ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE
STAR BLAZERS---THE NET TIGHTENS
Being the fourth 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
ACT FIVE: A RECKONING FOR ROTELLA
I. BATTLE
Space Battleship Argo
The Vicinity of Cometine Base GG-1
Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth
Sunday June 8, 2206
1932 Hours: Earth Time
“Enemy Fleet range, twenty-two megameters,” said Becker from the Cosmo-Radar, “Captain, I’ve spotted another heavy carrier at the vanguard of the fleet, for a total of twenty-six ships spotted. It looks like they’re beginning to launch planes.”
“Black Tigers,” said Wildstar. “Get ready to take off and attack: target, the enemy carriers. Keep those planes from launching!”
“Roguh that,” said Hardy with a smile. “Tigers, take off and follow mah lead!”
The Black Tigers roared out of the Argo. Three squadrons, led by Hardy, blasted in to attack the Cometine carriers, while one cruised along with the Argo herself to provide fighter cover.
Four Cometine destroyers warped in near the Argo a moment later and opened fire, only to have fire returned by the Rotellan escorts under Captain Brazel. The Rotellans drew first blood as one Cometine vessel blew apart, followed by a second one as two Black Tigers pounced upon the enemy ship and blew it apart.
In the fast-paced
battle, a remaining enemy destroyer fired upon the Argo, which took a
minor hit near the bow. She responded with a salvo from her main guns that blew
off three of the enemy destroyer’s gun emplacements and left her smoking.
On his carrier, General Dalkon took a report from the commanding officer of the destroyer squadron. “What do you mean you couldn’t stop them from launching planes?”
“Sir, they responded too quickly, and the Rotellans have too heavy a screen around them! We lost two ships already, and my own ship is….”
Then, there came over Dalkon’s speakers the clap of an explosion and a scream as the screen went dark. A klaxon began blowing a moment later on the bridge of the Dekgavis as a Cometine officer yelled, “Enemy planes approaching our ship! They’re in the heart of the fleet!”
“One missile cruiser destroyed!” yelled the comm officer. “The battleship Pradis is also reporting she’s under heavy fire from the Argo! She has destroyed one Rotellan ship, though, and she is returning fire!”
“Good!” said Dalkon as he laughed. “Keep up the fight and…get our planes launched!”
Outside, a Cometine
maintenance vehicle worked in the elevator as a Scorpion was equipped and was
being readied for takeoff. The vehicle pulled away, and the Cometine ship was
ready to take off when two Earth planes screamed in like old naval dive
bombers.
They attacked.
There was a great explosion out before his bridge windows and the lights on the bridge went dark as Dalkon stood in shock. “What’s happened?”
“Forward elevator destroyed! A burning Earther plane plunged right into it!” yelled an officer as the emergency lights came back up.
“Damn the Star Force!” yelled Dalkon. “Continue preparing to launch from the aft elevator! We’re launching if I have to shove the cursed planes out myself!”
“Not bad,” said Jefferson Hardy with an evil grin as he approached the Dekgavis from above from over her stern. “There’s laser fire, but, so what? I can take them out! Okay, boys!” he yelled to his wingmen. “Full military power! I don’t want anything left o’ that theh carriah after we’re done!”
His wingmen responded, and Hardy pushed his stick forward along with his throttle. He locked his missiles on the aft elevator just as the first Scorpion was being raised at last to the burning Dekgavis’ flight deck for launch.
The Scorpion never took off
as two missiles were pumped into it, and the carrier elevator. The plane, its
crew, and the elevator blew apart in a fatal flower of flame. At the van of the
fleet, the Tigers attacked and blew apart the heavy carrier at the rear of the
fleet. 
Brazel’s
fleet now only had three carriers left.
Hardy smiled, and he altered his course slightly as his plane and his wingmen flew past the dying Dekgavis’ bridge island, facing the bow. At the bow, they turned around, shot up the gun emplacements on the bow, and then flew straight towards the bridge.
On the bridge, the mad Dalkon screamed defiance as he saw his death coming right towards his face while his bridge crew ran like rats, abandoning the bridge. A moment later, he yelled “DAMN YOU!” as blue bursts of energy fire flew from the planes of Hardy and his wingmen straight through space, through his windows, and into his body, causing a momentary feeling of hot pain before he was literally carved into five bloody pieces and splattered against the aft bulkhead of his own bridge.
Hardy and his flight were long gone as his leering, severed head bounced to the deck like a basketball before it was consumed in a bright ball of fusion energy even before explosive decompression could blow his remains into space as the Dekgavis blew itself to bits and flaming debris. The enemy flagship’s bright, gruesome death blew apart the two remaining light carriers, and the death of the carriers even took two Cosmo Tigers who couldn’t escape the fireball along with them.
Hardy smiled as he looked over the holocaust, saluting for a moment as he then recalled the comrades who had died in the fireball. He flicked on his radio and said, “Wildstah, this is Hardy! We lost six Tigahs, but we destroyed all the enemy carriers. Elapsed time, nineteen minutes!”
