Star Blazers-A Voyage to Remember Ch. 25

STAR BLAZERS: A VOYAGE TO REMEMBER

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

Frederick P. Kopetz

EPISODE TWENTY-FIVE: The Day Balan’s Sun Dropped…

Thanks to: AkiraDevilman 666 for contributing artwork.

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Space Battleship Argo

January 24,2200

“Well, we finally made it to Balan,” commented Mark Venture on the First Bridge of the Argo.

“We’re running behind, aren’t we?” said Eager.

“Yes, unfortunately,” said Venture. He pulled up a mission profile on one of the computer screens. “Please take a look.”

A graphic came up of their course thus far. “We’re at Balan, now,” said Venture. “We were supposed to arrive here on Mission Day 65, but as you see, it is now Mission Day 109.”

“We’re still forty-four days behind,” said Eager. “I hope we can make up the lost time, and soon. We can’t afford any more major delays.”

“That’s why we sent Wildstar out in a modified Type 100 with IQ-9 for recon,” said Venture.

“Because of the higher gravity of Balan, the seat configuration was changed around to save weight, and the cannons were removed,” said Paul Rosstowski from his temporary station at Gunnery.

“That means his plane is unarmed?” Nova said.

Venture nodded. “That’s right. But Conroy’s escorting him. He should be all right.”

Nova bit her lip slightly and nodded, keeping her military bearing. But, she thought, Derek, I’m worried about you.

In the meantime, in his plane, Derek asked IQ-9, “How large is Balan?”

“It is exactly two point three times bigger than Earth,” IQ-9 said.

Then, Wildstar spotted a star; but it was very close to the planet. “What the heck is that?”

“It appears to be a small star, but it is on a very unusual course,” said IQ-9. “Rather than Balan orbiting it, the star orbits Balan itself. The planet is so massive that it appears to control its course. A very unusual phenomenon. I could write a scientific journal article on this alone.”

On the Argo’s first bridge, a good-sized group had gathered. Cory Ainsley looked out at the planet and said, “It’s a great sight, isn’t it, Captain?”

“A very welcome sight it is, aye,” said Dexter Cross from Navigation, who was there beside Yang.

“I am so glad we are here,” said Captain Avatar. “It now means we are halfway to Iscandar.”

“We should get a report soon from Wildstar and Conroy,” said Venture. “They have to be near the surface of Balan by now.”

“Was it wise to send Wildstar out with only one escort?” Nova said. “I mean, couldn’t we spare at least one extra plane? We have a lot of pilots.”

“You have a good point, Nova,” chuckled Dash. “But, Wildstar would have refused it. You know how he is.”

Avatar shut his eyes and thought, my health grows worse each day. It’s a gift of God that I’m still on the bridge today. I hope I can rely on Wildstar’s judgment when I really need him…I’ve made my decision on who will be Deputy Captain….

Wildstar’s Type 100 plane and Conroy’s single Black Tiger flew closer to Balan’s surface.

Derek got a look at the local plants. “IQ-9, look at those strange plants. Instead of reaching up towards the sun, they’re growing down towards the surface? Perhaps that sun was a small rogue star that the planet just captured recently?”

“Perhaps,” said IQ-9. “The primary source of light and heat here would be the geothermal energy of the planet itself, near the equator.”

“So, the sun is a new development…” Wildstar mused. He picked up something on his scanners. “You’ll also note that I’ve just picked up live Balandons? They have very large eyes for their size…odd…” He picked up his microphone. “This is Wildstar. I need to speak to someone from Life Sciences.”

After a pause, Nova’s voice came into his headset. “I can give you a Life Science Analysis, Derek. Over.”

“I could have used you in the first place, Nova, to help me backstop the Tinwit.”

“You’re insulting my intelligence!” said IQ-9.

“I’m looking at some of the native lifeforms here on Balan. There is a small sun orbiting the planet, but the creatures have unusually large eyes…like deep-sea fish.”

“The large eyes would mean they’re normally adapted to a low-light environment,” Nova said. “Does the small star make it brighter than normal, perhaps?”

“Yes. And that makes no sense,” Derek said.

“None at all…unless the star is not part of the ecosystem?” Nova mused.

“I could have told you that, Wildstar,” said IQ-9. “I know more about ecosystems than Nova does.”

“IQ, please. That must mean the small star is a recent arrival here at Balan. How long does adaption of that type normally take, Nova?”

“Centuries, at the very least. That small star has to be recent.”

“She’s right on target, Captain,” said Sandor. “This makes no sense.”

“Just what I needed to know. There’s something very rotten here in Denmark, Nova.”

“Have you found signs of a Gamilon Base?” said Captain Avatar.

“Not yet, but…” Then, he cut off.

“Wildstar, look in that crater,” said IQ-9.

