Episode 35: A Much-needed Answer

"Stupid storm! Stupid Gamilons! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" thought Derek as he guided his plane out of the hangar and into space. "What're we doing, just sitting here? Where's the fleet we escaped from three weeks ago? Why haven't they found us again yet?"

All these thoughts and more came rolling over Wildstar as he set out to find the way through the storm, which the science team had dubbed the "Octopus Star" since it had eight orange tails swirling around its quadruple-dark-star center.

He stared at the giant thing, seeing for the first time how huge it was in comparison with the ship. Even the Argo was nothing when compared to this gigantic storm. It was miles and miles across, so huge that it seemed to envelope his entire world. When he looked to the left or right, the storm was there. When he looked ahead, the storm was there. When he looked back, he could see wisps of orange cloud that had disconnected from the main storm and reformed into tiny orange beacons.

He grimaced at the phenomena and surged on, looking for something – anything – that might suggest a way through the tumult.

He flew towards the mass. It took him over half an hour to reach it. Every time he thought he was getting close to the storm he would realize that he was nowhere near it. Its size masked how far away they really were from the giant.

The closer he got, the more he felt like a speck of dust on an elephant's back.

Finally his plane reached the wall of cloud that covered the nexus connecting the four black spheres.

"Should I go in?" he thought, beginning to regret his rash decision. His doubts were magnified when he felt his plane start to bob this way and that as a strong wind suddenly grabbed his Zero.

Derek held onto the control stick for all he was worth. He felt his plane shudder around him as the wind picked up and sucked him into the storm.

He thought he was about to die.

He looked around frantically for a way out of the storm, but he couldn't see anything. He stared at his instruments, but everything was gyrating crazily. All the dials and readouts seemed to have lost all sense of direction or meaning. They were useless.

Panic began to set in then. If he couldn't use his instruments to figure out which way he'd come… Then he was dead; and there was literally nothing he could do about it.

He froze, in his seat, hands glued to the stick, eyes glazed as he stared out the cockpit at the storm as it took him.

"Here." Dommel asked the driver to stop and let him out at an anonymous gate not too far outside the palace grounds. The driver obliged and stopped to let the General exit the aircar.

"Shall I wait for you, Sir?" the driver asked.

"No, please don't." Dommel replied, "Thank you."

The driver nodded and left, turning the car around to return to the palace.

Dommel sighed as the car left. It had been a relief to get out of the crowd that had mobbed the vehicle during his ride out of the capitol building. He wished he could return to simpler days, back when he and Elisa had been mere inn-keepers waiting for the next customer to come through their door.

Not that everything that had happened since that fateful day eleven years ago when he'd first met the Leader – though neither he nor his wide had known who the young man was at the time – was bad, quite the opposite in fact. Much good had come from that odd meeting.

Dommel looked up at the old archway that adorned the entrance to the cemetery and turned to enter.

He didn't remember a lot of the graves that now occupied the plots nearest the gate. So many had died thanks to the infestations of the tsarebetim all over the planet, but more and more were appearing even here underneath the surface of Gamilon. There were so many now that it was hard to travel too far from one's home without coming across at least one of the wretched things.

They stank of sulfur… and death. The sickly yellow streaks could even be seen from orbit now, and a number of them had congealed in places to create sulfur seas. Those areas had been cordoned off and the inhabitants of any towns near them had been evacuated.

At least he could do something about it now. Since the Leader had given him this new assignment he felt like he could do something worthwhile to help Gamilon, instead of just herding the troops along and ordering them to confront this Eratite ship, he would be the one doing it. He only hoped the Leader's faith in him hadn't been misplaced.

His footsteps fell on hard cobbled stone as he walked through the graveyard, head down, lost in his thoughts about the upcoming mission he would leave for in three days.

"Dommel!"

At the sound of Elisa's voice Dommel looked up and, despite the grim surroundings and heavy responsibilities he now bore, smiled.

"Elisa…" he went to her and wrapped her in a long-overdue hug. "You look better than when I left."

"Yes." Elisa agreed, hugging her husband fiercely, "I… feel much better than I did." She looked up at Dommel, noting the signs of concern on his face. "What is it?" she asked.

Dommel stepped back, dropping his arms to his sides. He didn't answer right away, but instead took a moment to take in the sight of his wife. She looked much like she had the last time he'd seen her. Her long blonde hair glinted in the low lamp light that lit the graveyard now that darkness had fallen. Her tender eyes were soft and warm, holding greater love for him than he knew he deserved. But now, instead of the dour gloom she'd let fall over her after their son's death, a brighter, happier look now adorned her face.

"It is nothing." Dommel replied, happy that his wife had been able to find something to be happy about. "I'm just tired."

Elisa nodded, accepting the answer. She leaned against his side, finding his hand and weaving her fingers into hers. "I wish Deror was here." She said, on a more somber note.

