Star Blazers A Voyage to Remember Ep. 22

STAR BLAZERS: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER

A fanfic recapitulation of Series One “The Quest for Iscandar” by

Frederick P. Kopetz

EPISODE TWENTY-TWO: The Lion Cub and the Tigress

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Space Battleship Argo

January 11, 2200

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“What’s this, Derek? You’re bringing me Swedish Meatballs for breakfast?” Nova said in Sickbay from her bed.

“You told me you’d eat anything and that it’s silly to complain about the food,” Wildstar said with a grin.

“These must be left over from last night,” Nova snorted.

“Yeah, they are. They’re still making breakfast.”

“Any meal when you’re hungry, I guess,” Nova said with a shrug as she began to eat.

“Wildstar, you need to let this poor woman rest,” Doctor Sane said.

“We have to check Captain Avatar in three and a half hours,” Nova retorted. “I need breakfast to help you out. That’s why I e-mailed Derek that I needed to be fed.”

Venture came into the room just in time to see Derek giving Nova some grated cheese. “Nova, is this weird long-haired man bothering you?” Mark said.

“Get stuffed,” Derek said.

“Mmmmm mmm mmm uhhh,” Nova said with food in her mouth.

“She’s telling you to go away, Wildstar,” Mark said. “She knows I’m carrying a big torch for her.”

“Your torch is sputtering, Mark,” Nova teased. “You’re my best platonic friend, Mark. In a few years, you’ll meet this gorgeous blonde who looks better than me anyhow. Then you will forget I exist and I can run off to Las Vegas with Derek.”

“How do ya know that?” Derek teased.

“I had a weird dream about it,” Nova replied.

“Her dreams are weird,” Derek said. “She tells me she dreams about bugs.”

“I had a nightmare about bees; understandable after what I went through yesterday,” Nova said.

“I brought you a book,” Mark said as Derek gave him a dirty look.

“I don’t have much time to read, Mark; I have work to do in a few hours,” Nova said.

“What do you do when two guys have a thing for the same woman?” Mark said.

“Slug the other guy,” snapped Derek. Nova rolled up her eyes at that but she smiled. Then, she kissed Derek on the nose, and grabbed Mark’s hand and kissed it. “Enchante’” she said.

“Where did you get that from?” Mark said.

“An old movie Derek and I need to expose you to. He had me in his cabin the other night watching it. I was scandalized but could not help laughing.”

“Okay, you two,” Doctor Sane said. “After Nova eats, you guys need to leave her alone.”

“Yeah, Mark, we’ll see her on the Bridge later,” Derek said.

“After I help Doctor Sane with some procedures,” Nova added.

“Nova, you’re staying in bed, and these two hooligans have to leave!” screamed Doctor Sane.

“Yeah, especially him,” Mark said as he playfully shoved Derek.

“Shut up!” Derek laughed.

“Don’t kill each other, guys,” Nova said with a smile.

“I’ll be nice to him, Nov,” said Mark. “Maybe after I kick his butt, he’ll end up in here with you!”

“IN YOUR DREAMS, SPACE JOCKEY!” Derek yelled.

Nova giggled as they left. “Aren’t they comical, Doctor Sane?” Nova said.

“They’re maddening!” he yelled.

“C’mon, after all we’ve been through, we could use a good laugh,” Nova said. “And they’re actually cute.”

“You need your rest, young lady.”

“Nothing doing; I feel better now,” Nova said as she got up and padded barefoot across the room. “Don’t block the hatch, Doctor! I need to get to my scrubs and shoes!”

“You’re just as bad as those two!” Sane screeched as Nova gently elbowed him aside. “And don’t you DARE stick your tongue out at me!”

“See you in the operating theatre in a few minutes,” Nova said. “Please don’t hit the sauce right now, Doctor!”

“Why am I cursed with a lady who wants to be one of the guys?” Sane moaned to himself. “She drives me to drink!”

A while later, Captain Avatar came into Sickbay, coughing a little as he walked.

Nova was waiting for him, clad in a white scrub dress and sandals, with a stethoscope already in her ears with the bottom of the instrument clipped to her dress sleeve.

“Good morning, Captain,” Nova said cheerily. “Let’s get you started by listening to your lungs. Coat off, please.”

“Where’s Doctor Sane?” Avatar growled.

“Getting ready to admit you to Sickbay.”

“Nova, I’m not that sick yet,” Avatar said.

“I know you’re trying to be brave about this, but you’re not going to help the Star Force much if you collapse at the conn, sir,” Nova said as she helped Avatar out of his coat. “Get that shirt open, and let me have a listen.” Nova paused as she noticed Avatar was wearing a sling again. “What happened to your arm?”

“I bruised it last night. Now…I can’t move it right,” Avatar admitted.

“Mister Jankowitz, please scan the Captain’s arm and record his heartbeat and respiration,” Nova said to a medic sitting at a panel to Avatar’s right.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said as Nova had a listen. His respiration is horrible, Nova thought as she listened. His heartbeat is slow, and I think I see a break in his arm on that screen. Nova carefully felt Captain Avatar’s arm and he yelled and hit her arm with a free hand. Nova yelped.

Doctor Sane ran right over. He yelled, “Captain, did you just hit Nova?”

“Lashed out because I was in pain. I’m sorry, Nova.”

“Apology accepted. Doctor, our first order of business is setting his arm. His radius bone is cracked, about two-thirds of the way up,” Nova said.

Sane looked at the readouts Nova had sent over from her stethoscope. “With that respiration and heart rate, I think we need to operate on you today after we set that arm, Captain! Nova, prep Operating Suite One.”

“Right,” she said, prepared to take off.

“Just set my arm,” Captain Avatar said. “Get a cast on it, Doctor. I need to get to the Bridge.”

“You can’t refuse treatment for this!” Doctor Sane barked. “As soon as I set that arm, get on that damn gurney!”

“I am refusing,” Avatar said. “Fix my arm! I need to get back to the Bridge!”

“I’ll tell you what,” snapped Doctor Sane. “I’ll do as you wish, but I can’t be held responsible if you have a coronary on the Bridge!”

Nova came in. “Doctor, IQ-9 and I have the Operating Room ready.”

“Good job, but he’s refusing treatment. Note his chart,” Sane snapped as he worked on Avatar’s arm.

“Captain, please reconsider,” Nova said. “You have a growing malignancy and one of your lungs is compromised! The sooner we get it out and get you on chemo, the better!”

“Nova, you and the Doctor mean well, and with some experience, you’ll be a great doctor yourself someday,” Avatar said. “But I alone am responsible for this ship. We are entering a critical part of this mission, and I need to be up and active!”

Nova took a deep breath. “All right. But when we’re together on the Bridge, I will be watching you like a hawk. Are we clear?”

“Loud and clear,” said Avatar.

After Captain Avatar left, it was around 1100 Hours.

IQ-9 had come back in. “Doctor Sane, I would not recommend a drink right now,” he said.

“Nonsense,” the good doctor snorted. “I’ve had a rotten morning. So have Nova and Jankowitz.”

“I never heard someone refuse treatment quite like that before,” Ensign Roman Jankowitz said. “That poor man has a foot in the grave already. He’s either tough or stubborn.”

“Both, actually,” Nova said as she brought in a tray and three glasses. “Break time, Roman. Doctor, I think I need to share a little of that poison with you. You get some, too, Roman.”

“Don’t pour me too much, ma’am,” said Roman. “I need to be able to see straight if we have an emergency,” he said as Nova poured him some sake’.

“Doctor?” Nova said.

“You know what I like. Half a glass, please,” Sane said.

“After that, you’re cut off,” Nova said.

“Nonsense.”

“When I’m the bartender, I decide the portions,” Nova said. Last of all, she poured herself a quarter-glass of sake’.

“What are we drinking to?” said IQ-9.

“The good health of the Captain,” Nova said. “He’s so stubborn that he’ll need it!”

“Kampai!” yelled Sane in his high voice. He chugged his drink.

Nova and Roman raised glasses, and took long ceremonial sips. Then, she said, “I need to work on this. I have to finish writing up the Captain’s chart. Also e-mailing the Captain; I’ll be on the bridge by 1130.”

“Aren’t you going to stay around and party a little, Nova?” said Sane.

“Not when there’s work to be done,” she said as she sipped at her glass. “IQ, you and Roman reset the operating room after this break ends.”

“I didn’t even get a drink!” said IQ-9.

“Robots can’t drink,” Roman chided.

“I wish I could.”

Doctor Sane hiccupped.

Nothing much happened that day.

Captain Avatar resumed his post, although his cough seemed heavier than ever.

Wildstar and Venture glanced at each other with concern in their eyes more than a few times; especially after they saw Nova getting up from her post, only for the Captain to wave her back down again.

The Argo made two warps; both were quite routine.

That evening, Wildstar, Venture, Forrester, Conroy, and Dash were sitting together at a messhall table having dinner.

Derek was being a bit of a loudmouth, and was pumping his spoon like a weapon as he talked. “We all room together in the Living Block, Upper Level, Deck Five, right?”

“Yeah, Officers’ Quarters, which we share with some of the Petty Officers,” said Conroy.

“We put three plain old ratings in there at the beginning of the week,” Nova said.

