NOTE: The following story is technically a sequel to my book Next Star Over: Into the Past. That said, I did my best to structure this story in a way where it can be read without needing to also read the book that precedes it.
THE STOWAWAY
Henry N. Silva
Year 9006 A.V.
Lee Kred awakens in a black forest…
The young, leather-clad man stumbles to his feet, slowly recalling what led him to his current predicament. Just moments ago, he was battling his adversary, Rex Falco, who magically banished him to some unknown part of the galaxy…
I gotta get back to Detrid, the lost one tells himself. Falco must be back there by now…
Carefully, he makes his way through the dark woods, with only the yellow sky above to light his way… He walks for several dozen feet, eventually noticing a large, weathered starship, resting beside a cave in the distance.
Thank the gods!
Quietly, he approaches the vessel, its ramp wide open… Suddenly, he hears the raspy voice of an older man, coming from the cave;
“Come on, lads!”
In a fit of panic, Lee heads straight into the ship, hiding behind a tall crate. Moments later, a group of aging pirates appear from the cave, passing Lee by as they head to their ship’s upper lobby.
“You sure no one will find the treasure here, Cap?” One of the crew members asks.
“Certain,” The Captain growls back. “This here is an uncharted world, mate. No one knows about it but us!”
Soon enough, all of them make it to the control room above. The ramp suddenly closes, as the ship takes off into space. Lee nearly falls over from the jolt of lightspeed…
A few hours pass, until the stowaway hears a pair of footsteps, descending from the control room above. Not long after, a figure creeps up from behind the crate. Lee looks over, finding himself face-to-face with The Captain…
“Well,” the older man snarls, “what’d we have here?”
Lee remains silent.
The Captain continues, “Well, since now you know where me treasure is, I’m either gonna have to kill yah or make yah part of me crew.”
“Relax, old man,” Lee snaps back. “I couldn’t care less about your treasure. I was magically banished to whatever planet we were just on. All I’m trying to do is get home.”
“Banished, eh?” The Captain raises an eyebrow, “How does a wee lad like yourself get banished?”
Lee rolls his eyes, “It’s a long story, but if you really must know… I come from a world where different factions of people have been in a religious war with each other for ages. My parents are arms dealers who profit off all the turmoil. This guy named Falco went to go find something that could end the fighting, so I was sent to stop him, but he was able to use some kinda magic to send me away.”
“Ah, I see,” The Captain grins. “Trying to make ol’ mommy and daddy proud, eh? That’s all that really matters to yah! I can see it in yer eyes.”
Again, Lee remains silent…
“Tell yah what,” The Captain reaches for a small communication device in his pocket, handing it to Lee, “We’ll take yah home, and when yah finally get a spine, gimme a call. I’m short on crew as is.”
Lee takes a few steps back, perplexed, “Really? You’re gonna help me, just like that?”
The Captain shrugs, “I was a stowaway once too, yah know.”
***
Lee Kred treads lightly down the dark hallway, into a dimly-lit room he knows all too well… Only two others are there, his father and mother…
Lee kneels down, “Forgive m-”
“Silence!” Father Kred shakes his head in disapproval, “We will not tolerate your excuses any longer.”
“But-”
“Enough!” Mother Kred chimes in, “Falco returned with proof of the true version of the legend. Now our business is crumbling. Nothing you say or do can ever fix this.”
Lee feels his own gut twist into a knot.
“Leave us,” she continues, “and never return.”
He does as she says, barely managing to hold back the tears…
***
The son of the arms dealers walks alone, across the capital city of Detrid-7, face hidden beneath a hood…
Between the tall structures of metal and stone, he sees people clad in either red, blue, or green, the colors of the planet’s different belief systems. Normally there would be riots, but not today. Today, there is only a few pushes and shoves at most. Lee realizes that his parents were right. Things are changing… Suddenly, he sees a young man coming his way, dressed in gray. It’s Rex Falco, completely oblivious to his enemy’s presence…
Lee stands there, overcome with emotion. The source of all his troubles, now closing in on his direction. With a deep inhale, he prepares to attack… But then, he suddenly recalls the final words of his mother…
Nothing you say or do can ever fix this.
He remains frozen still, allowing Rex to pass him by…
Several moments later, Lee removes The Captain’s communication device from his pocket, studying it carefully…
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