Part 3 - Part 02

“Thank you again. Let the record show that this vote too is unanimous with the exception of Anelia who opposes. If you would excuse me, I’m now going to make a call to military command and give them our decision. As for informing the government, as president I can make decisions for the government and I will make sure the war council’s recommendations are ratified.”

While Asora was away there were a lot of whispers around the room among the councillors. They were all busy discussing, maybe their fate, except for Anelia, who, by now had realized that she’d made a mistake. She could have agreed to everything but she didn’t and was now quietly contemplating what she was going to tell her backers. She had her own army and potentially she could strike at us before we organized but, looking at my guards behind me, was reminded that the ship was now in my hands and if she pulled any stunts, even a single stunt, her and her army would be obliterated. With Gen on my side and with me here she knew her chances of gaining power were slim. My hopes were that she wouldn’t do anything until Gen, the army and I left the planet. Then, in our absence, she could make her move. But what she didn’t know was that the army wasn’t leaving the planet, not now, not ever, and Gen was going to make sure of that. But in order to convince Anelia and her backers to wait, it was very important that we emphasized the idea that the army was going to leave the planet, and that it was only a matter of time. And

as such, we needed to do everything possible to lead Anelia to believe that the army was going to leave and delay any action she may have planned.

When Asora came back she was happy to report that military command was pleased with our decision and would be happy to welcome Gen at headquarters as commander of all the forces in training. Command also agreed that most of the troops could use more training.

Just as Asora finished talking I said, “Before you adjourn the meeting, I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity you have given me to once again serve you, your people and your planet. If I don’t see you again, farewell. I’ll be leaving for the war in a few days. I also want to assure you that I will do my best to lead your armies into war and bring you victory. Victory shall be ours!”

“Immediately after that they gave me a standing ovation with everyone yelling “victory, victory”, including Gen and Nagol.

After Asora adjourned the meeting she apologized. She said she had to leave for another urgent meeting but promised to join us the next evening for dinner.

After we exited the boardroom she locked the door and left.

We quietly walked back to the hotel like nothing had happened until we got inside the lounge and Nagol closed the door. Gen, in her camouflage uniform, began to jump up and down like a little girl, looking comical. She then decided to do a forward flip and then a back flip which made me nauseous just looking at her. Then she picked Vel up and swung her around. She did the same with Daf and then came for me but I objected harshly.

Looking at her Nagol said, “She’s acting like a child. I would have made fun of her if she wasn’t my granddaughter. But, even with all her silliness, I still love her.”

When she was done horsing around she filled my glass with rakia, gave it to me, clinked it and said, “To magic. I saw it but I still can’t believe it.”

After we all sat down Nagol said, “Son, you’re everything Delche said, and more. You’re crazy, a liar and more. How in Mother Nature’s name did you think you could bluff your way? How did you know they’d fall for your bluffs? You were so convincing in there I almost started to believe you myself.”

“It takes practice and knowledge of human nature, but mostly threats,” I said.

I then turned to Vel and said, “Thank you for that stunt you pulled, that was masterful.”

“I’m very sorry Sir. I didn’t do that intentionally. I was going to object because I didn’t want you to resign! I’m very sorry, Sir.”

“Well, please don’t do that again. But I have to thank you for doing it this time. Everyone’s heart jumped when they saw my guards jump back and get ready to draw their weapons. Fear is a great motivator. All the crooks in there shook in their boots. And do you know why…? Because there is no profit in death, all the money they got selling out your people is worth nothing if they die.”

“It’s so hard to tell when you’re bluffing Sir, and when you’re telling the truth,” said Daf. “I guess it’ll take us some time to get to know you.”

“I will always tell you the truth. I only bluff in situations where I can gain advantage. You just have to trust me. I always have the best interests of my officers in my heart.”

“Oh, how romantic! I guess you have my best interests in your heart as well, I assume, since I’m now officially one of your officers?” said Gen sarcastically.

Nagol said something to her and she quickly apologized and brought us another shot of rakia.

I ignored her sarcastic remark and said, “It’s imperative for everyone here to keep our plan a secret, especially for you Gen when you’re at military command, and vigorously promote the idea that we’ll be going to war and it’s only a matter of time. We must make Anelia and her backers believe that you, me, the ship and the army will be leaving this planet. This façade must be maintained until you are certain Anelia is no longer a threat. Do we understand one another?”

I heard three “Yes Sirs” simultaneously.