“Why’d we do that? Did they pay ya bribes?” snorted Dash.

“I don’t accept monetary bribes,” Nova said. “That’s dishonest! It was because they were below in Deck Seven, and they said they detected a bad smell coming from up above them, coming, most likely, from Deck Five. There’s nothing between Decks Five and Seven in the Living Block except for the showers, heads, and the gym and swimming pool.”

“That’s what I was getting at,” Derek said. “Any of you noticed a funny smell smelling from the Six Hundred Sector Cabins? Like someone who lives there who refuses to shower?”

“I room in the Two Hundred Block, Derek. You know that!” Nova said. “Hardly anyone is in my Block but females.”

“And Royster,” said Conroy. “Don’t know how he managed that.”

“He had to be near Sandor’s cabin, which starts the Three Hundred Sector,” Nova said.

Then, Travis Ryder came over.

His hair looked messier than usual, and…he was…

…giving off a certain funk.

Derek looked at him and shook his head. “You can’t sit here with us.”

“Why? Ain’t I good enough to sit at the ‘cool kids’ table?” he retorted.

“You have…issues,” said Venture. “Now I know where that bad smell was coming from on Bridge Number Two.”

“And what that smell was around my Black Tiger the other day,” added Conroy.

“Did you take my recon plane out the other day and fly a mission in it?” Nova asked.

“I sure did, Miss Nova.”

“I needed to disinfect the cockpit before I could fly in it,” Nova sniffed. “I’m sorry, Ryder, but…”

“That’s why you smelled like bleach the other day?” Derek asked.

Nova nodded, and went back to her spaghetti and meatballs.

“Ryder, what we’re saying is…” Derek said.

“You have a major case of BO,” said Dash, as tactful as ever.

“Please don’t sit here,” said Venture. “Go sit with the enlisted men until you get a proper shower.”

“You’re ALL a bunch of jerks!” Ryder snapped.

“We need to take action,” said Venture after Ryder left.

Nova and Conroy nodded.

“Listen, everyone,” Wildstar said. He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’ve got a plan. This is what it is…”

In the meantime, Derek’s elder brother Alex was busy trying to keep from getting his head bashed in as the Gamilon destroyer he was aboard seemed to be in trouble.

They had come out of a Gestcham jump, according to his captors, right on the doorstep of Gamilon itself.

But there’s something wrong, Alex thought as he braced himself against a bulkhead. This rotten ship is bouncing like a bronco. The only good thing about this is that it’ll probably blow up soon, and I won’t have to face the laboratories, torture chamber, and…gladiatorial stadium they told me I’d be thrown into to die on Gamilon to amuse Leader Desslok.

One of his guards opened the hatch, and threw in two packets of some kind.

“What are these?” he said.

The light blue-skinned guard in brown battle armor looked hard at him and then said, “If we survive re-entry, Terron, we will be crashing on a neutral planet near Gamilon. One of those bundles is a life vest. Put it on; it’ll inflate when it hits the sea water. The other bundle is a life raft which will do the same thing. There are emergency rations inside. At least you’ll have a fighting chance.”

“Why are you doing this?” Alex snapped as the Gamilon destroyer shook again.

“You’ve been abused, but you’ve responded honorably and in fact have attempted escape even though the situation is hopeless. Somehow, I think you shall make it. Let me give you this,” he said as he undid one of his gloves and took off a ring and squeezed it into Alex’s hand. “I wish you luck and blessings…my brother.”

The Gamilon guard promptly left. Alex put the ring on his left hand and compared it to the ring on his right hand.

There was a character in the center of the ornate gold-plated design on the Gamilon ring he did not recognize, but he recognized the two symbols around it above the blue jewel.

They were unmistakable and matched the symbols on his ring…the Square and Compasses of the Masons. Of course, Alex’s ring bore the letter “G” in the center-for God.

They have Masons on Gamilon? Alex thought. How strange…whoever you are…thank you, my brother….

Then, Alex’s head slammed into the bulkhead right after he got the life vest on.

For a while, Alex Wildstar heard and saw no more.

That evening, aboard the Argo, it was around 2200.

As officers, Petty Officers, and the few ratings who lived on the Fifth Deck of the Living Block were chilling out and getting ready to hit their racks at 2300, some of the night watch crew just happened to be getting up.

The Living Block sounded a bit like a demented college dorm at this hour. Laughter, running feet, loud music here and there from the mostly young crew, and people running down the ladders and back up again to access the heads, showers, and gyms located on Deck Six filled the space.

From Hardy’s cabin came the loud sounds of a contemporary country-rock band that sounded like the 20^th-century group Lynyrd Skynyrd. Eager, not far away, was playing (and singing along with) a Gospel record in his cabin, glad that smelly old Ryder was out of the cabin for the moment.

Along the rotating people-mover belt that encircled the Living Block, a male Ensign from the Living Group was flirting with a female Black Tiger pilot by playing a noisy game of touch football, made challenging by the fact of the moving belt.

Dash came out of one of the showers located on the Fifth Deck wearing nothing but his glasses. He was usually “The Naked Guy”, and didn’t care much about hiding his endowment as he ran back to his stateroom. His roommate, Robert Turner, was up and manning his usual post on the First Bridge. Sandor was the Officer of the Deck this evening.

There was a plan afoot, however, and Dash would need to wear…a disguise. He pulled on swim trunks, kicked back into his rubber shower flip-flops, and pulled a rubber Halloween mask made to look like Frankenstein’s Monster (and acquired from a Tech Group guy from the Dynamic Replicator with a bribe of cigarettes and homebrew moonshine). Suitably…clad, he came out of his cabin, ran down about four doors, and banged on a hatch marked WILDSTAR, D. M., LT.

Wildstar came out a moment later wearing flip-flops, a white set of swim trunks with his red arrow emblem, and a Wolfman mask. “Is this the signal for Op 409?” he whispered to Dash.

“Why would I be running around looking like a goon if it wasn’t?” he whispered back.

Natalie Fisher met them a moment later, wearing a black tank swimsuit, flip-flops, and a Vampirella mask. “I got the sponge and scrub brush,” she whispered. “Little Red Riding Hood is still doing recon in her cabin on the security cameras she hacked into. She tells me our target is on his way up from the gym.”

“Great,” Wildstar said. “Dash, we just have to get Conroy.”

“Isn’t Venture participating?”

“Nah, he doesn’t want to get into trouble for…hazing,” Wildstar said. “He stayed behind in our cabin.”

“Wimp,” muttered Dash as they got Conroy. He came out of his cabin, shared with another Tiger pilot, wearing gold swim trunks, a Batman mask, and flip-flops.

“Where’s Nova?” he whispered.

“She’s the last one we have to get,” whispered Wildstar. “She’s doing recon on Ryder.”

“Roger,” said Dash.

The weird group, now talking loudly in strange, screaming, ghoulish voices, banged at the door to Nova’s cabin.

She emerged in a white bikini, rubber OR sandals, and a Little Red Riding Hood mask and was carrying soap and shampoo.

“Target is around the Four Hundred Block,” she said in a weird, fake, “Brooklynese” voice. “He’s in gym shorts.”

“Good. We will attack around the shower room by the Four Hundred Block,” Wildstar said. “Venture decided not to join us. The wimp.”

“I had to think about this myself,” Nova whispered. “Let’s go. Remember. We just clean him up. We don’t hurt him.”

“Move,” Derek whispered in a strange, creepy voice.

The masked men and women in swimwear advanced around the Living Block, laughing strangely when they saw two pilots chasing each other around having a shaving cream fight.

They caught up with Ryder near the showers. He had on only gym shorts and was carrying a sweaty t-shirt.

“We’ve come for you, Ryder,” Wildstar rasped in a snarling whisper.

“Who? Who the hell is this?” he said.

“The Cleaning Patrol,” rasped Natalie under her mask. “You smell.”

“You need to take showers,” Nova rasped under her mask. “Daily! For your own good!”

“So…we’re gonna make ya shower, Pig Pen!” screamed Dash as he grabbed Ryder’s arms.

Wildstar grabbed his legs and pulled down Ryder’s gym shorts and threw them on the deck in the shower room.

Conroy turned on the shower, full cold.

Ryder screamed, but Conroy sat on his ankles while Nova handed Derek the soap and Wildstar and Dash began scrubbing Ryder down with scrub brushes.

“YAAAAAA!!!” he yelled at the cold water, soap, and scrub brushes on his skin.

Nearby, some people came out of the cabins and cheered. Someone turned on a cover version of “Wipeout” and turned it up all the way.

“Time ta wash ya hair,” Nova yelled in her strange “Brooklynese” voice.

“I smell that! That’s girly strawberry shampoo! NOOOO!” yelled Ryder.

“Scrub a dub dub, scrub a dub dub,” Nova and Natalie yelled as they washed Ryder’s greasy hair.

Two guys in the shower room taking showers applauded as the “Shower Ghouls” took off, laughing, leaving Ryder there under the water.

And, thus, Ryder was clean, and he remembered to shower every day afterwards.

Rumor of the “ambush” reached Captain Avatar’s ears, but Ryder never complained, and the Captain never bothered to investigate, due to his illness and more pressing matters…

Thus, Operation 409 came to its end.

Mission accomplished.

A few hours had passed on Iscandar.

