by Sarah Noffke
“I think it was luck,” Julianna said.
“You sent men out to defend the land from the Petigren, correct?” Eddie asked.
“I sent my people out to see what these creatures you call the Petigren wanted,” Alleira explained. “Defense isn’t our first mode of thinking. We don’t just expect warfare; we’re quite surprised that’s the option others choose.”
“Have any of those men from the first group returned?” Eddie asked.
Julianna knew what Eddie was getting at. If the Petigren were here, then the Saverus weren’t far away. It was entirely possible that they were impersonating one of the Sunexans.
Alleira shook her head. “They were attacked immediately. After that, I sent another group to defend our borders.”
Eddie gave Julianna a cautious look. “To be safe, we request an audience with only you, Alleira. We must be very careful.”
Alleira spun around at the entrance to her tent. Hers was larger than the others and covered in a green netting that made it blend in with its surroundings. The leader of the Sunexans darted her eyes to the man by her side, who was shirtless and wore feathers in his long hair. “You will leave us here.”
“But my queen—” the man argued.
“I’m quite safe with Ghost Squadron,” Alleira cut him off.
“As you wish. I’m here if you need anything.” He nodded, pulling back the tent flap for them to enter.
Eddie threw off his jacket upon entering Alleira’s quarters. The tent smelled of burning herbs and was stiflingly hot. Marilla and Chester had stayed back, giving Marilla a chance to study the Sunexans. She had never been exposed to their culture.
Chester accompanied her ‘out of curiosity’, but Eddie sensed it was more because he didn’t want to be out of Marilla’s presence. Oh, to be in love and never tire of someone, he thought fondly.
Alleira’s long, white robe billowed when she swept around to face them, her hands pressed together in front of her. “This attack… it is about you, isn’t it?” she asked, her gaze on Knox.
He straightened between Eddie and Julianna.
“You recognize our friend, Knox?” Eddie asked.
“Of course,” Alleira stated. “Although you’ve grown since I last saw you.”
“How long ago was that?” Julianna questioned.
Alleira blinked, seeming to muse on the question. “It would be close to ten years, now. He called himself ‘Dominic’ then.”
“The Petigren and Saverus are attacking Sunex because they want to know what happened to Knox,” Eddie explained. “More specifically, they want to know what he did with a device after coming to your land.”
“Will you please tell us about Knox’s time here?” Julianna asked.
Alleira gave him a curious look. “Do you not remember, Dominic?”
Knox shook his head, his hands pressed firmly into his pockets and his shoulders pinned up high.
Alleira sighed. “You were young and, I suspect, had undergone a major tragedy. I’m grateful to see you, as I have worried for quite some time that something bad happened to you.”
“What?” Eddie asked. “Can you start from the beginning?”
Alleira nodded. “One day, Dominic appeared in the center of the village. He said that a woman named Kyra had sent him to us to keep him safe. Since he was a child and no obvious threat to us, we vowed to do just that. However, the night that Knox appeared, I had a dream. My people have long trusted our dreams to give us insight and direction. This dream told me that although Dominic would be safe within our borders, he would never feel accepted. Differences in appearance, unfortunately, divide even peaceful civilizations.”
Eddie studied Knox. With his black hair and pale skin, he would certainly stick out among those from Sunex.
“I made arrangements to send the boy to Federation Border Station 7,” Alleira continued. “I set it up so that he would be welcomed by a loving family, and offered everything he would need to flourish.”
Julianna shot a curious look at Knox. “Are you remembering any of this?”
He shook his head.
“Dominic never arrived on Border Station 7,” Alleira said. “I later received word that the ship he’d been on experienced an engine failure, and crashed on an unidentified planet, with no survivors.”
“That’s how you ended up on Planet L2SCQ-6,” Eddie inferred, grateful to finally be getting more puzzle pieces.
“Your report must have been wrong,” Julianna said, throwing her arm in Knox’s direction. “He obviously survived.”
