ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE

STAR BLAZERS---THE ROAD TO PELLIAS

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

ACT THREE: A BATTLE OF THE MIND?

I. CONFOUNDMENT

System XL-5

Space Battleship Argo

Sickbay

Thursday, January 14, 2202

0008 Hours, space-time.

"Doctor Sane," said IQ-9 in Sickbay. "We are in a battle. Doctor Sane, please put down that bottle."

"Right now I need this!" screeched Sane in reply as he upended a big bottle of "Spring Water" and took a big drag. Beside him, Mimi meowed.

"No you don't," replied IQ-9.

"If you were going to operate, wouldn't you need something to steady your rotten nerves?" snapped Sane. "Thank you for the cap, Victoria," he said while a nurse put his surgical cap on his head. "Since Nova's at her post, you're going to be my anesthesiologist. Get the console ready, and tell Davis I need her."

"Yessir," said the redheaded nurse. "I just need to finish getting my gloves on. Why are you looking at my boots?"

"I've told you, I've told Veronica Davis, and I've told Nova…all you surgical nurses should wear geta, like me, when you operate. Easier on your feet when you stand up for hours."

"Sir, these boots are regulation, and Nova has a standing order we wear them."

"You go tell Nova I tol' her to go jump in the lake," said Sane. He took another swig from his bottle.

"I can't, sir. She's on the bridge."

"I'll tell her what you said, Doctor Sane." said IQ-9. "I want to see more of her legs, and yours, too, Kenworth."

"You shut up!" snapped Victoria. Then she screamed. "Doctor! He's chasing me! Tell him to stop it!"

"Ah, all is back to normal on this ship," said Doctor Sane. "IQ-9, stop it. I don't need this nurse to run down the corridor like the last one."

"Oh, darn it!" said IQ.

"Welcome to the asylum," smiled Davis as she came in. "Doctor, here's the crash cart. And please put down that bottle?"

"One more sip," he slurred.

"Nova, where's the enemy fleet?" asked Captain Wildstar.

"It'll take a moment; they've scattered some kind of chaff around their ships," said Nova as she sat down at her post and quickly strapped on her safety harness.

"Venture, keep her steady," ordered Wildstar.

"Trying," said Mark. "There's some kind of turbulence in this area, Derek."

"Spread of missiles on the way!" snapped Holly. "Big spread, to starboard!"

"Fire pulse lasers!" snapped Dash.

The pulse lasers went off for two seconds, getting most of the missiles. Two got through, but a quick turn by Venture allowed the Argo to evade the missiles.

"I'm getting another message, Venture. Want to hear it? It might be a love note for Rosstowski," said Homer in a very sarcastic fashion.

"Glitchman, shove it!" snapped Rosstowski.

"Belay that, both of you," ordered Captain Wildstar. "Homer, put the message up on the speakers."

"…jamming….," said "Aliscea's voice over the speakers. "….gifted one…nasty one…there…fleet's off your bow…twelve…hit them…blow…warp out. Dagger of the mind…no match…beware…" The transmission then broke up.

"There's no physical jamming wave!" said Homer, as he banged at the radio console. "What's causing this?" he wept.

"Dagger of the mind…" mused Nova. "If she's transmitting psychically, they must be able to jam it that way, too. And the effects…getting…headache…"

"Fight it," gasped Derek, who wasn't feeling too good himself. He was feeling nauseated. "Any sign of that fleet?"

"Some…activity…twelve megameters off th' bow…starboard," gasped Nova. "Pain…I…oh, God. My nose is bleeding."

Homer screamed again. Then, Rosstowski got up and slapped Homer across the face.

More missiles flew in. Only half of the pulse lasers answered the call, this time. The Argo took three hits.

Viscount Vishell Ka'mok, the R'jkharraz psionic who normally commanded the R'Khell sub Haruenda, had decided to come into the game against his rival Cha'rif. This evil man, who had been ultimately behind the recapture of Jonathan Hartnell-Iiyama not long ago, had decided to see if he could make the principled Baron and brother psionic look bad by going after the Earth space battleship himself.

"Sir, I was in command of this task force," said Admiral Gerenze.

