Unwelcome Advances: A Starflight Story (standard:science fiction, 7465 words)
Author: Brockleigh	Added: Jul 12 2002	Views/Reads: 3386/2354	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Gault, Hixon and the crew of the Phoenix head to the Velox homeworld to return something of great value. Things don't go as smoothly as planned, however...

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

off the helmet to the pressure suit, and opened the door to the pod in 
question. "WHAT THE FU..." He stopped when he saw Commodore Mark Gault 
inside the pod, as well as a very large stone. Concentric rings of 
oddly beautiful colours made their way up the ovoid rock, and Hixon was 
struck by how it was shaped very much like an egg. What also struck 
Hixon was that his Veloxi engineer was kneeling and was chittering away 
in what the translator in the pod made to sound like some type of 
prayer or oath of homage. Hixon waited until the shuttle crew went back 
to their ship and disengaged from the Phoenix before continuing. "Mark, 
what the hell is this?..." He then pointed to his engineer, "...and 
make him stop." 

Gault chuckled lightly and ordered Apiphotex to rise. He then answered
Hixon, "This would be our ticket back into Veloxi space. It's what the 
bugs call The Great Egg." 

Hixon's eyes bulged. He looked at the "egg" and then back to his
Commanding Officer. "But how... Didn't Xevi Five Legs have this?" 

"Yes he did," Gault explained, "but one of the perqs of being in a
position of influence is getting to influence people. I explained to 
him that he could get an exclusive trading arrangement with Vell Bralis 
Nova City and preferential treatment here at Starport, and all he had 
to do was give me back the egg. I told him I'd even put in a good word 
for him back on Votiputox if he gave it back to me, and here it is." 
Gault patted the egg and smiled. 

"This sounds wrong," Hixon shook his head, "You sure we can trust him?
This is Xevi, after all." 

Gault response was given reassuringly, "VBN is way behind schedule. Xevi
has contacts that mine a star system only about eighteen or nineteen 
sectors away from VBN that can get us the raw materials we need to 
finish the city in a reasonable timeframe. He's the only one who can do 
it. It's win-win." 

Hixon sighed and then asked, "Alright, so when do we form up with the
honour guard to make this official?" 

"We don't." Gault shook his head. "No, there will be no Binary, no
Boomerang formations, and no pomp and circumstance. The only dignitary 
aboard the Phoenix will be me. The six of us are going to be the only 
ones going to Votiputox, and we will deliver this personally." Upon 
hearing this, Apiphotex let out a buzz of joy and started dancing 
around in a circle. The bug hard a serious case of the hots for the 
current Veloxi queen. 

"Uhh," Hixon remarked, "Seven. I have a new Science Officer." 

"Oh yeah... that's right. Ashley Bright. How is she working out?" Gault
stroked his beard. 

"She's alright, but she's not real good at bridge command. I had to make
Lor E'aye my new Executive Officer." Hixon crossed his arms. This was 
the first time an Elowan was make the XO of a Mark One ship. Hixon 
hadn't heard any admonishment from Interstel for making one of the 
plant people second in command, but he wanted to get his old captain's 
take on it. 

"Lor? Hmmm... interesting choice." Gault thought that one over for a
second, and then shrugged. "Anyhow, let's finish off this discussion in 
my office, and Api: Find a cold shower." 

*** 

Gault and Hixon laughed over a few beers while talking over issues in
Gault office. Hixon fidgeted a little in the less comfortable chair 
across the desk from the Commodore while they went over past mission 
details. Gault browsed over the latest posts on the notice board while 
conversing with the junior officer, when something caught his eye. 

"Pirates..." he mused. 

"What?" Hixon replied, thinking the boss was pulling his leg, "You gotta
be kidding." 

"No," Gault said, suddenly turning serious, "Real ones. Due outward of
Votiputox, so it seems. They have raided three Velox vessels so far, 
and what looks to be seven Spemin vessels, or so the Spemin's Secret 
Society of Interracial Affairs claims. It's close enough to be of 
concern for our flight path..." 

"C'mon," Hixon retorted, "I've never heard of pirates in that neck of
the woods, at least not these days. It's gotta be some kind of joke." 

"Nope," Gault reassured him, "This is a real, honest to god, Interstel
Navigational Hazard notification. We gotta take this one seriously, and 
make sure that Spaceport finishes those repairs on your laser array." 
Gault shook his head and he leafed over to the next notice. This one 
made his jaw drop. 

"It gets worse. The Laytonites are back." 

Hixon's expression was one of incredulity. "Wha... Okay these have to be
some sort of practical jokes. Pirates and Laytonites? This is surreal." 