Dommel looked down at the small grave they now stood before. "I know." He said, "But perhaps it is good that he doesn't have to endure these troubled times."

Elisa nodded, "Yes… maybe it is."

Suddenly a loud squawk came from somewhere across the graveyard.

"Juji!" Elisa called to the bird, "Stop that!"

The sound of children's laughter floated across the dreary place, making it seem just a bit less sad.

The rockroc bird chittered at the children and hopped on top of one's head. The little girl giggled at Juji as he yodeled at the top of his bird-lungs.

"Juji." Elisa's voice grew stern and the bird turned to look at her with an innocent expression. Juji finally hopped off of the girl's head and waddled back through the gravestones to his owners. The children, visiting a grave of their own, paid a few last respects to their relative and left.

Juji saw Dommel and ran to the man, squawking excitedly. He vaulted up onto Dommel's shoulder and sat contentedly, a strange purring sound coming from his throat as he rubbing his head on Dommel's face.

"Yes, Juji. I'm happy to see you, too." He told the bird, petting the animal fondly.

"Dommel," Elisa looked around the purring bird so she could see her husband again, "Let's go home."

Dommel nodded and walked hand-in-hand with his wife all the way back to their dwelling.

Starsha sat on the stone ring circling one of the bubbling fountains outside the palace. She stared out into the gathering darkness, wondering what the Eratite ship was doing. It had been several weeks since she'd seen anything concerning the ship. Obviously they weren't in terrible danger or the engine core would have alerted her long before now. Perhaps they'd been waylaid for some reason.

She listened to the night birds and insects. Their familiar songs echoed in her mind as she thought of the last time she and Astra had come to listen to this nightly chorus. It had been over a year ago now. She only hoped that her sister was safely aboard the Argo and heading home even now.

Astra's name hadn't been on the passenger list, but perhaps she simply hadn't been able to communicate her name to the Eratites when she'd arrived on Erats. After all, Starsha had had to talk with Alex and Adam through the Interface since she had no other way of knowing what they were saying. Maybe by now Astra too had found a way to talk with the crew and tell them the story of how she had come to Erats in the first place.

At least Adam was doing better now. Even since he'd woken up he'd started getting better much more quickly. He talked with her and Alex every day now and Starsha had discovered, much to her delight that the other Eratite was, like herself, a follower of Yeshua. Alex didn't seem to be very happy with that fact, but he tolerated his friend's beliefs well enough.

She liked Alex and Adam and was glad to have someone to talk with now that Astra was gone, but she was becoming concerned with Alex's behavior towards her as of late. He seemed… a bit too interested in her. She hoped he wasn't starting to have some sort of affection for her beyond their limited friendship. She had tried not to lead the man on in any fashion. Perhaps she'd done something he'd misunderstood. She hoped that wasn't the case. If it was, she didn't know what she'd do.

"Starsha?" the voice startled the young queen and she jerked her head around to see who'd called her. To her chagrin, there stood Alex at the top of the stairs, looking down at her and smiling.

"Alex." Starsha said, pausing a moment to try to think of what to say to him, then in halting English managed, "How are you?" but it came out strangely, twisted up in her thick accent.

Alex laughed good-naturedly, dismissing the poor pronunciation, "I'm fine. How are you?"

She started to reply again in very bad English, but he stopped her, knowing it was still very uncomfortable for her to speak his language at all, "Just talk normally, please. We can practice some other time."

Starsha nodded, thankful not to have to struggle through whatever conversation they might have. Then she continued, "I was just going to go in. It's getting a bit cold out here."

Alex nodded, "Alright, I'll come with you. I wanted to ask you something anyway."

A strange chill suddenly gripped the young woman's stomach and squeezed. What could he possibly want to ask her? She didn't know why she felt such dread over his announcement of a simple question, but try as she might, she couldn't shake the strange feeling.

She was glad however that she didn't have to use the Interface as much to talk with the two Eratites now. Both of them had picked up a good amount her language and she had learned much of theirs as well. None of them could speak the others' language well enough yet, but at least they understood each other decently now.

Starsha got up from her seat on the stone and started up the steps, but a few steps up she tripped on her dress. She put her hands out to catch herself, but she never landed. Instead, Alex's strong hands reached down and caught her waist, hoisting her back up to a standing position.

"Thank you." The queen said, brushing at her dress, embarrassed to have fallen on the stairs she'd been using her whole life.

Alex gave her an odd look, "You're welcome."

The two made it back inside without incident and Starsha was just about to enter the elevator that would take her up to the floor her quarters occupied when Alex reached out and caught her arm.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Starsha apologized, "You wanted to ask me something." She turned to look at the tall Eratite, noting now in the light of the palace what she'd missed in the twilight outside. He was sweating and looked quite nervous. "What's wrong?" she asked, thinking that perhaps something had happened to Adam while she'd been outside.

Alex took a deep breath and looked at the glass floor.

