Return6

ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---RETURN TO THE GREAT MAGELLENIC CLOUD

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

ACT SIX-- BUSHWHACKED!

Some themes and characters from some of Leiji Matsumoto's other works appear herein, as well. Captain Harlock, Emeraldas, Maetel, Tochiro Oyama, Sylvia/Sylviana, the planet Heavy Melder, the town of Gun Frontier, and the Arcadia, Deathshadow, and Queen Emeraldas are © 2003 by Leiji Matsumoto, based upon characters in situations in many of his different anime series and manga creations. The manga in question (Galaxy Express 999) was © 1998 by Leiji Matsumoto and VIZ Media. No infringement is intended; the references in question are intended as a tribute to Matsumoto-sensei's great inspiration and wonderfully varied universe.

I. A HOLDING PATTERN

Planet Heavy Melder

About 60,000 lightyears away from Earth

Space Battleship Argo

Staff Conference Room

Wednesday February 17, 2202

1948 Hours Space Time (Earthtime)

Deputy Captain Mark Venture sat at the head of the table in the small staff conference room in the Argo's bridge tower, looking over the bridge crew and main staff of the ship.

"Since we're waiting for the Captain and Nova to come back to us with some important navigational information, I'd like to get us caught up on where we are and what we have to do. That's why I have Aliscea up here with us today. He nodded to the young Pellian, who nodded back. "Becky," he said to Rebecca Voorhees from the Living Group, "What has our Rikashan prisoner told us?"

"He's given us information on his Empire which, I pray, is accurate," said Becky as she stood with a data capsule. "Nova made a summary of this information in brief before she left with the Captain, and she wanted me to play it if she wasn't available to give her précis on the Rikashan Star Empire herself. So, without further ado, let me play this. I'll fast-forward a little past Nova's introduction. Everyone here, I trust, knows who she is." Voorhees worked some controls at her place at the table. "Here we go."

A graphic of the galaxy came up, and Nova's voice spoke clearly and firmly over the briefing room speakers.

"From what the prisoner has told Doctor Sane, Doctor Bradford, Miss Voorhees, and myself in several sessions over the past few days, this is what the Rikashan Star Empire is."

"Rikasha," continued Nova's recorded voice, "Is an ancient civilization, located on a desert world in the far side of the Milky Way Galaxy, over 90,000 lightyears across the galactic disk from Earth, at this point."

"Hmmm," said Sandor. "That's the same thing Cha'rif told us."

Venture nodded.

"It is said that Rikasha suffered greatly in a war thousands of years ago, and the planet was bombed beyond recognition," continued Nova's recorded voice.

"So say the histories," said Aliscea with a very grim nod.

"After the war, after hundreds of years, a new Rikashan government began to develop, according to what our prisoner has told us. Rikasha is ruled by a council of Dukes, from which is chosen a Lord; who is the planet's absolute military dictator. The Lord of Rikasha rules with the advice and consent of the R'Khell priesthood, which is represented at the Council through a High Priestess," said Nova's voice.

"The R'Khells," said Venture. "I wonder who they were? At some points, they called this the Rikashan/R'Khell Empire."

"According to what our prisoner told us," continued Nova, "the R'Khells are a related but separate race of the Rikashan people; the persons who were not mutated by the war as badly as the Rikashans on Rikasha were. The R'Khell priesthood, largely in the service of Ekogaru, whom the Rikashans worship as their god of war, is a particularly vicious group of shock troops. They were responsible for...some of the worst atrocities in this war, so far."

The recorded Nova paused. "The Rikashans have conquered other races, as well, and have either enslaved them directly or have let remnants of their governments serve as "allies" of the Empire. The Bolar Federation, whom our prisoner says was once a great Empire of its own that enslaved other races, is one race that came into an "alliance" with Rikasha in this fashion, by being enslaved by the Rikashans, who have grown stronger than they have. Our prisoner says that a three-hundred year long war with the Bolars recently ended, with Rikasha as the victor."

"Bolars," said Venture. "Sandor, I wonder what they look like?"

"Maybe they're not that different from the Rikashans?" asked Dash.

"I wish we knew more about their ships and what they look like," said Homer.

"Our prisoner also says that a race called the Deingils have also been enslaved by the Rikashans. They were supposed to be a vicious warrior race with advanced technology. Many of them have been enslaved by the military authorities on Rikasha. Also, the Rikashans, as we know, are very cruel, although they are also capable of great kindness and decency. This decency is usually not shown towards their enemies, however. I have been told that in Rikasha's Empire, slavery is still practiced. Also, I have been told that women are only allowed to serve as priestesses or prostitutes...when they are allowed to work at all. I have been told that, otherwise, women are considered chattel in all senses. My prisoner says that Rikasha wishes to push this culture upon us. I doubt that any one of us would want...to live under such a culture," said Nova's recorded voice.

"Stop," said Venture. The tape stopped.

"That," said Aliscea, "Is why we must stop Ekogaru. And why Rikasha must be stopped."

"Do you think this is going to be a long war?" asked Yamazaki.

Sandor took a deep breath. "I think so. I hope that the Captain and Nova can get back to the ship soon. We have much to do."

II. THE MARSHAL'S POSSE

Planet Heavy Melder

About 60,000 lightyears away from Earth

Village of Gun Frontier

Red Dog Saloon

Wednesday February 17, 2202

1951 Hours Space time (Earthtime)

(About 9 PM Local Planetary Time)

"He's hurt," said Nova as she helped Emeraldas look at Tochiro.

"Owww...that hurts!" squeaked Tochiro as Nova pulled his hat off. In the saloon, things sounded real chaotic.

"He's bleeding badly from that cut. Can you fix it?" asked Emeraldas.

Nova nodded, opening up her purse. "Luckily, I brought some bandages and disinfectant. Here...let's get this spray on you, Tochiro. Good thing that data capsule's still here in my purse. Thank you."

He screamed as Nova put the spray on. "Emeraldas, can I slap her?"

"She's doing it for your own good. Stop being a baby, koibito," said Emeraldas while she grabbed Tochiro's hand.

A man flew out the window and landed in the street.

"Wonder who threw him?" said Emeraldas. "Looks like Harlock's work."

"No. Derek's good at throwing people, too," said Nova. Their enemy cursed, tried to stand up, and fell down.

"How'd you know that?"

"When we spar, I get thrown like that sometimes. Of course, sometimes, I throw him like that, too. Luckily, there's always a mat around. Hmm...not bad. Good, matter of fact," said Nova as she worked with a wet bandage.

A chair flew over their heads. Nova just ducked.

"Hey, you're a cool character," said Emeraldas.

"Have to be. I'm trained as a combat nurse."

"Would you like a job with my crew?" joked Emeraldas.

"Already employed, thanks," said Nova. "There," she said. "Tochiro, that bandage will go over your head and chin. I know it'll look funny, but your hat should cover it."

"Thanks. I want to go in there and help Harlock out," said Tochiro. He giggled. "Boy, I must look funny."

"You do," chuckled Emeraldas.

Another window smashed, and a form was thrown out in a blur. The man landed on top of Nova with a loud oomph.

"Hmmmh?" said a stunned Nova through crossed eyes.

"Nova, we've got to stop meeting like this," gasped Derek. He was right on top of his wife. "You all right?"

"Not bad, considering that I just broke your fall. I wanted to be in there helping you."

"Looks like you're about to get your chance," said Derek as they found themselves surrounded by four very big men.

"Here's for luck," whispered Nova as she gave Derek a quick kiss. Then, they both jumped up.

"Well, well, well," said one of them, a very big, ugly bald man with no shirt. "That yer girlfriend, buddy?"

"Wife and koishii" said Derek.

