Return of the Guardian King

by John E Bujanowski Jr

  …

  Boone meandered down the wide corridor of the Medical Unit. His nurse saw him and quickly approached him. “Boone?” she asked.

  “Hey. Yeah, where are my clothes?”

  She laughed, “They are in shreds. Sorry. We had to cut them away. Remember?” He smirked. “I think you should still be in bed. You’re not scheduled to start walking for another,” she checked a small device, “for another twelve hours. Back in bed, Boone.” He frowned, glared at her, and folded his arms across his chest. “Oh! I see! You’re one of those!” she chuckled.

  He chuckled as well. “If you find me some clothes, I’ll go back to bed.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, mocking him, then smiled. “OK. You win. I can get you ‘something.’”

  “Something?” he asked as he started back to his room. “I hope it’s not yellow. Please?”

  She laughed then retrieved a light-blue jumpsuit – used for long-term patients recuperating from serious injuries. She laid it on his bed, studied him for a moment, and wondered if he would comply. Boone just smiled at her and continued to watch something interesting on a small hologram beside his bed. She left the room and watched through the large glass-walled window. Boone still ignored the clothing. She stepped away for a moment then quickly returned and spied on him to see if he would trick her. She finally gave up spying on him. Boone immediately noticed and quickly got changed.

  As he nonchalantly strolled through the docking bay where his precious Night Star sat, he gave a half-hearted wave to a handful of maintenance workers. He accessed the Night Star and entered the cargo bay. He quickly changed into his preferred clothing and made his way into the cockpit.

  In his mind, he heard her say, “I’m so glad you’re back! I thought you might not ever return. What would happen to me?”

  “I know, My Lady, I didn’t think I would ever walk out of there. Still not sure.” He chuckled. “I missed you, too!”

  When he reached the cockpit and sat down in his cockpit seat on the left, he checked his wound by gently pressing on it. “Doc said it would feel numb and itchy. It is!” He felt no discomfort so he surmised he had not injured himself further. He flipped a switch and listened to the COM chatter for several minutes. He studied the tone and familiar phrases of the pilots who entered and exited the large cargo bay. He wanted to sound just like every other High Guard vessel when he made his exit. Then the announcement was made.

  The status placards throughout the battlecruiser began to flash red. The COM’s echoed an important message. Boone listened and watched everyone make preparations.

  COM: Teleportation maneuver in progress… jump sequence countdown… teleportation in 90 seconds… Teleportation maneuver in progress… jump sequence countdown… teleportation in 80 seconds…

  Boone drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly and carefully, stressed about what he was about to do. Stress, confusion, fear, and anger had consumed him and he couldn’t deal with it. He had made up his mind hours ago – he was leaving and he didn’t want to be found.

  Staring out the cockpit into the blackness of space, he couldn’t tell whether or not the jump was successful. After the countdown was completed, the COM activated.

  COM: Teleportation complete… successful jump procedure… new position… Obipherion… the message repeated and several ships were already heading toward the static barrier and a high orbit of Obipherion.

  Boone flipped a switch and lights, engine noise, and thrust control came online. He blew out a stressful sigh and flipped his COM switch, “Egress Control,” he uttered confidently. “Night Star, answering summons from the 5th prime, destination, royal tarmac. Wish me luck. I’m gonna need it.” He chuckled then he held his breath. The COM was silent longer than usual but he was relieved when it answered.

  COM: Good luck, Mr. Nova. Hope all goes well. Clear to egress.

  Boone slowly edged the Night Star forward, it gently floated toward the static barrier, and left the Sim-Sa Gale. He set a course, opened his COM, and made an appointment. He headed toward the big bright blue planet.

  From a quiet hallway, Pryce and Terra were walking hand-in-hand as they turned into the large corridor. As soon as they noticed a somewhat crowded corridor, Terra let go of his hand because she was wearing her investigator’s uniform and didn’t want anyone to think she was closely affiliated with the unruly civilians. Pryce didn’t mind it, he understood. Mace chuckled because of it as he followed close behind but Terra was feeling ashamed by it. She looked at Pryce and he immediately noticed she was disappointed by her own actions.

