ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS—THE ENTROPY WARS

By: Frederick P. Kopetz

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THE ENTROPY WARS

Ch. 10 “MIDNIGHT! THE TECHNOMUGAR INVASION OF EARTH”

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I. PAIN AND TRAGEDY

Planet Earth

Various Places

June 25, 2231

Various Local Times….

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The Technomugar Invasion of Planet Earth began at Midnight Local Time over Africa while the Wildstars slept.

Flagg had warped a new Flotilla of Five Technomugar Goraizu Fortress ships into Earth orbit and began by attacking three nearby Battle Satellite emplacements in orbit, following up his outrage by attacking the ESS Mutsu and her escorts as they moved in to intercept his fleet.

Within five minutes, the EDF space battleship was no more, and two of the Goraizu Fortresses were descending down upon Africa.

Nairobi in Kenya was the first landing zone. After the local defenses had been chewed apart by the heavy guns of the Fortresses and several Technomugar and Bolar warships that followed them, including the sudden destruction of ninety EDF warplanes and fifteen space warships on the ground, landing ships came out of the Fortresses like ants, and airborne landing troops drifted down on jetpacks, blasting apart aircars, men, women and children fleeing on foot, and horses, wagons, tanks; anything that moved was blown to bits as the triumphant cyborg warriors landed on Earth.

In the area, a young woman named Vonda McAn, a retired EDF Lieutenant, led a counterattack in a bloody battle that led to almost a hundred members of Ekogaru’s legions being killed.

 But, sadly, Flagg himself called in reinforcements.

At sunset, a harsh tropical rain was hitting the veldt outside of Nairobi, and Vonda McAn was hanging naked in pain, nailed to a cross on Flagg’s orders.

There she hung until she died of a septic infection from the dirty nails she had been crucified with, along with dehydration and exposure in the rain about twenty-four hours later.

By the time the Sun was up, hundreds of Terrans were either already nailed to crosses with Lieutenant McAn or were being crucified around her by the remorseless enemy as their city burned all around them. The strongest were stripped of everything and marched in painful lines into landing ships in chains as slaves by Ekogaru’s warriors, who not only showed no mercy, but also seemed to take a morbid delight in causing their captives, all of whom were stripped naked, pain and discomfort with whips, truncheons, pointed sticks, clubs, or anything they could get their hands on.

“Where are our Defense Forces, Council and President?” moaned the slaves as they were beaten down without mercy with blaster rifle butts. “Lieutenant McAn was the only one who fought for us!

“They are all dead or asleep,” mocked the guards. “They are useless to you, you inferior organic scum! We are of the Machine. We live forever! You are nothing but garbage to us! The strongest of you may serve the Dark Lord, if we see fit. The rest of you will die!”

“Have mercy on my baby!” screamed a mother as she tried to hold her shivering child.

The little boy was torn from his mother’s arms and his head was smashed against a bulkhead as the cyborgs laughed. Then, the mother was shot in the face and kicked dead out a hatch with her child.

The horrid scene was being repeated in Cape Town in South Africa, in Bogota in Colombia, in Ottawa in Canada, in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the US, in Minsk in the Russian Republic, and in Ota in Japan as enemy forces landed in those cities while their vessels warped into Earth’s atmosphere, causing strange weather patterns and earthquakes world-wide as Ekogaru sat in his Fortress, which had entered the Sol System at last near Hyperion in the Saturn Satellite System, and laughed as he heard the reports coming in from the beleaguered planet, along with reports of resistance from EDF troops, Pellian troops, even a few Gamilons on Earth, and various freebooter bands of irregulars, all of them devoted to fighting against a cruel new enemy who seemed to have no compassion or sense of honor whatsoever.

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Derek Wildstar awoke the next day to the distant smell of smoke and the loud sound of air-raid sirens in Rome.

“Nova!” he cried as she groggily sat up in bed.

“What’s going on?” she moaned.

“Fighter planes are flying down the streets,” he snapped back. The hotel shook below their feet.

“We’re being bombed!” Nova cried as she looked out the window. “My God, Derek, St. Peter’s is burning!’

The door slammed open. Just as Nova was pulling on a long t-shirt over her slender body, Mark Venture ran into the room. “Holly’s missing!” he yelled.

“She didn’t stay with you?” snapped Derek. “The Secret Service should know where she is…”

“All our detail is out in the hall, Wildstar,” blurted Mark. “They’re all dead.”

“Dead?” cried Nova as she pulled on yoga pants and kicked into a pair of sandals. “God, no!”

“They only missed us because the invaders don’t seem to know we’re in here,” Mark said. “Yet.”

Derek jumped into a pair of uniform pants, pulled on a uniform shirt, and stepped into boots, pulling on the first blue EDF jacket he could find.

Nova thought he looked a lot younger and very attractive as he buckled on his Cosmo-Gun.

Then, he threw Nova her weapon and said, “Keep this handy. We’re gonna need these to check out of this hotel. You can forget room service for now; the enemy’s probably eating them out of house and home.”

“They’re eating people,” Mark said in a horrified voice .

“What?” Nova said as Mark stole one of Derek’s shirts and pulled it on over his bare chest.

“They’re eating people, Nova,” said Mark. “I saw two of them; after they killed one of the Secret Service men, they began to eat him.”

“My God,” said Nova, who looked sick for a moment.

Then, she caught some of the smell coming from the hallway; a vile mixture of human waste and the stench of decomposition.

When she caught that smell, Nova excused herself, and she was sick in the bathroom.

“We’ve gotta get out of this city,” said Mark.

“Okay, where are we going to go?” said Derek.

“Let’s find a fighter and fly to the Tokyo Megalopolis,” Nova suggested. “When we get there, my Presidential escape shuttle should be waiting. We’ll establish a link with the remaining Command here on Earth, and we can fly to either the Aquarius or the Yamato. Derek, you can establish your Admiral’s Flag on one of those ships, and either of those vessels would have the gear I need to establish a Command Post, although I’d probably have to practice medicine as the Medical Officer and you might even need a radar officer.”

“Do you remember how to run that thing, Nova?” said Mark.

“Of course I do; it’s like riding a bike,” Nova said.

“I’m not going to try to get to Gaeta Naval Station; it’s too far,” said Derek. “Luckily, there’s two squadrons on the outskirts of Rome at Ciampino Base, which we can get to by going underground through the subway. We’ll get some gear from the hotel gift shop, such as flashlights, and head on out of here ASAP. Holly can catch up with us later because we have to get the President to safety. Are we agreed on that?”

Nova and Mark nodded. Then, Mark bowed his head and said, “Holly, I hope you’re alive out there…somewhere. And I hope you still love me…”

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In truth, Holly Venture was on her way to the Tokyo Megalopolis already…

She was manacled to a sink in an EDF staff airliner, which, as she discovered, had been taken over by General Stone. They were somewhere over the North Atlantic, headed for the North Pole and the polar route to Japan.

“I’m COLD in here!” she yelled. “I’m wet! Why did you bastards strip me naked?”

“It’s an ancient R’Khell and Rikashan custom,” hissed Stone as he poked one of the bare soles of Holly’s feet with a riding crop. “Slaves are always naked in their culture to show them they are NOTHING as far as we are concerned, and all our prisoners are considered slaves of the Lord Ekogaru. That’s all you are right now, Holly Venture. You are a slave, and putting clothes on you would be a waste, since to us, you are nothing, and you have no human rights whatsoever; except the right to suffer.”

“Why did you join up with the enemy, you bastard?” snapped Holly.

Stone slapped Holly across the face and said, “Long ago, the Dark Lord offered me eternal life. As you see, I am evolving from human to machine, bit by bit. As such, I will live forever as the ruler of Earth in the Name of Ekogaru and will live still when your naked body dies and you become dust under my boots, you arrogant little whore!”

“Let’s see you try it,” hissed Holly. “I’m on the outs right now with my husband Mark, but he’s coming for you. Along with Admiral Wildstar and the rightful President of Earth, Doctor Nova Wildstar. Even though she’s a dork, she and Derek will figure out some way to shove you up Ekogaru’s ass and to shove both of you into a black hole someplace. When that happens, I’ll willingly kiss her feet in gratitude!”

“You’ll kiss MY feet first, you bitch, along with other parts of me!” yelled Stone as he knelt on the ground in front of her. He clapped his hands for two Technomugar guards, who held down the kicking, spitting, and struggling nude body of Holly Venture while Stone opened his pants, forced her legs open, and began to viciously rape her.

Holly screamed and screamed until one of the guards lifted her off one of her buttocks.

With a roar of pain, Holly was injected in the bottom with some sort of vile syringe.

Her world quickly went black as the drug knocked her unconscious.

But, General Stone laughed as he continued to rape poor Holly…

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Derek, Nova, and Mark were walking through the subway in Rome a while later.

In the subway, it was dark, dank, and it smelled of blood and death.

They had encountered two knots of enemy troopers already, and two vicious firefights had broken out.

They were pleasantly shocked when they saw daylight up ahead.

“Let there be light,” Mark whispered.

“And there was light…” replied Derek with a nod to Nova.

Then, green plasma beams began to fly down the tunnel.

The three of them took cover behind some construction debris.

“I’ve got two,” said Mark as he fired.

“Getting there,” grunted Derek.

Nova felled one with her weapon, and said, “I’ve got a feeling that this garrison unit wasn’t expecting resistance…”

“They weren’t,” Derek replied as he felled another one.

“Last one,” said Mark.

“GO!” snapped Derek.

They ran towards the light and found out they were going uphill.

The three of them emerged into the light, and they found themselves behind a narrow building.

Derek kicked open a glass and metal door that he fired at, and they ran inside.

“What’s this place?” Mark said.

“An office building,” Derek said. “EDF by the style of it.”

Nova screamed as her toe bumped something.

“What is it?” hissed Derek.

