Oh frell, I forgot to include my speulation that Lt. Stavropoulos may make a power grab for the leadership that was left vacant when Verless decamped.
I also see that in my detailing I gave rather short shrift to Martel, Robert and M’Kayla. Well, as I said, if you have any additions or corrections to make, let me know. Oh, and if you want all three recaps emailed to you I color coded them so that you can tell which recap they came from. This was easier than blending, say, three seperate entries for “crystals”. Instead, I just had one after another, with color making the differentiation.
Jimmie and Julie goggled in horror as “Capt. Verless” blew away Largo. Julie knew she would have been screaming, and indeed she would have, but her throat was so tight with fear that she could barely breathe. Both of them knew something weird had happened to the captain, but they weren’t sure what it was. All they knew was that as he turned his head to look back at them that his eyes seemed different. They were scary.
Jimmy quailed as that glance turned on him. “You! Kid! Up here now!”, came the order from Verless/Vorpal. “Push this thing” and he gestured to the remains of Largo, “onto the deck, and sit in that chair. I may need you to do readouts for me.”
Jimmie and Julie clung to each other for a minute, and Julie managed to whisper in his ear “Don’t forget you still have that thing.” Jimmie moved forward slowly and did as ordered. As he did so Julie gave a low, hurried explanation to Kenezr. His prone position had not let him see what had happened although he could pretty well figure out most of it.
Verless/Vorpal began the adjustments needed to bring Largo’s vessel back to his own Jewel of Novon.
Prof. Kenezr plucked at Julie’s arm to get her attention. “We can’t go back,” he whispered “We’ll never get another chance. Try and tell the boy to use the zinger on “Verless’s” body. It’s the only thing I can think of.”
“But if we do that there won’t be anybody to fly the ship!”
“There might be a way. Anyway, you’ve become as good as a grown-up now. What would be worse, to die slow or fast? Tell him! Hit “Verless” and then just slap every emergency comm button you can find. I’m sick but I still have my crystal, I’ll do what I can.”
Julie took a deep breath and nodded. She stood up and moved forward slowly, and the faces of Jimmie and “Verless” turned to look at her.
This should clear things up a bit…
Martel asked, “Someone on Valis 5 was attacked?”
“An attack?” Elia thought for a moment then replied, “No, I didn’t feel any malice. I believe it was a communication of some sort, from at least two couriers to another. It must have been across a vast distance to require that much energy. We…” She trailed off and looked up. It had started to rain inside their compartment, then the rain increased to a downpour. “We need to find where that communication was going.”
Just then, Pussyquathiaxav opened the compartment door; at first she could only stare while taking in the entire scene. A ceiling covered in storm clouds, pouring rain, soaked occupants, but everything else bone dry. “What in Bast…?”
Aboard the bridge of The Jewel of Novon the crew watched in fascination as their President spoke and gestured to sights unseen. His eyes were open, he seemed to hear things, but if one looked at his face it was obvious that his consciousness was not present, at least not all of it.
The injured first mate had been dragged away on orders of Lt. Stavropoulos. The crew, which had been at a loss as to how to proceed, was glad to have order and discipline restored. The lieutenant stood beside the captain’s chair to give himself more authority, but even he would not dare to have Vorpal moved. he might “return” at any time. The wisdom of this was shortly to be proved.
“AAAAAAAAAgghhhhhh!!! You fastericking, frelling, puling slimy little baaaaaaastarrrrdss!!!” screamed Astrid Vorpal. His body bucked and contorted in the chair and started to slide down to the deck, before it was caught by Lt. Stavropoulos and the comm officer, and eased down more gently. With all eyes focused on this drama the comm board went unmonitored for a period. It showed how the vessel they had been pursuing was scattering emergency signals in all directions.
Julie had tried to hold the eyes of Capt. “Verless” as she moved forward. She had wanted to keep as much of his attention as possible. Trying to signal Jimmie she made little jabbing motions with her hands, as if extremely nervous, and she’d been grateful to see Jimmie nod and slip the zinger from his pocket. Maybe, since it didn’t seem to be the real captain there, the little device would not be remembered. As she reached the two she gathered her nerve and turned to Jimmie.
“Just do it! Do it now!” she screamed. The noise caught The captain’s figure unawares and gave Jimmie the time he needed to reach over and shove the zinger into the other’s side. His nervous system got a tremendous jolt and the body leapt up like a hooked fish, before relaxing down. Julie leaned across thm all and started hitting the buttons as she had been directed by Kenezr. Her hands seemed to know what to do and lights and noised started blaring.