  “Terra,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get Boone. Then later,” he paused and smiled at her but her expression was one of shame. She studied him then she started to smile. He added, “We will have a date.”

  “A date? A real date?” she asked with a big smirk.

  “Yes. And I’ll kiss you and hug you.”

  Mace blared, “Come on! Will you two stop! I want to get off this ship! Move it.”

  Pryce and Terra glanced behind them and laughed at him. Terra walked into Pryce and bumped him; she knocked him against the wall.

  “Oh!” he replied. “For that, you’re gonna get it!”

  She laughed loudly then they finally turned from the large corridor and into the Medical Unit. They were surprised to find Boone’s room empty.

  “Nurse,” Terra said as she waved at Boone’s nurse partway down the hallway.

  She approached and replied, “I’ll get the doctor. He has some instructions.” She gasped when she saw him gone. “Uh! I told him he couldn’t leave!”

  They met up with Kola and his team on the flight deck. Gunner and Chopak refused to leave the Sim-Sa Gale. They insisted on monitoring Jona and look for any signals he might send. They considered him a comrade. Mace flew his Kori Dane while Pryce, Terra, Phia, Kola, Viel, and Goss flew the Wildfire. They landed on the Royal tarmac where Lorin and Prime Ta'mian stood awaiting them. The group was led into a large room.

  “Where is Boone?” Prime Ta'mian asked them.

  Pryce folded his arms across his chest and smirked. “Prime, I’m sorry. He’s bolted on us! And he’s done this before.”

  Terra added, “It’s like Boone to take off when he gets… you know how he is.”

  Lorin answered, “Stressed. I’ve talked to him about this before.”

  Terra replied, “So have I! I think with the stabbing and the Commander, it’s too much for him.” She looked at Phia.

  Phia was still very ashamed about having lied to them and her complexion showed it. She said, “He told me he might do this.”

  They glared at her. Mace blared, “What? You didn’t tell us?”

  “We were just talking aboard the Night Star and he said if I kept on questioning him he would, he said,” she paused, realizing she was the cause of his leaving. “It’s my fault.”

  “What did he say?” Lorin asked.

  “He said he would give me or give us the Night Star and he would take the shuttle and leave.”

  Pryce muttered, “He didn’t leave just because of that. He left for a lot of reasons. Maybe even because of Kova.”

  Lorin said, “I’ll call Dr. Zay’Geis. He might know where he is.”

  Kola said, “Want me to go and scan for him?” The prime nodded.

  They all sat and discussed Boone, his escape, and their trip to Kova. Phia was the main topic of discussion. Everyone drilled her for answers. Pryce and Mace tried to remain quiet about what Boone did that day on Kova eight years ago.

  …

  Under orders from Prime Ta'mian, the Sim-Sa Gale executed two other teleportation maneuvers. The moment certain ships and personnel left for Obipherion – Terra and her crew leaving, several High Guardsmen escorting Commander Mar’Ki J’Dar to a Guard facility, and an exchange of crew personnel, the Gale jumped to a star system called the Praminar system. The Praminar system lay several parsecs beyond the 3rd system of Arkitrosis.


  Investigator Lincoln DeKator quickly launched from the Gale in a Class 1 intergalactic runner and entered the docking bay of the Exoteric. He immediately began to set his trap. The Gale returned to Obipherion then it jumped to the Xeraxes system.

  If what the 5th prime told him was true then someone within the prime’s inner circle, a High Guard official perhaps, was relaying important information to the queen. Prime Ta’mian and the Court of Primes began to suspect everyone, including each other, as High Guard members faithful to the queen were discovered. The primes were very stressed concerning the traitors in their midst. Commander J’Dar was high on the list.

  Prime Ta'mian and Lorin treated Officer Brock and his three accomplices the same way they treated Kwelling, Ander Indrayel, Luweena, and others – they were immediately sent to the Exoteric via stasis pods. Very few had knowledge of where the queen’s insurrectionists were sent. Lincoln DeKator was now in place, Officer Brock and his three accomplices were being delivered to the Exoteric, and the prime had hopes of discovering whether or not the queen was watching it all.

