PRELUDE: TELEZART
Chapter 32 of Starfighter! The
Iconoclast
By: Tom Sczepkowski
With editing and clean-up
by: Frederick P. Kopetz
And with inspiration and
aid by:
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.
The bridge of the Argo was unusually quiet especially in
the middle of the afternoon. Vaught was busy reading a text message from
Royster explaining his encounter with Q; it read more like a report really as
Vaught was impressed with its detail. He was wondering why Royster would not
come to him directly with the matter rather then writing it.
He looked over to
Nova who was also reading a copy of the report sent to her by Royster. She
looked at him and shook her head almost in disbelief. She was concerned about Royster. They all
were. However Wildstar felt that it would be best if Royster found his own way but
wanted to speak with him directly when the moment arose. Vaught was just as
happy to stay out of the situation much to Nova’s strong objection.
But right now it was
a quiet afternoon on the bridge of the Argo that is, it was, until Venture
sitting at his console turned to Homer.
“Is the radio on?”
Venture asked.
Everyone on the
bridge either rolled their eyes or groaned slightly to themselves as Wildstar
looked at Vaught who just shook his head.
“And they’re off,”
Eager whispered.
“You have got to be
the biggest Drongo this side of Menervia!” Homer snapped.
“Don’t get sore. It doesn’t
hurt to check on something that’s important,” Venture said.
“Fig jam,” Homer
muttered under his breath.
“That’s enough,”
Vaught said. “Mind your own instruments, gentlemen.”
They both didn’t
bother to look to Wildstar to intervene as he closed his eyes and chuckled to himself.
“Time we face the
unpleasant facts of the day…number one,” Wildstar said.
“Aye, sir,” Vaught replied.
“Ships’ heading 030 mark 21, speed 240, I believe Mr.
Venture can tell us where we’re going from here.”
“Well, the last faint
radio message we received from the young lady gave us an approximate bearing
which we followed.”
“So the next step?”
Wildstar asked.
“I think the Colonel
has it right…head right towards the Comet,” Venture said. “It’s logical to
assume that both the comet and the transmissions are coming from the same
direction.”
“Oy Gevalt,” Sandor muttered.
“You don’t like the
connection?” Vaught said.
“I don’t. Her radio
messages could be a trap to lure us in,” Sandor said. “And with those two mini
stars directly in our path, if they’re magnetic they could be throwing off our
instruments.”
Wildstar continued
looking at the video panel with his arms folded and looked at Vaught.
“We’re already out
here,” Vaught said to Sandor.
“Precisely my point,”
Sandor said “We don’t know what’s out here!”
“Perhaps you’re
expecting V’ger?” Vaught asked.
They all looked at
Vaught for a moment not knowing what he was talking about.
“Classical reference,”
Vaught said.
“I’m going to look up
that word,” Wildstar said, just as the ship’s radio started chirping. Homer
stood up and leaned against the support beam for the radio console.
“I believe it’s for
you, Old Fella,” Homer said.
“Mr. Glitchman!”
Vaught snapped understanding the meaning of his statement.
“It’s nothing personal,
Homer,” Venture said walking towards the radio and then sitting in the chair. “I’ve got to get a precise heading.”
“How?” Homer said “Venture…you don’t even speak her language!”
Venture ignored Homer’s
remark as he aggressively tapped at the radio console as the woman speaking the
strange language was heard.
Vaught closed his
eyes concentrating on the woman’s voice.
“She’s saying to
hurry,” Vaught said.
Venture wasn’t even
listening as he started to slam the radio again.
“He’s going to make
the bloody thing a Cactus if he keeps doing that!” Homer said to Wildstar.
“Well…why the
hell can’t she hear me!?”
Venture snapped.
“You’re not
transmitting, ya dill!” Homer said.
“Well do it then!”
Venture said.
Homer had had enough
as he walked away from the console angrily. Then, Wildstar knew he had heard
enough.
“All right that’s
it!” Wildstar said. “Vaught, you decipher that message!”
Vaught stood up and
walked over to the communications console, while motioning to Homer to return
to his station. However Venture still was trying to figure out the workings of
it he waited until the last possible step Vaught could take as he looked up at
Vaught. He could tell that he wasn’t angry…yet, not wanting to test the
gargoyles patience he slowly got up out of the chair, as Homer sat back down.
“Thank you.” Vaught
simply said to Venture.
“For what?” Venture said.
“Not giving me a hard
time,” Vaught replied.
“Don’t get used to it,”
Venture said as he sat back down at the navigators’ station.
Vaught gestured to
Homer to take his seat .He flipped some necessary switches and nodded to Vaught
that the Argo was now transmitting.
“Taret…..Je
van nos isonic Star Force, Vaught Corsair rtgaret havwt yuoven.”
