"The Life for Me – Chapter 11"
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Setting: STAR OF DESTINY, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32031.0200
With their cargo loaded and secured, the flight plan entered into the computer and the crew as ready as they could to face whatever hell the Nylaan merchant had planned for them, Jack had been left with a single task.
"Shi," the Terran adventurer began, sounding actually excited as he looked over his instruments to confirm one last time that everything had been as it should for the STAR OF DESTINY. "Contact the ZOLA docking Master and clear us for departure. Horur, as soon as the clearance is given, retract the moorings and set us free of this station. As soon as we are once again free to move about as we wish, Maze will take us in to our first check point which we will find in orbit of NYLA IV."
"Still believe we are going to come out of this with our skins intact?" The Mari warrior questioned the Terran, evidently still not having joined in his overly optimistic view of their situation.
"Our skins will be fine," Jack dismissed without concern. "Not only that but our pockets will be filled with credits, maybe even gold-pressed latinum if we play our cards right," the adventurer added, beaming a smile to the others as if this had already been a done deal.
"Maybe you should come up with another expression," the imposing Mokra suggested. "Every time you end up playing any sort of card game, it has never ended well for you, and usually those that accompany you as well. In fact, I do recall a few times when you barely managed to get out of the establishment in one piece with an entire mob at your back."
"This is the STAR OF DESTINY," Shi said interrupting the conversation between Jack and Horur. "We are requesting departure clearance," the green-skinned Orion woman continued having received an audio signal confirming that the channel to the station's docking Master had been established.
=/\= STAR OF DESTINY, you are confirmed at docking port 9. Provide your departure clearance code to be released from the station and permitted beyond our security parameter. =/\=
"This is where we find out if Ja'Dur can actually be trusted," the Mokra giant said while sitting in front of the flight deck's engineering display, not entirely certain that their little adventure would not come to a fiery end before it had actually begun.
"Ja'Dur is a ruthless and devious business man," Mazikeen pointed out from the flight control station. "As long as we have his cargo on board, he will be our best friend and will do everything he can to make sure nothing happens to his precious crates. I am far more concerned about what will happen after we have unloaded the cargo. Those shinny boxes are our only guarantee that he will stay on our side. Once they are out of our reach, we will be on our own."
=/\= Your departure clearance has been confirmed, =/\= the docking Master announced after a short pause during which he had verified the first of several codes provided by the Nylaan merchant. =/\= Safe journey. ZOLA Station out. =/\=
The sound of several large magnetic metal clamps releasing the ship echoed throughout the metal frame of the STAR OF DESTINY. To an inexperienced ear, it might have sounded as if something had broken or come loose from the outer hull, but to the Terran adventurer it had been the sweet sound of freedom, a sound that he had heard countless times before and would likely never tire of hearing again.
"Horur?" Jack playfully asked, wanting to make sure that everything on the engineering side had been verified.
"Propulsion, navigation and tactical systems are fully operational. Gravitational plating in the cargo hold is working at full power. The force field keeping the cargo in place is operating as over its design limit as I can make it. After all the trouble we went through to get those crates on board, I think it wise to make sure they don't go sliding through the cargo hold," the Mokra reported, a hint on uncertainty about what they were about to do still in his voice.
"I can imagine that Ja'Dur would not be overly pleased to see a single dent in one of his precious crates," Maze added after having confirmed that the ship had been responding as it should following its release from the orbital station.
"I am not even sure that those crates could be damaged by any conventional means," Shi challenged. "The internal sensors in the cargo hold show the outer layer of those crates to be made of some sort of exotic regenerative alloy that vibrates at the atomic level. Not only is it impervious to all known methods of scanning, but I am pretty certain that it would be able to reflect any force or energy that came in contact with it on a scale that I could not even begin to imagine."
"More so reason to be exceptionally careful with them," Horur stated.
"You mean a reason for us to be careful while those things are on board," Mazikeen quickly corrected. "Ja'Dur went to great lengths to make sure that whatever is in those 150 crates remains safe, secure and most important secret. I am much more concerned about what might happen to us if someone else decides to come in wanting whatever is in those crates. I doubt that they will be asking us politely when they show up."
