ALTERNATE TALES OF THE STAR FORCE
STAR BLAZERS---A WOUND (LIKE A KNIFE TO THE HEART)
Being the ninth part of THE RIKASHA INCIDENT--- BY: Frederick P. Kopetz
ACT ONE: FROM THE PIT, I
CRY UNTO THEE…
I. BAD NEWS ON EARTH
Earth Defense
Headquarters
Sunday, April 11,
2202
0730 Hours: Spacetime
It was early in the
morning. Jordy Venture sat with his parents, in their Sunday best, in a small
briefing lounge in Earth Defense Headquarters.
"Please don't let Mark
be lost, Mom," said Jordy. He looked at his mother, who was chewing her
nails. "Please don't let the Star Force be lost. Why didn't they show up
yesterday?"
"That's what we're
here to find out," said David Venture, who was Mark and Jordy's father, in a very soothing voice.
Jordy hugged his father as
the family sat on a round couch. Not far away, Karl Forrester was trying in
vain to comfort his sobbing, pregnant wife.
"There, there…Nova
will be all right," said Karl. "She's come through worse than
this."
"Don't they say that
sometimes ships warp and never come out of the Fourth Dimension?" sobbed
Teri. "Our baby could be dead now, and she'd never meet the brother or
sister I'm carrying!"
"Don't say that. It
just must have been a mistake…."
"Or maybe they were
caught in battle?" said Mrs. Venture. "We don't really know what's
going on out past Mars with these Rikashan attacks, Mrs. Forrester."
Teri just nodded dully.
Nearby, Eager's parents sat
with Lisa, Eager's girlfriend. "I was hoping he'd tell me that we were
going to be engaged," said Lisa. She was biting a hanky and trying to hold
back tears. "But now, I don't know if I'll ever see Chris again…why'd they
have to assign him to that ship?"
"Ladies and
gentlemen," said a staff officer as he came in.
"Please rise for the Commander of the Earth Defense Forces."
Singleton came in, looking
about a thousand years old. He looked at the thirty or so stricken Star Force
family members and said, "Thank you for keeping vigil here all night. I
know it must have been difficult. Unfortunately, we still don't have any news
on the Argo's whereabouts…"
"None?" said
David Venture, who had more or less become the de facto leader of the
little survivors' group.
Singleton shook his head.
"I wish there was more than I could tell you. Unfortunately, we don't know
whether the Star Force is alive or not at this point. We have nothing to go on.
No communications leads. No radar intercepts. Nothing, except for a flash of
data that indicates that the Argo's main engine fired very strongly
right before she went into warp. We have our best scientists working on that
bit of intelligence. In the meantime, the Argo has been declared
missing. Not lost, I stress…but missing. I wish I knew more myself. We were
counting on Captain Wildstar's intelligence. I wish that I was telling you that
they were back, and that you could go to church this morning with
your loved ones…but…well…you can't. So, please go for me. I can't leave here.
Please go to your house of worship, and pray for them. And please pray for
Earth."
The Commander paused.
"Thank you for understanding. I'll be in touch as soon as we have news,
one way or the other…"
II. BARON CHA'RIF'S
ARRIVAL
Planet Carufax
The Vicinity of Castle
Pa'Cranda
April 11, 2202
0730 Hours: Local Time
Of course, the Argo was
still marooned over Planet Carufax.
Carufax was a temperate
planet conquered some time ago by the Rikashan Star Empire; it was one of many
such worlds that Rikasha had occupied.
The town of
Long ago, the builders of
Pa'Cranda had built a castle and keep to accommodate the local lord who ruled
the area. When the lord's family had become the planetary royal house through
conquest, the old local castle grew and became the seat of government. It had
been Pa’Cranda’s capital district for some time, and
it had become the seat of the Rikashan governor when the Empire had enslaved
the planet.
The gloomy, multi-turreted
castle was now Ekogaru's temporary palace; from there, he was exerting his dark
authority, the authority of a "god", over all of the Rikashans and
their slaves.
There were many who did not
care for this turn of events.
Some of the dissenters were
even Rikashan themselves.
"This is what
Ekogaru's New Age represents, Ter'garv?" asked Anton Cha'rif as he and his
aide-de-camp rode through the narrow, dirty streets of the town of
Ter'garv nodded. He looked
up at the decoration along a lane they were going down, and even he was
sickened.
"What are you looking
at?"
"One
of his new developments, Baron. It wasn't like this the last time we were here. For Mercy's
sake, look!"
The lane was lined with
crosses. And on the crosses were nailed stripped men, women, and…children.
Some, mercifully, were
dead; their bodies in various states of decay due to the elements, insects, or
otherwise. "Look at this," said Ter'garv with tears in his eyes.
"Who would order this? Driver, slow down. Is that a boy on that
cross?"
"It is," said the
Technomugar driver.
"Let me read the
sign," said Cha'rif. "This is Pan'sha, Criminal, executed for
stealing bread for his family."
"Stop!" snapped
Cha'rif.
"Baron, what are you
doing?" asked Ter'garv as the car stopped and Cha'rif walked up to the
cross where the boy moaned and cried with nails in his wrists and ankles.
Cha'rif looked up at the
boy. Hoping the boy could speak Rikashan, he said, "Does it hurt?"
"Yes," sobbed the
boy. "The flies are at me. I can barely breathe. All
this to help my mother? I…"
"Do you wish a brave,
quick release from your pain?" Cha'rif unsheathed his scimitar.
"Unfortunately, there is only one thing I can do."
"Yes," sobbed the
boy. "Please free me from this pain, I'm ready to…"
"Silence," said
Cha'rif. "I'll make it quick…"
The child is so cute…or
he was, thought
Cha'rif. He reminds me of my own son. With tears running from his eyes,
Baron Cha'rif ran the boy through with a strong thrust to the heart.
A moment later, the boy's
corpse hung limply on the cross. The boy's head fell to his chest with an
expression on the face approaching relief.
