Chapter...I don't remember...

*There are several chapters of this posted to my google account. My computer is dead, and I don't feel like copy and pasting. No one reads this anyways. And you really shouldn't, it's horrible.  Also, if you are fan of things like proper grammar or spelling, well I already told you not to read it.

When we last saw our wayward, weary and reluctant heroes,

(Oh, they are heroes now?)

they were slowly making their way toward the third Orb of the Ancients, on the dangerous dream planet of Morpheus. Early in the journey, the young mother, Wella; had come in contact with one of the planets life-forms  while thinking of her dead lover, thus creating a simulacrum of the ferret Fedward.  Although the group continues to distrust the doppleganger of the departed, they have no choice but to continue their trek.

After days of wandering in the wilderness, our troop has arrived at the temple of the ancients, and elect that Wuffy should attempt to retrieve the orb from the formless thoughts that have infiltrated the entirety of the temple:

Wuffy, with in characteristic clumsiness, fell directly unto a pink pile of unformed thoughts.  With a flash it vanished and was replaced with an equally large winged lizard.

Staring in awe and fear of her own imagination, Wuffy didn't notice as the great lizards throat began to flow red with a deep internal heat. Fortunately, Wembly decided to take this moment to show his cook that he wasn't a comets moron. In this he partially succeeded. Just as the monster opened it's massive maw Wembly tackled Wuffy behind a conveniently placed plot armor rock.  However, instead of flames, the
(It's not a dragon).
fearsome beast released a great stream of pink and purple butterflies.


To be continued (as soon as I remember where I was going with this).

Chapter Ten

The planet Styx was a bit of an enigma. It was a dark planet, circling a dark star in a dark star system. Everyone knew it was there, but no one actually knew where it was without the help of those who lived there, and the residents of Styx usually pretended that they weren't there.

In some sense they weren't. Styx used to be a normal planet in a normal star system. However, some three thousand years prior, an incident involving a dark matter reactor, a graviball and what was suspected to be a copious amount of alcohol had blown them out of sync with the rest of the universe. Theoretically, they had yet to figure out how to blast the whole thing back into it. Popular opinion suggested they just didn't feel like it, after all, they had figured out how to move their ships back and forth between their part of the universe and everyone elses. Wembly assumed that Styx could move back into normal space whenever they wanted, but they just didn't feel like dealing with the Empire. Not that he blamed them in anyway. That didn't mean that they weren't going to have to deal with him today.

“Alright boys,” announced Wembly, “are you all good and shnockered?”

“Aye, sir,” they all slurred while gesturing at two empty kegs of Siren Summer Ale and a half empty barrel of Dijo whiskey.

“Excellent! This is a galaxy class karaoke machine. It contains two million songs from all across the universe. And these are sonic tennis balls, they multiply every time you sing off key. Have fun turning the Wingnut into a ball pit.”

“Enjoy,” said Wembly while putting in ear plugs and cranking the volume all the way up.

After a few moments of some song Wembly couldn't even begin to identify, tennis balls covered the entire deck and were beginning to role off the sides of the ship. He also noticed that the cylonicals were detaching from the hull and trying to float away. He smiled, they disliked Bad Vibrations.

Some twenty minutes and the beginnings of a serious headache later, the sonic tennis balls had filled up the entire lower sheild below the dirigible and his crew was taking turns jumping into it. The music, had also gotten worse. Suddenly, Wembly heard a howling.

“Well that took long enough,” said Wembly to no one in particular.

“This is the Styx cruiser Shibu Inu, please turn off the noise, you are being boarded.”

Chapter Nine

“It all began about a year ago,” said Wella in a shaky voice. “ I grew up in a small farming village on the drier side of Bertha. We lived a simple life, but it was a good one. The people of my village grew cotton, tobacco and our own food. We weren't rich, but we made do. In the spring the village elders decided to open a few of the outer fields, that hadn't been tended since my great-grandfather's time. It was hard work. The fields were over grown and the dirt was hard and tangled with roots and rocks. It took us weeks to clear it all.

“It was Fedward, Ryle's father, who found it. He was always good at finding beautiful and shiny things. He always claimed it came with being a ferret.”

Wella pulled a green orb the size of her palm out of her dress pocket.

“He gave this to me as an engagement present. It almost broke the plow when they hit it, he said. That was the night Ryle was conceived. We noticed afterwards that this strange stone began to glow. We took it as a sign that the universe had blessed our union. We were so stupid, and so in love.

