Erica Olafson Rise of the Dark One Vol 10 Chapter 15 Ice Demons
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Lord Lumis regained some of his old composure, the remaining knights affirmed their allegiance. He had just traveled back to Avondur and was greeted by Uritel at the gates of Sandakaar the old city.
Uritel had not been recruited by him but joined the Knights of Light. Crea herself hinted that Uritel was perhaps as powerful as Lumis and was an entity that came to the Prime Universe from an Upper realm.
The creature certainly looked very impressive in his segmented armor of a metal that looked like polished silver. Uritel sported predatory bird-like wings and walked on non-human legs. The head and face of this old champion of light and order hidden beneath a wing adorned helmet with a stylized raptor beak further enhancing the bird of prey appearance.
Uritel summoned him saying he had information about the WEAPON.
An artifact, Crea assured him was able to defeat the Dark One.
Uritel greeted him with a nod and said.”Will you abide by the rules and conditions of this place and respect the Circle of the Seven?”
With his composure regained, Lumis also returned to his haughty ways.”I am Lord Lumis, I only abide by the will of Crea, the Spirit of Creation and all that is must respect me.”
“This place is at the very center of it all. It was here the singularity grew into the beginning of the Prime Universe. This world and its sun are as old as this Universe and there are many rifts and gateways. The contracts and agreements governing this world were accepted by Crea.
I am a defender of order and will denounce my association.”
“Crea is my guide, and I will abide. Now, what news of the WEAPON?”
Before Uritel could answer, Lumis and everyone able to sense such things were suddenly hit by a sensation of true cosmic power. It was so vast, so immense and intense it drove him to his knees. Uritel shook in fear.
For the first time in his existence, Lumis became aware of his close connection to Crea. He was able to feel her. She was still far above him and yet he felt Crea’s fear and despair. Never before had she known such primal emotions. Crea for all her long existence knew the day of her punishment was close at hand.
Every creature, every denizen of the Netherworlds, servants and Demonlords alike heard a soundless voice. “I am the Judge!”
No one ever mentioned the ruler of the lowest realm, the place where ultimate punishment was served. A cosmic secret revealed the Dark One and the Judge had always been one and the same.
Lumis cried.”Even Crea is afraid!”
Uritel tried to find his composure.”Then let us find that WEAPON. Refuse the Dark One ultimate resurrection. The Red Knights guard a vault in their stronghold that holds the key to this WEAPON.”
I had to admit, I was not entirely sure what to do and in such cases, I decided to go by the book. A primitive society that had not discovered Translight technology was to be avoided if possible. However, if such contact was made accidentally and was unavoidable, Union law was quite clear. Every step had to be taken to assure the culture shock of the primitive society was kept at a minimum and every effort aimed to educate the primitives about the peaceful nature of the Union and its representatives.
That the local natives were a primitive society was obvious. They were armed with spears, dressed in crude tanned leather and coarse woven fabrics.
I counted at least two-hundred of these beings that reminded me of upright walking turtles, complete with an oval shell. The natives, spears and most of their things were decorated with colorful beads and feathers. The natives were about one hundred seventy centimeters tall on average.
The other beings with crude neck rings, arms tied to their backs, wearing nothing in terms of clothing were undoubtedly slaves, sacrificial presents perhaps. There were at least five hundred of them. Not just Turtle beings but members of other species. No humans, but I recognized several Pim Pams, two Roxomani and a bunch of beings of somewhat human proportions.
The Turtle beings also brought along many dozen beats of burden. Also, turtle-like but walking on four legs and carrying ride harnesses or dragging sled-like contraptions.
Mao told me that the fleet of twenty-seven unknowns was of vastly different sizes, energy signatures, and Tech Levels.
They were on a direct approach and all indications showed they were about to land, right on the same continent we had landed.
Har-Hi standing next to me and looking like me at the images of our main viewer.
I sighed. “Do you make any sense of this?”
He said.”If I had to guess, this is a re-occurring event. The natives don’t act as if they were alarmed or surprised to see us.”
“I just wish we could rely on our Janus device. I think I see some Roxomani among those prisoners and they just might know about the Union.”
Warner, who was sticking halfway inside a console via an open access panel crawled back and closed the panel.”Captain, our Janus Device is back online for quite a while now, and we are displaying the Silver Streak mask.”
“That’s good news. Maybe I should have gone down to engineering instead of following Meeze.”
Circuit appeared from the left IST access and said.”Well, we are back in business. Dime Tap, Shields, Sensors and Janus Device all fixed.”
The natives outside begun setting up camp, while the first unknowns landed.