"The trip to the Nylaan Imperial Palace is not going to take that long," Jack countered with. "I would be surprised if we actually encountered a handful of ships along the way there," the Terran stated as the ship turned to face the planet on which their destination had been located.
"Well, you better start being surprised," Maze stated with a sigh. As much as she had expected there to be some sort of opposition to their journey to the planet's surface, the Mari warrior had not expected it to happen so quickly, or with such intensity. "Sensors are picking up seven Hirogen fighters as well as a hunter heavy cruiser heading our way, and they are coming in fast. They have already locked weapons on us and will be in weapons range in less than a minute."
"It's all part of the planetary blockage currently in effect," the Terran casually announced. "There is nothing to be worried about. As soon as we give them the clearance code allowing us access to the planet's atmosphere, we will be allowed to go on our way without any problems."
"That, or they are going to blow us right out of the sky," Horur said having compared the strength of the Hirogen weapons currently on the seven rapidly approaching fighters against the defensive capabilities of the STAR OF DESTINY. As great as this ship was, it would not be a match for those fighters, especially in a lasting firefight. When taking into account the added firepower of the heavy cruiser accompanying them, it was a foregone conclusion that any confrontation would not end well for them.
=/\= You are to turn away from the planet or be destroyed, =/\= a distinctly Hirogen voice ordered over a newly opened communication channel. The hunter's voice was laced with an audible lust for blood, as if he was daring the cargo ship and its foolish crew to continue on their current course, challenging the fighters by doing so.
"Shi, if you would be so kind," Jack said sounding overly certain of himself, instructing the Orion woman that it had been time to transmit the second clearance code provided to them by Ja'Dur.
"This is the STAR OF DESTINY," the green-skinned woman stated on the channel that had been opened by the hunters. "We have all the necessary clearances which are being transmitted to you now," she added doing her best to hide her nervousness from her words. As much as she trusted and believed in Jack, she also knew from the stories she had heard as a waitress on MARKALA PRIME that any threats uttered by the Hirogens could not be taken lightly.
An awkward silence spread through the flight deck as a reply was anxiously awaited from the Hirogen fighters which had not reduced speed of changed course in the slightest.
"If they don't open fire in the next few seconds, they will instead ram us," Mazikeen reported with obvious concerns. "We need to change course, NOW."
"NO!" Jack quickly objected. "We have the clearance codes we need. If we change course, they will see it as a show that something is wrong, and nothing is wrong here. We are just a cargo ship on a simple delivery to the Imperial palace."
"Of course. Nothing wrong with that at all," Mazikeen repeated in a clearly sarcastic manner. "An alien freighter carrying a mystery cargo to the Imperial palace of NYLA IV. Absolutely nothing strange or suspicious about that. Why did you think Ja'Dur needed a ship that was not his own to make this delivery? Because he did not want to risk ending up the way we are about to."
"Here they come," Shi announced as the indicators on the small sensor displayed showed the seven rapidly moving dots become one with the indicator meant to identify the STAR OF DESTINY.
Hands clasped tightly around whatever had been available as the four members of the crew waited to see if they had survived the encounter. When no impact or explosion was heard or felt, eyes slowly reopened as the death grips were released.
"They just flew right by us," the Mari warrior said in shocked surprise. "At less than 100 meters I might add."
"Of course they did," Jack confidently confirmed. "As I said, we have the clearance codes. They just wanted to see if we would chicken out which would have given them the reason they needed to open fire and destroy us."
"Jack," the Mokra giant joined in with, "you got lucky, *again*. You had no way of knowing that this is what would happen."
"My dear Horur, as a former member of the Church of the Ancient Ones, you of all people should know the power of faith," the Terran laughed, not showing the slightest concern as to what might have happened.
"You actually believe in the Ancient Ones?" Shi inquired in shock, certain that the time spent as an initiate by the Terran had only been meant to allow him to hide from those searching for him at the time.
"I don't believe in any of that mystical delusional mumbo-jumbo," Jack clarified. "What I do believe in is my own resolve and ability to shape my own destiny."
