The Arcadia Chronicles

Zac had finally fallen asleep after his long hot shower. He was stretched out on the bed softly snoring, too tired to even dream. His aching body furiously trying to repair itself while his consciousness rested. If he hadn’t been so emotionally wasted, Zac would have noticed the blinding flash that illuminated the interior of the ship. As it was it took more than the shuddering to drag him back from the blackness that he inhabited. It was the final violent jolt that all but threw him out of his bed that bought him to his senses, as the cruiser was wrenched out of hyperspace and back into the calm blackness of regular space.



“What the?”



Rubbing at his shoulder, Zac looked around the room trying to ascertain what had happened. The bright points of light and the large planet that glowed through the portal caught his attention. “We can’t be there yet,” he thought in confusion, slowly realising that the planet was not Corellia. Looking down at his wrist he noted that only three hours had passed since they began their journey. The constant blaring of the alarms finally penetrated the fogginess of his mind. Swearing loudly he untangled himself from the sheet and pulled his pants on. Grabbing his shirt he ran from his room only to slam straight into Leia in the corridor.



“I’m sorry,” he told her as he grabbed her shoulders to stop her from falling over. “Are you okay?”



Looking up at him she nodded, “What happened?” she asked in concern.



“We’ve been dragged out of hyperspace,” he told her.



“What? How is that possible?” she looked at him in disbelief.



“I don’t know, Leia but I am going to find out. Come on.” Jogging, he led the way through the ship back to the cockpit.



Pressing the door release he entered the room and sat down in the pilots seat. Leia followed and also took a seat. Zac scanned the readouts then moved his fingers across the controls. The blaring alarms fell silent. Pressing another key he spoke into the mike.



“Jenkins, where are you?”



There was a moments silence then, “I’m on the lower deck, sir.”



Frowning Zac asked, “What are you doing down there?” Before Jenkins could reply Zac shook his head, “Doesn’t matter. Are you okay?” There was a brief pause.



“A couple of bruises but I’m fine.”



“Good. I need you in the engine room. I’m getting a strange reading. I think a dampener may have come loose.”



“I’m on it sir,” came the reply.



A flash of light caught Leia’s attention. “What’s that?” she asked pointing into the distance.



“What?” asked Zac as he looked up from the console.



“There in the distance. Can you see the light gleaming off it?”



Zac frowned as he scanned the sky. “Yeah, I see it. Computer, scan for other vessels.”



A soft female voice replied, “Scanning. Vessel located.”



Zac nodded, “On screen. Magnify.” The image of the Millennium Falcon appeared on the screen. It seemed to be listing to one side.



“Open communications channel.”



“Channel open,” came the reply.



“Falcon, this is Zac. Do you copy?”



His enquiry was met with static. Looking across at Leia he noticed that she was gripping her armrest so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.



“Falcon, this is Zac Terran. Can you hear me?” There was no reply. “Computer, scan for life signs,” he ordered.



“Scanning. Three life forms detected.”



Zac breathed a sigh of relief. “Analyse vitals,” he ordered.



“Analysing. All vital signs are within acceptable limits.”



Leia loosened her grip on the chair and breathed.



“Computer, initiate docking procedure with vessel.”



There was a brief pause then the soft computer generated voice replied. “Unable to comply. Internal diagnostics incomplete.”



Frowning, Zac ran his fingers across the keys, “Status report,” he demanded.



“Several components were damaged. Rerouting power to bypass while the mechs repair them.”



Zac rubbed at his temples, “Where any major components damaged?” he asked.



“Negative. Life support, hyperdrive and defence systems all online.”



Jenkins’ voice sounded over the communicator. “Sir, I have isolated the problem with the dampener. You were right it had come loose but I managed to secure it.”



Nodding Zac pressed the comms switch, “Good work. What’s the situation down there? Is there much damage?”



There was a short pause then, “No not really sir. It’s a bit of a mess but the mech droids and the domestics seem to have everything under control. Whatever knocked us out of hyperspace doesn’t seem to have caused us any major damage.”



Checking his readouts Zac replied, “Good. I need you to do a visual inspection of every room just in case then report back here when you’re done.”



Jenkins acknowledged Zac’s request with a “Yes sir,” then signed off.



“Computer, how long before we can dock with the Falcon?” Leia’s question was met with silence. “Computer?” she asked again but received no reply. She looked at Zac in confusion.



Zac smiled at her, “It’s programmed to only respond to Cadi’s and my voice, Leia. It’s a security feature.”



