STAR BLAZERS: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER
A fanfic recapitulation of Series One “The Quest for Iscandar” by
Frederick P. Kopetz
EPISODE TWELVE: APPROACHING THE REALM OF PLUTO
October 6, 2199
(Big Thanks to “DTill359” for some advice for this chapter)
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“I had some very eerie dreams,” Denise said as she looked around, warily.
“About what?” Nova said.
“A strange realm. An odd city. I dreamt of a time when aliens who look like us were on Earth. I’m not sure of the significance of that, Nova?”
“Me neither,” she admitted. “But there was one experience from when I was a baby that that scared me. I don’t know whether I dreamed it or it happened.”
“What was it?” Natalie said.
“I had either a dream or memory of making a mobile spin around my crib with my mind…without touching it. Either my mother or an aunt stopped me; I don’t remember which. What can that mean?”
Denise looked hard at Nova. “Well…as we discussed last night, you have a great deal of natural sensitivity. I think you could be used by God...but…okay. Let’s leave it at that for now.”
“Is it connected to that box that opened for me…and finding…this?” Nova said as she showed her ring.
“Maybe it’s connected to those dreams I have been having…they are…weird.”
“Do you have more details as to what are they about?” Nova said. Then, she noticed Derek coming into the room.
“I’ll tell you in a moment. What does your friend Wildstar think of these things?”
“We came to agreement…to keep open minds,” Nova sighed.
“That’s good. You two are wise, but maybe not wise enough yet,” Denise said. “Okay. In my dream…I foresaw my own death.”
“When?” Nova whispered.
“This is a dangerous ship, on a dangerous mission,” Denise said. “If the dream is true…I will die soon. But…I think I was given a message. About you.”
“What is it?”
“You, too, are on a knife edge, I think. Be very careful, Nova. And be Derek’s eyes. His spiritual eyes. Guide him in the right direction. Away from hatred and the easy path. Towards…Him…and the narrow path.”
Nova grasped Denise’s hands. “I don’t think you’ll die, Denise…”
“Who knows?” she said. “But if I do die…my tools, my books, my guitar, my clothes…they’re yours, Nova. Because you will need them.”
Derek sat down with his breakfast. “Good morning, Nova, Doctor Carroway. What were you two discussing?”
“Serious business,” Denise said.
“What do you think of what happened on Pandora, Derek?” Nova said.
“Odd. Very odd. But you seem to be very special. I…I can’t explain it,” he stammered.
“Explain?” Nova said.
“Like I was meant to meet you or something. I don’t know; what happened in that cave was weird! How do you like your ring?” Derek said.
“It glitters, and when I pray, it seems to become warm…somehow,” Nova said. “Can we go to Divine Services the next time Father has them? Together?”
Derek smiled. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”
Nova smiled at that.
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A few minutes later, Derek, Nova, and Denise were speaking with Homer in his cabin. Homer’s cabinmate was on watch. There were only the three of them.
“You said you had bad dreams before what happened on Pandora?” Derek said.
Homer nodded. “I had a horrendous dream about two terrible beings out there in space.”
“Who?” Nova whispered.
“I’m not sure,” Homer said. “One of them is about a woman we will meet on the mission, I think.”
Denise said, “What did this woman look like, Homer?”
“The strangest thing,” he said. “A woman…who almost looks like Nova…or that image of Starsha we saw in the message. I got the sense she was not a Gamilon but was or is…in congress with them, possibly even being intimate with a Gamilon! The woman was certainly wearing a Gamilon uniform, and she was calling up…very, very dark powers. And doing things to…needles…or darts.”
“What do you think this means?” Nova said as a chill ran down her spine. Derek saw how disturbed she looked, and he drew closer.
“It sounds to me as if we will meet a Gamilon who uses unnatural means…a very evil woman,” said Denise after she bowed her head for a bit.
At that, someone tapped at the hatch.
“This is private!” Homer said.
“No…I suddenly got the urge to seek you all out,” said a familiar voice.
Homer opened the hatch, and Father Martin Likanski, the ship’s Chaplain, came in.
“Father, I’m glad you’re here,” Denise said. “We were discussing Pandora…and some bad dreams we’ve had.”
“While we have the Padre here,” said Derek. “Homer, could you tell this priest about your dreams?”
Homer nodded and repeated the story of his first dream as the priest listened carefully. Then, he said, “But I didn’t tell the rest of you the second dream. That one was even worse.”
“What did you see?” Derek said.
“A Galaxy…far away…” Homer said as Father Likanski listened and also prayed quietly. “There were, or are, people who had contact with Earth…long ago.”
“People who had contact with Earth?” Denise interrupted. “I’ve been dreaming about that too. Go on, Homer!”
“Sure. They could have been those who made that crypt on Pandora I heard about. I don’t know. I saw that they were in a great battle with a man controlled by dark spirits from Hell’s deepest pit. A man who should have died long ago. A man who can destroy worlds. I didn’t see how…I just know he did it. And, there were women…or angels, fighting this man. They fell, one by one, over…centuries, I think. I get the sense that there are three still fighting this…thing. An older woman, of great skill and power. A younger woman…filled with rage…and a third woman…burning with light. I could not see her face. I also get the sense that this woman…is currently hidden…but was born on Earth. I have no idea who she is, or where she comes from or where she is going. She was the most mysterious of the three.”
“Maybe she is an angel,” said Denise.