"And partner," added Nova. Fire burned in her eyes.

"Ohh...girlie here thinks she can fight."

Nova reached into her purse and pulled out a tanto fighting knife. "Like to try?"

Derek grabbed up a bottle and broke it against a pillar of the porch over the saloon. "We're both armed."

One of the men rushed at Derek. Wildstar slashed out with the broken bottle, leaving a bloody line against his bare chest.

He fell back, but another man flailed at Derek with a pair of nunchaku.

Derek sized up the situation with a hiss of "kuso" in his native Japanese. Wildstar dodged the blow and caught the single nunchuk in his free hand. He pulled on the weapon and dragged the man off balance. From behind, Nova quickly planted a foot in his rear end. The man fell to the ground.

While Derek dodged another blow, the man suddenly had a nearly flat white ladies' wedge sandal planted on his neck. Nova was wearing it. "Drop the weapon!" she snapped.

"I give up," grumbled the man. He let the nunchaku fall out of his hand.

With a howl, another man tried to decapitate Nova with a katana. She ducked the blow just in time and then skipped up and flew back onto the board sidewalk.

The man tried to attack again, but Nova just slashed out with her knife. The man fell back with his face cut open. He was howling.

In the meantime, another man tried to slam Derek in the head with a lead pipe. He was stopped with a strong kick to his gut from the Argo's Captain.

Someone threw a chair at both of them, but Tochiro jumped in, and, with a loud howl, he cut the chair in half with his katana. He smiled, drank heavily from a bottle of sake he had "liberated" from the saloon, and then planted his foot right into another attacker's crotch.

"Ouch," said Derek. "Not bad!"

Nova swung around and kicked away another attacker. He fell right into a barrel of whiskey. Dancing down onto the balls of her feet, Nova caught a breath.

Derek huffed, "Where are these guys coming from?"

"Yeah...they're all over the place," said Nova as she ducked a kick. Then, Harlock fell into her arms. "Hey, careful!"

"Thanks," he said. He stood up. A man came up with a roar. He was swinging a knife at Harlock. So, the brooding pirate captain threw a good punch, dropping him like a bull. He dispatched another one with a high kick. Seeing no one was around, Harlock caught his breath and drew his cutlass. "Back!" he yelled as three more men surrounded him, Nova, and Derek. "We all have weapons!"

Someone fired a beam weapon at Emeraldas. She whipped out her gravity cutlass, and, with one shot, dispatched him with a hole through his midsection. "Okay, that's one of you," she snapped. "Anyone else want to try?"

Nova flipped her knife into her other hand and got her astro-automatic out of her purse. Derek had his weapon in his hand a moment later. Not far away, a snarling Tochiro backed them up with his own cosmo-gun.

"You guys have taken out fourteen of our townsfolk and wrecked about three thousand credits' worth of property," said Marshal Nishimoto as he strode up with ten deputies. "I just deputized these men. Seems you were in league with these other jokers, who just attacked the south end of town."

"Which 'jokers', as you put it?" said Derek.

Eight more men strode up. Two of them had a handcuffed, black-cowled giant of a man held between them. One of them roughly threw back his hood.

"Captain," said a deep, somewhat nasal voice. "Even though I was here for my reasons, we must stop meeting like this," said the stranger.

"Cha'rif?" hissed Wildstar. Facing Derek and Nova was their enemy, Baron Anton Cha'rif of Rikasha.

The Rikashan nodded once, acknowledging his enemy with fire in his green eyes. His orange skin looked quite pale in the evening light from the many moons and the gas streetlights.

"Ah, you know this man?" said Nishimoto.

"He was our enemy," said Derek. "Our peoples are currently at war. They started it."

"You guys seem to be on friendly terms for enemies," said Sylviana (aka Sylvia) the bounty hunter as she came up. She smiled and said, "How much of a share do I get for helping you catch Harlock?"

"Well...we'll see about that..."

"Do you think we're caught?" asked Emeraldas as she reached under her hair and, improbably, took off a small green earring. "Think again."

"What are you doing?" whispered Harlock.

"Little trick I learned from my sister Maetel," she smiled.

Emeraldas threw down the earring. Everything immediately exploded with a loud bang and flash of light.

Concussion charge! thought Captain Wildstar. Neat trick!

"Run for it!" she yelled. Harlock and Tochiro took the cue and ran, hoping they were going the right way.

"The boat's this way!" said Nova, who was temporarily dazzled by the bright light. She grabbed Derek's hand. "Follow me!"

The couple ran off, pursued by Cha'rif.

They ran and ran, not able to see that well as their eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness after the dazzling light.

Laser beams flew at them, and they dived into a doorway for cover. Before Derek could react and return fire out the doorway, someone kicked the doors shut from outside, securing them from the outside with a metal bar and a lock.

Wildstar threw himself against the doors, but they refused to budge. "CRUD!" he yelled. "Nova. Gimme a hand with this!"

Both of them threw themselves hard against the doors, so hard, as a matter of fact, that both of them would have bruises on their shoulders the next day.

"Trapped in here like rats in a Skinner maze," grumbled Nova with a despairing shake of her head.

"I think that's what they wanted to do. Dirty trick!" said Derek.

Nova grabbed his hand. "Derek, we'll find a way out of this. It looks like some kind of warehouse; see all the boxes? There has to be more than one way out of a warehouse."

"Okay...let's start looking for an exit. Wanna split up for a minute? Two heads are better than one in a place like this."

"No," said Nova.

"We should," said Derek. "Place looks big. We can communicate to each other with those whistle calls we used at Quantico."

"Yeah," said Nova. "This time it's no game." She stood in thought for a moment, and then put away her weapons. "You go that way...I'll go this way. I'll be listening for your call. Good luck."

"Thanks." They kissed and then temporarily split up to begin searching the warehouse.

A few minutes later, both of them began to wonder if this was a good idea.

Nova found another door within about six minutes; a side door by some large crates that she opened and found was unlocked.

She began to whistle to Derek, making a hooting whistling noise like that of an owl. Derek whistled back, and Nova then heard footsteps. He's coming, she thought. Great! Soon, we can get out of here. Then I can give him a piece of my mind for letting us get split up at the saloon. I know he meant well, but it caused so much trouble that we could have avoided if we had stuck together. The five of us together could have taken those guys and got out through a back door...

Then, a minute later, she heard more footsteps. She put up her fists, dropped her purse, and prepared to run, but a flashlight shone in her eyes a moment later.

Four...no...five men surrounded her. "We got ya," they said. "Marshal just deputized us. Come in alive or you'll come in dead."

Backed against a crate, Nova began to size them up. Three of them are big, two small. She whistled again to Derek. If I can put the small guys out of action, I can get past these big guys; they surely can't run as fast as I can.

Nova put up a fist and prepared to kick at the smallest of the men. But, it seemed one of them was a martial-arts master himself. He anticipated her move, catching her foot as soon as she kicked.

Thrown off balance, another one grabbed her other foot, and a third came up behind her and put a heavy arm around her waist.

They picked her up off the ground. "Derek!" she screamed while she struggled. They found her a rather tough fish to catch; one of her flailing punches knocked a deputy's tooth clean out. "Come give me a hand!!" she cried. "Derek!"

One of the laughing men picked up her purse and withdrew her tanto. "How do ya like having your own knife against your throat, ya stupid tramp? Move any more, and I'll slit ya open!"

"DEREK!" yelled Nova at the top of her lungs, only to get greeted with a slap in the face from of the deputies.

A moment later, she heard more yelling, and saw about seven men dragging a bloodied, bruised Derek up before her. His hair was very messy, and his teeth were gritted.

"Let that woman go," he gasped. "Your people started this in the saloon. We didn't!"