“Okay,” said Wildstar. “Return to base, Hardy…your mission’s accomplished.”
The remaining
twenty-eight planes of his first three squadrons swung up and over the Cometine
fleet as long-range space naval gun fire from the Argo and the two
remaining Rotellan ships began to roar in, picking off the other Cometine
vessels ship-to-ship.
The enemy missile
ships continued to attack, firing a large salvo of their short-range missiles
towards the Argo. The salvo could only be described as hellish.
Missiles flew towards the Argo, which took damage but sat steadfast as Captain Brazel’s two ships also took damage but helped to shield her.
“Ten ships remaining!” said Becker. “Two space battleships, two cruisers, six destroyers!”
Wildstar said, “Domon, have the gunners prepare wave motion cartridges. This has been going on for too long; I want to attack that base!”
“Yessir!” said Domon.
A few minutes of pounding elapsed as the heavy shells were loaded into the Argo’s main guns.
Finally, Domon said, “Wave motion cartridges loaded!”
“Open fire,” snapped Wildstar.
The Argo blasted three salvoes from her three main turrets. The missiles flew towards the enemy fleet, and they plunged right into the enemy space battleships. They blew apart, followed by the missile cruisers. Only one destroyer survived the holocaust, and that was by warping away in a cowardly fashion.
Finally, the battered Argo was done…but she was just done with the fleet.
“Mister Kitano?” said Wildstar as Hardy ran up onto the first bridge.
“Yessir!?” he said.
“Captain Brazel has given us the coordinates for the enemy base. Take us there, helmsman. We still have some work to do before we can rest tonight.”
“Yessir,” said Kitano with a mad grin.
II. FIGHTING WITHIN THE COMETINE EMPIRE
Planet Melezart
The Vicinity of Cometine Base GG-1
Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth
Sunday June 8, 2206
2019 Hours: Earth Time
“Do you notice what I’ve noticed?” said a Cometine slave on the surface of the planet on which Cometine Base GG-1 (which was also known as Gamma-Gamma One) lay.
“I’ve noticed it,” said one of the slaves. “Most of our guards have just taken off. Only one guard is left over here by our part of the rock pit.”
“Let’s have a talk with that guard, shall we?” said the old man, who was known as Brigard. “Malus, you threaten him with a rock and make him talk. This is weird.”
“It’s dangerous,” whispered the barefoot slave. He, like the others, was working in a quarry inside a Cometine work camp near the edge of their occupied capital. The sprawling Cometine base, a two-days’ walk away was an arrogant construction that towered about ninety kilometers away in the distance across the plain. Still, even the Cometine guards stopped what they were doing and they watched as streams of fire roared up from the base.
Brigard and Malus nodded to each other. They got two rocks and smashed the nearest Cometine guard in the head. As he fell, Malus took his blaster and he shot apart the chains that hobbled his ankles and old Brigard’s ankles.
Another Cometine guard ran up, but Malus shot his weapon out of his hand. Then, he pointed the weapon at the green trooper’s head and said, “Okay, damn you, TALK! Where are most of the guards?”
“Have mercy!”
“You’ve had none upon us!” hissed Brigard as he put a fallen combat knife to the guard’s throat. “Talk, damn you, or I’ll cut your accursed throat out! How come most of the detail has left us alone like this?”
“The great base is under attack and they were called back home to its defense,” hissed the Cometine trooper. “We expect a great battle but we expect we can drive the enemy away in due course with little casualties. Let me live, and I’ll put in a good word for you so you won’t be executed when my commanders come back!”
“All right….” He said. “I’ll let you live…if you allow us to be set free.”
“Okay,” hissed the trooper. He was an officer here at the labor camp. He said into his helmet communicator, “All remaining forces; this is Hagan. Free the slaves. Repeat; let the labor units go free. We’ll tell Granlatz that our slaves rebelled, but we…”
A shot rang out from Malus’ blaster. A startled Lt. Hagan fell dead to the ground. Malus took his weapon and gave it to Brigard as the rebellion spread amongst the labor camp as even more slaves fought back. “Not bad, eh, Brigard?” said Malus.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” said the old man as he clapped another freshly armed slave on the back. “You, Maigar…go open the women’s barracks. Kill the Cometines who were keeping the women captive…for their base, disgusting purposes as “comfort troops” and then make sure the women are clothed, freed, and armed.”
“Of course, Brigard.”
Deep inside Cometine base GG-1, klaxon after klaxon went off as many troopers ran to their places. “The first and third missile batteries are armed and ready!” said an officer to Marshal Hirgel, the officer who had taken over command of the base from Lieutenant General Dalkon when he had left on his last mission with the fleet. “We’re preparing our interceptors, and we’re beginning to track the Argo and the two Rotellan corvettes. Should we hit them first with long-range missiles, or interceptors?”