They came a few days later, the Dance Lords. The were led by a gorilla and his dolphin lieutenant. They claimed they were just doing routine farm inspections. We all should have suspected something was wrong. High ranking Lords don't do inspections. And they were asking so many questions about if we'd found anything strange or seen anything out of the ordinary. Of course Fedward and I denied it. The stone was our secret. How could we have know what was to come?

Fedward and I were in the woods behind the village, picking berries when we started to smell smoke. As we looked toward the village we could see flames. Fedward told me to hide and stay puut while he went to see what was happening. I waited, I waited so long. It was night before I had the courage to go back to the village. The smoke was so thick it choked me. They had razed the entire village, every house, every store, even the inn. It was all burnt to the ground and still smoking.

At first I couldn't see anything but the destruction. Slowly though I started to make things out, I wish I hadn't. I could see shapes in the coals, they were bones. The charred remains of everyone I had ever known. Next to one of the fires; no funeral pyres, I saw the singed edges of a green bow, just like the one my little sister used to wear behind her ears. She was only nine years old, and she was dead, they were all dead.

After what seemed like hours I stumbled into the outer edges of the village square. They were standing there, the two Dance Lords, with Feward kneeling in front of them. I was lucky I suppose, they had their backs to me. Fedward saw me though. He looked so scared, so trapped.

The gorilla picked him up by the neck, “Tell us were it is,” he screamed, “the relic! We can feel it! Where is it?”

“I don't know,” Fedward managed to gasp.

The gorilla gutted him and threw him to the ground like so much trash. I was close enough that even through the smoke I could see him mouth his last words, “Wella, I love you...Wella.” I saw the light fade from his eyes.

The gorilla turned to his dolphin companion, “Do we have a Wella accounted for?”

I ran then, I don't know how I ran for, it seemed like days. I ran until I collapsed.

When I awoke it was early morning. I had no idea where I was, I just picked a direction and walked. Eventually my traveling brought me into the wharf district. There I was just another lost soul begging for a meal. I was there for several months. I didn't know what to do, everything I ever knew was gone, everyone dead. I still had the stone though. I know I should have gotten rid of it, but it was the only thing I had left of Fedward, of any of them. He had died to keep it a secret. Stupid boy, we didn't know it was so important.

I snuck onto your ship because I saw them, the gorilla and the dolphin. I panicked and knew I had to get off Bertha. I had to save my son and I had to keep this stone safe, they represent everything I love and I will die before I give either to the people who took everything from me.”

Wella collapsed in tears as the green stones pulsing glow became a blaze.

“How is she doing,” asked Wembly.

“Sleeping,” answered Bogart, “Wuffy is watching Ryle.”

“And the rest of the crew?”

“Getting well and properly drunk. I may have let it slip were a few of the kegs were hiding,” Bogart laughed, “they've earned it.”

They both fell silent and stared at the glowing orb. It had faded back to a glow once Wella had returned to her quarters. Wembly picked it up.

“What do you think it is?”

“ I have no idea, Captain.”

“I suppose we are going to have to find out.”

“I suppose we are.”

“We're in the right place for it. If any one knows anything about the ancients its the residence of Styx.”

“Unfortunately, you're right.”

“ The only problem is getting onto Styx.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

“By creating a very large ruckus,” Wembly smiled mischievously.

“Oh, your not going too...”

“Oh yes, I am,” he laughed, “It's been years since we've taken 'er out.”

Bogart shook his head, this game never ended well.

“Oh, don't look like that, this will be fun.”

Chapter Eight

Wella paced back and forth in her quarters while carrying Ryle on one hip. She had the green orb that had started this whole mess sitting on the bed. Her thoughts were racing and she didn't know what to do. Surely all of the kindness Captain Wembly had shown her would vanish the moment he discovered why the Empire was seeking her. Above her, she heard the quite hum of the engines as they came online and the quick whistle of the force fields as they snapped into place. This was followed by a quick jolt that signaled that they were no longer planet bound. All Wella could do was hold Ryle and cry, “I'm so sorry,” she whispered to him, “I love you so much and I'm so sorry.”

Behind her the orb started to pulse slowly.

Wembly sat at the helm and navigated as quickly as possible out of Dijo space. If the Empire was hunting for Wella, then he had to find some place safe for his ship and crew until he could figure out what to do with her. For that he needed a place that the Empire wouldn't go. There was only one place like that on this side of the universe...

