Author's Note: This short story was published in the fan anthology Thieves, Killers, Mercenaries, Psychopaths. It is set during the latter half of Series A.
The Liberator.
The most powerful vessel to ever sail the cosmos.
Bane of the Federation, home to the downtrodden.
At present? A glorified hound.
"Zen, give us a 360 orbital scan." Blake ordered.
"CONFIRMED."
An image of the empty space around the ship was displayed on its viewscreen. The crew observed the sight with subdued expressions.
"Still nothing!" Blake snapped irritably.
"Patience is a virtue, Blake." said Avon, crossing his arms. "The universe is wide and vast, with many secrets to be found. Do you expect them to be presented to you on a satin pillow?"
"Well, sloth is not a virtue. And every moment we spend searching for this mystical source of telepathic power - which may or may not ever reveal itself to us - is time that we could be spending productively against the Federation."
"If what Cally says is true..." Avon began.
He was interrupted by the woman in question. "It is true!"
"If what Cally says is correct and there is a hidden planet, then we are on the verge of a discovery which may well net us a significant advantage over the Federation. Something that your campaigning has failed to do as of late."
"What makes you so interested in it?" Gan asked from the highest seat on the flight deck. "Don't tell me you've grown a heart."
"If he's grown anything, it's a venom sack!" teased Vila.
Avon sighed. "Cally, the children onboard this ship seem unable to grasp the magnitude of what you've detected. Do you mind clarifying?"
"Two sectors back, I sensed an incredible field of mental power, more enormous than what I'm used to on my own home planet. It could only have been produced by a race of exceptionally advanced minds. More developed than anything known to us."
"And I intend to make it known to us." Avon finished silkily. "A force detectable two sectors back is not only a force which may cripple the Federation, but also produce wealth in obscene quantities. It is an intelligence which may even rival my own."
"If it defeats your ego, I will be impressed!" Blake grumbled. "But we've been circling out here for days. Say what you will about my campaigning, at least I don't spend this much time on a failed idea. We cannot stay in one place for too long! If there's no results in the next hour, we're moving on."
Cally remained defiant, staring down her leader. "They are here, Blake! Very close now. And no matter how well concealed, we'll find them. There's always a trace." She turned to Vila. "You're the expert in hidden things. Can't you think of anything they might have done?"
"Hidden vaults, yes! Not planets." Vila protested.
Cally was not deterred. "Then think of it as one. Think of the biggest and most valuable jewel in existence, so humongous that it's suspended in space-"
"I've got it!" Vila interrupted her, his thoughts outpacing Cally's speech. He stood up, strolled in front of the flight deck as if to perform, then turned to the rest of the crew. "The greatest gem in the galaxy! You can't build a vault around it, that's too obvious. Besides, everyone would want to break in and destroy it, to stop it from bringing down the market value. So what you do is you hide it. That way, you can always chip a piece off whenever you need cash!"
"Hide it how?" Avon asked.
"Hmm? Oh, something basic. Simple tricks are always the best. An illusion would be my guess. A sphere of, say, satellite mirrors coupled with a radiation absorber. Scans don't pick anything up, neither do eyes."
Blake frowned. "But there's background radiation everywhere. An absorber would have to leave a dead spot. It would stand out like a sore thumb, at least to scanners of Zen's sophistication."
"Zen is not looking for a dead spot, Blake." Avon reminded him patronisingly. "It is looking for a planet. Like a good computer, it ignores irrelevant data until we decide it becomes relevant."
He then spoke up to the massive interface looming over the flight deck. "Zen! Locate the nearest absence of radiation within our vicinity."
"A SPHERICAL ABSENCE OF RADIATION HAS BEEN ISOLATED AT FOUR MILLION SPACIALS FROM THE LIBERATOR. EXACT COORDINATES ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE PILOT CONSOLE."
"I have them, Blake." Jenna affirmed, gripping onto the levers controlling the ship's flight. "Plotting a course. Zen, give me speed standard by seven."
"CONFIRMED."
***
It was only until the Liberator had reached the very orbit of the alien world that the latter revealed itself. There were no mirrors, no visible absorption devices. Whatever cloaking method was used by the unknown race was entirely beyond the crew and Zen's comprehension. Cally suggested the deception was purely mental, which tallied with the idea that the inhabitants posssessed awesome powers that could come quite handy... for good and for ill.
"Right!" Blake said, his voice more inspired now. "We'll teleport down. Cally, you're the expert in this matter, I want you there with me. Avon, you as well. We'd better get kitted up. Keep a watchful eye, Jenna!"
