BORN OF HEROES

— by Jeff Karamales

Chapter 67
 

Jak Macklin stood under the cradle that held the bulk of the H model freighter the company he worked for had built and looked at the damage with the crew of the ship also gazing up at the vessel. Most of the outer hull around the port engine, the aft ventral section, including the retractable laser turret, and a portion of the flank had boiled away during the release of atomic energy when the Fynian corvette had exploded. Blackened, but still intact, the boron latticed ceramic armor beneath had maintained integrity, oddly enough most of the scoring coming from reentry into Dennier.

  “Well, I don’t think it’ll be as bad as when she came in the last time,” the Okami executive said. “It’ll take time to fix her up, but we can do it. Personally, this is one for the books. Anytime I’ve ever seen a ship with as much damage as this, it went straight to the scrap heap.”

  Elias smiled. “I told you that she was the best thing I’d ever flown.”

  Jak looked up at the ship again and began making notes on his DataPad. “Hmm. We’ll have to cut away some of the remaining hull to refit the plates properly. And then there’s pulling the port engine. If we can reestablish the magnetic bottle, and she checks out after thorough testing, we might remount her.”

  “If any engine could withstand what that one did and still function, it’s an RP-12,” Baxter said. The panda gazed at the ship above them with affection. “You know, I’ve been on a lot of ships that I was fond of, but not like this Lady.” He fixed Elias with a serious expression. “Even if I have to work for free, I want to see her up and flying again.”

  “She’ll fly again,” a deep voice boomed from the doors behind the group. 

  Turning as one, Elias and the others saw not just Sander Brees heading towards them, but Breth Janes as well. Both were dressed in Spatial Police Force duty uniforms with Major Talia Paris following.

  “Is it over?” Janes asked as she joined the group, looking at the scars that the berthed ship bore.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Elias replied. “The thing is, it was one of his own that ended Roric Ganlin’s reign of terror.

  “What?” Sandy asked, his eyes wide with shock.

  The white fox turned to his mate and nodded.

  “Just before we began our final run, the shields on the ship he’d stolen dropped and there wasn’t any reason for it. When I started going over all of the sensor logs and the visual recordings, I found that there was an explosion, a small one, on the bridge just after their screens dropped. From everything we’ve been able to determine, someone set off a grenade.” The vixen took a deep breath and let it out in a shuddering sigh, still coming to terms that the nightmare was indeed over. “I guess some of his own people hated him as well.”

  “Huh,” Janes grunted. “It’s just as well. And good riddance to Ganlin. Maybe things will settle down for a bit.”

  “I wouldn’t count on it,” Elias quipped. “With interstellar traffic picking up, so will attacks on merchant vessels. Everyone’s still reeling from the Siilv War. And I don’t think that we’ll see an end to commercial predation for a while.”

  The human woman turned a shrewd eye on the foxes before looking at the rest of the crew. “Which brings us up to our next topic.”

  “I’m not rejoining, if that’s what you’re asking,” Elias said, his blue eyes going as hard as glacial ice.

  “Why not hear me out, first. It wouldn’t be a full reinstatement, but what I have to offer has been backed by the governments of Alexandruis, Dennier, Pomen and Ganis with the Royal House of Tanthe all but screaming for it,” Janes informed the fox. “Think of it as being more like serving in a…reserve capacity.

  “Elias, you have made more of a difference than you know. You have been the most impressive, shining example of what I always hoped the SPF would be. While I want you to enjoy your life, doing what you want to do, I also want to present you with this.” The human held out a roll of actual parchment. “I got the idea from my own world’s history.”

  “What is it?” the fox asked suspiciously.

  “The easiest way to describe it would be as a Letter of Marque. Put simply it is Legislative and Spatial Police Force permission to engage and neutralize pirates, raiders and the like, same as when you were with us. You’d get the bounties, a portion of salvaged tonnage, and credit. The catch is, you don’t have to be one of us to do so.” Janes pushed the roll of paper even closer, a hopeful look in her eyes.

  “So…bounty hunter?” Elias asked with a hint of distaste.

  Janes shook her head with a small smile. “No. Essentially it’s permission for you and your crew to engage said elements if you encounter them on your travels. Plus it would enable you to receive SPF support at any port we have an office.” The woman’s look became almost pleading. “Elias, you’re too good at this. If you want, I’ll get on my knees and beg.”

  The fox looked at the others, most of them, with the exception of Sabine and Baxter, had neutral expressions. The panda looked nervous while Sabine seemed excited. It was obvious that Randy and Lena were rubbing off on the young mechanic.

  “Give us some time to talk it over. I’m only one of the owners of the Angel,” Elias said noncommittally.

  “Please don’t take too long,” Janes replied.

  With a toss of his head, the white fox called the others to the other side of the huge bay. “Well?” he asked as the others formed a knot around him, Cerise slipping under the circle of his arm.

  “As long as it doesn’t put too much of a crimp in our delivery schedule, I’m okay with it,” Lena said.

  Randal shrugged. “I wouldn’t feel guilty about some of the stuff that we have onboard then. Think we could get a few power suits?”

  Each one voiced their acceptance with Pala being the only one that had no opinion either way. “I’m still an outsider, Elias. That’s simply the way it is. And you know that I will follow without question.”

  Elias nodded to himself before striding back to where the three senior SPF officers waited. “We’ll do it,” he told them, seeing the approving looks and let them enjoy it a moment before adding, “but there are some things we want in exchange.”

  All of the demands that Elias gave were agreed to, and it was easy to tell that Janes thought that she was getting the better part of the bargain until the fox thoroughly damped her sense of victory.

  “I want Pala to get full citizenship here on Dennier. She’s as much a part of this as any of us and has earned her right to be a part of the PA, to receive and enjoy the same rights and privileges as any other citizen.” Elias crossed his arms stubbornly. “If it wasn’t for her we’d probably not have made it through some of our encounters, and she’s demonstrated time and again that our trust in her is well founded.”

  “But…I’m not sure if the Dennieran government will agree with that,” Sandy said, scratching his head, a furrow between his brows.

  “If they don’t, then contact Tanthe. If anyone gives you grief, tell them it’s a request from either the Hero of Grandstorm, or if you have to talk to Aris of Tanthe tell him it’s a favor for Sir Tivnan of the Order Of Pax Tanthe. People want to give me accolades and titles? Then I’ll damn well start using them! That’s my price. She becomes a citizen or I walk away.”

  The rest of the crew also agreed with their Captain and his sentiments. 

  When he turned to look at Pala, the fox saw a single large tear roll down her cheek at the support she felt from the individuals that counted her as family.

— NEXT CHAPTER —

Unless otherwise noted, all material © Ted R. Blasingame. All rights reserved.