“Long-range missiles, of course,” said Hirgel with a laughing snort. “It’s too bad we don’t have any antimatter missiles left…a pity that Dalkon took them with him to his grave. Still, we must use what we have left. And ready the guard fleet! How hard can it be to bring down one space battleship?”
“Lordship, they say the Argo is like a force of nature, or even a ghost ship. They say you cannot kill it.”
“I can,” laughed Hirgel. “Kernag, what is it?”
“Twenty-eight planes spotted coming in at high speed! They seem to be the Earthers! They got the jump on us!”
“WHAT?” roared
Hirgel. “How could they launch so quickly, let alone replenish in such
a…?”
“All right,” said Hardy as he focused upon the enemy base in his gunsights. “Black Tigers, here we go!”
A moment later, his planes dived down from the edge of the atmosphere down towards the enemy base at very high speed. As they roared in, they fired salvo after salvo of missiles at the enemy base, blowing apart hangars, missile emplacements, and enemy planes on the tarmac, almost everything they could find.
Only a few Cometine ships got off the ground to do battle with the Cosmo Tigers, but in a few minutes, although Hardy had lost three more pilots, much of the enemy base above ground was a smoking, blazing ruin, to the utter shock of Hirgel down in his bunker.
“What do we do?” muttered Hirgel.
“Sir, it is my suggestion that we prepare for evacuation,” said one of Hirgel’s officers.
“Perhaps…we can fight on...” said Hirgel. “Perhaps…”
Hirgel turned. “No. You are right. Prepare the carrier Vargansha. We will take off now! Perhaps I can salvage something of this.”
“You’d run now?” said another officer.
“Yes, so we can fight another day,” said Hirgel. He turned and left.
“We will prepare to evacuate,” said Hirgel as Hardy’s Tigers roared back towards base, their mission again accomplished. Hardy and the Black Tigers would fly no more today, but they had certainly done their jobs, and done them well.
Hirgel’s carrier
took off and cruised over the planet. “Enemy carrier task force off our
starboard bow!” said Becker. “They came up from the base?”
“Where are they coming from?” hissed Wildstar.
“They’re not making any move towards us,” said Sandor as he looked at the image that had come up on the video panel of the Argo. “I think maybe they’re running from…”
“Missiles approachin’!” yelled Eager. “Big wave of missiles comin!”
“Eighty missiles,” said Becker. “It’s a widely dispersed wave, five minutes to impact, and…”
“Now’s the time, Domon. Stop all engines. Ready the wave motion gun!” snapped Wildstar.
Before long, the
crew had on their goggles. “Two minutes to firing!” said Wildstar from his post
at the Captain’s command station. He nodded as Domon took over the checklist
from there, competently going through all of the necessary steps while Becker
sweated at the approach of the incoming wave of missiles.
“One minute to impact!” cried Becker. “Missiles at twenty megameters’ distance!”
“One minute to firing,” snapped Domon. “All hands prepare for recoil shock.”
“Energy level, eighty percent,” said Yamazaki from his post.
“Thirty seconds to firing” said Domon as the characteristic whine sped up. Finally, the final countdown began. When Domon reached zero, Wildstar snapped “FIRE!” and Domon responded, yelling “FIRE!” as he worked the firing trigger.
Becker began to
sweat as she could finally see the missiles roaring in, but, soon, everything
was obliterated in a blur of flaming light as a burst of energy roared out of
the huge firing gate in the Argo’s bow. A blast of energy roared down to
the planet down towards Cometine Base GG-1, obliterating the base, 
obliterating the equipment that
Hirgel had left behind, obliterating the ships and planes he had left behind,
and even obliterating the thousands of lower-ranking Cometine troops he had
left behind.
Of course, all of the missiles had been obliterated, too.
Wildstar took a long, deep breath. “Well, we’re done,” he said as a disbelieving Becker scanned down to the base and said, “We finished off that entire base, sir?”
“We sure did,” said Wildstar. “You can see that mushroom cloud. They’re finished.”
“No Cometine signals detected from the planet,” said Homer. “I think they’re gone,” he said. “They must have been localized around that one huge base that we just…”
“Blew to Kingdom Come,” said Eager with a smile.
IQ 9.7 said, “I detect many, many life signs from the planet, however. There are humans alive down there. Many humans. I am doing calculations to see if we condemned them to death via tachyonic radiation sickness. Congratulations, Commodore Wildstar. It appears that you are very efficient in committing genocide.”
“So…it was…inhabitated,” said Sandor. “Wildstar, I hope we didn’t harm any innocent people with the wave motion gun. You remember how Captain Avatar always said that we had to be careful about using its great power…for just that reason.”
Wildstar bowed his head. “I know, Sandor. Maybe I shouldn’t have ordered the Gun to be fired if I knew there were innocent people on that planet. But, we didn’t know, did we?”
