Crossing borders into honoured but closed terrority will always remain tedious and humiliating. The pattern was set so long ago, the habits ingrained into flesh and inherited and it is seen as eternal. Trying to venture into the beloved lands and people of the Atrasi was easy, no powerful intergalactic states managed those lands, but in a remote patch of land grew the last tea in the galaxy. However, here close to a centre of power, and far from the periphery where at the margins the greatest of changes begin, was border patrol.

Two of them were wearing sunglasses with three lenses in a system of three stars. They both only had two eyes; fashion. They wore uniforms of drab blue with black plated vests that offered meagre protection. It was the ray guns strapped to their waists, the blasts of which caused instantaneous combustion that made them dangerous.

Point, shoot and "pew"; dead.

“Don’t see many space jellies anymore, what is the purpose of your entry into the Kanton system?”

Delanmyidis glowed a light red with flashes of blue, “Delivery of goods, you’ve seen the documentation and certification. Can I go now?” they said in the smooth voice emitted from their vocal transmitter.

“Just you wait here, don’t go being all impatient now. It makes you look even more suspicious.”

“We are just doing our jobs, no need to get all cranky, fish.”

Delanmyidis let out a deep, deep sigh that resonated with the experiences of many similar folks throughout time and space who experienced the workings of a technologically advanced social order.

“Sorry, ask away.”

Delanmyidis sat through the rest of the interrogation with an uneasy fake smile. They felt a pang for tea and biscuits but, out of their ship, they had no easy access to the comforts of their mobile home. It only enhanced their discomfort. A tense ripple through their bell.

When it was all over and they were back in the safety of home they sighed, “What a hassle over one space truck.”

Welcome back, Captain.

SF1 swam and danced with joy above the dashboard, their little turtle face lighting up with a wide smile.

Captain Delanmyidis had already begun to boil the water in the kettle, “It is good to be back.”

I have detected Bluey, we will cross paths as arranged.

As Delanmyidis picked out some biscuits onto a plate they replied, “I remember, I can’t wait to see Bluey again”

Should I engage?

Delanmyidis raised a tentacle, “Engage.”

The Cutty Sark, that hybrid ship of steel and plants, flew forth.

Delanmyidis snuggled with Admiral Fussypants as the ship cruised past the gate in the electric net and into the Kanton solar system towards Kanton itself. The Tenth Wonder of the Galaxy. The three-layered Waterworld of ten thousand floating cities, a million underwater civilisations and a billion space stations orbiting the planet.

However, on the other side, a familiar spaceship popped through a smuggler's gateway, and out of a ripped hole in the fabric of reality. It bore the white paint of Liberta.

Incoming video call.

Koda, his malicious intent was clear in his toothy grin. He glared, his dark red eyes looking like dried blood, “That tea will be mine and you, my dear Jellyfish shall be dinner!”

Captain Delanmyidis summoned his courage and glowed red, “You failed before, and history likes to repeat itself.”

He adjusted his pirate hat and flourished his laser cutlass. For a brief, tense moment everyone waited on Koda’s next word… He buckled with derisive laughter, a scornful chuckle and the crew of the Liberta joined in with contemptuous glee.

“Was that the fabled Hanarathian Poetry? It doesn’t even rhyme. Haha.”

Delanmyidis’ tentacles shook with embarrassment and fury, “The poetic structure doesn’t carry over to speech, but I will have you know that the galaxy is lesser for its lack of understanding of Hanarthian poetry.” said Delanmyidis with an air of pretentious superiority.

Koda sipped at a glass of wine and smiled with an eerie calm but then he shouted with bared teeth, “No one cares about your stupid words, all that matters is steel and the will to dominate. Are you listening?”

Delanmyidis gulped, they were at the mercy of this pirate who had none, “Yes.”

Koda tapped the glass in their hand and peered into the depth of the red liquid, “I want you to understand how seriously I am taking this exchange. But first, can you tell me your name?”

“You already know it.”

Koda's eyes flashed up to meet Delanmyidis’, “I want to hear it from you.”

“I am Captain of the Cutty Sark, my name is Delanmyidis. I am a wizard educated at the Silver Tower schooled in the ways of a now dead dimension of Icarius. After I was exiled for my refusal to participate in their petty arguments I have been a trader and at times a smuggler of goods; in sum, I am a trucker, just another worker among trillions.”

“Thank you.” Koda then raised their right arm and crooked a single finger forwards.

A second ship, of far greater size; a Dreadnought sailed out from the dark side of a moon and next to the Liberta. It bore the name - Essex.

Koda gently placed the glass of wine on the table, “Hand over the cargo of tea, or truly you will die, as will your friends. For I know their names and when you are gone they will soon follow. The arm of Koda is long.”

Captain, Bluey approaches...

