Taking to the Road A small breeze tossed some loose dirt around the main street of Arlia. Marshall stepped outside of the church archway, casting a loose gaze over the street. He smiled and inhaled deeply. (Yet another beautiful day… I really should get out more) he thought as he exhaled. His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. "Father Marshall!" The aging priest turned to face the short, slim blue-hared girl approaching him. Close by her was the brown-hared swordsman who had accompanied her return last year. He still wasn't used to the swordsman, mostly due to the pair of dragons on his back, but the swordsman was welcomed into the village anyway. He smiled and nodded to the newcomers. "Hi Rena, how are you today?" Rena smiled back. "I'm fine. Have you seen Claude? He leaves today, Ashton and I wanted to see him off." Marshall nodded in response. "Yeah, he headed towards the Shingo Forest, had kind of a glum look on his face." "Thank you." Rena strolled down the road, towards the forest, with Ashton at her side. Claude stared skyward and closed his eyes, feeling the sunlight on his skin. He sighed, as if in relief, and opened his eyes. The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention as he turned around. He smiled, recognizing the face of his friends. "Hi Rena, hi Ashton. What're you two doing here?" Ashton stepped forward. "We heard you were leaving today, we wanted to say good-bye before you left." Gyoro and Ururun leaned forward and let out small growling noises, which Ashton hastily translated. "Gyoro and Ururun say they're going to miss you." Claude smiled and patted the red and blue dragons on the head. "Gonna miss you guys too." Rena stepped in at this. "So where are you going to go, Claude?" "Don't really know. No offense, but anywhere but here. Guess I'm feeling restless after what we've been through and all." Rena nodded. "So I guess this is good-bye then. Well, take care Claude, okay? You're always welcome here." She stepped up and hugged him tightly. "It's not going to be the same without you here." She let go of him and backed off. Claude smiled and nodded. "I'm gonna miss you guys, all of you. Ashton" he turned to Ashton and extended his hand. "Take it easy, man, and take care of Rena, all right?" Ashton extended his own hand and shook Claude's. Claude pulled Ashton closer and slapped his friend on the back. Ashton did the same. Claude backed off, nodded to both of them, and stepped back onto the road leading out of Arlia, his Earth Federation jacket slung over his shoulder and his sword in a sheath hanging from his belt. Ashton and Rena stared after him for a long time. "Will do, Claude." Comradery (Cross… man, it hasn't changed much) thought Claude as he stepped into the town square. The usual crowd of people wandered around the city, attending their business as they wished. It never failed to amaze Claude that only a year ago, every one of these people, every house in the city, the city itself, and the entire planet had been completely destroyed, and not one of them knew about it. (The biggest secret in the universe to tell, and nobody would believe a word of it. Hell, I don't even believe it) he continued in his mind. His eyes roamed over the courtyard as he strolled towards the west side of the city. He couldn't stop from remembering the first time Rena and he met the treasure hunter, Celine. (I never did figure out what the dispute was all about, I guess I wasn't really paying attention.) He admitted that he had been distracted by her beauty when they first met - until he found himself face-to-face with the angry Heraldry master, whom Celine promptly beat back with a well-timed fireball. At first, she seemed to him materialistic and shallow. Over time, though, he admitted she had grown on him, and vice versa, at least he thought so. (Yeah, I guess she's nice - okay, she's still the same, but I guess I know more about her now... hmm… I wonder if I could use a haircut - wait, where did that one come from? Ah, who cares?) His random thoughts were cut short as he found himself in front of his destination - the Cross pub. After checking to make sure he had enough FOL, he entered the bar. The chatter of the patrons died down for a second as they eyed Claude. The silence didn't last; the patrons soon returned to their own conversations. Claude strolled up to the bar and nodded to the bartender. "Hey. What's the news?" The bartender glanced at Claude. "Oh, hey. You're that guy from the Lacour tournament, right?" Claude nodded slowly. "Geez, that was about a year ago, you remember that?" The bartender hinted at a smile. "Are you kidding? I waited for months to get tickets, I remember it like it was yesterday. Anyway, not much goin' on lately. We got a new band in town today, they're gonna be playing in about 5 minutes. You should've heard them yesterday, they played some rather odd music that I'd never heard before, but the customers seemed to enjoy it." Claude smiled. (I could use a break before I get moving again.) "All right, thanks." The bartender nodded to Claude and turned towards another patron. More seemingly random thoughts passed through his mind, the majority of which centered on Celine. (Man, I can't stop thinkin' about her… did I fall