“Pryce,” Joan said. “Something bad is happening.” He glanced over to his pilot as he gripped the weapons control.
“Jona! Easy, now. We’re not going to…”
“Oh yes, we are!” Mace blared through the COM. Mace opened another channel, “Command! Be advised! We are assisting! Copy? We are assisting! Status please?”
“Mace!” Pryce yelled over the COM. “What are you doing?” Jona reached over and grabbed Pryce’s arm to quiet him.
Jona growled, “This has to be about Boone! And Terra!”
Pryce glared at him then looked out the cockpit window and saw the towering buildings of the city quickly approaching. Hundreds of ships began a slow decent, finding themselves a safe place to land. The highly unusual scene was disturbing to them. Pryce hit his COM.
“Command! This is Pryce Caperstone and Mace Starling. From Boone Nova’s team! You need our help! Don’t you?”
Commander Jackey placed his hand on the shoulder of the COM officer and nodded, no.
COM Command: This is a High Guard matter. Please land. Sorry.
Commander Jackey glared at his COM officer. “You told them, sorry?”
“Sir! We do need them. We only have a dozen High Guard space gunners right now. And they’re not all here! We also don’t even know where Sabin is! And if something…”
“Uh!” Commander Jackey acknowledged. “Fine!”
COM Command: Mace, Pryce, you have compliance! We are looking for a ship operated by Hue Sabin. He escaped and is in a diamond flyer and plans to attack the Karkavon Medical Center. We are searching right now.
Mace asked, “How many ships do we have?”
COM Command: Twelve. Four are north of the city on detail near the spires but they are more than a dozen minutes away. Four are approaching from the east, recalled to help with the search. They are approximately five minutes out. Four will join you in approximately one or two minutes. They are just now launching from the west – Officer Shadowback leads them! You follow his orders!”
“Well, OK. And now you have fourteen!” Pryce exclaimed. Jona tightly gripped the weapons yoke as Pryce and Mace jetted toward the medical center, a mere fifteen seconds away.
When Kola, Lincoln, Boone, and Terra reached their room, alarms within the building began to sound. It was a soft gentle repeating tone, ‘Please exit your room and proceed to the ground floor if possible. Assistance is on the way. Please exit your room and…”
They all glared at each other, wondering what was going on.
“Look!” Boone said as he ran over to the large glass window that overlooked the massive busy city of Karkavon. “The ships!”
Terra uttered, “It’s an AEE warning. Everyone’s landing.”
She gazed at Boone. Boone replied, “There’s something bad going on here. I bet it is Sabin.”
As they looked out they saw a handful of small ships high in the air and way off in the distance; a row of towering spires, the cities northern border in the drop back. They appeared to be headed toward the hospital.
“They’re High Guard ships,” Kola said. “Headed this way.”
“Toward us,” Lincoln added. “A few minutes out. I’ll find out what’s going on.”
They stood gazing out the window and watching ships of every size slowly descend toward the ground or the nearest docking port available.
Terra said, “Something must be headed this way! Something is happening and it has to do with us!”
“Sabin would do it,” Boone uttered. “He would attack us, right here in this building.” With great apprehension they looked up into the sky, wondering if a ship would appear out of nowhere and start shooting.
Lincoln’s COM activated. “Sir?” he answered.
“Sabin is headed to Boone and Terra. Get them to safety!”
“Copy!” Lincoln answered. “Boone! You’re right! Let’s go!”
But, Boone and Terra were glued to the view of the city and the approaching ships in the distance. Kola became fascinated with the view as well. Boone felt the burning desire to somehow get up there in the sky and do something, especially knowing Sabin was up there somewhere. His heart was pounding, his forehead was perspiring, his hands were clenched, and his eyes were fixed upon an impending battle. Terra noticed Boone’s anxiety and felt the same. She got out of her wheelchair and stood beside Boone and Kola. She grabbed his hand for support. Lincoln came and stood next to them.
Then a large ominous blackness flashed across a few of the towering buildings across from them. A ship was cutting through the beaming sun from behind them, bearing upon the medical building and casting a horrifying shadow.