"Rest well, Pan'sha,"
murmured Cha'rif. Then, he held his scimitar up towards the castle on the hill
and screamed, "Lord Ekogaru! Hear my cries! Give these conquered
men, women and children bread! Don't torture them for stealing it! We
fed them! This was a prosperous world! If you are so great and good, shouldn't
you have improved things, Lord?"
The Baron then sheathed his
scimitar. The Technomugar driver gave him a positively black look as he climbed
back into the car.
"His Lordship won't
like that, Cha'rif," he said. "He doesn't like people who think for
themselves too much."
"This is Rikashan
territory," said Cha'rif. "I can do what I please here. I am a
warrior of a noble house. I outrank the Governor!"
"Can you?" mocked
the driver. "You're not even one of us. Why haven't you partaken of
eternal life yet and been converted into one of us?"
"Because
I mean to make that decision in my own time. No one forces me to have my body
changed!"
"I say again,
Baron," said the driver. "Ekogaru does not fancy those who think too
much. Consider my words well. Else He may have to nail you up
there."
"He would not do that
to one of his worshippers!" raged Cha'rif.
"You don't know.
Blasphemy can take many forms, and sedition is one of them, Baron." sneered the driver with a truly diseased smile. "Shall
we go on with our tour of this lovely city? You'll like what we've been doing
to force these scum to work harder. Unlike your people, we have no compassion
at all. Compassion is a disease when you are the strong, is it not?"
Before Cha'rif could
answer, the driver drove on. As he drove, he was laughing. "Organic
scum…all of you," he muttered. "That means you, too, Cha'rif."
"Thank you for letting
me know how I stand here," hissed the Baron. "Thank you very
much!"
Beneath the castle that
Ekogaru had appropriated for his own use, there was a deep, dark dungeon and
torture chambers.
Water dripped steadily down
there while a torch guttered and then flared.
A figure awoke to fresh
suffering. It was Captain Derek Wildstar, who was in a dull agony. He felt as
if he was hanging suspended from a wall.
He was.
Manacles, he thought as he looked up at his
bare, bleeding wrists, which were clamped to the wall. His ankles were
manacled, as well. My face feels like I've been beaten pretty damn good. Nothing on me but a rope and a
single rag dangling over my crotch. Guess it's supposed to be a
loincloth. Doesn't do much good with my bare behind against
the wall. Oh, God, where are the others? Where's Nova? Is she alive God, don't let her be dead!
He looked to his right.
Sharing the other set of manacles with him was a skeleton. The skeleton was
covered with cobwebs. Derek breathed a sigh of relief when he looked at the
skeleton's bony pelvis and saw that it was male. For a moment, he thought that
his nightmares had come true, and that he was sharing the wall with his wife's
skeleton.
He looked to his left.
Nova was hanging beside him
intact in a swoon…if one could call a somewhat swollen face and a body covered
with red welts intact, that is. She was also manacled to the wall at the wrists
and ankles. She wore only a ragged breechcloth like his and a bit of fur around
her breasts that he guessed was supposed to be a top. Also; they had left her
with two pieces of jewelry; her crucifix on its chain, and her wedding band.
Derek looked down at
himself, and he looked at Nova. As the torchlight flared for a moment, he could
see that both of their bodies were covered with red welts as well as assorted
bruises and cuts.
"Nova," muttered
Derek. "Nova. Can you hear me?"
Nova seemed to take a
deeper breath and she slowly raised her head. "Can't open my eyes,"
she muttered. "Crusted shut."
"Nova, this is
Derek," he said as tears ran down his cheeks. "What did they do to
you, tenshi? God, what did they do to
you?"
"They whipped me. Threw things at me. Called me obscene names I don’t want to
repeat. Waved a hot iron at me and taunted me with it; didn’t use it. Don't
think I've been raped. Yet," she sobbed. "I'm so cold. Am I naked?
Sorry I have to ask; I'm going numb with cold. It's so damp down here! Do I
have anything on?"
"Yes, you do. You have
some kind of top and loincloth on. But…they’re…rags…"
Nova finally forced her eyes
open and looked down at herself. She moved her thighs a bit and said, "Oh,
God, I might as well be naked! That
rag doesn't cover very much of me down there…it…doesn't really cover me at
all." She looked at Derek. "Looks like they whipped you, too,"
she sobbed. "Sorry. Can't stand seeing you like that…and I hurt all
over!"
"Yeah."
"Where's the
others?" sobbed Nova.
"I'm here,"
muttered Aliscea.
Derek looked over. Aliscea hung next
to Nova, clad in only a torn blue, black and red tunic and some kind of odd,
heavy bracelet around one of her ankles above one of the rusty manacles that
held her.
"My powers…they aren't
working," she said. "They put a D'Ranjikhar on me."
"What's that?"
asked Derek.
"Psychic
damper. As long
as I have that anklet on, I'm no good to anyone." Aliscea began to bang
her heel against the stone wall for a bit. "Damned thing won't come off.
I'm worthless! Useless! Paul?"
"I'm right by
you," said Rosstowski from the darkness beyond Aliscea's head.
"What do you have
on?" asked Aliscea. "I can't see you, my shalin’ska!"
"Nothing,"
moaned back Paul.
The dungeon door opened. In
came two Technomugar guards with more torches. A third guard came in and began
to clang on a loud gong.
"Wake up, scum!"
he yelled. "I see that our little stun-shot has worn off for everyone.
Now, we're gonna have some fun! Fun in the torture suite!"
Nova cringed, wondering
what their idea of "fun" was. She found out after they put more
torches at the end of the room. She could see Bryan Hartcliffe hanging there
with only a ragged loincloth on; his face looked defenseless and tired without
his usual "cool" shades, but Angie looked more pathetic, since she
hung there in only the remains of her underwear. She was shivering in the damp
dungeon.
Angie woke up screaming;
the guards were opening her manacles. "Please stop that! I have no
glasses! I can't see you very well!"
