STAR BLAZERS: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER

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

Frederick P. Kopetz

EPISODE TWENTY-FOUR: Homer’s Tears…(Part 2)

AUTHOR’S NOTE: This chapter includes an edited version of the short story previously published on FanFiction.Net under the title “Birds…Not of a Feather.” I attached this story to the end of this chapter since it ties in with this chapter, taking place one day after it. -- Freddo

THE NEXT MISSION

THE NEXT DAY: 23 January 2200

“Ensign Sparks,” said the young blond woman politely but firmly. “Please let me make something clear to you. I wouldn’t want to date you even if you and I were the last two remaining members of the human race. And I really don’t like the way this debate is going, either.”

At the moment, Senior Lieutenant Nova Forrester, the Operations Group Leader and Nurse-Practitioner of the Argo, was staring daggers at a short little man who had been her antagonist almost since she and he had piped aboard the space battleship, namely, Ensign Sam Sparks, the third-in-command of the Engineering Group.

“Okay, Nova. Let’s suppose the mission to Iscandar fails and we have to colonize another planet…?”

“That’s NOT going to happen,” Nova snapped as she worked on her recycled Beef Stroganoff in the Argo’s messhall. The menu said it was beef, but Nova was pretty sure it was really a soy-based compound masquerading as beef. She remembered the large soybeans they had found on Beemira thirteen days ago, and she knew they were being worked into the daily menu.

“Okay, little Miss Optimist. I know it’s not something you believe in; any more than I believe in some Big Guy in the Sky. There is no God, and you know it,” Sparks said.

“Stop ridin’ her, wouldja?” said Junior Lieutenant Chris Eager, a chubby, freckled navigation officer from Texas. “What the lady believes is her own business, and none o’ yours! Also, she dang well wouldn’t date you because she’s datin’ Wildstar! Are ya blind, Sparks?”

“This is a hypothetical, Eager,” said Sparks. “Didn’t Captain Avatar say we were supposed to discuss how we felt about stuff, especially after Homer freaked out yesterday? Course we all know Homer’s a Section Eight loon.”

“Sparks, that’s a horrible way to talk about a man with legitimate anxiety issues,” Nova said with a bit more heat in her voice. “You really owe Lieutenant Glitchman an apology! You don’t know what he’s been through!” Nova did know about the death of Homer’s father, but she was not about to share his issues around the ship due to medical ethics and confidentiality rules.

“Okay, back to what we were discussing…Nova…” Sparks said while he stared hard at Nova.

He’s undressing me in his mind, I’ll bet, Nova thought. She was twenty-one, about to turn twenty-two on February the second, in good shape, and attractive, all factors that the Lieutenant could not help. She stared back at him and thought idly that if she had the psi-powers that Queen Starsha of Iscandar possessed, she might be able to push Sparks up against the wall with a thought to shut him up.

Stupid idea, Nova thought. I’m not Starsha. I’m me. I’ll just have to fight him like a lady, with my wits.

Nova was too angry to just get up and walk away. She had tried that before with this strange young man, and he had confronted her the next day and brought up the same garbage again.

Sparks then licked his lips and said to Nova, “Let’s get back to where we were. Suppose the mission to Iscandar fails. Suppose we crash on some planet and that you and I are the only two survivors. What would you do then?”

“Well, if we crash on Iscandar, I’d much rather pair up with some Iscandarian male than with you,” Nova huffed as she saw her friend Jefferson Hardy from the Black Tigers showing up. Hardy was from the Southern US, and he was a gentleman, even if Nova sometimes wondered how the heck that he flew a fighter with that mane of hair hanging in one eye.

“Why an Iscandarian?” said Sparks.

“You’ve seen what Queen Starsha looks like. She’s beautiful. I’ll bet their men are just as handsome as she is,” Nova said, not wanting to get into details about Count Alatar, the Iscandarian renegade she had met on Beemira. ”What is more…we took samples from the body of her sister Astra, and we know that Iscandarians and humans are genetically compatible. They would be able to reproduce, I’m sure. And, if we end up exiled somewhere, why do you have this idea I’d want to reproduce right away? I’m not a brood mare, Sparks. I’m a person. Hypotheticals aside, I have told Derek that, and he gets it and we’re engaged. You don’t!”

Hardy and Eager applauded at Nova’s logic.

“Okay, what about me?” said Sparks as he looked hard at Nova in a way she did not like. If he does that for too long, I swear…Lord forgive me, he might be wearing my iced tea! Nova thought.

“Let me put it this way, Sparks…hypothetically…just…hypothetically,” Nova said. “I know you don’t like me, and I have almost nothing in common with you. If I had to choose between you and some Gamilon, I think I’d choose…the Gamilon,” she said slowly and with great emphasis. “I’m sure there are some Gamilons who are far more reverent and decent than you!”

