The Aviatrix

The Aviatrix

Part I

“Another?” “Another.” Sat at a bar somewhere in the skies above Intimation- a planet known throughout this quadrant for its ideas and innovation- she ponders the decline of this establishment, still one of her favorites. Now thought simply a gimmick, a bar floating in the sky used to be a pinnacle of style.  She slugged down the glass of light-blue bubbling liquid she had been served, tossed a few coins on the bart top, and left. 

Haunted by a memory she can’t seem to piece together, the nomad, known for her impressive and daring aerial feats as The Aviatrix, searches the galaxy for answers. She searches for purpose. She searches because doing nothing was never an option. As she walks out of Sky Bar she casts an eye toward her ship, once an argent vision, her Velo-Star 624 had been through a scrape or two but it was hers. They knew each other. And it still had miles and miles left in it. Sky Bar had once employed what was called an “Attendant.” A robotic eye which controlled scanners and motion detectors around each vessel. And guns. “Attendant” was slang for “try to steal a ship and see what happens.” But the declining bar could no longer afford the upkeep so one docked at their own risk. Everything seemed in place as she thought “try to steal it and see what happens.” Her boots clanked as she walked across the light bridge connecting her current location with a parts depot. Her ship needed a couple things and she could do worse than to pick up a new phaser cell for her revolver. 

She walked into Chip’s Bits- a stupid name for a place, but she new Chip to be stupid. “Chip.” She tipped her hat to the man with a glowing yellow eye behind the counter. “Trix,” he replied. Her left eye twitched almost imperceptibly. “What are you in for today?” He continued. “I’m looking for a new navigation circuit for my Velo-Star and I need a new phaser cell or two.” “The circuit is gonna be a special order but I’ve got plenty of cells here behind the counter- here, give me your weapon I’ll change it out for you.” She glared at him from under the low brim of her hat, slowly pulled out her weapon, removed its current cell, and laid it on the counter. The man with the glowing yellow eye quickly grabbed the old-time revolver looking phaser gun and emitted an “I got it.” Which signaled the emergence of 7 fuchsia-skinned, 3 foot tall, naked-mole-rat-looking creatures. “Hell rats.” She quipped. 

In a raspy voice, emitting more than a noticeable amount of saliva, the tallest one said “We’re taking your ship.” The Aviatrix glared in his direction. “And your gun.” Squeaked another. She threw a piercing look at Chip before slowly turning around. “Well, my gun is coded to my hand and I’m keeping that. So its of no use to you. As for my ship,” she continued as she slowly walked through the pack of rats, “you’re going to need the activation gem aren’t you?” She stopped next to the weakest looking of the bunch while staring directly into the tiny pink eyes of the first that had spoken. “And that gem is in the grip of my gun- good way not to lose it.” As Chip turned the weapon over in his hands and the rats turned to look in anticipation of their bounty, they all heard the unmistakable whir of a particle blade. The Aviatrix stood there brandishing it across the throat of the rat next to her. Immediately every gun in the room was trained on her. 

Its not widely known, but the most important hell rat is always the weakest looking one, they believe it to be a misdirect. A misdirect that did not work in this case. “Take the cells out of your guns or this is his final day.” Begrudgingly, one by one, each rat removed the phaser cells from their weapons and set them on the counter in front of Chip. “Chip, pack those cells up and load my weapon.” The Aviatrix demanded. He did as he was told. Weapon now in hand she instructed them all into the blast chamber, firing a couple of shots at their feet while they reluctantly abided. As she locked the impenetrable door, before turning to face him, her focused intensity found the shopkeeper. “Warning signal or not, if you ever call me Trix again you’ll be three feet tall like our pink friends in here.” “A, I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do! They’ve been sticking up people in here for months and I never know when they’re coming or how many there will be- I knew you’d be able to handle it.” She waited for acknowledgement of her warning. “I will never use that name again.” The shopkeeper swore. Index finger to her hat brim she gave a slight nod, grabbed the box of phaser cells, and exited Chips Bits. 

As The Aviatrix’ ship sped away from the dock, the shop owner went over to the blast door and opened it: “That was The Aviatrix.” The small, weak-looking, rat snarled, “Yes, yes it was. She did not disappoint.” He emerged from the chamber, dropped a bag of coins in the shopkeeper’s hand: “thank you for the field test. Let’s go.” He hissed at his crew. “What was the point of all of that?” Inquired Chip. To which he got no reply as the small pink rodents took their leave. “You’re not going to hurt her are you?… Hey! Are you?!” He felt a sharp and quick pain on his left side. He turned to find the tallest rat, the one that had initially taken the lead, staring up at him from the place his left arm had been attached moments ago. It smiled and walked off. 

