RETURN TO KARRIN

[Amazee Dayzee]

I just hope that the people that do aren't too seriously banged up. Turbulence can really result in a lot of bad injuries so I am pulling for the injuries to be fairly minor.

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-TWO

Lights flickered in the darkness and cast feeble lights into the blackness as a penlight flicked on, casting a sharp shard of white light across the engineering bay, making a Canine gasp and shield his eyes as it dazzled him. “Ohgood,you’realive,” gabbled an obvious voice from behind the light. “Anyoneelse,” she added, casting the light about to see how many she could dazzle. They’d just managed to shut the power off before being launched across space and it would be pretty humbling if they didn’t have enough people awake to turn it back on again.

“Y...yeah, I’m alive,” a Feline commented, her tone indicating she wasn’t quite sure if she was telling the truth or not. “Not so sure about Formby,” she added.

“Weneedto getthe poweron,” Kerri told her. “Flakkwillhaveabetterchanceofsavingthemifhehaspower.”

“Pardon?”

Kerri slowed herself and said it again as she began the recharge and restart procedure for the generator. “Checkthe wiring,” she ordered. The Feline complied as the Canine found himself awake enough to check the readings on a handheld scanner. “What’s thecharge, Lethwaite?”

“Two percent, Chief. Now three.”

“Justlikethe Bellaphron,” she claimed, “it drainedtheirsystems too.”

“At least we don’t have a manual recharge battery these days.”

“Rechargedin tenpercent ofthetime, Kerri repeated as her console mounted light came on so she could see what she was doing. “Twentypercent ifyou don’tgettoit. Welcomeback, Hawick,” she told a Mican that was pulling himself back up to his feet. Emergency lighting around the Engineering bay lit the place up in red. “Doa visualofthe local corridors,” she ordered the recovering figure. “givemea listofdamaged stuffyousee.”

He nodded and picked up a padd. After shaking it and finding out it didn’t work, he grasped another and left the room as others started getting back up.


Flakk grunted as the red lights came on and looked over at Cobalt. She was looking back at him, scared but alive and he noted the amount of stuff on the floor that must have hit the back of her chair and spilled away. “You with me, Cobalt,” he demanded. She nodded and sneezed. “Good,” he declared. “Come on,” he continued, “triage time.” He took the restraints off and stepped out into the main medical bay. There was a nurse sagged against the railings, her body against the wall, kept off the floor only by the fact her wrist was trapped between the two rails. Flakk checked for a pulse and, not finding one, moved about his business. There was time to make her decent later. Sagwa would understand. The living came first in this job. He encouraged Nurse Tula to attend to her duties. Get her mind off it.


Martin Jul wasn’t quite in such good repair as his colleagues. A stack of scanning instruments had broken his left arm when they’d fallen on him and he was in considerable pain, dulled only by the painkiller he’d managed to take from his kit. The Nurse, a Celican Vixen, checked in on him and noted the empty phial. “I’m… only half as ‘armful… as usual, Cervina,” he said pushing himself up with his good arm. “Get a sling, would you?” He gasped and forced himself out into the world as Cervina attached the arm restraints and then the fabric sling “You’re going to need to be my arms I think,” he replied as the lights turned Orange.


“You two OK in here,” Jak asked, putting his light into the first of the science labs and over Greedan and Darren. And a pool of red liquid that gripped his throat.

“Well,” Greedan groused, “a bit annoyed I’m serving time on a ship that lurches from battle threat to battle threat and could be destroyed any day but…”

“He’s fine, Hadrian,” Darren finished. “Despite his drink all over the floor. What just happened? Ow.”

“We travelled by beam weapon.,” Hadrian explained. “All in all, I prefer engines.”

“Same here,” Darren groaned. “How’s..?”

“Simone’s good. Eckerton’s down there and his walkie thing’s still working.”

“Should do,” Darren protested, “I’m the one got the handsets for you guys.” Four of them had such handsets, based around the battery operated things of old. Power boosted for emergencies and with a shocking battery life that meant emergencies only. Yarkin always assigned them to teams. “But I know you know I meant Kerri.”

“She’s being a holy terror in engineering,” Jak told him and Greedan clapped the Celican’s back reassuringly. “Now,” the Cervidian added, “you two have medical training?”

Greedan stood and almost slipped in his drink spillage. “I do, Hadrian.”

“Mr Jak,” Hadrian corrected. “Suppose we can’t be picky. Come on, you two. Grab some first aid kits.”

Sensing a chance to be useful, Greedan grabbed a pack before Darren did and followed his primary prison guard from the room.


Postain held his head. The restraints had kept him safe but he felt like he had one heck of a whiplash from the effect of the weapon. He was grateful that Kerris… Levan, he reminded himself. Levan had recommended turning everything off to prevent overloads like the Bellaphron and the Fallir had suffered when they’d been hauled through space. It hadn’t stopped the injuries and a number of deaths, he guessed, but no exploding consoles was a good sign. The bridge crew had reported they were all alive and mostly uninjured, with Kridd taking a tumble and breaking a leg. The Cadan had put him into recovery position and the group was hopping over him as best they were able now that the consoles were beginning to power up again. Main communications would be next. Maldak had managed to get the warning to the Micans about thirty seconds beforehand so hopefully… Where were they? “Position, Bartleby,” he said, his teeth rattling as he spoke.

“We’re… Is that my ears rattling,” she asked, before operating her system which had booted up faster than the rest, an inherently smart idea that had been programmed in years back. “If these are right,” she continued, “we’re about fourty minutes out at best speed.”

“Sixteen hours in one minute,” the Cadan breathed.

“Yeah, but stopping’s a pain,” Postain grumped. “Get weapons and shields back on and be ready to get underway in three.”

He waited until Maldak said comms were back to contact the Micans.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Looks like everybody made it following the turbulence they went through. Here is hoping there are no delayed head injuries that can cause any problems.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Looks like everybody made it following the turbulence they went through. Here is hoping there are no delayed head injuries that can cause any problems.

Except for at least one dead nurse?

[Amazee Dayzee]

Yeah well she didn't have a name so obviously she wasn't important so its no big loss.

...I might have skipped over some parts because I was reading this at work when business picked up again.

[Welsh Halfwit]

Feline Doctor. Professional uncaring.


FIFTY-THREE

The battle started to recede now, the unexpected arrival of the Wuy spoiling the plans to devastate the southern continent’s major city and remind the colonists they were still vulnerable to attack. The Jestavanian cruiser and the Wuy had swapped fire for several minutes until the Larrakaea arrived and altered the odds. They tried to run but the Karrinean adopted ship lanced through their engines and blew out a section of the rear. The Cadan settled back in his chair. “Radnor,” he said, almost confusing the Lappinean by getting her name right, “contact that ship.”

“Er, aye, Captain.” He decided to let it pass as the alien worked the right controls and got him on general, without face to face contact with the other ships. “Best I can do for right now, Cap...er, Cadan,” Radnor apologised.

“It’ll do,” the Cadan replied drily. “This is Cadan Tork of the Karrinean defence force vessel Larrakaea. By the laws of this world, you are under arrest. You will be taken into custody and your ship confiscated. You’ll be treated well, DESPITE the atrocity you have just tried to inflict on these people. You’ll be released to your particular side after questioning. Or,” he added, “you can be destroyed. Your choice.”


Five minutes passed quickly for Frank, being barely conscious. In fact, he was fairly sure he was hallucinating, seeing as there was a Feline shining a light into his eyes and that made no sense. It made about as much sense as the beam of lights that brought him to some other ships medical bay. The Rodomont didn’t have a Cat Doctor, did it? Wolf, Rat, Mouse. Kelvan had told him that. Or was it Enzo. Which one was his boy again? Oh, yeah, Kelvan. He swallowed before someone put a mask over his face and he felt the blackness. How was Yarik, he thought as blackness crowded in on him and his brain quieted down.


“Do we have long range sensors yet,” Postain demanded.

Xarra, having taken over from the prostrate Kridd, checked the systems and reported back that they seemed to be coming online now and she was hoping she was wrong because, according to the readings, there were three more Jestavanian ships closing in on Karrin and, from their position, they’d get there about the same time as the Rodomont and her Mican ‘escort’.

Postain thought on it for a moment. “We have communications, Maldak,” he asked.

The Quokkan shook her head and said, “no, sir. Not at this range yet.”

“Keep working on it after you update the Micans. Bartleby, keep us on course.”


Frank came around again and found himself feeling alive. He hurt all over but the overload on the senses had faded. The Feline he’d seen before was in sharper contrast now. “Painkillers and sense suppressors working then, I see,” she said, glancing at him.

“How… how.. lo..?”

“About twenty minutes. The sensory stuff was the worst thing I needed to deal with. And the internal bleeding. There’s a fair amount of cranial trauma but I’ll get to that whilst your head can’t move. Figured you’d want to be awake for as much as possible.” She stopped talking, looked up to the ceiling and walked around the bed, taking notes on her padd. “How does a Human get on a Jestavanian ship?”

“Vol...volunteered,” Frank offered. “Cap..Captain of the… Passera. How.. How’s…”

The Feline walked away, seeming to ignore him as she tied into the local computer systems. “Your ship left you,” she said with no passion at all. “Ground control say they left an hour or so back.”

“G...Good,” Frank said. “Sent them to… to signal the Rodomont.”

“Hmm.” She stepped back into the room. “I was only called over because they didn’t know what to do with you. I don’t know how any of the Jestavanians are getting on. I’ll find time to care later.” She pulled up a new tool. “I’m going to be working on your kidney and lung damage now,” she said. “I’d say ‘don’t move’ but you can’t.”


Postain watched the screen intently as they raced through the night towards the ships that were now threatening Karrin. According to the scans, they were coming in where the defence system was only covering things moderately. He was intrigued by their planning but that took a back seat to stopping them for now. They must have detected the ships following them by now, at least to identify there were ships following them. But they’d not stopped or even slowed down. Maldak commented that long range comms were back on and Bartleby told him they were thirty minutes out from Karrin, who must be thinking a second wave was coming in. Of course, he pondered, it WAS. “Put me on with them, Maldak.” He stood up to face them, if they answered or not. “This is Captain Postain of the U.S.C. Rodomont. If your plans are to attack Karrin, our plans are to destroy you. If you thought I was elsewhere?” He growled and spoke through a snarl. “THINK AGAIN. We’re here and, with our partner here backing us up? We two outnumber you three. Would you like to try me?” He cut the line and sat back down.

“Was that Poker,” The Cadan asked Maldak curiously. He’d heard something about that battle tactic.

“Nah,” Maldak told him lightly, “that’s just the boss being a intentionally vague visage.” She gave him an amused smile and he reciprocated as one of the ships ahead of them peeled off and started back towards them.

“Yellow alert,” Postain warned. “Maldak, sound battle stations.”

The Quokkan complied and the siren sounded

Kohlich looked up from where he was re-establishing the power to the Medical bay terminals and wondered what was coming next as his bride-to-be (he hadn’t asked her yet) was busy treating a half dozen minor injuries. Today was providing a very good reason for moving the pair of them off the ship. “I wonder what now,” he said aloud.

“Some threat,” Flakk replied, not looking over from where he was treating a Canine. “Doesn’t matter. I want that scanner terminal back online and that’s your job. Get on with it.”

Kohlich got on with the work as Kelly grinned over at him before turning back to her own patient.

[Amazee Dayzee]

You don't have have a good bedside manner in order to be a really exceptional doctor. Though it helps the two things aren't always a package deal. Check out Dr. House.

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-FOUR

Maldak had been checking to make sure but it certainly appeared that the comm system was fully active, receiving as well as transmitting, so she wasn’t confident that this incoming ship was on their side. The Cadan next to her had strapped himself in automatically, although he had indicated that he could try speaking to the incoming ship if Postain liked. Postain had replied that that would then come to a fifty fifty situation. Either they were on his side or they weren’t. If they weren’t, it guaranteed they’d fire on them. If they were, it didn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t.