Nova looked to her left, and smiled. “Oh, speaking of decent…here’s Lieutenant Wildstar! Derek, did you find something good to eat?” she said as her face lit up at the arrival of her shipmate…and fiancee’

”Yeah…I had to dig around, but I found something that won’t make me want to throw up,” said Lieutenant Derek Wildstar, the Argo’s Combat Chief, Chief of the Black Tigers, and just as close to Nova as she was with him.

Derek sat down beside her and looked at Sparks. “Did the Lieutenant invite you to lunch with her, Sparks?”

“No,” Sparks and Nova said simultaneously.

“Then what are you doing here, Sparks?” Derek said. “The Lieutenant and I have classified material to discuss regarding the mission that’s way above your pay grade. Go back to your engines, Ensign. And if you desire female companionship, well, Nova’s not the only woman on this ship. I’m sure you can find someone who’ll listen to your pessimism and atheistic arguments. I don’t like to speak for her, but I know Nova well enough to know that she’s not interested! Besides, we are a couple now, like Robert and Natalie! Go blow!”

“Well, won’t you at least let me finish my lunch, sir?” sneered Sparks.

“We don’t have much time,” Nova said. “I really need to discuss this…classified…material with the Combat Chief. We need to prepare for the next briefing!”

“Then, I’ll go…,” said Sparks. “See you later, Nova,” Sparks said with a wink.

Nova just glared at Sparks until he left. Then, she turned to Derek and said, “Thanks, Derek. You were really an answer to prayer, you know that?” Then, Nova winked at him and mussed his hair a little.

“Well, we know there’s a God…there has to be…we wouldn’t have made it almost all the way to Balan if there wasn’t,” Derek said.

“So, what’s the classified dope?” Nova said with a smile at Derek.

“Well, there really is something going on,” he said. “The captain’s been interviewing a few officers. Venture told me he was in a meeting with him for an hour today, and Sandor told me he’s supposed to meet with him later, too.”

“Did Mark tell you what it was about?”

“No way, Nova. He said he was sworn to secrecy. Although I have some guesses…we know he’s not getting healthier, Nova.”

“I know he’s not,” Nova said. “Of course, Medical Ethics means I have to keep it confidential, but what isn’t confidential is that Captain Avatar is a sick man. I worry about him, Derek.”

“Yeah, so do I,” Derek said.

“Wonder what’ll happen to th’ mission if he gets real sick?” said Eager. “Maybe even…dies?”

Nova just shut her eyes when that was mentioned, but everything about the look on her face and body language told Derek that what Eager had just said was a very good possibility. “We’d have to go on, that’s all,” she said after a moment with a very soft voice. “Someone else would have to take command…”

Lieutenant Pete Conroy, the commander of the Black Tigers flight group, came up a moment later. “Wildstar. Hardy. Hate to disturb you guys while you’re eating lunch, but we’re approaching a small planet; Homer picked up what might be a Gamilon SOS or beacon of some type. Thank God he’s all right after yesterday. The captain wants us on patrol, ASAP. Meet us in the hangar bay, Wildstar. You too, Hardy.”

“Well, there goes our discussion about metaphysics,” said Hardy. “Nova, you’re a smart lady. Don’t let idiots like that Sparks get you down.”

“I’m trying not to,” Nova said. She looked at Derek and said, “Duty calls, huh?”

“Yeah…duty calls,” he said with an unhappy voice. Derek and Nova exchanged a friendly fist-bump, but no one but Derek caught her whispering, “Derek…be careful.”

“I will be,” he whispered back. “But a little prayer from you wouldn’t hurt, would it?”

“No…it wouldn’t,” Nova said. She smiled a little at Derek as he left and gave his hand an affectionate pat. She noticed he smiled back and returned the pat.

Then, Abraham Avatar, the Argo’s Captain, came into the messhall, coughing a little as he leaned on his walking stick.

“I hate to intrude,” he said in his increasingly gravelly voice. “But I need to talk to one of you. Lieutenant Forrester, to my cabin, please.”

“Sir, what did I do?” Nova said in an innocent voice.

“You’ll find out in my cabin,” he growled. “In the meantime, go to the Bridge or your quarters, and check your e-mail.”

THIRTY MINUTES LATER…

Captain Avatar sat looking at a report when he heard a knock on his metal cabin door outside.

“Who is it?” he growled.

“Sir, Lieutenant Forrester, reporting as ordered.”

“Come in, Nova. Knowing my health, you’ve practically been living in here lately,” Avatar said with a slight chuckle.

Nova came in and saluted, fist to chest. Avatar returned the salute and said, “Sit down. You’re not in any trouble at all. I need you to do something. I’m sure you know we’re approaching a small star system. It wasn’t on any of our charts. You read your e-mail…I take it?”

“Yessir,” Nova said. “We’ve named the system NGC 48927-alpha. The star has been named Morpheus, and evidence of a Gamilon signal was found on the fourth planet.”