Alex Wildstar regained consciousness and found he was clinging to the Gamilon life raft in an ocean in the dark.

His life vest had kept his head above water and had kept him from drowning, but he was exhausted.

Wherever I am, the air is breathable, Alex thought disjointedly as he tried to climb into the life raft and found that his legs weren’t moving. That moon above me sure looks weird. Whoever heard of a green and orange moon before? And what planet is this?

Not sure where he was or how long he’d live for, Alex just let the current and the tides wash him to wherever they chose.

After an hours’ worth of drifting, he thought, I think I see land. Or am I hallucinating? How long has it been since the Gamilons gave me anything to drink? Losing track…

Exhausted, Alex Wildstar just fell asleep again, abstractedly wondering if he’d wake up, and beginning not to care since his life in Gamilon captivity had been like…a time in Hell.

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Unknown to Alex, his younger brother Derek was on his way, and in the midst of an argument with his best friend.

“Hey, Nimrod!” snapped Mark. “Put those swim trunks in the laundry chute, wouldja?”

“I was about to do that, Venture!” Derek snapped. “How come you changed your mind?”

“I don’t much like the idea of scrubbing down the ship for two days. Or bread and water in the brig,” Mark snapped. “When the Captain figures out what you, poor sweet Nova, Natalie, Conroy, and Dash did, you’ll all probably be on bread and water and mop duty. Nova’s the only one I feel sorry for since you hornswoggled her into your stupid scheme. The rest of you are a bunch of morons!”

“Says who?” Derek snapped as he dried off and put on pajama bottoms.

“Says me!” Mark said. “Wanna go to the gym and work this out tomorrow, bud?”

“It’s all right…maybe you’re right,” Derek said. “If we get into hot water, I’ll apologize to everyone involved.”

“Good. Now you’re showing some common sense, Einstein!” Mark snapped. “Good night….”

“Night, Mark,” Derek snapped. “Don’t ask me to blow you a kiss!”

“Believe me, I won’t,” Mark said.

Derek gradually went to sleep.

As he slept, he fell into a rather interesting dream.

In this dream, he was on Earth.

Outdoors.

It was warm; he had on a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers.

He was looking at Nova, who was smiling at him in a spring (or summer?) green sleeveless dress; they were holding hands.

However, he was annoyed because standing beside him, with an arm around his neck in a semi-headlock, was his brother Alex, in pullover, blue jacket, and khaki slacks.

Alex was standing there grinning with a young blond in a cropped top and sweat pants holding his arm. She had very long blond hair, and, whoever she was, she looked like a cross between Nova and Starsha!

“Derek, stop snarling at your brother,” Nova said gently. “You should be glad he’s alive.”

“I am, but I wish he’d stop trying to kill me!” Derek snapped.

“No one’s trying to kill you, Derek,” chided Alex. “Sasha can see that, and so can Nova.”

“He’s tryin’ to break my neck!” snorted Derek.

“No, I’m not, little brother,” Alex said.

“No one is trying to do anything,” said the blond near Alex. Derek had no idea what relation he was to Alex; wife, girlfriend, cousin he didn’t know about. “Daddy’s just pulling your chain, that’s all.”

Daddy? Derek thought in the dream. How can that be? Alex isn’t that much older than I am but he has an eighteen-year-old daughter?

Sasha spoke up again. “Auntie Nova, I love the wedding rings you and Uncle Derek have. They’re so pretty!”

“Thank you,” Nova said calmly.

“You’ve got to have me meet your kids again!” Sasha said brightly.

As dreams often are, Alex and Sasha disappeared.

The air seemed a bit cooler and crisper as Derek walked along with a curious boy on his shoulders. He noticed he himself had on his Star Force whites, with a black peacoat with an anchor on one breast.

Derek was carrying the boy piggyback. “Where are we going, Dad?”

Nova walked beside him, carrying a handbag, and wearing a more formal pink dress with matching choker and black pumps.

“Alex,” Nova said. “We’re going to the Boulder Zoo. There are all sorts of beautiful animals there we saved when we rebuilt Earth after we came home from Iscandar. Too bad your sister Ariel has a bad cold and is back at my mom and Dad’s place.”

“I like grandpa, but grandma is…kinda weird at times,” Alex said.

“She’s eccentric,” Derek said, correcting his…son? He winked at Nova as he said that, and she closed her eyes and smiled slightly. “Very smart people often march to the beat of a different drummer. Your grandma is very smart. She is a college professor, but I think Mom is smarter than her. And prettier.”

Nova gave Derek a sweet smile that would melt stone before she continued. “Your Dad’s not dumb, either,” Nova said. “He’s a very bright man. Don’t listen to “Uncle” Mark Venture when he calls your dad names. It’s the way they’ve gotten along for years. He really likes your dad. But I love your dad!”

“Mom, “Uncle” Mark called Dad a “Nimrod” the other day. What’s that?” Alex said.

“A silly name matching a mighty hunter in the Bible around the time the Tower of Babel was built,” Derek said.

“Nimrod thought he was very bright, but he wasn’t,” Nova said.

“Why is that?” Alex asked innocently.

Derek was jerked out of his dreams by the sound of the red alert klaxons going off.

“What…the?” he said.

“Alert!” Mark said as he pulled his Star Force whites on over his pajama bottoms. “Sandor wants all primary crew members to the bridge!”

“Okay, I’m up. Thanks,” he said as Mark tossed him a pair of his uniform slacks.

“No problem. Wonder what it is this time?” Mark said as he dressed.

Then, the Argo shook from a hit. There was an explosion deep in the space battleship’s bowels.

“Does that answer your question?” Derek said as he pulled on his boots. “Gamilons!”

“Yeah, that’d explain it,” Mark said.

Derek and Mark ran out into the passage. It was now the next day, and the time was 0320.

They practically ran into Nova on the people-mover belt.

“Sorry,” Derek stammered.

“It’s okay. My fault,” Nova said as she smoothed down her hair; she was also in full uniform. “I was running the wrong way. Half-asleep.”

“Conveyor’s over there,” Derek said as Mark jumped onto the moving vertical conveyor, followed by Nova and himself. The atmosphere in the Living Block was all business now as officers and enlisted ran to and fro…yelling with urgency as they moved to battle stations.

Fully three minutes later, the Musketeers were on the First Bridge taking their usual posts.

Yuria Misaki stepped back from the Cosmo Radar, looked at Nova and said, “Four bogies, moving fast. Two Gamilon destroyers, two planes.”

Venture took the helm over from Andrew Yang and he said, “We can evade them if I have the order to evade!”

Sandor left the Captain’s chair and ran to his post as Captain Avatar came down on his lift, coughing slightly.

“Take Dash’s station,” Derek snapped at Robert Turner as he took his post.

“Nova, what’s the situation?” Avatar snapped.

“Two enemy planes; two destroyers at AG-43; range, two megameters, speed, nineteen space knots!” Nova reported.

“I can easily hit them with the main guns at this range,” Derek said.

Captain Avatar replied. “Fire one barrage, Wildstar…then let’s give them an opportunity to run. I wonder where that small plane came from. Their destroyers aren’t big enough to carry planes. There has to be a base carrier or a base around somewhere.”

“Let them run, sir?” Derek said.

“That was my order,” barked Avatar. “Hit one of them if you’re out for blood and then sit back and strategize a bit!”

“Roger,” Derek said as he gave the orders to open the Argo’s forward guns. “Mark! Turn us about forty-five degrees starboard! I want to hit them with a broadside!”

“Done,” said Venture.

Two Gamilon heavy particle beams from one of the destroyers hit the Argo’s port side just as the ship turned and Wildstar fired the main guns.

“Port side science lab hit!” Sandor reported. “Auxiliary generator trunk hit!”

The Argo’s lights dimmed for a moment, and then Nova said, “Captain…Derek…the nearest Gamilon destroyer has been itself destroyed along with one plane. The other plane and destroyer are turning about and retreating at twenty-three space knots.”

“Wildstar, Venture, hold off from pursuit! Nova, track them as far as you can,” Captain Avatar said.

“Yessir,” she said. “Tracking. They are heading along a course along my y-axis, straight….275 degrees along RX-19…above the ecliptic…gaining speed…slowing down…off my scope. I picked up a radar signal around the point they vanished at.”

“Sandor, did the destroyer perform a Gestcham jump?” Avatar asked.

“Negative, sir,” Sandor said.

“They vanished around RA-22, distance, six hundred megameters away,” Nova said.

“Should we move in?” said Venture.

“No… we are staying right here,” said Captain Avatar. “It seems there is a Gamilon structure of some kind out there; a large artificial base, perhaps.”

“Like the one they used at the First Battle o’ Mars?” said Orion.

“Yes, but much bigger, I think,” Avatar said. “Wildstar, order the Black Tigers to meet in the Ready Room. I have a strategy I want to discuss in the Main Operations Room. I need you, Venture, Nova, Sandor and Homer for this. Get your second alternates to take your posts.”

“Yessir,” said Derek, Mark, Nova, Steve, and Homer as they all stood up and saluted.

Captain Avatar’s chair dropped below as the bridge crew members needed gave orders for others to take their posts.

