by Tripp Ellis
Vlaax was a little over 6 feet tall, and Nard barely broke 5 feet. They each had large yellow offset eyes and green scaly skin. They resembled walking iguanas.
“You have experience with Valkyries?" Ray asked.
"Of course,” Vlaax said. “Our last contract was on a Valkyrie. We both have extensive knowledge of propulsion systems and navigation."
“I need someone who can think on their feet, troubleshoot problems, and keep this thing running.”
“I can keep your ship in the air for as long as you want to fly”
“And I need strong backs to move cargo."
“I’m not afraid of getting my hands dirty and doing a little heavy lifting."
“ZV-0 talked to you about the rate?"
“Yes. That’s acceptable to us."
“One last thing. As the captain of this ship, my word is law. You follow every order without question. Is that understood?"
"I wouldn't serve under a Captain who thought differently,” Vlaax said.
Ray eyed them cautiously. He rubbed the stubble on his jaw as he pondered the decision. Vlaax took note of the tattoo on the back of Ray's hand.
“That’s an interesting tattoo,” Vlaax said.
Ray's eyes widened. Suddenly, the reptile had his full attention. "Have you seen it before?"
Vlaax hesitated. "No."
“Are you sure?"
"It's just a unique design."
Ray paused for a moment. He wasn’t totally sold on hiring these guys, but he needed the extra hands. “All right. You're hired—on a probationary basis." Ray extended his hand and clasped the tall reptile’s scaly palm.
“You won’t be disappointed, sir.”
Ray shook hands with the little guy.
“It's a pleasure, sir,” Nard said.
“Get your gear stowed,” Ray said. “We move out in 15 minutes."
“Aye, sir,” Vlaax replied.
The two aliens scurried up the loading ramp, lugging their gear in duffel bags slung over their shoulders.
Ray yelled up to ZV-0 atop the Valkyrie. "You got those shields sorted out?"
"Almost."
“Quit screwing around. We don’t have all day.”
“This hunk of shit still flies?” Grace said as she entered the bay with Ava clinging to her.
“Yes, she still flies. And I’ll take her over a Stingray or an Osprey any day.”
“It’s a pretty ship,” Ava slurred.
“See. It meets with her approval.” Ray grinned smugly.
“She’s never seen a space ship before,” Grace countered.
“If you can find something better, by all means, go ahead. Otherwise, I suggest you get on board before I change my mind.”
Grace shot him a look, then proceeded to help Ava as she stumbled up the ramp.
Ray watched them disappear into the craft, then his eyes darted up to ZV-0. Sparks showered down as he welded a section of the hull.
Ray heard footsteps and looked back toward the entrance to the landing bay. A squad of Imperial Soturi filed in, weapons drawn.
“Don’t move. Put your hands in the air. We need to see your registration and transport permits. Your ship must be inspected!” the squad leader yelled.
“Alright, alright. No need to get excited. I’m just going to grab my registration card.” Ray slowly moved his hand toward his pocket. Like lightning, he snatched his sidearm and blasted several plasma rounds at the goons, taking one out.
A flurry of pulses came streaking back at him. Sparks showered down as the blasts erupted against the hull of the Valkyrie. The plasma pulses left behind black smoldering score marks.
ZV-0 looked perturbed—they were ruining all of his work. He fired at the squad from one of his articulating arms. Blue plasma pulses streaked through the air, vaporizing one of the squad member’s skull. The Soturi’s headless body crumpled to the ground. No blood oozed out since the wound was instantly cauterized.
Ray zigzagged up the ramp, narrowly escaping steaks of plasma. ZV-0 followed behind and remotely activated the ship’s cannons. They auto-targeted the Soturi and incinerated them with massive blasts. Body parts and broken armor scattered everywhere.
ZV-0 flew up the ramp as it was closing.
Ray sprinted to the cockpit and slid into the pilot’s seat. He flicked switches and pressed buttons. The dash came alive with a glowing array of digital gauges and instrumentation. The massive engines powered up, and what started as a low pitched rumble grew to a high-frequency hum.
