A Secret Quest Read online

  All of the Zyglar dignitaries looked quite uneasy. With rapid steps they began to make their way back aboard their ship. Given the situation, however, and the intrinsic lack of martial skills on their behalf, some reassurance would prove to be quite helpful. To that end, the ambassador gazed directly at Hastings and asked with deep concern, “Our ship is no match for raiders. What do you expect us to do?”

  “You're not the ones they're after, Ambassador.” Hastings responded while he started to cycle the airlock and seal off the ship completely. “Get out of here as fast as you can and they shouldn't even bother you.”

  To'lok gave an uneasy chuckle as the doors closed behind him, saying “Yes, yes. I suppose you're right. Nothing to worry about.”

  When the air lock doors were finally closed and sealed tight, Hastings jumped back over to the comm. “The doors are sealed. Initiate separation.” he ordered.

  After a few seconds, a tense reply came back from the Lieutenant. “There's a problem, sir.”, she said.

  “A problem? What do you mean?”

  “The separation sequence won't initialize.”

  “Use the manual backup, then!” Hastings demanded.

  “I tried that. It's not working.” the Lieutenant responded, sounding more than a little frustrated.

  “I'm on my way.” was the last reply Hastings made before racing down the corridor and making his way to the main stairs that led to the bridge.

  In under a minute, Hastings burst through the doors leading to the ship's bridge; barely waiting long enough for them to part for him. He rushed over to the pilot's station and began to rapidly scan to readouts on the holo-monitors as he assessed the situation.

  “Shit!” he fumed “There's been a segmentation fault in the docking system, a memory leak. The clamps won't release. There's no way to separate.”

  “The Galutians are here.” the Lieutenant informed, pointing out the front glass at the three small ships popping back into normal space. “What should I do?”

  “Get the shields up and bring the star-drive online. We need to get out of here.” was the colonel's command.

  He pressed the comm icon on the holo-monitor, which was followed by and audible chirp to indicate the channel was now open and ready for use. “Zelinski, you and Wurtin man the guns. If those ships even smell like they're up to something, take them all out.”

  The men on the other end acknowledged with a hearty “Yes, sir!” before the colonel cut the link.

  “Bring the forward guns online.” Hastings continued while he hastily pressed keys and buttons. “Why haven't you engaged the armor and ship's defenses yet?”

  “Sir, I can't raise shields while we're still docked with the Zyglarine ship.” the Lieutenant replied, “as long as we're connected to them, we can't do anything.”

  In an instant, the seriousness of the problem completely dawned on the colonel. Not just their present situation, but how one convenient malfunction could serve to be the most damaging and debilitating thing at just the wrong time. It couldn't be coincidence. The princess's vessel was naked and exposed and it had to have been that way on purpose. They'd been set up. Not just from the outside, but from the inside as well. How else could such a precise malfunction have occurred? But such things would have to wait until later to explore, however. The immediate danger first needed to be handled.

  And just as if things couldn't get any worse, the Lieutenant made the dire announcement Hastings had been gripping for. “The raiders are coming in hot, sir. They've got weapons powered.” she said.

  “Hard to starboard, Lieutenant!” he called out. It was the only desperate thing he could do to protect the ship and its occupants.

  “But sir, that'll expose the Zyglar ship. They won't stand a chance.” the young lieutenant objected. But her cries fell on deaf ears. Her commanding officer had made up his mind.

  “You heard the order, Lieutenant. Put the Zyglars between us and the raiders.” he barked back, not wavering in his judgment in the slightest.

  Hastings was well aware of the gravity of his order. It wasn't something he took lightly by any means. But he was charged by King Laurenitis to protect the princess by any means required and he intended to embrace that responsibility completely. Whatever was to happen next would surely leave a deep stain on his soul, but that was irrelevant. He was never the important one. All that mattered was Dyamatti.

  “Yes, sir.” the Lieutenant replied somewhat meekly. Her confidence in their actions was far less secure than Hastings' was, but she reluctantly complied with the command.

  While not particularly big in any way, The Alpheenian ship was far larger than its Zyglar counterpart. As long as the two vessels were joined, the princess' ship could easily dictate the directions and actions that both ships took. As the glistening vessel made its sharp turn, it dragged the lesser craft along with it.

  Hastings tapped the comm channel again. “Light those bastards up!” he shouted.

  The defensive guns roared to life and projectiles packed with small amounts of unstable energy was blasted out into the void. But a violent jarring shook the ship which caused the guns to miss their marks and fire off into the nothingness of space.

