ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---PELLIAS

Being the fifth part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz

ACT FOUR--KELZART'S MADNESS

I. BATTLE ABOARD THE FARUSHAR

The Sanzar System

Gamilon Space Battle Carrier Farushar

Thursday, January 14, 2202

1048 Hours, space-time.

Over three hours had passed aboard the Farushar while the other Rikashans under Cha'rif's overall command had fought the Gamilons and Terrans near Pellias. In that time, Cha'rif and his men had turned the Gamilon ship into a bloodbath. The Gamilons had fought hard, but many of them lay dead. Some had been heard by Kelzart screaming out their final words over the ship's intercom system.

As the situation grew worse for Kelzart as more of his crew died in battle, the Gamilon general grew more and more depressed. Gernan tried to lift his spirits, why, she didn't know, but it was to no avail. All Kelzart seemed to be interested in was switching back and forth over different frequencies to hear the fighting and dying aboard his ship.

"What are we doing?" demanded Gernan. "Do you want me to take over the ship's defense?"

"NO!" screamed Kelzart. "Not while I have options at hand?"

"What options?" asked Mehrvan as Kelzart got up and began to bang on controls on the bridge. It was clear he had no rhyme or reason…it was clear he was going mad.

Deep within the ship, as the smoke began to clear, Cha'rif wasn't regarding anything but his wrist comlink. He was speaking to another one of his group leaders elsewhere in the ship.

"Inkel, how goes it down below?" asked Cha'rif.

"Quite well…I estimate they've killed more of my men than I expected. I have five men left."

"What's wrong with you, fool?" demanded Cha'rif.

"No need to worry, sir. We were fighting some of their pilots, but we flushed them out of their rathole with liquid fire. They're dead."

"DID you damage the ship? I wanted it captured intact!"

"Sire, we only roasted the men, not the ship. That's all."

"Tell your men not to start eating Gamilons, damn you, understood?"

"Yessir," said Inkel. "I think we're close to a main lift."

"Describe where you are."

"Near a rounded set of doors." Inkel gave Cha'rif some coordinates.

"Good," said Cha'rif. "We'll meet you. Ter'garv, follow me."

"Yessir," said Ter'garv. Our goal?"

"The bridge."

"General Kelzart, it'll do no good at all to consider locking in the self-destruct sequence, sir," said Mehrvan. "They've taken Engineering, and they have control of the carrier's main systems. And I thought you had given up?"

"No, I haven't, you idiot…What about flooding the ship with radioactive gas?"

"We can't," said Mehrvan.

Kelzart howled and flung himself into his chair. A moment later, Gernan and the others snapped to when they heard heavy footsteps outside the bridge hatch and then heard the loud hiss of blasters beginning to melt the hatch. Gernan ran over to Kelzart and shouted, "General! They'll be on the bridge soon! Get up and help us fight!"

"So…Hah! There's no use fighting, Gernan. Are you mad? They've won the battle. We're finished, and soon it will be meaningless for us to do anything more except to die. I give up the ship to them." Kelzart then abruptly stood up and threw his blaster onto the deck. "I forbid the rest of you to do anything else. Give it up!"

"Never!" said Gernan. "We can't disgrace ourselves or the name of Leader Desslok. If you won't fight, I will. Mehrvan, help me fight!"

"All right," said Mehrvan. "Gernan?"

"Men, get over there," said Gernan. "We're carrying on this fight!"

At that, the Gamilons began to respond to her orders as if she was in command of the Farushar. Perhaps it could be said that she was in command of the Gamilon ship.

But, Cha'rif and his men were still burning through the hatch. One way or another, this battle would soon come to an end.

II. FINAL APPROACH

The Beta Valentis System

Space Battleship Argo

Thursday, January 14, 2202

1131 Hours, space-time

Now that the fighting in the Beta Valentis System was over with, the Argo was preparing to make its final warp…to the area of Pellias. Finally, after many days, the Star Force's journey was about to come to an end.

"Captain, all of the communication bands are silent," said Homer. "No response from either the Gamilons or the R'Khells."

"Try to raise Pellias," said Captain Wildstar.

Many anxious minutes passed. "No response," said Homer.

I hope…they're not already dead… thought Derek. "Nova…any reaction on the radar?"

"None, sir," said Lieutenant Wildstar a moment later.

"All hands," said Captain Wildstar…"prepare for our final warp. When we come out of warp, we will be two thousand megameters away from Pellias. We will then orbit the planet, enter the atmosphere, and scan for the main city. We will hover over the city and then commence phase two of our landing operation. Wildstar out."

"Wave engine comin' up to maximum pressure," said Orion a moment later.

"All hands, commence final warp preparations," said Venture. Harnesses snapped to all over the ship.

"Our flight path to Pellias is still clear," said Nova from her post.