“Sir,” Xarra pointed out. “If we’re expecting them to fire on us anyhow, there’s little point in not letting him talk to them. I have the scene around Karrin on long range, by the way.”

“Report,” Postain ordered as the Cadan turned to watch the Mican.

“They have come under attack. Scanners show three attackers have been disabled by the defence platforms and one of the Karrinian ships. A second attack by a single ship over the southern continent has been handled by the other Karrinean ship – yours, by the way,” she continued, nodding to the Cadan, “with the assistance of the U.S.C. Wuy.”

Postain frowned at that. “What the frikk’s SHE doing there?”

“Not a clue but it seems they’re lucky she was. This attack is handled.”

“Until this trio get there. Maldak, send a transmission to the Wuy. Warn them of what’s coming. They’ll have to engage with the other Karrinean ships.” He turned to glance at the Cadan. “Your ship up to another fight?”

“Just as up for it as you are, Captain,” the Cadan replied testily.

Postain nodded. “Maldak, once you’ve called the Wuy, put him on general. Xarra’s right. You can’t make the situation worse.”

The Cadan rolled his eyes. “Thanks,” he said sarcastically.


Darren and Greedan were working hard on getting their consoles back in operational condition as Tavin had insisted they not waste Engineering’s time when, according to their resumes, they both had at least basic maintenance. “Since when do I have a resume,” Greedan asked, lying on his back underneath the terminal, changing out fried chip slots for new.

“Since Command said you do,” Darren replied, testing the controls. “It’s not like command would ever lie to us, eh?”

Greedan paused, his blood running cold at that last comment. “What… what does that mea,” he asked.

“It means,” Darren said, cheering quietly with an under the breath ‘yes’ as the console started up and began running a damage analysis, “that there’s something about your history that’s not making sense, Greedan. I don’t know what it is…”

“I…”

“And I don’t…” Darren stopped as the console identified a serious problem. He took two steps back, grabbed Greedan’s feet and hauled the protesting hybrid back, out from under the console, before it started sparking and cracking under where he’d just been.

Greedan looked at the console in shock and then at Darren as the crossbreed went for the extinguisher and dealt with the electrical fire before shutting the console off.

“And I don’t care,” Darren finished, offering a hand that Greedan greedily accepted.

Upon standing, Greedan wrapped his arms around Darren, hugging him tightly and putting his chin on Darren’s shoulders as the slight Celican awkwardly put his hands on Greedan’s back. “I’ve always needed a best friend,” Greedan told him as Darren noted the other was standing on tiptoes to match heights. “And now I’ve got one who saved my life.”

“Well, heh,” Darren said hesitantly, “certainly saved your face, eh? For that nurse?” He patted Greedan on the back before being released. “Think this console’s beyond our abilities,” he asked, making Greedan laugh.


The time clicked down, Cadan Kaybee’s message having gone unanswered. He wasn’t totally surprised. Communications often gave away too much. Communicators often said too much and open lines could lead to enemy infiltration. He wondered if they were checking his listings. He wondered if they thought he’d abandoned his post. Had he abandoned it? He certainly wasn’t in place at time of battle. That had been understandable but unforgivable. The Cadan should… He paused, mid-thought. Hadn’t he heard something about..?“Can we..?” He recalled he wasn’t in control as Postain glared at him. “Apologies. Can we see if she has weapons charged against us? Or how many are aboard?”

Postain shifted his glare from Kayblee to Xarra, granting his permission to the Mican to make her response, which she did, quite concisely. “Not at this range. Why,” she asked curiously.

“It just came to me,” he stated simply, hands on his lap as he tried to convince them of the truth of the matter, “that the division have recently been suspected of operating drone battleships. Putting one in control of others via holo communications.”

Postain nodded grimly. “A little like how Appleby used the holoroom to assist her pilots up to recently.”

“More direct,” the Cadan replied. “They’re rumoured to completely control the ship. It’s not known if they’re doing it by remote control or by someone ‘plugged in’ to the ship. I… don’t like to think about the latter idea.”

“Nor I,” Postain muttered, wondering when the Cadan had learned about the pilot support system they’d been using, “but that’s the one I’m going with. Otherwise they’d hardly be splitting themselves off from the others.”

The Cadan had to admit that had depressing logic to it.


Kelly shined a light into the eyes of a Canine from exobiology and advised that he’d be able to name all the plants in the arboretum again within days. He’d made a joke that he couldn’t do it now so the head injury must have made him smarter. She grinned and held in a sneeze until she wasn’t looking at him and could get a handkerchief in front of her nose. “Is that contagious,” the Canine asked. “Not exactly best practice, is it?”

“No,” Kelly told him, “it’s not. But it’s not contagious.” A wry smile. “Certain Raitchians can only catch it from their mates.” She noted the perplexed look on his face and decided to relent with the rest of the information. “Pregnant,” she told him, making his confusion melt into happiness. “Compatability drugs nullified the sneeze restraint.”

“I have no idea what you said but conga Rats anyhow.”

She swatted him with a flannel and got him off the bed.


The ship fired as soon as it was in range.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Congratulations on the pregnancy and I'm sure she and her mate will be really happy! Always nice to learn of a new life coming into the world.

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-FIVE

Senny was ready. Her fighter was loaded into the launcher and ready to engage as soon as the word was given. So, as soon as Maldak relayed the call from the bridge and cleared them for launch, her squad was launching. Shield power transferred from the rear, covering the launch bay to the fore as the Jestavanian attacked so there was enough leeway to allow the fighters through and she thumbed the launch button, getting pressed back into her seat as the gravity stabilizers fought to the best of their abilities to stop her being squidged against the chair. As soon as she’d exited the ship, she slowed to relieve some of the pressure by tapping the reversal system on, then the starboard thrusters to tunr towards the main fight before accelerating again with her team. She’d been told of the theory that it was a drone but she didn’t care for it. Only a fool went into battle not expecting the enemy to have fighter craft as far as she was concerned. She activated her vocal comm system with a keyword. “Alright, people,” she told them as small decals indicating her people lit up in the corner of her dash monitor. “Don’t assume they don’t have fighters. You’ve been advised this could be a drone but no proof. Also remember that anti-fighter guns are usually computer controlled so they’re just as dangerous as usual. Other than that, do your jobs. Alpha five through nine, follow ten and take the starboard side, Rest of you stick with me on the port.”

She waited for the replies from her pilots before adjusting her flight path to take on a better attack vector.


Harmony, bereft of her usual companion now she was flitting about outside the ship in a tiny vehicle that was hardly secure, was heading up to the bridge from her IOC office and brushing a few strands of Castoran fur off her outfit. “How come you two aren’t in the secure area,” she asked Darren and Greedan as she found the pair in the passageways, Greedan holding Darren up.

“We were headed there,” Darren stated, limping on one foot, “then I ran too fast around a corner…”

“He was leaving me in his dust,” Greedan agreed.

“...and I went flying over a toolkit someone left around the corner,” Darren finished. “Ankle’s twisted if not broke.”

“And I’m not leaving my best friend at a time like this,” Greedan stated, kind of surprising Harmony. She knew the full truth of Greedan, of course, possibly better than he did. And there was no hint of a lie in his thoughts when he said this. Darren really had managed to forge a tight bond with the criminal. She wondered if that would be the way if Darren knew the truth? But who was she to tell it. ‘Let a thousand truths lie if the lie can save the day’, Investigator Borthwick had told her in IOC College before adding ‘so long as you’re not under oath or carrying out an interrogation’. “Good to hear, Greedan,” she said, genuinely happy for him as she put Darrens’ other arm over her shoulders and helped the half Mican get his best friend to the Medical bay as the ship shook under impact.


Flakk let an Engineer off the bed after fixing a broken finger that he’d attained just down the way. He looked over at the door as it opened for Greedan and company. “Why the **** aren’t you people in a secure zone,” he snarled angrily.

“Darren tripped over a health and safety violation,” Harmony told him sensing his anger from here as Kelly, sending out waves of happiness despite the situation, came over to take Darren to a bed. “Greedan refused to leave him,” Harmony finished, looking at Kelly in subtle confusion. She wondered why Greedan hadn’t said anything but found he was looking in quiet horror at the dead nurse that was still dangling from the railing. Harmony swallowed.

Greedan thought that it wasn’t the nurse he’d asked to coffee and wondered where she was.

“I’ll take Nurse Sagwa to the cold store,” Harmony offered. “Can’t leave her there.”

Flakk gestured to her. “Agreed. Hasn’t been time to deal, with all the wounded from the jump. But you’re no help here so fair does. Code is…”

“...Known to me,” Harmony interrupted, tapping her temple before stepping forward and freeing the arm. She flinched as she took the weight and was surprised when she felt the mind of Greedan right behind her, helping her with the weight. “That I didn’t expect,” she admitted.

“Not gonna let you carry all the weight yourself,” Greedan told her, no hint of a smile on his lips as he lifted the Canine’s legs, ignored the smell and followed the IOC agent to the cold store.

“You seem to be getting on well, Greedan,” Harmony told the prisoner as she entered the access code. “I’m getting good reports from Darren.”

“Yeah, well,” Greedan replied, “he’s easy enough to get on with and gives me a lot of support.”

“So you said,” she grinned, “with the words ‘best friend’. Keep working at it,” she continued, “and you’ll have two friends before long.”

“Given it… uff… much thought,” he asked, shifting the legs up onto the bed so the figure was lying down.

“Just picked a few things up,” she replied, pulling the sheet over the body and face.

“I’d never have been able to be close to a corpse before,” Greedan admitted, “let alone hold them. Seems my Celican side is taking over.”

Harmony doubted that and told him so. She’d seen the records of his replication system requests and shop purchases since he’d started living aboard. There were far too many grain based foods and ingredients that indicated the Mican was still there. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder and he didn’t flinch at the contact. “You’re finding a new normal, that’s all. I hear you’ve asked Nurse Yinda out?”

“I, er… how..?”

“Couldn’t possibly say. But I can ask. Would you have asked a Feline out when you were the previous you?”

Greedan rubbed his jaw in thought. “No, and I wouldn’t have thought about it. I still didn’t think about it,” he admitted, “and I did it.”

“See,” she asked, tapping his nose and giving it a little scritch. “a new normal.”


Senny worked on dealing with the shielding on the port side of the cruiser as the Rodomont engaged from the front, making the ship keep power on the fore shields and allowing her fighters the chance to… she shifted sharp to the side as her warning system told her a weapon had locked on, bolts of fire from an anti-fighter cannon stitching space along her underside, almost taking the flooring with it before Alpha three, her back up, locked on to the weapon and blitzed it. The Mican ship hadn’t stopped to help, she noted. It had continued after the other two ships. The Castoran didn’t want to think on the words Postain would have put over the comms to them at that. Alpha three was calling. <“Got something odd on my systems,”> ‘Strawhawk’ reported. <“Looks like the power is rising in the ship...”>

Senny checked. He was right. There was a build up beginning to… “All pilots, make for space! Appleby to Rodomont! Break off! The enemy may be building to detonation!”

[Amazee Dayzee]

Just what they need then after the bombing that took out a bunch of innocent children. Another object about to get blown up. Hope that they get out of the way in time!

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-SIX

Charlie made her way through the ship, thinking it quite something that a Type 12 Frigate had arrived in the nick of time and saved her husband as a kind of cherry on the top. She knew the layout of this thing from the plans Kelvan had used to have in his bedroom so had declined the escort offered, although she was patently aware that the Ensign who’d offered to escort her was following behind, some ten steps back. Making sure she didn’t get ‘lost’, she supposed. She entered the ward and stepped up to the Feline standing between her and Frank. “Mrs Carby,” she stated, “here to see my Husband?”

The Feline quirked an eye ridge at the scenario, then stepped into her office, indicating that Charlie should follow. She shut the door and told Charlie to sit. “Your mate has a ruptured spleen, three fractured ribs, a severe concussion a cracked skull, a broken leg and arm.” She sighed. “It’s nothing too serious,” she continued, “now that a competent Doctor has sorted out the worst of things. He’ll recover.” She leaned closer. “With medical supervision. Does your freighter have a medical officer?”