ZV-0 joined him in the cockpit. He hovered over the copilot seat.
More troops were piling into the bay, blasting at the Valkyrie.
“Are those shields going to hold?” Ray asked.
“I hope so,” ZV-0 said.
Ray gave him a sideways glance. “That’s not a yes.”
“That’s not a no either.”
Ray throttled up, and the craft lumbered off the ground. Within a few seconds, it cleared the walls of the bay. Ray pulled back on the flight controls and angled the craft toward the sky. He fully engaged the thrusters, sending a scalding wave of thruster wash into the bay. It knocked the platoon of Soturi off their feet. The Valkyrie soon became a small speck, disappearing into the clouds.
The Valkyrie quaked as it rocketed through the turbulent upper atmosphere. Buckled into her safety harness, Ava hung on for dear life. She looked green, struggling to hold onto the contents of her stomach. Four Red Razors combined with her first space flight wasn’t a good mix. “I don’t feel so good.”
“She’s not going to hurl, is she?” Ray asked, concerned.
“I don't know, Ray. We'll just have to wait and see." Grace smiled at him.
Ava’s cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. She managed to hang on and stifle it back down. The sour acidic taste burned in the back of her throat and in her nostrils.
The vibration settled as the Valkyrie escaped the atmosphere and entered space. Ava felt light in her seat, and the only thing holding her into place was the safety harness. The odd sensation of weightlessness wasn't helping settle her stomach. It wasn't long before the contents of her stomach decided to make their own escape. What was left of the four Red Razors came spewing out. The red liquid formed multiple orbs, floating in the air like its own galaxy.
Ray engaged the artificial gravity, and the liquid splashed against the deck. “You’re cleaning that up."
Ava nodded. "I feel much better now." The words slurred from her lips. She still looked like hell. She wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her coat, leaving a red trail.
“ZV-0, plot jump coordinates and make it quick,” Ray barked.
They may have escaped the Imperial troops on Crysolos, but the Wolverine class destroyer in orbit around the planet was another matter entirely.
11
Imperial fighters swarmed from the destroyer. They quickly closed in on the aging Valkyrie. The Wolverine’s massive cannons blasted at the scrappy little ship. Ray twirled through space, trying to dodge the streaks of plasma. A charge impacted the hull, shuddering the Valkyrie. The energy dissipated over the shields with an electrostatic glow.
In the cockpit, an alarm sounded. Ray flipped a switch silencing the alarm.
“We lost a transducer,” ZV-0 said.
“I can see that,” Ray grumbled. “Can you hurry up with those jump coordinates?”
“Calculating jump coordinates is a complex process that requires attention to detail and careful processing.“
“I’ve met automated dishwashers that process faster than you. Get us out of here.”
The Imperial fighters swooped into position, unleashing a torrent of plasma bursts. The Valkyrie’s defensive cannons swung into position, targeting the inbound threats. Plasma bolts blasted at the fighters, exploding one of them into a brilliant amber ball. Bits of the fuselage and avionics tumbled into space.
The other fighters continued to pepper the Valkyrie with weapons fire. Ray pulled hard on the controls, trying to
evade the attackers.
“Jump coordinates programed,” ZV-0 said.
Ray engaged the slide-space drive. The bulkheads warbled as a quantum distortion washed through the ship. The Valkyrie vanished from Crysolos, leaving the TXR-6 Vanquish fighters in its wake.
Ray leaned back in his seat with a grin. “Now that’s how it’s done.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “You took multiple direct hits. Your shields are down to 40%. And it took numbnuts here way to long to program simple coordinates.”
“We’re still alive, aren’t we?”
“Barely. And if your sidekick hadn’t fried his neural processor with stim-sticks he might function better.”
"I am operating at 105% of capacity.”
Grace scoffed.
"You can get off this ship any time,” Ray said forcing a smile. He climbed out of his seat and marched out of the cockpit, mindful not to step in the mess that Ava had made. He was perturbed by the whole situation. He was confronted in the corridor by Vlaax, one of the newly hired deck hands.
