Chapter 64
Homecoming
“Well where is it?” Zayer asked. She had flown her ship and crew into an asteroid field. Torbarr was about to show
Zayer and the rest just how he had been sneaking in and out of Feloid space for years.
He stood behind her smiling. The asteroids floating all around them had her spooked. One bump and they’d all be dead. Torbarr looked at the small device in his hand as it bleeped and clicked until it started buzzing.
“That’s it dead ahead.” Torbarr said pointing at an asteroid slowly spinning in place. He pressed a button on the device and the asteroid fired several small retro rockets hidden in the many crater’s pock marking its surface. The asteroid stopped spinning and turned the larger end towards Zayer’s ship.
“Now what?” Zayer asked.
Torbarr pressed another button that caused the rear of the asteroid to open like a door.
“Fly your ship inside and shut the main engines down. There is a tractor beam that I can lock onto one of the freighters that travel past this asteroid field. The ships that fly by here are usually headed towards the Feloid border. Once we catch a freighter we just tag along with it until we match their speed and the correct trajectory. After a while we’ll release the tractor beam and simply float across the border looking like one of the thousands of stray asteroids that cross harmlessly across the border every day.” He said smiling.
Sy’ah stood up and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. “You’re still full of surprises Torbarr. How did you think up this little trick?”
“It was easy, like everything else I have I stole the idea. There was an infamous smuggler that was friends with my father. He showed my father and me this little trick of his when I was just a youngling. Years later after the death of my father I offered to buy the asteroid off of him but he declined selling it to me. He said I had no honor.” Torbarr replied.
“So how did you wind up owning it?” Jen Jaya asked.
“He was my fathers friend, not mine.” He replied with an evil grin.
Bronski sat up quickly drawing his knife and lunging at the figure in the darkened room. His thrust was blocked just before it hit its target. The figure flipped backwards across the room and crouched in the corner.
“You still have some speed left in you don’t you old man?” the intruder said.
Bronski immediately recognized the voice it was Remha. “What the fuck are you doing? I could have killed you you stupid bitch.” Bronski said angrily as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.
Remha stood up in the darkened corner. “You’re fast but not that fast Buck.” Bronski saw through the darkness she was naked.
“If you’re looking for your jammies I’m pretty damned sure they ain’t in here.” He said gruffly.
Even in the dim light of the room he could see she was magnificent. Her body was tall and lean, which only accented her full breasts. Her purple hair gave off a radiance that highlighted her face. She slowly raised her hands to show she was unarmed and gracefully crossed the room to the end of his bed.
“You know I think what you did for Tarin down there on the planet was really wonderful. I’ve never had a man that would do that for me.” She said as she leaned forward putting her hands on either side of his feet.
“Don’t you mean “You never had a man do that for you?” he asked correcting her.
“Nope. I said “I’ve never had a man that would do that for me.” I think you would if you had a reason to. I’d like to give you a reason right now unless you’re to busy writing in your diary about Princess Tarin.” Remha moved her hands up the bed and straddled Bronski’s legs resting on her knees.
“You know how I feel about Tarin Remha.” Buck said trying to protest against the vision that was now splayed over him.
“I know you’ll never be this close to her with the way you feel. We all know it’s a dead end so why fight it. You can even call me Tarin if it makes you happy. I don’t mind.” Remha leaned over Bronski on all fours. Her body lightly touching his bare scared chest. Her lips were just inches from his face. Buck could feel her warm breath as she rocked back and forth.
He grabbed her head and kissed her hard on the lips. She moaned loudly as he took her and flipped her onto her back and pressed the button to lock the door.
Matt and Pep had received and emergency call to come to the base hospital. On the way they met up with Hudd and Timtam. They hopped on a munitions hauler as it crossed the hangar bay to make better time. Once in front of the hospital door they were shocked to see Stella Star being escorted away by four of Ragg’s men.
“What’s going on?” Matt asked Ragg as he came out behind the guards.