"Both of ya are under arrest for wrecking town property and abetting and aiding known space pirates with bounties on their heads, along with your Rikashan buddies."

"You idiots!" yelled Captain Wildstar. "We're fighting those men!"

"You can give your defenses at your trial. You're goin' to th' barbershop to see Judge Butler tanight, youse guys. Ya probably won't be around for the morning..."

"Let us go," said Nova. "If you'd hear our side, you can explain. This isn't even a just arrest. Procedurally, you haven't read us our rights..."

The men guffawed. "Little lady tinks she's a lawyer, huh? Okay...we'll tell the Judge to let you talk first at the trial. You see if you can argue yer way outta the noose, ya blonde skank."

"You don't call her that!" yelled Derek.

"Derek, thanks for trying to defend my honor, but did you hear him?" cried Nova. "They're want to hang us!"

"Right at dawn, babe. Right at dawn," chuckled one of the men. "All right...let's go! Take 'em to Butler's Tonsorial Salon. Quick!"

Still struggling, Derek and Nova were carried out of the warehouse like cats in bags.

III. WAITING

Planet Heavy Melder

About 60,000 lightyears away from Earth

Space Battleship Argo

First Bridge

Wednesday February 17, 2202

2043 Hours Space time (Earthtime)

Mark Venture, the Argo's First Officer, sat in a funk. "They haven't reported in, yet, Sandor. We were at least supposed to hear from them. You gave Nova one of those tight-beam neutrino transmitters you invented so they could talk to us from down there without being detected."

"Give them some time," said Sandor. "Maybe they're still talking with the parties that they need to see."

Aliscea came onto the bridge. She said, without preamble, "They're in trouble."

"How do you know that?" asked Venture.

"She just told me she was scanning the surface for them," said Rosstowski. "She just told me their life forces have weakened."

"Mister Raiden, please allow me," she said as she quietly began to push Raiden away from the cosmo-radar.

"Aliscea, what are you doing?" asked Venture. "We don't allow visitors to touch bridge instruments unless we have a good reason."

"I need to scan the area for a ship," she said without further ado. Looking a little like Nova in some party dress behind the console, she sat down and began to work controls as if she knew what she was doing. The radar began to bleep. "Right there. RPM-221, distance...one megameter. Switch to main screen."

She flicked a switch, and an image of a strange dark blue spacecraft appeared on the Argo's main screen. "The Arcadia." She said. "That's Harlock's ship. Please hail them right away. Tell them I'll be aboard shortly."

"Aliscea!" cried Paul. "How are you getting there?"

"Did you hail them yet?" she said as she stood up.

Venture said, "Homer, call them!"

The communications officer nodded curtly. A moment later, Homer began to make the call. "Spaceship Arcadia. This is Space Battleship Argo of the First Interstellar Special Missions Force from Planet Earth. Arcadia, please respond."

A somewhat whiny voice came on the radio. "This is Third Mate Yattaran. Tochiro's asleep and Kei's indisposed. What do you guys want?"

"Tell Harlock I'm coming," said Aliscea as she walked up to Homer's post and grabbed his headset off his very surprised head. She put it on without further ado.

"Who's this?" said the whiny voice.

"Aliscea Rosstowski, formerly of Pellias. Harlock will know who I am. I must see him at once."

Aliscea's brash young voice held such authority that Yattaran just shrugged. "Harlock won't be too happy, but I'll tell him you're coming. How will you land your ship?"

"I have no need of a ship at such a close distance," she said as Venture's eyebrows went up. "Tell Harlock I will be waiting for him at the door of his cabin."

Aliscea then sent to Paul, I'm leaving now. I'll see you later, my love. No time to waste! You know I just learned this skill since we left Pellias!

Can I come with you? Paul thought back.

No, I can only do one. I haven't reached the level of skill to do more than one yet. See you later!

"Aliscea, what are you doing?" asked Venture.

Aliscea set the headset on Homer's console and said. "Leaving. Homer, please shield your eyes."

"What?" he said.

Aliscea then gleamed like a firebrand and vanished right off the Argo's bridge.

"What the...?' said Dash.

"Looks like some form of teleportation," said Sandor.

"Only...Trelaina could do that," said Venture.

"Beats me how she did that," said Parsons. "Rosstowski?"

"One of her powers," said Paul. "She just told me five minutes ago, too."

"And you just let her go?" said Venture indignantly.

"She'll be back," said Paul. "And being married to her doesn't give me any right to tell her what to do."

Harlock sat in his cabin, sipping at some wine. He had changed into one of his pirate uniforms; a black top and jeans with high boots; he usually wore a cloak with his uniform. However, he didn't have it on right now as he was trying to relax in the Arcadia's luxurious Captain's saloon in the poop deck of the ship.

Before dawn, Emeraldas and I will work together and get them free, thought Harlock. Granted, I will have to terrify the people of those town to do so, but Emeraldas told me that my later self already did something like that to this town and they already fear me as a result. Nice to have one's reputation precede you, isn't it?

The pirate Captain smiled grimly while he worked on some wooden object with a dagger. Not bad, he thought. I've always liked having an ocarina around. Hope I remember how to play the damn thing.

A knock came at his door a moment later.

"Who is it?" he said. "Kei, since Tochiro is away, I asked not to be disturbed!"

"It's not your second mate," said a female voice. "It's me, Harlock. My name is Aliscea. I came from the ship you know as the Yamato. You were told about me by Captain Wildstar, Harlock. I need to see you at once."

"How did you get aboard?"

"I have abilities most people don't understand. I can go from place to place without being detected at close range. I've been improving my range lately since I left Pellias, when I could barely do this. Please let me see you."

Harlock opened the double doors to his cabin and smiled as the young woman walked in.

"You look very much like my lost love on Earth," he said.

"What was her name?" said Aliscea as she came in, luxuriating at the feel of the carpet under her sandals.

"That's not important now," said Harlock. "I was in the midst of planning a rescue for your Captain."

"Where's your first mate, Mr. Oyama? I would like to compliment him on the construction of your vessel. It would be nice to have him here, too."

"He was hurt in battle below on the planet," said Harlock. "He's being treated by his lover Emeraldas on her ship, the Queen Emeraldas. We shall see him in the morning before dawn."

"What were you planning?" asked Aliscea.

"A plan wherein my ship and the Queen Emeraldas would show up over the planet near dawn, when they usually hang people there, according to what Emeraldas has told me. Then, we would use a landing force to take the prisoners before they are hung and get them back to the Arcadia. We could make sure that they are returned to your ship before they leave the area, of course."

"Good. I'm already telling my bondmate," smiled Aliscea. "We share a telepathic link. I can tell him things mind-to-mind."

"Do you have any suggestions?" asked Harlock.

"I do. Give me some time and I can advise you of them. These are ideas I am getting from the memories that live within me. Bear in mind, I haven't actually done these things, but..."

"I have seen many odd things in the Sea of Stars, but I trust you," said Harlock. "Now, let's see what you have to do. Please sit down."

Taking Phantom F. Harlock III's advice to heart, Aliscea sat down.

IV. THE HANGING JUDGE

Planet Heavy Melder

About 60,000 lightyears away from Earth

Village of Gun Frontier

Butler's Tonsorial Parlor

Wednesday February 17, 2202

2112 Hours Space time (Earthtime)

(About 10:30 PM Local Planetary Time)

"Well, my little lady, you've got some nerve fighting our deputies like that. Yew also have terrible split ends."

Nova Wildstar crossed her eyes and exhaled angrily. "This is the most moronic place I've ever heard of to hold a trial; a barbershop! Don't you have a real courtroom in this town?"