“Jimmie, now what do we do?” Julie asked.
“You want ME to tell you? I’m going to see if I can call up instructions on how to maneveur this thing” Jimmie retorted “Here, let me change seats and you take this one” maybe we can at least figure out how to keep life support from going down."
Just then the cabin speaker began to make scratching noises , and then a clipped voice spoke. “Vessel claiming distress, please state the nature or your navigational emergency.”
Well, I should have previewed, my spelling in the previous post left something to be desired.
After fumbling around for a bit Jimmie Beck managed to find a switch that allowed him to talk back to the voice who had called. “* Please help us! * We don’t know how to fly this thing, and the pilot is sick, we have little kids and the old guy in the back, Kenezr is hurt…”
A second of silence and then “Kenezr? Jacob Kenezr?”
“We don’t know his whole name, but he got beat up real bad and needs a doctor and…”
“Please stand by for just a micron. Don’t touch anything, we may be able to help. DON’T GO AWAY!”
“How could we?” retorted Julie, “we are in space you know!”
Granthiaxav couldn’t believe what he had been hearing. He slapped the comm and called Elia M’Hall to his station. If they were going to have to cope with kids of all things, her talents for emotional manipulation could be useful. Elia appeared so quickly it was almost as if she had been just outside the bridge door. Granthiaxav noticed her hair was wet, and her clothing seemed slightly damp too. Elia took in the situation at once, and began speaking to the children over the link, calming them and asking questions. Location was established and their ship located. It was lucky they had both had the same destination, or the two ships might not have heard each other. There was some delay as Jimmie and Julie had trouble following the directions to stop all thrust on their vessel, and bring it to a “halt”. Following a risky EVA Granthiaxav himself transferred to the other ship and managed, after more delay, to be let in through a maintenance hatch in the rear of the vessel.
The little children stared at him in awe as he came forward from the stern of the vessel. They had never seen a Xavvian before, in person at least. He spoke very briefly, in a low tone, to Kenezr, and then greeted Julie and Jimmie.
“Young persons, much as I regret it we do not have time for formalities. Can you try to take this man (the still unconscious Capt. Verless) back there? I will pilot us for now, and as we must get away quickly, please try not to speak to me unless it is absolutely necessary.”
Together the two ships sped the rest of the way to Valis 5, leaving the Jewel of Novon and Astrid Vorpal far behind, trying to sort out what had happened.
Tront accessed his ship’s communications throughy Vicki’s computer, scrolling through his messages. He found one from Captain Verless and a chill went through his spine.
“Quick, M’Kayla,” he called, as he decoded Verless’s message. Tobe and Kathy looked on curiously.
“Damn, we’ve got to get back to the ship,” Tront said. “Verless is on his way here, and he’s going to need our help.”
“I don’t understand,” Vicki said, cleaning up dinner. “He’s the captain of the Jewel of Novon. What possible help does he want from us? Are you sure it’s not a trick?”
“He’s escaping with Kenezr and some hostages from Ceres,” M’Kayla said, reading over Tront’s shoulder.
“Kenezr? Ceres?” Kathy cried out. Tobe stroked her arm.
“I think we better be ready to meet him,” Tront said. Victor Sr spoke up.
“We’ll all go. I have a few words for him myself.”
The Channing group reached the spaceport within an hour. However, while making flight plans with port authorities, Kal Trontiann found that both Granthiaxav’s ship and the other distressed vessel were already in orbit, and their occupants would be transferring by shuttle to the surface within a short time. Normally disembarkation proceedings would have taken much longer, but priority had been given them due to the medical emergencies aboard.
Prof. Kenezr and Captain Verless were removed as quickly as could be and rushed to the port hospital. Tobermory, Kathy, Trontiann and Victor Sr. accompanied them, but the two patients were put into intensive care and close questioning was impossible for the time. Jimmie, Julie, Nadia, Nicki and Jude were taken to a children’s clinic in the city, that was actually close to the Channing business/residence. Vicki and, surprisingly, Elia, went with them. Although she tried not to ever show it, considering it a weakness a “troubleshooter” dare not show, Elia, having grown up in an orphanage with little to call her own, loved toys. She could amuse the little ones by getting them each a stuffed toy, knaffels(with skin that really changes color!) And, as it had over the comm, ship to ship, she could use her mental talents for calming and soothing them all, better than sedatives could have. She watched as Nadia fell asleep in her bed, a currently blue knaffel clutched tightly in her arms. Arrangements were made for the children to stay the night, since it was already late, but the following day they would be brought to the Channing residence, for security.
