The Tales of the Silver Wind

"V-very good my opiskeloja," Sebastian said struggling for breath as he dropped to a knee. If he had been anybody else, he would have died from the force of those two blows. "See you just needed the right incentive," he said keeping the pain from his face as he rose.

"Now give your Queen the kiss you spoke of!" Pantra said thinking she had landed the blow first.

"Your Holiness, I believe I was the one that landed the blow before you," Akasha said resting her right fist on her cocked hip.

"Nonsense," Pantra said feeling her cheeks heat, "it was I that won the prize."

"Actually...," Sebastian began to say only to be stopped as Akasha's left hand shot out striking the wall blocking his escape.

"You were saying my Perämies," Akasha said her violet eyes flared she always wanted to feel his kiss regardless.

"Yes, do speak up Löwe, I've never known you to be so tongue tied," Pantra said stepping closer to Sebastian.

"You both won," Sebastian said his eyes darting between them.

"Oh?!" Pantra said her lips curved into a mischievous smile. "Then come," she said her index finger beckoned, "and give your Queen her prize." Her eyes glanced at Akasha as she felt Sebastian's cheek brushing against hers. Feeling her skin heat underneath her fur as Sebastian placed a kiss on it. Her hands flew to her face as she lost herself in that sensation.

"Now come here," Akasha growled pulling Sebastian into her. Her arms wrapping around his neck, her hand pressing against the back of his head drawing him deeper into their long sensuous kiss. Sucking on his lower lip as she pulled away, her violet eyes sparkled loving the man in her arms.

"Why do we always have to part?" Pantra pouted as they stood at the rear of the Silver Wind. "Maybe soon I'll have you back at my side along with my sister," she said smiling warmly at Akasha.

"I would enjoy that," Akasha snuggling up to Sebastian.

"As would I," Pantra said with a nod, "now the two of you be safe until we can see each other again," she said bringing the two of them into a warm embracing hug.

"Yes my Queen," Akasha said smiling.

"Until we meet again my old friend," Sebastian said rubbing Pantra's back.

Pantra backed away, her lip trembled as she watched the Silver Wind slip out of the carrier bay. The white flash of the ships dark matter drive entering lightspeed flared in her golden eyes. Praying to her gods to keep her brother and sister safe on their long journey.

"Sebastian," Lulu said spinning in her chair as he opened the hidden compartment where she had the canteens and the nanites stored. "Are you sure that just those two items will be enough to reverse the damage done to the water supply?"

"Alone, no. However, due to the unique properties of the water. The nanites will be able to restore the water quality thanks to it," Sebastian said leaving out the fact that it was his people that had caused this disaster. Ensuring the nanites were still in their hibernation and the seal hadn't been broken. Silently thanking Elizabeth for the forethought of having the nanites destroy themselves once their job had been completed.

"I see," Lulu said knowing Sebastian well enough to know he was holding something back from her. "How are you going to do it."

"I'm working on that," Sebastian said locking down the compartment. "However, even if it works it's still going to take months for their water to be restored."

"Then I guess we'll mine them some water before we arrive," Lulu said deep in thought as her head was bowed. Running her finger along her lower lip wondering on were the closest comet was. "Nathan scan the star charts for the closest comet cloud to Randor," she ordered as she spun towards him.

"Aye, Captain," Nathan said bringing up the star charts onto his screen.

"Sebastian, you might want to return to the engine room we'll be jumping to folded space once Nathan gets the coordinates," Lulu said turning around to face the view screen.

"Aye Captain," Sebastian said glancing at Akasha before he left the bridge. Loving how those violet eyes of hers looked at him with such tenderness. Their fingertips brushed briefly as the bridge doors rolled open.

"Sebastian!" Lulu called over the intercom once Nathan found the closest comet to Randor.

"Yes," Sebastian said over the noise of the dark matter drive.

"Prepare to jump to folded space," Lulu ordered.

"Aye, Captain," Sebastian said. His hands were in a blur as he worked over the console as Nathan sent him the coordinates. Running through the equations to ensure the ship didn't run into a black hole, fly through the heart of a star, or any other type of stellar activity. "Entering folded space in 3, 2...," he said as he engaged the generator.