Nova was a very unwilling participant. She had been dragged to one of the barber chairs, strapped down while handcuffed, and also tied down for good measure. Two deputies stood nearby with shotguns aimed at her head in case she decided to fight.

Not far away, there was a waiting area. Captain Derek Wildstar was also handcuffed and tied up; he had been thrown onto the old brown cushioned settee himself. Two other deputies likewise had guns aimed at his head. Both of them had been stripped of their weapons, and the all-important data capsule, which had been in Nova's purse.

"It's mah barbershop, and it's mah courtroom," mumbled the fat, smelly bearded old man. "'Scuse me while I get some liquid refreshment."

Nova tried not to throw up while the judge with severe b. o. grabbed up a bottle of bourbon and swilled some of the brown liquor down like a pig. Doctor Sane has more class than this guy, thought Nova while Butler drank half the bottle. Then, licking his chops and swaying, he turned on some country music on a stereo system. It was banjo music, and Nova thought she recognized the tune; Foggy Mountain Breakdown. The drunken barber/judge got a pair of scissors, and began to cut the back of Nova's hair while he talked.

"Yew and yer boyfriend..."

"Husband. AND itoshii!"

"Boyfriend there are charged with wrecking seven thousand credits' worth of Gun Frontier property; each. We've searched your effects. You only have seven hundred credits, and some old data tape, probably a teenybopper pop record a' yours, which we've done confiscated to pay for the costs of this trial. Okay. We didn't done confiscate your cartridge. We threw it back in her purse cause it's worthless. We don't need yoah teen heartthrob tape, Blondie! Let it hang around on her corpse after she's dead. Make a nice buzzard treat along with her eyes."

"We didn't wreck that much property!" cried Nova.

"Yeah! We didn't!" yelled Derek.

"Ain't the way we do things heah," said one of the deputies. "We done elected Butler and Nishimoto to clean up this town after those weird pirates wrecked it years ago. They done cleaned it up. We hang the guilty and we hang some a' the innocent, too. We figure God can sort 'em all out."

"Shut the kid up, Sancho. Haven't gotten to him yet."

"Right, sir," said one of the deputies, who slapped Derek across the face.

The bell above the barbershop door dinged like crazy. In came four more deputies, shoving and pushing a black-cloaked giant in a white uniform trimmed with a blue collar. He was very tall, had unruly long brown hair, orange skin, and weird green-on-green eyes.

He was punched and kicked a few times, and then rudely shoved into the settee next to Derek.

Wildstar looked on in shock. Beside him (and right against him) was Baron Anton Cha'rif of Rikasha.

"Don't look at me like that," said Cha'rif. "They've got me handcuffed, too," he said, looking back at his handcuffs and at the mirror on the wall behind them. Seems I'm on trial after you and your wife are done. I see she's still up there getting her trial and haircut. They do weird things around here."

"You've got all of those occult powers, or so you said, once," said Wildstar. "Can't you escape?"

"Regrettably, no. I drained my power today looking for you. My fleet is currently two hundred megameters away from your ship. No. Don't worry. I gave them orders not to attack unless I'm actually there to lead the attack. It has to be something of a fair fight between us."

"Considering your people have a habit of mentally attacking my crew, I'd hardly call the way you fight fair," snapped Derek.

"You have an advantage we don't have. Aliscea. Not even she realizes the power she holds yet. We do. That is why she is such a threat to us and to our Lord Ekogaru. You must understand; if your God spoke to you and told you such and such was a threat, wouldn't you listen to Him? We are in the same position, Wildstar. We have no choice but to fight this holy war against you."

"And we mean to beat you!"

"I understand that," said Cha'rif. "I would think less of you were you to say otherwise. We will invade your Earth, and assimilate it into the Rikashan Star Empire after a great battle in which you may die. The time is soon coming. Or, when his Lordship arrives, maybe He has other plans for your world? I don't know for sure. He does not tell me everything."

"He's a madman. Aliscea says so!"

"Aliscea, with all respect, is a heretic. He is our War God and my Master. I am sworn to obey Him as a warrior of my people. I tell you this, though, Wildstar. I respect your ship and your crew as well as you."

"Considering you killed a few of us the other day, you've got a funny damn way of showing it. And you never gave that little boy back to us, either."

Cha'rif paused. "It is war, Wildstar. In war, one must be hard and difficult. And determined to win. Personal feelings cannot come into this at all, no they cannot! However, when we defeat you..."

"Fat chance that'll happen."

"Your spirit...admirable, yet foolish. As I said, when we defeat you, and I become the viceroy of our Empire over your Planet Earth, if it is His Lordship's will, if you are still alive, and your crew, I intend to offer all of them commissions in the Rikashan Imperial Starfleet. You would command them. Then, you would join us in our battles. That is how highly I think of you. You would make a great comrade in arms, Captain Wildstar."

"I wouldn't want to join an evil power like yours," said Wildstar. "Your people commit war crimes...atrocities...seem to think that kidnapping women is fun..."

"We shall see," said Cha'rif. At that, he smiled and fell into silence for a while.

In the barber's chair, Nova had just had her hair trimmed slightly. Finally, Judge Butler said, "Based on what we've been talkin' about, I pronounce you as guilty as sin. And, well, you'll be held in the county jail until your punishment in the morning. Then, at dawn, you shall hang by the neck until you're dead, dead, dead."

"Great," sobbed Nova. "I've just received a death sentence from some drunken dirtbag! Isn't there any way to appeal your sentence in a more professional court of law?"

"Around here, I am the law, honey. No charge for the trim I gave you. Take her away, boys. County jail."

A crying Nova kicked and screamed as she was hauled up out of the chair. Near Cha'rif, Wildstar tried to escape. There was a tussle, in which Wildstar swore that Cha'rif actually helped him by kicking at a few of their guards. But, the deputies forced them both into submission.

"Derek!" cried Nova. "You've got to find a way out of this! They're going to hang me in the morning! And probably you too, koibito!" Then, she whistled at Derek and drew a finger against her throat while patting her purse.

He knew what the signal meant: Get the tape and get back to the ship. Don't worry about me!

Captain Wildstar struggled until one of the deputies knocked him silly by slamming him in the back of the head with a gun butt.

"Now, Captain Wildstar, for your trial," said Butler.

Later on, Nova sat alone and depressed in a cold, uninviting jail cell. The denizens of Gun Frontier were apparently having a loud hoe-down of some kind out there to celebrate her death sentence as well as Derek's. Guns were going off, people were cheering, and weird muffled hoof beats (or paw beats?) from some sort of animals they were riding like horses resounded up and down the dirt-covered main street.

I never should have come here, thought Nova. Or we should have brought a Marine squad down with us. All because of some drunks, we're going to die in the morning. Maybe if Derek hadn't insisted we split up in that saloon, we could have made our escape...together. Why does he always have to be so chivalrous? We ended up having to fight together anyway.

She heard a whistle outside. "Hmmh?" she said.

The low whistle came again. "What are you doing out there? You're not Derek; I saw them put him in the other side of this jail." she said as she peered out the barred window.

"I'm not Derek," laughed a high voice. "This is Tochiro. I'm doing some nighttime recon work."

"Good thing you're here. Got a file so I can get out? Or a hacksaw? If I work on these bars enough, I can get out and get back to my ship. I'm halfway good at climbing out windows."

"Sorry, hon. Left my tools back on the Arcadia."

"Well, then, can't your people get us out tonight? Could you call the Argo for us?"

"We have something planned for the morning. We're gonna be a little sneaky about this until the right time, so, gotta run."

"Wait!" said Nova. "Can you get a message to Derek for me?"

"What kind of message."

"Tell him I'm mad at him but I still love him!"