Granthiaxav was questioned by Port Authority about the unusual circumstances of the ships and their arrival, and the body of Largo was removed from what had once been his ship and then impounded, pending an examination of it. He gave most of his crew liberty, but a few volunteers stayed aboard Grant’s ship, including Pussy, keeping a watch in the event another sudden trip came up.
M’kayla, Robert and Martel had stayed behind at the Channing’s, serving as a contact so all the groups could keep in touch with each other, but as night passed on most of them returned for rest. They’d all had hard times in the last few days, and the next days would probably be just as bad. Best to stock up on sleep when one could.
Near dawn Kathy had another dream. This one was even stranger than the previous dream of the morgue-like room. She seemed to be a man, in a bulky suit. There were long vines and trees with dark leaves that ran with moisture. She was facing a large slug-like creature, with dark green and golden skin that matched the encroaching vegetation. A power seemed to be radiating from this creature. Suddenly it heaved it’s front end up and knocked “her” to the ground. She cried out in alarm and then woke up in herself again. Her bedclothes were as damp as the plants had been. Tobermory had been on a cot outside her door and reached her first.
“Oh Kathy, this has to stop! How much longer will you be able to handle it?”
She clung to him for reassurance, like one of the children, but managed to say “As long as I need to.” She pulled back and looked into his face, so full of care and concern. “Tobe, dear, I know you mean well, but please, could you call M’Kayla now? We need to talk.”
The last few periods on The Jewel of Novon had been rough, but things were getting back to normal, or as normal as they ever were when the owner aboard is a maniac. The blood had been scrubbed from the deck of the bridge, and the body of the first mate(who had died of the blows Vorpal had given him) had been spaced. Nick Stavropoulos, promoted to captain for his handling of the affair, was now in the position formerly occupied by Wesley Verless.
“Capt. Stavropoulos reporting for the President’s daily briefing, sir! he rapped out, having decided to play it by the book, at least for a while.
“Ah, yes, come in captain” Vorpal replied. He still felt somewhat weak from the shock the zinger had given him but the wonderful stim meds gave him energy when he needed it. “Can you give me anything more on those matters I had you look into?”
“Sir, I haven’t yet had any luck in raising Dr. McDaniels on Galava Soca. Dr. Hennings gave me all the contact codes and passwords, but nothing yet. It would seem that either he is refusing contact or is unable to answer. I would lay odds on the latter, given that, according to Dr. Hennings, that Dr. McDaniels wants so very badly to get off that steambath of a planet.
“You’re probably right. Damn. I don’t want to make a side trip there, but we might need too. I have a feeling I’m going to be facing that red-headed Swanson witch soon, and I will need all my persuaders, in case she is difficult. Anything positive to report?”
“Yes sir there is. I did make contact with your “curator” on Valis 5. His message stated ‘Both of the markers you left are still secure.’”
“Excellent! Anything else?”
Stavropoulos was glad he had still more positive news. “Yes Mr. President. I have also manage to comm all of our other informers on Valis 5 and it seems all the principals you named are at one location, believed to be that of Victor Channing. The only two exceptions are your cousing Kenezr and(here his expression darkened) Verless. They are still hospitalized, although it is expected they will be released shortly, presumably to join the others.
Vorpal reached into his desk and pulled out a small bottle with a smoky gray liquid inside. The doctor probably wouldn’t approve of his drinking andtaking stims, but it was his job to keep him healthy anyway. Otherwise heads might roll, literally. He felt like celebrating. The lost contact could be dealt with easily, and everything else seemed in order, he still held a winning hand. Vorpal poured a tiny glassful, and after a slight hesitation, a second, handing it to his captain.
“To success!”
Kathy spent much of the day closeted with M’Kayla in a private room Around mid-morning they asked for Elia M’Hall to join them and the “troubleshooter” spent nearly two hours with the two couriers. When she emerged she was tightlipped about what had gone on. Instead, she asked for an escort to accompany her into the city. Granthiaxav and Martel went along. Tobermory and Vicki Channing brought the children back from the clinic where they had spent the night, and then Vicki and her brother had to deal with family business matter. By mid-afternoon Victor Channing Sr. received a call from the hospital that Verless was now awake and alert again, and that Kenezr had improved to the point where he could leave if necessary, but would still require follow-up care, especially for his damaged eye. Rounding up Robert and two aides he left to bring them back to the increasingly crowded Channing residence. It was fortunate that it took up most of one floor of a large building.
