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.

The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 15 – On a Mission

 

In the early hours of the morning after Asti was abducted Malena was in the sickbay reassuring Zerrad that she would be perfectly safe

“I don’t like it” he said

“There’s nothing to worry about” she said

“I know Lyris remember” he pointed out “he’s reckless, that’s why I’m worried” 

“You also know Merri and she’s not reckless” Malena said “And the Doc is coming too and he is the epitome of cautious good sense, ok? Now give me a kiss”

So Zerrad complied with her demand and then watched her leave with a heavy heart.

 

Already outside, pacing up and down, was Lyris Skeet, who didn’t normally get involved in other people’s problems but since Merion and her crew had put themselves in danger to save him and his brother he had changed his philosophy, so he would have helped Asti even if he hadn’t fancied the pants off her.

It was not normal behaviour for him to become infatuated in such a short space of time and based on only a handful of very short meetings, but he had done with her.

Not that he stood a chance because she was beautiful, classy, well educated, feisty, funny and wicked smart.

He was after all little more than a reformed smuggler, and she was a Princess, so he would never have made an advance towards her in fear of being shot down in flames but now he had a chance to be her knight in shining armour.

 

All though it was 3am there were still as many people milling around as there had been earlier in the day, in space, with no night and day, the conventional clock didn’t really mean much in terms of waking and sleeping hours.

With the exception of Zerrad, who was still confined to his sick bed, and Pulsat and Vanzyl who were preparing the ship for departure everyone gathered on the deck beside the Stroller and Merri addressed Bagg

“We won’t be needing the services of a Visitor this morning”

“There is always a need for man of God” he retorted

“We’re not looking for convert’s Brother” she said

“Nonetheless I’m coming” he insisted

“Alright” Merri said “But don’t get in the way”

So they boarded the stroller and drove to hanger 34 and parked up as close to the Ghambran’s Scorpion as they could without drawing attention to themselves.

“Right does everyone know what they have to do?” Merri asked and they all murmured a response

“I want no gun play unless absolutely necessary” she added looking directly at Lyris

“Why are you looking at me?” he retorted

“I wonder, Cowboy” she said “And Beefy, no attracting unwanted attention”

Before Parse had chance to object she added

“Ok let’s go”

Once outside they stayed in the shadows and Merri whispered to Shiyne

“Is she still aboard?”

Shiyne closed her eyes and tuned her mind in and scanned the ship and after a few moments she smiled.

“Well?” Lyris asked

“Yes she’s there and she’s as mad as a hornet” she replied and they all laughed

“Ok settle down now” Merri said as she looked over at the ship.

There was one guard by the ramp but they knew there were others on board

“Go and do your thing Shiyne”

The Vann telepath invaded the guards mind and when she had control of him she stealthily crossed the open ground and stood to one side of the ramp, then under her control he stepped towards her.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Parse asked

“No just stay here and pretend to be a soldier” Merri retorted

“I am a soldier” he pointed out

“Good you can guard Brother Bagg, Ok Doc we’re on” Merri said and she Malena, Terrell and Lyris quickly joined Shiyne by the ramp, but out of sight of the door

Once they were concealed Shiyne quietly said to the guard

“There is a problem with the port engine, call you friend, then go to the engine”

Without showing any emotion he turned and called up the ramp in his native tongue and then walked slowly towards the engine but after three paces Terrell dispatched him with an injection to the neck and he crumpled to the floor.

A minute later the other guard emerged onto the ramp and Shiyne immediate took control of his mind and lead him to the same fate as his compatriot.

With the two guards safely unconscious Merri withdrew her sidearm and gestured for them to follow and Parse and Bagg watched as they disappeared from view.

 

Once inside the Scorpion they proceed quietly into the bowels of the vessel.

“Where is she?” Merri asked

“Beyond the main cabin, in a sleeping berth, she’s bound and gagged” Shiyne replied

As they pressed forward they suddenly heard footsteps above their heads which then proceeded down the stairs and the owner of those footfalls was Vint Reganus the smaller of the two abductors and the moment he set foot on the deck Malena put a gun in his face and gestured with her finger for silence.

“Where’s the other one?” Merri asked adding her own gun to his already nervous field of vision and he nodded in the direction of the main cabin.

Shiyne nodded her agreement so Merri gestured to Terrell who struck with his needle again.

But before Vint hit the floor Malena touched his arm and she instantly transformed into the Ghambran and she was an exact copy down to every blemish and flaw, pulled thread and tarnished button.

As an Obgaronian shape shifter she could transform at will but she could only shift into a being she had touched.

Only the briefest moment was required and then it was in her memory banks and could be recalled when required.

