Part 2
Chapter 20
Year 2014 – 12 YEARS ON
Kevin’s point of view
“Chameleon Cargo Vessel 5 docked at
New Nosteran Orbital Station,” the Valedron voice alerted over the comm system.
“Nice job, Richardson! You can head home now, pilot.”
“Roger that, Chameleon 5.” I responded
as I watched the trade vessel begin its unloading sequence from the cockpit of
my own ship. “Returning to Fighter Station 45.”
I turned my Interceptor about and
engaged engines. I saw another Interceptor on my radar, and it read that it was
flying on my right side and overtaking me. I looked out and spotted the other
ship move across my view and fly at a steady speed in front of my ship.
I recognised the ship’s owner
instantly. Punching in a few numbers on the comm system, I hailed the other
ship.
“Flyer,” I moaned. “What are you
doing?”
There was a brief pause, followed by a
beep, signalling the reply call.
“Flexing the old girl’s wings.” He
replied cheerfully, referring to his ship.
I rolled my eyes, and shook my head.
“Just don’t let your guard down. Just ‘cause we’ve finished our escort doesn’t
mean we won’t be attacked. And where’s Dommur?”
“Right here, Kev!”
Dommur’s Interceptor registered on my
radar. He was on my right wing, following us.
“Unlike Flyboy Flyer, I know how to
keep in formation!” Dommur added.
“C’mon, lighten up, guys!” Flyer
chirped.
I sighed, strafing to the right to keep
the huge mass of the planet, New Nosteran, in view. The others followed. As we
neared the Fighter Station, Flyer hailed our ships again:
“Hey, guys, there’s a big party at the
Red Lizard tonight. You comin’ or not?”
“I’m up for it, buddy!” Dommur replied.
“I’ll pass, guys.” I dismissed the
offer politely.
“Aww, why not, Kev?” Flyer quizzed.
“Dunno, just don’t feel up to it.” I
shrugged. Yeah, I liked a party, and the Red Lizard was the best bar on the
Station, but just felt really uncompelled today.
“So, what’ll you be doin’, Kev?”
Dommur questioned.
I sat back, looking at the countless
stars in the expanse of space as we flew onwards. My mind had been very
preoccupied lately. Every second I stayed here was another second away from…..
“Kevin?”
“Sorry, Dommy. My mind wandered there.
I think I’ll just finish some repairs on this flying scrap heap.”
I had noted earlier on the burn marks
on the left of my Interceptor. We had become involved in a dogfight with some
Valedron Empire ships during our escort mission of the Chameleon 5, and it was
a testament to my recent lack of concentration.
“Those fighters back there really did
a number on my paintwork.” I added, grinning.
“Well, its your off-duty time.” Flyer
commented.
The Station was well within comm range
now. I hailed the Station routinely.
“Fighter Station 45, this is Alpha
Leader of Alpha Wing: returning from our escort of the Chameleon Cargo Vessel
5. Permission to dock.”
“We read yer, Alpha Leader.” A Giant
Gecko Ensign responded. “Peh’mission granted. Proceed ter Landin’ Bay 3.
Debriefin’ in 30 Checks.”
Great! Only 30 minutes (or Checks, to
this culture) of freedom before I had to report.
“No rest for the weary, huh?” I
commented.
The Gecko Ensign laughed. “Still got yer
sense o’ humour, eh, Captain Richardson?”
“Gotta have something right around
here, Ensign.” I smiled. “Alpha Leader out.”
TWO HOURS LATER
I sat in Landing Bay 3: my Wing’s
spacecraft hanger, as I applied liquid repair sealant to the side of my Interceptor.
This flying heap of junk was my own personal fighter craft, and was roughly 4
years old. All pilots got to keep their craft when they had reached the rank of
Captain, which I had about 2 months ago.
A lot had happened over the past 12
years. After I had recovered and we left our camp near the mines, we had
hijacked a transport ship and flown it to an uninhabited planet we found. It
was quite out of the way from the Valedron Empire, so we were left pretty much
alone. Slowly, as the years went by, the slaves managed to build up a small
colony, which developed into a city, and then other towns and villages sprung
up around it. In twelve short years, we had managed to create a new
civilisation. We called it the ‘Dragon Empire’, after our old resistance group,
‘Dragon Faction’.
