Fragment 07-06-2013

--””--



Circuit was sure he and his engineering team could get the Xandrao ship patched up enough to make it, if he Xandrao remained in one room and he did not have to patch the entire ships electronics, but he needed at least a day.

I briefed the Xandrao Ship master and he agreed with this course of action.

I had both of our Gazelles out and fly a cloaked search pattern, to make sure no one else interrupted.

The day passed without incident. The Xandrao ship would be able to limp to Trans-light speed and make it to Auriga Xi in five days.

Back on the Xandrao ship I shook the hand of the big alien and he said. “I have learned a lot in a short time, Captain Velvet. I learned that there are females that have courage and that there are trustworthy pirates. I learned that our galaxy is even more dangerous than we thought it would be and that your robot engineer is not a robot, but a true magician and a genius. However I also learned that my gut feeling about the Kermac was true. I am glad there is an alternative we can present to our Emperor.”

“Fare well then Ship master Dorrx, maybe our paths cross again under better conditions. I will escort your vessel as close to that new Union system as I dare and then you are on your own, but I am sure you find the United Stars a helpful place and they will restore your vessel so you can return safely.”

“I have much to thank you for. I am not sure if we ever meet again, my prince will still be quite sore about the fact that he is tied up in the freight bay and he will of course blame you.”

“You can release your crew, but remember there isn't any life support to most decks.”

“Oh no Captain Velvet, I like to keep him in there as long as possible. I have more peace that way and can blame you the pirates for his misery.”

“I am not sure what this means, but I think I have an idea.” I bode him farewell and went to the next air lock

Specialist Warner scurried alongside. “Captain, we got all our tools and equipment back and Lt. Circuit is down in the engine room putting final touches to these crude nuclear generators. He should be done within the next ten minutes.”

“Very well then, let us return to our ship. Maybe after the third attempt we make it to that pirate port. “ “What about the Dolbrans, Captain?” “What about them, Mr. Warner. Did you not say they are Galactic Council?” “Can we not take them along? I mean they aren't very happy GC members and what will happen to these two?”

“We can't take them along. They are GC and we only pretend to be Pirates remember?

“Of course I know that Captain. I mean that we are pirates. But we could keep them in a room. They won't eat much.” “When the Xandrao reach the Union System, I am sure Command finds a way to get them back to their home. It's not that we are at war against the Dolbrans.”

<p lang="en-US">“Captain, you said we can always talk to you and this is an unfair situation.. These two will be interrogated and tortured.”

<p lang="en-US">I stopped. “Mr. Warner of course you can talk to me any time, but we. I mean the Union won't torture them I promise.”

<p lang="en-US">“Captain, not us, the Kermac of course. These two were sent to escort two Kermac envoys to the Xandrao and what do you think will happen if they return from somewhere Union side? The entire Dolbran species is under Kermac Control, but not in the nice way where they are mentally controlled but in the demeaning, slave you do what I say way. The Kermac will torture them to find out what happened to their envoys and then kill them for not preventing the Xandrao to go Union Side.”

<p lang="en-US">I had to admit he made sense. “I sure don't want them to be tortured, but if we take them we would have to keep them in Zero Stasis for a very long time.” “Could we not fly to their home world, take a delegation Dolbrans to Pluribus? I am sure the Dolbran want to be Union and free of Kermac tyranny.”

<p lang="en-US">I knelt down to be on his level and said. “Mr. Warner we have a mission, we are supposed to be Pirates. We can't simply fly into GC space, land on a Kermac controlled planet. Contact their government and take them to Pluribus.”

<p lang="en-US">“I know it seems impossible, but you are our Captain and you find a way, besides it doesn't have to be now. Maybe after our mission and when you think about something.”

<p lang="en-US">The Holdian specialist was nowhere near as cute as the little Holdian commander I once knew, but he too had these big black button eyes, a pointed black snout that shimmered wet. His whiskers hung down and his round ears had a somehow sad looking position. He sighed and kneaded his tinny fur covered hand.”But of course you are right, Captain. What can we, what could you possibly do? I am sorry I bothered you with that.” “You drive a harder bargain than that Golden Friend of yours. We really can't do much about the Dolbran situation, but we can do something about those two. Go ahead and contact Mr. Neugruber and confine those two, we might indeed have to put them in stasis for a while.” His whiskers snapped up and his ears turned into a happier position. “Thank you Captain.”