“Maybe she is an…I don’t know…an archetype?” Derek said.
“No,” Nova said, very firmly. “Something just came to me. Whoever she is, she is alive right now. Whoever she is…she is a mortal…and she has a very long journey to make. One she is just beginning.” A chill went down Nova’s back as she said that.
“Are you saying this amazing hidden woman is among us?” Derek said.
“I do not know,” Nova said. “I don’t know who she is…or where she is…”
Nova had no sense what that dream meant. She would not be able to give a full interpretation…until over three decades later, when she would finally realize who the women were. The first woman would be the eventual Ruling Queen of Pellias, Astrena D’Shal. The second would be her daughter, the High Queen in Being then, Aliscea D’Shal, of her rage and impatience, by which means the Darkness had ensnared her. And, the third, and most mysterious woman would be Nova herself, born on Terra, but with her blood mingled with that of Iscandar and the Pellian High Royal Line.
Of course, at the time of the first Iscandar mission, Nova was more or less unaware of her mixed heritage and strange destiny…but there had been and would be…hints and shadows.
“And when I woke up from that dream…” Homer said. “…I had the sense I’d better keep the dream in mind.”
“Could my ring be evil?” Nova said.
“No. Uncanny,” said Father Likanski after he prayed for a bit. “I want you four to come to my office. Right now.”
“Why?” Nova said, puzzled.
“Something is telling me that I need to hear your confessions. NOW!”
They took off and followed Likanski.
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Father Likanski’s office had a waiting area, and a small inner office where he consulted with those who sought his counsel on all sorts of matters. The priest put on his stole when he entered the office, and he invited the group in, one by one, to hear their confessions and fears after he led all of them through the Lord’s Prayer.
Denise was the first one in. They wondered what she was confessing to, because she seemed to take a very long time…almost twenty minutes.
When she came out, she was sobbing softly, and Father Likanski had his arm around her shoulders. He patted her back to reassure her, and then she sat back down, silent and in prayer.
Homer was next. He only took four minutes. He came out of the room looking more peaceful, and he held hands with the priest. He ducked off to pray.
Nova was in next. Derek couldn’t help notice that Likanski took a vial of holy water in with him. Nova was in the room for twelve minutes. When she came out, tears were running down her cheeks, but she nodded as Likanski looked at her with a mildly Yang look on his face. Derek noticed that her pinky and her ring were wet as she sat down beside him, silent, and in deep prayer.
She glanced at Derek and said, “He wants to see you next. Tell him everything. He may be stern but he means no harm. He will give you a task to do, probably. I know I was given two…very specific tasks. I’m under two specific charges.”
“What were they?”
“I can’t tell you until I know you better,” Nova said. “And until something happens.”
Derek left it at that. He was summoned in to confess a moment later.
After the opening prayer, “Bless me Father, for I have sinned…” Derek said, “I don’t know if Nova and I have been taking this seriously enough yet…”
“How deep is your faith, son?” Likanski said, not unkindly.
“I was baptized Catholic while I was dying after being picked up from the place where my parents were killed by a planet bomb. I recovered. I had no family left except for Alex. The Nuns gave me enough information to take First Communion and Conformation, so I’m a social Catholic, I guess, even though I was raised Buddhist. I’ve also been mocking faith and the supernatural a lot. I’ve seen what the Gamilons have done to Earth…and I went to the Academy primarily out of a desire for revenge…”
“Like many people I’ve counseled,” sighed Likanski. “We are going through difficult times, Derek. Very difficult times. What did you want to tell me?”
“Father, I joined this mission out of a desire to avenge the death of my brother Alex. I was also very angry at Captain Avatar. I thought he led my brother Alex to his death with no conscience and left him to die…he…”
“Bearing false witness, and you are mistaken,” said Father Likanski firmly yet gently. “You reported to him about the loss of the Yukikaze or Paladin, right?”
“I did. And he looked very heavy of heart over that. I know he lost his son in that same battle, but…”
“Avatar told me, Derek, that he tried to dissuade your brother from his suicidal charge, but he did it anyway. Does that sound like your brother to you?”
“It does,” Derek said after a long time in silence. “Alex and I share one thing; we are both impetuous.”
“Other people have told me that,” said Likanski with a slow smile. “Others have also told me that you are a contradiction; on one hand, you mock Faith, but on the other hand, you seem very open to the spiritual realm that lies beyond us. I will offer pardon for your sins under the basis of Christ’s mercy shown at the Yang, but I also give you two charges; your penance, as it were. First, open your mind and heart to the Almighty. Second, do not mock your friends. You have already made very strong friendships on this cruise. Those friends will be your hope, your guide, your conscience. Three friends in particular are imperfect, sinful like all of us, but they care very deeply about you.”
“Who are they?”
“Well, there is your obvious friend, although he is like a rival to you at times, Mark Venture. And the other two I speak of wait for you outside. Do you accept the charges I have laid upon you?”
“I do,” Derek said after a long moment.
“Then, go in peace. What you told me about is forgiven. God Bless you, Derek.”
“Thank you, Father,” Derek said.
Derek came out in prayer.
Like Nova, he kept his charges…his penance, as it were, secret.
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Later that day, Nova was at work in Sickbay; routine, almost mindless work.
Today, she was helping to clean up. What was being cleaned up, carefully, were sharps and medical waste in smaller receptacles, to be placed inside a larger receptacle, where the items would be sterilized by ultra-violet radiation and then ground up in a heavy-duty shredder before being cast into space.