It took Sebastian the better part of two days to convert the cargo hold into a water tight container. While it wouldn't be enough to hold all the water the people of Randor would need, however, it would give those people a strong fighting chance to save their world. Wiping his brow as he stacked the stairs against the wall knowing they wouldn't be using the catwalk for a while. Looking over as the beep sounded announcing that the tests he had been running were completed. His eyes running over the results of the tests as he heard the lower bay doors opening.

"How does it look?" Lulu asked stepping up to his side.

"Seems the seals will hold," Sebastian said his fingers moving over the photonic keyboard. "It's getting the water out of the hold I'm worried about."

"Then why don't we just drop the temp in the hold while we transport the ice to Randor?" Lulu asked placing her hand on his lower back. "Then all we have to do is drop the chucks of ice into their water tanks and let nature take its course," she said her pink hued lips curved into a smile.

"You're the Captain," Sebastian said bringing up the other test he had been running for the past two days.

"What's this?!" Lulu asked confused as her ruby eyes ran over the data.

"I had the computer run several models on how to disperse the nanites, and it seems this one is the only one that will work in the allotted time," Sebastian said pointing at the probe.

"Oh? I see," Lulu said peering over his arm as she watched the animation. "Will the weapons work that well in the atmosphere to get down to that depth?"

"The plasma lances, no," Sebastian said shaking his head. "The particle beams should be enough if we run them over the time the specs say to operate them at, however, we might blow out some systems if we tried that," he said peering at her from the corner of his eye.

"It's worth the risk, and you can always repair my ship Sebastian," Lulu said bumping her shoulder against his. "Now what about that probe, it's not like we have something like that onboard," she said pointing at the screen.

"I'm modifying two of the subspace beacons to act like one, we just need it to survive long enough to reach the depth where the highest concentration of the contaminate is at," Sebastian said powering off the terminal.

"Well than, why don't you go work on that while the rest of us do a spacewalk," Lulu said rising on the tips of her toes placing a kiss on his cheek. "They have waited long enough for us, no sense in delaying our arrival," she said peering back at him as the lower bay doors closed behind her.

"Man," Nathan huffed over the mic in his space suit as he lifted a boulder size hunk of ice, "where's Sebastian when you need him?" he asked as he walked towards the Silver Wind.

"Hey! Don't you start complaining," Adriana said over the coms overseeing the loading since they didn't have a suit small enough for her.

"My mate is doing something that is equally important," Akasha said waiting for Gil to cut through the last layer of ice with the laser torch.

"Think of how Adriana would love to see those big strong muscles," Lulu teased. "Oh, the things she would say," she said muffling her giggle as she heard Adriana's stutter.

"Although," Akasha said hoisting the rectangular block of ice to her shoulder, "seeing Sebastian...," she said stopping herself as her mind pictured his muscles rippling as he hosted his load to his shoulders.

"Mmm...yes, Sebastian is just yummy when it comes to manual labor," Lulu said agreeing as Gil started to cut out another block.

"You know I can hear you right?" Sebastian said over the coms.

"Oh, we know, we just don't mind," Lulu said sticking her tongue out at the area of the ship he was in.

"I do have to agree Nathan with a more muscular body..."

"Adriana!" Nathan gasped feeling his embarrassment rising as the women of the Silver Wind chuckled.

"What?! I'm only telling the truth, you would look good especially under me," Adriana said lustfully.

"Man, who knew a little sex demon was hiding out in that four foot frame," Sebastian laughed over the intercom.

"Hey! Don't you make me come down there! I do know a thing or two that you don't want made public," Adriana said threateningly feeling her face becoming flushed with heat.

"My, my, Nathan what have you been teaching that girl?" Sebastian asked a little intrigued on what she knew.

"Apparently, not a damn thing," Nathan said as he placed his block at the very top of the stack.

"Adriana what do you mean? What haven't you told us?" Lulu asked.

"I know the reason for Randor..."

"My people poisoned the water during the war," Sebastian said beating Adriana to the punch.

"And why are you just telling us this now?!" Lulu yelled.

"Because would you want one of the darkest parts of your peoples history coming to light? That my leaders were so careless in their wish to destroy the Polorians that they cared nothing of the people that came after them! Happy now Adriana," Sebastian said cutting off this communicator.