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Space Battleship Argo

January 12, 2200

0515 Hours

Lt. Erich Nishizawa’s new squadron mate, Ensign Joseph Ordway, was a voluble Australian who liked to talk like a house on fire; not the sort of man who was a good social match for the Leader of Cosmo-Zero Squadron Four, but Erich knew the somewhat brownish-complexioned man was a very good pilot.

“I wonder why they ‘ave just half the squadron assembled this early, sir?” he said.

“We will know that when the Fighter Captain deigns to come out of the other briefing room,” Erich said in an even voice. “Better not to speculate otherwise.”

“I heard they located some kind of Gamilon Fortress last night and we had a furball with them,” said Erich’s other wingman for this mission, Fujiko Iiyama, who had her long hair in a ponytail.

“I heard similar rumors, but I don’t know if they’re true,” said Dana Starion quietly as she sat near Iiyama and her own two wingmen.

They got something of an answer a moment later when a hatch whirred open and Derek Wildstar and Kyle Grant came out, each followed by an officer in flight gear they assumed would be an RSO (Radar Systems Officer) for the mission in the second seat of their Zeroes; Grant was followed by an Ensign Jose’ Bellema, his RSO as of late, and Wildstar was followed by Nova Forrester, who was writing fast on a PADD device as she walked slightly behind Derek. They came to attention.

There were five other pilot/RSO pairs; the young brown-haired Ensign Rory Pfeiffer, followed by his RSO and spouse Ensign Carla Pfeiffer, who was putting her red hair in a clip as she walked. They had gotten married soon after they had said farewell to Earth what seemed like an eternity ago. A bald pilot named Lt. Blake Stemmerman followed the Pfeiffers, and he was followed by his RSO, Ens. Jack Bolton. Then, there were a pair of almost identical twin sisters; Ensign Sheri McAuliffe and her sister Ens. Staci McAuliffe. Sheri was the serious one and Staci was a major flirt and practical joker. They were followed by a Lt. Sean O’Hearn and his RSO, Ens. Paul Leonidas. Finally, the last pair was Ensign Dan Garrett, with his RSO Ensign Eiko Hoshiyama. Eiko was said to have a scientist as an older sister and her father, Captain Ryu Hoshiyama, was recovering on Earth from injuries sustained when he was leading the Fifteenth Fleet near Mars almost a year ago.

Wildstar took the podium as the others who followed him came to attention near empty seats. Finally…Wildstar said, “Seats,” and the pilots and RSO’s sat down as Derek touched a button and graphics came up behind him on a large video panel.

He began by saying, “At 0310, we came under attack from a squadron of two Gamilon destroyers and two attack planes. We fought them off, but then they took off and ran and disappeared off our scopes right in the middle of space; we are near no planets or moons, as you all are aware. We picked up a blurred image of the one surviving destroyer heading towards a massive structure in space. Magnification of the image confirms that we are near a massive armored space fortress; a mobile Gamilon base by the looks of it. We have to disable it, but the wave motion gun is being repaired from that burn out we had on 10 January near Beemira. Our best shot is sending in seven Zeroes with the new Thunderbolt missiles Sandor developed. To aim those missiles, each plane carrying that payload has to have an RSO. Seven of us, led by myself and Grant, will attack the fortress from the outside, and hopefully from within. Nishizawa, your group will go in between myself and Grant to take care of enemy fighters. When we have sufficiently damaged the Fortress, we will return to the Argo and let Combat take care of it with main guns and torpedoes. Does anyone have any questions?”

Rory Pfeiffer raised his hand. “Sir,” he said. “How much of a missile load are we getting?”

“Four each, the maximum that the Zero airframe can carry at this time,” Wildstar said. “Seven times four is twenty-eight. Hopefully it will take less in the way of ordnance than that to perform some major damage, even though the enemy Fortress is four times the size of the Argo.”

“I assume it can warp on its own?” said Stemmerman.

“Yes, but my initial attack will be on what we think are its engine nacelles so it can’t warp us all to a Gamilon world; or to Gamilon itself while we’re inside giving the Gamilons a very bad morning,” Derek said to some chuckles and a slight smile from Nova.

“Permission to speak freely, sir,” said Staci McAuliffe as she waved her arm.

“Yes?” said Wildstar.

“It looks heavily armored and as ugly as sin, sir.”

“Gamilon aesthetics are known to be weird,” said Dana Starion dryly.

“That they are,” said Grant while Nishizawa sat quietly with a taciturn look on his face.

“Any other comments that are gonna delay X-Hour?” Derek snapped.

No one answered.

“Then, we have a job…so let’s do it!” Wildstar said. He raised his fist. “Right?”

“RIGHT!” yelled back the others as they raised their fists in salute.

Then, the meeting broke up.

X-Hour was 0600 on the dot.

Derek’s Zero was first on the flight deck. He was performing his pre-flight checklist with a little assistance from Nova, who aided him from the back seat while she brought up her own systems; short-range and long-range radar, Electronic Counter-Measures, and internal guidance systems that connected to the guidance systems of the missiles slung under the wings.

When the pre-flight check-up was done, the Cosmo Zero taxied to the elevator and moved onto the catapult.

“All right, here we go!” Derek snapped.

He took off, followed by Nishizawa and his wingmen; Iiyama and Ordway. Dana Starion followed a moment later, with her wingmen; Ens. Dev Magaron, and Ens. Kenjiro Ozaki.

Erich flew an even course behind Wildstar, keeping his eyes peeled for enemy fighters.

Finally, Grant took off, followed by his wingmen; namely, Pfeiffer and Stemmerman. Finally, O’Hearn, Garrett and McAuliffe were the last ones out; Garrett and McAuliffe formed up their flight on O’Hearn.

The planes flew on for a bit, until they spotted enemy fighters coming at them. “Six bandits,” Nova said over the net. “Coming in fast; and I’ve spotted a large structure at PRX-25!”

“The fortress!” Wildstar said. “Nishizawa; Starion…your planes will attack the enemy fighters. Grant; O’Hearn, follow me! We’re going IN!”

Nishizawa nodded once as Wildstar peeled off, followed by the other six planes with missiles. A Gamilon fighter came at Wildstar’s plane, but he shot it down, and Grant took out another enemy bandit as five enemy planes engaged Nishizawa and Starion as Wildstar and his group roared in towards the enemy Fortress, which could just barely be spotted visually now.

Erich locked one of the enemy planes on target as another fighter attacked Ordway head-on. There was a scream on the comm-net as Ordway’s plane blew apart.

Nishizawa took out one enemy plane, but another one killed Starion’s port wingman Magaron.

Erich found his hand was shaking slightly as he took out another Gamilon plane but watched yet another Gamilon that Iiyama had hit swirling off to blow apart Iiyama’s plane. Iiyama’s death scream rang out over the comm-net next.

Near the Fortress, Wildstar’s group could all see a massive hexagonal entrance, with two planes blasting out.

“I have ECMs on full, Derek,” Nova said from the rear place of their Zero. “Picking up signals from that projection near the entrance. Lined up for a shot.”

“FIRE!” Derek barked as he fired a missile at the projection. “Nova?”

“The main radar is down,” she said.

“All planes,” Derek said. “Main radar is down. In through that opening! GO!”

He led them into the Gamilon Fortress through the opening.

Planes approached them. Wildstar and Grant brought down two with their forward cannons as McAuliffe and Pfeiffer, guided by their RSO’s, hit two shelves in the Fortress that will filled with Gamilon destroyers. They had direct hits! Five destroyers blew apart before they could take off. Derek snarled and blew apart a Gamilon cruiser with another missile.

However, even as Nova said, “Derek…it’s so cramped in here it reminds me of my mom’s broom closet…” O’Hearn was caught by an enemy plane and blown to bits, only to be avenged by Grant.

Derek gritted his teeth and Nova gasped as they heard McAuliffe on their network. “I’ve run into cannons over to starboard…trying to evade…AAAAAH!”

McAuliffe’s plane was blown apart.

Outside, it wasn’t going much better for Nishizawa’s group.

Erich and Dana both attacked two more enemy planes. Then, he heard Starion cursing loudly as Ozaki followed Magaron into death.

“Starion…what are you doing?”

“Forming up on you; I lost both wingmen. Where’s your wingmen?”

“Dead,” Erich said in a cold monotone as he took out one more enemy plane.

He swung around, noticing that his hand was shaking a bit more. More death; he thought to himself. Six of us went in…two came out…

Erich looked and saw that the enemy fortress seemed to be on fire as a number of planes blasted out. His IFF told him that the planes were friendlies coming up on his tail; just four of them; Wildstar’s Zero, followed by Grant’s plane, Pfeiffer, and Stemmerman.

“We took three losses in that fortress,” Derek snapped over the comm-net. Nishizawa thought he heard sobbing in the background; it sounded like Nova. “We’re heading back to base!”

“Did your group lose pilots?” Grant asked.

“Four dead, damnit!” said Starion.

“Nishizawa…are you all right?” Wildstar demanded in his headset.

“Aye, sir,” said Nishizawa, whose hands were shaking hard now. “Heavy losses…and for what?”

“The success of the mission,” said Starion. “It looks like that damn fortress is gonna blow any minute.”

All that death…in six minutes…Nishizawa thought in silence. If faces could speak, his would have said, "Don’t the Gamilons ever give up? How many more are we going to lose on this trip?