"Shut up, scum!"
yelled one of the guards. "Stop whining and take your medicine like a good
girl!"
Then they threw her onto
the dirt floor. They dragged her out of the room by the wrists; she fought and
screamed as she was dragged out.
In the meantime, the second
guard stopped by Aliscea and slapped her in the face for no reason.
"You're the chief
rebel, Aliscea," he hissed. "We'll break you slowly and exquisitely,
on the rack, perhaps, and you'll be grateful to join our side. As for your
little friend here, maybe we'll let her live, maybe not." He then reached
up to Nova and began to caress her as she hung there struggling and shivering
in only her ragged furs. Nova shut her eyes in disgrace and pain at this
imposition, but still, the tears flowed afresh.
"Stop that!"
yelled Derek.
"Who are you?"
hissed the guard as he teased Nova's navel and then let her go.
"The Commanding
officer of this crew and her husband," said Derek.
"Good, you stupid
damned loudmouth!" cried the guard. Outside, they could hear Angie's
screams as she was beaten with a whip. "We'll give your wife a
double portion with the whip when we come back later, you piece of rotting dung!
If I really have time, maybe I'll even let her have some more fun later...fun
you can watch. Like that, girlie? Are we not superior to your mate?? Have you
ever been with a real man like myself, you bitch?"
asked the guard as he leered at Nova.
"You're no man to me!
And If you're so superior, why don't you clean up your language?" snapped
Nova.
"Because I am the
master and you are the slave, you scum! Don't know why they gave orders for
some of you to have rags on. The whole lot of you should be naked like the animals
you are! Who dresses an inferior animal, anyhow?"
"God gave us
souls!" snapped Nova. "I don't know what you have!"
"You have a big mouth,
woman," hissed the guard. "Wish I could knock out all of yer teeth
now, just for starters!”
Then, they dragged Angie
back in. She was now covered with welts. She fell into a heap on the floor,
crying.
The guard slapped Nova
across the face again and then clapped his hands. "I'm gonna steal your
stinkin' necklace," he said. " I’ll bet you’ll
hate that! Then I'll take the rest of your clothes off so we can all look!!"
He reached for the
crucifix.
The Technomugar guard
immediately screamed when he touched the crucifix, falling back as if he was
burned.
"What the hell did you
do to Mazgar, girl?" screamed
another guard.
"I…I don't know,"
said Nova. "It did it itself….my cross…there's a holy object in it."
"What?" demanded
the guard.
"A
splinter of the True Cross. It's sacred to us," said Nova. Then, she smiled
and said, "Maybe Someone Else is telling you you've gone too far?"
"It won't hurt me,
I'll…"
The guard then grabbed at
Nova's crucifix and jumped back with a smoking imprint of the Crucified One in
his hand.
He snarled at Nova, shaking
his hand, and gave up. "Enough of this crap! Let’s go! Later on, we'll
bring some nice big truncheons so we can all have fun beating this lot!"
Soon, the whole bunch left,
leaving nothing behind to mark their passing except Angie's moans and tears.
"Nova, I'm sorry, I
only made it worse for you," sobbed Derek.
"S' Okay…you just
tried to help," said Nova with a weak smile while she tried to hold back
tears. "Least you made him stop that. I'm so
thirsty! Aliscea, why did my cross do that?"
"Spirit," said
Aliscea. "And Ekogaru's servants hate holy things, or things that smack of
Love."
"Love?" asked
Derek.
"Self-sacrificing,
unselfish Love hurts them," said Aliscea. "I foresee that, somehow,
Love will destroy even…him. But, I can't foresee how."
"Good thought,"
muttered Derek. "Damnit, I'm thirsty, too."
"Yeah," said
Paul. "Water's a problem."
Nova then got an idea. I
hope I don't get the plague or something from doing this, but…
As nausea ran through her
body, she turned her head and carefully licked some of the condensation off the
wall. "Not much, but it helps a little…Oh God, I wish I was home now! I
really do! I hate this war!"
"Me too," said
Derek.
"Love," said
Aliscea with a smile. "Nova, you are filled with it. Remember. They may be
able to break your body, but they will never break your spirit. Please don't
let that spirit die in despair."
"Thanks." Nova
licked the wall again. "Derek, take some. It'll help you."
Derek did the same. He
looked at his wife and sobbed, "What could be worse than this place?"
“Yes, this is hell,” said
Nova. “Naked in hell together, Aliscea? That prophecy
you had? Looks like…it’s coming true…”
"Ekogaru is
horrible," said Aliscea. "But he can think of far worse than this. Far worse."
"This is bad
enough," sobbed Angie as she dug her fingers and toes into the muddy floor.
Anything, anything, to relieve the pain…she thought.
In the meantime, Baron
Cha'rif had been called into a meeting with General Vergar.
The Technomugar general
looked around, and he shut the door to the chamber. Then, he turned on a
device.
"This will give us
privacy from His Mind Probes; about five minutes' worth. That should be all we
need."
Cha'rif's eyebrows went up
as Vergar said. "I understand you have your doubts about the Dark
Lord?"
"How did you know? And
how can I trust you?"
"You can trust me, as
I have begun to doubt him, too. He has become increasingly vicious. Perhaps even insane. I have begun to think that he seriously
believes he is a god. Believe me, he is not a god."
"So, you don't worship
him?" said Cha'rif in shock. “I…I…thought he was more than mortal!”
"You are deluded. His
divinity is naught but a legend. He is as accountable to the Almighty as you or
I. I served him as a fellow scientist, leader, and general. He was those
things. Now, I think he is mad. Perhaps even a devil."
"So what do you plan
to do about this?"
"Give you these,"
said Vergar. He handed Cha'rif a small binder that contained two message
capsules. "These contain the plans of the Technomugar Fortress and the
entire Technomugar/Rikashan attack plan upon Earth. Bring Captain Derek
Wildstar and his colleagues up here, clothe them decently, and then free them
after giving those plans to the young Captain so he can take them home to his
High Command. Then leave this planet before Ekogaru becomes aware of your
treachery against him. Understand?"
