The junior officer Pariqhamtu strode up to him then. ‘Captain Qharham orders you to fly… if you can.’

‘I’m completing preparations.’ Jupiter continued his check of all the rigging.

‘Maggs. Can you look over of the new rudder vanes? See if I missed something.’

‘This is more than crazy Jupiter. One person can’t make a difference against all this. And crazy is not going to get us home.’

‘So you don’t believe the rebels…’

‘I believe you going off in this slapdash sailing thing is beyond crazy. It’s irresponsible. You’re not even old enough to drive a car, yet you think one person can be effective…’

‘I can make a difference…’

‘You’ll get killed for no reason. This still seems like a dream sometimes, but it would be madness to think this is not real, as real as anything else in our lives. And you can really get killed and it would not make a difference. Stay safe here. Don’t put your neck out, however worthy the rebels cause.’

Jupiter hung his head. Maggie sounded like his mother. He very well remembered how she had always stepped away from anything that challenged her easy life. She had stopped him from taking chances.

‘I want to make a difference. I want to help…’

‘You’ll die, and I’ll never get home. Don’t you want to help me?’

‘Vam’lama Upariqami. I am ordered to join you.’ Pariqhamtu stood tall and faced Jupiter directly.

Jupiter remembered the last time he had been called that, byt Officer Rainbow — Vishvasalana — Dahk… or whatever. The secret rebel amongst the Imperial fleet had called him that.

‘Oh great.’

Jupiter could see uncertainty in Pariqhamtu’s aura. He wondered how long it took for manisaurs to fully master the aura or if they always wore their feelings on their face.

‘I don’t want an inexperienced manisaur I have to look after.’

Jupiter frowned. He did not like ordering people about, but nor did he want anyone on his outrigger unless absolutely necessary.

‘I need you to stay on the skyship,’ he said.

‘I don’t like it either.’ Pariqhamtu stared at The Jupiter.

‘You will only second-guess me all the time,’ said Jupiter.

I don’t want to put anyone in danger… don’t want a crew at all do I? Except…

‘See,’ Maggie said. ‘Even the manisaur’s think this is crazy.’

‘Maggs. Come with me.’

’No. Not this time,’ Maggie said. ‘You’re throwing away everything. One person like you will never make a difference in the world. You’ll just die.’ Maggie stormed off.

Pariqhamtu’s aura flashed uncertainty. ‘I’m not ready to die in some human lash-up that defies all known rules of nature. But I have orders…’

‘Yeah… well… I guess it wouldn’t help if I told you I don’t know how it works either.’ Jupiter gave a wry grin to cover his uncertainty.

‘You humans are…’ Pariqhamtu swore with a colorful burst from her aura.

‘Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.’ Jupiter laughed, but in the pit of his guts he hurt from Maggie’s stinging refusal to join him.

‘Crazy.’ Pariqhamtu’s aura flashed chaos and Jupiter had to grin.

‘Yeah. It’s a bit like that… but don’t make a song and dance about it. That’s something we can do when we’re back on deck safely.’

Tamm returned with a breathing helmet. He also wore new webbing in the style of the rebels.

Jupiter sobered. Maggie’s word cut him. And Pariqhamtu only joining him because she had been ordered did not help. He sighed and rechecked the rudder vanes. To fly off with so little testing was… an act on the scale of crazy.

‘Okay. Perhaps off the scale. But who dares wins…’ Jupiter’s conscience whispered another way to complete that saying but he shoved the thought away. ‘I don’t suppose I can order you to stay on the skyship Tamm?’

‘No sir. Or rather you can order me, but I will ignore you.’

‘And here I thought that sejrat’sha were loyal to their naraqhami.’ Jupiter held his hand up to stop the reply. ‘It’s okay. I’m glad to have you aboard. You can keep Pariqhamtu here in her place.’

Jupiter realized something had changed in Tamm’s attitude but…

‘I do not…’ Pariqhamtu spluttered.

A missile alarm went up and drowned out both his thoughts and Pariqhamtu’s reply. The screech of its passing wracked the air with pain, and Jupiter wondered at the reason for the sound, intentional or not. The missile passed without hitting anything — inducing fear it’s only success. It arced away down towards the water far below.

When had the storm passed?

Only whitecaps and huge ocean rollers remained of the storm, but he guessed the wind still pushed them away from their destination at a fast clip.