She could also manipulate that memory and add or subtract from it for example in her everyday life she chose to take the form of a 27 year old human whom she met on a remote mining colony when she first entered Legion space, but she chose to be the human girl and wear clothes on that form but it wasn’t necessary and that night for the rescue mission she chose to simulate her clothes in case she needed to shift, it would have looked very odd indeed if Vint Reganus was wearing girls clothes.

The necessity for her to shape shift was so she could get into the main cabin without raising the alarm and distract Maxil just long enough for Shiyne to paralyze him.

He was cut from different cloth to Vint and wouldn’t be so susceptible to suggestion so she was going to paralyze his voice box and the nerve endings in his neck so he couldn’t move.

But she had to be in close proximity to the target for that to work hence the need for Malena to shape shift.

Malena opened the door and stepped inside without speaking and took two steps forward before Shiyne stepped out from her shadow and although Maxil opened his mouth to speak, no sound came out, and then Lyris, Merri and Terrell rushed in behind them.

“Where now?” Merri asked

“This way” Shiyne said and lead the way

“Terrell, if he makes a move stick him with the needle” Merri said

“Pleasure” he retorted

Shiyne opened the cabin door and as she foretold, Asti was lying on the bed with her hands tied behind her back and a gag in her mouth, then Lyris pushed past her and took out his knife.

“Let’s get these bonds off” he said gently as the blade severed the ropes, then he sheathed the knife and untied her gag.

“Are you ok?” he asked as she sat up and rubbed her wrists

“I am now” she replied and wrapped her arms around his neck

“Ok cowboy put her down and let’s get out of here” Merri said

 

First they returned to the main cabin where Terrell was still standing with a needle to Maxil’s neck under the watchful gaze of Malena who had shifted back to her former self.

Merri lead the way back the way they entered, followed by Malena and then Asti who suddenly stopped and yelled

“You bastard” and spun round and delivered a roundhouse kick to Maxil’s head and rendered him unconscious

“Sweet” Lyris said “Now let’s get out of here”

 

Outside on the deck Parse and Bagg were waiting anxiously for the raiding party to return when another Ghambran guard approached and when he saw his two countrymen lying unconscious beside the ship he drew his weapon and started up the ramp.

“Shit” Parse exclaimed “Start praying Brother Bagg”

For a huge man Parse was incredibly light on his feet and he closed the distance between himself and the Ghambran very quickly but not before he had opened fire on the boarding party. 

But the moment he reached him he knocked the gun from his hand and grabbed him around the neck and in a matter of moments he had the man by the throat and was holding him two feet off the floor, but what he couldn’t see was a fourth guard who was approaching him on his blind side with a large curved knife in his hand which he was going to thrust it in Parse’s back until Bagg hit him soundly on the head with his staff rendering him unconscious and bloody.

“Way to go Bagg” Merri said as Malena helped her down the ramp”

“You can put him down now Beefy, and pick me up instead”

She had a Pulsar strike on the thigh and couldn’t support her own weight

“Ok” he said and dropped the guard unceremoniously on the desk “And scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the Stroller and Bagg and Asti followed in their wake while Lyris, Malena and Terrell dragged the unconscious bodies inside the Scorpion.

 

When everyone was aboard the stroller Terrell began attending to the wound on Merri’s thigh.

“Ok let’s move it” she said through gritted teeth and held Parse’s hand and winced with pain as Terrell cut the fabric away.

“How is it?” Malena asked

“Not good” Terrell said “So straight to sickbay when we get aboard”

 

The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 14 – Regrouping

 

Shiyne curtailed her shopping expedition because she knew there was something wrong, she wasn’t sure what exactly, there were too many people around for her to tune in precisely but she knew something was wrong so she relieved Bagg of all his purchases and left him to finish the shopping alone.

“I’ll be along soon” he said not questioning why she was in such a hurry to get back.

 

She found the huge Gouveian pacing up and down beside the Stroller and by the time she reached him she had read his mind and was fully appraised with what had happened so when Parse began to speak she said

“I know”

Then she gestured to him to be silent and closed her eyes while she searched for Lyris and after a moment or two she nodded and opened her eyes.

“He’s found her, their ship is in hanger 34, bay 21” 

“So what do we do?” he asked.

“We load the stores onto the Stroller” she replied as a delivery drone pulled up beside them.

 

When Lyris returned to the Stroller he related everything that he’s seen to the others and informed them of his and Parse’s intention to effect a rescue.

“Can you go to hanger 34 Shiyne, bay 21, and get close to them, and read their intentions while we return to the ship and arm ourselves?” Lyris said

“Of course, but you must involve the Captain” she responded “She’s good at that stuff”

 

Lyris stopped the Stroller outside the commerce wing of the space port where Merri was waiting and the passenger side door opened and Parse jumped down    

“My God” she exclaimed “I know I asked for some steak but I wasn’t expecting a huge slab of beef”

Then she climbed up to the passenger seat and Parse got in the back

“Who’s the moose?” she asked Lyris and he made the introductions and then Bagg gave chapter and verse on Asti’s lineage, betrothal and subsequent abduction.