“We do,” Charlie said, irritated at the fact she wasn’t being allowed to see her loved one but understanding the reluctance. She pulled up a datapadd detailing Raspberry’s résumé from her pocket and skittered it across to show Raspberry’s qualifications when it came to nursing and care giving.

The Doctor looked over the information. “Four years multi-species general at Macasta training hospital?” She nodded. “Not the full five for the hospital Doctor but enough to get the General Practitioner certification.” She looked up. “She didn’t want the full badge?”

“It was her parents dream, apparently. When they died, she didn’t need to live it. Can I see my husband now?”

The Doctor waved the padd before handing it back. “If this had said they were a full Doctor,” she fizzed, “I’d never believe it. But Micans have enough GP’s working the starlines to avoid paying off their debts. I’ll arrange some supplies. And now, yes. He’s still out but you can sit with him and I’ll bring him around.”


Talitha checked the systems on the Passera and wondered what she was supposed to be doing right now. The Karrineans had taken the surviving people aboard the control cruiser captive and they had two more ships to add to their little flotilla and the boss was off, visiting her Captain and Cassius was here, holding a flower under her nose and some dinner from Hayseed with a feline touch that must have been added by Willa. She smiled up at him as he leaned over and kissed her. “So, we going the official route, Cassius,” she asked after he released her lips.

“I suppose that depends on if you’re staying, Tal,” he replied, slipping into the co-pilot’s seat and passing the food across.

“Ooh, a loaded question,” Talitha replied, taking the food. “You know, when I got assigned to this boat,” she continued, leaning back in the chair, “I wondered what I’d done wrong. I wanted nothing more than to get back to my duties on the station. I didn’t want to be here.” She shovelled a few forkfuls of food in in a way she’d never have been able to do at Talvery Station and burped in a totally non Council Officer way before dabbing her lips with a napkin.

“And now,” Cassius prompted, amused at the sight of the gravy spattered Feline.

“Now,” she coughed slightly. “there’s a lot to appreciate about the here. I’m busy, I’ve got friends, Kelvan’s wonderful and there’s some guy courting me, unlike anyone on the station…”

“Proof that the Council sometimes can’t see the beauty in the universe,” Cassius remarked, stroking the flower across her nose and making her sneeze.

“Are you allowed to mack on the command deck,” Enzo asked from the connecting passage.

Cassius turned to look at the Raitchian lad. “She’s the most senior officer on board, lad,” he told him, gesturing towards the waving Talitha, shovelling more food in with the fork.. “What she says goes. When she can talk.”

“Heh. OK. Was just going to say I’m heading down to see Ella…” He looked at the confused faces and put his hands on his hips. “My girlfriend. Reme… Oh, yeah. You’ve not met her yet. Taking her and her folks to the cinema.” He grinned. “Dunno what’s showing but I know we’ve never seen it before!” He turned around to leave and they both laughed politely at the formal bow someone had attached to his tail.

Talitha put the empty bowl aside. “So what’s next for today?”

Cassius stood up and sat in her lap before putting one hand to her muzzle side and kissing her, shifting for comfort as she put a hand on his Mican side and kept the liplock.


Willa laughed as she accidentally covered herself in flour that Hayseed couldn’t use for a batter now. The Lappinean looked over at the now white clad feline girl and rolled his eyes. “I did tell you to be careful,” he chided gently. “Sayberry flour is as light as it comes. It always clouds up when tipped out.” He handed her a cover with two holes in the domed roof for hands. “That’s what the guard is for.”

“Sorry, Mister Hayseed,” she said. “I’ve just never…”

He nodded and patted her on the shoulder, releasing a small cloud of flour. “I know sweetie,” he stated. “You’ve never done much cooking. Is life on a heavy cruiser… sorry, battleship, really so full of things that you never get to cook real food?”

Willa thought on it and tried to recall what she tended to do in the evening. Fun with her friends took up a fair amount of time but, whilst she thought of it, she couldn’t think of anything they actually did. She knew they did things though. “Well, I, er.. never had a good example like you, Mr Hayseed?”

“Fibber,” the Lappinean goaded, putting the bag of flour inside the bowl and, after putting the cover on, helping Willa put her hands through the holes so she could pour the flour safely. She measured out a hundred grammes and pulled the flourbag out, taking the cover off. She took a few steps and put the bag down safely on the table before releasing herself from the cover.


Hayseed added a little oil and some water to make a batter paste for the fish as Willa carefully and happily peeled some potatoes.


Talitha looked past the face of her smelly, handsome, Mican boyfriend and took in the long range scans. “Three more ships,” she stated, leaning over and exposing her neck, which Cassius kissed tenderly as she stopped kneading his side. “Heading this way.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

A nice respite from everything that has been going on recently. Awesome chapter!

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-SEVEN


Senny pushed the throttle hard as the vessel gained power behind her, making sure she kept aware of the location of her flight as they scattered to the solar winds. She could hear Alpha 4, known as Knotweed, cursing in her headset. He was one of the new ones, assigned just a month or so ago. One to watch for the future, they reckoned. She spoke to him. “What’s up, Knotweed,” she asked.

<“The barn’s bugging out,”> the Canine whined slightly. Senny checked her systems and the Rodomont was, indeed, moving to attain velocity speed.

“Of course she is, Knotweed,” Senny told him patiently. “We’re small and can travel really quickly over a short distance. The Rodomont’s like a slab compared to us. She’d never get far enough away in time without going to velocity speeds. She’ll come back. Now floor it!”

<“Understood.”> the youth replied as space warped and wobbled as stars appeared behind her, no longer hidden by the battleship as it vanished into hyperspace.


Behind them, the remote ship stuttered and began to bloom from the inside out, the pressure bubbling and ballooning the hull until it flashed and strew its shell and contents over far and wise, travelling faster than the fighters in all directions. With no friction the pieces wouldn’t slow down but they would drift apart quite quickly, allowing the limited shielding the fighters could call upon to deflect and destroy the debris. The pieces still hit hard and Senny cursed as Alpha 6 blinked out in her headset. Something hit Alpha 9 but the image only flickered to orange as Senny changed her angle of travel between the fragments. Something scrammed across the shields on her top flank at the rear, reflecting in her panel and showing a three percent drain on the readouts. Here came the energy wave…


It took all Senny’s experience and confidence to ride the wave out without sustaining too much damage, the physical impact throwing the small ships forward by the force of impact, even as shields and energy wave fought over the pilot in the fragile shell. The ship began to pitch and Senny fought to correct it, knowing the smallest area exposed for the shortest time as the wave washed past her and out the other side. She felt the ship flip around and over again to face the same direction before she was behind the wave. More or less in the clear. Her commline shivered back on, having overloaded for a moment due to the energy involved. “All pilots,” she said, relaxing slightly, “report situation.


The Rodomont slowed back to normal space over three hundred thousand kilometres away and engage her shielding for the impact, which would arrive any minute. Bartleby programmed in a turn so they could go rendezvous with the fighters rather than wait for them to catch up and the Battleship turned towards the energy wave, Xarra and Levan adjusting the shielding so there was more to the front and it washed over them without much trouble. She put the best foot forward at sub velocity speeds, lumbering towards the flies on her terminal screen as they were too small to appear on the main monitor until the Captain ordered Senny’s ship brought up, partly because Harmony Appleby had just arrived on the bridge and he could feel her worry despite her being the telepath. “We’ll be picking her up now, Appleby,” he told her. “What took you so long?”

“Slight diversion in the Medical bay,” she replied. “Needed to help Greedan… You’re doing your blood pressure no favours if the mere mention of his name brings up those thoughts, you know? Anyhow, I had to help him get his hurt best friend, Darren Levan, to the medical bay. Went head over tail over a toolbox when heading to the secure zone. Did his ankle in and Greedan refused to leave him. Then there was a body in the medical bay that Flakk hadn’t had time to remove following the jump.” She looked the Captain in the eye. “He helped me with that too.”

“I’ll have to comment on that to him later,” Postain grumbled, his thoughts indicating how he’d rather eat his own eyeballs than give the compliment.


Darren gingerly put his foot down on the floor and put his weight on it. He gritted his teeth against the pain that he actually barely felt and hopped reflexively until Greedan dashed in to hold up his side. “Don’t empower him, Pirate,” Flakk snapped. “The ankle’s all fixed up. It’ll just be sore so no swaddling him.”

The door opened and Kerri sped in, having been commed by Harmony on her way up to the bridge. She leapt into Darren’s arms and almost dropped him back to the bed as she showered him with rapid kisses. “Iheardyouwerehurt,” she gabbled as he put his arms around her to stabilise them and Greedan slipped out from the side. “Igotworried…”

He laughed as he carried her wonkily from the bed. “I had the best of care from the Doctors, Kerri…”

“That’s right,” Flakk groused, even as he was working on other broken bones. “But we’re real Doctors, not love Doctors so, if you’re no longer hurt stop taking up space and sod off!”

“He’s a people person,” Greedan opined, walking out with the best friend and his cling on.

“C’mere,you,” Kerri stated, reaching out to grab the hybrid. Getting the idea he shouldn’t run, Greedan let the small, lithe, creature bend away from her husband to give him a lipkiss. “Heardyouhelped,” she told him, twisting back so she was chest to chest with Darren before turning her head back towards Greedan. “You’re comingto dinnertonight,” she told him as Darren lowered her to the ground.

“Oh, you don’t have to…”

“Right. But Iamand soareyou…”

Darren shook his head at the idea of any more arguments and Greedan knew he was outvoted. Still, he thought, it could be fun.


Postain waited, impatiently, as the fighters were loaded back on board, Senny making sure she was the last to be loaded on board. “Get everything secured,” he ordered. “Bartleby, get us back on course. MAXIMUM velocity!” He ground his claws into the armrest. “We have time to make up.”

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hopefully that ankle will be healed up fast. No fun to be in that sort of pain.

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-EIGHT


President Gerek looked on the incoming ships with dismay. Two Kaltrexia class heavy cruisers and one that wasn’t registering on their systems. At least it wasn’t transmitting any identity code he knew of and it looked like they were heading around the defence systems. They really needed to improve that network, he sighed. His commanders had instructed the few ships he had to the area and he’d asked the U.S.C vessel to back them up. The Commander in charge – he hoped he’d got that rank right as they had strange words for their rank – had agreed and moved to intercept but he knew the Kaltrexia class. They were heavy cruisers, armoured and heavily armed. They weren’t going to go down easy. And they’d be here in less than half an hour.


Doctan Tyla was also getting fed up of this right now. A hundred patients crammed in a basement with beds and operating rooms running on batteries and spit. The noise was so deafening it was almost silent at times, everything melting together so she couldn’t quite hear herself on occasion. She’d expected the all clear but, apparently, something was holding that up and she could only imagine what that was. It was why she’d broken protocol and left the basement to see the sky from the third floor. She looked out on her city in dismay. The streets were empty. Well, mostly empty. Like the building, she thought to herself as a voice interrupted her thoughts. “You should be in the bunker” a strong, confident, voice told her, making her jump. “Why aren’t you?”

Tyla turned to see a heavyset Militia member carrying drinks he’d obviously just got from the dispenser so he could take it to the rooftop gun position. She’d certainly objected to that but had been overruled. “Shouldn’t you be up top with your people?” She stepped towards him. “Protecting our skies?”

“They’re secure for the moment. And you’ve not answered me. You really should be in the basement.”

“I needed to breathe,” she confessed. “There’s no room down there. And it’s hardly likely we’re in danger right now, hmm? What with you lot up top and on the streets?”

He frowned and cocked his head at her. “We’re not on the streets, Doctan.” He moved over to the window and looked out. “Where did you see these people?”

Tyla stepped to the window and pointed. “They weren’t in uniform,” she suggested, “but they were armed.”