“Mykala is gone. We found that woman standing in her room when the med droid came in to check on Mykala. The alarm went off in Mykala’s room. It indicated she had died early this morning but instead of finding Mykala in the bed it was empty and that woman was standing next to it.” Ragg said.
“What do you mean gone?” Hudd asked.
“Disappeared, vanished. She can’t be found so far and that woman refuses to talk.” Ragg said.
“That woman is Stella Star. She’s supposed to be dead. If you want to hold her for questioning you’d better get a lot more men on her.” Matt said.
Suddenly Pep grabbed Matt’s arm tightly. “Haven! Mykala is with Haven!” she said happily nearly yelling. Pep let go of Matt’s arm and took off running back across the hangar floor and towards the guest quarters where Haven lived.
Haven hadn’t been able to sleep at all since she saw Mykala in the hospital. She had been reading a book trying to take her mind off of Mykala when she saw a bright flash of light come from her bedroom. She was scared at first thinking something had burst into flames in her room. She stood frozen for a minute waiting to see if the room erupted in flames. After a few seconds more she mustered the courage to look inside her room. She was startled and yet somehow she knew what had just happened. Haven ran to the body lying in the bed and fell to her knees and embraced her. It was Mykala; she had died and was transported to the safest place in the Galaxy, into Haven’s arms. Haven was the last of Mykala’s family and would always be loyal to her. It wasn’t Tahl Jae Roe’s home that was the safe place it was Haven.
Mykala suddenly took a deep breath and sat up. Her eyes opened and she looked around the room wildly for Stella.
“Where is she? Where’s Stella?” she asked Haven frantically.
“What do you mean? Haven asked.
“She killed me! She came into my room and killed me!” Mykala said. She was so agitated she didn’t even realize her body was completely healed. Haven was sitting kneeling on the floor covering her mouth crying.
“You’re healed, Mykala you’re healed.” Haven yelled.
Mykala looked down in disbelief and rubbed and smacked her legs. She lifted her shirt and felt for the wound in her lower back, it was gone.
“How did I get here?” Mykala asked suddenly.
Haven looked at Mykala and smiled wiping the tears from her eyes.
“It’s you. You’re my safe place Haven.” Mykala said surprised.
Haven shook her head yes.
Pep burst into the room and embraced Mykala followed by Matt, Timtam, and Hudd. They all had thought that the prophecy was about Mykala fighting Lyda Starkiller. They all sensed that this was just the beginning of a new series of hardships for Mykala but no one wanted to think about it right now they were just happy she was alive.
Ragg came in the room and was amazed to see Mykala alive and well again. He wasn’t with the group during the fight with Lyda Starkiller but he had been told about Mykala and the prophecy. Ragg didn’t actually believe everything about it and had assumed some of it was exaggerated or distorted but now he was seeing it happen right in front of him.
“I never really believed it before now.” He said stunned.
“Where’s Stella?” Mykala asked.
“My men took her into the holding area for questioning.” Ragg said. He noticed they were all looking past him at the doorway he had just come through. Ragg turned to look and there standing behind him was Stella Star.
“Your men are unharmed. I sent them back to their posts and told them to forget what happened.” Stella said as she walked into the room as if nothing incredible had just happened. And in the eyes of a Jedi none of this was.
“I’ve figured out your weakness Novuh. You’ve been showing it to me since the day we first met and I’ve only just figured it out.” Adda said.
“What the Hell are you doing in my room Jedi?” Novuh asked taking a threatening step closer to Adda. She had gotten used to beating Adda in fight training at least once a day.
“You have no mercy. That’s your weakness.” Adda said as she picked up a small knick knack that Novuh had sitting on a small table next to chair she was in.
“Put that down before I bounce you off the walls.” Novuh was standing right in front of Adda. Adda carefully set the tiny piece down and smiled. Suddenly Adda made a quick pushing gesture with both hands that sent Novuh flying across her room and smash into a glass cabinet full of her belongings. Before Novuh could get to her feet Adda flung her across the room again crashing her into her entertainment center.
