Erica Olafson Adventures of the Tigershark Vol 7 Chapter 14 Kilkam
- 4 years ago
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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 sneaking out, perhaps even under water, as he had to expect that he was watched.
I tried not to be nervous and trust my crew. I had decided to be more of a real captain and let my crew do more, besides I felt it was unfair to always be the one able to leave the ship.
Brana, the Delicate came on the bridge and with her came the officers of the First Watch. The usual watch roster had been changed temporarily to give everyone the chance for a little shore leave.
SHIPs avatar established and took the Science station. Technically only Conn had to be covered when dirt side, but I insisted on all stations to be occupied while we were beyond Union shores. I simply could not totally relax when our ship was on the surface of a non-union world.
I got up, so she could occupy the command seat. I gave her the standard situation report. After that, I stepped down from the command center and I noticed she was wearing a very similar leather suit as I did. She, of course, registered me noticing and a fine smile graced her strangely human yet alien facial features.”I simply could not decide on what a Delicate pirate should wear, so I asked SHIP for your suits pattern and this is what the Auto Dresser came up with.”
“It looks very nice on you, not that I think there are many Delicate pirates, of course, I could be wrong on that one.”
She sat down in a flowing graceful move. “I never heard of any Delicate being a pirate. Piracy is not as big of a problem as it is here or in the Andromeda galaxy. The Attikan Commonwealth which controls much of the LMC has suppressed such activity for millennia.”
“That makes me like the LMC and the Attikans even more.” Then I sighed.”You say there is a pirate problem in the Andromeda galaxy?”
“Oh yes, I have friends living there. The Union foothold is truly small compared to the vast size of the Andromeda galaxy. I think still over ninety percent are completely unexplored.”
“I guess the Admirals know a place to send us if we ever run out of this scum in this galaxy.”
I lingered for a little longer on the bridge and added.”I sure don’t know much about the Delicates, but I was under the impression you guys were never part of the Attikan commonwealth, at least if I remember my class on Union members correctly.”
“You are quite correct, Captain. Our home world Ester-Song is about as distant as a planet can be from Attika and still be in the Large Magellan Cloud, but we were aware of the Attikans for a long time.” She paused and her flawless almost translucent complexion of the finest peach color darkened a little and her expression became more serious. “My beloved sister joined a human and became his wife. They loved each other very much and decided to settle on a beautiful garden world colony. The planet Belle-Verde was attacked by pirates. The pirates killed many, my sister was one of the pirates’ victims.
I am part of this crew because Admiral McElligott gave me the chance to become part of a mission that is doing something about that cursed practice. Revenge and seeing it done is still a core motivator of my dedication, but I am very proud and happy to be part of your crew, Captain.”
“I am glad to have you be part of it.”
She caressed the leather that covered her tights.”It is a material and style of fashion very much unknown to us, but I must admit I really enjoy the feel and the look.”
“I am sure there aren’t many aboard who do not share that feeling looking at you.”
I checked on the Utelle sitting behind Helm. The bird-like being dutifully acknowledged my presence and reported.”As per your orders, I keep Helm in standby mode and I am running combat helm simulations focusing on evasive maneuvers at the moment as per Lt. Ndebele’s instructions.”
“Are you going to be part of a shore leave group, Mr.Orkis?”
“I have not planned to do so, Captain, I rather wait till we are back on a Union world, so I can spread my wings.”
“You are capable of flight?”
“Yes, Captain on worlds with an atmosphere and gravitation not exceeding the standard, I am able to fly. I am very much a land walker now, but I do occasionally miss a real flight. Simulations are a good relief of course.”
“I feel the same about swimming.”
Then I exchanged a few words with the rest of the officers now on duty and left for my quarters. I really needed to relax, Har-Hi was very responsible and much more disciplined than I was.
Maybe I should take a swim, there was time and it always relaxed me.
Har-Hi tried to relax a little, the captain had actually listened to him and remained aboard and let him reconnoiter the place first.
He and twenty crew members had done a little sightseeing. The City was reasonably clean and the amusement venues here near the spaceport were of the same kind you could find the galaxy over. Har-Hi was convinced that the one truly unifying development of spacefaring societies were not spaceships but bars and taverns.No matter where more than one spacefaring civilization came together, there were watering holes, places where beings gathered to consume non-essentials and meet with others.
This spaceport district of the Trontigmakader city had one such place next to the other.
They had visited one of the colorful markets, not only Circuit had made purchases and it was clear that the crew members were enjoying their shore leave after such a long time being inside a ship.