The trooper put the drinks down on the table and activated his radio. “Team three, this is Albus Tanga, come in.”

<“Team three reporting. Over.”>

“Watch your backs. Suspected armed locals in your building.”

<“Understood. Out.”>

“So, Mr Tanga, what’s that about?”

“That just means I’m the second in the Albus team. It’s not my name. And remember the bombs?”

“Like I could forget? We’ve still got one of the wounded Children here.”

“There are Karrineans who’ll be looking to cause chaos and damage whilst they have the chance. Killers,” he said, checking his fire arm was ready. “Looters. Opportunists…” He engaged the radio again. “Tanga to Primak, suggest we get additional forces here and to Team Three’s location. Armed locals have been spotted.”

<“Understood. Requesting now.”>

“You want to get back down to the basement now?”

“If they’re looters, they’ll be after the drugs. I need to get them secured if they’re not.” She headed off to do the checks. The trooper sighed, rolled his eyes and took the drinks up top, keeping his weapon ready for use.


Charlie wheeled her husband along in the ersatz embassy come refugee centre, where the Wuy had beamed them to before heading for the enemy and possible devastation. The pair of them heard a voice and Charlie pulled the chair to a stop as Mrs Kindale swept up to them. “Where’s my daughter,” she wailed angrily, almost grabbing Charlie by the shoulders if Mr Kindale hadn’t pulled her back.

“She teleported aboard just as we were about to leave to send a message to the Rodomont about this attack,” Charlie told them, quickly and evenly, Frank still pretty much out of it. “We didn’t know she was there until we’d started out. As of now,” she added. “Hayseed’s teaching her how to cook.”

“We want her back as…” Mrs Kindale’s whiskers drooped. Her ears flicked. Her nose twitched. “Willa’s… learning how to cook?”

“Yeah,” Charlie told her. “We had to find some way of keeping her occupied. I think she’s rather enjoying it. Last I saw, she was covered in flour. I should have gotten you a photograph.” She pushed the chair forward, then stopped. “Want to come get her,” she asked.

The two parents, still somewhat shocked by the revelation that their replication loving daughter was actually making her own food, decided that they’d better follow the Raitchian and her Human and go up to the dirty, stained, freighter.


Raspberry welcomed them aboard, as she had Willa almost a half day earlier and she headed back into the ship whilst Charlie arranged to bring the parents aboard. Ostensibly it was just to make sure things were done properly but, as Charlie had gazed directly into her eyes as she stated Willa’s parents were coming onboard, Raspberry was pretty sure she was to make sure the girl wasn’t… occupied right now.


She was, sort of. She was making Kelvan eat a little of the food she’d helped make, a bubble battered fish and chip dish with Raicarran vegetables and Peilock under the batter. Kelvan was enjoying it but he was more enjoying the look in her floured eye and the smile on her dusty lips. After swallowing and complimenting the chef (which Hayseed replied ‘you’re welcome’ to), he leaned in and kissed her mouth when Raspberry arrived. “Your parents are here,” she said breathlessly, almost panicking Willa when Kelvan could have been maimed but she held her panic and pulled back.

“Uh, how much warning do I have,” she asked.

“None,” her mother replied, striding in. She looked annoyed. It didn’t last as she saw her flour bedecked daughter, usually so prim and proper and she dissolved into laughter.


Hayseed figured he’d not made enough fish and chips for everyone.

[Amazee Dayzee]

The parents really shouldn't be shocked that their daughter is starting to become independent. It was gonna happen at some point!

[Welsh Halfwit]

FIFTY-NINE

They were nearly upon them now. Postain noted the Wuy and the two Karrinean ships were moving to intercept as best able. He was worried. There seemed to be no ryme or reason to this attack. From what he’d been able to gather, the first attack had been directly against the most secured part of the planet as a diversion for another ship to attack the southern region and, now, a third attack on a different area and none of them in any particular strength. He had some feelings about this. “Maldak,” he said simply, “get President Gerak on comms. I wish to talk with him.”

“Sending the message now,” Maldak replied, playfully slapping away the Cadan’s hand as it sneaked towards her console.

“Ow,” he whispered.

“Working, Kayblee,” she muttered back, checking the communication frequencies. “No reply yet,” she said at normal volume.

“There’s something else going on,” Postain muttered. He leaned forward. “I’d like to guess what it is.”

The Cadan turned in his chair and silently implored the Rottian to continue on in his musings. There was something in it, he was sure.

“What if the Karrinean group responsible for the bombings aren’t acting independently,” the Captain asked, “but are connected to one of the sides?”

The Cadan mused that there was some sort of logic in that. The attacks were focussing the defences outward, into orbit. People were looking for danger in the skies and their defences were being pulled out of position. The division – and he really hoped it WAS the Division – was attempting to show it could attack even the far outposts. And they were testing their remote control ships. Maldak had confirmed she was blocking communications between the ships and Star Council space and she’d detected several signals that she’d swamped whilst keeping forward lines open so the ship could stay involved with the Karrin situation. He’d asked her if, when he got his own ship back, she’d come and work for him. She’d grinned and replied that being accompanied by one of him was charming and sweet – somewhat – but being surrounded by dozens might be overwhelming.

Postain cursed and called Yarkin to the bridge.


The Feline Security Chief wondered what was going on that the Captain didn’t want broadcast over the communications channel but supposed that her job was to do and die, not question why. Questions were best left to commentators, philosophers and people who wanted to end their career path with a word. She hurried through the ship, getting to the bridge in a minute. “In here,” Postain commanded, shifting int o his office. She followed and the door closed behind her. “I’m thinking there’s a lot of distractions going on right now,” he told her. “That ‘Free Karrin’ lot – or whatever they’re called – might use this to their advantage and go after Gerek. Get rid of him and his important people and the colony could fall to those who don’t have common interests with us.”

“Do we have a right to intervene,” Yarkin asked, forgetting her recently contemplated thought.

“I’ll not support any insurrection that doesn’t come through a legal ballot, Chief. I may have to accept it after the event but this is during. And we’ve got about two hundred people down there. I’m quoting exigent circumstances. Get teams ready. Battle armour and stun weapons. In case we need to send you down to the ground.”

She nodded. “Understood, sir,” she replied.

“Dismissed.”

She turned for the door and it opened to reveal the Cadan standing there. “If you’re sending security troops down,” he stated before either alien could start talking, “I need to go with you. They’re MY people. It’s MY duty.”

Postain grumbled and ground his teeth. “Give him the ten minute version of the combat suit walk through, Yarkin.” He didn’t need to say anything else. Yarkin stepped past the Cadan and he followed her.


Tyla made her way down to floor two and was about to lock up the pharmacy, which had been left open in case of need and due to the sheer speed at which they’d evacuated the people. It wasn’t as though it had been a planned, orchestrated evacuation, after all. She paused as she realised something. There was no-one else on the floor. They’d been coming in here, hadn’t they? And it wasn’t exactly any sort of secret that the pharmacy, where the expensive and easily sold chemicals and compounds were kept, was on this floor. And they weren’t hear. She listened at an air vent. There were definitely sounds of movement close to the other stairwell. But not on this floor. She inched open the door to that stairwell and sniffed. Some were above her, she reckoned. But there were some below too. This couldn’t be good. And she was unarmed. She closed the door again and headed back to the pharmacy. Perhaps there was a landcomm there that she could use to get help? Perhaps there was something… She took off at pace for the pharmacy. She had to comm down to the basement. She had to tell them to lock the door! She reached the comm and slapped it. “Basement,” she called, “this is Tyla! Anyone who can hear me… Lock the door! There are armed intruders in the building!”

<“Understood,”> Was that Doctan Rakilla? Anyhow, he’d cut the line. She hoped it was fast enough. One other thing she realised. She’d been quite loud. If they’d heard her..? She started gathering supplies. She had to get out of here. She could hear shooting in the building. She needed to control her breathing. This was no time for a panic attack. The basement door could take explosives before breaking. She needed troops to save the day. She needed them. She headed back to the stairwell she’d used to get down here and started up. One floor and she could see someone leaning over the banister further up. She darted into the third floor as he shot at her.


Above, the two Division ships arrived and began firing on the defending ships immediately, The Wuy taking the brunt on her shields as she tried to protect the others.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hope that the Wuy will end up pulling through this. It looks like that its getting massive amounts of damage.

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY

The Wuy buckled under the fire from both Division ships but remained intact as the Karrinean ships twisted around to gain a better firing position. The Wuy couldn’t fire as their assailant was co-ordinating their fire to provide no gaps long enough for them to drop shields and return fire. A moment later, a Mican cruiser surprised most of them by turning up behind the attackers, beaming bolts of energy at the engines of one of the attackers, reducing their ability to bolster forward shields. The cruiser was rapidly followed by the Rodomont.


She could hear them on the landing above. These… people. These Karrineans. Had she treated some of them before? Had she saved their lives? What was that phrase Caldan Ravel had used the last time he’d holidayed with her? Something about good deeds coming back to bite you? She’d thought it a very predatory kind of saying, perfect for one of his books perhaps but not something she really understood. But she fancied she had more of a clue now. She stepped back. She had no idea where they were in relation to her on the stairwell, just that they were a floor up. She quietly opened the door and made her way onto the fifth floor wards to see what she could find.


The silence was pointed, sharp against her ears as the sterile smell assaulted her nostrils. Usually the generated scent was masked by the smells and scents of the patients and medics who walked the floors and took up the beds. She didn’t smile as she worked out she’d got those the wrong way around. It might be humorous on another day. Not today. She could hear someone else in the silence and wondered if she was making a sound. Were they tracking her? Had they heard her radio call? She pulled herself into a dark office and stayed behind the door as it stood slightly ajar to allow her to hear if the noise had passed by. She held her breath as the sounds moved by, humming to itself. She gripped the injector in case she needed to use the drug she’d loaded it with. It wasn’t much of a weapon, she supposed, but it was the type she was most comfortable with . The figure stopped a short way away and Tyla chose to take a peek at him in the gap between door and wall. He was wearing a thick shirt and plain trousers. He was fairly thinset and the most offensive thing about him was the longarm weapon he had ready to use. He was taking the air and Tyla wondered if he’d picked up her scent. They were fairly close to where the sterile scent was pumped in but it might not be… He moved away. She listened intently to hear him head away from the room. She wasn’t looking forward to engaging people in combat, although she understood there was going to be a need. It was just that she feared the cost of losing. And the cost of winning. She slipped out into the corridor between wards and sneaked her way towards the stairs.


The Rodomont teleport control room was full at the moment. Fifteen security Officers in combat armour and a Cadan who was similarly attired and ready for action whilst Yarkin and her ‘guest’ decided on targets. It had been decided Jul would remain on ship to control things here. Five of their number would secure the embassy, a group would aid the defence of the Presidential compound without actually setting foot on it without permission and the discussion was where the other five, including herself and himself, were going. He’d tried to argue that he should have been leading the ones going down to the presidential compound but she’d laid it out flat. He wasn’t going down anywhere she wasn’t. There was still suspicion about him, enough to not want her anywhere near a friendly politician in Council sanctioned combat armour and weaponry. He understood but considered there was little point in arguing whilst they controlled the teleport machine.


Those qualified as guards or just those qualified with firearms had been drafted into the teams protecting the Embassy as the rebels watched on from the shadows outside. The effect was unnerving, fear growing as they expected exploratory attacks at any moment. The locals who’d begged protection had been taken to one of the outside buildings where two armed scientists watched over them and the closed circuit system watched over them. They had thirty in there. And there was one toilet. It was, to put a word on it, unpleasant. The guards were nervous. They tended to twitch when the locals they were with moved too much. They could hear the imagined cries of scared children in their fears. They were the last line of defence.