Breeze landed on his chest and Jupiter staggered, and might have fallen if Tamm had not steadied him.

‘The imp has unlucky timing,’ Tamm said, and Jupiter read almost a sense of jealousy in Tamm’s aura. ‘But you can not control them, so there is no point in complaining.’ He did however tug at Breeze in an effort to dislodge the imp.

‘Tamm. It’s okay. Leave him.’ Jupiter gave Breeze a squeeze. ‘Nice to see you too fella. Now where is that gem?’

Breeze dropped to the deck and opened his hand. Inside lay a small sliver of green, not the full-sized gem needed for ship’s flight.

‘Ah. I wanted you to bring a bigger one. Didn’t Maggs say?’

‘There is no point in talking to imps,’ Pariqhamtu said.

‘They are Aramqhami — agents of fate and so do as they wish,’ said Tamm.

Pariqhamtu regarded Breeze with less than friendly eyes. ’So what can you do but accept their presence? Unwelcome as it might be.’

Jupiter turned to face Tamm and Pariqhamtu then. To him Breeze had proved to be a friend, and ally. Someone he could trust and who trusted him in turn. And, despite the chaos that surrounded him, a special bond had grown between Breeze and Jupiter. The manisaurs could not see it though. Jupiter understood how the ‘agent-of-fate’ name had come to be applied to imps. But in Breeze it became something more.

‘Fun… Secret… Surprise…’ Breeze chattered. He pulled at Jupiter, trying to bring him closer to him. The Imp held out the sliver once more, then tugged at the chord that held Jupiter’s sailing spanner, and the bag with the taniwha pounamu carving and the feather talisman - now looking the worst for wear.

Jupiter laughed. ‘Okay Breeze. Have it your way. But I wanted bigger gems.’ Jupiter took the sliver of zharaqsa and saw a small hole drilled in one end of the leaf shaped gem. In appearance it seemed almost like a strange piece of pounamu greenstone, except translucent with random facets. He tied it onto the cord next to the taniwha. The shape of the tooth from the creature out of Māori myth seemed to interlock with the gem, as if they fitted.

Breeze held out a larger gem. He had done as requested, but sonly after Jupiter had done what the imp wanted first. Perhaps agent-of-fate fit the imps well after all. Now there were more gems to hand than he intended. He handed it to Pariqhamtu who held them up to the light like a piece of fruit as if to determine how good it might be.

‘If you have zharaqsa why not give them all to the Captain?’ Pariqhamtu stepped close to Jupiter as if to challenge him. Tamm shouldered his way between.

‘Tamm, it’s okay.’ Jupiter took the gem. ‘Pariqhamtu. This is for our friend Gan.’ He pointed off to the skyship trailing high above the attackers. ‘He’ll need it. As to the other gems. They’re ours to give as we see fit.’

Jupiter eyed Pariqhamtu as he tucked the gem into his wetsuit where it bulged at his waist. He remained determined to have the junior officer obey him if she when on The Jupiter. Now would be a good time for her to learn that lesson.

‘Tamm. Get the Jupiter over the side please. We must be ready for flight.’

‘You would aid the Imperial Navy, by withholding zharaqsa?’ Pariqhamtu spoke in a braver manner now Tamm had stepped away to get the crew lifting the Jupiter. ‘You would help the enemy, if it would get you home?’

Jupiter laughed. ‘You do have a suspicious mind Pariqhamtu. I think it is safe to say we want you to win. The navy wants the gems just to stop you rebels. They would be happy if they were lost or destroyed. But for Captain Qharham, and Tharumiyo, and you… these gems enable the rebellion. You need them, They are a lot more valuable to you. Aren’t they?’

Pariqhamtu eyed him with frustration in her aura.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

‘You don’t need to say anything.’ Jupiter grinned at her. ‘Trust that we’re on your side.’

Tamm returned along with a crew of running sailors.

‘Vanathkara Pariqhamtu, why does the sejrat’sha do your work?’ A senior officer with the sailors flashed his aura at Pariqhamtu with impatience. He directed the crew to sling Jupiter in ropes.

‘My bidding?’ Pariqhamtu said lowering her head as if to hood her aura. ‘The turned-blade follows my orders. Is that not so Jupiter?’