=/\= You are clear to enter the planet's atmosphere, =/\= the Hirogen confirmed, sounding rather disappointed in that the clearance codes had actually been good, denying them of the prize and trophies they had been so anxious to claim.
"And there you have it folks," the Terran announced, sounding even more arrogant than he usually did. "Now, Maze if you would be so kind. Set a course for the Imperial palace."
After a long and loud sigh, the Mari warrior complied, accepting that she would have to wait to another time to have the satisfaction of seeing the broken body of Jack Houston at her feet and the STAR OF DESTINY become hers. That said, she did have to admit that he had been right about the way to deal with the Hirogens, something that she would never say out loud or even hint to having thought.
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Setting: STAR OF DESTINY, Flight Deck
Stardate: 32031.0630
It had taken nearly four hours for the freighter to reach the surface and make its way to the Imperial palace, encountering various check-points along the way, each one requiring its own clearance code. So far though, everything that Ja'Dur had provided them with had been accurate, allowing them to proceed without incident.
"Welcome to the Nylaan Imperial Palace," Jack announced as the imposing regal structure came into view. The building oddly resembled a castle from EARTH's own past, although the outer wall of the structure had been covered in some sort of shinny white metallic substance making the palace appear even more impressive.
"We have half a dozen defence batteries targeting us with high energy weapons," Mazikeen reported.
"Just follow the flight plan as it was given to us," the Terran said, still not concerned about things taking a turn for the worse. As far as he had been concerned, they were now closer than ever before to the riches he knew waited for them in this particular place.
=/\= This is the Imperial Palace, =/\= the voice of some official said. =/\= You are to land and power down all of your primary systems. Do not attempt to exit your ship until you are instructed to do so. =/\=
"Charming people," Horur sarcastically said, shaking his head. Just once he wished that he would be able to land somewhere and be greeted with open arms instead of being treated like some sort of nuisance or worse, a pest to be disposed of at the earliest possible opportunity.
"Alright, we have landed," Jack announced. "Horur, take propulsion and auxiliary systems off line. Maze, let's not take any chances and power down the flight as well as tactical systems. We are the guests of the this world's King, let us play nice."
"High Sovereign," Shi corrected. "The ruler of NYLA IV is referred to as the High Sovereign, amongst other things that I should not repeat at this time."
One by one the systems of the STAR OF DESTINY were turned off, leaving the ship to sound and feel like an empty shell, a sensation that Jack had not liked in the least but one that they had little choice in the matter. After several minutes of waiting, the silence that had filled the flight deck was interrupted by the voice of the same Imperial official.
=/\= You are to open the cargo bay door and slowly make your way out, one at a time, without any weapons or anything that could be seen as such, =/\= the man clearly stated to make sure that no misunderstanding could be claimed. =/\= Once you have disembarked, you will be escorted to the palace where you will be officially met. Be aware that you will be under armed watched the entire time and any threatening move on your part will be consider as an act of aggression against the High Sovereign of NYLA IV. =/\=
"Guess we should not be expecting a red carpet," Jack jockingly said as he and the others stood from their respective seats to make their way to the cargo bay to disembark as they had been instructed.
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Landing Platform
Stardate: 32031.0700
Once the imposing door of the cargo bay had been lowered, the crew slowly and carefully stepped out one by one, making sure to display their empty opened hands as a show of non-aggression and compliance to the instructions they had been given. As the Captain of the STAR OF DESTINY, jack believed that it had been his responsibility to take the lead, not because he wanted to face the risks first, but rather because he wanted to make sure those in charge knew that he had been the one who needed to be spoken to in regards to their reward.
At first, the adventurers believed that the two dozen or so heavily armed guards who had greeted them had been a little of an overkill, but when they noticed the other 50 or so soldiers aiming their riffles at them from the surrounding walls and towers, the crew understood that no one had been in any sort of mood to take any chances.
Once the four members of the crew had been patted down to confirm that they had not been carrying any concealed weapons, a signal was given which prompted a door to be unlocked and opened. Uncertain as to what to do next, given that no one had said anything to them, jack and the others waited to see what would happen next. From the newly opened door, a clearly important robed man came out and made his way to the first person who had stepped out from the vessel.