I have to confess to you, dear reader, that I lied to you. Before the Essex didn’t actually sail out from the dark side of a moon but rather from the dark side of a Space Blue Whale. The friendly Whale that now said the following…

“Hello, my name is Bluely the Blue Whale from Bluestown. It is a good joke to tell your friends, Bluely the Blue Whale from Bluestown but there is no connection. My age is two thousand, two hundred and twenty-two. I work as a vidtube editor and my hobbies are Hanarathian poetry and travelling to new places. It is nice to meet you.”

The Captain of the Essex, too irrelevant to be described, shouted, “Take it down!”

Koda started at Bluey with wide eyes and a slack jaw, “You fools, disengage now!” Commanded Koda the pitch of his tone rising in panic.

Bluely asked with a large smile bigger than most continents, “Are we playing tig? I’m so happy, it is my favourite game!”

Bluey flicked their tail down, now sadly for them they missed, but the force of the flick alone was enough to sunder the Essex in two.

Emergency protocols protected the Essex’s crew long enough for them to escape on shuttles. However, the Essex was destroyed.

The Cutty Sark and the Liberta shook from the shock of Bluey’s playful tig.

Delanmyidis, having expected the tig as soon as Bluey spoke, raised all of their tentacles and held themselves and Admiral Fussypants with the might of their magic. They strained and stood their ground.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Thankfully, for Delanmyidis who collapsed onto their chair, the shockwave was brief. Gee golly, I hate when bluey does that.

Koda over the video camera and his crew looked worse for wear but there seemed to be no major injuries. There wasn’t. It was by a mix of ship design and sheer luck.

After a deep breath, Delanmyidis raised themselves up, “Give up, Koda and let us pass in peace.”

Koda snarled, “Fighters, distract the beast and send out the Giant Army Ants to cripple the ship. I’m getting that tea.”

In a flurry of activity half a dozen fighters swarmed Bluey. Then a legion of Giant Army Ant Robots fired onto the Cutty Sark.

Bluey played with the fighters having fun with a dangerous game of tag. If one flipper got too close the pilot would be a goner. Luckily for them, Bluey is a friendly whale who wanted to have fun with all his new friends.

Fighter One, “Stay on target!”

“I’m coming to get you, I see you, there is no escape, friend. I’m going to win,” said Bluey in a sing-song voice.

“Please, tell my family I loved them.”

Bluey tagged the fighter.

The ship spun wildly out of control but at the last second, the pilot ejected out of an emergency shuttle. The fighter ship shattered into a million pieces.

The other fighters shook, one of them sustaining critical damage as the force of ten thousand nuclear detentions tagged a ship miles away in space.

In the internal communication between the fighters went as follows,

Fighter Two called out, “Pray to Caesar, for there is no deliverance in our fallen world.”

Fighter Three sobbed, “I don’t want to die.”

Fighter Four elucidated, “Beg for forgiveness, for this is retribution for our forbidden acts.”

Fighter Five shouted, “Quiet! We will go down in legend, no Cherán shall ever forget the fighters of the Liberta and their brave charge against the Blue Demon. Face the end with courage!”

“Courage!” the Fighter Cheráns cried as one.

Unaware of his new friends’ distress, Bluey laughed and it was like watching a planet split apart and at the same time gazing into a fathomless abyss, “What fun! Who’s next?”

As the Liberta launched the Giant Army Ant Raiders …

Admiral Fussypants leapt into their Mecha Suit, a towering steel giant of sophisticated electronics, from a simple square box is transformed into a Giant Cat Robot.

As readers know, snitches get stitches but I will admit the Admiral did not have a licence to operate a Combat Mecha Suit. However, he was fully trained at a young age as the Third Knight of Vespiera. It is just that Cats do not care about bureaucracy and form filling, it takes away from time spent sleeping and snuggling.

Now that is cleared up I am happy to report that the Giant Ant Robots did not stand a chance. The Admiral with a metal ball of yarn smashed through them like a wrecking ball, in tune with a flail of old that crushing weapon broke through a Knight’s armour, well in a different time of a different space a metal ball of yarn crushed in a similar fashion.

The raiding unit was swiftly routed.

Koda slammed a fish against the table. The wine glass was crushed and red liquid splattered across his face, “No!”

Delanmyidis’ clear blue eyes gleamed with confidence, “It is over, you cannot win. I was ready for your coming, Cacques warned me.”

Koda snarled and replied with a deep throaty growl, “Damn it, every time she interferes.”

You did it, Captain. We have them cornered.

SF1, sadly, was wrong. An AI couldn’t have grasped the depth of malice in the Cherán’s body and mind: a trait shared by their human cousins.

Koda drew and pointed his cutlass forwards, “Fire on the Cutty Sark!”

Delanmyidis sighed but nodded. I suspected not even Bluey couldn’t make this one falter. Delanmyidis, though they would never agree with Koda, could respect such determination and at its origin his hatred.

