Version 2006 - Ch 59

INTERLUDE- Aboard the Red Dragon
Across the Red Dragon sat four beings. Each of them wanted criminals. Captain Meateater of the Intruder, a broad and strong looking Oghar, the only one Red Dragon trusted somewhat. Captain Ivok of the Bloody Mary a humanoid possibly Colonial Terran, quite successful but he knew he was a puppet of the Worm and not really his own master, but able to get first class Union supplies. Next to him a yellowish skinned Wartook with sickle shaped oiled hair, long pig like snout and tusks even bigger than those of the Oghar, he was only know as the Crimson Curse, due to the blood red birthmark over the right half of his face and due to the fact he liked to spill the blood of others. He was pirate longer than any of the others and Red Dragon did not think he would come along, but if he would his experience and knowledge of the Core ward sector would be of tremendous help. The last one was Shuputz Brathering, a Puup one of the Kermac Vassal species. the Puup had virtually no contact to the Union but Shuputz was a known pirate and some said he looked like the nightmare version of a Teddy bear, furry big head, four eyes and a big maw full of teeth. It was known he liked human flesh especially fresh and raw. His ship the Akulook was perhaps the most advanced and best armed as it was a Kermac Destroyer and a real warship and not an armed merchant. Red Dragon folded his hands and looked over them once more and then said." So what do you say? Are you with me?" Shuputz spoke first." I am with you. I am no Celtest expert but the Evidence looks convincing to me and if only half of it comes true, we will be unstoppable with Celtest equipment or at least very rich. It is a long trip however and I need to get me a Nu gas refinery and engine spare parts." The Oghar was next." I have been with Red before. He is a damn cutthroat but if he says something it usually is so. I never faired wrong, but I doubt my Intruder will make the entire trip unless I get me a new ship or brand new Thrusters." Crimson got up." That's a tad too far for me. I stick to space I know. Count me out. I rather be less rich and less powerful and alive. Than spend almost two years on a what if scenario." Red Dragon made a gesture to the door." No one is forcing you, but don't come back and want a share. When we meet again we meet as enemies." Crimson shrugged." I managed so far and if we meet as enemies, so be it. " Without further ado he left." It was now Ivok's turn and he knew it." I got to check with my business associates but I am certain I will come along. Celtest Equipment is always of great interest to me." "Go and call the Worm, but don't hesitate to long. I will not wait or offer it again." The Red Dragon leaned forward." Now my Oghar friend. You need a new ship. It happens there is a Kartanian Armed Merchant not far from here. Has oversized ISAH thrusters and unlike the rest of the ship they look new." Meateater played with the gold tipped ends of his tusks." I thought you wanted her along?" "Maybe I do, but I rather have you than her. I know you I don't know a thing about her." "She got teeth. She leveled those DE towers and I am sure it was her who blew the well shielded Island to bits. If it was her she might have the Loki torpedoes and what else the Duke supposed to have." Ivok added."She is rich too. She dealt with the Minerva and bought lots of stuff at the Market. Paid with Polos and Iridi Chips. I heard she bought every slave and lots of Weapons too. Only before the Minerva showed up. I bet she made a pretty profit with that old Slave trader." "All the better for us. I got this Celtest suit and once inside her ship there is nothing that will stop me. I invited us and she accepted."

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Har-Hi stood as usual next to me as I finished talking to the Red Dragon." So he wants to come over and discuss business, and bring along a few friends. Why do I get the feeling he isn't coming for a friendly barter at all?" Narth shook his head." His Celtest shied is protecting him well, I would have to probe more forcefully and he would know." "Don't let him know all our assets yet. The Admirals orders were quite clear. We need to find his source for Celtest equipment and that is why I accepted him over for dinner. Let's make it a memorable one." Cateria was still looking over the scan results as she looked up. " It sure looks like a Celtest Battle Armor like he said, but it is not fully activated. I think it is damaged. the suit is a commander model and would not accept any non Celtest being." "Could he be Celtest?" I asked. She shook her head." It is not completely out of the question, but while he was talking to you I was speaking Celtest to Shea in the old Command Language and he would have reacted." "What can we do to make sure he isn't going amok in it? I remember what tough time we had stopping you with ship weapons." "And I wasn't even wearing a Full Battle Suit. I am working with Cirruit ever since I came aboard on a few ideas." As usual we were sitting in the Pirate's Den and all my Officers and friends and some off duty personnel was sitting with me. The Garbini Engineer turned Med raised his tentacles." Captain?" "Yes, Specialist?" "My room-mate is a Shail. There are no better poison experts in the Galaxy."