“Not until now,” said Sandor, who looked very troubled as the Argo and the Rotellan ships cruised through the atmosphere down towards an ocean. There was a large, partly ruined city by the seacoast, and in the distance, a mushroom cloud had formed at the point where Cometine Base GG-1 had been.
“Hmm…” said Sandor. “This is odd, Wildstar. The architectural style of some of those buildings looks familiar…I wonder who could have built that city?”
“Or…who ruined it?” said Wildstar. “There are fires burning in the distance…see? I hope we didn’t cause those…”
“Homer,” said Wildstar. “Contact Captain Brazel…see if he can contact…any of the local inhabitants…see if…”
Then, unexpectedly, the Argo’s screen came up. An old man appeared on it.
“Hello,” he said. “Is this the space battleship that just attacked the Cometine Base?”
“Yes, it is,” said Wildstar. “I am Commodore Derek Wildstar, commander of the space battleship Argo, from the planet Earth…”
“The same ship that aided Trelaina of Telezart in killing Zordar…” said the old man with a smile.
“How do you know of Trelaina?” said Wildstar, stunned.
“We have many means of knowing of her. You see, on this planet, we are distant cousins of the race that founded Telezart. Before the Comet Empire conquered this world, we were known as The Republic of Melezart, and NOT Cometine Base World Gamma-Gamma One. We were founded long ago by colonists from Telezart, and we had contact and commerce with many worlds before the Comet Empire came. We knew of Miss Trelaina because a very few survivors of the civil war that she stopped with her mind-energy fled here. But we do not blame Trelaina for having unwittingly used her power to stop the war, any more than we can blame you for having used your power to stop the slavery and rape of our world. The Cometines had built their base inside an ancient crater for defensive purposes, a crater behind a mesa. That mesa will keep most of the fallout from harming our city or its suburbs. We are grateful to you for your efforts. Until a few hours ago, we were enslaved by the Cometines in a labor camp. My name is Conciel Brigard. I was once a member of this world’s Parliament before the Comet Empire came.”
“If the prevailing winds don’t blow much over the city in the next hour, they should be safe,” said Sandor. “The radioactive byproducts of our tachyonic reactions, luckily, have very short half-lives.”
“Thank you for helping to…ease our minds,” said Wildstar. “But how do you know of this?”
“It is easy,” said Brigard with a benign smile. “Our knowledge goes beyond our city area…for a good reason…”
“What is that reason?” said Wildstar.
“Trelaina of Telezart…or her spirit…appeared to us just a short while ago. She told us to tell you not to feel excessive guilt over what you had to do to help in bringing an end to Princess Invidia’s evil for us.”
“Trelaina appeared to you?” said a stunned Wildstar.
“She did,” said Brigard. “And she also had a message for you, specifically, Commodore Wildstar.”
“It was?” said Derek.
“Help these people,” said Brigard. “We need food, medical care and supplies, humanitarian aid. She asks you to provide them for us.”
“And we will do so,” said Wildstar. “Kitano, take us down towards the ocean and the dockyards of the city. Homer, contact Captain Brazel and tell him that we will be landing. And then…contact the Commander. We need to tell him what happened here today…and about Trelaina’s request for aid. Trelaina,” he said softly. “It is incredible to know that you could still be helping to, in your own fashion, protect others…”
A pensive Wildstar shut his eyes as the Argo cruised down towards the seas of Melezart.
III. INVIDIA’S DISGRACE…
The Eritz Gatlantis
Deep Space: 90,000 Lightyears Away From Earth
Wednesday June 11, 2206
1300 Hours: Earth Time
The New Comet sped through space even as Princess Invidia slapped Field Marshal Hirgel across the face. “You IDIOT!” she screamed. “How could you and General Dalkon have lost Base World Gamma Gamma One like that? And you had the temerity to RUN back here with your carrier rather than stand and fight the Star Force?”
“Lady, I thought you needed the report. The Star Force is being aided by supernatural powers! Trelaina of Telezart…”
“Do not speak of her…she is DEAD,” hissed General Dyre. “She killed herself for good when she died with Prince Zordar. How could anyone survive great explosion like that?”
“But I saw Trelaina,” insisted Hirgel as he held out his hands pleadingly to Invidia, Dyre, and Gorse, and to Field Marshal Balkal, who were witnesses of what was appearing to be his field court-martial in Invidia’s throne room.
“Did she come out of a bottle of Rikashan Ale?” snapped Balkal. “You always were a fool, Hirgel. So was Dalkon! At least Dalkon atoned for his sins to the Princess and the Grand Emperor by dying in battle. You will have no such chance,” said Balkal as he looked at Invidia. She nodded as he then began to undo his blaster.
“NO! Mercy! I can tell you what Trelaina said! She prophesied doom to us unless you leave Earth alone, she said…” gasped Hirgel.
A moment later, Balkal hissed, “Go and finish your talk with Trelaina…in Hell!” A shot rang out, and Hirgel fell dead with a huge hole in his chest.