The ex-smuggler nodded, and gave Blake a reassuring smile as he walked past.
It was up to Vila to take on teleport duty, which he accepted happily enough. "Right, I think I've got a village here. Could be a cluster of mountains, I'm not really sure."
"It's a small city. Put us down a mile from there." Avon snapped, having glanced at the monitor screen.
"Fancying some exercise?"
Blake shook his head. "We know nothing about these people. Best that we minimize contact until we have an idea of what we're dealing with. Everybody set?"
Avon and Cally nodded. All three were dressed in identical parkas, armed and ready.
"Teleporting... now!" Vila announced.
***
Three white outlines materialised on a grassy hilltop, and formed into members of the crew. It was sunny and bright and clear. Far too clear for their liking. All three ducked for cover instinctively. Blake held his teleport bracelet up to his mouth.
"Down and safe."
"Blake!" Avon hissed.
The group's arrival had been spotted by a tiny biped covered in beautiful green fur. Her hair was pure white in color, and tied up in an enormous bow on her head. Her eyes were abnormally large and slitted like a cat's, her nose very small. Obviously, she was a total alien.
"What are you?" She asked them, astonished.
"We could ask you the same thing." Blake replied, more than a little shocked himself.
The little one narrowed her eyes. "You could, but my family live here. And I asked first!"
"She's got you there, Blake." Avon said, smiling faintly. "We are... visitors. Human visitors. We come in peace."
"Aliens!" The alien shouted excitedly, and jumped up and down. "I always wanted to meet aliens from outer space! Do you have a ship? I bet you do!"
Avon nodded. "Something like that. Errr... take us to your leader."
"That'd be grandpa. Everybody else is in Xandee, our capital city. My name's Wyla, what's yours?"
"My name is Avon. This is Blake, and Cally."
Cally knelt down to Wyla's level, and smiled. "Hello, Wyla. We'd be delighted to be your guests."
"Right! I'll just give grandpa the heads-up, and then you can come in. Uhh... don't go anywhere!" Wyla ran off towards a farmhouse in the distance.
Blake shrugged. "Well, she certainly seems pleasant. It seems your intuition was right, Cally."
"She's only a child." Avon said cynically. "Remember your basic biology. Nature saves the brightest colors for the most dangerous of creatures."
"Surely you're not suggesting they're dangerous!" Cally protested.
"I'm suggesting we should be careful. If something appears too good to be true, it usually is."
Wyla returned swiftly and led the trio to her home, where they were met with the girl's grandfather. His fur had apparently also been green once, but was now greyed and falling out in parts, revealing patches of pink skin.
"Goodness!" He said. "Are you really aliens? Not that I would dare call Wyla's honesty into question, but she can sometimes get a little... imaginative. You must've been on the road a long time, coming here from one those, what were they... planoids?"
"Planets!" Wyla corrected.
"Right, right... well, wherever they're from, I bet they're hungry. Look at them three, thin as rails! Especially that one." He eyed Cally. "I have a targan pie in the making."
Blake, as usual, did the mediating: "I admit it's a rare occasion for us to have a homegrown meal. Of course we'll have some. I hope you don't mind if we scan it first, though. We're not quite sure if, um, 'targan' is good for us or not."
"As long as it won't spoil the taste!" The grandfather waved dismissively.
Blake and Cally sat down. Avon did not. "I'm sure the pie is lovely, but I think I'll have another look around instead."
"Avon!" Cally chastised. "These people are offering us their hospitality!"
"I'm not here for hospitality." Avon said coldly. "If you learn anything useful from them, let me know."
And without another word, he was gone.
***
"INFORMATION! FIVE FEDERATION PURSUIT SHIPS DETECTED AT GRID REFERENCE 8337-10!"
Having almost dozed off, Jenna now sprang to duty. "So close! Have they detected us?!"
"CONFIRMED. THREE PURSUIT SHIPS HAVE SEPARATED AND ARE NOW ON A DIRECT HEADING TOWARDS THE LIBERATOR. THEY WILL BE WITHIN FIRING RANGE IN SEVEN POINT TWO SECONDS."
"Bring the battle computers online! Gan, raise the radiation flare shields and clear the neutron blasters for firing!"
Gan rushed to the tactical console usually manned by Vila. The Liberator took evasive action and left the orbit of the planet, just narrowly avoiding several plasma bolts, which then burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere.
