Chapter 21: On Alvor's Cove



Chapter 21: On Alvor's Cove

INTERLUDE

About twenty clicks north of Alvor's Canyon where the mountains ended and the endless sand and dust deserts of the Glagadrinn really begun; a dull all terrain vehicle grinded on wide profile tracks through the rough terrain. It was an old machine with an engine that ran on natural petroleum, black stuff that could be found everywhere on this dusty world. Ban-Hoo, the driver and owner of the crawler was quite proud of it, most of the other desert scavengers rode on Katthais. Ban-Hoo hated these lizards and their stench. Like all Dai he had an excellent sense of smell. That the other scavengers complained and accused his machine of stinking bothered him little. That was one of the few benefits of his chosen profession, you did not have much contact with others once you left town. Out here were only the occasional Brown People, wild Lizards and snakes. Out here he had time to think and as usual when he was thinking his mind wandered back and the reasons he was here. The others had long quit asking why he, a proud Dai Than Warrior became a planet bound vagabond instead of raiding ships and planets with his clan. Because by now everyone knew at least part of his story; they knew he had no clan. He was the last of the Tun-Ha Clan as far as he knew. He had been the one in the scout ship, who found that perfect colony to be raided. The Clan moved in, but it was a trap and a Union Fleet destroyed and killed anyone not surrendering. It was the scouts job to make sure no Union Assets were close enough to interfere before the raid was done and the Dai Clan long gone. He had done a quick scan of the system and was not as diligent as he should have been. Not checking the actual planets and overlooking an entire Union battle group had landed on the fifth planet. Normally it would have been his duty to commit suicide but a warriors alternative to suicide in such as case was revenge. While he was emotionally devastated to lose his family and everyone he knew, he was not to keen or deep down actually afraid of suicide. To go to another Clan and become an Inbur-Thal, a coward who had failed to do his duty and not commit suicide was even worse. At Sin 4 he had to sell his Scout Craft as it was out of fuel and he had no money. He almost ended up as a slave to fight in one of the Arenas but made it to Alvor's Cove. At first it seemed a bad decision to come here. This was one of the busiest slave markets in the Galaxy,at least on this side of the galactic bulge, but he had enough money from the ship sale and paid the Local Lord the Freedom Fee. Unlike Sin 4, Alvor's Cove was firm in the hand of one faction and their laws were crude and simple but quite reliable. He realized back then that his money would not last, especially with the water prices here.

He interrupted his musings for a moment as he passed the Gilguri rocks, the last outcropping of the mountainous cliff plateau behind him. There sometimes were desert gangs or opportunist with long range weapons, picking off a lonely traveler, of course the Local Lord forbade such behavior (unless someone paid the Killing permission fee). But the Local Lord's reach diminished fast out here and no one gave a care about that self important Karthanian beyond these rocks. He swiveled his Slug Accelerator towards the rocks and kept an eye on them, but nothing but a lonely Ki-Ki-Togg moved over there. Seeing the ultra shy, flying lizard hoping over the rocks convinced him that there was nothing else hiding. Well nothing else but Ki-Ki-Togg prey. The last traces of the rocks now behind him. His cat now rolled through the near featureless sand and dust desert and he would do so for the next 700 clicks before he reached Mount Nathir. He long had learned how to read the sand and knew how to stay clear from the drift sand bogs that could swallow his crawler and him or at least make him get stuck for days. Seven Years ago he had come to Alvor's Cove. With his money going fast, there weren't many career choices on Alvor. You could become a slave merchant, slave guard, shop owner,tavern owner, water merchant, food vendor, lord guard, lizard hunter or desert scavenger. He nodded to himself and his mental list confirming to himself that he didn't forget much. He took a sip from his water bag, swished the liquid around his mouth and squinted his eyes behind his goggles. To become any sort of merchant he needed much more capital, have connections to a supplier and know about the wares you sold. To be a Lord Guard you needed to be well connected to the Local Lord only trusted those he knew well. Lizard hunter or slave guard did not appeal to him due to the stench, so considering his skill sets and financial resources all that was left was desert scavenger. At first it seemed to him a fools job. What could possibly be out there except sand and dirt? But then he made friends with an old scavenger the one who sold him this Crawler for a good price and taught him the trade. He then learned that Alvor's Desert held many treasures. Sub Terran Water sources, Tutu Cactus buds eaten by the tame Lizards, Tutu Cactus flowers very rare and hard to find but ground to a powder, a drug readily purchased by Togar males. Since Alvor's cove was close to their empire they frequented the place often. There were open petroleum pits, the stuff was not worth much but a load of it always paid for the trip and supplied him with cheap fuel. There was the Dawal Lizard, if you're lucky to find one and even luckier to survive a fight and kill one then you had a load of good meat, bones and blood. Not to mention the highly valuable tusks but all this was the usual stuff. Every scavenger dreamed about finding the Nakh. Legend had it that out here somewhere was a buried Celtest ship. Artifacts of advanced ancient cultures and societies were the single most valuable commodity in the galaxy. Celtest stuff was on the very top. Anyone finding even just a piece of Celtest scrap metal would be a rich man. That there was a Celtest ship, and not just an insubstantial myth doubted no one. A scavenger only thirty of fourty years ago had found a Celtest artifact and became very rich. Ban-Hoo dreamed about finding it and taking the entire ship out from the sand and fly it in Union Space and destroy everything he could find. But that would not be today and probably never. Today he actually had passengers. Two Kermac no less and paying him a good sum for a trip to Mount Nathir.