One of them, a Direct Energy Weapon Specialist named Derek Simmons, was among the first group. He held an alien skull, decorated with gems and painted symbols before the X101. “The dealer said it bestows magical powers. It will be perfect for our Den.”
Sobody grinned. “It’s not the skull but the Black Leaf Gongrha that inside. When chewed makes you believe all kinds of things.”
“I just bought tox?”
“Very potent tox indeed and you made a fairly good deal. You could easily triple your money selling it on N’Ger.”
Circuit held up an arm long bone decorated with feathers and a crude edged blade on one end. “This was a bargain too, a genuine Tok Tor scepter, of a long-disappeared species of mystics.”
“Very nice, what are you going to do with it?”
“Having it and be mystical. We X101 have nothing mystical.”
To Har-Hi the Golden whispered as Circuit went to another colorful stand. “I can’t bring myself telling him but the dealer just made that story up on the go, and the bone is made of raisin cast and not older than perhaps a month.”
“Just like his real replica sword of Terra.”
Shea said. “It makes him happy and that should count for something.”
Just then they ran into the shore leave group of the Jammer and Captain Lia Bassett. Also about twenty members of her crew, most of them known Upward and Spinward species.
Har-Hi counted Eight Humans, four Jooltar, two Togar, five Shiss, and one Zarin.
Zarins were virtually unknown to Union science but well known to the Dai. The Zarin were native to even more distant regions of the Downward sector if he recalled what he knew about them correctly.
Zarins had a somewhat similar society and culture as the Dai as they also conducted planet raids and used family-based ships and fleets.
However they occupied, he remembered his father talking about them, planets and weren’t truly nomadic. They also had not developed to the same Tech level, but also made use of space fighters.”
Har-Hi had never seen or met a Zarin himself and as far as he knew, neither had anyone of the Hi tribe as it never ventured that far into the Downward sector.
The information on the Zarin came from other tribes at meetings on Thana Shoo. Usually in humorous tales of Dai besting the Zarin.
This Zarin was a little taller than Har-Hi and wore a kind of armor that looked anachronistic and gaudy to Har-Hi; complete with impractical spikes and overdone ornamentation, but it was clearly the product of a warrior race.
The being was humanoid in appearance as it walked on two legs and had two arms. The head was hidden underneath a helmet that matched the suit in style and ornamentation.
Captain Bassett was a woman alright, but neither her body nor her style could hold a candle to his Captain. Har-Hi realized that he was comparing that woman with Erica and realized that he started to think of Erica as a real woman. Something about this thoughts did not feel right as he analyzed his own thoughts and feelings.
Lia took stock of Har-Hi and the crewmembers of the Silver Streak just as Har-Hi did with hers and said. “You, I have seen before. You are the first mate of Black Velvet and this diverse, well-equipped crew must be of the Silver Streak of course. Come to join us, we are about to wet our throats in that tavern over there.”
Har-Hi was not too eager to mix with other pirates, but then this is what pirates did and maybe he could gather information.
“Alright, one or two drinks before we have to return to the ship.”
The Tavern was reasonably clean and featured a large guest room with sturdy tables and a long bar tended by several bartenders.
One of the servers recommended Walkik and described some kind of alcoholic herbal brew.
Har-Hi had to agree it was not to bad and tasted somewhere between beer and Shea’s wintergreen chewing gum. He also tried to hide a smile as his mind projected what Admiral Stahl or Erica would say after trying this wintergreen tasting beer-like beverage.
He tried to keep on everything, he was very proud of the disciplined behavior of his group.
The initial conversations were about the long time perched up inside ships and the atmosphere was getting a little more relaxes.
Just as the second rounds of drinks arrived, Captain Sandovahl in company with ten of his crew entered and went straight to the long table where Har-Hi and the other sat and without asking e and his men joined.
They too ordered drinks and Sandovahl scanned across everyone present with his piercing cyber-eye. “Oh how disappointing, I truly hoped mysterious Black Velvet would be here. She isn’t spoken for, or is she”
“That is a question you need to ask her. I just recommend you do, when she is in a good mood.”
He touched his throat. “I have seen what she did to Crimson.” He then changed the subject. “What a shame about Unwar Brata. That crew certainly had some bad luck indeed, first their captain gets killed on Itheamh and now this. I still have no idea what it was that got him. Some sort of moving gravitation field, weird for sure.”
Har-Hi disliked the man and his response was harsher than he initially wanted it to be. “You probably had a hard time finding out what it was by the speed you, Red Dragon and the others fled the scene and leaving Brata and us behind. Maybe you should paint your ships yellow.”
