Erica Olafson Journeys of the Tigershark Vol 9 Chapter 4 Dispersed
- 2 years ago
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Jolaj was no longer bound and her fur was once again as white snow. She was treated like a princess, but there was no doubt, she was a prisoner. They did not allow her to leave her quarters.
She learned that the ship was not a Togar product, but a luxury yacht made by Enroe.
None of her captors had given their names, they simply identified themselves as the Resistance. A group she had learned called themselves, Children of Malmoru.”
The female, with a light brown fur and puffy cheeks, pointed to the computronic terminal. There are entertainment options available. We rather keep you confined to quarters. Most of the crew is male and you are even more beautiful than the legends claim you are.”
“Why don’t you understand. I don’t care about anything Togar, I am a Union Citizen and where it Roghor?”
“The male was unimportant, we left him behind and you change your mind, but frankly we will make you do what is needed. After the bath in Malmoru’s sacred pool validated you, all Togr will rise like a storm and sweep that filth out of the palace and the temples. You are a tool, Jolaj. We prayed to Malmoru for centuries, but that is the problem with gods and spirit, they never listen and all they are shadows of legends and long-gone times.”
“You don’t think I am the daughter of Malmoru?”
“Of course not, but billions of Togr do and that is what matters. Now be a good goddess and do what you will be told.” With these words, the brown-furred female left her alone.
Jolaj could hear the lock engage and she was certain the door would not open for her. She tried anyway but the unyielding door confirmed her fears.
“System, open the door.”
“Unable to comply, you are not authorized.”
Jolaj wiped her tears. She just told that female that she was Union but she was also Ensign Jolaj Grotha. She looked around and asked herself: What would the Captain do?.
“Never give up, for one thing.” She said to herself.”No, I am not a useless and helpless white Fur temple cat.”
Then an idea started to creep into her mind. This was not a Togar ship.
“System identify yourself.”
“Spaceship Operations System Mk .14 ‘Susi’”
“And the ship?”
“Enroe Colt III, Executive Armed Editon.”
“What is your port of call?”
“Houston Planet.”
“I am Jolaj Grotha, Union Citizen and Union Fleet Officer. I am abducted, open GalNet channels for an Emergency call to Union Police.”
“System lockout deactivated. GalNet terminal active, audio connection only.”
The next voice she heard was friendly and female.”Citizen state the nature of your emergency.”
Jolaj tried to calm herself and remembered her training. She identified herself used her service number and last assignment. She also reported her situation as fast as she could.
The brown-furred female came in and backhanded her with ferocious strength.”You rangy piece of work. Who are you talking to?”
The voice from the terminal had changed to a male voice.”She is on contact with Union Police. I am Luitenant Wargor. You are hereby ordered to return to Kaliment or the next Union Outpost. Any further harm to the Union Citizen will add to your charges.”
The voice added.”Ensign Grotha, Union Fleet and the OOCA have been informed and we will do whatever possible to affect your release.”
Her captor growled.”System, terminate the connection.”
“Unable to comply, this is an emergency call. Citizen is properly identified.”
“These are Togar affairs and we are far from Union space!”
“Abducting a Union citizen makes it a Union affair, your terminal, and ship have been identified...”
The brown pelted female actually fired her blaster into the terminal, as she was unable to terminate. To Jolaj she snarled.”What can they do? We are in Togar space. Seems like you need to be tied up after all.”
--””--
I stared at the worm being. “What did you say? You know where Jolaj is?”
“Yeez, Meeze saiz it againz.” The Wheeze spread his thin arms.”Togarz lazie wantzed zo hidze inze wallz, justz when Meeze wanzed to makez ze stinkiz. I saiz I eaz her but she wanz noz to be eazen.”
“Okay, let me get that straight. You took part in the base assault with a little knife and decided to use a base tunnel for a bathroom, while there was fighting going on?”
The worm seemed pleased.”Youz listenz. When Meeze feelz it, Meeze goez fighingz or notz.” The worm looked at me.”When youz feelz iz, you goez rightz?”
Baffled I nodded.”I guess so, never had the urge to ... never mind. Where is Jolaj?”
“Zei takez Jolaj for bazing az anotzer planez. Poorz Jolaiz, Meeze doez notz likez the bazing either.”
I smacked my face.”So they have taken her off-planet. That does not mean you know where she is.”
Dusty who was right behind me said.”Captain, the Wheeze might be onto something. Jolaj told me about a pool she was supposed the submerge herself on her twenty-third birthday. It is called the Light Pool of Malmoru or something like that. Only after she emerges unharmed she is confirmed the Chosen one of the Light Spirit and fulfill her prophecized destiny of uniting the lost tribes and save her kind from a Dark Force.”
