The New Comet-A Strange Interlude-Part Five

ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---A STRANGE INTERLUDE…

Being the fifth part of THE NEW COMET--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz

This Act is being completed with the Cooperation and Assistance of Derek A.C. Wakefield (as usual)---Freddo

Advisory: This chapter contains some slightly mature content. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you…. J

(includes some art by Angie Dargo…thanks, Angie)

ACT FIVE: DANCING WITH FRIENDS AND ENEMIES…

I. ARRIVAL

Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth

Planet Melezart

The Capital City of Sterlent

Tuesday, October 14, 2206

1120 Hours: Earthtime

The Arizona was the first Earth vessel back on Melezart that morning. The space battleship was soon docked at anchor in a harbor in the ocean not far from the coast of the old capital city, which had been again renamed Sterlent.

After the landing procedures were completed, Captain Venture spotted Nova waiting at the rail on the space battleship’s main deck. A warm breeze was blowing through Nova’s hair, and the skirt she had on with her gold and black uniform top was blowing a little in the breeze above her bare legs. She also wore her gunbelt, and shiny black open-toe pumps she had somehow acquired.

“I see you out here keeping a vigil, Nova,” said Venture with a smile.

Nova smiled back. “I’m waiting for noon,” she said in a soft voice. “You know what’s supposed to happen at 1200, right?”

“Yes…the Argo’s supposed to land then.”

“And I haven’t seen Derek for four and a half months,” said Nova as she patted her stomach. “It’s hard to believe what’s changed since then. Have any of the other fleets arrived yet?”

Venture said, “I was told the Rikashans are in orbit. Lord Cha’rif came with a hundred space warships. He’ll be landing his flagship B’eorneraze in the bay later this afternoon. And the Gamilons are supposed to arrive before sunset.”

Suddenly, they noticed a speck on the horizon. “Something’s coming in, right over there,” said Venture.

“Where?” said Nova. “Oh…now I see it….and it’s got wings…and it’s coming in fast…coming down towards the ocean…it’s blue-grey….and red!”

“They’re half an hour early,” said Venture as he shaded his eyes as he made out the Argo. “Nova, you’d better get inside for a bit…we’ll be firing a salute as they enter the bay to dock…”

Nova smiled with glistening eyes. “As long as I can come outside again in a bit…”

“You certainly can,” said Venture. “You and Wakefield will be part of the party welcoming Wildstar, Astra, and Janlits to the dock in a few minutes.”

“Thanks,” said Nova.

On the Argo, a few minutes later, after landing, the crew was manning the rails at attention as the mighty space battleship cruised in on the surface of the placid-looking bay near the coast of Sterlent while the Arizona fired an honor salute.

“It’s good to be home,” said Janlits as he stood beside Wildstar on top of the Argo’s Number One Gun Turret.

“It’s good to be here,” said Wildstar as his ascot blew out of his long black peacoat and waved in the breeze. His longish hair also blew under the Captain’s cap he was wearing.

“I didn’t expect it would look so nice,” said Astra of Iscandar as she stood beside Wildstar with her long strawberry blond hair blowing in the breeze and her purple gown blowing about her legs. “Mother didn’t tell me it would look a bit like Iscandar.”

“I’m flattered by the comparison,” laughed Janlits.

Beside them stood a very taciturn Stovall, silent in his dress greens and helmet. He stood there with a blaster rifle against his shoulder, and hateful feelings in his heart. The others quickly came to ignore the silent, glaring Marine guard as much as possible. He did not make good conversation.

In the meantime, after the Arizona finished firing her salutes, Nova, Captain Venture, Aliscea Rosstowski, and Deke Wakefield all came back onto the main deck, watching as the Argo approached the dock next to them, alone.

“Where’s the rest of the Second Fleet?” asked Aliscea. Aliscea also was dressed in the same way that Nova was, except for the fact that she wore her native Pellian sandals instead of shoes.

“In orbit above us,” said Venture. “They’re on high alert in case the Cometines show up and try something funny.”

Wakefield looked up as a squadron of planes flew overhead. “Those are Tigers!”

“Yes, from the base we’ve established on the outskirts of the city,” said Nova. A moment later, a squadron of twelve silvery dart-like planes flew overhead. “Those are native Melezartian interceptors.”

Deke’s ears perked up a moment later at a strange, rushing, whirring sound. He gritted his teeth as he thought he recognized it. “And those?” he said.

Nova looked up as the green interceptors blasted overhead. “Gamilon planes. They’re from the other base that the Empire established.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever been that close to Gamilons,” said Deke in a flat voice.

“They’re not that bad…as long as you hold your peace among them…,” said Venture.

“Yessir,” sighed Wakefield.

A few minutes later, the Argo dropped anchor near the pier that the Arizona was already at anchor beside. Nova smiled as she looked a few hundred meters away to the ship that she still considered home. I wish I was going back there for good, she thought longingly. Maybe we can exchange some crew members after our jobs are done here…maybe…

Then, Nova’s smile faded as she began to consider the task she would be performing soon. We are not to give up our sovereignty to them, she thought. We are to make a peace while preserving our territorial rights. I’ve been briefed on the options. They break down to two things…two plans that we will be offering the Cometines. One is a normal, honorable peace with the Alliance…

Nova then looked up at the Gamilon planes passing overhead, as she thought, The other is Desslok’s ‘nuclear option’. That would also preserve our sovereignty, and solve a lot of problems, but I don’t know what Invidia would think of that plan of Desslok’s. We’re not supposed to raise it, but it is there as a second option. We do not necessarily agree with it…but it would solve many problems. But…would the Cometines even consider it? It is an elegant solution, but it would provide instant peace…at one heck of a price…

Nova then stood with her eyes closed for a moment as she heard a Melezartian band on shore beginning to play the musical theme of the First Star Force. She then looked over as the Argo’s gangplank lowered.

“That’s our signal,” whispered Venture. The others nodded. Venture then picked up a microphone and said, “All hands, we are now leaving the Arizona to greet the rest of the diplomatic party from Earth. Commander Rosstowski has command of this vessel until we return. Wish us good fortune as we begin our task today.”

Venture and the others left the Arizona a moment later. They came up to the Argo’s gangplank, and came up. Venture stopped near the head of the gangplank, and snapped a salute at Wildstar.

Nova’s glistening eyes spoke volumes as they met Derek’s eyes. Derek himself was at the head of the gangplank, and he returned Mark’s salute as the party came up.

Finally, Venture, who looked very serious in his own peacoat and cap, looked at Wildstar and said, “Commodore, sir, permission to come aboard?”

Derek looked at his friend and said, “Permission granted!” Wildstar then shook Venture’s hand. “It’s been a long time, Venture!”

“Yeah, too long,” he chuckled as he noticed Wakefield looking very hard at Stovall.

Janlits looked at Venture and his party next. “I am Concillor Pyle Janlits,” he said as he shook hands with the party. “I’m pleased to meet you, Captain Venture.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Mark.

He then turned to Nova. “My lovely counterpart from Earth, about whom I’ve heard so much…ironic that you were waiting for me here at our home…”

“No problem,” said Nova as she shook hands with him and looked towards Derek again. Derek smiled silently at her as she smiled back, trying to keep cool for the sake of decorum.

“And you are?” said Janlits as he shook Wakefield’s hand.

“Lieutenant Deke Wakefield of the Sun Tigers. I’ve been asked by Mrs. Wildstar to act as her escort at the conference since the Commodore has been asked not to be there.”

“What do you think of that?”

“I don’t think much of the enemy, sir,” said Wakefield. “They’ve hurt us too much.”

“That they have,” said Janlits softly. “That they have.”

Then, Janlits turned to Aliscea. “I have heard much of you. I heard you did a great part against the Rikashans and Technomugar in that conflict…”

“And against the R’Khelleva in this one,” said Aliscea. “I cannot wait to see my mother again tonight.”

“That is a good thing,” said Janlits.

Next, as per protocol, Astra turned to Venture. The Captain and Iscandarian shared a very decorous embrace. “It’s been a long time, Captain Venture. It’s too bad we’re not meeting on Iscandar,” she said as she patted Venture’s back. Then, she turned to Nova and hugged her. “Oh, you poor thing! I’m glad to see that you are doing well, though!”

“Thank you,” said Nova as she moved back from Astra. “I miss your mother.”

“So do I,” she said. “I also miss my sister,” she said as she looked hard at Deke for a moment. “It would be so good if she could be here.”

Deke shivered and kept his temper as he found himself, with full knowledge, face to face with an Iscandarian for the first time in his life. “So, you are the daughter of Queen Starsha?”

“I am,” said Astra in a suddenly flat voice as she picked up something from Deke she had not expected; anger. “Why is it that you are so angered?”

“I’ll be blunt. Your mother could have done more for Earth…at least in my opinion!”

“Deke!” snapped Nova in shock. “I know how you feel, but…”

“I also know how you feel,” said Astra coldly. “It is not wise to blame me for your feelings about the Queen of Iscandar. I was born after the events we speak of. As was my sister and my brother.”

“Are they as stuck-up as you?” said Deke.

Astra chuckled at that. “My brother, perhaps. As for my sister…you will learn the truth, and you will be quite surprised, and soon.”

Deke didn’t know why, but as Astra turned her eyes away from his, an image of Sasha came unbidden to his mind. A chill went down his back, a chill that he knew not where it came from. He almost felt like blurting out, What do you know about Sasha and I, you hunk of bad space juj-ju? Luckily, he thought better of it.

Deke turned away as Aliscea and Astra had a warm greeting for each other. Unexpectedly, he felt a spike heel pressing hard into his instep.

“Nova?”

“Deke, you should be more careful with that mouth,” she whispered. “I know how you feel, but…”

“Nova, I couldn’t…”

“Don’t say anything like that to Desslok if you meet him,” she whispered. “He has a habit of shooting people who offend him. I’ve seen it.”

“I’ll try to keep out of his way, ma’am,” said Deke.

Next, according to rank, Commodore Wildstar shook hands with Venture. “Again, it’s been a long time,” he said.

“Yeah, I know,” said Mark. “We need to catch up on a lot, Wildstar.”

The two of them lightly punched each other on the arm and laughed.

Derek then turned to Nova, taking off his cap and opening his coat as he looked at her.

Everything stopped for a moment as the long-sundered lovers just looked long and hard at each other. Nova’s eyes began to fill with tears, and so did Derek’s. Finally, Nova just gave up her reserve and ran with a sob into her husband’s arms. The others applauded as Deke began to blush fiercely. He thought, Okay, you two, how much of PRP are you two gonna violate in the next five minutes? And in public? But even he felt his eyes misting up a little at that.

Derek hugged Nova hard, and it was now in utter silence before they exchanged a kiss as most of the others again applauded. Finally, Nova said, “Derek…we have even more to catch up on than you and Mark.”

“Damnit, don’t I know it,” said Derek as he stroked Nova’s hair. “How are they doing?” he whispered as he patted Nova’s stomach.

“They want to get out of there,” laughed Nova through her tears. “I think they know Daddy’s here.”

“I bet Mommy can’t wait to get this over with,” said Derek back through his tears.

“Sure can’t,” she said as she pecked her husband on the cheek. Then, she whispered (as she slid out of one of her shoes and ran her toes up Derek’s ankle under the cuff of his slacks) “I can’t wait to be alone with you, later, too…”

Derek looked his wife up and down and said, “Same here…” while Stovall gave the young couple a very nasty look. Then he said, “Real sweet, ain’t we?”

“Comments from the Peanut Gallery, Corporal, are NOT appreciated,” snapped Commodore Wildstar as he straightened his cap.

Nova blushed and slipped back into her shoe while glaring daggers at Stovall. Then, Commodore Wildstar turned to Aliscea. “So much has happened since I saw you last, Aliscea.”

Aliscea smiled. “I trust you won’t want to shoot me again, Wildstar?”

“No, and I trust you won’t want to set me on fire again?”

What is that about? Deke thought as Wildstar turned to him. Then, he said, “You’ve got a tough job, Wakefield. Be my eyes for me with my family when I can’t be there.”

“Your family?”

“My wife and my children are there,” said Derek. “They’re the closest family I have, thanks to the Gamilons. Don’t let a thing happen to any of them,” whispered Wildstar. “I do not trust Invidia and her group…not one bit.”

“They’ll get to Nova over my fallen body,” said Wakefield.

“Thanks,” said Derek.