“Oh…great…Gamilons!” Derek said. “Conroy, come in and take a close look at this crater!”

Conroy flew his Black Tiger in. “It’s a Gamilon Base all right…”

On the Gamilon base, an alert was coming in.

Sheena Hilgar found two guards marching into her cell.

“You will come with us,” they said.

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded.

“Number Six Outbuilding. Terron planes are approaching. We may be under attack,” snapped one of the guards, who grabbed her arm and began to drag her away.

Sheena was at least given a fresh uniform and boots, but she was unarmed, unable to resist her armed guards as she was marched off to an unknown fate.

She did not yet know it, but her life was about to change drastically…and for the better.

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On the Argo, Homer relayed a message.

“Captain! Wildstar reports that he has found a Gamilon Base on Balan, just as he thought.”

“So, there is a base,” said Avatar. “How did I miss that?” Then, a quick bolt of pain hit his chest. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes for a moment before it passed.

“I wonder how that dwarf star got there?” Sandor said. “Taking readings…it seems to be very active.”

“It’s almost pure hydrogen,” Nova said from her post.

“It’s the Gamilons again. Damn, we should have expected a Gamilon base there!” sighed Venture.

“We should have gone in ready to fight rather than being caught with our pants down,” snapped Dash.

“Homer, order Wildstar and Conroy back to the ship at once,” said Avatar. “Dash: Red Alert. Prepare all weapons.”

Both men nodded and got to their tasks.

In Derek’s Type 100, IQ-9 said, “Order from the ship. We and Conroy are to return to the Argo at once. I also read Gamilon interceptors coming towards us.”

“We’ve got to shut down that base, even if it delays us further on our journey towards Iscandar!” Wildstar snapped.

He swiveled his head and saw Gamilon planes flying in.

“We can’t fight with this modified ship,” IQ-9 warned.

Then, Conroy burst in on Wildstar’s headset. “Wildstar, I’ll take care of these guys. You have your orders. Get back to the ship!”

“You’re no match for that whole squadron! I can at least help you by buzzing these guys!”

“Wildstar, you have no weapons…you’ll just be getting in the way!” Conroy snapped. Then, the enemy blasted in and began to shoot at his Tiger.

He wheeled about and returned fire.

Wildstar snarled and switched seats with IQ-9. “I’ll take the radar and scanners; you fly the plane. Why weren’t you on this?”

“Because you’re stubborn,” snapped IQ-9. “You need a bowl of Nova’s chili when you get back to the ship. Even if it is akin to hazardous waste since she can’t cook.”

“Buzz these guys!” Derek shouted.

“Wildstar, get back to the ship!” Conroy said.

“Order received,” said IQ-9 as he flipped the recon plane around. “Type 100 not equipped for combat. Returning to the ship.”

Derek wanted to hit IQ-9, but he finally acquiesced. “Okay, IQ. Get us back to the ship!”

“Glad to see you are seeing reason at last,” IQ-9 said.

Then they headed back to the Argo while Conroy continued to dogfight with the Gamilons, bringing down at least one plane. He hoped somehow it wasn’t Storm Leader Galand or even the pilot they had captured several weeks ago. Those were decent guys, Conroy thought. Odd, I never thought I’d have friends on the enemy side!

Wildstar landed back on the Argo three minutes later. “I’m going to the bridge, IQ!” he shouted. “Clear the deck so Conroy can get in fast!”

“You didn’t need to tell me that twice,” said the little robot.

Wildstar ran onto the bridge, just in time to see Nova putting a tactical of the battle between Conroy and the Gamilons on the main screen. “Captain, Conroy is surrounded by six enemy fighters. He’s trying to fight his way out of that mess. Shouldn’t we send more pilots out to help him?”

Derek then ran up to Avatar’s post. “That might be a good idea! Captain! That Gamilon base is huge!”

“You really think so?” said Avatar. “We can’t spare reinforcements for Conroy right now.”

“Okay…Homer, order him back to the ship at once! Nova, track him!”

“Roger,” they said, working together as a well-oiled team.

“As for the matter of that base,” said Avatar. “Wildstar, what’s your reasoning?”

“That base will be a constant threat to us even if we run. Now’s our chance to take it out!”

“We can’t do it,” said Venture.

“What do you mean?” snapped Wildstar.

“Derek, we’re already forty-four days behind on the mission. We can’t lose more time. We have to get to Iscandar. Captain, I suggest we get out of here and bypass that base,” Venture said.

“We’re behind because of these constant battles with the Gamilons,” said Derek. “And if we leave that base, we’ll have to fight them on the way back! Or do you think they’ll be nice guys and let us run back to Earth without a fight? Tell me that!”

“Sir, he has a good point,” said Sandor.

“Captain?” said Mark. “The ball is in your court, sir.”