Tyla opened the door and silently padded upstairs to the next floor and almost ran into the back of an intruder as she looked behind her for followers. He felt the shift in the wind and turned around to attack, raising his weapon to cover her. She froze for half a second before remembering she was about to die and twisted underneath his arm as he fired. She couldn’t hear in the one ear now as the sound assaulted her left side, screeching over her shoulder as she brought the other into her assailant’s gut. She brought him over her shoulder to the floor and jabbed the injector directly into his chest. He looked up sharply and his head fell back as an amount of chemical sufficient to keep him out for twelve hours entered his system almost directly above his heart. She took his pistol from his pocket and kept hold of it. The rifle, however, offended her so she picked it up and dropped it over the edge, shifting onto the main floor as it clattered and broke five floors down. She could hear people coming to the fight and hoped it was just her imagination as she headed into the floor below the roof access. Someone took a shot at her and it struck the floor next to her foot. She eeped and fired the gun backwards to keep them away from her and make them think twice about following, if just for a moment.


She expected them to think she might take cover and try to shoot them and defend her station but she wasn’t courageous enough for that. She was going out the other… She skidded to a halt and got down behind supplies as the door opposite began to open. They must have called ahead to warn the others she was coming. They were probably coming in behind her too. Why hadn’t she considered that? How had she considered she might win against these odds? She wasn’t some sort of moving picture action hero. She slipped behind the light wall into the ward and hunkered down as she could see the shining lights of flashbeams cutting through the daylight, searching for her and coming closer, ever closer. The pop flash of weaponry sparked in her good ear as a figure appeared in the light. Tyla raised the weapon and was about to fire when she recognised it wouldn’t make a dent. She kept it trained, her hand shaking as the figure raised both hands, then pressed a speaker. <“Heya, Kira,”> Yarkin said, somewhat surprised, <“fancy meeting you here.”>

[Amazee Dayzee]

Good thing neither of them ended up firing at each other before they realized who the other was. That would have been really bad even if their weapons did not do that much damage. A really mazing chapter!

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY-ONE


Kelvan stood in the doorway of his parents room and put on his best happy face for the occupant of the bed today. “I’m visiting a lot of people in hospital beds these days,” he said, far too glibly. Looking nonchalant in his second jacket, he stepped into the room as Frank did his best to sit up.

“This… was easier before… the Doctor treated me,” Frank gasped.

“Yeah, well,” the boy opined. “Feline surgeon. Might have batted your kidneys around a bit, dad.” He sat on the bed, making sure he didn’t sit on those minorly furry things Frank called his feet. “You gonna stop doing things like this to us, eh,” he asked quietly. “Don’t wanna lose you these days?”

“These… days?”

“Well,” Kelvan grinned, “couple of years back I might notta minded, eh? But you’ve kinda grown on me?” He fidgeted, his hands between his legs.

Frank pulled himself up and managed to kiss the youth on his temple, managing to put an arm around him very carefully. “You’ve grown on me too,” he admitted. “My boy,” he whispered so that Willa, who he knew perfectly well was just outside from the small, pointy, shadows her ears were casting, might not hear. “She coming in,” he asked quietly.

“Nah,” Kelvan whispered back. “She’s just making sure I don’t screw it up.”

“When have you ever screwed things up,” Frank coughed, sitting back a bit. “You are proud, brave, honourable… sorry,” he added as the boy cringed at that, “courageous and utterly brilliant. You’ve… grown a lot. Couldn’t…” he hissed slightly as a twinge of pain came into his thoughts and body. “Couldn’t have asked for a better son, could I?”

“You’ve not said you’ll stop,” Kelvan pointed out.

“Right now,” Frank wheezed, “I’ll say ‘yes’ to anything. But would you really expect me to stick to it?”

Kelvan thought on it for a moment as Frank pushed back down in the bed. “I’d know you’re lying,” he admitted

“Medrinas IV,” Frank wheezed.

“Pardon?”

“Tell.. your mum to start looking… at Medrinas IV. We… can afford there.”

“What?”

“Ask… mum.” Frank slipped back into sleep. The chemicals Raspberry had given him were working.


“I don’t know what he meant,” Kelvan confessed to Willa as she took his arm. “Human’s are confusing.”

She kissed his cheek. “Figure I know,” she told him. “I know Medrinas IV. We stop there regularly.” She gave his cheek a lick now, her serrated blade tongue brushing his fur as it went. “Figure that might be the point, hmm,” she mentioned, blinking at him as he blue-screened behind his eyes.


Former Mican Admiral Darlington glared at the cuff that locked him to the desk as Hadrian Jak showed in IOC agent Appleby to the interrogation room. “This is an illegal arrest under section 37 of the Mican Military code, which…”

“...is superseded by section fifteen of the IOC code, subsection twenty-nine, paragraph… twelve, I think it is,” she said, knowing perfectly well it was. “Unlawful intervention with another species on a planetary scale and how…”

“My actions were fully sanctioned by the Mican council!” Darlington leaned forward. “There are those of us getting sick of the Council and it’s overbearing attitudes towards our needs.”

“You want to return to the good old days of interplanetary wars, where Micans and Raitchians fought over colonies they were both trying to set up? Where Celicans are wiping out colonies?”

“If the prey wars were to start again today,” Darlington hissed, “the results would be very different.”

Harmony leaned back, put her feet up on the table and filed her fingerclaws. “you mean because of the Z-13,” she asked, having just gotten the information from his mind. “Oh, Intelligence knows about it.” She tapped the file on the table. “The Canines told us about it. Same as they told the others. It’s kinda an open secret right now. Same as your deal with the Division. Seems one of the freighter jocks acted as a Comms Officer for the Karrineans in the emergency?” She leaned forward, being pliable enough to put her elbows on the table on either side of her feet. “Did you know the Jestavanians use the same encryption we did a couple of years back? Seems this Lappinean knows her way around these things and recorded all their calls about how you’d arranged things to pull the two central ships – that is, us and the Pollock – to Darby – leaving Karrin only defended by the orbital platforms. Darby, of course, being your price for assisting the Division so they could take Karrin back under their influence?” She hummed. “That failed, by the way. Apparently the Division are running low on ships and people to staff them. They didn’t send enough ships to fight off the platforms, two Karrinean ships, a ship that surprised everyone, ourselves and one of your cruisers.” A smirk. “Seems Dunbeath knows when to change the game. She’s looking to set up on a different world with the help of the Darbinians. She’s not going back. The ships aren’t going back. Interesting situation, hmm? Your navy’s lost three dozen ships – some thousands of light years away, you failed to secure the colony, failed to secure the weapon, got involved in a conspiracy with a force listed as anti-Council in by-law 1295, almost started a shooting war on a U.S.C. ship and eventually prompted a mutiny. Although I don’t think you can be charged with that as it was against you.”

“I want to speak to a defender,” Darlington announced teresly.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll have one,” Appleby replied, swinging her feet to the floor to stand up. “When they decide who puts you on trial, us or the Karrineans. They’re discussing it now. This wasn’t an interrogation, by the way.” She cast an evil smile at him. “I just wanted to let you know how utterly screwed you are. Oh, and ‘washing’.”


As Harmony left, Darlington stood up and started singing the Mican anthem. He didn’t know why.

[Amazee Dayzee]

You should totally make up lyrics for the Mican national anthem as it will end up helping to build this world up. Also it might be really funny if somebody who is not a Mican sings it. Nice job!

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY-TWO


Postain sat behind his desk and mulled things quietly. He knew the arrival of the Rodomont and the Mican cruiser had ensured the swift end of the combat over Karrin but he couldn’t shake the thought that their appearance hadn’t been necessary. That their trip hadn’t been necessary. That the lives lost hadn’t been necessary. He wAs waiting on Xarra to bring the bad news list as, unfortunately, was her duty as the executive officer. It was a duty he’d taken on quite a few occasions when on the Sarulla some… was it fifteen years back now? He’d hated it then but had only raised the subject once, on the third or fourth time. ‘You need to get used to this sort of thing’, Captain Zayle, a Celican Vixen, had told him straight. ‘You’re going to lose people. You’ll lose a lot. Nearly every mission. Telling me is you getting used to that. AND it’s the responsibility of the Captain to control the ship. It’s the duty of the executive officer to deal with the crew events. You deal with discipline up to the time you can’t. Then you involve me. Now, leave the reports and I’ll send out the commiseration posts and condolences. That’s MY duty. Speaking for the ship.’. He’d remembered that, all this time. Not especially for her words but for her face. The outward appearance of dignity and nobility with the true touch of sadness and dismay only visible in the tiredness of her eyes and the slight angle of her lips as she spoke. Emotions subjugated.


He’d found the same harder to do of late. Ever since meeting Chichester. Ever since… Love cracked the carapace of the heart, he reasoned, not for the first time. He wondered where he’d read that, exactly. Or had Captain Zayle told him it? She’d been mated three times, after all. And there were those rumours about how Tod number #1 had met his fate… But rumours weren’t truth until proven so he’d cast them aside and learned all he could from the disciplinarian. He fancied he had the love, respect and fear of the crew, in pretty much that order, and he’d learned that from her.


The door booped and he let Xarra enter quietly, padd in hand at this early hour. Yup. Three AM on the dot. Almost like he’d planned it. “I have the final totals from todays’ events, sir.” She sighed. “We lost eight today. Pilot Officer Shtole was killed when the enemy ship exploded. Ensign Lavidia Cath of sciences, Flight technicians Fallowfield Riston, Turran Powl and Willa Macri, Dowd Formby from Engineering, Lazette Callenta from Botany and Nurse Florentine Sagwa.” She sighed. “Seven of them died so we could make a quick trip…”

“You’d put that on the condolence letters, would you,” Postain asked with sad anger.

“Well, no, I…”

“Good. When I write the letters to send with those of their division commanders – and I will,” he insisted, “I’ll be mentioning how they died in pursuit of their duties, Xarra. I’ll be telling them how their loved ones enriched our lives by their presence and diminished us by their loss. The truth will come out in time. It always does. But, right at this moment?” He spoke through gritted teeth, his annoyance growing with every syllable. “The truth of how they died, the deaths due to something as stupid as acceleration force and sheer bloody ****ing luck?” His voice lowered to its usual tone. “That truth is unacceptable. I want the letters from the division chiefs before they get sent out.”

Xarra made an entry on her padd and hovered her finger over the buttons. “What reason should I give?”

Postain scowled at her. “Oh… Quality control.” He knew that meant censorship. She knew that meant censorship. THEY knew that meant censorship but, as far as the records would state, it was a spellcheck formality and nothing more.


Kerri Levan made her way home, through the habitat section of the ship and was just a little surprised to see a Jestavanian come out of Helana Bartleby’s quarters. Although, of course, he did smell of her and he was only half dressed and looking quite pleased with himself. “Goodmorning, CadanKayblee, wasn’tit?” She pointed at his chest. “Youdon’t haveyourname tag.”

He looked down at her and checked himself over what she’d just said before his brow furrowed and his lip twitched. “Pardon,” he asked. The little Engineer repeated herself, concentrating on slowing her words, and he laughed. “Sorry. I couldn’t keep up. The shirt got, uh, ripped.”

And the jacket, Keri wondered. “She let you see her ‘postcards’,” she asked coyly.

The Cadan laughed lightly, clearly in a good mood as they walked towards their rooms. “You could say that.” He sighed. “It had been a while,” he admitted. “Being a Cadan in a war? I either command every female I meet or I have to think they might be an agent for the other side… Chief Engineer Levan, isn’t it?”

“Actingchief,” Kerri replied quickly. “Yougotta take yourchances,” she advised. “gotta meet upwith a female Cadanfrom timetotime, eh?”

“Too much respect, not enough time. You seem to be keeping this ship going rather well,” he admitted as they stopped by Kerri’s married quarters.

She gave a bow. “Thankyou,” she said happily. “Rightnow, though, Ijust want to get intomy bed and get a few hours… Goodnight,Cadan.”