"Sebastian I wasn't going to tell... Sebastian?" Adriana asked wondering why he wasn't responding.

"Hmm, seems you picked a sore spot to bring up Adriana," Amanda said cutting into the chatter.

"I didn't mean too," Adriana said apologetically.

"Well," Lulu said wondering how Sebastian took the news when he first heard it. From the tone in his voice he wasn't pleased that his own people had done this. Could she judge him for something that happened a hundred and fifty years ago, when it appeared, he had no hand in it? No, she couldn't. She could blame the ones that ordered it, but not Sebastian. "Let's get the rest of the ice loaded, we have another thirty minutes before this systems red dwarf heats the comets surface. I want to be off this floating snow cone before that happens," Lulu ordered.

"Aye, Captain," her crew said in unison.

Sebastian stood against the wall of the small compartment where they stored the subspace beacons. His right eye scanning down the screen rereading the news flash and the report that had been submitted at the time. He had saved it all to his neuronet so that he could always remember what his people had done. No matter how bloody that war got there was never a good reason to poison a planet. He wondered how many other worlds now lay uninhabitable, because both sides would rather scorch the earth than see one of their enemies lay claim to the land. How many species were now extinct because of them? His fist slammed into the wall in his anger at the stupidity of his people and the Polorians.

Adriana stood in shock as she listened as Sebastian cursed and cursed like nothing, she had ever heard him do before. Then the sounds of objects crashing in his anger. Listening in as he reverted to Nephelian, she couldn't make out all of it, yet the words she could understand caused her cheeks to heat.

"S-Sebastian," Adriana said as she stood in the doorway. Watching how his demeanor became ridged the moment the door opened. As she eyed his back, she knew how those muscles of his were tensed holding back his anger.

"What is it?" Sebastian said in a cold tone.

"I'm really sorry, I wasn't really going to tell them. It's just Nathan is my very first boyfriend and I don't know how to handle everyone's teasing," Adriana said looking down. Grinding the toe of her shoe into the floor.

"What else do you know?" Adriana took a dry swallow as that cold green eye of his peered over his shoulder at her.

"The real reason why you were called the Hero of Prizma VII. I only wanted to learn the story behind it I swear!" Adriana said holding up her hands praying he couldn't see them tremble.

"Keep it to yourself then," Sebastian said blocking out the screams from that day.

"My lips are sealed," Adriana said making the gesture. Looking down as the converted beacons vibrated on the table as the Silver Wind lifted off of the surface of the comet. "Can I ask you something?"

"Hmm."

"Now that I know, does what happen on that planet haunt you?" Adriana asked watching how his fist clenched then relaxed.

"Every life I have taken haunts me Adriana. I don't have the luxury of forgetting," Sebastian said turning towards her.

"I'm sorry Sebastian," Adriana said bowing her head, "I didn't mean to bring it up and the memories you were trying to forget. I just can't help myself with being curious about your people," she said running up to him. Throwing her arms around his waist hugging him tightly. "I think of you and this crew as my family since I never knew mine. I don't ever want to hurt my family," Adriana said tears reaming her eyes. "I hope you think of me in the same way, since you and I are both orphans in a manner of speaking..."

"Sebastian come to the bridge," Lulu ordered over the intercom.

"I hope he doesn't hate me," Adriana whispered as she watched as Sebastian rounded the corner.

"Yes Captain," Sebastian said plainly as he stepped onto the bridge.

"Are the beacons ready?" Lulu asked noticing how upset he was yet without showing it on his face.

"Yes," Sebastian nodded. Lulu's eyes followed after Adriana as she retook her station.

"Then work with Adriana in computing a firing program before we reach Randor," Lulu ordered gesturing to the science station. "And Sebastian," she said rising from her seat, "you are still one of my crew regardless of what happened in your war," Lulu said her arms slipping between his, her hands running up his back as she hugged him tightly to her chest. "You had no hand in it, so there is no reason to put the blame on you," she whispered into his ear.

The planet Randor, one could say it was a nice planet to live on. If you enjoy the large carnivorous plants, the putrid smell that bubbled up from the vast area of swamps that covered the planet. The huge beast that roams the waters waiting for the unexpected visitor to lower their guard. To the insect life that was measured in meters not inches. If one could push all that aside, then one would see that the earth was rich in nutrients. Yielding in vast amounts of crops, the seas were plentiful in life, land that supported livestock of all manners. Also being so far removed from the nearest trading route, it left the people of Randor in relative ease. Never having to fear of raiding pirates that plagued the trading routes. However, as Captain Lulu Winters came to know it also made a good hideout when the heat from the law grew too great.

