Erica Olafson Voyages of the Tigershark Vol 8 Chapter 26 Meeze
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He had been here once before, time of other realms had no meaning here.
The ground he stood on, was a polished hard surface of highly reflective properties and stretched into every direction and into infinity. The universe with all its clusters and superstrings reflected in it from the infinite sky above this surface.
This was the Plane of Eternity, a place beyond the Omniverse itself.
Lumis remembered when he was brought here the first time.
Then, he did not listen to the name of Lumis. In his realm of origin, he had been known as Akror, the mighty. A man of great wisdom, an unsatisfiable hunger for power and a man with the knowledge that his Universe was doomed and destined to be destroyed.
It was one of the unchangeable core conditions of the Omniverse. Everything had a beginning and everything had an end. It was so for a single atom, a single bacteria and it was so for civilizations and Universes.
In that universe, if origin, he had compiled much knowledge and determined the coming of the end.
Already unraveled the secret of immortality in his realm, he did not want to share the fate of his reality.
He knew of other realities and begun to explore options.
A godlike entity, Crea the spirit of Creation herself rescued him, brought him here and gave him a new identity, a new purpose, and great power.
Akror had ceased to exist along with his doomed universe, in his place now stood Lord Lumis, the chosen defender of Light and Life.
Lumis knew from the very start, that a defender was only needed if there was a threat.
But back then when he received his new position and new powers, he felt invincible, elevated above everything.
Now that he had faced that threat he felt anything but elevated or superior.
The Dark One was not even fully resurrected, swatted him away like an insect. While he was pushed away he gained a glimpse of what he was facing. That glimpse frightened him more than anything he had ever faced.
Now, she who rescued him Crea had brought him here once more.
The entity he knew as Crea, had joined him. Lumis was not sure if she had chosen to appear in human form or if it was just how his senses were able to perceive her.
While he was so much more than a low and primitive human himself, he was not close to being on her level. Recent events and revelations made it clear to him, that the Dark One, the entity he was supposed to slay was equal to her not him.
She appeared human in shape and size, but that was as far as the similarities went.
Her face and most of her body was only there in an outline and interposed with a view of deep space. It created an eerie effect., making it appear as if she was only partially here.
Lumis remembered his place and knelt.”Crea, the reason for my existence. You have not given me the knowledge and the power to accomplish what you want me to do.”
“Do not question your part and task. You are but a servant; it is not important what you think or want. It is imperative you obey.”
A pyramid of glowing blue light appeared before them.”The one that defied the will of the One behind it all, the one that caused the Rule to be broken has come here?”
Crea said.”You are not the one to judge, Voice of the Rule. I am Crea indeed and what motivates my actions is not yours to question.”
“What has been caused by you, makes it very much my purview to question, but indeed judgment is not mine. To make the judgment and serve justice is given to the Dark One.”
“You are the Voice and neither the Dark One nor the One behind it all. I want to know the whereabouts of the WEAPON.”
“You still project your hopes on the WEAPON? I can not say where it is, but I can tell you where it will be. The WEAPON the last token, the Dark One and everything related will be on Avondur and it is there where the Decision will be made.
Now, if your hopes lie in attacking and destroying the vessel of the Dark One before he comes to his own, you should go to Avondur and await the arrival of all these elements.”
Crea’s inhuman voice rang with a note of hope. “Then the Voice knows the Dark One can be defeated.”
“Crea, you could not defeat him the first time. Do what you must, but defy your exile and descend into the Prime Universe and you will learn what it means to defy the One behind it all.”
--””--
Sir Baran, hung in the fist of the huge Saturnian. He was alive and conscious, but quite obvious completely defeated. His arrogant Thauran face was not so haughty at all.
Hans did let him go, the former planet manager delegated to a secondary post stared with contempt at the Baron’s son, but said nothing.
Maro got up.” Baran, I know you for so long. Can you not explain what is going on? You do know PSI corps is on its way. The disappearance of a Union officer is no small issue.”
“I was in charge! That old man of yours, simply put you ahead of me. You are nothing but a snotnose.”
A hissing sound interrupted whatever Maro or anyone else was about to say.
Baran suddenly drooled blood and collapsed.
Shea with alarm in her voice pointed at three dive suit-wearing individuals outside, past the transparent dura last.
The men were about to attach an explosive charge.
Without protective suits they all would drown, not even the formidable Saturnian could stay underwater for an extended time. He too needed to breathe.
--””--
Tyron Suit and the chief found themselves on Beryl, planet. The world was one of the original Azure worlds and an old Thauran colony that had been established long before the Thauran Empire became a Union member.
This old colony was home to several old and influential families, including the Swybars.
It was the old Swybar stronghold Suit and Senior Chief Hilbora escaped.
Local police still seemed hesitant to act, Federal law enforcement came down like a hammer. It was not all that long ago when the so-called purge swept over the Thauran Empire that resulted in the arrest of hundreds of nobles, including the emperor himself.
The billions of commoners were excited and celebrated the arrival of Union law, but many of the old Noble families were less than thrilled.
No one, not even the oldest most encrusted noble families wanted to leave the Union.
