A Lovers’ Quarrel Writ
Large…
Chapter 21 of Starfighter! The
Iconoclast
By: Tom Sczepkowski
With editing and clean-up
by: Frederick P. Kopetz
Copyrights:
STAR TREK is © 2004 by Paramount Pictures, Inc. STAR BLAZERS is © 2004 by
Voyager International, and, STAR WARS is © 2004 by Lucasfilm, Ltd. GARGOYLES is
© 2004 by Disney Entertainment. The Technomugar Empire is © 2004 by Frederick
P. Kopetz and is mentioned here by the author's permission. All original
elements of this tale are © 2004 by Tom Sczepkowski. All rights reserved, not
to be copied without the author's permission.
Neville Royster looked out of the Argo’s observation
window at the North American continent.
He marveled at the view, as before this moment he had never been in
space. He shook with nervousness being
now a stranger in a very strange land and tried to catch his breath.
There was no place for him here.
He walked very quickly, before someone realized that he was
on board, to the Mess Hall, to seek the advice of the one person who would be
able to help him. Namely, Chief Petty Officer Fargo Kingsail, who had once a
Space Marine, but was now the Argo’s
Chief of Mess. Royster, while working as a Civilian Contractor, had always
eaten on the ship. As he and Kingsail were both baseball fans, they would
always spend their lunch hour discussing the latest baseball sagas. Kingsail
looked busy in the galley getting ready for the lunchtime rush as Royster stood
quietly in the hatchway. Kingsail stopped, just glanced at him, and then did a
double take.
“Uh-oh!”
Kingsail exclaimed as Royster gave him a sheepish smile.
“Yeah: Uh-oh.” Royster said as he helped pick up some pans
and carried them over to the stove.
“What happened?” Kingsail said “You were supposed to have
gone to
“That damn relay was flipping out again on the auxiliary
bridge so on my way to the Airport, I stopped off to
check the relay. Next thing I knew the Engines were at full blast and I barely got
myself strapped in, So here I am.”
“Well you’re going to have to talk to the skipper.”
“Terrific.” Royster chuckled. “I’ll get blown out an air
lock…I’ve been listening to ship to shore transmissions, and I know what you
guys are up to. I think right now what I gotta do is stay out of everybody’s
hair….Can you put me to work down here?”
“Doin’ what?”
Kingsail said.
“Dishes to start
with,” Royster sighed as he grabbed an apron.
“Dig in,” said
Kingsail.
For the next hour, things were quiet on Inferno while Nova was able to figure out many of the ship’s
on-board systems. She marveled at the computer library. She was amazed at how
their classical period of history was so similar, yet the modern history was
totally different. To Nova, it looked as
if the differences in their timelines had begun to crop up sometime in the
1970’s or 1980’s…there so many different dates and events around that time that
it was like a blur to her. But, Nova did wonder if the “Eugenic Wars” in their
timeline were anything like “the Wars of Unification” in her own timeline, even
though she knew there was no one named Colonel Green or Khan Noonian Singh in
her own timeline. Likewise, Nova saw no references to Addi Ben Adaba, the
“Firebrand of Tanzania” in her timeline who had caused so much difficulty in
the Unification battles in
She saw no reason why she couldn’t play the piece softly
herself, so she turned it on. As she did so, Nova failed to realize that along
with Vaught’s wolf-like eyes, he also had wolf-like hearing as he turned around
abruptly and smiled.
“The Kalander Prince,”
Vaught said with an approving tone. “You have good taste, Nova.”
“Thanks. According to the tag info in your computer, it was
recorded 15 years ago by a Selar Corsair.”
“My kid sister,” Vaught said. “Actually, she’s not a so much
a kid… she’s a doctor on a vessel called the
Vaught tapped on his console as images of people appeared on
Nova’s part of the canopy.
“Here are some home images if you’re interested,” Vaught
said.
She was taken aback at first by some of the images that she
saw.
“Shocked?” Vaught asked.
“Uh….a little…” Nova said. “Why don’t all of you have
wings?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Vaught replied. “My older sister
and I weren’t born with them, and my father didn’t have them, either.”
A thousand questions raced through Nova’s mind,
however, between the music and the pictures, and also her survey of the
scanners, she felt that those questions were at this point unnecessary.
So
that is his family history, she thought. Different, yet….
Vaught flew the Inferno ahead of the Argo while he checked Inferno’s sensors
and scanners which revealed nothing. He knew, however, that there was something
else out there waiting for them.