"Gil, take us in," Lulu said as she stood on her bridge her eyes taking in the sight of that blue-green world. "Once we have breached the thermosphere take us to the coordinates above the equator," she ordered as they began their descent.

"Aye, Captain," Gil said as his bionic eye began malfunctioning.

"Gil is something wrong?" Lulu asked as they began to drift off course.

"It's my eye Captain," Gil said trying to keep the Silver Wind on its descent course.

"Nathan take over for Gil," Lulu said watching him jump from his seat, patting Gil on the back once he had control of the yoke.

"Gil, go see Amanda and have that eye looked at," Lulu said staring at the view screen as the heat built up along the hull of her ship.

"Sorry Captain," Gil said his hand covering his left eye.

"Don't worry about it," Lulu said over her shoulder, "Nathan begin slowing our descent as we reached the firing coordinates."

"Aye, aye," Nathan said feeling Adriana behind him.

"Target coming within range," Akasha said as her scanners zoomed in on the largest and deepest ocean on Randor.

"Akasha, load tube one," Lulu ordered as Nathan brought the ship to a hover.

"Probe loaded," Akasha said her finger hovering over the launch button.

"Fire!" Lulu barked. "Time till it reaches the water?"

"T-minus fifteen seconds," Adriana said quickly glancing to her right wondering why Sebastian wasn't on the bridge. "Impact," she said turning in her seat watching how Lulu tapped her thigh as the probe sank deeper.

"Depth to target?" Lulu asked knowing as fast as it was going it would reach the barrier in under two minutes.

"Six hundred meters, probe will reach target area in thirty seconds," Akasha said peering up from her screen. Knowing this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for Sebastian.

"Now!" Lulu shouted knowing the probe had reached its mark.

Deep within the dark murky water, four small explosions rippled through the water. Causing four metal plates to veer off of the side of the modified beacon and cracking the shell of the cylinders that housed the nanites. A grey swirling mass of nanites swarmed the waters as that greenish tint slowly returned to its aquamarine blue color.

"It's working!" Akasha shouted as the readings began pouring in. "Not a trace of the poison around the site, and it's spreading like wild fire."

"Yes!" Adriana shouted in glee throwing her arms up as she spun around in her chair.

"Nathan move us to the drilling site," Lulu said trying to contain her mirth. She couldn't hide the satisfied smile on her lips. "Nathan, fly over the village nice and slow to show them we have returned and working to save them," she ordered as they flew towards the head waters of the aquafer.

"Aye, Captain." Wishing she could wave back as Lulu watched as the villagers raced after them with their hands in the air. These were good people and they didn't deserve to be caught up in what was left behind during that war.

"Sebastian we are nearing the site, are the particle beams going to be ready by then? You know the Silver Wind wasn't made to hover in an atmospheric environment," Lulu said over the intercoms.

"Yeah," Sebastian said crawling out of the power relay tube, "but we are only going to get one shot before the emitters burn out. So you better make it count," he said wiping the grease from his forehead.

"Understood," Lulu nodded, "you heard that Akasha? You best not disappoint your Löwe," she said grinning at her friend.

"I will never disappoint him, ever!" Akasha said a growl rumbling deep within her chest.

"That's the spirit," Lulu nodded before returning her attention back to the screen. "Nathan, bring us to two thousand feet and hold us there," she ordered once they had reached the area. "Akasha, ready the particle beams for a continuous blast at the coordinates Sebastian plotted into the computer, everyone else brace yourselves. I don't know what will happen when it's fired so be prepared for anything," Lulu said over the intercom as she buckled herself into her seat. "On my mark," she said holding up three fingers on her left hand. Counting down as her last finger fell the purplish-pink light of the beams shot out from her ship.

"Lulu, power surges on deck two," Adriana shouted over the noise as the drilling progressed over the one minute mark.

"How much longer until we reach the correct depth?" Lulu asked using her arm as a shield as sparks flew down from the ceiling.