The Fortress blew apart. Nishizawa shut his eyes for a moment.

When he opened them, he saw the lower part of a beautiful woman’s face and bare shoulders.

He heard a voice in his mind; You will find it was all worth it when you save Earth, Erich. I have been observing you. You are worthy of much praise.

Erich shook his head slightly. Who was she? Was she an Iscandarian like Starsha? Or was he just seeing more ghosts?

I am from Iscandar, but I am closer to you than you think, replied the mysterious female. Then, Erich swore he heard a coy giggle.

Wondering what had just happened, Nishizawa followed Wildstar and Grant back to the Argo.

A while later, Wildstar and the other pilots and RSO’s were reporting to Captain Avatar about the raid in the Central Briefing Room.

“Eager tells me we destroyed that Fortress,” Avatar said. “I see less of you, though. How were our losses, Wildstar?”

“Almost too heavy for an operation of this sort, Captain,” Derek said as he stood holding Nova’s hand. “Seven pilots dead. Four RSO’s killed. Seven Zeroes destroyed, sir,” Derek said as he shut his eyes.

“We will remember our dead later today,” Avatar said as he coughed. “For those of you who made it back…good work. Our path is clear thanks to your bravery, ladies and gentlemen. All of you have the rest of the day off; you included, Wildstar. You’re all dismissed.”

The group saluted and dispersed.

“Erich, you need anything?” said Grant. “Between you and me, you look a little green, man.”

“I’m fine, sir,” said Nishizawa.

“We’re gonna share some sake’ in a while, Erich! C’mon, kick back a little!” said Carla Pfeiffer, who was holding her husband Rory’s hand and laughing. “You too, Wildstar…Nova…”

“We’re fine,” Derek said as he glanced at Nova, who shook her head softly. “We need some rest.”

Erich looked at the group and said, “I’ll be in my cabin if I’m needed.”

Derek nodded at him and yawned. “Later, Nishizawa.”

Erich saluted formally and left.

“What’s with him?” said Carla as she gave Nova a friendly pat on the arm.

“He’s very reserved…best as I can figure out,” Nova said. “I’ve barely ever spoken with him.”

“Yeah, that dude is all business,” said Grant. “But he’s damn good.”

Several hours had passed.

Alex Wildstar didn’t know…or care how much time had passed.

All he knew was that he was lying on a beach with waves washing up over him.

He opened his eyes and looked up.

The sun was strong, but the sky was blue and clear.

The sound of seabirds hung in the warm breeze.

Then, he heard footsteps.

Thinking that, somehow, one of the Gamilons had survived and was back to take him, Alex put his hand on a heavy shell and prepared to throw it.

Then, he looked up…and to his mind, he saw an angel. She had no shoes on, a white or light blue dress, and had long strawberry blond hair and a truly beautiful face with haunting deep brown eyes.

“I must be dead,” Alex mumbled. “Because you have to be an angel…not a living being at all.”

“Alexander Wildstar, I assure you that I am quite alive,” said the young woman with a gentle, dulcet voice. “You are also quite alive, although for you, I am, indeed, an angel of mercy for you.”

“Who…who are you?” Alex said.

“Queen Starsha…of the planet Iscandar. I have been awaiting your arrival for some time. You are in serious need of food, water, and medical care.”

“Lady, ya sure got that right,” Alex muttered in a rough voice.

“On Iscandar…you are quite safe from the Gamilons,” Starsha said. Then, she knelt and helped him to his feet. Alex observed that Starsha looked very frail, but she was possessed with a good share of physical strength as she pulled him to his feet. “Can you walk?”

“Barely. How far do we have to go?”

“Only a few hand-spans to my hovercraft,” Starsha said as she helped Alex to a small boat and helped him in.

He sat down, gasping with the effort as Starsha climbed in.

“Where are we going?” Alex asked.

“My palace,” Starsha said. “Just lie back and rest. Soon, I will have you safe in a bed. Then, after I give you some nourishment…you can sleep. No questions, please. I shall answer your questions later.”

Alex shut his eyes and was barely conscious as Starsha worked some controls and the hovercraft sped off.

Space Battleship Argo

January 14, 2200

-------------------------------------------------------------

Aboard the Argo, time had passed.

It was now January 14, 2200.

The Argo was now 77,000 lightyears away from Earth.

On the Second Bridge, Eager said, “Chief Navigator, we’re right on course.”

“Acknowledged,” said Venture.

“It’s good to have it quiet again. We should be able to make up a lot of the time we lost in those battles,” Eager said.

“It’s going to take some effort,” sighed Mark. “We’re way behind. We had scheduled ten days to leave the Solar System, and then ten more days to leave the Galaxy and then forty-five days to reach Planet Balan, our halfway point. We’re now at Mission Day ninety-eight…and we’re over a month behind schedule. We’re going to have to push the ship and the crew harder and make more space warps if we even hope to get to Iscandar and back to Earth before…”

“…the human race dies out,” Eager said slowly. “Gonna discuss this with the Captain?”

“I want to discuss it with the whole crew,” Mark said. “I’m going to need everyone’s cooperation to get this mission accomplished. We all know each other. We don’t have time for any more drama or adolescent games on this ship.”

“Good luck getting Wildstar on board with this,” Ryder said from his post. “You know what he’s like.”

“He’ll listen to me if I’m persuasive enough,” Mark said. “And if he won’t listen to me, he’ll listen to either Nova or Sandor.”

“Still, I wish you luck, sir,” said Ryder.

“I might just need it,” Mark muttered.

Planet Balan was a very odd planet.

It was millions of years younger than Earth, and still cooling from the great cosmic explosion that created it and cast it into deep space.

The Gamilons established a base on Balan and they were hoping to find a way to exploit the primitive cells on the orphaned rogue planet as a weapon against the Argo.

The life forms were small, groping things, and there were also a few larger reptilian creatures known as Balanodons.

“General Lysis,” said Volgarr as he came into Lysis’ command center. “Thank you for agreeing to speak with me today.”

“What is it?” replied Lysis in a curt voice. “We just lost our Polmeria Supply Station to the Argo. They attacked it without warning. Only the destroyer Z-231 escaped the Star Force’s surprise attack. It was a brilliant move on Avatar’s part, but it cost us much in the way of men and materials. Materials that we were going to take to Pluto in the Sol System to begin reconstructing the Pluto Base so we could resume our campaign of bombing and occupying Terra. Now, our plans have been set back by many weeks. I do not know yet how I will explain this loss to Krypt and Leader Desslok. We will either need another Supply Fortress or a fleet to send to the Sol System. What do you want?”

“I have developed a fantastic new weapon from the energy cells here on Balan that will be invincible and will easily destroy the Argo. It will make history, General Lysis!” Volgarr said.

“Don’t count on it, Volgarr,” said Lysis. “You and I know that the Argo is not a pushover. That ship leads a charmed life.”

“I am sure my plan will work, sir!” snapped Volgarr.

“You can’t count on anything, as I just said,” said Lysis. “We need superior tactics and firepower to defeat the Star Force. Not your toys and jokes!”

“But, General. My method of mind control will ensure that the energy cells will perform perfectly as a weapon! Permit me to demonstrate it for you!”

“I don’t have time, Volgarr. I have to plan for our recapture of Pluto. We cannot risk another defeat. When the Argo reaches Balan, I will carry out my own plan to destroy her,” said Lysis. “Do you understand me, Volgarr??”

Volgarr saluted and left. However, he was still determined to try out his plan.

In the meantime, in the Great Magellenic Cloud, the Deathshadow had warped into the Sanzar System.

“So, what is our plan, Captain?” said Adam Avatar from the gunner’s seat.

“The Captain has a real doozie planned,” chuckled Tochiro Oyama.

“We were able to slip into a blind spot in the planet’s radar,” said Rezine from her post. “We should be undetected for about seven minutes; just in time to do a hit and run on the capital city of the planet.”

“Which planet is this?” said Adam as he looked at the ugly green globe, mottled with orange spots.

“Planet Gamilon,” said Harlock. “Today, we strike at the heart of Desslok’s Empire ourselves! All weapons ready!”

“With pleasure, Captain!” said Adam as he brought up the Deathshadow’s torpedoes and guns.

Tochiro transferred control to a station before Captain Harlock’s conn console; it included full maneuvering controls and a large, old-fashioned ship’s wheel.

Harlock spun the wheel, and he said, “Whether we live or die, we obtain vengeance! In we go!”

The Deathshadow roared into one of the openings on Gamilon’s outer crust in a death-dive, literally slamming into several Gamilon interceptors that had just gotten off the ground.

And, Deathshadow’s guns spoke, blasting apart several towers in Desslok’s capital city of Gamilstadt.

As Adam fired, he smiled and thought, This is for you, Father! And for Captain Alex Wildstar and all of the others who never got back!

Leader Desslok was awakened from a sound sleep in his Palace by emergency klaxons and the sounds of explosions.

Just as he was getting dressed, Krypt ran in. “Leader Desslok!” he said, saluting. “We’re under attack!”

“Who got past our defenses?” Desslok sneered.

“Some old wreck,” said Krypt.

“The Argo?” Desslok said with raised eyebrows.

“No, sir. A…a pirate vessel. We have been trying to wipe out this ship for months.”

