tuitonn?”
“Desperately!” Tuitonn quickly replied and Jocasta chuckled.
“What makes you think I have a good side to get on?”
“In truth, I do not know. But that is no reason not to make the effort.” Jocasta laughed at that response and smiled genuinely at the orb.
“You want to get on my good side, let Adleon here inside your mind. No hidden doors, no kept secrets. The trick is that the Gallant is not my crew. He is a student of the Northern Craptemple and therefore functions under a system of honor.
“Adleon, you are not required to tell me everything you learn,” Jocasta directed. “I leave it to your discretion. You have work ahead of you, gentlemen. I suggest you get to it. Satithe, make sure the simulators are clear in an hour and tell Tolip that I’m in the mood to embarrass her. Invite Agatha to attend if you please.”
“It shall be done, Captain.”
“I’m sure it shall be,” Jocasta thought as she walked. “The room’s filling up, but there’s no sign of the things I picked up just before I left the Living Key chamber. Then again, I assumed they would be here. But that isn’t the pirate way, is it, Z? I didn’t make any mention of them in open conversation, and he found them in my satchel. A thousand credits says they’re waiting for me on my desk.”
Jocasta made her way to the door of the chamber and Olkin turned to address her. “Captain, what if we have questions of Tuitonn?”
“You should know by now how things work around here, Cupid,” she said as she left. “Ask!” Adleon followed Jocasta out of the room as Olkin approached Tuitonn. Tiebault found himself very curious as to what the young man was going to ask, and Annsura took a step away, giving Olkin room to operate, though she was willing to wager that he had forgotten she was even in the room.
“Hello, Tuitonn. My name is Olkin. I am called Cupid.”
“And the reason for this?” Tuitonn asked.
“You could say that I am an archery enthusiast,” Olkin replied.
“His first witnessed arrow shot was called sweet by the Captain,” Annsura explained.
“I see,” Tuitonn replied. “She is very much the eclectic sort, isn’t she?”
“You have no idea!” Olkin answered. “I was wondering if you could tell me about the Enacranites.”
“I believe the contemporary saying is, pull up a chair,” Tuitonn said. All three people busied themselves with finding something to sit on.
“Annsura,” Olkin called, lifting a crate and placing it down in front of her.
“That’s one bet I didn’t mind losing,” she thought as she sat down, smiling at Olkin and thanking him for the gesture. Dungias said nothing as he made his exit out
of the room through another door. It was closer to an access pole, and he needed to spend some time in the NHB section of the ship.
“Captain!” Adleon called to Jocasta who sighed before she stopped and turned to face him.
“What is it now, Gallant?”
“What do you want from me?!” he shouted with his hands coming from his sides.
Slightly surprised at his tone and demeanor, Jocasta decided to respond in a non-sarcastic tone and word choice. “What do you mean?”
“You are so confounding!”
“It’s called being a woman,” Jocasta said, folding her arms. “Not many love nests in the temple, are there?”
“No, not real–” Adleon stopped himself and cleared his throat. “There are a few Chevalierra. Women have a difficult time grasping the concepts and teachings of Zeu Rex.”
“You mean the teachings I had to correct you on?” Jocasta inquired.
“That is simply your take on those principles!” Adleon argued, once again nearly shouting. “We cannot say for sure you are accurate!”
“Counting you, Adleon, I’ve mixed it up with three Chevaliers, and I’m still standing. Just how many results are you willing to argue with?”
“And some might argue that you had to be rescued upon all three occasions,” Adleon suggested.
“You too?” Jocasta questioned as she approached. She had lost her curiosity and found her anger. “You’re going to develop that seasonal bullshit code of honor on me too?
“Because I was stabbing Big Daddy Sylgarr on the last asshole’s watch,” Jocasta said softly, her ire obvious. “… just to let that prick know what I thought of his sense of honor! He and I were in the middle of a challenge, and he was waxing my little ass all the way to glory and back! There’s no two ways of saying that. He was fighting, I was bleeding! But when it came his turn to bleed, he put his ThoughtWill to his wound and ‘poof’, it was gone!” Adleon’s face twisted slightly as the application of such ability while in a challenge against an opponent who did not possess the skills to do the same was clearly a foul of the worst sort. “Is that where you’re going now?” Jocasta asked.