Finally, Stovall turned to shake hands with Venture. “It’s an honor to meet’cha, sir.”

“Likewise, Corporal,” said Venture as he pumped Stovall’s hand once and turned away to talk more with Derek.

A confused Stovall turned to Aliscea next. Aliscea felt a horrible sense of revulsion and cold as she saw him, and she had no idea why.

“You’re beautiful,” said Stovall.

“You’re beautiful, ma’am,” snapped Aliscea. “Do not forget that, Mister.”

“High and mighty, ain’t we?” said Stovall.

“Corporal, stop acting like a child,” snapped Nova as she stood before Stovall with her hands on her hips.

“Oh? My favorite nurse don’t have a handshake for me?”

“I do not administer your sort of medicine!” snapped Nova. “Especially not to your sort!”

“Listen, ma’am, you got rank, but that don’t give ya no leave to be no Goddamn smartass!”

Wakefield then walked up and silently glared at Stovall.

“Hey, Dekesticks,” laughed Stovall. “Still play the drums, shithead?”

“I could have you court-martialed just for that,” growled Wakefield.

“On what charge?”

“Gross disrespect to a superior officer,” snapped Wakefield with a smile. “Just watch it!”

“Or what?” smirked Stovall.

“ALLRIGHT, YOU SHITHEAD!” roared Wakefield in his face in the same way that Stovall had yelled at him and had humiliated him in public at the Academy a lifetime ago. “Brace, shithead! BRACE!”

Stovall then snapped to the plebe position of attention as the others watched.

“NOW GET DOWN ON THAT GODDAMN DECK AND GIVE ME FIFTY, GODDAMNIT!” yelled Wakefield. “DO IT OR I’LL RECOMMEND YOU LOSE YOUR STRIPES WHEN YOU STAND MAST!”

“Aye, aye,” muttered Stovall.

“AYE, AYE WHAT?” yelled Wakefield. “MY HEARING IS VERY BAD TODAY, CORPORAL!”

“Aye, aye, SIR!” yelled Stovall.

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” bellowed Wakefield.

“AYE, AYE SIR!” yelled Stovall.

“Now, PUSH!” yelled Wakefield.

At that, Stovall did the wise thing. While growling to himself, he did pushups.

1320 Hours…

Later, Nova found herself sitting down with a cup of coffee around a table in what had been a very familiar place; the Captain’s quarters she had shared with Derek on the Argo. This time, she smiled and nodded as an enlisted steward brought her a sweet roll while Derek looked hard at a roll of his own. Venture sat at the table on the other side, with Wakefield sitting at the far end of the table.

“This place brings back memories, Derek,” said Venture as he looked around. “Remember when Orion and I were up here for officers’ hours before Captain Avatar on the way to Iscandar when I called him an idiot?” Venture laughed and said, “I miss the old Captain and Orion more than ever now.”

“I wonder what Captain Avatar would think of you as a Captain now, Mark?” said Nova as she leaned her chin on her hands. “I can confide in you now that he was considering you for that Deputy Captain’s post, too. He was even considering me before he guessed it probably wasn’t gonna be a good idea.”

“Yeah, and especially since IQ-9 couldn’t keep his hands out of your skirt,” laughed Derek, who winced as Nova playfully punched him. “By the way, how is the Tinwit?”

“Mellowing with age, although he tried to look up my skirt this morning….”

“He did?” said Deke. Nova nodded. “What did you do to him?”

“Clonked him over the dome with a bamboo boken, what do you think?” said Nova.

“I wonder what the others are doing in Janlits’ quarters?” said Venture.

“They were having a conference. I left when the air started getting too thick,” said Nova. “Oh, Wakefield…I did assign that Stovall guard duty outside the hatch down there. And, Derek, whose idea was it to bring that jackass on this cruise?”

“General Stone’s,” huffed Derek.

“Figures,” said Nova. “Did you try to get it reversed?”

“I appealed right to the Commander, but he said no way,” grunted Derek. “Even I can’t get all I want all the time, even though I am the Boy Genius of the Fleet,” huffed Wildstar.

“I thought that was the Cowboy of Outer Space,” said Venture.

“I got promoted, Space Jockey!” laughed Derek. Wakefield kept quiet, wondering exactly what they were talking about. For a moment, he felt a little like a fifth wheel here among these old comrades.

“Hey!” said a wounded Venture as Nova tried to keep from giggling. “I thought that back at that battle we fought with the Gamilons over those space mines that you promised never to call me a Space Jockey again!”

“That’s right…I did…slowpoke,” said Derek with a wink.

Nova then pulled the brim of her husband’s cap down over his eyes as Wakefield rolled his eyes up to the overhead.

“Hey, Nova! It’s not lights out yet!” laughed Derek.

“You look silly with that thing on your head,” she said. She grabbed his hat and looked at it. “Look at that gold braid on that thing. Next thing you know, you’ll be carrying a swagger stick and hitting people with it when you do inspections.”

“Tain’t funny, ma’am,” said Wakefield. “The jackass down below used to do that to me during inspections in my plebe year.”

“What a shame,” said Nova. “You handled him very well, Deke. You’re a far better spacer than that guy will ever be. You might even have your own squadron in the next year. Cheer up!”

“Squadron?” said Commodore Wildstar. “You’re moving up…”

“He’s close to it now,” said Venture. “He’s got command of a whole flight, and they’re a very well-oiled machine in combat. We lost a lot of pilots, but guys like Wakefield, his buddy Marrable, and a lot of the others really filled in great. How’s that Hartcliffe character, Wildstar?”

“As weird as ever,” said Derek.

“I dread to see what he’ll be doing next,” said Nova.

“Great pilot,” said Wildstar. “But as a person..?”

“That man’s one true love is his vodka,” said Wakefield as he remembered some of the lewd and crude things that his former instructor had done in the past. “And how’s Hardy, sir?”

“He’s doing great,” said Wildstar. “Weren’t you and he pretty tight at the Academy?”

“We were,” said Wakefield. “In a way, that officer is sort of a hero for me. I think he’s everything a Tiger pilot should be; cool, smooth, efficient, and a gentleman.”

“That would make perfect sense,” said Derek.

A few minutes later, after they talked some more, Wakefield and Venture left. That left Nova and Derek alone.

Nova closed the privacy screen in their cabin and turned down the lights a little. Derek then knelt down and kissed her pregnant belly through her blouse.

“I’ve been so worried about you,” he said softly as he took off his peacoat.

“I know you’ve been,” said Nova as she unzipped her blouse and exposed her stomach. She smiled and closed her eyes as Derek kissed her bare tummy, and nuzzled it for a while. “It’s swelling a little but…“It’s not that big yet,” said Nova as she ran her hands through Derek’s hair. “The doctor says it’ll start showing more in the next few weeks. Sometimes you can sort of see them kicking a little…I feel them in there…”

Derek laughed as he felt her stomach jump. “I think I just felt a kick now…”

“Me too.” Nova laughed at that, and she reached down to undo her skirt as Derek continued to kiss her. We have a few minutes, she thought passionately. We can practice a little and catch up on lost time, she thought.

She abruptly stopped when a tap came at the hatch.

“Oh, great!” said Nova with a blush as she refastened her skirt and zipped her blouse back up. “I wonder who it is…”

“Come in,” called Derek. To their surprise, Diane Henson came in, carrying a small bag. “Nova?”

“Diane?” said Nova. “Did you find it?”

Henson nodded with a little grin. “If you’ll come down to my cabin, I think you can slip into that little surprise..?”

“Nova?” said a confused Derek.

“Don’t worry,” said Nova as she got up and kissed her husband on the forehead. “Just a little surprise we’re setting up for our boat trip to the island later.” Nova smiled and said, “I think I’ll see you later on during lunch in the mess.”

“Okay,” he said. Outside, he heard feminine giggles as they went down the stairs. “You’re not actually getting me into that!” said Nova.

“I most certainly am,” laughed Diane.

I wonder what she and Henson are planning,” said Derek to himself.

About twenty minutes later, Wildstar met up with Hardy, Hartcliffe, and Wakefield at a table in the messhall. The three of them were laughing and talking about different battles they had been in in the past few months in the universal language of pilots, complete with hands going up and down in various positions demonstrating the positions of their planes in different engagements with the enemy. Wildstar then added descriptions of a few battles of his own. The Commodore still had his Superstar on board, and he had occasionally gone out with Hardy on a very few missions in the past few months on the Argo, and he had actually downed a few enemy pilots himself, to the surprise of Wakefield.

“Angie’s been flyin’, too,” said Hartcliffe. “Even with that pregnancy scare we had a few months back.”

“Pregnancy scare?” said Wakefield.

“I was like bloody scared she ‘ad a balloon growin’ inside o’ her, but it turned out not to be true. Good thing, too. Don’t know what I’d do if she was preggers and ‘ad to wear sacks all the time and crap.”

Wildstar looked at Hartcliffe in disbelief. “Mister, let me get this straight. You’re worried about Angie getting pregnant because you are afraid of what she’ll look like?”

“Yeah, I mean, she’ll be grody like a balloon and fat and weepy and weird and eating ice cream and crap all the time. Who wants an unsexy preggers wife who’ll act like a bloody fishwife and won’t wanna sleep with yer and all that?”

“Hartcliffe, sohn, you are a pig,” said Hardy in a pissed-off voice as Derek clenched his teeth. “You are full of weird assumptions, mistuh.”

“About what?” said Hartcliffe.

“Pregnant women,” said Derek. “I mean, Nova, she’s…”

Then, they heard Nova’s voice over the din as she laughed with Henson. “Hey, guys!” she said as she came up to the serving line and waved.

Wildstar’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what Nova was wearing.

She was no longer in her uniform. She had changed.

She had changed into a black and pink dress and black boots. Even expecting, she looked gorgeous.

Nova twirled on her toes and said, “As you’ve all heard, guys, I am expecting. I hope I don’t look too bad.”

The crew laughed, clapped and applauded at that.

“She’s nuts,” said Hartcliffe. “She’s bloody nutzoid!”

“HARTCLIFFE!” said Wildstar in an angry voice.

“That takes some guts,” said Hardy. “Looks good, though, huh?”

“Yeah,” said Wakefield as he blushed. “She does, sir,” he said to Wildstar.

As Nova came over, Hartcliffe called out, “Hey, Nova! You got a balloon under there, or what?”

“Balloon?” said Nova as she looked down at herself. “No, Bryan. I think what I have inside me are called babies.”

“Oh, is that what’s making yer act and look like some kinda water buffalo?” said Hartcliffe as the room went silent.

“Water buffalo?” said Derek slowly and in a low, dangerous voice. “Why, you dirty little son-of-a…”

“Derek,” said Nova firmly. “I can take care of myself. Thanks. Bryan Hartcliffe, are you aware of how misogynistic you sound?”

“Where’s the kippered herring and ice cream, ma’am? Or are we just about to see gears and springs comin’ out yer head because your brain’s going batty with the ‘ormones?”

Nova smiled dangerously and said, “No. But we are about to see something else,” she said as she got up and walked behind Bryan while winking at Derek and the others.

“What?” said Hartcliffe. Nova then reached to his tray and grabbed up a bowl of buttered spaghetti he was eating.

“We are about to see how you look wearing spaghetti on your head!” said Nova as she upended the spaghetti over Hartcliffe’s head. Then, as the greasy pasta ran down his face she said, “With that ugly, stringy greasy hair of yours, I think it is actually an improvement!”

The crew then again laughed and applauded. Some people yelled, “Way to go, Nova!” as Nova walked out of the room with her head held high and her nose up in the air. “Nova!” called Derek. “Nova! You forgot your lunch! NOVA!”

“Excuse me, guys,” said Wildstar as he picked up his wife’s lunch tray and ran after her with it.

“I’m proud of you,” said Hardy sarcastically.

“Proud o’ me?” said Hartcliffe.

“Yeah, you just insulted a pregnant woman,” snapped Wakefield. “I bet you’re murder on babies and people with terminal cancer. You drunken psycho!”

“Funny yer so high and mighty. I heard you offed a pregnant woman, Wakefield. I ‘eard you blew ‘er baby right outta the womb with that gun a’ yers you call DJ,” said Hartcliffe. “Who’s the real psycho, Dekesticks?”

“Where the hell did you hear that from?” yelled Wakefield.

