Chapter 138 - Past Catches You

The feeling of space travel was different than Zell expected. He saw astronauts on television floating weightlessly and thought it would be someone akin to that. This ship was very different, and his feet remained planted firmly on the ship's floor.

"First time in space?" Skel asked. "I can tell."

"Yeah." Zell said. "It feels different than I thought it would. It feels just like we are on the ground. I cannot tell that we are moving at all."

"That's the beauty of technology." Skel said. "They say a few centuries ago when space travel was new, we just floated around and bumped around inside the vessel. We had not discovered the wonders of artificial gravity and anti-gravity thrusters. To think they used to use explosions to get objects into space. It just boggles the mind."

"So that is how this ship flies." Zell said. "I am familiar with anti-gravity as it is the method I use to fly."

"Interesting." Skel said. "Well pull up a chair we got seven units of time to kill, might as well make yourself comfy and not just stand there like a giant in a tiny can."

Zell grabbed a nearby chair and sat near a table. Skel did the same and sat across from Zell.

"So, I have to ask." Skel said. "Do you always walk around in full plate armor, or do you have other ways of dressing yourself?"

"This armor is a part of me." Zell said. "It is made from my scales."

"So, you are basically naked." Skel said. "Good to know, don't worry I won't judge. Not the first alien I have seen that walked around wearing only its own parts."

Zell thought for a moment. Although he was covered in his scales and was not exposed, the fact that it was a part of himself covering him did mean he was in fact naked. "I never thought of it that way." He replied.

"If you want to wear something more comfortable Veronica can craft you a suit that will fit your exact dimensions." Skel said. "Unless that plate armor is comfortable, which I guess it could be since it is a part of your own body."

"I wouldn't mind it." Zell said.

"Then I shall collect your measurements." Veronica said. "When you decide you are ready to be measured just strip down and I will get my ruler."

"Veronica!" Skel shouted out. "Please be serious."

"I was only curious." She said. "Are you not curious? If not, how could you not be? As an artificial intelligence I need more data so that I can determine if a person's size is determined by their overall size, or if it is an independent anomaly."

"I am so sorry Zell." Skel said. "She really is a good AI. I swear that she is."

"I know a perverted dragon, so this is nothing." Zell laughed.

"What an interesting life you must have lived." Skel said. "I mean you are the first god I have ever met, so that has to mean something."

"Captain." Veronica interrupted. "There are three fighter vessels inbound to our location."

"Ah damn it." Skel said. "They must still be pissed off about the whole incident."

"It would appear so." Veronica said. "Brace for on coming fire."

"Shields to maximum." Skel yelled. As he did the entirety of the spacecraft began to rumble as it took fire from the fighters. "Fire back!" Skel yelled.

"Weapons are offline." Veronica said. "While impounded the weapon systems were disabled to prevent any future intergalactic mishaps. It appears they neglected to reenable them for this mission." There was a moment of silence while Skel thought of the next action he would take. "We are being hailed."

"On screen." Skel said and the wall of the room they were in became a massive screen that showed the other person. He was an older man with green skin and white hair. He had an eye patch over his left eye and had on a red jumpsuit.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your sorry ass in space again after the shit you pulled." The old green man said. "Power down your engine and prepare to be boarded. Or don't and I will happily reduce your vessel to the space dust that it deserves to be."

"I am afraid I cannot allow that." Zell said.

"And who the hell are you?!" The angry man yelled. "This is between me and this bastard here! It is a matter of honor."

"Look I don't know what happened between you two, but I have business to attend to and this person here is my ride." Zell said. "You would be wise to not stand in my way."

"The hell?!" The green man yelled. "You think you can just threaten me like that?"

"I make no threats." Zell said. "But know that I am not one you wish to anger."

"Yeah!" Skel chimed in. "This here is Zell! He is a god! Don't go messing with gods!"

"A god?!" The old man started laughing. "Oh Skel at least come up with something better than that. You know as well as I do that gods are not real."

"A demonstration then." Zell said and then vanished. He appeared behind the old man on his ship. Zell had used teleportation magic, since he knew the location of the enemy vessel and neither of them were moving. "Nice ship."

"How the blazes are you here?!" The older man yelled out. "Security!"

Zell put his two fingers together as if he was about to snap. "If I snap my fingers, it will create a shockwave so great that it will blast your ship apart and kill you all." He threatened. "I would rather not end your existence, but I have an important task that I must complete."

"Fine!" The old man yelled. "Just at least tell me why are you siding with this space trash? Do you not know what he did?"

"Only a small bit." Zell said. "As I said he is my ride."

"Well allow me to explain." The old man said. "My name is Furg, Furg Yarntale, I hail from the planet of Yae. I am one of the four leaders of that world. My daughter, in an act of rebellious youth, left our planet without my knowledge. She was trying to escape the future her mother and I had planned for her.

In my world it is expected that the children of the leaders marry one another, and she was not happy with this arrangement. Instead of sucking it up and doing her duty for the entire world she left and found a captain. Apparently, she had found a lover in our rival world, which we had a very sensitive alliance with. She took one of our royal treasures with her as she escaped.

Well, the captain here did more than just escort her to our rivals, oh no. The rat bastard seduced my poor daughter and impregnated her with his foul seed. So, when she went to meet with her lover, while he discovered she was carrying the child of another man.

His people took it as an act of war to break the heart of their planet's prince. Yes, turns out her mystery lover was next in line to the throne. Out of anger they imprisoned my daughter and destroyed the treasure that she had stolen. My people took that act of aggression as a sign of war.

We have been bombing one another ever since. My daughter remains imprisoned with this bastard's child in her belly. I only want to take him in so that he can face the just punishment that he deserves. Millions of civilians have lost their lives in this war, and it has only just begun.

Knowing all of this, would you still protect him?"

"That is quite a lot to take in." Zell said. "Skel what do you say to defend yourself?"

"She came onto me!" Skel yelled out. "How was I supposed to know that she was going to start a war between two planets with her actions? I only saw an upset woman who came to me for comfort. I am weak, I know this. But I should not be condemned because for a moment of weakness, when I didn't even know the stakes. Had I known I would have rejected her advances, hell I would have turned down the whole job.

I am sorry so many have died, I really am. I am also sorry that she is in a jail cell with my child in her womb. I don't want my only child to be born in a prison and I surely don't want it for their mother. But what am I supposed to do?! I am just one man. I cannot stand against armies to rescue her and giving myself up will not stop the conflict. Those two have been itching to kill each other for years and are just using this as an excuse.

You must know I am telling you the truth. I met her crying in a bar and only wanted to help. I cannot stand to see a woman cry."

"There is only one thing to do then." Zell said.. "I will stop this war and save your daughter."