“I think that’s very wise,” Lincoln said. “I think the Ambulas is hiding and watching.”
Kola asked, “You really think all of this trickery is necessary? I don’t think she would suspect anything with the spatial traffic starting back up. I think she will hide and stay hidden until she fixes her laser.”
Boone answered, “No. This queen is watching everything. I study ship traffic. Constantly! Because I look out for these pirates and I’m always trying to figure out their patterns and where they might have a base. She has a base somewhere. It might be in the Gorledeon system. Sabin came from that direction when we ran into him a month ago. And I’m positive that she is studying every ship out there and in the corridor. I’m positive.”
Everyone considered Boone’s words. They also began to agree. Lincoln added, “I’ll bet she’s watching us right now. Boone?” he asked. “Would she suspect an unguarded cargo ship – like us?”
Everyone mulled over the question. Expressions of apprehension took over.
“Yes!” Boone replied. “Count on it. So, Mace and Pryce, head toward me. I’ll tell you when to make your turn out of the corridor. Figure eight hours, I think.”
…
Aboard the Ambulas, the queen was also planning and scheming. The ship was nestled amongst a small group of asteroids that surrounded a large moon. The moon orbited Gorledeon’s outermost planet. It was still cloaked.
She sat in the command chair on the bridge of the Ambulas. She was studying every ship traveling the corridor, including the High Guard space gunners and intergalactic runners that came near the large moon, and especially focusing deep into the corridor toward the O'bipherion system. She wanted the Sim-Sa Gale to make an appearance. The Ambulas was busy making repairs to one of her forward laser turrets. That would take another day.
She also had to shut down every main system and component on board when a ship approached her section of space. Her cloaking mechanism was not very effective at close range, so the only system allowed to operate was the cloaking system and life support. Otherwise, someone could detect a spatial distortion and figure out where she was.
A trio of High Guard space gunners ventured near the lifeless planet where she lay hidden. Once again, the queen ordered her crew to charge the laser turrets but they were still off-line. She then had them prepare half-a-dozen rockets. The gunners approached the outer planet with two moons and a small group of asteroids.
“On my command, Halene. Are you ready?”
“Yes, Ma’am. We are loaded, targeting, and ready.”
“Juvas, have they turned toward us? That would be a sign they have discovered us. I cannot have them reporting our position.”
“Ma’am, I’m watching closely. Their trajectory shows they will pass by us in eighteen seconds. I’m waiting, Ma’am.”
Rena had a determined look on her face. With one hand she tapped nervously on the arm of the command chair. With her other hand, she slowly twirled her long ash-brown hair. She was both nervous and impatient to destroy - a flaw in her character that made her all the more devious and deadly. Her small frame appeared weak sitting within the large command chair but her ferocity and thirst for evil were matched by no one. She momentarily considered destroying the ships out of spite, rather than need but she was wise and patient. She waited.
“Ma’am,” Juvas announced. “They are leaving our section. We’ve gone unnoticed.”
She sighed. A sigh because the Ambulas still lay cloaked and undetected, and a sigh that she couldn’t exact more terror upon the High Guard.
“Juvas. What’s happening in the Xeraxes-O'bipherion corridor and in the Xeraxes system?”
Juvas answered, “The High Guard ships are searching every section of space between the Gorledeon system and the Xeraxes system. The search is just beginning to enter our system. The corridor remains active but not many are using it.”
“That’s good, Juvas. Can you link up with our courier?”
“Yes, with a data burst.”
Rena had sent one of her couriers to a dead planet in the Xeraxes system. On one of its moons, the ship waited for her instructions.
Juvas added, “The ship is waiting, Ma’am, sitting on a dark moon. The data burst is ready.”
“Wonderful. Tell him to send the message then disappear toward Efferium.”
Juvas sent the data burst, the ship then sent the message to a High Guard outpost located on the planet Xeraxes. Then it headed for the busy and beautiful planet Efferium.
“Everyone, we’re going to sit here until the repairs are complete. Then we have business to attend to. The Court of Primes will give us Boone Nova and Jurias, or else.”
