Chapter 21

“Grand Leader!” the tactical officer exclaimed in shock, “Primary target identified! Opposition leader has launched his ship. Zardac is running. I repeat, Zardac is out of hiding.” Jeremirer spun round, to face his tactical officer, from the centre of the war room.

          “From where has he launched?” he asked running toward the tactical officer.

          “From Carnac. A planetoid in the pink sector.” The officer answered.

          “Smith, is it?” the officer nodded, “Smith, tell me, how many life signs are on that ship.”

          “Of a possible crew of 500, only two, both male, one human one of your species, sir.” Smith reported. Jeremirer frowned.

          “Good work Smith.” He said grimly as he shrank off back to his platform in the centre of the white war room. How hard can it be to find one female? Jeremirer thought to himself.

          “Very hard it seems.” A soft female voice whispered in his head.

          It shouldn’t be this hard. There must be some other way. Jeremirer thought in response.

          “There is. It has just been given.” The voice answered. “Track Zardac’s ship, he won’t know until it is too late. Not with all that flack he is about to fly through.”

          Thanks for the idea.

          “No problem.”

          “Smith, fire a tracker on to Zardac’s ship as her enters the flack. He won’t know that we choose him to hand us Faith back, until it’s too late.” Jeremirer ordered.

          “Yes, sir!”

 

          Zardac was pushed to full concentration as his ship entered the flack. His presious ship was being buffeted from the front and the sides. The Libra ships had already scored several direct hits. Zardac knew his baby would have scars to repair.

          “B-type Libra attack ships incoming.” Loki read out, as Zardac saw three bat shaped ships appear in front of his craft. He was starting to get angry. Very angry.

          “Loki full laser spread. Now!” Zardac ordered.

          “Aye, sir.” Loki fired at all the ships with all the ship’s laser tuurets. Zardac pulled his wheel up, making his ship pan up at a steep angle as he spun over the attack ships and out into the vacuum of deep space. Zardac exhaled in relief. Loki however, remained fixed to the scanners.

          “Loki,” Zardac said, putting his ship into auto-pilot, “you feeling alright?” Zardac walked over to his friend. Loki did not move. His gaze remained on the scanners. Zardac placed a blue hand carefully on to Loki’s shoulder. “Loki, please say something, anything. Please.” Zardac’s voice and eyes dripped concern. Loki shook.

          “This is all my fault.” Loki sobbed. He shook because he was crying. “50% of base five’s fleet lost because I leaked information to a wraith that just needed the right reason to go rogue. This is all my fault.”

          “No it’s not.” Zardac soothed, pulling Loki into a tight hug. “The fault is mine for being such a bad friend. You would never have lashed out if I hadn’t treated you so badly.”

          “um, Zardac, why are you hugging me?” Loki asked confused by Zardac’s actions.

          “To comfort you.” Came the answer.

          “Well, I ... um ... feel plenty comforted boss, thanks.” Loki said. Zardac released Loki, blushing bluer in the face. Zardac looked at the metal floor of his ship, scratching the back of his blue neck in embarrassment.

          “No one needs to know about this, right Zardac?” Loki asked also feeling embarrassed about the hug.

          “Right.” Zardac agreed, retaking his seat, crestfallen.

          “Sorry, you know, if I ... erm, hurt your feelings.” Loki said trying to break the awkward tension between Zardac and himself.

          “No Loki, you didn’t.” Zardac said hiding his face, staring out at the stars ahead.

 

          “But where did they come from?” Hope bellowed. “I mean these ships came from nowhere.”

          “They are unmarked.” Charity said from the tactical post. “I don’t know if they are our guys or Libra’s.”

          “We could try hailing them.” Aries suggested.

          “We can’t.” Hope said. “The communications array needs to be replaced.”

          “What can we do?” Charity and Aries asked together.

          “Let me think.” Hope said frustrated, “I need time to think.” The sisters shut up. “Right, this ship is marked with the Gemini insignia, and Gemini ships, marked or not, do not attack friendly ships. Return fire. Disable those ships.”

          “Yes ma’am.” The sisters chanted.

          “Using laser spread B.” Aries said, using the front lasers only to knock out the weapons of the twelve ships that were attacking theirs. The firing stopped.

          “Do we have light-speed?” Hope asked.

          “Yes. But the engines are in need of some repair.” Charity said.

          “Fine, Aries and I will do that on the way.” Hope said.

          “From the outside.” Charity added. Hope closed her eyes and took a deep breath and reopened them.

          “Okay, we land in the nearest planet ad will effect repairs on the engines there, with what we have.” Hope said. Charity blinked. “What?”

          “You do know that the nearest planet is known for explorers disappearing, right?” Charity said, her voice shaking in fear, eyes popping.

          “No.” Hope said, undeterred. “Besides we don’t go out alone, and do not stray too far from the ship and then we should be fine.”

          “Fine. But of something bad happens on Zatic I will blame you.” Charity said. Hope suddenly froze. “What?”

          “Nothing.” Hope said with sudden understanding. She would not admit she was wrong to one of her underlings. Not now, not ever. Charity set course, hoping that Hope would change her mind. But she knew Hope wouldn’t. Hope never did. She was stubborn. Instead she would alert Zardac, when Hope had left to tell her mother.

 

          “Zardac message from Charity.” Loki reported. “She says that their light-speed engines are broken and they are being forced to pull over at the nearest planet, to make external repairs necessary for them complete the journey to base six.”

          “I’ve no problem with that.” Zardac replied.

          “You will when you find out where they are being forced to land.” Loki stated. “They are landing on Zatic.”

          “Well, I am sure ... what?” Zardac stuttered to a stop. “Where are they landing?”

          “Zatic.”

          “Then we are going to have to go there too, to get them all off that planet.” Zardac stated, concerned for the girls. “Hope knows how dangerous that planet is. They must need urgent repairs. We must get them all off that planet. Alive.”

 

 

Extract from the journal of Hope Moonstone

          She stitched me up! That b***h! Charity knew what I was going to say! She knew! B***h! B***h! If you want to get someone into to trouble, you blame something forbidden on the target. You don’t send them to Zatic, where people disappear regularly! That back-stabbing b***h!

          The have not nicknamed Zatic as the horror planet for no reason. Charity is trying to get us all killed! So help me Gemini, if something happens to any of us, Charity is going to die, by my hands. SLOWLY! That B***H does not deserve a quick death. Not with what some of the rumours say happens on Zatic. Charity wants me dead and is willing to go to any means to do it, no matter who stands in the way. B***H! BOG WITCH! DIE!