Nova pointed down. It was a dead man in EDF uniform with his head torn off. “I need to find some boots somewhere,” she said as she found a bottle of cleaner and dumped it on her sandaled foot as she winced. “I don’t need to pick up blood-borne pathogens from…”

Mark heard a strange snarling noise behind him, and jumped back as one of the corpses got up.

“I….need….brain….” it said as Ekogaru’s laughter sounded all around them. “Braaaain…”

“Shoot at its head, Mark!” Derek said as he did that…and it fell down.

The zombie that fell was replaced by four more.

“Crap,” said Mark.

“What did they do in that old movie?” mused Nova as she jumped up on a desk.

“Nova, this is no fucking time to be discussing MOVIES!” said Derek.

Nova bit her lip, held out her hands, and fire came from her fingers, hitting each zombie in the head.

“I remembered the movie,” Nova said. “Night of the Living Dead, late 20^th century. Fire applied to the head of zombies destroys them. Practical knowledge I thought I’d never have to actually use. You hear me, Ekogaru? I watch old movies, too!”

“He’s awfully quiet,” said Mark.

“Yeah,“ said Derek. “Maybe he’s out of ideas.”

“No, he’s not,” Nova said as she jumped down. “Look out that way. There’s the tarmac of Gaeta Base. And look what’s sitting right there waiting for us…A Cosmo Tiger IIC; three-place.”

“It could be booby-trapped,” said Derek. “And it won’t get us that far.”

“It’ll get us to the Megalopolis,” Nova said. “From there, we can get a shuttle to get off Earth and regroup with the fleet.”

Derek gritted his teeth. “I thought we were going to stay on Earth and fight.”

“Not practical right now,” Nova said. “My Government will survive better as a Government in Exile until we can regroup, get more firepower, and assault Earth and take it back. We’ll require several thousand ships to do that, Derek.”

“But…” hissed Derek.

“Wildstar,” said Venture. “Look beyond the short-term battle. She’s right. We’ll need to get the whole Alliance together to retake the planet and get these horrors off.”

“I never thought I’d be looking surrender in the face,” said Derek.

Nova abruptly slapped him across the face. HARD.

“WHO SAID A GODDAMN THING ABOUT SURRENDERING, ADMIRAL?” she roared in a voice that made even Derek cringe back as he heard the harshness in it and saw the fire in her eyes. “I CERTAINLY DIDN’T! THIS IS A BATTLE I INTEND TO FIGHT TO MY VERY DEATH! AND THEN, IF IT’S GOD’S WILL, I INTEND TO GET RIGHT BACK UP LIKE THE TABLETS SAY QUEEN PELLAS DID AFTER EKOGARU KILLED HER AND GIVE EKOGARU HIS OWN BITTER MEDICINE DOWN HIS THROAT! THIS IS A STRATETGIC WITHDRAWAL, NOT A SURRENDER! AND I WILL EAT GRASS AND DIRT AND PINE CONES UP UNTIL HE IS DEFEATED! Then, maybe I can rest,” Nova said as he voice assumed its normal tones. “You know how Desslok said, as long as Gamilon lived, he lived? Well, as long as we live, Earth lives!”

“And I thought I was the tough one of the two of us,” said Derek. “That’s cold…hard…”

“But you know it’s necessary,” Nova said as her eyes filled with tears that she wiped away hard. “And you know I’m speaking the truth.”

“You are,” he said as he hugged her.

“Thanks,” Nova replied.

“We’d better get to that fighter before any more creatures show up,” Mark said.

Derek and Nova nodded.

The three of them ran out.

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II. A NARROW ESCAPE

Planet Earth

Rome, Italy

June 26, 2231

1830 Hours: Local Time

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Mark checked every part of the fighter over physically while Nova scanned it and murmured under her breath.

Derek sat in the cockpit, refusing to touch a single switch until the two of them were satisfied there were no booby traps.

“This one is clean,” Nova said a moment later as she climbed up into the rear part of the cockpit and helped Derek power the ship up.

“I wonder why they didn’t touch it?” Mark said as he climbed up to the gunners’ seat between the plane’s vertical stabilizer fins.

“I don’t have any idea,” shrugged Derek as he put on a helmet in the seat.

“He can’t be everywhere at once,” Nova said as she put on her helmet and shut the cockpit while Derek brought up the ship’s twin engines. “Radar coming up; scanners and sensors on line. We just have to swing two turns and we have a clear path to the runway. I can help with the rudder; kicked my sandals off.”

“Power level seventy percent,” said Derek as he said, “Nav-computer on line; I’m putting it on inertial nav since the GPS satellite system is down. Power to guns and missiles coming up.”

“My gun’s working,” said Mark. “Target scope locked on and scanning…”

“Rudder assist up, check,” said Nova.

“Power ninety percent, check,” said Derek. “Stick is live…”

“Internal life support on,” said Mark.

“Life support set normal-Delta,” said Nova.

“Undoing internal chocks…opening for thrust, two percent,” said Derek as the Tiger began to roll down the taxiway.

“I’d dispense with nav lights,” Nova said.

“No shit,” said Derek with a grin as the Tiger headed to the first turn on the taxiway.

Then, they heard a siren blowing in the distance.

“I think we just rang the doorbell,” said Mark.

“Second turn, c’mon,” said Derek as he and Nova saw Technomugar troopers running up and shooting at them. “On the runway now, heading due East…I’m not calling for takeoff clearance…”

“Earth fighter plane,” snapped a cold voice over their headsets. “You have been targeted. That ship is not demilitarized. Shut down your engines now…”

“Like hell I will,” said Derek into his mike.

“You’re not cleared to take off!” blared the enemy in their headsets.

“EAT THIS!” yelled Derek as he threw the throttles back at once and the Tiger roared down the runway with a loud screech for about eighty meters as the enemy fired at them before Derek pulled back the stick and blasted off at an almost ninety-degree angle.

The three of them were pushed back hard into their seats as the Tiger struggled for altitude, almost stalling, but then gaining more thrust as Derek straightened out a little.

“DAMNIT!” he said a moment later as every light went off on his dashboard.

“What is it?” said Mark.

“They disconnected the cooling system!” Nova said. “What a trick! How much flight time do we have until it blows, Derek?”

“Seven minutes,” he said. “It’ll just get us to the North American Eastern Seaboard…if we’re lucky.”

“WE have NO luck,” said Nova. “There’s ten enemy planes gaining on us! Distance, 200 kilometers!”

“GREAT,” said Derek. “What a spot!”

“Nice knowing you guys,” said Mark.

“We’re not cooked yet,” said Derek. “Even though the engines are getting there…”

Nova sniffed in her helmet. The first few tendrils of smoke were beginning to trail into the cockpit.

Their fighter plane was a flying bomb.

_____________________________________________________

More Technomugar planes were after them a moment later.

Many of them, shooting at the plane as it flew over the Atlantic in a pitched battle as Derek gritted his teeth and Mark shot at the enemy with all he had.

“Danger!” said the plane’s computer. “Overheat temperature to be reached in one hundred and twenty seconds!”

“Two minutes to go,” said Derek. “I wish I had time to confess my sins…”

“There’s only ONE way to give us a few more minutes of life and flight time,” Nova said. “I have to take a big risk. Derek, I have to take the controls and act as a heat sink for some of that engine heat.”

“What?” Derek said.

A moment later, Derek found himself in the plane’s rear place; with Nova’s flight helmet in his lap…and all of her clothing.

Looking forward, he saw Nova sitting there flying the plane….clad only in a garment of her own light like a young, startlingly beautiful naked Renaissance angel.

There was a definite barely-visible but quite present heat shimmer around her body as every gauge turned orange, and the Tiger’s warning voice said, “WARNING! APPROACHING INTEGRITY LIMITS OF AIRFRAME OF FORWARD COCKPIT! WARNING!”

“Be quiet,” Nova snapped as she took the plane down hard towards the ocean and literally drew sea water into the cooling scoops before she kicked a button with her toes and actually blew part of the ship’s lower fuselage off, leaving the glowing engines as bare as her skin was even as she blew off the plane’s canopy and water and mist rushed over Derek and herself, feeling cooling to Derek and even cooling her as the water flashed to steam when hitting her skin.

“How the hell are you doing that?” Mark said.

“I’m pulling the heat energy into my body and exhausting it,” Nova said. “The Matrix advised me since this bird has no cooling system, I have to be its cooling system myself. “

“And….why are you…if I’m getting this right…naked?” said Mark.

“If I had on my clothes, they’d be cinders by now, anyway,” Nova said. “You two take a deep breath…I’m submerging this bird, and then I’m taking us somewhere.”

“Where?” said Derek, as the strange nausea of dislocation hit him again….

..and he found himself standing in the living room of a semi-darkened row house….

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III. IN A DIFFERENT PLACE….

Planet Earth

Philadelphia, PA USA

June 26, 2231

1230 Hours: Local Time

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“Where ARE we?” said Mark as he looked up out a window at a Sun that was now back at noon, thanks to ending up in a different time zone in an instant.

“One of our houses, on Comly Street in Philadelphia,” Nova said. “Ekogaru will be looking for our remains in Chesapeake Bay, not in the house I bought while we were teaching a hundred and ten kilometers away in Philadelphia,” Nova said as she yawned on her toes before grabbing her tunic back from Derek.

However, she stopped putting in on as she looked at her still-gleaming slender nude body, which Derek saw was sweating and shivering, even though it was warm in the row house. “I don’t know what my temperature is…but, please pardon me, guys…I can’t stand the thought of being dressed right now….and I need water…”

Derek kissed her and then stopped as he looked down her body. “What’s that on your hip?” he asked.

“This?” Nova said as she felt her hip, noticing that Mark was looking sidelong at her, while trying not to. “It’s okay, Mark…you’ve seen me naked before, especially when two of our kids at a time were nursing,” she said. “It looks like a rose...a rose tattoo?”

“Have you gotten any tattoos since I last saw you in your birthday suit?” Mark teased.

“Of course not, at least not permanent ones,” Nova said. “I used to let the kids give me temporary ones when they bathed Japanese-style with me, especially the girls. But this looks permanent…” she said.