After coming “home” the children had had little to do. One small room had been set aside for them to play in, with a few games and a viewscreen. Nadia refused to be parted with her stuffed knaffel, carrying it everywhere she went. The two younger boys quickly were lost in the vid games, thinking they were having a fine “school vacation” But Julie and Jimmie were not so easily amused. Emerging from the rec room they ran into an edgy Tobermory, just about the only adult that was at loose ends.
“Excuse me sir” Julie ventured, “can you tell us what’s going on? We know Miss Swanson is here but we haven’t had a chance to see her, everyone acts so strange and busy…” “and” butted in Jimmied, “has anyone thought to contact our parents? They must be worried!”
Tobe explained as best he could, and added “I’m worried about Kathy Swanson too. I was with her for so long on Ceres and I like her very much.”
“With her on Ceres?” asked Julie, “I don’t remember any people like you there. We were mostly humans you know.”
Tobe laughed for what seemed like the first time in ages. “Ah, you don’t know about some of us Xavvians I see. I’m a shape-shifter. I lived with her as a house cat.”
Their eyes went wide and they chorused “Oh, can we see you change?” Tobe obliged, but changed back quickly. “What do you think?” “That was fantastic!” the two young people said. “Can you do it again?” “Not so soon” Tobermory replied, but I guess if you are bored I can show you some other things. Does your room have a computer link?"
Jimmie remember seeing a screen pushed into a corner. “I think so, but I don’t know what kind of access it has.”
“Why don’t we find out?” and the three of them returned to the younger ones.
A short while later Kathy and M’Kayla emerged from the room they had shut themselves up in. Kathy was rather shaky, her face pale beneath her bright red hair, and once again she was drenched in sweat.
“Kathy, I think you are as ready as you will ever be. I’ll bet you could even stand against Vorpal now, at least for a while. I’ve put you through a lot today, trying to get the meaning out of the visions, and I think we may have hit gold when I had you recall the tiled room. When Verless and Kenezr arrive we may learn more, but…”
"We’re back!" called Elia, a triumphant note in her voice. She looked at Kathy “Are you ready for some good news for a change?”
“You have to ask me that?” Kathy asked wearily. The last few days had been exhausting, and every time she turned around, there seemed to be more and more people in the Channing’s residence. On top of that, she’d had no chance to sit with the children and explain what was going on. Not that she knew much in that area herself.
“Sit down, my dear,” Elia said. Kathy obeyed, and let Elia take her hand.
“You and I are leaving Valis 5.”
“That’s wonderful,” Kathy yawned, then blushed. “I’m sorry. I’m just so tired. I’m not sleeping well.”
“That’s understandable, my dear. M’Kayla and Tobe will come with us, and Grav is going to take the children back to Ceres.”
“Where are we going?” Kathy asked.
Elia had come in ahead of Granthixav and Martel.
“Kathy, that was a remarkable recall picture you gave me. I found it hard to believe that what you saw could be so close, but it was. And it doesn’t hurt that I am trained to notice when someone is tailing me!” Here she gestured to the door, as the tall and green Xavvians frogmarched in a short, pasty skinned human.
“You can’t do this to me!” he squealed. “I have important friends!”
“Yeah, so important that the other two Elia spotted didn’t even try to help you” jeered Martel. That shut the little guy up.
“Was it really my parents there?” pleaded Kathy, “did I see it true?”
“I believe you did, although I did not view them for myself. This one could tell you more, couldn’t he?”
“I ain’t saying nothing that might get me in trouble with the boss, you don’t know what he’s like” the henchman replied warily.
Kathy forestalled the voices of the others, holding up her hand abruptly and facing the man. “Oh, I think I do, " she said quietly, " and now let me tell you something. You are going to tell me for sure who is in that room, and in return for that you will live. I’m not threatening you, I’m just making an offer you shouldn’t refuse. Now, tell me who is in that room please.”
“Make me!” he sneered, not believing a woman could hurt him.
