by Jay Toney
Doc and Elaunae left the tunnels and the fetor of the sewers behind them. They are both glad to get out of the stench. Doc hoped that whoever was sent down into the sewers to search for them choke on their vomit. It would serve them right. "I'll scrub your back if you scrub mine," Doc said to his wife. He felt crawling sensations all over his body. Doc knew it is his imagination messing with him. He felt pretty sure that his wife feels the same way.
"Yes. A good scrub is needed after being in that place. You need not be concerned about washing my backside. It is I who serves you. I will make sure you get a proper cleansing when we get back home," Elaunae told Doc.
The area of the Market they are walking though caters to people in need of computer hackers, new identifications guaranteed to pass law and customs enforcement checks, and people who are interested in exotic entertainment. Unlicensed prostitutes and sex slaves are available for hire by the hour, by the day, or permanently. Very few of them are human. Most of them are humanoid, but a good portion of them are exotic species for people who liked to experiment with different species and sexes.
Elaunae couldn't help but notice. "Have the people here no shame? The women and other beings here are unclean and smell of disease," she told her mate.
"The people who come here to use the services offered don't care. It isn't the people working the streets here that brought disease to this place. It was their customers," Doc explained to his wife. He hurried, heading west towards the spaceport, and hopefully their safety. Doc felt sure that he could out fly the Alliance pilots. Once they made it to their transport ship, they would be safe enough.
Doc and his wife hurried through the crowd. The whining sound to two blaster bolts filled the air. Elaunae stopped and dropped the rat's carcass that she is carrying. Her mouth and eyes are wide open in an expression of stunned disbelief. Doc's wife fell to the ground dead. She has two burns, one in the center of her back, the other at the base of her skull.
Doc looked in the direction the gunfire came from. A man holding a blaster rifle stood there. He wore the black uniform of an Alliance soldier, but he isn't wearing a helmet and visor to conceal his identity. Doc recognized him immediately. Captain Thornton murdered his wife. A rage that Doc never felt before filled him. He is going to make Thornton suffer before he kills him.
Captain Thornton pointed at Doc Roberts with his forefinger, and his thumb pointed up, miming a gun. Then he disappeared into the crowd. Doc fell to his knees at his dead wife's side.
Payback
Doc felt the moment of his wife's death. It was like a piece of him was ripped away. Doc didn't feel like he is dying, but he felt an emptiness inside of him that he could never fill. If there is an afterlife, he prayed that his wife is happy in it. Doc didn't believe in life after death. Most humans, including himself, lost their belief in religion long ago. He believed that he only had one life to live and when it was over, the only thing he has to look forward to is an eternity of darkness.
Antares regulars swarmed into the market area. It didn't take them long to find Doc Roberts and his dead wife. Minutes later, General Sherman, the closest thing he has to a friend on this planet, arrived. He placed a hand on Doc's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. We were too late to stop the Alliance. We came here as soon as we were alerted that they are here. Elaunae will be missed. We all loved her. You were lucky to have had such a wonderful woman in your life, even if it was for such a short time."
General Sherman helped lift Elaunae's lifeless body. Doc picked up and carried her out of the market square to his friend's waiting ground car. The general opened the car's passenger door, and then Doc placed his wife inside before getting in and sitting beside her. General Sherman closed the door and took a seat up front next to the driver. "We will drop you off at your hotel, and then I will see to Elaunae's funeral preparations," General Sherman said to Doc.
"No. Take us to my ship. Elaunae will have her funeral in space. She was a priestess who had her own temple and a sizable congregation that worshiped the gods of the sun and moon. I will return her to her gods. Antares may not be her home system, but its sun is still symbolic of the gods she worshiped," Doc told his friend.
They drove to the spaceport in silence. The guard at its entry gate recognized the General's staff car and opened the gate for them. The driver drove onto the tarmac and stopped at Doc's private launch. The general got out of the car and opened the door for his friend. "If I may, I would like to come with you and attend Elaunae's funeral," General Sherman said to Doc.
"Elaunae would like that, but I am afraid I can't bring you with me. Immediately after the funeral, I plan on hunting down Captain Thornton and killing him. Elaunae's death will be avenged. I don't plan on returning to Antares until he is dead. It might be a long time, too long to take you away from Antares," Doc told General Sherman.
Doc's friend helped carry Elaunae into the small ship and strap her into an acceleration chair. General Sherman said his final goodbyes to Doc's wife before leaving. Doc sealed the hatch and then sat behind the helm controls. As soon as the general's staff car was clear, Doc started the launch's engines and repulsorlift.
Doc didn't bother going through the preflight diagnostics. He didn't care any longer. The only thing that is driving him is his need for revenge and his son. Nathaniel is all that Doc had left of his wife. If he survived his next encounter with Captain Thornton, Doc would do his best to raise his son. Elaunae would want that.
The ship lifted off of the ground. As soon as the launch is at a safe altitude above the spaceport, Doc pushed the launch's throttles forward and pulled back on the controls. The ship gained altitude rapidly, and soon he is in orbit. Doc set his course for the Queen Anne's Revenge. He and his wife would be home in minutes.