“Good God, I let you out of my sight for a few hours and everything goes to bat shit” Merri exclaimed before adding I assume a rescue is in the offing”

“With your approval” Parse replied

“Never mind my approval, it will be with my participation Beefy” she retorted and Lyris felt great pride in the woman with the immense personality and a heart as big as the moon, and a tongue as sharp as a razor who he was honoured to call his Captain.

“That’s what we were hoping you would say” Lyris said

“Ok back to the ship then” she said

 

With the exception of Zerrad who was still not well enough to leave sickbay everyone was arranged around the mess table.

“So this tracker” Merri said addressing Parse, “where is it?”

“In her neck”

“Will it still transmit once it’s out?” she asked

“Oh yes”

“Good”

“Didn’t she know she was tagged?” Lyris asked

“No it was implanted when she was a child, its protocol for all of the Royal family to have trackers just in case of abductions” he explained “she was too young to remember it being put in, it’s very small and unobtrusive”

“Can you remove it Terrell?” Merri asked

“Of course” he replied

“How long will it take?” she asked

“Minutes” Terrell replied

“Ok then Shiyne tell us what you know” she said

“The small one” she began and paused to extract the name from Parse’s mind

“Vint Reganus, isn’t very bright, so he’s very suggestable”

“That could be useful” Bagg interjected

“That’s what I thought” Shiyne agreed

“How many are we up against?” Malena asked

“4” Shiyne replied “Maxil Weltz is in charge, Vint Reganus is his lieutenant and the other two are the muscle”

“And there are definitely only 4” Malena asked

“I only saw those four and the only other being that I sensed on board was Asti” Shiyne said

“Could there have been more elsewhere?” Healer Terrell asked 

“It’s possible” she replied

“What else did you find out?” Merri asked

“They are leaving tomorrow at 08.00 so we have a very small window in which to rescue her” Shiyne said

“It’s even narrower than that because we depart at 06.00” Merri said

“That’s very tight” Lyris added

“Yes but it works to our advantage on several levels” she replied “And I have a plan for the tracker”

“What plan?” Parse asked

“Well I ran into Dirk Sharmour, the skipper of the Monsoon at the dock office”

She explained, the Monsoon was also a Tempest Class Freighter

“The smug git was full of himself as he had just secured a plum cargo run to Santon 5”

“In the Pocardin System” Bagg asked

“Yes, and better than that he has a pick up and return” Merri added

“Lucky pig” Malena exclaimed, she didn’t like Dirk very much and she certainly didn’t wish him good fortune.

“Indeed, so how do you fancy secreting the tracker aboard the Monsoon” Merri suggested and smiled

 

The Scorpion was a fast ship but it wasn’t fast enough to outrun a Tempest so as they would be more than an hour later leaving Delta 500 that would be the closest they got to their quarry.

They would not be able to get close enough to identify the freighter but from their signature they would detect it as a Tempest Class heading for the Star Gate and the scanner would pick up the tracker and they would assume it was the Tornado and that Asti was aboard.

In order to reach Santon 5 the Monsoon would be in hyperspace for months and the Scorpion would have no choice but to follow them and they would cross three systems before the pursuers realized they were tailing the wrong freighter.

Meanwhile the Tornado, who had a return load to Alwi, a second drop on Lazarion, and a further one to Androsin Prime which was two star gates in the opposite direction from Santon 5.

“So what’s the plan? Do we go in all guns blazing?” Lyris asked

“No we don’t” Merri said “Subtlety is the name of the game and I have a plan which will play to our strengths”

“Let’s hear it then” Malena said

The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 13 – The Ghambran Encounter

 

It had not been an entirely uneventful time aboard the Tempest Class Freighter, Tornado, on the journey to Delta 500, but not in a bad way, there were no hostile run-ins with Scav Raiders as they crossed the Cammaratian System, the only attacks came courtesy of cupids arrows, which well and truly found their marks.

And all those strikes occurred between the occupants of sickbay, where Zerrad Skeet was recovering from a Laser wound to the abdomen under the watchful and concerning gaze of Malena Endia and while Sciberran Healer Terrell Vorton brought Zerrad back from the brink of death he lost his heart to the Tornado’s Navigator Shiyne.

The rest of the freighters occupants were ship’s Captain Merionwen Strong, pilot Lyris Skeet, Engineers Pulsat Rad and Vanzyl, Visitor Parham known as Bagg and one passenger Asti who was getting off at their destination.