Kathy shrugged and simply looked into his face. For a moment there was no change, then he began to wince in pain. “Give it up” she ordered, “let it go!” The little man struggled to resist, but Kathy finally told him “Either your brains or your feet will be on the floor” and he gave up with a whimper. “Swanson,” he whispered, “Eric and Jacine” then he fainted.
“Let’s go!” Kathy snapped and the group left to secure the bodies of Kathy’s parents. They made it there safely, but one of the observers that had deserted the informer did have the means to send a message to The Jewel of Novon, so that his boss would know of the loss.
Meanwhile, on Galava Soca.
Dr. McDaniels hadn’t known he could feel so tired, and the ache in his head didn’t help. His erstwhile pet was totally out of his control now. When it had first attacked him, knocking him down, it had lain across him for hours. Finally the slug-like beast had extruded a “tentacle” from it’s body mass, rolled off of him, and had then immediately snapped the new limb around his wrist, dragging him back to his lab as it hulked along. It had forced him inside, although it did not enter itself, but began tapping on w window. When McDaniels looked through he could see that another tentacle was tracing words in the dirt. “HOME VALIS 5 CHANNING KATHY CALL CALL CALL” These or similar would were being repeated many tim. Everytime the doctor tried to eat or drink too much, he was shoved back to the comm by another pseudo limb Finally McDaniels decided to take the message literally and placed a call to the Channings through an obscure little comapy thay had come to, and with that simple action the creature backed off.
Dr. McDaniels wondered where his pet’s ability to function so had come from. It definitely wasn’t his doing.
Sigh. Preview is my friend
It should have read “placed a call to the Channings through a public address accesser.” I don’t know where the other came from, maybe my hands drafted it seperately from my brain.
The tomb was almost exactly as Kathy had envisioned it, except it was freezing cold. So cold that it actually hurt to walk across the tile from the entrance they used to the drawers.
“Which ones?” asked Martel.
“I’m not sure!” Kathy answered, almost in tears.
“Calm yourself, please,” offered Tobe, noticing that several large stone blocks were precariously placed atop what appeared to be large stone columns flanking the entrance. “We want to get evrybody out of this place in one piece.”
“That one!” Kathy pointed at one drawer.
“And that one,” she said pointing at another.
Martel was already working the release of the first tomb/drawer when Tobe’s Xxavian senses picked up on something happening just outside.
Growling under his breathe, he unobtrusively slips out the far entrance way to see who was following them. And why.
The small group had secured the cryopaks holding bodies of the elder Swansons and was making to the entrance they had used when a horrible cacophany of animalistic noise from just outside was heard.
“Tobe! What is that?” Kathy said nervously.
Getting no answer, she slowly became aware that Tobe was not with them.
“Tobe, by the grace of Wayre… you better be alright,” she whispered to herself.
As suddenly as the noise started, it ended. And Tobe came back in through the first entrance. His tunic was torn and he was covered with blood, but he was smiling. He was also dragging the disembowelled body of another Xxavian.
“We may need to use one of those empty tombs,” he said.
“Who was he?” asked Martel.
“Who he was is not important. What he was is Wayre,” answered Kathy.
“Actually, I don’t think he was adept,” interjected Tobe. “He didn’t notice me until just as I pounced.”
“How can you know that? How can she know that?” querried Robert, who was carrying one of the cryopacks holding the Swansons.
“I just do,” answered Kathy. " And I know where we need to go now. But I can’t think of the name."
“You feel it. That is good enough,” offerred Elia. “Come! We are running out of time.”
The informer who sent the message from Valis 5 to Astrid Vorpal was lucky that he did not have to deliver it in person, he might have met the same fate as the first mate. As it was Capt. Stavropoulos quietly called for Dr. Hennings, just in case it proved necessary to calm him with a mild sedative. But this time Vorpal calmed quickly,.
“Captain, I want a course set for Galava Soca at once. You are to use every method in your power to make this as fast a journey as possible. If the engineers question you tell them that I ordered it. I want this ship pushed to it’s limits, do you understand me?”
“Yes, Mr. President, I do.”
“Very well. Throw out a survey net before we arrive, there is a possibility, however slight, that we will meet an opponent I won‘t want to fight just then, our primary mission will be to find Dr McDaniels and his charge. I‘ll want a xeno chamber prepared for the latter, it is vital that it not be harmed…yet. I‘m going to need it for bargaining. You are dismissed.”