“It looks pretty on you,” said Derek as he looked hard at it and then gently kissed it, making Nova blush and curl up her toes.

“It looks like it appeared on a part of your hip that would be normally covered by clothing…even a bikini bottom would probably cover it,” Mark said.

“If we don’t have to go out right away, I’d rather not put anything on it for a while,” Nova said. “I’m curious about it,” she said as she lay down on a love seat in the house. “I’m still very hot, but the rose feels very warm. It almost feels…alive…and I feel our bond through it, Derek.”

“I wonder what it could mean?” Derek said.

“It means the tide is already beginning to turn, Your Majesty, even though you still have much to suffer before you finally come into your Own and are able to fight our enemy,” said Miarahl the Ralkhen as she appeared in the living room from out of nowhere.

“Where did you come from?” asked Mark.

“The bridge of the Argo, or, as you all have renamed her, the Yamato,” said the lovely, strange cat-like humanoid who, clad in only her fur, was as naked as Nova was. “And I do not know if you were aware of this, but Terra is no place to linger on for long now.

“We were going to go to the Tokyo Megalopolis, or at least call them,” said Derek.

“That is the one thing you will NOT want to do,” said Miarahl sternly. “The other Ralkhen, Aliscea and myself are leading a rescue mission, Nova, to get your Government in Exile aboard the Yamato and off this planet. You will want to stay on the Yamato and I foresee you will soon assume command of her, Nova. As soon as you are cool enough to travel, you will want to literally, for the sake of your crew only, just clothe your skin with your peacoat, put a Captain’s hat on your head and sandals on your feet, and run as if the Devil himself was after you, for in Ekogaru’s coming, that is the honest truth…especially since HE has just landed in the Megalopolis himself.”

“Miarahl, where’s his damned Fortress?” Derek barked.

“Hours away from Earth, but he came here first, to gloat over what he believes is the death of the President of Terra,” said Miarahl. “And the Matrix has Marked you already in preparation for what must follow. That Mark, Nova, is another part of your Heritage as High Queen, a visible reminder of your sealed love for Derek that will stay with you even when Ekogaru eventually captures you and even strips you of your wedding band. When you are in his clutches for your final test, you will be before him and the Cosmos in nothing but the skin you were born in, and during much of your Exaltation, if you should pass the Test, you will often go as naked as an angel in the Pellian Commonwealth…both you and the Messenger who will be at your side. Derek, after some meetings on the Yamato, you will pass to the bridge of the Aquarius and lead her and what remains of the Fleet into battle before you arrive home again to the Yamato. Mark, you will return to the Yamato and serve there again, but I prophecy that you will find, lose, and in an unexpected hour, find and Bond anew with she who is still alive in you and will live yet again, having never died.”

“Now what does that mean?” Mark said, puzzled.

“You shall learn, in time,” Miarahl said as Nova drank some water while Derek placed a thermometer in her mouth. It bleeped and Nova said, “102.5! I’d confine myself to bed right now and an alcohol bath!”

“No time, if what the lady says is true,” said Derek as he and Nova ran upstairs.

Now, in the meantime, about here is when I come into the story again.

It turns out I was never picked for that Grand Jury against the suspected Al-Qaeda operative. They never told me what happened at the Federal Courthouse, but I found out later through another Google search that he fled the country and never came to trial.

Then, the phone went quiet. I didn’t hear from Nova for a long time, and life returned to normal for me. Well, almost normal. For myself; five years have now passed. It’s now late April of 2020. And, I was just diagnosed with prostate cancer. Stage IV, metastatic into my bones. The oncologist told me I have a few years, which can be prolonged if I respond well to oral and injected chemotherapy.

COVID-19 is rampant and it’s been changing the world, and NOT for the better! I’ve been working at home on my work laptop upstairs in my home office, which is actually the second upstairs bedroom of our house.

Oh, yes. Gail and I became homeowners about two months after the first phone call from Nova. We were in negotiations to buy our house in Wissinoming, then. For those not familiar with the metropolis of Philadelphia, PA, there are many neighborhoods, each with a distinct name. Our old apartment was in a neighborhood called Bustleton, on the busy Roosevelt Boulevard. Wissinoming is a mostly residential neighborhood in the lower Northeast part of the city. Gail and I closed on our row home in a development on Creston Street; a quiet residential street near Wissinoming Park, which is a big park filled with trees, baseball fields, et cetera. To reach the park, we go down a side street called Hawthorne Street one block to a major east-west street called Comly Street.

Comly Street has some neat houses on it. Our row house looks like all of the other houses in our development, and it was built sometime in the mid 1920’s with a front porch, brick façade, and a dormer clad in shingles on the second floor where our master bedroom is. The houses that I am thinking of on Comly Street have small porches, peaked roofs, and the facades of the homes look like hand-carved and laid fieldstone. The houses I am thinking of are in the 4030 part of the block.

One such home will soon figure in the continuation of this strange story.

Except for one brief phone call from Nova last year (on my cell phone) that I nearly hung up on since I thought it was a telemarketer, I haven’t heard from her in a while. That phone call was only a minute, and it warned me to watch my back. Now, from my past military experience in the Army, I’m good with weapons. Gail and I have a small Ruger carbine in the house for defense in case, God forbid, we ever have a home invasion. The neighbors tell us that such things seldom happen in this neighborhood, but I know two of my neighbors are armed against such an eventuality. In response to Nova’s warning, I did obtain a Concealed Carry permit and a small Ruger handgun, with shoulder holster; I wear it only when I must go to a bad neighborhood. I’m active in my church, and I was a member of the Congregational Council, my church’s governing board, for a while. At that time, and afterwards, I make food deliveries for the poor during the Holidays as part of my ministry. I take the handgun under my coat then.

Back to the current time. I’ve been working at home today, but I had to check into work a half hour late since I made a run to the pharmacy early in the morning before my shift began. In the five years since my first phone call from Nova, I have been promoted, and I’m now a Senior Death Claims Examiner, with requisite jumps in pay and responsibilities. Today, I have to grade some peoples’ work for errors, so after I check in on the home laptop, I put on my headset, expecting calls from clients. My job includes investigating and paying out disputed claims in cases where family members are arguing about who gets what insurance and what share, homicide claims (to eliminate family members who were associated with the murder of the insured veteran) and other such work.

I complete my work, even though I feel dizzy and unwell while doing so. Then, I send in my report on my co-workers’ performance and error stats for that month, and do some work on a case for a deceased veteran in Maine. I have two feuding family members, and one of them says the other one made threats to make the now-deceased veteran make their brother the beneficiary when she knows that the insured wanted her to be the beneficiary. While I do this, I’m casually dressed; black jeans, black sweatshirt, sandals.

I hear Gail puttering around downstairs in the living room. Before lunch, she put on the local news and fed our small tortoiseshell cat, Tabitha, a very affectionate and sweet little creature. Felix the cat is no longer with us; his body sleeps in our front yard in a grave I dug for him.

An intense wave of dizziness hits me as I get up from my office chair behind my little desk to stretch my legs. It’s so bad that I almost pass out.

“I can’t finish my full shift today,” I say to myself, aloud. I get Bill, my supervisor, on chat, and tell him in the chat window that I’m sorry, I have to finish my tour early today. He sends back in his chat window that it’s OK, I tell my fellow Senior Claims Examiner for our unit what’s wrong, and she understands. So, I begin to shut down, but my phone rings.

It must be that lady from Maine, I think to myself. I answer on the second ring, and say, “Good morning, this is the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Mister Kopetz speaking, how may I help you?”

“Freddo,” says an alto, slightly midwestern female voice I know very well. It’s Nova. She sounds out of breath. “This time, you’ll need my help. Listen to me, very closely.”

“Okay,” I say. The room turns silent. Gail calls up the stairs, “Who is it?”

“This is an important call, Fluffy!” I yell back. Fluffy is my pet name for Gail, as I think I said before. It’s actually “Fluffy Kitten” because Gail is a great cat lover. Well, so am I.

“Listen, Fred,” Nova says. “You have about fifteen minutes before all holy hell breaks loose on your block. HE is back. With assassins, this time. Get your handgun; put a jacket on over it. Get Gail. Get Tabitha in her carrier. Then, go down the block to Comly Street. Stand in front of the first fieldstone duplex row house you find, right past the brick one. Then, hold Gail’s hand, and wait.”

“Wait for what?” I snap.

“Rescue and a ride,” Nova snaps back. “Have you ever traveled through time before?”

“Heck no,” I responded.

“This’ll be a little new for me. Derek and Mark and Miarahl and myself are in that duplex you’ll be looking at. We’re there, now. Problem is; we’re two hundred and eleven years in the future. I pulled someone back and forth through time-space exactly once. I hope the effort doesn’t kill me,” Nova said.

“Do you have to take such a risk?” I yell back.

“I’m getting the same thing from Derek in my other ear,” Nova snaps back. “I have no time for arguments from you or from Derek! Luckily, I just got decent for guests; my clothes are sort of wrinkled, though. Oh, have your ID ready, yours and Gail’s. I have some security agents in front of the house. You must clear them first. Good luck. HURRY!” Nova yells.

Silence. She hung up.

I finish checking out from work on my PC as fast as I can and pull my government ID badge from the laptop. Then, while putting on my weapon, I yell, “Gail…we have to get ready to do some running, and you have to help me! SHE called me again and said we’re in great danger! Get Tabitha. I have to get her in the carrier.”

“Why?” Gail yells up the stairs. Then, I appear at the head of the staircase, pulling on a Jerusalem Lodge 506 nylon windbreaker with my name on it. Then, she turns pale and says, “HONEY BUNNY!” (her pet name for me.) “WHY ARE YOU WEARING YOUR PISTOL?”

“Things are about to go south, and fast,” I yell as I run down the stairs. Vertigo hits me again. ARRRGH.