  …

  “Sir,” Ms. Ellswood exclaimed. “We are 3000 miles from the Xeraxes orbit. Scanning for the Ambulas.”

  Captain Eisen sat in his command chair, his second-in-command, Officer Somers sat in the XO’s chair. They waited to hear where the Ambulas was.

  “Have it, Sir. Sir, it hasn’t left this system yet.” She turned to face him. “It is on the outer rim just entering the dead space between this system and the Gorledeon system.”

  The captain exclaimed, “Weapons ready! Launch? Report!”

  “Sir,” another office answered. “Star Squadron (One hundred ships) Luna Squadron (one hundred ships) standing by.”

  “Ms. Ellswood, are you confident you can place us 3000 miles off her starboard shoulder?”

  “Absolutely, Sir,” she answered.

  “Men,” he addressed the bridge. “The Ambulas won’t know what hit her.” The crew cheered as they prepared to fire upon the Ambulas. “Mr. Grainer, ready to initiate?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Weapons? Is the laser ready? I want her engines targeted first.”

  “Ready!” a red-haired officer acknowledged.

  “Mr. Grainer, execute, initiate jump!”

  Chapter 8

  “Uh, what did you say your name was?” Jona asked again, intentionally though, as to appear dumb.

  “Pfft! Why are these big strong guys all stupid! Big heads! No brains! Jak! My name is Jak! She’s Nell.”

  “Hmm. I like your name, Nell. That’s, uh, nice.” She chuckled as Jak moaned. Jona added, “I know you probably know this but we are headed for a huge section of dead space. Once we leave the Xeraxes-Adjelon corridor, where are we headed? There’s nothing out here?”

  Jak chuckled, “You ‘think’ there’s nothing out here. I’ll let you in on a little secret, Rayne, and it will cost you your life if it ever gets out. Believe me, you will be hunted down by a thousand pirate servants. Understand?”

  “Yeah. I thought about joining the pirate… better not say, queen. No one but us knows that their leader is a she! Whew! Almost blew it. Boss. Who is he?”

  “Cut your engines on my mark. Ready? 3… 2… 1… stop!”

  Jona said, “Did I say something wrong?”

  “No,” Jak answered. “We are waiting for your answer. Be patient. Know what that is?”

  “Yep,” Jona answered.

  Minutes later a massive ship appeared in front of them. It was a very long and wide ship a hundred decks tall and more than 1000 feet long. Jona gulped and gazed at the Ambulas. Fear tried to creep in but he quickly dismissed it.

  “Uh, oh! Boone, hope you are still tracking this Ambulas! Oh, boy!”

  Rena sat in her command chair gazing at a view screen. She was studying the damaged space gunner. Jak and Nell had some explaining to do but she suspected what had happened. They landed on a large flight deck and were told to meet her in a separate room. The bridge was to remain secure and visitors were not allowed.

  “Who is this?” she asked as she stared at a tall muscular dark-brown man. He wore a leather band around his neck, his hair was dark brown, long, and many strands were tied together with thin strips of leather.

  Jak and Nell let him speak for himself.

  “Rayne.”

  She nodded. She looked at Jak, “And?”

  “My stabilizer was shot to pieces. I was gonna try to find some cargo ship or something.”

  Nell interrupted, “Ma’am! He was gonna try to land that thing. He would have burned up, for sure. We couldn’t let him do that after how he escaped those two runners.” She studied his eyes; he played dumb and looked at Jak then Nell. “Ma’am, you should have seen it. Tell her, Jak.”

  Jak smirked then answered, “It was amazing. I’ll vouch for him. He was in the fight above Efferium and he was being chased by two runners. He outsmarted them, though. We saw him orbit the planet so we checked out his ship. He wasn’t able to land anywhere. And, it was Chanko’s ship. Looks like Rayne and Chanko got into a fight.”

  Rena asked, “And Chanko lost? Really?”

  Jona nodded. He said, “Sorry.” Then he played ignorant again in order to distract them. “Am I gonna be late for dinner? Can you take me home?”

  Rena walked off, wondering who he was.