Gault double-checked his notices to make sure they were official and
authentic. He shrugged, "No, Craig. These are the real McCoy," Gault 
read further, "The New Order of Layton, as they are calling themselves 
have released a statement. They say they are following the original 
teachings of Layton and will staunchly oppose any further activity in 
Outer Space, with force if their will is not voluntarily adopted. They 
say they want Humanity to refocus their energies on making Arth a 
perfect society. They claim to have evidence that their views are the 
way to go and the proof is..." Gault flipped over to the next page, and 
what he read stunned him. 

"...me." 

"Huh?" Hixon didn't follow. 

Gault leaned forward and kept reading, "Their rational is that my
surviving in the cryopod for twenty-six hundred years was a result of 
being isolated from other races. That I am a metaphor for all humanity, 
and to protect Arth from any further aggression, we must withdraw back 
to the planet's surface and isolate ourselves again. In fact they have 
made me into something akin to a sacred idol." That last bit made both 
Gault and Hixon's eyebrows arch. 

"Cool," Hixon said, "I'm in the presence of a god." 

Gault's initial response was something quite unprintable. He then said,
"The last thing I want in my life is to be a deity for a bunch of 
nutbars. Okay we file that last one under G," accordingly, Gault threw 
the notice in the garbage, "and use caution when approaching 
Votiputox." 

"So when do we leave, Mark?" Hixon looked around to make sure no one
else could hear his pronoun selection. 

"As soon as the laser repairs are finished. When I get the notification,
then we will depart two hours afterwards." Gault called up the repair 
progress screen on the large terminal in his office. 

'ISS Phoenix... W/O 91783... Repair: Forward Laser Array... Thermal
stress damage, amplification chamber... ETR: 25 hours 30 minutes... 
Repair fee: Comp., Interstel.' 

"Comp., Interstel?" Hixon was puzzled, "What does that mean?" 

"Means Starport is going to pick up the tab on this one. Thank me
later." Gault checked the chronometer on his small desktop terminal, 
"Right, so we leave at 1500 hours tomorrow. Advise your crew to dress 
warmly; it's winter where the Grand Lovely lives on Votiputox. Oh, and 
put a leash on Apiphotex. I don't want him pestering the Grand Lovely, 
especially as mating season isn't for another eight months." 

"Gotcha." Hixon finished his beer, got up and headed for the door. "I'll
brief the crew and tell Api to calm down. We'll be aboard the Phoenix 
at 1330. I'll see you then Commodore..." Hixon turned back with a grin 
on his face, "...or should I say Your Holiness?" 

Gault's plastic beer bottle bounced off Hixon's forehead. 

Hixon winced and rubbed the impact point, "Okay, Commodore it is." 

*** 

The repairs were finished to Captain Hixon's satisfaction, and the six
Phoenix crewmembers awaited Commodore Mark Gault to arrive. They were 
gathered in Hixon's quarters, and seated around the meeting table 
within, listening to Qynzhqylyh and Apiphotex describe the Veloxi home 
planet. All listened intently to the description, as none had been to 
Votiputox before. In truth, no alien race had been to Votiputox in six 
years, since the report came down that Gault had 'lost' the Great Egg. 
The Grand Lovely had closed both Votiputox and Sphexi to outside races 
upon learning that the Egg would not be returned as planned, so this 
was not only an historic visit in that the Egg would be returned, but 
that normal relations with the Veloxi would be re-established. 

Gault stepped through the door into Hixon's quarters, and chuckled at
the Veloxi telling the crew about the finer points of Veloxi culture. 
"Don't believe a word they say. They were there for a grand total of 
two weeks for a shore leave last year." The two Veloxi shot the 
Commodore a look that could cut glass, and coldly sat down. Gault knew 
he had really upset them. A Veloxi never sits down. 

"Okay, I'm sorry guys. I guess you two do have the most experience with
life on Votiputox." The Veloxi stood up and accepted Gault's apology, 
after which Gault turned towards the lone female crewmember. "And you 
must be Lieutenant Ashley Bright. Pleased to make your acquaintance." 
The pretty, perky blonde stood up and shook Gault's hand, and the 
meeting continued. "Alright people, seeing as this is Captain Hixon's 
tin can, I'll make it short. We're gonna give back the Veloxi Focusing 
Stone back to it's rightful owners. We're taking the Great Egg home. 
Nothing fancy, just a trip there, just drop it off, give a brief 
apology, and leave. That's it. Now, I'll turn it over to Captain 
Hixon." 

