Defying The Alliance: INFERNO (Novokin Alliance Invasion 2) Page 2

  Julie shook her head, swinging curls the color of fire back and forth. "I don't understand. They were all fine when we left them. Even the wounded guards during the initial firefight were tended to. No one died." She looked at everyone on the bridge, wide-eyed, palms up.

  "This is not the first time I've seen something like this. It is the way of the Alliance; murder, lie, destruction – it is all the same to them." Trex's response was low and feral.

  "It's a shame we didn't just blow them up," Anya said matter-of-factly. "At least then we could have actually had the satisfaction of killing that sheetek."

  The silence that followed was deafening. We all contemplated what we'd just seen, and what this might mean for our future.

  Whoosh!

  The door to the bridge slid open and in waddled a very happy, very green, very loud and very pregnant Jaxx. He crunched on a large blue head of lettuce, he held over a bowl of mixed Arquelian fruit of the same vibrant hue. Deep cerulean blue leaves were stuck to his face and dribbled down his chest to land on his birthing sacs as he mauled his treat. He only paused in his mastications when he realized the entire bridge was staring at him.

  "What? Did I miss something?"

  Chapter 2

  As Captain, I should focus on this latest travesty perpetrated by the Novokin Alliance. Instead the mesmerizing, twin bellies captured my complete attention. I swear I could see my large, green and longtime best friend’s two unborn children growing as he ate. Jaxx caught me staring, and held up the basket of blue fruit he had brought with him earlier. I shook my head.

  Finally Julie broke the winter-long silence. "So why exactly did they kill the Prime Minister?"

  I shrugged. "Obviously he was a liability, a loose end. Maybe this presented them with an opportunity to tie up that end?" I reasoned. Julie was part of the slave caravan my crew and I liberated in Deep Proteus space station a mere week before. It was her defiant attitude toward her Lizardian captor that spurred me to disarm him, so to speak. I liked her. She was fitting in with ship and crew, and wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

  Trex opened his mouth, then paused as if catching himself. His brow furrowed and unfurrowed like he was stuck. He hadn't held anything back since I met him. Not quite sure if he needed Caspia or the captain, I kept my tone neutral. "Trex, you've got something to add?"

  His beautiful olive eyes glistened as with fever and wide with anxiety. The Trex who had saved me, saved us, who was big as a house and strong as a tank, was trembling. I walked over to him and I reached out for his arm brushing through the telltale sign of his power crackling in the air. He whirled on me just as the tips of my fingers grazed his arm. Face contorted in hatred and muscles coiled like steel springs ready to strike. I admit I was scared skeckless. He wasn't seeing me at all, he was looking right through me and into his past.

  “It’s okay Trex. Let it out. It’s me Caspia.” My voice inaudible to all ears but his. I rested my other hand on his golden, fur-speckled, deeply heaving chest, wanting to rip the anguish out of his broken heart. Free him from his torment. We stayed close for a few moments. Everyone’s eyes were on us but I didn’t care. I’d be there for him. I needed it too. Slowly, his rage-filled eyes focused on me and his gaze softened.

  He blinked a few times as if to clear the last remaining vestiges of whatever painful images he was seeing before he finally spoke. "That was Asmot. The cumbra of the Othmarvia. The destroyer of my world. A world that was in trade negotiations with the Alliance at the time. He destroyed it. He executed every male, female and child on my planet. He left nothing but a dead rock floating in space. Four trillion lives gone, with little more care than candle flames extinguished by the wind." His eyelids pinched tight and his chin dropped to his chest. The golden-brown hair slid around his massive shoulders and framed his beautiful, tortured face. His pain tore at my soul. Just as I thought I couldn't take anymore his eyes refocused and his anger cooled to a hard protective stone wall. "I'm just saying there's a chance he was simply itching for a kill."

  I've had enough. I’ve had enough of the lies, the pain, the haunting memories, the betrayal. I had enough of hiding like a Pernarpian dung beetle behind this forsaken nebula. This had gone way too far. I pointed at Jaxx and barked my command, shocking him into action mid bite. A half-eaten, blue and gold sticky plum dropped onto his console. "Sound the general call, I want everyone here in five."

