CHAPTER 001 - Foreword

Foreword

The Year is 5022 (Old Terran Time). The Milky Way Galaxy is teeming with life and sentient species. Earth is now known as Terra and part of the United Stars of the Galaxies, a multi cultural mega civilization that by now stretches across two quarters of the Milky Way Galaxy and has a foothold in the Andromeda Galaxy. There are over 5030 distinctive member civilizations calling themselves members of the Union. The United Stars Space fleet protects this mega civilization against external threats.

Eric Olafson, born on a cold world called Nilfeheim raised under harsh conditions of a very traditional inward looking society of Neo Vikings left his planet to fulfil his dream to become a Starship captain.

He had reached that goal much sooner than he expected and is now the commanding officer of a unique Starship, the USS Tigershark. The ship is state of the art and incorporates the finest technologies of the most advanced civilizations of the Union.

Eric used to be 198 cm tall and weigh almost exactly 90 kilos. He still has gray eyes and some say he moves with the same purpose and grace as a Tiger or Nubhir Wolf.

Like everyone from Nilfeheim he has a greater tolerance to freezing temperatures and is able to stay submerged under water for a very long time because of gills and eyes that are adapted to see well under water thanks to a second set of clear eyelids. His muscles are denser than that of a standard human, allowing him to swim longer and deeper. Due to that he has great endurance and is much stronger than he looks.

He loves fish, has a very clear sense of honor and hates unfair situations. Even though he doesn’t like to admit it, he carries the same short temper of his father and is more often than not ready to face a challenge with his fists or weapons.

But much has changed. Eric now lives as Black Velvet, a female pirate captain of mysterious background and feared by merchants and other pirates alike.

Currently he appears to be a gorgeous female with beautiful long blonde hair and a killer body. His greatest wish fulfilled and his secret desire no longer a secret, still he isn’t so sure anymore what or who he is.

That he now looks like the fairer sex has done little to change his general approach to problems, head-on. He is no longer oblivious to the fact that his final transformation has yet to occur.

Together with his truly unusual crew he is sent into Freespace to hunt Pirates and Criminals. In order to hunt Eric and the Crew of the Tigershark pose as Pirates themselves. On their journey so far they encountered a ship full of human bodyparts, destined to the meat markets of Togr; met the supreme merchant of the Golden, who more or less black mailed himself into the crew. They encountered a lost tribe of Terrans, shrunk to an average size of ten centimeters; tackled pirates and slavers. Rescued the Gray Nul and thus created a foundation on which peace is possible and followed the Red Dragon to the bleak world of Itheamh. It is here on Itheamh where Erica gets herself and the crew mixed up with the freedom fighters and rebels. While Erica is on her way to the Smelter Moons, Har-Hi, the Dai remains on Itheamh, in temporary command of the Tigershark and on its way to investigate what secret weapon the evil magistrate and the chief of the secret police want to unleash on the rebellious population...