Eric Olafson, Space Pirate 08

Chapter 8: Checkpoint 96

Non Union ships wanting to do business in Union space have to stop at one of these Checkpoints that dot the imaginary border between Union and Free space to get Customs clearance and a transponder code.

While civilian ships could freely enter Union space, they could only land on Union Worlds with the proper Customs documents. Detected warships of other civilizations would result in a border alert and cause an immediate response from the fleet.

Checkpoint 96 was a small ice planet with a rock core approximately the size of Sol systems Pluto. It orbited along with five other similar small planets around a very old bloated red sun named Herman’s Star that probably swallowed most of the bigger planets as it expanded.

We had made it. I was back in Union space. The dark gray inhospitable looking ball we approached looked better to me than Netlor which was a a garden world.

It appeared our transport had received landing permission as it descended fast.

Now we could see the first details of a sprawling space port, vast Duro Crete surface, modern looking sturdy surface buildings.

There at the other end, as big as a mountain and shaped like wedge; sitting on enormous ISAH pods, a Union Fleet Battle ship. Seeing this beautiful symbol of Union might caused a knot of pride in my throat.

Octo-bots rolled busily around and brilliant flood lights bathed everything in cool bluish light, separating the space port from the stark darkness of the rest of the planet’s surface. There was an orderly business-like, efficient atmosphere over everything.

A mechanical arm took our transport like a toy and guided it with machine precision past a force field curtain into a passenger unloading terminal.

I could barely wait until the doors were opened.

Moments later we stepped on a spotless clean surface and at that moment as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders, I felt free again.

Working slide belts, advertising signs for McDonald’s, Arthur’s Swine and Dine and Fat Eddies Stir Fry made my mouth water. Outside on the landing field a fleet destroyer descended. It was a new Barracuda and a platoon of Marines stomped in perfect military precision towards the waiting ship. Even out here, far from Union core everything was in perfect repair and working order.

Never in my life was it clearer to me, that my decision to become a Union service man was the right one. It was my calling to join the fleet and defend all this and our way of life against Slaver scum, Pirates, scheming Kermac and whatever else out there trying to do us harm.

She said standing next to me.”It does feel nice to be back home, does it not?”

I could barely contain my excitement and said after giving air to a deep sigh. “I never thought arriving on a little Outpost would feel so good. I have to restrain myself not to get o my knees and actually kiss the ground. There were times in the past month I thought I would never return. It makes me realize how fortunate we are to be Union Citizens.”

She pointed towards public rest rooms. “Before we go through customs, we need to get changed.”

She didn’t wait for a response from me but walked briskly to the busy restrooms, deposited a few credits to secure a stall and said to the system. “Human Females.” The facility adjusted to the needs of human females and she basically pushed me into a roomy stall with her.

I said. “Can I not rather use my own stall? I don’t mind being frugal but I got millions.”

She giggled. “Silly goose.” She pressed her hand against a wall tile and the tile lit up. A voice said.” Deepa Lydaa NAVINT Commandant recognized.”

The entire floor of the bathroom stall turned into an elevator platform and lowered us fast through a metal shaft and stopped at the entrance to a short corridor. A beautiful Saran woman that reminded me of Elfi wearing a tight black velvet jumpsuit with only a stylized silver pin in the shape of a human brain on her collar greeted us. “Welcome back Admiral Deepa, it is such a rare pleasure to greet you here on this side, Admiral.”

“I am glad to be back Commander Alena, even if it is only for a while. I am bringing a wayward midshipman that is in need of his uniform and his other belongings.”

I was still processing what just happened. Not that I was surprised to find that a public restroom was also a secret entrance to a NAVINT post, but that Mother Superior was not just member of an old Saresii intelligence service, but the actual Commandant of NAVINT, and carried the rank of an Admiral. No wonder Stahl knew her.

Speechless I followed the two women through a slide door marked NAVINT into a typical Navy style Union Lobby with the same mustard colored carpet, the same wood paneled reception desk and the NAVINT logo illuminated behind it on the wall. There even was the obligatory pseudo leather seating group with a few magazines and a potted rubber tree in the corner.

We didn’t stop there and ended up in an office with a large shipping crate sitting on a table and an auto dresser.

The Commandant of NAVINT said. “You will find some of your belongings in the crate and the Auto Dresser received its uniform assembly program from the Devastator so you should be fine. I’ll meet you in ten minutes in the lobby. “Without waiting for me to say anything she left chatting with the Saran PSI Corps officer.