There was a brief
pause followed by a gasp over the heavy static.
“Taret…..Vaught
Corsair?”
“Yemosotso…” Vaught
replied.
Again there was a
brief pause as Homer looked up at him
“Nar garen isol paradem Telezart sar isodem Trelaina.”
Nova’s eyes went wide
as Vaught looked back at her with a glance which she understood to keep quiet.
“Tershara, fana Tershara.”
“Tershara, un no unohie.”
Wildstar walked over
to the radio console
“She understands him,”
Homer said.
“Basvrina 31.2 var
51”
“Darvien,” Vaught
said. “Warven istan English?”
There was a brief
pause followed by a word in English
“Yes,” came the woman’s reply. “You must be very careful Star Force
there is great danger.”
The static finally overwhelming
the signal and the transmission ended
“Vaught?” Wildstar asked “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
‘Perhaps I have.”
Vaught said. Then he cleared his throat “Her planet is called Telezart…….she
goes by the name Trelaina……” Vaught tapped his commbadge.
“Royster.” Vaught said
“Sup Yo?” Royster
said sounding busy.
“Neville I need you
to patch Inferno’s navigation array through the Argo’s Comm
system.”
There was a brief
pause as Royster cleared his throat.
“Gonna take a little
bit, Boss,” Royster
said.
“In regards
to?” Vaught said.
“How to do it,” Royster
replied dryly. “It’s a little over my pay grade.”
Homer looked up at
Vaught.
“I think I can help
him with the Comm systems on my end,” Homer said.
“Yes please, Thank
you,” Royster said.
Vaught looked at
Wildstar who was standing behind him.
“We have pin point
detection equipment installed in our Communcations System, don’t we?” Wildstar
said.
“We do…but it would
be more accurate going through the Sensor array of Inferno since it would give
us a more accurate location the next time she transmits,” Vaught said. “But we
have something to go on for now.”
“Permission granted,”
Wildstar said as Homer put his headset down and left the bridge.
“Wildstar sat down
next to Venture, “That is, of course, unless you want to do it,” Wildstar said sarcastically
“I just drive the bus,”
Venture said with resignation in his voice.
“Did we get anything
out of this last transmission?” Wildstar said.
“A general direction
sir,” Vaught said.
“Enough for a space
warp?” Wildstar asked.
“Barely.”
Vaught and Eager
exchanged glances.
“Aye sir,” Vaught
simply said.
“Steady as she goes, Ventch,”
Wildstar said.
************************************************************************
Talan walked along a street.
The street was barren…devoid
of traffic… and a thin layer of dust where was once a bustle
of traffic and activity. He tried to imagine it in his mind almost
seeing it. Almost hearing it…..Feeling it.
He had hoped Telezart’s
fate would be different to that of Gamilon. But they were were worlds with a
common bond. Both worlds had devastation
and ruins extending to the horizon devoid of life of any kind.
He wandered away from
the Cometime troops commanded by General Lotharios Scorch where he came across what used to be a
restaurant of some type with the tables and chairs arranged on a small veranda
waiting for patrons that would never come. Talan walked up the steps up. There,
he righted an overturned chair and sat down.
He sat there closing
his eyes and imagined what the restaurant would be like at mealtime. There
would be overlapping conversations, laughter, the tinkling of glasses and
plates. He smiled broadly when he
realized that he was not sitting alone in the restaurant….That a resident of
Telzart had joined him at the table.
“Salutations from
Leader Desslok…Trelaina of Telezart…...”
Talan said opening his eyes.
He seemed startled
for a moment almost reaching for his light saber as the young woman closed her
eyes and took a deep breath.
“Gargoyles don’t
exist in this universe,” Talan said. “But…you looked like…”
“Why have you come to
this hallowed place?” she said sitting down next to him.
“To imprison you,”
Talan said.
“The restraints of my
prison are far beyond your comprehension,” Trelaina said.
“You would be
surprised on what I can comprehend,” Talan said while reaching into his pocket
and pulling out a small flask, offering it to her first. She accepted and took
a small swallow of the liquid…much to Talan’s surprise she did not seem
affected by it. However she nodded in recognition of the taste.
“I see Gorce has
improved his fermenting process of his Romulan Ale,” Trelaina said.
Talan took a rather
large gulp from the flask and suppressed the urge to cough.
“I know of someone
who can give you asylum,” Talan said.
“And to what do I owe
this Gamilon generosity?” Trelaina said.
“You are part of the
Force…..so am I,” Talan said. “We could be useful to each other.”
Trelaina scoffed, “I
will not help you,Talan.”
“Yet you help the
Star Force,” Talan said.
