Chapter 3 - The Chase

Chapter 3 - The Chase

               Gumptor Fi was sick and tired of this insufferable engine aboard Maiden’s Kiss.  It wasn’t problematic, it was too perfect, too annoyingly perfect.  It was his job to predict the unexpected and he was good at his job.  Officially it was his job to ferry and protect the assistant deputy director of stellar affairs, Preator Keizari but really it was his self-appointed job to accomplish her unreasonable missions in hopes of winning her heart.

                On this particular day he had engine parts splayed out on the floor.  They weren’t accelerating with the thrusters engine in several dozen pieces laying on top of cotton towels.  Gumptor’s only hope was that his beau was sleeping but he wasn’t surprised as he heard her light but impending footsteps on the catwalk above him.  She would never enter engineering at his level by the main entrance but always chose to perch herself on a different level. 

                Gumptor broke his promise and spoke first, “My dear Preator are you ready for your formal dinner?”

                She looked down at her blue dress and yellow sash with gold highlights across her waste.  A small piece of her dark skin near her waste showed.  “Oh this old thing?  Now please tell me, what are you doing with the engine in a thousand pieces?”

                “I will tell you everything your lovely heart desires after you tell me something.  Were you dressed like that when you woke up or did you dress up just for me?” He knew he was pushing it but it was also a good tactic for getting her to calm down.

                Preator was on the precipice of getting annoyed but her curiosity overtook her.  “The Maiden’s Kiss is the best that Diamond Industries has to offer so what are you doing by dissecting her?”

                “It might come to pass my lady that we could, hypothetically of course, be chasing a ship through a planet’s atmosphere and at the same time be trying to outrun hostile craft.’

                Preator folded her hands in a gesture of pleasantness, “And that’s what I need you for Gumptor, to expect the unexpected.”

                “And nothing else my lady?”

                Now she gyrated her hand to express her annoyance with his question, “Not this again Gumptor.  Every time I pay you a compliment you’re dishing for more.”

                Gumptor stood up and looked straight at her.  “We’ve spent a third of our non-relativistic lives together and there’s just the two of us on this ship but we choose to be alone.  I have to ask that?”

                “Have you not had an escapade on one of our stops?”

                Gumptor felt hot under his dungarees collar, a man is a man after all.  “well, I, might have made a friend or two.”

                “You know what, don’t answer that.  It’s none of my business.  My proud engineer, have I not made you a rich man?  I keep no fortune for myself but if you want to retire after this mission you should do so.  Find a wife, start a family and settle down on some luxury world.”

                “I would but I would dream of the adventures I should be having.  Let me turn the question back on you.  Why are you still out here doing field work?  You should be at least a deputy if not a full Director.”

                Preator blushed slightly and her hand grazed her sash.  Did she secretly want such a prestigious position?  For a corporation that employed millions and oversaw the assets of trillions of people there were but a hundred directors.  “Gumptor, you are very good at distracting me.  We are headed toward the Hokori homeworld of New Nippon to see if Cathy and Salvador Dalasie have headed there.  Do we have any assets there?”

                “Only non-organic ones my lady.”

                “That will have to do.”

                “What is so important about these two?  You traded a whole planet to those people back on Acorn for information on the possible whereabouts of a warp engineer?”

                “Gumptor, aside from the Hokori refugees, he is the only person in the known galaxy who understands warp cloaking”

                “I understand its military application but there’s no guarantee he’ll help is.  Even if he does it’s not like our ships are outmatched against the pirates.”

                “You’re the engineer but have you not heard the theory of warp convergence?”

                Gumptor let out a snort.  Someone once tried to tell him that there was more than one kind of warp and it started to sound like magic. “Space can be folded and I can only imagine that the cloaking is achieved by the same method,”

                “Open your mind, consider if the theory is true and space is even more malleable than we know.  One important aspect of the company is we always dream big.  If something is possible, it’s worth pursuing.”

                “Yes, my lady we’ll find out but to what end?”

                “Have you ever heard the phrase, ‘You can’t rule an empire by horseback?’” She waited a moment before continuing.  “I know it’s archaic but on a primitive planet they sometimes ride these animals called horses.  They travel at ten to twenty kilometers per hour. Anyway, if an empire were to expand too far, it becomes unwieldy and difficult to govern.  Diamond Industries has now reached this point where it’s unwieldy to operate and control all of our installations.”