The Aviatrix

Part II

“A, listen, they didn’t give me much of a choice, they came in right before you arrived and held out a sack full of credits and seven guns. They promised much but took even more, seemingly for fun… I’m an arm shy. And I don’t have to tell you what a disadvantage that is in my profession- anyway, I just wanted to warn you. They mean business. They’re coming for you.” ::blip:: “I knew there was something more to the story” The Aviatrix mumbled aloud, as she switched off the holographic message from the proprietor of Chip’s Bits. She was at the helm of her Velostar airship ripping across the cosmos. As the stars blurred outside her craft, our heroine contemplated her next move: “I could slow down and let them catch me, they wouldn’t expect that,” she thought “or I could get the upper hand and stop in the Plexus System where I have friends… do this on my terms.” She set an easy-to-follow course for the nearest planet in the Plexus System- Hydraxia.

The air was thick with smoke emitted from the dozens of brightly colored pipe bowls grasped in the hands of the many patrons of Une Pipe, a smokery and bar located on Hydraxia. But more importantly- it was owned by Cast McCall. Cast and The Aviatrix had met not too long ago when Cast had been, we’ll say, over-served, and gotten a shade belligerent with the wrong folks. Luckily help had been present in the form of The Aviatrix- a debt which Cast claims he’ll not soon be able to repay. She sat with her back to the door, as to appear vulnerable, but with a reflective surface in plain sight. “Is everything set?” She inquired to Cast without turning to face him. Cast was a tall man, unknown to many as the owner of the establishment, where he currently sat at the bar next to The Aviatrix. “Everything is as you requested- especially the bit secured under that very specific seat you just so happen to be at… Should I expect a remodeling bill?” “Well I won’t be the one to elevate the situation… that’s something you’ll have to take up with the Hell Rats, if they come.” No sooner had the words escaped her lips than the door was flung open and there stood a dozen Rats backlit by the neon glow emanating from the street.

The once noisy room went silent and several patrons moved to collect their belongings. An unmistakable metallic clang repeated in the air as the Rats’ Voltruvian metal armor plates clanged against one another as a result of their less then balletic steps. Four of them flanked out to the exterior of the room, six of them fanned into a line parallel to the bar top, one moved in front of them, and one hobbled to the lead- they were all armed. The Hell Rats had a reputation, but so did Cast McCall, and so did The Aviatrix. Without turning, The Aviatrix addressed the lead Rat: “I thought you’d be here sooner- maybe you’re not all the stories say you are.” The Rat hissed back: “No, we’re more. And you’d be good to keep that in mind, young lady.” “I don’t threaten,” she snapped back. Cast moved to interrupt the quickly mounting tension: “How about a drink for everyone? Calm our nerves- no reason for anything to get out of hand over bruised egos. Rock,” he called out for the bartender, “a round of…” his speech stuttered for just a moment as the face behind the bar was not the one Cast expected, but a familiar and trusted one nonetheless. “A round for all of us,” he continued after the almost imperceptible pause. The man behind the bar nodded and set out 15 glasses. “Thought I’d join you all… since there’s no one left in the place.” A fact he pointed out as he gave a nod around the room, who’s inhabitants had all vacated. He made a mess of pouring a pink liquid into each of the fifteen glasses, to which Cast gave a disapproving, but entertained glare  “What will we drink to?” The bartender asked. “To a mutually beneficial deal” the lead rat retorted, “just as soon as you all drink.” The Aviatrix looked to the bartender, and then to Cast. Cast gave the slightest of approving gestures and they three drank- The Aviatrix, Cast McCall, and the bartender, who was not Rock. They upturned their glasses on the bar, and with a smile the lead rat knocked back the pink liquid, as did the other eleven. “Now, what we came here for…” The rat cozied up to the Aviatrix and as she turned slightly away from his foul breath and unpleasant demeanor, she palmed the firearm Cast had secured under the bartop, but it soon became obvious its use would not be necessary. The rat’s right eye started to twitch. He let out a sharp cough. His eyes widened, his whole body lurched forward, and life left him. As it did the other eleven rats spread throughout the room. “Remy, for god’s sake did you have to kill them?!” Cast shot at the bartender as he looked around his establishment, now littered with the lifeless bodies of a dozen Hell Rats. “I take it you’re not the regular bartender- but I’m also curious as to why I’m not dead” The Aviatrix inquired. “No ma’am, I am not. And that particular toxin I added to our drinks doesn’t affect our species.” He retorted. The stranger hopped over the bar, settled a hat atop his head, and peered under it toward Cast: “And yes sir, I did. First of all because they’re garbage creatures. Solely in this universe to earn credits by any means  possible, no matter what they have to do or who they have to kill.” He turned toward The Aviatrix, and tipped his hat: “The name’s Remington Firth ma’am, and secondly, but more importantly, because I know exactly what they wanted from you.”