"Don't you cut my concentration," hissed Ka'mok as he squeezed his goatee. The black-clad priest's ugly, scarred face leered as he looked out into space. "Yes. Wonderful. All Aliscea got through to them, Gerenze, was babble. Continue to press the attack. I want the Argo damaged and boarded. I want as many of them alive as possible so we can sell them as slaves. Maybe I can offer some of the females as human sacrifices to the Warbringer, to boost my status with Marda."

"Commandant Minor, we are violating Cha'rif's orders by doing this. I saw Cha'rif kill Kierzden, sir. I don't want to die at his hand, too."

"Would you prefer dying at my hand?" smiled Ka'mok. "Yes. Right. I thought not," smiled Ka'mok as he watched Gerenze's face go pale. "We've twenty ships here. We will bring down the Argo and capture the remaining members of the Star Force. Ready your planes. I will keep up my psionic attack to drive them mad. But, who, or what could be blocking me?" muttered Ka'mok. "Astrena? Surely she can't work from this far, and Aliscea…a mere child?"

At that, three plasma beams roared in towards the fleet. "Sir!" yelled a comm officer. "The Argo fired! Two destroyers have been blown apart!"

"Launch those planes. Now," said Ka'mok as he began to concentrate on the Argo's first bridge again. "What could be putting up that shield? They should all be screaming and acting mad and fighting and hemorrhaging from their noses now. It's one of my best attacks! What is getting in my way?"

Out of doors under the cold, grey skies outside the ruins of the Palace and Temple complex in the Pellian capital, Aliscea ignored the biting wind, shivered, and clenched her fists even harder as she concentrated upon the Argo. "There is a prime R'jkharraz attacking the Star Force," she whispered out loud. Pellias shook a little under her feet; she felt a small twinge of pain as a small rock came to the surface in the grey dirt and bit into her foot through the thin sole of her sandal. "I wish I could do more to help you and the Star Force, Paul…but…"

Astrena ran up towards her daughter, bundled up in a heavy cloak. "Aliscea! Why are you breaking our hold on the planet?"

"Not entirely, mother. A R'Khell R'jkharraz is attacking the Star Force with a Daren'vada spread. Vicious man. I have to protect the Argo and Paul until they can get away."

"Not for too long. The final tremor will come if we break this. Tell them to hurry. And tell them we…have three days left. I…"

"Mother?" asked Aliscea as her mother held her nose.

"The strain's ripping me apart. Nosebleed," moaned Astrena. "Have not slept for days. Our people. Our poor people. Tell them to hurry! Bring them to Pellias now!"

"I'll ask them to come to three lightyears near Pellias. They need to recon the area. Then they can reach us later today or tomorrow."

Astrena nodded. "I'll begin to ready the evacuation. And, where are the Gamilons?"

Aliscea stood silent, concentrating on the Argo, concentrating psionicially so hard that flames burst from her clenched fist for a minute. They did not harm her; she had power over fire and enjoyed special protection from it. If those Rikashans were closer…I'd set them ablaze in their ships…if we didn't have Pellias to worry about. Our poor home! And poor Paul! How can I reach them? I…oh…I know. Now I know….

"Paul…" whispered a voice in Rosstowski's mind as Sandor and Orion snapped at each other in an unusual argument. Homer was yelling over them, trying to tell Captain Wildstar that there was a flight going on between the Space Marines and five gunners down near a pulse laser deck.

"What?" whispered Paul out loud. "Who is this?"

"Aliscea, you silly. Listen to me. You have to tell your Captain that he has to break off the battle with the Rikashans…now. They're attacking your minds, and time is running out. To be safer, warp to within four lightyears of the Beta Valentis System, to guard from the attack, and to guard from what I try soon in the area. We need you, Paul! I need you, so badly. I'm beginning to get ill…and we can't afford that. Mother and I are holding Pellias together. Help us! Now! People will die if you don't…"

Paul thought "yes…my darling" and got up and ran over to Captain Wildstar's post, ignoring a code book that Homer threw at him.

"What's this?" yelled Derek belligerently. "You're crazy now, too?"

"I tol' ya, the engine can't take this!" yelled Orion in the background.

"Shut up!" snapped Sandor. "It's not damaged."

"You two stop it…my eyes hurt," sobbed Nova. She dabbed at her nose, which was still bleeding. The front of her uniform was now soaked with her own blood, and she was beginning to feel a little woozy.