                “Which is why we use the quickships traveling in excess of a hundred times the speed of light or folding space to that degree to transport goods and information in our sphere of influence.”

                “Why yes of course and your particular contributions has made this more effective.  However to have a two way contact to our medium distance installation takes an average of four standard years.  Imagine if we could piece together the right technologies to have instantaneous communication?  That would be one of the great discoveries of humankind.”

                “Now I know you’re completely delusional Preator.”

                She waved her hand in his direction forcefully and turned around.  “Fix the engine Gumptor, I expect a full status report in tomorrow’s staff meeting.” She practically stomped out of the engine room.  Gumptor was mildly satisfied with himself for when she was annoyed she wasn’t so demanding.  He turned back to his pieces the thruster engines.

                Preator headed back to her cabin instead of the bridge, the ship wasn’t going anywhere so what was the point?  Her quarters which no one but her had ever been in were draped in delicate pink fabrics to cover the walls almost like living in a tent.  She passed through to a small crevice towards the back opposite from her small bedroom where her mirror was.  She looked at her face and by habit started to search for any signs of wrinkles.  Her console beeped and though she tried to wave it away it beeped again. 

                “Priority delayed quick ship message.” After nearly missing Cathy and Sal they had rendezvous with a quickship.  It contained mostly standard galactic sector updates, a few supplies for Gumptor and a small crystal statue addressed box for her.  She never thought it was tech and foolishly didn’t run it by Gumptor.  The company would never send anything dangerous would they?  A face appeared on her mirror it was of a man in his late fifties or maybe early sixties.  His skin and eyes looked different from hers.  Her completion was dark, very tan like and her large round eyes and high cheekbones complemented her.  His complexion on the other hand was olive, much lighter than hers and his face long and slender.  She wasn’t startled, all mirrors could change into screens but his appearance made her freeze.

                “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

                “Assistant deputy defector of stellar affairs Preator Keizari I am well pleased with your  performance.  As you might have guessed, I am the Founder.”

                Preator had amazing grace that allowed her body language to take over a situation.  She sat down on her chair as if she was going to comb her hair and crossed her legs.  “I thought the founder was dead.”

                “I am dead.  You are speaking to a virtual representation.  I have many traits, history, and knowledge programmed in but I was sent here by the board with specific instructions.”

                “Proceed.”

                The image smiled, “How is your mission progressing?  Are you experiencing any difficulties.”

                “I should have guessed this was a canned program.  Yes, everything’s fine.  We uncovered the whereabouts of a warp engineer who understands warp cloaking and is not from the Hokori fleet.”

                “That is excellent, where is he now?”

                “He and his wife are heading to New Nippon, why I don’t know.  Gūmptor is upgrading the engine while we speak.”

                “Can you reach them before they arrive?  Our assets in the system indicate the planet is hostile to outsiders.  If they aren’t destroyed they will likely never leave the planet.”

                Preator found herself surprisingly impressed about how this ‘program’ was able to reason.  “Program are you self aware?  The questions you ask and the manner in which you react are very realistic.”

                The founder laughed.  “It is a common misconception.  Not only am I programmed with vast stores of knowledge and logic, I incorporated all of the written and visual experiences of the founder on the public and private domain.  I am not however sentient.”

                “What’s the difference?  If you can think and reason, what’s the difference?”

                “I have no will.”  With a mock sad face he continued, “I do whatever the company tells me to do.”

                “As do I,” she replied. 

                “Yes but I have to, you choose to.” For once Preator was silent so the founder continued with his preprogrammed checklist.  “And how is your relationship with Gumptor, is there any friction between the two of you?”

                She sighed, “he’s a good hardworking man.  Being how men are, I assume you know, he seeks companionship so he thinks he’s in love with me.”

                “Ah I can tell from your tone that you don’t feel the same way.  It doesn’t matter whether his feelings are genuine or simulacrum they are none the less going to impact the effectiveness of your team.  Your reports of him are exemplary and the results of your many missions are evident. I think the best course of action is to bring another woman on board.  I see no difference in result if she’s a love interest or not.”