“We’ll attack the Gamilon base,” Avatar said after a moment. “Wildstar’s right. If we bypass it now, they’ll try harder to destroy us on the way back to Earth with the Cosmo-DNA. We have to take out that base now. Where’s Conroy, Nova?”

“Sir, he’s about a minute away from the ship,” Nova said.

“He reports damage to his plane,” said Homer. “However, he has the beam and is landing now.”

“Wildstar, take over for Dash. Make sure a firefighting crew is ready for Conroy’s plane. Venture, turn us about to attack the base,” Avatar said, gritting his teeth a little at another burst of pain.

Pain. His constant friend now. The pain that sapped his strength. He coughed hard, even as the Argo made a sharp turn towards the enemy base as Derek began to give orders for the main guns to be opened.

Field Marshal Lysis had gathered his fleet out in space, fifty megameters away from Balan.

Aboard the Lysisaze III, his new flagship, Volgarr was pacing around snarling. He was angry with Lysis over the two dressing-downs he had received for his sick behavior with Sheena Hilgar; so sick that all of his concubines had been taken away for the time being.

“Volgarr, stop that stupid pacing. If you’re unhappy with the attack plan, settle down and use your brain; not your feet!” barked Lysis. “Every day that I am forced to serve with you, I grow more and more disgusted at your antics!”

“Lysis, why do we just sit here? We have spotted the Argo, right? We have several hundred ships. Let us pounce on them like cats attacking a rat and destroy them! Is that not why Leader Desslok sent you to Balan?”

“Volgarr, I see you are still unhappy because I replaced you and made you eat the bitter fruit of your foolishness. I do have a plan in mind to destroy the Argo. You see, Leader Desslok admires clever strategy over brute strength. I have a beautiful and elegant strategy in mind. A pity I must destroy them since the Star Force has fought so well and is impossible to daunt. What is more, Storm Leader Galand reported to me that they are honorable and filled with kindness and that is why he let them go…so that he could deal with the Gatlantean incursions that those accursed green jackals think they can pull off. A pity the Terrons aren’t on our side. They would be great allies. But I cannot allow them to enter the Great Magellenic Cloud. I have a plan in mind that shall finish them in a blaze of glory befitting of their victories.”

“That plan is?” said Volgarr.

“We wait here for a reason. I know they will not use their wave motion gun on our base since it could well blow apart this entire planet. Oh, their idealism. A pity for them that they are so idealistic! They will fly in close and use their ordinary weapons against us. That is where my plan comes in. While they are preoccupied attacking our base, I shall crush them with the artificial star that we created and control which orbits Balan. Look at this graphic. You see they will come in close at maybe a hundred sha-garads of altitude. While they are occupied attacking our base, we will bring in the artificial sun and drop it on them and the base. They will be so preoccupied attacking us that they won’t even notice they are about to be incinerated alive until it is far too late. I like the elegance of this solution.”

“Sir, you’re mad! This action will also destroy our entire base!” Volgarr cried.

“Twenty thousand dead? An obsolete base destroyed? After all, we could move our operation to retake Pluto and finish off the Terrans to our new base under construction in the Pogi System, right? I have the data we need on Terra on this ship. Your disgrace with Sheena Hilgar wiped off your record when we burn her alive? I’m doing you a favor, Volgarr! A small cost to rid the Empire of the Argo, wouldn’t you say?”

“Sir, it’s sick!” Volgarr said.

“You amuse me. You are the sick one, Volgarr!”

Then, an officer said, “Sir, the Argo is in optimum range of the base!”

“Excellent. Have our batteries prepare to attack them. I need them tied down for a bit…that is all!” Lysis said with a smile.

On Balan, the missiles, guns, and other batteries locked on the Argo. Interceptors prepared to take off.

In the outbuilding she was locked in, a young, enlisted man delivered lunch for Sheena and promptly departed.

As she ate, she noticed an object under her plate.

“A translator earpiece? I wonder why they left that?”

Sheena read a note under the earpiece.

It read: We will be attacking the Terron ship Argo shortly. While we are preoccupied, take this pod and the combination for your lock and escape in a fighter and defect to the Terron ship. If they escape us, they will protect you and liberate you. All the best, Sheena. Wait an hour. Your absence will not be noticed then.

“Thank you, whoever you are,” said Sheena.

She smiled and savored her meal. She hoped that the Star Force was indeed honorable.

The Argo approached the base and locked her guns on it.

Wildstar then noticed the odd movement of the sun orbiting Balan. “Hey, Eager! Keep a good eye on that sun!”

“Why’s that?” he said.

“Not much…I have a hunch about it…that’s all.”

“Whatever you say. One thing I don’t need is more freckles.”

“This is strange,” Nova said. “I think I see that sun changing its orbit!”

“Are ya sure about that?” Eager said.

