The Lost Jewels of Luna, part 3

Jared looked over his shoulder at the receding jungle behind him as he continued to run. At first, he thought for sure that escape had happened. Then, he saw them. At first, it was only a few women, in their shiny, silver jump suits, but he could see the remaining hundreds in the trees behind the first. All were armed with the now familiar laser spear carried by the warrior women of Callisto, ready to fire as soon as he and his crew were visible. He turned back to the remainder of his crew up ahead.

“They’ve broken through,” he shouted. “Keep going, we’re nearly at the ship.”

He opened his communicator and set it to call the Destiny. “Katie,” he cried into it to his ship’s pilot, “fire up the rockets. We need a quick get away!”

“I’m already warmed up and just waiting for you guys to get back on board,” came the crackly reply.

Jared and the five members of his crew that were running came over a hill and saw the tall rocket named Destiny, that had been their home for the past few weeks. He smiled, but only briefly as the tall rock next to him exploded in a cloud of dust. The women behind him had started firing their laser spears. He ducked and moved to the right to avoid the largest of the rocky debris and maybe avoid another shot. Then, he turned at his torso, continuing to run forward, and fired his ray gun in their direction. He knew he wouldn’t be accurate at this range, but he wasn’t trying to be, so much as he just wanted them to duck too.

A few of his fellow crew were firing over their shoulder as well, but just like him they were not very effective. It didn’t matter, though, because the lead they had gained running through the jungle meant they would reach the ship before the warrior women did. Then, he heard a cry, and turned to his left to see Phil Dixon fall to the ground, a laser spear blast through his back. He saw Alicia reach down and start to grab their fallen crewman, and he rushed up to help. Together, they ran as best they could, Alicia going backwards.

More shots came their way, and Jared looked in Alicia’s eyes. She only nodded, her mouth a grim line of determination. They were gaining, that look said. Another shot came in and hit the ground near his foot, causing him to slip to his knee and almost drop Phil. He scrambled back up and kept running, though.

“Katie!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping that the pilot would hear him. “Give us some covering fire!”

The guns on the Destiny swiveled just then, and started firing. The larger ship guns were far more effective than their hand held blaster weapons, taking out a dozen warrior women in one shot. However, in order to avoid hitting Jared and crew, Katie had to aim back, and thus the women closest to him were still on his tail. Jared dared not look back, but he could feel them getting closer. More shots came. They missed, but they were higher up and landed further in front of him. They were very good with those laser spears, he thought.

As they got closer to the ship, the ramp came down, and on it was standing a tall, dark skinned muscular man in a black uniform that was the spitting image of Jared’s, minus the star and rocket emblem Jared wore. Jared realized that it was Dexter, and he sighed in relief. He was carrying a large ray cannon, and fired off a few shots before the ramp even hit the ground. Coming out behind him were other crew members, firing their own ray guns and giving Alicia and Jared the cover they needed to get up the ramp into the ship. Jared heard Dexter fire a few more shots from the cannon before the ramp closed behind them.

He set Phil down and slammed his fist on an internal ship communicator. “Katie, we’re all on board, take off now!”

The pilot didn’t need a second order, or even bother waiting to make sure everyone was buckled in. The rocket, who’s engine’s had been idling, roared into life and everyone was pushed to the ground as it took off. A few clanging thumps from the walls let Jared know the warrior women were still firing their laser spears at them. After a few moments, the pressure of blast off eased, and everyone was able to stand. Jared looked around the room and found the last member of his landing crew, and old and wrinkled man in a ship uniform that was too large for his skinny frame. He grabbed the old man by his jacked and hauled him to his feet.

“What the hell was all that, Phenius?” he cried.

“How was I supposed to know that the queen remembered me?” he said. “It’s been thirty years since I was here last, and I was a site more better looking then, I can say. At least we got away alive.”

“We were supposed to get away with the ship repaired,” Jared said. “A fully repaired ship would have made a far more impressive sight then the damaged one we’re in now when we land on Io.”

In disgust, he tossed the old man onto the floor, and turned to look back at Phil. The man had a hole in his gut, and blood was pouring out of it. It didn’t look like he was breathing. He looked to Alicia, who shook her head.

“I’ve already called for Flynn,” she said. Flynn was their ships medic, but this looked like it was beyond his skills.

As if on cue, the door opened and Flynn rushed in with a medical kit in hand. He rushed straight to Phil, and paused as he looked at the wound. He gently touched it, looking at Phil’s face as he did so. Phil didn’t respond. He checked Phil’s neck and arm for a pulse. A single tear ran down his cheek and he turned to Jared and just shook his head. Jared nodded. He knew that the man had been dead as soon as the spear blast hit him, but like Alicia, he couldn’t stand to leave his companion behind.

He wheeled back to Phenius, his face turned into a frown and fire in his eyes. He pointed a finger at the old man. “I hold you responsible for his life. When we return to Luna, you will pay for this, I promise you.”

He stormed out of the room without looking back, but had he, it would have been to a surprising sight. Up until now, Phenius had been unflappable. Nothing seemed to put him off, even when it was obviously his fault. But Jared’s threat left him speechless and looking after the young Star Captain with a look in his eyes that could only be described as pitiable.

A few moments later saw Jared in his quarters, staring out the porthole at the stars. A knock came at his door, and he waved his hand to get the automatic door to open without turning around. Alicia walked in a moment later.

“It’s not your fault, you know,” she said. “All of us knew that when we joined this crew, there was a chance it would be our last adventure.”