A few minutes later I had used the Auto Dresser and looked at myself in the mirror field. All the female things were gone. No Bioflex mask, but my own face, I was me again. Wearing a crisp black Uniform with mirror shine polished boots, the Uniform blouse diagonally parted with the white lining forming a triangle across my chest. My ribbon read out on the left and my name tag to the right, on the wide black belt a low slung holster with a Union TKU Hellbore Type VI side arm. Over it all, my leather jacket with the Fighter patch, black gloves and a black duck bill hat with the Navy logo at its center and white circular top completed the outfit.

I checked the crate and to my delight there was the brown leather holster with my Colt 45, the H & K Missile rifle and the Kermac Line Blaster I had found on Sin 4.

I put my 45 back where it belonged and TKU Side arm in an fast draw low slung hip holster. I felt right as rain, but I could not help but miss being female, that part of my adventure I had to admit to myself I enjoyed very much. However it was time to be Eric again.

Out in the lobby Mother Superior was gone as well, in her place stood a Union Admiral without any insignia that would tell what she was responsible for.

I saluted and stood in attention.

There was an Admiral on deck after all and this time I even felt joy in this simple military protocol routine. “Midshipman Olafson reporting as ordered, Ma’am.”

She smiled and returned the salute. “Seeing you like this makes me realize that you are also a very handsome young man. I guess I won’t be able to call you Soja anymore, but I think we still can forgo the military protocols. I am sure you heard my name and you can call me Deepa and as our time together draws to an end, let me say I feel blessed to have met you both, Eric and Erica your female side. I have enjoyed your company and I hope you can see past the Admiral and past the things you know about me and we can remain friends.I will answer your calls when I can.”

“Yes, Ma’am, I mean Deepa. I have no words I can use to express the gratitude I feel for all you have done for me. I am very proud I was allowed to be your Soja, to be Nightshade and to be allowed to call you friend.”

She stepped closer and simply hugged me. “I’ll keep an eye on your career and you, I promise and I am certain we will see each other again.”

I didn’t know if I should return the hug but I did and then we stepped apart and she said. “I will remain here to take care of a few things and then I must return to Sin 4. You however will take the elevator back up, pass through customs and report to the Fleet Office. They have standing orders for you.”

Ten minutes later, I resurfaced in the passenger terminal and with a purposeful swing in my steps almost tempted to whistle.

At the security custom point to access the concourse I swiped my CITI and the customs officer said. “Welcome back citizen. Did you bring any luggage, weapons or illegal wares?”

“No luggage but I carry weapons.”

He checked them and my readout.” The Kermac Line Blaster needs to be registered or disposed. The H & K cannot be carried loaded but other than that you are cleared. Your duty side arm is of course permitted.”

I simply left the Kermac weapon with him.

He pointed down the terminal and said. “Officers and fleet personnel do not have to go through civilian customs. Next time you can use the military terminal down there.”

I thanked him and joined the people and beings in the busy space port terminal. The golden robes were everywhere, mostly queuing at the space bus terminal for connecting flights to their actual home destinations, but there were also other civilians and service members of many different Union species. There was a Takkian merchant talking to a tall Spindlar and a Saran. Two flawless Saresii beauties with long silver hair and skin tight cat suits sitting at a Café in the company of a Klack and a Terran, discussing something, the Terran of course recognizable by his sunglasses.

A giant Petharian in police uniform and his robot partner giving a group of tall Andorians directions.

Six Union Army soldiers with planetary defense patches laughing at jokes a Three-Ozian made.

This cauldron of species and individuals dressed in a myriad of colors and fashion choices, shopping walking, traveling in a bright environment that was despite all these beings, clean and free of trash was such a stark contrast to Sin 4 or Alvor’s Cove.

No one here was afraid and tried to hide what they were. No one seemed it necessary to hide from where they came. My good mood observing all this got a serious damper as I saw a group of five smudgy, sloppy dressed GalDrifts, some of them bare feet others wearing beads and purposefully torn clothing.

They were sitting underneath a tree that was part of a grass and fountain area with benches and bushes. One of them was playing some sort of stringed instruments. Two of them smoked; a fourth and fifth simply sat there and watched. As one of them saw me he began to make obscene and loud remarks about the violence loving, government sanctioned murderers of the fleet.