The Aviatrix

Part III

The usually bustling smokery, Une Pipe, was empty except for three figures standing at the bar top. Three figures encircled by twelve rat creatures laying motionless in a once tactical formation. They had been poisoned by one of the three at the bar. With a five o’clock shadow and a large scar running across his left eye, Remington Firth made no secret of his hatred for these creatures known throughout the galaxy as Hell Rats. “Well??…” The tall woman standing next to him quipped out from under her wide-brimmed hat. “Yes ma’am.” Remy replied and continued: “I know what they wanted from you- We’ve all heard tale of the fabled Andromedus Heist and how it’s supposedly stashed beyond Takkerine. The Rats wanted to capture you and make use of your legendary piloting skills to get them there. They’re after the treasure.” “Hah!” The third figure barked. Cast McCall was a long time friend of both the woman, known as The Aviatrix, and Remington Firth. Cast had saved Remy’s hide more than once and The Aviatrix had done the same for Cast himself. The tall drink of water peered over the top of his almost opaque dark glasses: “Andromedus is nothing more than a legend… so is his treasure- there’s nothing to any of it. These rats will chase anything, won’t they?” “Many have died in pursuit of this legend of yours,” Remy added. “The Takkerine Asteroid Field is an impossibility to navigate.” Under her breathe, The Aviatrix mumbled: “All of this has been for that legendary nonsense?…” Shaking her head she leveled her gaze to meet the eye line of Cast: “Always a treat.” And lowering it slightly to meet that of Remy: “Thanks for the drinks.” She upturned her glass on the bar and walked out the door. Remy’s eyes lingered after her for just a moment.

Now tearing across space in her Velo-Star 624, The Aviatrix couldn’t shake this talk of Andromedus. Supposedly something of a space pirate long ago, Andromedus and his crew were said to have hijacked the largest shipment of Coin ever. It was the reason the Federation had changed their practices around currency and its transportation. “Something…” she thought to herself, “…something…” It had been roughly 3 years since her memory had left her. Not her entire memory, but a month, maybe a week, or even just one fateful day. But the day she last remembers, she had awoken in the middle of nowhere. In a desert of Skarfax, a small planet on the outer reaches of the Sepultus System. Her head had been spinning. And bleeding. Yards from her ship, which was beat to shit, she could not recall what had happened to it. She could not recall what had happened to her. She didn’t like to think about that day. Autopilot set, she turned in for some rest.

CRAAACK. BLAM!! “I’m not gonna make it… I’m not gonna make it…” Her eyes laser-focused on her course. Asteroids bounced off the hull of the ship as she piloted around thousands of others. “Shields at 4%,” the computer metallically rang out- “I know!!” She yelled, putting her fist through the screen. ping, CRACK, ping, PING, ping. “Just a few miles more…” she whispered aloud. “Come on, hold together… we CAN do this. We can do this.” The ship pitched and rolled. Accelerated and decelerated as she deftly maneuvered through an unending onslaught of life-threatening debris. Sweat poured down her temples. Her knuckles white wrapped about the controls. “Oh…” Her eyes widened at the site of a collection of rock so dense it appeared almost a wall. She lowered her head. She clenched her teeth. She held down both weapons triggers and charged dead ahead at full speed. “RAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH-“

“-AHHHHHHHH” The Avatrix woke up yelling and in a cold sweat. Breathing heavily, she realized she remembered. She knew when and how she had lost her memory. But most importantly she knew where the Andromedus Heist was hidden.

The Aviatrix will return.