"You would bring him
down?"
Vergar nodded. "I am
planning an assassination. If we can trick him, he can be killed along with
that vile Yvona and the Fortress can return to the Blackeye Galaxy to begin
building a real New Order, better than Ekogaru's madness. But, if not, I am
ready to die with the Fortress to stop Ekogaru."
"Thank you,
Vergar," said Cha'rif. "I don't know what to say."
"Send your own guards.
Quickly," said Vergar. "The Technomugar plan to have all of those
prisoners given over to Yvona for torture. Hurry."
Cha'rif nodded.
A short time later,
the door to the dungeon opened. Six Rikashans came in.
"Are you all
right?" asked the Rikashan sergeant in a serious tone of voice.
"Do we look all
right?" snapped Captain Wildstar. "Why are you here? To mock us?"
"No, to set you free
from this place," said the sergeant as he began to undo Derek's manacles.
"The Baron Cha'rif has given orders that you are to be transferred to his
custody. I don't know anything more, but we must hurry."
Derek was a little shocked
at the urgency in the Rikashan's voice; and he was more surprised at the fact
that he was carefully helped down from the wall by the sergeant. "Drink
this water and then help the Corporal free your wife."
Captain Wildstar was given
a skin of water as Nova looked on in shock. Then, to his surprise, he looked on
as one of the Rikashans got to work at trying to take Aliscea's heavy ankle
bracelet off after he unmanacled her ankles.
The guard screamed as
something like an electrical charge came out of the heavy anklet.
"Sergeant, I can't get this off her!"
"Leave it for
Cha'rif…maybe he can remove it and restore her powers."
"Derek, what's going
to happen to us?" asked Nova in an uneasy voice as he and the Rikashan
corporal worked at freeing her.
"I don't know,"
he whispered. "This bunch seems to be treating us better than the
Technomugar…"
Derek looked on as one of
the men threw a cloak over Angie, partially covering her near-nakedness.
Another one handed him a short cloak for Nova, which he threw over her with a
tenderness that was otherwise lacking in this hellish dungeon. The others were
also clothed in ragged cloaks. They were dirty, but better than almost nothing
or nothing.
"We must hurry,"
said the sergeant. "They'll be down here any minute."
"Who?" said Paul Rosstowski.
"Those you don't want
to find you, or us," said the sergeant. He then whispered, "We are
going against Ekogaru's orders by doing this, but Cha'rif wants you freed. The
Technomugar have threatened him, too. Come on…"
At that, the group left the
dungeon behind. They had some trouble walking, but, as Bryan Hartcliffe left,
he thought, Man, anything is better than being in here….
III. BARON CHA'RIF'S
PLAN
Planet Carufax
Inside Castle Pa'Cranda
Sunday April 11,
2202
0910 Hours: Local Time
"Captain Wildstar. Are
you all right?" asked Baron Anton Cha'rif about fifteen minutes later when
the prisoners were ushered into his presence.
Derek nodded. "There
certainly seems to have been some change in plans," he said.
"Hold it," said
Cha'rif with an upraised hand. "Sergeant, the device.
On. Then, leave us."
"Yessir," said
the sergeant, who flicked on some device and left.
"That is a jammer. We
can speak frankly for ten minutes before Ekogaru notices," said Cha'rif.
"I freed you because the Technomugar have threatened me, as well. I have
my doubts about this alliance between the Technomugar and my people. I have
begun to think it is an unholy alliance. I realize that Ekogaru is no god, and
he is not worthy of my worship, or my devotion. Hence, the Ji'had he has
ordered against your people is null and void as far as I am concerned. I want
to help you help Aliscea to destroy him. I beg your apologies for the way I
have acted in this war, and wish to make a permanent truce. When I become the
leader of Rikasha, as I mean to, this truce shall be permanent."
"Are you
serious?" said Wildstar.
"I am," said
Cha'rif. "Behold. Your uniforms. Clothe
yourselves decently while we talk."
"Promise you won't
look at us?" said Nova as she picked up a bundle that looked like a white
Headquarters uniform with pumps.
"I promise," he
said. "They are not the same ones you wore here, but EDF uniforms we think
should fit you. I had been working with treasonous elements of your forces to
subvert Earth. I repent of that alliance now…the first of many things I must
repent of. Take these."
Derek and Nova were handed
their weapons, in shoulder holsters.
"They work," said
Cha'rif as Derek drew his weapon, followed by Nova, who looked strange holding
a weapon on Cha'rif when she was dressed only in two scraps of fur. "You
may demonstrate on me if you wish."
"Really?" said
Derek. "Good. Maybe I should check this to see if this damn thing works.
Your head might make a nice target, Cha’rif!"
Derek released the safety
on his weapon. Immediately, the guards' weapons went up, surrounding Derek and
Nova in a circle of guns.
"Hold your
fire!" Cha'rif barked at his men as they began to lock and load their
weapons. "This is to show you I mean this offer of truce. You may take me
as a prisoner if you wish. However, I would not counsel it. I think that this
subterfuge I have set up will work better. For one, it will ensure Aliscea's
safety. Please let me at Aliscea. I need to get that bracelet off her so she
can help us. Yes or no, Captain?"
Derek thought for a minute.
Finally, he holstered his weapon as Angie gasped. "I don't know why,"
he said. "But I think I can trust you, Cha'rif. Nova,
put down your weapon. Change and put that on under your jacket. I'll do the
same."
Nova nodded. With a deep
blush, she holstered her weapon, set it aside, and began to undress after
splashing her face with water from a basin. There, that takes off the worst
of those bloodstains, she thought. But look at me! I need a good bath!
"These are EDF
blues," said
"That's all I could
find you. The Technomugar destroyed the uniforms you had on. It was only by a
stroke of luck that I saved your Captain's and the Lieutenant's weapons. Oh…there
is one other thing…"
"
“Your glasses, Mrs.