This was Union and everyone had the right to express their opinion and lifestyle they preferred, but it still got to me, especially since one of these derelicts ejected the core on Alvor’s Cove and betrayed us all, thinking he could save his hide that way.

I wondered if that group would yell insults if they were in a slave pen, waiting to be sold. I could already see the entrance to the local Fleet office, marked by two Marines guarding it and below the Fleet logo. My temper had caused me enough trouble and I certainly didn’t need any right now.

So I told myself that there were only a few of them and that the entire GalDrift culture was laughable small. Yet my fists clenched as I saw these leeches.

One of them, with long filthy blonde hair in long dreads got up and actually approached me in strange almost dance like movements. “Hey killer got a few Creds to spare? Instead of killing defenseless aliens, do some good and help out a few free spirits, trying to get of this ice ball.”

I was actually proud of my own self control as I simply ignored him and walked on.

He didn’t give up and danced around me. “Come on, Killer. You love to be called Killer don’t you Soldier boy?” He kept dancing around me. “I know you government slaves got paid today, so how about some Creds?”

His choice of words and seeing that the jacket he wore was a torn, mutilated Fleet issue uniform blouse made me wish I could rip it off and stuff it down his throat, but as far as I knew it was not against any law to wear surplus uniform pieces.

“So what was your last assignment, oppressing a peace loving culture? Or perhaps forcing Union laws upon a civilization that rather wanted to stay free?” Then his eyes went big and he actually poked me with his finger.

“You’re from the Devastator, a Wolfcraft Fighter jock. How does that work out for you, government crook? Getting orders from a non-existent propaganda lie thinking it would impress anyone? If that legendary piece of garbage really existed he should be arrested and turned over to the Kermac and then we would have Universal peace.”

I said slowly and while reciting General orders in my mind.

“Why don’t you take your filthy arse and that ragtag bunch of leeches and go there if you don’t like it here? I also suggest you let me go now.”

“Give me some Creds and I think about it, but you can’t tell me what to do. No one can, that’s what we are all about. No rules, no laws just freedom. Not even if that swine Stahl would exist and be right here, not even he could make me do anything.”

He wasn’t finished ending his sentence when I grabbed him by his collar, twisted it tight and pulled him close. “I say that only once, so listen carefully. If you ever insult the Admiral in my presence again, I will send you on a journey where you don’t need any Credits. Do you understand?”

He spat me in the face and snarled. “Go ahead Government bully, beat me up. I am not afraid of you and everyone will see what you are!”

Despite all my efforts, my stomach begun to cramp and I could almost physically feel my own rage boiling to the surface. He suddenly changed his facial expression. His defiant stare melted away and was replaced by sheer horror.

I had never seen anyone with so much fear. He groaned and cried. “Please, please take it away.” He screamed on the top of his lungs. “The black flames, they burn!”

I let him go and he dropped to the floor crawled backwards, one arm across his face still screaming. “Take it away, please let me go, don’t take me to that abyss, please.”

I wondered what he was seeing or screaming about. The Petharian police men came running, his robot right next to him. “What is going on here, Midshipman?”

I pointed at the GalDrift that was now curling up in a fetal position, sobbing and crying.

“He tried to pan handle money and harassed and insulted me. After he started physically touching me, I took him by the collar and told him to back off. He then started to scream and that is pretty much all.”

The robot said. “Polio-Scan results complete, Citizens statement was 98 % accurate.”

The police officer glared at me from his six yellow eyes and then growled. “I am sorry, Midshipman Olafson. We usually don’t have many GalDrifts on Checkpoint 96 but during the Pilgrim season they come like swarming vermin to panhandle and pick the pockets of pilgrims and travelers.”

More cops had shown up and they rounded up the rest of the GalDrifts, while they protested loudly about police brutality and government oppression.

The robot lifted the still sobbing and almost catatonic dread lock guy from the floor and said. “Medical scan inconclusive, but subject carries a five gram vial of Califerm. Drug induced side effects are likely cause for mental condition.”

The Petharian Officer made a sound like breaking rocks and I realized he was sighing. “Califerm, now that explains everything. Thank you Officer and sorry for the inconvenience, we’ve got enough now to arrest and charge the bunch.”

The robot carried the man away and he was still crying and muttering. “Take it away, please. No more fire. No more black flames, please.”

I didn’t know much about drugs or Califerm, other than it was some kind of illegal and dangerous drug.