Nagol began to laugh out loud but wouldn’t tell us why he was laughing.

It was evening by now and nearing dinner time. Nagol went away and came back with our server who asked us each what we wanted to eat. Nagol said something to him and motioned for him to wait.

“Forgive my server,” he said. “I’ll straighten this out.” He then spoke to him and sent him away.

Moments later the server came back with two large porcelain platters. One was full of strips of fried meat that looked like bacon and the other was full of fried fish. The server then went back and brought another platter full of fried potatoes and vegetables. I had never seen vegetables like that before. We used the same plates, forks and knives from earlier. I guess Nagol only had a limited number of them, probably no more than six.

After Nagol said something in their language, he took a fish, a couple of strips of meat and some vegetables with his fork and placed them in his dish. He then looked at me and pointed at the platters with his fork. I did the same and so did the others.

I ate the fish first. It was delicious. I then tried the bacon and made a face.

“You recognize it, don’t you? Nobody else here has ever eaten it,” said Nagol.

Vel translated for Gen but she didn’t know what Nagol was talking about.

When Vel looked at me I said, “I ate a half raw version of this meat during my trials which, uncooked, I’m told, is poisonous to most of your people.”

No one except Nagol knew what I was talking about. I didn’t bother explaining. The food was so delicious I had seconds and thirds and so did the others, except for Nagol who had to be careful what he ate and how much.

“Old age is sure a bitch,” I mumbled.

Before we finished eating Nagol said, “Before we get involved with something else, I’d like you to take me to the surface and show me the ship. I’ve been waiting a long time to see it and I don’t want to miss this opportunity.”

Everyone looked at me with great enthusiasm as I smiled and said, “It would be my pleasure, Sir.”

Just as I said that I watched everyone rush to finish eating so that we could get going. But before we left I asked Nagol to do me a favour.

“Is it possible, Sir, to have a replica made of my medallion, perhaps a lighter and thinner version, with the Macedonian sun on both sides and with a nice chain to hang it around my neck?”

“Of course,” he said. “I’ll go and order that right now. It should be ready by tomorrow. May I ask why you need a replica?”

“I have an idea but I’m not sure yet. I’ll let you know after I see what it looks like.”

After Nagol came back we all strolled down a long corridor and emerged in the tube tunnels. From there we walked up a set of stairs and went outside. It was hot and humid and the aroma from the

flowers and ripe fruit was suffocating. We spotted the ship resting on the landing pad about one hundred metres away.

Nagol complained that he couldn’t see it clearly but as we got closer he said, “It’s an ugly brute and so small? How could such an ugly little thing have such a big and beautiful reputation?”

“It’s a war machine grandfather, built a thousand years ago. What did you expect?” asked Gen.

“What is that graffiti all over my ship?” I yelled. “What does it mean?”

“Someone has painted ‘VICTORY’ all over your ship,” said Gen.

I smiled and said, “Well, I think someone had good taste in names. It would have been nicer to call her ‘Victory’ instead of ‘Dragon Fire’, the name given to her by Vieria’s propaganda machine.”

“Sir, it’s a ship, why do you call it ‘her’?” Vel asked.

Nagol and I both laughed but didn’t explain.

As we got close to her, Nagol put his hand on the hull and said, “So, you’re the mistress my friend Voskot was in love with all these years. You’re the big secret. You’re the treasure hidden in the chamber of secrets. You have been a mystery for a millennium and now here you are, you ugly brute, shamelessly standing there in front of me.”

Nagol was distracted by the noise of the hatch opening in the back.

“Would you like to go inside, Sir?” I asked.

Gen had to grab him by the arm, as Nagol lost his step and almost fell down.

He didn’t say anything as Gen helped him walk up the ramp. When he got inside he looked around.

“Is it possible for me to make a call to my troops from here?” asked Gen.

“Why don’t we just take a ride there and you can talk to them in person,” I said.

Gen looked at me strangely, wondering if I had lost my mind expecting an old man to stand there on a moving ship.

At that moment I asked Nagol if he wanted to sit down and I offered him my seat.

He slowly turned towards me and said, “You’re giving me the captain’s seat? Can you do that?”

Even before I had a chance to answer Gen helped him sit down. “Where are you going to sit?” he asked me.

