Deep Space Endeavor (22 page)

“I was wondering if you were going to come in or if I was going to have to hunt you down and stun you,” Suzy began. “High marks for actually admitting that you’re hurt this time.”

Jesse smiled as said, “What good would it be having the best doctor in two galaxies if you don’t go to see her when you should?”

“
Colonel Marcos,” SAMMI began. “You cannot possibly have all of the data necessary to draw the conclusion that Dr. Baker is the best doctor in two galaxies.”

“I wouldn’t let Suzy hear you say that,” Jesse countered playfully.

“But, Colonel Marcos,” SAMMI replied, not understanding the humor, “I believe Dr Baker is standing right next to you, and would have therefore heard my previous statement.”

“I heard it, SAMMI,” Suzy chime
d in. “That’ll be all for now. Med-bay out.”

Jesse removed his shirt and
Suzy began to examine his side, he called over to Cassie and asked, “How are you feeling, Cassie? I heard you got a little bit fried.”

She
slowly sat up and replied, “I’ll be okay, although I’m fairly certain that I would still be hanging there if Kimi didn’t need a second set of hands to retrieve the artifact.”

Jesse and Suzy both stifled a grin, and Jesse
replied, “Don’t worry; it might take some time, but Kimi will eventually warm up to you.” He looked over to Kora and asked, “How’s the shoulder feeling?”

“Better, thanks to your doctor, who may or may not be the best doctor in two galaxies.” Kora replied with a smile that would have had Reece eating out of the palm of her hand.

Suzy looked up, hopefully finished poking and prodding at the bruise that really hurt, and added, “I didn't put Kora in the recovery pod because I am still unsure how it would interact with non-human physiology. She told us how you heroically dove off a several hundred meter-high cliff towards magma to pluck her out of the air and save her life.”

“He was like an angelic warrior.” Kora swooned with a smile.

Cassie looked impressed as she asked, “Weren’t you afraid of falling?”

Jesse just smiled as he couldn't resist the joke
, “Well, you know what they say; it’s not the fall that you should be afraid of, it’s the sudden stop.” Kora and Cassie both began laughing while Suzy groaned and just shook her head.

“You reinjured your
bruised rib, but no internal bleeding.” Suzy commented checking the portable’s diagnosis.  “You won’t need the recovery pod for this one. I’m just going to tape it up and give you a painkiller.

“Let’s ge
t this over with,” he grunted. Suzy smiled as she wrapped his ribs again, happy he had made it through yet another dangerous mission relatively unscathed.

The pain medication made Jesse drowsy, so he decided to take a short nap. When he woke up, he made his way back to the med-bay to check on his injured crew mates and noticed Cassie was still there. She was sleeping, and he realized the jolt must have taken more out of her than he thought
.

Suzy came over to him and asked, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m still a little sore, but I’ll be fine. I’m actually pretty mad at myself for letting the pirate score that hit. I should have been able to block it.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. From what I’ve heard, you availed yourself quite well.”

“Thanks,” he replied as he noticed that Commando was now awake. He was happy to know his pet would live to fight another day. “How is she, Suzy?” He asked, pointing at Cassie.

“She’ll be fine;
she just needs some sleep. You should go, though; everyone is waiting to tell you the treasure news."

______

Garrinoras was furious. Who was this, this.... Colonel Jesse Marcos? There was no information to be found on him. He had a powerful ship, and a very disciplined crew, especially for humans. You don't get to have those things and be unknown. It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere. This single man had now destroyed three of his ships, and bested his men face to face twice. He injured Captain Janus as well, and Garrinoras was under the impression that Janus had the element of surprise. That confrontation ended with eleven of his men dead and three injured as well as two speeders and a shuttle destroyed. Marcos also now had more clues to the treasure than the pirates, and Garrinoras couldn't let that stand. He had been dreaming of ruling the Lawless sector for as long as he could remember. He was raised to believe it was his birthright. To that end, he had spent his entire life in training; he was the most feared warrior in the galaxy. He had never lost a fight and he commanded a fleet larger than any in the sector. All he needed now was the treasure to finance his war and all of his dreams and goals would soon come to pass. But this Marcos stood in his way. Humans didn't usually bother him this much because he believed they were not only insignificant, but inferior. Not this human, though, this human was crafty and would have to be dealt with harshly. His mood grew dark as he thought of ways to get Colonel Marcos out of his way for good.