“A pirate vessel?” said Desslok. “And you fools haven’t been able to stop a bunch of bandits?”

“Sir, the ship slipped past our defenses!” said Krypt.

“FINISH THEM OFF!!” roared Desslok.

Krypt grabbed a phone, picked it up, and yelled into it. He held for a moment and then said, “Sir. They’ve taken heavy damage. But they’ve blasted up and away from the planet. Imperial Guard is after them, but they will have to break off the pursuit soon.”

“WHY?” Desslok hissed in a deadly voice.

“Sir…that ship is heading straight for Iscandarian territory!” said Krypt as he began to sweat. “And Queen Starsha has already sent us a diplomatic note regarding one of our vessels that crashed there a few days ago. She…reminded us of her neutrality in our wars.”

“What would you advise?” Desslok hissed.

“Leave them be,” said Krypt. “And watch Iscandar carefully. If that ship gains safe harbor on Iscandar and leaves to attack us again…Starsha loses her neutrality…”

“And we can finally deal with her as we wish,” said Desslok.

Desslok watched a screen, snarling as the Deathshadow landed safely in Iscandar’s sea.

“We must strengthen Gamilon’s defenses,” Desslok hissed. “If the Argo somehow gets here and attempts a similar attack…they cannot be permitted to leave Gamilon alive. Is that clear?”

“Yessir,” said Krypt.

The Star Force, of course, was unaware of Harlock’s daring raid on Gamilon herself as the Argo came out of warp a thousand lightyears closer to Balan.

At his post, Mark Venture said, “Whew. We finished another warp, and now we can switch back to the autopilot.”

“I couldn’t have said it any better myself, Mark,” Wildstar said from his post.

Then, everyone on the First Bridge heard an ominous THUMP as Captain Avatar fell against the conn console.

“Captain!” cried Nova as she saw that Captain Avatar was unconscious.

“Captain Avatar!” cried Mark and Derek.

Nova somehow pulled Captain Avatar upright in spite of her slender gymnasts’ build. “He barely has a pulse!” she cried. “Homer! Call Doctor Sane! We need medics! QUICK!”

“Right away,” said Homer Glitchman as Derek, Mark, Dash, and Eager formed a circle around Avatar’s post.

“Please stand back!” Nova cried. “The medics have to get a stretcher to him!” Nova began to give Captain Avatar some emergency oxygen from a small tank kept near his post for such emergencies.

“Wildstar, get the secondary bridge crew to their stations!” said Sandor from his post. “I’m assuming command. You go check on the Captain.”

“Yessir,” Derek said as he ran back to his post, pulling Mark with him.

Nova had to shove Dash out of the way for the medics to get to Captain Avatar, and she held his oxygen tank, attached to a breathing mask over his nose and mouth, as Toru Hoshina and Yuria Misaki, who looked as if they had been interrupted from a date (they were still holding hands!), ran onto the bridge and took over at the radar and at Gunnery while Dash took over at Combat and Eager took the helm.

A FEW MINUTES LATER…

“What’s wrong with the Captain?” said Orion as he ran up near Sickbay. He and Sparks had been working down in the Engine Room with Cory Ainsley when an alert came over the 1MC.

“We must have done too many warps,” said Wildstar as Nova and the medics hustled Captain Avatar into the operating theatre.

Doctor Sane had his top team there ready to work on the Captain. Nova had just changed into her scrub dress and boots; she would act as the scrub nurse and physician’s assistant. Ensign Michele Sakamoto would be the circulating nurse, and Ensign Jalissa Garvey and IQ-9 were in charge of anesthesia and electronic monitoring systems.

“You tried putting this operation off the other day!” huffed Doctor Sane as Nova helped him into his mask and scrub gown as Captain Avatar woke up. “And look where it got you! From your EKG, your heart stopped for a moment right there on the damned bridge!”

“Well, at least I’m here,” gasped Captain Avatar. “Any time you and Nova and the other nurses can give me…Doctor…I’m counting on you.”

Sane said, “It’s a miracle you’re still even with us! You and your stubborn attitude!”

“I’m still alive thanks to all of you,” said Avatar.

“Probably with some major cardiac damage on top of that cancer, sir,” Nova said as she looked at an EKG. “Your sinus rhythm is way off! You just made it harder on yourself.”

“Doctor…Nova…in case I don’t make it…there is a file I have with important directions for the rest of the mission,” said Captain Avatar as Jalissa placed a breathing helmet over his face and Captain’s cap.

“You’re going to make it,” snapped Doctor Sane. “I’m the boss here, and I’m not about to let you go gentle into that good night…yet. And I have the best young assistant in the whole Galaxy beside me in Nova. The recovery is going to be the tough part.”

“Bringing down 02 level five percent,” said Jalissa in her Jamaican lilt.

“Ready to add fentanyl via IV,” said Michele.

“You’re going to go under soon, Captain,” Nova said. “Count to ten, please…”

Nova turned on the IV pump. The Captain was out cold before he got to five.

“Nova, laser knife at 0.75 and three retractors,” said Doctor Sane. “Field is draped. We’re going in.

“Laser knife 0.75,” Nova said as she handed the instrument on its cord to Doctor Sane. “Ready with retractors. I started the blood flow already.”

“Efficient as always,” Doctor Sane said.

Up above, in the operating theatre viewports, Derek and some of the others looked down at the operation and he thought, Captain Avatar, you’ve got to live! What will we do without you?

A few lightyears away, General Volgarr was flying in a Gamilon ship with a helmet on his head. Three small tankers followed him.

“I have to do a better job on this effort,” he said. “Talak! Order the ships to launch the energy cells! Second attempt!”

“Ready, sir,” said Volgarr’s co-pilot. “Psi-field up. Target Drone on standby.”

The tankers dumped a large quantity of energy cells into open space.

Volgarr cursed and grunted as he said, “Get in attack formation, Balanosaurus! Get in attack formation…Get IN ATTACK FORMATION!”

The energy cells converged and formed a grotesque creature that looked like a swollen version of one of the gentle Balanodons on Balan.

“I DID IT!” yelled Volgarr.

“Fly forth, and smash the Argo!” screamed Volgarr.

The monster, mentally directed, made a hideous mental howl, and it flew off to ram the “Argo” with its forward-facing horn.

It slammed into the drone ship and blew it apart.

“Sir,” said Talak. “Your drone…your dummy of the Argo…it was destroyed!”

“Oh, if only General Lysis could see me now!” said Volgarr. “He would be so pleased with my ingenuity!”

Later, on the base on Balan, Lysis was being tended to by a group of formally-dressed female concubines. He used their services less than the others, trying to be faithful to his spouse, Eliza, who was currently under house arrest on Gamilon for having provided information (supposedly) to a group of officers (some of whom he knew) who were trying to overthrow Leader Desslok and to resettle the Gamilon people on another world of the Empire that would not be as troublesome to colonize as Terra.

He sipped at some wine and smiled.

A staff officer came forward and saluted. “Field Marshal Lysis! Long live Leader Desslok! Major General Volgarr has just returned from Maneuvering Range Twelve. He reports that his effort to harness the Balan lifeforms was a success. He begs permission to use this weapon on the Argo. General Krypt has also reported in. He tells us that space pirates recently have attacked the Homeworld. He orders you to double your vigilance and keep the Argo from getting through to the Great Magellenic Cloud. He and Leader Desslok believe the Star Force may soon attempt a second attack upon the capital.”

“The Empire is crumbling about us…and Volgarr is playing about with his toys. He still does not understand our peril. Calisha, please cancel the banquet. I need to speak to Volgarr as soon as possible and then call Eliza. I pray nothing has happened to her.”

The young Gamilon woman looked very upset, but she bowed, and said, “Yes, My Lord. I understand,” she said as she brushed some dust off the formal black gown she wore beneath her cloak.

Lysis saw Volgarr in his office a few minutes later.

“Look at these developments!” he barked at Volgarr as he threw down a sheaf of papers. “The Homeland! Attacked! Attacked by a group of pirates who slipped in through Gamilon’s very defenses! Our effort to rebuilt Pluto Base has been stymied due to the disaster at Polmeria Fortress! And now I hear that you went against my orders and you have been wasting men and resources on your stupid scheme to harness the Balan lifeforms! I do not think we are going to stop the Argo with your…toys!”

“But I was able to turn them into an effective weapon! I destroyed a drone of the Argo, sir!”

“The real ship will not be that easy to defeat, fool! I confine you to Headquarters! Go and…get drunk…and do whatever it is you do while I check to see if my wife is well and while I plot a truly effective strategy! Are we clear?”

“You are…sir,” said Volgarr, who spoke with gritted teeth.

A while later, Erich Lysis, a man who merely missed his wife, spoke to her via communicator.

“The attack did not harm either me or our home. You know they have me under house arrest, Erich,” Eliza said.

“What for?” Lysis replied.

“You know all too well what it is for as you once participated yourself,” said Eliza. “But you are out there now…seeking glory…seeking victory in battle.”

“I am seeking salvation for our people, Eliza…as much as I may…have doubts.”

“I tried to stop it here…” Eliza said. “I don’t know why I have not been executed yet. They executed Merzida…Hallech…the elder Kelzart. They are already in the Beyond with our son Johann. I do not know what has become of his brother Friedreich. Perhaps he has also left us. State Security is very paranoid and thorough.”