  …

  Idal meandered down a wide corridor toward the exit. She still had the blue High Guard sash but it was draped over her uniform. The investigator’s jacket she once had draped over her arm was now being worn. She managed to get her long metal arms through the sleeves and around her torso. Though she couldn’t zip it up, she wore it proudly. Her name, Idal, was etched on the upper left corner.

  She completed her scans inside the complex administration building designated as the High Guard Investigator Command Center. Commander Dowey, the aged ranking officer, was not present and Idal did not have to explain her presence to him. Dowey had no knowledge of the covert operation Idal was assigned to as well as Commander Jackey – the COM Center Commander. They were intentionally left out of the loop. The prime suspected a high-ranking official and Dowey and Jackey were one of many who needed investigating. Idal proceeded with her next task – infiltrate the housing facility for all High Guard officers and their families.

  …

  It was late afternoon at the royal palace. Pryce and Mace were served by royal attendants and enjoyed the regal attention. From morning to late afternoon they answered questions from the prime and they chatted with Phia, Lorin, Kola, Veil, and Goss.

  As they all chatted, waiting for Boone to return, they tried to surmise where he might be. They began wondering if he would indeed show up and agree to return to Kova. Then Lorin remembered something about Boone. She quickly stood; everyone stared at her and wondered.

  “Kola? May I have your COM, please?” He handed it to her. She started talking to someone, they knew not who. “Have you heard from Boone lately? Hmm. Uh, huh. Yes, I see. Well, thank you. I’ll take care of that! Don’t even worry about it. Thank you.”

  They were all glaring by then. Pryce and Mace quickly stood. She smiled, returned the COM device to Kola, and folded her arms across her chest. Then her emotions rose; she wiped a small tear.

  She mumbled, “I know where Boone is.”

  Mace asked, “Are you gonna tell us?”

  Lorin wiped at another tear, upset and becoming more emotional. Pryce and Mace sat down. They remembered the power and stress of Lorin’s ability and what it could do to her. She often became emotional over the simplest things.

  Terra asked, “Lorin? Has something happened?”

  “Boone is at one of his favorite places.” Pryce, Terra, and Mace nodded, understanding a beach was the place and they knew where Boone’s favorite beach was. “And he’s not alone.”

  “Oh,” Jok added. “I know who he’s with.”

  Lorin looked at everyone and said, “He has Jolie and Ricen. They were going to s
pend the day with him.” She looked down and fumbled with her hands, understanding Boone was just trying to say goodbye to them. They remembered Boone explaining the evidence to exonerate him was gone. They couldn’t bring themselves to believe it. She looked at her father for comfort; her heart was breaking for Boone and his love for the little girl. “He’ll bring them back soon. Lena will let me know when they are back.”

  Pryce said, “He is saying goodbye to them.”

  Terra muttered, “He still thinks he is never coming back.”

  …

  Boone was lying on his side wearing an unbuttoned shirt and swimming trunks. Jolee was still working on her towering sand structure trying to make a large spire. Ricen was tanning in the warm sun a few yards away. Jolee never left Boone’s side all that day.

  The three of them visited the moon, Fema Pherion which had hundreds of towering orange spike-like structures. They didn’t have space suits so they hovered close to them and studied them. Jolee made a video of their trip. Then they took a very long walk on what Boone called, Boone’s Beach. They swam, splashed each other, ate snacks, and chatted about their old life on Isoter and how thankful they were Boone rescued them. Boone was now part of their family, they explained.

  As Jolee’s structure slowly edged higher, pat after pat then a splash of water to make it firm, Boone studied her. She was determined to create a sharp point at its top – just like the ones on the moon, Fema Pherion. Boone reached out and Jolee quickly slapped his hand.

  “Uh, uh, Mister Boone!” she exclaimed. She continued to pat and apply water.

  “It’s too wet, Jolee.”

  “No,” she said as she shook her head, no.

  Boone picked up a small clump of dirt and tossed it at the spire. She gasped and gave him a disgusted and surprised look. He laughed.

  He sat up and helped her finish it, keeping it firm by adding the proper amount of dirt and water and shaping it into a two-foot-tall spire.