______

Jesse appr
oached treasure-hunting central and immediately noticed how excited Josiah was.

“Jesse, there are only two or three clues left befo
re we find the treasure,” he exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. Jesse realized that this was the happiest he had ever seen Josiah. He really did love this treasure hunting stuff, and it was turning out to be an epic adventure. At least it was more exciting than the birthday party.

“Where are we now?” He asked.

“We are on our way to Ginderbar to resupply. We also have to wait for SAMMI to finish deciphering the clue about the next planet we are going to.” Reece replied.

“Which is?” Jesse asked.

“We don’t know the name yet,” Josiah responded absently as he was engrossed by the maps and artifacts.

Jesse thought that they probably didn’t need too many supplies. After all, they had only been in space a few
weeks. But it wouldn’t hurt to top off their supplies since they had to wait on SAMMI for the information anyway. “Alright then,” he began. “Off to Ginderbar and the next leg of our journey.” He concluded, hoping this step would be easier than the last but knowing it was only going to get more difficult from here.

Chapter seven

______

As
Endeavor
exited light space and reality came back into focus around it, Collin called out in satisfaction. “Ginderbar; let’s go have some fun.”

“Alright everyone,” Jesse started. “SAMMI estimates at least twenty-nine hours to finish deciphering the next clue. That means we get to restock and have a little downtime.
"

After three straight weeks of treasure hunting, dodging pirates, getting electrocuted and falling off cliffs,
Endeavor’s
crew was ready for a day off. Ginderbar was just the place to spend some down time. Ginderbar had a reputation for fun. Anything you wanted to do, from climbing, to speeder bike racing, to just catching a show, Ginderbar was the place to be. It had the best restaurants, the best nightlife and the best entertainment. Everyone loved spending time on Ginderbar. There was always plenty of fun for anyone looking.

As
Endeavor
came in to port, Jesse realized that aside from Kaldor City, this was the first port they had actually landed in. They usually found an unoccupied area and cloaked the ship. As the landing bay hatch lowered, Jesse and his weary crew were looking around at the organized chaos of a busy spaceport. Ships of all kinds were taking off and landing. There were merchant vessels that were large and small, military vessels and private ships. Shuttles were taking off and landing. A long row of air taxis were just waiting for passengers to disembark from their shuttles so they could swoop in and pick up a new fare. Street vendors were selling a dozen different types of food, while musicians played and people sold
authentic
goods off of portable tables. Jesse had made sure that everyone had a pocket full of chrons as they were ready to leave the landing bay.

H
e looked to his crew and announced, “
Endeavor
is going to be locked tight as a drum for the next twenty-four hours. SAMMI will only open up in an emergency and only if you present the command override code. I’m the only one with the code, so if anyone runs into any problems, you need to call me.” He said that last part for effect; Suzy also had the codes in case of an emergency, but he didn’t want anyone taking advantage of her good nature and disturbing her day off.

“
I’ve rented three nice three bedroom suites at a five star hotel, so tonight, we all sleep in luxury. I am going to find a nice restaurant that serves something that looks, smells and tastes like steak, anyone that would like to join me is welcome.

Suzy looked at him and asked, “Do you mind if I tag along?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Anyone else?” He looked around, “Last call?” With that, He and Suzy began walking away.

Wennagal looked to his new friends and said “I know of a fantastic restaurant on the same strip as an exotic weapons supplier. You are all welcome to join me.”

Josiah and Kimi looked at each other and Josiah replied, “We’re in.” Both of them genuinely liked Wennagal, so they were happy to spend some time with him off the ship.

Cassie also joined their group, hoping to bond a little with Kimi. Collin
accompanied them as well. As they began to go on their way, everyone assumed Reece and Kora would be heading off together to finally have some time to themselves. Reece, along with everyone else, was surprised when Kora asked if she could meet up with him later.