“The Black Tigers overflew the site,” said Avatar. “We have these pictures,” he said as he handed Nova some printouts.

“A crashed destroyer,” Nova said. “I see bodies. Did IQ-9 detect any life signs, or did Warrant Officer Misaki pick up anything when she was manning my post during lunch?”

“Yuria didn’t pick up anything; neither did IQ-9, but there is a possibility there might be living Gamilons down there, although they might be injured. That’s where you come in. I want you to take an Astro Mallard cargo boat and go down there to Morpheus IV and see what you can find at that crash site. We need more intel on the Gamilons; maybe even the location of their home base. That pilot we had on board couldn’t talk, but if you can find a living higher-ranking officer and bring him back up to the ship for treatment, he might be more amenable in giving us information.”

“Sir, this could be a trap,” Nova said. “They could be waiting down there to ambush us with a false signal. They’ve been pulling a lot of mind games like that lately. Like with that relay satellite Derek and Homer blew up.”

“Good thinking,” Avatar said. “You’ll have three gunners with you, namely, Chief Gunnery Sergeant Paul Rosstowski, and Lance Corporals Ken Miyamoto and Lucy Brathwaite. All three of those enlisted people are good; they’ll be your escort. Also, you’ll be taking an Engineering Ensign with you; Ensign Sam Sparks.”

Nova took a deep breath, and slowly inhaled. “Sir. Permission to speak freely?”

“Granted.”

“Sir, Sparks and I…well…we do not have a mutual admiration society going on. He and I don’t mesh well, sir. Couldn’t you send down Sandor or one of his staff? And can’t we spare Lieutenant Wildstar, sir? With all respect, he and I are a team. We work together quite well, sir.”

“Sandor and his Group are busy checking over the ship on the way to our next objective; Balan,” said Avatar. “I don’t know what we’ll find there yet, but we have to be ready for anything. And, Nova, with all respect, Wildstar will be there. He’ll be on patrol with his Super Star, Hardy, and another one of his top pilots, watching your six up in orbit. I know you two get along…very nicely,” he said with a smile. “But you’ll see Derek when all of you debrief with me later. Nova, you know I’ve been training you as an officer for even greater assignments. I have something in mind for you, as a matter of fact. Part of your growth as an officer and a professional includes the ability to get along with all sorts of people and officers; those you dislike as well as those you like. I did see Sparks and I told him he will have to concentrate on the mission, and not in being immature and bothering you. I told him he is to treat you as a fellow officer and professional, and I expect the same from you. Do I make myself clear, Nova?”

“Yessir,” said Nova. “I will be totally professional, sir.”

“You’re in overall command, Nova. Do us proud. Good flying,” he said as he shook her hand.

“Thank you, sir.”

At that, Nova saluted and left.

Avatar coughed and he watched the hatch. Okay, Lieutenant, thought Avatar. I know you’re a good officer already. Let’s see how you handle it when everything can go south on us.

A few minutes later, Nova was walking around her shuttle with a clipboard conducting the pre-flight check like any responsible pilot when Sparks showed up.

“What are you doing here?” he said. “When are they going to spare us a real pilot?”

“Sparks, I’m in command of this mission, and I am the pilot,” Nova said tartly. “I didn’t see any wings in your service record. If you’re an officer, how come you don’t have a license?”

“Direct commission from the Merchant Marine Service,” said Sparks. “I was an engineer on logistics ships before the war turned bad.”

“I see,” Nova said as she checked off an item on her checklist and saw Sparks, out of the corner of her eye, leaving a bolt in one of the engine intakes. “Sparks, do you think that was funny?” Nova snapped as she grabbed the bolt, tempted to throw it at him, but praying quickly for help to control her temper and not to descend to his childish level.  “If that had been sucked into the engine on takeoff…”

“It would be your fault, and your little blond head would be court-martialed,” Sparks grinned.

“Get in the shuttle,” Nova said as she tapped at a strut on the landing gear.

“Ma’am, this is more fun.”

“Ensign Sparks, that is a direct order from me. Get your tail inside that shuttle and stop playing games!” Nova snapped.

“Make me,” he sneered.

Then, Nova saw Chief Rosstowski. “Chief, kindly escort Mister Sparks inside the shuttle. He’s getting in my way during my walkaround of this ship.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” said Rosstowski. “Sparks, you heard the Lieutenant. Get inside that ship,” he said in a tone that brooked no BS while he grabbed Sparks’ arm and led him inside the shuttle.

“Watch him. Make sure he checks out his survey equipment and tools,” Nova said.

“Right,” said Rosstowski. Nova smiled as she heard Rosstowski telling Sparks, “Ensign, what’s your major malfunction? You’re walking around like you’re stoned.”

Nova made a note on her clipboard that read: 1322 Hours: Checkout and takeoff delayed due to Ens. Sparks’ horseplay. Advise Captain & Cmdr Orion upon return from mission. – NF, Sr Lt.