The silence bothered Nova as she
cleared her throat nervously “Wasn’t that a little too easy?
No one pursued us. No one whatsoever. I was
expecting…”
Vaught deactivated the breathing apparatus again and rubbed
his eyes gently.
“Do NOT relax, Nova. They’ll keep at it as long as we’re in
the Earth Defense zone,” Vaught said “But, the question is, from where will
the pursuit come?”
Nova looked at the readout on the now opaque canopy, “Still
no sign of pursuit vessels, but this is strange…..
“What?” Vaught asked.
“The Andromeda
isn’t on her assigned course anymore; I mean she was there, but now she’s not.
She’s just….vanished.”
Vaught thought for a second then gritted his
teeth….”Damnit!” He muttered “How did I not see that coming?”
“They’re going to send Gideon after Derek?” Nova asked.
Vaught get out a soft but noticeable Gargoyle growl while he
tapped on the computer keys rapidly as information came up on the opaque
canopy.
“That’s going to be some hurdle if that’s true.” Vaught
said. “A toe-to-toe fight between the Andromeda and Argo might cost Earth both ships.”
There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence when Nova
spoke again.
“Is Captain Gideon from your universe?” Nova asked.
Vaught didn’t answer when a console started beeping.
“Uh-oh,” Nova said “Astro fighters coming in from our moon
station.”
“Interesting.”
Vaught said.
“Inferno, Argo.” came
the voice of Derek Wildstar “Are you
seeing what we’re seeing?”
“Roger that Argo, actual.” Vaught said. Nova felt
like speaking up, but for some reason, she kept quiet. She then realized that
the reason was that she was still angry at Derek.
“We’re moving to alert status.” Wildstar said.
“Um….Ok flight.”
Vaught said, as he brought up some more information on the canopy screen. He
was typing quickly as he looked up at the Astro-fighters and the keys were
moving by themselves in her part of the cockpit as he typed. Nova watched with
amazement as he was multitasking numerous complex
problems at once with almost computer like speed he was reading the personnel
files of the Moon defense base, watching their position and flying the ship.
“I’m thinking that’s the 23 Squadron Royal Air Force,” Vaught said.
“The Black Tigers, our own former squadron,” Nova muttered. “God? How has it come to this? Friend
against friend? Brother against brother….”
“I don’t think it’s the way you see it, Nova,” Vaught said
as he slowed Inferno to a crawl and
lowered her flaps and
landing gear.
“What is he doing?” Sandor asked looking out the bridge
windows
Wildstar looked up and scowled slightly
“I know what he is doing but why is he doing it?” Wildstar said as he walked over to Homer’s
communications console.
“Yes? Why lower your flaps in space?” Sandor said. “You use
maneuvering jets in space, not flaps!”
“It’s an old pilots’ universal sign of non-aggression.”
Venture said. “Or surrender.”
“Why? An alien plane with that kind of firepower and speed
could make easy work of those Astro-Fighters,” Sandor said.
“Alien?” Homer asked
“Our science and technology couldn’t begin to build
something with those capabilities.” Sandor said.
“Maybe Queen Starsha gave the Earth Defense Counsel the
plans to the plane along with the Cosmo DNA and Wave Motion Engine,” Eager
suggested.
“I am beginning to have my doubts that the technology was
even theirs to begin with,” Sandor said.
Wildstar while wearing Homer’s headset raised his hand and
hushed everybody while he spoke to Vaught. He finished the conversation and
took off the headset.
“Vaught’s identified those guys. It’s Conroy and the Black
Tigers!”
“What are they going to do?” Venture asked. “Will they join
us or fire on us?”
“I’m sure they know that the Argo is up here without
orders.” Sandor said
“Corsair thinks they’re up here to join us,” Wildstar said.
“He noted that they haven’t fired yet and don’t seem as if they’re going to.”
“He can’t know that,” Venture scoffed. “What is he? God?”
“He said that their safeties are on and all their weapon
systems are set to standby.”
“He can’t know that either.” Sandor said.
“I think he can.” Wildstar said “I think he’s got equipment
on that plane that can do just that.” Wildstar said as he watched as the Black
Tigers flew around to the Argo’s aft
side.
“Flight, I think we should go to alert status,” Dash said.
“Get our guns up and waiting.”
“No.” Wildstar said.
Sandor stood up and walked over to Wildstar.
“What if he’s wrong?” Sandor asked
Wildstar didn’t answer; he just looked up at the monitor. As
the screen, changed to an aft view, he saw Inferno
not too far in the distance. She was still in her non- aggressive
configuration, but Wildstar felt that if there was going to be a problem,
Vaught would be on top of it quickly.