“Good night, ‘acting’ Chief Engineer,” he replied, making away as Kerri opened the door and walked in on a fully undressed sleeping Hybrid on the sofa. Several thoughts went through her head and she settled on deciding to ask Darren about the bottle of drink he’d obviously got from the Starwheel bar and shared with the Greedan in the living room. Her husband, however, was flat out on their bed, also as spark out and nude as a Celican could be. She shut the door between them and the white Celican and shucked her own clothing to the floor to mingle with Darrens. Then she climbed in next to him and looked a little surprised as his eye opened in the dark. “Do I have something to explain,” he asked, shifting off the bed so he could get under the covers with her.

“Withaheadachelike you’vegot,” she gabbled.

He groaned lightly. “How did you know,”

She kissed him gently. “Iknow YOU, love,” she told him. “tellme in the morning,” she added, snuggling into his warmth and kissing his neck. An action he reciprocated, holding each other until they both fell asleep.

[Amazee Dayzee]

Wonderful to have a significant other that knows when you have a really bad headache. Now if only they could do something for it. LOL

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY-THREE


Cadan Kayblee held his nerve and his breath as the troop approached an isolated building just to the south of the Karrinean capital and took position, a succession of hand signals directing the other eight in his team, chosen from the Karrinean Militia who’d defended their positions against the attackers the day before. He considered it likely that he could trust those who’d been fired on against those who’d done the firing but he wanted this kept entirely Jestavanian, no aliens involved. Well, beyond Maldak, who was listening in from the control centre van some mile back. He trusted her to be able to break any secure codes the opponent was using as that long eared one had managed to do up on the ships.


The sunlight of the late evening dappled through the trees behind the large cabin, light waving in the shadows cast by the wind in the air. There were dim lights on inside the building as the drone operated by Police cadet Forbury edged towards the bungalow. It was an odd name, he thought. Forbury. It hardly seemed… Oh, she was one of those Brockian aliens. Near identical to Jestavanians. Quite the same with those… what were they called? The aliens in those forms Postain had provided about the travel cannon – as he was calling it. He’d have regarded things as complete coincidence up to a few days ago but, now..? Were they ‘relatives’? Were the aliens less alien than they appeared? It didn’t matter right now, surely. Mind on the job. Three of his people made their way around the back of the property identified by several of the surviving attackers after interrogation by specialists seasoned by war, who’d taken the oath to do whatever they’d needed to do to ensure they never had to experience war again; evil to avoid evil. And the blood of innocents had been leaked onto the streets today so why should the guilty not expect their blood to flow?


He made up his mind to ask Forbury is she was really leaving the battleship after this action or if Postain had allowed the temporary change for whatever reason. He listened to Maldak’s blissberry tones in his ear as she told him there were no signals coming from the house since they’d gotten in position. There were five vehicles here, parked in a space big enough for fifteen. A former yard, perhaps? Forbury reported the drone was picking up low energy beams across the open yard and was plotting them on the digital maps supplied to the darkened wristcomm system they were using so they could crawl under or jump them. They seemed a few feet up so could comfortably be crawled upder. There was a guard coming around. Patrol. Just the one of them, Kayblee guessed. So, he assumed, there were no defece lines that far in. That helped. The drone moved up for the moment, taking the sights from above the house. Three of them. Three guards on a five minute rotation, judging from what he witnessed over the next ten minutes, before the drone zipped back down and checked the insides. Five occupants, all ready for… something.


It was time to move in, Kayblee told them, wondering how they’d deal with the front guard. Forbury stated there was an easy way and, when asked, merely told them to be ready to take out the rear guard.


And they were ready in fifteen minutes, a team ready to assail the rear guard after making their way through the trees, guided by a second drone. Forbury told Kayblee it was trouble enough doing what she was about to do with one drone, let alone two at the same time. The Cadan, not knowing what she was going to do, merely inclined his head and agreed. Forbury directed the drone right down behind the guard at the front and he turned as he heard the buzzing sound. He wasn’t fast enough, though, as she darted the pointed tail of the drone into his neck and detonated the device, a tiny blast that could barely be heard by those listening as it blew a small chunk from his neck and dropped him to the ground.


The first of them was already on the way across as Forbury watched the feed from the second drone as it showed the team approach the rear sentry silently from behind. They were skilled, it seemed, able to deal with their target swiftly and silently, a hand across their muzzle and a blade to their heart to ensure they didn’t make a sound. Around the front, four of them were in position before the few minutes were up and Kayblee, being one of them, took the initiative as the second guard made his way around the front. He hid against the wall of the porch, just out of sight, as the other came around and gripped his muzzle tight, locking his other arm around the newcomer’s throat as he struggled ineffectually. When the fight lessened and stopped, Kayblee pulled a muzzlegag from his pouch (leading Maldak to wonder who’d given him THAT) and attached it before tying the hands and feet together. The drone hadn’t picked up any devices attached to the door but he took no chances, attaching a clear, adhesive, layer with a handle to the darkened window next to him and cutting a hole in the window whilst holding the handle to stop it dropping. Two of the smaller members went through the hole, armed and ready to open it from the inside.


A small number of flashes alarmed Kayblee until one of the two appeared at the door and opened it. The other was making suppressive fire, keeping heads down so they couldn’t effectively fire back with any accuracy. The Cadan announced they were surrounded anyway, but wouldn’t be harmed if they threw down their weapons. The resulting volley of fire and profanity indicated they didn’t believe him as a lucky – or aimed- shot took the forward assailants’ arm off at the shoulder and turned his eyes glassy with shock as he spun to the ground.


The troops rushed the room from both sides as their compatriot died slowly in the passageway, unable to treat or rescue them until the scene was secured. Kayblee led the charge and took a shot to the side as he entered the room, falling aside whilst firing through the sofa that provided no real, effective, protection against an energy beam that could cut through walls. A few seconds later and the firing finished.


A few seconds after that, Maldak was back in the Cadan’s ear as he was helped back to his feet. She was calling in alert as she was trying to stop a signal getting through to the cabin. A signal that was trying every way it could to get past her. She didn’t know how long she could keep it out with this Jestavanian equipment (she didn’t use ‘equipment) she was using so they needed to get out as fast as they…


Maldak could see the flash from the end of the long vehicle track that she wouldn’t really term a ‘road’ or ‘driveway’. The sound followed a second or so later. She asked if anyone was there. No reply. She asked again.


Forbury, who’d stayed right back as the others had gone in, watched the team dive for cover before being blown to the ground by the explosion.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I'd say Forbury is gonna be feeling that in the morning. Hopefully his injuries aren't too serious!

[Welsh Halfwit]

I'd say Forbury is gonna be feeling that in the morning. Hopefully his injuries aren't too serious!

No, she's fine. She was watching the others save themselves by diving for cover/the ground BEFORE the large explosion hit their backs at about 80mph and threw them forward, as seen in most TV shows and films.


ANYHOW.

SIXTY-FOUR


Charlie had to check in on Frank as she could hear laughing. Well, pained attempts at laughter. She opened the door to look in. Cassius had cut a few flowers to mount in a vase by the side of the bed by where Raspberry was sitting, waiting for her data padd back from Frank, who was holding it up as someone on the other end talked to him. <“...know I don’t know what most of those things are, Frank,”> a voice Charlie didn’t know said from… somewhere else. <“Are you ABSOLUTELY sure you need them? They… sound annoying to me.”> More laughter and coughing and groaning from Frank.

“I’m… <cough> pretty sure, Yarik,” he replied, wiping spittle from the screen. “I’m just annoyed at… how well you look.”

<“Fur hides the bruises and wounds, Mister… Not-a-Suidanian.”> Now Yarik coughed as Charlie wondered what a Suidanian was. <“Still… got enough for two weeks in hospital. My mate thanks you for going up against a Keldar Master single handed.”>

“Well, uh,” Frank said, glancing up at the somewhat surprised face of his wife and guessing he’d be in trouble for this. “I didn’t exactly know he WAS a Keldar master. In fact,” he added, wincing as he imagined something inside moving to such an extent that he felt it, “I’d never heard of a Keldar master – or Keldar – until ten seconds ago. Oh,” he winced, gesturing Charlie over, “and MY mate would like to thank the person who stepped in to save me when I was going… down faster than a tower made of soup…”

Charlie shooed Raspberry from the chair and took up a position so she could see the battered and bruised face of the Jestavanian Frank had been telling her about. Apparently there was a unity between those who’d stood together in combat and it was clear that there was something to that. After all, he was also in a hospital bed, wasn’t he? “Hello,” she said, not quite knowing what to say, “I’m Charlie.”

<“Oh, um… a Ratcan?”>

“Raitchian,” she replied with a smirk. “But close enough. You’re… Yorik?”

<“Yarik,”> he replied, smirking equally, showing one of his broken teeth, <“but close enough. You have… a hero, you know,”> he asked, before coughing.


Raspberry decided to get her padd back later and headed back out into the ship to see who she could find. Aha, she thought as she passed by the second cargo container, there were Cassius and Talitha, getting themselves mucky again by carrying out the quality checks. She was fully aware of the fact they were intending to quality check each other quite thoroughly tonight. Her brother had a tell. He tidied up his room before inviting the ladies over. Although it was, usually, ones he’d met on stop overs that he wasn’t going to meet again. Raspberry had the feeling this one was sticking around. She hadn’t worn the jacket for a few days and her ‘fish out of water’ facial expression had melted into nervous hope and there was that light in her eye when she saw her brother. She supposed he was quite physical...ly muscled for a Mican. And he was charming company when he wanted to be. And he mostly wanted to be. Raspberry hoped the core sample they’d pulled out was money in the bank. They’d need it. She’d figured out what Frank had planned from the conversation between Kelvan and Charlie an hour or so back. Frank was planning to relocate the business to the patch. Shorter distances, growing colonies and at least one girlfriend within commuting range for the team. She couldn’t fault it. It was a good plan. The costs were cheap. She might even be able to join a medical practice as a locum. They all had things they could do if not on the ship if they had a stable home port to do them from. It also wouldn’t hurt Frank as he wouldn’t need to pay them when they weren’t on the deliveries.


She passed by Enzo and his girlfriend looking around the ship and she kind of wondered what the attraction of the freighter was to these kids who lived in luxury on a battleship so she asked them. “It’s somewhere we’ve never been,” Ella told her. “Plus I’ve always been interested in freighters and their secrets.”

“Then I know where he’s taking you, don’t I,” Raspberry asked. Enzo nodded emphatically.

“Where’s that,” Ella asked in innocence.

“I’ll let him show you.”


She stepped up to the command cabin, where Kelvan was on station with Willa’s father acting as the second. There was a palpable quiet in the room, despite the fact the pair had a respect for each other. “So,” she said with interest, “what is it you do aboard the Rodomont, sir?”

“Name’s Rogan,” Mr Kindale told her. “I’m a second technician.”

She offered a hand. “Name’s Raspberry,” she told him as he took and shook. “I’m a Medical type.”

“Nice to meet you,” he announced sternly, before lightening his tone. “Also good to have someone here so I can get out of a command seat? I’ve never been comfortable on the bridge. No matter how small.”

Raspberry chuckled. “I hear that. Plus I think you’d want to get back down to Willa and your wife? She’s lovely, by the way. Willa, I mean. Uh,” she added, realising the faux pas, “also your wife.”

“I’ll pass that on,” Rogan said, accepting the Mican’s flustered state before pulling back. “When I get to see them?”

“Huh? Oh, right! I better beam you down. Back in a moment, Kelvan!”


And she was, taking up the co-pilot’s chair after mock sweeping it clean. “I think Mr Kindale’s shedding,” she said, looking to get a grin out of Kelvan. He almost complied. “What’s up, Kelvan?”

“Ooh, don’t put it like that,” the boy moaned, putting his head on the console for a moment before looking up. “Mum and Mrs Kindale have said Willa can spend the last night over here when we head back to the patch. In my room.”

“Oooh,” Raspberry cooed, nodding as she worked out the situation. “Well, you both are of age, Kelvan. But it’s a trust thing too. Your mothers trust you to only go as far as the other is prepared to go, big man…”

Kelvan groaned.