“Ma’am, reporting as ordered,” said Lance Corporal Miyamoto for himself and Brathwaite.

“Very good. Get inside. I would have been ready to take off when you arrived, but we had a slight delay. Give me a moment to finish this,” Nova said as she checked the hydraulics on the landing gear with a small LED flashlight.

Two minutes later, Nova was inside the cockpit, strapping in for takeoff as she put on her flight helmet. “Ah! Rosstowski! Take the co-pilots’ seat and give me a hand activating the ship’s systems.”

“Aye, ma’am,” he said. “I have Sparks checking and rechecking his lift down below in the belly of this shuttle.

“Good. Between you and I, Paul, I hope he stays there until we hit planet side.” Nova then flipped on her radio as she began to start the ship’s four engines. “Shuttle Delta Mallard Two Niner, requesting vector for takeoff.”

“Setting you up for a direct course, Two Niner,” replied Misaki’s familiar voice in Nova’s headset. “We miss you up here on the bridge, ma’am.”

“Feeling’s mutual, Yuria,” Nova replied.

“Take vector one-one niner, Mallard, straight down and out,” Yuria said.

“Roger. Engines up to thirty percent.”

Nova flipped on the SEAT BELTS light and rang a chime on the PA system. “All hands, secure for takeoff!”

Then, Nova heard Sparks whining back over the intercom, “Ma’am, my harness is too friggin’ tight.”

“Miyamoto, fix his harness,” Nova snapped over the PA. “I’m burning up fuel sitting here!”

“Nova, help me!” said Sparks.

“Listen, Ensign,” Nova snapped. “I am not going back there like a stewardess to bring you Diet Dr. Pepper and a pillow! This is the Star Force, not Trans-Love Airways! Miyamoto, secure the Ensign or he’s not going! I’m not playing games with safety procedures because one guy is acting like a child!”

“Ma’am, Sparks is secured,” said Miyamoto.

“Your vector is clear, Nova. What are you waiting for?” said Yuria over her headset.

“Had some trouble securing a member of the team; ready now. Release magnetic locks, release brakes,” Nova said as she pushed a pedal. “Power up to eighty-five…off we go,” Nova said as she gave a thumbs-up to a deckhand below with his lighted wands. “Takeoff!”

The shuttle glided out of the Argo’s belly into open space. Paul saw Nova making the Sign of the Cross with evident relief with her gloved right hand as she worked the control stick with her left hand.

“Yeah, that’s you and me both, ma’am,” said Paul.

Nova took a deep breath and said, “If I was working with Wildstar, we would have been out ten minutes ago. He doesn’t play games with spacecraft.”

“Yeah. I heard he’s a bit of a crazy pilot, but a good crazy pilot,” replied Paul with a grin.

“I hope he doesn’t yell at me for being late to the rendezvous point. I’ll just have to give her a little extra gas,” Nova said as she pushed the throttles forward. Then, she changed frequencies and said, “Escort Team Zero One Flight Leader, we expect to be at the rendezvous point in one hundred ten seconds. Acknowledge.”

“Delta Mallard Two Niner, you’re running slightly late,” came Derek’s familiar voice over Nova’s headset. “Nova, you’re never late. What happened?”

“Trouble with a team member, Derek. I’ll explain later. It was a real mess. What’s our vector to that planet?”

“Turn port forty-five degrees, follow up straight in. If we contact any Gamilons, we’ll let you know; abort and return to base if that happens,” Derek said. “Over.”

“Roger,” Nova said.

The rest of the flight in was pretty routine and uneventful; Nova broke off from contact with Derek’s squadron when they made orbit of the blue, white and green planet almost halfway to Iscandar that looked much like Earth before the planet bombings.

Nova and Paul soon picked up the pinging noises from the crashed Gamilon ship’s black boxes, and maneuvered in for a routine landing on the shuttle’s lower jets.

“Ship down,” Nova said. “Escort Team Zero One Flight Leader, we’re at the landing zone. Please keep an eye out for the enemy. Over.”

“Nova, I’ve got your team covered like a security blanket,” Derek said in her headset. “Hey, Nova. Wanna hear a quick joke?”

Nova rolled up her eyes a little, but she decided to indulge Derek. “Okay. I’ll bite. Go.”

“Why are drone pilots considered arrogant, Miss Nova Dawn?”

“I give up. Why are drone pilots considered arrogant?”

“Because they look down on others!” Derek said over the headset with a chuckle.

Nova smiled and said, “If you tell that to the captain, he’ll have you scrubbing the hangar deck again, Derek!”

“You owe me a joke on the flight back, Nova!” chuckled Derek.

“Give me time, I’ll figure one out! Over and out! Or should that be toodle-oo, love?”

“Nova, you’re a trip!” laughed Derek.