“Can I have a word with you, Captain?”
“What is it?” Ray was in no mood. He kept striding down the passageway.
“There was no mention of Imperial conflict when we signed on.”
“Shit happens."
“We negotiated compensation based on standard cargo rates, not combat situations.”
Ray stopped and stared at him. "Every cargo ship in the galaxy comes under fire at one time or another. Don't tell me you're scared of a little Imperial harassment from time to time?”
Vlaax scowled at him. “I am afraid of nothing.”
“Good. So we’re all on the same page.” Ray strolled away, leaving Vlaax less than satisfied.
GRACE ASKED Ava how she was feeling.
“I don’t think I want any more Red Razors.” Ava had seen better days.
Grace laughed. She unbuckled her safety harness and helped Ava out of her seat. “Let’s get you to a cabin so you can lie down.”
Ava nodded.
“I’ll clean up the mess.”
“Thank you,” Ava mumbled.
“I assume you’ve got an empty compartment for us?” Grace asked ZV-0.
“Deck 2, port side. The Quasar Suite.”
“Sounds luxurious,” Grace snarked.
Ava staggered down the hallway, clinging to Grace. Vlaax eyed them as they passed. His intense gaze and demeanor didn’t exactly make them feel comfortable.
The Quasar Suite wasn’t as bad as Grace anticipated. It wasn’t a 5 star luxury accommodation, but it was spacious—all things considered. There were two bunks, a desk, a display panel and a private bath.
Grace helped Ava to one of the bunks. “Try to sleep it off.”
Ava pealed off her thermal garments and curled up on the bunk. But just as she was getting comfortable, a wave of panic washed over her face. She lunged for her coat, digging into the pocket that contained the shard. She relaxed as she gripped the crystal. It was just where she had left it. She breathed a sigh of relief and held it close as she reclined on the rack.
Grace watched her nod off, then eased out of the compartment, trying not to wake her. She strolled the corridors until she found Ray. He was replacing a shield oscillator that had been damaged during the attack.
“Do you need a hand with anything?”
He didn’t acknowledge her. He just kept working on the oscillator.
“Thank you for doing this," Grace said.
Ray was silent a moment. “I guess I'm just a nice guy.” His voice was laced with more than a tinge of sarcasm.
“You have your moments. Few and far between, but…”
He gave her a sideways glance over his shoulder. “Every Imperial ship in the fleet is going to be looking for us."
“It wouldn’t be any fun if there wasn’t a challenge,“ Grace said.
“I’ll remind you of that when we’re captured and tortured as traitors to the Realm.”
“That's what I like about you. Always a positive attitude."
“I'm practical. I try to anticipate situations so I can react to them appropriately,” he said smugly.
“Really? Did you anticipate this?" Vlaax stood at the hatch aiming an assault rifle at Ray.
Ray scowled at him.
“Get your hands up, and keep them up. Both of you,” Vlaax said.
Ray dropped his tools on the deck, then lifted his hands in the air. He turned around to face the reptilian deck hand. “If this is about the pay, I guess I can bump you up by ten percent.”
“I’m afraid you’d have to come up with quite a bit more than that." Vlaax motioned to Nard, who rushed in and grabbed both of their pistols.
Nard took aim, holding a pistol in each hand.
“What do you want?” Ray asked.
“The Realm is looking for an Oracle who is in possession of the shard. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. They're looking for Ava. And that stone she carries will fetch a handsome price."
Ray chuckled. “That’s a good one. If that girl was an Oracle carrying the Shard of Vezmir, I'd sell her out myself."
“Move,” Vlaax yelled. He motioned toward the hatch with the barrel of his rifle.
Ray scowled at him, but complied. Vlaax marched them down the corridor to a holding cell. He pressed the button on the bulkhead and the hatch slid open. Again, he motioned with his weapon for them to step inside. Once Ray and Grace stepped into the cell, Vlaax closed the hatch behind them, sealing them in.
Vlaax peered in through the polycarbonate glass viewport and gave Ray a smug grin. Then he addressed Nard. “Stay here and keep an eye on them. I'm going to take care of that robot."