Why the Kermac wanted to go to the Old Worm was none of his business. How they even knew about that odd Hermite? But then Kermac had Psionic powers and could read minds and such. Some of the Scavengers believed the Old Worm was the result of a failed genetic experiment to mix human genetics with Nul and come up with a Nul that could spy on humans or something like that. That experiment resulted, so the story went, in a horrible abomination. And it was hiding out there, avoiding to be seen as much as possible. Other voices claimed, the Old Worm to be a holy man and that he had contact to some God. Much older than the Celtest ship story was the rumor of a hidden temple with a sleeping powerful supernatural entity. This legend also based on real facts. Alvor's sun flared and cooked of the vast oceans that once covered this desert. The flare and the duration of it, was according to many an artificial purposely created event. Ban-Hoo had no particular opinion on that legend, but he knew the desert before him once was an ocean floor. Countless shells of water creatures attested to that. He doubted the old worm was a god, but that he might be considered some sort of spiritual guide was conceivable, that he looked half man, half worm was nothing too spectacular. He was Dai and his kind had traveled far and wide, encountering life forms much stranger.

--""--

Underneath the canopy that covered the cargo bed of the crawler, Vienacfier tried to meditate while Halbforneur monitored the thoughts of the Dai driver up front. He touched his ceremonial beard for the millionth time as it was his habit checking if his psionic shield still worked.

"It works." Vienacfier said with much annoyance in his voice, partly because he could not find the balance to meditate and partly because he felt insulted by his partners constant checking. "I will not probe your mind." "How would you know that my shield is working if you had not tried to probe my mind?"

"Because it is of finest Kermac technology just like my shield and I know of only three cases they have failed."

Halbforneur was not so convinced, a little paranoia was never wrong. For all he knew Vienacfier could have been an agent of the Ministry of Control, one innocent thought wrongly interpreted and one was likely to find oneself mind erased.

And all his loyal service to the Ministry of Information would only come to light in his defense after the mind dump and too late for him. Not that loyal service and devotion to ones job ever was considered in a case of 'severe obstructive and subversive thought engagement'.

He often wondered how the Saresii or the recently discovered Leedei, the only other societies he knew were everyone was a telepath got along without mental shield generators and ability enhancers.

The Narth did not really count as society in the common sense.

Vienacfier grunted like a primitive sub Kermac life form as he shifted position in the swinging hammock like seat.

"I sure hope this coward of a Dai knows where he is going."

Halbforneur tried to hide his disgust he felt towards his partner.

"He does. His mind is clear and open and he accepts Kermac superiority and does not even question our reasons to come out here."

"It is still better we eliminate him. Just in case."

"It would be unwise. Local Lord has warned us and you were too cheap to buy the Kill all License."

"I am not paying 10,000 Polo coin to some totally inconsequential lower life form on a similar inconsequential planet. I will punish him for is insolence when we leave."

"This world might not be as inconsequential as you make it. There are Celtest artifacts out there somewhere and we are meeting the Purple Worm. I doubt he choose this world at mere random."

"The more reason we should set up a base of operations here, take over the local crime lords control and search for the Celtest artifacts with modern equipment and tear this dust ball apart."

Halbforneur now was almost certain his associate was associated with the MOC. They always talked that way.

"This planet is close to the Togar, It be unwise to provoke a war. I am certain there are Union Spies, not to mention Nul and Shiss agents. It might not be wise to make the Nul even more hostile towards us at they already are."

"I doubt there are any Union Spies here. I expanded my mind and did not find any shielded minds except a few Sojonit Priestesses. I had a good mind to visit them after we are done here, that be Polo Coins well spend."

"If it would be that easy to determine if there are no eyes and ears for the cursed Union, don't you think we of the Ministry of Information would rely on doing mind sweeps all the time? And the funds made available to us are meant to pay for information gathering not personal indulgences."

"You talk like a puppet of the Ministry of Information. We are field agents and have to sample and learn about other cultures this too is gathering of information."

"I am an associate of the MOI and you know that. What makes me wonder if you are indeed of the military."

"All you need to worry about are my credentials and your orders. Both make me the one in charge."

With a jolt the Crawler came to a sudden stop.

Halbforneur realized he had not paid any attention to the thoughts of the driver. The Driver was gone, at least he could no longer sense the man's thoughts.

They both grabbed their weapons, dialed their power amplifiers to high and with activated personal shields they went outside.

There was a group of dust covered beings holding a selection of weapons, all heavily shrouded and hooded. One in the center was taller and wore a purple cloak and hood.