“Troopers, get rid of this,” snapped Invidia as she kicked at the corpse. Four blue-clad troopers saluted and dragged the body off. “I’m not giving up Earth because some ghost told me to,” snapped Invidia. “Dyre, what was that report you had?”
“Yes, Princess. Balkal and I have the latest operation Fleet figures for House Gatlantis for the past twelvedays’ worth of operations. Princess, our total losses have not been nice to consider. And with the loss of those mines and shipyards on Gamma Gamma One, they will get worse.”
“So, recapture Gamma-Gamma One,” said Invidia. “The only people holding it are the Star Force.”
“Princess, it isn’t just them,” said Gorse. “The Rotellans helped the Argo take Gamma-Gamma One from us, and they also helped them by destroying Automated Base F-7. Also, Earth sent out a call for help; forces of the Rikashans and the Gamilons are now in the system, helping the people of what used to be the damned Republic of Melezart free themselves. Melezart, it seems, has signed an alliance with the Government in Exile from Rotella. We’d have many twelvedays’ worth of fighting now to dislodge them. Just like we’re having with Rotella. We have been trying to win there for close to a year now, and have just been stuck in the mud. We never anticipated that they would put up a resistance like this. One way or the other, Princess, we are bogged down in this sector. And the rebellion is spreading!”
“Yes. There is virus growing in the Rotella Sector called freedom and rebellion,” said General Dyre.
“How many ships do we need to stamp this out?” roared Invidia as she snapped her wooden pointer in rage. “Or should we just smash Gamma-Gamma One…or Rotella…with the Comet?”
“Princess, we have lost over eight hundred ships since we began operations again against Earth and Gamilon over a year ago.”
“I know that!” hissed Invidia. “What of the requests you sent to Prince Kazar of House Kolog, Prince Sarak of House Dinarda, and Duchess Viga of House Octlan for more men and ships?”
“Those requests…were denied…by Higher Authority,” said Dyre as he wondered if he was going to be shot next. “What is worse…the Grand Emperor himself has somehow heard of these requests. He demands that you make contact with him to report to him face-to-face about the War.”
“NO!” yelled Invidia as she dropped her stick…in fear… “It is not Viceroy Savel I am to contact?”
“No. It is the sublime, High Emperor himself. It is his command,” said Dyre.
Invidia nodded and left.
The High Emperor of the Cometine Empire was a mysterious priest-god-king who was held to be an incarnation of the Goddess Arishna’s genius to the Cometine people. Few Cometines ever met him face-to-face or saw his face in any way, shape, or form, since he usually spoke through his Grand Viceroy, the Lady Savel.
Invidia knelt in a dark communications room before a holographic screen, and all she saw of His Lordship were two glowing red eyes as she made contact with the Homeworld deep within the Andromeda Galaxy. She had never been, within her memory, to the Homeworld, and even her father had told her that he had only had two audiences before the Emperor himself in his long lifetime as a great Prince of the Empire. Invidia herself had only spoken to the Grand Viceroy twice, so she felt great fear as she cleared her throat to speak to His Lordship.
“Your Highness, I am Princess Invidia, your must humble servant, I…”
“You are the daughter of Zordar,” rumbled a deep voice. “Even I have heard of your reputation. Loth was I to grant you the Throne of Gatlantis by Imperial Warrant. Although I know that your victories are great, your reach exceeds your grasp.”
“Lordship, I am pleased to hear that you admire me, and…”
“SILENCE! Who said to thee that my words were words of Admiration, Invidia?. I met your father twice. He was a wise man. He took five years to plan the Invasion of the Milky Way. I decorated him face-to-face once for his conquests. I do not decorate my vassals for losses.”
“What is your command?” said Invidia.
“Your toadying and scheming requests to Houses Kolog, Dinarda, and Octlan for more vessels for your campaigns was denied by me when the Viceroy presented it to me. You are to secure the Rotellan Sector and you are to sign an Armistice with Gamilon and the Terrans and those allied with them and bring an end to all fighting in your area within three years and then consolidate what you have taken in your valiant father’s memory, to be sure it does not slip from your grasp and disgrace Us amongst our slaves.”
“Lord! Are we giving up the war of vengeance upon Earth? Upon Gamilon? They have mocked you, Lord? They have…”
“They were and always will be a part of the Empire. Even with your shortened lifespan as a bastard daughter of a slave concubine of Zordar’s who slept her way to the top of her pustulant little House, you should live long enough to conquer Earth and Gamilon within three to four years after we lull them into thinking we have peace and good relations. Then, you will attack again when they least suspect it, when you have thousands upon thousands of vessels, and then you shall destroy their fleets and then safely enslave their home worlds with the Eritz Gatlantis. They will not live in freedom. They will become our slaves. That is my warrant.”
“Yes, Lord,” said Invidia as she bowed. With a trembling voice, she said, “Your wish…is my…command.”
She shut her eyes and bowed her head as the image faded, Then, she wept. Curse this, she thought. How can I defend the memory of Father if I have to make peace with those bastards?