“It is my fault, I’m the captain,” Jared said. He turned away from the window and sat on his bed, looking up at Alicia. She sat at the large chair by his desk. “I’m responsible for the safety of this crew. I was the one that brought Phenius on board, I was the one that decided to trust him and come to Callisto to get repairs instead of going straight to Io. If I had just gone straight there, Phil might still be alive.”

“All of that is true,” Alicia said, causing Jared to stare up at her in surprise. It was definitely not the answer he was expecting. “You are the captain, as you said. A Star Captain, to boot. You are responsible for our safety. And, if you had gone straight to Io instead of Callisto, Phil would still be alive. For now. There’s no guarantee’s in space travel, and as a Star Captain, you know that. There’s every chance that Phil would have died on Io. And what about Chris? He died, too, and that was no more your fault that Phil’s death was. Death is a part of being a Star Captain. I’ve seen members of my crew die in my career. All I can tell you is that it doesn’t get any easier. But, you are a Star Captain. And our captain. As a member of your crew, if you’re not okay, I’m not okay either. Harsh as this is to say, you just need to accept that Phil is and move on. Later, when this is over, you can morn him properly. Dexter would tell you the same thing. You’re job, right now, is to lead those of us still alive, and complete your mission. If you quit now, Phil and Chris will have died in vein.”

Jared stared at his fellow Star Captain, who was now serving as a member of his crew. Her eyes were as black as her hair, but somehow they were warm and inviting. And he knew that she spoke the truth. He sat up, squared his shoulders, set his jaw and nodded.

“When we return to Luna, Chris and Phil will be buried as heroes of the state,” he said. “But for that to happen, I need to claim the throne, and for that I need the Lost Jewels of Luna. I’m not going to let them have died in vein. We’re going to Io, and nothing is going to stand in my way.”

Alicia stood and clasped Jared on his shoulder. “Well said, Star Captain,” she said. “It is an honor to be a member of your crew.”

Jared realized then that Alicia was the right person to be his First Officer. He had thought several times that it should be Dexter, the more experienced of the three of them, but he was learning that Dexter was somewhat headstrong and more of a shoot first and think later kind of guy. Alicia, while as ready to jump into the fray as anyone, was more slow to action and more prone to thinking her way through ha problem. It was a trait that Jared was getting more and more to like, and one he was trying to cultivate himself.

It only took a few hours for the rocket ship Destiny to arrive at Io. They radioed down to the capital city, Io City.

“This is the rocket ship Destiny to Io City Tower. My name is Star Captain Jared Decker, Prince of Luna,” Jared said into the microphone. “I have come here to speak to your king and retrieving the Lost Jewels of Luna.”

There was a few moments hesitation before a reply came back. “Rodger that, rocket ship Destiny. You are cleared to land at the Royal Landing Platform on the south side of the city. You will be greeted there by the Royal Guard who will take you and your first officer to the king. The rest of your crew are requested to remain onboard your ship.”

“Understood, Io City Tower,” Jared replied, expecting something similar to this. “We will land in the next half hour.”

A short while later, the Destiny was landing on the large, gold and purple colored landing platform. Jared couldn’t help by smile at the pure gaudiness of it all. Even his uncle, who reveled in this wealth and power as King of Luna, would never think of decorating his personal landing pad. It was obviously designed to show off the wealth of Io. He turned to Alicia, resplendent in her dress uniform just as he was, and they both smiled at each other.

When they walked down the exit ramp, the captain of the Royal Guard came up to them and indicated that he was to take them to the royal palace, immediately. There, they would speak to the king in person. Once again, he turned to Alicia, and she nodded as well. As much as he liked Alicia, he really wanted the face of someone he knew well, which left Angus. But, Angus would not be able to pass himself off as the Destiny’s first officer. Plus, Alicia was better at dealing with royalty than Angus.

When they arrived at the castle, everything inside was every bit as gaudy and pretentious as the landing strip was. The people of Io really wanted their guests to know they had money to spare. It only made Jared smile at the absurdity of it all. The original settlers of Io were pirates, and would have happily stripped this castle and the landing strip.

The guards led them to a large set of brass double doors, and then stopped and stood on either side of it, making two rows of six men. It took Jared a moment to realize that he and Alicia were to go through. He pushed open the doors, which were far quieter than Jared was expecting, and walked into a large, mostly empty, throne room. Jared thought it should be filled with courtiers, but apparently the king wanted few witnesses to this meeting. The walls were decorated with banners and portraits of past kings, as well as the flags or ships plaques of several of the pirate ships that originally colonized the moon.

They eye was immediately drawn, however, to the large pair of thrones that sat in the center of the wall opposite the door. They were made out of steel, from the looks of them, and inlaid in bone. Soft, overstuffed cushions were built into the seat and back, making them look immensely comfortable, despite the hard construction materials. Seated in the thrones were two people, and old man with pure white hair on his head and a full bear on his chin. He wore a fine silk purple and gold robe, and had a fine, thin gold crown on top of her head. Obviously, the king.

Seated next to him, however, was someone that had Jared’s undivided attention. She was a beautiful young woman, about the same age as he was. She wore a fine green dress that hugged her curves without being immodest, and a solid emerald necklace that complimented the dress well. She was obviously the King’s daughter, the princess. Her eyes fell to his and he saw they were as green as the dress and emerald. He also saw in those eyes an instant understanding. This, then, was what the poets called Love At First Sight He was smitten with this fine maiden, and all logic be damned. And he knew, looking into those eyes, she felt the same way.

A poke in the rib by Alicia brought him to the present. He turned his gaze from the young princess to the old king, and knelt down on one knee.