“Keep on scanning it, please,” Nova said. “Unless my instruments are off; I just saw a change of two arc-seconds.”

A spread of missiles was fired by the Gamilons at the Argo from the base a moment later.

The gunners on the Argo responded by firing the ship’s forward guns at the missiles.

There were seven satisfying explosions as Venture lowered altitude slightly.

“Fire bow torpedoes and smokestack missiles!” Derek snapped.

The Argo’s offensive weapons fired. They began to see explosions below on the base.

However, aboard his flagship, Lysis smiled.

“Excellent! They’re taking the bait!” he said.

“The base is requesting that we shield them!” Volgarr cried.

“Leave them,” laughed Lysis. “Prepare the controls to drop the orbit of the artificial sun. Now, we shall begin to spring our trap!”

“Are we sure about this?” said Volgarr.

“DO IT!” said Lysis.

“Prepare controls,” said another officer, who ignored Volgarr altogether.

The flagship fired its magnetic controls.

A beam hit the sun, which began to drop.

On the Argo, Eager said, “Look! The sun is bearing down on us!”

“You said it’s bearing down on us?” Nova said from her post.

“That’s what I said, Nova! Wake up and check it!”

Eager, chill out! Nova thought. “Scanning,” she said. “The orbit is now down forty arc-seconds…and it’s coming right for us! It looks like some sort of beam is controlling it!”

“This confirms it’s artificial,” said Sandor.

“Venture, turn the ship towards that sun,” said Wildstar. “We have to use the wave motion gun on it!”

“Are you sure that’s wise?” said Venture.

“It’s picking up speed,” Nova said from her post.

“I read ya there,” said Eager.

“Do we have enough time to build up an energy charge, Wildstar?” Sandor said.

“If we turn about, the stern will be exposed to the enemy base!” said Eager. “How are we gonna defend ourselves? We’re trapped!”

“Don’t…count us out yet, Eager,” said Avatar from his post as he coughed.

More enemy missiles flew towards the Argo, which fought desperately to defend herself.

“The sun is slowing down slightly,” said Eager.

“Range nine kilometers,” Nova said.

“Wildstar,” said Avatar. “Prepare an energy charge for the wave motion gun. Venture, swing us about!”

“Yessir,” both men said.

The Argo began to ponderously turn hard about.

“We have a problem!” Eager said. “A big problem! By the time we complete our turn and fire, that thing will hit us in two hundred and ninety seconds! We’re ten seconds too late!”

“Make that eight seconds, Derek!” Nova said. “What’s even worse…it’s picking up speed!”

Wildstar banged his fist against his console in frustration. “NO! We didn’t come this far to die here!”

“Talking about dying is premature,” said Captain Avatar. “Stay the course, Venture. Steady as she goes.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” said Mark.

On his flagship, Lysis laughed. “Ahh…we have them trapped! They’re making a turn to use their wave gun on the sun, no doubt. But they’re eight seconds too late. Don’t they realize that? Of course, it was already too late when I pressed this button. Watch carefully, Volgarr. I will soon have them engulfed in hydrogen fire.”

“But what about the base?” yelled Volgarr.

“A small loss to get them,” laughed Lysis.

“This is madness! Utter damned madness!” yelled Volgarr.

Lysis began to laugh as Volgarr ran off.

More missiles flew at the Argo, followed by interceptors; all of which concentrated on the ship’s port side.

The ship shook from explosions.

“Captain…we’re taking major damage,” said Sandor. “Half our pulse laser batteries on the port side are out!”

“Wildstar, compensate with the counter-attack missiles and smokestack missiles!” ordered Avatar.

“More missiles approachin’!” cried Eager.

The counter-attack missiles and smokestack missiles were fired again by Dash, but the Argo took more damage.

“Port side thrusters two and three are out,” said Sandor.

“How much time do we have?” said Wildstar as Venture gave him control of the helm. “Anyone?”

“We can complete that turn in a hundred and ninety seconds, but the sun will hit us in one hundred and one seconds!” Nova said.

“Okay…I’m dropping us towards the base,” said Wildstar.

“Are you crazy?” said Venture. “Those guns and missiles will wipe us out!”

“It’ll be better than getting roasted alive by that sun!” Derek barked.

The Argo began to reverse course and drop towards the base.

“The sun is dropping faster! Just seventy seconds left to impact!” Eager said.

“They’re insane,” said Sandor. “They’ll…”

“…destroy their own base to get us,” Nova said. Then, she heard Captain Avatar gasping loudly.

Nova got up and ran to his side. “What’s wrong?”

“Having trouble getting enough oxygen…it’s getting hot here…Nova…don’t worry about it! Worry about your post!”

“Captain, you need emergency oxygen! I can see your color is off!” Nova said as she got the oxygen tank and helped Avatar breathe through a mask as she loosened her collar slightly, feeling the heat herself.