Bogart sat on the deck and watched the stars blink out as the Wingnut went into hyperdrive. Whatever had happened at port today had scared the captain. In all the years that Bogart had worked with the man he had only seen him scared a handful of times, and each time it had to do with the Empire. He felt a slight jerk as the dirigible reentered true space. The stars didn’t come back into view however. Whatever had happened, had driven them to this place. The Canis Major system was the only place in the universe that you couldn't see stars. If safety resided on Styx he wasn't sure he wanted to know what was going on. Then he chuckled, who was he kidding, he loved adventure.

Wuffy knocked on Wella's door. As she entered she saw Wella crying and holding Ryle.

“The captain wants you up on deck,” Wuffy said gently.

“On deck,” Wella said, eyes wide, “why up there?”

“He feels the whole crew deserves an explanation, he won't cast judgement on you until everyone has a say.”

Wella sighed and handed Ryle to Wuffy, “Please take care of him, whatever happens now.”

She walked out and it looked as if she walked towards her death.

Chapter Seven

The sterring season was over and the Wingnut was on anchor at the vacation planet of Dijo. The blue water world was full of white sand beaches, over priced shopping and scantily clad women.

(What is up with you and scantily clad women?)

I tend to write in my underwear.

(To much information.)

The men were blowing their money on chasing women, while Wuffy, Wella and Wella's son Wyle were busy shopping.

Wembly was lounging on the deck of the Wingnut, enjoying the warmth of Dijo's orange star. The sterring season had gone well and he had his ship all to himself for several more hours. Peace at last!

(You have writer's block don't you.)

No one would no that my shitty writing was anymore then shitty writing if you would keep your mouth shut.

(Well, there isn't much chance of that happening.)

Wuffy and Wella walked down a promenade. Wella's son Wyle slept in a stroller that had appeared in their quarters a few days after Wyle had first poked his head out of Wella's pouch. At first Wyle had caused a few raised a few eyebrows. It was immediately clear that he wasn't all wombat. He had a banded mask around his eyes and long tail, he was also slightly longer and skinnier then most wombats. Wyle also had an inexplicable ball of curly hair on the very top of his head. All Wella had to say about it was, “You look so much like your daddy.” It didn't take the crew long before they were making baby noises at the child whenever they had a break from their duties.

Wuffy was also great fun to shop with. Before they had left the dirigible, Captian Wembly had slipped a few coins into her hand and told her to buy something for herself, and hinted that the upcoming Rigel crab season would be a bit chilly and perhaps the skirt that she was wearing from the farm wouldn't really cut it. In the addition to the money she had made working as Wuffy's assistant in the kitchen, she currently had more silver then she'd ever seen.

(Oh, come on things are supposed to be happening in this chapter.)

Wella told Wuffy what Wembly had told her. Wuffy had drug her into a shop that Wella could hardly believe exsisted. In addition to getting all of the cold weather gear Wembly had hinted about, she had also come away with a larger wardrobe then her entire family had had. She felt a twinge of guilt about that. She was discovering the universe, while everyone she'd ever known lay dead. 'No,' she said to herself, ' I won't think abou that. My life is for my son now.”

(You do drama poorly.)

Wembly woke up from his sunny snooze when a shadow blocked his sunlight. Opening his eyes he saw a gorilla and a dolphin in front of him.

(How is a dolphin in front of him?)

It's supposed to be sci-fi. Anti-grav nodes that lets

him float in the air?

(Well are you going to explain that?

Wembly did a slight double take with the dolphin before he noticed the anti-grav nodes on his water suit. He also noticed the Dance Lord badges they wore. 'Great,' he thought, 'Feds.'

Getting to his feet Wembly inquired, “What can I help you with?”

“We understand that your last port of call was Bertha,” said the gorilla.

“Yes.”

“Have you seen this wombat?” The gorilla handed Wembly a photo of a young and terrified looking Wella.

“I can't say that I have,” responded the captian, “can I ask why your looking for her?”

“She's a terrorist,” squeaked the dolphin, “she stole a piece of Ancients technology and killed her entire village to keep it hidden. She is considered armed and dangerous.”

“Ancients,” Wembly raised an eyebrow, “surely they are nothing but an old wives tale.”

The gorilla glared at the dolphin, “Please excuse Lieutenant Darrel, he can be rather fanciful. The piece of technology she stole is very old and very dangerous. The Empire is offering a large reward for any info you may have that will lead us to her. Here is our card, please contact us if you hear of anything.”