“You’re Royal Highness,” Jared began, “We have come to you’re fine kingdom to…”

“I know why you’re here,” the king interrupted. His voice was gravelly and harsh, and the one was from one obviously used to giving orders and having them obeyed. “You, like many before you, claim to be a Prince of Luna, and you come to steal a treasure that has been in my family now for generations.”

“After it was stolen from Luna first,” Jared said. Blurted, really, and afterwards he decided it was better to stand up to this old man that just be defeated here and now because he doesn’t want to give up the prize.

“Look, your Highness,” Jared said, noticing that the king had stopped talking, but hadn’t really acted or looked angry. “We both know that the jewels are useless to you, locked in a safe that you can’t open. I understand that you’ve held them for centuries, and that its’ a source of pride for you and your pirate ancestors. But, I aim to reclaim my throne from my treacherous uncle, and the only way for me to do so is with those jewels. So, one way or another, I intend to leave with them. I’d prefer your permission, but my crew and I are willing and capable to get them in less underhanded fashions.”

His speech over, Jared just stood there, staring at the King and fearful that he had now spoken out of turn in a very disrespectful tone. The King of Io looked him up and down, examining this challenger to his power and possessions. After a few tense moments, the king threw his head back and let loose with a mighty bellow of laughter. He laughed for a good long time, and even the princess on the throne looked warily from Jared to her father and back again. Finally, the laughter stopped, and the king got up out of his throne, made his way down the stairs, and gripped Jared on the shoulders. Old he may be, but that grip held the strength of a younger man.

“My young princling,” the old king said. “I appreciate someone that speaks their mind. It hardly happens around my court, everyone is scared. But,” and this he said in a whisper, “I rather like it that way. I think I shall give you a chance to get the Jewels of Luna. But, keep in mind that I am unwilling to simply part with the Jewels. I am, however, willing to present you with a challenge. I’m a gambling man and I’m willing to bet that you will fail this challenge.”

The king pressed a button on his throne and the whole chair swiveled and turned to his right. He then pushed another button, and a whole section of wall recessed into the floor, revealing a long, very wide, almost bare hallway. At the end of the hallway was a large metal box that Jared recognized right away. The Lost Jewels of Luna. There they were, at last. He was nearing the end of his quest.

“All you have to do,” the King said, “is make it down this hallway to the safe. Then you’ll need to open the safe, something only a member of the Royal Family of Luna can do. If you can do those two things, the Jewels are yours.”

The King pressed a button on his throne once more and the wall came back up, covering the view of the hallway. “But that,” he said, “will be for tomorrow. Tonight, we feast, and you will rest in my guest chambers. It is not often that we get visitors out here.”

He pressed yet another button, and suddenly the throne room was filled with people, pouring out of doors that were made to look like the walls. No, not people, Jared realized, but robots. Android servants, who brought out tables, chairs, and an amazing amount of food. Jared and Alicia sat and ate. The food was amazing. All grown right there on Io, the King assured them. He asked of their adventures, and the two told the tail of their trip from Luna to Io, including the colossal robot on Mars, Phenius and the Warrior Women of Callisto. The Kind laughed and looked somber at all the right places. Jared was surprised that he seemed genuinely sad at the loss of their crewmates. The whole time, though, Jared wondered where all the people were. Surely the King and his daughter were not the only Iotians.

After dinner, they were lead to their bedchambers. The chambers were truly huge, each one large enough to comfortably house the entire crew of the Destiny. Which reminded him that he needed to report, so he pulled out his communicator and called in. He then took full advantage of the pool sized bathtub and Jacuzzi, the silk bed clothes, and started to head to bed. That was when he heard a noise. He grabbed his ray gun from the holster on the chair, and spun around. Instead of the robot assassin he expected, however, he saw the princesses.

“Please lower your weapon,” she said. “I am here to help you.”

Jared lowered his gun, but was not yet willing to put it away.

“I am Princess Julia,” she said. “And I wish for you to take me with you when you leave here.”

“What?” Jared asked. This was not what he was expecting.

“My father has gone mad,” she said. “All the royal courtiers have been killed or banished for trying to take his gold or his throne. All hogwash, of course, but he has gone insane and believes everyone wants his gold and throne. He plans to kill you tomorrow as well. I will help you, and in return I want you to take me with you when you leave.”

Jared’s eyes went wide. This explained so much. He nodded his head. He would have gladly taken the beautiful young princess anyway, of course, but for this, he was at her service. “I will protect you, Julia,” he said, giving the Star Captain salute. “You are now under my protection, and when I leave here with the Lost Jewels of Luna to reclaim my throne, you will accompany me.”

“Oh, thank you,” she said, and rushed up to him. She wrapped her arms around his muscular frame and hung on as if he were a life preserver. After a moment, she looked up into his eyes, and they kissed. There was passion in that kiss, to be sure, but this, Jared knew, was a kiss of love. Finally, she stopped the kiss and pushed herself away from him.

“Take this,” she said, handing him a small black box with two buttons on it, one red and one green. “The hallway you need to travel down tomorrow is trapped. The red button will enable you to get safely past the hallway guardians. My father has a special trap on the safe itself. The green button will disable that trap. For the last part, you will be on your own. Are you truly a member of the Royal Family of Luna?”

Jared nodded. She sighed in relief.

“Good,” she said. She hugged him once more. “My prince. My Star Captain. I look forward to our life together once we have escaped here.”

And before he could say anything to her, she left the room through what Jared now saw was a secret doorway. He shook his head, and stared down at the little black box. If he hadn’t been holding it, he could swear that what just happened was all a dream. He shook his head and went to sleep.

The next morning, he and Alicia were escorted down to the throne room once more.

