ROGUE SHEPHERD: Wayward Hope: Rogue Shepherd Space Opera Series: BOOK 2, page 6
“Whew!” Carl yelled.
“Thank God my sails weren’t out or that could have ripped them apart or broke a mast if extended," Luke said and laughed. Both Carl and Luke laughed like kids playing with fireworks.
They sat and watched what was on the docks as the implosion sucked, disintegrated, and vanished into nothingness. All that remained were massive holes and craters filled with fire.
“Luke! Luke!” Hope yelled out as she ran to the cockpit.
Carl turned to see the beautiful red headed, green eyed Hope looking out the cockpit window with a scared look on her face.
“Who’s that?” Carl asked as he turned to Luke. “I thought you said we were the only two on here.”
Chapter 13
Cornelius Bridges threw the tablet across the room. He didn’t aim, but just spun around with all his might. Had his eldest son, and Chief of his staff Charles Bridges, not been on edge it could have hit him and knocked him out. He jerked at the right moment and the tablet thrown like a saucer at the Clan Games sunk into the soft plaster of the walls.
Charles was uneasy for what seemed to everyone for the last several years. Thrust into command and being the go between for his father the General, and everyone else he lived on the edge of impatience and desperation. Living on the edge of war with the enemies the Clan was a way of life for the clans, but the Gimtis had increased the rhetoric and attacks over the last few months, and he had to deal with difficult moods of his father. It’s one thing to be a son to a disturbed father, but it was compounded when that person also is your commanding General.
Charles wiped his head and walked to the wall and pulled the tablet out with a jerk and a groan. He dusted off the plaster and pressed the buttons to see if the table still worked. The tablet's screen lit up and after putting it in a diagnostic mode, it quickly booted up and reported all functions were normal.
“Too bad we can't make ships and fighters out of whatever this tablet was made of General,” Charles said.
The tension in the room was thick between the two of them. Father and son made little eye contact, and were civil at best when others were in the chambers. The two lived at different ends of indifference when alone towards the other one.
“You still don’t know where she is?” the General asked.
“No sir. No one and no ship has seen or reported her. It’s like she’s vanished after she ran out of your office. We keep sending messages out to the fleet but there are other issues at hand too.”
Cornelius sat down with a drop in his chair and slammed his hand on the desk. “Give me that tablet. I need updates on Graco,” he said.
The General took the tablet and went to work pulling up damage and casualty reports from Graco.
“Looking again won’t change the fact that Graco is destroyed and along with the majority of the supplies stored there. Several scores of ships got off with some supplies and they are heading to their rendezvous point, but I’m unsure they can make it there. They have limited fighter cover.”
“This doesn’t make sense," the General said. His voice, his tone, and his demeanor were sour and ill towards Charles.
“You asked me for a report and my opinion General…,” Charles said but hesitated.
“I told you when it’s me and you in here to call me Father. I am your father Charles,” said General Cornelius sternly at first, but when he said Charles his voice quivered.
“Yes sir. You asked me my opinion… Father,” Charles let a moment of silence hold before continuing. “I told you there was no honor in the Gimtis. We know that their ships had to have left to attack Graco well before the arranged time for Hope to be delivered, and this is when you said we would be in a peace process,” Charles said.
“How do we know? I can’t live by assumptions now,” he asked.
“I received reports from our spies within the Gimti fleet that attacked. Actually our spy launched a life pod from one of their attack ships before the attack. The life pod had a drone that separated and sent the encrypted signal to us. We’ve just gotten it, but the time stamp on it proves they launched for Graco well before. Not after,” Charles said with anger. He looked down at his own tablet and read again the report he’d already read several times.
“I’d have never…,” the General interrupted.
“You should have never considered it! How could you believe the Gimtis would honor any agreement with us? How? When have they ever honored an agreement with us? Or honored us?” Charles asked.
The General’s head sunk as he laid the tablet on the desk. “I figured we must try to use diplomacy. What else is there? We are a smaller force to reckon with than the Gimtis,” the General said. He pushed himself back from the desk and covered his face with his hands as if to hide from the responsibility before him.
“We are only smaller if we see ourselves smaller! The Gimti’s lack the one resource we have,” Charles said.
“And what is that?” Cornelius asked sarcastically.
“El-Gibhor.”
The General grunted and never answered back.
“Father, I agree with Hope. I’d rather die fighting free as one of the Twelve Clans than live in slavery, or as you say, diplomacy with an evil people like the Gimtis. I agree they’ve shown times of peace, but it has always been a bluff just for them to build up their forces and wage war again later,” Charles said. He walked over to the door and commanded a guard to bring up food and drinks for him and his father.
As they waited for the food, the two of them sat in silence. Charles only looked at his tablet to confirm reports and see if there were any new information on Graco, the supply ships, and more importantly Hope. After a few minutes Charles and Cornelius heard the sound of footsteps and the wheels of a cart and the smell of food. Charles looked up to say something to his Father to break the silence but noticed the General of the Twelve Clans not looking at reports or updates, but at the photos of their family on the big display screen on the wall. Picture after picture rolled by, and most of them were of the General and Hope.