"What the hell is going on?!" Vila shouted over the intercom. Too busy fighting back, Jenna and Gan did not reply.
Gan noticed a flaw in the Federation's attack pattern. Two of the pursuit ships were almost flying in sync. He aimed the neutron blasters at the closer one and fired. A green beam of death annihilated it, and then burned through the wreck to severely damage the other.
"Well done, Gan!" Jenna shouted gleefully.
"TWO PLASMA BOLTS LAUNCHED AND RUNNING!" Zen announced. "ESTIMATED CONTACT IN FIVE... FOUR... THREE... TWO... ONE!"
The Liberator shook violently as the enemy bolts exploded against its force wall.
"We haven't had enough time to recharge. Only two power banks are full!" warned Gan.
Still thrilled by the first victory, Jenna was not too worried. "It will do. I'm trying to match the vector of the remaining pursuit ship. If we can get a clear shot..."
"What about the other two, what are they doing?"
"THE REMAINDER OF THE FEDERATION SQUADRON HAVE ENTERED THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE ALIEN PLANET." said Zen.
Gan scowled. "We must warn Blake!"
Before they could manage, however, the Liberator was shaken again and more severely. It was not another bolt, but instead the damaged pursuit ship attempting to ram them. Heartless Mutoids, no doubt, with no compulsion against suicide. Their ship disintegrated against the Liberator's force wall, taking most of the energy from power bank six with it. Several circuits on the flight deck exploded, and emergency lights switched on. Jenna and Gan held onto the consoles with all their might, enduring the quakes. Taking advantage of the Liberator's plight, the last pursuit ship fired another plasma bolt. Zen made an attempt to warn the crew, but only garbled nonsense came out of the malfunctioning speaker. The indicators were malfunctioning as well. Unable to receive orders and facing destruction, Zen took matters into its own hands.
With no power to engage the main drive, Zen chose to release much of the atmosphere aboard the ship, the rush of the departing oxygen giving enough of a kick to push the Liberator out of the way of the incoming plasma bolt. Zen consolidated much of the remaining energy into the neutron blasters, scanned the distant pursuit ship and fired. It was so far that the kill barely registered on the detectors. But it did, and Zen deactivated himself in satisfaction, relinquishing reserve power to life support and the repair circuits.
"You did it, Jenna!" Gan roared. The controls were rendered useless, but they could see the pursuit ship explode from the viewscreen. "I must say, that was a neat trick, letting all that air out."
"That wasn't me. But I'll have to remember that, it's a hell of a move. Zen was clearly taught by the best. Whoever they are."
Jenna tried pushing buttons and flicking levers in vain. "Everything's gone down into repair mode. We're sitting ducks."
"Communications?" Gan asked.
"Everything. We cannot make contact with Blake, and if any other Federation ship turns up, we won't stand a chance. See if you can get a hold of Vila. If the teleport still works, we may have to consider abandoning ship."
Gan nodded, and pressed the intercom button. "Vila? Vila, you there?"
There was only static. "Vila?" Still nothing.
Gan and Jenna shared concerned glances. "Could be that the intercom is offline too." Jenna suggested.
"How much air did Zen let out?" Gan asked angrily.
"Zen is programmed to protect us!"
"But if it came down to either us or the Liberator? Which one would it choose?"
There was a moment of silence between them. Then Gan left the flight deck. He rushed to the teleport section. As feared, Vila was gone.
"Vila!" Gan called out desperately. "Vila, where are you?!"
He searched through the nearby corridors, looking for anything. A scrap of cloth, a blood trail, any signs of a struggle against the indomitable pull of vacuum. But there was nothing. He returned to the teleport, and collapsed onto the seats. A terrible grief took ahold of him as he contemplated Vila's death. Vila was hardly anyone's favourite person in the universe, but he brought a good cheer to a difficult and often miserable life.
Gan stared blankly at the teleport controls for some time, until finally he emerged from his depression and took notice of what he was looking at. A blue plastic band had been tied around the levers operating the transfer process. Gan's eyes flicked towards the tray holding the bracelets. Four were missing. He smiled.
***
The arrival of the pursuit ships did not escape Avon's notice. He watched from underneath a bush as they glided across the sky. From their approach, he estimated that they would not land nearby. It was a small relief.
"Well now..." he muttered to himself, and held the teleport bracelet up to his face. "Liberator, come in. This is Avon. Liberator?"
Static. Avon's eyes narrowed. He switched the channel. "Blake."
"I read you."