Meeze pointed to the still open secret door.”Thaz whazz shez saiz, maybeez she saiz more.I onlyz eaz a litze biz of herz legz.”
It turned out, the Togar female was indeed alive, but not by much. She was missing a substantial part of her right leg and had bled almost to death.
She was very willing to share her information after I told her Meeze could have the rest if she wasn’t forthcoming.
I had returned to my ship and called the Admiral of the Fleet.
He had listened to my report and said.”Landing on Togar side and leveling the Governess palace isn’t the most subtle way.”
“Sir, I am sending you the med report on Roghor. He is a Union officer and he was abducted. He was in this situation because of Fleet Command being unable to keep Newport arses out of their ranks. The utter discontent for his life and safety makes me fear for Jolaj. I just came from Rogh’s bedside, and I have a good mind to do what I wanted to do when I saw the freighter full of butchered humans.”
He pressed his lips together.”And I accept part of that blame, Captain Olafson. I understand your anger and I am not reprimanding you for what you did, but we must handle the rest a little more subtle. This incident will give us plenty of leverage to solve this short of going to war.”
“Isn’t that what we were prepared to do, according to your own words?”
“Captain Olafson, threatening with war is a diplomatic tool. We are much stronger than the Togar, but there are also plenty of independents and there are the Kermac.” He held up his hand before I could say anything and grunted. “He has impeccable timing. Stand by to repeat your report, the Old Warhorse is requesting to take part in this briefing.”
Sure enough, a new Avatar established in my Captain’s office. As always even his avatar radiated some of the unexplainable gravity that was part of his legend. He wore his usual black uniform, the only thing new was the small golden band on his ring finger of his left hand.
He first gave the other admiral a long look. “I was just briefed about the whole affair and I expect you explain it to me in a way a simple man like me can understand it.”
“I am still the Admiral of the Fleet and I don’t have to explain my orders to everyone.”
“Are you saying that you are above scrutiny and that I need to know my place?”
“Mhac Na Galla! Yer bum’s oot the windae, Richard I am doing this damn job for three thousand goddamn years. It was never small ever and now it is the biggest darn monster in the history of monsters and I try to keep it running as smooth as possible. Sometimes things will happen. Erica, like or not, you are part of the top of the pyramid if you will. Meaning you are also going to be exposed to more bullshite than the average CO. The incredible success of your first mission forever cemented you and your crew in our focus, and in extend to everyone else’s focus who looks at us. You dealt with a jealous admiral and his son, more or less from the start. You had jealous officers aboard Richard’s big tub and there will always be some who learn about the Tigershark, about you and some will be jealous. I doubt there is more than ten percent of the Devi Crew who have ever seen Harris or even Richard. Yet you met him as a midshipman, steered his big tub, even had beers with him and went to his wedding as the Ringbearer no less.”
He wasn’t finished and kept on venting.”The Nul All-leader declared you part of the family pod. The Nul basically re-arranged Karthania because of you. You are the declared Patri-Kar of all Dai. The Seenian Last Servant still consider you the Inheritor. The Narth made you high representative. The Coven declared you decision-maker and the re-confirmed leader of the Golden just told me, that he follows you to whatever end. I know the mysterious Mother Superior of the Sojonites calls you her Sojo. You are engaged to a daughter of the richest man in the universe and the second daughter of the Queen of Saran is among your closest friends. Heck, I have you on my direct call list. Do you know there are less than twenty beings on that list?”
He spread his arms.”I know you probably never even listed all this in your mind. In this, you are like Richard and that is one of the reasons you are on that list, another reason is that I know you can handle difficulties and you can be trusted with the biggest secrets of our society.”
Richard Stahl grinned.”He does make a few good points I have to admit. You collect secrets like a magnet and your security clearance is higher than mine. Anyway, we are just mopping up the Shiss mess, the Shiss war is officially over, as of Five Hour today. The remaining Shiss leadership has signed an unconditional surrender.
Shiss-Ta is now under the control of the Union Army and the First White Nestling has been tossed off his high mount.”
I then repeated my report and he said, holding up a PDD. “On a personal level, I am impressed by your landing action. A fast descent, taking out ground defenses very quickly and then an overwhelming ground assault. But then not even the Devi can boast a personal fifty head Y’All warrior force. Not to mention a living dust cloud, a gray Nul, and your marines.”
McElligott interrupted saying.”And everyone as dedicated to her as the grunts of your Steel Gauntlet. I spend a few days aboard that fish, I know.”