  Chapter 3

  I hadn't been this mad since I came home from school and caught my sister pulling the heads off my dolls then lying about it to my father, when I was eight. Okay there may have been other times, but that's what this felt like.

  Finally the last of the engineering team arrived. Anya as always was the last to saunter into the room like I hadn’t issued an order so much as an invitation. All eyes were on me and I willed myself to calm down. It wasn't them I was pissed off with, it was the Novokin Alliance.

  I moved to stand in front of them all, and decided to cut to the quick.

  “I assume all you have seen the latest vids of the prime minister’s death. Well, here are our choices as I see them. Number one: we stay hidden behind the Bermuden Nebula for as long as we can. Sensors are useless against the electromagnetic clouds filling the nebula. The electromagnetic storms constantly reshaping the area make navigation a death sentence. Unless you’re tied to the local criminal element. Or you a have brilliant chief engineer on board who can steer you clear of the said storms." I nodded a thank you to Anya. Her tall, slender figure was leaning against the weapons’ console, as if standing was too trying for her half Terran, half Duscanite constitution. Her long, deceptively delicate arms crossed over her ample chest. Always ready to open a wormhole into my happiness. But I hoped not today.

  “Oh thank you Captain. It’s not a big deal. I just re-calibrated our shield generator to-.”

  “Not the time Chief.” I had more pressing matters.

  She just shrugged and turned to stare at Trex. AAArggg!

  “Anya’s assessment is that the supplies we procured from the prime minister’s ship will last us six to eight months tops. Meaning, eventually we’ll need to come out to replenish. Unfortunately, after the latest news vid announcement, everyone and their mother in Novokin occupied space will be searching for us. In effect, we'll be persona non grata at any Novokin controlled space station or planet. In truth, we'd be an easy target for anyone looking to make a quick credit from the Alliance. Translation, we’re as good as dead.” I paused, scanning the faces in front of me. I hated to go all doomsday on them but I needed their full attention. Nothing like a good splash of cold, harsh reality to drive a point home.

  “Number two: Except for the recently liberated and added members of our crew and myself, the rest should be safe for now. The authorities haven't identified your faces yet. You have a chance to leave the ship and start anew somewhere else.” Worried looks flitted across the room.

  Except for Trex. His face unreadable as usual.

  Before anyone jumped in, I pressed on, “For the last three years we ran. We all lost someone whether it was a family member, a friend or our home world. Skeck, we’ve lost most of our crew. Some murdered in those first days, others lost in the years that followed,” my voice trailed off as emotion chocked my throat. A single, runaway tear snuck down my flustered cheek and I quickly wiped it away with the back of my sleeve.

  “You’re the best crew any Captain could’ve asked for. I’m proud of you all and I love each and everyone one of you.” My gaze met each and every face, letting them feel my appreciation. The two olive green storms raging behind the most gorgeous and valiant face I’d ever met trapped my attention just a little longer...

  “Where would we go Captain?” The ensign’s voice broke the connection. “Most of us have no families left, no homes but the ship. We may be on the run but at least we’re free. You’ve kept us together and safe so far Captain. I’ll take my chances with you any day.”

  “Me too!” Julie chimed in with
shimmering eyes.

  “Me too.” Lieutenants Cobbs and Dodson uttered in unison.

  “I highly doubt you could get anywhere without me, so I guess I’m in,” my chief engineer chuckled.

  “Count me in too, Captain,” someone else yelled and then another and another...

  “You got that right, Ensign. We’re all in this together Caspia. How -sniffle- could you -sniffle- even think that we’d leave you alone?” Two massive, green arms enfolded me in a tight embrace. Jaxx kissed the top of my head -he was that tall- and soon after he broke into loud, green sobs.

  While the large, green Floturan and his two big bellies squeezed the life out of me, I felt the pressure around my body increasing. Body after body wrapped itself around us... Love, gratitude and comradery filled every inch of my bridge, our bridge. My heart’s fire was rekindled. Stronger and brighter than ever, steeling my resolve to bring these people, my people, to safety. I sobbed like a little baby underneath their massive hug. Protocol people, don't make your captain cry!