“I’ll stand here behind you, Sir,” I said and began to enter the codes. Then, after Daf entered the coordinates, I entered the speed and activated the docking robot. When the ship began to hover above the landing pad I grabbed Gen by the shoulders and placed her in front of me and asked her to hold onto the chair. I then showed Nagol which button to push to make the ship go. I felt the ship lift, which put a lot of weight on my knees. But, as the speed stabilized I was able to stand. Everyone was quiet until we arrived on top of the makeshift landing pad at the Apserpon facilities. I activated the robot again and it gently landed the ship.

Gen helped Nagol up and we all got off the ship. When we came out the squad was lined up on both sides of our exit ramp saluting us as we descended. Gen immediately took them away and left us standing there.

Nagol looked around, took a deep breath and said, “So, here’s where my good friend lost his life. He was only a few years older than me. He loved me like a brother. Thank you for bringing me here. This is a sad moment for me but a necessary one. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time but didn’t have the courage to do it on my own. Also,

thank you for bringing my granddaughter home. I’ve been avoiding her for years for her own safety.”

I left Nagol with the girls and took a short stroll through the big, broken front door and up the pile of lumber. I looked down at the water fountain and the shower. Water was running through both. I figured the water pressure must have been building over the years.

I decided to leave the place because I was getting caught up in my past and it was bringing back memories for which I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have the courage to face them, at least not now. Plus, the presence of my guards made me anxious.

I found everyone waiting for me by the ship’s hatch.

When I got there I asked Nagol if he wanted to go into outer space.

He knew I was serious so he took his time and said, “Yes, yes I would. I’ve never been in outer space. I sent many of my students out there but I never had the opportunity to do that myself.”

Gen wanted to know what we were talking about but no one wanted to tell her.

“Let’s get on the ship first and I’ll tell her then,” said Nagol.

Gen helped him get on the ship and sat him in the captain’s chair. For a moment Nagol hesitated but I assured him it was okay.

After I entered the codes and got the ship powered up I asked Nagol to pull the joystick slightly back and then ease it forward. The ship reacted and began to fly slowly forward and up. When it had achieved a forty five degree angle I asked Nagol to hold the joystick steady as I tapped the speed button for a smooth ride. After that I activated gravity control so that Gen and I wouldn’t float inside the ship.

We climbed slowly until we were flying above the atmosphere. At that point I asked Nagol to ease the stick forward while I reduced the

speed to zero and we achieved a parallel and free orbit above the planet.

Gen was furious with me for taking such a risk but after looking at her grandfather’s face, lit up with excitement as he looked down at his planet, she said, “Wow, it’s so beautiful down there. I’ve never been into outer space. The planet looks so much better from here than in photographs.”

“Do you want to know what it feels like to have no gravity?” I asked.

They all said yes.

I asked everyone sitting down to engage their seatbelts. Gen helped Nagol put his on. I then grabbed Gen’s hand while she held onto the chair and pushed the gravity control button off. Just as her feet began to leave the floor, Gen complained that she felt like she was going to fall and asked me to put gravity back on. I immediately pushed the gravity control button on and we both dropped to our feet.

“Wow, I feel so heavy now…” Gen said as she tried to brace herself against the chair.

Nagol didn’t say anything and resumed looking down at the planet as the ship began to descend towards the surface in free fall.

A few moments later Daf punched in the coordinates for Nagol’s hotel and I punched the autopilot. It was a smooth ride down.

Gen helped Nagol up and out of the ship. After we were outside and the hatch was closed Nagol kissed Gen on the cheek and said, “It’s nice to have you here my dear. I missed you very much.”

Nagol then turned to me and the girls and said, “Thank you for what you did for me today,” and with that he asked Gen to take him home to his room so that he could have a rest.

“Good night and see you at breakfast tomorrow,” he said and slowly walked away in the dark with Gen holding onto him.

The girls and I took the usual path down the stairs into the tube station and from there through the lobby and into the lounge. What we found was Gen waiting for us with a bottle of rakia and four glasses.

After we had a drink I said, “We accomplished a lot in one day. I forgot how long the days are here on this part of your planet.”

The three women looked confused and didn’t understand what I was talking about until I said, “I’m from earth, remember, and our days average about 12 hours while your days here are 21 earth hours.”

They didn’t seem to be interested in my explanation and began to chat in their language. I didn’t bother to ask what they were saying. Like Nagol, I too felt very tired, said goodnight, left and went to my room.

Visiting old friends

The next day there was a knock on my door. It was the same man as the previous day. He pointed up with his finger and left. I assumed he wanted me to go up to the lobby.

