Eric Olafson, Midshipman 05

Part 5: INTERLUDE: LONG TRIP (Aboard the Devastator )

The Devi dropped out of Quasi Space and one could almost hear the entire crew sigh in relieve. The huge ship and her crew was back in the Union Galaxy and was heading straight for Arsenal IV, her home port. The situation in the Fornax Cluster was not clear but progress to connect that cluster with a string of space stations was made in breakneck speed. The new 234th Fleet Command had taken permanent residence at Fornax Hub and several battle groups with battle hungry Attikan Crews patrolled and surveyed that cluster, eager to find any signs of Y’All Clones. Long range expeditions were sent out to find traces of the enemy as well, in other words the situation was under control as good as it could be. There was a mountain of intelligence reports to shift through and with a Narth sphere now operating under Union Flag easily able to reach any trouble spot in mere hours was quite reassuring to the Old Admiral.

Captain Harris got up from his chair and stretched.” I am the last one saying it but it will be good to have a little R&R. I truly love this big tub of ours but no Virtu Simulation can really replace open Sky and the warm rays of good ol Sol.”

Richard Stahl gave his old friend a knowing smile.”Indeed old friend. I too look forward to a little off time. I just might do the same and go to Terra. Bavaria is especially scenic this time of year and I might just make it in time to the Oktoberfest.”

“Don’t they have them all over the Galaxy?”

“Not like this, nothing is quite like the original.”

The Captain of the Devastator looked up to the tall Immortal. “So are the rumors true?”

“What rumors?”

“You and the General?”

“I had no idea there were rumors about that.”

“As big as this ship is, it’s a closed community and there are eyes and ears everywhere. You know that.”

“I have no idea what the rumors say but yes something might happen, not that I have any plans but she is a woman and I could be twice as old and not figure them out. Now I suggest you get this ship landed.”

Stahl left the bridge while Harris prepared the Devi for planet fall. It did not happen often and was a major task.

He reached his office and was greeted by McElligott’s Avatar.” Good to have you back old battle ax. The Nul and the rest of our enemies already starting to miss you.”

“Well they have to miss me a little longer then. I am planning for a nice little vacation and tend to take it.”

“I think it will do you good, but we do have a few situations I think you need to know about. Situations I have kept of the regular channels.”

Stahl sighed.”It never really ends does it?”

“I am afraid not, my friend. The situations are well at hand as much as possible but still I wanted your opinion.”

“Just get it off your mind and tell me already.”

“You do remember Admiral Swybar?”

“Yes but I never thought to hear this name again. Was he not executed?”

“Apparently not. His execution had been faked and he was rescued in quite a spectacular way. NAVINT believes it was the Worm acting for the Kermac.”

Stahl grunted a curse in his old native language. “Is our Intel asleep? We are preparing for a possible new Y’All invasionand don’t need any internal security problems. I have a good mind and taking the First fleet straight to Kermac Prime and end it once and for all. If we strike fast, it be over before they know give me the rest of the bad news, somehow I don’t think this is all.”

“No it is not. Swybin used his old contacts and his considerable insider knowledge to obtain a ship load of the finest Union Mil Tech along with a Ship that is second to none. He is in possession of the Red Dragon Prototype loaded to the max with weapons, including a Translocator canon. Thankfully a heroic Oromal technician, destroyed the weapon. He paid with his life doing it, but we are sure he has full control of the rest.”

There was no sense crying over spilled milk, but Stahl was still angry. “And what is done about it?”

“We aree currently overhauling the security on our Bone Yard planets and revising the material acquisition procedure, Cherubim went under cover to hunt for the rouge Admiral and to find out who or what is behind. Initial reports have him with two unidentified accomplices, we think at least one is Kermac.”

“There is little I can do. The Devi is a battle ship, I am a Soldier. Despite all this I am no spy, no counter intelligence expert. This is nothing I can solve with Exo canons and Space marines, unless the Assembly finally sees the light and declares war on the Kermac.”

“It is not all as bad as it seems. I think considering it all our system as big as it is had reacted quite fast to the situation and it has shown us weak points in our armor. The Union is simply to big for us to keep it all water tight. Nelson II will be online in a year and Narth Supreme promised us 200 Narth to boost the numbers of our PSI Corps. With these assets we can start sweeping and exterminate the worm.”

Stahl had calmed down and actually began to pack a little suit case. Not that he needed to, but he was old fashioned in many ways and unlike other Admirals he didn’t even have a personal assistant or a big staff of Adjutants. “Anything else?”

“It never made the big news, and I think you know much more about it than I do, but the Coven have joined the Union.”