"Sure thing,” Nard said. “Just so were straight on this… we're splitting this 50-50, right?"
“Of course,” he said in a reassuring tone. But something in his eyes said otherwise.
“What are we going to do with them?”
“Once we don't need them anymore, we’ll space them and keep the ship.” Vlaax marched down the corridor, heading toward the cockpit.
12
ZV-0 reclined in the co-pilot’s seat, listening to music, holding a stim-stick in his hand like a joint. He was taking casual hits from it by briefly inserting it into his I/O port. A wave of euphoria rushed through his neural processor, settling into a nice full body high. The stimulant affected his sensory inputs, dulling his response time. It seemed even robots liked to alter their consciousness.
“How are those working out for you?" Vlaax said as he entered the cockpit.
“Not bad. Smooth and mellow, but it fades pretty quick.”
Vlaax pulled out a stim-stick from his pocket and handed it to ZV-0. “Try this."
“Holding out the good stuff on me, eh?”
“Not at all. I just thought you might like the first batch. Everybody’s different. No two neural processors are the same.”
“What do I owe you for this one?”
“It's on the house. A token of my appreciation for helping us get the job,” Vlaax smiled.
“Hey, I only introduced you to Ray. He makes all the decisions,” ZV-0 said. “Besides, you’ve been a solid dealer for the last 6 months. You seem trustworthy.” ZV-0 smiled. The effects of the stimulant were distorting the presentation of his facial features on the display panel. His eyes were narrow, and he looked thoroughly baked.
ZV-0 inserted the new stim-stick. Within seconds, his face completely distorted. A tremor ran through his body, then he powered off completely. His arms fell limp, and his display panel was blank. Like some kind of virus, the tainted stim-stick ran a forced shutdown protocol.
“You’re a terrible judge of character.” Vlaax smirked and left the cockpit.
AVA WOKE WITH THROBBING TEMPLES, feeling like an ice pick had been jammed into her skull. Her mouth felt like glue, and the room was still spinning. She was learning all about hangovers—the hard way. She also woke to a plasma rifle staring at her. The
wide barrel was inches from her face. She instinctively clutched for the shard, but it was gone.
Vlaax was holding both the stone and the weapon. “Move!”
Ava crawled from the bunk and staggered to her feet. Vlaax motioned toward the hatch and Ava listed from the compartment. She stepped into the hallway, and Vlaax marched her through the maze of passageways to the holding cell.
Nard opened the hatch, and Vlaax shoved Ava inside. Ray caught her as she tumbled toward the deck. The hatch snapped shut before he had chance to do anything.
Ray helped Ava lay down. She was still feeling woozy.
Grace knelt beside her. “How you feeling?”
Ava just shook her head. She still had an unnatural pallor about her skin.
Ray strode for the hatch and glared through the viewport. He forced a smile. “Look. Just let us go, and I'm willing to forget about this little incident. We can renegotiate a more equitable rate.”
"I'm sorry,” Vlaax said. “The time for negotiation is over. Your cargo is far more valuable to me than anything you could offer.”
Vlaax grinned at Ray, then strolled back to the cockpit. Ray could hear his heavy footsteps clanking down the corridor.
Nard stood guard outside the hatch.
“You don't really think you're going to get a fair shake out of all this, do you?" Ray said, trying to undermine their relationship.
Nard stood on his tiptoes and peered at Ray through the viewport. “Nobody gave you permission to talk. Keep your mouth shut, or I’m gonna shut it for you."
Ray chuckled. "I'd like to see you try, little man."
The small alien clenched his jaw. It was easy to see he was sensitive about his height, or lack thereof. Ray grinned, amused. Perhaps he could get under Nard’s reptilian skin. Get him to do something stupid.
VLAAX SAT in the pilot’s seat as the Valkyrie raced through slide-space. ZV-0 was still deactivated. There was no telling when, or if, he would come back online.
“You’re sure this is the Shard of Vezmir?” a man who appeared on Vlaax's mobile display said.