The captain took The Jewel of Novon into non-space as soon as he had issued the necessary orders, and the flight was made in record time. Sensors picked up no other vessels. It appeared they were indeed the first to arrive. The unfortunate doctor was rescued and his creature was easily captured. For all it’s new found strength and power it was no match for the nets and weapons arrayed against it, and as if it knew, it remained passive while being bundled into the xeno chamber, which had the environmental controls needed to keep it at the same temperatures and humidity levels as it was accustomed to.
“Captain!”
“Yes sir!”
“I want us headed back to Valis 5 now. This time it needn’t be done at speed. I want every forms of communication monitored at all times. Failure to do so will mean death not just for the offender, but for their entire squad as well. We will be making contact with Swanson and her cohorts somewhere along the way and I don’t want the contact missed.”
“Yes, Mr. President. If I might ask, how do you know…?”
“You may not ask. Now leave me, I have a meeting.”
Astrid Vorpal strode arrogantly into the view lock of the chamber. He had the strength of his crystal and his own mind, to stand against what lay in there, and did not fear it.
“Hello Eric, Jacine” he said. The green/gold body of the creature shuddered slightly in response, and Vorpal felt a touch of mental disgust at his presence. “Let me tell you what has been happening. Your daughter(another shudder) is all grown up now. I found out about her power, and thanks to my foresight in arranging your “death”, she will shortly be under my control, and cooperating with me. Comm officer!” He said this last to the air, “is the camera running?” “It is, Mr.President” “Then begin recording” “Order acknowledged”
Turning his gaze on the being in the chamber his face first went blank, then twisted into hate. The creature had no mouth to scream with, but it twisted and contorted and heaved up first one end and then the other. Vorpal let the waves of it’s pain wash over him like a soothing shower, and opened his mind to enjoy and record every second. Finally he let go and it collapsed completely motionless. “Did you get that?” “Yes, sir, all of it” came the faint voiced reply.
Without even a backward glance Vorpal left the chamber. He was highly pleased with himself, knowing that he still had a weapon to gain the alliance of Kathy Swanson, and thereby regain the wider power he so desperately craved. He looked forward to their next conversation.
Oh my God…what a wonderful story!
I’m a little lost in the plot line, so I will bump this and see if I can contribute something later.
ivylass, when you review it you can tell it’s being set up for a final confrontation in a couple or three posts, then some “tie up the story lines” ending posts. It’s going to be fun. I’m at work now, but later this afternoon or evening, if you have any questions about the plotline, email if you want.
ivylass, sorry about posting again so soon. But I think something weird happened to my computer yesterday. I’ve just gone back over the last few posts and I saw your post of yesterday afternoon, at 4:25 PM. My next post occured at 4:33 PM, so we must have been writing at the same time. I swear before I hit submit I checked for other posts! Even when I reviewed this morning before posting I didn’t see it. I see conflict between what you posted first and what has come since, but I don’t want to lose that fantastic post NoClueBoy made either. I love a good disemboweling.
If you could let me know by email later this afternoon what you would like done about it, I sure would appreciate it. I don’t want to ignore your post or cut it out. If you want to write another now
please do so Mea maxima culpa for not seeing your post. That’s at least the second time I’ve done that in this story, please forgive me!!!
They fit.
It reads like a fast moving scene, different things happening at the same time. We follow the main arc to the tombs while the kids are being sent away for safety’s sake.
Ah… are they really safe?
In orbit around Valis 5, Trontiann was observing his ship being prepared for departure. All systems were being checked, weapons and shields doublechecked. He and his passengers didn’t want to take any chances. “Sure wish we’d have Granthiaxav along, we could use the extra firepower.”
Another vessel had attracted M’Kayla’s attention. “Dear, take a look at this. Isn’t that a Trident?”
Trontiann turned to see what M’Kayla was talking about. It did indeed appear to be well-used Trident-class cruiser but something didn’t seem quite right about it. “Certainly looks like one but…hey! Maybe we’ll have some company after all!”
“What…?” But it was too late, Trontiann had taken off to where the faux Trident was berthed.
“Zora! Hey, Zora!”
A figure clad in the uniform of Alliance Security turned toward him. “Kal? I’ll be damned! What are you doing back here?”
“Escort duty that turned into a rescue mission. Speaking of which, we could use a hand. You up for some adventure like the old days?”
Baker, I think it fits. Kathy asked where they were going, and Elia answered in her mystical, roundabout way.