“I’m pretty sure this is all a trap,” she said. “The King doesn’t seem all that stable.”

“Yeah, I agree,” he said. “However, I have an inside track that will help us out of this.” He showed her the black box. Her look was confused, but he didn’t explain it right away, hiding the box once more in his jacket.

“Ah, you’re here,” The King said from his throne. Jared wondered briefly if he ever left the chair. “I trust you slept well? Good, good. Shall we get right to it then? I know I’m looking forward to the show.”

With that, he opened the wall revealing the hallway once again, and sat back in his chair, preparing for the entertainment that was to come. “All you have to do,” he said, “is get to the other end of this hall and open the safe. Simple. Ah, just you, my dear Star Captain. You’re first officer will stay here with us and watch.”

Jared nodded to Alicia, who reluctantly took the seat brought in by another robot servant. Jared took a breath, looked over to the Princess, who smiled, and then exhaled as he moved to the hallway. He gave one last look back, nodding to the King, and then drew his ray gun and entered the hall.

He moved slowly, looking back and fourth for any signs of a trap. He wasn’t sure what to look for exactly, but he doubted it mattered. The walls were smooth and metal, cold to the touch. The floor was the same, except that it had a red carpet on it. His footsteps could still be heard, though. As he inched his way across, he saw little else. The ceiling seemed to be one long light, glowing softly. About half way down was when the trap was finally sprung.

Doors suddenly appeared on the previously seamless walls. Jared stopped and aimed his ray gun, but there were hundreds of doors. He wasn’t sure where to aim. And then out came the robots. Hundreds of them, at least three or four per door. The hallway would quickly be crowded thick with the things. All of them were identical, skeletal looking machines, with blinking red eyes and a grinning skeletal like face. Each had a lethal looking blade on its right arm instead of a hand. And he had no doubt that each knew how to use them.

He took a few shots at the robots with his ray gun, but it became quickly apparent that a force shield protected them. The gun would penetrate eventually, but by then it would be too late. He didn’t hesitate any further. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out the black box and pressed the red button. Immediately, all the robots stopped where they were and powered down, arms falling limply at their sides. Jared quickly put the box back in his jacket.

“Hmmm…” said the King of Io. He was stroking his beard. “I don’t know how you did that. But, still, you haven’t yet reached the safe, or opened it. Please, continue.”

Jared, confident that there would be no further threats on the way to the safe, simply walked down the hallway the rest of the way. He stopped when he got to the safe and examined it. It was a dark, black metal, with an obvious door and handle on one side. The door was just as obviously locked. In the middle of the door was a plate with the image of a human hand on it. A scanner, Jared realized. He knew, though, that he couldn’t yet touch it. He decided to test the trap, and touched the safe with his ray gun. A shock of lightning arced down from the ceiling and shot the gun out of his hand and across the hallway. He could hear the King laughing from his throne.

Jared reached into his pocket again and pulled out the black box, this time pressing the green button. The lightning field crackled again, but then dissipated. Jared extended a finger and touched the safe. It was cold and hard and smooth, but no lightning. He smiled. Behind him, the King bellowed in rage. Now came the last part. Jared placed his hand on the hand print plate on the safe. It light up, and Jared could feel a tickling sensation on his hand. It made it itch. A few seconds later, the plate turned green and he could hear bolts unlatching. Excitedly, Jared reached down and opened the door to the safe. Inside was a large sack that contained three perfectly cut diamonds, all about the size of Jared’s fists. The Lost Jewels of Luna. He had done it!

The King let out a roar of anger, and Jared feared he would push another button on his throne that would lower the ceiling and crush him where he stood. But the yell was followed quickly by a ray gun shot. Alicia, he realized. Jared placed the jewels back into the bag and sluing it over his shoulder. He then ran down the hallway, retrieving his own ray gun as he went.

When he exited the hallway, he saw that Alicia had her gun drawn and had it aimed, inches away, at the Kings head. The King of Io sat staring at the gun, sweat trickling down his forehead. The Princess raced to Jared as soon as he exited.

“You did it, my Prince!” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Alicia looked at Jared with a single eyebrow raised.

“The princess aided me,” Jared said, pulling the black box once more out of his jacket. “Without her, I would have surely died in there. And as her reward, she will return with us to Luna, where she will be safe from her father’s insanity.”

“Noooooooo!” came the anguished cry of the King.

“Shall I kill him,” Alicia said, putting her gun right up to the King’s temple.

Jared shook his head. “No.” he said. “It is better to leave him here, to wallow in his loneliness and paranoid delusions. Understand this, King of Io. I am now the ruler of Luna, and if you do anything to harm me or a member of my crew, you will have to face the prospect of war with my kingdom. Do you understand?”

The King of Io only nodded his head, but Jared believed he had made his point.

“Come on, Alicia,” he said. “Let get out of here and go home.”

“Yes sir, Star Captain,” Alicia said.

On the way back to the ship, Alicia looked at Jared. “So tell me, Jared. What happens if when we return to Luna your uncle decides he still doesn’t want to give up the throne?”

Jared laughed and turned to look at her. “Do you really think that with you, Dexter Steele and the rest of the crew of the Destiny facing him down he’ll refuse?”

This time it was Alicia’s turn to laugh.

“Still,” Jared said. “I suppose that’s a possibility. We’ll have to face that adventure when we get to it.”