for her or something?) He sighed. (I think it's because we're alike, at least in the sense that we love adventure. She loves to go on adventures and stuff, haven't heard from her since our group split up. Ahh, forget it Claude, she's probably found somebody by now - ah, here they are now.) Claude turned his attention to the stage as the trio of musicians stepped up. The lead one, an aging, gray-hared man in loose clothing, began to address the crowd as the other two - a short, red-headed man and a tall, fat, bald man - brought up a set of drums and a bass guitar. "Thank you all for coming, it's great to see you here. I see a few familiar faces, anybody got any requests?" A patron shouted from the back "Do that one you guys did last night!" "You mean Astronomy?" Claude froze instantly. (Is it… no, it can't be… can it? It sounds too familiar…) "Yeah, that's the one." "Well then, let's get started. Esch, Wally, let's do it." The drummer started tapping on the cymbals lightly, and soon the lead singer and backup guitarist joined in. The lyrics began to flow from the singer's mouth, and each one seemed to scream out to Claude that he had indeed heard this song before. "Four winds at the four winds bar, two doors locked and windows barred. One door left to take you in, the other one just mirrors it." The other two joined in. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" Claude finally realized where he had heard this song before. (Kurtzman played this over the ship's intercom more than once… Astronomy… but how?? How could these guys know, the odds are…) his mind fired away with unanswered questions as the band continued their set. It seemed like days had passed when they finally packed up and left the stage, amidst applause and calls for an encore. (I have to find out the truth.) Claude got up and approached the lead singer. After a few seconds of grappling with words, he found a suitable question. "Excuse me, can I ask you about that first song you played?" The singer turned to face him. "Yeah, what about it?" "Well, where did you hear it? I mean, is it really yours, or are you covering it, or what?" The singer blinked. His eyes narrowed as he replied. "Well, actually it's not ours, I… uh… picked it up back home, my dad taught me it when I was real little." Claude pressed on. "Where are you from??" "Come on, kid, I'm just a traveling musician, what do you want?" Claude insisted. "Tell me, where are you from?!" Looking a little nervous, the singer stepped towards Claude. His voice dropped to a low whisper. "A place called Earth. It's kinda far from here." Millions of questions flooded Claude's mind, but first he felt obligated to identify himself. "Relax, so am I. My name is Claude Kenni, I'm with the Earth Federation." The singer's eyes widened. "You… are you serious?? You mean you know where Earth is?" "Well, sort of. Maybe I should explain." "Okay. Guys, get over here, I think you'll want to hear this." - Several minutes later - "…and that's how I ended up on Expel. I've, well, I've been separated from the Calnus ever since" explained Claude. He wanted to tell these men the entire story, but he was more interested in their story, and he felt no need to explain how the planet was saved from destruction, his reason telling him that the fewer who knew about it, the better. "So what's your story?" The lead man, who had identified himself as Erich, nodded to his companions, Eschelmann - the redhead - and Walter - the bald one. Aside from an apparent lack of physical training, both had the look of clean-cut academy graduates, plus about 3 or 4 months of wear and tear. "It all started about a year ago. We got reports of a Tetragenian ship crash-landing here. Considering the Underdeveloped Planet Protection Treaty, the Federation thought it would be best to send out a retrieval team ASAP to rescue the crew and destroy the remains of the ship. That's where we come in." "So how did you get here, then?" asked Claude. "Let me get to that. Our ship, the Rozar, positioned itself in a stationary orbit above the planet. We weren't sure whether the inhabitants had radar or sensor capabilities yet, so we had to keep our distance. Then, of course, it happened." "What happened?" Eschelmann sighed. "Critical engine failure. Someone had overloaded the primary coolant system, and the whole thing was about to melt down. We had to land and shut the thing off before the radiation killed us all. This was about three weeks ago." "Someone… you mean it was sabotage?" Walter took over. "Yeah. The damn thing was working fine until we came out here. Then that idiot technician, he had voiced opposition to this mission all along, anyway he intentionally overloaded the system. The security team took him down, but the damage was irreparable. There was no real choice - land or die." Claude nodded as Erich continued. "Well, we hid the ship, but some of us were poisoned already, so they had to stay with it, keep anybody else from getting too close. If we could just repair the coolant, we could get off this rock, but right now I'm worried about my men." "So why are you here singing?" asked Claude. Eschelmann picked up. "We've heard about a pair of geniuses over at Lacour - some 13-year-old child prodigy and a machinist. If