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It was eight in the evening and Red Dragon, four of his officers, and three Pirate Captains arrived in a Shiss Landing tank. I had them enter over an extended Ramp into the Pirate Den, so they would not see the rest of the ship or ride IST's. My mess Chief and of course Golden with his rodent shadow went all out to provide an impressive meal. As they came in I knew it did not fail. The Oghar Captain could not take his eyes of the stacks of boxes spilling with Polo Coins, the stacked Polo Cubes in the back and the several meter tall pile of Iridium Bars not even I had noticed before. the braziers were lit and flickered with dark red fire. The big round table laid out with expensive table ware, and bowls of polished gold and Platinum. "Welcome to the Silver Streak." I opened." Have a seat and eat and drink. We don't have guests all that often. As old traditions command, Enemies and Friends alike receive hospitality." Red Dragon bowed ." I am impressed. Such treasures and splendor inside what seems a rust bucket." "There might be a little rust here and there but the Silver Streak has always served me well and not completely without success." The Oghar finally managed to look towards me "I noticed your Nul weaponry. Nothing to be trifled with! The Engines are also well kept so it appears." "I have a capable crew and an Engineer who prides himself with the state of his engines." They sat down and the Food was uncovered. The Red Dragon declined and only drank some wine out of the same bottle I was poured. The Oghar and the others with him however ate like starving Tyrannos. I leaned back." Since it is you who invited yourself, why don't you come to the reason of your visit. I am eager to get some Vacuum under my keel and leave dirt side soon." The Red Dragon said. "I truly appreciate your hospitality and after seeing your treasures I think I let you live. Your ship however I must say, belongs to me now." He raised his hands and every one of his associates pulled their weapons." Now before you get upset and shooting starts. I know you have a formidable crew and well armed, but I am wearing that Celtest Suit and there is no weapon that can harm me. On the other hand I can and will kill everyone of your crew. Now you can try or believe me it makes no difference to me. However if you comply I shall only rape you and let you live. Make a fuzz and I kill all in a slow and painful manner." I plotted my mouth under my veiled mask." You know I expected that and took a few precautions, if you look to your side, you will notice a Shail friend of mine. You all swallowed quite lethal Shail poisons and there is but one anti dote." The Oghar grabbed his throat and pointed his blaster at me." The antidote now!" "I suggest you shoot!" He pressed the trigger and nothing happened. then my friends pulled their weapons, and Har Hi one of his blades. From behind the Velvet curtains my marines led by The Other and Hans appeared also weapons at the ready. Krabbel zipped from the ceiling a TKU in each leg. the Red Dragon pointed his finger at me but his hand turned against his will and the his own finger pointed straight at his nose. "You see all your weapons were deactivated the second you walked through the door. I am pretty sure your Celtest suit is immune to it, but the weapon in your finger would have to go through your skull first. " He groaned and tried to fight his own hand."You think Psionics will help? My shield will take care of that." "I wonder why it is not doing so now. Go ahead turn it on!" He still stared at his own finger. Shuputz groaned." I can feel the poison already. Do something! You said your suit is unstoppable!" His own finger now poking him quite painfully in one eye then the other. I squinted ma eyes and thought how cruel it be to be poked to death by your own finger. He cursed something and then yelped as the finger poked him again." It was only a test of course! Cut that out!" "I am not done yet with you. If I wanted I could take your lives your ships and whatever else I please. Your associates already turning into nice shades of green, a wonderful side effect of the Shail poison. I bet your color isn't so healthy under that bioflex mask of yours. Oh right you wanted to rape me. I think I know a better place for your finger now..." "You would not dare!" He groaned. "Ah well I let you go now. In one hour you may return with 1 million Polos each for the Anti Dote." Hans, TheOther and the Gray Nul grabbed the helpless Pirates and simply threw them out the main door. They scrambled to their landing tank but they never reached it, their tank was lifted into the air and forcefully slammed into the ground, a dozen times till it was a twisted smoking pile of metal. I turned to Narth." That was something. Seeing your Telekinetic abilities turn a seventy ton tank to scrap is actually quite frightening!" Narth said."That wasn't me." He pointed at the young girl with the big eyes Stepping from behind him. She is awake for a day now and I promised her she could help." I blinked." Great job Alya!" She suddenly lost her sad expression and smiled for a fraction of a moment then went sad again. "Uhm anything that would cheer you up a bit?" She shook her head." I am content. Dad is safe home and Narth is a good teacher. he makes the headache go away and knows how to use the pressure right." "So it was you poking the guy in the eyes too. It was a bit out of character for Narth I must admit." She nodded and smiled a moment longer. Narth looked at me with his glowing eyes." Only a bit. I must admit I liked the idea and helped a bit." I rolled my eyes." I am not sure this Universe is ready for a Narth with a mischievous streak" Then watched our guests run across the landing field to their ships." I wonder if we did the right thing. I guess we will see if SHIPS and Shea's probability evaluation is right and they come back and offer us a spot in that expedition." Cirruit stepped next to me." If not they all taking loads of nanites into their ships and I should be able to hack into their systems and get that info without us chasing half across the Universe." "Your new Nanites?" "Yeah the ones I based on Cateria's designs. I think in eight to ten month I might be able to replicate them just as good as the Celtest ones." Cateria nodded." In some aspects they are already as good. We can be glad he was not able to activate his suit fully or even know of its full capabilities. He did have a full Casern with him." "Something bad, right?" "Very bad. Subspace pocket with 100 Celtest Battle droids." "Where is it now?" "Safely away in Narth Subspace pocket. Until we can get the proper mental codes it be suicide to open it." "So he isn't Celtest?" "No we have a sample of his DNA now. He is human alright." "Alright, let's get anyone off duty down here and eat. Would be a shame to get all that food to waste." ________________________________________