His starship isn't in orbit where it is supposed to be. Doc activated the launch's comm and called his ship. Devon answered the comm. "Where in the hell are you!" Doc demanded. The image on the small viewscreen changed to Natasha. "We are in pursuit of the Ajax. It is headed out of the star system, trying to reach the nearest hyperspace jump point. I'm not sure we can catch it. The cruiser has a lead on us and more powerful engines. We are doing the best that we can," Natasha reported.
"Break off the attack! I'll deal with Thornton, myself, later. Other things need to be attended to first," Doc ordered his starship's AI.
Jadsia's image filled the screen. "We just heard about your wife. I'm sorry. We all are," she said to Doc.
"Have Natasha bring the ship to a stop, and give me the ship's coordinates. Assemble everyone in the main shuttle bay. Elaunae's funeral will take place as soon as I land."
After getting his starship's coordinates, Doc changed course to intercept the Queen Anne's Revenge. He had a few minutes before he got to his ship. He turned to his wife to say his final goodbye, but he couldn't. He saw that she is gone. Her body is nothing but a lifeless, empty shell. He realized that he is never going to wake again to his wife's cheerful singing while she prepares their morning meal.
Doc turned his attention back to piloting his launch. He lined the spacecraft up, over the Queen Anne's Revenge's upper deck runway, and fired the reverse thrusters to slow his ship down. The shuttle bay doors stood open waiting for him to bring his launch in. Doc lowered the ship's landing skids and eased the vessel over its parking area. He touched down on the hangar deck and shut down the ship's drives. The hangar doors closed and the shuttle bay began pressurizing.
As soon as the hangar is pressurized, Dr. Marcus entered the shuttle bay driving a gravsled with a coffin on its cargo deck. He parked the gravsled next to Doc's launch. Then he boarded the transport to help Captain Roberts bring his wife out.
Dr. Marcus unfastened Elaunae's harness and leaned her forward. He saw the blackened material where the blaster bolts hit her. He r
emoved the burned cloth exposing the wounds. "She didn't have a chance. The person who shot her knew where to hit her. Either shot would have killed her instantly. She didn't feel any pain," Dr. Marcus told Doc. Together they lifted Elaunae and carried her to the waiting gravsled. Then they placed her inside the coffin and closed the lid.
"When I get her to sickbay, I will get her cleaned up and looking like she is asleep. The whole crew will want to say their goodbyes to her," Dr. Marcus told Doc.
Under normal circumstances, there is a three-day delay before the funeral service for the crew. This gave the medical staff time to clean and prepare the body for the viewing and the final goodbyes from friends and family. "There isn't time. Services will be held immediately. The crew is already assembled in the main shuttle bay." Doc told the doctor.
Dr. Marcus drove the gravsled into the freight lift. Doc pushed the button to take them down eight levels to the main shuttle bay deck. While the elevator was descending, Doc pulled his comm unit from his pocket and used it to contact Natasha. "Set course to Antares's primary star, bring the ship up to three percent light speed."
"The course is set, and we are accelerating," Natasha reported to the captain.
The lift stopped, and the doors opened. Dr. Marcus drove the gravsled to the port side hangar doors. He turned off the gravsled, and then he and Doc got off the cargo vehicle. Captain Roberts set his comm unit to access the ship-wide speakers. He wanted everyone to hear what he had to say. "We do not have time for grief or long goodbyes. Our mission changes here and now. We are no longer privateers working for and supporting the Alliance and its tyranny. Now we are rebel force fighting for a cause. That cause isn't just seeking revenge; we will do that. It is also to make the Alliance pay for all of the sufferings that they have caused our families and friends. We will make them pay dearly. If they discover that we are behind the mayhem that I plan to cause, we will be hunted down and executed as traitors. Anyone who doesn't want to follow me, get with your department heads. Severance will be paid, and transportation back to Antares IV will be arranged."
Jane, Randolph, Jadsia, Devon, Elliot, Bill, Angel, and all of the rest of the ship's department heads and supervisors stepped forward. Then Jane, holding Nathaniel's hand spoke. "Captain Roberts, I can tell you without any doubt that none of us are leaving. We have all had a good life aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. If we had stayed in the Alliance, most of us would have been conscripted into the military, forced into work camps, imprisoned in re-education centers, or worse. All of us have lost family and friends to the Alliance tyranny. It is past time we give them a little payback."
Doc looked in the eyes of every crewman present. He saw the determination in their eyes and more. They aren't just people with careers aboard his starship, they are his extended family. "Everyone, take a moment of silence to say your goodbyes to Elaunae," Doc said to everyone assembled in the shuttle bay.
The hangar is totally silent. Everyone is quiet, making no noise, but the crew's lips could be seen speaking their farewells to Elaunae. After the moment passed Doc used his comm unit to call the bridge. "Energize the port side forcefield," Doc instructed the starship's AI. The forcefield projectors are rarely used because of the power drain they cause to the cruiser's power plant. The forcefields can only be used for about 30 minutes before they need to be deactivated so that the ship's power cells wouldn't be completely drained and could recharge. That is more than enough time.
"The forcefield is operating and stable," Natasha told Doc.