anybody could fix our systems, it'd be them. We lost our techs in the crash, all that's left is soldiers and medics. We can treat the radiation poisoning, but we can't cure it with what we have on board, and we won't survive the trip home unless we fix the coolant system." The aging captain continued. "That boy genius we've heard so much about might be our only chance. Problem is, we need cash for the boat ride over the ocean, hence the job here. Tonight's our last night, we have the money we need." He glanced at the giant clock tower and sighed. "Listen, Claude, it's almost midnight, and we could use all the help we can get. I don't want to drag you into anything, but will you come with us? If you help us, we'll get you off the planet if you want to." (I don't really want to leave, but I can't just sit by while these guys go look for help. If they're being honest, then those poor guys at the ship crash don't have a moment to spare) thought Claude. Claude turned towards Erich and smiled. "Count me in, captain." He raised his hand into a military salute. Erich smiled back and returned the salute. "Thanks, ensign. All right people, let's move it out." Matters of the Heart "All hands, prepare for arrival! 10 minutes!" "10 minutes, aye! Get the lines ready!" Erich watched the deck workers scurry about with a detached amusement. (I'll be… they really are just like us… I don't understand why we can't contact these people. Doubtless they're suspicious of us already…) He nodded to Eschelmann as he approached. "Erich, you want a drink?" "No thanks, just had one" replied Erich. "Where's Walter and Claude?" "Down below, getting our gear." Eschelmann joined Erich in people-watching. "They seem so content, don't they?" "Yeah. Makes you wonder, don't it. Like how our Fed boys get so uptight over the littlest things, and these people can just go about their lives." Eschelmann managed a small smile. "Hey, we have our moments. I doubt highly any of these guys could've led that raid like we did six months ago." Erich nodded slowly as his first mate continued. "Still, you're right. They're just going along with their lives at their own pace. Not that way with us, huh? Damn, my old man had me booked for the academy before I knew all the kids on my block." Erich remained silent as Claude and Walter climbed up on deck. "Hey Claude." "Erich, Eschelmann. How much longer?" Eschelmann answered. "About 5 more minutes." Erich suddenly clutched at his chest and fell to his knees. He began to wheeze heavily and his eyes clouded over. Walter sprang to his aid. "Captain! Are you okay?!" "What's going on? What's wrong??" asked Claude, worry evident in his voice. Erich gasped and wheezed a bit more. "Ehhh… I… I think… ohhh, I… I forgot… the shot… *cough*" Claude gave a puzzled look. "Your shot?" Walter answered Claude's question. "Cardio booster shots." He pulled out an odd gun-shaped device and loaded a small glass capsule in the back of the device. "He was born with a bad heart, needs shots periodically to keep him alive." Walter and Eschelmann laid the captain down on his back. Eschelmann unbuttoned Erich's jacket, then Walter planted the barrel of the device over Erich's heart. He pulled the trigger and a barely audible *click* followed. Erich shook from the effect, but his breathing immediately became more controlled. His eyes cleared as he attempted to regain his breath. "*cough* God… I'm such an… *cough* idiot. How could I… forget it?" "Take it easy, sir. You're going to be okay, you got it in time" replied Walter. "Thanks boys. I… I owe you big for this." They helped Erich to his feet as Claude looked on. He asked "Is he going to be okay?" Erich nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry if I scared you, I need my shot every 24 hours, or I'm all over." He sighed. "Still, I'm better off than my men are, at the ship. We've gotta work quick." Master Leon Leon sighed and ran his hand through his hair as he cast an appraising glance over the mechanical monster before him. "It's certainly large, Precis, but I just don't see the usefulness of… well, whatever this thing is." Precis waved her hands around wildly. "I told you, this is what I call a mobile lifter. It picks things up and moves them." Leon shook his head in frustration. "Why do we need a machine that can pick things up? What about machines that can do things that humans can't?" "Don't you see?? THIS guy can lift much, much more than a human can… at least, he will after some fine-tuning." "The last 'fine-tuning' you made to this monster cost us more than most of the equipment here! And I STILL haven't gotten that black stain out of my favorite coat!" Their light-hearted banter was interrupted as Murdoch, Leon's father, entered the laboratory. Leon and Precis turned to face him. "Oh, hi father. Were we making too much noise?" Murdoch chuckled softly. "No, no, no. It's your friend, Claude, he's here to see you, and he's brought some others with him." Precis and Leon's faces lit up upon hearing Claude's name. "Claude's back? Where is he? What did he say?" "I'll field that question" answered Claude jokingly as he entered, accompanied by Eschelmann, Erich, and Walter. "It's good to see you guys, how you been?" Precis responded by throwing her arms around