 

So with Merri piloting and Lyris in the co-pilot seat she used the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines which were engaged and the Tempest class freighter landed softly in the space dock.

It wasn’t a huge ship as freighters go but pound for pound The Tempests had the highest freight to fuel ratio yield of their class.

The front section comprised of a sizable pressurized hold for large freight accessed via a front loading ramp, above which was the flight deck, living and sleeping quarters, mess facilities and bath rooms, at the rear was the main propulsion and amidships were the universal pod bays, which allowed for a mixed cargo option, which allowed for quick inspection and loading, although sometimes pods were sealed which meant it was either very valuable or very illegal, either way Merri didn’t mind and transporting sealed cargo paid much much better.

But this time there was no dodgy cargo so they lowered the three pods ready for unloading.

The Tornado always flew with at least one pod but then that was 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. 

 

Terrell stayed in sickbay with his patient and Malena volunteered to supervise the unloading so she could stay close by and Pulsat and Vanzyl took advantage of the engines being offline to do some routine maintenance.

While the cargo was unloaded Shiyne drove the stroller down the front ramp and everyone else stood in a group waiting to board.

The moment the Stroller came to a halt the remainder of the crew plus Asti the passenger climbed aboard and Merri got in the passenger seat beside Shiyne.

“Drop me at the commerce wing” Merri said

“You’re not coming with us?” Bagg asked

“I’m afraid not, so while you lot get to enjoy yourselves in the Mall I’m going to be sat in the space port office looking for our next job”

“Can anyone else hear violins?” Lyris asked

“Very funny” She said “Drop me up here on the left”

Shiyne brought the Stroller to a halt and Merri climbed down and before she closed the door she shouted up

“Pick me up on the way back and make sure you pick me up some prime steak” 

“Will do Captain” Shiyne said and Merri slammed the door shut.

As Shiyne drove off again she said

“Remind me again what a violin is?”

 

Shiyne parked the Stroller as close to the Mall as possible and then they all decamped and walked towards the sound of chattering commerce and they had just entered the throng when a huge cloaked figure approached

“Princess Asti!” he called

“Oh God they’ve found me” Asti exclaimed and backed away to hide behind Lyris

He was clearly Gouveian as she was but he was huge in stature, stand 6 foot 8 high and he was broad and powerfully built, his hair was short, curly and the colour of burnished steel, ivory skin and mercury coloured eyes, an altogether striking figure.

“Don’t be afraid Princess?” the man said

“Princess?” Lyris asked

“Yes Princess Asti Alegionaris, youngest granddaughter of the Regent of Gouveia” he replied

“And who might you be?” Lyris asked

“Parse Sacrod, Legionnaire of the Royal Guard” he said proudly

“My family have sent you to find me” Asti said

“Well I’m not going back”

“Is this true, you’ve been chasing her?” Shiyne asked

“No, no, it’s not like that” Parse said

“They didn’t send me after you to take you back”

“So why are you here?” Asti asked

“Your mother asked me to follow to make sure you came to no harm, that’s all” he explained 

“She’s on your side, she doesn’t want you to marry some old man, which you neither know nor love”

“He’s telling the truth” Shiyne said

“Marry?” Lyris asked

“Yes I’m betrothed to Prefector Collis of Ghambra” she said

“A very old and by all accounts very unpleasant man, and I’m not doing it”

Just at that moment a transit shuttle arrived and disgorged its passengers so Asti took her chance and ran and although he tried to keep his eyes on her Lyris lost sight of her in the melee as another shuttle arrived and everyone decanted from it. 

“We must go after her” Parse said

“You didn’t just come here protect her from harm did you” Shiyne said

“No I’m also here to warn her” he admitted

“About what?” Lyris asked

“The Prefector is not so understanding is he?” Visitor Parham reflected

“No he is not” Parse admitted “He wants her and he will stop at nothing to get her”

“How did you find her so easily?” Lyris asked

“She has a subdermal tracker” Parse replied

 

Parse and Lyris spent the next hour tracking Asti around Delta 500 while Shiyne and Bagg made the necessary purchases at the Mall,

It wasn’t an easy task because being so tiny Asti was not easy to keep in sight at all time, she was also very fleet of foot and they struggled more than once to keep up with her fortunately they had Parse’s scanner.

But when they finally got within striking distance of her they were just in time to witness her abduction.

Two men, one either side of her, grabbed her and bundled her unceremoniously into a waiting vehicle, one was tall and heavy set the other shorter and leaner.

“We’re too late” Parse said “They’ve got her”

“Who are they?”

