Solar Star

The tall slim figure dressed in a black jump-suit and black fur collared jacket and hat, dropped the heavy bag she had been carrying on the Hangar Deck floor and looked around her. The ship was looking sleek and newly repainted matt black with the silver script emblazoned on its side. She liked the name; it had more of a ring to it than ‘The Maybe’. You can’t get enthusiastic about that name; it had no rallying cry to it; if anything it made the crew feel like a second best crew, not the excellent crew they had become. Elena Roedensky approved and was eager to see the rest of the improvements. It was bitterly cold in the open ended hangar, and the lighting was so poor that it took her a while to find her identity pass in her shoulder bag.

‘Oh come on,’ she told herself.

She failed to locate it and had to pull off a glove to identify it by feel.

‘At last,’ she said, as her hand found the small Plexiglas card with her holographic image and ID number embedded inside it.

Once retrieved she moved quickly to the side door where the crew could assess the ship. It was midnight and no one else seemed to be up, but she wasn’t particularly worried as she was more than capable of looking after herself after surviving the uprising in her native Russia in the chaotic days of the dying of the old way and the creation of the new. Many hadn’t been so lucky, although for several years she had wished she hadn’t survived as her young son and beloved husband had been massacred whilst she was away. She couldn’t stay in Russia after that, yet she couldn’t carry on in the medi-corp. either, as it was her work there that had kept her from her family. For a while she just wanted to die, but somehow she had carried on living and by chance she met an old friend who told her about this ship and their need for a doctor. With nothing to lose she had presented herself to Captain Kelsey who hadn’t been put off by her strong, abrupt manner and offered her the post immediately. She had, to her own surprise, accepted and now three years later felt the ship was her home and although she didn’t make friends easily, she had good friends here so it was good to be home. She placed the card into the slot and waited for the computer to respond. She stamped her feet impatiently, trying to get some feeling back into them and blew into her frozen hands.

‘Please state your ID number,’ the androgynous computer voice said.

‘910121,’ she said and turned quickly around.

Something or someone was moving towards the ship. She froze and felt her heart jump a beat as she stared hard into the semi-lit carnivorous space around the ship. She felt her adrenaline kick in and her heart started going again, only faster and she was suddenly acutely aware how exposed she was, alone by a sleeping ship which was sound proof. Even if she screamed no one inside would hear her. She straightened up and took a deep breath, slipping her hand into her pocket and pulling out the stun gun she always carried. It was tiny, fitting into the palm of her hand, but it was also very powerful, rendering anyone it struck unconscious long enough for her to get away. As a doctor she hated any loss of life, but it didn’t stop her stunning anyone who threatened her or her shipmates. Elena wasn’t the screaming type and decided to take the initiative.

‘Whoever you are, you had better stop and identify yourself or I will shoot you,’ she shouted, her voice echoing in the vastness.

Coming back to her it sounded strained, but it stopped them and she could now make out two shadow forms in the gloom, although their faces were not yet visible.

‘I need to see Captain Kelsey now,’ said a feminine voice.

Elena almost grinned.

‘What had Ty been up to?’ she thought, knowing his love life was in constant flux.

‘Why?’ she shouted back, but didn’t get the answer she half expected.

‘We have to change our plans and leave tomorrow so I must see him now.’

The woman’s voice had an almost hysterical ring to it, which intrigued Elena.

‘Come towards me very slowly,’ she commanded, curious to see whom the voice belonged to.

Kassina walked ahead of Sarrin until they stood almost directly below and in front of the Russian. Elena frowned and lowered her weapon, neither of them looked threatening.

‘Who are you?’ she asked.

Kassina was almost beside herself with frustration, tiredness and fear.

‘Look the Captain knows who we are, just get him here now,’ she shouted.

Sarrin took her arm.

‘Calm down Kassina.’

She shook him off her and started to cry. Sarrin looked up at the striking redhead with burning brown eyes and explained who they were and why it as so important to disturb the Captain so late. Elena raised one very elegant eyebrow.