The End

The Lost Jewels of Luna, part 1

Jared Decker slammed his back up against the rock outcropping, narrowly missing several shots from his opponent’s ray gun. He checked his own ray gun. Still half a charge. Now that he had a chance to think, he took a moment to listen to the shots still coming his way. It sounded like two people, maybe three on the outside. Half a charge was more than enough to take them out. A moment later, the ray gun fire died down as they realized he had taken cover. He gritted his teeth and took a quick peak around the side of the rock. He spotted two of the shooters, one down the rocky path and another across the gorge to Jared’s left. That one spotted him and started shooting again, forcing Jared back behind his cover.

He did a quick calculation in his head of angle and distance, then, just as the gun fire ceased again, poked around the rock with gun raised and shot twice, hitting both opponents. The one down the path just fell to the ground, while the other one had been reaching over the gorge just a bit too much and tumbled head over heels down the dusty, red rocks. Carefully, Jared stood up, looking around to see if there was a third shooter. After a few moments, it appeared that there wasn’t, so he came out from behind the rock, intending to check the body of the man on the path. Maybe he had some form of identification. He didn’t get more than four steps, however, when the shooting started again.

The third shooter was good, and prevented Jared from getting behind his cover again. However, Jared already had his own ray gun drawn, and he ran and dived behind the cover the man on the road has been using, shooting over his shoulder as he went. After ducking behind the cover, he looked up to find the shooter, but couldn’t see him anywhere. He must be using a ray rifle, it was the only way he could have been shooting at him without being seen. The shooting stopped, and he carefully scanned the red rocks of the surrounding hillsides. Finally, he saw what he needed, a glimmer of light, reflecting off the shooter’s gun. It was too far away to hit with his own ray gun, of course, but Jared had an idea. He took aim at a large rock below the shooter, and fired.

He hit the small rock right at the bottom of it, causing it to loosen just enough for it to start to fall. Rocks that were resting above it started to fall as well, and pretty soon, the whole hillside was an avalanche of rocks. He couldn’t tell for sure, but he thought he saw the glint of light consumed by the rockslide.

“Excellent work, Jared!” came a cheerful voice from behind him. Jared spun around, his gun raised, ready for whatever was to come. Before him was an older man with salt and pepper hair, wearing a pressed and clean, yet still old fashioned, red and white Earth Space Force dress uniform.

“Admiral Turner!” Jared said. He spread his arms wide and a smile filled his face. He holstered his ray gun and came up to shake the older man’s hand. The old man, however, grabbed him and gave him a great big bear hug. The two slapped each other on the back and laughed.

“Congratulations, my boy!” Turner said, “You’ve made it past every test I can think to throw at you.”

“You mean…?” Jared started, but couldn’t finish the sentence out of fear.

“Yes, indeed,” Turner said, a broad smile covering his face. “You have officially graduated from the Star Captain University. You are now one of the few, the brave. The heroes of the solar system. I hereby declare you a Star Captain!”

Turner pulled out something that looked like a brooch from his tunic, and pinned it to Jared’s chest. It was a silver rocket ship with the planet Earth behind it. This was the symbol denoting one as a Star Captain.

“I did it,” Jared said, rubbing the medallion on his chest He turned his eyes towards the stars. “I can finally go, and explore the solar system. I can’t wait to tell Angus. He said he’s got his eye on a ship for me.”

“Excellent, my boy, excellent,” Turner said. Then, his face turned serious, and he guided Jared to walk with him down the rocky path. “Jared, before you leave, there’s something important I have to tell you.”

“What is it, Admiral?” Jared asked.

“Jared, tell me, what do you know about the politics of the solar system?”

“Well,” Jared said, confused by the question. This was Star Captain 101. “The human’s from Earth colonized most of the worlds and moons a long time ago. The outer planets are hard to get to, but we still can by taking a months long journey around the asteroid belt. Not long after forming the colonies, the original colonists set themselves up as royalty and nobility. Venus, the Moon, several colonies on Mars and the Martian moons plus the few colonies we did establish on the outer planets, are all ruled by nobility. Earth is now the only planet to not be ruled by a monarchy. Why?”

“And, as you know, you’re not from Earth,” The admiral said.

“Right, I’m originally from Luna, the moon,” Jared said, still confused. “My mother left me in your care when I was just a baby. You’ve told me this story a hundred times. Admiral, what is it you’re trying to tell me?”

“Well, my boy,” Turner said, taking a deep breath. “I’m just going to come right out and say this. You’re father was the king of Luna. He was a good man, and loved by his people. But, he was deposed from his throne by your uncle, his brother. He led a violent coup by subverting the Lunar military to his cause. He attacked the castle and took the throne. You’re father and older siblings were all killed in the take over, but your mother hid you by pretending that you were still born. She saw to your safety by sending you to me.”

“Wait,” Jared said, “My father? King? You’re telling me that…”

“Yes, Jared,” Turner said. “You are the rightful heir to the throne of Luna. You’re uncle took the throne unlawfully, but no one could stop him. And none of the other worlds wanted to get involved, as your uncle had the military on his side. It’s up to you to restore things on your native world.”

“How…” Jared started to ask. “This is all kind of hard to take in, Admiral. Is there some kind of proof? How do I know that I am a Prince of Luna.”

“You know already,” the Admiral said. “You ca feel in your heard that I speak the truth. But, if you need proof, you need look no further than your ring. The ring you wear on your left hand is the royal seal of the Court of Luna. You’ve worn it since you came to me. You have a destiny, my boy, to return to the moon and claim you’re throne.”

“Destiny,” Jared said, rolling the word around on his tongue, tasting it, and deciding that he liked it. He looked down at the ring, the only thing he was left by his mother. It was gold, and had a white stone that was not found on Earth in it. He knew that Admiral Turner was telling him the truth. He set his jaw in grim determination. “Yes. I will return to the moon. I will revenge my fallen father, and I will claim my destiny.”