Gault caught Hixon in the middle of a sip of coffee. Hixon did a double
take followed by an unsure glance around before addressing his crew. 
"Right. Well... you heard the man and you know the drill. Everyone 
assume your stations. Begin your pre-flights, and we should take off in 
a couple of minutes." 

Wordlessly, the crew of the Phoenix got up and headed for the door,
leaving the Captain and the Commodore alone at the meeting table. Hixon 
spoke as soon as the last officer left the room, "You could have given 
me some warning that I supposed to say something." 

Gault grimaced, "C'mon, Craig, this is your ship now. I'm just along for
the ride on this one. You give the orders to the crew. Just because I'm 
on the ship, doesn't mean that you go back to being a lieutenant. Be 
confident here." 

"I know, it's just strange. It feels like old times. I'll get over it."
Hixon finished his coffee and stood up. "Shall we head to the bridge?" 
Gault nodded his agreement and they both left the room. 

Gault walked through the bridge doors first, and was filled by a sense
of nostalgia at seeing his former work site for the first time since 
leaving command duty. He smiled and automatically sat down in the 
command chair. Immediately, Gault felt the eyes of everyone on the 
bridge, and was suddenly uneasy. He then looked over at Hixon. 

Hixon raised an eyebrow, "Ahem." 

Gault closed his eyes sheepishly, and got up from Hixon's chair. "My
apologies, Captain. Force of habit. I took the liberty of warming your 
seat for you." 

Hixon smiled and took his rightful place, and gave Gault a chance to
save some face. "That's quite alright, Commodore. Would you like the 
honour of giving the departure order?" 

"Yes I would. Thank you," Gault stepped to the center of the bridge,
"Mr. Qynzhqylyh, take us out." 

Qynzhqylyh smoothly maneuvered the ship through the dock area and
through the bay doors, and out into the approach/depart lanes. At that 
point Gault gave his second order, "Now, Qyn, set a course for 
Votiputox at 152,174." 

"Aye the yes, sir big guy." Qynzhqylyh responded, which earned him a
sideways glance from Gault. 

Gault sat down at a spare bridge terminal, and that was that. With no
fluxes between Arth and Votiputox to shorten the journey, the Phoenix 
began what would be a minimum three-and-a-half day journey. The only 
one of the seven riding on the ship that would have to maintain any 
vigilance would be Lieutenant Ashley Bright on the science console to 
monitor for any other ships they might encounter. 

They didn't have to wait too long. Six hours after they crossed the
Velox border, the proximity light lit up on Bright's console. "Captain, 
there is a vessel approaching from outward and upspin. A Veloxi scout." 


Gault waited for a moment with an unimpressed look on his face, "Do we
know who it is?" 

Ashley Bright's response was, to that point, the worst thing she had
done since becoming a lieutenant. "Huh?" 

Gault slowly stood up and turned to face the young woman. The rest of
the bridge crew averted their eyes, including Hixon, knowing a rebuke 
was coming. When Gault spoke, it was just a touch louder than his 
normal speaking voice, but the tone was as cold as ice. "What is the 
colour of the light that tipped you off, Lieutenant? Is it white, 
telling you the ship is unknown? Is it yellow and therefore a 
previously identified ship, or is it red, which would tell you it's a 
previously identified threat? Is that important to you, or did you 
sleep through that day in class at ICA? Should you advise your Captain 
now to raise shields, or do you wait until the Phoenix has been blasted 
to a cinder? I will ask again, 'Do we know who it is'?" 

Bright swallowed and took a moment to regain her composure, and said,
somewhat quietly, "It's white." 

Gault's voice raised in volume, "...Which means?" 

"We don't know who it is. The ship hasn't been encountered before."
Bright couldn't look the Commodore in the eyes anymore. 

Hixon took the opportunity to butt in. "Very well, Lieutenant. Scan the
ship and send the data to the Commodore's terminal and mine as well." 

"Shields?" The one word question was asked by Qynzhqylyh, who had a limb
poised above the shield control. 

Gault and Hixon looked at each other for a moment, after which Hixon
spoke up, "No, Qyn. Keep them down. We don't want to insult the Velox.  
Kel, hail the Velox ship." The Elowan comm officer's vines danced over 
his console and the face of the Velox Captain appeared on the 
viewscreen. 

"I being the most honored Velox Captain Zixcuz, to commanding the much
heralded vessel Quipmak. You being in Velox space and be making tribute 
to Grand Lovely. Now the paying 2 litres of synthenium." 

Gault got up and walked to the center of the bridge. "I am Commodore
Mark Gault, and this is the ISS Phoenix. We're not going to be giving 
you any fuel, Captain; that's out of the question. No sir, what I have 
to give to the Veloxi people is much greater. Scan us if you wish." 
Gault looked at the viewscreen with a smug look on his face, awaiting 
the reaction of the other commanding officer. 