"Captain Jack Houston?" The man inquired, glancing a less than appreciative look at the Orion and Mari warrior as if finding their presence offensive in some way.
"That is me," Jack answered. "The one, the only Jack Houston in the flesh at your service youy High Sovereign."
The man audibly sighed is saddened disbelief. "I am not the High Sovereign," he pointed out. "You four are to follow me," he added as he turned around and made his way back to the door from which he had come came from.
Just as Jack had been ready to follow, he felt a powerful blow land against the back of his shoulder. Quickly turning to see who had hit him, he saw Maze looking back at him with an expression of complete disgust. "Your High Sovereign?" She repeated, appearing completely appalled by the man's complete lack of knowledge, understanding and simply know-how.
Given the reaction of the armed guards to the hit he had just received, the Terran thought it best to not escalate the incident any further for fear that someone with a twitchy trigger finger would misunderstand what had just happened.
Under the watchful eyes of the guards as well as their pointed weapons, the adventurers followed the robed man in complete silence, not wanting to risk saying or doing something that might lead to any sort of trouble.
As soon as they crossed the threshold and stepped inside the palace, Jack and the others found themselves slightly underwhelmed by the lack of lustre on the walls. After all this was the Imperial Palace, residence of the High Sovereign, so why had it appeared so *cheap*?
Noticing the quizzical expression on the Terran's face, and figuring that he had no idea about life in a place such as this, Mazikeen decided to educate the Jack in the inner workings of the higher class. "These are the servants' corridors. They are used by the staff of the Palace to insure that they are not seen by visiting dignitaries as they go about their business. Like it or not, we are not the High Sovereign's guests here, we are nothing but the hired hands."
"Well," Jack voiced finding this highly inconvenient. "We'll just have to find a way to see the High Sovereign another way. Our fortune depends on getting to talk to him, or at least someone high enough on his staff."
"You are to wait here until someone comes for you," the robed man who had not bothered to give his name said, pointing to a set of chairs resting by the wall.
"How long are we expected to stay here?" Jack asked, but the robed man ignored the query and simply walked away.
"My guess is that we are going to be here for as long as it takes," Mazikeen offered, looking around the plain and uninteresting room. "Which could be some time if they are unloading the crates. Ja'Dur did mention that someone else would be unloading the cargo."
"So what do we do in the meantime?" The Terran asked, obviously not liking the idea of being stuck in this room while they waited.
"Jack," the green-skinned Orion smiled. "It could be worst. Given all of the places we could have ended up, I think this is rather nice and cozy. So what if we have to wait, we are all here together, isn't that more important?"
"I would rather be stuck in a room filled with month-old, half-eaten Ferengi tube grubs than be stuck here with him," the Mari warrior shot, glancing at the irate Terran.
"Maze," Shi pleaded. "Don't be like that. So far this delivery is going much better than even you thought it would.
"We are stuck in a room, inside the Nylaan Imperial Palace where there are likely hundreds if not thousands of guards at every corner," Mazikeen pointed out. "So forgive me if i don't share in the 'nice and cozy' feeling you are experiencing.
"Alright ladies," Horur jumped in with. "We have no idea how long we are here for, so let's make the best of it and relax. How knows, we might be here for only a few minutes.
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Waiting Room
Stardate: 32031.1200
It had almost been five hours since they had been brought to this room, and still no one had come to speak to them or even inform them as to the progress of the cargo's unloading. As much as they had done their best to keep themselves busy, the four adventurers had to admit that their patience had started to wear thin.
"I am sure that they have forgotten about us," Jack exclaimed, trying once again to open the door that had been locked behind the robed man who had brought them here.
"Don't start screaming again," the Mokra giant pleaded. "The room is just too small and the echo really hurts my ears."
"Let him scream," Maze countered. "At least that will give me a valid reason to rip his throat out and silence him once and for all."