"Two pursuit ships have landed somewhere on the planet. And I can't get in touch with the Liberator. Try your bracelets."
He waited until Blake's voice crackled through the communicator once more. "Nothing! They must have left orbit to conceal themselves."
"Yes, if we're lucky. And we seldom are. Listen, I've found that city, northeast of the farm. I'll try and make contact with someone in authority. If the Federation plans a conquest here, it would be useful to start making some allies. Fast."
"Agreed. We'll meet you there. Blake out."
Choosing not to conceal himself any longer, Avon went to the city and found himself in a marketplace. His hand rested on the comforting grip of the handgun attached to his belt. The people around Avon gave him strange looks, but it seemed that they were used to visitors as no one directly confronted him. Avon scowled. Had the Federation been to this planet before?
***
Servalan smiled vacuously towards the planet's ruler Prime Xandia as the two took each other's arms for a stroll in the latter's beautifully cultivated gardens. Only a month ago, she'd known nothing of the hidden planet and its leader, until a drifting routine patrol grazed the concealment field by mistake. The officers onboard were still executed for their grievous piloting error, of course. Servalan, however, guarded the newfound knowledge tightly, sharing it with no one but Mutoids. Not even Travis knew where she went on these 'errands'. She had spent months sweet-talking the charming Xandia, trying to erode her mistrust and discover the nature of her planet's psychokinetic power. Servalan didn't dare a more typical invasion before knowing what was in the cards. Now, she believed, she was on the verge of a breakthrough.
"... the Federation has always looked after and provided for those in its bosom." She said.
Xandia smelled a black flower. "A most noble effort. I would have no less for my beloved people. But I remain unconvinced by the necessity of exposing them to the greater universe. Ignorance is bliss, and my citizens remain blissful because they believe they know and control all that which could harm them. Weeds, insects, the occasional illness... these are battles my kind can win and triumph over."
"I agree entirely, Prime." Servalan said in a honeyed voice. "But my presence here proves, if nothing else, that outside threats can conceivably make themselves more apparent than you'd like."
An electronic thrumming sound interrupted the conversation. Both of the women turned to look at a white glow in the nearby bushes, which materialised into a clumsy, balding man who tripped over himself.
"Ahh! Oh, wonderful job, Vila. Who else would set the coordinates directly onto a thorn-" He turned quiet and pale upon realising what company he was in.
"Outside threats, you said?" Xandia chuckled with some amusement, and snapped her fingers. A group of burly guards rushed in and pulled Vila out of the shrubbery.
He shrugged, glancing at the torn plants. "Sorry about the mess."
Xandia shook her head. "That's alright. I enjoy gardening."
"Prime Xandia!" Servalan snapped. "This man is..."
The Prime cut her off. "Vila Restal, convicted of theft... and the flooding of a brain reprogramming facility. And, in his absence, associating with political criminal Roj Blake. Am I correct?"
Vila gulped. "Um, at your service, ma'am. I mean, Prime."
Xandia turned to an astonished Servalan. "I must confess, Supreme Commander, that while you have been a such a kind and delightful guest here, I have been an abhorrently deviant host. I simply couldn't help my curiosity about your Federation. So while you slept, I paid an occasional visit to your pursuit ship and looked at your computer files. I promise I left everything in order. I hope you can forgive me."
Servalan tried to force a smile. "Well.."
"And you, Vila... " Xandia interrupted her again. "Your telepath Cally sensed the beam of mental power I directed at her. That is why you are here. Though I did not anticipate such an inauspicious entrance." She giggled again.
Vila frowned. "You mean you brought us here? All on your own?"
"Why?!" Servalan demanded to know.
"Because, Supreme Commander, you presented your Federation as the ultimate in peace and prosperity. Yet you have such vicious enemies. It was important for me to know them, to know you. How else could I consider joining?" Xandia motioned for her guards to release Vila. "As Blake's representative, you are welcome to dine with me and Servalan tonight."
"I am?" Vila squeaked.
"He is?" Servalan hissed.
Xandia smirked at both of them. "Unless either of you are willing to forego an alliance."
Vila and Servalan looked at one another in mutual despair. Xandia took both of their arms and lead them back to the castle.
***
Cally's teleport bracelet crackled. "... Liberator. This... Jenna. We've take... -vy damage. Zen estimates... will take at least seven hours."
"Jenna?" Cally asked with concern. "Please repeat your message, we can't hear you well."