“Excellent, my boy, excellent,” Turner said, slapping the younger man on his back. “Now, go to your friend Angus, I hear he has a special gift for you.”

Jared ran off, down the rocky path to the hills below, where the large, sprawling campus of The Space Academy, where all Star Captains were trained, many directly by Admiral Turner himself. It was here that many famous men and women learned their trade, including Dexter Steele, who sailed the cosmos even now, and the infamous pirate captain Jane Danger, who terrified the space lanes for twenty years before Dexter Steele put her down. Now, it was Jared’s turn to make a name for himself.

The school was located just outside of San Diego, and sat along a cliff by the coast, with a breath taking view of the ocean. Admiral Turner thought that was appropriate for a place where he would train people to explore space, or the cosmic ocean, as he liked to call it. Jared ran past the three main domes that made up the largest portion of campus and straight to the launch pads. As expected, he found Angus covered in his overalls, covered in grease, working on the engine of a rocket. It was a rather small rocket, but sturdy from the looks of it, and it was one that Jared had never seen before. It was mostly unpainted and unnamed, from the look of it.

“Angus!” Jared called.

His friend turned his sweat coated, red-curl-covered head around and smiled broadly. “Jared! I see that congratulations are in order!” He pointed at Jared’s pin.

Jared smiled in return, “Indeed. I’m a Star Captain now.”

“Fantastic,” Angus said, then turned and patted the rocked behind him. “Because I just finished building this puppy here. I spent all year making her, and I’m giving her to you as a graduation gift.”

Jared’s jaw dropped. He looked to his friend and then back to the rocket, unable to believe his luck. He looked the rocket over again. It was still small, for a rocket ship, Jared guessed it could house about ten people, maybe twelve. He could see the command center on the top, where the four bridge crew would sit. Just below them, at the front of the ship, was it’s sensor dish. Near the bottom were the wings, and attached to them he could see the small guns that Angus had put on. Like the rocket itself, they were small, possibly only good for defensive action, but it was better than not having guns at all.

“It’s… fantastic,” he said. “And it’s great timing. I have a mission.”

He filled Angus in on the details of his life that the Admiral just told him. Angus nodded and turned to the rocket. “Well, that is good timing. I’ll have all the finishing touches done by tomorrow, including the paint job. The other members of the ground crew here have been excited to help me with this. It just needs a name.”

Jared thought of that for a moment, and then smiled. “Destiny.”

Angus nodded. Then, Jared turned to his friend once again. “Angus,” he said, “I want you to come with me.”

Now it was Angus’ turn to stand with his jaw open. “Really? I’ve been an engineer here at the academy for the past twelve years, why would you want to take me with you?”

“You built this rocket,” Jared said, “and you’re the best engineer I know. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to make sure the Destiny can take me wherever it is I need to go.”

Angus nodded, and turned to look back at the rocket, though Jared suspected that he was hiding a tear. He turned back to Jared and clasped him on his shoulders.

“I would be honored to accompany you, Prince Jared,” he said, and then bowed. The two went off that night to celebrate, and had a grand feast in town. When he returned to his dorm room, Jared started to pack, but realized he was too tired to really focus on the task, so went to bed.

The next day, Jared completed his packing and had his baggage sent to the Destiny. He dressed in his finest Star Captain uniform, a smart black jacket that buttoned over the left side with three brass buttons, and his Star Captain badge on the right side. He had clean, pressed white pants with a black striped down the side, and shiny black leather boots. When he reached the launch platform, he saw that the Destiny had been painted, the name proudly displayed next to the Star Captain symbol. He smiled. He spotted Angus, still in his overalls and covered in grease, standing nearby.

“We’re all set, Captain,” he said. “Normally, we’d want a full crew of ten, but the two of us should be fine for a quick trip to the moon.”

Jared nodded and the two climbed aboard. It was his first time aboard her, and he took his time getting to know the ship. He found his quarters, smaller than his dorm, but better, fore they would have a view of space. He walked around the mess deck and kitchen area, nodding. They weren’t fully stocked, but for now they just needed to get to the moon. Proper food and a cook could be found later. Then, he went to the command deck, where there were four seats. Two were for the pilot and navigator, in front. One was for the captain, and the fourth was at a computer station where the ships sensors and weapons were operated. He sat in the command chair and smiled. This was where he had wanted to sit his whole life. Once again, he thought of the word Destiny, and how it was a perfect name for this ship.

A short time later, they were blasting towards space and the moon. Jared sighed as he saw the white orb. He had seen it from Earth orbit before, but he had never actually gone there. In fact, he had never really been anywhere outside the Academy campus. Now, he was going to the place he had been born, a place he just discovered he was destined to rule. The moon. Luna, as its natives called it in an attempt to differentiate it from the other moons in the solar system. On the trip, he did some research on Luna. The current King was Jeffrey the First, who had taken the throne from his brother, Alex. Jeffrey the First had married his brother’s widow, the Lady Sarah. Jared gritted his teeth. His mother was still alive, and she had been forced to marry the man who had killed his father. He would not only get revenge for his father’s death, but he would free his mother as well. This he vowed.

The rest of the trip went pretty quickly, and they landed in Lunar City uncontested. Of course, why should they not be? No one knew who he was or why he was here. Angus stayed behind on the Destiny, claiming he needed to make some tweaks to the engine, while Jared headed straight to the royal palace. The city took Jared by surprise. It was dirty and run down, but had the look of a once grand capital. Beggars lined the streets, asking for what coins he could spare. He looked up at the domes that protected the city from the reaches of space, and saw that the glittering white tops of the buildings looked brand new. This was where the nobles lived, and Jared heard some conversation that made him realize that the state of the city was the result of King Jeffrey and his policies. The city was falling apart, and he didn’t care as long as his sky palace was okay.