“Yer buddy Mick Stovall. We were shootin’ the breeze for a bit, Lieutenant…”

“I won’t deny there was an accident years ago. It just didn’t happen the way that asshole Corporal said!” snapped Wakefield. “And it seems like he and I need to have a little talk outside.”

Wakefield got up and stalked out of the messhall. Hardy shook his head and then looked at Hartcliffe. “Get out of here, Hartcliffe.”

“Sir?”

“Get out of here,” said Hardy in more distinct tones. “Do it before I am tempted to kick your butt myself, Mitsuh!”

“Yessir,” said Hartcliffe as he got up and angrily stalked away.

A while later, Derek found Nova.

She was up in his cabin, sitting in a chair with her face over the table, crying her eyes out.

“Nova,” said Derek.

“What, are you here to make fun of my belly, too?” snapped Nova. “If you are, Derek, then bug…”

“Nova, I’m not here to do that at all,” cooed Derek. “I brought your lunch. You forgot it.”

As Nova put up her head to look at her lunch tray. Derek kissed her and wiped her tears off her cheeks with the silk ascot he had thrown off before. “Don’t listen to that jerk Hartcliffe,” said Derek. “Nova, I didn’t expect it, but you look cute in that dress.”

“I do?” she said. “No, Derek, I look grotesque. I shouldn’t even be on this mission…I should be home, knitting Goddamn booties in the house by myself and wearing a sack! It’s because I have a balloon that you stuck in there when we were screwing around!”

“Nova, it happened, but I’m so happy for you. For us. For them,” he said as he patted her tummy.

“It’s still…your…no….it’s our fault…we wanted children…bad…” sniffed Nova as Derek hugged his wife. “I….”

“I love you, Nova…thought about what you’ve wanted to name them, yet?”

Nova smiled a little at that, even though tears were still running down her cheeks. “The girl, I’d like to name Ariel…after my baby sister who barely had a chance to live. You can name our boy…”

“I’ll name our son Alex, after my brother,” said Derek. “Alex and Ariel. I like the sound of that…”

“Me too,” said Nova as Derek hugged her and kissed the nape of her neck. The privacy curtain in Derek’s cabin was still closed as Derek ran his hands over his wife’s shoulders. Nova turned a little in her chair to kiss her husband as he ran his hands down over her collarbone, and then ran them slowly down to her breasts. He could feel her nipples standing up slightly through the thin material of the bikini top as he caressed her.

“May I?” he whispered as he ran his hands down to the bow that closed the front of her top after a few slow moments.

“Yes,” said Nova. “But if you’re going to do that…please strip me…that isn’t the only place where I want you to…touch me…”

Derek’s heart began to race as he undid his wife’s dress and let it fall to the deck. He caressed her breasts, which felt a little bigger than he remembered them as being, while he kissed her again and she kissed back. Soon, his hands went over her stomach, and as she began to gasp a little, he undid the bows at Nova’s hips and watched as her lacy black bikini bottom fell open.

As Derek laid hands upon her womanhood, Nova trembled and gasped. She somehow found enough energy to get up and she relieved herself of her boots as she was being touched. Then, to Derek’s sweet surprise, he felt his trousers and underwear being pulled down by his naked wife in an almost desperate fashion. It felt good for him as she touched him in his most sensitive spot, and he felt like he was going to burst.

“Where do you want to go?” whispered Derek as they kissed.

“Sit right in the chair, Derek,” she whispered. “Then, I’ll sit down, and…”

Somehow, Derek was pulled out of his trousers and boots and socks altogether by his young wife in what felt a little like kids playing urgently in the backseat of an aircar. Before he knew it, his shirt was gone, too, and a moment later, his nakedness was clothed by his bride’s naked and eager body as she slid into his lap and she allowed him to slide right up into her. Unlike what Hartcliffe thought, Derek and Nova were discovering in a very sweet fashion that pregnancy and physical passion were definitely not mutually exclusive!

As they kissed and made increasingly wild love, Derek was happy because his prayers of the past few months had been answered.

:I’ve…I’ve..been waiting…longing for…needing you,” gasped Nova. “I…”

“Don’t talk,” said Derek as he kissed her again and their tongues met…”Don’t…”

A few moments later, they shivered in each other’s arms as they reached climax and it was over. Then, moved by the joy of their love, a physical love that they now knew at last had produced children, the two lovers held each other and wept.

“Yes…?” said Derek as his wife kissed him tenderly and stroked his hair.

“Let’s get dressed…get to that boat…get to our island….I’m putting a swimsuit on and I’m also putting one on you, that set of briefs I think you still have in the drawer…and…”

“And what?”

“I want to do this again,” said Nova as she held him tight. “And then I want you again, and again, and…”

Derek just kissed his trembling bride again. Then, she got up and guided him towards the shower in his head.

The boat ride to their temporary home on the small island was very sweet. The lovers had packed a bag with their uniforms, but they wore only their swimwear for the warm boat ride. Derek wore his black briefs and Nova wore a pink floral one-piece swimsuit. They hadn’t even bothered to put shoes back on for their trip; the boat was a small one, and they got wet from the spray in the bay, so it felt good to go barefoot in the heat for them.

When they reached the island, as soon as they got into the foyer of their borrowed guest villa, they were soon undressed again and lying down in each other’s arms on a soft rug right in the foyer with all of the naughtiness of lovers on a second honeymoon. It didn’t take long for them to be with each other for a second time. They were trying for a third time, but they got tired and ended up taking a nap right in each other’s arms in bliss on the floor.

It was the incessant, alien-sounding ringing of a phone that woke them up.

“Huh?” said Derek.

“Go and answer that,” yawned Nova as she kissed her husband. “I’ll clean up and try to find some place to take a shower...or bath…or…”

Derek laughed as he kissed Nova on the nose. He pulled on his briefs and ran to the phone.

“Hello? Wildstar residence,” said Derek, as he looked out and saw that the sun was just beginning to go down in a fiery sunset. We were here longer than I thought, Derek said to himself.

“Wildstar, how was your journey?” said Desslok over the phone. “I’ve patched in to you from my flagship.”

“We’re fine…Desslok…fine. We just got here a while ago, and…”

“Did I disturb you?” laughed Desslok. “If I am, then…I apologize. Is Nova available?”

“Uh…” said Derek as he listened. He heard a shower running and heard his wife singing in the shower. “She’s here, but she’s…indisposed…Desslok…”

“Very well. Later on this evening, could you two get into a shuttle and meet me aboard my flagship? I have something that I need to share with you about the conference. I have explained it in some brief detail to Nova, but I need to further elaborate. I know the two of you have the same security clearance now, so we can safely discuss this. It will expand our options with our enemies…”

“Thank you, Desslok,” said Derek. “We’ll…make our way up to your ship as soon as possible,” he said as he realized their second honeymoon was being cut short. Nova had been talking about going swimming together in the bay after they had cleaned up; he didn’t know how he’d break the news to her.

But he knew he would have to as he exchanged pleasantries with Desslok and then hung up.

Welcome to the real world, thought Wildstar to himself.

II. FIGHTS AND DIFFERENCES IN THINKING

Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth

Planet Melezart

The Capital City of Sterlent

Tuesday, October 14, 2206

1755 Hours: Earthtime

Deke Wakefield was taking a walk on his own, exploring the streets of the alien city of Sterlent, and getting a feel for the place. Brew was not with him; Brew was off working on his plane when Deke decided to go walking.

Wakefield walked near the edge of a park near the bay. I wonder what the surfing is like here on this planet? Wakefield thought. He was trying to watch the surf when he felt something punch him in the back of his neck.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled, pivoting and facing his unknown assailant with his personal weapon named DJ in his hands. He had the safety off a moment later as he found he was facing down Stovall.

“I ain’t got no weapon,” said Stovall as he stood there grinning with one hand in his pocket. “Drop yours, Wakefield!”

“Get your damn hand out of your pocket, Stovall! NOW!” barked Wakefield.

Stovall grinned a sick grin and pulled his hand out of his pocket.

“What do you have in there?” demanded Deke.

“Just this,” said Stovall as he withdrew the Sphere. The baseball-sized crystal globe glittered ominously in the dusk as he held it out. “It’s just a hunk of crystal I found in China, Wakefield. It’s a damn good luck charm. Wanna inspect it?”

“Hell no, I wouldn’t touch anything you’ve touched!”

“Oh, afraid I might give ya cooties?” sneered Stovall as he put Ekogaru’s Sphere back in his pocket. Far away, in his mind, he could hear the Dark Lord laughing at the scene. He liked the feeling the Evil One’s laughter gave him.

“For a Corporal, you’re acting pretty stupid,” snapped Wakefield.

“For a Lieutenant, you had a weird life,” said Stovall. “Like to know some of what your ex-fiancee’ told me when I got her drunk enough? Before I had her screaming and crying for more of mah baloney pony, that is?”

“What?” said Wakefield.

“Dawn told me that you used to play with dolls,” sneered Stovall. “She said you had this dollie named Starventura! A girlie doll!”

“It was an action figure,” hissed Wakefield.

“Screw you! It was a dollie! The big badass pilot who is close to havin’ his own squadron used to play with dolls. I bet your squadron would love to hear that, Wakefield. And Dawn was so happy to tell me all about it!”

For a moment, just a moment, Wakefield’s temper flared so much that he was tempted to just squeeze the trigger and blow the crap out of Stovall and blow him away. I could say it was self-defense, he thought. No one would question it. But, hell no…I’m a warrior…not some kind of killer…regardless of what this slimeball and Dawn think.

Deke put the safety back on DJ and set her carefully on the ground. Then, he put up his fists and said, “Wanna say anymore, Stovall?”

“Oooooo, does Deeeeekkkkeeeee wanna fight? Deeeeekkkkkkeeeee being bad. Deeeekkkeeee isn’t supposed to look at the girl dollies naked! Deeeekkkkeeee is a pervert!”

Then, Stovall doomed himself by running over, tripping Deke, and then hitting him in the back of the neck with a rabbit punch when he was down.

“Arrghhh! You son-of-a…” yelled Wakefield as Stovall straddled him and punched him two more times in the head. Then, a minute later, Stovall pulled out a combat knife and held it against Wakefield’s neck.

“Deeekkkeee,” hissed Stovall in his ear. “Admit you’re a faggot sissy or I’ll cut your Goddamned motherf…”

He never got to finish as Wakefield slammed him hard in the forearms, causing him to drop the knife.

Then, Stovall snarled, and he pumped two punches into Wakefield’s neck. While Deke gasped in pain, Stovall kicked him hard in the behind twice. Deke would have a bit of a hard time walking for a few hours after that.

Stovall then got DJ up off the ground, smiling at the bruises that were forming on Deke’s neck. He said, “See what I got, Wakefield? Got your girlfriend in my arms. Wouldn’t it be funny if I sent you to Hell with your own weapon? Oh, I correct myself. Gun. Little ditty I learned at Parris Island. “This is mah rifle, this is mah gun, this one’s for fightin’, this one’s for fun!””

“Drop dead, Stovall,” gasped Deke.

“I got you in mah sights. What you gonna do about it?”

Wakefield, knowing it might mean his death, abruptly charged Stovall and tackled him. Both men grabbed at DJ, sweating and cursing as they tried to pull the weapon from each other’s hands while they punched at each other on the ground and bloodied each other’s faces and cut up each other’s ears as they rolled in the dirt. Officer and enlisted man, Marine and naval aviator, struggled as they both grabbed at DJ.

Finally, Wakefield prevailed. Stovall grabbed at him, but Wakefield finally stopped him by kicking him in the crotch. Stovall fell like a tree. While Stovall keened and screamed like a banshee on the ground, Wakefield held up DJ and fired three bursts into the air. Then he grabbed up Stovall’s combat knife and threw it into the bushes.

Stovall took notice. Wakefield then leveled the weapon at him. “Stovall,” huffed Deke. “Get the hell out of my sight, or the next burst will go into your gut.”

“Man,” sobbed Stovall. “That’s low. Even you wouldn’t Goddamn do that, Wakefield!”

“Get the hell out of my sight, and never mention our discussion to anyone, Corporal. If you do, I will either get your ass court-martialed for starting this with that first sucker punch or I will hunt you down like a varmint and murder you.”

“You’re sick,” sobbed Stovall. “Dawn was right. You are some kind of vengeful psycho!”

“You were going to cut my throat a minute ago,” gasped Wakefield as he wiped blood off his lower lip. “Who the hell is the psycho here? Anyway, what happened here, stays here. Direct order. Got that?”