And in her mind, she began to scheme…again…she knew there had to be a way to make things go her way…but how would she do it?
Then she rose with a smile. In her mind, she was beginning to formulate a plan…a little plan of her own for Earth and the Gamilons….
IV. REBUILDING AT MELEZART
Space Battleship Argo
Planet Melezart
The Vicinity of the Capital City
Deep Space: 80,000 Lightyears Away From Earth
Friday July 25, 2206
Commodore Derek Wildstar was visiting Doctor Sane as several nurses brought in sick and wounded people from Melezart who were being worked on in the Argo’s Sickbay.
“What amazes me is how many people the Comet Empire seem to have starved,” said Doctor Sane as he adjusted his glasses.
“I wish Nova was here. She would love to be helping these people,” said Wildstar.
“I don’t know,” said Sane. “Knowing what I’ve seen, it would probably be close to breaking her heart. They were working people and starving them to death. Just the way the ancient dictatorships on Earth used to treat their enemies…”
“And just the way the Josiahites treated theirs, more recently,” said Derek as he bowed his head.
“We do what we can, here,” said Sane. “It is good that Desslok sent that General Fraken there to help us and that Lord Cha’rif sent that Rikashan commander named Givantis. Even though I trust neither of them,” said Doctor Sane with a whisper.
A moment later, they saw General Givantis, the Rikashan commander on the scene, coming into Sickbay. “Wildstar,” he said, putting his hands over his fat stomach as he spoke in his raspy voice. “I trust you are making good use of the supplies that Lord Anton Cha’rif sent you?”
“We are, General, thank you. Why are you here?”
“I still wish to nail down the location of where we are going to put our base. It is a simple, and reasonable, quid pro quo, Commodore.”
“I told you, we have no influence there,” said Wildstar. “You will have to talk to the Provisional Parliament of Melezart for that.”
“That means talking to Brigard. You have influence over him, Commodore. And over Fraken.”
“It is a good thing that the Melezartians are agreeing to any of us building bases here after what they suffered under Invidia’s forces,” said Wildstar.
“Please talk to them,” said the balding Givantis with an acid smile as he tweaked his thin mustache, which stood out in sharp relief against his sallow orange face and black eye patch. “It is my hope and Cha’rif’s that we can keep this peaceful. Good day, Wildstar.”
Sane glared at the Rikashan’s back as he left. “You see why I don’t trust him,” he said.
Wildstar nodded. “I’m going to have to talk to Cha’rif again. Maybe to Desslok. I hate being a diplomat,” he said. “Oh, I know there are times when one has to be, but…”
“You’re longing for the opportunity to tell Givantis exactly what you think of him?” said Sane.
Derek nodded.
“So am I…” said Sane as he motioned Wildstar over and poured a glass of sake for his skipper and for himself. “So am I.”
“Did you notice that he…uh…?” said Wildstar.
“Yes,” said Sane. “The man smells.”
In the meantime, on Earth, Sasha returned to the Space Fighters’ Training School at last. She was now a Midshipman Second Class, and, as such, she was now in her third year at the Academy.
She pulled on her new sky-blue and white cadet uniform for the first time and felt an odd sense of foreboding about it as she looked at herself in the mirror of her room in the dorm. I sense, she thought, that I will soon surpass this cadet rank but be wearing this uniform for a very long time.
Then, as she pulled on her boots, Sasha shivered and said to herself, “Why the heck does it feel like I’m putting on my wedding dress? I can’t be anywhere near getting married…Deke…poor thing…is so worried about the war and doesn’t write much…probably getting shot at every day…but I’m so worried about him…I wonder if the scuttlebutt is true…and we’ll be graduating sometime in May on an advanced schedule….Oh, heck, who am I talking to, anyway? The wall?”
Sasha threw down her hairbrush, sat in a chair before her mirror, and sighed. She then continued to speak out loud, “It is a bit odd that I am even here at the Academy this time of year. But I was selected as an Honor Representative because of my high grades. That’s funny. I will begin teaching plebes next week NOT to cheat, lie, steal, nor tolerate those who do and what do I live? I live a damned lie every day of my life since I have to keep my real identity hidden under the name “Sasha Petrovsky.”” She looked at her false name on the nametag of one of the fatigue outfits she had worn on training maneuvers this summer, and she felt like spitting upon it.
Then, Sasha looked in the mirror, and her heart nearly stopped when she realized that she wasn’t the only person in the room. The other party in the room wore a long royal-blue dress, had long platinum-blonde hair, and she was gleaming just slightly.
Sasha turned around to be confronted with Trelaina of Telezart as her internal psi-meters all pegged the “red” mark. “You’re dead,” she said. “I don’t normally hold conversations with dead people.”
“It all depends upon by how you define ‘dead’,” said Trelaina with a smile. “I have surpassed some of the needs of being mortal, if you ask, but I still have much to learn. Even you do not understand, but you just stand on the threshold of a world filled with both angels and terrors, great things both Seen and Unseen.”
