ON THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

 

On the Millennium Falcon

When things are a bit slow

With time to knock one out,

Which is called a hand solo

The Tornado Sojourns (4) – Chapter 08 – Clarissoss

 

So, once they had made their decision it was left to Malena to make all the arrangements and they spent the following two weeks suppressing their excitement.

 

During their time in the Eikon Cluster They had heard a lot about Clarissoss, but they had never been, in fact the closest they had got was the capital, Rendon.

 

After spending two days on Eirkos at the agrarian settlement of Montrose they said their goodbyes and leaving Pulsat, Vanzyl and Bagg, they boarded the Stroller for the drive back to Cranack.

When they got back Malena remotely opened the ramp on the Tornado.

“Alright everyone, get aboard” Merri said to the crew “next stop Clarissoss”

Once disembarked from the Stroller they all walked up the ramp and then Merri drove up the ramp into the cargo hold.

Ten minutes later the Tornado lifted off and headed towards Eikon Major.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, which was in fact marginally quicker than usual, Merri entered the atmosphere of Eikon Major, with her piloting, and Malena in the co-pilot seat and she used the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines and landed softly on the apron at the Rendon Space Port.

Once they had shut down all the Tornados systems and secured the ship they left the space port and boarded the shuttle to the resort.

 

Clarissoss was originally a family-oriented leisure resort geared more towards children, but it wasn’t different enough from all the other similar attractions to pull in enough visitors, so the owners closed the traditional loss-making family resort and opened something that targeted adults, and offered a wide range of entertainment, not all of which were entirely legal.

But over the years Clarissoss evolved into the premier resort in the system.

 

The diminutive Princess Asti Alegionaris was beside herself with excitement, and her Ivory skin tingled with delight, and her silver eyes sparkled, when she saw where they were staying.

The Galileo Hotel was located between the Casino district and the Sports complex and adjoined the Spa center which offered, fitness classes, gym, rock sauna, infra-red sauna, aroma steam room, ice fountain, drench showers, Jacuzzi, a Romanesque pool, Reflexology, Raki, facials, scalp massage, hand massage, Manicure and Pedicure, and that was only the tradition array of services that originated on Earth but there was also an extensive catalogue of practices and treatments from other systems including her own home world of Gouveia in the Dania system, and she hadn’t had any of those for a very long time, but she was soon going to rectify that, and then she would have a full range of beauty treatments and put some life back into her platinum hair.

Her huge fellow Gouveian Parse Sacrod, contrasted immensely from Asti, apart from the ivory skin.

He stood 6 foot 8 high, broad and powerfully built, with short curly hair the colour of burnished steel, and mercury coloured eyes, and he had no interest in relaxing or being pampered, so he headed straight for the sports area.

 

Merri, Malena and the Skeets wanted some adrenalin fueled fun, and although Shiyne would also enjoy that, she and Terrell also enjoyed the cultural Center in Rendon, where museums, art galleries, sculptures and antiquities, so they did alternate days.

One day Terrell would join Shiyne and the others for whatever nerve tingling event Merri and the others came up with and the next day they would get the shuttle into Rendon for a day of cultural pursuits.

But at the end of each day they would all go out and eat together and exchange tales about their days, followed by drinking and dancing.

 

In addition to the gambling, pampering, partying, clubling and catering for the sport obsessed, Clarissoss had also become a very popular venue for the sin seekers, but the visitors in pursuit of seedier activities found that they were to be found hidden away from more sensitive eyes, but although the Tornado crew were far from sensitive, they had no interest in that part of the resort.

 

After ten days none of the crew were showing any sign of slowing down but they had begun to tire of the usual restaurants that they had been frequenting so on night ten they were going to a very up market place, which even had a dress code.

So, it was decided that they would dress in posh frocks and dinner suits and would meet downstairs in the bar.

 

Merri was still getting ready when Parse left their room as he had broken a cufflink and needed another set, so he went downstairs to the Hotels Plaza and bought some new ones, he didn’t dress up much since joining the Tornado so when he did he wanted to do it properly.

He quickly chose a set he was happy with and the girl in the shop put them in his cuffs for him and then he ambled slowly across the plaza to the bar where they were all to meet, which was when he caught sight of Merri, but she wasn’t wearing the beautiful green dress she’d had on when he left the room, instead she had on a figure hugging top, leather trousers and knee high boots, and although she still looked gorgeous he was a little disappointed.

He picked up the pace and followed her and caught up with her halfway between the door and the bar.

 

“Hey, why did you change?” he said touching her arm “you looked stunning in that dress”

In response she turned around to face him

“Whoa steady on big fella” she said “No touching”

“Oh” he exclaimed when he looked at the familiar face possessed with someone else’s eyes

“Sorry, I thought you were someone else” he said meekly “you are the spitting image of her”

“Seriously? Is that the best you’ve got, I’m the spitting image of a girl you once went out with?”

“No, you’re the spitting image of the girl I’m going out with now, and she’s… standing over there”

She craned her neck to see this remarkable double but as she was a foot shorter than the big Gouveian she couldn’t see her.

“Of course, she is” she remarked and then he smiled and said

“Very funny Malena, you got me, morphing into Merri”

“Who the hell is Malena?” The doppelganger asked

“I am” she said as she appeared and then Merri joined the group and she did a double take, looking firstly at Mal then at her double and then Mal again before saying

“What the…? You’ve got my face, and my eyes and my hair,

And you dress like me, who the hell are you?”

She demanded

“I like your boots by the way”

“Thanks, I got them on Androsin Prime” she replied

“I’m Dwynwen”

“She’s even got a sing songy name like you Merri” Asti said as she joined the group along with the Skeets, Shiyne and Terrell

“So, what’s your name then?” Dwyn asked

“Merionwen Strong” she replied

“No that’s my name” Dwyn replied

“I thought you said your name was Dwynwen?” Merri asked

“It is, Dwynwen Strong”

There was a full minute of total silence as the two redheads took in the new information and then the pair said in unison

“I need a drink”