Stahl nodded.”So have I, while you Captain decided to free each and every slave the Karthanians had.”
He became serious again.”That was my personal opinion and you did more or less what my esteemed colleague has authorized, but even for the sake of all your crew members, you are not authorized to willfully declare war on your own. As a Union Fleet captain you have the full authority to retaliate and respond to a declaration of war, but our law grants the authority to declare war to one body alone. Not me, not the Admiral of the Fleet, not the Narth Supreme but the Assembly. Because you did not declare war openly and there is ample proof the Togar abducted Fleet members you did not break the law, but you came very close. Make no mistake Captain Olafson, personally, I would be proud to call you my son or my daughter. Personally, I respect you very much and see a reflection of me, but if you break our laws, I will not hesitate to bring you to justice. I see McElligott bend the law and I know Cherubim does, I am personally convinced Rex Schwartz is the most dangerous criminal there ever was, and if I ever come across any evidence that supports my suspicions with facts, I will take action on the side of the law.”
His voice was a reflection of his name and his unquestionable authority.”If we suspend law and justice for some and not for others, we become criminals ourselves and our laws mean nothing.”
I could not do anything but intellectually agree with the Immortal Warrior, even though his words had a deep emotional impact on me. I felt chastised and reprimanded by the one person I never wanted to be reprimanded by.
There was nothing I could say in my defense, I had to admit that I did not act as a Union Captain should have.
In all this he managed to increase my respect for him, he was indeed integrity personified.
He glared at McElligott.”That goes for you as well. Telling her that you would call for war. Yes, you can call for it, so can anyone. But it can only be declared by the Assembly and after a vote. If it would be that easy, we would not have a Kermac problem for a long time.”
McElligott’s face reflected similar thoughts than mine, I was certain.
“Alright, but the fact remains, the Togar have abducted Union Fleet members. I will pressure for diplomatic resolutions.”
“Then do that, Admiral Sir.” He said. I was not sure if there was a hidden accusation in that response, it sure felt that way.”
The Eternal Warrior seemed ready to leave and disconnect. “Erica, I am very concerned about your Jolaj and I have seen what they did to Roghor. You are not regular fleet, you are still NAVINT. Where the wrecking ball and cannon fire won’t succeed, use a different approach. The Tigershark was built for the cunning approach, not the frontal assault.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You figure it out, I have confidence in you.”
--””--
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The Narth representative almost begged the detective to observe more and then asked Alegar and Egiull to tag along. The human detective had agreed with a friendly nod, and now all of them were sitting in an unmarked Sunblazer patrol flier that was just descending from its high altitude and approached Ms. Baldwin Town. A residential township on the North West region of the Government Continent. Egill who was no longer a newcomer to Pluribus actually knew next to nothing about the planet and...
“Circuit, are you there?” “Yes, Captain but there are green vapor things in Engineering.These things affecting the injector spear blades of both Chandelier diverters. We can’t tap TransDim energies right now and I switched to secondary power.” “Can we still lift off?” “Not at the moment Captain. Most of my engineering crew is acting weird and two have pulled the auxiliary reactor down into maintenance cycle. I need to contain them and get the reactors back up. We are on battery power...
“Well, we are well past GalNet range.” Circuit said sitting behind his console. He had insisted to come along, as this was a real Karthanian freighter and not my own marvelous ship disguised as one. I had contemplated taking the Tigershark, as the Janus mask could have been easily adjusted, but I wanted Har-Hi to have all its resources available, as I was convinced he had to face more than just old-fashioned atomic bombs. “Might be as well, Mr.Circuit. It will prevent me to call back every...
We didn’t have to fight the Merrimac destroyer. The mercenaries immediately signaled surrender. They all were Union citizens, and according to Hans, checking the files. They did have a notice to appear issued, but were still citizens and not yet charged with anything. The ship was bristling with illegal mil-tech, but it was registered to Nick Harlequin and not to any of the surrendering mercenaries. They also reported the demise of Chucky Harlequin and wanted to know if there was any bounty...
I knew I should have paid more attention to the Laurin Oghr, especially since I knew about the Bunthik subculture. The only excuse I had was the fact that I was drunk, but then this was no excuse because I should not have left my guard down like that in an environment that was less than familiar to me. I should have suspected the presence of more than one spy. If the situation was as serious as I believed it was, the opposing actors namely this Cam Elf-Na would not give up easily. All this...