  “The Zyglars are resisting us, Colonel.” the young woman reported. “They're attempting to power up their star-drive.”

  “Hold them in place. If they try to engage their star-drive, they'll rip both ships to shreds.”

  “I'm doing what I can, sir.”

  The Galutian raiders dove swiftly in attack formation as their cannons unleashed pent up fury onto the small target that now blocked their path. Balls of destructive energy were flung at the Zyglarine vessel and tore into its vulnerable side. Having no protective shields and a very light hull, the unfortunate ship was ripped to pieces. Large chunks of plating were blasted from its frame, exposing the vital guts of the ship to the vacuum of space.

  In the midst of the chaos, the Lieutenant announced, “the Zyglarine reactor has been hit. It's going into meltdown.”

  “Everyone brace yourselves!” Hastings cried out over the ship-wide comm channel. “Things are gonna get bumpy!”

  There was a brilliant flash and an explosion as the Zyglar ship erupted in a ball of fiery death. The docking coupler linking the two vessels was shredded and torn, releasing the captive Alpheenian ship. But the close proximity of the blast slammed into the side of the hull with a massive wave of force. All those inside were knocked around like helpless dolls from the impact.

  Fortunately, other than a myriad of items being tossed about and knocked out of place, along with a host of alarms sounding, the princess' ship was otherwise intact. The colonel knew that his ploy was a risky one. Had the Zylgar ship been just a bit larger, there was a very real danger that its explosion could have seriously damaged the Alpheenian vessel. He let out a sigh of relief.

  “We have armor and defensive systems, sir.”

  “Engage the star-drive, Lieutenant. Get us out of here!” Hastings forcefully commanded.

  Free from its burden, the Alpheenian ship's star-drive engine was able to engage. Space/time, itself, was warped around the gleaming vessel and it vanished from normal space. The princess and her envoy were whisked away from the scene at an incomprehensible speed.

  Chapter II

  Dyamatti was safely in her quarters during the precarious events with the raiders. Most of the entire episode played out without her knowledge, save for the fact that something had obviously exploded near her vessel. Although, what it was, she couldn't really say. She did her best to quell any feelings of unease and stress. Those were the sorts of emotions that lead to rash and hasty decisions. Decisions such as hopping into the small auxiliary craft and speeding away to the safest place she could find.

  But her father had taught her well. Instead, the princess busied herself with placing all the displaced objects back in their appropriate positions among the various shelves and tables in her quarters. She was in the middle of aligning several v
ases on a shelf when the door split open and her personal servant, Julian, came rushing in.

  “Your Highness,” he said while he bowed.

  He briefly seemed to watch Dyamatti, almost as if what he was seeing wasn't quite lining up properly in his brain. After a few seconds, the reality of what the princess was doing sank in. His eyes widened and the expression on his face became that of someone who either had done something incorrectly, or that he was seeing someone doing something very much beneath them.

  “You shouldn't be doing such menial tasks.” He said in his thin and plain tone, “I'll send for someone to clean up.”

  “Nonsense, Julian. Besides, I'm almost finished.” Dyamatti replied as she set the last few pieces in their proper place. “What condition is the rest of the ship in?”

  “No damage.” the plain man replied. “Although we did get quite a shake-up.”

  “Was anyone hurt?”

  “No, Your Highness. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, I'm pleased to report there are no casualties.”

  “What about Councilman Tyra?” The princess asked as she moved over to a small ornate cabinet at the far end of the room.

  “The councilman was a bit startled, but is otherwise unhurt, Your Highness.”

  “Tell Colonel Hastings I expect a full report.”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” Julian replied while he gave a gentle nod to accentuate his compliance.

  Seeing as his service to the princess was no longer required, the plain man excused himself with a deep bow. As he bowed, he took several steps back toward the door. The door, sensing the man's presence, obligingly slid apart and opened the way for Julian to leave.

  Once fully alone, Dyamatti opened the cabinet and pulled out a clear bottle containing an almond colored liquid. She then reached for one of the small glasses on a nearby table. In a single practiced motion, she pulled the stopper from the bottle and poured some of its contents into the glass. Her slender fingers wrapped themselves around the glass and she lifted it to her waiting lips. After a few brief seconds of admiring the drink, the princess placed the glass against her lips and tossed the drink back; downing it with one gulp.