Chapter 22
Everyone on board the Night Star was in the cockpit. They all disregarded their schedules due to the stressful turn they anticipated making – leaving the Xeraxes-O'bipherion corridor to head for the device in dead space.
“OK, I’m making our turn!” Boone explained. The ship turned 90° to starboard and headed for dead space. “Beautiful!” he exclaimed as the others celebrated the much-anticipated turn. “We are now leaving the corridor. Dead space, here we come.” Boone then looked at Jona and nodded. A hologram of the constellation appeared. “Lila, where is the debris field?” Two blue blips appeared, one displayed the coordinates Boone had for the debris field and the other blip was the Kenos Verisian. “Nice,” Boone said. “Time to debris field, Lila?”
Lila replied, “26.4 hours.”
Boone sank into his chair frustrated. The others expressed their frustration as well.
Boone smiled. “Well, at least the plan is working. No trouble so far.”
Watching her monitor, Phia gasped, “Hey! I see the Sim-Sa Gale! She’s orbiting O'bipherion! The Dorian Surge is trailing behind her!”
Lincoln said, “They must have completed the laser! I hope! Can we data burst her?”
Boone smirked, “I don’t want to stop for anything. Do you?” They nodded, no. “I’m sure she wouldn’t be orbiting unless she had the laser completed. We’ll find out soon enough. Phia, let us know as soon as she has a heading. OK?”
“Yes. Right now, she’s just orbiting.”
“OK, everyone. We all still have schedules to keep. We all need to rest and exercise. Who knows what’s gonna happen next.”
…
The six primes were still on the planet Arkitrosis. They have been there since the day they called Boone Nova into their court session – the day Sabin strafed the O'bipherion city, Copiannis. Because of the continuous trouble within the constellation, none of them had left. They continued to hold sessions, adjust constellation policy, and monitor the chaos caused by the Ambulas and its unknown queen.
Once again, the six of them were called into an emergency session. The cause of the assembly – a message via a hologram from the queen of the Emancipation Rebellion. The message heading detailed Nonconformity and Freedom for All Planets. No name was included in the hologram. Once all six primes were seated, Giban asked for the hologram to be viewed. A thin middle-aged woman with shoulder-length dark hair spoke in a soft and pleasant voice…
“I am not the leader. I do not know the leader. I have never met the leader – no one has. I am reading his statement. He will never use me again for this purpose. He speaks for all of the planets. He is opposed to the present unified system of planets. Until the day the Unified Coalition of Planets and the High Guard is annulled, he will continue to defend our individual rights - planetary rights that have been taken away by the High Guard. Forced unification upon us will not go unpunished. I have devastated one city – not decimated as your reports have stated. You should speak the truth. That lie will cost you. One city ‘bruised.’ One city, Copiannis, for one system – O'bipherion. There are six systems untouched – six cities left untouched by me. You will pay, tomorrow, unless Boone Nova and Jurias Kwelling are brought to the asteroid field inside the deserted space of Oleantra - in the Gorledeon system. Respond with your answe
r by this time tomorrow. I will send you details for the communiqué. I am also sending you a confirmation of my intent.”
The hologram ended and the primes stood, bewildered and devastated by the request. Prime Jaku was the first to speak.
“Primes, he said he would send a confirmation of his intent. I believe he intends to destroy something. Perhaps another city!”
“No, Jaku!” Prime Dorn of the Xeraxes system exclaimed. “It’s from her – the pirate queen. She intends to destroy one of ‘my’ cities! She will destroy something else to confirm her intent. Two cities perhaps! Or another cargo ship. We must ground all ships, everywhere! I must get back to my system. I am leaving!”
Jaku pleaded, “Prime Dorn, the corridors are not safe right now!”
Giban was handed a note, he stood and addressed the court. “Primes, the Sim-Sa Gale and the Dorian Surge have finished their modifications for a forward mounted laser!”
Jaku and the others looked at Prime Dorn. Prime Dorn nodded to the court and quickly left. He boarded a battlecruiser named, Ken’Si Storm, the least battle worthy of the six battlecruisers.