Shaking her head she replied sarcastically, “Of course, what was I thinking?” like it was the most obvious thing.



“Computer, status report,” he demanded.



The soft voice replied, “Rerouting complete. All functions operational.” He smiled at Leia. “Initiate docking procedure,” he ordered.



“Docking procedure initiated.”



The sublight engines roared into life then settled into a soft growl as the elegant ship moved towards the Falcon.



Staring out of the cockpit, Leia watched as the Millennium Falcon slowly increased in size as they approached. The ship was in fact listing to one side and seemed to be caught in orbit around the large cloud covered planet. Straining her eyes Leia tried to peer inside the Falcon’s cockpit as they moved into position above it.



“Docking will commence in five seconds,” the computer informed them.



There was a slight bump and the groaning of machinery followed by, “Docking successful. Corridor pressurising. Docking procedure complete.”



Standing, Leia waited impatiently for Zac to lead the way to the connecting corridor. Seeing the urgency in her eyes, he complied. They walked briskly through the ship to the lower deck. Upon reaching the airlock, Zac moved quickly into the room and knelt down at the lower hatch. Scanning the readings he decided that it was safe to proceed.



Zac entered the code that released the hatch. A loud hissing was heard as the door slid open. Looking down the short corridor he noticed the Falcon’s hatch indicator lights turn green, then that door also slid open.



“Nice of you guys to drop by. We will be serving hors dervs in a moment.”



Zac smirked at Han’s sarcasm. Kneeling down next to Zac, Leia peered down the corridor.



“Han are you alright?”



Looking around Han feigned indifference. “Did you hear something Luke? I thought I heard something.”



Zac and Leia exchanged glances before Zac spoke. “Cut it out Han, she was really worried about you.”



Raising an eyebrow at Zac he replied, “Yeah, I’ll bet. So much so that she’d rather be with you than her own husband.”



Sighing loudly in exasperation, Leia pulled herself up off the floor and stormed out of the room.



Zac watched her leave then looked back down the corridor at Han. “How long have you two been married?” he asked.



“Why?” Han eyed him warily.



“You really have no idea do you?”



“What are you talking about, Terran?” he asked.



“I’m talking about women. You have no idea how to treat a woman, Solo. In fact I am surprised that she puts up with you at all.”



Han glared at him angrily. “Watch it kid. You’re treading on real thin ice here.”



Raising an eyebrow, Zac continued, “All I’m saying is that you should show her a little more respect.”



Han was starting to get annoyed with the conversation, “Why, because she’s a Princess?”



Zac shook his head, “No Han, because she is a woman,” pausing for effect he continued, ”Your woman.”



Han glared at him as his words sunk in then turned and brushing past Luke, he disappeared.



Looking up the corridor Luke raised an eyebrow at Zac, “Han doesn’t take criticism well,” he said.



“Obviously,” replied Zac with a smirk. “Are you coming up?” he asked Luke.



“Yeah,” Luke replied as he climbed the short ladder into Zac’s ship.



Standing up, Zac moved back from the hatch to give Luke some room to climb out.



“A word of advice Zac,” offered Luke as he stood up next to him. “Next time you want to impart some of your wisdom to Han, he may be more accommodating if he doesn’t see you kneeling next to his wife half naked.”



Looking down, Zac realised that he had tucked his top into the back of his pants and in all the confusion had forgotten to put it on. Smiling to himself, he realised why Han had been so defensive. He would have reacted the same way if he had seen Arcadia in a similar compromising position. On further consideration he realised that he had done just that.



“That was totally different,” he silently told himself as he eyed Luke, trying to keep his feelings under control.



Retrieving his top, he pulled it on over his head and tucked it into his pants. He then raised an eyebrow questioningly at Luke, who nodded and smiled his approval.



“So did you sustain much damage?” asked Zac in an effort to change the subject and take his mind off the image of Arcadia in the Jedi’s embrace.



“Yeah, actually we did. Most of the major components are shot. Luckily the life support systems weren’t damaged, but we are going to have to land to make repairs.”



Shaking his head Zac countered, “There is no time for that. Cadi needs me now. We’ll take my ship and come back for the Falcon later.”



“You expect me to leave her up here? I don’t think so.” They both turned to see Han climbing out of the hatch. “With the damage she has sustained there is no way that she is going to be able to stay in orbit. Of all the ways that I imagined losing her, burning up in an uncontrolled re-entry is not one of them. Forget it Terran. We are landing and as much as I hate to say this, we are going to need your help to do it.”