No one paid much attention to us. One of the ships was a 600-meter Roxomani unit. Mao was busy identifying the ships as they came down, landing in a loose circle right around the camp of the natives.
Shea, Hans, TheOther and half of my security team and the Marine contingent were still out with the Apparition. that is why Ak Fective was behind the security console and Narth acting as Science Officer. SHIP herself used her Ego remote to physically be present and act as the OPS officer. That this was a most unusual arrangement concerned me not the least, this was the USS Tigershark after all, and we did thing differently.
Ak Fective receiving the same scanner data as Mao said.”There are two known pirates, Captain. The Violent Viper, a Karthanian just as we pretend to be but a more recent model.” He swiped through his readouts.”According to our last security file update, we received while at Deep Blue, the Violent Viper is commanded by a shipmaster calling himself Hot Bolter. Not much on him in the database, other than the fact he now holds the third most wanted spot. He advanced quickly.”
Har-Hi said.”Nature abhors a vacuum and so does everything else. We cut off the heads of quite a few pirates and then stopped doing so. Following the Red Dragon and pursuing another clear into another galaxy left a big empty gap right here. It was only a matter of time others stepped up to fill that spot.”
“I can see that, Mr. Hi but we are about as far as can be from Freespace. Finding a Freespace pirate here?”
“We are not as far as can be from Freespace.” Narth corrected me.”
“Narth!” I exclaimed.”You are long enough among humans to know what I meant.”
“That, Captain is also incorrect. There is a significant number of Non-Humanoids aboard this vessel and it is in this company I spend the greatest part of my time since I left the Narth collective. Thus I did not spend enough time among humans to assimilate enough to comprehend all those eccentric ways humans chose to express themselves.” He turned his hooded head towards me, and for the first time, I realized seeing his eyes and not just the yellow shine I used to see. He said with a sarcastic tone.”And the term human does not fit you anymore, Captain.”
I frowned.”Let’s get back to the business at hand. We could simply leave. This is indeed a re-occurring event and has nothing to do with us.”
Mehedi who had taken a seat behind one of the multi-task consoles on the back bridge, the part behind me and the Nav Tank.
“I concur, Captain. The natives use these large reptilian turtle creatures to cross the oceans so it appears and they may have no need for nautical or navigational instruments. Perhaps utilizing similar natural senses as migratory birds and other species of Earth for example.
The event is clearly planned and everyone, natives and visitors are prepared for it.”
Har-Hi gave me another one of his trademark looks. “We could leave, collect Shea and the rest and continue to find that Unpronounceable, but I see six humans among those slaves and I bet my new cutting hardware against Circuits Real Terran Replica Sword that we won’t leave until they are free.”
More ships landed, and to our surprise, we were hailed by a Trontigmakader ship. I signaled Elfi to put it on audio only, The buzzing humming singing voice of a Trontigmakader had a clear accusing quality.”We know this ship and we think we are seeing the Silver Streak under Black Velvet. Remember Cosporus and Mustar?”
I responded while Tyron flowed around me and simulated my old Black Velvet outfit. somewhere inside my female vanity felt pleased and I had to admit I had greatly missed it. “Still in audio mode only I said. “Cosporus? Was that the planet where they insisted I leave as fast as possible?”
“You are the monster of Mustar!”
Narth responded silently in my mind.”There is a bounty on you, the highest ever issued by their Chief Decider. They want to earn it, but don’t have a plan yet.”
I gave Elfi a sign and she cut the transmission.
Har-Hi was right, six humans came out of a crude-looking cage that sat on one of the these dragged sleds, two of them had Blue skin.”
A voice from the back of the bridge said.”If weeze noz needz zem, canz Meeze eaz one?”
“Mr.Meeze, we don’t eat people.”
“You donz? Meeze doez. Wiz ze Strawberriez!”
I turned and said to Circuit.”Can we not rig him some sort of Voice Box? One that goes two ways. Have you cleaned the officer’s lounge?”
“Yeez, alz iz gonz. Whaz a shamez.”
Circuit rubbed his smooth chin.”We should be able to make one.”
My engineer waved at the worm.”Come then, Meeze let’s see if we can’t get you talking like everyone else.”
“Pffz, Meeze doez zis andz noz eatz the peoplez, stoopiz” He grunted but followed Circuit anyway.
Har-Hi said.”We still need to decide what we do about the situation out there.”
“I think I have an idea.”
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From the open door, Dusty stepped into the room.”I am containing the Dai.” The living dust cloud flowed like a sand storm around me and engulfed both Dai. The Dustcloud said.”Captain, they are riding on electromagnetic waves. They infiltrated us as we set the shields transparent for radio waves.” Both Dai looked like living statues. Now Orthbeer passed through the deck plating. I could not hear what he was trying to say, then he came closer and closer and his greenish hand passed into my...
