EPILOGUE
“I wish just once someone would explain to me ahead of time why we have to keep dropping out of hyperspace in the middle of the night.” The Nebula Zephyr’s chief security officer, Jake Dilon, scowled at the deserted landing bay. “It’s never for something good. Why can’t some other ship handle these weird extra assignments? Why is it always us?”
“You don’t have any reason to complain. This middle-of-the-night mystery stuff is probably in your job description,” said Owen Embersson, the cargo master. “And maybe mine, if there’s cargo to be taken on. But why my wife had to get out of a warm bed and come down here is beyond me.” He glanced at the woman beside him and frowned.
“All will become clear to you momentarily.” Captain Fleming joined them. “And we’re doing this because the Mellureans requested the CLC Line to make accommodations on our ship available for two special passengers. Mrs. Embersson is here because I asked her to be here.”
“No problem, sir,” she said, although she hid a yawn behind one graceful hand.
Owen tried not to stare. The captain was never to be found in the landing bay in the middle of the night. Something major must be going down, although Fleming’s demeanor was cheerful rather than ready for a firefight.
“The military shuttle is docking now,” announced the traffic coordinator over the comlink.
As he watched the small craft dart into the huge expanse of the Zephyr’s landing bay and set down neatly, Owen felt something brush against his leg. Midorri, the ship’s green-furred alien pet, sat next to him, one clawed paw gingerly hooked onto his pants leg. Moby, the ship’s cat, rubbed against him to say hello before plopping down next to the other animal and beginning a painstaking bath. He exchanged a grin with his wife and threw up his hands. “Great, now the gang’s all here. Wonder why they’re so curious tonight?”
The trim little shuttle extended a ramp as the Nebula Zephyr’s robos bustled to extract a small pile of luggage from the military craft’s cargo container. A man and a woman appeared on the ramp, the man pausing to speak to someone remaining inside the ship.
Owen’s wife grabbed his arm, clamping down on his skin so hard he thought she must have had an attack. “Tyrelle, what’s wrong?”
Without saying a word in answer, she released him and ran onto the landing bay deck, dodging the hardworking robos. “Miriell! Praise be to Thuun, it is you!”
The two women embraced beside the military shuttle, tears of joy flowing, each talking a light-year a minute in the lilting language Owen knew was his wife’s native tongue. The resemblance between the two was astounding, from their soft green hair to the delicate features of their faces. Midorri and Moby circled the pair, twining around their ankles, purring and making little chirruping sounds, begging for attention.
Owen and Captain Fleming approached more slowly, Jake right behind.
“I had a personal message from Lady Glennit, asking me to arrange to surprise Tyrelle and her newly found sister,” the captain said. “I believe it’s always the best choice to go along with a Mellurean’s request. I don’t know a whole lot more details, other than the couple will be sailing with us to Sector Hub. Oh, and I’m to perform a wedding with all the bells and whistles.”
The male half of the passenger pair stood at the end of the ramp, hands in his utility pants pockets, looking bemused by the joyous reunion taking place in front of him. Owen walked over and stuck his hand out, “Owen Embersson, your future brother-in-law, apparently. Tyrelle’s my wife.”
“Pleased to meet you. Sheriff Stefan Murphy, at your service.”
Owen introduced the captain and Jake.
“Welcome aboard my ship, Murphy,” Fleming said. “I understand from the Mellureans there’s a good story about how you and Miriell met.”
The sheriff seemed taken aback. “No one’s supposed to know the circumstances.”
The captain made a gesture, indicating their little group. “We’re cleared to hear it, and then Owen can tell you how he and Jake got Tyrelle out of the Devir 6 hellhole. Which is also only for restricted audiences.”
Stefan regarded Owen with new respect. “You were responsible for that operation? Man, I owe you. The destruction of the base set a whole chain of events in motion, almost miraculously resulting in Miriell and me standing here in one piece.”
“Owen gets the lion’s share of the credit. I came in for the mop-up. We can compare notes over beers later,” Jake suggested. “In a more private place.”
Tyrelle towed the other woman to the group of men, the pets following her. “Owen, I want you to meet my sister, Miriell.”
“It’s an honor, ma’am,” he said, taking her small hand in his large one. “I hope we’ll have time to get properly acquainted.”
“Our new passengers will be sailing with us for three weeks to Sector Hub,” Captain Fleming said after he’d introduced himself. “Right now, we should be clearing the landing bay so your ride can be on his way and I can send this ship of mine into hyperdrive where she belongs.” He herded them all into the corridor. “Tyrelle, I’ve put you on the inactive roster for the next three weeks so you can have the maximum time with your sister. And as I understand it, there’s to be a wedding, so I’ve set up an appointment for you ladies for tomorrow afternoon—and Sheriff Murphy, of course—with Meg Thomsill. She’ll coordinate the arrangements. Your sister can have access to anything she needs on my ship. And now, I’ll be on my way, let you have your family reunion. Owen, the Murphys are booked into the best suite on Level A, if you can escort them there.”
“Yes, sir.”
“It’s my honor to have you both on board the Nebula Zephyr,” Fleming said, and then he and Jake moved away toward the crew gravlift.
Owen took over as guide, leading them to the passenger gravlift. He and the sheriff drifted upward in the silvery stream of antigrav together, watching the two women talk animatedly, each holding one of the ship’s pets. “You’ll probably have to adopt a furred pet of some kind yourself,” he warned Murphy. “Your wife-to-be looks pretty comfortable holding my cat. Her people can talk to the animals, you know.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be learning things about Miriell till the day I die.” Murphy sounded happy at the prospect.
“Holds true for any woman, I guess, but even more so for these ladies,” Owen agreed.
The suite the captain had assigned to the couple was one of the best on the entire ship. The robos had delivered their luggage already, and Owen stepped around the neat stack of containers as he showed Miriell and Stefan the amenities the cabin offered.
The sisters were so distracted by their desire to talk and catch up on events that Miriell paid barely any attention before she sank onto the plush couch in the sitting area and drew Tyrelle down beside her. Moby the cat jumped into her lap and purred loudly as the conversation went on in Tulavarran.
Owen went to the kitchenette and returned with two cold beers, handing one to Stefan. “You won’t get a word in edgewise tonight.”
“Apparently not.” The sheriff laughed. “But I’m happy to see her so excited, you know? I wish Lady Glennit could see the effect of her surprise. I never would have suspected her of the subterfuge, not telling us Tyrelle was on this ship.”
“Oh, she probably knows how it all worked out. Never underestimate the Mellureans. So what shall we drink to?” Owen raised his bottle of the feelgood. “My wife always says her god Thuun brought us together, and I don’t argue, because it was pure goddamn luck I found her. Well, with some assistance from the pets, of course.”
“Miriell says the same thing about Thuun.” Murphy clinked his bottle against Owen’s. “Here’s to continued good favor from alien gods.”
“You said it, brother.” The two men drank and then moved to sit with the sisters on the couch to join the happy conversation.
And the Nebula Zephyr sailed on through the stars.
***
Thank you for reading DANGER IN THE STARS! I really hope you enjoyed the adventure (and of course I’d love a review if you have time and the inclination to write one – even a few sentences would be wonderful. Authors relish reader feedback).
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STAR CRUISE: STOWAWAY, the novella which tells the story of Miriell’s sister Tyrelle, and how she escaped from the Combine with Owen’s help, has previously only been available in a multi author short term anthology. As of early May 2017, the novella will be available as a standalone ebook (wth two other Sectors short stories by me), so be sure to look for that one if you haven’t read it!