“Boone!” Kola yelled.
Just as they were about to bolt for safety, Boone was overjoyed beyond measure. A large three-story ship with two dorsal fins atop streaked across the sky in front of them.
Boone gasped, “The Night Star! The Night Star!” He shouted with gratitude. “Lincoln! I need your COM! Please?”
“COM, patch me through to the Night Star. Copy?”
“Hello,” uttered a deep mellow voice.
“Jona! It’s Boone!” he said as a tear of joy moistened his eye.
“Uh… uh… Boone! You found us, I guess.”
“I’m in the hospital. I just saw you!”
“Boone,” Jona answered as he disregarded pleasantries. “Go hide. Mace and Pryce are protecting the medical… uh… place. The Guard is searching for Sabin.”
“How is she, Jona?”
“Boone!” Jona ordered. “We’re busy! Bye!”
The COM went dead. Terra got Kola’s and Lincoln’s attention and wanted them to watch Boone - to see what he was going to do. Kola frowned, trying to understand what she was implying.
“Boone,” she said. “Let’s get downstairs. OK?”
Kola nodded to Terra, understanding. Boone might just bolt and run for the roof. “Yes,” Kola added. “Boone? Let’s not get involved. OK? Boone?”
Boone continued to gaze out the window, very much wanting to see Sabin blown out of the sky but it was clear to him - Sabin hadn’t made an appearance yet. He was hiding.
Boone uttered, “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got to watch this. Can we go to the roof? For a better view?”
Sabin sat in the diamond flyer, the owner sat across from him, and Sabin’s gun was pointed in his face.
“What floor did you visit?” he asked.
“Floor? 52?” the old man answered.
“And what room?”
“Uh… please don’t shoot. I have important business. My wife is dying and I must take care of…” Sabin pushed the gun closer to his head. “Uh… room 5276!” the old man blurted.
Sabin thought, 5276. 52 for 52nd floor… room 76? Is that in the same section as 28? Take 76… 28? Tell me which section of the hospital you went to.”
“Oh. I went through the main corridor to the west end. From there I went to…”
Sabin grabbed his collar and pulled him closer to the cockpit window. “Point!” The man pointed, Sabin dragged him to the back of the flyer and threw him out. “Run!”
Sabin gleamed, “Ha! North! 39th story! Ha!”
Chapter 8
Mace hovered above the medical building, scanning every direction for any flying ship. The Kori Dane slowly rotated 360°, Mace waiting for anything moving skyward. The High Guard runners began searching the city for a diamond flyer but particularly, any flying ship since every other ship was recalled. They were still minutes away.
Mace exclaimed, “As soon as he takes off, I’ll see him. Copy, Command?”
“We all copy,” a host of voices echoed through the open COMs.
The Night Star glided in a circular pattern around the medical building, scanning as well.
Pryce: “I’m going to double check all of the docking ports and bays near the hospital. How many, Command?”
Command: Two each on the south, north, east, and west. One on top. Also on top, there is an egress bay.
Mace studied the top of the building. Four ships were parked, none of which were a diamond flyer. But, there was an egress bay, a covered alcove for small ships to enter and avoid high winds and rain. It was mostly for the elderly and handicapped.
Mace: I’m going to check out this egress inside the docking bay on the roof. Could be a lot of ships inside.
COM chatter was heard by everyone as the Kori Dane, the Night Star, and four other High Guard ships communicated with each other on open channels. Boone, Terra, and Kola anxiously listened in as well.
Sabin sat inside the diamond flyer tightly gripping the thrust control with his right hand and the piloting yoke in his left. Once he shoved the thrust into full power, the flyer would zip through the air and out into the open - exposed. He would then grip the pilot yoke with both hands enabling him to fire the two small forward phase cannons. They weren’t powerful enough to completely blow an airship into pieces but they were powerful enough to do certain damage. As for the windows that harbored an unsuspecting Boone Nova, the phase cannons could easily cause great destruction. He noticed a big shadow was cast just outside the egress bay.