“Of course sirs.”

Wembly watched the pair move down the gangplanks. So his young stowaway was a wanted women. While he wasn't about to turn her over to the Dance Lords and the Empire, she would be answering his questions. Space had it's own kind of justice, if he didn't like what he heard.

Wella saw them as she and Wuffy returned to the boat. She remembered their faces before she could see them clearly. It was all she could do to keep walking toward the dirigible.

“Ladies,” said the dolphin as they walked past.

Wella's breathe caught in her throat. Could it be they didn't recognize her? She had never been so relieved about new cloths in her life. They would be looking for a poor girl in rags, not the lady that she looked like right now.

As Wella boarded the Wingnut, Wembly grabbed her arm.

“Go to your quarters and stay there,” he said gruffly, “we will be disembarking as soon as the rest of the crew returns. I'll speak with you as soon as we are safely back in space.” When he let go of her arm she all but ran to her quarters with Ryle.

Wuffy opened her mouth.

“You go with her,” Wembly said before she could say anything in a tone that suggested even a hint of insubordination would not be tolerated.

“Yes sir,” said Wuffy and meekly followed Wella below deck.

Darrel looked back at the beautiful young lady that was pushing a baby carriage up the ramp of the Wingnut. “Nah,” he thought, “it couldn't be...”

Chapter Six

Bogart laughed again, he had worked for Wembly for the last decade and had seen this kind of drama play out many times before. Although Wembly would never admit it to being to being anything but a hard man, the truth of the matter was that he was a big softy and everyone who worked on the Wingnut started off as a stray. Bogart himself had started off that way. Both of his parents had been killed in the Galactic civil war.

Bogart had first met Wembly when he was 14. He was an undersized, malnourished street urchin, begging on the streets of the capital planet, Gantor. The captain, dressed in his favorite red jacket, had tossed the starving youngster a silver coin. Bogart had been shocked, he had never seen that much money in his life. He could eat a decent meal for a month with that kind of coin.

Bogart's good fortune had not gone unnoticed by the other starving street urchins. By the time Wembly wandered back their way several hours later, some of the elder kids had concocted a plan to relieve the man in the red coat, of the rest of his coin.

Bogart had intended to stay out of it. He wasn't about to rob a man that had just shown him that much kindness, but at the same time, turning against his street family meant certain death. Imagine his surprise when he found himself back to back with the wombat, facing off against ten of his friends.

It turned out to be a fair fight. Even though Bogart was half starved, a badger was still a badger and the strange wombat could hold his own. Once the last of the would be thieves had scattered, Wembly had started to walk away. He made it about a dozen steps before he noticed that Bogart wasn't following him.

Turing around he looked at Bogart, “Well come on kid, I've got a job for you and you can't go space fishing in those cloths.”

Bogart smiled at the memory, he'd tried to thank Wembly a number of times over the years for saving his life. The man wouldn't hear of it, all he would say was that he was in need of a strong deckhand and Bogart fit the bill. It was nonsense, there were always experienced spacemen hanging around the wharfs. They never made it aboard the Wingnut though, just strays and lost souls.

The new girl startled him out of his memories as she refilled his cup.

“Welcome aboard the Wingnut, young lady. Let me introduce you to the rest of the crew.”

When the crew returned to the deck after breakfast, Wella sat down on one of the long wooden benches and put her face in her hands. She could barely believe the events of the last twelve hours. When she had been caught she was sure things were going to be over for her. Even on the best of ships, the best she could have hoped for was the brig, and at worst she would have been thrown overboard and left to die in the empty expanse of space. Instead, the impossible had happened. She was given a job and a place to live. She was given the opportunity to start her life over. She couldn't believe her luck.

The night before, Wuffy had asked her what had brought her to the Wingnut. Well, between sobs, had managed to squeak out, “Dance Lords.”

“Oh, you poor dear,” Wuffy responded as she bundled her up and put her to sleep on a cot behind the kitchen.

When she woke up the next morning, Wuffy handed her plates of steaming food and told her to hand it out to the crew, and gave her a large plate of her own. Wella's heart had skipped a beat when the captain had walked in, but continued on with her meal as Wuffy sat down to talk to him. Several minutes later Wuffy came back and said, “Welcome to the Wingnut. You will be my assistant for as long as you choose to stay. And don't worry, you don't have to tell us anything until you are ready too.”

