Star flight

Chapter seven: the dead space

Lexan sat at the controls of the star flight, Raan stood behind him as he watched the traffic of the space lanes, he realized that he quite liked the ship and its captain, both were unpredictable and deceptive.

He glanced at linn who helped steer it, he could see the relationship between the two lovers and could tell straight away that they were married....

He looked at the jealous wolf, who glared at the couple with yellow eyes, there was a love there as well, a love that was only partially returned by Lexan, Raan spoke up and said "I suppose we should stock up on supplies, but where are we going?" "the agriculture planet of shorn" Lexan said, stopping as another ship entered the lane.

"I have close friends there, they'll give us a small discount, not that we need it" he added, Raans face twisted a little, as a generally honest raa'ga'kid he was less shocked as more horrified to find lexans profession as a smuggler.

Kis'na felt Raans anger and growled a warning, but he couldn't help say "you know, I wonder what you'd achieve as an honest pilot in the TNPF" "I would achieve a life of boredom, I chose this job to get by, but I also chose it to be free, you don't have to travel with us, but if you do, leave your opinions about my profession out of it, understand?"

'Whatever else he may be, he is a born leader' Raan thought sadly, as the flew, the traffic thinned out and the police activity became more pronounced, they ignored the star flight but linn said "they've scanned us with a medical field" she looked worriedly at Lexan and Raan "the disease must have spread here" "it would not be surprising, as we are near The Dead Space" Raan said grimly

"The what?" Lexan asked "I will explain later" Raan said softly as the came upon a hastily placed TNPF cruiser that had a huge Red Cross painted on the side "it must be being used as a make shift med center" linn said, then blinked as a com unit opened to reveal the captain of the ship

"Attention unknown vessel, this is captain Max Valsa, this planet, as part of the TAPP (Terren Alliance Planetary Pact) is under quarantine by the Terren council, any business you have with this planet will have to be monitored by a strict medical team and a team of squad members" "we just need supplies, food and water and such, were planning an archeological expedition with the approval of the alavile royal hierarchy"

There was silence and then "very well, you can take a supply cache from our stores, if, you can prove it" "let me talk to them" linn said "this is high princess linn of the planet alavile, I have given my permission in place of my father for this expedition to go on" "very well, we'll send the supplies on via machine" Lexan looked at Raan and said "could you go meet the machine? Your immune to it" "you believe this ship is infected?" "no, but a lot of people are, I would rather not risk spreading the disease further" "a wise choice, what if the attack me?" "we'll cover you from the ship, I have a LRSR in the armory" "a what?" linn asked "long range sniper rifle" he said smiling.

So an hour later, Raan walked down the corridor, in front of him a machine trundled through iron cast doors and was sprayed heavily with powdered disinfectant which was watered down.

Raan took stock of the supplies, enough to do them for a year, it wouldn't take them that long.....at least he hoped not. signing off on the transition sheet, he heard a voice say from the machine "this food has been kept in a quarantine area where no bacteria or viruses can live, if, however, this food is in some way contaminated, we accept no responsibility of your illness"

Raan rolled his eyes and accepted the food.

***

As the star flight waited, Lexan patted kis'nas head as she lounged beside him, linn watched.

There came a struggled radio signal, Lexan handed linn the rifle and said "same principle, aim, sight and shoot" she nodded and looked down the scope, Raan was having difficulty tugging the food along, something she giggled at, when she saw something that made her heart stop, a creature came running down behind Raan.

She aimed, unsure weather it was a threat, when it drew back, in its hand was a.....oh by the moons! she quickly aimed and shot! the bullet cracked through the air and slammed itself into the mutated persons forehead, Raan ducked and looked back, seeing the grenade, he picked it up and threw it out an air vent, without air to expand, the explosion was weak.

He looked back to see Lexan waving him back, pistol in hand, he whipped around to see hundreds of the sick running towards him "oh rashajak!" He said before abandoning the food and charging back to the ship.

Lexan started firing with his pistol, aiming for the head, while linn kept her cool and took out the ones with grenades. the pilots saw this and radioed in "hold on! we'll take them out from the tube, close your doors and pull out, while we blast these poor sods out of their misery"

Lexan slammed the door shut and ran to the console "roger that, we're outta here!" he pushed forwards on the steering and they shot off, next second five TNPF fighters swooped down and destroyed the tube, they then flew around and destroyed the battery as fifty different escape pods shot out, full of the unaffected and soldiers. The ship died down and began to drift.

Raan slumped in his seat and panted while Lexan and linn looked at each other, then to Raan....they started to laugh, the indignant look on Raans face made them laugh harder, eventually a smile cracked on his face and he joined in.

After an hour of laughing and giggling, they eventually sobered up as Raan said "I couldn't get the food" linn shrugged and said smiling "we can find a market on a space station, it doesn't matter" Raan smiled at her kindness and nodded "until then" Lexan continued "we have enough to last us, if we ration it" they both nodded.

***

The market on kalaoon was crowded and noisy, kis'na didn't like crowds, and as of late, her home had been getting crowded beyond belief, what with that strange smelling bitch and the tall lizard who was hogging her master to themselves.....as for her master? he was worried and tense most of the time.

Perhaps it had something to do with the strange bad smell that permitted from those that had attacked them recently? he was always one to use cunning over force, but even she could tell that these poor souls were beyond help.

The strange pointed ear lady sat next to her, munching on a snack, kis'na herself was hungry, but she would only take food from her master, no one else.

She smelled danger! sniffing she gave a low growl that the pointed ear lady heard and asked "what is it girl?" dislike her she might, but her master lived her, and he would be upset with her if anything happened to her.

She stayed still, until the threat came, three thuggish males of her masters race, they spotted her and whistled, she wrinkled her nose and continued eating, they started to saunter up to her, but kis'na decided that that was close enough.

She stood and walked in front of her, growling viciously, two backed off instantly, but the last one snorted and kicked out, only to have his leg trapped in iron like jaws with hook like teeth.

***

"Kis'na! that's enough" linn said quickly, the mans screams reaching the guards, they stopped when they saw the Vorgon wolf, approaching carefully, she only let go when Lexan appeared "you tried to kick her didn't you?" Lexan said staring at the sobbing man "you'll be glad to know that she didn't hit any vital nerves and such" Raan said, joking at looking at the mans leg.

The guard spoke and said "be that as it may, your mongrel attacked someone, by law we will take her and-" he stopped as Lexan stepped close, and his blood chilled as he felt the barrel of a pistol in his abdomen "he's alive, be thankful, usually she kills them" he pushed the barrel into his gut further "but if you ever imply that you'll kill my wolf again, ill blow your brains all over the joint.....clear?" "crystal" he said quickly.

Lexan moved back and waved the others to follow, the doctors had arrived and fixed him up when he spoke "you won't hear the last of this!" Lexan turned and said "wont I? good, that means target practice" he paled as Lexan walked away.