                “Why a woman?  Why not a man?”

                “He already has an interest in you, a man, any man would be seen as a rival.  No matter how evolved we think we are, we still have our baser instincts very much intact.  A woman would either pull his interest away from you to her or would isolate him completely if he thought of you two as his competitors for the power structure on the ship but either way it would be a less volatile situation.”

                Preator raised her eyebrow, “Not bad, if you were human I might have to worry about you taking my job.”

                The founder got back to business.  “The ship should be ready by tomorrow, see to it you get to the system of New Nippon as quickly as possible and there you will find the correct assets to get you the Intel you need.  I’ll be here to advise.  You need to make sure the engineer is escorted out of the system unharmed and convince him to share his secrets.”

Chapter 2 - Homeworld

Chapter 2 - Homeworld

                Cathy peaked her head into the cockpit of the Silhouette to see Captain Akiro sitting up very straight and still at the controls.  He was asleep of course, soldiers she knew could sleep upside down hung from their feet.  She considered going back to her cabin to snuggle up with Sal but dismissed the thought because of Sal’s standoffish nature after agreeing to travel with these two NNA (New Nippon Army) soldiers.  He said it killed the mood.  It was either that or start a fight they couldn’t win.  Besides it was Sal’s idea anyway to come here. 

                She sat down in the copilot’s chair and dialed up the main view.  They were still millions of miles from the planet now thrusting in the other direction.  Captain Akiro stirred to life.  He moved only his eyes to see Cathy sitting there pretending not to notice he was sleeping.  “Captain Cathy, why do you spend so much time here?  Shouldn’t you spend more time with your husband?”

                “I’m excited to see your planet and its government.  I’ve only been to one planet and that was a barren world, we were the only people.  Your world has such history and culture, a world teaming with people.  It must be beautiful.”  Cathy stared at the enhanced image with a glint in her eye no reality could diminish. 

                Captain Akiro sighed and turned to face Cathy.  “Cathy you talk like us and more importantly you act like us.  So I tell you with discretion that our planet is beautiful and I hope you get to explore, it but first you must pass through the imperial court.  No one enters into the planet without passing before a magistrate or the emperor and empress.  I’ve seen fools enter and exit heroes and brave noble men enter only to exit disheartened or in pieces.”

                Very slowly Cathy turned her head, saying in a soft voice, “are you saying the imperial government is capricious?”

                Akiro snorted his nose, “Probably not, they probably do what’s in their best interest as does every government in the history of people kind.  But they are unfettered and whimsical.  Like I said before, these few days maybe better remembered in the company of a loved one.”

                Cathy smiled but could not contain a huge laugh.  The Walls seemed to echo with her laughter.  “You still live, captain.  I have already died.  The day I had to fight lieutenant Takei I considered myself dead.  I was forced to live beyond death and to take his life.  Only heaven can decide when it’s my time to go.  I welcome the challenge.

                A chill ran up captain Akiro’s spine.  He thought of his wife and child on Bliss asteroid.  He never anticipated ever coming back to homeward.  He had hoped to live his quite life in space and enjoy his comfortable position.  He had one month off per imperial year and his family wanted for nothing.  He was like a king when at home and his own emperor when at work.  He grimaced while facing the screen, “You know captain, I think I will take my leave.  Perhaps I will do what you will not and send a message to my wife and child.”

                Cathy wasn’t sure why she was playing this game but it felt right.  She didn’t want to be too close to Sal.  If she played her cards right, he would seem like the lesser partner and her the greater.  She slid her slender fingers over the physical controls to enhance the image of the planet.  Unlike the colony ship Cordelia where she spent two thirds of her life this ship didn’t have virtual controls projected into the air.  The small pinpoint became larger and larger until she could barely make out the blue and green.  It looked quite different from planet Acorn where her and Sal had married.  The Silhouette was still traveling at tremendous speed towards the fourth planet of the system, New Nippon Prime, slowing down approximately fast enough to simulate standard gravity.   Radar showed an increasing density of darts around and about closer to the capital though they cleared out of the direct path.  A hard stone formed in her stomach and she forced herself to rid of fear.

                Fourteen days later Cathy and Sal were lying in bed together, watching a holo of their wedding.  She rubbed his chest gently as he sighed.  “Sal, why did we come here?”