“Did Mother send you?” said Sasha bitterly.
“She has been watching over you and she has prayed for guidance, you could say. I was bidden to come here to answer her prayer since there is much concerning Derek Wildstar, Mark Venture, your Aunt Nova, Deke, and some of my people that concerns me greatly. But, in response to these questions of yours, you will only have to wait a little while longer before you have that which you desire; that being adventure and romance. But, be warned…both of these things are double-edged swords. The same fire that illuminates your night can also burn you badly if you are not cautious. So, take care, Sasha.”
“So, what are you saying?” said Sasha.
“Be patient, just a little while longer, and you will see your dreams and wishes becoming manifest. But, be warned, because these wishes come with a measure of pain…be ready for the bitter, as well as for the sweet, Sasha of Iscandar…”
Before Sasha could answer, the form of Trelaina had vanished.
“Now, that was weird,” muttered Sasha to herself. “And every sense of mine was going off like a shock cannon or something. I need to think about this…really, really think…”
V. CONTINUED TERROR…
The Vicinity of Alpha Centauri
Space Battleship Arizona
Saturday, August 2, 2206
0830 Hours: Earth Time
Deke Wakefield was back in combat in his Cosmo Tiger with Brew and his other wingman, a pilot
known as Ensign Dave Simon, flying at each side of him. Due to attrition (the
death of Hollingsfield in a horrible battle a week ago), Deke was now the
leader of his flight. Indeed, due to attrition, the Arizona’s Flight
Group was now down to twenty-nine planes.
Nineteen pilots dead, thought Deke with a sad nod to himself. And, still, the green bastards keep on coming to attack our base, or to attack the ships going back and forth between the base and the solar system and other places. Where do they get all of these ships from…all these subs…all these destroyers, all these missile ships? he thought as he locked onto the bridge tower of a Cometine space sub that had just appeared from subspace. It fired its torpedoes at the distant Arizona, but when Wakefield came up on its six and fired two missiles, there were no more torpedoes for it to fire.
“Okay,” said Wakefield, a little surprised at how the Tiger had become a part of him over the past few weeks, “Three more bogies at nine-o-clock…Cometine destroyers. Brew, Simey, follow my lead. We’ll get them from behind their damned six!”
“Roger that,” said Simon.
“Gotcha, Deke,” said Brew.
The flight flew towards the enemy ships like one entity, three planes and their crews all locked in sync, all working perfectly towards one goal.
The Cometines stumbled in firing their first round and beginning their 180-degree turn. That was all the time Deke and his pilots needed to pump their remaining missiles into the enemy ships and evade their fire. A moment later, there were no more Cometine destroyers in their area.
“Return to base!”
snapped Conroy over Deke’s headset.
“Roger,” said Wakefield. “Okay, people, we’re going back home…” They began to roar back towards the ship. One minute passed. Two minutes passed.
A Cometine battleship warped in several hundred kilometers behind them, and for a moment, Deke started, but he took a deep breath as a blast of energy from the Arizona’s guns roared in and blew it to pieces.
“Nice job, Rosstowski,” said Deke in a low voice.
“I hate to break up your flight,” said Conroy later on as he spoke to Wakefield, Simon, and Marrable, “But we lost Miss Hammond today in Bravo Flight. Mister Marrable, you’ll be taking her place as Bravo Flight Leader the next time we go out.”
“Thank you, sir,” said a surprised Brew.
“You earned it by your flying and your kills, Mister,” said Conroy as he clapped Brew on the back. “Just like your friend here. Wakefield, I’m giving you Mister Venable as your new wingman for Dog Flight. He’s a good guy.”
“I know, sir,” said Wakefield.
“I looked over your reports…good work,” said Conroy. “Unless we have a call for “All Sun Tigers on deck”, you guys are relieved until eighteen hundred. Get some chow and some rest.”
Deke’s squadron broke up and headed out of the flight bay. Boy, do I need some rest, thought Deke. I’ve been flying since midnight. Sometimes these rotating shifts are crazy, man, crazy…
VI. INVIDIA’S BITTER VICTORY…
The Eritz Gatlantis
The Vicinity of Planet Rotella
79,500 Lightyears away from Earth
Saturday, August 7, 2206
1200 Hours: Earth Time
“What is the word from Hemlitz, the so-called ‘President-in-Exile’ of the Rotellans?” demanded Invidia as she stood in her throne room. It was now “X-Hour”, the moment which Baron Gernitz had waited for for a very long time. He was waiting inside the Eritz Gatlantis with a massive fleet of about a hundred vessels, waiting for the word to sweep out and commence his final attack upon Rotella; the one that would wipe much of the planet clean of resistance. The one that would win that part of the war.
But, embittered, Invidia had other plans. Her patience had about run out.
“Hemlitz refuses to surrender, Priincess,” said Dyre. “He says he is gathering all forces together for a great assault.”