Gail holds me as I catch my breath. “Nova tells me the neighborhood will be under attack, and we have to get to Comly Street, down by the park. Hold on...getting Tabitha’s carrier from the basement.”

I stagger down the narrow basement stairs, squeeze past my S Gauge American Flyer train layout built on a 5 by 9 ping-pong table, and get the carrier. I get upstairs and get the carrier up.

Gail has on a pink sweatshirt and black capri pants. She is holding Tabitha.

We get the mewing and protesting little cat (barely bigger than a kitten) into the carrier as gently as we can. Gail kicks on her white sandals; Mexican-style huarache-type woven shoes. I get my keys, and we take off out of the house as fast as I can.

We hear police sirens in the distance, and stagger down Hawthorne Street. On the way there, I stop to catch my breath, leaning against a red car; my new one which replaced the VW in late 2015; my current car is a cherry red Camaro we call Cheri. Gail picked out the color for me at the dealer, and she said she wanted me to have a better car since the old Blue Max, the VW Jetta, had picked up a few dents and dings, also, the wheel alignment on the front of the VW was skitzy; the front wheels felt like they were wobbling. So, the Blue Max was traded in to the Chevy dealer.

“Are you all right?” Gail cries.

“As good as I can be,” I say as we hear Tabitha crying in her carrier. “It’ll be all right, baby,” I say to Tabitha.

Then, we take off down Hawthorne, hang a right onto Comly, and we go down to the house Nova described; the first house with a fieldstone façade.

“Okay,” I yell, hoping no one in the neighborhood sees or hears me. Especially the people in that house. “We’re here.”

“Okay,” Nova’s voice says aloud, from nowhere. Gail’s eyes go wide like saucers. “Prepare for pickup. Gail, hold his hand. Do NOT let go!”

Gail grabs my right hand; Tabitha and carrier are in my left hand.

Then, everything around us goes dark, suddenly. Mind you, this was at mid-day.

Gail and I feel nauseous, and Tabitha cries pitiably as weird colors and flashing lights swirl all around us.

“THIS IS CREEPY!” Gail screams.

“I think it’s a time warp!” I respond.

A moment later, with a lurch, we are back on the sidewalk, looking at the same fieldstone house.

Only now, there is only one entrance, and the front porch is bigger.

The first thing I notice is that the air smells much cleaner than it ever has.

The birds singing in the park sound the same.

Almost against our wills, Gail and I look towards the west. In our time, there is a cemetery there, and on a clear day, you can sometimes see the top of one of the office towers downtown; the tallest one is maybe 85 floors high; the Comcast Tower.

Only now, there are much taller office buildings in Center City.

It’s definitely NOT the Philadelphia of our time! The cemetery is now another park, and looming over it are high, gleaming white office towers that must be two hundred; maybe three hundred floors high. I can see clear tubes in the distance between some of the buildings.

It looks like a smaller version of the Tokyo Megalopolis from Star Blazers.

There is a loud, blasting roar to the east. Gail and I look up, and we see a massive space warship emerging from what must be the Delaware River. It turns out it’s just a destroyer, but the gleaming red-and-white space vessel roars up through the sky faster than any aircraft Gail and I have ever seen in our time.

Gail was totally amazed.

I tapped her shoulder and pointed towards the two men standing in front of the house. They had on dark suits, with black sunglasses.

“Hello,” I stammered. “I’ve been told…we are expected.”

“Please show me your ID cards,” one of the men said, in an amazed voice himself.

I show him my Pennsylvania State Drivers’ License. The two men pass it back and forth, and I hear one of them murmur, “It’s just like she said. The description is even the same.” They glance in Tabitha’s carrier, and are relieved to see it contains nothing but a small cat. One of the men even puts a finger through a gap in the cage-like door in the front of the carrier to play with Tabitha. She gives his finger a little lick, and seems calmer. She’s no longer mewing pitiably.

“Your ID, please, ma’am?” the other one says to Gail. She gets out her Pennsylvania Non-Drivers’ ID (she does not possess a drivers’ license). They look at it, and then they say, “The President’s waiting for you, inside. Just ring the doorbell.”

I nod, and take Gail and Tabitha up the stairs to the porch.

I ring the doorbell, and a New York-accented voice says, “Who is it?”

“Freddo and Gail,” I call back. “The…lady of the house says we’re expected.”

Then, we hear a strangely accented voice from inside the house that sounds like a talking feline with what sounds like an Austrian lilt to her voice. “Mister Venture, these are the two that she said she would be bringing here.”

Then, the door opens, and Mark Venture comes out to greet us behind the storm door.

He has on Star Force whites, trimmed in green, and his uniform and hair look very rumpled. He looks dead tired, as if he has just been doing something very strenuous. He is in sock feet, and looks as if he needs a good nap.

“Oh, my….” Gail says as she puts a hand to her mouth. “I…I... watched you on Star Blazers…and…you’re real!”

“Well, I think I’m real, Miss,” he says to Gail as he extends a hand. Gail nervously shakes hands with him, and I do the same.

“Get in here and shut the door,” Mark says in a clipped voice. “Kick off your shoes. The lady of the house hates people with shoes on in the house most of the time.”

We follow his directions.

A moment later, a small, sprite-like creature clad only in russet-colored fur comes into the room. She is only about three feet tall, and she’s walking on her hind legs, swishing her tail behind her. She has commanding green eyes, and is leaning on a staff with a cats’ head on it. She looks like a humanoid feline, which is exactly what she is.

Gail’s mouth flies open again, and she says, “I know now we’re not in 2020. Who…who are you?”

“Please let your small feline out,” purrs the small cat-person. “She smells me, and she’s getting excited. My name is Miarahl, and I’m around three thousand years old, give or take a few decades,” she says in that charming little voice. “I’m a Ralkhen, from Planet Rahlkendar. You could say I’m Her Majesty’s sensei.”

“Where…where is she?” I call out as I let Tabitha out of her carrier. Tabitha runs to me, giving me a head-butt, and then scampers to Miarahl, giving her a little meow, we recognize as her “hello, there!” mew.

“Up here, adjusting my necktie!” we both hear Nova calling out. Then, a moment later, leaning on the railing, the lady herself comes downstairs, being helped by a man in Star Force whites trimmed in red we know is Derek Wildstar.

Our first sight of Nova, and we both notice that she looks as if she’s been through a meat grinder. Her honey-blond hair is more of a mess than usual, but the little spit-curls at her cheeks are in place. She also has dark brown eyes under lush eyelashes, with a thin nose upturned in a pixyish fashion at the tip. She looks a bit pale, and she is in a white Naval Officers’ blouse (well that’s how I see it) with gold epaulets with Rear Admirals’ rank stars on them. Her blouse is trimmed with a narrow sky-blue necktie which looks a little askew, and she has on a brown belt with brass buckle, and a white pencil skirt, and is barefoot, with an ankle bracelet glittering on one ankle. She could easily be an actress or TV star in our time; her looks are just…striking. I estimate she’s maybe 5’ 6” tall, an inch taller than Gail.

Derek Wildstar has on his Star Force whites, and he’s also barefoot, and he has gold epaulets on the red shoulder markings of his uniform. His hair is chestnut brown and wild, hanging in one dark, piercing eye under heavy eyebrows. His face is very handsome, and he almost looks Western, but we see a trace of his Japanese ancestry in his eyes. He looks remarkably like the actor who played him in the 2010 live-action version of Space Battleship Yamato. By my estimate; he’s almost my height; I’m 6’ 1”, and Derek is an even 6 feet tall.

“Good day,” says Derek as he helps Nova down the last step. He sounds just like he did in the show, but his voice sounds older, more mature, maybe even a little cynical and tired. Nova is swaying a little as she walks. She looks almost as well as I am; as in…not very. She smiles widely at Derek and kisses him and then says nothing as she offers her hand to me. I realize I’m expected to help Derek steady her and to help her sit down. Derek nods at me, and we both help Nova sit down. She assumes a cross-legged position on an Oriental rug in the living room, not far from the sectional lime-green love seat where she had been showing her markings to Derek and Mark a few minutes beforehand before we got here. I look around the living room. Part of the wall is open, and I see that it seems to stretch into the next house.

“Big living room,” I comment to Derek.

“Nova and I inherited both of the houses from her late Aunt Anne and we renovated,” Derek said. “We put them both together. We needed more room for the kids when we had to stay here a few years.”

“Nova…are you, mmm… all right?” I speak. She looks sick, as I said, not well at all.

“Sorry,” she says. “I just did two major mental workings in an hour. Using that much mental energy is exhausting. I actually couldn’t have gotten you two here if Miarahl hadn’t helped.” Then, she shut her eyes and looked pained. “Right now, the demon creature who calls himself Flagg and is now going under the name of Rashid Falida is leading a R’Khell massacre on your version of Creston Street in the past. He wants you dead, and I know why. Another bit of pain for me as the Federation President. Derek, I never wanted this!” Nova cried.

“I know,” Derek said as he held Nova.

“Why does this Falida want me dead?” I ask. “And why have you been contacting me?”

“We share what can be best described in your slightly archaic English as a “Temporal Spiritual Resonance,” Nova said. “I have been dreaming of you for years. The best way I can describe this is that you pick up, albeit as if ‘seeing through a glass darkly’ like the Apostle or Saint Paul describes in Scripture in First Corinthians 13:12, and I quote: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Freddo, your imagination is a gift from God, just as the abilities you have seen I have are also a Divine Gift,” Nova said as she made a cup of coffee float towards her hand with a small gesture. “Have you ever heard of JRR Tolkien’s short story, Leaf by Niggle?”

I nod, but Gail shakes her head. We’re too awed by all the people here to say much. Nova then says, “Derek, my voice is a little worn out. You tell them. I’ve had you read the story a number of times.”