As Nova gathered up the waste and sharps, she stopped to pray for a moment.
Doctor Carroway was nearby.
Nova said, lightly and innocently, “Denise, please give me a hand with this? It’s a little heavy.”
“Sure,” said Denise. As Denise came over, she caught Nova’s hand shaking. “I have a lot to tell you, Denise”, Nova said. “I was given two charges by Father Likanski.”
“Yes?”
“First, it was to have this blessed,” Nova said as she held up her ring. “Just in case…”
“Very wise, Nova,” Denise said.
“I have purified myself by carrying out Father’s first charge, Nova thought with a small smile. Now, I am free to carry out my second charge…to be Derek’s spiritual guardian and guide…his new Paladin, as it were. What Nova did not know was that she and Derek were both destined to be Paladins…both for themselves…and the rest of the Cosmos.
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Some days later, before approaching Pluto, Cory, with his drum pads, and Andrew, with his guitar, were in the Argo’s Holography Room, empty except for them and Derek sitting in a chair with his harmonica, Nova, behind her work console with a MIDI keyboard connected to it, and Mark, who had just come along.
“We wanted to get together to try out what we came up with so far for our battle ballad,” Cory said. “We might be able to make a song out of it.”
“Maybe,” said Andrew. “It’s far from complete, but, Nova, maybe it could be recorded?”
“It would be nice to,” Nova said. “I have some ideas for something to add to your ballad…maybe. A bit of music, and some words.”
“I came up with something, too,” Derek said, and some words of my own, in Japanese and Terranglish.
“I have a few words, too,” said Mark, feeling like a fifth wheel here.
“Like to hear us, first?” said Andrew.
“Go ahead,” Nova said, turning on the recorder. “Battle Ballad, take one.”
Cory began with a drum roll on his pads, and then Andrew came in with a driving downbeat on his guitar. The two of them played a melody that almost sounded like a Norse or Wagnerian March, a blasting fanfare that made everyone’s ears perk up and take notice. Nova smiled slightly, and Derek tapped his boots to the rhythm of the march as it mutated, grew, repeated, and faded out.
Mark was the first one to applaud, followed by Derek, and then by Nova.
“That’ll wake up the Gamilons if they hear that,” Derek said.
“Sure will,” said Andrew.
“What were your words?” Nova said.
“We’re still trying to get them to scan,” Cory said.
“They start off like this,” said Andrew. “We’re off in outer space, we’re leavin’ Mother Earth, to save the human race…”
“Poetic,”
Nova said as she cut the recording and looked at Derek. She looked a little
younger in her simple off-duty wear of a grey t-shirt, jeans, and sandals as
she faced Derek over a table. He was also in off-duty clothes of jeans and a
navy-blue t-shirt with sneakers. “Do you guys have any more? What about
you, Derek?”
“Not yet,” Cory said.
“I’d like to play something I came up with in my head when I first boarded this ship while she was being built,” Nova said. “It doesn’t have much of a beat…it’s sort of a lonely, seafaring piece, to fit this ship. You’ll laugh at me,” Nova said.
“Maybe I will,” chuckled Derek.
“If you do, Derek, I’ll grab your harmonica and make you eat it,” Nova teased. She announced, “Yamato ballad, take one.”
Then, she played a few chords and glissandos, slowly, on her keyboard, set to sound like a piano. Then, she picked out a slow, searching, almost sad melody in a minor key, very haunting. She played a bar or two, and then repeated it, singing, plaintively, in Japanese, “Saraba, Chikyuu yo…Tabida…tsu fune ha…uchuu…sennnka-un…Ya…ma…to…”
Nova played a gliassando, and played her phrase again, singing wordlessly as Derek added a mournful, almost blues-like harmonica part to it, on the spur of the moment. When Nova’s bar ended, Derek kept on playing, in a similar vein, but a slightly different melody.
“You’ll laugh at me,” Derek said after he stopped.
“No!” Nova said as a tear or two ran from her eye. “That was…beautiful, Derek!”
“First time I ever tried to write music,” he said.
“It’s not bad,” said Cory. “Both of you have a neat melody. It could be a different song…”
“However, it needs a beat, though,” said Andrew. “Got an idea. Let’s see if we can meld our ballad and yours into one song, like. Ours would be the intro, and your bit would be the middle, but we need an end…what do those Japanese lyrics you came up mean, by the way, Nova?”
Nova said, “They mean…goodbye to Mother Earth…we’re taking off now, in our space battleship…Yamato.”
“Sorta sounds like ours,” said Cory as he picked up Nova’s melody, drummed, and sang, “We’re off in outer space…we’re leaving…Mother Earth…to save the human race…”
Nova then sang, “Our Star…Blazers!”
“What the heck are Star Blazers?” Derek said.
“Us, silly,” Nova said. Nova smiled and said, “Ballad of the Yamato and Star Blazers, take two…let’s go…fanfare first!”
Cory and Andrew played their quasi-Norse fanfare again, with Nova going behind them in a faster tempo on her keyboard. When the fanfare ended, Nova came in with the melody she and Derek had created…playing it like a march, and she, Derek, Mark, Cory, and Andrew sang, “We’re off in Outer Space…we’re leaving Mother Earth…to save the human race…Our Star Blazers!”
“Not bad at all,” said Andrew.