“Yessir,” said Stovall.

“Get up,” said Deke.

“Why?”

Wakefield held out his hand. “I have to work beside you in the next few days, you dumb son-of-a-bitch. Let’s shake on it, agree to disagree, and get the hell out of here.”

Stovall, while holding his crotch, took Wakefield’s hand and angrily shook it once. “We’ll talk again sometime, Wakefield.”

“We’ll see, Corporal. Now get the hell out of my sight! I do NOT want to see you again tonight, Marine!”

Stovall gave Wakefield a sarcastic salute. Wakefield returned it, and, gasping in pain, he turned his back on him.

The two men did not see each other again that night.

III. GHOSTS FROM THE PAST

Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth

Planet Melezart

High Orbit

Wednesday, October 15, 2206

0022 Hours: Earthtime

In the meantime, Derek and Nova, now back in their usual shipboard uniforms, were flying in Derek’s Superstar fighter towards Desslok’s flagship, which, as they had just learned in surprise, was no longer his usual command cruiser, the Gamilstadt, but was, instead, the larger Gamilon battle carrier Farushar, which had been heavily refitted and was now painted a bright scarlet color.

“Farushar, this is Commodore Wildstar from Earth,” said Derek as his fighter flew towards the carrier at the head of the Gamilon fleet; the ship was being tailed by a combined group of Gamilon and Rikashan interceptors. Nova noticed the Rikashan fleet sitting off in the distance beyond the Gamilon fleet; she also thought she could see some vessels of the Second Fleet from Earth sitting in orbit near the Rikashan ships. “Request permission to board.”

“Superstar Zero-One, this is Gamilon Flight Control,” said a cold voice over their headsets. “By Desslok’s orders, you are cleared for landing and number one in the stack. Land on the port side of the Farushar’s main flight deck. Please acknowledge our command, sir.”

“Acknowledged,” said Derek to the unknown Gamilon officer. Wildstar watched as a green guidelight flicked on up on the right side of the red carrier’s bow. Derek flew the fighter to a quick landing, and the ship was soon stopped inside the Gamilons’ main flight bay, where several Gamilon and Garuman soldiers in brown and dark blue battle armor acknowledged their arrival with salutes.

General Talan came up from the ranks and greeted the Terrans with a salute. “It’s been a long time, Wildstar.” He glanced at Nova. “We were not aware that Mrs. Wildstar was with child.”

“A lot of people don’t know that, yet,” said Nova with a blush as she patted her stomach in her one-piece Star Force jumpsuit in gold and black.

“I wish we had more time for pleasantries,” said Talan. “The Lady Astrena is in meditation over a disquieting presence she is picking up down there on Melezart. She has no idea what it is. Leader Desslok is waiting.”

“Take us to him, please,” said Commodore Wildstar.

“This way,” said Talan with a wave of his hand.

Their booted feet echoed loudly in a corridor as they walked towards a strange-looking Gamilon lift.

Soon, they found Desslok sitting alone at a table in a dark, shadowy briefing room of his ship up somewhere in the command level; a viewport looked forward out over one of the ship’s forward gun turrets. He rose for a moment to shake their hands, with his full seven and a half-foot height towering over both of them for a moment. They could hear in the background the strange ghostly moaning hum of either the ventilation system or the engines (they were never sure which) that seemed to be characteristic to all Gamilon space warships.

After exchanging pleasantries (and after Desslok wished Nova and Derek good wishes on their children), Desslok said, “I am sorry to disturb you, but I asked you to come here to discuss a rather unpleasant subject.”

“And, that is?” asked Commodore Wildstar as Nova held his hand.

“The possible option I may have to exercise to end this war,” said Desslok. “Nova, I already have an Empire. Taking control of a larger portion of an Empire of unwilling subjects was not necessarily my wish, but I may have to consider doing so to end this war.”

“What does he mean?” asked Derek as he looked at Nova and saw her slowly nodding with her eyes closed.

“Derek, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you yet…Desslok recently found a hologram in the memory banks of the Gamilstadt.”

“That is one reason I think that the Cometines may have been concentrating on her when they attacked my city,” said Desslok as he clenched his fists. “I have had to switch my flag to this vessel because they destroyed my long-time flagship at her moorings when they attacked Gamilon. Luckily, none of the Royal Family was aboard her when she was hit, and unluckily for them, I had just duplicated this message. I will explain to you both what I explained in brief to Nova the other day when the Earth President patched my signal through to her cabin aboard the Arizona.”

“And, it is?” said Derek.

Desslok sighed. “When I was serving Zordar, it was my ambition to someday take the throne of House Gatlantis for myself after I had my revenge upon you and the Argo. I then wished to use the resources of the Comet Empire to see if we could rebuild Gamilon and re-establish my Empire. I nourished that plan in my heart for a long time, and I eventually hoped to supplant Invidia as Zordar’s heir. Indeed, it seems I was higher in Zordar’s esteem than Invidia for a while. Invidia’s betrayal, my departure from the service of the Comet Empire, and my decision to make peace with you and the Star Force and Earth drove those plans from my mind, and then the fact that the Comet Empire went to war against me, as well as against you, made this hope rather impractical; and the resurrection and expansion of my Empire after the Rikasha Incident with Ekogaru and Cha’rif made it rather unnecessary. Why hope for an enemy Empire if I have an Empire of my own, I thought. All I wanted for Invidia was death. That is still all that I want.”

“But?” said Derek. “Desslok, you’re not…”

“Derek, hear him out!” pleaded Nova. “He has no plans to leave the Alliance!”

“The Alliance may instead be enlarged,” said Desslok. “After the first war with the Comet Empire ended, you are aware that I retrieved my flagship twice, first, from Zordar, and then from your solar system. In the systems of my flagship, I found a file in my computer; I tried to access it in your November of 2201 after I left your star system, but the file was locked. I forgot about the matter afterwards, as you know, because other events drove it from my mind. A year later, in your November of 2202, after the war with Rikasha had ended, my flagship was undergoing repairs. I looked one last time at the mysterious file, intending to erase it, but I found I could now open it. I was not sure why, but the answer made itself evident when this hologram appeared…”

“The hologram you told me about?” said Nova.

Desslok nodded. “I want you two to watch with me, and I want you to know all of our options. I am confiding in you, as my friends. Please keep this secret unless we have to use this against Invidia in the negotiations.”

Desslok flicked a switch, and ominous organ music sounded in the room under an image of the original White Comet taken from head-on.

“That sounds creepy,” said Nova.

“They called it White Comet, a battle hymn of their House,” said Desslok with some disdain.

Despite herself, Nova shivered as evil laughter was suddenly heard on the soundtrack over the ominous organ music.

“I recognize that voice,” said Derek as he also shivered as Nova held his hand.

“Prince Zordar,” said Desslok with some disdain as a laughing image of the evil and deceased Cometine despot of House Gatlantis appeared over the image of the swirling Comet. “As you will see, this was a message for me.”

“A message?” said Derek.

“Yes. A message Invidia wanted destroyed.”

The organ music faded to an almost sub-sonic growl of low notes as Zordar stopped laughing. The holographic image of Zordar than said in his maniacal and echoing deep voice, “Desslok. I intend this message for you. I left it aboard your flagship for you. If you are now seeing this, you have your flagship left, and I am sure you have succeeded in your quest in settling matters against the Star Force, whether by violence, by guile, or by subtle diplomacy…I do not know, and honestly, I do not care. I know you better than you know yourself. If you are now seeing this, I am also now quite dead. I will have either died in combat against Earth, or against Trelaina, or against some foe mightier than they, I do not know. This message was intended to be activated only if the communication sync signals from both my base-ship the Gatlantis or my Black Dreadnought have ceased to function. I tied your ship’s systems to those signals as part of your service to me and the Comet Empire. If both of those have ceased to function, I am no more.”

Zordar then paused as they looked on. “Desslok, this may surprise you, but I have always admired you as if you were my own son. While I had to name Invidia as my heir in the event of my passing, it was my wish to have a son to pass my title and the command of House Gatlantis to. I have not even told Invidia and Dyre this yet, but I have decided, after seeing how Invidia lied to me about you, and how she led me into defeat against Trelaina, that perhaps the interests of my Empire are not served by passing the throne and scepter to Invidia. You would be the first to know, and I hoped we would meet again after the resolution of affairs with Earth, but I have decided unilaterally to strip Invidia of her inheritance and to, instead, leave the throne and scepter of House Gatlantis to you, Desslok. In keeping with my wish, find attached to this message computer files in my language that serve as a warrant of adoption of you as my foster-son and heir and a warrant of succession naming you as Prince and Lord of the House of Gatlantis over the objections of Dyre and the others. If you live, and find I have died, it is my wish that you will claim your own, the gift I was aware you wanted. The throne of House Gatlantis is now yours, Desslok. I charge you with taking whatever action you see fit to depose Invidia. If she is now ruler of our House, she is an usurper, an usurper I want dead.”

Derek and Nova looked at each other in surprise as Zordar said, “Take this action. I know that you are a man who takes what he wants and knows how to gain it. Strip Invidia, Dyre, and Gorse of their positions and take charge of that I have given you and rule over it under the guidance of our Grand Emperor as your vast domain, and carry on the work that I know you have always wished to carry on with. Act well, Desslok. I am praying in the Name of Arishna that your efforts will succeed, and that Arishna will bless you. If you need aid in this endeavor, seek out General Radnar, a kinsman of mine and priest of Arishna that I deposed after a quarrel. He has the same hatred for Invidia that you share for her. Act well, Desslok. From the next life, I wish you glory, and success…”

At that, Zordar’s image faded out.

“So it’s all yours, Desslok,” said Commodore Wildstar in some shock and awe.

Desslok nodded. “Yes, by right, although not yet in truth.”

“And you have the power to stop this war!” said Nova.

“Yes, by right, if not yet in actuality. As Invidia’s legal commander, I can have her executed. And I can stop this. Why should I want to carry on in a war against myself if I rule both thrones? Do not your sacred Scriptures say “A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand?”” chuckled Desslok. “And why should I wish to do anything as dishonorable as fighting my sworn allies?” he said as he looked at Derek and Nova. “I am not an oath-breaker and never will be. That is why I pursued you with such zeal when we were enemies, since I had sworn to avenge Gamilon. I likewise swore to end the war between us forever. In the myths of my people, oath-breakers are condemned to an unspeakable torment for all eternity.”

Derek paused. Then, he said, “Desslok, if you take power, do you think the Cometines will follow you?”

“I know this. Invidia was not a popular woman in their ranks,” said Desslok. “She was hated and feared, and I believe she still is. Many Cometines disdained me as an upstart, but I was more popular in their ranks than Invidia, I believe. I know many of the common men in the ranks respected me for my efforts and because I was high in Zordar’s favor. If it came down to it, and we had to exert this claim of mine, I believe that House Gatlantis would be happy to be rid of Invidia. And, it is a gamble, but I believe many would aid me. I also believe that Radnar might be an ally. I happen to know the party who pushed hardest for his expulsion from favor was Invidia. Zordar finally gave in to her demands when he decided to exile his kinsman and friend. I believe this message indicates that Zordar reached a point when his patience with his daughter came to an end. The records also indicate that copies of this warrant were left on the Gatlantis and aboard Zordar’s Dreadnought. And, last of all, Astrena scanned the past with her powers, and she was aware that Zordar had played this hologram to Invidia, Dyre, and Gorse aboard the Dreadnought while he was bombarding the Earth with his weapon. She is sure that is part of what led to Invidia’s decision to turn against her father and flee from the High Command. Being disinherited will do that to a woman.”

“And that would explain why Invidia is such a vicious and bitter enemy,” said Derek.

Desslok again smiled. “If they do not agree to a truce and a bit of breathing space by way of reason, they might accept, or be forced to accept by their officers, a command of Zordar’s from beyond death itself. Zordar was truly respected by his generals and officers. He was a madman, but he treated those under him fairly well, and, in those regards at least, and only in those regards, he was an honorable man. Certainly more honorable than his daughter. Unlike her, he at least was possessed of some sanity and logic.”

“And you’d use that to gain peace?” asked Nova.

Desslok nodded. “We do not need this war. As much as I desire Invidia’s end, I did not start this conflict; she did. A change in leadership may lead to many centuries of peace between our galaxies. And it would also earn me the title of one of Gamilon’s greatest statesmen ever. I do not shrink from fighting when I have to, as you know, but I would prefer to die at an old age and leave a great Empire and grand alliance in peace to my son Dellar, rather than an Empire and alliance under siege. I am sure you also want your children to grow up in peace…”

“We do, Desslok,” said Derek.