Prime Jen’okar Fi’amin, prime of Axeon whose planet was recently defended by Boone Nova and his gamma mission, asked, “Primes, we have never discussed such implications before – bowing to the demands of an insurrectionist as this pirate queen. We must set a precedence.”
“Yes,” Jaku replied. “But, is the cost too high? Shall we set a precedence that we will not bow to her demands and watch her decimate another city? Thousands, perhaps millions of lives are at stake. What precedence has that value?”
The primes glared at the fact. They all took a seat and began a very long discussion.
…
The Kori Dane and the Intrepid were in the Xeraxes-O'bipherion corridor, heading toward the O'bipherion system. In a few short hours, they would turn 90° port and enter dead space and rendezvous with the Kenos Verisian. They studied the traffic leaving the O'bipherion system which included a handful of ships, gunners, cargo ships, and the mighty Sim-Sa Gale and Dorian Surge flying side-by-side. They also studied the traffic behind them which also included a handful of cargo ships escorted by a few space gunners. There was also a Stellar Class II transport shuttle - Janek and Rowe were heading toward O'bipherion in hopes to find Boone Nova. Not far behind them, Jak and Nell followed in an Arcadia Class II Shuttle – a four-manned luxury liner they confiscated from the city of Kopiter on the planet, Isoter. The three ships traveled toward O'bipherion and they were all just a few hours behind one another.
On board the Kenos Verisian, Terra and Lincoln were on duty in the cockpit as Boone napped in the ready room just down the corridor behind them. Phia covertly hovered between Boone’s open door and the cockpit entrance. She was just a few steps away from the cockpit and very much wanted a private meeting with him. She quietly stepped away from the circular stairwell and the cockpit entrance toward his ready room and listened to see if he was sleeping or just resting. She didn’t hear any snoring or sleeping sounds.
As Boone lay resting, looking up at the ceiling, he tried to sleep. Lincoln and Terra chatted and he greatly wished he was able to hear them better. His sliding door was open - open because he could not sleep when the ship was flying through space and especially when someone other than he was at the helm. Their chatter was inconsequential to him.
Phia approached his door unheard. She poked her head into his room. He glared at her. She was surprised he was awake. He then realized she had finally found an opportunity to corner him. He had been dreading this moment the minute she stepped on board.
“Phia,” he quietly uttered. “I don’t want to talk. I’m trying to sleep.”
She stepped in and quietly slid the door shut. “You can’t. Right?”
He frowned. She quickly ran her hand through her hair so it would lay on her shoulders evenly. She was ready for Boone to admit some things.
“Look, you can’t sleep because you know you have all of these problems on your mind. The device, the trip to Kova, um, and… well, what about Commander J'Dar?”
Boone sat up halfway, leaning on his elbow. He quietly yelled. “I’m not sleeping because you’re bothering me!”
She stepped aside from the door and leaned on a small cabinet. “I’m sorry. Want me to go? Or, maybe you can tell me why you said Commander J'Dar hates you. And, you said you would fully explain to me what you did on Kova. I mean, ‘exactly’ what you did on Kova. You said that it cost you to run for your life.”
She quickly darted across the small room and sat down beside him. He had to sit up and turn himself around so she wouldn’t sit on his legs. He put his feet on the floor, he put his elbows on his knees, he buried his face in his hands and blew out a loud sigh.
“Phia,” he mumbled with a tone of aggravation. “This is why I live in space. So I can be free from… from…”
“I know,” she sighed, trying to understand. “Free from all of this stress.”
“No.” He looked at her and said, “Free from all of these people. People like you!”
She recoiled and sat stunned, hurt. He frowned and placed his face into his hands again. She slowly stood up and tugged at her loose light brown shirt – something from his wardrobe he made her wear. She started to step away but he caught her hand and pulled her back. She stood looking at him and holding his hand. He looked up at her. She had a tear.