“I see that it must have been,” Alleira stated. “I’m grateful for the error.”
“Knox, or rather the boy you knew as ‘Dominic’, would have had a few pieces of a device with him,” Eddie began. “Do you remember that?”
“Yes, of course I do,” Alleira said. “They were odd, but nothing of interest to us.”
“Are you saying you don’t have the device?” Julianna asked.
Alleira shook her head. “It was not ours to keep, nor do we have an interest in anything technological. It is counterintuitive to the peace we work hard to maintain through living simply.”
“You sent me, along with the device,” Knox said, his voice a ghostly whisper.
“Knox? Are you remembering something?” Eddie asked.
Knox shook his head and then corrected himself by nodding. “I only saw a flash. I was on a ship, and on my lap was a wooden box that contained the Tangle Thief. At least, I think that’s what was in there.”
“Yes, the box was a gift from us,” Alleira said with a smile.
“Well, that doesn’t tell us much, but at least we know that the Tangle Thief isn’t here,” Eddie said with a sigh.
“And we know that it might be on Planet L2SCQ-6,” Julianna offered.
“It’s an electronic,” Chester said, handing his pad to a little girl with cerulean eyes. She blinked back at him.
“Go ahead, take it,” he urged. “There are a few games that I think you’ll like.”
“The people here don’t use electronic devices,” Marilla said at his side.
“I know.” Chester rolled his eyes. “I’m trying to educate them. Just you wait, they’re going to thank me.”
“What if you destroy their innocence?” Marilla argued.
The little girl had taken the pad. Her eyes widened when Chester swiped his finger across the screen, and it lit up.
“Here, you’ll like this game. Just try and match three candies in a row,” Chester explained.
“What’s candy?” the girl asked.
“And one day you’ll be credited with destroying the last remaining peaceful society in the galaxy,” Marilla said with a laugh.
Chester gave her a sideways smile. “Hey, this isn’t The Gods Must Be Crazy.”
“Did you just make a movie reference?” Marilla asked.
Chester laughed. “I’m surprised you got it.”
“I’m an anthropologist, and that movie is a beautiful example of what can happen to a primitive civilization that encounters technology,” Marilla explained.
“So I shouldn’t show this little girl how to play online slots?” Chester joked.
Marilla shook her head. “I’m going to take soil samples. Try not to corrupt the natives.”
“I make no promises,” Chester called as she retreated.
Verdok slipped the braids tied with feathers off his shoulder. He couldn’t understand why the primitive people of Sunex weighed themselves down with long hair. He’d shapeshifted into the queen’s chief advisor days ago.
Verdok had almost concluded that the task was a waste, having learned nothing about the boy or the location of the Tangle Thief. If he had to sit around a fire and chant useless verses one more time, he was going to explode.
He had been about to abandon the mission when the elders of the council had apparently taken matters into their own hands. They had to have been the ones to send in the siege of Petigren, resorting to force
rather than stealth. They were growing impatient, which meant Verdok was going to be under fire. They’d execute him if he didn’t produce results soon.
The elders’ impulsive move had worked in Verdok’s favor. He had been inside the border when the attack happened, so no one suspected him of being a Saverus.
Now Ghost Squadron had done all the work for him, in asking these questions. He pulled away from where he was stationed behind Alleira’s tent, having heard enough. Planet L2SCQ-6. That’s where he’d go next.
The council would have to give him another chance. He had procured this information, whereas all they’d done was sacrifice hundreds of Petigren.
Having spent most of the evening helping to treat the injured from Sunex, Fletcher’s team was exhausted. They’d set up a camp outside the border perimeter.
It hadn’t taken long for the ground forces to overwhelm the Petigren, and now the dead were piled up and burning in the distance.