Lysis laughed. “Ha ha ha ha! Look. We’ve won! Volgarr, where are you?”

Volgarr came back. “General, Leader Desslok is on the line.”

“What?” said Lysis.

“You’d better take the call! He doesn’t like to be kept waiting!” said Volgarr.

Lysis irritably flipped on a round comm screen as Desslok’s image appeared on it.

“Lysis, what are you doing?” said Desslok.

“I have the Argo trapped, sire! I am about to destroy it!”

“Volgarr tells me you are about to destroy our base as well by crushing it with that artificial sun. That is foolhardy and unnecessary, Lysis. We don’t need the collateral damage for the sake of your own glory! Finish them off another way. Stop the attack. That’s an order, Lysis!” Desslok said. Then he cut off.

Lysis stopped the sun and then he turned on Volgarr. “Volgarr, if we lose this battle…you are to blame!”

Volgarr shut his eyes.

Down in the outbuilding she was confined to, Sheena Hilgar put on her translator bud and used the combination she had been given to open the door.

She slipped behind a guard and garroted him with her own belt to get his weapon. She made sure the guard was dead, checking his pulse with the medical knowledge she had. She slipped his dagger into her boot for good measure.

Suitably armed, Hilgar began to make an escape, shielding her eyes from the bright, low sun, which had just stopped.

She began to run away from the base compound towards one of the flight lines, moving with stealth.

On the Argo, while Nova worked on the Captain, Eager observed their chance. “Hey! That sun stopped!”

“Complete the turn, Wildstar,” gasped Avatar.

“Aye, sir, swinging us about,” he said. When the Argo was facing the sun, he said, “Orion, transfer all energy to the wave motion gun!”

“Aye, Wildstar,” he said. “Energy count eighty-two percent.”

“Open target scope!” snapped Derek. “Range to the sun, six kilometers!”

“Energy level ninety percent!” said Orion.

“Nova, back to your post…I’ll be fine,” said Avatar.

“Yessir.”

“Prepare anti-shock and anti-flash defenses!” Derek snapped as he and the others put on their goggles. “Twenty seconds to firing!”

“Energy level, one hundred ten percent…one hundred twenty percent!” Orion said.

“Open final safety lock; begin final countdown!” said Wildstar. He began the countdown after checking that the crew had their goggles on.

“FIRE!” he barked, firing the wave gun at the artificial sun.

The energy blasted into the sun, overwhelming its internal fields, and blowing it apart.

The Argo continued into the blast, even as it began to disperse.

Down below, balls of plasma began to smash into the base.

Sheena hit the deck as soon as she saw the blast out of the corner of her eye, shutting her eyes to prevent blindness as she felt heat washing over her.

She got up and saw a mushroom cloud looming over the base.

There goes my idea of getting to the flight line, she thought. I just have to hope and pray the Terron ship survived and that they might, just might, find me as Galand told me before he was reassigned off the base.

Of course, the greatest priority was getting away from the blast.

Sheena ran away from the base as fast as she could along with a few more survivors who collapsed from their wounds.

On Lysis’ flagship, he was aghast as he watched the destruction of the base on his screen.

At least, perhaps, I finally got the Argo, he thought.

Lysis’ shock turned to anger as he saw the Argo sailing out of the cloud and beginning to come towards them.

“We still lost the base!” snarled Volgarr.

“Your fault, you idiot!” said Lysis. “And you saw the power of their wave motion gun? They could do the same to us next! All ships retreat! Gestcham jump out of here!”

“Preparing jump, sir,” said the Lysisaze III’s helmsman.

The Gamilon fleet ran.

At her post, Nova smiled wide. “Guess what?”

“What?” said Derek.

“The Gamilon fleet just ran! They’ve warped out!” Nova said with a laugh.

“Runnin’ like rats!” laughed Eager.

“We just made it,” said Captain Avatar.

“There’s some damage to the ship, but we can make repairs in a few hours,” said Sandor.

“We should send a recon party down there as soon as it cools down a little,” said Avatar. “We need more food supplies, and we also need intel about what the Gamilons were up to, especially if we can find survivors. Sandor, you have the conn. Wildstar, come see me in an hour in my cabin at eighteen hundred,” Avatar said.

Avatar then rode his chairlift up to his cabin while Sandor took over from his station.

AT EIGHTEEN HUNDRED….

Wildstar reported to Avatar’s cabin to find him resting in bed. He looked exhausted.

“How are you doing, sir?” he said.

“I’m all right…for now. Doctor Sane and Nova had a look at me a few minutes ago. They both agreed that I can no longer maintain a full-time duty schedule as Captain. My reserves are getting too low. I’m getting sicker. There is a chance I may not even survive this mission now.”