Zac shook his head, “No, there is no time. I am not leaving her in their hands for a moment longer than I have to. For all I know I may already be too late.”



Luke placed a hand on Zac’s shoulder. “She is okay Zac,” he told him.



“How can you possibly know that?” Zac asked angrily as he turned around to glare at him.



“I saw her,” he said.



“You what?” asked Zac and Han in unison.



Exchanging glances with Han, Zac asked, “What are you talking about Luke?”



Shaking his head, Luke tried to explain, “It’s a Jedi power that I’ve been working on.”



Han interrupted, “You mean, like a premonition?”



“No, it’s more like astral projection. I actually saw her, talked to her.”



Zac’s eyes widened, “When? How is she? Is she alright?”



Luke nodded, “She is hanging in there, Zac. They’ve got her locked up in a cell in an old abandoned warehouse.”



Zac didn’t like the way that Luke had answered his question. ‘Hanging in there’ is not the same as ‘she is fine’. He decided to ask again. “Yeah, I know where it is. Have they hurt her?” he asked deliberately.



Luke avoided Zac’s eyes while he searched for a way to answer his question. “She’s got some bruises but she’s fine. She told me to tell you to be careful. She thinks that they are using her as bait to get you out there and that this whole thing is a trap. I’m inclined to agree with her Zac.”



“Bruises?” he asked. “What sort of bruises?”



Luke saw the concern on Zac’s face. “Let it go Zac. She’s fine. She was more concerned about you than she was about that.”



Zac didn’t want to let it go. The woman that he intended to marry was bruised and being held in a cell by some maniac. “No. I will not let it go. Tell me Luke, where was she bruised?”



Luke studied Zac for some time trying to ascertain what sort of reaction the information would evoke. He thought about sidestepping the question again but the determination in Zac’s face and stance told him that he would not be put off. Taking a deep breath he decided to tell him the truth and hope for the best. “She has a bruised jaw and cheek, some discolouration around her eye and a swollen lip.”



The pain that flashed across Zac’s eyes was quickly joined by anger and frustration. He clenched his fists as he stared at the floor, his muscles tensing. Looking back up at Luke he asked, “he punched her in the face?”



Biting his bottom lip Luke nodded, “It looks that way.”



Zac closed his eyes and exhaled slowly as he imagined the scene. He knew that there was no way that Arcadia would go along quietly. She would have fought them once she regained consciousness, tried to escape. More than likely she would have inflicted considerable pain on her assailants in the process. Even with this knowledge, the absolute certainty of her actions, Zac still could not fathom how anyone could hit her. She was so precious, so loving, so gentle. Even the idea of someone laying a hand on her made Zac’s blood boil. Opening his eyes, he fixed Luke with an intense glare.



“I’m going to kill them,” he informed him, his voice a low growl. “Every last one of them.”



“That’s exactly what they want.” They all turned to see Leia and Jenkins standing just inside the door.



Zac smirked at her, “Well then, I won’t disappoint them.”



Leia shook her head. “They want you off balance Zac. The more emotional you are the less likely that you will be able to think straight. That will give them the advantage. We need to have a plan.”



Zac interrupted her, “We have a plan. Go in there, kill them all and get Cadi out.”



Han smiled. He was beginning to like this kid. “Sounds like a good plan to me,” he informed everyone.



Leia shot him a dirty look that plainly had “shut up Han” written all over it.



“If you go in there with that attitude all your going to do is get yourself killed. Tell me Zac, how is that going to help Cadi?”



Zac glared at her angrily under his brow. “Don’t give me that crap Leia. I have been looking out for her for most of my life. Your parents entrusted her to me and in all that time, not once have I let anyone hit her. Now this bastard has punched her in the face. In the face Leia! And you want me to just sit back and let him get away with it. That is not going to happen Leia. Nobody hurts my Cadi and gets away with it. Do you hear me? Nobody! I will kill him. I promise you that.”



The fire blazing in Zac’s emerald eyes paled in comparison to the blinding heat that surged through his body. He knew that he had to get out of there before he took his anger and frustration out on his companions. Tearing his eyes away from hers he brushed past her and strode out the door.



“Zac!” she called out after him. “Zac wait!” but the only response she got was the echoing of his footsteps as they receded down the hall.