“Hmm. There’s a fairly good-sized ship out there… waiting!” he thought. “You’re not a Guard ship! Wrong shape!” he argued out loud. “I have the upper hand… surprise! Whoever you are!”
He shoved the thrust to full, the ship zipped out of the bay just as the dark shadow descended. Sabin pulled the control and ascended as the other ship was descending.
Sabin gasped, “Watch out!”
Mace cried, “Whoa!”
Mace pulled up and tried to veer out of the way. The diamond flyer also tried to swerve the opposite way but banged against the hull of the large disc.
Mace: I found him! He just left the top port and banked west. Pryce!
Pryce: I’m turning! He’s above me! I’m chasing!
Mace: OK. I’m tracking him. He should be trying to shoot at the building. I’m hovering right here. I’ll protect the hospital.
Pryce: Mace! He’s flying through a major avenue, in-between the buildings. I’m too big for this. I can’t keep up!
Jona: Mace, switch with us.
Mace: OK. Where is he?
Pryce: Still headed west!
Shadowback: This is Officer Shadowback! Officer Brock and two others are with me – Stillman and Towers. How ya doing guys? We’re almost there! We saw him dive. He’s using the wide avenues to lose you. The four of us will fly down and meet him head-on. Night Star, you tell us what street he dove down into.
Pryce: Shadowback! Nice to run into you again. Now, I don’t know these streets. Uh… the large street with a building that has what looks like two twisted columns in front of it.
Shadowback: Got it! We will cover four separate streets. Mace, you tail him.
Mace started chasing Sabin westward as Pryce and the Night Star took up a position above the hospital. Sabin dove down to nearly street level. It was his best move to lose the black disc-shaped ship. He knew it was Maces’ ship. It wasn’t the first time he had had an encounter with him. Sabin also knew if the Kori Dane was there then the Night Star was also.
Sabin thought about his recent skirmish with the Night Star and its shuttle. He realized then there was a score to settle not only with Boone Nova but with his ship, also. Sabin began to speed up then slow down enough to make a few turns and change direction. He also knew the only way they would be able to find him was visually.
Stillman: Oh! I just saw him whiz by, up ahead. He changed direction! Now he’s going south-to-north.
Command Jackey: This is Command. I want everyone to fall back to the hospital! That’s where he’s going. Let him come to you but shield the hospital. I think he knows where he is and I think he knows Nova and Terra are in the north wing. I say that because he’s acting like he’s making his approach. So, block him!
Everyone copied.
Shadowback: Where are our other runners?
Command: HG5 is two minutes out; HG9 is five minutes out.
Jona: Could all be over by then! Can’t you track him?
Mace: I’ve got him! He’s headed toward the hospital… twenty seconds out… from the north. There are six wide streets he could use. Can’t tell which. Pryce?
Brock: I’m at the hospital now. I’ll find what street he’s using.
Stillman: I’m here, too. I’ll take the next one.
Pryce: I’m taking the third.
Boone, Terra, Lincoln, and Kola were desperately glued to what was happening just outside their window. They watched as three High Guard runners and one large three-story gunship hovered in front of them 39 stories above the ground. Each one covered a separate wide avenue.
Boone muttered in Lincoln’s direction, “I tried to tell the court what is going on, Lincoln. Know what they said?” Lincoln just glanced at him, speechless, fixed upon the battle taking place just outside. “They wanted to confine me, accuse me, penalized me.” Lincoln just studied him, wondering.
“It’s true, Sir,” Kola said. “I was there.”
Sabin had flown approximately half-a-mile away before he found one of the six major avenues that led south toward the hospital. He pushed the diamond flyer to full thrust and it zipped above the streets so fast that the people below were knocked down by its concussive force. He was nearly on the deck and planned an upward assault on the 39th floor so he could make a skyward escape. He had the 39th floor in view and was seconds away when a High Guard runner jetted in and blocked him.
Stillman: I have him… he’s firing! Firing back…
Moments passed. As the diamond flyer headed for the hospital, Sabin slowly rotated the ship. It flew like a twisting arrow, avoiding the bright streaks of phaser fire. But, Sabin’s phaser hit its target and the runner was hit head on by the blast. The nose of the small ship jolted downward and continued to tumble and somersault toward the streets below. The pilot, ejecting moments before a fiery crash.