"Open the port side hangar door and reduce gravity to five percent," Doc instructed Natasha.
The hangar doors began sliding open and the artificial gravity in the shuttle bay lessened. When the door is completely open, Doc pushed the coffin, containing his beloved wife, through the forcefield into space. In less than a day, she will be reduced to her basic elements and join the sun. As soon as Elaunae was passed the forcefield, the hangar doors closed, the forcefield deactivated, and gravity was restored. Captain Roberts dismissed everyone and headed to the bridge.
Doc got there before his other officers. "Natasha, I have a special assignment for you. I need you to use your avatar to help with educating and raising Nathaniel. She is to stay with him, as a constant companion, whenever he is not with Jane or me."
"In what capacity is he to be educated," the AI asked.
"He needs to learn everything necessary to pilot a starfighter and to fill in for every major system on the ship. One day soon, if we survive, he will be captain of this vessel," Doc answered the AI.
"And, when he comes of age and becomes curious about girls?" Natasha asked.
Doc answered, "I expect you to teach him everything he needs to know. That includes sex. It is better that he learns from your avatar than in the port town warrens or the red districts on space stations."
"Understood. I will see to Nathaniel's education immediately," the AI told Doc.
"We have a new mission. Set course for the Osama star system, maximum speed."
"If we leave now, we will arrive a week ahead of our scheduled payment appointment," the AI reminded Captain Roberts.
"Good, that means we will likely get there first and have the advantage," Doc said.
"The course is set. Our estimated time of arrival to the jump point is seven hours, at maximum speed. The sensor scans show only normal system traffic," Natasha reported.
"Enter hyperspace as soon as it is safe to do so. Don't wait for me or anyone else," Doc instructed the AI.
"Your orders are recorded and acknowledged," Natasha told Doc. Captain Roberts left the bridge just as Jadsia and Devon are arriving. His son is too young to understand what happened to his mother. Doc had to try to explain what happened to his mother in a way that he would understand. He isn't looking forward to the conversation. His son is three years old. He is going to have to grow up early. Doc hated it, but Nathaniel's childhood is at an end.
The Queen Anne's Revenge exited hyperspace in the Osama star system. Its star was once a small, bright yellow dwarf. It exhausted its fuel, and now all that is left is a tiny black dwarf, only three percent of the sun's original size. Nebula gas still surrounded the star. The inner planets are gone having been consumed by the sun when it expanded into a red giant.
Now the solar system is lifeless. Three of the outer planets still orbited the star, all frozen worlds. There is nothing here that anybody wants, well, almost anybody. Smugglers, thieves, pirates, and the Alliance military use the solitude of this star system and others like it. That is why Doc is here.
The Alliance, by treaty from the last war, cannot bring military vessels into Commonwealth territory without first disabling the warship's weapons and being escorted. The Alliance government agreed to the terms but ignored them. They have been operating in Commonwealth space, covertly, taking resources and destabilizing the governments of star systems wherever they can.
That is Doc's job as a privateer operating under a Letter of Marque from the Alliance government. At least, it used to be his job. The Alliance went too far when one of its officers assassinated his wife. The Alliance considered the action as correcting a misdeed from one of its citizens. What they didn't realize is that they unwittingly released a fury in Doc that will cost them dearly.
Doc didn't just want the Alliance Captain that killed his wife dead, he wants to destroy the very foundation that sanctioned one of its representatives to kill her. He planned on making the Alliance pay for every second that he suffered. He planned on making the Alliance starship that is coming to collect his tax payment his first target.
"Devon, make sure our transponders are silenced.
Natasha, turn off all exterior lights including the formation and anti-collision lights. Bring the ship to a dead stop.
The Alliance starship isn't due for another three to four days. They won't be expecting the Queen Anne's Revenge to arrive for two to three days after that. The Alliance courier is unknowingly sailing into a trap.
Doc had time to kill while he is waiting for the Alliance starship to show up. Recently, he had a nagging desire to study medicine. A day or two of studying medical journals should get it out of his system. "Natasha, set up a study course for medical certification for me, "Doc instructed the ship's AI.
"What field of study?" Natasha answered.
Doc isn't sure. Did it have to be a specific field of medicine? He had time to read and study, especially while they are in hyperspace or waiting in the dark like they are doing. Advances in hypnopedia made years of study possible in months or weeks. Any clinical training that needs to be done could be done under Dr. Marcus's supervision in the infirmary or in a holographic simulation. Of course, that is providing that Doc still has an interest after the first couple of sessions. "I'm not sure, I suppose all of them, but I want to start with Elaunae's journal of herbal remedies. I want to read it and then memorize it with hypnopedia," Doc told Natasha.
"There are approximately 821 training sessions. It will take four years to complete the training courses and the associated clinical training you have selected," Natasha informed Doc.
"That long? Either I will have enough time to do it or I won't. Send Elaunae's journal to my comp. I'll start with that now."
Doc read his wife's book while he waited. Bill, Angel, and Elliot stood watch on the bridge when Doc was absent from it. He only left to eat and sleep. Doc wants to know the instant the Alliance courier arrives.