                Sal brushed her hair back and carefully considered his answer.  In a way there was nowhere else to go.  They had defeated the tyrannical ruler of the fledgling town on Acorn.  Their colony ship was destroyed and there was no way Sal was going to fit in with the refugee Hokori fleet.  That left only one option.  “You know honey, I thought about us growing old together on the planet.  It’s a virgin world to conquer but I think it’ll be more about gardening and child rearing than adventure and discovery. You’ve known me since we were children, I’ve always wanted to do something great, to change the face of the universe.  This is our chance. We’re going to go to that planet and make contact with an undiscovered planet and bring healing to an ancient tragedy.”

                “What if we don’t come out of this alive?  What if it’s all for not?”

                “That doesn’t sound like a Hokori captain talking?  We’re going to have to come up with a game plan for when they ask for the location of the refugees.”

                “I say we tell them.  These small ships they have are not warp capable.  When we’re down on the planet let me lead, let me do the negotiating.” That’s what she always wanted, to lead not necessarily other people but her own destiny.

                The four of them stepped off the ship onto a large tarmac which looked freshly paved.  It was unusually windy. They were in the middle of the imperial city.  To the left and right were a dazzling array of lights from advertisements, some fixed to high rise buildings and others floating in the air.  Sal, ever the engineer wondered if they were being virtualized or if there was an apparatus hovering projecting the display.  Cathy noticed a train of flying cars passing in the distance.  A dozen guards in stark red uniforms approached, their boots clicking the pavement in unison.  An officer headed them up.  It was so apparent that he was an officer with that telltale long officer’s coat with the large buttons, similar to hers except his was silver and hers was blue.  Was that a designation of location, duties?  Perhaps because he was a planet officer his uniform as a different color.  The men stopped in front of them and the officer addressed Captain Akiro. 

                “Captain, I will take charge of the foreigners. You will come with us for debriefing ”

                “Yes colonel.”  So it was rank that denoted the different coats.   She and Akira were captains and their coats were blue, so were the lieutenant’s coats but they were shorter. 

                That’s when the colonel glanced at Cathy and said, “Why is she wearing one of our uniforms?”

                Before Akira could answer Cathy spoke, “I am officer with the Hokori refugee fleet.”

                The soldiers visibly moved when Cathy spoke in their language but not the colonel.  “Yes I’ve heard you speak our language quite well.  I had to see it for myself.  Welcome to New Nippon.  I will accept that you spoke out of turn because you are not a member of our force.  Do not attempt to give orders around here but for now you may wear the uniform as you appear before the imperial court.   This way.” He made a motion to a train that had pulled in just outside the edge of the landing strip.  After passing through an underground passage way they made their way to a train platform.  There were soldiers on guard and no civilians. Cathy could tell they were well trained because they didn’t even look at her.  She must have been quite a sight, a foreigner in an ancient uniform.  When they boarded the train Sal twitched the finger in his pocket to try one of his toys out. 

                “When will we meet the emperor?” Sal spoke in his language and after a moment his clothes seemingly spoke his message.

                The colonel glanced at Cathy and then addressed Sal.  “In thirty minutes, you will be at the imperial residence. You will have a brief time to clean up and then appear before the court.  You too Captain,” pointing at Akiro.

                Cathy and Sal faced the large chamber doors each with its gold crested dragon flowing up the door and ending at the top facing each other mouth open, teeth bearing.  The doors opened slowly and the two of them were disappointed not to find a vid like throne room.  All residents of the colony ship they had come from spent many hours watching vids.  On some of their shows a king dressed in purple would sit atop a gold throne in decorated hall. Before them lay a pathway and a dim light.  They walked forward before being prodded by the guards.  Sal was coming out of his day dream as if a veil were lifting they saw the edges of two stadiums on either side.  Over the edges people looked over and as soon as they saw Cathy and Sal a great multitude of conversations could be heard. 

                Sal who was to the right of Cathy said, “These people appear to be different from the Hokori, I mean Nipponese.  It’s like they’ve never seen people like us before.”