‘Sure.’ Jupiter figured she could do with a bit of support, some face even. And these bullying officers could do with being put in their place. ‘Pariqhamtu is my right hand, so it is correct she orders my sejrat’sha to do what is needed.’

Jupiter turned the tiller and steering vanes rotated. He grinned wider when The Jupiter responded to the helm. ‘Ask Maggie to get one gem to Captain Qharham, so Karakatun has the best chance.’ Jupiter said.

Breeze took up his usual position behind the kheel. Tamm and Pariqhamtu he ordered each side of the mast, where they hunkered down in the hull.

‘Maggie has another gem close and in reserve in case there is problem with the first. And the rest secret. She’ll give no hint of where they are, or how many.’

‘She trusts the rebels so little,’ Pariqhamtu said.

‘She trusts no one,’ Jupiter said. ‘Not even me it seems. I can’t believe she abandoned me. I really do believe I can make a difference with you, and Tamm, and Breeze to help.’

‘But that imp is an agent of fate more than…’

Breeze spun up the kheel, and Jupiter felt the movement of the outrigger change as the craft became more alive.

‘We will see.’ Pariqhamtu eyed Breeze then directed her attention to the approaching enemy. She took hold of the leading edge of the platform and grabbed a hold with both hand, her feet gripped tight too.

The cords of the sling grew slack, and a pair of skyship crew released the ropes from The Jupiter’s hull. He shifted his weight towards the kheel, the pitch of the outrigger altered, and craft slipped forward through the air. Jupiter pulled the tiller towards him and the rudder vanes turned the craft away from the wind. The sail snapped then filled with wind. Then, in a fluid flash of motion, they shot down and away from the Karakatun.

Towards the enemy skyships.

As The Jupiter angled away from the Karakatun another missile wailed through the sky and clipped the starboard foremast. The maintop spar fell, along with sails and rigging. The desperate topsail sailors swung on ropes to escape and Jupiter shuddered to think of the hurt inflicted on the crew. He kept his eyes up not wanting to see if anyone had fallen.

Big as the Karakatun bulked, the navy vanziyaq skyships bulked much bigger. He had not appreciated their bulk when they had floated high over the Vanukam docks, now with all sails spread they loomed large. Their nine masts swarmed with crew who adjusted the sails to eke out an advantage from the wind.

But they were also more distant than he had realized. Two hundred meters at least, but still their missiles swung and looped towards the Karakatun with deadly intent.

Little notice seemed to have been taken of The Jupiter. The outrigger would be a gnat in the deep blue sky compared to the skyships. But good fortune and luck meant they might be ignored longer still. Jupiter’s gut wrenched with fear at what he faced, and the blur world he flew through. Sailing the outrigger, here, high in the air, seemed madness piled upon lunacy. Being shot at would make little difference to the risk the outrigger now took.

The other times The Jupiter had flown free in the air the outrigger had been close to the water, or higher for mere seconds of adrenalin powered bravado. But now? He glanced towards the water once more.

The blue-green sea stretched an unknowable distance below, and impossible to gauge the size of the waves. They could be ripples upon a pond, or mountainous storm waves, the height allowed no size reference. He had no intention of getting low enough to find out — they had to sail at the height of the battling skyships.

Jupiter took a deep breath, filled his lungs – but the air felt thin and insubstantial.

His helmet lay close at hand, tied to the hull in case of need. The wind whipped cold in his face and he was glad of his wetsuit and boots, now a little torn and ragged, but they kept him warm. His head though — his now long hair streamed away from his face to whip back and forth in the wind. He had been on Eoth long enough for it to grow out more than he usually let it.

Tears watered his eyes — but from the wind he assured himself — he blamed the wind.

He took another deep breath determined to steady his thoughts, and slow he racing heart. ‘Don’t look down. You can do this.’ He caught Breeze’s eye and he could see reflected there the same feeling of determination, of fear.

‘Well Aramqhami,’ Jupiter called out to the imp. ‘Agent of fate or not… let’s get this thing really flying!’

Breeze spun up the kheel faster until his hands and the wicker casing were both blurs.

‘Whoohoo!’ Jupiter gave a whoop and aimed in a broad reach across a wind that changed direction towards the front of the outrigger the faster they flew. They shot forward, outracing even the air itself.

