The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 16 – Scenting the Hounds

 

When they got back to the Tornado after the successful rescue of Asti from the Ghambran ship, Pulsat and Vanzyl were waiting by the ramp and Shiyne drove straight in and Pulsat closed the ramp behind them.

As they decamped from the Stroller Pulsat said

“We go soon”

“We go very soon” Merri said “Prepare for take-off, Lyris you’ve got the left seat, Shiyne co-pilot”

 

Parse carried Merri into sickbay followed by Terrell, Malena and Asti

“Oh God, I knew someone would get shot” Zerrad said

“Don’t worry I’m fine” Malena said and rushed over to kiss him as Terrell started on Merri’s thigh

“Leave that” Merri said “Get the tracker out of Asti first”

“What tracker?” Asti asked

“The one in your neck” Malena said 

“Is that how they found me?” she asked

“Yes, so we need to get it out” Merri said

“Ok” she agreed

 

It took Terrell less than a minute to locate and remove the tracker and once it was out he rinsed the blood off of it and gave it to Malena and then he turned his attention to the Captains wound.

“Ok Malena you know what to do” Merri said

“I’ll go with her” Parse said

“Oh no you don’t Beefy” she said “You stay here with me in case I need to be carried again”

“Oh ok” he complied “If you think that’s best”

“I do” she purred “I definitely do”

 

Asti got the distinct impression that her presence was no longer required in the sickbay and made her way up to the cockpit just at the moment Lyris was landing the Tornado at the cargo hub adjacent to the Monsoon.

“Nicely done Cowboy” Asti said

“Well thank you Princess” he said

“I’m not a Princess anymore, I’m just Asti” she retorted

“That will do for me” Lyris said and Shiyne just smiled, not because of what they were saying, her smiles were due to what they were both thinking.

 

While the Tornado picked up the cargo pods Malena transformed into one of the Monsoon’s crew, a tall and rotund cargo handler called Florin, who was being fed freshly made pancakes by Bagg in the Tornado’s mess room and while he was stuffing his face Malena wandered up the cargo ramp of the Monsoon and secreted the tracker behind a panel in the loading bay, then she smiled and went back down the ramp and re-boarded the Tornado and became the 27 year old brunette again and walked straight into the mess room and nodded to Bagg who said

“Well Florin dear lad as much as we’ve enjoyed your company I’m afraid it’s time for us to depart”

“What so soon?” he said

“I’m afraid so” he confirmed

“Shame” he said “Those were the best pancakes I ever tasted”

“I’m glad you enjoyed them, and so many” Bagg said amiably

“If you ever fancy a change there’s a place for you on the Monsoon” he said

“I will bear that in mind” Bagg said as he walked him to the door and then Malena saw him down the ramp and once he was clear she closed it.

Malena then opened comms to the engine room as she sealed the airlock

“Pulsat, stand by for departure”

“We ready” He replied then she spoke to the flight deck

“Mission accomplished Lyris, ready when you are”

“Ok we’re cleared to go” he responded

Malena then walked down to sickbay and just as she entered Merri was trying to get out of bed.

She looked over to Zerrad’s bed and he was sleeping so she turned her full attention on Merri who was saying

“Come on Beefy help me up to the flight deck”

“That’s not a good idea Captain” Terrell stated

“Nonsense” she retorted “I’m fine”

“Stay right where you are” Malena said firmly

“Lyris is quite capable of getting the Tornado airborne without your supervision”

“But…” she protested

“But nothing, get back into bed and Parse you make sure she stays there, understood”

“Yes” the pair said

 

After kissing the sleeping Zerrad on the forehead she left the sickbay and went upstairs to the flight deck where she found Lyris in the left seat with the diminutive figure of Asti stood behind him with a hand on each shoulder and Shiyne was in the co-pilots chair.

She moved to vacate the seat when she saw Malena who was the Tornado’s second in command but the latter gestured for her to stay where she was and looked out through the glass at the pilot vessel.

Lyris was following and after a few minutes they got the signal to proceed and the pilot returned to port and Malena scanned the scene.

“Moor us on the other side of the Leviathan tanker, but give us a view of the port” she said

“Ok skipper” Lyris said and steered around the tanker.

The Tornado had an hour head start on the Monsoon and a further hour on the Scorpion so they just sat and waited.