“Sir, we can’t give up hope. You told me that several times,” said Wildstar.

“I’ve considered a number of officers to take over for me as Deputy Captain. Some of them refused; another felt he was not qualified. I feel that you are the best-qualified officer to take over some of my duties as Deputy Captain. Therefore, I promote you to Lieutenant Commander and Deputy Captain of this command, effective immediately, Wildstar!”

“Sir…I’m not qualified!” Derek said.

“You are,” said Avatar.

“But…”

Avatar then picked up his microphone with shaking hands. “Now hear this,” he said on the 1MC. “Effective immediately, due to my declining health, I have promoted Senior Lieutenant Derek Michael Wildstar to Lieutenant Commander, and I have placed him in charge of the mission as my Deputy Captain. From now on, when I am not available, you will obey Lieutenant Commander Wildstar’s commands as you would my own. That is all. I trust Wildstar’s judgment, and may God bless him.”

Then, Avatar said, “I am counting on you, Deputy Captain. You know I am counting on you.”

“Yessir,” said Derek. He saluted Avatar and was dismissed.

THREE HOURS LATER…

Wildstar and Venture were having a conversation on the First Bridge; the Argo was orbiting Balan.

“Well, things have calmed down somewhat on Balan,” Wildstar said. “The seismic disturbances have quieted down, and the temperature is normal.”

“It was a very close one,” Venture agreed.

“It was a lucky break for us that their artificial sun stopped when it did,” Wildstar said. “If it hadn’t stopped…we’d all be dead now.”

“How did you know it was an artificial sun?” said Eager.

“Some observations IQ-9 and I made on the planet,” Derek said. “I’ll be able to share more when Nova and Conroy come back with samples and data from Balan.”

“Their ship is coming in now for a landing,” said Yuria from her post at the Cosmo-Radar.

“Very good,” Derek said. “Sandor, how are the repairs?”

“Going well, Deputy Captain. We should be able to leave in a few hours and then make another warp shortly afterwards,” said Sandor.

Derek blushed when he heard himself addressed as Deputy Captain. “Eager, come with me. I’m heading below to greet the landing party.”

“Sounds good,” Eager said.

A few minutes later, a small group watched in the Lower Flight Bay as a shuttle, flown by Conroy, and co-piloted by Nova, made its landing.

Nova came out smiling. “It was a very interesting trip, Derek. You should have come with us.”

“What sort of creature is that?” asked a Flight Ops crewman while IQ-9 led out a Balanodon.

“Don’t worry…he won’t hurt you; he’s been hiding from the Gamilons,” IQ-9 said. “We have three more like him for study in the hold.”

“We also brought back a lot of data and plant life,” Nova said. “And something else.”

“Wonder what she’s talkin’ about?” said Eager. “Tell me, Wildstar, what about those guesses with the artificial sun?”

“Okay. Do you see the large eyes on this Balanodon?” Derek said. “That told me, and Nova and IQ confirmed, that it evolved in a low-light environment.”

“So it was used to living in the dark…” said Eager.

“Yes,” Nova said. “Isotopes we picked up from the ruins of the artificial sun imply that it was only ignited for a few weeks. And take a look at the plant life you noticed,” Nova said as she handed Derek a plant sample.

“You see the plant?” Derek said. “More evidence that it was an artificial sun. See how it was growing down rather than growing up towards the light source?”

“If the sun was a real star, it would have been growing up towards it,” said Eager.

“We also have other evidence,” said Conroy. “Hollingsworth, bring out the woman who surrendered to us!”

“Woman?” said Derek as Nova vanished for a moment with Hollingsworth from the Technical Group. They came back leading a Gamilon woman who was wearing binders, and a translator earbud.

“She was going to kill herself, but I knocked the weapon out of her hands,” Nova said. “We actually had a little…hmmm…wrestling match, her and I, but then Conroy and I picked up these,” Nova said, tapping at a translator earbud in her own ear. “And, after some yelling and cursing…well…we got her to calm down and she surrendered to us. She wasn’t sure if we were Gamilons or Terrans.”

“Never saw one of you before,” said the woman in bad Terranglish. “Thought you people were Zaltzian inferiors sent to kill.”

Wildstar stared her down with anger on his face. “Okay. What’s your name?”

“Sheena Hilgar,” she said, depending on the earbud. “Your name, longhaired punk?”

“Deputy Captain Derek Wildstar, second in command of this vessel!” Derek shouted. “If you don’t want your damn stay here to be really unpleasant, then show some respect!”

“Why should I respect you, loudmouth?” Sheena snapped.

“Because, right now, your ass belongs to me!” Derek yelled.

“You don’t know what she’s been through!” Nova said as she stopped Sheena from striking Derek. “She’s defecting from the Gamilons because they put her through utter insanity! She was a slave, Derek!”