“You have no mercy Novuh so as your opponent I have to draw the conclusion that you won’t stop your assaults against me until I’m dead or give into your cruelty and submit to your every whim.” Adda said as she stood in the middle of the room.
“Well I’ve had enough of your bullying.” Adda flung Novuh back across the room. Novuh hit the wall and fell to the floor. She lay there for a moment and then began to laugh.
“You’re wrong Adda. I beat you because you’re weak. We don’t need weaklings on this crew. Weaklings will get us all killed. We deal in terror. If our victims don’t fear us they won’t do what we want. If any of them get away with something that means we have to do it all over again. You need to get angry. You need to be angry at everything and everyone. You need to learn to hate something so I gave you that. Now you can feel that power by hating me.” Novuh said as she got to her feet.
“Look at me. On my planet they fear my kind. They’re superstitious animals. I was born different. My body regenerates anytime I get sick or injured. I’ll probably live for five hundred years or more but they said I was the spawn of something evil. They were jealous because I never seemed to age. They took me and tried to burn off my limbs with a special acid that halted the regeneration process. They held me down and burned my legs off. Then they burned my arm off. I screamed and begged for mercy. They just laughed and poured the acid on my face. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was just young and pretty.
Well they fixed me up real good. They turned me into a monster. When they finally let me go they told me they left my other arm so when I crawled around the village I would have something to beg with.
I lived like that for two years. My wounds had healed but nothing grew back wherever the acid burned me. I couldn’t die. If I froze in the winter I would just thaw out and keep on living. They taunted me and kicked me without mercy.
One day a wealthy merchant had me taken to his home and put me in a cage. I was kept as a kind of pet to entertain his friends. Eventually I was sold to a doctor. He wanted someone to try out his new cybernetic limbs he had developed. He was good to me and helped me. He fixed my arm and legs with his cybernetic binding process. He even gave me this wonderful cybernetic eye. The process causes the cybernetic limbs and eyepieces to bond with my natural body at a sub-atomic level making the new limbs act just like my own. I was his masterpiece. All I had to do in return is satisfy his needs. I was his beautiful doll.” Novuh said brushing herself off.
“After a while I began to remember my home and what they did to me there. I wanted revenge. I convinced the doctor to increase the strength and dexterity of my limbs to make me more powerful. Once he had done it I left him and made my way back to the people that did this to me. They begged for their lives just as I had done but I showed them no mercy. I crushed and twisted their arms and legs until there was no way they could be healed. Only one of them admitted to me what they did was wrong and asked me for forgiveness.” Novuh said.
“And did you give it?” Adda asked already guessing at the answer.
“I thought about it and then I realized he only asked for my forgiveness after I had smashed the arms and legs of all the rest. He was only sorry for what he did after he found out he had to pay for what he had done. That was the last time I showed mercy. I broke his neck.” Novuh said sitting down.
“So now that you’ve told me that wonderful story where does that leave us?” Adda asked crossing her arms.
“We’ll just have to see. I know you can get angry now. I just don’t think you can make others fear you. I still think you shouldn’t be here.” Novuh said.
“Maybe you’re right about that Novuh. Maybe I’ll never measure up to your standards but as long as I’m on this crew we have to trust each other. We have to make this work somehow.”
“I still think you should go but for now I’ve pledged my loyalty to Kllair. She sees something in you I don’t so I’m stuck with you being here for now.” Novuh said.
The sharply dressed lieutenant entered the Colonels office and stood at attention. He had just returned from Geirgor with important news.
“Yes Lieutenant, what is it that is so important.” The Colonel asked looking up.
“I was able to speak with one of the cat girls that the woman Pep Pudin transported to Brumbarus’s compound. I was able to gain her confidence and find out more about why they were taken there.” replied the lieutenant.