Derek nods, after he squeezes Nova’s hand, “The story she is speaking of concerns a painter who is trying to paint a perfect leaf painting. It is beautiful, and he wants to paint a tree to go with his leaf. Unfortunately, life gets in his way, and he never quite gets finished with it. Then, he dies, and ends up in a realm that is somewhat like a description of Purgatory, almost like a workhouse. After a time, he finds a tree in another and better part of the country; but it has his leaf hanging on it, and it’s been perfected. The work he never finished in life; he finds in the other Realm. It turns out he was helping to build an actual realm, even though he never knew it.”

“I believe, Freddo,” Nova said after sipping her coffee, “that you, among many other minds in your time, connected with us, in this universe. Yes, the Almighty has made many worlds; many universes. What is the same is that Man always falls from Paradise; once, there was a true Fall that reflected into these different realms. And, then, He, the Living Word, came, and made Himself one of Us. He died once, for all, yet His Death and resurrection reflected into these universes. The Blood of Christ is more efficacious than you can dream. Then we can dream,” Nova said as tears came to her eyes and she wiped them, hard.

“What do you think of this house?” Mark Venture said.

“This house? It’s the leaf you’ve been painting on your website, Freddo. Only now, you, a little old Niggle in your time, gets to see some of his handiwork. There is great beauty, but great sadness, too. And you and I have something else in common. We are both dying of cancer. You, and myself. Yet I have foreseen this; after I die a horrible death, I will come back to life; resurrected, cured, healthy, and able to finish my work before I’m called back Home for the final time. Freddo, your destiny will be the same, but a lot of details will be different. Someday, you will also die. I think. Unless the Rapture happens in your time. I know for us, based on what I can see; it’ll be a while off…I think. For all I know, it could be later today! But, one way or the other, you shall be cured of what ails you, as will Gail. And, at that great family reunion, my friend, we shall all meet there, and Praise Him; the Author and maker of a Gift none of us deserve.”

I add, “I’m awed every time I think about His Grace.

“So...are we,” Derek added.

Nova then shut her eyes. “It’s happened, Derek. The attack…it’s over. And now, you all have to go back. I got you over the worst spot, really. I was granted…Special Acting Authority to do that. You shall not hear from me again, for I have saved your lives. At least, you shall not hear from me again in this life. But, in the next, the place of Glory, where there is no such thing as Darkness, look for us in the Great City. We shall be waiting for you both.”

Miarahl nodded at Nova. The great Terran heroine was holding Tabitha, who seemed to have taken a great liking to her. “Now, Majesty?” she said.

Nova nodded. “Yes. Get her in the carrier. Time to go, you guys.” Derek and Mark shook hands with both of us, and Nova surprised us by giving us hugs.

Then, the strange sense of dislocation and darkness hit again as soon as Nova gave us her last hug. I thought I saw her gleaming before we went down the drainpipe of the Cosmos all over again.

When it was over with, we were sitting on our own front porch, on the cement.

A police cruiser was in the street right in front of our house.

“Where did you two come from?” barked a member of Philadelphia’s Finest as he pointed his service automatic pistol at us. It looked like a Glock. “And what the hell are you doing there?”

“Officer,” I said. “We…we live here.” I sighed to myself. I was almost familiar with this.

When Gail and I first bought our house five years ago, it had been empty and vacant for almost two years, we learned. A neighbor, a nosy one, saw us in the house, moving things in, with the lights on. The police were called, and they showed up and demanded to know what we were doing in the house. When I showed the policeman a water bill for the house in my name and a copy of our deed and Bill of Sale, he seemed very relieved (that we were not guilty of breaking and entering) and apologized for bothering us, and he wished us luck with our move. All very cordial, and the police officer seemed very embarrassed.

This time around, the policemen were not friendly. “ID on the deck!” he snapped. “NOW!”

I complied. So did Gail.

The police officers nodded as they looked at our ID. “Frisk them,” said another officer.

Gail and I had to lean against our own front wall as we were searched. “Before you go up to my chest, sir,” I said. “Want to let you know you’ll find a weapon. I have a permit for it.”

The officer nodded and demanded my permit after he felt for my pistol. His partner looked at the permit with my picture on it while he took my weapon, opened the slide, and looked in the chamber. “Clean, Charlie,” he said. “This guy hasn’t fired it.”

“Why do you have this?” demanded the other officer.

“Sir, I have the weapon and permit since I sometimes have to carry important legal papers in bad neighborhoods where I see clients now and then. I work part-time as an attorney. Here’s my card.”

They looked at my Bar License Card and nodded. Then, the other policeman asked, “Where were you hiding when the shooting was going on?”

“Under my table,” I lied. On my porch, there are chairs, an outdoor table, and a large barbecue grill.

“Good idea,” said Charlie sympathetically. “The guys looked like maniacs; Iranians, we think, and they were just shooting up the place. They had camos on and seemed to appear from nowhere. Their leader was described as a man in dirty jeans and a denim jacket. They got your house.”

I looked at the front door. The door is white wood, with three small windows on it in a diagonal pattern. Two of the windows had bullet holes in them. I would later find the slugs in the house.

There were more formalities, and we were given leave to go back inside our house. We shut the door, freed Tabitha and we turned on Fox News. We saw our own street on TV. The headline on the screen said, AL QAEDA ATTACKS PHILADELPHIA STREET: IRANIAN INVOLVEMENT SUSPECTED.

The view on TV switched to President Trump behind his Presidential podium. He was talking about “the cowardly, low, sickening, attack on Creston Street on Philadelphia, in which ten people died. My heart goes out to the victims and the survivors. We suspect Iranian involvement. I kid you not, this may lead to war.”

“Oh, my God,” said Gail in a broken voice.

“Looks like there will be more interviews in the next few days, Gail,” I said in a choked-up voice.

“She saved us,” Gail said in a stammering voice. “Nova and Miarahl. They just saved our lives.”

At that, Gail and I just looked at each other, sat on the couch, and cried.

We were there a long time.

____________________________________

In their own time, Derek and Nova were doing the same thing; sitting on their couch, holding each other, and crying.

“You two need to collect yourselves and get ready to act,” said Miarahl. “Nova, get your peacoat. Derek, help her.”

Both nodded and went upstairs.

In a closet, Nova found the same black peacoat she had worn years ago when she had commanded the North Carolina. Even though she was sweating under her thin blouse and skirt, she clothed herself in the coat, found a pair of flat brown dress sandals on the floor of the closet, and put on her Captain’s cap.

“How do I look?” Nova said as she stood there, the warm coat covering her much like a dress, just as she had gone at times when commanding the North Carolina years ago. She would be comfortable dressed like that for now, decent enough, but with her flushed skin barely clothed.

“Exhausted,” Derek replied as he put on his own peacoat. Mark ran upstairs and found one of Derek’s old spare blue coats in the closet, and threw it on over his uniform.

A moment later, Miarahl said, “We’re going to head to your vessel now…”

“Where is it?” Nova asked.

A moment later Miarahl nodded….

….and they were aboard the Yamato….which was, as it turned out, on the Dark Side of the Moon…

“We’re surrounded by the Nineteenth Fleet!” said Derek as he looked around.

“We’ve been in two battles already,” said Sandor from his post. “We came back in response to a call from help from the Nineteenth Fleet right before Admiral Wechsler was killed aboard the his flagship, the cruiser Northampton. The Aquarius had been the flagship, but she was pulled out of the battle and is missing.”

As Miarahl sat down, Sandor looked at Nova and bowed his head slightly. “Madame President, and Your High Pellian Majesty, we are aware the Yamato is under your personal protection, but she’s now the default flagship of the Earth Defense Fleet. Some vessels from three other Fleets have fled here from the Tokyo Megalopolis, where the Technomugar are currently beginning to land. If we’re going to counterattack, it needs to at least begin from space, and this is now the center of operations of what I assume to be your Government in Exile.”

“Understood,” Nova said as she seated herself behind her old seat at the radar, which was empty.  She swallowed her worries about Ariel and the absent Jonathan and said, “For now, the Yamato is the flagship of the Combined Earth Fleet and Pellian Fleet, once we are in touch with the Pellians. As the High Queen leading the effort against the Dark Lord, I am sure Astrena will assent to my actions. Derek, as Acting Terran President, I hereby request you assume command…since Jonathan does not appear to be at his post.”

“Yes. Where is Captain Hartnell-Iiyama?” said Mark as he talked to Sandor.

“In Sickbay, badly wounded, along with quite a few others from the Bridge,” Sandor said. “Ariel and young Doctor Bixley are taking care of them. Nova, as a senior ship’s surgeon, you’ll have some work ahead down there after this battle, ma’am.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IV. INTO THE CRUCIBLE…

The Vicinity of Planet Earth

Behind the Dark Side of the Moon

June 27, 2231

0120 Hours: Standard Earth Time (Tokyo Megalopolis Time)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

On the Yamato, the time was now, arbitrarily, 0120 Hours the next day, since the Fleet operated on Earth Standard Space Time, which was based on the local time in the Tokyo Megalopolis, the Earth Capitol.

Homer was trying to reach Headquarters for updates, but EDF Headquarters was not answering. He reported that communications with Earth were down as Derek gritted his teeth and shut his eyes.

Nova shut her eyes sadly and then said, “Admiral, since what definitely feels like an impending battle is the first priority here, I will not stand on authority but place myself in your Chain of Command for now.”

“Good, accepted,” Derek snapped as he sat down behind the Captain’s desk, feeling both a bit strange and also rather reassured now that he was back in his old chair at last. “Mark, assume your old station, since it appears to be vacant, and you will act as my XO,” Derek ordered. “Nova, I see you’re already tuning the radar, so no problems there, and you are in third in command and Sandor is in fourth. Anastasia,” Derek snapped at his own daughter. “Open all guns.”

“They’re already open, Skipper,” snapped Anya. “We’re about to have company again,” she said.

“Large Technomugar Fleet, approaching to starboard,” Nova said from her radar after she took off her Naval cap and kicked off her sandals so she could grab the footplates with her toes.

