STARFIGHTER! The Iconoclasts
Chapter 6: Secrets
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.
Vaught and
Nova wound up talking the whole 38 minutes of the flight up to
He took
note of her description of him and that he was coming home sometime tonight.
However, what he particularly paid attention to was that he was in command of a
starship. Vaught was expecting a much older man when Nova gave him a picture of
him. By the picture she showed him, Wildstar seemed to be only in his early
twenties, and he appeared to be of Japanese decent Vaught studied the picture intently for a
moment as he could tell by the young man's expression that he was confident,
brash, somewhat ill tempered (but not to Nova). He also noticed with his
internal sense that there were strange forces at work within this young man. Interesting, he thought. I wonder what he's been through to make him
seem so bitter? Vaught nodded and continued to
look at the picture.
“What?”
Nova said…noticing Vaught’s expression.
“Nothing at
all; you two make a handsome couple.” Vaught said
Nova
smiled, “Thank you…” she said. “Would you mind telling me what you really want
to say?”
Vaught
looked at her and cracked a smile “You are very perceptive. He seems to carry
the weight of the world on his shoulders.”
“Oh…At
times he does, I guess.” Nova said, “I thought you were going to say he looks
mad all the time. That’s what a lot of people say.”
“Well
judging by this picture…I see that he does have a…… quick temper….Vaught paused
for a moment and smiled. “However you have broken his code… you got in past the
walls he builds around himself.”
“Have I?”
asked Nova with a mixture of love and apprehension on her young face.
Vaught
nodded “Yes. He really cares for you. But, he keeps you at arm's length when
you feel he needs you the most,” Vaught said
She looked
at him shocked and nodded her head “I haven’t seen him in almost a year,
Vaught….What if he’s changed?”
She
realized that she called him by his first name instead of Colonel, and she
promptly looked embarrassed.
“oh my God,” Nova said. “I apologize …sir…”
Vaught
raised his hand gently and shook his head “It's quite all right….Nova……We all change from time to time. Look at yourselves before your
mission. When your ship left for Iscandar you were a boatload of children. You
have changed since then because of what you have all gone through and
especially, what Derek has gone through. Yes, he has changed, whether or not he
changes towards you is up to you.”
Nova
laughed and turned towards the window and gazed out the window as the ramp
agents loaded baggage onto the plane that would be taking her to
“Then there
is that crazy aunt of yours.” Vaught muttered.
She looked
at him with shock on her face. “What?” cried Nova.
"How do you know about her?
Vaught
cleared his throat “So they don’t know about Derek.” Vaught said
“Yes.
That’s why I was in
Vaught gave
her a hard piercing look than nodded. “Your thoughts betray you, Nova. Fear
dictated your actions and you spent your evening on the boat rather than
confronting your parents.”
“Are you
saying I’m afraid of my parents and I’m going to wind a house wife to a doctor
or lawyer?”
“If that is
your destiny” Vaught said in a cold voice.
Nova looked
at him angrily and breathed heavily, while thinking, Damn you! That's not my destiny!
Vaught
nodded and smiled at her, sensing her anger. “Good.” he said. “Your
determination and confidence is your strength…Trust your feelings.”
Good evening ladies and
gentlemen in the boarding area…in just a few moments we will be boarding Continental Airlines flight 78 with non stop
service to
Nova smiled
at Vaught “That’s me,” she said. She stepped into her shoes and got up.
Vaught
returned the photograph to Nova “He’s a fine young man Nova…I know that without
meeting him.”
“I hope you
will one day.” Nova said. “I guess that’s a little odd, being that I only know
you for two hours.”
Vaught
nodded “If such is the will of the Force.”
She looked
at him oddly for a second trying to look at his eyes through his glasses. She
of course couldn’t and got the feeling that there was more to him than how he
presented himself. he was special…different. It wasn’t
romantic attraction rather than she almost could convince herself that this was
her father seeing her off.
They said
no other words as she kept eye contact with him she walked over to the jet way
when the called her row. She turned and waved gently at Vaught. When she was
out of sight Vaught turned and walked away with his large stride turning his
attention to his self-assigned mission.
As Nova
boarded the plane, she thought, Funny,
but he seems to know me better than my father does. And what is this about 'The
Force?' Interesting.
Luckily, no
one had seemed to notice Vaught’s tampering with the EDF Database from Inferno.
The base was expecting him
and he was assigned private quarters without any questions.
The
quarters were moderate size which didn’t mater to Vaught he was more interested
in the computer terminal and printer that was on his desk. He flopped his suitcase on the bed upon opening it he reached
for his light saber and attached it to his belt.