“Proceed.” Said the Colonel.
“ It is as Lady Lionette guessed. Pep Pudin was born and raised at the same camp as the other cat girls. She did it to rescue them. She also said something about being allowed to raise families there and get married.” He said. “I don’t understand how they can have children without breeding drugs. As far as we can tell there is no breeding program on Geirgor. They have no access to drugs like those without a sanction from the counsel.” The lieutenant added.
Suddenly the Colonel got a look of understanding on his face and then went white. “Thank you for this report lieutenant, now go back to Geirgor and find out everything you can about how they intend to have cat girls produce children without the drug. Also I don’t want you to say anything about this to anyone. This is a need to know subject do you understand?” he said standing behind his desk.
“Yes sir, it will be done as you command.” The young officer saluted and then left the room.
Even though these girls had been given their freedom the drugs were still restricted for use in breeding. The Counsel of Clan Elders are the only ones allowed to sanction breeding programs for cat girls. The breeding camp that Pep had destroyed would have had breeding drugs there and Pep must have taken them. It was a very serious crime to use the drugs without a charter from the Counsel. Lionette must be informed of this new development at once before any illegal usage of the drug could take place. The Colonel fully realized the risk of confronting Pep Pudin about having the drug in her possession.
The Colonel new she would deny having the pills and would have them well hidden. With her powers it would be foolish to threaten or arrest her. She seemed to be holding all the cards. Pep was also one of the Rebels now and under protection of the Ty clan so her disposition would have to be decided by Lionette herself.
Tarin was awakened by Ceecee banging on the door to her quarters. She quickly pulled on a robe and opened the door.
“Do you have to bang on the door all the time?” Can’t you just knock lightly or leave a note?” Tarin asked rubbing her eyes.
“It’s Stella! She’s killed Mykala and now she’s all better!” Ceecee said excitedly.
Tarin stared at Ceecee for a second. “Say that again slower and have the words make sense this time.” Tarin said.
Ceecee smiled. “Oh right, Stella showed up last night and killed Mykala but she came back to life…you know like before. Everybody is at Haven’s quarters. Come on and get dressed and see for yourself.” Ceecee said.
“If she’s alive that means Lyda wasn’t the enemy in the prophecy. That means Mykala has to fight someone else just as bad if not worse.” Tarin said trying to figure out what Ceecee was so exited about.
“Yeah I guess, I didn’t think that far ahead I was just glad she’s okay now.” Ceecee said much less enthusiastically.
“You go ahead Ceecee, I’m going to take a shower and get dressed then after everyone calms down I’ll come over.” Tarin said.
“Okay Tarin…oh hey have you heard from Bronski? He seems to be missing. The flight controller said he boarded a freighter and he took something big with him. He went back to that planet you guys went to last week.” Ceecee asked.
“I couldn’t care less where that shit head is. I hope he took all his crap and never comes…” Tarin suddenly realized what Buck had done. He took his battle frame back there to kill the droid for her.
“Oh no…Buck.” Tarin whispered. She new what Bronski was doing was very dangerous. Something in her mixed up memory began to come back. The droid was far more dangerous than any of them thought. It was something made by evil men long ago and it just got worse over the centuries.
“Ceecee is my ship ready to go?” Tarin asked grabbing Ceecee’s arms frantically.
“Easy Tarin. Yeah it’s ready. Red squad finished maintenance on all the ships in the hangar where yours is last night.” Ceecee replied.
“Tell the others I had to leave. Bronski is in trouble, big trouble and I have to stop him before anything happens.” Tarin said slamming the door. She ran to the back of her quarters and showered as quickly as she could. She called down to the hanger on the comm-system and told them to get her ship ready as she dressed. How could she have been so stupid to fall for that trick? She should have sensed he was making her angry on purpose.
Kang, Lore and Baltis arrived at the base earlier that morning. They had expected to find Mykala still in the hospital. After their arrival they were told about Mykala’s sudden recovery. The three of them made their way over to the living quarters and Haven’s section as quickly as they could. Soon the remaining members of the group had all assembled in Haven’s main room.