Delanmyidis raised their tentacles in the air. Across every inch of their flesh played a musical of splendid shines where the colours were more vibrant and varied than a rainbow. A symphony of scintillation. A silent song played and for a brief dance of magic, would not go unsung.

The pink jellyfish in space reached out with a luminous touch to their friend Bluey and together they shared an incandescent breath and a glowing gaze made up of radiant sparkling light.

Bluey seeing the marvellous poetry glowed in a platonic duet of lovers. Together they made starlight.

Out in the darkness of space between the two ships, they produced a brilliant flash of light akin to the light of Blue Giant Star.

Delanmyidis revealed themselves to be a true master of light, though none were left alive who could truly understand the excellence of Delanmyidis’ magic; the last light.

The targeting system on the Liberta went haywire and the shots fired widely past the Cutty Sark.

All were too dazed to see but over the video call Delanmyidis heard,

“How?”

“Perhaps, we should retreat, Captain Koda?”

“Retreat? No, never.”

“What are your orders, Captain?”

“Ram them!”

Delanmyidis flushed red, “Get us out of here, SF1!”

Resuming course.

“Full speed!”

Aye, aye, Captain!

The Cutty Sark blasted forward, with a burst of speed. It was a heavy, old ship that was filled with precious cargo and equipment. However, the Cutty Sark had secrets from another age of spaceship construction and one of them was that it is a bit faster than modern freighters.

Delanmyidis raised some old friends, “Beak, are you there?”

“Do you know how late it is D?”

“No, and I don’t have time, can you raise me some map data at my location. I need the quickest route to Kanton. Can you do that?”

“Is everything okay?”

Delanmyidis answered their tentacles trembling with anxiety, “No, the map data, now please.”

“Give me a sec… okay… wait is that the Liberta on your… I see... Map data coming in three…two… one. There.”

Map data received, recalculating journey. Estimated time saved 0.03 seconds.

“Thanks, my friend.”

“Call me when it is over.”

“Of course, goodbye, for now.”

Call ended. Calling Bling…

“Hello, Bling?”

“Hello, Delanmyidis. Oh, am I glad that you can speak now, what a bother…”

“I don’t have the time. Sorry, pirates are on my tail, and I need anything you can send that could help.”

“Oh, dear … give me a minute, I’ve got just the thing. Give me a few minutes.”

Shortcut ahead.

Delanmyidis created a burst of light. The yellow orb flashed with blinding light.

Entering shortcut. The Liberta does not seem to be following behind.

Delanmyidis gripped the safety bars, and the Admiral dug all their claws deep into an innocent vine, “Keep going!”

Delanmyidis couldn’t believe that any organic mind could make the calculations and have the reflexes to fly through this course. Right through the inside of a planet, flying down an active volcano and into the planet’s core. Then right out the other side of the planet through a network of near impossible connections.

“Okay, I’ve got it. Sending you the engine mod now, dear.”

A brief gate tore open the bindings of reality and out popped a thick tube of metal. It rattled on the floor.

Admiral Fussypants scooped it up and dashed away.

“It will give you a quick burst of speed. Time it well, lovely. Oh, Vicky is calling, I’m off to ma date. Bye!”

Modification integrated. Estimated time saved 1.33 seconds.

Delanmyidis whooped and raised their arms and tentacles in celebration, “Good work.”

Shortcut completed. Liberta sighted off port bow.

Delanmyidis leaned forward and desperately threw out another ball of blinding brilliant light, “We can make it!”

Kanton’s outer space perimeter ahead. Automatic defence systems prevent ship to ship combat. We can make it.

Neck and neck the Cutty Sark and Liberta raced, the latter narrowed the distance. It chased at a right angle ready to ram through the Cutty Sark’s starboard side.

Nearly there.

Delanmyidis shook, sick with anxiety they squeezed themselves into a ball of nerves, “It won’t ram us in time, right? If we use the Bling’s boost now we will be safe. Yes, do it now!”

The Liberta will ram in time. Conclusion the Captain’s orders are denied. Logic and protocol demand that I preserve the Captain’s life.

Seconds later, as if they were prophet, SF1's prediction came true.

The Liberta exploded forwards. But by a margin of 0.01 seconds, the Cutty Sark raced past. The pirates failed to ram the freighter and split it in two.

Moments later, the Cutty Sark passed the invisible but potentially lethal outer perimeter border of Kanton.

Delanmyidis flopped and sank like a mop soaked in their own sweat.

Before they collapsed in nervous exhaustion they rose up, blowing wide with pride and declared,

“Koda, do not attack me ever again. I have friends and skills you can only imagine. You will be beaten every time. I will not be bullied. Do you understand me?”

Koda’s head bowed low and he cut off the video call.

Delanmyidis sipped on a cup of tea and picked up a biscuit

Well done, Captain. Another successful delivery.

Captain Delanmyidis smiled.

The tea was delivered to the Waterworld of Kanton. Delanmyidis returned home and off on another adventure.