                “The people on my side Sal look very much like the Nipponese and they are looking at us with contempt. Could it be that there are different cultures that live here?  Wait I see a light up ahead.”  It became obvious they were in a big arena with sections of bleachers in an octagon array around a central circle.  There were five bleachers each holding thousands of people separated by a horizontal road traveling from left to right with a huge circle in the middle.  The two of them entered into the circle and when they reached the center the ground lit up where they were supposed to stand.  Only then did they realize the one direction where there were no bleachers and no road was a series of steps leading up, terminating in a platform.  That must be where the throne was.  A man was heading down the steps, the king?  No.  He had shiny silver clothes and even a shiny cape and a purple flower on his shirt.  The crowd quieted down.

                “Greetings honored dignitaries from around the world.  This is the moment you’ve all been waiting for.  A legitimate representative from the renegade fleet from the battle of the asteroid belt has come forth.”  He waited for the appropriate applauds before continuing.

                Sal leaned over after hearing the translation, “It really is like a show.”  Why doesn’t Sal care she thought?  He was a brilliant engineer and no doubt he had some surprises in case things went sour but they were in a precarious position. 

                The man continued to speak, “All rise for Emperor Sakito accompanied by Empress Shiori.”  Cathy and Sal shot each other a quick look, remembering the young mechanic who did so much to free them from her brother Eiri’s grip.  All the crowd rose as a man and woman appeared on the stage.  Their clothes were of gold and silver and matched the ornate design on the door they entered.  The man wore a suite with a slithering dragon up one side and the woman with a long feathered bird.  He sat and then his wife followed by the various people in the bleachers. 

                He spoke and his voice as obviously amplified but it sounded natural, even angelic like, “Vice regent, whom do you have to present to me today?”

                Bowing low the man with the silver cape said, “I have a strange looking woman who claims to be a captain of the renegade fleet.  We also have captured an antique ship from the renegade fleet” 

                “You have verified the ship’s authenticity?  Have you searched he ship’s records?”

                “Your majesty, we have identified its authenticity.  This woman has given us access to the ship’s records.  The original leader of the renegade fleet Captain Bushito was eventually succeeded by Captain Daiki who was granted the title of admiral by the other captains.  This woman Cathy Rikes was assimilated into the crew along with others of her ship.  This man, Salvadore Dalsie is her husband now but was not with the renegade fleet.  She apparently left the fleet, which is not recorded in the ship met up with this man and then came here.”

                The emperor stood, took a few steps and rubbed his chin.  “Regent, do you or your experts doubt the story?”  Sal looked towards Cathy who shook her head for him to remain silent. 

                “It doesn’t appear the ship was tampered with but we don’t have full access and the foreigners may have some technological computing advantages we don’t know about.”

                “Let’s say for argument sake she’s telling the truth.  What was the judgement about the renegade fleet?”

                “Sir, the very next year they were all sentenced to death along with their descendants forever.  Here on this planet, one hundred thousand people were put to death by sword for being related to the foreigners.” 

                A chill ran up Sal and Cathy’s spine.  This can’t end like this, they had to speak up but not out of turn.

                He addressed the two, “You, Cathy stand accused of being part of the rebel fleet by your own admission and electronic evidence which has a sentence of death.  Sal, you stand accused of being related to a rebel which also has a sentence of death.  Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

                Cathy turned to Sal, “Honey, it’s your moment.” 

                Sal’s little toy had hacked into the audio system and he began to speak which was then translated and amplified to the amazement of the crowd, “People of New Nippon, we are visitors to your great planet.  What happened two hundred years ago left a scar in the people that fled and I believe it has left a scar here as well.  I can see that you are not all made up of one people but several.  Your ancestors reacted in a way to quell descent but since that time have you not felt any regret that so many were killed?”  Sal was risking a lot on this speech and what he had gleaned from the lieutenant on board the Silhouette.  Two of the sections were discussing loudly among themselves.  Sal’s wristband interpreted their speech as discontent and his ear piece informed him.  “Emperor did your people ever review this judgement?   Was there ever a retrial?”  Sal knew the answer but this was all about the presentation.

                “Regent, bring forth the minister of history.”  After what seemed like an eternity, there was a recess and after the recess some drinks were brought to the emperor and his wife.  Finally, a short old man carrying a briefcase entered from the far side, opposite from where they had come from.  He came before the throne and bowed.  Then he pulled four telescoping legs from the corners of the briefcase and opened it up. 