Jupiter scanned across the sail, to the wind indicator, and the for Gan’s ship. It lay well behind the battle and much lower.

‘Hold on.’ Jupiter shifted his weight close to the kheel and Breeze let the kheel spin free to reduce some buoyancy. The outrigger angled down and they fell in a swoop, the sail taunt and tight, as it powered them forward and closer to the chasing skyship.

Tamm and Pariqhamtu huddled next to the mast, their heads down, and Jupiter heard them chant and murmur. A prayer?

‘Hooo eeee,’ Jupiter screamed in defiance of the fear and danger. The manisaurs locked eyes on their captain. He grinned at their startled faces. Breeze chortled in glee and slowed the kheel a little more until Jupiter felt his stomach bounce into his lungs as they dropped

‘Now Breeze. Spin her up.’ Jupiter leaned right out the back of the stern to twist the nose up towards the deepest blue of the sky. The rudder vane hummed with the flow of air as they zoomed forward at a speed Jupiter could not guess at — but Gan’s skyship rushed towards them at a surprising clip. They climbed towards the trailing vanziyaq, as he scanned for any sign of the Upariqami red star. Seen once, but had he been mistaken? No sign of it showed now.

‘Tamm. Can you recognize which this skyfort is?’

But Pariqhamtu replied instead, and she seemed glad to have something to do. ‘An Imperial Navy vanziyaq, of lumaviq class. But there are not nearly enough crew aboard. For this I have doubts regarding its allegiance.’

‘Sounds like it might be Gan.’ The Jupiter passed from bow to stern on the starboard side of the lumaviq class skyship. ‘Lumaviq — Enlightened One. How appropriate for a warship.’

Jupiter flicked his eyes over the crew, he recognized none, but why should he? No one took any threatening action against them though, so he angled The Jupiter up in a swoop until their rise slowed. At the top he tacked and took a run along the skyship’s starboard side once more. A slower pace now as they flew in the same direction. Jupiter spilled wind from the sail while he weaved back and forth, closer and further away, testing The Jupiter’s maneuverability in case they needed to swoop away.

As he passed the command bridge he spied a tall bulky manisaur at the railing.

‘Gan!’

Breeze agreed. The imp gave a huge spin on the kheel and then bounced up and down making fart noises. ‘Ang!’

Jupiter laughed as he heard the Thaluk word ‘Ang’ from the imp’s lips.

The vanziyaq’s crew set up a chorus of hoots and cheers. Gan stood on the railing as if to launch himself at them in mock anger.

Jupiter tacked the outrigger about in a loop for another pass. Breeze spun the kheel frantic to keep them level. The Jupiter slowed to match the speed of the huge skyship.

Jupiter had never landed before. At least not on anything solid. And not on another flying skyship that was for sure. Fear choked him at first, but he found enough breath to instruct Tamm and Pariqhamtu to stay still or keep movement slow to keep The Jupiter balanced. Without forward movement the hull might easily rotate around the kheel and spill them all out. He thought then that it would have been a good idea to have harnesses.

‘Too late now.’

The Jupiter bumped against the vanziyaq, and the skyships’ crew scrambled to grab a hold on the wooden outrigger platform. Now stationary and drawn up alongside, The sailors tied ropes fore and aft to cleats.

Jupiter glanced down. Below the maze of ropes and spars of the lower masts seemed like a net that might catch them if they fell, but would also slice them like cheese.

More ropes looped around the base of The Jupiter’s mast were led up to a spar high in the rigging above. Jupiter signaled Breeze to slow the spin of the kheel to a stop. His hands and arms shivered upon the tiller as adrenalin spun through his body until The Jupiter settled under gravity again like any sensible object should. The Jupiter sat secure against the skyship’s hull.

Jupiter could not quite relax and took no time in joining Gan on deck. Tamm and Pariqhamtu climbed off as Breeze hooted to express the relief they all felt as he bounced from outrigger to deck.

‘Where did you come from? Escape from the navy?…’ Gan clapped the small human on the shoulder while looking sidelong at his companions.

‘No from Red-Back…’ Jupiter grinned. ‘You recognize Pariqhamtu Perhaps?’

‘Pariqhamtu… Pariqhamtu…’ Gan eyed the young manisaur. ‘Yes. I believe I do… How is it cousin, that the Rebels let this fool human toss you about the air in such an unnatural way?’