"I'll try," laughed Tochiro. "Gotta run!"

Well, this makes me feel a little better, thought Nova. Hope they can do something.

V. HANG 'EM HIGH!

Planet Heavy Melder

About 60,000 lightyears away from Earth

Village of Gun Frontier

The Hanging Tree

Thursday February 18, 2202

0510 Hours Space time (Earthtime)

(About 6 AM Local Planetary Time)

It was almost dawn over Gun Frontier.

The local yahoos had already gathered at the Hanging Tree to see the morning's entertainment.

Derek Wildstar rode in the wagon in sullen silence. He had been blindfolded, stripped of his shirt, and he had his arms tied behind his back.

He was tied to back-to-back to Nova. She had been silent except for sobs, but he was able to recognize her by her warmth, feel, and perfume. From what he could feel of her, he could tell that they had stripped her of her jeans and sandals for her final appearance alive in this world; she would hang with nothing on but her bodysuit; and he knew how little of her backside the dance leotard covered. He felt something hard in his back, and he guessed that she had also been handcuffed behind her back.

"I wish there was something I could do to get us out of this, Nova."

"You can't, so what's the use?" she sobbed, depressed all over again. No sign of those pirates or the rest of the Star Force. Guess we're dead, she thought. "You shouldn't have let them split us up last night at the saloon. If so, you could've helped Emeraldas and I."

"You said you didn't want to be rescued!"

"Oh, some sympathy you give," snapped Nova. "We're about to die and you're yelling at me. What's the use? I'll finish berating you on the other side!"

"Hey lovebirds, don't y'all argue too much now," laughed a loutish deputy. "Ya keep that crap up, you two pirate-lovin' freaks can argue all ya want in Hell!"

The wagon stopped. The Eqqua (horse-like animals with paws instead of hooves) snorted and beat their paws on the dusty ground.

"Nova," said Derek in a broken voice.

"What?" said Nova in a half-annoyed, half-sad voice.

"Nova, I don't want our last words together in this life to be part of an argument. I love you too much for that, and I'm sorry that I agreed to that Harlock's plan in the saloon. You're right. We should have stayed together. He's the one...we ought to be mad at...not each other...as we're about to hang."

"Are you really sorry?" said Nova.

"Are you blindfolded, too?"

"Yeah."

"Then you can't see me nod my head, so I'll say it. Nova, I'm sorry. And I love you, tenshi!"

"Derek...I'm sorry, too. And I LOVE YOU, AKACHAN!" she cried in a desperate voice. "Oh, God, please let us GO!"

The crowd laughed. "Oh, shoot, the little lady's a dramatist!"

"Guy needs a last haircut!"

"Butler gave him one."

"No wonder he looks like he still needs one. Hizzoner must've been drunk, as usual!"

"Is he really a guy?" yelled someone else. The crowd laughed like crazy.

Derek and Nova were made to climb up on rough barrels as the crowd laughed. Derek felt nothing because of his boots, but he could guess that poor Nova was probably feeling painful splinters in her delicate bare feet about now.

"One word for the padre!" said Judge Shamus Butler. Nova shivered with disgust at that old, wheezy voice, even though she couldn't see its owner through her blindfold. Hanging judge, she thought miserably. Why don't you go straight to hell? All I did was sat down for some drinks with Derek and tried to help out a woman pirate and her boyfriend who had a bloody face. Speaking of her, where are you, Tochiro? You said you were going to save me! You promised it last night through the window of that jail.

"Hello, I am Father McCaffrey of the Orange Catholic denomination. Have you any last requests, gentlebeings?"

"Yeah," said Derek. "Get me off this stinking barrel!"

The crowd guffawed at that. Through her tears, even Nova smiled. Fighter to the end, aren't you, love? God bless you and your adorable loud mouth! Too bad I'll never hear your voice again soon...oh, God!

"Sorry, no can do. Your death warrant is signed, Derek Wildstar. And there's no appeal," said McCaffrey. "You, my lady?'

"Take off this blindfold!" cried Nova. "I want to see my husband one last time before you lynch me!"

"Can't do that either, hon. Sorry. Can't let the world see you hanging there with those pretty eyes staring out at nothing, huh?"

"Don't we get buried?" cried Nova.

"Nope. You hang there 'til the buzzards eat ya up," said the priest. Overhead, as the sun came up, Nova heard the croaking of the scavenger birds who would soon be dining on her flesh in a few minutes.

"Some comfort you offer! What kind of priest are you? " yelled Derek.

"C'mon, thought ya losers would want a cigarette or somethin'," said McCaffrey. "I can do that."

"Don't want a smoke," said Nova. “I don’t like the filthy things!”

"Yeah, me neither," said Derek as he heard someone coming up behind his barrel. Then, he felt the noose going against his neck. "Looks like this is it. I wonder if Venture can carry on the mission?"

"I hope so, Derek, even though we won't be here to see it," said Nova.

"Tie their legs," said one guy as they put the noose on Nova's slender neck.

"I will," said a rough voice whose owner had a rough beard that rubbed against the nape of Nova's neck. He undid Nova's handcuffs and roughly began pulling on her arms. "Gotta get girly-pants here ready first."

"Hey, you!" Nova said. "What are you doing?" Then, she gasped as the loutish man put his hands on her and gave her a kiss while holding her disgustingly close. The crowd suddenly applauded and blew wolf whistles and catcalls.

Nova went up on her toes, ready to kick her tormentor right in the crotch.

"Uh-uh," said the bearded man. "name's Brent, by the way, baby. You do that, and you'll just come right off the barrels and strangle yerself, hon," said the sheriff's deputy. "Damn, yer cute. Almost too cute ta hang. Wanna come home with me tonight?"

Derek struggled against the men who were tying his ankles as they pulled off his boots. You fools, he thought. I don't care if I'm gonna die! I'm gonna stop this! At least let her die in peace on that rope, you morons!

"Make him stop kicking," yelled one deputy.

"Hold still," said another lumpish man. "You ain't dyin' with your boots on, bro."

A minute later, Derek felt the splinters in his feet as he also stood ready to leave this world barefoot.

In the meantime, Brent kissed Nova again. She glared at him and spat on him after he broke the kiss. The crowd cheered yet again. Brent then said. "Tie her ankles and kick the barrels out from under her soon as you're done. She'll twitch real good like that!"

Derek was glad he was blindfolded. He did not want his last sight to be of Nova hanging dead with a broken neck on the end of a rope. He heard Nova snuffling. "What is it?"

"Derek, I'm clearing my nose, and my tears, and I'm smiling!"

"Why's that?"

"I don't want to be crying any more when I see the Lord's Face for the first time," said Nova. "I want to greet Him with a smile. Fitting, I guess. Do your feet hurt?"

"Yeah. These barrels are horrible. They just took my boots."

"Too bad we can't play footsie to make it feel better," said Nova with a sad smile under her blindfold.

"Why are ya smilin', baby?" said Brent in her ear.

"Because soon my troubles will be over, unlike yours!" said Nova in a defiant voice. "Love you, Derek! See ya later!"

"You too, Nova," said Derek as he smiled through his tears.

The judge stood ready to kick away Nova's barrels when a dust cloud appeared down the road.

"Huh?" he said.

"Maybe it's a sandstorm," said McCaffrey.

"Maybe it's a herd o' elephants," said some drunk in the crowd.

"Maybe it's lots of tumbleweed," said Marshal Nishimoto. "Nothing will interrupt this hanging! All right, kick out the woman's..."

Suddenly, a vision in red and black flew out of the dust cloud and raised her hand.

Nova's rope was severed with one shot. A confused Nova fell alive and well into a set of waiting arms.