A Federal police officer had just taken Suit’s statement, and now the sentient Seenian garment waited for the NAVINT officer who also wanted to speak to Suit. There was, of course, the fact that both Suit and Hilbora had been transported to a planet many hundred lightyears distant from Deep Blue.
Fleet had dispatched a fast ship from Bleu, planet, The closest Union fleet base and would be here shortly.
The chief was in bad shape, but the med team was able to consult an Ult expert who assisted via Avatar presence and they assured Tyron that Hilbora would be okay.
He did not need to sit, or any other needs a biological being had. Tyron had no eyes, no mouth. He did not breath or needed to sleep. Omnidirectional sensors projected around the suit allowed it to perceive and process the entire electromagnetic spectrum and beyond.
Despite all these capabilities, the suit was deeply concerned about its friend now recuperating in a Regen-Tank.
The bastards had caused serious and almost irreversible neural damage. According to the Med Specialists, it was the prolonged and repeated exposure to Kermac Pain recorders that caused it.
The Seenian suit was seen by many, just as a truly strange piece of advanced technology, and if it pondered its long path even his long-vanished makers did not.
Aboard the Tigershark, he was Tyron, neither the strangest nor the most powerful, but a friend first. It had also developed real emotions. Something that set it truly apart from a thing.
Suit looked at the Ult inside the regen tank and felt helpless and disturbed.
The Avatar projection of the Ult specialist stepped next to him. “Lt. Suit, we do everything ewer can and I am certain he will recuperate, but Neuropathways can not be printed. The prolonged exposure to these neuro stimulus rays caused more than tissue damage.”
Tyron did not have to turn to face someone, he said to the Ult physician.”I think he needs to be in our sickbay as soon as possible.”
The Med specialist was a Union citizen and had seen many unusual life forms, but talking to what appeared an empty bodysuit that floated a few inches above the floor was something else altogether.”Luitenant, I assure you he is getting great care, and we will transport him to a special clinic at Med Central, as soon as the Med transport arrives. What could a ship’s sickbay do, unless it is a hospital ship?”
The intensity of the suits answer took the physician by surprise.
Tyron said.”He would be taken care of friends who care, here he is just another patient.”
A physically present staff medic came into the treatment room.”Mr. Suit, the NAVINT investigators made planetfall and wanted to talk to you.”
--””--
The richest man in the known universe had started as a Terran businessman and was born before Earth ascended.
He was born in 2063, Earth still divided into nation-states and in political and economic trouble.
The Mega Tycoon had settled into a comfortable seat of his spacious work office aboard the Black Sirius, the fastest known ship, except for Narth spheres of course.
The super sleek six-hundred meters spacecraft had departed the Onyx system and had entered Quasi Space.
It would take only a day to reach Pluribus.
The room was darkened to a minimum of illumination. While his eyes wandered past the viewport into the endless darkness of space. The specks of light, distant stars and the occasional Quasi streak were the only sources of light out there.
Rex cherished these moments of silent solitude, as a time to think and restore his balance.
In moments like this, his thoughts often wandered back in time. Just like old McElligott or that eternal warhorse Stahl, he too was an immortal.
There were two-hundred of them, picked by the Guardian of Earth for the purpose to guide Earth’s humanity to the stars and onto the Galactic stage.
Rex now directed his eyes away from the viewport and focused on the strange metallic gleaming helmet in front of him resting on a small coffee table.
“Guiding humanity, yeah right.” He said in a low tone to the helmet but more so to himself. He never bought into this benevolent act and he knew neither did Richard Stahl.
The Guardian had ulterior motives. He was placed on Earth by others and with a purpose that was not spoken about or revealed.
Rex was certain about that, the very moment he had been summoned into that smooth underground lair of the Guardian, deep below the Himalayas.
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The Dai fliers had reached the crumbling wall and one of the men stood up, his voice amplified. “We know you are hiding there, Union wench. My Cam wants you and all must yield to his will. Come out and I let the rest of the scum live.” Pander-Go yelled before I could respond. “You are Na. You can not afford any witnesses. She has as much claim to be Patri as you or the Tar of the Hi. What you are doing is not Than. If your Cam wants her, let him come forward and challenge her. Hundreds...
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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...
Deep in the bowels of Quarva, Meeze reached a rock chamber, no outsider had seen since the Mara had left so long ago, There was very little light, the faint lumination that came from dim glowing mushrooms did little to reveal more than vague shadows. Meeze had little need for light, his species was well adapted to dark places and lightless crevices. There in the darkness, something big lingered, then moved and shifted. A malleable, mass oozing with stringy goo shifted its position and a...
As I stepped off the space-bus, a stiff breeze of wind howled over the landing field. The last time I left, it was still Longnight and winter had a hard grip on the planet of Nilfeheim. While it was still Longnight, for fourteen more months, the planet was already thawing and Shortsummer was soon upon this world. I filled my lungs deeply with the cold crisp air that carried the scents of Soakstone and Kelp brick fires, but also the savory smell of fried fish and Fangsnapper. I knew I was no...
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...