“Ghambran agents sent by Prefector Collis, those two are Maxil Weltz and Vint Reganus, I didn’t get a look at the driver” He replied sombrely “I have to rescue her”

“We, have to rescue her” Lyris corrected him, but for now we need to know where they’ve taken her”

“Ok, let’s go” Parse said

“No you stay here” Lyris corrected him “you stand out too much, I’ll meet you back at the Stroller”

The giant Legionnaire had no argument so he just nodded and Lyris set off at a run, fortunately because of the crowds the vehicle hadn’t got far and was making slow progress and as there was only one way they could go from there he decided to press on up the thoroughfare and get ahead of them.

With regular glances over his should to make sure they didn’t deviate he reached the Mall exit and secured himself a “Pediscoot” which was a single person two wheeled ride and waited until the bushwhackers caught up with him and then when they passed he fell in behind them.

There was sufficient traffic to ensure he didn’t stand out but not enough to threaten the success of his surveillance and he was rewarded with the location of their ship after about fifteen minutes.  

The ship was a Scorpion Cruiser, small fast and well-armed, a popular choice among men of importance and unlimited funds.

Lyris kept watch from a safe distance as the two men that snatched Asti manhandled her up the ships tail ramp.

The driver followed on and there was a fourth man at the top of the ramp and they were all laughing as they pushed the tiny figure of Asti inside.

He couldn’t hear her but he imagined she was giving them all an un-princess like tongue lashing.

The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 12 – Planning for the Future

 

It had been an uneventful voyage and they were making excellent time, thanks to Pulsat and Vanzyl’s repairs and maintenance of the Plasma Turbine Pyroclast Engines which had never run so well all the time she had been on board.

In fact things were going so smoothly Merionwen had plenty of time to think about the future.

She was enjoying having a full complement of crew aboard the Tornado for the first time in 5 years and during the quiet moments she had pondered the possibility of making it permanent.

It was feasible, the Skeets where after all ship less and homeless and with Zerrad well on the way to a full recovery they would need to remedy both of those situations so she thought she would offer them the opportunity to sign on with the Tornado, providing Shiyne and Malena were in agreement before she spoke to the Skeets.

As Malena had finally declared her love for Zerrad she was certain sure she would have no objections as she liked one brother and loved the other but she still needed to ask Shiyne and as she was her Navigator she would have to work closely with whoever occupied the Pilot and Co-pilot seat so she had to be in full agreement.

So she chose to broach the subject when Merri and Shiyne were alone together in the cockpit on the late watch.

“So we’ll be at Delta 500 in less than two days” Merri said

“Yes we’ve made great time” Shiyne agreed but Merri struggled to find the words that would steer her to the question she wanted to ask.   

Shiyne was a telepath and could easily have read Merri’s thoughts but the reason their friendship had endured for so long was she didn’t use telepathy on her friends.

Because of Merri’s inability to find the words she needed, a prolonged silence ensued and finally it was Shiyne who broke it.

“What’s going to happen when we get there?”

“What do you mean?” Merri retorted

“The Skeets and the Healer” Shiyne elaborated “Are we just going to dump them off with the cargo”

“Do you think we shouldn’t?” Merri asked

“Lyris and Zerrad have lost everything, could we not keep them on?” Shiyne asked

“I was going to ask you that” Merri remarked

“Well it’s alright with me” Shiyne said

Merri was relieved to say the least that she was in complete agreement regarding the Skeets so that just left The Healer to discuss.

He was a traveller so to her mind there was no reason why he couldn’t travel with them and there was no doubt having a Healer aboard full time would be a definite plus but she didn’t know how Shiyne would feel about that.

“What about Terrell?” she asked

“What about him?” Shiyne asked suspiciously

“Do you think he would stay on?”

“I think so” she replied vaguely “I mean he might”

“You mean you don’t know?” Merri asked with surprise

“No I don’t” She admitted “I’m having trouble reading him”

“What?” Merri retorted

“But you’ve spent long enough in sickbay or at the mess table with him since we left Alwi to have got in his head countless times”

“I know” she agreed

“You could read him before we left” Merri pointed out

“I know but now I can’t” she admitted

“Do you mean that he’s blocking you?” Merri asked

“No, definitely not” Shiyne responded adamantly “I just can’t read him”

“But…” Merri began and then she remembered a conversation she had with her friend shortly after she joined the crew, when she mentioned that Vann telepaths could not read someone that they loved.

“You love him!” Merri exclaimed

“Nonsense” Shiyne said “I like him that’s all”

“You love him, that’s why you can’t read him anymore” Merri pointed out

“The Vann can’t read the one they love, you told me that”

She did indeed say that, she remembered the conversation well, but she was just passing on what she had been told, Shiyne had never been in love so she had no personal experience of it but she couldn’t argue with the logic, and the thought that he would be getting off at Delta 500 and she would not see him again had left her with an uneasy and unfamiliar feeling.  