Desslok snapped his fingers, and a female officer came forth with some wine. “Dergas, dilute the libation with water for the Terran woman; she is pregnant. They are more delicate than we, after all.”

“Of course, Lord,” said the officer as she bowed and prepared three goblets of wine and water mixed for Derek, Nova, and Desslok.

“Let us drink, now, to a successful conference,” said Desslok as he held up his strange wine glass. “And to peace…in our time…”

The three comrades clinked goblets and drank.

What a schemer, thought Wildstar as Desslok’s dark, burning eyes met his and he somehow had an uneasy suspicion the Leader could somehow read his thoughts. I’m damn glad he’s on our side.

His suspicions were not allayed when he saw Desslok smiling at him sardonically before he went on. “Our strategy, at the conference, therefore, Wildstar, should be this…”

Aboard the Eritz Gatlantis, Invidia, Dyre and Gorse stood on the mighty Comet Ship’s control bridge as an officer handed them a plot. “It will be dangerous, Princess, but this warp course will take us to within sight of Melezart when you give the command.”

“Good,” said Invidia. “I have learned, Dyre, that our enemies are gathering fleets there.”

“They probably trust you no more than you trust them,” said Dyre. “What I fear is this; do you think Desslok knows about that message of Zordar’s?”

“He can’t. We destroyed his old flagship for exactly that reason,” snorted Invidia. “Even if he knows of it, what good will it do? I do not recognize any claims of his. And, is it not true that Father was going mad when he told me he had disinherited me in favor of that damned upstart?”

“I am wondering if His Highness was truly mad,” said Gorse. “Maybe he could see the future before he died.”

“At any rate, I left him to deal with Trelaina. And what is Trelaina now? She is nothing. She is dead. Dead…dead and gone. And in Hell, I would bet,” laughed Invidia. “After all, she was a mass-murderer when she wiped out Telezart in her puerile emotional rage with her power, yes? And she had the blood of my mad father on her hands,” said Invidia as a desolate planet came up on their scopes.

“Conquered World MJ-235. Used for nothing but mining years before,” said an officer over the PA. “Abandoned because it was useless. Zordar sent prisoners there to die, but it even outlived its usefulness as a penal colony as its star began to turn to a white dwarf. Now, it is useless to us.”

“Nothing,” sneered Invidia. “Like Desslok…like Trelaina. A great deal of nothing! Let us crush it to test our engines!”

“A fine idea,” said Dyre. “Helm, change course by twenty…”

“Sir!” yelled an officer. “An image is appearing over the planet!”

“What?” said Dyre.

“We are picking up a plume of anti-matter,” said another officer. “And there is a transmission coming in over the speakers…switching to speaker circuit forty-eight and changing to enhanced view of Planet MJ-235.”

The others looked on as the phantom of a human figure took shape over the planet. It looked like a spectral, naked woman with her hands folded as if in prayer. Finally, the image cleared, and Invidia hissed like an angry cat at the face she recognized.

“…Trelaina…,” she snarled. “It cannot be her! The dead do not return! It is some trick! Do not the accursed Rikashans have strange mental powers? That Cha’rif fiend must be playing games!”

“They do not have the secret of antimatter,” said Gorse. “No one did, but…her…”

“You are correct, General Gorse,” said Trelaina’s soft but mighty voice over the speakers. “In the spirit of grace, I have briefly returned from my long home to warn you so that further lives will not be lost, Princess Invidia.”

“You are going to warn me of vhat?” hissed Invidia as her alien accent came out so strongly that it slurred her words. “You have no power to influence anythink from beyond the grave. Apparently you ghosts don’t even have clothes!”

“I have antimatter,” said Trelaina. “I have powers you cannot even guess at now, Invidia. And there are great powers in the Cosmos, and beyond it, that would make even you bow your arrogant knee in awe if you would be face to face with them. And one of the Greatest of these is an Earthling. I understand depths of love and forebearance that you would not even guess at. That is why I intend to let you live today, Invidia.”

“Do you?” snapped Invidia.

“I do,” said Trelaina with fire in her eyes. “I destroyed your father, you will remember. I can simply destroy you with even less effort now, if I chose to do so. But I do not choose to do so. Not yet.”

“Then why are you letting us live?” snapped Dyre.

“So you can repent of your evil before it is too late for you. Listen to the Earthlings and Desslok,” said Trelaina. “Desslok can change your power, Invidia. He may even give you a chance at peace and further life if you honor him. He is a wiser man than he once was. Even he changed and grew. You also have that power…all of you. Change your power and your evil to good, before the Universe and its powers and guiding Spirit are forced to change it for you.”

“Are you going to appeal to us next in the Name of Arishna?” laughed Invidia.

“I do not joke, unlike you, you petty and feeble-minded schemer,” said Trelaina. “Change your ways…before you are forced to have your power changed….before you are forced to return to the Cosmos…”

At that, the phantom of Trelaina faded away.

“Perhaps we should change?’ said Dyre as he began to sweat.

“Nonsense!” snapped Invidia. “It was a trick caused by hidden transmitters! If that is how the Alliance plays tricks, well, I have a few tricks of my own up mine sleeve. Helm! Destroy that planet and its transmitters!”

“With pleasure, your Highness,” snapped the officer in charge. “Output level up! Comet field increase intensity by twenty points! Increase vortex gravity well!”

The New Comet glowed brighter and it gained speed and power as it bore down on Planet MJ-235 and, in about twenty minutes, it crushed it into asteroids and consumed it for fuel.

Invidia laughed as it happened. “Analyse the debris, Major Tavnatz! Tell me where that transmitter was!” At that, she left.

Later, Invidia was relaxing in her royal apartments in a sumptuous silken robe with her hair undone after a luxurious and decadent bath and a forced seduction of a prisoner, that, in the fashion of a black widow spider, she stabbed to death after she mated with him. Then, she bathed again and put on a fresh robe. The barefoot Princess lay in her bed eating candy plundered from another world of her House as part of its right as part of the Empire when her phone buzzed. She picked it up and said, “Who is dis? I am resting.”

“Dyre, Princess.”

“Dear Dyre,” she crooned. “Do you want to come up to my boudoir tonight? You are welcome. Or, if you don’t want to, find me a female prisoner to play games with. I had a boy tonight. I don’t mind sharing the other side of the bed with another female plaything to wipe out after we are done.”

“Princess, we analyzed the remains of Planet MJ-235 as it was being torn to atoms.”

“And?”

“There was no transmitter, and the antimatter field immediately dissipated as soon as Trelaina’s shade vanished. That was no trick, Princess. We also matched up voice anagram pattern prints from our old records. It was Trelaina we saw tonight. Maybe we should consider her words.”

“Never!” roared Invidia. “Don’t come up tonight after all, Dyre! And send me that prisoner!”

“To what end?”

“To her end. I feel like torturing someone to death tonight, Dyre. For Trelaina’s impudence, the woman will suffer!”

“Of course, Princess.”

Invidia then got a dagger and filled part of it with some clear fluid as she waited. “You poor thing, whoever you are. You will soon experience the poison I made up…for Desslok. Let us see how long you suffer before it kills you, and see how it will work on Desslok.”

IV. MORNING

Space Battleship Arizona

Planet Melezart

Wednesday, October 15, 2206

0511 Hours: Earthtime

Jere “Brew” Marrable had wondered where the heck Deke was when he had gone to sleep earlier in their cabin at 0100.

Brew was dreaming a pleasant dream about a beautiful Nubian Princess of his in a brief thong bikini when a banging noise in his cabin woke him up.

“What the…?” he yelped as he saw the lights coming on and Deke staggering into the room. “Deke, man, you look horrible!”

“Horrible?” muttered Wakefield as he stumbled about holding a bloody rag to his still-bleeding mouth.

“Man, did you see yo’self in a mirror, Sticks? Your lip is split, your face is cut up, you have bruises on your neck and hands, it looks like someone held a knife to your throat, and you’re Goddamn filthy! What happened to you, man?”

“I slipped in the shower,” said Deke with an utterly straight face as he stumbled around.

“That is such, BS, man!” yelled Brew as he held some fresh rags to Deke’s ear. “It looks like you got into a massive fight with someone…”

“No comment,” said Deke.

“Who?” yelled Brew as he pulled off Deke’s shirt after making him set down DJ. “Hollleee….”

“I got into a fight with Dawn,” said Deke. “It was pretty bad.”

“Dawn could not do this to you, man! Who did this?”

“I ran into a tree,” said Deke.

“Like hell you did!”

“Desslok tripped me.”

“Like hell he did!”

“The Daleks captured me and used me for a target…”

“Like hell they did!”

“Nova decided to use me for boken practice.”

“Man, you are so full of it! Nova was looking for ya about an hour ago. Woke me up, too.”

“What was she doing on the ship?”

“Had a watch, what else? C’mon, man,” he said as he dragged his undershirt-and-pants clad buddy towards the hatch. “We’re goin’ to Sickbay.”

“Lemme sleep, Brew, I’ll be all right…”

“Deke, your brains might be scrambled up in there! Real scrambled. You’d better get them looked at!”

A bleary-eyed Nova was sitting in a very wrinkled jumpsuit behind a desk in Sickbay talking on the phone as she sipped at a cup of very strong coffee. She looked in a mirror and saw she had dark circles under her eyes. Lord, I look like a total fright! Nova thought.

“I know it was tight in that room last night on Desslok’s flagship, Derek. We just barely fit in that bunk together and I barely got any sleep…,” she laughed.

The hatch whirred open, but she didn’t notice it as she said, “Derek, I know I sound tired. But I had this watch scheduled here on the ship. I had to come back for work. I’ll get plenty of food and sleep, yes…”

IQ-9 brought her a tray of breakfast as Deke staggered towards her desk, helped by Brew. “Derek, I know it’s a crazy hour, but you called me. I’m fine, and…”

Then, she looked up and saw Deke saluting. Or trying to.

“OhmyGod!” she said as one word. “Derek, have to go! I have customers. Wakefield! Looks like he’s been through a meat grinder…talk to you later, bye!”

Nova stood up. “Deke! What in the name of Heaven happened to you?”

“The kite-eating tree got me, ma’am,” he said in a slurred voice. “Ma’am. Permission to speak freely?

“Granted,” Nova snapped. It came out like a mumble before she sipped at her coffee.

“You look like crap!” Deke said.

“So do you! I just had a sleepless night on a Gamilon ship! You look like you’ve been in a garbage truck! Marrable, when did he come in?” snapped Nova as she seemed to get her usual energy back.

“Just woke me up a few minutes ago.”

“Up on that table!” barked Nova. “Strip! Everything off, Wakefield!”

“What?” said Deke.

“Mister Wakefield, take off your clothes,” said Nova. “I want you stripped to the skin, Mister. I have to do a thorough exam…Doctor Bradford is asleep. And, no, I am not about to leer at you or make rude comments about your anatomy, Mister. Get your things off!”

An embarrassed Wakefield began to undress as Nova grabbed up a small cart and threw medical equipment onto it. She ran over to a sink and rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands. When she came back, she had gloves on her hands and a stethoscope around her neck. A reluctant Wakefield wore his birthday suit.

“Ma’am, do I get a paper gown?”

“Not when you get examined…”

“I have to…uh…go to the bathroom…”

“Use this,” said Nova as she handed a bedpan to Wakefield. A hissing sound came as Wakefield urinated. When he was done, Nova grabbed the bedpan and looked inside.

“Who kicked you in the back?” demanded Nova as she looked in.

“Ma’am?” slurred Wakefield.

“You’re passing blood, among other things,” snapped Nova. “Open your mouth!”

“Wha?”

“Now!” said Nova as she pried his mouth open and looked inside with a flashlight. “You’ll need stitches in that lip. Nice.” Nova looked at a folder that IQ-9 held open for her. “50cc of Tetrodoxin, IQ, along with 100cc of Demerox,” Nova said. “You’re getting a tetanus booster, Deke, and a painkiller.”

“When can I get dressed?” slurred Deke.

“In a bit,” said Nova as she ran her fingers over him after she shone a flashlight into his eyes and looked up his nose and into his ears. “Nothing seems to be broken. You’re lucky. I’m still scanning those kidneys, though. Also doing a cranial scan and images. Stand up,” Nova said after she listened to his heart and lungs with her stethoscope and nodded.