I put on the brown army uniform I’d brought with me from earth and went up to the lobby. When I entered the lounge I saw Gen, Vel and Daf sitting down on a soft couch, still chatting. They began to laugh when they saw me.

“Did you get any sleep or have you been gossiping all night? And what’s so funny?” I asked.

Just as I said that Nagol walked in and interrupted.

“Is that a World War Two uniform you’re wearing?” he asked me.

He surprised me and the women too. After thinking about it for a moment, I said, “Yes! How did you know that?”

“Delche showed me photographs of earth men, earth soldiers, wearing such uniforms during what I believe he called World War Two.”

But as soon as he said that, Nagol turned around and left the lounge. We were left there puzzled looking at one another, wondering why he had suddenly left.

Moments later he was back holding the replica medallion in his hand.

“Sorry about that,” he said. “I forgot to pick up your medallion.”

I looked at it; it was light in weight but beautifully painted with a bright red background and flashy, sharp yellow rays. It looked like someone had taken a plastic magnifying glass, removed the holder, drilled two holes at the edge to connect to the chain and painted it red and yellow. No matter, its construction was not important. The chain was silver in colour and long enough to fit over my head.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, “thank you.”

The women came over and looked at it but weren’t too impressed. They went back to the couch and resumed their conversation.

I put the medallion around my neck but it didn’t look good against a brown background so I hid it behind my brown shirt.

“You still haven’t told me what it’s for,” said Nagol.

Since the women weren’t interested to hear what it was for, I took Nagol to the table and, after we sat down, I said, “I’ll use it as a ceremonial object. I’ll give it to Gen in front of the troops as a symbolic gesture of passing command from one commander to another. The real medallion, the one that held the key to the ship had a lot of power and significance. I want to publicly pass that on to Gen, especially when she takes control of the troops. The idea is that whoever holds the medallion possesses its magical power. No one outside of us will know that the medallion is just a piece of plastic or that it’s a replica.”

Nagol first gave me a funny look and then looked away into the distance, thought for a moment and said, “Yes, yes that’s an old tradition we used to practice here during the changing of the guard in the palace, when we had guards. The departing commander passed on the key to the palace to the incoming commander every time the guard changed. I think I can do something to bring that tradition back, I mean to popularize it... I can do that… I think it’s a good idea to pass on something symbolic from one commander to the next but the people must know what you’re doing before you do that. I can help with that. I think I’ll call Ruzha and ask her to film our event tonight where we’ll show the medallion and explain its significance and power. Then we’ll play the film on channel 45 as an information piece to let the people know what’s going on and what we’re doing to end the war. I think that’s a good idea. Yes. I will, of course, have to clear all this with Asora first. Let me worry about that, now let’s have breakfast.”

Nagol waved at the server who was standing behind the slightly open door. This time the server knew what to do. First he brought us plates, forks and knives and then he brought us two platters, one with fried eggs and the other with crepes loaded with honey and jelly. They looked disgustingly delicious. The server then went back and brought five porcelain mugs and a porcelain pitcher full of what looked like hot chocolate. But it wasn’t. It was hot, concentrated fruit juice from a variety of fruits. It was actually quite good after you got used to the taste.

The women came over without invitation and practically devoured everything.

As usual I ate more eggs than anything else. I did try the crepes but found them to be too sweet. The women loved them. Nagol didn’t eat anything but watched us enjoy eating his food with a smile on his face.

“So, ladies, you’ve been chatting for a long time. You’ve become inseparable. What are you talking about?” I asked.

Nagol laughed, looked at me and said, “I thought you had more sense than to ask women that kind of question.”

Gen was about to take a strip off my hide but Daf beat her to it and said, “I didn’t know this before but we have a lot in common. We found out the same professors taught us in the academy. Gen also told us stories, all sorts of stories about her experiences with boys and how she put them in their place, especially the tough guys who challenged her in marshal arts duels.”

“Thank you for that, I’m happy that you’re getting along so well, and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot more from Gen. She has an exemplary career as a soldier, something to be very proud of,” I said.

After Vel translated Gen didn’t say anything. She just looked at me and smiled.

Nagol leaned over and whispered, “There’s hope for you yet!” and then said. “Excuse me I have to go and make some arrangements for this evening,” and he left.

After Nagol left I said, “Ladies, I’m going up to the surface for a walk, I haven’t had any exercise for days and I’m beginning to feel stagnant.”

After a long pause Vel piped up and said, “You can’t walk on the surface for long, someone might spot you and take a shot at you.”