“I do love him don’t I?” she said

“Yes” Merri agreed “So why are you still here?”

 

Terrell was not looking forward to the Tornado reaching their destination for a variety of reasons, the primary one being Shiyne, who was completely bald, had cerise coloured skin and purple eyes and when he first saw her he thought she was the most beautiful and striking looking woman he had ever seen, but since being aboard the ship he had found that there was so much more to her than mere beauty and he had fallen for the girl totally.

It was the first time since he had lost his wife that he had even looked at another woman let alone dare to have feeling for one, but he was a realist it was never going anywhere, he knew she was way out of his league but that didn’t stop him from dreaming.

 

Malena had got to know Terrell very well while she was holding vigil at Zerrad’s bedside and as her heart had been opened to love she was sensitive to its presence and she knew there were embers of love between him and Shiyne so she decided to blow on them.

“If you hurry you’ll catch her in the mess room” she said

“Catch who?” he asked

“Our pretty navigator, you know the one you can’t take your eyes off” Malena said

“I think you’re imagining it” he answered as he left the sickbay

“I think you’re besotted” she shouted after him and he was about to unleash a witty retort in response but he was suddenly knocked sideways into the wall.

“Sorry” she said “I wasn’t looking where I was going”

Terrell turned around to face his assailant

“That’s…” he began but that was all he could say as he gazed upon the smiling face of the beautiful Shiyne.

Neither of them knew quite how long they stood there staring at each other or how long they would have continued to stare had Shiyne not broken the spell by kissing him which he reciprocated and the kiss also suspended their concept of time.

And while they embraced in the corridor leading to the sickbay Lyris passed them unnoticed on his way to visit his brother

“This is becoming a bit of a habit” Lyris said to himself “there must be something in the food”

The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 11 – The Awakening

 

As Malena sat beside Zerrad’s bed she was very relieved that he was on the mend but after her three day vigil in sickbay she was

All too conscious of the fact that she had shown her hand to the rest of the crew in regard to her feelings for him and there was no putting the genie back in the bottle.

The Tornado was about three days out when Terrell Vorton decided it was time to bring his patient out of his medically induced coma.

So he sent Malena out of sickbay so he could slowly reduce his sedation.

“But I could stay and help” she said

“You need to go and eat something, freshen up and change so that when he wakes up he sees you at your best” he said

“You do know that I’m an Obgaron shapeshifter and the freshening up thing doesn’t really work for me” Malena pointed out

“Yes but you can eat and you can change” Terrell said “So go”

She reluctantly agreed and as she left the sickbay she realized just how hungry she was so she headed straight for the mess room and she got there just as Asti was leaving and tantalizing smells escaped through the open door making her mouth water and she hoped Bagg would have something inside to satisfy her appetite and she was not disappointed.

 

“So what’s the passenger’s story?” she asked as she wiped her mouth on her napkin and Bagg filled her in with the little information he had managed to glean from her over scones and coffee.

“So is she running away from her past or running towards her future?” Malena asked

“A little of both I think” Bagg replied enigmatically but the nuance of his reply went unnoticed as Malena’s mind had wandered back to sickbay.

“So todays the day” he said

“What?” she exclaimed

“Isn’t the Doc waking the patient today” he asked

“Yes” she replied suspiciously

“So there will soon come a moment when you will no longer be holding the hand of an unconscious man” he pointed out “and he might well question why the co-pilot of the Tornado is keeping vigil at his bedside and holding his hand”

“I know but…” she began

“It’s obvious to all of us how you feel about him” Bagg said “And you can’t undo that”

“I know that” she said and sighed

“So have you thought of what you will say to him when he wakes?”

“I have thought of little else” she replied “Although at first I didn’t even dare hope he would wake up, and then I have run the scenarios through my head until my ears bleed”

“I know, from what the Captain has said, that he has feelings for you too” Bagg said “if that helps”

“Thanks but I already knew that” she said “it’s not the disposition of his feelings that concerns me, it’s more complicated than that”

“It always is” he said philosophically

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go and hold his hand and watch him wake up” she replied

 

When Malena Endia arrived in sickbay wearing her smartest outfit she found the Healer, Terrell Vorton, at Zerrad’s bedside and he turned to look at her as she entered and smiled

“Perfect timing” he said “He should come round in the next few minutes”

“What will he think?” she asked “When he finds me here”

“He we think he’s in heaven” he replied and she sat in her familiar chair and leant forward and took his hand in hers and stared intensely at his face looking for signs of consciousness.

It was almost ten minutes before his eyes betrayed signs of REM and then the corners of his mouth twitched, but that was all that happened for a full five minutes until the moment his eyes fully opened and they looked straight at her before flicking down to his hand and back to her face and then he smiled and she returned that smile with interest.