The Velox captain turned slightly to look at the sensor readout, and his
shock was quite visible. "Good the ugly you thing bring back Focusing 
Stone. I the taking from here. You the now sending on your shuttle." 

"Uh-uh," Gault said, "We are delivering this personally. However, it
would be appreciated if we could have an escort to Votiputox, and you 
know how much the Grand Lovely would reward the ship that helped bring 
home the Great Egg." 

The Veloxi Captain's antennae twitched as he thought it over. He wasn't
supposed to leave his post, but the farther away the posting from 
Votiputox, the more insignificant the Captain. This would give the 
Captain the chance to elevate his position within the bug hierarchy. 
"Agreed. The ugly you things the following  behind the most illustrious 
Quipmak. None the funny stuff." 

"...Right..." Gault rolled his eyes and turned to Qynzhqylyh, "Qyn, tie
your NavCon to the Quipmak and everyone sit back and enjoy the ride. 
Satisfied, Captain Zixcuz?" Gault asked the viewscreen. Zixcuz nodded 
and the view screen winked off. 

"Pleasure as always." Gault mumbled and went back to his chair. Hixon
looked over at the Commodore for a long moment, and then asked, 
"Commodore, could I see you in private?" He got a nod by way of an 
answer, and the two men went back to Hixon's quarters. 

Gault took a seat at the meeting table, and Hixon fetched a couple of
beers. The Captain cracked one open for the Commodore, and sat down 
near Gault. 

"A little hard on Bright, weren't you, Mark?" 

Gault took a pull of his lager and leaned back in his chair. "Maybe, but
how long have you had her on board and she didn't give a recognition 
report? Look, I chewed you out on your first flight, remember, when we 
were in Spemin space and Gleb fired on us? I think you rebounded from 
it well and there have been no adverse effects. You can't mollycoddle 
the crew, Craig. They are friends and I know you don't want to drive a 
wedge between yourself, but you gotta know when to put on your 
captain's hat." 

"I suppose," Hixon said, "but I do think if anyone's gonna get torn a
new one, I should be the one doing it." He took another pull from his 
bottle and asked, "So what can we expect on Votiputox?" 

Gault cocked his head and thought for a moment. "First of all, expect to
see the single largest city in the known universe. Just about the 
entire population of the planet lives in the central hive around the 
Grand Lovely. There's a couple of outposts scattered around the planet, 
more for mining and natural resource collection, but that's it. 
Secondly, expect to be looked upon like something unhygienic. The Velox 
are really arrogant. Don't expect any favours from them. I think that's 
it. Just enjoy your stay." 

"Gotcha," Hixon replied as he finished his beer. He set down the empty
bottle on the table and got up, "Well, I have a starship to command. 
I'll leave you to your own devices. You remember your way around, 
right?" 

"Yeah," Gault smirked, "C.R.A.F.T. disease hasn't kicked in yet. I'll
talk to you later." Gault watched Hixon leave to head to the bridge. He 
finished off his own beer and looked around the room. As the Phoenix 
still had a long journey ahead of them, it made no sense to sit on the 
bridge and get in Hixon's way. Gault got up and left the Captain's 
Quarters/Meeting Room, but headed aft. He wandered without purpose, 
checking out areas of the ship that he hadn't even bothered to examine 
when he commanded it. 

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Hixon settled in for the rest of the flight.
They had a long way to go, and not a whole lot to do on the way... 

*** 

The ISS Phoenix arrived at Votiputox at its scheduled time. On the way,
another seven Velox ships joined the escort, all looking for a reason 
to get closer to the Grand Lovely. The eight escort ships stayed in 
orbit as the Phoenix descended to the planet's surface very close to 
the main city. The seven crew members shut down the Phoenix, loaded the 
Great Egg into the terrain vehicle, and drove the short distance to the 
city 

Bright looked at the massive dome and asked, to no one in particular,
"What do they call this city?" 

Qynzhqylyh and Apiphotex both looked at each other, and Apiphotex spoke
up, "It name being 'the hive'." 

Bright looked over to the bugs, "Nothing else? Not Grand Lovely City or
anything more distinctive? Sounds rather...bland." 

Apiphotex looked blankly back at her, "'The hive'." 

Bright shook her head and shrugged, and by that time, they had arrived
at 'the hive'. An absolutely enormous dark purple dome with something 
akin to an airlock near their position. They passed in through the 
checkpoint, and for the first time in six years, an alien being had 
entered the Velox Capital. 