“It’s got a good beat and you can dance to it,” teased Mark. “I’ve got some words for Derek’s section: searching for a distant star…heading off to Iscandar…”
“Hey, you can write songs, too, space jockey!” Derek teased.
“Would you shut up?” Mark snapped.
“We’re not going to get anywhere if you two big sillies start arguing!” Nova snapped.
“Nova’s right…we have a good thing goin’” said Andrew.
With that beginning they spent the next three hours trying bits of melody, verses in both Japanese and English suggested by all five of them, and, gradually…an epic song indeed was made up that day by these four young men and one woman that would end up practically being a second national anthem for all of Earth.
All five of them would go down in history as the writers of the song, in alphabetical order, as Yang, Forrester, Ainsley, Venture, and Wildstar.
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The song was premiered for a large part of the crew a few days afterward, at Divine Services, after the liturgy, Communion for those who were believers and even some sympathetic to the Faith (such as Derek, who was still sort of riding the fence along with Andrew and Cory…all of them respectfully sat and watched them take the Host) and a closing hymn.
Then, Father Likanski said, “Before you go, Mister Yang, Mister Wildstar, Mister Venture, Mister Ainsley, and Miss Forrester have written a four-stanza song describing our mission. It will be in Japanese and Terranglish, and they call it “Our Star Blazers-The Ballad of the Yamato. Ladies and Gentlemen, take your places, and let us begin singing and playing. I have heard the song, and I like it.”
Captain Avatar’s eyebrows went up at the almost Norse fanfare, which could have been heavy metal, followed by the more poetic section written by the five of them as he and most of the crew heard, for the first time, “Saraba, Chikyuu yo…Tabida, tsu fune ha…”
By the time they got to the Terranglish portion, almost everyone was singing along to the melody, which went, of course…
We’re off in outer space
We’re leaving Mother Earth
To Save the Human Race
Our Star Blazers!
Searching for a distant star
Heading off to Iscandar
Leaving all we love behind
Who knows what dangers we’ll find…?
Only Sparks refrained from singing the rather infectious melody, thinking darkly, This song is the most stupid crap I’ve ever heard. We need a fight song? This is ridiculous!
When the song ended, there was mass applause.
Captain Avatar then stood and said, “I believe, ladies and gentlemen, we have a ballad for our mission. We are the Star Force, but thanks to this song, we are also the Star Blazers, heading into danger and on our way to Iscandar and back! We shall have need of such inspiration. As you who served on the bridge yesterday know, we now know that Pluto is the source of the Gamilon planet bombs ravishing Earth. Tomorrow, at 0900, we will meet to plan our first major assault of this mission…upon the Gamilon Base on Pluto! That base is our first objective, and we must destroy it! Sleep well…God be with us…and tomorrow, we begin planning to attack Pluto!”
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The
next morning, Yang was manning the helm and Ainsley was in Engineering as the
primary bridge crew met in the central briefing room to discuss the assault
upon Pluto.
Captain Avatar tapped the briefing room screen with his pointer and said, “Our mission will be to attack the Gamilon Base on Pluto, from which the planet bombs are being launched towards Earth. We believe that the bombs originate from this point.”
“What is the confidence level?” said Sandor.
“Our intel on this is around ninety-two percent accurate,” Nova said. “From all of my scans, the point of origin of the planet bombs has been triangulated to that general area.”
“Trigonometry?” said Derek.
Nova nodded, blushing a little.
“The intel is pretty reliable,” said Avatar. “The Gamilon Base on Pluto. That is our target.”
“What’s the map scale?” said Venture.
“The bay I am pointing at covers several hundred kilometers,” Avatar said. “It’ll take some time to find it.”
“Doubtlessly, we’ll find it when they start shootin’ at us,” said Orion.
“Derek, this is a chance to win one for your brother Alex,” said Mark.
“That’s right, Mark!” Derek said. “I wish he was with us right now. He was a great fighter!”
Sandor said, “Captain, are we going to use the wave motion gun?”
“No,” Avatar said. “Shock cannon.”
“WHAT?” everyone said in unison, in shock.
“There is life on Pluto,” Avatar said. “If we were to use the wave motion gun, it would cause the destruction of that innocent life. We are on a mission to save all life on Earth. We cannot destroy life on other worlds. If we did, we would be just as evil as the Gamilons.”
“Captain…!” said Sandor.
“Our mission is to destroy the base, and only the base,” snapped Captain Avatar. “Wildstar, we’re in Gamilon territory now, so we’d better be on the alert for an attack.”
“Roger,” said Wildstar.
They returned to the first bridge.
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A while later, they had loaded for bear. Two squadrons of the Black Tigers had been launched, under the command of Conroy and Hardy. Grant was waiting with his interceptor squadron in case the Gamilons sent in fighters.
On the bridge, Mark said, as Derek sat down, “Derek, your brother died in the battle of Pluto, right?”
“That’s right, Mark,” hissed Derek. “Just wait until the Gamilons find out there’s another Wildstar around!”
“Two more planet bombs approaching the ship!” Nova said. “These are coming fast. The Gamilons must have one heck of a mass-driver. And one is about to hit us! NO!”
“Wildstar, open all guns. Let’s get this threat first!” Avatar said.
“Roger that!” Derek said. “Guns locked! Open fire!”
The
forward main and auxiliary guns were set.
They fired.
The planet bomb approaching the Argo was hit and blown apart.
The other one drifted into the guns’ range. Derek and Dash fired again.