Claude in a tight hug. Leon ran over to Claude and grinned widely. "Brother Claude, how are you? I was hoping you'd come back." "I've been pretty good lately, I missed you guys" replied Claude as he worked his way out of Precis's hug. (She's still got a crush on me, it seems.) Erich coughed loudly, implying the necessity for introduction. Claude quickly complied. "Leon, Precis, these are some old friends of mine from Earth. This is Captain Erich, his first officer, Eschelmann, and his field surgeon, Walter. Guys, these are the two resident geniuses of Lacour. The short guy here is Leon Geeste, who is basically the smartest guy on Expel, despite his age. Over here is Precis Newman, one of the best machinists to come out of Linga." Precis blushed lightly at the compliment, while Leon's ego seemed to grow tenfold. "Pleased to meet you, sirs." Leon turned to Claude. "Father says you needed to see me about something, right?" Murdoch spoke up. "I have to speak to the king, I'll leave you all alone for now." With that, he left the room. Claude turned to Erich. "Better tell them all of it." Minutes passed as Erich told his story; the mission, the crash, the problem, the danger to his men. Leon and Precis's normally arrogant and cheerful expressions, respectively, darkened intensely as they realized the gravity of the situation. Erich finished his story. Leon stood silent, Precis with wide eyes. She spoke up first. "So you need us to repair your ship, then you can leave?" Walter nodded. "That's the plan. Please, 73 lives are at stake. Will you help us?" A hint of Leon's typical smug smile crossed his face. "Sounds like a challenge. I'm in!" Precis's cheerful demeanor took over as she responded. "Count me in too!" Erich felt a lump well up in his throat as he smiled. All he could manage was a weak "Thank you." Claude picked up the conversation. "Let's get moving, we don't have a lot of time." "Not without me you're not, darling!" called a voice from the hallway. Claude and the others turned to the doorway. Surprise alone could not describe his reaction as the owner of the voice stepped into the room. "C-Celine! How… how did you… where… I mean, it's great to see you, but how…?" Claude stuttered. He immediately felt the blood rush to his head, which brought a chuckle from Celine. "Credit that to your friend Ashton. I came back to Arlia looking for you, and here you go off on another adventure, and you don't even tell ME about it!" "I didn't know where you were. Believe me, I wanted to, but, well I'm sorry." Her usual teasing smile crossed her face. "Relax, it's not a problem. I heard you talking from before, so let's go!" Claude shook his head and chuckled. "You still find time to listen in on other people's conversations? You never change." Erich spoke up. "Ah, Claude, this a friend of yours?" Claude nodded to Erich. "Yeah, she's a treasure hunter I know. She may look unusual, but she's on the level." Celine glared at Claude, who took a defensive posture. "Well, you do! Have you seen anybody else dress like you do?" "That's part of the idea, Claude darling! I… oh, my, we need to get going. You said your friends are in danger, right? So let's go!" Erich shrugged as Celine led the group out. Come Sail Away… Again "So what's the story between you and Celine? It sounds like you go way back." It was Erich's turn to listen intently as Claude explained his story. Complicated pseudo-love stories always interested him. (In part 'cause of the three failed marriages, perhaps) thought he. (Gotta keep reminding myself that it works sometimes, and I'm starting to like this kid. Looks a lot like my son…) He glanced around the deck of the ship as Claude continued. Their conversation was interrupted by the voice of the lookout. "I see Herlie! We're almost there! Beck, alert the captain!" "Aye!" Claude continued. "Well, I guess it was that meeting with the fortune teller in, uh, Mars, I think, that got me thinking about how I felt about her. Wasn't quite sure if she felt the same, never really got the nerve to ask." "The way she acts, you'd think she was nuts about you, pal." "Ah, she's been like that since we first me, so I can't really say. Still, I guess I do love her, I'm just too big a coward to open up." "It's like rippin' off a bandage - do it quick. You just gotta do it without thinking, thinking screws it all up, friend. If half of what I've heard about you is true, you don't lack the guts to do it." "Well, I guess I'll give it a shot, when this is done I mean." A long pause followed Claude's reply. "Can I ask you something?" "Go ahead." "You seem kinda attached to your men, how long have you been a captain?" He closed his eyes. "Around 37 years. Yeah, I care about my men. Had the same crew for a long time. We've gotten a few young recruits here and there, but guys like Esch and Wally have been with me since, well, it feels like forever. Of three wives, I only had one son, and my 2nd wife won custody, mainly because I was always away for so long. Can't say I blame her. Basically, I don't have any real family, but the crew has always felt like… well like a family." Claude smiled. "That sounds kind of like a cliché." Erich laughed loudly. "Yeah, I guess it is. It doesn't matter. I care about every last one