A maelstrom of emotions swirled through Zac’s body as he strode deliberately back to his room. No amount of reasoning or logic could erase the image of his beloved’s bruised face from his mind. His path was clear, his convictions solid. Her attackers were going to pay for what they did to her and pay dearly.







The cot was hard and far from being comfortable but it was better than the cell floor. At least she had a blanket to warm her aching body and a pillow to rest her head on. She was thankful for that. It was a lot more than they had provided her with the first time. Compared to that, this was luxury. The throbbing in her head was now a distant dull ache and with her eyes closed she barely noticed the smallness of the room. The earlier feeling that the walls were encroaching in on her, trying to suffocate her, had dissipated. She knew that it was just her imagination. She had become so accustomed to the open, natural beauty of her home that being confined for any length of time made her edgy. She longed to be able to sit out on the balcony of her beach house, to breathe in the fresh salty air, to stare at the distant twinkling stars or stroll along the soft white beach and feel the fine grains of sand between her toes. She longed for other things too, but she tried hard not to dwell on them, knowing full well that if she did her situation would become unbearable.



Twice she had nearly fallen off the cot, unaccustomed as she was to such a restricted sleeping arrangement.



“Damn it,” she thought pounding her fist into the lumpy pillow. “How do they expect me to sleep on something so narrow? Zac’s shoulders are broader than this!”

Turning on her side she pushed the pillow up above her shoulder and tried to mould it into the space between her neck and the cot. Squirming uncomfortably, she pulled the blanket up around her neck and tried to lay still long enough to fall asleep.



The seconds slowly ticked by, gradually turning into minutes but for all her best efforts she couldn’t relax enough to fall asleep. Carefully turning onto her back again she opened her eyes and stared and the shadowy ceiling, pushing her arms under her pillow behind her head. Taking a deep breath and holding it she closed her eyes and counted to ten before exhaling slowly.



“Well, if I can’t sleep then I may as well try and sort out the mess my life has become.”



“What am I going to do?” she asked the darkened room. “When did my life become so complicated?”



Trust Zac to finally come to his senses and ask her to marry him just as she discovered incredible feelings for another man. It was just so typical of her life; whenever things seem to be going along smoothly, something out of the blue happens to create absolute chaos. It happened when she was fourteen, but something good came out of that. If they hadn’t kidnapped her she would never have met Zac. That thought had always played on her mind. She had spent many hours wondering if Zac and her paths would have somehow crossed regardless. The thought had always intrigued her, so much so that she often wondered about how different her life would have been without him.



Then it happened again on her sixteenth birthday. Everything was moving along smoothly, she had just discovered that Zac’s interest in her was more than purely friendship and duty. He had begun to awaken the woman inside her with that first kiss, her first real kiss. Then her entire world came crashing down, firstly with the news of her sister’s death then the destruction of her home planet. Her life was littered with numerous little scenarios that played out in similar fashion and now it was happening again.



The last few months had been great, except for that incident with the musician but it too had been fun while it lasted. All her hard work had finally begun to pay off. Andromeda was up and running and was a huge success. She had been reunited with her sister after fourteen years of separation, discovered that she was part of a family again. Met an incredible man that made her feel like a teenager again. A man that she could easily see herself falling in love with, maybe even spending her life with. And then there was Zac, her darling, sweet, gorgeous angel. Her saviour, her lover, her best friend and possibly even her soul mate if such things existed. Finally after all these years he admits to himself how much he loves her and asks her to marry him.

“Typical man, picking the most inopportune time to do it.”



Now here she was, locked in a cell, bruised, battered and confused not knowing whether she is going to live or die, not knowing whether the people she loves are going to survive this ordeal. All because of her, all because she decided that she had to be alone to think.



“It’s funny how a seemingly innocuous decision can affect your life,” she mused.



Now, because of that decision she had not only placed her life in danger but also the lives of the people she loves the most.



“I should have just said yes Zac,” she whispered, knowing full well that under the circumstances, that was a decision that she couldn’t have possibly made.







It had taken some time and some ingenious flying on Zac’s part but the Falcon had finally come to rest on the surface of the cloud-covered planet. Releasing the couplings, Zac pulled away from the battered ship and manoeuvred his vessel into the clearing across from the falcon. The landing gear gripped the uneven surface and automatically adjusted to stabilise the ship. The roar of the engines subsided but not before scorching the long grass that tickled the ship’s underbelly.