“This is why I made the agreement Charles. Hope. My prayer was she would be safer in the palace of the Gimt’s than living at war with the Twelve Clans. And now she can’t be found. I suspect kidnapped by them, and now we'll most like have to pay a ransom for her. I hope they don’t dishonor her.” The General’s voice trailed off just as the knock on the door came.
“Come in,” the General said.
“Yes sir.” The guard said as he rolled in with freshly cooked meat, potatoes, and drink. “General, the cooks hope this meal helps you, he said it was your favorite.” The guard uncovered the food and placed it on the small conference table and laid out the dishes as if the General and Captain Charles were about to eat a meal at a fine restaurant.
“What did you do before being drafted son?” the General asked.
“Sir,” the guard answered. “I worked in my father’s business. He owned a hotel and restaurant and we ran it. Mostly I worked in the kitchen as I liked to cook with my uncles, and I’m glad I get to cook in the service.”
“I hope when all this is over with the Gimtis and we are at peace, you can return and take your place at that hotel,” the General replied. He patted the guard on the shoulder. Leaders from every system knew that kind words and thoughts of home always built resolve to fight.
The guard cut the grilled meat and placed servings on the two plates. He said, “No sir. I can’t. There isn’t any hotel or restaurant to go back to. Both destroyed last year in a Gimti raid.”
The eyes of Charles and his Father met as they looked across to each other at the table. Both men pouring them self a glass of wine.
“Sorry to hear that. How is your family?”
“My parents were killed in the raid, and my uncles too. They tried to fight. I would have too, but I was away after being drafted. I don’t know about my sisters.”
The only sounds in the room after his last sentence were the forks and serving pieces in the guard's hand as he kept serving the two men.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Charles said.
“Me too son. It’s a terrible day we live in,” the General remarked.
“If you need anything else, I’ll be right outside.” The guard left the room after snapping to attention and giving the General and Charles a salute.
“That’s why we have to fight father,” Charles said. He bowed his head and said a prayer to El-Gibhor in thanks for the food and for the guard. After he finished he looked up and noticed his father had already eaten several bites.
Charles’s tablet vibrated on the table and made a chirp, “Incoming Message,” the tablet spoke out.
Charles had still not taken a bite when he looked down and read the message. He placed it back on the table and took a bite.
The General with food in his mouth asked, “Is that about Hope?”
“No Father. It’s a message from the supply ships from Graco. They made it to the rendezvous point and are safe. Seems more of the supplies got off than we initially thought. They pulled containers in tandem to get as much off as possible.
Charles took another bite and his tablet and the tablet of the General both vibrated at the same time. Both men looked down and read the message. This time though Charles put a bite of the meat and potatoes in his mouth and began to eat.
“Did you get the same message I got son,” the General asked.
“I don’t know. Mine says Somhairle wants to meet with you and I,” Charles replied.
“I don’t want to see him now,” the General said as he drained the glass in front of him and poured himself another glass of wine.
“You have to sir. He is the High Priest of El-Gibhor. To not give him an audience would be an insult to him and to El-Gibhor, and that disrespect will be noticed with the Elders. Even a general can go rogue father. And father, we need all the help we can…”
An intercom interrupted Charles as he spoke. “The High Priest Somhairle is coming to see you.”
The General answered back, “When!”
“Now!” Somhairle replied as he walked through the door.
The General wiped his mouth and drank another glass of wine.
Chapter 14
“I know who she is too Carl, but that’s not on my mind as much as it should be right now. I know too you know how to work a radio, so tell them on Splendor 4 we will be there at once.” Luke snapped at Carl. “What on a ship do you know how to do?”
“I’d say work the radio,” Carl answered with a smile. “Luke, the call for the search for The General’s daughter is still out from the looks of the traffic. In fact Luke, it’s now…”
“You think Carl?” Luke snapped again. “Just work the radio and get out of my way. I’ll pilot us to Splendor 4. You find out who is under attack on Splendor 4 and what we are heading up against. After that get some ion rifles, grenades, and pistols I took off of Graco and get them ready for us to use if we need to use them.”
Luke turned his attention to the cockpit controls and made mental calculations of the jump. Splendor 4 was the same system as Graco and the jump would be quick. As he ran his eyes across the charts Hope stood behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder with her fingers gently touching the skin on his neck.
“Is there anything I can do…” her voice trailed off.
He liked the touch of her hand on his neck but the events of the last many hours were catching up to him and his mind.
“I’ve got a Lieutenant who says he is to serve on board my ship who only knows how to work a radio, and now an eminent distress call from Splendor 4, and the daughter of the General I don’t know what to do with, and I have orders that make it imperative to return you or at least report I have you. I wonder what the penalty will be for me since I haven’t done that.” Luke turned and looked up at her with his forehead wrinkled with thought.