“I’m sorry Kang but I don’t think I have a chair for you.” Haven said apologizing.
“I’ll stand if you don’t mind, I need to stretch my legs anyway after our trip.” Kang said. His smile sent a shiver down Haven’s spine. It wasn’t the first time someone had difficulty finding him a chair to support his four hundred pound bulk.
“A lot has happened recently regarding our group. Adda is no longer with us and we need to choose a leader. We also have an old friend returning to us from the grave it seems, Stella star.” Thorim said. He decided to take this opportunity to take care of long neglected business.
“Our good friend Mykala has once again cheated death and has come back stronger than ever.
“I understand Buck Bronski and Tarin Farstar are away on personal business and cannot be here with us now. Also Granic has declined to be with us as he is searching for an excuse for inexcusable actions.” Thorim’s last comment revealed his distaste for Granic’s bigotry and lack of respect for other races.
“I fear I must draw attention to the fact that our over all efforts in our dealings with the Empire have been lacking.”
“You always did take the long way around in your speeches Thorim. Why not just say we need to get back in the fight.” Matt said.
Mykala stepped forward. She had her own agenda for this meeting. “Why now Stella? Why come back now?” Mykala asked.
Everyone turned to look at Stella. She was supposed to be dead. No one quite knew how to ask her what was going on and where had she been.
“First I want you all to know that at this very moment Lionette Ty is having the story I am about to tell you checked out. I am just as eager to hear what she finds out as you are. As you can see I’m not carrying any weapons. Lionette is holding them for me.” Stella said standing up.
“As I’m sure Ceecee told you I was tortured and made to
believe you had all forsaken me after my capture. That’s why I did those things I did. I can’t take any of it back. I killed my best friend Jaycee with my own hands and I’ll never forgive myself for that even though she has.” Stella said as a tear ran down her face.
“I came back because there is another Sith looking to destroy Mykala. I have been sensing her presence for the last four months. I’ve always been one step behind her in my efforts to find out who she is and stop her. I even found out she had been living in an abandoned warehouse just two streets over from were I was living. It’s obvious that she knows about me as well. We seem to be going in circles trying to catch each other.” Stella paused to see the group’s reaction. They all seemed unsure about believing this story she was telling.
“I know you don’t trust me now but you must try. When Lionette’s report comes back we’ll all know a lot more about this Sith enforcer.”
“ Have you seen her? I mean actually seen her with your own eyes.” Lore asked.
“Only once. She wore a bright red cloak with a large black circle on the back of it and a helmet that covered her face completely. She had just left a building I was watching but by the time I crossed the busy street she was gone.” Stella said.
“But why have you come back Stella?” Mykala asked again.
“I needed to come home. I’ve been working alone too long. I need my friends around me. I need to be with you again.” Stella said.
They all sensed it. Stella was loosing her nerve. The fiery brash leader they all knew was burned out. She had been captured, tortured and brainwashed into killing her friend and trying to kill the rest. She had survived the battle only to be abandoned by her friends and left to keep fighting alone without any support for months on end.
“We’re all glad you’re back Stella. You’re with friends now and you’re safe.” Ceecee said walking towards her. Stella still wasn’t sure how to act around Ceecee. She had killed her twin sister giving Ceecee the best reason to distrust her.
Stella froze as Ceecee stood in front of her.
Ceecee suddenly threw her arms around her and gave her a hug. “It’s okay, you’re with friends again.” Ceecee said clinging to her tightly. Stella looked around the room at her friends; they all began to smile at her with acceptance. She was home. Stella grabbed Ceecee and hugged her back.
If you have enjoyed these stories please check out my first all original book series at Amazon.com. The title is Beyond the Crystal Heaven.
Once again thank you for your support.
Last Updated (Tuesday, 10 September 2013 02:22)