of them, and I'd do anything for 'em; they really are all I have left, them and the ship. They've put up with me for awhile, and I guess I've grown on them too. The younger guys kinda see me as a father figure. Fact is, guys like me are dinosaurs, Claude. Ain't a lot of old guys left in the Federation that still go on missions like I do. I don't know, maybe I'm just not lucky enough to get promoted." "Think of it this way. Which do you want: a boring desk job, or captain of your own ship?" Erich laughed again. "I'm not complaining, friend, I'm not complaining." Claude grinned. "That's incredible, though, that your men look up to you like that, and you got there through hard work. That's something I never really got a chance to do, being the son of Admiral Ronixis and all. But here, it's different." "That why you want to stay?" Claude froze. (How did he know??) "How did you know?" "Can see it in your eyes. Or you can call it an educated guess. Either way, at the risk of sounding sappy, you sound so, well, happy when you talk about your experiences here, especially with Celine and the others. I'd be mad too if I got special treatment because of who my father was. I don't know if I'd want to go back to that either." Claude smiled again as the deck workers began bringing mooring lines toward the bow of the ship. "Let's get ready." Game Time Splinters of light poured into the room as the door slid open. The captain stepped inside first, followed by his men, then Claude and Celine, then Leon and Precis. Aside from the dim flicker of the overhead light, no signs of life could be seen. Erich sighed. "This place looks even deader than before. I hope everybody's okay." Eschelmann nodded. "Whoever's left probably took shelter in Medical. That's where the anti-radiation drugs are. Most of the radiation was in the engine room." "Then let's move it out." The group moved through the eerily silent corridors of the Roxar. Walter felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the shadows played tricks with his eyes. Erich maintained a calm, but grim expression as they continued. Eschelmann tried his best to remain calm, but something inside him just knew that something had gone seriously wrong. Leon's voice broke the silence. "Umm… mister Eschelmann?" "What is it, Leon?" "Are you okay? You look kinda pale, are you sick?" "I'm fine… just nervous, that's all. I don't know why, but I've got a bad feeling about this." Erich turned to Eschelmann. "You feel it too?" Eschelmann nodded. Walter turned to face Erich. "Something is very, very wrong here." Eventually they reached a pair of steel doors, marked 'Medical' and a picture of a red cross. Erich removed a very large weapon from his holster and slammed it on the door. "Ramirez! Jennek! We made it! Is anybody in there?? Hello?" The silence continued for a few seconds, then a distinct clacking noise could be heard from beyond the door. The lights on the door panel blinked to life as the door slid open. A large, gaunt figure stood behind it. "C-Captain? Is that really you?" Erich broke into a wide grin. "Jennek! We made it, we found the scientists!" "Really? You actually found help?! Hey, hey guys! It's the captain! They found help!" The lights inside Medical blinked on to reveal fewer than a dozen men and women. Jennek quickly invited the team inside and sealed the door shut behind them. Erich's grin faded as he counted the survivors silently. Celine spoke up. "You said there were 73 crew here, captain, right? Where is everybody?" A tall, middle-aged woman stood up and approached the group. "They're all dead… or worse." Precis spoke up. "Or worse? Why, what happened? What happened here??" She remained silent. Eschelmann stepped forward. "Ramirez, what's the matter?" Jennek answered for her. "She suffered a concussion during the attack, she's still a little disoriented." Walter frowned. "The attack?" Jennek nodded. "About a day after you left, some of the radiated crew broke into the armory and attempted a mutiny. They claimed they were mutating fast, that the radiation was changing them. During the battle that followed, we lost 28 crewmen. If you count the enemy, there's 31 more gone. Minus you three, and that leaves us eight. We got all but three of them, but they're holed up in the engine room right now." Erich turned pale. "No… they… they turned against you? Against us? And they… what the hell for?!" Jennek sighed. "They were led by Gustav, I think he's still alive. He said something of an 'emergency plan' included in some 'standard operating procedure' that only he and a handful of others knew about." Erich clenched his fists. "Standard operating procedure?" Jennek nodded. "He said that this situation classified as a worst case scenario, and headed back there. Like I said, there's three left, counting him. They probably wanted to activate the self-destruct sequence on the ship." Walter shook his head. "No, if that were the case, they wouldn't have waited so long. Even Gustav could turn the thing on and set it off in a few minutes." Erich turned to Leon and Precis. "Leon, Precis, could you wait here with the others? If they're still back there, it'll be too dangerous to make repairs. I'll go back with Esch and Wally, take care of the problem, then we'll