“Talan… if I were truly
helping them, there would have been nothing left of your fleet or your planet long
before the Star Force ever left for Iscandar,” Trelaina said.
“Why didn’t you?” Talan
said.
“It is not the way of
our teachings,” Trelaina said. “You above all should know that.”
“The humans you’ve
allied yourself with are evil people,” Talan said.
“I’ve allied myself
with no one,” Trelaina said.
“Then you agree they’re
evil?” Talan said.
“No I don’t,”
Trelaina said. “Anymore that I would agree with them that you
are evil.”
“The humans ruthlessly
destroyed my planet Gamilon without warning and without compassion,” snapped
Talan.
“My grandfather had a
saying,” Trelaina
said. “It was: If you’re gonna lose don’t
bet.”
The saying sounded
strange in Trelaina’s high-pitched voice as Talan looked at her angrily.
“We gave the humans a
chance to surrender!” Talan said. “Because of a child’s temper our kind either
roams the galaxy like nomads or lives like refugees on a dying world!”
“That’s the love for
your friend speaking for you,” Trelaina said. “He forced them to crash on Gamilon.”
“He needed to destroy
them…they were a threat to us,” said Talan.
“You were a threat to
them. After your defeat at the Rainbow Galaxy, wouldn’t it have been more
prudent to negotiate?”
Talan was silent for
a moment. Then, he raised his head and said, “Have you ever heard the tale of
“Darth Vader the Enforcer?”
Trelaina sighed for a
moment as if she was remembering something or someone.
“The Skywalkers,”
Trelaina said sadly. “Yes.”
“I believe that the
Star Force has allied themselves with this Dark Lord of the Sith,”
Talan said. “And he is with them now traveling to Telezart…..Maybe this race
needs to be conquered…perhaps it was the Force dictating to us that the humans
must be erradacated because they will eventually destroy all in their path. Like they did in the Clone Wars!”
Trelaina sighed. “The
Clone Wars occurred a long time ago in a Galaxy far, far away……and the story
had a happy ending….For the Love of his son, Darth Vader gave his life and
brought balance to the Force.”
“How do you know of
the story?” Talan asked.
“My tutor was a Jedi
Knight in the
Talan eyes widened as
he reached into a sachel and pulled out a letter sized envelope and handed it
to her.
“Maybe he can explain
this?”
She gazed at the
photograph and touched it lightly.
“This was taken six
days ago,” Talan said. “He has returned.”
“To what end?”
Trelaina asked standing up.
“I don’t intend to
find out,” Talan said. “We will stop the Star Force long before they enter the
Telezart system.”
“Then your work is
done here,” Trelaina said.
“Not quite,” Talan
said. “There is that matter of asylum…”
“I’m not leaving Telezart,” Trelaina said.
“Despite the fact
that the Comet Empire is poised to destroy what’s left of this world?” Talan
said. “Why would you invite death?
Trelaina looked away.
“It is all I have left,” she said sadly.“Like Vader, I
too, must atone for my sins…May the Force be with you,”
she said.
“May
the Force be with you,” Talan said as he watched her walk away.
Theopolis Torbuck,
despite the almost human sounding name, had been part of the Zordar Faction of
the Orion syndicate since he was in his teens. He was a seasoned veteran, yet he
was also a hardened starship commander. He always seemed to enjoy being
assigined a rear guard position. It was mostly because of his ability to
plunder and ravage without sharing with the main body or group.
He was used to
working on his own. And of course kept the loyalty of his
crew by way of purchasing it. However this day of all days, he was
agitated. There was nothing of precious value on the dead world of Telezart.
And there was little profit of his newly appointed commander’s lust for
revenge. It was all senseless to him; he had hoped that the Star Force would
emerge in enough time for Torbuck to destroy them quickly and then go on to
pilage on his way back to General Gleek’s main force.
“Status?”
Torbuck, a relatively balding short man with a beard, said as he looked out the
bridge windows of cruiser The Warped
Chastity.
“The Gamilon Talan is
returning to Desslok’s Flagship The
Confidence,” The tactical officer said.
“A relief.” Torbuck said sarcastically “What about this Star Force?”
“A portion of her
message did get though and the Argo
changed her course by eight degrees putting them on a direct course with
Telezart.” The tactical officer said
“Prepare to break
orbit and have assault units six and fifteen form up with us,” Torbuck said.
Torbuck’s first
officer walked over to him “Are we informing Desslok of our movements?”
Torbuck didn’t answer
as Telezart disappeared on his view screen.
On Desslok’s flagship,
the Gamilon Leader watched with anger as Torbuck’s fleet faded out of sight.
Talan walked onto the
bridge where Desslok turned to him.
“Now,what did Torbuk do?” Talan said.
“Off to prove that he
is the greater warrior,” Desslok said.