With a handheld scanner the Petharian scanned me and said. “Just checking if you got any Califerm on you, that stuff makes you an addict by skin contact alone.”

He checked his read out. “Looks like you dodged the beam, Sir. I still suggest you check with a medical facility for decontamination. You got lots of his genetic material and some body fluids on you.”

That statement made my skin crawl with disgust and had the cop show me the next such facility.

My good mood slowly returned after I had my Uniform deep cleaned and myself showered and decontaminated at a Med Facility. Detailed scans of the attending Med Technician showed I was clean and unaffected, but he diagnosed that I still suffered from badly derma patched sun burns and a developing skin cancer. He fixed me up in no time and declared me fit and healthy.

This time I made it to the Fleet post and reported at the duty desk.

A small furry being, not much taller than maybe forty centimeters, with a long bushy tail wearing Navy Black and the rank insignia of a Lieutenant, sat on a vari-matic chair that looked like a very tall bar stool and looked to at me.

The being had shimmering black button eyes, a tiny snout and long whiskers. I had to restrain myself and not reach out and try to pet the shimmering soft looking fur between the Lieutenants round ears. I said instead. “Midshipman Olafson reporting, Sir.” I swiped my CITI over the reader.

This cute as a button officer scanned over a read out on a screen only it could see and said.

“Yes, Mr. Olafson. There are messages and an order chip for you.” His whiskers shivered and it exposed two prominent yellowish teeth and added. “Midshipman I might be the first Holdian you see in Fleet uniform. Let me assure you I am serving this fleet for six years now and well aware of the strange attraction we Holdians seem to have on humans, but please refrain from petting my head.”

I blushed. “Sorry Sir, I wasn’t even really aware I actually did it. I apologize.”

A document conveyor snapped open and the Holdian took a black dispatch envelope out and pushed it across the counter. “Here are you orders. Please sign here that you received them.”

I pushed my thumb on the presented sign pad and apologized again.

He waved his little hand and said. “Apologies accepted. It happens more often than I can count. Just resist that strange impulse if you meet the Outpost Commandant. She is a Holdian too and hates being cute.”

“I will Sir.”

I went over to the seating group and opened the film cover that sealed the Order envelope. If anyone else but me tried to open it, the message and the Order chip would have been instantly destroyed. I did wonder why I did not received my orders directly onto my Fleet Com PDD I was wearing with my new uniform.

The envelope had the Seal of Fleet command printed on it and a message appeared flashing over the envelope. “Open and receive included messages in secure environment.”

So I asked the Holdian who directed me to an empty office that could be made secure. Once the base Computronic had identified me, it verified that all anti eavesdropping equipment was active and the room secure according to the Blue-Blue-Red protocol requested to be established by the Envelope.

I put the message chip in the desk unit and Admiral Stahl’s Holo appeared across me, the red band below told me that it was a recording.

The message begun.

“Receiving this message means that you made it back to Union space and you have hopefully arrived safe and uninjured. The reasons for these orders to be delivered in such fashion are the details of your rescue that exposed you to the Gray Cats and the Commandant of NAVINT. You are not to reveal any details of your rescue to anyone. Not to your friends, not to Admiral McElligott or Captain Harris. Or putting it in other words, to no one. Even I do not know all the details. The Commandant and I are friends, the nature of her business and her position make it absolutely imperative that you keep those details to yourself.

I know you will understand that and you have been exposed to those secrets because we know we can trust you with them. I am aware that no Psionic trickery can make you reveal them; your friend Narth confirmed that with me.

Please be aware that the level and nature of some of the secrets you now keep make it also necessary to deal with you according to Blue-Blue-Red protocol if there is any suspicion you might have or will reveal them.”

It meant that if there was the slightest suspicion that I was compromised, I was to be executed on sight.

He leaned back and continued. “I know your integrity is unquestionable, but I am forced by our protocols to tell you all that.”

I simply said. “Yes Sir, I understand and I will comply.”

The intelligent recording appeared to have waited for that response and he nodded with a smile. “I know I can count on you.

Now as for your current situation, we have dealt with the problems on Newport. Your friends are back aboard the Devastator. It was planned to also extend your team by one person, your Narth friend, however he overextended his own abilities saving us all and has returned to Narth Prime, but he is well and will also soon return.”

I could not help but grin from one ear to the other hearing that my friends were okay. Even though hearing that Narth did something that affected him, I knew instantly and without doubt he was safe and well.