Gault looked around from inside the terrain vehicle as they drove slowly
through the wide streets inside the hive, and a couple of things struck 
him. One was the disdain on the faces of the native bugs towards the 
Phoenix's land vehicle. Not wonder or curiosity, but actual abhorrence 
at the presence of an alien vessel. The second was the workmanlike 
motions of all the Velox. No visible street vendors, no colourful 
characters on the side walks, nothing besides workers and drones all 
walking in almost lock step towards their destinations. It seemed 
so...dull. 

Gault then looked up to the buildings. All were hexagonal in shape and
all roughly the same height. There was no way to make out if the 
buildings were residential or commercial in purpose. As Gault thought 
about it even more, he had no idea what the economic model was on 
Votiputox. He looked around for any sign of commerce: a bank, a store, 
a garage, a lemonade stand even. Nothing evident, and then it struck 
him that with a system and society as the Veloxi had, it was probably 
something akin to socialism on the planet. No need for money really, as 
the Veloxi all did what they did out of a duty to please the Queen. 
Everyone does their job, and the rest of the collective provides for 
the individual. Gault tossed it around in his mind. Socialism? Or 
Utopia? 

Gault shook it off as they arrived at the Palace. Qynzhqylyh leaned out
of the terrain vehicles window, and spoke to the Palace guard. The 
translator box inside the terrain vehicle couldn't pick up their 
conversation, but it seemed heated. They seemed to conclude, as the 
guard moved away, but Qyn seemed agitated, and as he disconnected his 
safety harness, muttered, "Bzzz'cxx". All except Bright on the terrain 
vehicle snickered and laughed, because unlike the rookie science 
officer the other crew members knew the meaning of the curse that the 
navigator has uttered: The Queen who bore you is a Spemin's consort. 

Qynzhqylyh got out of the terrain vehicle, trudged to the rear cargo
hold, and opened the hatch for the native bugs. The guards both stared 
in disbelief for a moment, and then dropped to the ground, chanting in 
the exact same way Apiphotex did when the Egg was first delivered on 
board the Phoenix. Gault was astounded by the wave effect of the 
multitude of Velox in the Palace courtyard as they saw the Great Egg, 
dropped and chanted. Qynzhqylyh, for his part, kept his focus, got back 
in the terrain vehicle, and drove directly into the audience chamber. 

A squire motioned for them to direct the terrain vehicle to the centre
of the room, disembark and wait. The seven Artheans did just that, 
unloading the Great Egg and positioning it in front of what looked like 
the Queen's sitting area. They then waited for the Grand Lovely to 
arrive. Apiphotex chittered away nervously,  hoping that the Queen 
would take a shining to him, and make him her next mate. That this 
would mean certain death did not faze him in the least. Qynzhqylyh 
almost wished she would choose Apiphotex; it would make the Engineer 
shut up about the Grand Lovely once and for all. 

The Queen did arrive in due time, without any fanfare or guards. Though
none of the non-Velox could say she was beautiful, she was definitely 
more feminine than any worker female Velox anyone had ever seen, larger 
than a normal Velox by about three times the size, and definitely more 
colourful. Her outer shell dazzled the Artheans with wildly iridescent 
colours, and she definitely had the walk and demeanor of someone born 
to lead, and of privilege. She just quietly ambled into the chamber and 
sat in her seat. She quietly looked over at the Arthean contingent, and 
said, "Who being the leader of the ugly you things." 

Gault stepped forward, "I am, your highness." 

Apiphotex shuffled forward and whispered, "You calling her Grand Lovely.
Only Grand Lovely. Nothing but Grand Lovely." 

"Gotcha," Gault whispered back, "My apologies, Grand Lovely. We are here
to bring back to you The Great Egg, your focusing stone." Gault 
motioned the two Veloxi crewmembers to bring the stone forward. 
Apiphotex and Qynzhqylyh maneuvered the Egg closer to the Queen. As 
they did, Qyn turned his back to the Grand Lovely and showed his shell 
to her. She immediately took notice of the gold and copper flecks mixed 
in with the black that was the primary hue. She leaned forward to take 
note of his shell markings. 

"Most interesting, drone. Much the colours. You is carrying sign of the
hive." Qyn turned to look at the Queen and then to Gault plaintively. 

"None the mating, Commodore. I much pretty to be the dying." Qyn
pleaded, "I trying to find the wording...ummm...oh, yes... Help!" 

Gault looked at the Queen and spoke, "Grand Lovely, Qynzhqylyh is an
Arthean citizen. You cannot force him to do your bidding. He has his 
own free will. Now, Apiphotex, however," Apiphotex heard his name 
mentioned to the Queen and began hoping up and down and salivating. "He 
would be very happy to help out in whatever endeavors you had planned. 
Quite frankly, he wants to be your love slave." 