‘Why didn’t she say that before?’ she said heartily, pointing at the distraught figure who had slumped onto the floor.

Sarrin smiled.

‘I am sure you understand how desperate we are. It has been a great strain on Kassina.’

He left it there and was grateful when Elena nodded and said.

‘Yes, I suppose it must be.’

She paused and then added.

‘You’d better come with me then, or you’ll freeze to death out here.’

Sarrin was happy to comply, as he could no longer feel anything from his knees downwards. He stumbled over to Kassina, helped her to her feet and pushed her up the ramp into the comparative warmth inside Solar Star.

The low lights in the bar made the skin on her body shine gold and silver as she moved sensually to the alluring tunes of the old Arabic music. She swirled towards him, her hips danced and rang the small silver bells around her curvaceous waist, her huge oval eyes looked him straight in the face and she licked her lips provocatively. The veils she was draped in concealed very little and as she removed them one by one, her movements became slower as she floated before him, teasing and caressing his senses, her eyes laughing as he felt himself reeling. She leant towards him and as their fingers were about to touch, an irritating sound blew the dream away. Ty Kelsey reluctantly opened his eyes to see the comm. light flashing along with the bleeping alarm. He lashed out in frustration and spoke angrily to the person who had just interrupted the best dream he’d had in years.

‘Yes, who the hell is it?’ he said.

Elena smiled to herself and it gave her a small measure of satisfaction to wake someone else for a change as it usually happened to her.

‘Captain, sorry to wake you,’ she said sweetly. ‘But I have Kassina and Sarrin here and they need to talk with you immediately.’

She heard him sigh deeply and get out of bed.

‘All-right. Take them to the Officer’s lounge and I’ll be there in five minutes.’

Without waiting for her acknowledgement he cut the link.

Elena smiled at her weary companions and said.

‘Come with me I’ll take you up.’

Ty Kelsey strode forcefully into the smaller more intimate lounge, with a black and white Border collie dog at his heels. He glanced around the room finding an exhausted Kassina curled up on the sofa with Elena placing a blanket over her with Sarrin hovered anxiously behind her and neither of them noticed his arrival. He sighed softly, quietly making his way over to them in his usual cat-like way, full of suppressed energy and vigour, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. His fitness and agility, coupled with a good grasp of street fighting and martial arts had saved his life on several occasions, and he made sure he stayed at his physical peak, in case of emergencies. His quiet approach was only spoilt by his dog ‘Maximus’’ delight in seeing a friend. He darted ahead of his master and ran to Elena who he grabbed his collar and gently pulled him away from the couch whilst trying to calm his enthusiasm and getting thoroughly licked in the process.

‘Maxi, there’s a good boy,’ she said as she rubbed his ears and ruffled his coat.

He wriggled and rubbed against her, his tail going at lightning speed and his tongue flapping in delight. He loved his extended family and tended to be a little bit over the top in greeting them whenever they had been missing for a few days. Ty grimaced and watched his dog make a damned fool of himself again. Sometimes he wondered why he had bothered getting him, as Max seemed to consider all the crew as his masters, not just him which Ty found extremely irritating. Maclyn said he was jealous and secretly Ty agreed with him, but he refuted this to Maclyn’s face.

Elena looked up at the Captain and smiled, it made her rather bony, angular face soften and become almost beautiful. When they had first met she was still a bitter, somewhat cold, detached individual, but a brilliant doctor who was prepared to work for the money he could afford to pay. As beggars can’t be too choosy, he offered her the job and over the years watched her mellow and change as the pain and guilt receded. She still had her prickly side, but now she felt able to be a bit more open too. He leant down and took hold of Max’s collar and said.

‘Enough.’

The dog looked up at him and decided he’d better stop. His tail dropped and he moved back to Ty and sat at his feet, looking like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Ty pointed to some seats in the far corner and they moved silently there to avoid waking Kassina and once settled Ty opened the proceedings.

‘Right Sarrin, tell me what has happened.’