Sabin quickly thought, “It’s time! Nova! This is for the Karonis! My Karonis! I hope you’re in there watching! Ha, ha!”
Suddenly, and to Sabin’s surprise, moments before his planned attack, a ship slowly banked to one side and drifted in to block him. As it slowly maneuvered its way into view, Sabin gasped, “The Night Star! What! Abort!”
Sabin yanked the yoke and the ship tipped upward. Jona fired but late.
Jona: Aw! I had him! I missed!
Pryce: Command, Stillman is down! Stillman is down! We blocked Sabin’s first run, though. He went skyward!
The other three High Guard runners went skyward as well, chasing the diamond flyer across the tops of the towering buildings.
Shadowback: We have him in sight! Firing!
Sabin weaved back and forth and dipped down into the grid-like streets of the city.
Shadowback: I missed!
The gunners dove down and followed as Pryce and Mace took up a defensive position in front of the north section of the 39th floor.
Shadowback: Sabin turned down another street. We’re losing him.
The Night Star and the Kori Dane were banking slightly to maneuver their ships and peer down the wide avenues of the city.
Then, Towers approached a wide intersection. Brock was behind him and realized Sabin was just up ahead. Brock stopped his runner. Towers flew through the large intersection and into a stream of phaser fire. Sabin was laying-in-wait. Towers dodged but too late. Part of his wing suffered a blast and it began to spin. He tumbled downward toward the street below. He barely managed to upright the ship before a sudden but successful crash landing. Brock looked on, idling high above the street. Towers quickly jumped out and ran. Brock slowly banked out of the large thoroughfare and left just as Shadowback entered.
Shadowback: Towers is down! Sabin was sitting idle behind a corner and Towers flew through the phaser fire. I saw him go down. I think he’s OK! I’m chasing Sabin northward, now.
The High Guard ships flew up above the city, only t
o see the diamond flyer dive back down to the deck.
HG5: He’s above the city! He just popped out. We’re a minute away. Shadowback, he’s flying west, now.
Command: Shadowback, Brock, take up a position near the administration center. He’s getting ready to make another run!
Shadowback: Copy, Brock and I will do.
Shadowback and Brock waited inside the main avenue expecting Sabin to make an appearance. Seconds later, he did.
Shadowback: He’s here!
Shadowback fired a full volley of phaser blasts down the wide avenue of the city while Brock maneuvered below him and fired off one shot. Shadowback’s blast glanced off the diamond flyer as Sabin banked away.
Shadowback: I hit him! He turned south. In pursuit!
Sabin, expecting them to follow, quickly schemed. “An immediate hard left, then an immediately hard right… should put me right where I need to be.”
Mace and Pryce kept scanning the elusive diamond flyer and the two runners. They were very frustrated.
Pryce: It’s as if he wants us to come and play!
Jona: He’s playing us!
Mace: High Guard? You all chase him to us. I’ll scan and be ready. Don’t you have scanners?
Shadowback: OK, Mace. We’ll chase and you scan. Yes, we have scanners but he turns and changes direction so fast, we can’t keep up.
Jona: He’s worse than a flying gnat.
Mace and Pryce hovered above the hospital, scanning Shadowback and Brock and one crafty diamond flyer. They waited for Sabin to make another approach from the north – an approach Mace and Pryce knew Sabin couldn’t resist.
Mace adjusted the COM on his panel.
Mace: Pryce, do you read?
Pryce looked at Jona. Jona adjusted his COM.
Jona: Mace? You’re not on open COM?
Mace: No! You big gall… look, could he be listening to us? On the open COM? He seems to know our every move!
Pryce: What do you have in mind?
A few moments passed as Mace and Pryce schemed.
Mace: Command! This isn’t working! The Night Star and I are joining the hunt. We’re going down to the deck.
BOONE NOVA AND THEPIRATE QUEEN Page 7