A second shot rang out, and a vision all in blue and black caught Derek Wildstar and picked him up like a child in very strong arms.

"Didn't Emeraldas tell you we were coming?" said a deep voice. Wildstar felt his blindfold being pulled away and he found himself looking up at a face framed in more dark hair than his own. A face under a cowboy hat with an eyepatch and a scar.

"Harlock?!?!" said a confused Derek. "What about...?"

"Right here!" cried Nova. Her blindfold had just been torn off, too, and she was looking with surprise into the face of Emeraldas. The female pirate was both holding her in her arms and shielding her from the crowd (since she was rather exposed in only her bodysuit) with a fold of her cloak as she gently readjusted the back of the suit to cover her up again. Nova whispered something to Emeraldas that Derek couldn't hear.

The tough pirate nodded sympathetically, smoothing down Nova's bangs and kissing her on the forehead. "I'll help you fix this," she said in a low, soft voice that none of the townsfolk heard. None of these scum deserve to hear a word of sympathy from the lips of Emeraldas, she thought with a snarl. Only my forebear does. I will speak that way to family, and help guard the honor of a fellow woman. Not to these pieces of human trash!

"She told me that two of you were pawing at her and kissing her," said Emeraldas as the dust crowd cleared and the townsfolk found themselves staring at a "posse" of over a hundred; most of the combined crews of the Arcadia and the Queen Emeraldas. Every last pirate was armed and ready to massacre the loutish townsmen if need be.

Derek wondered, If these are the crews of their ships, where's their ships? And did they call Venture for backup? It looks like we outnumber them for the moment, but how many of them are there in this town? What if the rest of them come out with their own posse? Then how screwed are we?

"Which one of you men was it?" demanded Emeraldas in a ringing, stern voice as she gently cut Nova's wrists loose while being covered by three members of her crew.

"Uh...it was me," said the bearded deputy. "I was at her. Ain't she cute? Ah couldn't resist!"

"SHUT UP!" snapped Emeraldas. "Tell my friend your name," demanded Emeraldas as several men in the crowd undid their weapons.

"Keep your weapons sheathed," demanded Harlock after cutting Derek's bonds and handing him a cosmo-gun. "Otherwise, all of you 'honorable men' shall die." At that, he undid his cutlass and pointed it at the Marshal. Captain Wildstar stood side-by-side with Harlock, followed by Tochiro, who raised the same then-new cosmo-gun that would someday belong to a young man who rode the intergalactic rails.

The deputy knelt in the dust to beg for mercy. Nova knelt in the red sand beside Emeraldas, rubbing her wrists and ankles to restore the circulation. A moment later, she stood. Her hands and feet ached with pins and needles, but she was alive.

Emeraldas kicked the bearded man in the face with a booted foot. "Your name," she demanded. "Tell Lieutenant Nova Wildstar here your name."

"Lieutenant?" he said.

"Yes, the woman that you manhandled," snapped Nova.

"Ma'am," he said in a trembling voice to a suddenly queenly Nova as she took off her hangman's noose and threw it and her blindfold in the dirt beside the man, drawing herself up to her full height as she stood there with nothing on but her bodysuit and wedding band. "My name is Brent MacCaver. Intercede with Emeraldas for me, Nova! Ya look like a nice girl! I was only doin' mah job!"

"I am neither nice nor a girl," said Nova as she decided to both emulate Emeraldas' dignity, and exercise her own, ignoring the tears that ran down her cheeks. Emeraldas tossed Nova a cosmo-gun as the crowd oohed and ahhed. "I am a very outraged woman!" barked Nova as she shivered at the memory of his loutish kisses. She felt she would need to have her face washed afterwards, preferably by Derek. "And who took the rest of my things? Show yourself!"

The crowd muttered. Only a few of these fools had weapons. They were very frightened of these grim pirates, the two pirate captains, the first mate of the Arcadia, the Captain of the Argo, and most of all, at the grim, slender woman holding a gun on one of their deputies.

"It was me," said Sancho. "Name's Sancho Juarez, ma'am. Here's your clothes," he said as he laid the rest of Nova's clothing, i.e., her, jeans, sandals and purse before her like an offering to a merciless goddess of destruction.

"Where are my husband's clothes?" demanded Nova as she held the gun on the two men in a proud two-handed combat stance. "He's half-naked, too, and this sun is strong. My poor man will get sunburned!"

"The Marshal has them," said Sancho.

"Get up here, Nishimoto," demanded Nova in a voice as if she was talking to a rowdy Space Marine. "Give those to my husband."

The previously arrogant Marshal nodded and handed Derek his boots, socks, and shirt.

Nova then looked at Brent. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

He shook his head.

"Didn't think so," said Nova. "Well, then, goodbye..." Nova smiled quietly and pulled the trigger.

The gun rang out. Brent lay dead.

Before Marshal Nishimoto could react, Nova took him out with a lethal shot through the heart. As the corrupt Marshal lay dead, Nova nodded once to Derek. The crowd murmured again. Both Derek and Nova put down their guns, and then they lost their reserve and ran weeping into each other's arms in an unashamed embrace.

Emeraldas picked up Nova's things. "She's shaking; help her into these," said Emeraldas in a quiet voice. "Don't worry about these scum. Tochiro, Harlock and I have arranged for backup. Our plan isn't finished yet. And we're sorry we couldn't act sooner. We needed the morning light and all of them in one place."

"So you people let the "hanging" go on to trap them," said Derek as he helped Nova step into her jeans.

"Yes," said Emeraldas as Nova then put Derek's shirt back on him with a last kiss on his chest before she buttoned it up.

"We're sorry we thought ill of you," said Nova as she pulled on her jeans as rapidly as she could to cover herself up. She thought that much exposure was acceptable for dancing, gymnastics, or sunning herself, but not otherwise.

"Had I been in your shoes, I might have thought ill of you, too," said Emeraldas as Nova stepped back into her sandals and secured the straps at the backs of her heels. In a moment, Derek was fully dressed, too. Nova gave Emeraldas her weapon back and then threw her purse back over her shoulder. She reached into it and was shocked to find her astro-automatic still there. The young woman then drew it and pointed it at the crowd.

From out of the saloons, feed houses, and livery stables of Gun Frontier, more men (and a few women) emerged. The men had cosmo-guns, projectile weapons, even bows and arrows.

They were led by Sylvia and another bearded man.

"You see, Marshal, I raised a little posse overnight to help you out," said Sylvia.

"You again?" cried Nova.

"Yeah. It's me," laughed Sylvia. "Let's see how brave you are this time, you two stupid people."

"We're not stupid," said Derek in a low voice. "We just killed two of your friends, including your Marshal."

"You won't just hang for that, you'll be hung, drawn, and quartered, both of ya!" laughed Sylvia. "After I collect my bounty from the Rikashans, of course. In this little fracas, I helped free their leader Cha'rif. He is now on his way back to his ship!"

"You pirates think you're hot you-know-what, dont'cha?" growled the bearded man. "What a bunch. Your psycho leader in the black hat, his ugly associate..."

"I am NOT ugly!" yelled Tochiro as Emeraldas put an affectionate arm around the man she now loved in place of her lost, but well-remembered love, the descendant of this man. This Tochiro was a little odd, but it was sort of like having her great love back, although not the same.

"The kid, his scrawny flat-chested woman..."

"I beg your pardon!" snapped Nova.

"And you, ya psycho pirate queen...ya…"

Emeraldas fired with her cutlass, blowing the man's brains out. "I apologize. He was getting tiresome," she said in a cold, haughty voice. "Anyone else?"