  When I thought I’d pass out from lack of oxygen, the pressure started to ease off until it was just me and Jaxx again.

  “eeh, Jaxx?” I mumbled under his crushing weight.

  “Yeah, -sniffle- Captain?”

  “I-need-to-breath.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry Captain. I forget how tiny you are sometimes,” he chuckled and fussed over my uniform for a second. He smoothed the wrinkles out like the father-hen he was soon to be before he moved away.

  I wiped my eyes and beamed my biggest smile at all of them.

  “I’m grateful for all your support and love. But for one last time I need you to understand that if you stay with me you’ll all carry the label of the traitor. If you’re caught with me or on this ship, the Novokins will execute you on the spot...or worse. There is no going back. Doing any kind of transaction, exchanges with law-abiding or non law-abiding citizens in this galaxy will be impractical. We’re on our own. Piracy will be our only way of life,” I paused for a few moments and let all this information sink in. I stole a quick look in Trex's direction. He had an honest to goodness smile on his face. I wanted to jump in his arms and shower him with kisses. The look in his eyes gave me the strength I needed to continue.

  “There is also choice number three.” The bridge dropped back into silence. “I don’t believe we can just sail around, scraping for supplies, waiting until they pick us all off. We need to hit back, if we are to survive.”

  The entire bridge sans Trex broke into questions at once.

  Lieutenant Cobbs jumped up like his ass had caught fire. “But Captain, we can’t take on the Alliance with one ship and nineteen crew members. It’d be suicide.”

  I expected this and waited for their murmurs to subside. "You’re correct Lieutenant. We can’t... However, since the Novokin Alliance chooses to slander our names and reputations, to kill our families and destroy our way of life, I choose to fight back. Obviously, as much as I may want to, we cannot engage in an outright war with the Alliance. Sure, we were lucky to replenish our supplies for now. That may prove more difficult in the future. And I am well aware of the fact that we remain vastly outnumbered.”

  Some of the crew looked to each other and nodded while others seemed to fall into deep contemplation. I had at least piqued their interest, and that was good. Trex’s lip curved in that lopsided grin that made me all tingle and heat up inside. His solid frame straightened, his arms folded over his delicious, muscular chest and his eyes were focused, alert and eager. He knew where I was going and he approved.

  “What is your plan Captain?” Jaxx’s voice turned everyone’s attention back to me.

  I nodded in his direction. “We form a resistance. We help the ones in need, the suppressed, the abused. We help the weak become strong. We steal from the Alliance ships and give to our people. We look to find allies. Others who refuse to surrender to the dark and who’re willing to fight for our cause, our way of life, our freedom.”

  Suddenly, a spark of electricity crawled from the small of my back where an all too familiar hand touched my skin underneath my uniform’s top.

  “I’m behind you all the way, my little Captain.” His husky voice caressed my ear, sending jolts of electrifying pleasure south to my belly button. I almost turned my head his way to suck on those luscious lips of his-.

  “Who are we helping Captain?” Anya’s question rescued me once again from his irresistible pull, bringing me focus.

  "I'm not sure yet. What I'm certain of is that it's hard to move a light year in this galaxy and not find some new atrocity perpetrated by the Novokin Alliance. Someone they wronged and hurt who needs our help." I paused to let that sink in, and took measure of my crew. A fine crew it was.

  “Captain you’re like a modern, space Robin Hood.” Julie exclaimed, gingerly clapping her hands while her fiery curls bounced in excitement. After a quick ‘what on Astoria is she talking about again’ look from us all, she bit her bottom lip, dropping her chin to her chest. “Sorry Captain, please carry on,” she mumbled embarrassed.