Reece looked
as if he was about to ask why and Kora giggled, “I’ve ruined three outfits since we started this adventure, and Ginderbar is legendary for its shopping. Some things a girl just has to do on her own. How about we meet up at Tunnels at nine?”

“Nine it is, then,” Reece smiled, a bit disappointed as he turned and said to the others, “Hey guys, wait for me.”

As Jesse watched his crew go off in different directions for some well-deserved fun, all he thought about was eating a nice steak, and then relaxing. He was happy to be spending time with Suzy, they hadn't been out together in quite some time although he had silently hoped Cassie would have been the one to join him. It was no problem though, he always had fun spending time with Suzy. As they walked down the street towards the restaurant, He noticed that Suzy was in full tourist mode, looking in every direction at once. It was amazing that she hadn't walked into someone, but there really was a lot to see. As they entered the restaurant, an aroma hit his nostrils that made his mouth water. He had to find out what it was, because he had already picked out his meal. As they were escorted to their table, the waiter handed them their menus and asked what they would like to drink.

______

Kora was finally alone. She was looking forward to meeting up with Reece later. She found him to be physically desirable. But first she had some business to take care of. “I see you received my message,” she smiled as she pulled a data chip out of her bag. “I wasn’t sure it would get to you, and I had a very small window to send it. I knew if you got it, though, that you would remember where to meet.”

“Of course, beautiful; do you think I’d forget the first place we met?”

Kora blushed as she handed the data chip to the man in the shadows. He reached for the chip, but took Kora’s arm instead and pulled her in for a long passionate kiss.

______

Reece was a little depressed. He had been waiting for a while to spend some time with Kora off the ship. He couldn’t believe she blew him off, and for clothes? He at least hoped he’d get a fashion show later. He knew he was in good company though, so it wasn’t too bad. Kimi actually looked pretty happy. Reece had noticed she had seemed to be in a bad mood ever since Captain Reed and her team joined
Endeavor’s
crew. Wennagal was praising the cuisine at their intended restaurant so much that Reece almost felt as though it couldn’t possibly live up to expectations.

He considered himself
lucky to have found such a good group of people. He had always been a bit of a loner; even the men he brought on the mission to guard Mayor Valinor weren’t friends, but rather professional muscle he picked up at a well known agency. He felt terrible about losing them, especially Tania, but they knew the risks. Traveling with those mercenaries wasn’t the same as being part of a crew. His new friends were a real team. They cared about each other and had obviously been together a long time. Even so, they had accepted him without question, and now were accepting Cassie, Wennagal and Kora as well.

As they reached the restaurant, Kimi looked over to him and asked, “Hey
, Reece, are you alright? I’m sure she’s buying something to surprise you with; that’s what I would do anyway.” She squeezed his arm and smiled at him, and Reece was struck by how beautiful she was. He had to wonder why she didn’t have someone. He knew that if he wasn’t with Kora, he sure would give it a try.

______

Jesse was thoroughly enjoying his steak. It was seasoned and grilled to perfection, and sat in the tastiest barbeque sauce he had ever had. He had no idea what kind of meat it was, and he didn’t care; it tasted like steak. He looked at Suzy and noticed she was enjoying her meal just as much. As he was smiling, he noticed Suzy smiling back at him approvingly. Then the thought hit him;
anyone looking at us would assume we were a couple out for a nice meal.
He enjoyed the thought of having someone again, and wondered if he ever would.

His day dream didn’t last too long as he heard a commotion at the front of the restaurant.

“I said get up, human; Mighty Garrinoras would like a word with you.”

“Tell Garrinoras to make an appointment like everyone else. I’m enjoying dinner with my family.”

“How about I just kill your family now, Commander, to free up your schedule? And don’t bother calling your guards, we killed them on the way in, now move.”

Upon hearing that last line, Jesse leaned over to Suzy and whis
pered, “I need to help this man.”

She
nodded, and he was gone.