Then he saw the lead fighter move from port to starboard,
dipping each wing with his flaps down. Wildstar smiled to Sandor as Homer
flipped a switch activating the bridge speakers.
“Argo, this is
Conroy,” came
the voice of the pilot in the lead plane. “Wishing to speak
with Argo, Actual.”
Wildstar having a broad smile turned towards the communications
desk as Homer flipped another switch and nodded.
“This is Argo 1
Speaking.” Wildstar said.
“We never got our invitation to the party,” Conroy said.
“We’re joining it now.”
“Thank Christ,” Venture said.
“Open the hangar bay doors,” Wildstar said with a broad
smile on his face. “Flight ops, let them land and chock down.”
“What about the Inferno?” Homer said.
“Ask the Colonel if he would mind staying on point for a few
minutes before joining us,” said Wildstar.
“Roger, Flight,” Homer said.
“Venture, take the conn,” said Wildstar.
“Aye, sir,” said Venture. “Captain off the bridge!” he snapped as Wildstar and Sandor strode
off the bridge.
The mess hall on the Argo was filled with a
celebratory atmosphere as the Black Tiger pilots and Star Force crew members
were reminiscing of past glories from their Gamilon exploits. However, all of
the conversation came back to the strange fighter that was flying along with
the Argo called the Inferno as everyone commented on it.
Wildstar looked around and saw no one resembling Vaught. He
knew he must have landed on board by now and was about to check with the bridge
when Doctor Sane's Cat Mimi scurried across him and out the galley door.
“Hey!” Wildstar said “Get back here!”
The cat looked at him and turned and walked away huffily
with her tail up in the air.
“Goddamnit!”
Wildstar said. “I hate cats!”
He jogged down the corridor shouting the cat’s name, when he
turned a corner and saw someone he hadn’t expected to see…
Nova.
She and Wildstar just stood there staring at each other; and
Mimi jumped into her arms as she stroked the cat gently.
She looked different to Derek. Maybe it was because of the
strange uniform that she was wearing, however he also sensed
that she seemed more confident in her stance. Wildstar didn’t notice Vaught
standing behind her as he cleared his throat making him aware of his presence.
Vaught felt that they were both angry at each other as Nova
sharply re-adjusted her duffel bag on her shoulder.
Vaught excused himself quietly and asked where the bathroom
was as Nova not breaking her stare with Derek simply pointed down
the passage.
Vaught quickly moved out of the way as Nova put Mimi down.
“I want you off this ship!” Wildstar said. “NOW!”
“&@#% you!”
Nova muttered under her breath as the turned away and slammed the door to the
ladies’ showers.
Wildstars eyes grew wide as he stormed in after her.
“What did you just say?!” Wildstar roared.
“You heard me, Goddamnit!!” Nova screamed and it only got
Louder from there……
Vaught quickly got out of his flight suit. He wanted a
shower more than anything however, the sound of
Wildstar and Nova’s argument was getting more heated. Vaught quietly walked
across the passage and opened the hatch to the ladies’ shower room gently.
“What!?”
Wildstar snapped. “This is a restricted area, Vaught, and this is none of your….”
“Your voices are carrying.” Vaught said in a very calm low
voice. “I must point out that you have several fighter pilots down the passage
that would take amusement in your…..current…debate…..perhaps
such a distraction would not be wise under our circumstances.”
They still glared at each other breathing heavily with anger
as Vaught continued.
“But then, I am only a guest here,” Vaught said. “You don’t
have to take my advice.”
“I cant maintain discipline with
people running in here whenever they feel like it,” Wildstar said. “Get out!”
“I see,” Vaught said. “So your Impersonation of Admiral Kirk
this morning demonstrated that you are the pinnacle of restraint and logic?”
Vaught said.
“Who?”
Wildstar said as Nova glared at Derek. Nova looked as if she wanted to throw
something at him; however, she bit her lip and kept an angry silence.
“A classical reference,” Vaught said. “My point is you are not the only one that can take the
initiative and defy regulations regardless if your intentions are good. In case
you are wondering, your crew, both past and
present, can also take that same initiative.”
Wildstar stood silent for a moment pondering for a moment
what Vaught said. He than turned to Nova.
“As for you, put that boot down. He is acting as the Captain
of this ship, at the moment.” Vaught said
“I know that!” Nova snapped.