“Don’t take it personally. OK?” She nodded and wiped the tear. He made her sit down again. “Look, Phia. Thank you for caring. OK? I really believe you are trying to do the right thing. I’ve always wanted to do the right thing, even in this case. The right thing is… well, it’s terribly hard right now because I’m innocent! Commander J'Dar hates me because of my dad’s past. I shot that ship down in self-defense the same day that declaration was signed – the one day in history when all past war crimes were to be annulled and forgiven and someone tried to take advantage of it. I did what I had to! I’m doomed, Phia, and no one, not even the Father of the Heavens, the Creator, will do anything to prove me innocent. I’m guilty. I’m doomed. So, leave me alone until you take me back. OK? That’s all I ask.”
Phia was very saddened by his statement. Another tear surfaced because of his despair alone.
“Boone, there must be a way to prove your innocence. I’m going to study that Emancipation Declaration. I will find a way! I promise you, I will find a way. There has to be something.”
“Why? Phia? Why would you want to do that? Just… just don’t. OK? But why do you even care? Do you feel bad? Is it because you see what you’ve done?”
She started to gape, a gape due to the truth. “I am sorry. I read all of the reports about you and your father, and about you and the… your dad’s ship. Um… the King…”
“The Guardian King?”
“Yes! I know the story, Boone.”
“Who made out those reports you read? Not my Kovan history but the reports about the ship? About the incident?”
“Investigation Command, on Kova.”
“Oh,” he nodded. “I see,” he added as he ran his hand over his tired and frustrated visage. Then he gazed at her; her eyes were still moist from his harsh accusations. “The Investigation Command or ‘the High Guard’ wasn’t even there and the High Guard wasn’t even instituted until the next day. The Kovan Defense Force still had the authority on the day they signed. See, Phia, you stuck your nose in something, you stirred up a bees nest, and you think you’re doing your job. You have no idea what you’ve done!” he roared. “No idea about the people involved!”
She sat still and rigid, trying to maintain a defensive posture. She cried and tried to listen but her defenses were shaken. Her face cringed. She tried to stand but he held her there.
“I’m not done!” he blared. “I’m asking you to start thinking. From now on.”
Tears ran down her cheek as she carefully watched him deride her. His eyes were cold, mean, and cruel. That was all she could see. Sh
e wiped her face again.
“Before you do something like this again, you should ask a lot of questions! Like, what is going to happen after I do this? Who is involved? Why am I doing this in the first place? Phia,” he beckoned with his hands in disgust, “you just barge in and start ordering, taking control of things, and doling out your justice. You can’t just… jump into something when you have no idea what you’re doing! You see what I’m saying?”
“I’m sorry,” her mouth quivered.
That was all she was able to utter. Her nerves were rattled to her bones; she shivered with fear and despair – humiliated.
Boone let out a loud and long sigh. He pushed himself backward, across the bed, and leaned against the metal wall behind him. Phia continued to sit on the edge of the bed. She was in full blown tears – unstoppable tears. Boone didn’t seem to be affected by them.
“Don’t run out on me right now, I really want to talk to you. OK?”
Her lips still quivered, her tears still flowed, and she continued to wipe. She nodded her head. Boone patted on the bed next to him and she pushed herself back and leaned against the wall beside him. Though she wanted to run, she felt compelled to listen. She sat beside him but due to his callousness, she was unable to look at him.
Boone watched her as he continued. “I know how you feel, Phia. I’ve been there. I don’t mean to hurt you but I ‘wish to the heavens’ you could understand what I’m saying. You are very different from Terra and Lorin.” Phia nodded and let out a long and painful sigh - a sigh of disgust. “You’re younger but I know all about your accomplishments – I looked you up. You’re smart, nearly the head of your class - a class of hundreds, you’re pretty, agile, strong, and fast. But, Phia, you… I’ll say it like this, you kick the door down instead of knocking.” Boone tried to let out a chuckle as he watched her; Phia gave a half-hearted nod and kept her eyes on the floor in front of her. “I think someday you will pull out your phase gun and blast someone before you ask a simple question. That’s what you’ve done!” He was hoping for some agreement. There wasn’t any. “On board the Night Star, you pulled your gun on me. Remember?” She nodded, dried tears, and let out a small smile. She finally looked at him. “Remember what you told me? Mind you, this is the first time I met you. You said, ‘put up your hands!’ Remember that?”
BOONE NOVA AND THEPIRATE QUEEN Page 22