“Nice flying with Longhair Airlines!” Nova said.

“NOVA!” cried Derek as she giggled and cut off.

Then, Sparks came in. “Hey, Nova, where’s my joke?”

“I don’t have a joke for you, Mister Sparks, but I need to tell you that you’re messing up my mission. Why? What do you have against me?”

“You know, when you get mad, your eyes start to cross? That looks funny, m’dear.”

“Jiminy…Crickets…” Nova said under her breath. “We have a mission, Ensign. No time for fun and games.”

“You seemed to have no problem sharing stupid jokes with Wildstar,” sneered Sparks.

“Sparks,” said Nova. “There’s some people on this ship who are on my friends list. And some people who are not. Get that equipment and see what you can recover while I check the crash site for any survivors. Rosstowski, Brathwaite, please follow me. Miyamoto, escort Mister Sparks. Let me know if you spot any enemy troopers who are alive and not wounded.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Miyamoto.

A few minutes later, Brathwaite was looking decidedly green under her helmet visor while Nova and Rosstowski combed the Gamilon destroyer’s crash site for any Gamilon survivors.

“Looks like they came in fast and blew when they hit the ground,” said Rosstowski. “What a mess.”

Nova was kneeling over a relatively intact Gamilon in his brown battle armor. “Dead,” she sighed as she checked his pulse. “And rigor has set in. I feel sort of sorry for them, even though they’re the enemy.”

Brathwaite was looking around with her flashlight when she stumbled over something.

Lucy took a good look at the object she had stumbled over and screamed, shaking her dark hair out of her eyes.

“What the heck?” Nova said.

“Ma’am! It’s…it’s a skull! He’s all burned! This looks…sick!”

Nova bent down to look. “The fire was pretty intense. Their metal must burn quickly. Sparks? Finding any tech samples to take back?”

“I got a piece of one of their computers,” he said over Nova’s headset. “Not much bigger than a poker deck.”

“Take it back to the shuttle when you’re done. We need to see if we can get any data from it,” Nova said as she looked around. “What’s this?”

“Looks like a hand,” said Rosstowski.

“Yes…it’s burned up…but look at the skin; between the fingers. It’s green. And it’s sort of tough,” Nova said as she tapped the dead hand with a gloved finger. “I’ve never seen a green Gamilon before. They’re either blue or pigmented like ordinary humans. We have to analyze this,” Nova said as she put it into her carryall bag. Then, she looked up. “What in the name of Heaven…?”

“What is it?” said Lucy.

Nova gave her arm a nudge. “Look up. Carefully. Some sort of white ship is overflying us. I’ve never seen a Gamilon ship of that design before, and…”

Then, the ship descended and began to strafe the party with its lasers without warning.

“HIT THE DIRT!” Nova yelled as loudly as she could.

Plasma fire skipped within a few meters of Nova and her group. The ship also fired a pair of missiles, which, luckily, missed them. Nova raised her head carefully and said, “Escort Team Zero One Leader! Vampire, vampire inbound forty hot!! Unknown ship strafing us! OVER!”

“This is Zero One,” Derek’s voice snapped back. “Nova, I’ve got him on radar, but he’s hard to track. Party’s over! Get your team back in your ship and boogaloo out! OVER!”

“OVER! Paul! GO!”

Nova, Paul, and Lucy began to run towards the shuttle, praying that the enemy ship didn’t attack it.

They scrambled aboard, but Nova stopped when she saw Miyamoto dragging Sparks in. Sparks was moaning and his lower leg was bleeding.

“Nova, ma’am, gimme a hand with this guy! He can’t walk right and he’s as fat as hell!” said Miyamoto as he dragged Sparks with a hand under one arm.

Nova jumped to the right and got her hand under Sparks’ other armpit. “Sparks! Stop struggling! Miyamoto and I have got you! You’re gonna be all right!”

“HURTS, DAMNIT!” yelled Sparks.

“I know, I know,” Nova said, trying to sound comforting. “Miyamoto, get him up the ramp!”

“Got him, ma’am…he’s in…turning around to shut the ramp…”

Then, the enemy plane came back again and strafed right near the shuttle. Nova hit the deck with Sparks, but a shot caught Miyamoto in the heart. Blood and fleshy matter flew all over the place, including on Sparks and on Nova’s uniform.

“Damn, damn, damn…” Nova muttered as she worked the control to close the ramp, praying hard that the enemy plane didn’t come back. “Paul! Lucy! We’ve got casualties! Get back here and tend to them! I’ve got to get us out of here!”

Nova bumped into Rosstowski and Brathwaite and almost plowed them over like a football player. She leaped for her pilot’s seat and strapped in and started the engines. “Emergency takeoff! Just hold on! GO!”

The shuttle blasted straight up and then flew up from the surface as Nova worked the controls like a maniac. “Zero One Leader, I’m up…I have that bandit on my radar! Need close escort!”