Well at least they could have given us something to drink while we wait," Jack argued. Giving us chairs to sit on was all nice and dandy, but they could have spared a pitcher of water, or maybe something with a little more punch to make the time pass by a little quicker."
"If you want to be passed out on the floor, I would be happy to make it happen," Maze offered as she cracked her knuckles, appearing more than ready to punch Jack into the next century.
Horur had just about been ready to step in between the two when the door opened causing everyone to quickly return to a less confrontational posture.
"My apologies for the delay," the Nylaan merchant who had been the reason for all this said as he walked into the room where Jack and the others had been locked in. "There were some details of the delivery of the cargo that needed to be addressed. You will be happy to hear that all of the crates have been removed from your ship and that not a single scratch has been added to your vessel, not that I believe you would have been able to notice given the state of the craft."
"Don't you insult my ship," Jack snapped, the long hours of confinement having reduced the man's patience which, by many account had not been stellar to start with in similar situations.
Maze and Horur had been ready to inquire as to the reason for the merchant's presence here, given that if he was coming here he could have done so with the crates instead of forcing them to bring them here for him.
"Again, please accept my apologies," Ja'Dur offered before any questions could be asked, sounding oddly sincere in his apology and defensively more friendly then ever before. Given the way that the merchant had been smiling, it appeared that the trade had been successful, at least as far as he had been concerned. "I would like to make it up to you," he added. "If you will follow me, I have arrange for a little surprise for you four."
"A firing squad?" Maze snarled.
"Nothing so drastic," Ja'Dur replied, inviting the group to follow him.
Jack quickly complied, happy to get out of the room, followed by Shi and Horur leaving Maze to bring up the rear, the Mari warrior continuously looking back over her shoulder as if expecting something to come rushing at them. As they made their way through the corridors and up several stairways, Mazikeen began to relax her stance believing that if something was to happen it would have already done so.
"Where are you taking us?" Jack demanded, the trek to their destination having been a much longer one that any of them would have expected.
"It will be well worth your time," Ja'Dur explained. "Trust me."
Even Jack had been ready to comment, but thinking back on all of the clearance codes the merchant had provided them with allowing them to make it here, it had proven to not be as difficult as before to trust the man.
"Here we are," Ja'Dur stated as he opened a door and invited the group to step in.
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Dinning Room
Stardate: 32031.1300
From the plain and simple corridors they had been travelling through, the four adventurers walked into a large ornate dinning room, filled with larger than life paintings, sculptures and art that would have made any museum curator jealous. In the middle of the immense room was an equally large table, easily capable of sitting several dozen individuals, filled from end-to-end with food, enough to feed an entire army.
"Have a seat and enjoy," the merchant offered. "This is for you as a thank you for your help and patience."
"This better not be the *only* reward we are getting for our trouble," Jack said, not even waiting to be sitting before grabbing something that appeared to be a turkey leg and taking a sizable bite out of it.
"Rest assured my friends that this is not your payment for your troubles," Ja'Dur reassured. "This is only my way to thank you for your patience. Once you have eaten your fill, we can discuss your payment and another job, if your are interested of course."
As curious as they all were, the journey to the Imperial Palace from the orbiting station ZOLA and the following five hours spent in the waiting room without food or water had taken their toll on them, so the group had opted to eat and drink their fill first before listening to whatever proposition the Nylaan merchant had for them.
By the looks of things, Ja'Dur seemed more than willing to wait, certain that his proposition would be one that the adventurers would not be able to refuse.
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Setting: NYLA IV, Imperial Palace, Underground storage
Stardate: 32032.2300
In a dark room located far beneath the lowest floor of the Imperial basement, the old-style torches on the walls cast their flickering light onto the numerous items that occupied an area that had been vacant for as long as most could remember. In fact the existence of this particular room had been forgotten by most, and amongst those who did remember, only a select few could actually reach it.
"Here you are," the grinning merchant politely stated, showing all of the respect and reverence that the man by his side commanded by his posture and position in the Nylaan Hierarchy. "Here they are, just as I promised."