“...Sorry. But I’ll be providing things you’ll need, got it? And, of course…” She cringed. “I’m going to need to see if Hayseed’s got a spare carrot…”

Kelvan buried his head in his arms.

[Amazee Dayzee]

I have a feeling the next few chapters are gonna be fun for Kelvin. Can't wait to see what you got lined up next for him!

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY-FIVE


“So,” Gerek asked as he looked on Darlington through the security channel, “what are you going to do with him?”

“I’m not sure,” Postain admitted, shuffling his notes on the table as he spoke, getting them ready for the speech he was needing to make. One of the ones of necessity. Some Captains had the ship’s librarian write it as the professional wordsmith but the Rodomont only had a small lending library. Paper was going out of fashion. Well, they called it paper… “It’ll be up to Command. Fortunately the Division are classed as unfriendlies so collusion with the enemy is a confirmed charge. The Micans will probably charge him with piracy, along with Dunbeath and most of the other commanders in the armada. Except this one, who might just want to transfer to the Council… Or, indeed, any other navy that’s currently hiring as he might well get busted down two ranks depending on how much blame they level against him. Darlington here is the sacrifice they’re prepared to make.” He huffed and swung his feet around to stand up. “Probably why they sent him. Think on it. None of them like him much. He’s argumentative and provocative. He’s caused problems between the Micans and the Council before, I’m sure of it. This gets them rid of him. AND, within a few years, they’ll probably reach out friendly feelers to then colony president Dunbeath.”

“You suspect collusion?”

“I suspect there are those of them who arranged it that, however it played out, Mica came first. It’s the way of politics.”

“Only interplanetary politics, my friend. Then again, I have heard some things from the Star Council command.”

“Oh?”

“Hmm,” he shook his head. “I should tell Kayblee and Kohlich at the same time. Saves me telling it multiple times.”

Postain asked the computer for Cadan Kayblee’s location and frowned as the reply came in. He wasn’t expecting that to be the response.


Kayblee and Kohlich were singing some old Jestavanian campfire song and swinging glasses of what Gerek recognised as Yatterra Liquor by its dark green colouring. It was quite popular on Karrin and as rare as Tabrean teeth. He must have had a bottle on his own ship. Gerek noted that the Raitchian wasn’t imbibing and she was wearing ear protectors. Kayblee stood up shakily and welcomed the pair to the apartment. “That’ch MY job,” Kohlich hicced, getting up.

Kayblee blinked at him. “You’ve obviously lost the taste,” he said happily. “Lesser Liquor loshens lips.”

“You said Loshens,” Gerek advised him. “How much have you had?”

Kayblee held a half empty bottle up as Postain drummed his fingers on the door. “Well, we had to share it due to the good news from Deputy Chef Engineer Kohlich about Mish Kelly.”

Postain had a bad feeling he was going to need a new Doctor soon. “Plus I was celebrating a victory.”

“Much to celebrate,” Gerek replied, taking one of the unoccupied seats. “And I offer my congratulations to you, I assume, Kohlich?”

“Thank you, Shir,” Kohlich replied, passing the glass he’d gotten out for Kelly before he remembered the pregnancy rules she knew offhand. Kayblee poured some of the liquid into the glass as Postain hand signed ‘well done’ to Kelly. She nodded, not knowing the response.

“There’s news from Star Council command,” Gerek commented, taking a sip of the drink as Kayblee sat to attention. “It seems the Karrin operation was a last serious attempt by the division. Star Council forces have driven them their bases in Getalamine and Udarria. The Division wanted another place to barricade and build their forces again. Karrin was one of the places. Now that their attempt failed, they’ve apparently started asking about peace negotiations.” He raised his glass. “It appears we’re entering the end phase of the war.” He shook his head and took a drink. He breathed through his nose as Kelly sneezed out her ear protectors in the kitchen. “This is NOT the best of stuff,” he coughed.

“No kidding,” Kayblee replied with a smile. “Can’t afford that on a Cadan’s salary!” He lowered his tone and muttered ‘particularly on a lower ranking one’s.’ under his breath.

“I have better,” Gerek admitted. “You’ll have to come check it out after the speeches today.”

“Is that an invite for all,” Kelly asked.

“You need to talk with Doctan Tyla, don’t you,” Postain said simply, finally stepping fully into the room and letting the door close behind him.

Doctor Cobalt hesitated and looked him in the eye for a split second before looking away. “Only as a pre-emptive enquiry, sir,” she said quietly. “Still got several months before I need to decide.”

“Get training materials, Kelly. You’ll need to bone up on Jestavanian anatomy.”

“Hmm,” Kelly replied, thinking of all the study time at university.


Postain wondered if Flakk knew. Was he getting ready to replace Cobalt? Why hadn’t he told him yet?


Enzo hugged Martin as soon as he saw him, draing a small cry of pain from the strapped up Mican in the twenty or so seconds before Brigid arrived. Before she entered the room, he released Martin and went back to looking nonchalent in a ‘I like you but no more than that’ way that none of them believed. “You’re hurt, Martin,” he said.

“Yeah,” he replied levelly, muttering ‘I’m sure you noted before hug’ so only Enzo could hear it. “Others got worse. Great to see you, son,” he said at normal volume, making Enzo poke his tongue out and Brigid clip him around the ear gently before she carefully embraced her husband. “How’d you find freighter life?”

“Coring is boring,” Enzo fibbed, thinking of how many showers he wanted to take. Sonic ones weren’t as much fun.

“But their botany section was impressive,” Brigid said, having taken a few minutes to take her gift down to botany and bed it in properly in soil similar to the soil Cassius had been using.

“I’m glad abou… Wait,” he added, frowning, “how does a freighter have a botany department?”


So she told him, letting one more know about the room.

[Amazee Dayzee]

This has come along very well! I am impressed with it as always and cannot wait for the next installment as you keep me coming back for more! ^.^

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY-SIX

Frank sat up in bed and wondered when he’d be able… no, he corrected, allowed to get up and do his job properly. It felt off, leaving things to Charlie and Talitha, despite the new girl proving her capabilities and skills. Charlie had mostly good things to say about her, although she did chew her out for not consulting with her over repairs she made off the cuff when she couldn’t find Charlie yesterday. The Raitchian had told her, in no uncertain terms, that only emergency repairs were to be done without the Engineering chief’s permission as things could explode in the next five minutes. For everything else, she added, seek permission. The chief needs to know what’s been done, what needs to be done and exactly how to protect the lesser engineer if things go wrong. Talitha had listened and nodded and Frank had wondered exactly how his wife could deliver such a dressing down whilst sitting up in bed.


But it had worked and the Feline looked as though she still remembered it as she stood at the end of the bed, delivering the latest report on ore containment and exit protocols as the preliminary departure checks had started. She seemed rather organised, although he’d been checking the progress on a bedside padd anyhow. Keeping a hand on the wheel, so to speak. “The fuel rod from Karrin,” she told him, “is being delivered and Charlie has installed it so we’ll be up to full capacity fuel wise. Estimated time of return to Talvary Communal… seventy four hours, Frank.”

“Wanting to get… back to duty, Talitha,” Frank coughed coyly.

She looked a bit embarrassed. She grinned sweetly and reached aound to scratch her neck as she formulated words. “Well, I… was thinking of going back into engineering? In an, um, civilian way?” She sat down on the rooms’ chair.

“Picked any… good places,” Frank asked knowingly.

“Um, well…” She paused. “I heard there’s possibly a new mechanics place opening on…”

“Medrinas IV,” Frank interrupted wryly. He coughed with happiness, making his head throb. “We’ve… grown on you, then?”

Talitha sucked her teeth. “I’ve got more friends here than I’ve ever had on Talvary so, yeah, I suppose you lot have. I… I have funds so I could buy into the bus…”

“Like ‘eck,” Charlie said from the doorway, before moving in. “I’m not being a joint owner with you, Tal!” She ‘bopped’ the Feline’s side with her tail playfully. “I’ll let you invest but you’ll have to keep a lot of that cash for yourself, yeah? You an’ Cassius’ll need a place of yer own soon enough.”

Frank pretended to be surprised. “I thought you smelled like <kaff> ore samples.”

She cringed. “Yeah, well, I, er…”

Charlie stood close by. “Stand up, Talitha.” The feline complied, wondering what was about to happen. “This crew’s a family, even Hayseed and Cassius. You make Cassius happy so…” she stepped forward and embraced the Feline who, after a moment’s surprise and intimidation, hugged back as Charlie closed her eyes. “So welcome to the family, Talitha Osser,” Charlie finished, making Talitha feel ten feet tall.

“Thanks, Charlie,” she said, feeling a tear in her eye.


“So,” Hayseed said, holding the step ladder steady as Cassius did some work in the chef’s private room ceiling, checking the power supply was flowing properly, “I hear tell you’ve been caught this time, eh?”

The Mouse looked down at him with a slightly goofy expression on his face as he handed down the servo spanner he’d been using so he could use the sonic wrench instead. “Yeah, well,” he admitted, “I figured it was about time, y’know? Can’t go after everything short term.”

“Or anything short term now.” Hayseed mock gasped, letting his ears droop back. “Who’s going to be my wingmouse now?”

“Donovan,” Cassius said, with his head in the ceiling, lifting himself up onto tiptoes to reach the defective section, “you’ve never needed anyone to be a wing for you, mouse or otherwise.” He reached in after ensuring the power was diverted and pulled the junction box free. “Although, if you want me to replace this defective box, there IS something you could do for me…”

With a sigh, Hayseed lifted the mighty Mican’s feet onto his own shoulders “Are these boots clean,” he asked.

“Nope.”


“Just watching you makes me tired,” Enzo said, sat watching Kelvan do the last of his thirty morning push ups before finishing dressing. “You getting ready for leaving Karrin?”

“Kinda,” Kelvan replied, pulling on his least stained shirt and sitting to put his boots on. There’ll be work to do. Always is in the time before departure. Gotta check things are in place whilst there’s an engineering base close by. Can’t always rely on there being a ship next door.” He grinned and held out a hand.

“I can stand on my own,” Enzo replied with humour.

“What, with those legs? Martin still playing into the wounded hero thing?”

Enzo stood, giving Kelvan the merest satisfaction by lightly taking the hand though he didn’t need it. “Yeah, he’s claiming it as a battle wound.” He let go of the hand as Kelvan led the way out of the room, where he’d been gathering up his things and a couple of the ‘secret’ magazines Kelvan had gifted him. “He doesn’t know Cervina told us the tale,” he finished, talking of the Celican nurse.” He sighed. “You ready for this,” he asked, carrying his bag over a shoulder.

“Not really,” Kelvan admitted, stepping towards the teleport room for the journey to the Rodomont.


The boys folded back into reality in the much bigger expense of the Rodomonts’ teleport bay three and stepped down as Pillar Kendal walked in with his mother, who walked over with him and embraced the pair of them, giving her thanks for saving her boy. Pillar said nothing as the pair accepted the hug. He did, however, look curiously at the fragment of magazine that was poking out of Enzo’s bag. He pushed it back in before his mother saw it and made a mental note to ask if he could look at it later. Now, he figured, wasn’t the time. Kelvan took his hand as the mother took the lead, taking them towards the school area. They passed by a Brockian from security, talking to a Jestavanian in a leg brace and a trainee guard’s uniform, talking animatedly as they went. They entered the school area and joined their friends – and Kelvan realised they WERE friends now – and girlfriends to wait for the school head to arrive, which she did five minutes later.


“We are gathered here today to remember...”

[Amazee Dayzee]

Always sad when it comes to attending a memorial service. Even worse if they were kids that were killed and in the violent way they were.

