Chapter 10: Tensyo, the Swift

Zet and his friends were well-rewarded for handling the Dr. Dallahart crisis so well. But not even their handsome pay compared to the feeling they got by helping out somebody so defenseless. A few of their number had forgotten why they were even in that business in the first place--to help other people, especially those who could not help themselves. As mushy as it sounded, it really did bring a warm feeling to most everyone who had helped out, except for Sahn, of course. He made tracks once all the feel-good love kicked into effect.

Making tracks seemed like a good idea at the time. The gang had overstayed their visit to Earth, and so it was necessary for them to leave. No one knew where their next destination would be, or even if they had one, but Jerwon assured them all that they “would know when they got there”. Zet’s tiny vessel was the only way out, and even though it would be quite cramped with five people instead of three, it was cheaper than renting another ship. The only problem was...

“I do not understand!” shouted Zet, giving a classical male response to broken machinery. Hitting the dash would certainly not make his vessel go any faster, and since Zet was anything but a mechanic, he had no other solutions to his problem. The ship he had used to transport himself, Dana, and Greg to Earth had somehow suffered several mechanical mishaps while waiting in the hangar, and would not start no matter how many times the elf smacked it with his fist.

“This abomination was in perfect performance when we arrived here!” he shouted. “It does not make sense! It was working well until recently! How has it come to be in such a terrible condition?”

“Better let me take a look at it,” said Dana blandly. “I probably know more about this vessel than you do.” And without any further loss of time, the brunette shuffled away and made her way to where she thought the problem was.

“But--”

“She’s right,” pointed Greg. “Dana doesn’t have much going for her, but she does know her machines, especially if they’re an intergalactic vessel like this one. Trust me,” he smiled, “she’ll get to the source of the problem.” Zet pursed his lips, but was forced to cast his doubts aside and trust the woman. Besides, they were stuck there anyway, so what harm could come of it? Well...

“Five thousand units,” said Dana, wiping some oil off her hands. “That’s what it costs.” Zet glanced at the small metallic object in his hands, unable to believe that such a puny piece of machinery could be responsible for his entire ship malfunctioning--or that something so small could cost so much.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m serious,” she replied. “I know it sounds strange, but trust me. That little guy there’s what I like to call a little brother: they’re really small, and really bothersome, and they’re more trouble than they’re worth, but it’s hard to go through life without them.” Zet took in a deep breath and examined the “little brother”, but even with Dana’s explanation, he still couldn’t believe how important the thing was.

“ ... And you are positive that it costs five thousand units?”

“I’ve worked with these things before,” replied Dana, taking the object back into her possession. “Trust me, Zet. I know my stuff.”

“She does,” pointed Greg again. Dana stuffed the little object in a sack, and took a small handful of the units that they had earned for the Dr. Dallahart job. She knew that this amount was nearly a quarter of their whole earnings, but they needed the money to buy a new spare part. The old adage was true: you had to spend money in order to make it. That little part was a necessary evil, and since Dana was the only one there who knew where to look and what to look for, she went by herself.

“Are you certain about that, Miss Withers?” asked Zet. “Diana and I can accompany you if you wish.”

“Well...”

“I’d rather not,” muttered Diana, who had kept her distance from everyone except Jerwon. Zet shrugged.

“Very well then. I shall stay here and keep watch over Lady Diana. I wish you luck.”

“You don’t have to follow me everywhere, you know,” she said suddenly. “I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna get attacked in here.”

“You have a point,” he said. “But if it is all the same, I would still like to remain here. Miss Withers, again, I wish you good luck.”

“Spare me,” she sighed with a half-smile. “I could find this little bugger with my eyes closed.”

Dana Withers was not as mysterious as she let others believe. The fact of the matter was that she had been orphaned at a very young age, but was thankfully taken in by the leader of the White Dove Fleet, Marshall Abigail J. Withers. Being the adopted daughter of one so famous and powerful had occasional advantages: Dana had an almost-endless bank account, though she rarely used it, and she had a small chunk of the Fleet under her control if ever an emergency rose up.

Her fame got her a few places where it would not get others, and she had been trained in stick-fighting while growing up, so she knew how to use her stun-baton. The aviaptile that was bonded with her was the only real remnant of her true origin; other than Naja, Dana was a spacer that had allegiances with the White Dove Fleet, and one who just happened to be partnered up with Gregory “Shift” Rodriguez. His claims on her knowledge of machinery were very true; unfortunately, that was one of the few things she really was good at. Physically she was beautiful, though her tongue could be just as sharp as her reptilian partner’s.

Dana didn’t know her way around Earth, because up until then she had never set foot on the place, but she had feminine instincts and Naja to help, and quickly found a store that sold ship parts. The object she was searching for was placed a shelf that was easily accessible, and since Dana had the eyes of an appraiser (when it came to machines), she could instantly tell whether the little annoyance was in good working order or not. It was.