Hartcliffe. I did recover those,” the Baron said. “Now, Mister Hartcliffe, I
suggest that you dress yourself.”
"Oh, all right,"
he said. He shrugged, looking at Paul Rosstowski as he also dressed in EDF
blues.
Beside them, Nova had her
back turned; she was now nude as she dug hurriedly through the clothes she was
given. She quickly, but gratefully put on a clean, fresh set of underwear. I
hope they're not looking at me, she thought. I normally don't change in
front of anyone except Derek. She felt relieved when she noticed that the
others, especially Bryan Hartcliffe, were too busy pulling on their EDF blues
to notice her.
In the meantime, Cha'rif
shut his eyes and began to work at Aliscea's anklet. It burned him, and he
gasped, but he ignored the pain. A moment later, he had it off her, and threw
it against the wall like a loathsome living thing.
"Aliscea, do you feel
better?" he asked.
"I do," she said
while she grabbed up a fresh Pellian uniform. Unlike Nova, she did not blush as
she stripped off her rags to gratefully clothe herself in a new set of
underclothes, followed by a new tunic, skirt, and sandals. "It will take
me some time, but I feel I can fight him now when I recover. I am
grateful."
"Take these,"
said Cha'rif as he handed Derek a binder. Derek was dressing in a fresh set of
EDF blues and a short blue peacoat.
"What is this?"
asked Captain Wildstar as he pulled on his blue trousers. Beside him, Nova had
pulled on her slip and was working at putting on a white service blouse and
skirt. Then, she gratefully stepped into her pumps, relieved that she didn't
have to go barefoot any longer on this clammy stone floor.
"The plans to that Fortress,
as well as our war plans," said Cha'rif as Derek pulled on his shirt,
boots, and shoulder holster with his Astro-Automatic. "Put them inside
your peacoat, Captain. I will be "escorting" you off-planet to my
ship as my so-called "prisoners". When we are away from this planet,
along with the Argo, you will be transferred back to your ship so you
can return to Earth with these plans."
Derek was handed a
communicator as Nova pulled on her shoulder holster. She then put a white
Headquarters jacket and red ascot over the whole thing, hiding the fact that she was actually armed. "Call your ship. Tell them
that you will be returning; there is a truce, and that your ship should follow
us."
Wildstar nodded. I hope
Venture will believe me, he thought as he began to call the Argo.
On the Argo,
in the meantime, Eager noticed a Rikashan fleet approaching as he sat at the
Cosmo-Radar.
"They're approachin'
at slow speed, but they're definitely surrounding us!"
"That's all I needed to know," said Venture
from his post. He closed his eyes for a moment in deep concentration. Dash was
now back at his post again.
A moment later, Venture
raised his head.
"Dash, open the main
guns. You and Nishina should target them with everything we've got."
"Right," said
Dash.
"I'm getting a visual
message from the enemy fleet," said Homer.
"Put it on the video
panel."
The bearded visage of
Ter'garv appeared a moment later. "Greetings, Argo. My name is
General Ter'garv of Rikasha. I am Baron Cha'rif's second-in-command. There has
been a change of plans. We are not attacking you."
"Well, where's
Cha'rif?"
"You are?"
"Commander
Mark Venture, First Officer of this ship. Do you know what's happened to Aliscea and our
landing party? Are they your prisoners?"
"The Baron Cha'rif has
now taken authority; yes. It is our plan to return them to you in due time.
However, you must listen to what we say."
"We don't listen to
enemy demands," snapped Venture. "Release them, or your can expect to
have your flagship boarded and the rest of your fleet wiped out."
"Give me a moment.
Your Captain wishes to speak to you."
Then, a moment later,
Derek's image appeared on the screen. The bridge crew gasped.
"Where are you?"
asked Venture.
"I'm on Carufax, and
I'm all right; so are Aliscea, Nova, and the others," said Captain
Wildstar as he let the camera in the small Rikashan communicator scan the
group. "We're on our way back. I can't say anything more."
"What's going
on?" demanded Venture.
"There's a truce.
We're on the same side for the moment. It seems that there's some…"
Then, the transmission
faded, and Eager yelled. "Large fleet approaching from the port side…firing at both us and the Rikashans! Switching to
video…"
The Argo shook from
a hit as they noticed the Technomugar fleet approaching.
What happened next shocked
them. Before Dash could issue an order to return fire, the Rikashans did so. It
took a moment for Venture to register an amazing fact….namely,
all of the guns on the Rikashan fleet surrounding them were trained outwards.
The Technomugar fired
again, and the Rikashans returned the fire. Also, four smaller Rikashan ships
maneuvered in very close to the Argo. It was clear what they were doing;
they were acting as destroyer escorts.
"Well, we've got some
help," said Venture.
"What do you think we
should do?" asked Sandor. "This is very strange."
"Let's not look a gift
horse in the mouth; if they want to help us, that's
their business. And, it looks like they might be sending Wildstar back after
all."
"Perhaps. Maybe this battle is a quarrel
between the two races over what to do with the Captain and Aliscea," said
Sandor.
"Maybe," said
Venture. "Dash, target the Technomugar Fleet, and then open fire!"
"Right
away."
A moment later, the Argo opened fire on the
Technomugar fleet, followed by the B'eoneraze and the other heavy
Rikashan space battleships. Like it or not, the Star Force and Cha'rif's
Rikashans were now in the same boat.
Green and blue bolts of
energy shot back and forth. The Argo's guns took out a Technomugar ship.
A moment later, the B'eoneraze also destroyed one Technomugar ship.
The Argo took two
hits, and then, unexpectedly, the Technomugar fleet turned about and began to
retreat. A moment later, they warped out.
"What's going
on?" muttered Venture. "Sandor?"
"This is weird…they
shouldn't be retreating like that…something's up."