Starsha was confused. What was he doing? Then, adding to her confusion, Alex suddenly knelt in front of her. Before she could pull away he took her hand and held it.

The queen looked at him strangely. On her world, this gesture was one used when one person asked forgiveness of another for some great wrong. Surely Alex hadn't done anything so terrible as to need to ask her forgiveness for it.

The knot in her stomach grew with every second Alex didn't say anything.

Finally he said, in decent Iscandarian, "I… I love you, Starsha. And I want you to be my wife." He looked up at her with hope in his dark brown eyes.

Starsha was stunned. Had she understood him correctly? She didn't reply for a long time. Her mind swirled with so many thought and feelings. How could she answer him? What could she say to this most dreaded question? Her stomach roiled as she opened her mouth to give him the only answer she could.

Derek thought he would never see anything other than angry orange and black clouds for the rest of his short life. How could he even begin to get out of here? There was no way to escape.

He started to descend into full-on panic, but just before he fell over the edge of his sanity, he saw something that tore away his despair and replaced it with glorious hope.

A star.

He stared at the glowing point, wondering if he was just seeing things now. Had all the spinning and bouncing addled his brain? He had no doubt that was a very real possibility since he'd lost track of how long he'd been stuck inside this orange monster.

He looked and looked, and as he did suddenly another star appeared and then another and another. Suddenly he was spit out of the storm and into open space. He looked around, trying to find the ship. But he didn't see it.

Certainly he hadn't just…

He let out a whoop so loud that had his comm channel been open, whoever was listening would have been deafened.

"I did it!" he celebrated, "I got through! There is a way!" He was so excited that he almost failed to see the Gamilon fleet as they started to close in on his little plane.

Suddenly the radar came back online and screeched for his attention. He cursed when he saw the enemy ships appearing on the radar. "Couldn't just let me have a minute!?" he railed at the enemy, "Just one minute to be happy about this?"

He knew he was too underpowered to fight them all and he turned his plane around. Grimacing at the thought of the ride he'd just endured and feeling like his stomach might not tolerate another bout, he plunged into the storm again, heading back the way he'd come, hoping that it would take him back to the Argo.

What seemed an eternity later he was spit back out the other side of the Octopus Star, feeling like he would puke, but otherwise, none the worse for wear. His plane wasn't damaged either, though the sensors were terribly confused and would need recalibrating now that they'd gone through what he now thought was some sort of magnetic disturbance - twice.

"Captain!" he hailed the ship as soon as his comm system came back on line.

"What did you find, Wildstar?" Avatar asked.

"There's a way through. Right through the nexus of the four spheres, but Captain, they're waiting. The Gamilon's are already on the other side, just sitting there. Once we come through, they're going to shoot us down like we're bugs."

"Get your ship back in the hangar, Wildstar. Then report to the operations room. We'll find a way to get through without ending our journey here. I promise you that." The Captain said, then the comm channel closed.

Derek pounded the seat in frustration. They could get through, he was sure. If his Zero could make it, surely the Argo could, but what then?

He guided his plane carefully back into the hangar and stowed it in its bay, telling the maintenance hands about the sensor adjustments he needed as he ran out of the hangar and up to the operations room.

"So what did Leader Desslok say to you?" Elisa asked once they were home and sitting comfortably on a couch in their living area.

"He… wants me to go back out in three days." Dommel replied.

"No…" Elisa said sadly, "So soon? You just got back and he wants you to leave again?"

"I know." Dommel kissed Elisa lightly on the forehead, "I don't want to go either, but there's something important I need to see to before I can come home more permanently."

"Oh, alright…" Elisa said, curling up next to him and letting her arm rest on his leg, then she whispered softly into his ear, "Promise me you'll come back from this…"

The General looked into his wife's eyes, seeing the concern she was trying to hide – the concern he knew she always had when he left for a military excursion of any kind. It was the same look she'd had every time he'd left the rebel encampment to take one of the Usurper's outposts two or three years ago. She was truly worried that one day he wouldn't come back.

He answered her fear just as he had many times before. He gently reached for her and pulled her close, then he kissed her lovingly, with just as much zeal as the day he'd married her.

All thoughts of what Elisa wanted to tell her husband melted away, replaced by the overwhelming presence of the man she loved.

"Colonel Gantz, it's one of the Eratite planes." The radar officer announced to his superior. "It's just come out of the storm."

"Close in. Destroy it before it has a chance to run." Gantz ordered.

The fleet quickly closed in on the small vessel, but just when they got within firing range it turned tail and jumped back into the storm.

"What in all the shamayim is the Eratite doing?" Gantz blurted, angry that they hadn't had a chance to take the plane down.

"Perhaps it went back to get the rest of them." Bane offered, trying to placate the Colonel.

He succeeded.

"Yes…" Gantz said thoughtfully, "Perhaps you're right, Bane." The Colonel replied, "Alright, all ships get away from the storm's exit channel. We'll wait for them to come through, and then, we strike."