"Not the liking," the Queen's response was immediate, "Not liking the
purple-y one, shell ugly. Much the tall, too. He being the too high for 
certain... purpose." She turned he eyes away from Apiphotex. Gault 
watched the Engineer visibly deflate, spurned by his object of 
affection, he was one crushed bug.  The Queen turned back to 
Qynzhqylyh, "Now, this one... his naming alone: Virility of the 
Generations. He being perfect. Bring him to the mating..." An alarm of 
some sort went off, and the Queen turned to a viewscreen that was 
coming on-line. The Grand Lovely leaned forward to see an approaching 
starship of some sort and studied it carefully. 

"It being the Arth ship, Gault," she said, and perked up, "You bring
more gifts?" 

Gault looked hard, "No, Grand Lovely, we came alone. It can't be one of
mine." Gault shook his head, something was wrong, "Everyone back to the 
Phoenix. Get back into orbit and hail the approaching ship." 

The Grand Lovely had an objection, "The Golden One is the staying with
me..." 

Gault grinned in response, "Qyn's the only one that can fly my ship.
Sorry, babe, he's going up. I'll stay in his place, as a show of good 
faith. Agreed?" 

The Grand Lovely was not happy, and it showed, but she nodded and the
deal was sealed. Captain Hixon took his crew back to the Phoenix, where 
they hurried through a flight check, and shot out into orbit. 

The Phoenix took up position with the rest of the Velox craft orbiting
around Votiputox. Hixon looked over at Kel Dabi on Communications, "Kel 
open a channel to the Grand Lovely's chamber. I want Gault to see this, 
who ever it is." Kel fiddled with his console, and presently Gault's 
face came up on one of Kel's secondary communications monitors. Hixon 
spoke to his commanding officer, "Commodore we'll keep this channel 
open to you." 

"Thank you, Captain." 

Hixon turned back to the main viewscreen, and issued his next command,
"Lieutenant Bright, scan that ship." 

Bright noted the indent light stayed white on her console, and was then
puzzled by what her sensors told her, "Captain, the sensors readings 
don't make sense. On one hand it says we don't know who it is, and on 
the other hand it reads it as being the Persephone." 

"Persephone?" Gault could be heard from Kel's station, "The Persephone
was a Mark One ship. It went missing and presumed lost in 4619 
somewhere in the Uhlek Badlands. You sure you are reading that right, 
Lieutenant?" 

Hixon went over and scanned the science console, "Yes, Commodore, she's
reading it right. That's the Persephone. Not the ISS Persephone. It 
just reads Persephone. Strange..." Hixon looked back over at his 
communications officer, "Kel, hail them." 

Hixon stood in the middle of the bridge, facing the view screen, "This
is Captain Craig Hixon of the ISS Phoenix. Greetings Persephone, it's 
been a long time" 

"Captain, there's an odd energy signature from the Persephone," Bright
looked panicked, "I think they are firing!" 

Hixon looked shocked and puzzled and then the ship was rocked violently
as whatever the Persephone fired hit the Phoenix abeam. Hixon still 
looked shocked as he scrambled to his feet, "Qyn, shields, now! Api, 
damage report." Hixon leaned by the squawk box, waiting for Apiphotex 
to respond, "Api! Damn it! Api, answer me!" 

Hixon stared into space for a long moment before the squawk box crackled
to life, and Apiphotex's voice could be heard, "Skipper, much the 
damage. We taking big bang on starboard nacelle. Hull breach. Starboard 
engine command electrics, starboard engine bulkhead, starboard fuel 
feed lines, all the go bye-bye. That not being the worst. Pod 16 gone, 
hull breach on pod 16 coupling." 

Hixon's look shock now turned to one of disbelief. Pod 16, being the
closest cargo pod to the engines, is where the vast majority of the 
fuel was stored. The shot from the Persephone, whatever it was, not 
only ripped apart the starboard engine, but also took out the Phoenix's 
fuel tank. They had a little fuel kept elsewhere in case of emergency 
as a life support fall back, but no maneuvering ability. "We're dead in 
the water," Hixon muttered to no one in particular. He then issued his 
last real useful orders, "Api, divert all energy you can to the 
shields, and Qyn, do what you can to keep them pointed at the 
Persephone. Let's hope the bugs can help us out." 

The ships of Her Majesty's Royal Navy did what they could. The seven
ships of the escort, and two more that were in the Votiputox area, 
engaged the Persephone, but were fighting a losing battle. The 
Persephone did not maneuver effectively, and the bugs were able to get 
in a couple of clean shots, but the Persephone responded with force, 
and started to take apart the Veloxi contingent. 