“For what?”

“I’ve got my reasons,” smiled Nova as she reached down there. She looked at his face, smiled, and said. “Cough.”

“You’re doing that?”

Nova nodded. “Have to check you for rupture. God knows where you have been kicked. And it is very obvious the kite-eating tree did not get you. Some maniac looks like he’s been at your throat with a dull knife.”

“Do you ever do that to Derek?”

Nova rolled her eyes and smiled. “Too much information, Deke. Cough.”

Deke coughed and grunted.

A minute later, Nova made him turn around. “Nasty bruise. Lean over that table.”

“Nova?”

“Hands on that table,” she said as Brew tried to keep from laughing as Nova smeared some petroleum jelly onto a gloved finger. “Take a deep breath, Deke!”

“YAAAAARRRGGHHH!” he yelled as Nova then did what she had to do to examine Wakefield.

When she was done, she smeared the result on a slide and said, “IQ-9, fecal occult is negative. Record it. My hand is dirty. Thank heavens his prostate is still there, too.”

“Amazing he is in one piece,” burbled IQ-9.

“Maybe I won’t be when she gets finished,”

“This will hurt you more than it hurts me,” said Nova as she swabbed his bottom with some alcohol. “Shot time,” she said. “First the tetanus booster…”

Deke screamed like a maniac as Nova gave him not one, not two, but three shots, all in a row. Then, she took his blood pressure while IQ-9 readied a scanner.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER….

Brew was helping Deke into a hospital gown after he had been bathed by a lower-ranking female nurse (some young, fresh-faced Ensign) while Nova and Doctor Bradford (who had finally gotten in here after her breakfast) examined his chart and tapes and pictures from all of the scans he had endured.

“Wildstar, that kidney is just bruised pretty good. We’ll examine it again later today. He’ll need to be here for at least twenty-four hours. Make sure he is awakened and checked every two hours due to that apparent compromise to his head.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Nova, who was now in her nurse’s minidress and sandals.

“Good job on those emergency medicines including the antibiotic and the tetanus booster. The pain med should also help with the aching he has.”

“Do you think we need Aliscea?” said Nova.

“He’ll heal up naturally. He still hasn’t told you what happened?”

“He finally admitted to being in a fight. He refuses to say whom it is…”

The phone near Bradford’s part of the counter rang a moment later. “Space Battleship Arizona Sickbay, Commander Bradford MD, speaking…,” Bradford paused and said, “Oh, yes, Doctor Sane. Sounds interesting. You’re saying you have a Corporal Stovall there? And he’s messed up real good? Funny, I’ve got a man here who is messed up quite good, too. Lieutenant Wakefield, Sun Tigers. And he’s not talking. Same with our Marine? Oh, yes….” Bradford paused again. Nova thought she could hear Sane’s high voice screaming into the phone. “Nova, he wants to talk to you.”

“Okay,” said Nova. “Doc? Hi, how are you? Yes, I am pregnant, and I did have a swimsuit on yesterday? Why? I wanted to show I was pregnant and looked good and I was going to take a boat ride with Derek. What do you mean am I sending Wakefield to the brig? He hasn’t confessed to anything. Doctor, stop screaming! We can’t do that and you know it, not unless we have witnesses. Did he say anything? No, you can’t set the pig loose on him. And why do you still have that pig on board, Doctor? I thought you told me you were getting rid of him. Research? Doc, have you been at the Spring Water? And no, I can’t join you in a bottle and you know it. Yessir, I am pregnant. It’s twins. No, my hormones are not going wacky.” Nova blushed fiercely as she said, “No, Doc, the pig did not get me that way, and neither did IQ-9. It was Derek. No, I didn’t mind! It felt good. Doc, I think you’ve been drinking. Go to sleep, Doc. No, I am not saying you should retire. No, I don’t know if there is a place on this planet to play golf. Yes, I know it’s Wednesday. No, I am not nagging you, and no, I do not have this complex that I am your mother, Doctor Sane.”

“She’s getting it really bad,” said IQ-9.

“Shut up, Tinwit!” yelled Nova as Brew tried to keep from laughing.

“Doctor Sane, you do not have me on speakerphone on the Argo,” barked Nova. “Derek, is that you laughing? You’re gonna get it, later on, Skipper,” she said with an evil grin. “Stop laughing or I’ll check your chart when I get back on board ship. Yessir, I can do that. Both of you, stop giggling. Doc, did you give Derek that Spring Water? What is wrong with you two?” barked Nova. “Okay, I’ll look at Stovall’s chart later. Yes, I think we have our mutual culprits. No, we can’t do anything unless one of them presses charges. We have no other general evidence. No one saw them doing it. Ask Derek. He’ll know? Derek? Is Stovall pressing charges? What does he mean he fell in the shower? Wakefield insists the ‘kite-eating-tree’ got him. Yes, Derek. I agree with you. It’s a metric load of bull ten meters deep. But, we can’t do much unless we have collab….yup…you got it. Talk later, and stay out of trouble! Bye!”

Nova hung up.

“Deke, breakfast will be coming soon,” said Nova as she came over. “Relax, and I can have Brew bring you a book.”

“Do I have to stay here?”

“For at least twenty-four hours,” said Nova as she bent over Deke and put a blanket over him. “We’ll have you in a bed soon. The doctor feels we need to observe you for signs of concussion or inter-cranial bleeding. It’s obvious that someone who was very strong gave you some good punches to the head. Including one to the back of the head that was obviously a sucker punch from behind. That makes me very mad.”

“Okay, whoever it was snuck up on me and started it,” snapped Deke. “Nova, I was caught with my pants down, and…”

“I’m mad because someone was capable of starting that! It looks like they kicked you while you were down, too, and if we’re thinking of the same person, which I’m sure we are, we need evidence to put that piece of work in the brig.” Nova turned her head and whispered in Deke’s ear, “In case you are wondering, if we are thinking of the same person, even though I got him 00quite good after he assaulted me in Central Hospital in his room, he also messed me up. When I was done with him, he also stuck some bruises on my bottom with his boots, too.”

“What?” said Wakefield. Deke ran some figures through his mind. Stovall was 1.87 meters tall, or about 6’ 2” in the old measuring system some people still used on occasion in North America, and the man weighed about 95 kilograms, or 210 pounds. He looked at Nova, and estimated the young woman before him was about 1.72 meters tall or about 5’ 8” in the slight wedge sandals she had on, and he guessed she had weighed maybe 54 kilograms or 120 pounds or so before she had gotten pregnant. (Deke guessed Nova had gained maybe 5 kilograms or about ten or eleven pounds since with her pregnancy at this stage…even with her “bulge”, she was still somewhat slender.) He knew Nova was a healthy and pretty young woman who could fight, and yet, that big ogre Stovall had beaten the slightly built young woman up like some sick latter-day Springheel Jack who got joy out of doing that to people. Wakefield felt utterly sick when he knew Stovall had gotten violent with such a gentle and intelligent young woman who had, for God sakes, been trying to help him.

“Yes, the man kicked me there; I was passing blood for a day myself,” whispered Nova as tears of shame ran down her cheeks for a minute. “And I left that room minus a boot and my underpants. And he did similar things to other people. Please help us put the man away, Deke. I’ll send the JAG officer down here, later. Talk to him when you feel better, OK?”

“I’ll see,” said Deke.

Nova pleaded with her eyes as she said, “Deke, please think about it.”

Deke nodded, as he looked very depressed.

I wish he’d talk, thought Nova. But I can’t make him. I wonder what he’s afraid of?

A few hours later, a sleepy Nova was walking along the seawall in a part of town near the docks with Derek. Gulls, or the Melezartian equivalent of gulls, were crying in the distance as the young couple sat down near the end of a small pier to watch the waves on the bay. The Arizona, Argo, two EDF space destroyers, a Gamilon space destroyer, and a few Melezartian Naval Defense Force ocean-going vessels were shining in the sun at both sides as they sat at anchor on the waterfront.

“Is Wakefield talking?” said Derek.

“Not at all,” said Nova as she dangled her sandaled toes into the water. The sea air and the sun on her bare legs under her nurses’ dress were waking her up a bit. “I bet Stovall isn’t talking either, is he?”

Commodore Wildstar shook his head. “No. I guess it’s like he and Wakefield knew it got out of hand and they made a pact not to talk about it.”

“A pity you men are like that,” snapped Nova as she threw a pebble into the water. “I think that Stovall belongs behind bars someplace. He’d better not ever try to lay a hand on me again, Derek.”

Derek put his head into his hand as his Star Force whites shone in the sun. “It’s as if we don’t have enough to think about. Nova, did Desslok say when the enemy is supposed to be showing up?”

Nova shook her head. “No, except that it is supposed to be today. I think they’re going to pull some sort of dramatic trick…”

“What makes you think that?”

“A hunch. Feminine intuition. The pain in my right little toe. Don’t you get a creepy feeling about this, Derek?”

“Like the calm before the storm,” he nodded. “Like right before they showed up the first time five years ago.”

“Intuition,” sighed Derek. “Funny, we both seem to have it.” He looked into Nova’s eyes hard for a moment as he held her hand. “Yet, I have this feeling it’s going to be all right in the end.”

“You think so?” Nova said as she glanced up at the harmless sky, and then looked into Derek’s eyes. He nodded, and the young couple then shut their eyes as they shared a searching, long, open-mouthed kiss.

When they caught their breaths, they heard people crying out in different languages they did not understand, and pointing up to the west beyond the sun. They looked back, and saw people pointing up, and heard screams and cries. Finally, a Melezartian woman shook them by the shoulders and said, in broken Terran “Are you some of those who from Earth?”

“We are,” said Derek.

“You here to help us?” she sobbed.

“We are,” said Nova.

“Then what you do about that?” screamed the woman in her short dress and boots as she urgently pointed at a spot in the sky.

Nova and Derek looked towards the west, where the wind had picked up. They drew their legs up onto the deck and stood up as a stiff breeze blew through their hair and created new ripples in the water.

The sun had been over their heads, being about noon in the local time. But now, a new, ghastly light shone on their faces, a light coming from the West.

But it was not a friendly light, nor was it a natural light.

It was a ghastly white light that shone like some sick artificial sun in the sky of Melezart.

The New Comet had just arrived. And it burned in the sky like an awful harbinger of Death.

People in the capital city screamed and pointed up in the sky as the Comet hung there and an advance party of ships came forth, flying slowly over the city as they came in for a landing to land troops to serve as Invidia’s bodyguard for the reception later that night. But, the return of the cruel enemy who had recently enslaved them made people scream and curse around the whole city.

At the docks, Derek and Nova heard people crying, cursing, and pointing. Some people were on their knees. Nova didn’t understand Melezartian, but she guessed the people behind them were praying.

“They’re here,” muttered Commodore Wildstar. “God, the enemy is here at last. They didn’t say they were bringing their base ship right into this system…”

“Derek,” Nova whispered as she hugged her husband in apprehension. “It’s huge. It looks bigger than the one Zordar had.”

“I know..”

“That thing can’t be headed towards Earth, can it?”

“If it is, we’ll stop it…all of us,” said Commodore Wildstar. “We’ll stop it. Somehow.”

“You stop it?” said the young woman. “I hope you do. Please stop them. We suffered enough. Perhaps we surrender? They too big…”

“No,” said Derek. “We’ll never surrender. We’ll negotiate, we’ll fight them, we’ll help Desslok in his grand plan to stop them, but, no, miss, we will not surrender to them.”

Later that day, Desslok was responding to a terrible summons as he gave orders to his crew aboard the Farushar.

“I would not recommend you respond, Leader Desslok,” said Talan. “We will meet with them for the first time at the reception tonight down on the planet.”

“Talan, they say they are under flag of truce,” said Desslok. “So far, they seem to be observing the truce.”

“I think it is highly dangerous to go aboard the Eritz Gatlantis as they ask,” said Astrena. “Yet, if you go, Desslok, I come with you.”

“So do I, sir,” said Talan.

Desslok smiled at both of them. “Then, we shall respond to Invidia’s summons. Commander, tell them we are on our way. Helm, follow the course they gave us.”

Both officers snapped salutes. The Farushar headed forward at slow speed, heading off in space towards the New Comet.