<p lang="en-US">

<p lang="en-US">--””--

<p lang="en-US">The Xandrao made it, they jumped into the Auriga Xi system , where several Takkian ships and a Union Battle Ship had arrived only a few days ago to further investigate the strange blue mountain and the Conck. I was surprised to see a a Nul Annihilator on our scanners there as well.

<p lang="en-US">Of course we could not get closer to investigate, we were officially a Pirate ship. Not that we made much head way so far.

<p lang="en-US">We were scheduled rendezvoused with the USS Boulder thirty hours later in a planet less red star system, known on the charts only as NC-85893. The system was in a thinly populated region of the

<p lang="en-US">We dropped out of quasi into the almost empty star system, that the transmitted orders designated.

<p lang="en-US">Shea said. “It is a rather unremarkable M4Ve type. 10 Billion Years. No planets but an asteroid belt and a dense dust ring around the star.”

<p lang="en-US">Krabbel said. “Captain we are the first Union ship to enter his star system as it is still unnamed in the Catalogs. You do know it is part of my duty to update Star catalogs with survey data and it is tradition to name new star systems.”

<p lang="en-US">Yeoman O'Connell silently approached next to me handed me a cup of coffee and said. “Legally we could claim it too, the Free Space treaty clearly allows individuals to claim a star system that is not occupied or claimed by anyone else.” I smiled at her. “Well you forget that Black Velvet is not a real person in legal terms. Besides it is just an empty star system. We would need to remain and defend our claim too. Besides if we name it, our names will appear in the registry that is open to all even Non Union.”

<p lang="en-US">Sobody said. “I can claim it, we Golden are not signatory to the Treaty and we are not members just yet.”

<p lang="en-US">I smiled. “Okay Krabbel you name it and Sobody will claim it. Knowing him he finds something valuable even here.”

<p lang="en-US">Sobody turned and spread his arms. “This is a particular thick soup of matter and it could be made into a scooper operation. That asteroid over there, “he pointed at a read out at Shea's station, “Is mostly water ice, several hundred million tons. Water is always valuable and can be made into fuel. Captain this system is by far not worthless.” I simply made an underlining gesture and said. “I knew it.” Shaka chuckled. “There is already a planet called Ice Cream in the catalogs and I see there is even a star called that way. Krabbel seems not the only Ice cream fanatic.”

<p lang="en-US">Krabbel made a disappointed sound. “Never mind then.”

<p lang="en-US">I looked to Elfi but she shook her head. “We are a little early Captain, the USS Boulder has not hailed us yet.”

<p lang="en-US">Narth checked his sensors.”Whatever the USS Boulder is disguised at, it is not in scanner range.”

<p lang="en-US">To Krabbel I said. “You aren't serious right? You didn't really say all this just so you can name a Star Ice cream?”

<p lang="en-US">The big spider raised four legs, but Mao turned and answered instead, “That was his plan Captain.”

<p lang="en-US">“Why don't you name it after an Ice Cream flavor, isn't there one that is red maybe?”

<p lang="en-US">Krabbel shrieked happy. “What a good idea, the star will be entered as Orange Sherbet.”

<p lang="en-US">“What is Sherbert?”

<p lang="en-US">Krabbel sounded all school masterly as he said. “Sherbet typically designates a fruity flavored frozen dairy product with a butterfat content between 1% and 2%. It's a less creamy ice cream.”

<p lang="en-US">Shea smiled. “Captain, our Archa Navigator is becoming quite an expert in frozen desert expert. Do you think we can use the time to closer examine the system, make a detailed survey? I would love to send a probe into the star, collect some of the dust and perhaps detail scan and survey some of the Asteroids. I bet all those Chimera Units do a lot of clandestine work but no one is doing what we should and what is the prime charter of our Fleet.”

<p lang="en-US">Elfi can you hail the Boulder and ask them when they will be here?”

<p lang="en-US">Out beautiful Saran Comm Officer said, after working on my request, “Captain they are already here. I am receiving Priority Order from Fleet Command. They request that you identify to Blue Blue Red Protocol and Day Cypher.”