To help with the building of the
colony in the first few years, we used out stolen transport ship to trade with
merchants and small trading posts not belonging to any major Empire. We had
lots of trouble at first: we needed technology and tools to make more ships for
trade and, vitally, protection, and we had little to offer. The only thing we
had were very primitive tools for farming and building, and building materials
like stone, which were useless to very advanced colonies. In the end, we found
out we held the major advantage. You see, the star systems nearby, at the time,
were suffering from food shortages (after some meteor shower destroyed half of
the main crop-producing planet for the region), and they didn’t have any fancy
technology like on Star Trek that lets you replicate food from pure energy. Our
planet, called New Nosteran, after the ancient homeworld of the three major
races, was very fertile and we could easily grow plenty of food. Any excess we
could sell to the traders for much more than it was worth, due to its increase
value at the time.
After about 8 or 9 years, we had
managed to construct space stations and make plenty of fighter craft. Good job
we did too, as the Valedron Empire attacked us a couple of times, especially
when we started trading with some merchants in their space. That pissed them
off. We aren’t actually at war, but they still took plenty of pot-shots at us!
Seeing the opportunity to discover one of my childhood dreams, I joined the
Dragon Empire Air Force. It involved flying missions in both air and space. I
had wanted to be a fighter pilot before the Backstreet Boys came along, and now
I had. Luckily for me, I had managed both jobs in music and flying.
So that was pretty much it. 12 years
later and we’d built an Empire. Not too many of the original slaves remained,
but we were happy. I led as simple a life as I could outside my air force job.
I had a smallish, comfy abode in the
suburbs of the capital city of New Nosteran, called Kalluran (in honour of
Kallur’s brave efforts in the rebellion). It was very simple, just bare
essentials like a bed to sleep on, a heating system, a cupboard and shelves for
my things, and a window with a view of surrounding countryside and nature.
But it wasn’t always so simple and
tranquil. I had all too often fallen into depression over my family and friends
so far away. I tried countless times to mentally contact Brian, but he
obediently followed my instructions. When we first stole the transport ship and
found a new planet, I had to make the very difficult and emotionally wrenching
decision of staying with the slaves to help them rebuild their lives, or
deserting them to find my own family. In the end, I stayed and helped. They
needed all the help they could, but regularly, I felt as if I had actually
betrayed Kristin and the guys!! I had chosen aliens over my own family. It made
no logical sense when it came to priorities. I had to console myself with the
fact that I didn’t know the slaves would be OK, back then.
I could have left any time, but there
was the other small matter of the Armband. I still had it, stuck on my arm for
12 or 13 year now. Just as a soul, I could no doubt be able to travel in more
efficient ways than in a ship, but no one knew how to remove it. They had never
been designed to be removed. Who would want to release a Soul Creature – a
member of the evil spirit brethren? There were also some places that were
completely off limits to me, as the inhabitants had suffered so much from the
Soul Creatures. That Armband – glowing blue with its energy and eternally
keeping me stuck in physical form. I hated it. It was like the embodiment of
Anubis, forever hounding me with my mistakes and gullibility in his midst
before I finally broke free.
Lately, the pain had become too much.
I couldn’t last much longer without seeing my family again. My repair work was
distracted as I thought of the conflicts in my mind and heart. The same
thoughts and feelings went round and round in my head. I had to make some
decision soon. Putting away my tools, I wiped my hands and looked at my
half-hearted repairs. Worse than usual, but it would do. I heard footsteps
behind me, but ignored them, knowing it was just an ensign or janitor locking
up the hanger for off duty hours.
I turned to leave, looking up briefly
at the green-blue uniformed ensign, a Small Gecko, quite young. He suddenly
stopped dead in his tracks recognising me.
“Wha-! Erm… err …Ca…Captain
Richardson!” he stuttered, jumping to attention. “Sorry, sir. Ah didn’t realise
ya was…. Oh dear……Don’t put me on record for disrespect, sir!” he begged
humbly.
“Calm down, Ensign!” I reassured,
grinning slightly at his nervousness. “I’m not even on duty. Look: no uniform!”
I gestured to my paint covered overalls.
The Ensign sighed. “Thank you,
Captain, sir. What are ya doin’ all alone down here, sir?”