"All of you…stop it!" barked Captain Wildstar. "One at a time. You, crazy?" he snapped at Rosstowski.

Rosstowski ignored the insult, even though he had a terrible urge to run over there and punch Derek Wildstar right in the nose. "Sir, I heard from Aliscea. She said the Rikashans are causing this. She said our hope is to warp away…warp to within four lightyears of Pellias. She says the effects will stop there, and we'll be safe. She said she'll take care of the fleet."

"Yeah…she said something like that on the radio," replied Derek with a great effort. "But, as usual, Homer messed it up."

"Did not!" yelled Homer.

"Everyone, STOP IT!" yelled Derek. "Venture, set course for…TJ-231…Alpha Valentis. Take us to the edge of the system…and we'll be in the Valentis Cluster then, Damnit!"

"Don't talk to me like that!" snapped Venture. "You want a fight?"

"Mark…please," gasped Nova. "Listen to him."

"On his side as usual," snapped Venture. "I…head feels funny. Okay." Venture raised his mike. "All hands…we are breaking off the battle. Prepare for emergency warp. Warp in one minute!"

The klaxons blew as Venture said, "Orion, power up the engine."

"It won't work…will it? I…it will. Right." Orion hastily powered up the engine as his head cleared for a minute.

"Delusions!" cried Captain Wildstar as his head cleared. "That's what was making us act like that! All hands!" snapped Derek in his strongest command voice. "Ignore the compulsions and urges in your heads. Concentrate on your work! Warp in forty-five seconds! Strap in NOW!"

Rikashan planes roared in and shot at the Argo. Wildstar just ignored the attack.

"Warp in…thirty seconds…" said Venture with a great effort as he strapped himself in.

Of course, the "knife" was just in Holly's head. She slapped Sandor and then tried to bite Nova. Nova yelled, "Shut UP! We're trying to help you, you idiot!" Holding back a strange, uncharacteristic urge to pull Holly's hair, Nova strapped her in, and then she fell to the deck, whimpering as a sudden pain hit her in the stomach. Blocking out the cramps, she crawled to her seat, strapped in, and threw her chair back into the reclining position with her feet. Then, Venture began the last of the warp countdown…and, even before the warp, Nova heard her panel laughing at her as the radar screens became giant eyes.

Nova kept her eyes open to distract herself from the bizarre feeling that her warp harness was beginning to molest her. She was relieved when everything went grey and she saw herself at her post in her wedding dress (still with a bloody nose, too) as something like fog crawled around her silk-sandaled feet. Now this is normal…for a warp, she thought. All those compulsions…gone now. Thank God!

"What happened to the Argo?" yelled Gerenze on the T'Renda.

"She warped away! Lock on her course! NOW!" barked Ka'mok.

Screams roared over the radio as, suddenly, out in space, something like a Magna-Flame Gun blast materialized from nowhere and incinerated two Rikashan battleships and two destroyers.

"NO!" yelled Ka'mok. "The witch! Aliscea! That psi-witch is attacking us! I….trying to stop it…"

And just before the T'Renda warped, a ball of flame exploded from nowhere with a loud thunderclap right in the middle of the bridge. Screams and burnt flesh accompanied the carrier's lurching departure into hyperspace, followed raggedly by what was left of the fleet.

Did it…thought Aliscea as she collapsed sobbing into the dust on Pellias. I did it. Helped save the Star Force…hurt Ka'mok…I hope his carrier is damaged enough not to fight…but not so damaged I hurt the Earth child named Jonathan now imprisoned there. Tired. So tired. She sat up, noticing dully that blood was coming out of one of her ears. Even with the Matrix, can't overextend myself too much, while Mother and I are holding together Pellias. I hope holding together the planet and hitting that fleet together won't be the death of me. The Almighty knows that mortal flesh can only do so much…even with the Hand upon me. Just need to sleep.

That was how Astrena found her daughter an hour later, sleeping like a refugee in the dust, near comatose.

Sobbing with the effort, Astrena carried her daughter down into the ruins of the Palace. She held back pain as she carried her into a bedroom. She muttered words over her daughter, stanching the drip of blood from her ear. Then, she stripped off her dusty clothes, got a basin, bathed her sleeping twenty-year old daughter like a baby and then tenderly tucked her into bed.