“Oh. She wanted to slug me and now I’m supposed to be nice to her, Nova?”

“Right now, you’re acting like a long-haired goon!” Nova snapped. “She’s a rape victim! Get your head out of your posterior, Derek! You owe her an apology!”

“I’ll do it when she apologizes first!” huffed Derek.

Sheena looked scared at these two yelling at each other and her.

Nova rounded on Derek and said, “Stop acting like that!”

Sheena looked at them and began to cry.

Nova went down on her knees and looked at Sheena. “There, there. Please don’t cry. My fiancee’ sometimes acts like he sits on his own brains at times. This is one of them. Are you all right?”

“Yes,” Sheena said brokenly as Nova wiped her eyes.

“So, what do we have here? A pity party?” Derek snapped.

“Stop acting like a stupid chowderhead, Derek! You’re better than that!” Nova snarled at him. “Apologize to her! NOW!”

Derek knelt down beside Nova. “Sheena, is that your name?”

“It is, longhair boy,” snapped Sheena.

“I’m sorry I lost my temper. Please forgive me. I…was not being a gentleman,” Derek said.

Nova smiled a little at that.

“Why should I forgive you?” Sheena hissed as she tried to slap Derek. Nova grabbed her hand and said, “Please, Sheena. He’s trying to be nice! He just has…a bad temper at times. Derek, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Derek said as Nova grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“So, what do we do with her?” said Conroy.

“She wants to defect, we’ll let her join us if the captain approves…and the Deputy Captain,” Nova said.

Derek looked hard at her and Nova. “Miss Hilgar, please let Nova help you up. I’m good with your joining with us if you want to renounce your allegiance to Gamilon. Do you really want to join us?”

Sheena nodded. Then, she jumped back, until Nova said, “Sheena, he just wants to hug you. He tends to do that when he’s being nice.”

Derek hugged his former enemy. Sheena hugged back.

Then, Derek stepped back and put his arm around Nova’s waist. She smiled a little as he said, “Okay, Nova. Your lost blue lamb is your problem, Peppermint! She’ll be a good intelligence source…and if she really wants to defect…train her to do…something. Wouldja?”

“Oh, I will,” Nova said. “She can be a nurse’s aide, maybe a nurse. She told me she has training; I don’t know how much yet. You’d better be nice to her when she gives you a blood draw, you hear me?”

“Aye, aye, ma’am,” he had said.

Nova tapped him on the nose after that, relieved that Derek was no longer acting like…a jerk.

Then, he turned to Sheena and said, “I’m Deputy Captain Derek Wildstar, in temporary command. Our Captain is ill. Nova’s our Head Nurse Practitioner, Survey and Radar Officer, and my fiancee’. She doesn’t let me forget that part.”

Sheena smiled. Then, she said to Nova, “You will have a handful being married to longhaired boy here. Do not envy you, Miss.”

“I know,” Nova said. “I sort of feel that I’m responsible for him. He lost his whole family in the war.” Nova sighed. “I’m all the family Derek has now. And, I know you have issues. So does Derek. So do I. This war cost us a lot.”

Sheena nodded. “It very much did. I wish that the nobility or leadership had handled this differently. Gamilon is dying. I really wish we could have handled this differently.”

“I know,” Derek sighed after a moment. “Nova…am I crazy in wishing it had gone differently?”

“No,” Nova said. “You’re not. Do you have orders for me, Deputy Captain?”

Derek blushed again. “Take her to Sickbay and give her a physical. Please fit her with an EDF nurses’ uniform and bring her up to the captain’s cabin at twenty-two hundred. Hollingsworth, Conroy, you guys get the samples to the science lab. I…oh…Nova…were there any more survivors?”

“Just Miss Hilgar,” Nova said. “Everyone else we found on the base was dead.”

“A shame,” Derek sighed. “We could have learned more about them…”

Nova nodded at that.

AN HOUR LATER…

Captain Avatar looked hard at Sheena Hilgar. He had heard her story, Nova’s medical report on her (she had indeed been raped) and both Derek and Nova acting together to advocate her case to join the Star Force. Sheena, like Nova, was now wearing a Star Force nurse’s uniform and boots, although her rank and section markings were different from Nova’s.

Finally, Avatar said, “Miss Hilgar. I am prepared to offer you a commission as an Ensign in the Earth Defense Forces. Doctor Sane, Senior Lieutenant Forrester, and Ensign Sakamoto have agreed to train you in our medical procedures; as a nurse’s aide first, and then as a nurse once you qualify. In return, do you agree to provide us with intelligence on the Gamilons’ operations, language, and procedures?”

“I will to the best of my ability, sir,” said Sheena.