  The princess wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and set the glass down. While she wasn't one for drinking her problems away, she was finding that she was relying on alcohol more and more. She would tell herself that maybe she could clear the urge out of her system if she could just get completely hammered at least once. But deep down she understood that she was in danger of using drink as a crutch to numb the stress of her repeated excursions.

  Her father had sent her on many missions before, but this one was different. Unlike any of her previous exploits, it was the princess, herself, who was the focal point. Because of her gifts, she was able to do what no other person in the Empire was capable of. King Laurenitis was well aware of the risks and was clearly uneasy at the prospects sending his only child to her doom. But if the scientists were right, Dyamatti could help usher the Empire into a new golden age. Hyperspace travel would literally change everything. And it was for those reasons that the princess felt the weight of her stress far more than she ever had on her prior journeys.

  After a few slow minutes of reflective silence on her life and choices, the comm channel emitted a beep to let Dyamatti know there was someone on the other end wishing to speak with her. The princess glided in her fashion across the floor and pressed the button.

  “Yes?“ she asked into the device.

  “Your Highness, this is Colonel Hastings.” the voice on the other end informed.

  “Go ahead, Colonel.”

  “I wanted to let you know that we're currently heading back toward imperial space at warp speed. We should cross the border in just over three hours.”

  “Any sign of the raiders?”

  “No, Your Highness. We've lost them. There's no way they can keep up with us.”

  “Finally.” the princess muttered under her breath along with a deep sigh. The colonel's words were the most comforting ones Dyamatti had heard in a while. It was fortunate that no one was around to see her reaction. It might have been deemed rather un-princessly.

  “And what of the Ambassador's ship? Were he and his party able to escape?”

  That was the one question Hastings was hoping to avoid. He figured that she would probably ask at some point, but by then he would have been able to concoct a good enough tale to convince her. And even though he was aware she could possibly ask him, the inquiry still felt like a punch to his stomach.

  “Ambassador To'lok and his party fled the area. We've had no contact since, Your Highness.” was the best lie that Hastings could conjure on the spot. It wasn't a great lie, but it would have to do for now. As with most things, the truth could be rather slippery from time to time.

  “Good work, Colonel. My father will be pleased to know of your actions.” the princess said, now feeling just a bit more relaxed.

  “I'm afraid it's not all good news, Your Highness.” Hastings countered. “I'll be at your quarters in a few minutes to fully brief you on our situation.”

  And just as quickly as it started to dissipate, the knot began to tie Dyamatti's insides up once more. But she gave no indication of her uneasiness, only saying in a cool tone, “Very well, Colonel.”

  And as Hastings had said, it wasn't long before the chime to Dyamatti's door went off. As before, she glided across the floor with light, pristine movements. Her slim finger pressed the icon to allow the doors to part and reveal the colonel standing on the other side. He gave a deep bow when he saw her, saying “Your Highness.” as he did.

  “Colonel. Please come in.” Dyamatti replied, trying to sound as cool and confident as she could.

  After Hastings had stepped through the doorway and it slid tight behind him, Dyamatti asked, “what is our situation?”

  “We're okay, for the moment.” he answered. Although, his choice of words clearly indicated that there was more to tell.

  “Go on.”

  “I don't know a better way to say this, Your Highness, so I'll just say it.” the colonel said. It was almost as if he was still trying to find a way to dampen the blow of what he was about to say. He was sure there were better words if he was only able to sort them out. But his time was up. He was going to have to be blunt and to the point. “We were set up.”

  Instantly the knot in Dyamatti's stomach grew even tighter. “Explain.” was all she could say.

  “The Galutian's home space isn't anywhere near this region. They would've had to have some strong motives to be way out here.” Hastings explained.

  Dyamatti's eyes narrowed as her stare fell straight on Hastings. “Are you saying they were paid to attack us? Why? How much could they possibly know about what we were doing?”

  “Those are all very good questions, Highness.” the colonel replied with a nod. “I wish I knew the answers. But I'm positive someone sent them.”

  “My father was concerned there might have been leaks. It seems he was right.”

  “That's only part of it, Your Highness. There's more.” the colonel added. “Before we were able to make our escape from the raiders, there were a few problems with several of the ship's systems. The shields and star-drive were offline and it appeared the backup systems had been tampered with.”

  “Clearly you managed to fix the problems, otherwise we would have never made our escape.” Dyamatti noted, calmly pointing out the obvious.

  “That's true, but it was the exact timing of those systems going offline that bothers me. It was too convenient to be a coincidence, Your Highness.”