Erich shut his eyes and bowed his head. “Eliza. If this battle was not to save Gamilon, believe me, I would be there with you.”

“There may come a time when you might be,” Eliza said. “But I shall pray for your return. Fare thee well, Erich.”

“Fare thee well, Eliza,” said Field Marshal Erich Lysis.

“Fare thee well, Erich,” said Eliza. “I love you.”

The signal faded out. He sat looking at the screen for a long time.

Alone.

Volgarr looked nowhere near as dignified as his commanding officer since he had drunk a great deal of liquor in his rage over being made a fool of by Lysis.

He was very drunk, and was yelling, and was wrecking things in his suite like a bull in a china shop.

“Who the hell am I?” he roared at his staffer as two nearby concubines he had summoned for a night of “fun” cowered, almost bare under their cloaks.

“Sir, you are Major General Volgarr, the vice-commander of Balan Base,” said the staffer.

“May you fall into the Black Pits on Gamilon for that!” roared Volgarr as he threw more bottles of liquor at the hapless staff officer and smashed a table. “I am the Great Volgarr! The unparalleled tactical genius who shall destroy the Argo on his own!”

The bottle missed but the staffer was covered with a Gamilon liquor somewhat like brandy.

“You have another chance to get that right, Varka!” roared Volgarr. “WHAT IS MY NAME?”

“Sir, you are Major General Garamond Volgarr, the vice-commander of Balan Base!” said Varka.

Volgarr went into a total rage, grabbed Varka by the throat, and strangled him until his neck broke.

He threw Varka’s corpse against the deck and roared at the concubines, “Clean up that diseased mess! I go now to seek GLORY! I will destroy the Argo myself and make Desslok and Lysis choke at their rotten arrogance and bow to me, the great tactical genius Volgarr! My Balanosaurus will save Gamilon! Stay out of my way, strumpets! I have no desire to share you in my bed now! I go for the glory of Gamilon!” he yelled as he staggered out.

“What do we do?” said one of the concubines, who was named Sheena.

Her partner, Heida, said, “We keep our mouths shut and clean up before he gets back. Unless we want to end up dead next. After all, is it not our lot in life to please our betters and mind our own business otherwise? I was once a favored one of Leader Desslok. There, I learned discretion, my sister.”

Sheena nodded and began to clean up the mess.

Aboard the Argo, five hours had passed.

A worried primary bridge crew was gathered around Sickbay where the unconscious Captain Avatar lay as Doctor Sane said, “The operation is complete. The surgery, as such, was a success. But the captain’s heart was compromised. All we have to do now is see whether the captain awakens satisfactorily from the anesthesia. As you see, Nova and Ensign Sakamoto are monitoring him closely.”

Derek looked at the sleeping Avatar and watched Nova carefully checking his IV’s. Looking down at her from the observation bay window, she looked worried.

“Michele, add a little more glucose to his mix and increase the 02 level,” Nova said over the speakers. They saw Michele Sakamoto nodding and both women working on Avatar.

Wildstar thought, Captain Avatar, you must recover. You have to live! You can’t leave us now. Lord God, please make him wake up soon…

Of course, at this point, Derek did not know that in a few months, he would be praying even more fervently for someone very near and dear to his heart to awaken from a coma in the valley of the shadow of death….

Lieutenant Talak was very concerned about Volgarr’s state of mind as he flew an attack mission against the Star Force with his Balanodon energy cells…while he was obviously dead drunk.

“Sir…you don’t appear to be well. Shouldn’t we return to Balan Base?” he said to Volgarr.

“You do that, you diseased, flea-bitten scum-master, and I will shoot you where you stand!” yelled Volgarr. “I already killed one foolish officer today. I have no qualms about killing another!”

“Sir…I…”

“Why be afraid? I will soon report a glorious victory to General Lysis!” roared Volgarr.

“Sir. Argo approaching. We will be in range in forty seconds,” said Talak.

“Excellent! Release the energy cells! Balanosaurus, stand by to attack!” Volgarr yelled.

“Ready on energy cell discharge,” said a Lieutenant from one of the cargo ships.

Aboard the Argo, Eager said, “Sir, I am confirming Warrant Officer Misaki’s report! Four Gamilon vessels approaching rapidly! Three cargo ships and a gunboat!”

“Ohhhh…not now, with the Captain sick!” Derek snapped. “All right, all hands to battle stations!”

Mark Venture looked hard at Derek and said, “Wildstar, we can’t fight now. We’d better take evasive action!”

Derek snapped, “If we run, they’ll attack us anyway! We can knock them out with quick, determined action!”

Sandor, who was Acting Officer of the Deck in the absence of Captain Avatar and the scheduled Officer of the Deck for this watch, namely Nova, who was, of course, otherwise occupied given Captain Avatar’s medical emergency, said, “We don’t have a clear line of command here at the moment, but since they’re coming right at us…we’d better decide soon!”

“I’m with Wildstar!” said Toru Hoshina, who was manning Dash’s usual post at Gunnery. “Let’s get them!”

“Toru, dear,” said Yuria from the Cosmo-Radar, “I just had a strange vision of a woman with long blonde hair and the most beautiful face. She is whispering something to me.”

“What’s she whispering?” demanded Wildstar.

“Something reassuring…I can’t make out the words,” Yuria said. “Maybe she’s a ghost. I can see ghosts, you know.”

“We can’t listen to ghosts, and we can’t listen to mysteries,” Mark snapped. “Derek, we have no idea what the captain would do!”

“They’re comin’ in fast…we can’t outrun them!” said Orion.

“Wildstar, I am standing down as Acting Officer of the Deck given the unavailability of the captain and current watch Officer of the Deck!” said Sandor. “Let it be noted that you are now the Officer of the Watch. It would have been your watch anyway at 0300. I will support any decision you make.”

“NO!” said Venture.

“You heard Steve!” Derek snapped. “I’m in charge here now. Want me to write you up, Venture?”

“You’re acting like a hothead, as usual,” said Mark.

“We’re going to attack,” Wildstar snapped. “Anyone who does not support my decision can consider themselves relieved!”

Despite his bluster, Derek was full of doubts. He thought, Why the heck did I get this booby prize? What would you do, Captain Avatar? Nova, you’re smarter than I am. What would you have done if you were in that center seat? And, Steve, why did you drop this situation in my lap?

Sandor watched Derek carefully as he thought, I had to act to solve this command issue. C’mon, Wildstar. Don’t screw up my trust in you. Now’s the time for you to be like your brother Alex and grow up. Act like a lion; not a mouse!

Volgarr released the energy cells.

Derek and the others looked on at the strange spectacle of the cells being emptied out into space.

“What sort of weird Gamilon weapon is that?” said Homer from his post.

“They’re surrounding us, whatever it is,” Yuria said from the radar.

Derek saw the cells beginning to form shapes like…reptiles.

“Maybe they’re space creatures?” said Derek.

“We have to act now!” barked Toru from Gunnery.

“All right! Open all guns! Target…the Gamilon…matter masses,” Derek said.

“NO!” said Mark.

“I don’t need this from my crew! Venture, you’re relieved!” barked Derek (while hoping he was doing the right thing). “Get off my bridge! Eager, take his post!”

“Aye, sir,” said Eager as a gob-smacked Venture gave Derek a sidelong glance as he almost slunk off the bridge to his cabin.

Good job, Captain, Sandor thought, smiling slightly at Wildstar.

“Are we all on the same page now or what?” Derek snapped. “Are those guns ready?”

“Ready to fire at your command,” said Hoshina.

“FIRE!” Derek snapped.

The Argo’s main guns spoke.

It was a point-blank hit on the Balan creatures that blew them apart.

Eager sat in shock. “How strange! Look! We blew it apart…and it’s coming back together again!”

Doctor Sane, who had recently arrived, said, “That is ridiculous! It’s far bigger than the Argo!”

“It’s…it’s a gigantic monster!” Derek said in shock.

“It’s somehow sending a cry,” said Homer, who put on his speakers. The Thing made a bestial scream.

“Shouldn’t we run?” said Yuria.

“Far too late for that,” said Toru, who came behind her and held her hand. If they were going to die when the monster rammed the ship; they would die together.

“It’s coming around for another pass,” Derek said. “There’s just one thing to do. Fire the wave motion gun!”

Orion said, “Now, wait! Firing the gun a few days ago put a lot of stress on the ship, and those recent space warps didn’t help!”

Derek said. “Listen! I know we are taking a big risk…but if that monster rams us and destroys us-that ends the mission right there.”

“Let’s do it,” said Sandor.

“I agree…it’s our only chance right now,” said Homer.

“I agree. Let’s use the wave motion gun,” said Orion.

“Prepare the wave motion gun for immediate firing,” Derek snapped. “Power to the circuit.”

“Power level is now eighty percent,” said Orion from his post a moment later.

As the charging sequence continued, Captain Avatar woke up in Sickbay. “Unnnhhh…what’s that sound?” he said.

Nova, who was beside him, checked his heart rate and said, “We’re at battle stations, Captain! Derek is obviously about to fire the wave motion gun. He must have a good reason!”