<p lang="en-US">I begun the long winded process, put my key in a special indentation of Ship Ai Master control and said.”Day Code is “Cat and Mouse”.

<p lang="en-US">Elfi turned and looked at me. “Verified Captain, you need to take this in a secure location.”

<p lang="en-US">“Put them on. This is my bridge and the most secure location.”

<p lang="en-US">She made and adjustment and we could hear. “Code Sequence Verified, USS Tigershark you are to switch of your Janus Device and go under full shields. Then approach the local star and wait for vector and docking guide pulse.”

<p lang="en-US">“You heard them. Narth turn off the Janus Mask, Mao go full shields and Shaka take us to Orange Sherbert.”

<p lang="en-US">I leaned back and watched us approach and I said. “They are hiding in the star.”

<p lang="en-US">Narth said. “Actually not very surprising. Terrans have thousand years experience with star based stations, ever since they established Sol Castle. The Union can now freely make use of Wurgus solar Engineering and we got a a city on Bright Star.” He turned and looked at me with his glowing eye slits. “No other corporal society known to the Narth has ever occupied, colonized or utilized the very stars like the Union does.”

<p lang="en-US">I moved to the edge of my seat. “I remember a team of Water Polo players from Solar Castle and ever since my first days at the Academy I consider Two-Three one of my best friends. I know he told me about Bright Light, but are you sure our shields will hold? As old and cool this star seems to be, it is still a sun!”

<p lang="en-US">Narth actually looked at his read outs and said. “Our real shields were actually never tested, but we have more advanced shields than Bright Star Station or Sol Castle and I am confident my calculations are correct. We should be able to dive past the Photo sphere ,but there are conflicting opinions if the ISAH drives would work inside and if we could develop sufficient thrust to escape the gravitation.”

<p lang="en-US">“Well they are in there.” I said and Elfi confirmed receiving guiding information. The red star was already filling our entire view screen, even we were on zero magnification. Mao said. “Our real shields are fantastic, Captain. We are not even at 12 percent.”

<p lang="en-US">Shaka said. “But we are at 45 percent of thrust, to keep us approaching slowly.”Then a green circle appeared and pushed the red swirling energy masses away and created something like a 20 kilometer tunnel or gate. “USS Tigershark,this is Station Nebuchadnezzar. You are fighting not just the gravitation but our tunnel tractor. Turn of your engines.”

<p lang="en-US">Elfi confirmed. “Codes verified.”

<p lang="en-US">“Shaka, engines on stand by.”

<p lang="en-US">Our ship was caught by an almost visible greenish tractor beam and we were pulled past the turbulent and truly frightening swirling energies of the Photosphere and there just past the outer layer hung a Gigamon station,almost invisible behind bright glowing purple shields.

<p lang="en-US">Moments later we were inside the shields and were pulled into a Hangar.

<p lang="en-US">We were hailed immideatley and a human male in black Fleet Uniform and NAVINT patch on his sleeve smiled at us. “This is Union X Fleet Forward Recon Station Nebuchadnezzar, I am Commander Daniel Shadrach., welcome aboard.”

<p lang="en-US">I said. “Thank you, Commander.” “Please stand by for Senior Command Transmission.” The Commander was replaced by Admiral McElligott. “Initially we did not want to reveal Nebuchadnezzar to you. Simply we didn't want you to know all secrets there are, but with you this is more or less impossible. I am on my way aboard the USS Boulder and will arrive in five days. Take the opportunity for some R&R for your crew and restock on supplies.”

<p lang="en-US">“Aye Sir.” “Unload your stasis boxed guests and hand them to Station Security. I am bringing the accumulated mail for your crew and a sizeable container of packages for your chief Engineer.”

<p lang="en-US">

<p lang="en-US">--””--

<p lang="en-US">While most of my crew was enjoying the recreation facilities of a full Gigamon station, Har-Hi, Shea, Narth and I were greeted in the Commandant's office.

<p lang="en-US">He sat with his back to a big view point that showed the light filtered images of swirling energies. The Commandant was Human Terran so it seemed. He had black hair slicked back in an almost Dai Than looking style. He greeted us friendly and said. “Captain Olafson, it is a pleasure to make your aquaintance, General Cherubim has briefed me, of course not much in detail. I heard of course of the Red Dragon Affair and I am briefed on the Xandrao situation.