Jared took a skiff up to the palace, where he was stopped from actually entering the palace by a large guard. He refused to allow him to enter, even after he declared himself the prince and true heir to the throne. He was ready to draw his weapon when two things topped him. The first was a large retinue of other guards, all armed with rifles and swords. The second was the man that was behind this group of soldiers. He was short, but there was no mistaking the family resemblance. That combined with the crown upon his head made Jared realize this was King Jeffery. He was older and frailer looking than Jared had expected.

“What is all this about?” the King said.

“Highness, this boy claims to be the prince and true heir to the throne of Luna,” the guard said over his shoulder to the king.

“Really?” said the king, who pushed his way past his guards and up to Jared. He looked the boy up and down, eying him closely. Jared wondered what it was he was expecting to find. Then, he saw the ring Jared wore on his finger, and his eyes went wide. Jared couldn’t help but notice.

“Let the boy in,” he said, slapping the guard that had blocked Jared. “Bring him to my study. I shall meet him there briefly.”

“Your highness,” the guard said, switching from gruff barrier to friendly servant at the snap of a finger. He led Jared through a seeming maze of hallways to a large room that had many large desks and tables, and was covered wall to wall in books. He took a seat at a long, square table made from actual wood from Earth. Expensive, he knew, considering that even after two hundred years of colonization, no trees grew naturally on Luna. A few moments later, the King entered the room, and bade his guards to wait for him outside. He came up to the table that Jared was at and sat opposite him. Despite his stature and apparent physical weakness, he was an imposing figure, and Jared found himself flinching slightly under the old man’s keen gaze.

“So, you claim to be the true heir of my throne, do you?” he said at last.

“I am Jared Decker, son of Alex Decker, Prince and Heir to the throne of Luna,” Jared said in as proud a tone as he could muster.

“I see,” Jeffrey said, stepeling his fingers. “And what proof do you offer me of this?”

Jared paused for dramatic effect. He had expected this question, so he held up his hand, displaying the ring.

“That ring proves nothing,” Jeffrey said. “Several of those went missing during the attack that resulted in my brother’s death. You could have stolen it, or bought it off the black market.”

“I did no such thing,” Jared said, slamming his fist on the table and standing up half way out of his seat. “My mother left this ring with me when I was left on Earth!”

Jeffrey nodded. “I see,” he said at last. Then he freed his hands and placed them flat on the table. “I always suspected that lying wench of hiding her youngest from me. I never did believe the story of still birth.”

He paused a moment then looked at Jared. The two could not be more opposite. Where Jared was young, Jeffrey was old. Where Jared was handsome and fit, Jeffrey was ugly and fat. The king sighed, and it sounded like defeat to Jared.

“I am an old man,” the King said, “and you could easily take me in a fight. But I am not willing to give up my kingdom so easily. You still have no conclusive proof that you are who you say you are. Bring me such proof, and I will gladly release the Throne of Luna to you.”

“What proof would you have of me?” Jared said. The only real proof he had was the ring.

“Long ago, at the founding of his great city, the original settlers of Luna unearthed three great, shining white jewels,” the king said.

“The Lost Jewels of Luna,” Jared said, having heard this legend before.

“Yes, the very same,” Jeffrey said. “They were lost to history, during a bloody regime change that lead to the monarchy. Legends say that the loosers of the battle took the jewels, and fled the system. The legends go on to speak of how the jewels traveled to Mars, where they were stolen by the kings there, and eventually taken by the pirate queen, Jane Danger, and the three jewels now reside on the moon of Io in orbit above Jupiter. They have always resided in a safe that can only be opened by a member of the royal family. If you are such a member, you should have no trouble opening the safe. Bring me the Lost Jewels of Luna, and that would be all the proof that I need.”

Jared narrowed his eyes. He could kill the king easily, but doing so would bring the whole castle guard down upon him. He was not prepared for a siege, or to take the kingdom by force. He realized that he hadn’t really thought this through. He had no choice.

“I’ll do it,” he said.

“Good,” the king said, “I’ll give you a month to return before I kill your lying mother.”

“What?” Jared said, standing fully up out of his chair now.

“I can’t allow such a lie that threatens my very throne to go unpunished, now can I?” the king said. “I must set an example. But, in fairness to you, I will simply imprison her for a month before killing her. If you return before then, she goes free.”

“No one can make it to Jupiter and back again in a month!” Jared said, “It’s impossible.”

“Surly not for a member of the royal family,” the king said, a wicked smile displayed on his face. He stood then and turned to leave.

“One month, oh Prince. No more,” Jeffrey said, then left him in there alone with his thoughts.

Jared slammed his hands down on the table and left the palace. He stormed down to the launch pad, where he saw Angus in a discussion with some other mechanics. His friend waved, but then Jared told him what had happened at the palace, and Angus’ face dropped. But only for a moment. He hitched up his tool belt and looked at Jared with a set determination.

“So,” he said to Jared, “we’ll need a crew if we’re going to do this.”

Jared smiled at his friend. This was what he needed.

“How do we go about getting one?” he asked.

Angus turned and entered the rocked and went straight to the communications room, Jared following. “We’ll send out a message along the Star Captain frequency. We’ll have a crew in a matter of days.”

“That will really work?” Jared asked. He knew of the Star Captain frequency, of course. It was used to ask fro help from other Star Captains. But he never thought of it as a place to advertise for a crew.