A moment later, Ter'garv
came up on the screen. "This is strange," he said. "I was
expecting a bigger battle than that."
"Me too," said
Venture. He hesitated before speaking again. "What's going on? Is that a
usual tactic of theirs?"
Ter'garv sat in silence for
a moment. "Cha'rif has contacted me. He said that these are not their
usual actions. Of course, with Ekogaru on that planet, anything could happen
next."
"What does he want you
to do?"
"Guard you and wait.
When he has our friends off the planet, we may need to make a quick
getaway." Ter'garv paused. "He told me before he left that he thinks
the Dark Lord's Fortress is around here somewhere. Where…he
does not know."
Hardy came onto the bridge.
"What's goin' on?" he asked.
"Temporary
truce," said Venture as Ter'garv's image faded off the screen.
"You know that Captain
Peronada said mah girlfriend Mio was taken when they captured that survey ship.
When you talk to them again…if you do…could you try to find out what happened
to her?" Hardy thought of Mio Hoshiyama in their hands, and he felt sick
to his stomach.
"I'll try," said
Venture. "But rescuing Aliscea and the Captain is the first
priority."
Hardy nodded. He
understood, but that didn't have to mean that he liked it.
On Carufax, in the
meantime, Cha'rif prepared to leave the castle with his rescued prisoners.
"Act like I'm still a
slave-driver," whispered Cha'rif as he looked at his manacled
"prisoners". In reality, all of them could remove their chains in a
moment. "If I can get you out of this castle, that's the first…"
They began to leave the
room, but they walked into the corridor…
…and into
the arms of twenty-five waiting Technomugar troops.
"Surrounded,"
muttered Cha'rif.
"Damnit,"
muttered Derek. "Now, if we work together, we can fight our way out…"
"Let me help with
this," said Aliscea. "I think I can…"
Then, her face dropped.
"Aliscea,
my love. Leaving
so soon?" whispered a twisted voice.
Aliscea's teeth gritted as
she recognized the hunchbacked, hooded figure who
slowly approached. He cast back his hood, and, right away, all of them
recognized Shardovan Gralnacz.
"I'm afraid you can't
leave yet," said Gralnacz. "We have an appointment. Baron Cha'rif, my
guards will take you and your party down the south corridor. You will meet
again. Captain Wildstar, you will follow me. The Lord Ekogaru desires to speak
with you."
"And what if I don't
wish to meet the Lord Ekogaru?" countered Derek. Gralnacz made a hand
motion, and Aliscea began to cough and choke.
"Her powers are not at
the full, yet," said Gralnacz. "You will follow us, or she
dies."
"Leave me,"
coughed Aliscea. "Leave…"
Derek and Nova unholstered their
weapons. Gralnacz smiled.
The weapons grew hot in
their hands, and they had to drop them.
Gralnacz picked them up.
"Follow me…Ekogaru is waiting."
IV. THE BALLROOM
The Staircase Before Ekogaru's Grand Ballroom
Planet Carufax
Sunday, April 11, 2202
0950 Hours Spacetime
Captain Derek Wildstar
stretched his stiff muscles as he and Nova walked tiredly up a huge stone
staircase.
Nova ran for a moment.
"Stop running!"
roared one of the guards.
"I'm just trying to
stretch my legs," she pleaded. She reached down to rub her bare knee for a
second. "It feels like we've gone up two hundred steps."
"Weak humans,"
said the guard disdainfully. "Soon, such things will no longer afflict
you, if you make the right decision, that is…"
Behind her was a huge,
bizarre stained-glass window of many colors "This...castle...looks like it
was designed by King Ludwig the Mad or something," said Derek.
"Like a maniac's idea
of a cathedral," said Paul Rosstowski.
"Like the set of the
first Batman movie o' the late 20th century, man," said Bryan
Hartcliffe. "Anyone ever say that Ekogaru has bad taste?"
"Silence that
idiot," said Gralnacz.
A guard struck
"Back, or you'll get
it too," said the guard.
"Enough," said
Gralnacz. "They are guests. And the Master awaits them. Walk on."
They did, going up more
stairs in uncomfortable silence.
"I don't like
this," muttered Derek. He stopped to put on his ascot under his peacoat,
thus completing his uniform.
"Gralnacz said
that...the Master awaited us," said Nova while she helped him straighten
his scarf. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I know what you're
thinking, and you are right," said Aliscea as she signaled a stop. A guard
kicked her. "What? You're tired?"
"Leave her
alone," snapped Paul.
"Make us," said
the guard.
"Leave them for a
time, but stand nearby down the corridor on this level," said Gralnacz.
"I will await Him alone with these prisoners."
The guards left Gralnacz
alone with Derek, Nova, Paul, Aliscea,
"Don't try anything
funny," said Gralnacz. "He is now watching you. Got that?"
Let's fight, sent Aliscea to Paul. This isn't
my father any more. It's a devil we're facing.
No, wait, thought Paul. You're weak.
I can hear you, mocked Gralnacz with his powers
while he glared at them with a smile.
You rat, thought back Aliscea. She leaned on
Paul and reached down to rub her bare ankle.
"Are you all
right?" asked Rosstowski.
"Don't your ankles
hurt, too?" said Aliscea miserably. “I’m cut.”
"Ain't so bad,
luv...you're alive," said Bryan Hartcliffe.
"
"So's my cheek,"
said Nova in a miserable voice as she dabbed at her cut cheek.
"Oh,
sorry!"
"I'll give you
sorry," hissed Rosstowski.
"Guys, stop it,"
said Derek. "That Gralnacz is watching."
Aliscea felt a surge of
nausea as she saw her father smiling at them.
"Derek, give me your
scarf," said Nova. "At least it's silk."
Derek took off his ascot,
which was actually a silk aviators' scarf, and let Nova tear a few pieces off
it. She made Aliscea sit down on a wide landing and undid her sandals.