Sylvia blew a small whistle, and the rest of the town ran up, with pitchforks, sticks, staves, and weapons of every other sort. "All right!" yelled Judge Butler. "You're outnumbered! A hundred of you jackasses against five hundred of us! What other arguments do you have, Harlock?" demanded Butler. "Got any way to stop us from collecting that two million dollar bounty on your tails?" he said as Nova, Derek, and the others pivoted on their heels to turn their weapons on the loutish frontier crowd.

"This," said Captain Harlock. He raised his cutlass straight into the air and fired once. The shot went off, echoing into the wind as it bounced off the rocky mesas around Gun Frontier.

A mighty roar came up on the wind a moment later as if in answer to Harlock's shot. One flying black speck converged on the town from one direction, while a second came from another direction, and the third from yet another direction.

Derek whipped his head around. A dark blue ship like a huge cross between a galleon and a space battleship roared up from the south, with a skull and crossbones flying at its jack. From the north came a graceful, huge blue and red ship that resembled a huge dirigible with a skull and crossbones at the nose and a sailing ship for a gondola.

Finally, from the east, came a silhouette that Derek was overjoyed to see. Nova ran up to him, cuddled him, and smiled as a huge, over two-hundred year old clipper bow appeared, trailing the most legendary and the most dreaded of these three greatly feared space battleships. His ship, the Argo, had finally returned. And, Venture and Dash were turning her main guns on the town.

People ran and scattered. Sylvia looked up in fright.

"I think you can see we've got bigger guns that you do," said Captain Wildstar.

"You...guns...ship?"

"Our ship," said Nova with pride. "I'm her radar officer and living group officer. This man here, my husband, is her Captain."

"Uh...I'm sorry for all those things I said," laughed Sylvia as she stared up at those huge main guns. "I...I think we can forget that bounty, too."

"Good," said Captain Wildstar. "You have exactly five minutes to get your silly little butt out of my sight!"

"Uh...sure," laughed Sylvia. She giggled nervously and ran off. "Bye! Maybe I can work for you sometime?"

"Fat chance!" said Nova. She then threw a silver piece at the bounty hunter. It was a one-hundred credit Federal Sovereign; a newly minted silver piece from her time intended for collectors. Nova carried a few of the heavy silver dollar-like coins for good luck.

"That's for a new dress, Sylvia. Yours is starting to look a little tattered," smiled Nova.

"See you later, funny girl," said Sylvia with a wink as she slung her battleax over her shoulder. "Maybe we can talk fashion sometime. You're sorta cute."

At that, she ran off.

"Wannabe," smiled Nova.

"Why do I have the feeling you just made a new friend?" smiled Derek.

"Oh, you be quiet," she replied. Nova stared fascinated while the Argo's turrets changed position slightly; she had never seen the gun turrets moving from outside the mighty ship before. Then, the Arcadia's massive turrets did likewise and gunpoint after gunpoint opened up on the gondola of the Queen Emeraldas.

Harlock nodded to Derek, and he and Nova ran up to stand beside him, Emeraldas, and Tochiro on an abandoned wagon in the middle of the street.

"You tell them" said Harlock to Wildstar. "Then, you can take the information we gave you and leave."

Nova looked in her purse. "The data capsule's still here. Good!"

"Thanks," said Derek. Captain Wildstar spoke up and said. "I am Earth Federation Captain Derek Wildstar, Captain of the space battleship Argo, which is facing you from the east. My ship, formerly known as the Yamato, has her guns trained on this town, just like the Arcadia and the Queen Emeraldas do. Grant us safe passage back to our ships and a safe bon voyage or they open fire and take all of you to the next life with us if you choose to harm us. You have one minute to decide, ladies and gentlemen," barked Derek. "What will it be?"

"Uh...we'll let you go," laughed Judge Butler. "Really. I'll just cross those there death sentences outta mah book. Free haircuts for both of ya if'n ya ever come this way again."

"Don't think so," said Derek. "Oh. As for the rest of you..."

Judge Butler looked on in terror as Derek suddenly drew his weapon, got a bead on Butler, and fired.

"...you can elect a new judge. This man's too corrupt for words."

Unexpectedly, the crowd cheered. "Elect him our new judge!"

"Make his cute girlfriend the new Marshal."

"Thanks, but no thanks," said Nova. "We have things to do. Please give us a better reception if we ever come back."

In the meantime, Captain Wildstar had dug in Nova's purse, and found the communicator. "This is Wildstar," he said. "I need to talk to Venture."

After a long pause, Mark's voice came over the speaker. "Hey...glad to hear from you. What took you so long? Are you both all right?"

"Uh...we got a little tied up, Mark," said Derek while Nova giggled softly beside him. "We're both all right, but please tell Doctor Sane to have some aloe vera lotion and liniment ready. We need to give each other a real good rubdown later on. We're a little bruised up and we have some rope burns. Ready to do some flying?"

"Damn straight I am," laughed Venture.

"Good. See you back on the Argo. Captain Wildstar out."

Wildstar then turned to Harlock. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," he said.

"If we ever find any other Earthmen who might still be in Gamilon work camps like you were, Harlock, well...let's just say I have a little influence with the Leader of Gamilon, now. We're no longer at war, and they've become allies of ours in this battle with the Rikashans."

"Speaking of them," said Harlock. "When you leave, follow the Arcadia. I know where his fleet is, and in case you need some backup..."

"Thanks."

Not far away, Tochiro and Emeraldas were kissing each other goodbye. "I wish I could stay," she said softly. "I have other business."

"Where?"

"In the night, I just heard from my sister. I have to leave and follow Three-Nine here in my own time. Since we said our respects at the grave of the man I had a child with back at the wreck of the Deathshadow last night, I'm afraid I must part from you, his adorable, funny ancestor. We'll meet again someday. I'm sure of it."

"How will you know where to find me, Emeraldas?" sniffed Tochiro. On his shoulder, his long-necked bird trilled mournfully.

"All roads meet here, Tochiro," said Emeraldas. "I always found him; I can always find you. Farewell until we meet again."

She gave him a kiss. Then, she whispered, "Wonderful night we had last night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," he sniffed.

"Tochiro, you definitely do not have a small sword," said Emeraldas with a smile and a wink. "Goodbye, love."

She tucked his poncho around him and then turned and walked away, out of his life, free to again follow her own eternal destiny.

"Time for us to go, too," said Harlock. "You take care of him, all right, Nova?"

"I will," said Nova. "But why are you so concerned about Derek? How did you meet him when he was little?"

"Alex Wildstar and I were always close, when we got together in our youth. Same with Derek. It tends to be that way, with second cousins."

Captain Wildstar's mouth fell open. "Second cousins?"

"Do you think the whole family was on the Miura Peninsula when the bomb hit?" said Harlock. "The last I saw you was when the nuns said you were dying at Saint Anselm's Orphanage after your parents died. You were too out of it to recognize me. They told me they had just baptized you to make sure you'd go to Heaven, or something like that. Amazing that you recovered. We might meet again after this, we may not. And watch out for your Uncle Kazuo, too. The scumbag, unfortunately, is still alive."

"You...Alex...even my damn uncle?" sniffed Derek.

"You'll meet us once in a blue moon," said Harlock. He put his hands in Nova's "She's your family now. For God sakes, look out for this young lady. She's really somebody special." Harlock looked up, smiled, and flipped a salute as the Queen Emeraldas turned and left.

"Yeah! And she patched me up good, too!" laughed Tochiro. "Hey, Nova...if you weren't taken..."

"Shut up," she snapped back, but with a good-natured smile on her face. Then, she gave him a hug. "You take care, Tochiro. You're kind of cute yourself."

Harlock then gave Derek a quick pat on the shoulder, quickly withdrawing his hand. "When you see your nissan on Iscandar, tell him Harlock says hello."