                “Emperor, vice regent, accused, the rebel fleet left the system in the year four thousand two hundred sixty.  They were tried and found guilty during the new moon festival of the next year and during the next decade the, uh,” he cleared his throat, “cleansing was carried out.”  Another series of murmurs in the crowd.  “Fifty years later the case was reopened and in order to avoid carrying out any further unpleasantness against newly found relatives of the renegade fleet they were pardoned of their crimes.”  Cathy and Sal visibly relaxed and sighed.  “They were however relieved of duty and honor.  That is all.” 

                Empress Shiori said in a low voice, “Why not strip her of her title and let the dogs tear her apart.” 

                He clenched his jaw, she was usually right but, “The people have been increasingly at each other’s throat already.  Feeding raw meat to one seems to incite another.  I was not handed a kingdom to see it fall apart.  I maybe the most powerful man in the system but neither can I simply over rule prior court’s judgements without a full trial.  My uncle used to always say, “Where there is risk, opportunity will be found as well.” 

                His wife squeezed his hand and shook her head, her bangles clinging softly as she did.  This is why he was born to be emperor and not his brother Hisato.  Sakito descended the stairs about half way.  “That was impressive, what you did before Dalsieson,”addressing Sal.  “Unfortunately lady Rikes I must strip you of your title, even an Emperor cannot overturn a former court decision.  The two sections closest to the throne broke out in applauds while the three other sections grumbled loudly.  Sal and Cathy looked around.  Those people probably suffered most from the culling.  The emperor held up his hand and when he spoke his voice boomed louder, “I have a job for the two of you.”  All of the sections quieted down at this unexpected turn of events.  “I nominate the two of you as ambassadors.  Salvador Dalsie you will be the ambassador of planet Acorn.  You, Cathy Raikes are hereby nominated as ambassador of the rebel fleet.  We will commission interstellar ships and you will lead the mission to make contact with the rebel fleet.” The applauds started from the far and eventually carried through the entire audience and then they started chanting, emperor, emperor, emperor.  Each time delighted Sakito more and more.

                Cathy lowered her head as a swarm of attendants came and removed her officer clothes and donned her and Sal with ambassadorial robes.  True, she had left admiral Daikin’s fleet without his permission but she could never betray him by revealing their new system’s location.  Neither could she deny the emperor.  When the ships showed up Daiki’s fleet would destroy them, they were paranoid from birth of homeworld.  

Chapter 1 - Awake

Who knows what space is really like?  We can only travel through space in a boat or a bubble or briefly unattended as we head towards the permanent blackness of death.  Even then, agony but not true realization of the infinite void will accompany our fleeting perception. 

                The Silhouette, an outdated assault shuttle, now turned honeymoon suite streaked though space towards its destination, Hokori Prime.  Several astronomical units beyond the last planet the ship stopped folding space as it was instructed to do.  The ship was no longer in warp but still traveled at almost half the speed of light.  It activated its reverse thrusters to slow down and in two weeks’ time would wake the love birds, Captain Cathy Rikes and chief Salvador Dalsie.  Unfortunately, the ship had not gone undetected.  Several darts had been dispatched to intercept, though lightly manned they accelerated toward their destination at twenty times the standard force of gravity. Special drugs and an all-encompassing gel kept the pilots alive.  The pilots actually breathed the gel which had a dynamic viscosity.

                Like a lifting fog, Cathy remembered who she was as she felt the rumble.  She then remembered what she was doing as the rumble and shaking persisted.  The blue liquid exited her lunges and she breathed again.  Her gasps were deep and wide as she waited for the glass to ascend.  It was like entering a combat zone as she had trained for.  Red lights were blinking and sirens blaring should have been accompanied by orders from above and soldiers marching.  However there were no soldiers and the lead authority, the only authority was captain Cathy Rikes herself.  

                Cathy’s pod was fully open and as she took several deep satisfying breathes and coughed.  She felt happy to be awake at least for a moment.  The ship shuttered as it was fired upon again and all sorts of alarms blared. 

                “Ship, who’s firing upon us?”  She was smart enough to use the ship’s language. 