"Your Ministry of Information is very good I have to admit, you accomplished what countless before have failed to do and find my lair."

Halbforneur raised that part of skin that once held eyebrows."We are Kermac, therefore it should be no surprise that we accomplish where others fail. You associated to much and too long with Larthop, through him we were able to trace you."

"Yes you are quite correct, but I am not an amateur either. I agreed to a meeting but I decided to chance the location of our meeting.

Instead of the mountain we can do it right here. Especially since you Kermac have a Strike team moving in on the mountains as well."

Halbforneur had no idea there was supposed to be a Strike team. His superior told him to show good faith and fancy the Worms wishes to normalize relationships so a better cooperation could be achieved.

He glanced over to his associate seeing he was not in the least surprised about this revelation and the presence of a Kermac strike team.

Vienacfier made a dismissing hand gesture. "That Herkatan strike team will make sure you cannot leave this planet.I am sure you know of their reputation. They are monitoring us as we speak as I am their ears and eyes."

The Purple worm laughed. "Maybe that is the real reason your species is on the decline. Kermac always rely on other species to do their fighting for them.

I have a working relationship with the local lord, the one you consider so primitive. We have that Kermac transport, disguised as Yotenen trader vessel in focus of our planet defense batteries. One move and we blast it out of the sky. The Local Lord will then call upon the Nul for help as we fear more Kermac warships. Dare to make the call and start a war, Kermac?"

Vienacfier activated a Comm Device in his beard.

"MOC lead to Herakan team, abort Mission. I repeat, aboard mission and return to deployment base."

"That was a wise decision."

The Worm raised his arm and the sand all around came to live, hundreds of heavily armed sand colored beings rose from the dust. The shrouded beings were totally undetectable by his Psionics. Due to the hoods and shrouds he could not determine what species they were either. They did not move like humanoids, more like primates.

They erected a tent in no time and the Worm invited his guests inside. Chairs had been placed and someone brought in a case of Kermiliq.

On a provided table stood cups. The Worm gestured the Kermac to have a seat. He sat down across them. "Help yourself to the Kermiliq. It is cooled and I assure you not tampered with in any way." Halbforneur was still furious that he was kept in the dark and took one of the Bottles, opened it and did not bother with a Cup. He knew it was very primitive and without form but he was thirstier than he realized. The slightly tardy taste and the moisture of his favorite drink did wonders to his mood and condition.

Vienacfier ignored his associates primitive display of ignored manners and said.

"Let us get to the point and leave this inhospitable place so we can enjoy refreshments in more appealing conditions."

"You are the ones that again asked for a meeting. Here we are."

"Our last cooperation was marred by betrayal and misfortune, the Narth's human friend died on Sin 4 and it turned out he was of little importance after all."

"Yes I have the same information. The Narth representative at the Assembly maintains a connection to the grandfather of the Nilfeheim boy."

"The Narth have already begun what we hoped could be prevented. Narth now participate and strengthen the cursed PSI corps."

The Worm had to agree."This involvement of the Narth has cost me much already and I fear it will cost me even more. Several attempts to assassinate one of these new Narth agents have failed and met with such brutal and swift response even by Union and Terran standards that it becomes quite difficult to even find someone willing to try."

Vienacfier was now relaxing a bit and he too took a bottle but demonstrated quite detailed how it was done properly by filling a cup only a third and take little sips.

"Kermac Intelligence assets face similar challenges. Now let us approach this with open defenses. We come to the conclusion that it is very likely you are no mere criminal mastermind but that the Worm is a cover for Nul intelligence."

The still completely shrouded Purple Worm laughed. "It is a good guess and honestly I wish it would be so, but Nul are neither biologically nor ideological connected to the Worm or me in any form.

The Worm's activities are not activities the Nul would support or condone. However your intel is not completely inaccurate, I have deep connections into their intelligence services and can arrange contacts if you desire.

However I must warn you, Nul do not play well with others and are opposed to alliances especially since that brief Nul / Shiss alliance quite some time ago.

He raised his hand and one of shrouded children sized primates places a glass with a golden liquid in it.

While gesturing a thank you the Worm said."To quell any suspicions, I am not Shiss either. Playing well with the Nul means I can not play with the Naxxxtuu-www."

"Kermac and Shiss interests are incompatible but we would be interested in a meeting with Nul Intelligence. We don't want an alliance but we all face a common enemy that is becoming stronger by the moment and we can already see the day when the Union will move against the rest of us and claim dominion over the entire Galaxy."

"I agree with your assessment but the Galaxy is still a very big place and there are vast areas unknown to all of us and the time where the Galaxy must be united to face those who made the Y'All will be at hand sooner than some believe."

"This is the reason the Galaxy must be under the firm rule of Kermac, for we have means to communicate with the Y'All and prevent their dominance."

"A point only seen by the Kermac of course,and the rumors that you are capable of doing more than just communicate becoming stronger, especially recently, but for the near future our goals are the same. I shall arrange that meeting."