“As we discussed,” Nova said. “You understand that you are renouncing your loyalty to the Gamilon Empire as soon as you take your Commissioning Oath, that you do this freely, and if found offering aid and comfort to the Empire, you will suffer appropriate punishment under our Code of Military Justice?”

“I understand that ma’am,” said Sheena.

“Deputy Captain, administer the Commissioning Oath.”

Derek nodded. “Miss Hilgar, please raise your right hand.”

She did so.

Then, Sheena began to recite, as Wildstar went over phrase by phrase…

“I, Sheena Hilgar, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Terran Federation against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the Federation and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God, and keep me steadfast in this obligation.”

“Welcome aboard, Ensign,” Derek said warmly. Sheena jumped back from his handshake until Nova explained the significance of the gesture and shook her hand. She then let Derek shake her hand, along with Captain Avatar.

“I’m going to assign you a cabin and some basic gear,” Nova said. “In the morning, Ensign Sakamoto and I will be giving you some tests and some marksmanship training. In the event we ever get boarded, it is everyone’s responsibility to assist in defending the ship and in assisting in damage control and helping wounded. “

“You…would trust me with a weapon?” she said.

“Why not? You’re one of us now,” Derek said with a smile.

“Of course, longhaired boy,” said Sheena with a slight grin. “Your trust in me is considerable.”

“We will have a lot to learn from you, Ensign,” said Captain Avatar. “May God bless you.”

“Sir, I thank you,” said Sheena.

“We have work to do,” Nova said. “Sheena, please help me check the captain’s vitals and blood pressure. You can see he is ill. Derek, I’ll see you later.”

“Later,” Derek said, saluting Captain Avatar and giving Nova a peck on the cheek.

“You are very fond of him, I see,” Sheena said.

“I am,” Nova said with a blush as she got some gear from a locker.

Sheena whispered a question in Nova’s ear.

Nova blushed a deep shade of red and said, “Oh, heavens, no! Not until the wedding night! It’s…the religion Derek and I share…”

“Is there not a quote that states ‘tis better to marry than to burn?’ Sheena said.

Nova steepled her hands and said, “Unnnn…this is not the locker room.”

Captain Avatar cleared his throat. “Ladies. Please. Ensign, you are embarrassing the Lieutenant.”

“After what I have been through, sir,” said Sheena. “I have very little to be embarrassed about! Nova, count yourself fortunate that you have your starry eyes and innocence. Mine was taken from me before I was twelve.”

Nova hugged Sheena. “I’m so sorry. I have also suffered some unpleasant things. Only Derek knows about them, and let us leave it at that. Now, this is how you use a blood pressure cuff…please watch me carefully…”

Sheena watched as Nova went to work.

At that point, Planet Earth had…253 DAYS LEFT…

Epilogue: Te Deum

January 26, 2200

A picture containing text, vector graphics

Description automatically generated Sunday morning came.

The Divine Services that morning happened to be a Folk Mass. The musical accompaniment was just Derek and Nova; Derek playing his harmonica, and Nova playing her guitar and singing the hymns.

The crew smiled at their harmony as they played an offertory hymn based on the Twenty-Third Psalm, with Nova singing:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff--they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies…

Sheena Hilgar wept quietly as she sat almost alone during the service; only Michelle Sakamoto sat near her. No one else cared to.

She thought, Is there truly a God? If so, does He truly care for a wretch like me? These people, these Terrons, seem decent, but I feel sad that they hate me so much. I am no longer at war with them. I want to heal, not kill.

Finally, she was invited by Michelle (with a nudge) to stand for the reading of the Gospel.

Sheena immediately felt that maybe the priest cared for her lot as Father Likanski read: “The Gospel of the LORD. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way that you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” This is the Word of the LORD.”

The priest then said, “Today, we have with us one who was once an enemy, but who has changed her allegiance to serve with us. Her change of loyalty, her repentance, as it were, is proof that the Gamilons have hearts and consciences not unlike our own. Prejudice should not have a home aboard this vessel, my comrades. The Gamilons are members of the human family; like us.”

“Is that really true of the Gammies, Sky Pilot?” yelled one of the Black Tigers. “They’re inhuman!”

“Cut it out!” Derek yelled as he stood up. “Ettenger, get the Hell out of here if you can’t be respectful to Father Likanski and Ensign Hilgar!”

The room fell silent. “Sorry, Father,” Derek said as he sat down.

“That’s all right, Deputy Captain,” said Likanski. He stared at Ettenger. “Ensign. Please leave. You’ve disrupted my homily.”

Ettenger left, muttering to himself, while Nova looked at Derek and whispered, “I’m proud of you, Derek.”

“I messed that up, Nova.”

“Your heart was in the right place,” Nova whispered. “We’ll be playing again in a few minutes. Let’s sit back and worship.”

Derek Wildstar nodded at that.

TO BE CONTINUED….