He sighed
with relief as he attached it. It was the only weapon he had ever used the only
weapon he was used to. He used a long-range phaser rifle one time for an
assassination of a Bajoran political leader he hated using it. Vaught felt that
a phaser or any time of projectile firing weapon was a liar's weapon…no…a
coward’s weapon.
Vaught was
deep into reading about the Cosmo DNA and about Iscandar giving it to the
people of this Earth to counteract radiological pollutants caused by a century
long bombing campaign from a base on Pluto by a race of beings called the
Gamilons.
Vaught read
through the history of what happened next of the Logs of Captain Alex Wildstar.
“Wildstar.”
Vaught said as he cross- referenced the computer as an
image came up of his younger brother Derek, whose image Vaught had seen before
in the picture that Nova showed him of her boyfriend
Vaught read
through the record quickly about the Star Force's first mission to Iscandar. It
wasn’t until Vaught saw the next set of images that he realized what his
feelings were.
He listened
to a recorded message of Queen Starsha. She had a flowing, pleasant voice which
was not unlike his own daughter's voice. Next he saw
an image of Queen Starsha as his eyes widened.
“Yeech!” Vaught said to himself. "Does every woman in this universe look
exactly like my kid?”
Vaught
studied the picture a little longer.
“Well
Star wouldn’t be caught dead with eyelashes like that…Keeps her hair tied up
but the same color. Identical not exact but damn close”
Vaught suspected
although she looked young Queen Starsha was probably older than he was as Astra
told him they do not age at the same rate humans do. He looked at Queen Starsha
again and realized that there were no coincidences. This was the sister that
Astra talked about and Iscandar was where she was from.
Vaught
chuckled as he read further into the database. It was the report from the
expedition that went to Iscandar for the device than a strange feeling came
over him. The planet was exactly the way Astra described right down to the
capital city. Judging from Queen Starsha’s message, since she offered the
people of this Earth technology that only his father could had
designed, he assumed that the Iscandar in this Universe had contact with the
Federation of his own universe by passing through the same portal in Tholian
space.
“Astra
had to be in this Universe perhaps even on this planet.” Vaught thought as he had
the computer do a search for Princess Astra of Iscandar the next images Vaught
would have his answer. It was an answer to a question that he now regretted
asking……..
Vaught
touched the computer screen gently at her image as tears filled his eyes. There
was no mistake…this wasn’t a multi-universe double…This was the same Astra whom
Vaught knew from his teens; the same one who he shared a bed and child with. As
he looked at the images of her peacefully lying there in death on the Martian
surface a thousand images flooded his mind of his daughter and his own family………..
“My mind is made up!” Starsha said
as she threw her bag on the sofa.
Vaught saw himself sitting in a
chair watching the memory of the last encounter between Starsha and Astra
unfold.
Astra wore the same dress as was in
the images however she did not have the peaceful look on her face in his
memories…instead, she had a look of irritation and
anger.
“Well you can just un-make it!”
Astra said as the younger Starsha took off her coat. There, Astra noticed that
in addition to the Starfleet Marine uniform she was wearing…a light saber also
hung off her belt. A look of total anger now engulfed her face.
“What…..is…..that…thing?” Astra
demanded.
“You know what it is, Astra.” Vaught
said. "It's her weapon."
“Wonderful,” Astra said with jaded sarcasm
as she shot her daughter an evil snare. “Be a galactic murderer like your
father!”
Vaught stood up and walked over to
Astra. At first, Astra thought she may have gone too far and angered him.
However, Vaught's motive was to simply get between the two of them because
Starsha was about to explode.
“Look, lady!" Starsha snapped
waspishly. “I’m not one of your damned subjects that you can order
around…and…"
Then, there was a deep guttural
Gargoyle roar bursting forth from Vaught. He only seemed to display this
behavior when Starsha and her Mother were together. It came in the form of the
words….
“That’s Enough!”
The image
faded as the sound of a heavy knocking at Vaught’s door jarred him back to the
present. He looked at the image of Astra fading away as the computer shut down.
Vaught
forgot his dark glasses. When he reached the door, he extended his hand, and as
they flew to his grasp as he put them on, just in time. He opened the door to
reveal a somewhat tall man with large eyes who still had to look up at Vaught.
“Col.
Corsair?” The man asked him.
“Yes,
Commander…What is it?!” Vaught asked.
“I’m
Sandor,” replied the man. “And I sure could use your help.”
Vaught
gestured for the man to enter as he went to get his uniform coat.
“How may I
be of service?” Vaught asked
“You’re a
part of the Space Marine Engineering Corps?” asked Sandor.
“Yes?”
Vaught said.
“Well,
Colonel, I’m short an engineer for the Andromeda's test flight. It's not that you would have
to do anything just in case something went wrong, but we can't do the flight
unless the proper number of engineers are on board. I
know you’ve probably been traveling a lot…but this is a crucial situation. Can
I impose on you by asking you on to join us?"