As soon as the soles of her bare feet touched the cold metal, Nova shivered a little, and realized that for the rest of this mission…she would only have sandals on her feet or go barefoot…and…eventually, an inner voice told her, That will not even matter, because when you come into your own, most of the time, you will be naked before the world….

Nova shivered slightly, realizing that under her peacoat, she was indeed naked. “Range, four thousand megameters, speed, forty-six space knots.”

“Transmission from the lead ship,” said Homer from Communications in worried tones as Miarahl took a post at Analysis after she glanced at Derek and he nodded.

“Put it on the video panel,” said Derek.

Homer did so, and Mark was the first one to look up, and gasp.

“MY GOD!” he said.

Nova looked up.

Looking only semi-conscious and shivering in her own nakedness, Holly Venture had one arm draped over the shoulders of Ekogaru, and behind her, General Stone could be seen holding her up by her hair.

The crew on the Yamato gasped to see what he had become.

His uniform was now all black, trimmed in red and gold. He had a gruesome scar on his face, his hands were still metal, and he had been further turned into a Technomugar cyborg, since a quarter of his head was now metal, with a hideous dial in the left side of his forehead, above a glowing blue eye that was mechanical.

What humanity Stone had left was now withering away quickly as he left Ekogaru to hold up a screaming Holly and he snarled at the Yamato’s crew as he sat down.

“What do you think of my new job at Ekogaru’s side?” hissed Stone. “I am his Lord Protector. I am now his ruler over Terra.”

“I dispute that!” Nova snapped.

“That is not important for now…we shall discuss that later, My Lord?”

“Yes,” said Ekogaru. “Did you lose something when you ran off of Earth behind the Wildstar fools, Admiral Venture?” mocked Ekogaru.

“HOLLY!” yelled Mark. “We’re coming for you!”

“DON’T!” Holly cried back. “Mark, despite our fight, I love….I love you….but don’t come back for me! It’s a TRAP!”

“You don’t have to worry about me!” Holly screamed.

“We’re going to send her to you,” mocked General Stone.

“When?” snapped Derek. “What are your conditions?”

“It’s pretty simple,” said Ekogaru as he snapped his fingers. Four Technomugar warriors grabbed the screaming, naked spouse of Mark Venture. “Do you see this torpedo? It’s a blank. I’ve ordered the warhead to be removed. However, Mrs. Venture will fit very nicely in its place for an interesting test. Namely, how long will she survive the cold and vacuum of space if we stuff her in the torpedo naked and fire her at your ship? She might live. If she hits the wrong part of your ship, she might be turned to jelly. “

“What do we have to do to assure her safety?” Derek demanded.

“Tell your President to surrender herself to me,” Ekogaru said. “And to surrender Earth to me. I’ve captured sixty percent of it anyway since she RAN like a coward! I have installed Stone as my Lord Protector over it…”

“You mean, he is your lackey! That is a ridiculous price,” Nova said. “And the battle goes on, and I will make sure the underground on Terra knows that. And you can’t stop me from going just over there to get her….”

“It’s too late, then,” said Ekogaru, who slammed the torpedo shell shut on a screaming Holly.

“FIRE ONE!” snapped Stone, who smiled as the Technomugar soldiers shoved the torpedo onto its tube launch carriage. “Target…the Yamato…”

Mark Venture screamed as he saw General Stone giving him the finger and then punching a red firing switch.

The torpedo launched towards the Yamato.

It roared towards the ship on a tail of fire and smoke, and vanished.

“Where did it go?” Nova said as it vanished from the radar.

“I teleported it into your Sickbay before impact,” said Miarahl. “She was only in the cold and vacuum for a minute. She may have a fighting chance to live,” said the Rahlken priestess.

“The enemy fleet has just fired a hundred missiles!” Nova said.

“Fleet, forty degrees starboard…evade the missiles!” snapped Derek as the Yamato shook from damage as a few got past the pulse lasers.

With tears streaming down his face, Mark said, “Forty starboard, full power! Homer, repeat that to the Fleet!”

“Yessir!” he said.

Then, a moment later, Nova looked hard at her radar. “Admiral…the Canopus is approaching, with the rest of the Twenty-Second Fleet behind it.”

“Admiral Flexner’s flagship?” said Derek. “I hope the old man is here to lend a hand.”

Derek stared hard at the image of the Andromeda-class space battleship Nova had pulled up. “His guns are open? What’s going on?”

“Signal from the Canopus,” said Homer.

“Put it on the main screen,” said Derek.

The old commander looked at Admiral Wildstar and said, “By whose authority, Admiral, are you in command of the Defense Fleet?”

“The authority of President Wildstar herself. She has appointed me Acting Commander of the Earth Defense Forces. General Wendy Singleton, should we ever be able to locate her, is my second-in-command. As such, I order you to take our starboard flank. You can see the enemy approaching. I’m sure you can tell what’s going on, Admiral.”

“I sure can,” said Flexner. “Unfortunately, I do not take orders from you any longer, Wildstar.”

“Say what?” Derek said, non-plussed at the old man’s arrogance.

Nova stood at her post and shook her head. “Admiral. When you became an officer in the Defense Forces, you swore an oath to defend the planet against all enemies, foreign and domestic in origin, and you swore to obey the lawful orders of the commanding officers set over you by the Chain of Command and the orders of the Federation President. Admiral Wildstar is in his post because of the Chain of Command and my direct verbal appointment. If his orders are not good enough for you, you are proving yourself guilty of direct insubordination, Admiral, and, as such you shall be dealt with later by a Court-Martial Board the Admiral will convene at my request. Henceforth, let me reiterate Admiral Wildstar’s direct order to you myself. As President of the Federation, you can see that the planet is in a battle for its freedom and life. I order you to take our starboard flank myself, then to stand down from your command chair and consider yourself under arrest so that your vessel’s Captain can assume command of your Fleet.”

“I must refuse those orders, Madame President,” hissed Flexner with an utter hatred in his eyes. “The Argo, Yamato, or whatever your rebellious ship is calling itself now will heave to with your fleet, stand down, and you will prepare to be boarded and you and the Admiral will be placed under arrest. I have been informed that an armistice has been signed with the Technomugar Empire and its allies by Earth’s Lord Protector, acting as Regent since you have been assumed to be dead.”

“Do you mean Stone?” snapped Derek.

Another signal broke in. “Yes, that is what he means,” said General Stone as he reappeared on the screen a moment later. “It has been a long time since we have spoken. During my years in the stars, I worked out a treaty of peace with Lord Ekogaru. It was ready for President Wildstar’s signature, but since she was busy gallivanting about doing God knows what until we met you in battle, Lord Ekogaru and I have assumed her dead and the Federation Government dissolved. I am Lord Protector General Jackson Stone, and we would have taken power days ago without all this bloodshed, disorder, and nasty business with the whole lot of you putting up a fight if Nova hadn’t decided to take the Presidency upon herself…or if she hadn’t survived a number of propitious accidents my Lord arranged for her and you, Admiral. It would have been a rather peaceful takeover by your betters.”

“So, now you admit it all,’ snapped Derek.

“Yes, I do,” said Stone. “Are you going to stand down, or do I unleash Admiral Flexner upon you along with all of the other Terran Coalition Forces you have decided to fight?” he hissed as Ekogaru, standing beside him, nodded with approval.

“I am not standing down, and I don’t even have to consult with my President to know she accepts that decision,” said Derek.

“President Wildstar, I take it you are refusing this peace offer?” said Stone.

“What sort of peace offer? One that offers only the silence of the grave?” Nova snapped. “Never! I will openly tell you and your Master that I expect to die in this war, but at the time of my choosing, not Ekogaru’s. Only the Admiral knows this, but I had a reoccurrence of the radiation-based cancer caused by Desslok’s radioactive gas that nearly killed me almost thirty-one years ago before I used the Cosmo-DNA machine. In that reoccurrence, I received treatment and surgery that precluded me from having any more children; no great loss, as I was beginning to enter menopause anyhow. That cancer has returned, and I know now that this time, nothing short of a miracle will save me from dying in two or three years. But I will most likely die before that, Stone, as I accept my mortality…unlike you! Yet, mark my words, I have foreseen a miracle, and as part of that miracle, when we finally meet face to face again and I execute the death sentence that was pronounced over you years ago when you fled Earth, I know that I will be alive, younger, and with child. In that hope, I will not stand down, and my Government will continue to fight the war your Lord started as a Free Earth Fleet of free men and women, good men and women and true continuing to fight for our world and offer what aid we can to our allies.”

“Very well, you bitch,” hissed Stone. “He told me you would probably be the tough little cookie. Admiral Flexner, you are part of my new chain of command. Carry out my orders. Finish off the Yamato in the name of the Terran Coalition.”

“With great pleasure,” said Flexner.

Both Stone and Flexner faded from the Yamato’s view screen as, a moment later, withering fire came in from the Canopus as its entire crew became traitors at that very moment, firing against the Free Earth Fleet’s flagship.

Escort after escort fell around the Yamato, and soon, the Yamato herself took fire from the Canopus, Triton, Mississippi, and Bremerhaven as the Earth flagship shook under fire from the traitors of the Twenty-Second Fleet.

Nova, to her utter dismay, identified units of the Twenty-Ninth Fleet assisting the traitors following Flexner and Stone.

“Derek, there’s twenty more capital ships and a hundred more escorts on the enemy side. I know you hate shooting down our own people, but…”

“If they’re like Stone now, they’re no longer our own people, Nova,” Derek said grimly. “Anya, open all guns! Target, Terran Coalition Fleet!”

“Target, Coalition Fleet,” said Anya as the Yamato’s guns turned and locked on the enemy ships. “Permission to open fire?”

“At will,” said Derek in a low voice.

“OPEN FIRE!” barked Anya in a harsh voice.

The Yamato’s guns spoke a moment later, blasting blue fire into the midst of this strange enemy fleet, where Terran ships were escorted by Bolars and Technomugar vessels.

The Yamato drew first blood a moment later when she hit the Bremerhaven with a point-blank hit, blowing the treasonous New York-class space battleship into pieces.