“Open a channel to
General Torbuck,” Talan said aloud.
************************************************************************
Trelaina walked
slowly back into the cave where she had dwelled over the uncounted years. As she reached a second
opening where a huge clamshell door now stood as armed guards turned their
weapons towards her.
She raised her hand
slightly only saying Shhhhh! as they
all fell to the ground. With the wave of her hand, again the clamshell doors
opened revealing her fortress and home.
She waved her hand
again, and there was a sound of a transporter hum as she materialized in the
castle and went straight to her tactical station.
She wasn’t too familiar
on how to work the equipment, however knew enough to get the information that
she needed on the Comet Empire’s position as well as that of the support
fleets.
Her main concern
right now was Desslok. She knew Torbuck and wasn’t that concerned about him
being a threat, since she knew he was more of a privateer than a tactician. Her
biggest concern was what to tell the Star Force about Desslok. The more that the situation
was unfolding and the more she was becoming involved, the less she liked being
involved as she was.
As she sat at the
console she brought up information on the two fleets surrounding Telezart.
“Computer,” she said
quietly.
“Working,” The
mechanical voice replied.
“Scan all available
frequencies for any possible comm traffic,” Trelaina said.
There was a mechanical
whirring sound followed by three beeps as there was a brief crackle over the
radio speakers.
“Torbuck, What are you up to?” came Desslok’s voice “You
were instructed to maintain and patrol a discrete distance… not advance into
the Telezart system.”
“I do not trust your intelligence reports,” Torbuck said. “We
must deal with the Star Force Now….You have no proof that they will even come
to Telezart….I have been a loyal empire Officer for 27 Cycles,” Torbuck said. “It is obvious that the Star Force is a threat, and I do not approve of
your tactics.”
Desslok responded
with a laugh as Trelaina rolled her eyes.
“Unbelievable,”
Trelaina muttered as she tapped on the console trying to find the Star Force’s
position.
“You have no idea what you are trifling
with,” Desslok said. “That is why Your Prince Zordar has entrusted
me with engaging and destroying the Star Force…..I give the orders. Besides you
could easily make the same mistake as Naska. He thought his tactics were superior
and he was defeated, losing everything in the process…..I wouldn’t want to see
that happen to you.”
“Your concern for my welfare is touching,” Torbuck said. “However your
tactics in combatting the Star Force haven’t been successful either….Added the
threat of the Starfleet operative that is with them….It is time for new
Tactics.”
“Twice nothing is still nothing,” Desslok said as his disinterest for Starfleet was of some
interest to her. “There are no new
tactics where the Star Force is involved, If you
cannot accept that and follow my judgment then return to Prince Zordar at once!”
“What if you’re wrong?”
Torbuck said. “If the Star Force or
Trelaina are able to contact the Federation that could put the entire Cometime
civilization at risk….but all you care about is defeating the Star Force in a vendetta
that you started.”
“That is why I shall win,”
Desslok said. “If you would serve Prince
Zordar well then you must obey his orders…..and his orders are to destroy the
Star Force…..I believe you are a good Solider….and a good Solider…..
The rest of Desslok’s
transmission was overcome by a loud crackle of static. Trelaina tried to adjust
the settings to no avail.
She sighed deeply and
realized that Telezart’s rotation had caused the transmission to be interrupted.
Since she had no communication satellites there was no point in trying.
She sighed heavily as
she tapped her fingers nervously on the console thinking what she could do
next. She had begun to feel that she made a mistake that she should have kept
out of this. Now, the Star Force had Desslok to contend with sooner or
later. And from the way things looked,
if the Star Force were to get to Telezart they would have to go through Desslok
first.
But she faced
indecision with Desslok. Especially after talking with Talan.
Talan was a good man; the dark side of the Force could never corrupt him, yet
she felt the love that he had for his leader. She could tell by his actions
that his heart was not in Desslok’s quest, but he could not bear to abandon his
friend. Although she knew that he was doing everything in his power to try and
change his mind, but if he couldn’t then he was prepared to die for him. Even with
his concern for this Sith Lord, Trelaina felt that the concern was not for himself but the fear that he could not protect Desslok from
this man.
The indecision she
faced with Desslok was that he did not strike her as an evil man….Just a man so
overwhelmed by pain that it was forcing him to making bad decisions….in fact
she understood his pain.
But what she
understood didn’t matter…they were in league with the Comet Empire……and in
league with Zordar and they had to be be stopped.
She sat back in her
chair and looked up at the ceiling, then closed her eyes.
She then said…“Where
is the Star Force?”
Next Chapter: “OF TORBUCK AND THE STAR FORCE…”
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to the Introduction to Starfighter: The
Iconoclast, click here