“Nova, what you want, you’ll get!” snapped Derek’s welcome voice over her headset. “Conroy! Hardy! Scare that guy off and try to get a bead on him! I’m getting Nova and her team the hell out of here! Over!”

“We’re tryin’ but he’s faster than the Devil himself!” Hardy barked over their headsets. “Never seen a plane like that before. Looks like a Gamilon version of a horseshoe crab!”

Nova checked her radar, “Oh, fiddlesticks! Derek, speaking of Gamilons…”

“Yeah?”

“Three spotted on long-range, coming right for us!”

In their ships, over Sparks’ screams as Paul and Lucy tried to give him first aid, both Nova and Derek saw three green Gamilon interceptors.

“Okay, you guys…you’re finished,” hissed Derek as he caught the first Gamilon in his target scope.

Then, to their utter surprise, instead of attacking, the lead Gamilon pilot snapped, in rough but understandable Terranglish. “Terran ships! Name your reason for being in this sector! OVER!”

Derek replied, “Gamilon leader, the ship I’m escorting is a non-combatant! We were trying to render aid to any survivors of your crashed destroyer when an unidentified ship started blasting at my rescue and survey crew! Is that vessel one of yours? OVER!”

“Negative,” reported the Gamilon as Nova and Derek’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “We have other battles to fight with other races than you Terrans today. Did the enemy ship attack you? OVER!”

“Yes, it sure did!” Nova said as she burst in on the transmission.

“Hmmm…first time my unit has heard from a Terran woman,” said the Gamilon, almost thoughtfully. “It appears that today we have a common enemy. All I ask is that you people get out of our way while we attack that enemy ship. Don’t attempt to aid us; it’s too fast for your primitive planes. Just clear the area, but remember, I may have to fight you tomorrow.”

“What’s your name, Gamilon?” Nova said.

“Storm Leader Galand. And yours, Miss?”

“Lieutenant Nova Forrester, Storm Leader.”

“Lieutenant Nova Forrester, follow your escort fighter pilot back to base! Get out of here before I am forced to do anything rash. Terran Fighter pilot, good luck. We were trained to believe you people were monsters.”

“We believed the same,” snapped Derek. “Storm Leader Galand, my name is Lieutenant Derek Wildstar. Thank you. Over!”

“Good flying, Lieutenants Wildstar and Forrester. Maybe we’ll meet again. Over and out.”

Nova blew out a deep breath as the Gamilon planes waggled their wings in farewell and sped off to attack the white enemy ship.

“Nova, I would have told you to stifle it,” said Derek. “But now I’m glad you spoke up!”

“I don’t believe it, Derek. They’re human after all!”

“Yeah, guess they are. Or can be. I wonder who they’re fighting?”

“Whoever that other pilot was, he flew a very fast plane and he was very cruel,” Nova said. “We meant him no harm.”

“Yeah, none of us did,” said Derek. “Okay, Nova. Time for your joke. Shoot!”

“All right,” Nova said. “Derek, hon, why can’t spiders become pilots?”

“I don’t know! That’s a difficult one.”

“Because all they do is tailspin,” Nova said with a smile.

“Boooooo…” Derek said, but he was laughing. “That’s a good one, Lieutenant.”

“Wanna get together for coffee later?” Nova said.

“Sounds like a plan,” Derek said. “We’re almost back at base.”

Then, Nova turned her head as she heard an ungodly scream through her helmet. “Sparks, just hold still! I’ll get to you when we land on the Argo!”

“You’re a sadist, Forrester!” yelled Sparks.

“If it wasn’t for me, we’d still be down there, and we’d all probably be dead!” Nova shouted back. Then, her instruments bleeped. “Oh! Less than a megameter away from the ship. Talk later, Derek. Smooches!”

“Roger that,” he said with a smile.

Nova flipped channels and said, “Yuria, get me a hot landing vector, please! And get medics and nurses down to the lower bay! I have one dead man and one injured man!”

“Will do,” said Yuria. “Nova, take this vector…”

THIRTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER….

“Nova, that hurts! ARRRGGGH!” yelled Sparks.

“I’m resetting your leg, Sparks,” Nova said. “Broken tibia, lower quadrant,” Nova said to one of her nurses, namely, Ensign Michele Sakamoto. “5cc of Disradol, please!”

“Get that needle away from me!” cried Sparks.

“Sparks, we’re doing this to cut the pain,” said Sakamoto. “Help me lift him up, Nova.”

“Got him,” Nova said as she grunted. “He’s…heavy…”

Then, someone came up behind Nova. “Let me give you a hand with that. C’mon, Sparks!”

“Thanks, Derek!” Nova said as Wildstar helped her and Sakamoto lift Sparks onto a wheeled stretcher. Not far away, another team was bringing out Miyamoto’s body, covered with a sheet.