He listened intently to Sarrin’s report of what O’realian had told him and when he had finished Ty sat silently for a few moments, running the problems through his mind. He wasn’t a logical person by any means, but had a unique way of problem solving, which often surprised his adversaries, giving him a distinct edge. He was never predictable, but a law unto himself, which is why the strict rules and regulations of Space Corp. stifled him to the point where he knew if he didn’t escape he’d go mad. Space and exploration, discovering new worlds and new life forms had always fascinated him, but all Space Corp. seemed to do was ferry supplies between Earth colonies so he felt more like a delivery boy than an explorer. Then once the chance came to buy his own ship he didn’t need to think twice; he resigned from the Corp. and became his own boss. Problems, since then, had never stopped presenting themselves, so he had had plenty of practice. Finally he came to a few decisions.

‘Okay, I will need Maclyn up here.’

He turned to Elena.

‘Could you roust him out of bed for me?’

She nodded and left them.

Ty then asked Sarrin if he could talk to O’realian himself.

Sarrin smiled and lifted the silver metal box on the table.

‘I can contact him with this.’

Ty was fascinated; he had never seen anything like this before.

‘What is it?’ he asked.

‘I brought it with me from Andromeda,’ Sarrin answered. ’It is a navigation and communication device.

‘But it’s tiny!’ Ty exclaimed.

‘Yes but very powerful.’

‘Is it secure?’

Sarrin nodded.

“Perfectly Captain.” He said.

Ty watched as Sarrin set up the screen and made the connection. A few seconds later the screen revealed an older man sitting in a white circular room with a worried look on his round tanned face.

‘Sarrin,’ he said. ‘You have news?’

‘Not yet O’realian, but Captain Kelsey has some questions he would like you to answer for him.’

Sarrin moved back and Ty saw Kassina’s father properly for the first time. He didn’t look much like his daughter, he eluded vitality not unlike Ty’s own and a wide-open face and blue eyes.It was an intelligent and charismatic face and Ty liked him immediately.

‘Sir,’ he said a title he rarely afforded to anyone. ‘I need to know the layout of your community and where you believe Nye’s forces are.’

O’realian nodded.

‘Captain I will send you the plans now.’

He moved out of Ty’s field of vision for a few moments, and then he sat back.

‘They are on their way.’

Sarrin smiled at Ty’s look of puzzlement as the machine hummed and Sarrin pressed a key on the panel which produced a hard copy of the Sakkara layout complete with where the troops might be, possible lines of attack and estimated numbers and armament of the forces against them as told to him by his contact. Ty leant over the plans and could see immediately a couple of possibilities. He looked back at the screen.

‘I don’t know how much Sarrin has told you, but this ship can only carry between eighty to a hundred people on the journey to Ieesha.’

O’realian nodded.

‘I know, but the other ship.’

He frowned trying to remember its name.

‘The Red Rocket,’ Ty said.

‘Yes that’s it. Sarrin said that could take the rest.’

‘That’s true, but it won’t be ready until tomorrow evening at the earliest.’

O’realian shook his head.

‘Not soon enough.’

Ty agreed.

‘I know Sir, but I have a suggestion.’

He paused to gauge the older man’s reaction before he continued.

’If we clear out our shuttles and move some cargo about, I reckon we could squeeze in about a hundred people on this ship and bring them back here to Denver, where they could be transferred to the Rocket. They will be safe and then we can return for the rest of you. We will need to move the children and elderly in this first group.”

O’realian thought for a moment, sucking his lower lip unconsciously.

‘Yes that might work, but once you arrive all hell will break out here.’

Ty realised that.

‘I know but it will take about twenty five minutes to fly back here drop the people off and then another twenty five to then fly back for the rest of the community. Say one and three quarters hours tops. Could the second group hold out for that length of time?’

O’realian sighed.

‘I don’t know, we do not have any weapons, nor do we believe in their use.’

‘Not even in self defence?’

‘Violence doesn’t solve anything,’ O’realian said wearily.