"What the hell are they shooting us with? Bright, scan them." Hixon said
and came over to the science station to see the readout. What he saw 
drained what was left of the blood out of his face. He turned to look 
at the concerned and confused face of Commodore Gault on the 
Communications monitor. "Commodore, they got Plasma Bolts and Class 7 
shields. Maybe they cannibalized an Uhlek Starkiller when they were in 
the Badlands, but they have some serious muscle..." 

"Captain," Kel Dabi interrupted, "the Persephone wouldst be hailing us.
They art sending a text message." The Elowan communications officer 
transmitted the text so both Gault and Hixon could read it: 

"Now is the time for action through action. The New Order of Layton has
spoken, and has decreed that this unnatural marriage shall be annulled 
immediately. Though we are loathe to travel the wasteland of space, we 
see that it is only through insurgence that our voice may be heard. 
Arth shall not fraternize with this alien scum, and with this act of 
war, so shall we sever Man's ties to the races that pollute our lives. 
The Gault has proved that survival is best achieved by isolation, and 
that only by ridding ourselves of the alien disease, can we assure 
ourselves that we will be left in peace. May we prosper under the 
wisdom of the Gault..." The text went on, but both Hixon and Gault knew 
what it really meant. The pirates and the Laytonites were one and the 
same, attempting to sabotage interstellar relations to get their way. 

*** 

The battle raged on. The Persephone withstood a few shots and one
missile hit a crucial electrical point. The missile impact sent a power 
surge back through several of the Persephone's systems including 
science and navigation. Both operators received a heavy electrical 
shock and were rendered unconscious. The  Captain and second officer 
assumed the stations of their fallen comrades, and kept up the 
onslaught on the ten ships in front of them. They were, however, 
neither as skilled as the other officers, nor as well versed in reading 
their displays and neither noticed the ship approaching aft. 

*** 

"Captain," Lieutenant Bright piped up, "Interstel vessel approaching...
It's the Binary!" 

Hixon finally had something to draw hope from, "Reinforcements, good.
Bright, have they noticed the Binary yet?" 

"No, Captain, it doesn't even look as though they have rotated their
shields to defend their stern." 

Hixon shook his head at that. The Persephone's captain didn't seem to be
the brightest crayon in the box. "Commodore we need something of a 
distraction, something to keep the Laytonites from noticing the Binary 
until it gets in range..." 

Gault looked like he had an idea, "Laytonites. Layt... I got it! Kel,
hail the Persephone and patch me through the video. Keep the Phoenix on 
audio only, and then only between us. Keep me posted on the Binary's 
location." 

He then punched up the video for the Persephone. "This is Commodore Mark
Gault to the Persephone. I'm sure you recognize me. I order you to 
stand down, and cease this attack..." 

Hixon could be heard over the audio in the Queen's chamber, but the
Persephone could not hear it, "They've slowed their rate of fire..." 

"This attack is not my will, and you will cease immediately. I command
you as your god...errr Gault... whatever..." 

"You're losing them, Commodore..." 

Then something from Gault's way-back came to him, and he looked at the
face in the viewscreen from the Persephone with an expression of 
confidence, authority and not a little menace. "The path of the 
righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish 
and the tyranny of evil men..." 

"The Persephone has stopped firing..." 

Gault stepped towards the viewscreen and looked down on the Laytonite
captain. "Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will 
shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his 
brother's keeper and the finder of lost children..." 

"The Binary is closing, sir..." 

Gault was now fully in character, emulating an actor long since dead,
"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious 
anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers..." 

"The Binary is in range..." 

Now Gault went for the piece-de-resistance, "AND YOU WILL KNOW MY NAME
IS THE LORD WHEN I LAY MY VENGEANCE UPON THEE...!!!" 

"Binary engaging." 

The actor in the movie Gault remembered missed wildly with all his shots
after the soliloquy Gault just gave. Not so with the Binary, as the 
Interstel ship loosed a full salvo at the unprotected stern of the 
Persephone. The lasers and missiles impacted the Persephone's hull with 
so much force that everyone watching on viewscreens had to shield their 
eyes, such was the brightness of the impact and effect of the weapons 
fire. Everything aft of the Persephone's plasma bolt launcher, and even 
the launcher itself, broke apart and disintegrated, leaving the pirate 
ship immobile, and more importantly, harmless. 

The Binary Captain hailed the all ships in range, and the face of
Captain T.C. Lee filled the viewscreen of the Phoenix and the Queens 
chamber. "Greetings Commodore. You didn't think you were gonna present 
the Great Egg without me, did you?" 