‘Elder cousin,’ Pariqhamtu bowed low. ‘The Karakatun values my life so little I think they believed it no great risk.’

‘That is indeed the probable explanation, Pari-pari. Though it would be a blow to whanau — our family — to lose such a fine young warrior.’

‘Oh boy,’ groaned Jupiter. ‘I might have known you two were related.’

Breeze bobbed up and down. ‘Quick… Fight… Take Flight…’

Battle noise recalled Jupiter’s attention and he refocussed. ‘Uh. If we want to help the rebellion, then we had better make a plan.’

‘Plans? You want plans now?’ Gan huffed and his feather-fur plumped out. ‘Fight. And die.’

‘Let’s get something better going.’ Jupiter stood tall himself and stared the manisaur in the aura. ‘Why are you flying so low and slow?’

‘The zharaqsa catalyst gem we stole had not been fully lit…’

‘Lit?’ Jupiter stared at Gan unsure if he understood it right. The manisaur’s aura seemed calm and serious, but even now the connexion sometimes messed with the translation sense.

‘It must not have been in the flight-works long enough.’ Gan’s aura deepened to frustration.

‘Well then.’ Jupiter pulled out the zharaqsa gem from his wetsuit. ‘I figured something might go wrong with the first, so I brought another.’

‘This is very good,’ Gan’s aura flashed with pleasure. ‘Young human you are a prince.’ He took the gem and passed it to one of his people. ‘Now if you could have brought more crew… We are very undermanned. I have just fifty crew where I need two hundred.’

‘You can have Tamm. He is a good officer you can trust. And this worthless one… I do not care either way.’ Jupiter grinned as he watched ‘Pari-pari’ from the corner of his eye. Her feather-fur rose as her quick to anger temper got the better of her.

Gan’s aura flashed amusement. ‘He knows you well enough, young cousin, to echo your own words back to you. However I would value you on my crew.’

Jupiter turned to Pariqhamtu. ‘On second thoughts. I think it would be good for you to remain with me. You know how unreliable imps can be.’ Breeze piped a squawk and jumped on Jupiter’s shoulders where he pounded on his head.

‘No, no… it’s okay.’ Jupiter laughed. The crew were about to knock the imp off. ‘He’s just playing… I think.’

Gan took hold of Jupiter’s shoulders. ‘Imps are dangerous, no one can control them, or tell them what to do. It is a wonder that it understood you enough to take offense. I have never seen the like before.’

Breeze had now jumped back onto The Jupiter and pulled at the restraining ropes as if keen to get off and into action once more.

‘The plan? We need to attack the chasing navy skyships. Do they suspect you to be rebels?’

‘No. I think they believe we are damaged from the storm, but remain loyal. They would not believe a lumaviq class skyfort could fall to we rebels.’

‘Okay then. Pariqhamtu… Pari-pari…’ Jupiter turned to the young manisaur.

Gan held his hand up. ‘But taking in you and your imp infested flyer might have tipped them off somehow…’ Gan’s aura flashed determination to take action.

‘There is that.’ Jupiter paused. ‘Pari-pari… I need you to set up a way to communicate with Gan, and with Maggie on the Karakatun. So we can coordinate our moves. Gan, you have rope? And a store of missiles?’

Jupiter, Pariqhamtu, and Gan spent a few minutes discussing the best way to attack the navy in support of the Karakatun. Breeze seemed to listen, but all the while spun at the kheel with impatience. Jupiter knew he wanted to get away again.

A screeching cry went up. The vanziyaq shuddered, and for one heartbeat fell in a gut wrenching drop, the masts swayed and creaked. The crew grabbed for support, but the sharp fall ended in a heartbeat.

‘The zharaqsa is replaced,’ Gan said. ‘Now let’s see what we can do with this skyfort.’

By the time The Jupiter slipped away from the vanziyaq, Pariqhamtu had a signaling panel in her hand, and began to fix it to the outrigger’s hull.

A series of ropes now trailed from The Jupiter, or were coiled on deck next to Pariqhamtu. Many more hung below Gan’s lumaviq skyfort. The pirate crew had done this before. Which was lucky, because Jupiter had just the vaguest notion — from watching Karakatun on the receiving end of missile attacks. Taking it to the enemy would be satisfying indeed.