[Welsh Halfwit]

SIXTY-SEVEN


Greedan groaned and wondered, not for the first time this month, if this head he was wearing was, actually, his. It felt like it belonged to an Equinna, the way it was pounding. A whining sound was dazzling his ears and he could feel the fur move across his chest and… OK, he thought in the darkness of closed eyes, he really had to put things together. He recalled dinner last night with Darren and Kerri. He recalled relating stories of his Mican family… who he’d said had brought him up after his Celican father… or was it mother he’d said? After they’d passed. He’d congratulated himself on that little deception. No mention of the ooze melding him into a new form. A form that was feeling increasingly more him than his old self had now. Anyhow, after the dinner, Kerri had needed to go to work and Darren had promised a nightcap. He’d brought out a bottle of something Celican he’d been keeping for a special, Celican, occasion and everything else got fuzzier than his new tail in a lightning storm. Heh, he thought, he’d have to remember that one. His ears were throbbing. It was time he decided, to open his eyes. What WAS that buzzing?


The room cracked into view, or the ceiling did at least. He groaned again and moved his head towards the blowing wind, where a smirking Kerri was pointing a desk fan at him. “Uuurgh,” he complained, “what was that drink?”

“Fermented bludjuuce,” Kerri told him, concentrating on keeping her words level and separated as she remembered Darrens’ reaction and comment that his brain wasn’t in any condition to work out her words. “Didn’twanna touch you,” she added as he realised he was totally starkers and covered his modesty with the tip of his tail. “Bitlate for that,” Kerri remarked and, on considering she was correct, he relaxed. “Darren’s in theshower before breakfast,” she added.

“Uurgh, not sure I can face it,” Greedan groaned.

Kerri switched the fan off and swatted his face with a towel. “You’reworse than heis,” she chided. “And you’ll need food. It’ll help.” She quirked an eye ridge, tilting her head as she did so. “Your family never gave you Bludjuuce,” she asked.

“Nah,” he replied, smoothly shifting the towel to his lap as he twisted to sit up. Ow. He shifted his tail out. “It was all grain stuff,” he said, managing a smile. “Y’know, Mican?”

“Of course. Youcan havethe shower after he’s done,then dress.” She gestured to the floor and Greedan finally realised the Chipmunk was as clothed as he was. “Your clothesare stackedon the floor,” she said before standing to go back to the bedroom.

“He’s… lucky to have you,” Greedan told her. He gave her what he thought was a reassuring smile. “Otherwise, I might have tried for him…” He worked that over in his head. Did that come out right?

“You,” Kerri said, stepping over and giving him a peck kiss on the head, “have a date with a nurse.”

Yup, Greedan thought, this new form definitely had things going for it.


The Cadan picked up the few items he’d bought from the shipboard shop and wondered if anyone else wondered about the absurdity of having a shop or, indeed, families on a battleship. Then again, if the war was finally ending, perhaps families might return to starships? He certainly hoped they didn’t go down the remote control route. If anything were to lead to the stagnation of the Jestavanian race, it would be the ability to rely on AI to carry out all the dangerous tasks in life. Life was nothing without challenge, after all. He adjusted his bag as the door booped and he stopped. “Come on in,” he called and the door opened to reveal Maldak with a small bottle of something that he reckoned was probably intoxicating. He gave a genuine smile and surprised himself with it. It might have been his first really genuine one in years.

“So, you headed off,” the Quokkan Communications Officer asked rhetorically, stepping into the room so the door shut behind her.

“Seems like it,” he replied. “Come to see me off,” he asked.

“Seems like it,” she replied, handing him the bottle. “Non alcoholic Berry drink from Quokkan,” she told him. “Thought it’d remind you of me.”

“I don’t need anything physical to remind me of you,” he said, reaching out for the bottle anyhow.

She pulled it back. “In that case..,” she said playfully.

“...But I’ll take it anyway,” he laughed, grasping the bottle. “As a gesture. As I was saying, I had a lot of preconceptions when coming onto this ship. Fears of influences and evils and all that. I’m now sure you aren’t evil.” A smirk. “Well, MOST of you anyhow.”

Maldak chuckled. “Well, it’s progress,” she admitted. “Are we talking of Helana, perhaps?”

He shrugged. Normally discussing his bedlife would be an annoyance to him. An intrusive question would have brought about a sharp rebuke but with Maldak, he saw more to it than that. There was a truth to be told. “A Cadan in war can’t relax with others,” he told her. “We either outrank them or have to wonder who they’re working for. Helana was someone I could lie with to relieve some… pressures.”

Maldak waved down the confession. “Ah, I’m not judging you, Kayles,” she said, drawing a quiet ‘Kayles?’ from the Cadan. “In fact it’s done you good, I think.”

“It probably has.” He sucked in a breath. “I want you to know one thing though, Mals. There was only one thing stopping me from asking you to be the one last night. Well, two.”

Maldak looked a little stunned. Very stunned, even. But she managed to bring the question to her lips. “Uh, wh...what things?”

“One,” the Cadan said, regretting bringing it up but sensing he needed to go through with this now, “you’re a lady, Maldak. You don’t ask a lady for such a thing on the first date.”

She nodded hesitantly. “A...and two?”

“Duty,” he replied. “I have to go back to my ship. I may have to fight a Karrinean for command but my duty tells me I need to go back. I can understand now why Kohlich chose to stay. He met someone beautiful, funny, smart, generous and, generally, wonderful. If it had been you last night? I might never have gone back.”

Her knees wobbling, Maldak took a few steps forward before landing a kiss on his lips with intent to tongue wrestle. He put his hands around her back and leaned in for a moment before they both pulled back. “If you ever want to consider desertion,” she told him, stepping back to the door, “I’m just one sector over.”

“Something to consider,” he said, joining her at the door so she could walk him to the shuttle bay.

[Amazee Dayzee]

This was a wonderful little chapter once again in how it came out! Nice work!

[Welsh Halfwit]

And the finale. Featuring a guest cameo that covers a point I can never really fit in in their stories. He really does visit his dad...

SIXTY-EIGHT

Talvary Communal station had just sent off the weeks’ last shuttle to Calderon as Henry stepped through the small shopping center, noting security watching over a Dober female and the two Raitchian Children she was registered as arriving with. Henry agreed with their prudence. She smelled of Pirate potential, even as she sipped her Salatan Spice Coffee and he wondered if there would need to be a stocktake. He decided to alter things a bit and changed course to order himself a tea. He asked if he could sit at the same table as the Dober and he watched the flash of fear flick through her eyes and vanish. “I don’t know why you would,” she said, her voice tinged with curiosity, “as there are so many other empty tables.”

“Ah, that’s the point,” Henry told her, imagining the panic behind him as the security officer tried to work out what he was doing. “You’re here. As sector Commander, I need to know how we’re doing here, in this old station. I can’t ask an empty table, can I?”

The Dober watched him like the ancient Mican was a threat. Which, of course, he was. Henry Postlethwaite. Long time Security Chief on several U.S.C. ships. Later a chief investigator for the IOC in the patch. A cunning intelligence and decades of knowledge. Not to be underestimated. She forced herself to be calm. “What sort of thing are you looking to know,” she asked.

Henry spread his hands. “Well,” he said, “what you think of the station and how things are going here. Why you’re passing through? What you think of the plans to build a new station between Pandera and Calderon.” A shrug. “That sort of thing.” He took a first draw from his drink. Slightly sharp, as always.

“I’m all for relocating if the drinks machines are improved,” Hastur said tritely, estimating his reaction to the drink was the same as hers had been. “I suppose a more central location will improve the funding available and this station is a bit out of the way for the two main colonies but,” she added, leaning forward slightly, “for the opening colonies, this place is better. As for what I’m doing here?” She indicated the two Raitchians running about. “I’m their nanny. As for the station?” She looked around. “You’ve done an excellent job with what you’ve got.” She took another mouthful of coffee.

“Thank you,” Henry said gallantly. “Of course,” he breathed, “we’ve had our problems. Funding, routine operational troubles, piracy. At least we’ve been able to do something about the last,” he said, before putting both hands around his cup and swallowing some tea. “If there’s no reason to arrest them, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be welcome here,” he told her at an angle. “We don’t look too close at their backgrounds unless we have a reason, you know? A loose, unofficial, policy. But,” he added brightly, “it seems to work fine for us. We’ve had no trouble for some time.”

Hastur nodded, the implicit warning clear to her. “That’s… good,” she said. “Makes me feel… secure.”

“Of course.” Henry looked up at her. “So, where are you headed? If I might ask?”

“Frontera,” she lied. “Back to their mother, after a visit to their Father.”

Henry cringed. “Broken families are never easy on the children.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Fair enough.” Henry stood up, conscious that the message had gotten across. “I’ll go deal with my paperwork. Nice to have met you.”

“Likewise,” Hastur said tightly, before pulling Barnabus and Shandy over. No lightfingeredness on this occasion, she’d decided.

Henry passed by the guard watching the Dober from the shadows. “Find out everyone those three have interacted with,” he said quietly, “and report it to me.”


He’d been in his office five minutes, preparing two glasses of Whisky, when Postain arrive, just about allowing Postlethwaite’s aide to announce him before entering and accepting the glass that wasn’t Henry’s. “All the places in all the planets and they’re the only one’s can make this right,” he said, draining the glass and taking the bottle to pour a new one.

“It’s usual to report before drinking, Marius,” Henry reported as Postain pulled up a chair and sat.

“Of course, sir,” he replied. “The mission was a success. Relations with Karrin stabilized, A Mican traitor brought back…”

“...A new Mican colony also being set up, I understand? To stop most of the senior officers being charged alongside him? Officially, I have to remind you you were supposed to stop them taking over worlds but,” he shrugged, “as long as they don’t annoy the Jestavanians.”

“Were we supposed to survive, sir,” Postain asked. “The Rodomont and the Pollock, I mean?”

Henry looked pained. “Yes, I was sorry to hear about your losses,” he sighed. “I take it the Karrineans have those responsible?”

“Yes,” Postain admitted, suddenly feeling crushingly tired, “but that’ll do nothing to bring them back. The rest of them are having therapy sessions. Two of them are still being rehabilitated for the wounds. I’d soon as get them all off the ship but I’d lose about eighty percent of my crew if families were to be banned.”

“I always had that feeling. But long term missions need home comforts And these events did NOT take place on your ship, Marius. We can’t protect everyone all the time. I hear the freighters have returned full of ore?”

“They have,” Postain grunted. “And you’ve lost an officer to them.”

Henry straightened up. “Lieutenant Osser was always going nowhere. Decent at command. A good engineer. An adequate first aider, she’s a Jill of all trades and Mistress of none. She wouldn’t have amounted to even a full Commander rank in the U.S.C. I had hoped they’d help her to focus on what she really wanted. Turns out she wants to be a civilian Engineer. I wish her the best.”

“She’s been a decent stand in for the Human. He got into a fight with a master hand to hand type. He’s having to take it easy. Oh, and I’m going to need to start looking for a replacement Doctor.” He noticed Henry look up in surprise and knew he’d not read the medical reports yet. “There’s going to be a Jestaraitchian. Cobalt’s pregnant.”

“Ah, right.” Henry nodded. “I see you’ve also got one in your security force now?”

“Preliminary status. Fell for a Brockian he met during a police action.”

“Takes all sorts.” Henry looked from padd to half empty Whisky bottle. “You have down time coming. I take it the ship will be spending that time at Cora II?”

“With respect, sir,” Postain told him, standing up, “that’s for me to know.”

“Of course. Dismissed, Captain,” Henry said, knowing full well Postain was thinking of Chichester. He’d call her later.

END

[Amazee Dayzee]

Hopefully we can start to see more visits with his father soon then. But this was such a nice if nail biting story you wrote! Awesome work Welshy!

[Welsh Halfwit]

For the next story.

At a secret location on Pandera, a trial is about to take place. A trial that could affect all of Mican society. Mican Intelligence wants facts kept secret. Harriet Thurso would like them known. And Harvest Moon just happens to be on Pandera...

[Amazee Dayzee]

I will be keeping an eye out for it. It does sound like it will be really awesome!

[CunningFox]

Finally finished this story. Excellent work, Welsh.