“Hey, don’t mention it!” Derek said. “Nova, when you get done, the captain wants to see you. He must want to know what happened. I’ll give him my report later.”

“Don’t forget; we’re having coffee and crullers before we go back on watch on the bridge,” said Nova with a wink.

“Take care, Nova. Between you and me, nice job out there today.” Derek patted her shoulder affectionately. “You kept your head. You’re getting even better at this.”

“Thanks,” Nova said as she blushed. She then squeezed Derek’s hand. “Take it easy until I see you later.”

“Yeah, I might have some more jokes for you. I like seeing you laugh. You look so sad half the time, Nova.”

“Sorry…can’t help it.” Then, Nova said, “I wonder what that Gamilon Storm Leader’s life is like? Does he have a wife or children back on Gamilon? He can’t be that different from us.”

“Maybe someday we’ll find out,” Derek said. “See you later.”

“Bye,” Nova said with a wave. Then, she turned about and gave Derek a smooch on the nose. He smooched her back.

After getting a shower and a clean uniform in her cabin and putting the bloody one in the laundry chute, Nova went up the stairs to Captain Avatar’s cabin. She tapped at the hatch, but Avatar said, “I’ve been expecting you, Nova. Come in.”

“Sir,” Nova said.

“Give me your report, in brief. How did the mission go?”

“Sparks gave us some difficulty in the beginning, but I got him to concentrate on his job and he found a small Gamilon computer at the crash site. Sandor’s analyzing it for data now. There were no survivors, but we recovered Gamilon remains and the remains of a person of some unknown race with green skin. When we were finishing up, an unknown enemy plane, white in color, looking nothing like a Gamilon ship, buzzed our landing site and strafed us with no provocation on our part whatsoever. I got us into the shuttle and got us out of there. There were two casualties; Sparks, wounded and broken lower leg, being treated by Doctor Sane. And, Lance Corporal Miyamoto was killed. Straight shot to his heart, sir. Nothing we could do for him,” Nova reported.

“What happened to the enemy plane?”

“I called for Wildstar to escort us, and he did. But the enemy plane was too fast for him or the other Black Tigers to shoot down. Then, we had another unexpected contact; with three Gamilon interceptors.”

“Did the Tigers bring them down?”

“No, Captain.”

“Then, how did you get out of that one?”

“The Gamilon flight leader called us and spoke directly to us in Terranglish. And he asked what we were doing there,” Nova said.

“What did you tell him?”

“Derek…and I told him that we were following an automated distress beacon from their crashed ship and were trying to pick up and rescue survivors. Wildstar told him we were attacked by an unknown ship. The Gamilon pilot leader than said that his men were at war with the race that sent that unknown ship in, and I helped…Derek…confirm that the unknown plane attacked my group. The Gamilon then said something surprising, Captain.”

“What was it, Nova?”

“After I spoke, he said it was the first time he ever heard from a Terran woman, and he said that since we seemed to have a common enemy, to just get out of the way while his planes fought the unknown ship. He acknowledged that we’re at war, but he let us go. That surprised us. We thought we might be goners. The pilot also gave us his name.”

“What was it?” Avatar said.

“Storm Leader Galand. Then, Derek and I gave him our ranks and names, and off he went to fight the enemy ship. We both have recordings of him in our ships. He sounded like a young middle-aged man; a little like Conroy, except his accent was strange.”

“So, what you discovered about the Gamilons…”

“Is that many of them have some humanity and even a sense of honor, Captain. I didn’t expect that!”

“You couldn’t have,” said Avatar. “You and Wildstar…you’re both good at thinking on your feet, and determined, brave, and original.” Then, Avatar shut his eyes. “Nova, what I am about to tell you remains up here, between us. You are not to tell anyone else on this ship, even Wildstar. You know my medical condition.”

“It’s grave, sir,” Nova said. “Doctor Sane and I know you’re getting weaker due to the radiation sickness, and we’re not sure you can remain in command for the rest of the mission.”

“I know that,” said Avatar. “I need someone with a level head to possibly take over for me…as Deputy Captain. Now, I’ve talked to two officers that you know about this. One of them said his job was too important to drop to help me run the Star Force, or to take over as Deputy Captain, and the other officer said he needed time to think about it; but he wasn’t sure he could handle the responsibility.” Avatar then paused. “That leaves me down to two more motivated officers I can ask.”

“Can you tell me who?” Nova said.

 “I can trust you with this information, Nova, since you’ve been mum as to my medical condition. I know you. You don’t play games or gossip, and you’re a little more mature than the other person I’m considering. Between you, me, and the proverbial gatepost, it’s down to a choice between Wildstar…and you.”

“You…you’re considering me as Deputy Captain?” Nova stammered.

“I know you’re not a Line Officer, but I’ve trained you as one. You know every station on that bridge, and you’ve been in charge as Officer of the Deck several times.”