"One minute to warp," said Venture. "Course laid in."

The bridge crew waited as the warp sensor began to bleep its way across Venture's post.

"Captain! I'm receiving a message from Pellias!" said Homer. "Transferring to main speakers."

"Star Force…this is Astrena of Pellias," said the tired voice they had come to recognize from the earlier messages. "Aliscea and I are aware of your imminent arrival. We thank you, but please be careful. The coordinates of the city are Planetary eighteen by one hundred and ten by your scan matrices. May the blessings of the Eternal One be with you."

Then, the speakers went silent. "Message ended," said Homer. "Communications are shut down."

"Just as well, Captain…we're about to warp," said Venture.

"Time?" asked Wildstar.

"Fifteen seconds to warp."

"Continue the warp, then head right to planetary eighteen by one hundred and ten…"

"Yessir," said Venture. "Ten seconds to warp. Five…four…three…two one…zero…"

"WARP!" snapped Derek.

"WARP!" repeated Venture.

The Argo quickly passed into, and then out of warp. The ship emerged in a dispersing dust cloud, with the shape of a bleak, rocky-looking planet before them.

Pellias. They had finally arrived.

The crew stood in awe, looking at the seemingly dead world, as it loomed large in the bridge windows.

"Miraculously, they still have a breathable atmosphere," said Sandor as he looked up from his instruments. "The temperature down on the planet is near zero degrees centigrade…the freezing point of water. It'll be quite cold."

"Venture, the first thing that we'll have to do is to get to Aliscea's coordinates and hover to over the city. Can we do it?"

"I'm reading a moderate wind down there…it shouldn't be too hard," he replied. "Begin re-entry procedures."

The shields clanked down over the windows. A moment later, the Argo was in a re-entry dive, maneuvering eastward across the planet's surface towards the equator.

A few minutes later, the hot ship's wings slowly opened, and she dropped down through a cloud over a mountain range, coming through an ominous reddish sky to stop over what had once been a vast city…a city that now had smoke coming up from quite a few buildings.

"Star Force, this is Aliscea," said a younger voice on the speakers a moment later. "I am below the city with my mother. We are below the Chancellery Complex in the center of the city. Be careful…there are still enemy forces on the ground that wish to stop you. I wish to see Captain Wildstar, Paul Rosstowski, Nova Wildstar, and Stephen Sandor. All of you… please take care. I hope to see you soon!"

"Aliscea, thank you," said Captain Wildstar. "Venture, take us down towards the city…I want the ship to hover one kilometer above the city. I want all hands to gather in the main messhall at precisely thirteen hundred hours. Then, we will make our plans for our landing."

"Yessir," said Venture.

"Wildstar, it's been quite a journey," said Sandor.

At that, Derek just nodded his head. Then, he left the bridge, leaving Venture in command.

III. BARON CHA'RIF'S MOMENT

The Sanzar System

Gamilon Space Battle Carrier Farushar

Thursday, January 14, 2202

1142 Hours, space-time.

The hatch had just blown open on the bridge of the Farushar. Rikashan troopers ran in through the smoke, shooting at the crew, which returned fire. Gernan fell to the deck with a smoking arm as a Rikashan trooper slapped her before throwing her against a control console. He forced her to put her hands up. Nearby, another Gamilon crewman fell down with a hole though him.

Two Rikashan troopers fell as the Gamilons were cornered. Smoke hung on the bridge like a deadly fog, and as Cha'rif sneeringly approached, only Kelzart and Mehrvan were still standing.

"Well," he said mockingly to Kelzart. "You're in command here?"

"Yes. I am General Hairm Kelzart of Gamilon. I wish to make you an offer, my lord."

At that, Cha'rif laughed. "Your offer?"

"I wish to surrender. I wish to surrender and enter your service."

Cha'rif's eyebrows went up. "Ter'garv…I don't need to torture this scum into submission. He submits on his own, the coward!" At that, Cha'rif grabbed Kelzart's forehead.

The Gamilon fell to the deck screaming. Cha'rif kicked him twice, and then expressionlessly said, "Your offer is accepted. Ter'garv, disarm these others. Then, Kelzart, order all forces to surrender to me. Ter'garv, you see my orders are carried out."

"Yessir?"

"Your will, m'lord?" asked Kelzart.

"Keep your silence until I order you to speak. Scum! You should have given me a fight! I don't know that you deserve to live or not…too late to whimper about it, either. I shall decide your fate later. Ter'garv, I'm leaving. See to it that my orders are done and that these sheep are tamed."

"Yessir."

Scum, thought Cha'rif as he left. I thought these Gamilons would fight harder. That Desslok sure did. Well…I guess there is a traitor in every batch. If I let this Kelzart live…he shall bear watching…but, maybe he can be useful….

TO BE CONTINUED WITH ACT FIVE--"In Aliscea's City"

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