The war had started in earnest, with Brother now at the throat of Brother, in a vicious fratricide that Nova could sense was taking place below on Earth itself now as members of Stone’s “coalition” assisted the Technomugar in oppressing Earth’s people.

Nova reached out with her mind, and quickly touched Wendy’s mind. She sent a few words of encouragement as Wendy herself manned a machine gun in the Tokyo Megalopolis with some Space Marines.

Wendy whispered back, “Thank you, Nova,” at nothing at all as her comrades wondered as she said, “My friends, our President is alive after all…and she and Derek and the others are continuing the war in space near Earth to drive away the enemy Fleets and the Grand Fortress. And Nova tells me she will eventually return again to aid us….with many, many reinforcements. Until then, she begs us to fight on until she comes back.”

Nova pulled her mind away from her talk with Wendy and visions of fire, suffering, and burning in the Megalopolis that were breaking her strong but tender heart, but also hardening her resolve to fight the vile Dark Lord to her last breath as she watched the battle unfolding around her. Then, she said, “Derek, another Earth Fleet is approaching…but they have not changed their ID Codes to those damn Coalition Codes like the others. My sensors indicate they’re being led by the Sixth Fleet flagship California!”

Homer flipped switches and said, “Admiral…a signal from Admiral Deke Wakefield!”

“Put him on video!”

A moment later, Deke’s smiling face appeared on screen. “I’m sorry that Sasha and I were delayed, sir. I heard about a bombing on Earth before we got into a major hairball with the Technomugar around Arcturus. We took a load of damage, and were just able to warp again today. Is it true you guys are rebels again? What about the scuttlebutt I heard that you have the President on board? Has he forgiven you?”

“Oh, she sure has,” said Nova with a smile.

“She?” said Deke with an almost comical face as Sasha slipped up behind him and whispered, “Deke, I told you that I sensed a lot of changes in the Earth Government.”

“Okay, right…uh…” said Deke. “Admiral Wildstar, did the Commander send you out in this mess?”

“I’m the Commander now,” said Derek as he dropped his head. “General Singleton was killed in the terrorist attack that took out most of Parliament. Only a few members of Parliament and a few officials survived, and the President is a woman now, and is on board ship with us.”

“Where the hell is she hiding?” said Deke.

“You’re looking at the President now, even though I normally don’t make a show of it,” Nova said. “I do hope you have not joined that disgusting Terran Coalition, Deke.”

“Those jokers? Who do ya think put three holes in mah ship?” Deke snapped in a decided Texas accent. “Luckily, I’m still afloat...”

“Good show, Wakefield,” said Derek. “Heave over and guard our starboard flank, would you? I asked Flexner to guard it, but he went wacko and now he’s attacking it!”

“I got that son of a bitch for ya, Wildstar,” said Wakefield with a jaunty salute. “Me and Brew. Brew’s in command of the Colorado now…long story, guys. I lost a game of poker in a bar in Arcturus, and…”

“We’ll catch up later, Deke,” said Wildstar. “Get to work.”

“Aye, aye, sir…”

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A moment later, in utter shock, Nova cried out, “OH, NO! Ekogaru’s Command Goraizu Fortress has warped in right behind us with ten cruisers! Incoming fire!”

“Brace fo’ impact!” cried Eager.

Missiles blazed around the Yamato and her escorts as she was cut off from the rest of the Free Defense Fleet.

Venture just barely managed to evade an incoming beam of energy as the Canopus fired her wave motion guns at the Yamato.

Behind the Yamato, Terran and Pellian destroyers who were trying to screen her were blown to bits by heavy missiles and bolts of energy flying in from Ekogaru’s Command Goraizu Fortress.

Nova scanned the enemy ship and said, “That ship’s an abomination! It’s as big as the First Comet Empire City was!”

“It’s a modular construction that’s part of the Grand Technomugar Fortress itself,” said Miarahl. “I was aboard that accursed ship myself and I nearly lost my life when I was found out by Ekogaru as a spy,” she said as Anya furiously worked the Yamato’s guns, firing over and over again from the now-burning space battleship. “The risk exists, Nova and Derek, that he could call in his Grand Fortress now, and attack Earth itself!”

“That’s wonderful news!” snapped Derek as he said, “So, what are we supposed to do now?”

“Fire a final barrage at them with our Fleet’s wave motion guns, and retreat to New Pellias,” said Nova.

“You’d pull out now?” said Derek. “You’d…let HIM see us running?”

“Yes, so we can regroup to fight another day, Derek,” Nova said as she stood up and put her hand on her angry husband’s shoulder. “Take a look at this,” she said as she put a tactical display on the main screen. “The blue dots are all ours. The red dots are the hostile ships. We’re down to about seven hundred ships, everyone. We’ve already lost over five hundred ships in this battle. They still have twenty-one hundred ships. We’re outnumbered three to one already, and we might be down even worse if we keep this up…”

“And the Yamato’s taken heavy damage,” said Sandor as he stood up beside Nova. “Wildstar, our aft gun turrets have been blown to bits. We can only launch one squadron of Black Tigers. We’re about to lose an auxiliary engine, which we need to warp.”

Derek shut his eyes. “All right, Nova, Your suggestion…is accepted. Venture! Homer! Order all ships to warp out three thousand megameters beyond the battlefront, but to turn around and face the enemy. All vessels that have wave motion guns are expected to join in a final barrage. When we recover our energy, we will warp out to the New Pellias Star System. “

“Roger,” said Mark from his post.

“Turn…hard about, one hundred eighty degrees!” he snapped.

The Yamato turned as Diane Sandor worked to bring up energy in the main engine.  “Energy’s at one hundred percent!” she snapped.

“Order transmitted to the Free Earth Fleet and Pellians and other allies,” said Homer as they looked at a view of the Fleet behind the Yamato; a huge collection of Terran, Pellian, and even Rikashan and Gamilon vessels were continuing a desperate battle to their aft. “They have acknowledged the order.”

“Warp in ten seconds…” said Mark. “Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two...One….Zero…WARP!”

“Warp!” said Derek.

The Yamato roared into warp just as Admiral Wildstar belted himself into position behind the Captain’s Desk at the aft part of the first Bridge.

Followed by the rest of the Free Earth Fleet, the Yamato roared out into hyperspace for a short distance.

But, just as they emerged from warp space, Nova heard Derek’s anguished cry from behind as he cried out in great pain.

“DEREK!” Nova screamed as she ran towards him, heedless of the danger.

But, Derek stood writhing in great pain as his clothes turned to rags around his anguished body.

His Astro-Automatic fell to the deck with a clatter as Nova reached out to him…too late, as she observed his naked body fading ghostlike into non-existence as Ekogaru’s laughter resounded around the bridge from nowhere.

Nova stood in silence as the Yamato emerged sickeningly from warp, kneeling as she looked at the rags that had been his uniform, picking up his hat, and one of his boots as tears filled her eyes.

Then, with a scream that was dreadful to hear, Nova ran to the Combat station and shoved Anya out of her chair to the deck. “I can’t feel him on any of the enemy ships! I don’t know what that bastard has DONE to him! Prepare wave motion gun for firing….target…EKOGARU’S flagship!”

“Mother…are you crazy?” yelled Anya.

“He could have just killed your father!” roared Nova in her daughter’s face as she brought up the firing grip and put on her goggles after tearing off her cap. “I WANT VENGEANCE! Diane! I know damn well you loved him TOO! Give me energy NOW!”

“Energy charge up to seventy percent,” she said. “Nova, it’ll still take thirty seconds,” she said. “But I’ll work as fast as I can…Skipper…”

“Skipper?” snapped Nova.

“Nova, with the rank you have, three stars, you’re now the ranking officer on this vessel and the Captain,” said Mark as he wiped tears from his eyes at what he had just witnessed…the probable death of his best friend for many years. 

“Energy charge eighty percent,” said Diane as Nova began to adjust the target scope.

A moment later, as the pulsing roar sounded throughout the ship, she said, “Energy level….ninety percent….one hundred percent…one hundred ten…one hundred twenty…full charge…”

“Safety lock open!” Nova roared. “Begin ten second countdown!”

What has happened to my husband….is he dead? Nova thought. What about Ariel? Jonathan?

“Ten…Nine…Eight…seven…six..” Nova said as her hands tightened around the firing pistol.

“Derek’s no longer even on his ship, Nova,” said Miarahl quietly. “He’s taken him to his Grand Fortress.”

“Then we’ll need to finish that Fleet,” said Venture.

“That’s what I intend to do,” said Nova as she said, “Five…four…three….two…one….zero….”

When she reached the end of the countdown, she yelled, “FIRE!”

And, then, she fired….

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IV. AN ACT OF RAGE…

The Vicinity of Planet Earth

Behind the Dark Side of the Moon

June 27, 2231

0230 Hours: Standard Earth Time (Tokyo Megalopolis Time)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Yamato’s wave motion gun fired, followed by the wave motion guns of the rest of the Fleet.

Ekogaru had already taken Derek with him to his Fortress, along with Stone.

So, he and his captive and company escaped the holocaust that Nova released.

Some of the enemy fleet warped away…maybe two hundred of them survived.

But, seventeen hundred enemy ships fell to the Earth Fleet’s counterattack, including the Canopus and Admiral Flexner.

“We finished them,” said Anya in awe as the great blast faded.

“Yes…but we can’t retake Earth. Yet,” Nova said. “When we return, we will need to return with many more ships and troops than we have now. Until then, we have to trust Wendy and the Underground to keep up the fight….”

“And, we’re both separated from our mates,” said Homer as he came over. “Wendy and I had issues we were working out…”

“I had no such issues with Derek,” Nova said as she shut her eyes, and fell weeping bitterly into Homer’s arms.

“We will find him, Nova,” Miarahl said. “I can foresee it…”

“Yes…but what sort of shape will he be in?” Nova said.