Stahl did stop packing and turned to face his ancient friend. “From what I know about them this is perhaps as significant as the Narth’s decision to become more active.”

“Well the Narth and the Saresii delegates immediately embraced the new Coven representative and that indicates that much to me, what are they Richard? And why did you send that Cadet there?” “I actually don’t know much more about them than you do, but I know they are not home in our Universe. They are very old, control powers I don’t understand and have deep wisdom and knowledge about the greater scheme of things. I know the Narth respect them and that should tell you something. I do know one of them very personal and I trust her blind. It was her who rescued me during my exile and it was them who helped me to find and access this ship.”

“What about the Cadet, how does he fit in?”

“They believe he might be the key to fight the Dark Ones. You know as well as I do that this is our true purpose. It is the real reason the Guardian has made us immortal. It was not the Xunx or the Kermac, it is not the Y”All. We will face something else, something much more dangerous and powerful ina final test.”

Now the old Highlander cursed in his old gaelic brough. “I never dared to say it openly but yes I think the same way. The more the Union grows the more do we become like the Celtest. I just hoped we have a few thousand more years to develop.”

Stahl closed the suit case. “The Coven does not know if it will happen soon, as far as I know. I think they are in the dark as we all are as to when this test’ whatever it might be’ will happen. But I am sure they have no doubt it will happen.”

Elligott reached for the Comm. Controls.”I guess all we can do is as we always did, play by ear, reinforce the armor as much as we can and face the crisis when it is upon us.” He waved and cut the transmission.

From out of the shadows in the background Alycia stepped into the light.”You are a wise man Richard.”

“Not as wise as I would like to be. I would love to know what I can do to prepare us better for that conflict.” He looked at her.”If this is going to work between us, you got to use doors, girl. This sudden appearance number is something I never get used to.”

“I promise, doors from now on. I also going to show you how this is done so you can travel this way. It is a time saved you know.”

“So the Coven has joined? The Cadet has been there?”

“Yes he saw our true forms and acted like a real Union Officer. He tried to establish first contact and impressed us all. There was no fear, but I think someone who has seen the Hugavh of a Narth can not be shocked by anything really.”

She stepped into his reach and rested her arms on his wide shoulders. “We don’t think the fight against the Dark Ones can be won with military power as the Celtest have tried. We think it will be a confrontation of a different nature. The forces will manifest itself in avatars, in beings and these beings will face each other. The prophecy speaks of a decisionthat will be made and that act will decide the outcome of this fight for all eternity to come”

“This is way to metaphysical for me, Alycia. I like to think that I can make a difference with this ship, with marines and with good old human sweat and blood and not mythical super powers.”

“And you will. You do know that I will follow you to whatever end. The Narth joined the Union and so did we. I can not say it any other way, but I feel it is you who will persevere. I think I told you the future is not pre determined. It is shaped by each action we take, but we think there is a reason we Coven manifested in this Universe of all the possible choices. While there are an infinite number of Parallel Universes and realities, there is only one Coven and we think this is the only Universe with Narth. We are certain the decision is made here in this reality in this Universe.”

“So this Eric. Is he the one you think he is? Is he the one to face the Dark Ones?”

“He came before the Coven and we showed him the token to see if he could touch it. To me and you, to everyone it appears to be a simple ring with a fanged skull symbol. Yet no one could touch it. It seems right before you and yet whenever you reach for it it seems out of reach, it is always a finger tip with away, no matter how you try.”

Richard held his breath. “It is one of those artifacts you told me about?”

“Yes, the circle is certain it is one of the twelve tokens. once they are united the Dark One returns to this plane of existence. We are very certain that this ring is one of those.”

“So what happened?”

“Eric wears that ring as we speak. He simply took it and mentioned how neat it looked. We questioned him about his mentors and teachers as the prophecy is quite clear that there must be a White God that teaches and influences the true incarnation of the Dark One. There was none in his life so far. He told us about his youth and how his mother was killed and all this does not fit the description of the promised defender. We believe he might be the father or grandfather of that champion. So if one believes in the prophecy, the coming of the Dark One is still far off, and then there is the prediction of the Narth Supreme that Eric one day becomes Narth. As much as I like to believe all this metaphysical stuff we Coven like so much, I trust Narth predictions far more.”

Richard chuckled. “Amen to that. Now that we discussed al this meta stuff, would you care to join me for a Weiswurscht and a Brezen ?”

“What?”

“Local delicacies of my ancestral home. I am planning to attend a traditional fair and eat myself from one end of the Wiesn to the other with plenty of beer.”

“I love to join you. What does one wear?”

“You will look gorgeous in a Dirndl .”

Part 6 »