The Dragon stood in his cargo bay and his eyes glowed as his pirates dumped loads of Iridium and other highly valuable goods only to return to get more. He cursed himself for not remembering the right planet. He was so sure he had been here before and now he could not remember any details. He was so certain the suit told him these coordinates. Of course, he had not kept any files on the coordinates but his suit knew where it was and now it was silent and did not respond to anything. All there...
Hans due to his size and strength was often seen as a bruiser with tremendous strength but little else. This was not the case since he was with the Olafson gang. He was asked about his opinion about other things. The woman across him was about as opposite as a being could be to a Saturnian, she was a Delicate. While Brana was certainly not a member of the original gang, she like the rest became like family. She had just stepped into his security office and without any hesitation floated...
A muscular being covered with a brown shroud came running our way. It had a nonhuman snout sticking out from under his hood. What was exposed of him was covered with a short gray fur. In his right, he held an elegant looking weapon. It appeared to be an energy beamer of sort, he had fired it twice into the direction he was coming from. Now he turned and with it his weapon and he aimed at me. Lucky for me I was close, unfortunate for him, I had already drawn the Dai blade. I moved fast into...
About ten armed Trontigmakader entered the tavern, led by an insectoid in a flashy bright blue and white armor of some kind. “The four Masters declared martial law until we can determine who released the Cleanser beasts from their hold. This place has been identified as a meeting place of the Discrepant Element. You are all considered potential collaborators, perhaps even supplying weapons to these criminals. You are...” A high pitched humming voice screamed from somewhere else. “The Four...
Har-Hi had left over two hours ago with the first twenty and reported the city was orderly. The crew members with him had a good time and the locals were used to visitors and merchants from other places. He also reported that there was a market and Circuit excited. I warned him not to buy any more eggs. Even though I had to admit Fenris had turned out to be liked by the crew and more or less fit right in. Two of the minis were out near the Red Dragon watching I suspected the Red Dragon...
Har-Hi was led to a Wisdom keeper, who was without question an old Dai. The revelation that there was a Dai was quite a surprise for Har-Hi. He had not expected that, but since he had become a Union officer and traveled with Erica, he had met and seen the unthinkable. Living dust clouds, planet surface covering creatures and a planet-bound, desert scavenging Dai. He had met Dai that were born in captivity and knew a Dai tribe leader was engaged in selling Dai Than as slaves. Meeting a Dai...
The Dai Nest so I learned a week later, was a huge space station in an otherwise empty star system. It was deep in Union space. The star had been named Dai-Core. The station was made of several Gigamon stations, interconnected with girder-like structures that acted as docks and mooring arms for Dai ships and the humongous Dai Mothers. The system and the station were busy. From my visually unaided vista, a simple viewport I counted eleven Dai Mothers, I was sure there were many more outside...
Prelude Part 4: Volund 4999, OTT The crumbling walls of Olafson Burg were no longer on his mind. Volund was now the steward of Ragnarsson Rock. Erik Gustav had kept his word and had given him the stewardship and rule of all that was Ragnarsson on this world. There were tanneries in the extensive basements, several Nubhir farms on the permanent ice of the southern polar region, and large Fangsnapper herds. Best of all, there were five modern and well-kept fishing boats and three hunting...
Mr.Flensburger was now gone for a week and we had a new teacher. Mr. Walters was his name and he was much different to the jovial and gentle Mr. Flensburger. He was stern and had a no nonsense approach. This Monday morning, right by the main doors I saw Yngve Lofdahl waiting for me. He had a busted; bleeding lip and his left eye was swelling. Like me he was wearing a fur vest over a linen tunic that reached halfway to the knees, linen breeches and boots. Usually he always looked like he wore...
TheOther was injured. The wounds he received from the relentless attacks of these smaller Y’All versions were too deep and too severe for his incredible healing abilities to cope with. He regretted the fact that he opted to forego the AutoDoc adjustment, Cateria recommended for months now. The original factory-issued unit, requested a species update because this amazing piece of Union technology was deploying medical nanites and his own bodies defense mechanisms fought the nanites and...
This situation reminded me of my first visit to Sin 4. I did not know where I was, brought here against my will. Abducted, stripped of everything I owned. I was once again bare feet, had several blisters and burn wounds. My hair was a mess, at least In didn’t have to go pee. Darn it thinking about it, made realize I actually did. I was still running across that landing field, not knowing where I was going, but I knew I still stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only pin skinned human. The...