“I’ll have my guards with me,” I replied.

“No!” she said and the other two agreed with her. “Someone can shoot you from the distance and you’ll be dead before you know it or before your guards figure out what happened. No! You can’t do that!”

“Perhaps you’re right. Thank you.”

“We’re not just your officers, we’re here to advise and protect you as well!” said Gen.

“So, you care for me?” I said with a big smile on my face.

“I’d show you how much I care,” said Gen. “But I don’t want to die!”

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“I would flip you and land you on your fat butt,” she said. “But I’m afraid your lady friend guards would shoot me.”

“So, now you’re jealous of my robots… And have you looked at your own fat butt lately?”

While Vel enjoyed translating Daf said, “Thank Mother Nature Nagol isn’t here to hear such language coming out of the both of you.”

At that moment I grabbed Daf, squeezed her into my arms and gave her a big hug.

After I let her go we watched her face go through a number of emotions from confusion to anger, to disgust and finally to happiness. She then took a run at me, jumped on me and gave me a big hug. The guards didn’t react.

I looked at Vel. She had a puzzled look on her face.

“Do you want me to give you a hug too?” I asked.

Even before I was finished talking I grabbed her and gave her a big hug. She looked red in the face when I put her down. I was surprised that outspoken Vel was actually embarrassed from being hugged. I decided not to tease her anymore.

I looked at Gen and said, “It’s your turn now,” but neither girl wanted to translate.

“You don’t need to translate,” I said. “She already knows what I’m talking about.”

Daf said something in their language but didn’t translate for me. Gen also said something.

“Go get her,” said Vel.

“Not if she’s going to flip me,” I replied.

Daf shook her head, probably telling her I wasn’t going to do it.

Looking straight into my eyes Gen started coming towards me and said, “Equal treatment means equal treatment.” She then grabbed me and gave me a gentle hug. While walking away she said, “Let’s go up to the ship, arm ourselves, grab a couple of communicators and go for that walk.”

“But…” said Vel.

“No buts… I’m your superior officer now and that’s an order… I also feel like shooting someone to let some of my years of pent up frustration out.”

As we walked out Daf asked, “Why did you hug me Sir?” And to cover the idea that she might have never been hugged before added, “I’ve never been hugged by an older man before.”

I didn’t know what to say and before I had a chance to answer Vel translated for Gen.

Gen piped up and asked Daf, “Did you like it?”

She took her time to answer and said, “Yeah?”

“Well, I’d never been hugged by a younger man before, and I liked it too, so what’s the big deal…?”

Gen must have realized that she was making light of an important experience and in order not to rob Daf of it, said, “We must cherish these moments because they are precious and rare in life. He hugged you because he adores you as a woman, as a soldier and as a friend… cherish it.”

I looked at Gen with genuine surprise and, when nobody was looking, she stuck her tongue out at me. I felt like taking revenge but she was stronger than me and would wipe the floor with me, so I just smiled.

When we got to the ship Gen watched me carefully open the panel and enter the codes.

“I can do that too, I memorized your code and all I need now is to take your badge and the ship will be mine. What’s to stop me from doing that?” she asked.

“Well, my guards for one…” I said but before I was finished she interrupted me.

“Let me try. Unless you’re afraid I’ll take your ship?” she said.

Both Vel and Daf advised her not to but she insisted and grabbed my badge and pulled it out of the slot.

I took the badge off my neck and gave it to her.

She immediately slipped it into the slot the right way. The panel door opened.

“I’m half way there,” she said and began to punch the code. When she was done she placed her palm over the laser eye and “zap” she was shocked and landed on her butt on the ground.

We all ran over and gave her a hand up. She was pretty shook up and admitted that the shock was quite strong and painful even for her; a black belt marshal arts champion who was used to enduring pain.

“You were hit like that too?” she asked.

“Yes, many times. In order to gain access to the ship you not only have to know all the codes, but you must also withstand the shock without letting go.”

“You did that?”

“Yes, but only a couple of times until the ship got to know me.”

“I don’t believe that,” she said.

I didn’t want to tell her that I was under the influence of firewater at the time so I didn’t answer her. I was hoping that now she would show me a bit more respect.

I went through the sequence again and after we gained access to the ship the ladies wanted to know what was in the big box tied to the floor.

After telling them to stay out, Gen opened the box anyway. She said something to me but the girls refused to translate.

I offered to give her two bottles as a gift from me and if she wanted I would fly her to the Apserpon facilities to have a drink with her soldiers.