“I think you’ve done all you need to do for me Hope,” he said. Luke pulled his shoulder away from her hand and worked to make the jump. Hope’s head dropped as she walked back to sit in the ion cannon gun console. She slammed a door closed on the ship out of frustration.
Carl popped his head into the cockpit. “Splendor 4 isn’t much. Just a farming outpost ran by families. Seems some of the raiding party caught routine traffic from there that they could load a freighter with food and the Gimtis sent a raiding party to either destroy it or more than likely capture it and the people. They are trying to hold them off with what weapons they have but their last message says they can’t hold out for long.”
“There isn’t anyone close enough to respond to them except us Carl. Get as many weapons ready as you can and we’ll land soon.”
“Luke I don’t want to argue with you but you have to take her back… and now!” Carl said.
“Carl! She started this charade. I will not let those families suffer because she wants to run away from something.”
Carl asked, “What is she running from?”
“That’s not my business and I don’t know. She hasn’t told me. But I know we can go help those people… then maybe her, and then us,” Luke said with finality.
“I’ll get the guns ready Luke,” Carl said.
“Lieutenant, make that Captain. If you are under my command, you can’t be held responsible for anything that happens that I command, or anything that happens to Lady Hope.”
“Yes sir, Captain.”
Carl walked to the Officer’s Quarters to get the weapons ready for them. He looked around for Lady Hope and could see the outline of her head in the ion cannon turret seat. As he walked down the corridor, Luke hit the button and made the jump to light speed and the jolt threw him off balance. He caught himself on the wall and continued to the Officer’s Quarters.
Within thirty minutes The Hornet’s Nest was coming out of light speed and entering the atmosphere of Splendor 4.
“Aren’t you coming in a little fast Luke,” Hope asked as she looked out the cockpit window.
“Probably. But they have little time down there, and time won’t matter much for me when I get out of here.”
He looked over at her slender face and green eyes as she looked out the window. Her looks mesmerized Luke from the moment he ran into her on that street. He didn’t know what he was getting into when she grabbed his hand. His father had taught him that the way of El-Gibhor was to help those in distress and he wanted to help her since she asked, and the fact that she was beautiful was a bonus.
"All she asked was to get her off that planet," he thought. He wondered how many times in life your destiny changes because you bumped into the wrong person, you fire to protect a ship, or because you walk into a Temple. "All my life I've never disobeyed my father and now I'll be considered a rogue in my family," he said to the controls at his fingertips.
The words of Somhairle floated through his mind and he questioned El Gibhor in his thoughts if this was the destiny He had for him. The youngest son of his Father, the smallest man in reputation too, and just the Captain of a small ship with two ion cannons. He wondered who he was to help Lady Hope and now with a Lieutenant under his command.
He dreamed for a moment of being back with his father just a summer ago when life was simpler and back then he dreamed of getting out of the range of his father’s command. Now he had the command and responsibility to take care of two people and now again he hoped to save a few more.
“El-Gibhor I need you now more than ever to help me fight with honor and save those people…” he prayed quietly as his voice trailed off not knowing what else to pray for.
The sight of the Gimti ship on the scanner caught his attention.
"Lady Hope," he yelled.
“Please call me Hope Luke,” she said.
“I figure I’d better make it official for when I’m court marshaled for kidnapping you, taking you into harm’s way, and whatever else happens before I get you back to your father. Or when we are dead.”
“Don’t talk like that. It’s my fault, and you still don’t know why I had to flee.”
“I don’t care Hope. I really don’t! When I look at you.” He looked up at her green eyes and the hair that had fallen across her face. As he reached over to raise the arm rest for her to sit down, she gripped his hand and squeezed and a flicker of a smile came across both of their faces.
“Let’s take care of first things first. Can you fire those cannons again? Or can you pilot the ship straight and true?” he asked her.
“I… I…”
“Captain?” Carl asked as he poked his head in the door.
“Yes Lieutenant?”
“If you can get it ready, I can hold the ship on course.”
“You sure?”
“Pretty sure,” Carl replied.
"You're real reassuring Carl," Luke said.
Luke rolled his eyes and said a prayer to El-Gibhor again. He rolled knobs and pressed buttons on the cockpit to make Carl’s job that much easier. He ran his fingers of the controls twice to make sure of what he’d done.
“Ok here’s what we will do. Carl take my seat and keep us on this heading. It should take us directly over the Gimti ship. Got it.”
Carl climbed into the seat and said, “Got it.”
“Hope.”
“What can I do?”
“You watch this gauge. It’s our altimeter. I’ve put our altitude on autopilot to make it easier for Carl. It should take us within about one kilometer of the ship but you’ve got to call out the distance we are to the ship. As soon as we pass the ship, I want you move this dial her to ten kilometers. Hopefully on the low pass I can fire and disable their men that are attacking, and then we can climb fast to get out of their gun range.”
“Got it both of you?”
“Got it,” they both replied at the same time.
