Chapter 4
Cosmos Lunch Rush:
Mira finished dialing and waited for her father to pickup. It was lunch time at Cosmos, and she was calling from Cosmos's public vid-phone. As the vid-phone rang, her eyes drifted out over the lunch crowd. Star Cruiser 101's crew was just arriving when her father's face appeared on the screen.
"Hi Daddy," Mira greeted.
"Oh Mira, I'm so glad to see you are safe," her father replied.
"Yes, why?" Mira asked. "Has something happened?"
"Oh it was absolutely disturbing!" King Nova explained. "An off-worlder landed right here at the Royal Palace."
"Really?" Mira was surprised.
"Yes, and he was very insistent on seeing me," King Nova said.
"Why did he want to see you?" she asked.
"Oh, I have no idea," King Nova said with a toss of his hands. "I ordered the guards to remove him immediately. It was really quite violent you know. An entire Royal Palace guard detail was required, but we finally vanquished that blue haired brute. What?"
King Nova laughed at the memory. "I recorded the whole thing off the Royal Planetary News channel for you to see when you visit."
Mira's eyes had widened at her father's description. Involuntarily she glanced to where Avent Horizon sat with his crew.
"Father?" Mira began slowly. "This large, blue haired brute; he didn't happen to be wearing a red head-band with yellow symbols, did he?" she asked.
Her father was surprised. "Why yes, now that you mention it," he confirmed. "Where do you know such a foul creature?" he asked.
"Must have been a 'wanted poster,'" was all Mira could think to say as her stomach had tightened into a knot.
"Well I certainly hope you and the space monkey--" King Nova caught himself, "I mean, Space Rangers, bring him in before he has a chance to do any real damage."
"Too late," Mira said now feeling sick again. "Uh Daddy, I have to go. Talk to you later," she said and closed the line.
For a moment she leaned against the side of the booth as conflicting emotions swirled around inside her. Mira's reaction to strange situations was usually anger, and today it was no different.
"Of all the nerve!" she thought as she stormed out of the vid-phone booth.
Andromeda Flare spotted Mira's approach as soon as it started.
"Phop come on, let's dance," she said, silently signaling Terra to 'abandon table.'
"Oh jolly good," Phop agreed, "just as soon as I finish-- Oof!" he exclaimed as Terra and Flare each grabbed an arm and hauled him away from his half finished latte.
And they were none too soon. Avent's mind had just realized his 'faithful crew' had abandoned him, when Ranger Nova materialized before him, an angry Ranger Nova.
"Avent Horizon!" Mira shouted as she slammed her hands down on the table.
Avent scrambled to catch his chocolate shake from tipping over. "Yes, Ranger Nova?" he answered quietly.
"What were you doing at the Tangian Royal Palace?" she demanded. Her voice emptied tables on all sides. These patrons had seen Ranger Nova upset before, and laser blasts were forthcoming with that tone of voice.
"I uh, just wanted to speak to your father," Avent replied, dutifully keeping his eyes down as he swirled his shake.
"I know that!" she said. "What were you going to speak to him about?!" Her anger was mounting.
"Lightyear said you were sick," he replied.
"Sick?" Mira asked, her anger momentary de-railed.
"Yes," Avent confirmed. "It's pretty depressing being sick with the flu and no one to take care of you. So I thought…" his voice trailed off.
"You thought what?" Mira's anger was back.
"I thought your father would want to know," Avent finished.
"That's… all?" Mira asked. "You flew all the way to Tangiea, for that?"
"Well, they kept refusing to let my call through, so yeah. But I had no idea Tangeain's were so closed minded. I was expecting something more like yourself or Phop Doppler for that matter," Avent explained.
"Did you know he was, the King?" Mira asked, still trying to digest what she had just heard.
"Well yes, in an abstract way," Avent answered. "I never considered the implications though. I mean, Space Rangers are accepted in the Galactic Senate, right?"
"Tangiea is… a little different," Mira said thoughtfully, her anger draining away.
"No kidding, I couldn't even make it to the first door on Tangiea, let alone through it," Avent agreed sourly.
"Yeah," Mira said, sitting down across from Avent. "There are no doors on Tangiea," she informed him, trying to decide how to handle this very unfamiliar situation.
"Oh," Avent said sheepishly. He spun his glass on the table top in the following silence.
"I never expected you to find out," Avent offered. "I am curious how you found out so… quickly."
"Not a lot happens on Tangiea," Mira replied. "You made every news channel planet wide that evening," she informed him.
"Ouch," Avent flinched at the revelation. He took a sip from his shake, and wiped his milk mustache.
Silence again.
The two Rangers, who had been trained to handle the most dangerous situation in the Galaxy, found themselves at a lost.
Finally, the silence was broken by a beeping from Avent's wrist communicator. Avent answered it.
"Emergency code, Yellow Four," the LGM in the screen announced. "Star Cruiser 101, report to Gamma Quadrant, sector fourteen."
Avent was already pounding for the airlock, followed closely by his crew.
"Star Cruiser 101, responding." Avent confirmed.
The airlock closed behind them.
Shortly after, Star Cruiser 101 lifted off Cosmos' parking lot.
Mira watched the departure with a strange mixture of relief, disappointment, and a touch of curious excitement.
"Ah, you all squared away Mira?" Buzz asked cautiously.
"Uh, I guess," Mira answered. She turned away from the window, and flicked a bread crumb across the table top.
X X X
Star Cruiser 101, Outbound from Cosmos:
"Sector fourteen, Gamma Quadrant, here we come!" Avent announced pushing the throttle up.
"Silent alarm, high jacking in progress. Star Cruiser 36 is arriving on scene. Star Cruiser 101 to establish a perimeter and provide assistance," Terra read off the transmitted orders to the rest of the crew.
"ETA ten minutes," Flare put in and then glanced over at Avent's back. "So, how'd it go with Ranger Nova, Captain?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm not sure," Avent answered. "I think we had just begun to establish a communication channel, when this call came in."
"That is so rude," Terra sympathized.
