by Chris Vaughn
The men with his father all nodded their approval of Luke Shepherd with grunts and pats on his back.
“Never forget this Luke. El-Gibhor knows the heart of a man, not just his actions. And when his heart is pure, He will direct his actions, and He will protect him… even from being labeled a rogue. If his heart is right and pure towards him.”
The knowledge he hadn’t let his father down welled up within Luke, and his eyes filled with more tears that rolled down his face, as the men continued to pat him on the back and have him tell them how he defeated the rustlers.
“It was nothing really. I remembered the hornet’s didn’t like the radio like Sorley told me earlier in the cave…” he said to hear Sorley clear his throat and put his finger to his lips.
“Elder Shepherd can I make another request of young Shepherd?”
“Why of course old friend,” Jefferson replied.
“I know that you and your men will need to tend the cattle out on the plain. Can Luke accompany me and help me fly my ship out of here,” Sorley said. His eyes contacted with Luke's eyes, “I suspect there may be need for help in getting her flying again after that last landing.”
“That is good with me, if good with my son.”
“Yes sir, father. I would like that,” Luke said with a smile that glowed.
“But first Sorley, let us cut several cattle out tonight, and one we will use as a sacrifice to El-Gibhor for protecting Luke and you, and the others we will eat on tonight and rest. Sorley you will lead us in the prayers of thanksgiving and the sacrifice.”
All the men shouted for the knowledge that tonight they would eat and celebrate before their cattle ride back to the ranch.
Sorley built an altar, and the fire needed for the sacrifice and killed the best calf for the sacrifice. Every man in the group knelt down and gave thanks for the great hand of protection of El-Gibhor. The fire later was transferred to a pit where the meat for the celebration would take place, and food and wine was pulled out of the provisions the men had brought.
Towards the end of the meal Sorley came and sat by the young boy still basking in the congratulations of his father and the men for being so brave.
“Do you really think I damaged the ship Sorley? I didn’t mean to. I did the best I could,” Luke said to the old man as they sat and ate.
“No Luke I don’t think you hurt the ship. And that’s a good thing,” Sorley said.
“Where did you go Sorley? How…”
“Luke I told you that will be for another time and another place. Just be thankful now to El-Gibhor for protecting you.” Sorley placed a hand on Luke’s head. His hand that still carried dried blood from the sacrifice. “The hand of El-Gibhor is on you son, and that is something your young mind cannot grasp.”
“How long do you think it will take to fix your ship and fly it to your home? Is that back into the Vespian Cave?”
“Oh we won’t be taking it to my home?”
“Then where Sorley,” Luke asked.
“We will make sure she can fly, and she is safe, and we need to give it a name. What name sounds good to you young Shepherd?” Sorley asked.
Luke looked at the ship and his eyes looked off in the distance to where the Vespian Caves were far off and then back to the ship.
“How about The Hornet’s Nest?” Luke answered. “Do you like that?”
“That is a good name for her to have young Shepherd. Tomorrow you will help me paint that name on her, and a few days later we will fly your ship to your home.”
“My ship?” Luke asked.
“Young Shepherd. El-Gibhor always honors those who are pure in heart… and brave in battle. Just promise me this and she is yours,” Sorley said.
“Yes sir. What's the promise?”
“That you will keep your heart true to El-Gibhor. And you remember that it is He who wants you to have this ship. I am giving it to you by His command.”
Chapter 15
Five days later and early in the morning, The Hornet’s Nest’s thrusters blew the dust and dirt around the Shepherd ranch. Every man and all of Luke’s brothers had seen the ship on the horizon and as it made several passes over the ranch. Thrusters fired intermittently as the ship set itself down with a gentle nudge to the ground. Luke at the controls had learned quick how to handle the ship as Sorley had given him quick lessons on handling her.
The door of the ship came open and Jefferson walked past Luke and welcomed his friend to his home. They talked the routine talk of meals and hospitality but Sorley clarified he had somewhere to be before sundown and wouldn’t be able to stay the night.
“Then we will hate to see you leave. Where will you be taking your ship?” Jefferson asked.
“Oh, I’m not going in a ship. I’ll be walking like I always have done,” Sorley said.
“Then we will keep your ship for you,” Jefferson said.
“That is not needed Elder Shepherd,” Sorley said. The old man with the rough face raised his hands and cleared his throat to gather the attention of all those around.
“It is my desire to give my ship to Luke Shepherd. The youngest son of Jefferson Shepherd, the Chief Elder of Bethel 5,” Sorley said to the whispered gasps of those attending.
“But I,” Jefferson stammered.
“There is no discussion of this Elder Shepherd. I give this ship to young Shepherd under the hand and direction of El-Gibhor as a reward for saving me and your cattle from the hands of the rustlers, and as a sign of the pure heart that lives inside him. And woe be to the man who tries to hamper what the hand of El-Gibhor has given to young Shepherd this day!” Sorley said with a tone and a long look at the men of the ranch and the sons of Jefferson Shepherd. “Come Elder Shepherd, let us eat a quick meal before I must leave.”
Luke worked to secure the ship and power down the engines with Sorley as the family prepared the noon meal. The two of them were the only ones who got anything accomplished as all of Jefferson’s son, and the men of the ranch, did nothing but talk of how someone could give a young boy such a huge gift.