You're so powerful…but so weak, physically now, thought Astrena. Just like me. I have barely enough strength to wash your clothes by hand, poor thing. We're dying. Just like our home…our people. This strain is too great. Please, Star Force…please come.

II. OUT OF BEDLAM

Alpha Valentis System

Space Battleship Argo

Sickbay

Thursday, January 14, 2202

0112 Hours, space-time.

"How is she, Doctor Sane?" asked Captain Wildstar.

Not far away, Nova was sitting on a gurney in a nightdress, holding a warm cloth against her nose. "Bleeding's stopped, finally. We don't have to pack my nose." she said. "But that's another uniform ruined for the moment, at least until it gets washed," she said as she looked at her blood-soaked uniform.

"She's fine," said Doctor Sane.

Wildstar was about to ask Doctor Sane why Nova was receiving a unit of blood from an IV bottle if she was all "fine" but he thought better of it. The sickbay was filled with wounded; almost half the carnage had been from fights that had broken out on the ship during the madness. The rest had been wounded, burned, or radiation-burned during the battle. Four gurneys had sheets over them, and Derek knew they'd be holding a funeral service on deck in a few hours before arriving at Pellias.

"We have twenty-two wounded," said Doctor Sane. "We took a beating in that battle."

"Yes, we sure did," said Captain Wildstar. Venture came in a moment later. "How's Holly?" he asked.

"Getting her wrist fixed, Mark," said Nova.

"Thanks. What went wrong today?'

"Simple. They attacked us psionicially," said Derek. "Now, I'm more discouraged than ever. How are we going to do this? How are we going to get to Pellias?"

"One more warp and we're there, Wildstar," said Mark. "Maybe Aliscea can help explain some kind of defense when she sees us."

"Paul said she said something about guarding us," said Nova. "Maybe she'll be our defense?"

"Could be," said Venture.

III. ARRIVAL

Alpha Valentis System

Space Battleship Argo

Main Deck

Thursday, January 14, 2202

0718 Hours, space-time.

Rabbi Greenberg's final prayers resounded over the headsets of the assembled crew of the Argo as a group of pallbearers reverently cast four space caskets over the rail into the Sea of Stars while an honor guard fired their AK-01 rifles into space. After a moment of silence, a solemn musical version of Scarlet Scarf, a song popular during the first mission to Iscandar, played over their headsets as every member of the Star Force saluted. The song was remembered well, both as a song of celebration, and a song of mourning. Today, it was a song of mourning. As it played, the veterans remembered the long journey to Iscandar, and those who had died during that journey. Finally, the song ended, and there was silence again for a moment as the crew held their salutes, based upon an old American Civil War salute, and then came to attention again.

"It is my request," said Wildstar as he stood alone atop the Argo's #1 gun turret in his space gear, "that those three men and one woman who died in battle today should be remembered as long as we continue our journey towards Pellias. Save for God's grace, those could have been any one of us who remain." In silence, he snapped an honor salute as the caskets drifted away from the ship, holding the salute until the caskets disappeared.

"All hands…" said Wildstar a moment later. "We will warp at 1000. Our destination will be the edge of the Beta Valentis System. After scanning the area, and seeing if there is any opposition, and, if so, taking care of it, we will warp to Pellias at 1300 Hours. Then, we shall begin our landing. At last, ladies and gentlemen of the Star Force, our goal is in sight. Before our final warp to Pellias, after the final battle, if there is one, we will meet on the starboard side observation deck. I shall see you again there. I trust that every one of you will be with us again at that hour. At that time…after one of the hardest weeks we have been through, we shall be ready to complete the first part of our mission. You have been a fine crew…and I thank you all."

Every crew member saluted as Wildstar got down of the turret and walked back into the ship. "All hands!" snapped Venture as Deputy Captain and XO. "Get to your stations. I want us shipshape for that second-to-last warp."

They saluted Venture, and then broke ranks. Everyone was eager to return to their jobs…and they returned with a new dedication, knowing that if anyone made a mistake…they might join the shipmates they had just buried.

To return to the Introduction to the Rikasha Incident Please click here