Merri
entered the atmosphere of Achrem with her piloting and Shiyne in the co-pilot
seat and she used the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines and
landed softly on the landing field outside the town of Odekka and there were
already several other ships, of all shapes and sizes, parked on the field.
When the
freighters ramp lowered Zerrad and Malena walked down it holding hands followed
by Lyris driving the Tornado’s APMTV, (All Purpose Multi Terrain Vehicle),
nicknamed the “Stroller”.
The
moment it came to a halt Zerrad kissed Malena and then climbed aboard.
“Behave
yourselves” Malena called
“Yes
mum” Lyris replied
After
watching the Stroller drive away Malena sighed and then ran up the ramp, once
inside she hit the button and the ramp closed behind her then she opened comms
to the flight deck.
“Good
to go Captain”
“Ok,
stand by” Merri said from the left seat and co-pilot Shiyne monitored the
instruments the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines were engaged
and the Tempest Class freighter lifted off.
The reason the Tornado took off and left
the Skeets behind was that Achrem had a very mountainous terrain and as one of
their deliveries was to a remote and ancient mountain monastery housing an
order of Algarvian Monks, and because there was nowhere to land the Tornado it
could only be reached by road so the delivery had to be made in the Stroller.
So, the Tornado left the brothers in Odekka
and set off to make the short run to neighbouring Zenden to make their
delivery.
By the time they left the atmosphere Shiyne sat in the
Navigator’s chair plotting a course for Zenden and when she was done she said
“Course plotted and stored”
“Ok let’s go” Merri said from the left seat and co-pilot Malena
engaged the Plasma Turbine Pyroclast Engines and they headed into space.
They were making good time and were just
passing Zenden’s moon Linden when Shiyne said
“I’m picking up something on the scanners”
“What exactly?” Merri asked
“I don’t know, I can’t identify it, we’re being
jammed”
“Use your other scanner then” Merri said, which of
course meant that Shiyne
should use her telepathic gift, because Shiyne was a Vann and all of the Vann
were telepaths, by varying degrees, and many of them left their home world at
some point to use their gifts to earn a wage.
Those
at the zenith of their talents worked as corporate negotiators or in the
justice systems of the Legion.
Shiyne
was a Vann with mid-range capabilities and she could read most species to some
extent, her skills were limited with the more sophisticated or complex brains,
lesser minds were easier for her to explore.
In addition to reading minds she could also
implant thoughts and the suggestions would stay in place longer with someone
who was more intellectually challenged.
But in this instance, it was her reading skills that
were required.
“Roger that” she responded and closed her eyes and it
only took her thirty seconds before she added
“Got them”
“Who?” Malena asked fearing an attack
“Legion” she replied, “a squadron of six
Firedarts and a Blaze Command Ship”
“What do they want with us?” Merri asked
“They’re searching for someone” she replied
“Parse and Asti?” Merri asked with alarm
“No, but its someone they want really bad”
Shiyne said and then a moment later she added “we have an incoming message”
“Put it on speaker” Merri said
“This is Commander Emad Salmin of the
Legion Aeronautica, cut your main engines and prepare to be boarded”
“Just in case get Parse and Asti into pod
4” Merri said and then she opened the mic
“Captain Strong responding, message
received, cutting engines and standing by”
As Shiyne had determined that Parse Sacrod
and Asti Alegionaris were not the targets it was merely precaution to hide them
in Cargo Pod 4.
Parse
was still technically a Legionnaire of the Royal Guard of Gouveia, but he also
knew they were not searching for him and similarly the diminutive Princess Asti
was no longer on the wanted list.
But
they did know that there were Ghambran agents, bent on revenge, were searching
for them and although he no longer wore the Legionnaire’s uniform he was
clearly Gouveian and as he was huge in stature, standing 6 feet 8 high, broad
and powerfully built, curly burnished steel hair, ivory skin and mercury coloured
eyes, he was still a very striking figure.