The Zarin said. “Watch your mouth Dai. Traveling with a female captain, must make you less than Okti, what real Dai would take orders from a female?”
Har-Hi slowly relaxed his hand. “We are done here, crew. Let’s go.” It took much of his self-control but he remained calm.
The Zarin said. “She must have bought him as a bargain of a slave trader. Dai reputation is so overrated as it is.”
I did not swim. I had taken the time to update the logbook, then I indulged myself in body care and did it the leisurely manual way instead of relying on the automated hygiene routines of the auto dresser. I practiced my slowly improving make up skills since most of the time it was done by the machine as well.
Leaning back in a comfortable seat, wearing a soft robe I should have been content and thankful for this little me-time ... I called the bridge.
“Ms. Noleii give me a short status update, please.”
“Yes Captain, our heavies just finished playing a Steel container kicking match, Xon’s team won. TheOther was in sickbay for the first time since he tackled Tyron as he was activated. Nothing serious and he is alright, they had something called an arm wrestling match and he broke one of his wrists as he wrestled with Hans. Cateria said, he has an amazing healing speed, all she did was sure it was set right.
Alice wanted you to know she passed the pre-entry test to the Academy given to her by SHIP. Our XO is still on shore leave with twenty crew members. Nothing else to report.”
“Well, so Hans is the Arm wrestling champion of the ship, no real surprise there.”
“No Captain, Dusty won, not even Hans could compete with the thirty-seven tons of pressure Dusty could apply.”
“Thirty-seven tons?”
“Narth said so.”
I smiled and said. “Well seems like a regular day on the Tigershark.”
I got up, wandered to the bookshelf, maybe some old fashioned physical reading would change my restless mind, but there was no use. After a few pages, I once again got up and walked over to my viewport. From it, I could see the vast river delta. The spaceport facilities to the west and east lining the shores and beyond the many ships and all the usual spaceport activities, a shimmering ocean. From my viewport, I could also see the Red Dragon and several of the other pirate ships.
I wondered where did he get this information about a Seenian depot in the first place? There was the well-known rumor that there was such a depot on Arsenal III and its discovery was the reason, the Union located much of its military muscle in that system and guarded it with an almost fanatical dedication. As far as I knew none of the other Fleet centers and academies were as tightly guarded. Of course, none of the other places were basically located inside space claimed by the Galactic Council and thus enemy space.
To me, the entire thing had too many holes. Where did the Red Dragon get the information about the Seenian depot?
That he was indeed Swynon Swybar, the disgraced Admiral was certain to me, but how did he manage to install the Seenian equipment?
How was he able to hide the information so perfectly? It might have been just very smart precautions. Did he really forsee talents such as Circuit and Shea? The location information was certainly complex.
I knew there was something missing, a major piece of the puzzle of this mystery. I knew this was the real reason for my restless state; well this and the unexplainable gut feeling that the shore leave group was going to get into trouble somehow.
I dialed myself a cup of coffee and sat back down behind my desk leaned back, closed my eyes and tried to make sense of it all.
He did have genuine Seenian equipment. Yet he still called it Celtest, if he gained the knowledge about the depot, would he not also know the real name of this advanced society?
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The Stellaris scientist-led us through several connecting tube tunnels and stopped at another airlock module. Space is limited, unfortunately, and we can’t accommodate Nul or ... is that a Y’All?” I put a firm tone in my voice.”Is there a problem with that?” “Oh no, I voted for their admission. I just noticed the Ensign rank insignia and wondered how it managed to get to be an officer that fast.” “He joined the Union as an individual ahead of his kind. This is Ensign TheOther, a valued...
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 woman that stepped through a shimmering portal of dark red light, had dark grey skin, long white hair and wore a skimpy outfit which was an odd combination of bikini, medieval armor, and wispy veils. Her eyes had no pupils but glowed in the same dark red light as the now dissipating portal. Stahl suddenly remembered Sunday school and stopped himself to actually make the sign of the cross. However, he was never really intimidated, by anyone. The Eternal Warrior got up, like the old...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The incident with the dust cloud was now over six weeks ago. Down here in completely unexplored space, it really hit home how big our galaxy really was. Back home in the Upward sector with Hyper Highways and Space trains; with known planets and systems and of course with everyone connected to GalNet space did not feel as empty and vast. We had crossed the gap and now steadily went further down the Coreward sector. Our sensors picked up some space traffic now and then, but in general, this...
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...
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...
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....
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...