call you in. Is that okay?" Leon nodded in response. "We'll wait here." Erich glanced at Jennek. "We got any guns left?" Jennek indicated a few boxes towards the rear of the room with his thumb. "A few rifles, some phase guns, and the stuff you're carrying. That's it." Claude stepped up to Erich. "I'm coming with you." Erich stared at Claude. "Son, no, Claude, I appreciate the thought, but this isn't a game. I didn't mean to involve you in any of this, I don't want you getting hurt." Claude shook his head. "I'm serious, I want to help out. I'm not just a kid, you know, I can fight. It sounds like this Gustav isn't going to just give up, and I can't stand just waiting here. Come on, you of all people should know what I mean." Erich managed a small smile. "I understand. In that case… all right then, and… thank you." Celine stepped up next to Claude and faced the captain. "Count me in, too." Eschelmann massaged his forehead. "Oh man, it's not simple anymore. Could've been just 3 on 3, but oh no, we get the obsessive-compulsive group." Walter glanced at Eschelmann and chuckled. "Give it a rest, Esch. They can take care of themselves, and like he says, 5 on 3 are much better odds, even if it's a bigger hassle." Celine chuckled as Jennek started passing out weapons. Game Time "One, two, three, hit it!" Erich and Eschelmann grunted as they attacked the engine room doors with a pair of crowbars. Walter wiped the sweat off of his head. "Damn, it's hot down here. I thought we shut the reactor off." "Hrrrgh… we did. The ship's been… rrrff… sealed for a few… rrrgh… days now" replied Eschelmann as he struggled with the door. Claude, sensing an opportunity, turned to face Celine. "Hey, Celine. Can… can I ask you something?" Celine nodded and smiled. "Sure, what's on your mind?" Claude scratched the back of his head. "Well… ah, how do I say this… I need to say something, and, well, I've been trying to say it for the past year or so, and now that I found you, it's as good a time as any." Celine leaned forward. "You've got my attention." Claude started. "I… uh… I, well…" "Hey, Claude, Celine, we got it!" Claude and Celine turned as Erich and Eschelmann forced the door open. Walter opened the medical satchel on his side and began passing out small red-and-white pills to the others. "These pills reinforce your natural radiation defenses. It'll last about a half hour, and then you'll need another dose. If you start feeling faint, let me know and wait outside." The crew drew their respective weapons, and Claude readied the phase gun he had gained from Jennek. A hand fell on his shoulders. "So, Claude, darling, what were you going to say?" Claude turned to face Celine, who had her usual mischievous smile in place. "Uh… I'll… I'll tell you later, after this is all over, okay?" Celine nodded. "You'd better." Erich led the way into the dilapidated engine room. The small group made their way past fallen supports and broken equipment, towards the engine itself. Soon enough, the group reached the nonfunctional engine, flanked on either side by men in faded Earth Federation uniforms. Upon seeing them, the group spread out and readied their weapons. Erich called out to the men. "Nobody move! You're under arrest for mutiny and the murder of 28 of my crew! Toss your weapons over here and get down on your knees!" The left-hand man turned and smirked. "Are you joking?" Erich glared at the man. "You see me laughing?" The right-hand man countered. "Your weapons won't work in here, 'captain'. The radiation interferes with the standard energy weapons. You might as well be using sticks." Erich's expression froze for a split second. "Esch, is he right?" Eschelmann sighed. He holstered his weapon and nodded. "He's right. Our guns won't work." Walter spoke up. "Where is Gustav?" "Right here, gentlemen." All eyes focused on a door in the rear of the room as a tall, balding man in a bloodstained Earth Federation uniform. Although he seemed similar in appearance to the two other insurgents, something about this man made Claude's blood run cold. (This is not good…) thought Claude. Despite his experience with the Ten Wise Men, this man somehow seemed capable of far worse. Something about this man scared the hell out of him. A quick glance at his comrades revealed similar sentiment amongst them. Erich swallowed loudly. Apparently he, too, feared this man. "It's over, Gustav. We found the engineers, we can fix the reactor and get off of this planet. Just come quietly, we can end this thing cheap." Gustav shook his head. "Cheap? Cheap for whom? We've spent the last week in this deathtrap, our own personal prison. You left us here to rot in a cell, and you're going to take us back, most likely to a court-martial which will have us rotting in another cell for the rest of our lives? I don't think so." Eschelmann spoke up. "Are you listening? We can leave here, we made it! It's your fault those men are dead! If you had held out like Ramirez and the others, none of this would be happening!" Gustav countered. "I don't think you're listening, Eschelmann. The radiation was affecting us faster because we were closer to the accident. We didn't have the time you needed." Claude shouted "Forget it, it's all over! Your mutiny failed, and there's no