That one was also destroyed.
“Good shooting,” Mark said.
“Yeah,” laughed Derek.
“Nova, is anything else coming?” Captain Avatar said.
“Two Gamilon destroyer squadrons coming in at high speed from Pluto!” Nova said. “One is port, forty-five degrees off the bow at three hundred twenty-fiver on the compass by twenty degrees off the ecleptic, the second one is at starboard, forty-six degrees off the bow, and eighteen off the ecleptic! They’re closing fast on our course; speed, twenty-two space knots and accelerating!”
Nova sent her readouts to the astro-compass and Derek said, “Homer, send those coordinates to the Black Tigers!”
“Roger,” Homer said.
“Wildstar, raise the angle of the shock cannons,” ordered Captain Avatar.
“Roger that,” said Derek. “Elevating angle shock cannons thirty degrees starboard on “A” Turret and thirty degrees port on “B” Turret!”
The guns were adjusted and the massive barrels were raised.
The Black Tigers engaged the Gamilon destroyer squadrons as the barrels were going up.
In the meantime, on Pluto Base, Colonel Ganz said, “Well, look at that, Bane. We didn’t have to set a trap for the Argo after all; they’re coming towards range of our Reflex Gun of their own free will!”
Bane nodded and said, “Destroyer formations, continue to press the attack! Ultra-Menace Missiles, ready to fire! Placing reflection satellites in battle formation Ged-Twelve!”
“Stop launching planet bombs,” ordered Ganz with a wicked smile. “Our next target will be the Argo.”
“We have one planet bomb ready to launch from Tube Seventy-Eight, Colonel Ganz,” said an officer in the base.
“All right…fire it off!” said Ganz. “BUT NO MORE!”
The planet bomb was released with a hiss of air. It drifted up before the Reflex Gun, which fired. The beam struck the planet bomb and launched it towards Earth.
A moment later, Conroy noticed the bomb. “Wildstar! This is Conroy! The Gamilons just fired off another planet bomb! They used some kind of energy beam to launch it!”
“Try to attack it with your squadron,” Derek said. “You and Hardy, break off from the destroyer squadron; the Argo is going to fire!”
“Roger that,” said Conroy as he and his squadron broke off to attack the planet bomb.
In the meantime, the Argo’s guns locked on target.
“Locked on, Captain!” said Derek.
“FIRE!” barked Captain Avatar.
The Argo’s main guns fired, blasting many of the Gamilon destroyers to bits.
“Bulls-eye! YES!” laughed Derek. “Captain, we’re pursuing the survivors!”
Nova said, “I detected an energy charge from the base hitting that planet bomb that Conroy and Hardy are attacking!”
“This confirms our theory,” said Sandor. “Captain, they must have a large cannon of some kind on that base. That’s how they launch the planet bombs. Nova and I were right.”
“I hope they can’t fire it at us,” Mark said.
“Captain!” Homer said. “Conroy and Hardy report that they took out that planet bomb.”
“Wildstar, recall the Black Tigers,” Avatar said.
“Yessir,” Derek replied. “Conroy, Hardy, return to base.”
“Coming back home, Fighter Captain!” laughed Conroy. They landed aboard the Argo a moment later.
“We ain’t doin’ so bad so far,” said Eager.
“We don’t know what they have waiting for us down there,” Sandor said. “This is no time to be overconfident, Eager.”
“Oh, yeah, right!” he said.
Then,
Nova’s radar bleeped. “Flight of seven heavy Gamilon missiles approaching!
Range, one thousand kilometers and coming in fast at twenty-nine space knots!”
“Standby for counter-attack missiles and pulse lasers!” said Captain Avatar.
“Yessir,” Derek said. “Dash, prepare pulse lasers a’ starboard!”
“Understood,” said Dash. “Pulse laser gunners, to your stations!”
Some Combat Group Ensigns and crewmen ran to their places at the pulse lasers. They were ready and scanning for targets as Derek said, “Missiles on target, Captain! Opening firing tubes now!”
“Fire counter-attack missiles!” said Avatar.
“Firing missiles!” Derek snapped.
A flight of eight counter-attack missiles fired, followed by eight more.
When within range of the Gamilon missiles, they exploded, creating a net of fire that took out four of the missiles.
“Three missiles left!” Eager said.
“Pulse lasers ready!” said Dash.
“FIRE!” Derek barked.
The gunners found their targets and stitched the Gamilon missiles with laser fire.
Two missiles were destroyed eight kilometers away from the Argo.
However, the gunners missed one missile, heading straight for the port side.
The gunners brought it down only five hundred meters away from the ship.
The explosion scattered shrapnel around the area.
It
hit the Argo just aft of the engine room, near the catapult. The ship
took its first damage of the battle.
“What did they hit?” said Avatar.
“It hit the aft deck near the engine room,” said Orion. “Engine output down by ten percent.”
“Captain, sending damage control parties to that section of the ship,” said Sandor.
“Have them make repairs,” said Avatar.
“The crew is reporting three casualties,” said Orion.
“Nova, get medics down there on the double,” said Avatar.
“Yessir,” she said as she called Doctor Sane and medics and two nurses were sent to that section of the ship.
Father Likanski was among the medics, at work now at his shipboard battle station.
On the Gamilon base, an officer saluted Ganz and said, “The Argo was struck by one missile and took some damage. They are fifty thousand away from the base now.”