Looking out of the cockpit, Zac surveyed his surroundings. The planet was primitive, thus limited information was available on his ship’s computer. There was abundant vegetation and wild animal life, but no signs of civilization or technology. The planet’s surface was dotted with long, grass-covered plains interspersed with large areas of thick clumped trees. In the distance Zac could make out the orange coloured cliff faces of the mountain range and the long snake like trail of the narrow river that flowed past it. All in all it was far from where Zac wanted to be. Shaking his head he mumbled to himself, “What am I doing here?”



“That was great flying Zac!”



Leia patted him on the shoulder then sat down next to him in the co-pilots chair. He managed a mumbled “thanks,” before an alarm started beeping.



“What’s that?” she asked pointing at the blinking light.



Looking down at the panel Zac ran his hands across the console while replying, “it’s a proximity warning. Something’s moving towards us.”



Leia looked at the screen then out the cockpit, “What is it?” she asked.



Shaking his head, Zac directed his attention to the computer. “Computer, identify incoming threat.”



The computer was silent for a moment then replied, “Unable to comply. Incoming threat not on file. Checking external sources.”

Leia and Zac exchanged looks then returned their attention to their surroundings.



“Computer, image on screen.”



There was a brief pause then a tan and black mottled, fur covered, bipedal creature with four arms and large sharp fangs appeared on the screen. They both stared at it in astonishment.



“It looks like an ice creature that we encountered on Hoth,” offered Leia, “except for the four arms and they were white. Very vicious though, one of them almost ate Luke.”



Zac flashed her a look then consulted the computer again “Computer, what is the creatures proximity?”



“Thirty metres and closing.”



Zac turned to Leia, “Are the other’s on board Leia?”



She nodded her head. “They all came on board just after we landed.”



Nodding his head a sly smile touched his lips, “Good. Computer secure outer hatch.”



“Outer hatch secure.”



“Computer, identify life forms on board.”



There was a brief pause then, “Isolated six life forms, five human one wookie.”



Smiling Zac continued, “Computer initiate low range, full band-width sonic wave. Give me a hundred metre radius from the outer rim of the ship.” He turned and smiled smugly at Leia as he gave the order.



“Sonic wave initiation in five, four, three, two, one.”



There was a low hum then a slight shuddering of the ship before an invisible pulse emanated from the ship in all directions. As the pulse moved through the atmosphere bending the grass and trees in its wake, thousands of creatures suddenly shrieked and ran or flew away from the vicinity of the ship including the fur covered beast who roared in pain, his massive paws covering his pointed ears before turning and lumbering away.



“What the hell was that?” asked Han as he ran into the cockpit followed closely by the others.



“A sonic pulse wave. I wanted to clear the area and set up a secure perimeter before any of us ventured outside.”



Giving Zac a bewildered look Han asked “A sonic pulse wave? Is there anything that this ship doesn’t have?”



The thought “Cadi,” ran through Zac’s mind but he didn’t voice it.



“Is the perimeter clear now?” asked Luke scanning the horizon through the cockpit.



“Look’s that way,” replied Leia. “There was a strange creature out there before. It looked like a wampa or some distant relative of it.”



Luke hid an involuntary shudder, “A wampa?” he whispered suppressing the memories of that day.



“It’s gone,” leaning down towards the mike, Zac spoke into it. “All secdroids report to level one cargo hatch. I want a secure perimeter around both ships. Give me a fifty metre radius for the energy field.” Turning to the others he continued, “No one is to leave this ship until the security measures are in place. Is that clear?” he asked looking at each of them in turn. His order was met with nods of assent some more forthcoming than others.



Satisfied with the response Zac stood and made his way down to the cargo hatch to give the droids further instructions and supervise the security arrangements personally. This was his area of expertise. After all those years of keeping the Princess safe, this was all second nature to him. It was also the one area where he did not allow himself to take risks. A small risk or a tiny oversight could be disastrous.





It took almost an hour for the droids to secure the area to a standard that met with Zac’s approval. In that time the others consumed their first meal of the trip and talked about the missing Princess. Jenkins was bombarded with questions from both Leia and Luke, each of them wanting to glean as much information from him as possible. He answered their questions as honestly as he could, but kept telling them that he was just an employee and not privee to the Princess’s private life.



Once satisfied with the security arrangements, Zac joined the others. By this time his stomach was grumbling and the sweet smell of food permeating through the air did little to settle it. Sitting down at the table he helped himself to a large portion of the stew that the domestic droid had prepared.