As h
e slowly came around the corner, he noticed two of Garrinoras’ black- and red-clad pirate goons. They were holding blasters on a man, his wife, and two sons. The first pirate was a green skinned Zinnebailan male with a “no nonsense” look in his eye. The second was a Farannsian male. He was smiling in such a way that his red skin made his grin look evil. The conversation was still going on as the man, a military man, was saying, “There will be no place in the galaxy for you to hide if anything happens to my family.”

Jesse approached, acting as if he were going to walk right by without even noticing what was going on,
until one of the pirates stuck a blaster in his gut, looked back at the Commander, and replied. “How about we just start killing people at random until you comply?”

Jesse found it amusing that the pirate thought so little of humans that he would stick a blaster in his gut and look away. But it provided the opportunity he needed. In an instant, he had grabbed the blaster with his left hand and knocked the pirate out cold with a roundhouse right. He brought the blaster to bear inches from the second pirates face, smiled and said, “How ‘bout we don’t?”

As the click of the trigger and whine of the turbine waiting to dispense death were mere inches from the pirate’s ear, Jesse began, “Here’s what’s going to happen.”

“You have no idea who you are dealing with, human,” The pirate said with a healthy confidence, but not daring enough to move.

“Of course I do,” Jesse sneered. “You work for Garrinoras, which means I already hate you, so,” he began again. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to drop your blaster and drag your trash out of here, or I am going to blow your brains out right here. It might make a mess, but I’m prepared to pay this fine establishment for the trouble and buy everyone here a round of drinks for the inconvenience.”

“You are making a huge mistake,” the pirate repeated
, a little less confident this time.

“Maybe I am, but regardless, you will leave this man and his family alone, or you will die
where you stand. It’s your choice.”

The pirate could see the resolve in Jesse’s eyes and properly
surmised he had killed many beings during his life as a soldier. He knew he was beat, so he put his blaster on the table and dragged his unconscious partner out of the restaurant. Jesse covered him with the blaster the whole way. After the pirate was far enough away that he was sure he wouldn’t soon be back, he put the first pirate’s blaster on the man’s table. He turned to the family and said, “Please enjoy the rest of your evening.”

Everyone in the restaurant was now starring at him. As he turned to leave, the man stood up and said, “Son, please allow me to thank you.”

“No thanks necessary, Sir,” Jesse laughed. “Punching a pirate in the face will always be thanks enough for me.” He noticed the Commander’s two sons seemed to enjoy that comment as much as he enjoyed saying it.

“At lea
st allow me to introduce myself; I am Commander Enosal. I command the largest mercenary fleet on Ginderbar. Which happens to be an occupation that can sometimes get me into a bit of trouble.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure
to meet you, Sir. I’m Colonel Jesse Marcos of the Earth ship
Endeavor,
and some would say trouble just seems to find me.” Both men laughed, but Commander Enosal looked intrigued.

“Well, you just saved my life, and I owe you. If you ever need the kind of help someone like me can provide, comm me on this frequency. I always repay my debts.”

He handed Jesse a piece of paper, and as his new guards arrived, he and his family got up and left. Jesse nodded his thanks and returned to his dinner.

As he sat back down at the table, Suzy
shot him a worried look and said, “Well, that certainly was interesting.”

______

Kora sat at the table with the man she loved, thinking about a time they could finally be together, when she heard him asking, “You couldn't get the originals?”

“No, my love
, I’ve already told you, Josiah practically sleeps with this stuff. I was taking a big chance just smuggling out some vid stills. I’m pretty sure they also have some more artifacts that I have yet to see.” She smiled as she looked into his eyes.

“But this is everything, stills
of the artifacts and all?” he asked.

“Everything
I've seen.” she replied. “We know Garrinoras has some as well, but we obviously do not have access to them.”

“This is a wonderful start, my love, thank you. Now, you better get going; you wouldn’t want your play thing to get suspicious.” He leaned over and kissed her passionately again, and she smiled as she stood to leave.

“Good bye, love,” She smiled a breathtaking smile, gave a wave of the hand, and then she was out the door.

When she was gone, another woman with two men behind her approached the table. “Did she come through for us, Captain?”