“Prepare the reflex gun for firing!” said Ganz with a laugh.
“Tracking
the Argo…they are at a due course heading straight towards the base,
sir!” said one officer.
“Like shooting fish in a barrel,” laughed Ganz. “Energy charge?”
“One hundred and ten percent, Colonel Ganz!” said Bane.
Ganz took the firing grip. “Well, goodbye, Star Force. I must admit you gave us a good fight, and I’d send my compliments if we had time, but we do not! FIRE THE REFLEX GUN!”
Ganz squeezed the grip.
The gun energized and blasted its pink beam of energy right at the Argo. The beam blasted up through the ice, and roared away from the base.
On the Argo, Nova spotted the surge. “Captain! There’s a deadly energy beam heading right for the ship! Power level is off my meters!”
“Evade!” snapped Captain Avatar.
Mark tried to turn the ship, but the reflex beam hit the port side near the pulse laser batteries.
Four men were killed at once; with one of them blown screaming into space.
“Captain! All the port side pulse lasers are off line!” snapped Derek.
“Helm isn’t answering!” said Mark. “We’re plunging towards Pluto at full speed!”
Smoking from the two hits she had taken, the Argo roared towards Pluto.
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As the battle continued, Bane said, “Colonel Ganz! Coded Communication for you!”
“From Gamilon?” he said.
“No. The Small Magellenic Cloud, sir. It’s…It’s…Lysis!”
“I wonder what he wants?” said Ganz. “I’ll take it in my office. Monitor the Argo’s progress…or…most likely, her doom…”
“Yessir,” said Bane as Ganz vanished.
Ganz plugged in a decoding card, and the static resolved.
“Good day, Walke,” said the handsome Gamilon General who appeared on the screen; the dreaded General Erich Lysis, the Stellar Fox himself, the dashing General who had won over a hundred victories for the Empire.
“Greetings, Erich,” said Ganz with a smile. In spite of the differences in status between these two men, they had been Academy classmates, and had remained friends. Ganz knew that Erich was one of the very few Gamilon officers who did not look down upon him. Indeed, he had even been a guest at Lysis’ home, where he had been warmly received by his wife, Duchess Eliza, and their son, Friedrich. Ganz knew that Erich was a quiet member of one of the monotheistic faiths that worked in the underground in the Empire, and that Eliza had contacts with some underground figures.
Lysis said, “It has been busy out here. I hear the Terrans are giving you some difficulty?”
“They are, Erich,” said Ganz. “I have been dealing with a large space battleship they call the Argo. I have it cornered in orbit of Pluto now.”
“They
got that far, Walke?”
“They did,” said Ganz. “They were able to perform a Gestcham jump away from a carrier force of ours. Then, they were trapped near our Floating Continent Base near Jupiter. They used a weapon known as a ‘wave motion gun’ to destroy the base. Then, they evaded us at Titan, and they are here now. I should be able to demolish them with the Reflex Gun.”
“Able to jump…” said Erich. “Using a ‘wave motion gun’. My theory; Iscandar aided them.”
“NO!” said Walke, shocked. “It adds up, but it can’t be!”
“Two years ago, Starsha and Desslok broke off their engagement, and I think she learned of our plans for Terra then. It may be the reason why. I must have a talk with Starsha about this…or Princess Astra. I am sure she will see me…we were once…close…before I married Eliza.”
“I scanned the records of some of the crew that we mined from the Earth destroyer Paladin’s wreck,” said Ganz. “I will send you the data, Erich. I sent it to Gamilon but they said nothing about it. Do you know where Princess Astra is?”
“No,” said Lysis quietly. “When she and I last spoke, she was on Iscandar, of course. Even after everything that happened between us, she and I were still at least cordial to each other…as I was cordial with those from other allied militaries I met long ago when I was a Midshipman.”
“I am sending you this data now,” said Ganz. “Have a look.”
“It will take some time for it to come through to me,” said Erich. “But if Iscandar is involved…I would think twice about destroying that ship.”
“Erich…I have that ship in my grasp now! It will soon crash on Pluto, and if Iscandar is interfering…moot point. Besides, I can easily destroy them,” snorted Ganz.
“If Iscandar is involved…this may bite you like a snake,” said Lysis. “I won’t make this a direct order, since we are friends, but…if I were you…I would be cautious. Push them too far…and it may cost you your life.” Lysis cut off at that, and he looked up at the stars from his command ship and he thought, Adonai, protect Walke…and…possibly that ship…especially if Astra is aboard that ship. Why? As the Leader loved Starsha, so did I love Astra, long ago…as for Eliza…she needs to be cautious in her opposition to the leader. I don’t want to lose her the way we lost Johann, and leave Johann’s fraternal twin Friedrich without a mother…
Of course, Erich Lysis could not foresee that in later decades, Friedrich, by then a Commodore, would meet the very crew of the ship that Walke was now trying to destroy, and that they would be fast friends and allies.
As Lysis sat on his command ship, he shut his eyes, and a memory of his youth came to him…from almost fifty years beforehand…
It was a beautiful day on Telezart.
He was in a park, sitting in the grass at the edge of the Capital City, with two of his friends; a Telezarti Defense Forces pilot known as Lieutenant Ferris Razur, and his young wife, the Princess Presha D’Shal of Pellias, diplomat from that far-away power.