‘I agree in principle Sir, but we have stun guns on this ship that will knock out a soldier but not injure him, perhaps some of my crew could keep them back long enough.’

O’realian was torn as he didn’t want to resort to violence, but to save his people they had to hold out long enough to get away.

‘I don’t know, I’ll have to discuss this with my people but if we do this, when will you come for us?’

Ty looked at his watch and found it was already 0.23.

‘If we can get organised I’d prefer to get to you as dawn is breaking.’

‘How will you find us?’ O’realian asked.

Ty looked at Sarrin.

‘You have the co-ordinates?’ he asked.

Sarrin nodded.

“Yes I have them,” he replied.

‘But it is very hard to make out from the air. Do you need a runway?’

Ty smiled.

‘Nope, this lady can land on a pinhead if you can find one.’

Sarrin smiled back even though he didn’t have a clue what Ty had just said.

Ty looked at O’realian, to study his reaction to his plan.

He smiled and nodded.

“It is good you don’t need a runway but where do you want to land?”

Ty studied the layout and saw the perfect place. It was the community’s amphitheatre, a huge flat area surrounded by a high bank so it would be shielded from incoming fire. It was also close to the main buildings so people could wait under cover before the Star arrived but to find it they would need a bit of help.

“If you could light a flare or have a bonfire going at the edge of the amphitheatre we could get the Star down in there,” Ty told him.

He held up the map to show him and O’realian knew this would be the best place. It was their gathering place, on natural grassing feature, large enough for the ship to land vertically. They could gather the citizens of Sakkara there under the cover of darkness and hopefully the troops would be none the wiser until it was too late.

‘Yes I see what you mean,” he said. “It might work once, but they will be ready for you the second time.’

‘Yes but I don’t see how else we can do this. You can’t stay there; every minute is a minute closer to them closing in. It’s a risk but I don’t see you have any choice but to take it.’

O’realian reluctantly agreed.

‘I know, but it is not my place to agree for everyone else. I will meet with the elders and get back to you.’

Ty sighed; he’d have liked to get this sorted now.

“O.K. please be quick as it will take some organising. I think it’s going to be a long night.”

Maclyn was still trying to wake up as Ty explained what he wanted him to do and he wasn’t sure he was hearing him right.

‘So you want me to re-organise Cargo Bay One and move all the shuttles and assorted craft out of the Landing Deck and into the hanger?’ he queried, a deep frown scanned across his forehead.

Ty nodded.

‘Yep that’s right.’

Maclyn blinked and asked.

‘Why?’

Ty sighed dramatically at Maclyn’s non-comprehension.

‘I’ve just told you why. At dawn we rescue the people at Sakkara.’

Maclyn frown cleared as he finally understood.

‘When did you agree to that?’ he demanded.

Ty stopped and thought for a moment and sheepishly smiled at his best friend when he realised he had not actually told him.

‘Oh,’ was all he said and it was Maclyn’s turn to sigh.

’Okay I’ll get on to it, but what happens when you get them. What the hell am I going to do with one hundred and fifty three people?”

“It wont be one hundred and fifty three it will be a hundred and we will bring them here and then you’ll take some of them to the Rocket and get them settled ready to take off hopefully tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow!’ he exclaimed. ‘Does Retro Ray know about this?’

Ty grinned.

‘Not yet, but I’m sure you’ll break it to him gently.’

‘Ty,’ he said in exasperation.

But it was to late as the Captain had moved on to Eleana, giving her instructions to get the infirmary up and running in case they needed it.

Maclyn looked down at the pad that had been thrust into his hand and tried to make out Ty’s hastily written instructions. It seemed he had drawn the short straw but then that wasn’t unusual; he might own half the ship but he didn’t get any special treatment for that fact. One of his jobs was to clear the deck and then stay behind to wait for their return.

‘At least I won’t get my fool head blown off.’ He muttered, but he still would have like to go, even though he wasn’t too hot in a fight.

He sighed again and left the now busy briefing room to set about moving the shuttlecraft. As Ty had said for some it was going to be a very long night indeed.