She said her soldiers didn’t drink but, now that I mentioned it, it would be safer if we went to Apserpon and did our walking there.

We all agreed.

Gen asked Vel to contact her soldiers and after she did Gen sat on my lap.

“My knees are killing me. I’m not going through that again,” she said.

“You can’t do that, I need to steer the ship,” I protested.

Daf piped up and said, “No, you don’t Sir, the coordinates are set, just set the speed and tap the autopilot.”

“So, you have no problem with her sitting on my lap?” I asked.

“No Sir!” said Daf and the two girls began to giggle quietly.

I’m sure Gen did this to humiliate me in front of the girls because I hadn’t warned her about the shock.

The moment I punched the autopilot I grabbed her with both arms and held her. I figured she would object but she didn’t.

With the dampers on and with Gen sitting down, I was able to fly the ship at a faster speed. We arrived at the facilities fairly quickly.

After we armed ourselves and picked up a couple of communicators we went outside and met the soldiers. They went through their routine of saluting us and then took us to a shaded area and told us that just moments before they had spotted a ship hovering over the hills and that it might still be there. Gen asked them if they had reported it. They said no because they didn’t know who to contact.

She was their only contact. I asked Gen if I should fly up there and investigate.

“Let me make a couple of calls and I’ll let you know.”

Gen and Vel went back into the ship and made a secure call first to Asora and then to military command. No one seemed to know whose ship it was and what it was doing in prohibited airspace.

After they came back we discussed how we were going to investigate. Gen insisted she wanted to be on my ship but I couldn’t risk flying at break-neck speeds or make risky maneuvers with her not strapped in on the ship. I needed my communications officer and my navigator if I was going to go up.

Finally Daf said, “You don’t need me. I’ll program the home button in the ship to bring you back here if you get lost. But please don’t stray too far outside this planet.”

After Daf programmed the home button with the coordinates, I asked Gen to take Daf’s seat and we took off straight up at maximum speed with all sensors operational. After we went up several kilometres we started searching for ship signatures, transmissions, heat signatures, energy signatures… but found nothing.

Gen said, “It doesn’t appear to be here. It’s probably gone…”

But I wasn’t prepared to accept defeat yet, not without figuring out what it was doing here. So, as we slowly descended I asked Gen to contact her soldiers and ask them exactly where they had last seen the ship relative to us. They pointed out that we needed to go to the left on top of the next grove ahead of us.

Just as we moved in that direction we felt a sudden blast from an energy weapon that blinded us and our sensors. After I regained control the soldiers informed us that the ship had flown out from under us and over the mountain. I immediately powered up all weapons, reset the sensors and quickly flew over the mountain. The ship was heading for a ravine on the other side of the mountain and

quickly disappeared. I guess its pilot was hoping we hadn’t seen it. To make them think that we hadn’t seen it, I quickly flew over past the ravine. I then turned the ship around and positioned it on the opposite side of the hill facing the ravine.

So, unless it was going underground somewhere there was nowhere for the ship to go without facing my cannons.

We were far enough away so initially I contemplated using a torpedo but Gen talked me out of it.

She said, “We should try to capture its crew and question them and then asked Vel to send a message on all frequencies and tell them that we just wanted to talk.”

But, before Gen was finished talking Vel said, “I’m detecting a massive power surge emanating from the ravine.”

When I heard the words “massive power surge” I pushed the joystick forward hard. Our ship jumped over the hill in a split second, avoiding a massive blast coming at us.

“Did you see that?” I yelled.

“I saw it, heard it and have it on video. Our sensors managed to capture it all,” replied Vel.

After we flew back down we took photographs of the damage. There was a huge circular crater on the other side of the mountain but not very much damage in the ravine.

We circled around several times and took more photographs.

After that we flew back to the facilities to examine the evidence. Before we got off the ship I ran diagnostics while Gen contacted military command and sent them our logs of the incident and asked them to identify the ship and call us back.

We took a copy of the logs and ran the video on Gen’s large entertainment screen in their makeshift lounge at the facilities. Vel

ran it in slow motion and we could see that the blast was cone-shaped and directional, designed to take our ship out. We could also see that it had missed our ship by a fraction of a second.

Everyone was scared, including Gen, but she made light of the situation and said, “Your captain has the instincts of a cat. He knows when to bluff and when to pounce. But this time I’m glad he pounced so that we can live and fight another day. This is war, ladies, get used to it.”

