Looking out from one of the viewports on the side of the shuttle, my eyes grow wide as it takes in the Arasha city from above, the twin suns shining upon it fully now. It is a marvel almost rivaling the masters great shining cities that hang in the sky in defiance of nature. Looking next to me, I see Lunara drinking in the sight as well. I find myself wondering how she sees it, does she marvel at it like I do, making her feel small against the grandeur of what people’s hands have created. She is a master, I wonder what sights those eyes have seen, I wonder what sights I will see if I follow the path she lays for me. Looking down I see she holds my hand still, her grip firm yet delicate.
“Going to start moving to orbit, strap in, there are no gravity actuators on this shuttle.” Fennec grumbles swiping a display, his broken arm is wrapped in a crude sling now.
Lunara lets go of my hand, our eyes briefly crossing paths as we move towards the seats. The shuttle is small, so we sit across from each other, I study how she attaches the belt to secure herself, mimicking the movements with my own.
The shuttle begins to move faster, pressing my back into the seat firmly. Something feels strange as we break the atmosphere, like all the weight of my body has left me, looking down I see the strings of my cloak dangle in the air. I push one of the strings, my eyes watch in fascination as it bumps into the other.
“First time in zero g?” Lunara asks, there is a small smile on her face.
I turn my head at her, I have never heard this phrase before.
“Zero gravity.” She adds.
“Yes.” I admit, now understanding her question. My eyes move towards the viewport, my jaw slides open as it takes in the sight of my world.
The desert sprawls and encircles it like a glove, but from this distance, it is somehow majestic. The sands seem to welcome my gaze, beckoning me to return to it. You would not know of the problems upon its surface from up here. You would never know the pain that is dolled out by those who step upon the necks of others. From this far away everything seems so small now, I wish that Arrum and Neeba could see this. Nekam would surely scratch his beard at the sight. My mind focuses now, as though waking from a dream as I think about my tribe, then it widens to think of the other hunters who are still trapped in the masters clutches.
As I look upon the expansive landscape of sand on my planet, my mind widens further, thinking of all my people trapped by a life they did not choose, toiling for the masters. How many of us are there, how many still hold hope in their hearts? How can I help them? My eyes move down to my hands, one half melted the other covered in thick callouses. What can these hands do to help my people? I am so small, the problem so large.
My jaw flexes, this is not the time to lose hope, I am free for one purpose only. There is work to be done.
“Where do you take me?” I ask her, the focus beginning to fill me again.
“To appear before the Senate.”
Before I can ask anything else, I hear chiming coming from a comm panel near the cockpit. Then a voice begins to speak.
“Shuttle JL987-GH316 I have your moniker marked as…” There is a long pause before he speaks again, it almost sounds like he is trying not to laugh “The Horny Rat’s Nipple…” Another pause follows.
Fennec puts his hand to his head rubbing his temples, a look of frustration on his face.
“You said I have no class?” Lunara quips.
“It’s not like I had time to pick and choose a ship based on the name.” Fennec grumbles.
“There were hundreds of shuttles that would have accepted the command override chip I gave you.”
“Again, it’s not like…” he begins but pauses as the same voice speaks again.
“Ahem – JL987-GH316 this is Republic Space Command identifier TXCN99-3-48. The planet you are originating from has been designated a Category 3 zone, as such, per regulation SC56902-324 all ships must submit a flight plan and provide proper credentials. No flight plan from you has been received.”
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“Sekat.” Fennec says slamming the panel, having a small tantrum now “Sekat – Sekat – Sekat.”
“Relax Fennec, we can figure this out.” Lunara says, her voice does not exude confidence.
“JL987-GH316 I repeat no submitted flight plan from you has been received.”
Category 3 zone? The gears in my mind begin to turn as I look to Fennec and Lunara, whatever is happening I can tell from a glance, both of them are stressed.
“This is your fault.” Fennec says pointing to her “If you would have listened to me in the first place…”
“My fault?” she asks incredulously “Your friend is the reason we got shot down in the first place, if they hadn’t…”
“JL987-GH316 you appear to be having comm issues, an escort ship will be dispatched if you do not respond in a timely fashion.” The voice says.
Fennec and Lunara glare at each other, silence falls between them.