A few minutes later, they pierced the coma of the artificial Comet right at its central vortex. They passed through a filmy haze of gasses and an electromagnetic field and penetrated through to a one-hundred kilometer wide city-ship drifting inside the deadly artificial Comet field. The base ship’s many lights shone arrogantly as the ship hovered in high orbit of Melezart, surrounded by fighters that buzzed amongst the many buildings and tubeways of the sickening spacegoing battlestation.

“Gamilon flagship,” said a very cold voice over the Farushar’s speakers. “Do not deviate from your approved course. If you do, you will be summarily shot down. The mighty Princess Invidia has only agreed to a truce. We are not at peace yet.”

“Talan, send our acknowledgement and stay on course,” hissed Desslok. “I will not talk to them until I see Invidia face-to-face.”

“City defense control,” snapped Talan. “This is General Talan. We are sticking to the prescribed course at slow speed. Acknowledge!”

“Acknowledged, Gamilon,” replied the cold voice. “You will land at docking bay seventy-five on level thirteen below the defensive belt. Our Magna-Flame cannons are trained on you, Gamilon. Don’t try any tricks.”

“Are you this rude to all of your visitors?” snapped Talan. “This is an intolerable insult to Emperor Desslok!”

“I will not deign to respond to that, Gamilon. Land as we ordered you to.”

“Acknowledged,” said Talan in a cold voice.

The party sat in silence as they travelled in an aircar through a transit tube into the guts of the huge city that was the Eritz Gatlantis. It was not long until they came to a gradual stop before a huge building.

They drifted into a transit terminal, and looked around them at a sumptuous, arrogant decadence as they walked across a floor that looked like marble past a group of scowling Cometine guards standing at attention with their blasters at the ready.

A Cometine officer came out of a huge set of brazen doors, bowed to the Gamilon party, and said, “Leader Desslok, General Talan, Lady Astrena. This way into the presence of the Princess and her staff.”

“Thank you, Captain,” said Desslok. “Lead the way.”

“I shall, because I trust you shall soon once again be in our service…Desslok.”

“I thought Invidia had a sentence of death over my head for treason,” said Desslok. “The last I saw of a tomb like this was when I escaped from it.”

“She may pardon you,” said the Captain. “But it is not for I to know her mind on these matters. Come. We try her patience if we keep her waiting.”

Desslok, Astrena, and Talan walked forward through the doorway.

They passed into a huge hall filled with pillars that looked ominous. Harsh, bare lights shone forth form the high ceiling upon the Gamilons and Pellian as they walked down a sumptuous red carpet towards a high, obscene-looking dais down a row of blue-clad Command officers at attention. All of them were green.

At the top of the dais stood Dyre and Gorse. They flanked Invidia’s throne as the Princess, clad in a dark blue gown, stood up and stiffly snapped a Gamilon salute at Desslok.

She looks older, more vile, somehow, thought Desslok as he looked at Invidia’s acidic black eyes and then returned the salute in Cometine fashion with a hand up to the chest. Talan and Astrena (Astrena stood right behind Desslok) followed suit, and then they curtsied along with Desslok as they knelt on the carpet on one knee each.

They knelt there for a long time before Invidia clapped her hands once. “Rise, Desslok, Talan, and Astrena. Lady Astrena, I welcome you to the hospitality of House Gatlantis and the Comet Empire. It is a pity you come here in such company with these men,” she said with a twisted smile. “Yet it is by a great act of mercy and generosity that I greet them again thus. Desslok, even though you threatened my life when you escaped, I have decided to negotiate with you and your allies. I am even extending mercy to the Earthling rebels so we can speak. I am also extending mercy to you two. Since you are before me in peace, the price on your heads is temporarily remitted.”

“I am very glad, Princess Invidia,” said Desslok with a bow and a smile. “I hated the thought of coming here thinking you might shoot us.”

“I wonder what you find so amusing, Desslok,” said Invidia.

Desslok chuckled “It would have been nice if you would have had this pleasant change of heart over a year ago, Invidia. It would have saved many Cometine, Gamilon, and Terran lives.”

“He does have a point, Princess,” said Dyre. “We are glad to see you again, Desslok. Are you returning to our service?”

Desslok chuckled softly. “I find that amusing, General Dyre. For perhaps I could ask the same of you.”

“What do you mean?” snapped Invidia.

“The territorial sway of my new Gamilon-Garuman Empire is growing constantly,” said Desslok. “I have reconquered much of my old Empire, and thanks to peace with the Rikashans, and the humbling of the Bolar Federation, territory which once belonged to the ancient Garuman Empire from which our people descended is now in the hands of our Reunited Kingdom, and many generals, captains, and fleets once under Bolar and Rikashan slavery now serve me, even though the mother-world of Garuman itself is now destroyed. By a great miracle, Gamilon herself has been both healed and rebuilt to the glory it once had when it was newly colonized long ago by the Garuman Empire. And we enjoy much trade and peace with Iscandar and with Earth. I am no longer the demoralized and beaten mercenary that Zordar brought back from death. No, Invidia. I am a Lord again, held in high esteem by my people and even by many of our former enemies. As such, we meet here in truce as equals, not as master and slave. Do not forget that.”

“I will not,” snapped Invidia. “Never. I come here to offer much over the next few days.”

“And so do I,” said Desslok.

“Who speaks for your…Alliance?” said Gorse. “Surely if you are so illustrious, Desslok, they designated you as their leader and spokesman?”

“No,” said Desslok. “We have drawn lots and have elected a random President of the Alliance delegation for each day to express Our wishes to your side. For the first day of the conference that begins tomorrow, Janlits of Melezart has been elected by all of us by agreement as President of the delegation.” Desslok did not say that the method of election was via the simple but dignified gesture of putting their names in a hat the presence of all earlier that day on the Argo (literally, Commodore Derek Wildstar’s Captain’s Cap, from which he drew the names). Desslok then said, “For the second day, Nova Wildstar of Earth was elected as spokesperson, and for the third day, Astra of Iscandar was elected.”

“An interesting arrangement,” giggled Invidia. “I never knew you had closet democratic tendencies, Desslok!”

“I do not,” said Desslok. “But you must recall I am not the only one you will be speaking with. This war has harmed many of us.”

“Have you anything else to add, Desslok?” said Invidia.

“Not at this time,” said Desslok.

“Then drink with us before we leave,” said Invidia as she clapped her hands and two guards brought in two trays with three goblets of wine on each.

Astrena thought, This does not feel right, and she looked down at her feet and then up at the glasses. “If I may speak for us, we shall indulge enough tonight at the reception, Princess,” said Astrena as her dark, wide brown eyes bored into Invidia’s ice-cold blue eyes. “I ask that we may leave now.”

“You may,” said Invidia with what seemed to be a huff. “We will speak tonight, Desslok.”

Desslok bowed and saluted. He turned his back on Invidia and the others with a sharp snap of his cape and they left.

“I told you it wouldn’t work, Princess,” whispered Dyre as their “guests” departed and passed through the doors. “Desslok is too calculating to trap so easily. And they say that Astrena woman can read minds.”

“If she had not been here,” hissed Invidia, “My plan would have worked!” Invidia turned to the left of her throne, picked up one of the goblets of wine that she had liberally poisoned, and flung it to the floor in a vicious smash of crystal and ground it to powder under her boot. She screamed at the Sergeant holding the tray, “Rakvits, if you had kept your mind closed a little better, you idiot, we would have poisoned the Gamilons by now and would have been in a perfect position to attack!”

“Princess, I am sorry, I was not even aware my thoughts were being probed, and…”

“Guards, put this man to death,” snapped Invidia as she clapped her hands and three rifle-toting enlisted men came forward. “March him right outside and shoot him.”

“No!” cried Rakvits. “Princess, have mercy!”

Invidia smiled as another guard brought a basin of water and a towel that she used to carefully wash and dry her hands.

“I stand innocent of that idiot’s death,” snapped Invidia as they heard a shot ringing out in the distance, followed by a scream. “Watch your backs tonight, Gentlemen. We shall find a way to try again…if we can…”

Dyre nodded. “A pleasure, Princess.”

V. RECEPTION

Planet Melezart

The Capital City of Sterlent

The Great Hall of the People

Wednesday, October 15, 2206

1905 Hours: Earthtime

A strange, tinkling, harpsichord-like instrument rang out over the vast hall, which had once been and was now again the home of Melezart’s Legislative Assembly. A part of the vast complex opened out into a wide balcony that looked out at the setting sun as pleasant but very alien-sounding music entertained the revelers at the informal reception or mixer that officially opened the peace conference.

“So, what do you think?” said Lord Anton Cha’rif as he sat taking in the night air near his wife Mikala while he sipped at something that tasted like hot Rikashan kaf as he looked at Janlits.

“I think we have a challenge ahead of us,” said Janlits. “The reception here does not seem to be particularly friendly.”

As Nova, who was simply but elegantly clad in a favorite white and pink dress and pink pumps of hers, leaned against the balcony, she said while holding Derek’s hand (Derek had been invited to the reception tonight as Nova’s proper escort), “It reminds me of something on Earth we call a high school dance, Janlits.”

“What is a high school dance?” asked Lord Cha’rif with a smile.

“High school is an important part of growing up on Earth,” explained Nova. “Adolescents go through it. At some high school dances, the girls and boys, who are supposed to mingle and dance, get so shy that all of the boys end up at one side of the gym, and all of the girls end up at the other side of the gym.”

“Sounds familiar, Nova,” laughed Derek. “I was at a few of those in the underground cities at the orphanage.”

“Why is this like a high school dance, as you call it?” asked Mikala.

“Easy,” said Nova. “All of us, including the Gamilons, are at one side of the room. The green people are over there at the other side. Not too many of us have mixed,” Nova said in a quiet, depressed fashion. “Maybe we can’t mix.”

A moment later, they heard the cracking sweep of a cape. Desslok came over, followed by Talan, Astrena, and Astra.

“They’re coming over to talk,” said Desslok.

“Whom?” said Lord Cha’rif.

“Invidia, Dyre and Gorse. I think they want to size us all up.”

Before they knew it, a door in the hall swept open, and Invidia came up, smiling sardonically as she was flanked on one side by a guard and on the other side by Dyre and Gorse.

“I am quite pleased to meet you,” said Princess Invidia in her usual grating, heavily accented “exotic” voice as she extended her hand. “Desslok, you must introduce me to your…colleagues. Although I am surprised. I thought that a man such as you had no peers.” The orchestra changed to playing the garbled electronic noise that passed for Cometine music. It was as grating to Nova’s ears as Invidia’s voice was.

“These people have helped me to learn much,” said Desslok. “This woman,” he said as he indicated Astra, who stood up and bowed as she looked at Invidia, “is Princess Astra of Iscandar. She is Crown Princess of the realm, and her mother, Queen Starsha, has done much to aid both Earth and Gamilon.”

“It is too bad we are at war,” said Invidia as she smiled and shook Astra’s hand. “We have always been awed by the technology of Iscandar, and its history. I hope you can convince Desslok to see reason and agree to our terms.”

“Princess,” said Astra. “We are not here solely to agree to your terms. We are here to come up with a mutual agreement that will serve both sides.”

Gorse laughed. “A mutual agreement with the mighty Comet Empire? Desslok, your friends are very amusing.”

“I’m glad I came over here,” said Invidia. “I could use a good giggle tonight. And, orange fellow, who are you? A nice uniform, considering that those who have dusky orange skin in our Empire are the slaves of the slaves, the hewers of wood, and the drawers of water.”

“We’re not even sure they can speak coherently,” said Dyre as he sipped at some wine and chuckled.

Lord Anton Cha’rif glared had at Invidia. “Invidia,” he said in his deep voice that, even though it was alien, had the tones of a Middle Eastern Terran in its unique lilt. “I am Lord Cha’rif of Rikasha. I have been elected, but those of my House have helped to rule Rikasha for many thousands of years. I believe we had an Empire before you even launched your first spacecraft out of Andromeda. We have never been slaves, and slavery is being abolished in my realm even as we speak. It is not progressive, nor is it fitting to the dignity of man.”

Invidia laughed. “You are quite the interesting sort. It is too bad that I cannot think of you that highly. Your eyes look odd, for one thing. For another thing…”

“They are an interesting sort, Princess,” said Gorse in a disdainful fashion. Gorse then turned to Commodore Wildstar. “And who are you, son? Which planet do you come from? Earth, perhaps?”

“Yes, I am from Earth,” said a seething Wildstar.