“Repairing this old ship,” I replied.
“Oh,” he nodded. “She’s fast?”
“Not the fastest. One of the older
kinds. What ship do you have, Ensign?”
He shuffled nervously, “Don’t have one
yet.”
I raised my eyebrows, “Really?”
“They say ah don’t have enough flight
experience yet.” He pouted.
I chuckled. Rookies were always
headstrong and impatient. I remember I was when I was an Ensign. “You just keep
practising!” I urged him enthusiastically.
He nodded, grinning.
“Are you going to the Red Lizard
tonight?” I asked him.
“Ah was gonna go after ah locked up.
Ah thought Flyer said ya weren’t coming.”
This must have been a friend of Flyer,
then. Flyer had been given the task of teaching a few of the rookies, so must
have made some friends.
“I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I’ll see
you up there.”
I left, feeling a bit better after
speaking with a young, more carefree creature. It was like being a kid, the way
rookies were: lots to look forward to, lots to do and not much to worry about.
Pity I was past that now.
Flyer’s point of view
“Let’s party!!” the lead singer of the
Space Rock band roared.
Half of the fighter station was here
at the Red Lizard bar. Music, which Kevin had compared to Heavy Metal on his
planet, drowned out half of the conversation on this side of the station and
the entire room began laughing, drinking, partying and dancing.
“Dommur, wait for me!” I cried as I
flew into the throng of dancers across the room from the bar, following my
Small Gecko companion.
We danced with old friends and new
ones, taking advantage of the celebrations. It was the start of our fleet’s
shore leave, and it was traditional to party to the max at every holiday we
got. After I was tired from wing-dancing (the Valedrons’ form of dancing –
basically a kind of dancing while flying as Valedron’s aren’t very manoeuvrable
on their footclaws), I went to see Rembrandt, who was sitting quietly at the
bar, sipping his drink sensibly. He was getting old now, and had refused any
high position in the military. He let Skyir and Grapper take that honour: they
were younger and more able, he said.
“Rembrandt, many greetings!” I yelled
over the din of music and singing, greeting him in a respectable, Gecko way –
he was by far my elder. “How is life on your wizened soul?”
“As fair as ever, young’un!” he
replied, only slightly inclining his head. “Ah said ah’d nay miss a gud dance
an’ shout!”
‘Dance an’ shout’ was the Giant Gecko
way of referring to a party. The older Giant Geckos seemed to like watching all
the happiness and celebration that went on during a party like this. The drinks
were less important – they weren’t so fussed about material things – but they
still joined in to keep with the spirit of things.
We exchanged a few more sentences
about recent events, battles and major movements of the Valedron Empire.
Apparently, Rembrandt claimed, their leader had been overthrown in a duel, and
replaced by the victor – younger and stronger yet more reckless and headstrong.
“So, yer human friend Kevin has nay
made an appearance?” he quizzed.
I shook my head: “He wanted to finish
some repairs.”
“Or mayhap there be sumthing else
botherin’ yer friend?”
I looked at him strangely. He noticed
my confusion easily; he had a way with facial expressions, able to read almost
any emotion at a glance.
He continued. “Ah have seen ‘im
‘ereabouts, on mah recent visits. Yer can read ‘is face like an open book, yer
can! Poor troubled lad!”
“I am his friend, but even I can’t do
that!” I replied humbly. “Why; what do you see in his face? You say he is
troubled?”
“Aye!” he nodded solemnly. “Ain’t yer
not seen it? It’s very obvious, yer ken!”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“That ah can’t tell yer, young Flyer.
All I can read from ‘im is that he’s greatly sorrowful. He misses sumthing
badly. Only he ‘imself can tell yer the whole truth of it.”
“Maybe I should talk to him about
it….” I mumbled. I didn’t think Kevin was so badly upset. Maybe a little, but
not this badly.
Rembrandt patted my head: “Yer best
see what’s ailing ‘im! But dain’t be too ‘ard to ‘im if he’s hesitant, yer ken.
I’m off now young’un. Take care!”
I watched the elder Gecko leave,
waving to some younger friends along the way. I thought for a while. Had Kevin
been depressed again, and I hadn’t noticed? It made me feel bad and guilty. I
was meant to be one of his closest companions in the Air Force. Had I failed
him?