While this was going on Terrell tended to him and when he was satisfied all was well he left them alone.

“How long have I been here?” he asked

“Five days” she replied

“And how long have you been here with me?” he asked

“Five days” she replied

“Does that mean what I hope it means?” Zerrad asked hopefully

“It means that I nearly lost you” she responded and they sat in silence while they contemplated the implications of what had been said until he broke the silence.

“You’re lovely”

“You know that this isn’t me” Malena said “this is just the form I took, of a 27 year old human that I met on a remote mining colony when I first entered Legion space, and that was more than 20 years ago, so I don’t look like this, and the person that I touched in order to look like this is twenty years older now and no longer looks like this herself and is probably a grandmother by now”

“You’re still lovely” he repeated

“But you haven’t seen what I really look like” Malena pointed out

“Then show me” he said

“No one has seen me as an Obgaronian for 20 years” she said

“It’s ok, you don’t have to” Zerrad said

“No I want to” she said and got up and walked over to lock the door, then she walked into the adjoining cubicle and undressed.

 

As an Obgaronian shape shifter she could transform at will but she could only shift into a being she had touched.

Only the briefest moment was required and then it was in her memory banks and could be recalled when required.

She could also manipulate that memory and add or subtract from it, for example in her everyday life she chose to take the form of a 27 year old human girl, but she chose to be the human girl and wear clothes on that form, but it wasn’t necessary, she just preferred it that way which was why she needed to undress before she revealed her true self to Zerrad.

And when she had done so she emerged again this time in her natural Mercurial form of liquid silver glass which was very pleasing to the eye.

“This is me” she said and his jaw dropped.

“Wow” was all he could manage to say and then after a minute or so she slipped back into the cubicle and the brunette came out and walked over and unlocked the door.

“So now you know who I really am” she said

“When I said I thought you were lovely, I wasn’t revering to the beautiful brunette outer shell, I meant you’re lovely, inside”

Zerrad said and she returned to her place at his bedside.

“So you’re not put off now you’ve seen what I am?” Malena asked

“Of course not” he said earnestly

“But are you sure about us?” Malena asked

“It’s what I’ve dreamed of” he replied

“But you know we can’t….. couple?” she said

“It’s physically impossible”

“I don’t care about that” Zerrad said

“I can feel you and hold you and that’s all I need”

Malena smiled, then let go of his hand and climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him. 

 

About ten minutes later Terrell returned to the sickbay with Lyris in tow and found the couple asleep, Zerrad had his arm around her and Malena had her head on his chest.

“Well that’s a shocker” Lyris said

The Tornado Sojourns – Chapter 10 – The Passenger

 

Lyris Skeet awoke in the Tornado’s sickbay with a thumping headache and a ravenous hunger to find his brother Zerrad lying sedated in the bed next to him and then he did a double take when he saw the beautiful co-pilot of the freighter, Malena Endia, asleep beside his bed and she was holding his brothers hand.

“Jeez, I must really have hit my head hard”

Malena was a tall slim brunette, with olive skin and hazel eyes, at least that was how she appeared on the outside, but of course in reality, she was an Obgaron shape shifter, so in her natural Mercurial form of liquid silver glass she looked very different, not that he had ever seen her in that form or any other Obgaron for that matter, but he understood that even in their natural state they were very pleasing to the eye, but Lyris was a meat and potatoes kind of guy, unlike his brother Zerrad, who he knew saw her in a very different light.

But what he hadn’t suspected was that she saw him the same way, until that moment.

 

Zerrad had suffered a Pulsar wound to the abdomen and he was alive thanks to the skill of a Sciberran Healer called Terrell Vorton, but there was no sign of him when Lyris woke up as he had gone to pick up his meagre possessions from the Ambassadors Lodge as he was accompanying his patient at least as far as the Tornado’s destination, Delta 500.

By the time he returned to the ship Lyris had made his way from the sickbay to the mess room where Bagg was feeding him eggs and bacon and copious quantities of coffee.    

“I wouldn’t have been so disdainful of your religion if I’d known the food would be so good” he was saying

“Well the way you clear your plate I would suggest that you favour quantity over quality anyway” Bagg retorted with a wry smile

Just then the two engineers walked in, Pulsat was Prinsloovian, a heavy set and had a rough bony skull which raised up like a crown which receded to give way to a Mahogany scaled brow, cheekbones and jawline which framed an ivory coloured face, and he had yellow eyes and his entire countenance betrayed his reptilian ancestry.

His companion Vanzyl was a tall slender Kesslerian who also owed his origins to reptilian DNA, but his scaly countenance was more akin to a fish than a lizard, and he had silver scaled skin, a sleek form, large opaque eyes, pursed lips, and when Lyris looked at him he could see the gills.