“He looks…familiar…” said Invidia. “Remove your naval cap, young man.”

“And what if I don’t want to?” said Derek with an amused grin. “Gonna shoot me?”

“Derek..” whispered Nova.

“I am a Princess and your superior,” snapped Invidia. “Remove your hat and kneel when you speak to me, Commander, or whomever you are. I want to see all of your face. It reminds me of someone.”

From not far away Desslok chuckled. “Ah, Invidia, I see you still have not changed. Your father had more bonhomie, and wit…than you ever did. That young man is not about to kneel to you, or to anyone.”

“And why is he so great?” snapped Dyre.

“Because Trelaina and I defeated you,” said Wildstar as he took off his hat.

“You!” snapped Invidia in something close to a scream. “Now I remember your face! Derek Wildstar, I would have you know that you are still under a sentence of death for being an accessory to the murder of my father! You were not invited to this conference, and your very presence here as the Commander of the Argo is a great insult to us! You are the leader of the Earth’s treachery and defiance. If we were not to agree to this conference and truce, you would be before me only in chains!”

“Oh, was I supposed to come here by myself then?” said Nova pleasantly. “This is not the conference. It is a reception.”

Invidia came up to Nova and tried to glare at her. It was a rather amusing sight, because everyone could see that Nova was a few centimeters taller than the conceited Princess of the Comet Empire. Despite Invidia’s gown, cape, jeweled medals, shiny boots, and showy headpiece in her raven hair, the younger Nova, in her plain, virginal white and pink, somehow looked like the more elegant and poised of the two, even in spite of her youth and pregnancy.

Invidia also snarled at the newcomer because this very common-looking woman seemed to have absolutely no fear or awe of her mighty imperial presence. “Amazing that a serving wench comes up to my presence and speaks to me like this. I vaguely remember your face, but where is the Earth Representative, Nova Wildstar? You must be her niece or maid or some such…and a pity it is that your show yourself in our presence as with child.”

“Where is Nova Wildstar?” said Nova with a small smile. “Princess Invidia, you are looking right at her. I am pleased to meet you, even if you are not exactly polite to my husband, Commodore Derek Wildstar.”

“What a bunch of barbarians!” snapped Dyre. “He rebels and they promote him? What sort of insane planet is Earth?”

“They may be hard for you to understand, but their simple honor and devotion to their world and each other is even an example for me,” said Desslok. “We can learn much from the so-called ‘barbarians’, General Dyre.”

“But,” spluttered Dyre. “They named this slip of a girl to be their chief diplomat? She’s a teenage child! And her husband…looks like some long-haired, wild-eyed, insane punk! How does she get to know so much?”

“Actually, I am twenty-eight,” said Nova with a smile. “But I’m flattered if you think I’m ten years younger…General Dyre.”

“Charming, to the last,” said Dyre as he grasped her hand and bowed. “Gorse, Invidia, you must grant her that.”

“Yes, charming…for an assistant to murder and regicide,” said Invidia. “But we can forget that for now, can’t we? Dance with me, Nova Wildstar!” said Invidia with a sickening fire of sheer lust in her eyes, for more reasons than one.

Nova raised her eyebrows. “Princess, it is not usually the custom of Earth females to dance with other females unless they are very close friends. However, Earth women have been known to dance socially with other men. Would you dance with me, General Dyre?” said Nova as she nodded to Derek, who nodded back and signed Be Careful with his eyes as Nova extended a hand to Dyre while slipping out of her heels.

Invidia looked daggers at Nova and said, “All right, dance with my General, then. If I may dance with your husband…”

“Be my guest,” said Nova as Derek stood up. Nova mouthed, be careful, at her husband before he winked at her and moved on.

Soon, other couples were up to dance as the two sides of the room began to blend a little. The orchestra changed to a Terran-style melody. Nova smiled to herself as she recognized that the song was “Besame Mucho”, being sung in the original Spanish.

“What sort of weird music is that?” said Dyre.

“Some of ours from Earth,” said Nova. “It is called “Besame Mucho”. Roughly translated from the Old Earth language, it means “Kiss Me Much.” It is a very romantic song. Obviously, they were hoping I would be dancing with Derek while they played it.”

“You seem very attached to that Wildstar youth,” said Dyre. “Did he buy you from the slave market?”

Nova giggled at that. “We abolished slavery on Earth centuries ago, General Dyre. Freedom is very important to us. I am attached to Derek because I love him, and he loves me.”

“Did he go to bed with you first?”

Nova blushed and giggled again. “General, do you know much about Earth customs? I am not sure you do. On Earth, women and men usually become friends over a long period of time, and then they make a vow to share their lives together, which is called marriage. I knew Derek for years before I chose to make this vow with him. Only after we were married…did we…sleep together. And only now have we had children.”

“You marry for life on Earth?” said Dyre.

“Yes, that is the ideal,” said Nova. “People sometimes break the marriage contract, but I work beside Derek in the Earth Defense Forces, and I’d never want to violate my vows to him. I love being with him too much.”

Dyre looked down, and he saw Nova’s simple white dress twirling about her bare legs as they danced at a decorous distance. He noticed that the young Earthling was subtly leading the dance, and that she seemed to be very light and sure in her steps even as she danced on her toes, with her bare feet evading his heavy boots. It surprised him, because there was an openness and self-confidence in the girl he had never seen before in anyone who was a commoner (as he guessed she was). He was so shocked by her audacity (and openness and vulnerability as she danced in her pregnancy) that a strange paternal instinct went out to this enemy girl. He had a dagger up his sleeve, a dagger he had intended to stab Nova with in a dark corner, but Dyre found he could not kill, much less even harm, this enemy woman who was vulnerable, self-confident, and extremely courteous all at once. As he looked into her eyes, he wondered if she was using some strange, secret art on him as they danced. Then, he realized it was only his own conscience (or what remained of it) as he knew there were more lives here than simply their own two lives. He found that not even he could do harm to this gentle, courteous woman who was dancing with him while with child.

Nova became aware of the hilt of the dagger in his left hand as they danced. To disarm him gently (and insidiously) she danced a bit closer and got his arm up, with the wrist on his left hand facing down. From there, it was easy for her to let the dagger slide gently into her own long sleeve. Then, before Dyre was aware of his loss, Nova whispered “I have to go powder my nose” and she squeezed Dyre’s hand and waltzed away into the darkness, running a moment later on light feet towards the ladies’ room.

Not far away, Invidia danced with Wildstar, one of her sworn enemies. To her shock, the young murderer was very charming and very calm as they danced. Invidia was trying to palm something (the dagger in her own sleeve, so she could stab him in the back) but the young man wasn’t letting her do so. And how?

By Arishna, he was just holding hands with her! (While dancing rather decorously with her). She wondered where Nova had vanished to as she brought herself to talk with the damned Earther.

“How did you end up married to a diplomat?” snapped Invidia.

“Nova is an amateur at that task, actually,” said Derek. “She did some informal negotiation for Earth during our war with Rikasha. She served with me many times as a member of the crew of the Argo. With that ship, we fought and defeated Gamilon and helped restore Earth to its beauty with a gift from Iscandar. Then, we fought against your father’s first invasion attempt, and we defended Earth with the help of Trelaina. Then, a few months later, we fought off the double threat of the Rikashans and the Technomugar Empire.”

“What is your reason for fighting so hard?”

“To defend the lives of those we love, and to defend our freedom,” said Derek as he held hands with Invidia and gently freed the dagger from her sleeve as he kept her gaze focused right into his eyes as he spoke.

In the meantime, in the ladies’ room, Nova was in a stall, with her dress partly open and her skirt partly up as she used the dagger to cut away a bra strap from her shoulder. Then, she partly slipped the dagger alongside her hip using her briefs to hold the dagger against her upper leg while she tied the lower part of the dagger to her thigh with the bra strap. She then zipped up her dress after securing her bra as best as she could and then, while walking a little, she made sure the dagger was attached securely to her leg. Then, she let her full skirt fall back down to just at her knee while she walked back out onto the dance floor, looking for Derek, and praying he was all right.

She found him a minute later as the band played a Gamilon bolero and she whispered, “Derek, I had to be a sneak, but I got something from Dyre…”

“And I got something from Invidia,” he whispered. “It’s up my sleeve.”

“My prize is tied to my leg,” Nova whispered as she danced very closely with her husband. “Did you get a dagger?”

“Yeah…how did you…?”

“That’s what he was carrying, too, Derek. They’re sneaky and vile.”

“We’re both sneakier,” said Derek as Nova smiled. She kissed him and held him close.

“Derek,” said Nova.

“What?”

“We have to run…”

“Why?”

“Two reasons,” whispered Nova. “First, the enemy might get mad at us…”

“Second reason?”

“Derek, you are driving me crazy while I close-dance with you.”

“Nova…uh…is that a bad thing?”

“No,” she laughed as she kissed him. “But you’d better finish what you started…and soon…”

“Huh…?”

Nova led Derek off the dance floor and back to the table out on the balcony where Desslok and Cha’rif were sitting.

“Desslok,” whispered Wildstar.

“What is it?” said Desslok as he drank.

“They’re up to something,” said Derek. “Nova and I found something that slipped out of Invidia’s and Dyre’s sleeves while they danced with us.”

“Which was?” said Desslok.

“These,” said Nova as she put the daggers down on the table before picking up her shoes and slipping back into them.

“Assassination daggers from the Death Cult of Arishna,” said Desslok as he looked at them. “They are a religious order of assassins. See the masked woman’s face near the hilt? I am familiar with this weapon from the dark days back when I was in Zordar’s service. These usually have a device that pumps poison built into them. They were up to something. Perhaps I should confront them…now…”

“NO,” said Astrena.

“Hmmmh?” said Desslok.

“I sense much treachery,” said Lord Cha’rif as he glared at Desslok. “And you seem to be awfully familiar with it, Your Highness,” said the Rikashan leader.

“We are not going to do anything if we don’t trust each other,” whispered Astra.

“She’s right,” said Nova. “Desslok, Cha’rif…see what comes of this…”

“I shall forebear a little longer,” said Desslok. “But, I shall not forget.”

Derek nodded, and then said, “We’re going to take our leave of you early, if that is all right.”

Desslok smiled back. “We shall see you tomorrow…at the conference. We start at your time of 1200 Hours sharp.”

“Thanks, Desslok,” said Nova. She took Derek’s hand and led him away.

A short time later, Nova slipped out a side door with her husband as they ran down a flight of stairs into the warm night and ran down a pathway about a kilometer along the seawall down to the beach, where Nova kicked off her shoes to run more easily in the sand (it was hard to do so in heels). They were aware that maybe they were being followed. However, the danger alluded to the allure of their rendezvous.

“Anyone there?” said Nova as she looked around.

Derek shook his head.

“Good…let’s run down the beach towards the dock where our boat is.”

As soon as they were running down the beach, Nova stopped running just long enough to do something that drove Derek out of his mind as he watched her opening her dress. She quickly, almost violently, pulled the dress off her back, down her shoulders (exposing one of her breasts where the bra strap had slipped) and she finished freeing her upper body from the dress as she removed what was left of her bra, let the dress fall to the sand, and stepped out of it. By the time she was done, she was naked. She then and let Derek squeeze and hold her as he got a severe case of Russian Hands in the dark. Nova not only didn’t complain, she was laughing and gasping as she shivered in sheer delight and curled her toes fiercely in the sand. Nova whispered hot endearments in his ear as her body let go while still standing up, and she gasped into his peacoat-clad shoulder in a very passionate release of tension that drove Derek mad.

Derek soon held his onto young wife, not resisting as she stripped him out of his clothes as quickly as possible. Filled with both sheer excitement, danger, and the fear that someone might find them doing this (even the enemy!) Nova lay on her dress and kissed her husband fiercely as she finished stripping him. Then, in the breezy, warm night, Nova’s desire was satiated when her husband took her in something approaching utter desperation on his own part.

This time was short, fierce, dangerous, and very sexy. They were done in maybe eight minutes. Then, a gasping Nova said, “Let’s get to our boat. It’s not far.”

“Then?” said Derek as he gathered up his things.

“We’re going home to the villa,” Nova said as she shook sand from her dress and pulled it back on. They got into the boat.

Nova kissed Derek and said, “You drive, sir…”

“Aye, aye, Nova…”

She just smiled at him as they pulled away from the dock in the dark.

To Return to the Introduction to The New Comet, click here