“I’m going to get some breakfast” Malena said “Call me when the Monsoon appears”

“Will do” Lyris responded “Come on Shiyne, Bagg’s cooking pancakes”

Shiyne smiled because she knew even without her telepathic skills that Malena didn’t want her to go just to enjoy the pancakes, she was playing cupid and wanted Lyris and Asti to have some time alone.

 

Malena and Shiyne sat at the mess table while Bagg fed them his excellent pancakes and they spoke about the excitement of the early hours and the roles they all played and Bagg deft use of his staff to brain one of the Ghambran’s, which led onto a discussion regarding the Cowboy and the Princess and the fact that Merri had apparently claimed the man mountain, Parse, as her own.

 

As they laughed and joked the call came from the flight deck 

“There on the move” Lyris said

“Ok so are we” Malena responded and she and Shiyne stood up

“Sorry Bagg we have to go”

“But we’ll be back” Shiyne said and shovelled the last forkful of pancake into her mouth.

 

When they got upstairs they found Asti with her arm around Lyris and they both smiled which caused Asti to blush violently which made them smile even more.

“The Monsoon’s heading full speed towards the Star gate” Lyris said

“Good, we just have to wait for the Scorpion to appear” Malena said taking the vacant number two seat

“Is the tracker still broadcasting?”  

“Loud and clear” Asti replied

“Ok we just have to wait and see” she said as Shiyne sat in the Navigator’s chair and began plotting a course for Alwi.

They didn’t have to wait long as the Scorpion appeared twenty minutes sooner than expected and took off after the Monsoon without hesitation.

“So far so good” Malena said “I go and inform the Captain, she’ll be going insane wondering what’s going on”

The flight deck rang with the sound of laughter as Malena left it and made her way to the sickbay.

 

After briefing Merri on the situation Malena went and sat by Zerrad’s bed and held his hand while he slept and waited.

It was just over an hour when the comms buzzer sounded and she got up and picked up the handset.

“Yes”

“Good”

“Ok” 

“Keep me posted”

Then she hung up and sat back down

“Well” Merri barked “What’s happening?”

“The Monsoon has gone through the gate” Malena replied

“And what about the Scorpion?” Parse asked

“It’s still on the same course”

 

It was another hour before the comms buzzed again, and Malena got up once more and picked up the handset

“Yes”

“Good”

“Ok, then you have command, I’m going to sleep for a couple of hours” she said “Oh Lyris! Try not to hit anything”

She hung up the comms and turned towards the others

“They took the bait hook line and sinker” Malena said and smiled, then she let go of Zerrad’s hand and climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him and Terrell dimmed the lights.

“Well I need to go and find a beautiful little cerise coloured Navigator”

 

“So do you think we’re in the clear?” Parse asked when Terrell had gone

“What I think is that it’s a big universe, and we’ll be at opposite ends of it” Merri replied

“What if they come for her again?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it” Merri replied and winced “now go and find Bagg and he’ll show to your quarters”

“I’d rather stay here with you” he replied

“I’d rather you did too” she said and smiled then she closed her eyes

About an hour later she woke again and she looked across at Malena and Zerrad as they slept, he had his arm around her and she had her head on his chest, and she thought how nice it was for her friend to find love at last, then she looked at the huge Gouveian soldier sat at her bedside and thought.

“I think I might have found some for myself”

 

Merionwen spent much of the next two hours thinking about the past couple of weeks and the remarkable change in their fortunes.

She was at a very low ebb when the Tornado was stranded on the surface of Alwi for three months with engine trouble and virtually no crew.

Now they had a full complement aboard, full cargo pods, some funds in the coffers and work lined up for several months ahead.

Her best friends, Malena and Shiyne had both found love, engineers Pulsat and Vanzyl were magicians with all things mechanical, they had a Healer aboard, Terrell, for the first time ever, Visitor Parham tended their spiritual needs and his alter ego Bagg fortified them with his culinary prowess, they also counted a member of the Gouveian Royal family among their number, and she had herself a hunky Legionnaire.

And the thing Merri wanted more than anything in the universe was someone to share with her the life she loved so much.

So everything for the Tempest Class Freighter Tornado was set fare, plus she knew that apart from a good crew, good food and a liberal quantity of love she knew that on the Tornado’s Sojourns they were bound to have adventure.