                “Captain, unknown vessels attempted to communicate and then fired.”

                “Answer them!” She barked forgetting for a moment it was only a computer she spoke to.

                “Captain, what message shall I relay to the enemy craft?”

                “Tell them to stop firing.  Tell them,” And then Cathy looked over to see Sal’s pod was still closed.  She drifted out of hers deftly hanging onto the handrail and faced her lover and husband.  The controls indicated a jam of some kind and Sal’s vital signs were weak.  She tried several times to enter the code for manual override which the ship’s central computer accepted but didn’t act upon.

                “Mam, the foreign ships request your unconditional surrender.”

                “Tell them we will cut our engines and communicate our intention, tell them we are from the Hokori refugees.” Cathy fiddled with the Sal’s hibernation controls but to no avail, the ship wouldn’t release him and his heart beat was slowing. 

                “Sal, I need you!” Her expression of helplessness surprised her; on the Hokori fleet she had no such luxury.  It was either survive or die.  She realized she was in command and she was in control.  This man, whom she loved dearly was at her mercy.  She loved and respected him before they were separated for four years but when she found out that he, like her had devoted himself to finding her against all odds and had rejected a very admirable suitor, she respected him all the more.  She loved her husband infinitely but seeing him trapped behind the glass and helpless made her feel helpless as well.  She positioned herself over the long tube straddling it with her legs and holding her body from floating by holding onto the handrails.  These ships were built for space combat and maneuverability. The pounding from the enemy ships had thankfully subsided.  Cathy let her right hand go free and pulled it back to her side while breathing in deeply.  Thinking of nothing but the glass breaking she punched Sal’s tube as hard as she could.  The glass cracked slightly and fluid leaked out which started the emergency evacuation sequence.  Cathy looked at her hand, yup it’s broken she thought.  She cradled her broken hand while observing Sal’s vitals.  His heartbeat had risen from 10bpm to 20 and his temperature from 5C to 10.  The ship vibrated once more.

                “Enemy craft firing, shields are defeated.  Full craft destruction immanent.”

                “Ship didn’t we cut our engines, what do they want”?  The pain decided to show up and Cathy almost let go of the handle bar with her left hand.  If she took painkillers, it might impede her thinking so she just suffered through it.  She had become weak while she was with Sal.  Isn’t that what love does, makes you weak in one way while making you strong in another.

                “Enemy ship is requesting a verbal surrender within five seconds.”

                “Open a channel.  Hokori prime vessel, this is the Silhouette from them refugee Hokori fleet.  We surrender under the condition that you escort us unmolested to an ambassador.”

                After a few tense seconds of watching Sal’s brain functions start a crackly voice of a middle aged man came over the intercom.  “Enemy vessel, you do not get to dictate terms.  We will board and impound your vessel immediately!  Comply or be destroyed!”

                To some, not knowing the Hokori culture this might seem like an intractable position.  It’s not that they weren’t serious or wouldn’t destroy the ship.  Posturing was always an important part of the communication.  A ship that was immediately willing to be boarded might be setting a trap. 

                “I am captain Cathy Rikes of the Hokori refugee ship.  You may inspect our ship after I deal with an immediate medical emergency on board.  The ship’s engineer is badly hurt.  It is only myself and he onboard.  Since we are of a foreign crew we wish to speak to an ambassador.  If you destroy us you will never find out what happened to the refugees that left here two hundred years ago.”

                After a short tense pause, “This is Captain Akiro Aimiatta, I have the authority of the Emperor in the outer system.  If you really are a captain and wish to rejoin the fleet you will immediately surrender your vehicle.”

                It would take a few more minutes for Sal to wake up and Cathy worried her hand needed mending.  She was having a hard time concentrating with the pain as she headed toward the small automated medical bay.  “Ship transmit our authority codes as well as identity of all Hokori ships.”

                “Incoming transmission from Captain Akiro”, the computer blandly announced.  “I will verify your information Captain Rikes but do not think you can stall very long.  If you are a pirate you will surely hang.”

                “And if I am a Captain of the refugee Hokori fleet?”