Fletcher didn’t think it was possible that the Petigren would return, but Eddie and Julianna wanted the team to remain in position, just in case. Things couldn’t be set up any better: the captain and commander were inside the border of Sunex, and Fletcher and his team were on the outskirts.
Nodding to a group gathered around a fire, Fletcher ambled toward the closest Q-Ship. Lars was dutifully checking the controls when he entered.
Good, the pilot didn’t bail on me, Fletcher thought.
“We’ll be ready to go in five minutes,” Lars stated when Fletcher took the copilot’s seat.
“Sounds good,” Fletcher said, his adrenaline starting to beat in his veins.
“Are you sure you can get us into Area 126?” Lars asked.
Fletcher wrapped his hands around his head and leaned back. “Of course.”
“What if we’re questioned?” Lars asked.
“Why would we be questioned?” Fletcher countered.
“Because what you’re doing is wrong and you know it,” a voice chimed in behind him.
Both Fletcher and Lars shot around in their seats. Nona stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips and a stubborn look on her face.
“Officer Fuller, what are you doing here?” Fletcher asked, his voice automatically going into lieutenant mode.
“Stopping you from doing something stupid,” Nona said, and then cast her gaze at Lars. “Stopping both of you from doing something you’ll regret.”
Fletcher narrowed his eyes at her. “This is none of your business.”
“Oh, really? You’re abandoning your post,” Nona challenged. “That’s not my business?”
She knew she could get away with standing up to him. They both knew it.
“I’m not abandoning my post,” Fletcher lied.
“You’re not headed to Area 126?” Nona shot back.
Fletcher ran his hands over his shaved head. “Well, yes, we are, but it’s to help Ghost Squadron with something.”
Nona shook her head, not buying it. “So you’re not going to see the family tree located at Area 126?”
How did she know about that? Fletcher ground his teeth together. “We have business there.”
“The lieutenant is taking me into Area 126 so that I can speak to my parents,” Lars cut in.
Dammit, Kezzin. Fletcher should have guessed that Lars would rat them out at the first chance. He is honest to a fault.
“Lars, don’t be fooled,” Nona said, her gaze on Fletcher. “The lieutenant needs you to take him there because he wants to say goodbye to his father. He’s using you.”
“Dammit, Fuller, you’re out of line,” Fletcher was almost yelling.
Nona dared to march forward until she was looking straight up at him. “I don’t care. You can’t bring him back. I know it sucks. I know it isn’t right. My own father committed suicide. How much do you think I want to talk to him, to hear his reasons?”
Fletcher softened. “Nona, this is different.”
She shook her head, more adamant than he’d ever seen her. “It’s not different! We’ve all lost someone but none of us are meant to talk to them again. You think you’re going to have closure after you hear your father’s voice?”
“Yes, I do!” Fletcher yelled.
“All you’ll do is tear open a wound that will be even more impossible to heal,” Nona reasoned.
“There’s a viable way to talk to my father, and you want me to ignore that?” Fletcher’s fists were balled by his side.
“Talking to him isn’t going to change anything about the past,” Nona said, her voice calmer now. “Abandoning your post is only going to make things a hell of a lot worse right now… and you know that, even if you’ve worked hard to rationalize this.”
Lars reached out and pressed his hand down on Fletcher’s shoulder. “She’s right. We can’t bring them back. We can’t say anything that they don’t already know. They don’t need us to say goodbye or tell them that we love them. Being able to let go of our parents is how we know the love was real.”
Fletcher pressed his eyelids together. He wanted to argue. More than anything, though, he wanted to punish Nona for interfering.
“What if I helped you with something that is within your control?” Nona asked.
Fletcher opened his eyes, his curiosity taking over.
“You can’t bring your father back,” she repeated. “But you can take out the alien who murdered him.”
“Rosco,” Fletcher bit on the word.
Nona nodded. “What if, on our time off, I help you track him down? Help you take him out.”
Fletcher had been trying to find that pirate for years; he was a tricky bastard. But if he had help…well, he might be successful.