Dinner bells rang, and men cleaned up for the small feast set before them to honor Sorley. Sorley stood and gave thanksgiving for the meal was to be eaten and for the protection of the Shepherd Clan, and for all The Twelve Clans of the Galaxy. Sorley wouldn’t let young Shepherd out of his sight and insisted he sit beside his father during the meal. Sorley giving Luke the seat reserved for him beside Jefferson; the seat of greatest respect and honor for the day and meal.
As soon as Sorley ate his last bite, he turned to Luke and Jefferson, “I must now go. Perchance you could give me some food for my journey?”
Jefferson made a nod and spoke to a worker to prepare provisions and food for Sorley. “And bring out a burro to carry the provisions. Since you want let me buy the ship from you Sorley at least take the burro as a gift,” Jefferson said.
“I told you Elder Shepherd. The ship isn’t from me. It is a gift from El-Gibhor to the boy.”
Not waiting for an answer, Sorley stood up and walked towards the worker working to put the provisions together and for the burro to come forth.
“Young Shepherd, you will accompany me for a time today. Now let us go.”
Sorley pulled the burro behind him as he and Luke walked down the road away from the ranch. Every man, all of his brother’s and sisters, and Jefferson himself watched until the two of them walked out of sight beyond a ridge.
Sorley never said a word during the entire walk until at last he stopped and turned to the young boy.
“Here is where I will leave you Luke,” Sorley said.
“I’ll take care of your ship Sorley.”
“Again Luke, receive the gift given to you and I know you will. I spoke to your father about teaching you how to take care of it and to help you fix it as you see fit. Practice with the cannons. I told him too that you are gifted in being a pilot. But you have much to learn. Let this gift be something that humbles you and doesn’t pull you to being a you
th that is a rogue.”
“Yes sir, Sorley.” Luke said.
Sorley wrapped his old hands around the face of Luke and said, “May the face of El-Gibhor be kind to you as you follow Him; may the face of El-Gibhor make a way for you in a hard place; and may the hand of El-Gibhor always rest on your heart to love Him.”
Luke watched as Sorley turned and walked towards the horizon. The heat of the day caused the land in the distance to look hazy. Not going more than a hundred meters, Sorley turned and raised his hand to Luke, and Luke waved in return.
The haze in the background of Sorley seemed as if heat was rising from the planet. The thought of the heat didn’t seem strange as Luke watched Sorley pull his old cloak off to reveal a bright red robe. The old man tied it tight around him and pulled the hood over his head.
Sorley waved at Luke once more, then vanished in the haze of the horizon.
The Cover... I Feel The Same Way
This may not even bother you, but since you’ve read this far, I wanted to thank you and tell you something I figure you’ve thought about. I may shouldn’t even bring it up, or say anything about it, cause you may not even think about it, but I wanted to address it. It means a lot you’ve purchased my writing, and I take that personally and thank you for investing your the time.
So here it is.
I’m not happy with my covers! I feel like maybe I should find a Priest like Somhairle for some confession, but that is the truth! I can’t find artwork yet that I like that depicts The Hornet’s Nest, The Royal Bridge, or and of the Gimti Cruisers.
Now the covers I have I like. I like that the covers that I have will use the same ship in different depictions which conveys the story I have in my head. I like the ship too, and it seems to picture the essence of The Hornet's Nest, but it's lacking. The truth is I’ve looked everywhere I can find to find affordable artwork that have those images, but I can’t find them. I found one that is incredible! But the price of just that one, puts it out of my reach at the moment.
I’m told this is a story where the Star Wars’ Death Star collides with the Old Testament and bounces out some of the Pirates of the Caribbean. I like that description.
I love sailing ships! Old cutters, frigates, and ships that sailed during the Napoleonic Era with Lord Nelson. I love pirates too, and the stories of those men who braved the seven seas. The story idea started with sailing ships and pirates, but I needed a bigger canvas to tell the story than the seven seas of Earth.
In my head I see basically the ship on the cover, but it has railings and gun ports with retractable masts for ion sails, and on the top deck is an atmospheric shield that provides a sustainable atmosphere and gravity for the men on board.
I want space ships with sails of a sort and until I find them, I’ll use the covers I have and hope your imagination fills in the gaps and imagines the adventure in the books. When I find graphics are in my head, and can afford to change them… I’ll be swapping them out!
So I hope you give me some creative license and fill in the blanks, the gun ports, the bridge, and the masts with sails when needed.
Here's to putting on a Red Robe and let’s go Rogue!
Thank you for reading ROGUE SHEPHERD: A Hornet’s Nest
PREQUEL 1 OF THE ROGUE SHEPHERD SPACE SERIES
This is my first science fiction/space opera series, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!
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~Chris Vaughn
Chris Vaughn grew up listening to his parents, especially his Mother, and others tell the fun, wild stories of childhood, life, and ghosts that held your imagination. The great story tellers are to him artists, though theirs was a verbal tradition. Chris still loves reading, and hearing a good story but prefers to tell them, and now write them.
Chris wants to keep that gift going forward in writing. The stories he heard as a child made it so you couldn’t sleep, which was either from laughter, excitement, or fear! He hopes his stories do the same for you.
He grew up in the South, where the pace of life was slower than he could tolerate. He currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and three children.
Psalms 1:1-3