"I will, Harlock. Thanks for all you've done."

"We're not out of this yet," said Harlock. "Before we go, after we're out, I'll flash the Arcadia's navigational lights. That'll be my way of saying goodbye."

"Thanks," said Derek. Then, he held Nova while Harlock and Tochiro turned around and disappeared together with a jingling of spurs.

"What a pair," said Nova. "I wonder how they met?"

"Long story, I'd guess," said Derek. "Nova, let's find our ship and go. We have a mission."

"Right."

Then, a Gun Frontier resident came up with a pair of Equua. "Thanks for getting rid of Judge Shamus Butler and Marshal Nishimoto, guys. We shoulda never elected those creeps. Little loan for you two so you don't have to walk out to where your ship is. And we're sorry about the way we treated you. They made us do it. The black one's for you, Captain, the roan one is for her."

"Uhh..." said Derek. He looked at Nova, very embarrassed. "I don't know the first thing about riding a horse...or whatever kind of thing this is."

"I do," said Nova. "It's really pretty easy."

"Uh...how do I tell him to go and stop?" Derek looked at the snorting black stallion with apprehension.

Nova got a foot in the stirrup and jumped up onto her equua. "Get on the same way I did. Watch me pull on the reins with this one." Nova's equua whinnied, pawing the ground with one of her slender front paws, which looked somewhat feline.

"Okay. I'll try it," signed Derek. "Now, what do I do?"

"Follow me!" laughed Nova. She shook the reins, and her equua took off on a slow canter. Soon, Derek followed, praying that he didn't fall off this...thing.

"Good girl," said Nova in a soothing voice a few minutes later. She fed her equua a slightly dry but still tasty apple slice as she stood beside it. "Now you go back to your master, hear?"

The female equua snorted happily. It seemed that Nova had made yet another friend. Derek looked quite a bit more warily at his mount. The steed had gotten him here, and had not thrown him, but he didn't seem to be very nice about it. It seemed that the equua could smell a tenderfoot from ten kilometers off. Still, the steed had something of a sense of humor; he chewed a little on Derek's collar before he left. The chewing (and Derek's annoyed reaction) drew a giggle from Nova.

"You can have these nags," said Derek. "Give me my fighter any day. Or a fast car."

"Some things are an acquired taste, I guess," sighed Nova. "You wanna fly this time?"

"Yeah, guess I will," he said as they got into the boat together. "Got that data cartridge?"

Nova nodded.

"Well, let's go then." he said as he closed the cockpit on the recon boat. "Take off!"

The boat started up and then lifted off into the sky of Heavy Melder. Derek flew over Gun Frontier, muttered, "It looks a hell of a lot better from up here," and then flew off towards the Argo. Since his ship was hanging low over the town, it was a short flight home.

In the Captain's quarters, a few minutes later, Captain Wildstar thumbed a control and spoke to Venture on the bridge while he zipped his Star Force uniform shirt up.

"We have the course data, Mark," said Derek.

"Where is it?"

"Nova's uploading it from up here," he said, looking on while Nova punched buttons with one hand and zipped up one of her yellow service boots up with the other. "It should be in the main directory in a minute."

"Good. Yamazaki's powering up the auxiliaries now," said Venture while a hum of power rang through the ship. "When are we holding Orion's service?"

"As soon as we're back on our way again, and away from the enemy," said Derek. "The enemy commander told me his fleet's not far away."

"When did he tell you that?"

"In the barbershop while you were on trial."

Nova nodded. "Yeah. That was quite a day."

"You're not mad at me...are you?"

Nova gave Derek a big hug. "I was; but not now. Let's get going, Skipper."

"I hate it when you call me that!"

"That's why I do it," said Nova with a smile. She chuckled and gave him a kiss.

"Thanks," said Derek.

VI. A NARROW SCRAPE

Space Battleship Argo

The Vicinity of Planet Heavy Melder

About 60,000 lightyears away from Earth

Thursday February 18, 2202

0734 Hours Space Time (Earthtime)

(About 8:30 AM Local Planetary Time)

Captain Wildstar and Nova ran onto the bridge together in full uniform a few minutes later.

"I have the course information laid in," said Venture. "Dash is still in Sickbay, Derek."

"The ship's computer system has been repaired," said Sandor. "We can warp as soon as we clear the area and arrive at the proper point."

"Good," said Derek as he sat down at the Combat station after shrugging off his peacoat and casting it over his chair. Since Dash was still laid up, he was obliged to sit down and take over the Combat station again for the time being. "Venture, let's take off."

"Argo, take off," said Venture.

The engines lit up, and the Argo roared up, disappearing from the sky of Heavy Melder in just a few short minutes.

"The Arcadia's a megameter ahead of us," said Nova. "And....in front of the Arcadia...enemy fleet! Over two hundred ships! Range, fifty megameters, speed, twenty-two space knots. Full magnification on main screen!"

The screen lit up. "Rikashans," hissed Wildstar. "Seemed that Cha'rif was right; he's gonna continue his war."

Captain Wildstar had the alert klaxons on in a moment. "Open all guns. Target, the Rikashan fleet. However, we're not hitting them unless they hit us! We have to get out of here."

Homer spoke up. "Wildstar, Harlock says that he's readying his guns. He said he'll stand by and help out with us if needed."

"Thanks."

"I get the feeling his ship is a pretty good one to have on your side," said Yamazaki as Nova changed the view to a close-up of the Arcadia.

"It is," said Wildstar. "It is."

A moment later, five space battleships and ten cruisers from the Rikashan fleet made a short warp. The ships warped in not far away from the Argo and Arcadia and began to attack.

One of the ships was Cha'rif's own flagship, the B'eoneraze.

"Lord Baron?" asked Ter'garv on the ship's bridge. "Why are you stepping right in like this?"

Artwork: "Cha'rif's Bridge" Based upon original Yamato artwork-computer-altered and generated by Frederick P. Kopetz

"I want to finish them myself," Cha'rif said as he stood on his bridge, a dark figure in grey and black as the orange instruments glowed off the Baron's dark brown hair. "You don't understand. I can't let anyone else do it. Fire all guns! Destroy both of those ships!"

"Yes, Baron," said Ter'garv. "All guns, ready...fire. target, both the Argo and the Arcadia. Finish off both ships!"

Buzzers and klaxons went off throughout the B'eoneraze and throughout every other ship in the Rikashan task force.

"We're on target, Baron," said Ter'garv.

"Do it," said Cha'rif with a wicked smile.

The Arcadia took hit after hit, first.

Tochiro shook his head and roared as he looked at the pirate galleon's status board.

"Port side engine hit! Aft radar transponder hit! Keel stabilizer fin hit!"

On the Argo, the news was much the same; also bad.

The forward part of the ship glowed with fire as the Argo herself was again battered at close range.

"Wildstar! First forward turret hit! Bow hit!" said Sandor.

"Damage control measures in first turret effective," said Royster's voice on the PA a moment later. "Only one gun is out down here. We're getting the fires out!"

"Main guns on target," said Rosstowski. "We're ready to fire!"

"Good. Let's teach those guys a lesson," said Wildstar. "All guns, open fire!"

Wildstar thumbed the firing pickle, and the Argo's guns went off, beginning to avenge the insult of their enemy. A moment later, fire from the Arcadia also roared out towards the Rikashan task force. Soon, both ships had claimed hits against the enemy, and one of the Rikashan battleships retired from the battle, too damaged to go on.

"Target correction, twenty-one degrees," said Rosstowski.

"Main guns, open fire!" roared Wildstar.

A withering broadside from the Argo blew apart two Rikashan cruisers, even as one of the cruisers' final barrages damaged the Argo again in her death-throes.