way out of here. Let's just end this peacefully, okay?" Gustav narrowed his eyes. "And who are you, kid? Huh, Earth Federation uniform. Never mind, it is irrelevant. Anyway, you can talk all you want, but we're not leaving." Walter glared at Gustav. "You can't change the fact that we outnumber you. Our weapons are useless, but you're not leaving unless it's through us. Let's just go." "No!! I'm not going anywhere! I'd rather die in the explosion than spend one more minute in my own cell, even if I have to take thousands of people with us all." Erich blinked. "Thousands?" Gustav smiled sadistically. "Yes, you see, while you were absent, I added a few modifications to the self-destruct mechanism. The blast radius will reach about ten miles, with a damage of 30 megatons. I believe it will reach as far as the town called Cross." Celine went pale. "You can't! You'd kill thousands of innocents for the sake of your own sad little life? What is the point?!" Gustav shook his head. "I doubt you could understand. Our job in this case is to protect underdeveloped planets from knowing about the outside universe, even if it means sacrifice." Erich glared at Gustav. "That's not the goal of the Earth Federation! We do not sacrifice innocents, ever! These people do not deserve to die!" Gustav smirked again. "Have it your way, captain." Before Erich could counter, the man to Gustav's right lunged at Walter, landing a punch to his jaw. At the same time, the other man rushed Claude and slammed him in the gut with his fist. Instinctively, Erich rushed towards the lead man as Gustav charged Eschelmann. Erich pulled the man off of Walter and punched him in the neck twice before the attacker kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back. He turned back to Walter, who grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and slugged him in the face, knocking him out cold. Claude, meanwhile, had his hands full with the other man as he pounced on Claude. Claude took a pair of punches to the face before he could land a few of his own to the man's jaw, stunning him. Celine tackled the man from the side and hammer-punched the man thrice before she was thrown off. Before he could move again, however, Claude grabbed him by the hair and socked him in the face, breaking his nose and sending him to the floor unconscious. At the same time, Eschelmann charged Gustav and shoved him, knocking him off balance. Gustav recovered quickly and lunged at Eschelmann, wrapping his hands around Eschelmann's neck in the process. Eschelmann responded by punching Gustav square in the jaw, forcing him to release his grip on Eschelmann, who followed up with a kick to the stomach. Angered, Gustav started to charge Eschelmann, but his attention was diverted as he felt a pair of hands fall on his shoulders. He turned to face the captain of the Roxar, staring right at him. Gustav felt a chill as Erich's gaze intensified. "You're going to die." Gustav couldn't even utter a response before Erich began his assault, landing punch after punch to various body parts with respectable accuracy. Gustav began to cough up blood as Erich continued to punish him. Gustav reacted recklessly, throwing a hooking punch at Erich as he started to back off. Gustav then reached behind his back and withdrew a six inch-long combat knife and began slashing at Erich with it. He landed a cut to Erich's forearm. Erich kicked out with his right leg and smashed Gustav's kneecap, forcing him back a few paces. Before Gustav could resume attacking, he found his hand in the grip of a pair of very muscular hands. He turned to face Walter, who promptly slammed Gustav's hand against the wall. Gustav cried out in pain as the knife slipped from his hand, but retained enough control to bring his free hand around and punch Walter in the face, throwing him to the side. He bent down and grabbed the combat knife. Turning to face Erich, he raised the knife above his head and flipped it, gripping the knife by the tip of the blade. "Good-bye, 'captain.'" Gustav reeled back and threw the knife at Erich. Erich stared at the oncoming knife, and, a split second before impact, grabbed the knife in mid-air, spun and sent it back at Gustav with equal force. Gustav's eyes went wide as he felt the knife bury itself deep in his neck. Erich stood silently as the lifeless body of Gustav fell to the floor. He closed his eyes and fell to his knees. "God… damn it all…" Walter stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You didn't have a choice, sir. It was him or us." "He… he was one of us… of the crew… I…" "Take it easy, sir. He was a traitor, you knew it, we knew it. He was no longer one of us the second he turned his weapons on his comrades. He did not deserve a quick death, but we had time for nothing else. Remember, he double-crossed the crew -- not you, not I, not Esch, just him and his group." Erich said nothing. He sighed and nodded his head slowly. "I hate to break the moment, guys, but you'd better take a look at this" said Claude. The group gathered around Claude, who was sitting face-to-face with a very complex-looking piece of machinery, the most noticeable feature of which being a large red digital countdown timer on the side. Eschelmann froze. "Is… is that what I think