For
her part Asti had forsaken her Princess wardrobe and wore very unprincess like
clothes and didn’t look much like a Princess anymore after she cut her platinum
hair, her beautiful face with its ivory skin and silver eyes she was still
unmistakably Princess Asti especially to a Legion Commander so for safety’s
sake they had to hide themselves.
Because
with the Ghambran’s searching for them, scouring every eatery and bar for the
smallest snippet of information and there was nothing more reliable that a
drunken Legionnaire at spreading rumours so they wanted to make sure the Legion
didn’t know about them any sooner than was necessary.
The
Tornado was flying with four cargo pods but they always kept one pod free
because it was where they stowed their gear and where the hidden compartments
could be found, or not, which was where they hid the contraband, or even
fugitives when necessary and in this case, it was used to hide Parse and Asti.
“Don’t
make a sound” Malena said as she closed the compartment then with the help of
the heavy-set engineer Pulsat, she rearranged the gear to conceal the door.
Once
they had finished, Pulsat closed the pod door and Malena contacted the flight
deck.
“Gear
stored Captain”
“Ok Mal, stand by the docking port” Merri
replied just as the Legion Firedarts took up station around the Tornado, one to
Port, Starboard, Forward, Aft and two stationed above.
There were two docking rings on the Tornado
to facilitate transfers to and from the freighter while in space, one in the
belly below the loading bay and the other was amidships above the cargo bays
which was also the mooring point for shuttles or ancillary craft.
Merri had killed the engines and was using
the thrusters to hold the ship steady as the Legion Blaze Command vessel
maneuvered into position and locked on to the belly docking ring.
When the hatch opened Merri had joined
Malena and was waiting to greet their visitor
“Welcome aboard Commander” she said
“I’m Captain Strong”
“Let’s go to the flight deck” he responded
curtly “we’re going to land on Linden where you will be searched and inspected”
“Ok then follow me” she responded
As Malena piloted the Tornado to the surface
Commander Salmin examined their paperwork.
“Is this it?” he asked
“Yes, we’re new to the Eikon Cluster” she
replied
“I see” he muttered and didn’t speak again
until they landed
“You and your crew will wait in the mess
while the vessel is searched” he said and left the flight deck
In the mess Bagg was performing his
familiar role as provider of scones and coffee.
“So,
what are they searching for?” Malena asked as she wiped her mouth on her napkin
and Bagg refilled her coffee mug.
“They’re searching for someone called
Kurla” Shiyne said as she slavered jam onto her fourth scone.
“Why they want?” Pulsat asked
Shiyne
closed her eyes for a full five minutes
“It’s
no use I can’t get a clear read, but I think he has something they want back,
something very precious, and valuable beyond price, but I can’t see what”
She
said and then put a piece of scone in her mouth
The
Tornado was sat on the surface of Linden for two hours when Commander Salmin
entered the mess and said
“That smell is amazing”
“There are plenty to go around” Bagg said
“Please sit”
“So, you are a Visitor and a cook” he said
“I feed the soul and the body in equal
measure” Bagg said and the Commander laughed
“Well Captain I’m pleased to say that the
cargo all checks out against the Manifest and everything appears to be in
order” he said
“That’s good to know” Merri said
“However,” he said, “You appear to have
more quarters than you have crew and those quarters appear to be lived in”
“The rest of the crew are on Achrem in the
APMTV making a delivery in the mountains” Merri explained and he nodded sagely
as he bit into one of Bagg’s scones
“That is amazing” he said, “What do you
call it?”
“Scones” Bagg replied
“Perhaps you would like to take a batch
back to your ship”
“I would like that very much” he said and
licked jam off his lips
After a very satisfied Legion Commander
took his leave of them Merri said
“Let’s get this bird back in space soonest”
And
ten minutes later Merri sat in the pilot seat and nodded to co-pilot Malena who
used the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines to lift the Tempest
class freighter off the surface and a few minutes later they were back in space
and on the way to Zenden.