“He needs our prayers, Nova,” wheezed Captain Avatar. Nova nodded, and she and Avatar held hands and petitioned Adonai in silence with their eyes closed.

In the meantime, on the First Bridge, Wildstar said, “Ready anti-flash and anti-shock defenses! Ten seconds to firing!”

The bridge crew lowered their goggles as Orion said, “Energy level at a hundred and twenty!”

Derek executed the countdown, and then he fired the wave motion gun.

A cataract of energy blasted out of the Argo’s bow straight at the Balanosaurus.

It didn’t so much blow the creature to bits as dissolve it.

Volgarr looked on with incredible shock, and then he began crying and banging the dashboard of his ship. “Oh, damn them! Their wave motion gun! They got away again! NO!” he sobbed.

“Abort any further attack,” said Talak from the rear place of the Gamilon gunboat. Not that we can do much; we’re barely armed, he thought. “All ships, return to base. Major General Volgarr’s orders,” he said as Volgarr yelled, screamed, and wept, totally out of control.

The Gamilons turned about and made jumps out of the sector.

The Argo was left alone, with smoke coming out of the hull at one point.

Sandor’s comm unit buzzed. “Yes?”

“Royster in Damage Control, sir. We have a large crack in the hull near the lower pulse laser deck!”

Orion said, “Wildstar, I have to leave the Bridge to tend to that damage. The shock of firing the wave motion gun must have done it.”

“Understood,” Derek said with a nod.

Then, another comm signal came in; at Wildstar’s post. “Yes?”

“Derek, this is Nova. Captain Avatar woke up as you were preparing to fire the wave motion gun. He wants to see you, Sandor, and Doctor Sane.”

“Right. We’ll be down shortly. Eager, call Mister Yang. You take the conn.”

“Roger,” Eager said.

A WHILE LATER…

Derek stood near Captain Avatar’s bed in Sickbay, along with Sandor, Nova, and Doctor Sane, who took his pulse.

“Captain,” he said sternly. “You have a few minutes to talk with Wildstar and Sandor…then, you MUST rest!”

“Understood,” said Avatar in a tired voice. He looked at Wildstar and Sandor. “Sandor. Did you give him permission to defend the ship?”

“He was taking action on his own already to defend the ship, sir. I just ratified it and gave him the conn, as it were,” said Sandor.

“Orion gave me an after-action report after he made repairs, so I already know what happened,” Captain Avatar said. “Nova, for the record, I’d like you, since you were technically Deck Officer, to interview the other bridge crew members and get their opinions on the action. Get a report when you have time and enter it in the ship’s log.”

“Yessir,” she said.

Avatar looked at Derek and said, “Since I know what happened, what do you have to say in your defense?”

“I’m afraid we suffered some damage, sir,” Derek said. “I’m sorry, but I wasn’t able to prevent it. The whole mission was in the balance, sir.”

“Wildstar, you had to make a decision, and it was the right one. I studied wildlife when I was younger. I’ve seen mature lions push lion cubs out of the Pride cave so that they could go out on their own. You did those cubs one better. You left the cave on your own, my young lion, and you saved all of us,” Captain Avatar said. “I’m sorry. I’m still a little woozy. The Argo has been badly wounded, and she needs time to heal, just as the good doctor here and Nova will give me time to heal. Good work…my son,” Avatar said as he clasped Derek’s hand.

“Thank you…my foster-father,” Derek said as tears came to his eyes. Before Wildstar could start crying, Nova made ready to take Avatar to his room. However, she said, “Derek. Please meet me down here in Doctor Sane’s tatami room here in Sickbay at 0900 in the morning. I will make us some beef and potato Nikujaga in the morning in his big pot and we’ll have a nice talk while Doctor Sane gets some sleep.”

“Sounds good,” Derek said.

Later that night, Toru Hoshina came in to check on Yuria, since she had sent him a chat that Nova had ordered her to prepare a report on the battle for the ship’s log (on Captain Avatar’s orders).

Toru had to prepare a similar report. “Yuria?” he said. “Yuria?”

He heard no response.

He entered her cabin to find poor Yuria asleep on her desk with the laptop open in front of her.

Toru finished the report for her, and then he kissed her and put his uniform tunic over her shoulders.

“Toru, dear, is that you?”

“It is, Yuria.”

“Why are you doing that? I have to finish my report for Nova.”

“I finished it and sent it to her myself. You need to sleep.”

“Thank you, Toru. I love you so much,” she said in a sleepy voice.

“I wanted to ask you something…now that we’re alone, Yuria…” said Toru.

“Yes?”

“When we get to Iscandar…well, you know that Robert Turner and Natalie Fisher are getting married when we get to Iscandar?”

“Yes?”

“Can we make it a double wedding, Yuria? That is…would you marry me?” said Toru as he took a deep breath.

“Say that again?” said Yuria.

“Dear Yuria…would you marry me?” said Toru.

“Of course I will!” she said, kissing his hand for the first time ever.

“I’ll get you a ring,” he said.

“I don’t need one. You’re enough,” Yuria said.

“I’ll get it anyway.”

“You’re silly…but I love you, Toru, my darling.”

She held his hand until she fell back asleep.

“Sleep well, my Princess,” Toru said as he kissed the top of her head.

Then, he let her be.

After all, he was a gentleman.

Morning came and Derek came down to Sickbay to find Nova with her boots off on the tatami eating a bowl of Nikujaga with her chopsticks.

“Dig in, love!” she said cheerfully. “I made a lot! You might like it better than my chili.”

“I like your chili, too,” Derek said.

“That’s so sweet. Half the crew insults me about my chili; Eager and Hardy like it…along with you.”

“They’re used to it,” Derek said after he took off his boots and sat across from Nova.

“This is good,” he said after he ate some.

“You’re so sweet,” Nova said with a smile.

“Likewise. I could spend the rest of my life eating your cooking, Nova.”

She blushed at that and smiled. “Hmm…making plans, are we?”

“We’ve been doing that for weeks, dear,” Derek said.

“We’ll have to have a longer conversation about that, Derek,” Nova said.

“Now?”

“I’m not sure if this is the place. Doctor Sane might wake up any minute and overhear us,” Nova whispered.

“Nova, you said in that e-mail you talked to the whole crew about what I did when I fired the wave motion gun yesterday. Did that include…Venture? I got mad at him and relieved him and threw him off the bridge. Haven’t seen him since.” Derek yawned.

“You’re his cabinmate!” Nova snapped. “Okay, where did you sleep last night?”

“In my Cosmo Zero.”

“I don’t want you doing that…you’ll get sick!” Nova said. “Okay. This is what one of the reports said: “I was at my post on the bridge. I had my doubts about Wildstar’s hot-headedness and his decision to fire first and ask questions later. Later on, I realized that he did the right thing. I’m not mad at him at all now. Wish he’d talk to me.”

“Who said that?” Derek said.

“Mark,” Nova said. “He and I talked via e-mail. He wants to bury the hatchet, Derek. He realizes now you did the right thing.”

“Nova, did I do the right thing? After all, you were Officer of the Deck then, but you couldn’t be on the Bridge due to Captain Avatar being sick. Steve was your alternate, but I took charge of defending the ship when it was clear we had to fight.”

“I read the whole report, Derek. You did the right thing,” Nova said softly. “Except for one thing.”

“What was that?”

“If I had been on the bridge then in the captain’s chair, I would have ordered you to fire the wave motion gun first,” Nova said firmly but softly. “You wasted time firing the main guns. When you have that kind of crisis, you have to act…and act fast! I watch things too, Derek.”

“Nova, you’re a tigress! You’re going to make a hell of a Captain someday,” Derek said.

“Except that I don’t want to be a Captain. I want to be a doctor. With you at my side, Derek.”

Derek’s mouth fell open. “Doctor Sane might hear that.”

“Let him,” Nova said with a smile. “Dig in! There’s a lot more food!”

“Sure!”

A day later, Volgarr finally returned to Balan Base. He had sobered up by then, and he and Talak had made a full report to Lysis.

“Volgarr, I don’t know what you thought you were attempting out there…blatantly going against orders like that…but I will not tolerate it any longer. Do something like that again, and you will be in the brig, possibly awaiting a court-martial and execution!”

“Sir, I believed we had a chance to defeat the Argo quickly with my invention,” Volgarr said.

“That is a weak defense and you know it. It needed more testing first. And I am shocked you did not take their wave motion gun into account. You knew they had that weapon. You know that Avatar and his crew have a knack for defeating my best plans, let alone your lamebrain drunken schemes. You thought the Argo would cooperate and become a sacrifice like criminals condemned to the Arena on Gamilon? Nonsense. They are a resourceful crew and they fought back, unlike your dummy, drone ship. That is all you are good for, Volgarr…shooting down dummies!”

“Is that all, sir?” Volgarr said.

“Yes. Dismissed! I do not want to see your face for the next few days. The Argo is flying towards our automated Recon Fortress at Point Endor, anyway. Perhaps our technology will trap or even destroy them to make up for your…idiotic schemes. You are done. Go get drunk!”

“Yessir,” snarled Volgarr as Lysis picked up his swagger stick, hit him with it, and left the office.

PLANET EARTH HAS 261 DAYS LEFT TO SURVIVE….

TO BE CONTINUED….