“Sir, so has Lieutenant Wildstar,” Nova said. She looked hard into Avatar’s eyes and said, “Sir, you know what happened to Doctor Carroway early in the voyage. We had two doctors when we left, and myself as a Nurse-Practitioner. Doctor Denise Carroway was killed right as we got to Pluto from that first Reflex Gun hit. That left myself and Doctor Sane. If, God forbid, something happens to Doctor Sane, that leaves me, unless we could pick up a doctor on Iscandar to come back with us. Because of that possibility, and because I’m not sure if Yuria could handle my job in Operations, I must respectfully decline, sir. My current jobs are too important to the Star Force.”

“Very well spoken, and thank you for your honesty. That leaves Wildstar,” sighed Avatar. “Nova, you’re getting to know him very well. Would you recommend him?”

“He has some growing up to do, Captain, but so do I. He’s also grown into a real leader since we left Earth. If my recommendation counts for anything, Captain Avatar, I’d go with Derek. Did you talk to him yet?”

“No. I intend to do that after we reach Balan. It won’t be long. I will talk with him soon, and I think I know how to handle him. But you’ll have a very important job, Nova. You refer to him on a first-name basis. You two are pretty close, aren’t you?”

Nova blushed deeply, and she finally said, “Sir, you know we’re engaged now. We’re definitely more than just friends now, sir. We haven’t set a wedding date yet.”

Avatar smiled. “I’ve been…observing that.”

“Are…are we that obvious?” Nova stammered.

“Yes, but there’s no harm in it,” Avatar said. “I’m becoming like a father to both of you. I’ve seen couples getting together on this cruise, and I’ve seen them splitting up. You don’t know how many people I’ve counseled.”

“Or how many I’ve counseled, sir,” Nova said.

Avatar put his hands on Nova’s slender shoulders. “The pilot…he needs a co-pilot. You, the counselor and healer…you need your own counselor and healer. I not only think you two might be more than friends…I think it was meant to be. You and I both believe in God. We know He puts His hands in the affairs of men and of women, even today. I can see ahead, Nova. I see a bright future for you and your Derek if we make it to Iscandar and back. It gives me hope. Humanity will carry on…even if I don’t.”

Captain Avatar then went silent. “I do have one regret, Nova.”

“What is it?”

“I would have loved to share a dance with you at your wedding. I damn well know I’m not going to make it.”

“But you will,” Nova said. “I think you will…”

Nonetheless, these words would stick in Nova’s mind for the next few weeks. When she and Derek heard them again a few weeks later, they came to a decision that they had been mulling over for some time…

EARTH HAS 254 DAYS LEFT TO SURVIVE…

EPILOGUE: TWENTY-THREE MONTHS LATER…

December 26, 2201: Boulder, Colorado.

 “Perfect timing, Derek,” Nova said as she danced with Derek at a wedding; their own…their own public wedding. “They’re playing our song,” she said as she danced in a beautiful white gown against her husband, in a new black Captain’s peacoat, to the strains of Scarlet Scarf.

“There were times I never thought we’d make it here, love,” Derek whispered.

“I know. But Captain Avatar and Father Likanski were right. We came together in secret before Father Likanski on Iscandar so that Captain Avatar could at least see us married, even though I told him there would have to be a public ceremony for my family and the rest of our friends.”

“I know you and he were talking before he made me Deputy Captain. What did you two talk about?”

“He told me he was considering me as Deputy Captain. I declined, and I told him I thought you should be Deputy Captain. He agreed, and then he talked about us, after we talked about that contact that we had with the Gamilons, and after I told him about Sparks. It seems so many things came together that day, right before we reached Balan, Derek.”

“Yes…the first inkling that we might have peace with the Gamilons, even though we didn’t recognize it at the time. The first contact we had with the Comet Empire, and the first real guess we had that Sparks…wasn’t right in the head…and the first hint we both caught that we might be more than friends.”

“How obvious were we?” Derek said.

“Obvious enough for Captain Avatar to see it…and for Sparks. But…I don’t want to think about what happened on Diamond Island right after our short, quiet honeymoon on Iscandar. I still have nightmares about it…”

“What else did he say?” Derek said in a soft voice as he held Nova closer as they danced.

“He said his one regret…was that he wouldn’t live long enough to dance with me at our wedding,” Nova said as her eyes filled with tears. “He said that twice…remember, Derek?”

“But he’s here, even though he’s not on the guest list, Nova. Can’t you feel him? Listen…”

Nova cuddled against Derek, hearing only his heartbeat and his breathing under the soft big-band rendition of Scarlet Scarf. Time seemed to stop for them for a moment, almost like a preview of the wedding night that would follow that evening on their resort island.

“I feel him, Derek. And I think I just heard his voice.”

“What did he say?” Derek said.

“Congratulations,” Nova said as her lips again met Derek’s in a long, searching kiss.

TO BE CONTINUED….