it is?" Walter nodded. "That's the bomb. It's started." Celine gasped. "What do we do??" Erich shook his head. "I don't know enough about bombs, I can't disarm this. Esch? Wally?" They shook their heads. "Sorry, captain, there's nothing we can do." "Don't be too sure about that!" Approaching footsteps drew the attention of the group towards the newcomers. Pure surprise washed over the group as Jennek, Leon, and Precis entered the room. Leon grinned. "Hi, brother Claude, mister Erich. I can take care of this." Precis followed up. "If it's machines, we can deal with them! Leave it to us!" Walter's eyes widened. "Are you sure? I mean, this is Federation technology after all, can you fix it?" Leon and Precis approached the device. Leon began tapping at the console while Precis examined the wiring. Precis turned to the group. "I can sever the connection between the really big bomb and this thing here. It'll still go off, but Cross will be safe." Leon cracked his knuckles and grinned some more. "I can give you guys all the time you need to get out of here. Just gotta reset the clock, not a problem for me!" Erich didn't hesitate. "Do it! You guys, start getting everyone off the ship, as far away as you can! Leon, Precis, get to work, make sure you leave enough time to get out!" Leon gave a mock salute. "Aye, sir!" he said as he began typing. And in Closing… Erich sighed and took another sip from his tea. He nodded to Eschelmann. "That's the bet. They hook up, you owe me 500 FOL. They don't, I pay you." Eschelmann grinned. "Call it a deal. I'm telling you, they're not going to end up together, it's a non-option." Erich chuckled. "Give me a break, you've seen the way he looks when he's talkin' about her. The way she acts when she's around him, I'd say those are pretty good odds.. hey, hey Walter, come here. We need a tie-breaker." Walter smiled and walked across the bar, dodging patrons as he went. "What's up?" "You think Claude and Celine are gonna hook up?" "Probably, why?" "Just made a wager with Esch. Thanks." "No problem." Walter turned and headed back to Jennek's table, where he, Ramirez, and a few others were engaged in a game of poker. Eschelmann shook his head. "Pay no attention to that naysayer, it's not gonna happen." Erich chuckled. "So, now what do we do? The guys are getting restless, and I could use a ship to replace the Roxar. What do you say about getting another boat?" Eschelmann grinned. "You never change, sir. Well, I'll check with the others later, I think we're still not ready to give up the navy yet." "Never been on a real boat before, wonder what it's like?" "I wouldn't worry. You were born to do this leader stuff, and it can't be terribly complicated. Besides, I think I speak for the rest of the crew when I say you're not going alone. Oh hey, what about your heart medicine? What are we going to do about it?" "Not a problem, I went over it with a pharmacist out in Linga, just after we left Leon and Precis in Lacour. Guy named Bowman, or something like that. Anyway, he says he can make some stuff that does the same thing. I think we're gonna be okay." Walter came back over to the bar and pulled up a chair. "What's the topic?" Erich smiled. "I'm getting a boat, probably joining the Cross or Lacour navy, they can always use good sailors. You in?" Walter grinned. "You go, I go, sir." "Thanks. Hey, isn't that Celine?" The eyes of the three men focused on the shapely Heradly master as she approached them. She smiled. "Hi darlings. Do any of you know where Claude is? He wanted to say something to me a few days ago, I forgot about it until now." Eschelmann nodded. "Yeah, he went over to the inn about an hour ago. Said he was tired, needed to rest." Celine nodded and waved as she left the bar. Erich, Eschelmann, and Walter exchanged glances. After five minutes, Erich nodded. "I'll go check it out. Get my 500 FOL ready, Erich." Erich chuckled as Eschelmann left. "I doubt it highly, Esch." Eschelmann carefully made his way towards the inn. He stepped past the marble opening and made his way to the front desk. He smiled at the desk clerk. "Hi, miss. I need to check the guest register, I'm looking for one Claude Kenni, is he here?" The clerk began thumbing through the registration book. "Let's see… Kenni… Kenni… ah, here we go. Claude Kenni, room 6, it's down that hall, on the right." "Thank you." Eschelmann stepped lightly down the halls as he approached room 6. He glanced at the door, then held still as he started to hear noises. Confused, he tiptoed his way towards the door and place his ear next to it. (What the… what's going on in here?) - 5 minutes later - Erich and Walter looked up as Eschelmann stepped into the bar. Erich spoke first. "So? What's the news?" Eschelmann said nothing as he reached into his pockets. He held a fist over the table and dropped 500 FOL onto it. Walter chuckled. "Told you so, Esch" said Erich as he grinned. Eschelmann gave a defeated smile as pulled up a chair and sat down. "You suck." Walter passed a cup of tea to Eschelmann. "Come on, cheer up. Here's to the crew of the Roxar, the ship itself, our newfound couple, of whom I think we should pay extra attention to, and to our next boat." Erich and Eschelmann smiled and nodded. "I'll drink to that." -End-