Chapter 9
Simultaneously:
Mira swung her wrist ray up. "Freeze!" she ordered. "Space Rangers!"
Mira stared into the black muzzle of Avent's laser rifle. Beyond the muzzle, Avent's crazy-green eyes stared back down at her through the laser rifle's sighting system.
Mira never realized until that moment, just how large and intimidating Avent could be, especially in a dark hanger.
"Mira?" Avent asked.
"Avent! Don't scare me like that!" Mira shouted. "What in the name of Newton's gravity laws are you doing here?!" she demanded.
"Ah, we just had a hunch Rollmac was somewhere in this area'" Avent answered as Savy come through the door behind him.
"Well I'm astronomical units ahead of you," Mira informed them. "I've already checked all the hangers in this area. Besides, Rollmac's way out of your league, what makes you so sure you could catch him?" she taunted.
"Oh, I think we have a good chance," Avent affirmed.
"Not that I doubt you Avent," Mira said in a voice that contradicted her words, "but Rollmac is known throughout the Galaxy as the best bounty hunter money can buy. How can you compare yourself to him when you're not even listed in the vid-phone database?"
Avent fought back his irritation. "Because Mira, I was an Urikry Black-Operator once and now I'm a Space Ranger, and those are things no amount of money can ever buy."
Mira had opened her mouth, and taken a breath to reply, but paused for lack of words. Avent had an irritable talent for making sense to the left-logical side of her brain, while the right-not so logical side, wanted to deny his very existence.
The mental conflict frustrated her. Mira clenched her fists. "Grrr!"
Avent didn't twitch, and that added to her irritation. The angrier she got, the more composed he became.
"How can you be so calm?" Mira challenged. "I'm this close to wiping the floors with you, just to prove you are wrong!"
Nothing moved but Avent's eyes, they glanced down at her and he slowly smiled.
"Let's get a few things straight right now, Ranger Nova," he said in a quiet voice. "I'm not the least bit afraid of this bounty hunter Rollmac. Second, I'm not afraid of you either, in fact I like you the way you are, flaws and all." Then he turned to go.
"Come on Savy," Avent called. "Guess our hunch was wrong."
Savy glanced once at Mira, and then followed Avent back to the roof access hatch.
Once they were out of sight, Mira slumped against a chair. "Well that was close," she muttered. Then turned back to the window behind her and looked down at where the Mira 2 sat on the floor of the hanger.
X X X
"That was so stupid!" Avent told himself. "Sometimes I hate being honest."
"Boy, the way she stood up for him, you'd think Ranger Nova had a high-school crush on that guy, Rollmac," Savy observed.
"Whatever!" Avent said and slammed the hatch closed.
"Think we should just leave it un-locked? the hatch, I mean," Savy asked.
Avent glared back at the hatch, and then a thought came to him. "Wait one micro-second! Ranger Nova unlocked that hatch!" he exclaimed.
"Brilliant sir," Savy's sarcasm was second to none. "The very same Ranger Nova, who just told you--"
'No, you don't understand!" Avent interrupted Savy. "Tangiean Royals can ghost right through solid stuff. The only time they can't ghost through solid objects is when a Taniean Grounder is nearby!"
Understanding flashed in Savy's eyes. "And Rollmac is a Tangiean Grounder!" Savy concluded.
"Bingo!" Avent confirmed. He opened his wrist communicator. "Terra, call Star Cruiser 42," he ordered.
X X X
Back Inside the Hanger:
"Who's there?" Rollmac demanded.
"It's me, Rollmac."
"Mira!" Rollmac gasp.
"Rollmac, you promised me you would never to work for Zerg again!" Mira demanded.
"Mira, we are not working for Zerg," Rollmac affirmed solemnly, then turned to his sidekick, "are we?"
"Well, technically…" Brainpod57 answered slowly, "we are just delivering a package to planet Z, so we are not really working for Zerg… just getting paid by him," then smiled as best as a brainpod could
Mira glared at Rollmac with eyes that could melt starship armor.
"Mira, I had no idea!" Rollmac pleaded. "You have to believe me," he instisted.
"You are delivering a red presidential phone straight the Evil Emperor Zerg!" Mira shouted, shaking her fists up and down in frustration. "I've come to ask you to give up your contract and turn the phone into Star Command."
"I'm sorry Mira, but you know I never quit a job," Rollmac said with conviction and then caught her shoulders affectionately. "But I swear to you, I'll never work for Zerg again. I give you my solemn word."
Mira sighed. "I was afraid you would say that," and pushed Rollmac's hands off her shoulders. "and I don't have the heart to take you in," she confessed.
"I knew I could count on you," Rollmac smiled.
"But Rollmac, Star Cruiser 101's Captain is on this case with us, and he will take you in, and non-too-gently at that. He's pretty upset for what happened to Savy."
"You worry too much," Rollmac said, waving a hand to dismiss her concerns. "I can fly circles around a first year rookie any day," he boasted, and then turned to leave.
"Yeah," Mira said cautiously. "You've never seen Star Cruiser 101's weapon specs by any chance, have you?"
"Oh come on Mira, you give that rookie way too much credit," Rollmac returned. "Even Buzz Lightyear hasn't caught me yet. Don't tell me you think this rookie is better than Buzz."
"Buzz is the best Ranger in the Galaxy," Mira confirmed. "And Avent still has a long way to go, as a Ranger. But--"
"See? You agree with me," Rollmac interrupted. "Don't worry sweetheart, I'll be fine."
Mira clenched her fists and shook them up and down again. "The guy's not just a first year rookie," she shouted. "He's an Urikry Black-Ops Space Marine who got integrated into Star Command. Oh for crying out loud, why won't you listen to me?!" she growled through her clenched teeth.
"Ah, they're here!" Brainpod57cried.
"Who?" Rollmac wanted to know.
"Space Rangers!" he cried as the Rangers in question dropped from the overhead catwalks.
"Hey!" Mira yelled as Rollmac grabbed her from behind. "Let go-mmmph!" she cried through the hand Rollmac clamped over her mouth.
"Play along Mira," Rollmac said quickly. "Or they will wonder why you are really here."
It was a lie, but Rollmac was persuasive as always, and Mira could not come up with a better alternative at the moment.
Rollmac removed his hand from her mouth, and drew his Pouncher.
"Power down your weapons!" Rollmac demanded.
Mira gasped, as the scene from the training floor back at Star Command flashed through her memory. Her eyes found Avent's at that moment. And they were sighted over a Star Command Rifle.
"No!" Mira yelled and threw herself to one side, even as Avent's rifle fired. The laser ripped a ragged trench along the side of Rollmac's helmet. Mira broke free from him as they hit the ground.
Rollmac rolled to his feet and fired twice. The oncoming Rangers scattered for cover.
"Thanks Mira!" Rollmac called, and darted for his ship.
Avent was suddenly next to her. "Mira! Are you hurt?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Mira confirmed and stood up. A bolt rolled under her foot, and she lost her footing. Avent caught the top of her jetpack with one hand, saving her from a fall.
"Are you sure?" he asked concerned, and pulled her back up to her feet.
"I'm fine!" Mira insisted. "I just slipped."
"Okay," Avent said, reluctantly letting go of her jetpack.
The Mira 2 blasted off.
"Ah, craters!" Avent exclaimed. "Andromeda, stay with Ranger Nova. Phop, let's get back to 101," he ordered, then popped open his wrist communicator.
"Terra, pick us up with Star Cruiser 101," he ordered as his wings slid out of his jetpack.
"Back to 42!" Buzz ordered his crew.
The Mira 2 already had a good lead and there wasn't much of a chance, but they had to try.