The USS Braddock swung into orbit around one of the most mysterious worlds in the entire Universe, Narth Prime. She was the first Non-Narth vessel ever to do that in over a thousand years. Captain Mike Anderson was very aware of that. No active scanning was done. He gave strict orders not to activate any probing rays or scanners other than the passive ones needed for spaceship operations. The planet was as unusual as its inhabitants and reputation. It had no visible surface features from...
Shea tried to catch her breath, her suit was in restore and repair mode and the system assured her that it would be fully functional in less than an hour. Krabbel was not so lucky and her Archa friend was missing a leg. Hans and the Y’All and the marines were unharmed, except for a few bruises. The island was destroyed, and the shaft leading into the deep had collapsed. Hans was sitting by Krabbel who assured her that the Auto-Doc of his suit kept him pain-free and that losing a leg was not...
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...
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...
I had been in deep space before and knew how cold space was. Yet standing here on that frozen plane with these bizarre tooth or needle-shaped rock formations, with a bright star just over the horizon giving it all a bluish shine, made it look colder than anything I had seen before and I came off a very cold world myself. Not that I felt any of it, I wore a disguised Atas battle suit, made to look like a piece of undefinable alien hardware and I also wore Tyron Suit. While he assured me I...
I returned to the table where Har-Hi was talking with the former pirate captains and a former Union fleet petty officer, who had dealt with the Worm and now paid the price. “We need to get back to the ship, right away. “Har-Hi didn’t lose a second and got up, tossed a few Iridium coins on the table and was ready to follow me. Lemakr, the Togar said. “What about us, Black Velvet?” “I have all the crew I need and I am in a hurry, figure it out. “I was torn between showing them some sort of...
The disguised Tigershark dropped out of Quasi-Space and as it has become our routine just beyond the utmost Elfi said. “Looks like they had contact with our galaxy before. Communication is now possible. They respond to Squack.” I got up, Har-Hi held my mask. “You should wear it, it is part of your Black Velvet trademark and flair of mystery.” “You think I have that? I mean a flair?” “In spades, Captain and I begin to learn to like this Do suit, complete with mask. It gives me that...
The Thauran now known as Red Dragon cursed at the Situation and cursed his Sensor Operator.”You said you detected the Silver Streak in Orbit. Where is it?” “I swear to you it was there one second and now it’s gone. I think she went over the Pole. Adjusting for magnetic interference now.” “What a worthless idiot are you? Is she there or not?” “No Captain I cannot detect her ship anywhere in the system, maybe our Sensors were damaged.” “Of course your sensors are damaged. She can’t simply...
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...
The USS Gromsmaro was not a supply transporter and not a unit of the Science Council. She was a full sized, late model Union battleship under the command of Captain Bronbohr, a four meters tall Vvolti. Bronbohr was not the most liked commanding officer in the Union fleet, but there was hardly one more correct or fair. His ship and crew were among the top ten vessels in the entire spatial navy in terms of response to alert times, simulated battle honors, efficiency ratings and so forth. The...
The news of Eric Olafson being on trial had reached Nilfeheim. First noticed by Lars Igvarhein the owner and operator of Nilfeheim Radio. That Eric had become Erica was not widely known, but his legend had grown. Isegrim, Siegfrieda, Exa, and Elenna had traveled to Hogun’s Tavern. The place was packed to standing room only. Hogun had his GalNet terminal active on GalNet One and the system displayed the proceedings on the largest field screen setting possible. Aunt Freydis was assisted by...
The latest development transmitted in the tightly packed guest room of Hogun’s Tavern was greeted with cheers and raised tankards. Gunnar Peerson said. “I guess we only hear now, what a hero our Eric Olafson really is.” “It is the strong arm of an Olafson and the sharp mind of a Ragnarsson paired with the virtues of a true Norse that is at the core of Isegrim’s firstborn that enables such deeds.” Proclaimed another. Isegrim shouted. “Mighty brother Hogun, open barrels and let your kitchen...
Rex Schwartz, now fully aware of his ancient dual personality, known as Invictus Rex had, of course, witnessed the approach and the initial attack of the Tomradi. He was confident, that the latest TransDim shields would hold against anything these aliens could throw at them from surface weapons. The appearance of these huge disc-shaped battleships however caused great concern. He brought along a sizeable army of Seenian Sentmacs. Cloned humans that had been altered to be the perfect...
After I was reunited with my friends and my ship we left Karthanian space and returned to the space dock of Fantlemo Brthail. The Karthanian engineer had returned with us. He told us, that with the First Engineer active, the old Guildmasters would be swept away; and he realized that he no longer wanted to be a Guild leader. He rather returned to Itheamh and helped rebuild it and run his space dock. In order to maintain our cover, he reverted to his alter ego of Fantlemo Brthail and only...