“What is it that you have discovered about our policies, M’Lady?” asked Erich as he sat eating a sandwich. He sat in Gamilon Cadet uniform, looking at the barefoot Princess sitting in the grass in one of the seafoam-green dresses she favored, next to Ferris in the dark grey uniform of the Telezarti Defense Forces.
“Why
are your forces attacking Terra, Midshipman Lysis?” said Presha in a grieved,
but not angry voice.
Lysis sighed. “I have heard rumors of this…but did not know they were true.”
“My younger sister Astrena would be very grieved by this if it is true. She believes Terra was the site of Gan Eden. Gan Eden. The place where He called all humanity to life.”
“If that is true, Erich, your Leader is committing a great atrocity,” said Ferris as he stared at Erich from his dark eyes under his crewcut-trimmed dark hair. Ferris, the husband of Princess Presha, had been a very handsome young man with a commanding voice but wry smile.
“Mich Alban, our Ace of Aces, that mop-headed Noble of the House of D’Vizo, wrote a book on this topic,” said Presha. “Mich was a philosopher as well as a pilot.”
“I would have loved to have flown with Mich,” sighed Ferris. “The Gifted Wizard of Fighter Pilots. I am nothing next to his legendary skill.”
“He vanished before I was born,” said Presha. “Erich, what is it?” Presha said as she looked at Lysis through her dark brown eyes, which were gentle, but could turn fiery at times…a trait she shared with her ancient forebear of legend, High Queen Pellas, and which the High Crown Princess Presha would share with her yet-to-be-born grandchild, the future High Queen Nova Forrester Wildstar.
“The Leader has plans to colonize Terra. He believes it is our ancient homeland of Galman. His elder son, Prince Matthius, opposes it. I have trained with his younger brother Abelt. I do not know what his opinion is in this matter, except that I know his religious devotion to the gods is most orthodox. Prince Desslok Abelt Desslar…the man in his brother’s shadow, and my friend; we trained together.”
“You may want to speak to your friend, the Prince Desslok,” said Presha in passionate, almost angry tones. “He may be able to avert a holocaust!”
“If ever he becomes Leader, he may have enough humanity to stop it,” Erich mused.
“And now?” Lysis whispered to himself. “Now, I serve Abelt, the Leader. And what is he planning to do? Little Abelt…it has been long since I thought of you by your affectionate kinamen, my friend. Most call you by your prinamen, O Leader Desslok. I pray that our policies do not lead us to disaster, as in the dark days of your stepfather Heimdall’s reign; that is, the accursed Leader Heimdall Adele Desslar…the evil man we overthrew and killed after Mattheus’ death. I pray that in His Holy Name myself.”
------------------------------------------------
But, near Pluto, the Star Force had no concern at the moment for dynastic successions and past revolutions on Gamilon that they did not know about.
They were too busy trying to simply survive.
The Argo was still out of control.
“We are three megameters away from Pluto’s largest moon Charon!” Nova said as the ship roared towards the icy planet.
“Wildstar, fire the rocket anchor at Charon when we pass!” ordered Captain Avatar.
“Yessir…passing in three…two…one…firing rocket anchor!” Derek snapped.
The rocket anchor fired and slammed into Charon.
The ship made a crazed arc that threw the crew around.
“Side thrusters at full!” said Captain Avatar as he held onto his hat to keep it from flying off.
The thrusters were fired, and the wounded space battleship made a port, of sorts, in orbit around Pluto.
Mark stood up and wiped his brow. “Whew…I thought we were going to crash into Pluto’s moon!”
“Well, Wildstah fired the rocket anchor in time,” said Eager.
“Good thing you didn’t miss,” teased Dash.
“Captain,
I’ll send out the damage control parties,” said Sandor as he stood and saluted.
Avatar nodded his permission. Steve left the bridge.
IQ-9 came up onto the bridge and he brought some bottles of drinking water that the bridge crew began to sip at.
While Nova sipped at her water, she said, “Captain, Mark, Derek, aren’t we taking a terrible chance with them hitting us with that gun by sitting here to make repairs? Shouldn’t we be on the move?”
“We’ll be safe for a while,” Mark said. “The Gamilon base is on the other side of Pluto. I think we can approach the base from a different corridor. They can’t get us now unless they send out more ships.”
“I see, said the blind man,” Derek said with a smirk that forced Mark to give him a very dirty look. Nova rolled up her eyes and shook her head at Derek’s crass comment. He ignored them and said, “Captain, I think we should launch the Black Tigers again. We need fighter cover! Fast!”
“Venture is right,” said Avatar. “I think we can get the repairs done within ninety minutes and get back on the move.”
On Pluto, Colonel Ganz had come up with a different conclusion.
“So, Star Force, you think you’re safe sitting there by Charon?” he sneered. “You’re wrong. My Reflex Gun can fire around corners! Open satellite plates on satellite forty-five!”
“Opening satellite targeting plates; activating field,” said another officer. “Reflex targeting program set; firing solution being calculated!” said another officer on the base.
“Ready to fire,” said Bane with a demented laugh.
“Stand by,” said Ganz as he held the firing grip. “FIRE!”
The Reflex Gun fired again.
The energy beam bounced off the field from one of the satellites, then, off another, and then off yet another, like the silver ball in an ancient pinball machine hitting the bumpers.
One more bounce, and the beam roared towards the Argo from above, with Nova having just enough time to sense it on her radar. “A strong energy surge is heading towards us! All hands brace for impact!”
