EPISODE LIV - SURE SHE'S PRETTY, BUT IS SHE INFLATABLE?




The turbulent momentum of the small Space Fleet frigate stopped abruptly.  Stauch looked at Krashaki, obviously impressed.

"What'd you do?"

Krashaki didn't respond.  Stauch looked over at the pilot who was staring into space with a haunted expression on his face.  The sergeant place his hand lightly on Krash's shoulder, bringing him out of his revelry with a sudden jerk.

"What?", Krashaki asked distractedly.

"I asked what you did."

Krashaki shook his head.  "Nothing", he admitted, "we're caught in a tractor beam."

Stauch allowed himself a small glimmer of hope.  "From the Escort?"

"I don't think so.", Krash replied.

Stauch looked up at the hulking Wyzenhymer ship that was drawing ever closer.  He swallowed hard.

"Broski", he said, not taking his eyes from the ship, "get the guns."  He turned to regard the corporal.  "And a couple of grenukes.", he added soberly.

Broski smiled deviously.  "Roger, Sarge."

As they drew nearer to the ship, they were able to see a strangely, flickering light from the area that seemed to be their destination.

"Is that fire?", Krashaki, asked leaning forward in his seat.

Stauch peered through the window, noting the chaotic pattern of the changing light.  "I think it is.", he said dubiously.

Having exhausted their fire control equipment, it seemed that their perilous journey was about to take another turn for the worse.  Stauch extracted himself from the co-pilot's chair and moved back to help Broski with their equipment.  He stopped to check Siddons' condition, and found him curled up in the fetal position, mumbling incoherently.

"Super.", he muttered as he made his way aft.

Broski was gingerly wrapping his new canteen cup in toilet paper when the sergeant arrived.  "What's it look like, Sarge?"

Stauch stared thoughtfully at the corporal for a moment before responding.  "The question is, what's it smell like, Corporal?"

Broski smiled, placing the cup into his pack.  "Destiny, Sarge.", he replied grandly, "It smells like destiny."

Stauch clapped the corporal on the back, and grabbed his rifle.

"You need to see this, guys.", came Krashaki's excited voice.

Both commandos moved forward to see the source of the pilot's agitation.  They were perilously close to the Wyzenhymer ship now and could see numerous fires burning within.  Krash pointed to an area to the left of the doorway, where a Space Fleet, Snout Class fighter rested on the deck.  A helmeted man beside it whirled around holding an ancient rifle, and aimed it at the oncoming ship.

"That's a Space Fleet uniform.", Broski stated, surprised.

The figure looked at them momentarily, then began to wave dramatically.  A flash of light impacted on the fighter beside him, sending him sprawling to the ground.  The frigate shuddered violently as the huge ship's gravity took hold of the small transport vessel.