“It's not
an imposition at all,” Vaught said quietly. “Consider me at your service,”
Vaught said as he begun to pack up his bag.
“That’s a
good idea.” Sandor said. "Our destination is Headquarters, so you won't be
back here for a while.”
“My final
destination was the capital anyway,” Vaught said as they both exited the room
and got into an aircar together.
Sandor sped
out of the driveway. As they headed down the road, he drove with one hand and
reached for a folder with the other one as he handed it to Vaught.
“This
should bring you up to speed.” Sandor said
Vaught looked at the diagram for the
Andromeda. He noticed that it was white on black, very much like an
old-fashioned blueprint. Another
interesting thing about this universe, he thought. They design advanced spacecraft on old-style media. How strange.
“Wave
motion engine, I note,” Vaught said as he put the diagrams back in the folder.
“Yes.
Second generation,” Sandor said.
“Of course.” Vaught said with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “I see you double-chambered
the Gun portion. Now that ought to put a kick in it. What kind of crystals are
you using to channel the power loss before and after firing?"
Sandor
looked at him for a moment than at the road. “I wasn’t aware that could resolve
that problem…you seem to know your business.”
“It's a
hobby more than anything,” Vaught said. “What is it that I will be doing during
this flight?”
“Standing
by mostly…and staring at the dials,” Sandor said. “The ship is mostly run by
computer…the people on board really don’t do anything.”
“Fantastic.”
Vaught muttered, “Another Daystrom M-5.”
“I’m
sorry?” Sandor said.
“Excuse
me.” Vaught said. “Classical reference….Is it OK if I occasionally look out the
window?”
“You’ll be
on the bridge.” Sandor said. “I'll be in engineering.”
“I wish I
had brought something to read.” Sandor said
Sandor
chuckled and continued to drive.
Vaught was very
surprised when he boarded Andromeda. The ship was not at all like what he
was expecting.
Vaught felt
that if she was built by humans that he would be walking onto a ship like a
Galaxy or Nebula class Starship. It was quite the opposite as he walked her
decks. To him, it was as if the Andromeda resembled a K’Tinga class Klingon Battle-Cruiser, which was especially evident
when Vaught entered the bridge.
Unlike aboard
a Federation vessel, where the skipper sat at the same level, more or less, as
the crew, the Andromeda's captain sat
at a large console perched high above the rest of the bridge crew. The bridge
crew stations were below spaced in a “U” shape, like some variants of the Klingon
Bird of Prey that Vaught had seen. He shook his head quietly as he looked
around. He had to again remind himself that this was an Earth ship, and not
some new Klingon battle cruiser.
In the
middle of the bridge, there were two other stations. One seemed to be for the
first officer, while the other was an engineering station. Which
was where Vaught assumed he would be sitting.
It didn’t
take long for Vaught to gain an understanding of the technology. Plus…studying
his father's wave motion designs was also a help.
Vaught was
just about set when he heard the announcement, “Captain on the Bridge!”
Vaught’s back
was to the Captain. As his ingrained discipline took over, he snapped to
attention at his post. His response was faster than any other of the bridge
crew. He heard the Captain let out a deep sigh, almost as if to himself.
“That
renews my faith in the crew,” the Captain said as a chilling shudder ran down
Vaught’s back…
He knew
that voice…..He couldn’t place it at the moment. There wasn’t familiarity in
the voice. It was distinct…Vaught concentrated as he tried to place it while
the Captain of the Andromeda spoke.
He fought the urge to turn to look as his curiosity was urging for the answer
to this riddle.
The Captain
came alongside him. Vaught continued to look straight ahead at the huge bridge
windows. He didn't know why, but the voice that he swore he knew was causing
his heart to beat heavily. Corsair had to control his emotions and his curiosity.
He was beginning to win the battle as his heart rate slowed and he gained his
composure…That was until the Captain stepped before him.
The man wore
a traditional, almost twentieth century, Naval Uniform…complete with an officer's
hat that had a large anchor on it. He was much shorter than Vaught. However
Vaught saw the Captain's face under the deep-shaded brim of the cap while he
turned and addressed the rest of the crew. Vaught's eyes went wide under his
glasses as his jaw dropped.
This was
impossible! Vaught studied the man from top to bottom. Then, it became obvious
that the voice matched the face and voice that Vaught only knew from history
recordings and taped interviews. Vaught studied the mannerisms and speech
patterns of the Captain that he had spent a lifetime studying. It was strange.
His childhood hero now stood before him. Was he really the most famous starship
commander of the greatest starship of the Federation? And, if so, what was he
doing here?
End Chapter Six
Next Chapter: "Two Egos: One Crash?"
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Introduction to Starfighter: The
Iconoclasts, click here