"T.C.," Gault chuckled, "Believe me when I say I have never been so
happy to see you in my whole life. Thank you, Captain. You'll be 
recognized for this." 

Lee nodded, and had his science officer scan the Phoenix. He frowned at
the readout and said, "Commodore, I'll be coming down in my cargo 
shuttle to get you, and then we'll tow the Phoenix back to Starport. 
Looks like you guys took a nasty knock." 

"That's putting it mildly," Hixon spoke up, "Thanks, T.C." 

Gault, for his part, breathed a sigh of relief, but had a sudden craving
for a quarter-pound cheeseburger. 

*** The Veloxi ships cleaned up the debris from the Persephone and
arrested all crew aboard. Gault raised no objection to the Artheans 
being incarcerated by the Velox, and actually encouraged the Grand 
Lovely to prosecute the crew of the Persephone as they saw fit. The 
Grand Lovely, in return, promised to open a dialogue with the Arthean 
government to normalize relations with them once again. 

Lee did exactly as he had said. He took his shuttle down to the planet's
surface, and after a brief and impromptu presentation ceremony to the 
Grand Lovely to give the Great Egg back, took Gault back to the 
Phoenix. Once Gault was back and settled, Hixon ordered all crew to 
stand down and relax on the tow ride home. As they had no propulsion or 
defense systems, there was nothing to do for the next 84 hours or so. 

*** 

Hixon walked into Gault's office in Starport. The Commodore looked up,
nodded a greeting to Hixon, and had him sit down. 

"What's up, Craig?" 

"I don't suppose you can put in a word to have Interstel comp my repair
bill again, can you?" Hixon looked hopeful. 

Gault merely looked amused, "Hull breaches are expensive, aren't they?
How much are they charging you?" 

Hixon opened a sheet of paper and said, "37,892.55 mu's. Help me out
here.  I have to replace all my fuel here too, remember." 

Gault shook his head, chuckled and said, "Yeah, I'll see what I can do
for you. That is a bit much. I can't promise you they'll comp 
one-hundred percent though, okay?" 

Hixon shrugged. "Yeah, alright. That's fair." He sat back in his chair
and said, "So what happened with the Grand Lovely? She really had the 
hots for Qyn." 

"She agreed to find someone else. Kind of a gesture of gratitude for not
losing her entire orbital patrol. Kinda like, "Thanks for saving my 
ships, in exchange, your navigator may live'. Speaking of personnel, I 
have a request from you for another Elowan Communications officer. What 
the hell is wrong with Kel Dabi?" 

Hixon smiled, "He's a vegetable, literally. According to Lor E'aye, he's
in the process of transforming into headfruit." 

Gault's eyes bugged out at the news, "No way! He's the first Arthean
Elowan in..." Gault had to think back, "50 years to sprout. Fantastic. 
Have you made arrangements to have him sent back to Elan?" 

"Yup, already arranged. He's not aware of it. He's getting more and more
forgetful, and deliriously happy all the time. Lor says that's normal, 
and that by the time he's replanted on Elan, he'll won't remember 
anything or anyone, but he'll be in a state of nirvana until he 
blossoms." 

"Then what?" Gault asked. 

"Then... that's it. He won't be sentient anyone. They'll harvest his
fruit when it's ripe, and after that, he'll be no more cognizant than 
an alamar tree on Arth." Hixon got uncomfortably silent after that. 

Gault was a little shaken up by that. Kel Dabi was the only
communications officer the Phoenix had ever had. Even with the race's 
fragility and their unfortunate tendency of getting themselves killed 
planetside, Kel was a mainstay on board. Gault had had two science 
officers, two engineers, three navigators and four doctors while 
captaining the Phoenix, but Kel had been with him since day one. Kel 
was about to ascend to the highest state in Elowan culture, and what 
all Elowan aspired to be, but by definition, would be no more, at least 
not as the crew of the Phoenix knew him. 

Gault nodded and said, "I'm going to go with him when they plant him. I
owe it to him. Your request for another Comm officer is granted. It'll 
take some time to assign a new one to you, however. We'll have to 
transfer someone with the proper experience. Alright? 

"In the mean time, you have another cargo run to make to VBN City. Once
you get to New Scotland and unload your cargo, you and your crew are to 
take shore leave, got it? Do us all a favour though, eh, Craig? Have 
the repairs done here?" 

Hixon smiled and nodded as he exited the office. He waved as he left,
leaving Gault to his lunch. A cheeseburger. 

Next, Chapter 5: Guile and Ingenuity 


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