“I wonder if you do.” Vaught said calmly. “As Captain, his
actions affect the ship and 400 other people. He may have to give orders that
could possibly send them to their deaths. Did you ever stop to think that if
you are in that situation how he would react, with his loyalties to you and to
the ship crossing currents? Could he keep his command judgment?”
“I wouldn’t worry about that, Vaught.” Nova said. “As long as this
trophy of his doesn’t get scratched he’s fine.”
“I do not regard you as a trophy!” Wildstar shouted
“Yeah I know!” Nova shouted “I was referring to your true love,
the Argo….I’m just the piece he just
keeps on the side….”
“NOVA!!?” Wildstar shouted.
“That’s enough, Starsha!”” Vaught snapped as he closed his eyes and
muttered to himself realizing his mistake. Wildstar and Nova looked at him with
astonishment.
“When things get settled down the three of us are going to sit
down and have a long, long talk,” said Vaught.
“Count on it!” Nova shouted. “I feel like I’m in a nightmare I
can’t wake up from, thanks to both of
you!”
“Nova what you are doing isn’t helping, and I believe that your
analysis of the situation is incorrect,” Vaught
said. “Need you be reminded of the Gamilon sleeping gas attack? The one where you almost died, Nova?”
They both looked at him
“I know your history.” Vaught said, “When you fell ill he
couldn’t function,” said Vaught (while pointing at Wildstar) “and because of
that, he wasn’t watching when Desslok snuck up on him a second time. If it weren’t
for Sandor, your history would have been written much differently, and the wave
motion technology would have fallen into Desslok’s hands when he examined the
wreckage of your ship, and my government would be involved in a interdimensional war.”
“If you felt that way why didn’t you just leave me on
Earth?” Nova said.
“Because I needed a good
“It can be arranged!” Wildstar said. “EASILY!”
Vaught chuckled as he closed the door behind him, leaving
the two angry lovers to just glare at each other for several moments. Finally
having had enough of the stand-off, Nova huffed and walked over to a locker.
Not afraid of undressing in front of Derek, she took off her Starfleet tunic,
tights and other boot and flung open her locker, revealing a neatly folded
yellow flight suit with pilot’s helmet.
“What are you doing?” Wildstar shouted
“What is it look like?” Nova said
in an exasperated tone as she stood there in her undergarments. “I’m leaving
this ship! NOW!”
“Stop it.” Wildstar said.
“Isn’t that what you ordered
me to do, sir?”
Nova shouted as she slammed the locker door shut…right on her finger.
She cursed loudly as she shook her hand while Wildstar
chuckled.
“ARRRGHHHHH!!!!!!!” she bellowed. “Oh, $%^&!!!!! &^*%! &^%$#@@@!!!!!”
“Three bad words in the same year,” Wildstar said with a
philosophical grin. “What would Father Lamanski say?”
“You can find out when he reads your eulogy, Jackass!” Nova seethed while kicking the
locker door with her bare heel. The impact bent it almost in half.
Derek looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments and
approached her cautiously and sat down next to her where she just started
crying.
“I can’t do anything
right.” she sobbed. “I’m an utter klutz! I’m an idiot! You and Vaught are
right. I should have stayed home! I should
have!”
“I wanted you with me Nova,” Wildstar said. “But I needed you
safe….away from all of this danger, really. For you to take a risk like you
just have was too much to ask of you… too much. Do I
need you here?? Hell, yes….but what kind of person would I be to subject you to
this kind of life?...to make you live as a mutineer
with mutineers?”
“I’m not weak.”
Nova snapped.
“So I’ve noticed.” Wildstar said looking at the locker door
with a sidelong look.
“I’ve earned the right to be here!” Nova said in a broken
voice as tears streamed down her face. Her ribs showed at her slender flanks
with each gasping breath. “I’ve earned the right to make a choice! Please don’t
take that away from me!”
Derek gently wiped her face with a towel and kissed her
gently. She responded by grabbing the back of his head and drew him in and
kissed him as hard as she could. After several moments passed by, they both
heard the door open again, however they waited a few moments before they broke
their embrace to a very embarrassed Vaught who simply said “Oops.”
It took several seconds for both of them to get their senses
back as they both stammered, “Uh…sorry…”.
“I had neglected to mention that The Andromeda is not
on her assigned course.” Vaught said.
Wildstar acted as if a bucket of water had just been dumped
on him.
“What course is she on?” Wildstar said.
“Yes, where is she?” said Nova. “I remember what you said
now…remember, I noticed…it….”