“I’d suggest we warp out of here, to a safe haven, before any enemy forces come back,” said Sandor.

“We can head to New Pellias,” said Miarahl.

“Mark…prepare us to warp out to New Pellias, on the double,” Nova said. “Homer, let the Fleet know where we’re going…”

Both men saluted as they turned to follow Nova’s orders.

Anya handed Nova her cap, and said, “Mom, I think this is yours.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant,” said Nova.

A few minutes later, the Yamato warped away, followed by the rest of the Fleet.

Nova felt bitter as they left.

We defeated their Fleet, she thought. But, Ekogaru is still alive…and he has Derek in his clutches! My poor Derek…I can just feel you’re alive in my Bond, but I can’t feel anything else. What has he done to you, my darling? Nova thought. What is happening to you there?

Please, God, Nova prayed. O, Lord, keep him alive and safe there on that Fortress until I can get there to save him….Amen….

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

AN HOUR LATER…..

NEAR NEW PELLIAS….

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Fleet had arrived.

They were now in orbit around New Pellias as Nova stood up and left her post at the Combat Station while Anya took over.

Anya hugged her mother before she left. Having seen her in command, she had a new respect for her, while her heart went out to her at the disappearance of her father.

Anya thought, She must be blaming herself to no end. But, Mother, don’t do that. It was NOT your fault.

Also, she was trying to comprehend what her mother had just told her.

Had she just been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant?

She had no idea what to think as her mother walked away.

“You can’t do it alone, not yet,” said Miarahl softly as Nova assigned Sandor the Bridge while she and Mark left together to see how Holly was.

Miarahl followed them into the lift.

“There’s no one else,” Nova said. “And we need Derek back with us.”

“You have to organize the battle to bring Ekogaru down, first,” said Miarahl. “New Pellias is going to be his next target…or, maybe Iscandar.”

“I’ll organize our steps, and then take a side trip to save Derek in the next few days, alone if need be,” Nova said.

“You won’t be alone…because I’m coming with you,” said the ancient Ralkhen.

“You’re too old…you can’t do it,” said Mark.

“I may be old, but I’m not too old to fight,” said Miarahl as they arrived in Sickbay.

Doctor Bixley greeted them there, his brown face grave as he told Nova, “Ma’am, you’re going to have to scrub. We need to perform an emergency operation to try to stabilize Holly Venture,” he said.

“Consider it done,” Nova said as she ducked behind a partition.

There, she stripped off her sweaty garments and pulled on panties and a green scrub suit and the spare pair of glasses she kept in her locker, stepping into the OR sandals she had in her locker, and pulling on paper booties.

Mark was ushered away by Miarahl as Nova scrubbed and went into surgery on Holly.

“You see how it is?” said Bixley.

“Bad,” Nova said, even as her hands shook with exhaustion. “Her heart’s been compromised, and her brain has eight bone splinters in it and it’s swelling like mad.”

“Are you all right, ma’am?” said Bixley.

“I’m fine considering we were fighting Zombies in Rome, nearly crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in a fighter an hour later and I saved our lives only by draining much of my psi-energy, and then we went right into battle here on this ship where I saw my husband sucked away by Ekogaru into God knows what. I haven’t slept or eaten for twenty-six hours now, and had barely enough time to visit the head twice. I’m doing great, Doc,” Nova said sarcastically as she tried to control her shaking hands. “How about you?”

“Having a blast, ma’am,” said Bixley as they both laughed bitterly while working on Holly.

Four hours passed….

Mark Venture sat up hard, and was comforted by Miarahl as Nova burst back into the room, dressed in her scrubs, sandals, and a white lab coat. She looked very tired, and her scrubs were spattered with blood. Another male nurse followed her, along with Ariel.

Ariel Wildstar was crying, but she bit her lip when she saw Mark.

“How is she?” said Mark.

“Doctor Bixley and I did what we could,” Nova said as she shook her head while glaring at Ariel.

Ariel shut up because she knew her mother’s glare meant Hold it together, Ariel.

Nova then said, “Mark, Holly is not the only patient I worked on. Ariel is crying because we were just working on her adoptive brother Jonathan. He was badly wounded on the Bridge. Unfortunately, he never regained consciousness, and we’ve just lost him. My son, my SON,” Nova said, her fists balling into hard knots of anger that Mark had seldom seen. “I guarantee you, my son will be avenged.”

“My God,” said Mark.

“Ariel’s brother Alex crashed on the fighter bay in the battle right before Miarahl brought us to the ship,” Nova said. “He’s in guarded condition, but I think he’ll pull through.”

“What about Holly?” Mark said.

Nova sighed.

“I removed all of the bone splinters I could from her brain. But, her brain and heart are both too badly damaged for her to live on beyond an hour or so,” Nova sighed. “Mark, she is conscious, and wants to talk to you before she…leaves…as she has put it. Let’s go in to her now…”

Mark saw the first tears falling on Nova’s cheeks, and he knew it was not a good sign.

Nonetheless, they went in to see her.

She was definitely not in good shape…..

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

V. HOLLY’S DEPARTURE…

The Vicinity of New Pellias

Sickbay: Space Battleship Yamato

June 27, 2231

0700 Hours: Standard Earth Time (Tokyo Megalopolis Time)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The group went in to see Holly Venture a moment later.

She was in a bed, connected to many machines, and Mark could see the sheet covering her shivering, naked body was splattered with blood.

Blood also ran from a wound in her hairline, a trace of the brain surgery that Doctors Wildstar and Bixley had performed.

Mark reached to her, surprised she was again conscious. “Holly….”

“Mark…I’m sorry we argued so much. I thought we would have forever to work this out…before they captured me.”

“What did they do to you there?” said Mark.

“Ekogaru raped me,” Holly said in a dry, cold voice. “So did Stone. I always knew he was a son-of-a-bitch, but to do that to a beaten woman who was shackled…that was beyond evil. I was also tortured. All these tools. All these devices. Sharp things. Horrible things. Nova, you’re in great danger. He wants you next. He wants to rape and torture you the same way he did to me. He also wants to do the same thing to Admiral Wildstar…”

“To Derek?” Nova said in a stricken voice.

“Yes. Why do you look like that, Nova?”

“He took him from us during the battle, Holly. I tried to save us earlier in the day and used up much of my special gift. I couldn’t rescue him.”

“You’ll have help, soon,” gasped Holly. “That’s the other thing I was brought back to tell you. Mark, when I was unconscious, I saw Trelaina.”

“Trelaina?” said Mark.

Holly nodded. “I was shown many things, and Trelaina explained a lot to me. Part of her still lives in you, Mark. That’s why you could never forget her. You and she are bonded forever, like Derek and Nova are. I was shown Heaven, and told by Trelaina I’ll be heading there soon, to rest, and that, Nova…They are waiting for you there. I’ll see you again for a time in a matter of weeks, Nova. But, Mark, I love you, I forgive you, and our love will always endure…just like your love with Trelaina. She may not be corporeal right now, but she is….not dead…she lives…and means to come back to you, and the others, Mark…to help….I understand. She and I made a bargain, and my body will be laid to rest in a most…unusual fashion…I….oh, why can’t I draw in…last breath…Mark…”

“Holly!” Mark cried as they saw her eyes roll up before she shut her eyes.

One of Holly’s hands came up in the Star Force salute, and then went limp as every monitor flatlined.

Holly Venture was dead.

Mark held her limp hands and called her name again and again before his head fell on her chest and he cried and mourned her.

Miarahl, Ariel, and Doctor Bixley and the other nurses left Nova alone with Mark as she knelt beside him and mutely hugged him.

She could do no more right now except to weep with him over Holly.

But, Mark appreciated that from his dear friend.

____________________________________________________________________________

“Do you see that?” rasped Ekogaru as he slapped Admiral Derek Wildstar across the face. “Nova’s hugging your best friend, Derek. I wonder if she’s going to get all gushy with him and go screw him next? I wouldn’t be surprised, my dear Admiral.”

“You’re diseased,” rasped Derek as he was forced to kneel on the floor in some room in the Dark Lord’s Fortress.

Derek had on only his fetters, an almost sheer black loincloth that barely covered his manhood, and a blindfold.

A Technomugar guard slapped Derek and pulled on the blindfold before again choking him with a ball gag.

The last thing Derek had on was a heavy iron collar that had a green stone glowing in it.

That device sapped his physical and psychic energy and interfered with his bond with Nova. He could barely feel her, and had no idea where she was.

Needless to say, sending to her with the device on was impossible.

Ekogaru said, “You probably wonder why I have you, Admiral. You’re bait. You know Nova’s going to run to you eventually, don’t you? She has a soft heart and can’t bear thinking of you in any pain. Naïve bitch…”

“I’m glad to see you, Admiral,” said General Stone as he came into the room again. “It’s been a while, Derek.”

Then, Stone kicked him.

Derek kept his head up through the torment as Stone kicked him, followed by Ekogaru, who pulled off his blindfold and ball gag.

As Derek saw Ekogaru, he felt sick, seeing that the body he inhabited looked a bit like the walking corpse of Gary Maples.

“What a beautiful reunion,” Derek said sarcastically. “Ekogaru. You wouldn’t even let Maples lie in his grave?”

“He is the source material for the new body I am building, which I am making mechanical so I can live forever. Unlike you…unless you surrender to me?”

“Ekogaru, if you were alive, I’d tell you to drop dead, but since you’re about as alive as the zombies you sent against us in Rome a few days ago…I’ll just tell you to rot in Hell after someone breaks your sorcerous bonds to this poor dead man’s body instead.”

“I might, but if you don’t play nice, Derek Wildstar, I might just kill you and move into your body instead. Do you find that interesting?”

“I find it sickening, Ekogaru. And stop smiling, Stone!”

“I think it’s amusing,” Stone said.

“I don’t,” Derek rejoined.

Both evil potentates laughed at Derek.

And, Admiral Wildstar shivered at that….

______________________________________________________________________________________

TO BE CONTINUED……