“You don’t have to do that,” Fletcher finally said. These were his demons—he didn’t want anyone else sacrificing themselves to slay them.
“I want to,” Nona implored.
“I do, too,” Lars said.
Fletcher looked between the two, stunned that they were volunteering for such a mission. Time off was rare, and to offer theirs up to hunt down a dangerous pirate wasn’t something they’d do just for their XO. It was a sacrifice one would make for a friend.
Chapter Thirteen
Hatch’s Lab, Ricky Bobby, Tangki System
“When do you think it will be operational?” Eddie asked Liesel, studying the blueprints in front of him.
“It’s hard to say,” she reasoned, toggling her head back and forth. “I’ve got a few ship repairs that are taking priority, so I can only work on this in my spare time.”
“So I’m guessing asking for you to build a pool with a slide on the third deck is out of the question?” Eddie pretended to ask.
Liesel fidgeted with her necklace, made of lug nuts. “This ship does need a water element of some sort. I could draw up plans for a fountain.”
Eddie shook his head. “I can’t dive into a fountain.”
“I’ll see if I can come up with something else that suits you,” Liesel said. “Currently, we have three of the five elements represented on the ship, which is important for achieving balance.”
“Elements?” Julianna asked as she and Hatch approached.
“Yes, the fire, air and earth elements are all represented on Ricky Bobby,” Liesel explained.
Eddie cut his eyes at Hatch, fairly sure the mechanic would tear Liesel in half for this kind of hippie talk.
“What is the fifth element?” Hatch asked.
“Spirit, of course,” the engineer said with a light laugh.
Eddie chuckled. “Come on, Hatch. How did you not know that?”
Hatch puffed up his cheeks. “Teach, I’ve had about enough of you.”
“What are you talking about?” Eddie complained. “I haven’t seen you in days,”
“Has it only been a few days?” Hatch asked.
“So after we have the Wiccan shrine constructed, then we’re getting a pool, right?” Pip asked through the overhead speaker.
Liesel laughed. “Not W
iccan. But I do think having a meditation area with candles and an intention wall would be really nice.”
Again Eddie expected Hatch to grimace, or at least flush from embarrassment. There was no doubt that Liesel was an incredibly talented and efficient engineer, but she’d been Hatch’s choice, and her oddities reflected on him.
Instead, Hatch pointed a tentacle at the blueprints resting on the station. “I’m still skeptical about the legitimacy of this project.”
“It’s only a weapon that we have at our disposal,” Eddie stated. “Just because we have it doesn’t mean we have to use it. Jules and I discussed it at length, and we think it’s better to have it and not use it than to not have the option at all. Isn’t that right?”
Julianna peered around the lab, seemingly distracted.
“Jules, isn’t that right?” Eddie asked again.
She startled, looking around at them. “Huh? Yeah, we need options.”
“Where’s your head?” Eddie asked.
Julianna cleared her throat, stepping around to peer behind a shelf. “It’s nothing. I’m looking for something…well, someone.”
“Knox isn’t here,” Hatch told her. “I gave him the day off. Actually, I told him he was fired.”
“Hatch!” Julianna reprimanded.
“What?” Hatch threw up two tentacles. “He’s stressed and needs to get some rest, but every time I offer him time off, he refuses.”
“So you fired him?” Liesel asked, looking amused.
“I’ll rehire him tomorrow.” Hatch waved them off.
“But in the meantime, he’s probably pretty upset,” Eddie said.
“He’s upset anyway,” Hatch complained. “At least he can try and get some rest this way.”
“Your management style is interesting,” the captain observed.
“You probably don’t get it, since I don’t encourage my direct subordinates to get plastered,” Hatch quipped.
Julianna was back to searching the lab, Eddie noticed.
“Who are you looking for?” he asked.
She tensed. “Marilla mentioned that Harley has been missing since he ran off after Sebastian.”