“So, ladies, we all saw what happened, so speak to me. Tell me why did this happen?” I asked.

All I heard was silence.

“Okay then, why did the ship expose itself to the soldiers here and then land, hide and wait? Why did it graze us with a light plasma blast instead of blasting us with everything it had? Why did it wait for us to see it going into the ravine? Why stay and hide when it had a good chance of escaping. Why did the ship blow up in a massive directed blast, directed at my ship? There is no doubt that it was a very powerful blast and directed at my ship, any comments about that?”

“I don’t want to speculate, I prefer to work with facts, but in this case someone wanted your ship destroyed with you in it and they wanted to do it here, away from prying eyes. For some reason there is no surveillance around these facilitates,” said Gen.

“I believe that’s true, Voskot classified the facilities as restricted airspace because he didn’t want anyone spying on him when he took the ship out for a test run. He told me so himself. But who else knows about this? How did you know that there’s no surveillance here?” I asked.

“I don’t know for sure but every time I reported something that should have been picked up on radar or on satellite, military command told me they hadn’t see it.”

“So, if we can work under the assumption that this was a planned secret attack on me and my ship, then who planned it and why? Let’s make a list of who could have done this,” I said.

“Well, we could have done this, Anelia and her backers could have done it, the Karons could have done it, the galaxy traders, the aliens that attacked the galaxy traders, and so on. We can speculate all day but there’s not much we can conclude without facts,” replied Gen.

Moments later we received a call from military command and, after congratulating Gen for stopping the danger to their planet, they told us it was one of their ships. In other words an official Ostikon ship was used to attack me and my ship.

I knew Gen was a straight shooter when she corrected military command about who had stopped the danger and then said that if it wasn’t for me, she wouldn’t be talking to them right now.

After that she asked military command to send a team of investigators to examine the site.

When she was done with military command Gen instructed her squad to keep a low profile and assist military command with their investigation. We got on my ship and left for the hotel with Gen sitting on my seat and me standing behind her hanging onto my chair for dear life.

By the way, she had been watching me very carefully when I flew the ship and pushed all the right buttons, including the button to activate the docking robot, which landed my ship. In other words she flew my ship from the Apserpon facilities to Nagol’s hotel without my assistance… or permission.

I was about to say that I might as well go home and she could have the ship but she beat me to it and said, “I don’t believe I can replace you, especially after what you did earlier, but I wanted to do this… This is probably the last time I’ll be part of your crew and my last chance to lay my hands on the ship.”

I thought it was an appropriate response and a bit sad too.

Before we stepped out of the ship I stopped the three and said, “What happened earlier was real, the explosion was real, and I’m sure it will happen again and again. So here and now, I’m going to ask you, if this isn’t what you want you can leave this crew and I won’t hold it against you. I don’t want anyone to die, but there is a chance that one or all of us will die. The risks are very high with this job, which goes for you too Gen. What do you say?”

They all looked at me but no one said a word.

“If you stick with me then I assume you accept the risks… What do you say?”

“We’re all with you,” said Gen loudly and Vel and Daf agreed.

After the girls stepped out of the ship Gen showed me her fist and made a mean face at me.

I grabbed her shoulder walking down the ship’s ramp and squeezed it gently. I guess she was mad at me for being so mean to the girls.

“I believe honesty is the best policy,” I said out loud.

Daf whispered something to Gen, which I assumed was the translation of what I had said.

As soon as we got inside the lounge Nagol ran for us and wanted to know if we were all right.

“There were all sorts of reports in the media that a ship was destroyed,” he said. “But they were confused as to which ship was destroyed and I wasn’t sure if you were alive. Thank Mother Nature you’re okay.”

“Grandfather, you can’t worry about me, about us, every time something happens out there. This was nothing given the calamities this ship has faced in the past. The important thing is that we are here and we are safe and sound.”

Just at that instant Asora stormed in asking me what had happened. I pointed her to Gen and Vel and while they discussed what happened I asked Nagol to bring out some rakia.

After he came back I poured myself a shot and gulped it down.

Nagol looked at me and said, “How do you do it, how can you take the stress and still function?”

“I pretend a lot. I pretend to be tough. I have a gift. I’m able to hide my fears well outside while my inside shakes like a leaf in a windstorm. I must also be lucky, very lucky.”

“Thank you for being honest with me. And please, look after my granddaughter and after those two young and precious girls.”

“I will do my best, Sir,” I said.