"Not much, but maybe
this'll keep those laces from cutting into those wounds," said Nova. Why
do you have to wear only sandals again? A good pair of boots would be a lot
better right now…"
"It's a part of my
office as Matrix-Bearer of Pellias," said Aliscea. "I have to either
wear something black all the time and those sandals..."
"You idiot," said
Gralnacz.
"SHUT UP!" cried
Aliscea.
"I should slap you for
that," hissed Gralnacz. Then, he got an idea. He smiled at Hartcliffe.
"Slap her for
me," said Gralnacz.
At that, Derek's teeth
bared in a snarl as Bryan Hartcliffe slapped Nova across the face. "You're
touched in the 'ead," smiled
Wildstar tried to go at
Hartcliffe for hitting his angel, but Gralnacz just held him back.
Nova
curled back her
lip and slapped
"Are you that
weak-minded that you're letting him use you like that? Don't you have a
damned ounce of respect for anything, Bryan Hartcliffe?" yelled Nova
in a voice as brittle as broken glass. "It's her religion! Stop mocking
the person who gave everything up except the clothes on her back to save us!
What next,
"I'm more popular than
your Jesus," mocked Gralnacz.
"You stay out of
this!" snapped Nova.
"Make me."
Nova then grabbed
"Sorry," said
Captain Wildstar came over
and just glared at
"Yeah, but if he opens
his mouth again, he shall verily regret it!" hissed Aliscea.
"I'll burn him where he stands for his blasphemy!"
"Please,
Aliscea," said Derek. "We need to work together...if..."
"Yes, this is so much
fun, family quarrels," said Gralnacz. "Nova, now you do something.
Let's see if I can make you belt your husband!"
"No, please,
don't," said Nova.
Before Aliscea could react,
Gralnacz thrust a hand towards Nova.
Acting against her will,
like an automaton, she walked towards Derek.
Her right hand went up of
its own accord. She tried to pull it down with her left hand, but it didn't
work. The look of pain on her face was nauseating.
As Gralnacz laughed, Nova's
right hand shot out, and she slapped her husband across the face.
"Oh, my God…I'm so
sorry," she said in a stricken voice. "Derek, I hurt you…!"
"How?" asked a
hurt Derek.
"It was like being
possessed," said Nova. "It's horrible! Did I hurt you, darling?"
"Did I hurt you, darling?"
mocked Gralnacz as he laughed. "I don't think you did it hard enough,
Nova. You should've got him below the belt. Let's try that, shall we? Shall we
see if I can make you punch your husband into sterility?"
"Silence!"
barked Aliscea as she raised her hand.
Unexpectedly, Gralnacz
stood frozen in place for a moment. Only his eyes moved; they glittered with
hate.
"You don't know who's
coming," he muttered. "Aliscea, you will regret this…"
"I do not
suspect. I know who awaits us," she said. "In case you fools
know not, we are about to meet the Lord Ekogaru himself."
"How d' you
know?" snorted
"I sense it!"
screamed Aliscea.
"Holy...crud..."
muttered
"Isn't this
amusing?" said Gralnacz.
"No!" hissed
Derek as he sat down on the step. "Stop using him!"
"I am not using
him," said Gralnacz. "He is letting me use him. You see, he
has a petty, sick mind. He would make a wonderful servant for me."
"You have a
petty, sick mind, Gralnacz." said Derek. "Stop using my crew men and
crew women like toys!"
"Stop it, toy,"
said Gralnacz.
"Oh wow," said
"You don't mean
that," hissed Derek.
":And
what's to say I don't?" said
"You don’t mean
that," said Aliscea.
"I might," said
He looked to Captain
Wildstar for support, but Derek snarled at him and turned away.
"Sir..."
"You deserved
it, you no-class son-of-a-bitch," said Wildstar in a cold voice.
"Wot's this? Class
envy?"
"My distant ancestors
were samurai!" snapped Derek. "What were yours? Now leave us
alone if you won't show her any honor! Don't you know that she and her father
had a terrible parting of the ways?"
Bryan Hartcliffe backed
away, callously ignoring Paul trying to comfort the Pellian while Derek laid a
hand on Nova's shoulder as tears of pain and guilt for striking Derek ran down
her face. She felt like sobbing, but kept her mouth sternly shut. She wasn't
about to let Gralnacz or Hartcliffe have the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"Angie," said
"Go to hell," she
said fiercely as she pushed him away.
"Women," he
muttered. "You, Nova, and Aliscea are runnin' this show, Aliscea,
luv!" said
"Lady Aliscea, Nova,
Paul, please excuse me," said Derek in a very controlled, stern
voice. Both Nova and Rosstowski looked at each other in apprehension as Captain
Wildstar got up. However, as Aliscea noted, neither of them dared to stop the
angry blue-clad storm cloud that began to descend the staircase.
Derek walked down the
stairs and took Bryan Hartcliffe by the shoulder. "Come down here a
minute, I think I need to tell you something, Ensign. The next
landing. Down there."
"Aye,
sir?"
When they reached the
landing, Derek took his hand off his shoulder, gritted his teeth, and let fly
into Hartcliffe's nose with a sudden hard right.
"Maybe Nova didn't hit
you hard enough, Hartcliffe," snapped Derek. "Cut the crap! Now, if you still want to fight about it, this time,
when you throw the next punch, I'll have you up before a full general
court-martial board when we hit Earth! Didn't losing in that special
court-martial teach you anything?"
"Why?"
"A second charge of
assault upon your commanding officer, what do you think? I gave you one
man-to-man shot in the boxing ring that night and you lost. I don't think a
rematch is a good idea. Got it?"
"Yessir," said
Hartcliffe as Derek turned away.
Nearby, Gralnacz smirked.
"How rude," he said. "Tsk, Tsk, Tsk. Bad Captain!"
Derek nodded with a slight
blow towards both Nova and Aliscea. Paul didn't understand what he was saying
when he muttered, in Japanese "gomen nasai." (Please pardon my
rudeness.)