Stahl had not stopped talking to me, so I backed the recording up a few moments and started it again. He said. “ ... return.” and then continued. “The Devastator is on the way to Checkpoint 96 and our current ETA is fifteen days from when I made this recording.” I checked the displayed chronometer date and compared it with actual time and found that the Devi would arrive in four days.

The Ancient Admiral smiled. “Don’t think we making this trip just to pick you up, Mr. Olafson but Fleet Command found it is overdue we show a little muscle in that area as there is increased pirate activity. Your orders are to stand by until we arrive. Take a day of R&R and then report to the Station Commandant for a duty assignment, which should help to keep you out of any unusual situations till I get there. Again welcome back, Stahl out.”

I destroyed the message. Knowing the Devi was coming with my friends aboard were the best news I heard in a long time.

With my personal mood once again completely restored, I left the base office and looked for a public GalNet terminal.

First I called home; the call to Olafson Rock was answered by my father. There was no hello or anything. We just stared at each other for a while and then he broke the silence and said. “It is good to see you son. You look every inch like the Starfleet Officer you always wanted to be.”

“Thank you father, how are things back on Nilfeheim and at the Burg?”

“Shortsummer is still three years away and it is a particularly cold Longnight this season. Ice fishers complain that the ice cover is thicker than usual and the fish even less active.”

He shrugged, “But you know how it is they say that every Longnight around this time. Our Clan is doing well and I am very proud of Elena and I will step down as Clan chief after the next Yuletide meeting and plan to make her officially the first female Clan Chief of Nilfeheim.” He paused and looked down. “You are not opposed to that, right?”

“No father, I made my decision and recent events made me realize that it was the right one. I am proud of Elena too and I know she will be a good Chief. But will she be accepted by the others?”

He slammed his huge fist on the desk he was sitting behind. “I will break anyone’s neck who gives her any disrespect. She is Olafson. Besides most of our associated clans have long accepted her, she has been runing things for quite a while now and she is doing a better job than I could have ever done. We are prosperous and our coffers are full with profit. She is courted by every single warrior, as she has truly become the most beautiful woman on Nilfeheim. I think there will be a wedding soon.”

I greeted the good news and asked. “How is everyone else, Uncle Hogun and Exa?”

“Elena, my brother and his family which includes Exa are off planet, they all went to a place called Para-Para. Ever since the first visit to Pluribus, the spell seems to be broken and everyone travels a little more. The space bus service is now weekly and the bus are always booked.”

We exchanged a few more words and then concluded the call.

Next I tried to reach Egill and got a connection too, but instead of Egill, it was Elena who answered. “Eric!” She yelled.

Then she turned and yelled someone outside the viewer field. “Hurry, Exa tell the others Eric is calling.”

Elena was wearing a dark red bikini and the PDDs visual sensor gave me a very nice look at her well developed chest. Her hand manipulated what seemed to be a small PDD and switched its optical to wide view. Now I could see her sitting on a wooden recliner right at a beautiful beach with white sands and an azure green ocean. There were many others around them; no one wore much in terms of clothing. Like a beaching landing tank making gushing tidal waves, Uncle Hogun came running form the water. I had never seen him just in a pair of swimming trunks, he was truly humongous. Most of his chest and his arms were covered with black hair. Right behind him surfaced Aunt Freydis. I saw Exa hopping up and down the beach and waving at someone to come.

Elena moved the PDD around and heard her say. “Uncle Egill went to the beach store to get ice cream, his Saresii friend went with him, but the Narth is here.”

I saw a Narth in his typical get up, looking completely out of place at the beach, but floating in a very relaxed body position as if he was using a recliner, a few feet of the ground.

Next to him floated a basket like contraption that was partially covered with a blue cloth. Even though Narth looked alike, I knew it was not my friend, but most likely the Narth representative.

I could hear Elena. “Uncle Narth is watching over little Eric. The Narth representative takes his godfather duties very serious.”

The Narth turned his head without changing his position, but now I could see there was also a glass of something orange with fruits and a straw floating on the other side of him. “It pleases one to behold the sharer of what is Narth to be well and safe. One likes to convey that your Hugavh sharer is also well and will return shortly.”

His voice was very low and then he said. “One wishes to ask you all to reduce the level of acoustic expressions perhaps by a factor of 17 percent. One observed that noises beyond this tend to wake my godchild.”