Invidia laughed at that. “If he thinks he means he will get the accursed Star Force, Gamilons, and Rikashans to help him, he is wrong.”
“You won’t stand and fight, ma’am?” asked Gorse. “This is the chance for the decisive battle we have been waiting for, all these months…”
“If we lose, the regional Governors will laugh at us,” hissed Invidia. “I am making sure we will NOT LOSE! Gernitz, stop the attack!”
“What, ma’am?” he said from the bridge of his flagship.
“Control room, intensify the Comet Field to FULL POWER!” snapped Invidia.
“Aye, aye, order received, Princess!” snapped an operator in the Eritz Gatlantis’ huge control bridge as the huge ship roared onwards. “Course and speed?”
“Full speed, to NTO-225. ADVANCE!” howled Invidia as a course intersect came right up on the massive screen in the throne room below the command officers’ boots. Invidia clenched her fists and began to laugh as the command staff realized what was happening.
“You’re crushing Rotella?” asked Gorse.
The mad light in Invidia’s eyes above her crazed smile spoke for itself. “They have resisted me too long,” screamed Invidia. “The Empire will learn the price that traitors must pay. I should have taken full comand long ago. It was foolish of me to have left this to others! Now, we go ahead to victory, and I pray I can do this to Gamilon and Earth soon!”
“Shouldn’t you at least give them a few minutes’ notice to evacuate?” demanded Dyre. “Even we should show some mercy and grant some of them asylum as Zordar…”
Invidia slapped Dyre across the face. “ENOUGH! Any more and off comes your head! I don’t care that we slept together, Dyre! Now, I am the ruler!”
An impersonal voice from below said, “Two minutes to contact with Rotella, Princess. We are already picking up growth, matter, and human beings from the planet and consuming them within the Comet.”
Gernitz said, “Hemlitz is pleading for mercy. He says he will abdicate.”
“Shut him up,” snapped Invidia. “Full screen on,” she said as she watched Rotella shadowed in the light of her Death Comet. “I want the best view possible of the planet breaking up.”
The Argo was in a routine orbital patrol near Melezart with Fraken, Givantis, and Captain Brazel of Rotella aboard as observers when an officer on the Second Bridge picked up a bright light in space five hundred lightyears away. “Radio Telescope unit to Commander Sandor.”
“This is Sandor. What is it?”
“We’re picking up a massive light in space about five hundred lightyears away, at NTO-225,” he said. Captain Brazel clenched his fists as soon as he heard the coordinates and saw the plot coming up on the Argo’s astro-compass. “We also read a strong energy source; not as strong as that of the Technomugar Fortress, but four times stronger than the Comet Empire City from 2201.”
“Put the transmission up on video,” said Wildstar. “Captain Brazel…what’s…?”
“It’s in the Rotellan System. It’s right near my home planet.”
“What?” said Eager.
“Video panel, switch on,” said Becker in flat tones very much unlike the grave tones that Nova would use at a moment like this.
“Gods forgive us,” muttered Fraken as he beheld the monstrosity.
“The White Comet!” barked Givantis.
“No,” said Wildstar. “It’s even worse. It’s Zordar’s evil brought back to life again.
Brazel forced himself to look as he could see Rotella in the evil shine of the New Comet. It was only there for a moment.
Then, it broke into pieces, which swirled into the Comet’s vortex, and then were gone.
Captain Brazel looked on, and then he banged his fists against Becker’s panel. “MY WIFE!” he screamed. “MY CHILDREN! MY FAMILY! ALL GONE!”
To everyone’s shock, he grabbed his own sidearm and shot himself in the head before he could be stopped. He made sure the shot would be fatal.
“Wildstar,” said Fraken. “We’ll intercept them…you’ll have my fleet…I’ll call Desslok…”
“You have my fleet, I will call Lord Cha’rif,” said Givantis as he clapped Wildstar on the back. “We can rid the universe of this evil…now, and once and for…”
“All hands,” said Wildstar as he activated his klaxons. “All hands to combat stations…all hands to combat stations…our target…the NEW COMET!”
“We know how to stop them this time, Wildstar,” said Sandor. “First the Comet Field…”
“Then we attack at the bottom,” said Fraken.
“And then we wave-motion gun them to dust in just a..” said Domon. Then, he looked up, and his eyes went wide as the New Comet disappeared.
“What?” said Wildstar.
“They’ve warped,” said Becker. “I’ll try to get their intercept course…”
“Hit…and run?” hissed Fraken.
An enraged Wildstar then looked up at empty space and screamed out what they all felt as he bellowed, “COWARDS!”
“I don’t have an intercept course,” said Becker. “They warped into a nebula…and…the course ends there…I…”
“It’s all right,” said Wildstar. “You did your best.”
And, at that, the War escalated up to a new stage as everyone realized that, like her father Zordar before her, Princess Invidia had just joined the society of mass murderers…
END.
To Return to the Introduction to The New Comet, click here