Nova was about to say
something, but, to her surprise, Aliscea nodded back and murmured "dozo."
(No need to mention it) Nova herself then murmured "dozo" as
she and Derek helped Paul to finish binding Aliscea's wounds. They then stood
ready with her shoes as Paul tenderly kissed her bare feet on the insteps and
began to tie her shoes on at a spot below the wounds.
Paul and Nova helped
Aliscea to her feet as the harpsichord music they had heard earlier on the way
towards the planet began to sound again.
"Passacaglia and
Fugue in C," muttered Nova. "Again."
"Isn't that what we
heard coming in?" asked Derek.
"It is," said
Aliscea. "Now, I must stand tall," she said, pushing away her helpers
and standing up to her full height. To his surprise, Paul saw a golden light
forming around her as the huge wooden doors at the top of the stairs opened.
A
Darkness
streamed out from the doors. Captain Wildstar felt a cold breeze. Nova cuddled
against him and shivered as the breeze blew Aliscea's hair back.
Out from the darkness
strode an eight-foot tall Being in an ornate black
cloak that streamed back and a blue and white uniform with high black boots.
His face was slightly wrinkled, but he smiled broadly and silently over the
relentless fugue in the background. His salt-and-pepper hair blew back as if
some demonic wind was coming straight from him.
His eyes were dark and
sincere, but seemed to burn with a dim greenish light that was guessed at
rather than honestly seen.
He stopped before them on
the landing, and bowed slightly towards Lady Aliscea. "Lady Aliscea of
Pellias, I greet you at last," he said in a deep but very quiet voice.
"I am glad that you have come to treat with me like a reasonable and
honourable soul. We can have a fine discourse, you and I. For the benefit of
your friends, honourable folk all, permit me to
introduce myself. I am Ekogaru the Great, Lord of the New Creation, and Master
of your destinies. How good it is of you to come visit
me."
Derek saluted stiffly, and
waited for Ekogaru to return the salute. He didn't. "You're quite the
humble, unassuming sort, aren't you, your Lordship?" he said with a smile.
"My, do I detect
sarcasm from you, Captain Derek Wildstar, scion of the ancient Kodai clan of Dai
Nihon?" said Ekogaru. "I barely think I've done anything to merit
such rudeness. And your people are supposed to be so courteous."
"We are...to those we respect,"
said Derek.
"My, he has a mouth,
Nova," smiled Ekogaru. "You ought to wash it out with soap."
"Lord Ekogaru,"
said Aliscea. "They have no respect for practitioners of mass genocide in
the name of progress. And neither do I."
"Aliscea. I think you misrepresent me,"
said Ekogaru. "Nova. I have witnessed you weeding
your garden at home. Are you practicing genocide when you kill weeds?"
"Weeds and human
beings are very different," said Nova in a calm voice. "She tells me
you've killed trillions."
"My, you are deluded.
Like him," smiled Ekogaru as he gestured towards Derek. "And you,
Paul Rosstowski. Did you ever think a guy from South Philly like you would
treat with Royalty? You must be so honoured!"
"I'm married to
Royalty," said Paul as he hugged Aliscea. "And you don't need to be
condescending towards me. I've learned enough to stand tall against someone
like you."
"Really? Oh...I am eight of your feet tall.
You and Derek are but six. I think you come up a little short, if you'll pardon
the pun. And our beautiful ladies? Oh,
so petite!"
Ekogaru heard footsteps
coming. He smiled and said. "My helpers. I
introduce to you the Lady Marda, the Lady Yvona Josiah, and Lord High Protector
Shardovan Gralnacz, whom you have already met. I think Lady Aliscea and our
dear Nova would love having a little family reunion at this point."
Marda was in a flowing black robe and sandals, with
green-glowing eyes. Yvona wore her husband's EDF peacoat with a bright red
scarf. Finally, Gralnacz rounded out the sick trio.
Face-to-face for the first
time in quite a long time, Nova and Yvona glared daggers at each other.
"We're so charmed," said Nova sarcastically. "You look
good, my niece," said Yvona as she came up to Nova with an evil smile on
her young-looking cyborg face. The light from behind glittered against Yvona's
dark brown hair and seductively lit up her young, heart-shaped face. "What
did you do to your hair, Nova, darling? It looks beautiful."
"Get away from
me," said Nova in a husky voice from deep in her chest. "I can see
the blood of every citizen of
"Just a million,"
said Yvona with a smile. "I'm just getting started. I have other
fun projects underway now in my labs and torture chambers. Including a nice
white four-poster electric torture bed I made just for you, Nova dearest."
"You..." gasped
Nova with her mouth open. "You're inhuman!"
Yvona giggled in a tone of
voice and mannerism that aped Nova's own cute giggle when amused. Then, she
extended a hand towards Nova, but Mrs. Wildstar backed away to her husband's
chest in utter revulsion and righteous hate.
"Come, daughter,"
said Gralnacz as he extended a thin hand towards his daughter. "A feast is
prepared for you."
"Father, do I have
permission to starve?" said Aliscea in a bitter voice as tears ran
from her eyes. "Do you know how many of my friends and relatives you and
he killed?"
"Enough
unpleasantness," said Ekogaru. "Come, all of you. We shall talk
inside. I think you will be pleasantly surprised."
With apprehension flowing
through him, Derek Wildstar took his wife's hand, and they walked together
towards the banquet hall.
Aliscea walked near Paul;
she looked lost in thought.
Nova wondered what was
going to happen.
Is this going to be it? Nova thought. Will Aliscea
finally take him on here? And if so, will we get off this planet alive?
Unfortunately, Nova
Wildstar couldn't see the future. So, she walked on beside her husband like a
robot…a robot on its way to the death-house.
To Be Continued With
Act Two: "The Mount of Temptation"
THERE ARE NOW 30 DAYS TO THE ARRIVAL OF EKOGARU IN EARTH'S SOLAR SYSTEM
To return to
the Introduction to the Rikasha Incident please click here