Placed with the greatest of care, the 150 crates stood on end, in perfect rows, 15 wide and 10 deep, as if the were the pillars of some great and ancient temple, the roof of which had been somehow lost or forgotten. Every crate appeared just like the others except for the one that had been specifically placed in the middle of the front row, its unique markings indicating that it held a special significance over the other 149.
"I will admit that I am impressed," the high ranking political figure admitted as he studied the markings on the central crate. "I am curious as to how you managed to accomplish this without those who oppose me getting in your way, but to be honest I am far more interested in their content to see if they are all that you have claimed them to be."
"With these under your command, none will dare to oppose you," the merchant said with great confidence. "Friends and foes alike will never again dare to plot against you, the content of these crates will insure this for as long as you sit on the throne of NYLA IV."
"I am putting a great deal of faith in your words *Lord* Ju'Dar," the man with the cloak displaying the Imperial colours said, using the title that had been promised as part of the payment for the job that appeared to have been done according to their agreement. "Can the crew of the transport ship be trusted to keep this a secret?"
"There is nothing to fear from them your Imperial Highness," the merchant reassured. "Their task was to bring the crates to the surface using their own ship while mine diverted the attention of for adversaries. Beyond that, they knew nothing, including the content of these crates. I can assure you that they are no threat to you or your continued rule, but rest assured that I have taken extra precautions to insure their lasting silence."
"Good," the man said sounding pleased. "There are far too many loose threads surrounding me, and I would like to see them reduce in number, not increase through the incompetence of others."
"Your Imperial Highness, I guarantee with my own life that the crew of the cargo ship that brought these here will not be of any trouble. Not to you or anyone else," Ja'Dur stated, against sounding exceptionally certain about his claim. "Now, would you like to see them?"
"Yes," the Imperial ruler quickly and very enthusiastically replied, allowing with a motion of his head the merchant to open the one marked crate. With a touch of his hand, the container seemed to recognize the man in some way and unlocked. The Imperial figure quickly removed the hood over his head to reveal the aged features belonging to the one and only ruler of NYLA IV, the High Sovereign himself. A devious, almost evil smile appeared on the ruler's face as he witnessed the imposing size and stature of the mechanical item contained therein. "Will they obey me?"
"You and only you, your Imperial Highness," the merchant specified. "They all have been reprogrammed to protect you from any and all danger, but above all else they are yours to command as you wish, acting only as you instruct them to."
The High Sovereign scrutinized the imposing metal man, more than happy to see that they were even more impressive than he had been made to believe them to be. Feeling his chest swell with pride and anticipation, the ruler of NYLA IV took a step back before addressing the mechanical beast that stood before him.
"How do I instruct them?"
"They have already been programmed to recognize your voice," Ja'Dur explained. "You and only you can give them orders, and they will only acknowledge your voice. Their programming also prevents them from harming you, just in case something or someone did manage to force you to give an order to them that would place your own life at risk."
"I am most pleased by your work Lord Ja'Dur," the High Sovereign said. "I am sorry that I do not have a daughter to give you as reward for your loyal service. You have proven yourself to be more than many whom I had trusted for so very long."
"Serving you is thanks enough, your Imperial Highness," the merchant stated. The fact that he had received quite a lot of credits along with an Imperial title did help to solidify his loyalty though.
"Are you ready to do as I command?" The High Sovereign asked.
A single red light came to life in the middle of the narrow line that appeared to act as the mechanical warrior's eyes, then after a few seconds, the light began to move, heading to the right before moving to the left and then back to the right as if the humanoid looking construct had been scanning the area and people standing in front of it. Once it had gathered enough information and confirmed the identity of the man standing before it, a simple three-word reply was given to indicate that it had indeed been ready to receive instructions.
"By your command," the robot stated sending a chill down both men's spine, the cold and soulless voice which could have only originated from the artificial species capable of making those words sound as threatening as they did.
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Scott Moll
Writing the adventures of
aka Jonathan Harris
aka Jason House
aka Jake Hall
aka Jaren Hamlet
as well as a few others
Traveller, trader and merchant extraordinaire,
Man of intrigue and mystery,
Pilot of the STAR OF DESTINY,
and let's not forget overall nice guy.