“Flyer!” Dommur called. “Over here!”
I glanced over to him, near the
doorway. To my surprise, Kevin stood next to him. He looked mildly happy, but
only mildly, not contentedly happy. Rembrandt was right: the more I looked, the
sadder Kevin seemed to be. I flew over to them both.
“Kevin, I thought you said you weren’t
comin’!” I exclaimed.
“Changed my mind. Besides, I finished
repairing my ship, so what else was there to do?” he replied.
I grinned: “Great. You know its good
you came. Some sociologist creature said to me once that if leaders and
soldiers both celebrate things socially, like now, the leaders actually being
there raises morale.”
“Is that the only reason?” Kevin
looked at me with mock frown.
“Yeah, I’m glad to see you too,
buddy.” I replied. “I was starting to worry that you’d never come out of that
aircraft hangar. All you seem to do is work. It’s gotta be bad for you!”
“I just like to think a lot. It
helps.”
Kevin’s point of view
Despite all of the celebration, I
couldn’t find the happiness to get up and dance or sing myself. I’d actually
come here, but only just. My mind had been plagued by longing thoughts. As
ever, the sense of betrayal clung to me, and guilt and loneliness were constant
companions.
“Kevin?”
“Yep, Flyer?”
“Is there something wrong?”
I looked to my companion. Had he
guessed what I’d been brooding over? I hadn’t mentioned it.
“No,” I lied. “Why?”
“I thought maybe you weren’t as
focused today because you were worrying about something.”
“There’s nothing to worry about.” I
claimed. “Just enjoy yourself.”
He nodded sceptically but flew off to
find his friends on the dancefloor. I remained at the bar. I hadn’t lied again
to Flyer: I just meant that there was nothing for him to worry about. But now
he was suspicious about my brooding thoughts. I knew Flyer, and he wouldn’t go
long without asking again. He was still naïve and young, but even at 25 years
old, he would know that I was lying to him. If he was noticing it - my best
friend on this side of the universe – then my emotional state was slowly
becoming very worse. It scared me then; the thought of slowly going insane with
grief and guilt terrified me. Perhaps it was time? Maybe my task was done here?
Before I knew it, the party atmosphere
died down, and the creatures, both drunk and sober, began to leave one by one.
Soon, I was one of the only ones left, along with Flyer and Dommur, and some
others I had never met.
I was planning on leaving soon, but
before I could move myself, a female Small Gecko approached me.
“Hey, handsome!” she greeted.
“Hello.” I replied irritably, sighing
wearily.
“Ya here late,” she commented, moving
closer to me.
“So?” I retorted. “Why are you here so
late?”
“I’ve had my eye on you for a while
now, Captain Richardson.”
I looked at her, surprised, but didn’t
reply.
“Ya the strong type, aren’t ya?” She
added seductively. “I like that.”
“Look, I’m tired and I want to get
back home. Do you want anything or not?” I snapped.
She ignored my anger. “If ya tired,
how about ya come back to my place?”
She began to get too close for my
liking, and I didn’t like what she was suggesting.
“Get back! I don’t want to do anything
like that!” I ordered angrily firmly pushing her a step backwards, and I saw
Flyer and Dommur notice us out of the corner of my eye. They began to approach
us.
“Ah, fiery-tempered too. Another thing
I like about ya!”
I didn’t give that an answer. By this
time Flyer and Dommur had gotten closer.
She persisted seductively: “If ya
acting like this ‘cause ya like someone else right now, why not just forget her
for now?”
I gaped at her in shock. She didn’t
even know what she was suggesting. She wanted me to betray my wife!
“Well?” she asked, beginning to slip
her hand around my waist. I swiftly grabbed her wrist.
“I told you, didn’t I?!” I exploded.
“Now get back! Keep your claws off me!”
I let go as Flyer intervened too:
“Hey, your kind aren’t allowed in here! Ever heard of monogamy?”
Dommur stood next to me, looking
equally as miffed at her.
“C’mon Kev, lets go home!” he tapped
my arm as he and Flyer turned to go.
I followed.
Dommur’s words rang in my head, and
they meant more to me than he knew.
I nodded, sighing: “Yeah…..” I
mumbled. “….time to go home.”
***