“Good morning” Pulsat Rad said and Vanzyl added his own greeting in whistles clicks and whirls.

“Can anyone translate what fish lips is saying?” Lyris asked

“His name Vanzyl” Pulsat said angrily and Vanzyl uttered a series of whistles

“Yes, hit on head” Pulsat said which prompted Vanzyl to make a long whistling noise followed by a succession of clicks and Pulsat snorted, which clearly denoted laughter in the former and contempt in the latter.  

“Sadly Vanzyl he was that way before the head wound” Merri said and he became very animated and exuded an array of audible notes.

“I tell, I tell” Pulsat retorted and to Merri he explained

“Vanzyl say he very much like Captain humour”

“Well I’m glad it amused you Mr Vanzyl, come and sit down” Lyris said and Vanzyl uttered a soft whistle like a plaintive flute.

 

Ten minutes later Merri said

“Right Lyris I think you’ve eaten enough for one sitting, come with me”

“No problem” he agreed “What do you need?”

“While Malena is indisposed you can earn your keep in the co-pilot seat” she replied “We have cargo to pick up”

 

An hour later the Tornado had picked up three cargo pods and Merri and Lyris were on the landing pad waiting for the manifest.

“So how long has Malena carried a torch for Zer?”

“From the first moment she saw him” she replied “But it took almost losing him to admit it to herself”

 

A small hooded figure approached them stealthily, and when Merri turned she was looking at a young woman, of slight figure, only five foot tall, with short platinum hair, ivory skin and silver eyes, who looked about her furtively.

“Are you the Captain?” she asked Lyris

“No I am” Merri corrected her

“You’re Gouveian aren’t you?”

“I am” she replied “My name is Asti”

“You’re a long way from home” Merri said

“Not as far as I’d like to be” she retorted

“I hear you’re leaving for Delta 500”

“We are” she said as she was handed the documentation for their load

“I would like to take passage with you” Asti stated 

“We don’t carry passengers, we carry cargo” Merri pointed out and turned towards to ship

“I have money” Asti said and Merri hesitated because having been laid up for repairs for three months they weren’t really in a position to turn down a paying passenger.

“Ok get your gear” she said

“I just have the one bag” Asti retorted

“Alright get aboard” Merri said and the three of them went up the ramp together.

“Ok Lyris get the door up, while I show our guest around” Merri said “Wheels up in ten minutes”   

 

Merionwen gave Asti the two penny tour and showed her to one of the two remaining quarters and five minutes later the Tornado was airborne and heading towards Delta 500.

Asti’s quarters on board the Tornado were not quite what she was used to but she was relieved to have a berth that would take her another week farther away from Gouveia so that was fine by her.

Asti Alegionaris was twenty three years old and was born and raised on Gouveia in the Dania system.

Although she had platinum hair, ivory skin and silver eyes the Gouveian’s were very closely related to humans, which was why she was hoping to get to one of the human colonies where she could settle.

She spent much of her time in her quarters, which she didn’t mind because she liked her own company, and liked to be alone with her thoughts, and during the journey she only really engaged with a couple of her fellow travellers, one of them being Bagg and that was because he was a Visitor and she was a fervent believer plus he made the most mouth-watering scones.   

And it was on one occasion when she was sat enjoying one his latest batch that he asked

“So what awaits you on Delta 500?”

“Another transport” she replied but Bagg could get no more information out of her than that, so he did the talking instead and  along with his excellent baking he also imparted some words of wisdom which he hoped would take hold in her fertile mind.

Even if it didn’t it was ok because he was a patient man and although she thought she was going to get off at their destination he had a feeling that she wouldn’t.

 

On her way back to her quarters she met the other member of the crew that she would come to regularly interact with, the tall muscular figure of Lyris Skeet.

He was coming the other way and it was the first time they had met since she approached them on the landing ground at the mine.

“Hey Princess” he said cheerfully

“What!” she exclaimed “Why would you call me that?”

“It’s alright, no offense intended are you enjoying the trip?”

“Oh, eh, yes thank you” she replied and continued on her way and he watched her all the way.

“Very cute” he thought “Very cute indeed”

He also thought she was very classy and if he was not mistaken, she was highborn, and he was more than a little intrigued as to why she was travelling on a humble freighter. 

Her manicured hands, her clothes and her jewellery all pointed to her coming from a very affluent life, a life in which she would have been used to much grander accommodation’s.   

 

When Asti had returned to her quarters she closed the door and sighed.

“That was close” she thought, did he know her secret? Had he guessed or was he just being nice.

He seemed nice, and he looked gorgeous, in fact she thought he was very handsome but she could not allow herself to be distracted by a bit of eye candy, even if he was nice.

So she decided to try to avoid him for the rest of the trip.