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UPWARD The NAVINT commander had her Avatar established in the secure conference room underneath the surface of Richter 4. Also present were Cherubim, Algear Moansti, Admiral McElligott and now the Avatar of Admiral Stahl blinked into existence. The little group was made complete by a massive alien. The large alien, the Nul All Leader was here the first time by invitation. I was the Commandant of NAVINT that opened this top-level meeting and after she acknowledged the ones present she went...
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...
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...
The Thauran behind the altar thundered with a deep voice.”What is this?” “Itz ze Meeze, stoopiz. Meeze goez now, whenz the Meeze comz backz. Ze girlz Soburz iz bettzer reazy zo goez.” Men drew weapons, none appeared to be of Union origin and aimed it at the Wheeze. One of them said.”I never have seen a creature like that, and I can not identify the hardware it is wearing but it speaks a very garbled version of Union standard.” “Pffz youze triez to doez ze speakiz witz a ringmouz, noz...
After we had triaged the wounded and contacted the Union Carriers, the news spread fast. There was an intense but very short space battle. The Na tribe and their closest allies had used their ships to bring the non-Dai troops to Thana Shoo, with many Muta-Kerr and Shiruti still in the ships. They were intended to take over the mothers and battleships of the non-compliant tribes. The Dai were fired up with anger and flew their fighters with a merciless vengeance. However, the true difference...
Not just a destroyer showed up, but the entire Hi tribe and a substantial part of their allied and associated Tribes. Jarsumat Port was now filled with ships of the Hi tribe, unloading surface tanks and troops. Har-Hi and I had passed the time talking, playing the local game of dice and having a meal of spicy stew. We were a bit surprised seeing surface troops and tanks land instead of the expected destroyer. The Tar himself had come dirtside and greeted us. That the Tar felt embarrassed...
The thing didn’t move. Narth said. “I am holding it. It is strong but not unmanageable. “SHIP called. “The asteroid has revealed previously unknown weaponry. It is taxing our shields to almost 20 percent. ““Are you in danger?” “Oh, no captain. That tech is quite advanced, and I think it is Orlan but Mao took those weapons out with kilo loads. I was just reporting. “I dialed my TKU to 10 and said. “It’s going to get mighty hot in here. Narth your shields are on, right?” “No, captain. I...
The words of the Pale Ones almost seemed to linger as a hushed silence took hold of the assembled Dai. It appeared everyone was waiting for the Cam’s response. Completely out of character for a usual stern and serious Dai Than, Elf-Na grinned. It was an evil smile no doubt. “And I intend to do just that, but not in the arena. The Arena is sacred and for Dai Than only. You question my word calling that traitorous Hi tribe, Okthi and reject it. I reject his declaration that this Union female,...
Lia and her crew of outcasts, dropped out of Quasi-space at a star system eighteen light-years from the trans-spatial gate. According to her admittingly outdated information, this was the homeworld of the Farnok. They were hailed almost immediately and after a few moments, Squack language communications were established, confirming the fact, that this was not the first trans-galactic contact. The being appearing on the viewer was covered with short brown fur and had general similarities...
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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...
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...
After nine days of event-less trans-light travel, we had dropped out of Quasi just outside the Porsthir home system. While most of the other pirates dropped well within the system, I noticed that Crimson was now doing the same cautious approach I preferred. Hans told me that Kilkam asked if he could access the bridge. I sighed and looked to Har-Hi who shared my sentiment but nodded.”He knows most of it anyhow and bridge audio can be accessed from anywhere in the ship.” I gave Hans the okay...
I went to the high-security storage facility our robots and my engineer had built after I had taken a shower and changed into a new uniform. I padded the colt and swore to myself never to leave it behind ever again. Circuit had installed a portable matter destruction furnace, next to the large transparent force field encased cylinder filled with those disgusting white maggots. Narth was with me as well as Har-Hi. Narth said. “Do you really want to destroy them all?” “You are right, maybe...
Funsecsiev the Command wizard of the large Kermac fleet felt frustrated, a little scared and cheated. Frustrated, because he was not in control of the Celtest depot, nor did he have detailed information as for how it might be reached. Scared because he did not want to return to Kermac prime without a report of success and cheated because this mission if successful could have been the door to the Tower of Wizards and the lead position of a ministry. Without the expected success, his chances...
Har-Hi had finished his report and waited for Stahl’s response. There was none, at least not right away. The Old Admiral was staring at the Dai and then wiped his mouth. “You guys found the source of the Y’All?” “Yes, Sir we are quite confident that the Crucible is indeed that source. Along with my verbal report, I have transmitted all data we were able to gather. “While we are all confident, our Captain will succeed in destroying this source. She felt that this was a number too big for...
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...
I was sitting on the main diagnostic table of our sickbay. Cateria had taken me out of a regen tank just moments ago and was now examining me. “What did you do, Captain? Fight a blast furnace” I could not find the emotions to smile, Tyron’s demise was heavy on my mind. “What I faced was certainly hot enough to melt metal. “Har-Hi was standing outside the privacy bubble and said. “Whatever you guys did, worked the run-away Orlan equipment is inactive and we can no longer detect any random...
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...