The bracelet squeaked a bit, a telltale sign of Jenna modifying the signal. "The Liberator took heavy fire. I've told Zen to concentrate repairs on the drive, but it'll be seven hours before we can move anywhere. Two pursuit ships made it down. I'm sorry."
Blake grabbed Cally's wrist. "It's not your fault, Jenna. Listen, we've learned that the planet's inhabitants have nothing to do with its defense. The psychokinetic power is purely held by its royalty, a group of seven primes dotted around the planet. We're in some sort of carriage, being taken to the one closest to us."
"Understood. There's one more thing you should know. Vila's somewhere on the planet."
Avon grabbed Cally's wrist as well. "WHAT?!"
***
"You're full of it, Servalan!" Vila shouted, his confidence bloated by Xandia's protection and wares. "I never flooded a brain reprogram facility! It was a light drizzle, and your faulty Federation fire extinguish mechanism!" He crossed his arms petulantly and gave the Prime a comradely look. "I got soaked! All because some brainiac thought to put the circuit - a B circuit, I might add! - right next to the door's F-circuit. It was a shambles! Oh, and as for Blake and the kids, hah! The only thing Blake's ever molested is a podium! Everything about Avon is true, of course. I've got to be honest."
Servalan looked ready to explode over her beef stew. "Surely you cannot consider the words of a dim street rat equal to that of the entire galaxy's military leader!"
"Quite!" Blake barked as he walked into the dining hall with Avon and Cally in tow. "Vila, thank you so much for your efforts, but I'll take over now." He ushered Vila towards the other two. Avon held the thief under a particularly venomous gaze.
"There is no need. I have learned much from your friend. Perhaps more than you would have told me." Xandia said, smiling politely. "I cannot avail the powers invested in me to either of your causes. My world would be subsumed, either by tyranny or greed or a bloody thirst for justice. This will not happen."
Blake was forlorn. Avon was merely intrigued. "You say 'invested'. Invested by whom? None of your charming peasants share this incredible power, so it must be artificial in origin."
"Surely an agreement can be reached." Servalan added. "I could guarantee you protection from the Federation's excesses and from any outside interference in exchange for the secret. Your world would never be at risk!"
"I have no fancy gifts or propositions." Blake said. "I merely ask that you consider the lives that could be saved by your sharing this information with us. And the lives that will suffer if you give it to the Supreme Commander."
Xandia shook her head, still smiling. She seemed much like a mother who'd grown tired of her children bickering. "What I have is not something to be shared. It is to be given... or kept, as a Prime sees fit. And what one Prime sees, all see. We have chosen. You will now all leave our world... in peace."
Without another word, Servalan rose to her feet and walked out. Xandia turned to Blake.
"She will return, make no mistake." He warned. "You must be prepared for a full invasion force."
"If she really does intend to war with us, she will be greatly humiliated. Toying with her fleet would be child's play to us."
Vila raised an eyebrow. "Ehh?"
Cally answered before Xandia could. "Psychokinesis. If it is powerful enough to conceal a planet, then Prime Xandia would not need to exert much effort to turn Servalan's ships and warheads around."
"But that's fantastic!" Blake exclaimed. "That sort of paranormal trickery would bring the Federation's military might to a swift end!" He confronted Xandia. "There are millions suffering under its yoke! Your powers could set them free, change the destiny of the human race!"
Avon interrupted him. "Learn to take no for an answer, Blake. Particularly when you're in someone else's home."
"He's right." Cally agreed. "You heard what Jenna said! The Liberator is adrift! Without the aid of the Prime, Servalan will destroy or claim it!"
Blake closed his eyes, realising the blunder he just made. When he opened them, he found Xandia looking at him expectantly. He sighed. "Will you-?"
"We will protect the Liberator." Xandia promised. "Until the repairs are complete."
***
A weary Gan welcomed the crew back onto the Liberator. "Jenna's still coordinating on the flight deck. From Zen's estimations, a quarter of the ship needs to be rebuilt. Any luck on your end?"
"Why don't you ask Vila?" Blake asked half-jokingly, and left the teleport bay alongside an equally disappointed Cally.
"What?!" Vila shouted after them, offended. "You can't seriously blame me for this!"
Avon pulled off his parka and discarded it onto the nearby console. "Who else are we to blame? The Prime got a look at you, and dismissed us all out of hand. I would've done the same." He followed the others.
Vila frowned at Gan. "All I did was mouth off a few words about the Supreme Commander. Blake does that all the time, nobody ever complains about that! Double standards, that's all I'm saying!"
"Don't give me hope."
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