Touching the green orb that was hidden in her pocket she thought, 'It will be a long while before anyone hears all of it.'

Chapter Five

    Wembly eyed the scared young women across the table from him.  Her hands shook as she clutched the cup of tea in front of her.  So far all he had gotten out of her was her name.  Wella was not what he had expected when he realized there was a stowaway onboard.
   "So," Wembly said, "what are you doing on my dirigible?"
   Wella looked up at him with big green eyes, that were quickly becoming watery.  She started sobbing, not a polite sob either.  It was one of the full body, snot running down your face kind of sobs.
    Wembly, despite the fact he was not happy about her being on the Wingnut, handed her a napkin and hesitantly patted her on the shoulder.  This only caused her to cry even harder.  Wembly sat back and looked at the girl like she had just grown two heads.  he was uncomfortable around women at the best of times.  Once the water works started he was completely lost.
    Wembly heard and indignant huff behind him, "What the hell is going on in here?"
   Wuffy had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.  She slowly looked between Wembly and Wella.  Her eyes finally settled on Wembly.  It was all he could do not not to giggle like a school girl.  That women made him nervous.
    "What the hell is wrong with you," erupted Wuffy, " can't you see this poor girl is beside herself?  And you just sit there staring at her!  You have no manners, you bumbling oaf!.  The poor dear is pregnant and half starved!  You should be ashamed of yourself!"
    Wembly hadn't realized that he had been moving until the door slammed in his face.  Looking around him he realized that he was standing on the stairs leading up to the bridge.  He was very confused as to how this happened.  Walking up the stairs to the bridge he muttered to himself about this being his ship and that he was in charge and that he would be putting Wuffy in her place and that he would deal with the stowaway in anyway he saw fit...tomorrow.  Tomorrow would work just fine.


By the time Wembly sauntered down to the kitchen to get his morning coffee, he had managed to convince himself that it was his idea to leave Wella in the care of Wuffy.  he wasn't about to admit to himself, or anyone else, that he'd been chased out of his own kitchen by a crying teenager and a women who barely reached his chin.
    As Wembly sat down on one of the benches he noticed that Wella had an old apron on and was busy handing out steaming plates of food to his crew.  Bogart sat down next to him, "I like the new kitchen help.  Were'd ya get her?"
    Wembly gave his first mate a dismissive shrug.
    "Aye then," laughed Bogart, "I don't need to know."
   At that moment Wuffy walked in with a large bowl of porridge.   She was whistling a merry tune and sat down right across from Wembly.  She smiled at him.  Wembly's stomach did a few flip-flops.  He did his best to smile back, but he was fairly certain he looked like he just swollowed sterring raw.
    "Sir," Wuffy said sweetly, "I believe you met my new kitchen help, Wella, last night.  She will be with us for as long as she wants and will be receiving an appropriate share of pay after every delivery as does everyone who works on the Wingnut."
    Wembly just continued looking at Wuffy as if this conversation was perfectly normal.
    "Furthermore," Wuffy continued in her sweetest voice, "no one on this ship will harass her or ask her questions about her past.  Unless of course they wish to talk to me about it."
    Wembly just kept staring, his smile becoming slightly more strained.
   "Lastly, when we are next at port, you will be purchasing and installing a space crib in the cooks quarters that is appropriate for a young joey.  Is that clear sir?"
    "Surely," Wembly began in protest, "a fishing dirigible isn't an appropriate place for a young mother and her infant.  Perhaps we could return the young woman to her family..."
    "You either accept the conditions or so help me god," Wuffy threatened, "you can find yourself a new cook."
    Wembly sighed, the only thing he disliked more then small children was looking for new help.  And Wuffy made really good souffles.  The look in Wuffy's eye told him she knew she had won this argument before it had even began.
    "Fine,"  Wembly said, "but if that girl or her soon to be child cause any disruptions aboard this vessel all three of you are gone!"
   "Whatever you say, sir"  replied  Wuffy in a manner that suggested it would take a small army to remove either her or the girl from the Wingnut.
   Bogart snorted into his coffee again.  This seemed to be permission for the rest of his crew to laugh.  And laugh they did.  Wembly slowly, and hopefully in a dignified manner, got out of his seat and returned to the bridge.
    It was only as Wembly sat back down at the helm, that he realized he had gotten neither coffee, nor breakfast.  Wembly shook his head in disgust.  He now had two woman and soon to be a baby onboard of his dirigible.  What had he done to deserve this?