“Security is set,” he told them, “but stay within the energy field. We have no idea what dangers are lurking out there, natural or otherwise.” Taking a large mouthful of his food he chewed and swallowed before pointing his fork at the others and continuing, “I don’t want to have to come searching for any of you.” His eyes took each of them in, in turn. Levelling his gaze on Han he asked, “How long to make repairs Solo?”



Shrugging, Han replied, “a day or so. It’s hard to tell. Diagnostics are out, we will have to repair them first and then see what’s what.”



After swallowing another mouthful of food Zac replied, “You have twenty-four hours Solo. If the ship is not flight worthy by sunset tomorrow we leave her here and come back for her after we save Cadi.”



Unaccustomed to taking orders Han bridled at the suggestion but a firm hand on his forearm settled him. Looking across he met Leia and Luke’s eyes in turn. They both spoke volumes about their fears for the Princess’s safety. Not knowing if the look in their eyes convinced him or if one or both had messed with his thoughts, he simply nodded and told himself that the decision was his. “Agreed,” he said simply then motioning to the wookie, he left the room.





Sitting on his bed, Zac stared at the crystals resting on the crumpled sheets, his thumb pressed against his lips in the trademark pose that meant he was deep in thought. He was waiting for the analysis to his enquiry from the ships computer but his mind kept wandering. It was becoming increasing difficult for him to stay focused. He knew that it had a lot to do with lack of sleep and the culmination of all the recent events but that knowledge was of no comfort to him. The image of her bruised face kept haunting him. How could he have let something like that happen to her? He should have been there for her, kept her safe. He knew that she was in danger yet he let her walk away from him.



Arcadia of course would have seen it differently. She would have balked at the suggestion that Zac ‘let’ her do anything. In her mind she made her own decisions, sure she would listen to advice, weigh up the consequences, then do whatever it was that she damn well pleased. Zac knew this and he had become quite apt at convincing Arcadia to do things his way. Arcadia trusted him with her life and now he felt that he had betrayed that trust. He knew that she would not see it that way, yet the feeling still remained.



Reaching out he picked up one of the crystals and held it up to the light. Bands of colour streamed across his line of vision as the pyramid refracted the soft glow. Leaning across he pulled a small hand held device from his bedside table and gently placed the crystal point side down into position. Depressing the key he sat back against the pillows and watched as a hologram appeared above it.



“Hey Babe.”



He smiled as an image of the princess beamed cheerfully at him. She was dressed in a flowing white robe that she grasped together in front of her.



“I am so sorry that this thing is taking so long. You know how much I wanted to be there for your birthday,” she pouted for a second then it turned into a mischievous smirk. “I bought you a present though, actually I bought you several but I think you will like this one the most. Do you want a sneak preview?” Raising an eyebrow she paused for a moment then pulled open her robe. She was dressed in pristine white lingerie, very revealing, very sexy.



A soft chuckle escaped from Zac’s throat as he watched her, remembering the first time he had seen this. He had spent the next three days on edge, eagerly anticipating her return. A rush of heat surged through him as he recalled the time they spent together when she finally did get home.



Arcadia’s laughter bought him back to the present, “I also bought it in black and red and… well you’ll just have to wait and see now won’t you.” Pausing again she seemed to look directly into Zac’s eyes. “I’m really sorry I can’t be there babe. Have a great day and try to keep out of trouble. Happy birthday Zac. I love you.” She blew him a kiss and then was gone.



“I love you too,” he whispered into the void.





“Diagnostics complete.”



The computer generated voice startled Zac. Rubbing at his eyes he gathered his strength and tried to focus on the present. “Report,” he ordered.



“Hyper travel was disrupted due to Arcon IV reaching supernova status.”



Zac’s head shot up as he digested the information. “What? Computer, are you telling me that we flew too close to an exploding star?”



“Affirmative.”



“How the hell did that happen?” Zac’s mind was processing the information furiously. The ship was state of the art. It had inbuilt safeguards to avoid such situations. “This should never have happened,” he told himself. “Unless…” Glaring at the wall, the anger started to boil within him. “Damn it!” he growled and strapping on his weapons he strode out the door.





The hissing of pipes all but drowned out the low voice. “No I won’t do this anymore. It isn’t right. These are good people. They have been nothing but nice to me.” Pressing the earpiece closer into his ear Jenkins listened intently, a frown forming on his brow. “Look Uncle, you have manipulated me in this for long enough. I won’t help you and I definitely will not stand by and watch you kill her or Zac.”