Renegade

Renegade Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Surrounded by the remnants of the hearty meal they had just consumed, Kokona, Gabriel, Dacia, and Aria all leaned back in their seats and relaxed. Gabriel burped, and everyone else laughed, including Dacia. She had quickly been accepted into the group.

"Now, onto business," Kokona declared.

Aria got right to the point. "I need a pilot."

"Oh? I saw your ship as it came in. Is your cousin Dacia not good enough for whatever you need a pilot for?"

For the third time that day, Aria explained what she had learned about Rex. The reactions of Gabriel and Kokona ranged from skepticism, to shock, and finally to determination to help their friend. Dacia kept eating dessert, having heard all of this before, only nodding when necessary.

"I will help you, Aria," Kokona assured her friend. "But if we really do pull this off, I get the highest award possible. And redo the paint job on your ship. Blue and grey is not tres chic."

Gabriel was confused as to why he was needed. "So I understand why you need Ko, but why do you need my help?" he asked.

"Well, you don't necessarily need to come on the ship, but when we get back with Rex and Nathan," Aria would not say if. They had to succeed. "They'll need to be taken care of medically. And you are the best doctor that I know of."

"Okay then," he said, and then thought for a moment. "Well, I am making a conjecture that the journey will take two or three days using the FTL drive, and that Rex, because he has been there for the longest, will be in rather serious condition. I had better come along. Do you have a medical bay on your ship?"

Aria felt a sense of relief, but also a sense of foreboding. "Yes, I do," she replied, shaking the feeling away. "It has four beds and is equipped with the most common medicines and basic equipment."

They all stood to leave, as Aria addressed both of the siblings, "Do what you need to do to prepare to leave. Dacia and I will meet you at the Guiding Star."

***

Everyone was assembled in the Guiding Star. Once Kokona and Gabriel had let people know that they were leaving for a while and locked up their respective businesses and boarded the Guiding Star, Aria decided to call a meeting in the small conference area on the ship.

Caleb, James, and the rest of her guards were sitting on the left side of the table. Hannes and Nils were wary of the new people, but tried to be welcoming because Aria said so. Gabriel sat in between his sister and Dacia on the other side of the table. The silence was rather awkward until Aria sat down at the head of the table.

"Introductions will have to be made later," she said. "We cannot waste anymore time. I thank you all very much for agreeing to help me rescue Rex and my brother. Right now our plan is to fly to Hallion and land somewhere close to the R'Nari base where the ship will be safe."

A holographic map of the Milky Way galaxy showed up in the middle of the table with the route they were going to take highlighted.

"Une minute," Kokona broke in. Her finger was pointing to a spot on the highlighted area of the map. "This nebula, here. The map says there is a listening post that belongs to the aliens in that spot. We would be discovered."

"Then what do you suggest?" Hannes blurted.

"Seeing as I am going to be the pilot of this ship, I suggest we modify the route to go around the nebula this way," Kokona informed the group, tracing the way she was suggesting with her finger. "That way we avoid all contact with the R'Nari until absolutely necessary."

Bellamy spoke up this time. "But that way will take us through an asteroid belt!"

"Do you doubt my skill as a pilot?" snapped Kokona.

Aria breathed to calm her rising temper. She shouldn't have expected everyone to get along right away. "I trust Kokona's skills and judgement," she said. "Now when we get to Hallion, I believe it would be wise to send out a scouting party to nail down the location of the camp and get a feel for the area."

No one raised any objections to this.

"Who's gonna be on that team?" Caleb asked.

"I volunteer to lead it. Stealth and observation is my speciality," Dacia offered.

Aria conceded that point. "Okay then. Three would be the ideal number. Should we draw straws, or will there be two more volunteers?"

All of her guards raised their hands.

"Aria? Since there are too many volunteers, can I pick which ones I want to come with me?" Dacia inquired.

"Of course, cousin."

Dacia decided the two she wanted quickly. "Petro and James," she said.

Aria spoke again. "Well, that is about all that I wanted to talk to everyone about. Kokona, we are ready to leave."

***

After the meeting was over, the group broke apart and went about their separate business. In fifteen minutes, Kokona had read the operator's manual for the Guiding Star from front to back and was now sitting in her pilot's chair making sure all of the gauges were in the right place and indicator light were lit in the correct order for take off. Dacia had made her first communication back to Aria's father.

While Caleb and James were teaching the other four guards how to operate the weapons systems, Gabriel inspected the medical bay and was impressed.

Finally, Kokona called out over the ship's intercom, "This is your pilot speaking. Take-off will happen in one minute. I highly suggest that everyone find a seat and hold on tight. Hold onto your hats, ladies and not-ladies, this is going to get bumpy!"