Elena objected before I could say anything. “Eric doesn’t call all that often and he should see his nephew. He never has.”

The Narth did change his position now and got up. “Analyzing human social behavior indicates that you have raised a valid objection, she who is Elena.”

The Narth, most gently took a baby out of the basket. It was a healthy looking boy of about one year of age.

He wore to my surprise a little version of a Narth robe. The boy stretched his arms and clung to the Narth.

Uncle Hogun and Aunt Freydis followed by Exa came into view and the greetings and hellos were heartwarming and I felt blessed to have family after all. After exchanging the usual greetings and news, Hogun took the child from the Narth, brushed back the little hood and said. “Eric, meet Eric Narth Olafson, your nephew. Don’t ask why he looks like a little Narth, but that’s what the little bugger wants, besides this robe is supposedly be nearly indestructible and his godfather is more protective of him than a Tyranno Fin mother of her nest.”

Egill and the Saresii representative arrived carrying a tray of ice cream and I was instantly reminded of Krabbel.

Egill looked completely different now as he had when I saw him first. He was no longer as thin.

While he still looked like an old man, he appeared to be very healthy. His skin had a nice tan and his usual yellowish white stringy beard was now white and full and neatly trimmed. I knew the Saresii was male but there was no telling. He looked as good as any Saresii woman.

After I greeted them too Egill explained that it had been Exa’s idea to take a little vacation on a nice place and so they all decided to spend a few weeks on Para Para.

I had to promise to call more often and come home after I graduated and spend my vacation with them.

These calls managed to push the bad experiences further into the background and Alvor’s Cove and Sin 4 became just another set of memories.

I spent the rest of the day eating at three different restaurants. I even found a fish restaurant that offered something called Clam Chowder, Boston style and it was almost as good as Tyranno Fin stew.

Checkpoint 96 main settlement was right by the Space port.

There weren’t many local attractions worth visiting. The independent tourist development board of Checkpoint 96 praised an amusement park, a large Terran style forest with lake and camping area and an Ice canyon tour. The very word Canyon made me decide against that tour and the amusement park did not really attract me.

So I went to the forest, protected by a large dome from the freezing near vacuum conditions on the outside. It was much better than I expected. Golden sunlight filtered through the green canopy of large trees. Birds made a pleasant noise and I saw a four legged animal with an elaborate horn thing on its head. Little un-intrusive holographic signs identified the trees as Oaks, conifers and birch trees. The animal according to the Computronic was a buck and all the plants grasses, trees, birds and animals came from a Terran region called North America.

The surroundings were soothing and had a calming effect and I actually wondered if I should try to visit Earth one day. The lake was clear and cold. At its shore was a rustic looking boat house made of rocks and logs, where you could rent little electric boats or sit on a wooden platform and buy drinks and snacks. There I rented a locker and purchased swimming trunks and a towel and moments later dove head first into the fresh cool water. It had been ages so I found that I was immersed in water and could swim and dive. I could not tell how long I swam, competing with the small fast fish that were abundant in this cool and clear lake, but this day so far turned out to be as perfect as a day could be. I was back on Union side, had talked to my family and had a long swim.

Back in my uniform, I was sitting at one of the little tables, drinking ice cold lemonade and watching the little boats glide over the shimmering surface.

Someone said. “I didn’t think I would see you so soon again.”

I turned to put a face on the familiar voice and stared in the smiling face of Tirkov the Mercenary, but this time he was clean. He wore a dark gray combination with reinforced knees and elbow pads and a leather jacket. I noticed the motion capture pads and neuro interface connectors on his suit and recognized it as a Battle Walker control Suit. Marines no longer used Battle walkers ever since the advent of the Quasimodo Main Battle suits, but I knew Orbital Assault Units of the Union Army still did. He was in the company of a tall red head. She would have been a beauty and she had a nice body, but half of her face was covered with swirly tattoos and her right eye and ear were covered or replaced by a cybernetic implant. Cyber Implants could be made invisible but I heard that most Cybers loved to show their hardware openly. She too wore a control suit.

Tirkov turned a chair so he could put his arms on the back rest and he was chewing something. His toothy smile however was unchanged. He waved at his companion to find a seat too and said to her. “That’s the tough as nails Union jock responsible for getting us out of the slave pens.”