  I made a mental note to inquire about this Robin Hood character later before I resumed addressing my people. "I called you all here, because the path we’re about to take will not be an easy one. For those of you who’ve just joined us, this doesn't have to be your fight. You can go home, if you still have a home. We can at least get you somewhere out of harm's way if that's what you want. For the rest of you who've been my crew, and my friends for the past three years, the smart thing to do would be to walk away. I know some of you still have families and I know these last three years of living on the rim and not being able to see them, to communicate with them have been unbearable. I can't ask any more of you than you have already given me. I won't be upset and we will part in the best of terms, but I need to know now before we proceed."

  At first no one moved. Then a collective gasp rippled through my makeshift crew as Ensign Chandles stood up. I bit the inside of my mouth to keep it shut, and pushed down on my emotions. He held his young chin high, barely a few hairs growing on it. Determined dark blue eyes met my gaze, then he turned from me. He walked up to my first officer whose bottom lip was now quivering. He reached out his hand and plucked a juicy turquoise apple from the basket Jaxx had cradled in his arm. Spinning on his heels, Ensign Chandles strode back to his chair with purpose. He stopped to acknowledge me. "Captain." Then plopped back down into a station and took a big bite.

  My chest was tight for a moment, swollen with pride at my old friends and my new crew. The room erupted into cheers. I dropped down into my chair and wiped at my eyes. Prak protocol.

  Chapter 4

  This is one helluva shit storm you've gotten yourself into Caspia.

  I crashed down on my unmade bed and stared hard at the ceiling. I know they're willing to follow me anywhere. A warm feeling infused my wounded heart thinking of my crew’s loyalty. I can’t let them down and yet I couldn’t help but ask myself. Did we even have a chance?

  Since the day the United Worlds Protectorate surrendered to the Novokin Alliance, I hadn't been able to get comfortable on my mattress. Rolling onto my side, I confronted the stark image of a captain who looked much older today. Dark circles had taken up permanent residence around her eyes, proof she never managed to get enough sleep. Faint lines of constant worry etched their edges.

  "Who are you kidding?" I said to the distressed brunette in the mirror. "It's one thing to hide, but the risk you'll be taking… you could take everyone down with you."

  On a small bureau in front of the mirror were two framed photos my father had given me when I took captaincy of the razor. A beautiful woman with brown hair and brown eyes same as mine albeit a shade darker smiled back at me. A smile that seemed to elude me now. My father's arms encircled the woman’s shoulders. They existed together in a state of perpetual laughter. I wished I was with them at that moment sharing in their joy and happiness. Even if only for a moment.

  Neither of them were
still alive. My heart welled up. She died young, a transport accident. I didn't remember her all that well, but my father said I was just like her. Determined, headstrong and an overachiever. Sometimes I closed my eyes and tried to bring back the fading memory of her gentle caress. The smell of cinnamon and Gelarpian roses. That’s all I could remember about her, aside from the stories my father told me. Her absence never troubled me though, because I had him.

  He was always there for me, more than making up for my mother’s absence. He attended every piano recital, footsball practice and every kina-judo match. My sister and I always came first in his life and he showed us just how much every single day.

  I missed him so much.

  He was on the home world when the purple sheeteks struck. He was cross-teaching both quantum dynamics and philosophy at Kalsin University in the capital city on New Astoria. His was one of the first names the Novokin Alliance released as a freedom fighter and later martyr for the Novokin Alliance Independence Day. Bile rose in my throat.

  My father was a man of peace but he would have fought those purple bastards with pencil sticks and prose to the death to defend the Protectorate. Angry tears threatened my eyes and I yelled at the happy couple in the frame. "These sheeteks desecrated your memory dad, and aren't worth your compassion. They usurped your good name and status for their own praking propaganda campaign. They're doing it again. I don’t care about me, but they dragged my crew into this. They've turned the people I swore to protect into criminals, and set the entire galaxy against us. There's nowhere to run. There is nowhere for me to go. I just wish you were here dad. I wish you were here…” I mumbled like a praking ten year old girl.

  I hurled the data pad in my hand at the mirror, forgetting that it wasn't glass. It ricocheted off and crashed into the second frame. My arms flailed wild in the air trying to catch the frame as it flew off the bureau. It hit the ground with an audible crack.