“JL987-GH316 escort ship enroute, hold vector.”
Fennec groans then takes a deep breath, the exhale slow as my people teach, helping him find the calm. He pushes a button on the display panel.
“Republic Space Command this is JL987-GH316, good copy, escort ship will be unnecessary. Flight plan will be provided shortly.” Fennec says.
His mannerisms when using the comms seem similar to the grumbling man, Betran the man whose death caused the loss of my limbs had said he was a former republic soldier. Is Fennec also a former soldier like the grumbling man? My jaw tenses at the thought, my mind pushes it away so I can focus.
“JL987-GH316, good copy, awaiting flight plan.” The voice replies.
Turning now to look at Lunara again he says “That bought us about five minutes.”
“We need to do a phantom jump.”
Fennec bursts into laughter. Lunara’s jaw clenches.
“I needed that, thank you.” Fennec chuckles, his smile begins to fade as he sees the seriousness etched across her face.
“Begin the preparations.” She says.
“This shuttle can barely make a regular jump, let alone one of those. What your requesting is literally madness. Suicide is not in my job description.” Fennec protests.
I don’t understand the terminology about jumping, I remember them speaking about a gate of some kind before. My mouth stays closed as my ears try to understand what is unfolding.
“I can do it, Kotina has done it many…” she begins.
“You – are – not – her!” Fennec yells, his eyes bulging “She’s a Knight Commander in one of the largest houses in the Republic, not to mention a high ranking Edict holder. She spends every waking moment training. Last I checked you were just a spoiled noble with limited training whose implants need a reboot, or did you forget?”
Knight Commander, Edict holder? They referred to the black box before as the Black Edict, what are these Edicts, how many of them are there, what is the purpose of them? My mind is spinning as the questions flood in. Lunara reaches her hand up to her temple, touching the metallic implant for a moment. There is frustration building on her face.
“I can do it.” She says resolutely “Even without my implants. I have trained for it, she personally trained me, or did you forget?”
“No, you can’t.” Fennec says, spinning around now to the holographic display of the main interface console “As always it will be up to me to unfrak this mess.”
“Insufferable…” Lunara says under her breath, now unclipping herself from the seat, she moves towards a side panel of the shuttle.
“Don’t you dare!” Fennec yells, trying to unclip himself, his broken arm getting in his way.
“I said I could do it.” Lunara says, gripping the edge of the panel with her hand, the metal bolts groan as she pries it off the wall, revealing a compartment with wires and blinking lights. Her strength again surprises me.
“This isn’t like the fancy shuttles your used to, it will take at least half a day to get to the Gate with it.”
There it is again, what is this gate they speak of?
“Who said we were taking this shuttle?” she asks holding up a small silver object no larger than her finger, the republics insignia stamped in red upon it. Tucking it back into her clothes, she begins pulling wires from where the panel once covered, reconnecting them to different nodes. The lights on the craft begin to flicker as she works.
“Fraggin hells.” Fennec curses, shaking his head, grabbing one of the wires from her hand “You don’t connect it to that on these types of shuttles, you’ll damage the main relay.”
She looks at him, a half grin forming on her face. He shakes his head, cursing quietly to himself as he helps her work.
Unclipping myself, I float behind them, using a hook on the roof to steady myself in zero gravity. Watching what they do carefully. I may not understand yet what the intent is, but an Ulima must always pay attention to all the details.
“No – No – No…” Fennec begins, then turning his head sideways his jaw flexes “Wait, you had that one right.”
“JL987-GH316 this is Republic Space Command, what is the status of your flight plan?” the voice says from the comms panel.
Fennec glides through the air towards it in the zero gravity, pressing the button quickly.
“Republic Space Command this is JL987-GH316, unable to comply, our shuttle is experiencing extreme mechanical failures. Requesting assistance.”
There is a pause, silence between Lunara and Fennec as they both look to the panel waiting for a response.
“JL987-GH316 this is Republic Space Command, escort is enroute, do not change vector.” The voice says.
Fennec clicks the comm off again, shaking his head.
“Bakna.” he says quietly in the old tongue, so quiet I almost missed it.
Its meaning is sometimes debated, depending on the inflection, but I believe his meaning was – The whispers of insanity.