Just as he was about to leave the noisy lounge, Nagol turned to me and said, “Ruzha is coming here at noon, in about an hour or so. Let me know when she arrives.”

His words gave me a pain in the gut. It was real, I was about to meet Ruzha face to face. All I could think of was her cries to take her with me to earth before we were separated. What would she think of me five years later? How would she react? What would she look like? Would she be as beautiful as I remembered her? There was a time in my life when she was my only friend, the only person who paid attention to me, who listened to me, with whom I could communicate? Was Gen right that Ruzha had never married because of me, I wondered?

“She’s gone now!” said Daf and sat beside me.

“Who’s gone?” I asked.

“Asora,” she said.

“Well? What did she think happened?” I asked.

“She didn’t want to speculate but she thinks it was Anelia… She thinks Anelia doesn’t believe you. Anelia believes you won’t deliver on your promises and doesn’t trust you or Gen. She thinks in time Gen will turn on her. That’s all she said and suggested we be very careful from now on.”

“Daf, tell the others to put all this aside and lets concentrate on the party. I understand Ruzha is coming here around noon.”

Gen politely asked everyone to leave the lounge and watch channel 45 for updates.

After the four of us sat at the main table Gen said, “I know it’s important for you to see your friends but we can’t stop the investigation, we need to know for sure who did this.”

“My dear Gen, this is now a matter for the government and the police. It’s very important to cooperate with them but not participate and be in their way. Besides, what could we do even if we did find out who did it? Are we going to go out there and shoot them? It would still be a police matter no matter what. Also, in times like these we can’t afford to be distracted from our main objective, so we need to calm down and enjoy life while we’re still alive.”

She grabbed the bottle of rakia and my shot glass, poured herself a drink and gulped it down.

“Hell, I’m a common soldier, who am I kidding? I’ve never been shot at and have never shot anyone…” complained Gen.

“Gen, are you having a breakdown?” I asked but the girls didn’t want to translate.

“Of course she’s having a breakdown,” said Vel. “You expect too much from people. We almost died out there… Give us a chance to take a breather…”

Vel’s words rang loud like a church bell in my brain. Reality was catching up with us but I kept pushing it away. I got up, grabbed Gen in my arms and squeezed her. To my surprise this tough woman

who could crush me began to cry on my shoulder. The other two also began to cry. After I let go of the first I grabbed the other two and gave them a hug. This wasn’t the time for lectures or jokes; it was the time for compassion. I looked at the three with sad eyes. The young ones looked back and smiled. Gen refused to look at me. I tried to help her up but she refused to take my hand. I grabbed her and squeezed her. She didn’t resist.

Vel said something to her. She turned around, grabbed and held me for a moment. She then began to laugh. We all began to laugh.

At that moment Nagol walked in and said, “It’s so nice to see you all so happy…”

We began to laugh even louder and longer which made Nagol shake his head in disbelief.

“So, are you all ready for Ruzha’s arrival?” Nagol asked.

“Oh, grandfather, you worry too much. Of course we’re ready.”

“I spoke with her yesterday and asked her to bring her cameras. Some of you will need to help her set up. I’ll ask my servers to give you a hand.”

“Okay grandfather, we’ll take care of it. Now come and join us here.”

“No one told me what really happened out there today. Can you tell me what happened and why were you in Apserpon anyway?” asked Nagol.

After we looked at each other, Vel stepped up and explained everything in detail to Nagol, in their language. We were all fascinated with her ability to tell a story and even though I didn’t know what she was saying, I could see that she had a talent to captivate people, even an old man.

After Vel was done telling the story Nagol looked at me and said, “Why did you decide to fly away at the moment when you did. What went through your mind?”

“To be honest, Sir, I thought the enemy ship was going to fire on us so I moved our ship out of the way to avoid the blast. I know energy cannons take some time to charge so I bolted before the enemy ship’s cannons could fully charge. I had no idea the ship was going to explode or that we might have been a target,” I explained.

Nagol looked at me and shook his head but didn’t say anything.

Just as we sat there quietly reflecting on things, the server barged in and said something to Nagol.

“Ruzha is here, I’m going to send him to help her with her things.”

The moment I heard her name I felt a sharp pain in my gut. Gen took the girls and bolted for the door. Nagol looked at me and motioned with his head for me to go.

“I’m very nervous. I’m afraid to face her after I abandoned her.”

“She understands, she forgave you years ago, she told me so herself. She’s a smart and mature woman; there’s no need to be afraid.”