“Still unknown; she has just disappeared altogether.” Vaught
said. “But you can be assured that with your rivalry he will be in pursuit.”
“We’re going to have to stay ahead of him.” Wildstar said.
“We both know that he already sees us.” Vaught said. “He
will be coming. And I know Gideon will have his orders. Take us down; or die
trying.”
“God Damnit!”
Wildstar shouted in frustration. “All right! This is a
whole new ball game…” Wildstar said as he turned to Nova. “Lieutenant, you get
into your Star Force golds, meet us on the first bridge, take your old post,
and find Andromeda.”
Nova wiped her eyes again and saluted Derek. “Yes, sir,” she
said, with no sarcasm now, she was an officer obeying a respected skipper. She
began to dress post-haste.
Then, Derek turned to Vaught.
“Colonel, you get into whatever uniform you wear and meet me
on the bridge.” Wildstar said
“Aye, sir,” Vaught said as he quickly left to head to the
men’s showers…
The Andromeda hung
in a low orbit around the dark side of the moon as Gideon glared out the Window
as the Argo passed over them at a
great distance.
His first officer rushed up to him
“We have a firing solution, Captain.” he said. “Our wave
motion guns outrange theirs; we can take them down with one shot from ambush.
Request permission to begin energy transfer to our dual wave guns now.”
“Forget it!” Gideon snapped.
“Sir?”
The first officer said. “What do we do now? It’s obvious that the Star Force
will not return to Earth willingly. We have our orders. Take them out.”
“You don’t have the slightest idea of what happens in
starship engagements, do you?” Gideon asked.
The young first officer sighed, “No Captain, I don’t.”
Gideon looked around the bridge to see the look of
uncertainty on the bridge crew, as he nodded. “Just as I
thought. All of you, green. First, you study the enemy,” Gideon said. “For weaknesses. Right now, we see them, but they don’t see
us…..so….the next course of action is to parallel their course exact move for
move…..I want their sensors to read us as a reflection…..Under no circumstances
are you to engage the Argo without my
direct orders.”
“Yes sir.” The bridge crew sounded off.
“All Right, Gideon said “Let’s move it!”
The Navigator followed his instructions as the Andromeda slowly broke out of the moon’s
orbit to follow the Argo as Gideon
walked back to his command platform and sat in the command chair. And rubbed the
end of his chin…….
Now,
Wildstar, thought Gideon. If I
were you, what would I do next….?
In the men’s head, Vaught still wasn’t sure about what kind
of help he could be. The last time he had been on the bridge of a starship of
any kind was at Wolf 359 with Admiral J.P. Hanson. He wasn’t comfortable with
the idea of serving on a Starship again. There was no turning back, now.
However, there were too many unanswered questions now regarding the security
threat to the Federation, so the only thing he could do now was to follow his
instructions from this very young Captain.
Vaught finished dressing in his Starfleet Marine Uniform which did not
break the tradition of the old United States Marine Corps Standard Combat
Woodland Camouflage uniform…It did not resemble the Starfleet Marine uniform in
any way. It looked like the old USMC uniform, with the exceptions being his
beret that had the Starfleet insignia on it, and communicator pin, which also
bore the Starfleet insignia.
He was about to walk out when Conroy walked in. At this
point, the two had never met. Conroy, being a little over six-foot tall was
surprised to see Vaught towering over him.
“Six foot nine my ass,” Conroy said with a heavy British
accent “How tall is someone like you?”
“Seven foot four,” Vaught replied with a small smile.
“One hears a lot about Colonel Corsair on the Argo” Conroy said cheerfully.
Vaught offered a short bow “Thank you Sir Conroy.” He said.
Conroy was taken aback by Vaught’s formality
“I’d appreciate if you drop the title.” Conroy said
“Especially during these times, as it will probably be stripped from me very
soon. I saw your bird,” Conroy said quickly, changing the subject “Modified
F-104?”
“In appearance only,” Vaught said” Inferno
Class…Bearing the same name.”
“Love to see her in flight.” Conroy said.
“I have the feeling that we will get that opportunity,”
Vaught said
“Nice meeting you.” Conroy said as he walked into one of the
toilet stalls and closed it behind him … and started singing. Vaught checked his uniform again and was
about to leave when Conroy yelled.
“Bloody Hell!”
“What’s the matter?” Vaught asked as Conroy opened the stall
revealing a open port window.
“The Bloody Andromeda
is right behind us!”
Next Chapter: “Gideon”
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Introduction to Starfighter: The
Iconoclasts, click here