“Of course,” Angus said.

Sure enough, a few days later, they had a line of people. Some were Star Captains themselves, other’s were experienced Star Captain crew, having worked with others. There were so many, that Jared and Angus had to interview them to get the eight they wanted to give them a full crew. Some of them they gave tests to, and other’s they knew one way or the other from the interviews. In the end, they had six that worked out well.

This included a pair of twins, Chris and Kate, who were collectively the best pilots and navigators in the solar system, at least according to them. Angus was able to verify that, though, relating stories he had heard from another Star Captain the two had worked for about how they managed to sling shot their rocket around the sun to avoid being captured by pirates.

Another was Flynn Jones, an expert in field medicine, ship’s doctor and self-proclaimed poet and songwriter. He gave some examples of his work, singing a song he wrote for the two as well as providing a resume of his time as a member of the Lunar Star Fleet as a surgeon. Jared was happy to have him aboard. Not only was a doctor needed, but some live entertainment would be welcome.

Next was fellow Space Captain Alicia Rhea. Alicia had graduated just a year before Jared from the Academy, and had already made a name for herself as a warrior without equal. She requested to be his first officer, and, as Angus was happy to stick to the engines, Jared accepted.

Phil Dixon was a man with a long history of working for various Star Captains over the years, including Alicia. He was a weapons expert, both ship board and personal. He gave a demonstration of his knowledge of ray guns and saber use, and was able to tell from the outside of the ship what it was armed with, a feat that surprised Angus given that he had just completed building the ship a short time ago.

The final member they found was Rick Edwards, another man with lots of experience on Star Captain crews. He had experience as a pilot, navigator, engineer, weapons expert and even cook, which made Angus happy. But his real area of expertise was in communication. He spoke eight languages fluently and another three more brokenly but passable enough to get by. Jared felt that if they found themselves dealing with native life or even the stranger refuges of exiled Earthers, someone like Rick would be good to have around.

But past these six, the rest were simply not good enough, and Angus was adamant that a full crew of ten was needed. Jared sighed. He was beginning to feel like this quest was doomed from the start. Then, a shadow fell over him and he looked up to see a large brick of a man smiling down at him. His skin was the color of rich, dark chocolate, and his black hair was kept short and close to his skull. He had a broad grin which showed off gleaming white teeth and seemed to bounce around in his eyes, as if he was in on a joke that you were not.

“Greetings, Star Captain,” the man said. “I hear that you’re looking for a crew. I’m looking for a ship. I think we can work something out.”

It took a moment for Jared to recognize the man. “Dexter Steele?” he said. The man only nodded. “What are you doing here? A Star Captain of your status should be captaining his own crew, not looking to work as part of one.”

“Nonsense,” the larger man said, slapping Jared hard on the back. “I heard about your claim to the throne. Being of noble blood myself, I understand your need. I’ve had other Star Captains crew for me before, and am just wanting to do the same.”

“Well, I,” Jared started, hesitating. “I’m not sure I have a position for you. I’ve already got my first officer, and it would be unfair to her to change now.”

“That’s quite all right,” Dexter waved him off. “Truth be told, I’ve had some things happen to me lately that have made me realize that I’ve been a selfish, arrogant jerk. It’s resulted in me loosing my crew and rocket ship. I called the only person I knew that could help in times like that.”

“Admiral Turner,” Jared said, nodding his head in understanding.

“Indeed,” Dexter said. “He told me that I needed to remind myself what it’s like to not be the system’s greatest Star Captain, to do something lowly and menial, and to work for someone else. I see that you haven’t yet assigned anyone as your engineer’s assistant. I’d like to voluinteer. I was top of my class in engineering, and it’s been a long time since I got my hands dirty. It will be good to do that again.”

Jared and Angus looked at each other for a brief period of time. Eventually, Angus gave him the thumbs up symbol, and Jared smiled. He turned back to Dexter.

“Well, then,” Jared said, slapping the big man on his back, “welcome aboard the Destiny!”

“Now we just need one more,” Angus said.

“That would be me,” a voice said. The woman attached to that voice was not at all what he expected from a Star Captain crewmember. She was short, no more than five feet, and very thin. Her skin was pale, and she wore large glasses. “I am Maria Martil of Olympus Mons on Mars. I am a computer technician, and have a vast personal knowledge of our solar system.”

“Maria!” Steele called at the mousy woman, who smiled in return.

“Captain Steele,” she said. “It is good to see you again. I heard that you lost your ship, I am gratified to know that you are still plying the space ways.”

Steele turned to look at Jared. “I’ve worked with her before, she’s brilliant,” he said, waving his arms for emphasis. “If you need to know something, she’s the girl to ask. If she doesn’t know what it is you need to know, she knows where to find it. A must have on your crew, especially on a long journey like we’re about to take.”

Jared looked at Angus, who smiled and nodded. He felt for a moment like he and Angus had been doing that a lot lately. “Well, a recommendation from Dexter Steele is good enough for me. Welcome aboard the Destiny, Maria.”

“Thank you,” she said, accepting his outstretched hand.

Jared let out a sigh and smiled. They had a full crew, and it was a good one. And they were a good crew, all heroes in their own rights, and all of them willing to help him retrieve the Lost Jewels and reclaim his throne. A few weeks ago, all he wanted to do was fly a rocket ship into the void and find adventure as it came to him. Now, he found himself with a real quest, and a goal that he never dreamed could be his.

With a full crew, they loaded the last of their supplies and prepared for takeoff. They were underway that same day, and set course for the outer planets. Jared was sure that with this crew, he could make it.

To Be Continued…