                “Then you may still hang captain of the prideful but at least you will get an audience.  Welcome to the system of New Nippon.  Wait for further instructions.” It all made so much sense now.  The refugee fleet assumed the name prideful to hide their true name.  Hokori means prideful in their language.  Admiral Daiki, her mentor and supporter had never told her the secret name of their people.  He helped her but also used her to find them a new system to establish themselves in and rid himself of an enemy.  In return she stole this shuttle and abandoned her post.  She wished he was well.

                “Cathy,” her husband’s voice croaked from across the ship.  Cathy’s heart lit up to know he was awake.  She looked down at her hand in the automated medical dock.  It had been bandaged and some local anesthetic applied. The readout showed xray as well as sound and infrared.  It was fractured but everything was in place with no surgery required.  Her hand was encased in a hard pink plastic with only the tops of her fingers showing.

                “Cathy, where are you?”

                She rushed out, floating from handhold to handhold until she came to the hallway with the hibernation chambers.  Sal never was a pleasant sight in the morning but he looked particularly bad today.  His skin was very pale and his hair disheveled, was he losing hair?  Stupid thought.  He managed to put on a small smile and said, “I guess the honeymoon’s over?  I saw the chamber was damaged, when I woke up.” He then gazed at her hand bandaged up.

                “Aw, you broke your hand to save me?”

                “Honey, we’re expecting company. Would you be a dear and make preparations?”

                “Sure.  Are these friends of ours?”

                “I’m not sure but let’s be prepared.”

                The computer cut in, “Small craft headed this way, expected arrival in fifteen minutes.  Instructions?”

                “Prepare to allow them to dock and enter airlock one.  Sal get our special belts and meet me at the air lock.”

                Fifteen minutes later Cathy was floating outside of the airlock, her hands on her hips ready to activate the personal shield generator inside of her belt buckles.  That was Sal’s invention when he was facing the tyrant on planet Acorn.  She was of course decked out in full Hokori uniform.  The two men cycled through the air lock.  When it opened the middle aged man with an officers red coat and silver buttons grabbed the door bar hold and pulled himself into the hallway.  Their clothes seemed to hold them to the floor as she had seen the other Hokori.  The two men took one look at Cathy and Sal and immediately drew their blasters.  “It’s a trap.”

                Only Cathy’s instinct and intuition kept her from activating her shield.  The men were in her estimation not willing to fire.  They might have orders to bring back survivors.  “I assure you captain this is not a trap.”

                Still holding his weapon, Akiro said, “You speak our language well.  I suppose you had the computer teach you after you tortured the crew?  Or perhaps you were a prisoner and managed to escape.  Yes that’s it, isn’t it?  You two can come with us now.”

                “You have a fanciful imagination captain.  Everything’s not a soap opera.  My story is long and though I’d love to tell it to you, you might not believe me.  So, I have a proposal.  I will escort you to the bridge and give you full access to our records.  Sal can keep the corporal here company.”

                Cathy led the captain to the bridge while Sal faced the unhappy looking soldier with his blaster pointed squarely at him.  Sal looked at him and attempted conversation, “What’s your name?”

                The computer translated his speech and after a few seconds the soldier responded back, Sal awaited the translation.  “It is not customary for prisoners to inquire of their captors.”

                “I’m not your prisoner.”

                “I’m holding the gun.”

                “That doesn’t mean I’m your prisoner.  It just means you could kill me if I tried to attack you.  So instead of sitting here for thirty minutes awkwardly we could just talk.”

                “My captain will eventually discover that you are criminals.”

                “What do you know of the events that happened here two hundred years ago?”

                After hearing the translation, the corporal sighed and started to tell a long story.  Sal waited patiently for him to stop speaking and the computer began to retell. 

                “Two hundred years ago a group of rebels from various orbital installations decided to rebel against the Emperor.  They were hunted down and destroyed.  There was some superstition that several small ships survived.  We who patrolled the borders would hear folk stories of a find of dead bodies in a ship or a booby trapped asteroid installation.  I think you two are scavengers who turned into grave robbers.”

                After several more tense minutes which seemed to drag on like the tail of a star being swallowed by a black hole, Cathy and Captain Akiro returned.  Cathy floated back to Sal and the Captain rejoined his lieutenant.  “Lieutenant you can lower your weapon.”  Both men lowered their weapons but didn’t holster them.