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Chapter Thirty Two Finding
himself alone once again in the forward cockpit, Jae-Lee checked over the
instruments. It had been a long trip, but he had just pulled the SkyDancer
out of yet another hyperspace jump and they were only one more jump away from
their final destination. One more jump and then three days out to Chandrila,
where Xana would go back to her life and Jae might never see her again. This
is stupid, I only just met her. But his feelings were no less powerful, and
no less real. As
he sat there, silently contemplating the future he finished up with his flight
duties. All instruments indicated everything was operating within normal levels,
and he was considering calling the others in the ship to update them on their
current position, when he noticed a scanner light blinking slowly, indicating a
ship close by. First
watching the instruments, then looking out the viewport, he found a fighter. It
was still some distance away, but just close enough to been seen with the naked
eye. Jae grew curious as a strange feeling crept into his mind. Familiar, but
not... comforting. He found himself staring out, almost hypnotized, at the other
craft. It was close enough to make out the general size, but the actual shape
was unclear. Becoming concerned with a possible threat, Jae realized the other
ships course could bring it relatively close to the light freighter. Possibly
close enough to do damage. He
decided to try a standard greeting, switched on the comm, and attempted to hail
the other vessel with a single tone. Sitting
in the Death’s Grip, Vic glanced casually over to his sensor light, which
now indicated an incoming call. Whatever,
he thought. Vic
had noticed another ship in the area and wondered if he should even bother with
any contact. After brief consideration he decided it would be a waste of time.
Unnecessary. He leaned back into his chair once more and let the ship take him
to where he needed to go. After
receiving no response, Jae-Lee frowned, switched to full audio, and spoke
firmly. "SkyDancer hailing
unidentified vessel. Respond." The message, mixed with static, sounded in
the cockpit of the Death’s Grip. It
triggered something in Vic’s mind, and he reacted with a change in course. As
the light freighter turned directly towards him, Jae immediately activated a
scan, looking for anything that could be seen as threatening. He quickly
reviewed the ship’s design; standard recorded armaments, and then checked for
official codes or markings. What he saw surprised him. His eyes flashed back and
forth between the viewport and the screen several times and he smiled as he
decided to try a different greeting. "Hailing
Red Castle. Red Castle, Check one." Vic
shook his head, ever so slightly. Just
like I thought... Jae-Lee. Several memories flashed quickly. Not
a bad bone in his body, Vic thought. How
the hell did I ever get mixed up with this kid? Snapping
out of his thoughts, Vic responded to the old call sign with the appropriate
reply; a single click of the comm, to which he then added the words
"Check…” he paused, reaching for the control panel, “four." Jae-Lee
jumped slightly at the sound of the voice and then smiled. At
least he remembered the old codes. Both
men dialed their comms to the indicated pre-determined frequency, and when no
greeting came from the other pilot, Jae-Lee spoke first. "Vic?" A
quiet response, "Yeah…" Vic says.
"Hey.
It’s Jae-Lee. I almost didn’t recognize the Death’s
Grip. It’s... uh... It’s been a while." Moments
of silence grace the comm and Vic almost chuckled at the thought of Jae-Lee's
confused face. Vic finally speaks. "It has..." he says calmly, voice
trailing off after each answer. Deciding to play it cool and do the answering
and not the asking. Feeling
a bit awkward, Jae-Lee tries again. "So... looks like you're on your way
out, huh?" A
cold response comes back quickly. "I have a job to do." "Right...
yeah. Don’t we all." Good ole Vic.
Hard as a rock. Jae begins to relax a bit, remembering his many experiences
with the older man. "Still doing the same work?" The
answer comes back sharp as a knife, "Of all the years you’ve known me,
you think I’d even WANT to change? What’s wrong with you?" Ok,
so that was a little overkill. He is a good kid... And I'll see him again soon. Another
old memory flashes and Vic decides to offer a different answer. "Come on,
kid. What do you think? You never drop an occupation you're good at. Ever." His
eyes drift slowly to the floor and Jae-Lee nods slightly in resigned
affirmation, "Yeah... I guess not." Looking back up and out the
viewport, he could see the Death’s Grip quite well now. The sleek lines of the port and
starboard wings, the offset cylindrical shape of the fuselage of the freighter,
and the multiple gray tones of the ship’s color: the only thing missing was
the talons to make it look like the bird of prey it was modeled after. He also
noticed that Vic had begun to alter his course, heading out of the system. "Well,
it’s too bad I didn’t get here sooner. I guess I'll see you around."
Jae tried not to sound disappointed, but some of it slipped through and he knew
it. His
relationship with Vic had often felt rather one-sided and it had always
frustrated him. They had met when Jae-Lee was about ten, when he had just begun
working for Toman. Since their first meeting Jae had always looked up to the
older man, and over the years they had worked together many times. But, as Jae
was reminded now, there was the same empty feeling at the end of each job, when
Vic would leave without so much as a handshake. I
guess some things never change. As he reached
to re-tune the comm and call his companions from the rear of the ship, he was
suddenly surprised by another incoming message from Vic. "I need to talk to
you, Jae-Lee...it's about...well forget it. But we'll meet again in the near
future." There was
something in Vic’s voice that sounded almost... personal. Well, well... Maybe some
things do change… “No time to explain now? Who knows when we'll run in
to each other again.” Preparing his
ship for the jump out of the system, Vic answers quickly, "Sorry, Jae.
Another time." Realizing this all may sound a bit too cryptic, he lets the
silence hang for a moment before finishing. "Don’t worry about it, JL.
I'll see you soon." Jae-Lee cannot
hide his confusion. "Vic, what are you talking about?" Several ideas
began to form in his mind. Knowing
what I do about Vic, it could be anything. But whatever it is, its probably bad
news for somebody. No response. "Hey, man... what’s going on?"
As he hears the comm click off from the other end, Jae reaches for the panel and
switches at the comm. "Hey!...
Vic...? Death’s Grip, come in...”
Switch, switch, switch ...
"Blast! Red Castle... Vic!.. Vic?!..." Vic
Orion, man of durasteel, was feeling something he had never felt before.
Friendship. It might have
been the memories of the past or maybe just the way the light was racing across
this region of space, but Vic felt genuinely bad and sorry for his childhood
comrade’s confusion. He would
never show it or admit to it, of course. “All
in due time, kid, all in due time,” Vic whispered after cutting off the
transmission. Looking
up, Jae caught just a flash of light as the Death’s
Grip streaked away in to hyperspace. "Ke'dem!"
He yelled, slamming his hand down. "What in the stars was that all
about?!" Taking a few calming breaths and regaining his composure, Jae-Lee
stared out at the stars and whispered quietly to himself, "Whatever it
is.... it can't be good."
Creator: arrowheadpodracer (Josh) & Joseph_Orion (Joey)
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