The beam smashed into the Argo a moment later, and the ship was slammed violently towards port, with more damage. Three crewmen who were working on the damage were killed by the blast.
The rocket anchor tore out of Charon’s surface and slammed against the side of the Argo with a violent bang like a tolling bell.
Derek, Nova, Mark, and the other bridge crew members were thrown around. Eager almost ended up on the deck, and would have had Nova on top of him if she hadn’t grabbed the arm of her seat in time.
Venture yelled, “Captain Avatar! We’re plunging out of control!”
Nova wiped her hair out of her eyes, and said, “Captain Avatar, there’s a liquid sea right near the equator; I think it’s liquid nitrogen or something like that.”
“Venture, steer towards that sea!” said Captain Avatar.
The Argo began to plunge towards the sea, with her wings open.
The ship hit the sea, bow-first, after several watertight doors slammed to deep in the ship near the damaged areas.
Venture struggled to hold onto his controls as the Argo slammed into the ocean.
Eager almost hit Sandor, who had returned from the damage control station.
Derek almost took a header against his board, and Orion was almost thrown towards Nova, whose hair was flying all over the place.
Homer slammed into the deck, cursing as he hit it.
But the Argo had survived, and she began cruising in the sea on her auxiliary engines.
“Splashdown completed,” said Captain Avatar.
Not that far away, on the Gamilon Base, Colonel Ganz laughed again and said, “Well, Argo, you have more lives left than I counted on. You were truly a lucky ship, but you won’t be for much longer. Let me recognize your valor, Star Force! Bane, open up a hailing frequency to that damned ship! I want to thank them personally!”
“You want to talk to those stupid primitives, sir?” said Bane with his eyes wide.
Ganz grabbed a whip and smacked Bane across the back with it. “WHAT DID I JUST SAY, FOOL? YES! OPEN A CHANNEL TO THEM! NOW!”
“Yessir,” whined Bane.
A short time later, Homer said, “What the…? Captain! I’m getting a call…on audio…in Terranglish!”
“What…another Earth ship?” said Avatar.
“Sir, it’s the Gamilons.”
“The Gamilons?” said Avatar. “Put that Gamilon on the speakers!”
Homer worked some controls, and then there was some static, a long data burst, and then, a voice, sneering and arrogant. “Argo. Terran ship! This is Colonel Walke Ganz of the Gamilon Empire! Do you copy?”
“I copy,” said Avatar. “I am Captain Abraham Avatar, skipper of the Argo and commander of the Star Force. What do you want? Over!”
“I recognize your voice, Avatar,” sneered Ganz. “You called me an idiot on audio that I picked up several months ago when I slaughtered your pathetic fleet here! Well, honor demands that I call you to thank you for surviving so long on Pluto, but you won’t be around much longer. Please take a moment to pray to your primitive gods. You fought well, but it is the end now, for you, and your world! Farewell! REFLEX GUN, FIRE!”
A moment later, Nova called out, “Oh no! The energy surge is coming at us again!”
The surge smashed into the Argo a moment later.
The ship keeled over, hard.
Nova was thrown out of her seat, with electricity flying all around her as her board blew out.
Luckily, Derek was facing Avatar’s station, so Nova ended up doing a header…right into his lap!
He grunted as she hit him, but he grabbed her hands so she didn’t break anything.
Nova looked right into Derek’s eyes and blushed.
“We’ve
gotta stop meeting like this,” he quipped as he helped her up.
“Uhh…yeah…” she said. They stood, but hit the seat again when the Argo creaked and keeled over hard.
“Captain Avatar!” yelled Mark. “We’re out of control! The gyros are out!”
The Argo heeled over and she began to sink.
“The Star Force is SINKING!” laughed Bane, practically jumping up and down with glee like a toddler.
“Yes! This is great!” laughed Ganz. “Lysis, you were so wrong! I finished them! I have triumphed!”
The Argo went down, and she hit the ocean floor upside-down with a bang.
She sat there, inert, damaged, her mission seemingly over.
“Call Leader Desslok!” yelled Ganz as the base began to celebrate. “I need to let him know of our victory!”
“Yessir!” said Bane.
A while later, General Krypt reported to Desslok while he was sipping wine with his best two Blue Shadows, or concubine guards.
One of them was a gorgeous blond Gamilon lady named Teeansha. She was well-trained in all sorts of weapons and other matters, and was gleefully ruthless, and skilled in torture.
The other was an Iscandarian who had joined with them long ago, Desslok’s favorite (because she resembled Starsha), the notorious psionic and assassin known as Iroze. Iroze loved killing, and she was definitely a practitioner of the dark arts, and she knew how to kill with her mind as well as with her weapon of choice, sharpened throwing needles. Desslok considered Iroze the best woman in Gamilon’s forces, and she had killed thirty-two other female soldiers in duels to reach her place in Gamilon society.
Desslok looked visibly annoyed as Krypt came up.
“Leader Desslok! I have great news from Colonel Ganz on Pluto! He has cornered the last Terran battleship, the Argo, in the equatorial sea on Pluto. He is celebrating and he states Terra’s resistance is now finished!”
“Krypt, do you interrupt my pleasures with such trifling news?” sneered Desslok as Iroze sneered at Krypt and Teeansha laughed at him.
“It was nothing…nothing at all…just a trifle, Lord,” said Krypt.
“Krypt…you’re an idiot!” said Desslok. “Leave us!”
“Yessir,” said Krypt.
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TO BE CONTINUED…