He leaned forward and whistled as he checked out my ribbon display. “Holy Phoenix, Lagda look at that. Medal of Honor, Silver Stars, Bronze Stars, Space Ace and that’s just the top row.”

He kept grinning. “You weren’t fibbing either you are of the Devi.”

Finally I managed to say something. “I did not expect to see you here either, but I am glad to see you made it of that cursed dust ball.”

He waved for the waiter and ordered Hatar. As far as I knew it was some sort of very strong alcoholic beverage made by a Galactic Council species I could not remember at the moment.

His companion simply looked me over with her left eye but said nothing.

He said. “Our mutual friends and I liberated the surviving rest of my crew and hired on a bunch more and paid a late night visit to the Local Lord. He was very accommodating and let us borrow his private ship.” He laughed loud took the drink right of the waiters tray and poured the greenish liquid right down his throat, throwing back his head and smacked his lips saying to the waiter. “Get a few more of these, good man”

To me he said. “Of course he wasn’t all that happy that we left him tied up on the middle of the landing field. I wonder if he made it or if they found him after he baked for a few hours in the sun.”

I sipped at my lemonade and said. “As far as it concerns me, I would not mind to hear that a ship landed on him or a lizard dragged him away for food.”

He downed another drink and his companion did the same.

Then he said. “I guess it was bound to happen that we ran into each other here on this Outpost. It is the closest one to Alvor’s after all. The Union cits are on their way home. We got us a nice reward for each of them. Now we’re here to lay low and safe until the Hard Eight, my personal flag ship arrives. The Local Lord as you might suspect is a little upset and has a bounty on my head, but as soon as the Hard Eight and my crew arrives this will not be a problem.”

He didn’t even wait for me to say anything and pointed at my patches.” I guess my offer could not compete with being a fighter jock aboard the Devastator, but if you ever change your mind give me a buzz.”

He snapped with his fingers and the woman handed me a business card and he explained. “I don’t advertise where I keep my HQ but I maintain an office on Pluribus and usually can be reached, unless of course I end up in a Slave pen again or worse.”

The woman spoke for the first time and her voice synthetically enhanced with a metallic background and echo gave me the creeps.

“Now we never had a friend inside the mighty fleet. Maybe you could help us with a little Intel. All we want to know is where that cursed Harlequin currently can be found. All you Union fleeter need to do is raise your voice just about anywhere and a Computronic provides you with all sorts of data.”

I looked at her as cold and business like as I could.

“I am glad you know that part. Only because of respect to Tirkov I am not raising my voice and call for security, but let me make that clear to both of you. I am not your friend inside the fleet and should I ever witness you breaking the law I will do whatever is necessary to restore order and bring you to justice.”

Tirkov raised both hands and leaned back. “Whoa, don’t get your black underwear all bunched up. All we did was ask. I owe that mercenary colleague of mine a nice vacation on Alvor’s Cove and I put all other business on hold until I can make sure he knows how much I loved his travel arrangements. For you it would be easy to check scanner results all up and down the line and find the last location of that SOB, but you got your regulations and laws and all that and that’s exactly the reason I run my own outfit.”

He got up and tipped his head. “Well thanks for getting me out of that cage; I owe you one for that. Maybe we run into each other again. Not that I want to be anywhere near where that flying continent does business.”

“Take care Tirkov.”

She got up as well but put her hands on the table surface and leaned close scanning me with her one good eye. “You’re just a little boy in a black uniform. I am not impressed by those medals. The boss says you helped him escape and that is the only reason I am leaving you alive right now.”

I got up and moved close almost touching her forehead. “Anywhere anytime, Cyberbitch. Maybe I should simply arrest you under the suspicion of espionage activity and see what other dirt we find. Starting with your Cyberware and checking if it is properly registered.”

Tirkov called. “Leave him alone Lagda, he has a short temper and I seen him slice and dice a Togar warrior with his own knife.”

She left giving me one more look and then after a few hundred meters they both disappeared behind trees following the winding forest path.

I could not shake the feeling that this wasn’t the last time I heard from him or her.

The next day I reported to the Fleet post commandant as ordered and reminded myself that she was a Base Commandant and reached the rank of Commander. Meaning she had completed Academy and basic training. Yet she was about the cutest thing I had ever seen. The fur that stuck out the black uniform had a peach colored shine to it and it looked softer than anything. The urge to touch it just once was almost irresistable.

She had somewhat longer and more pointed ears than the Holdian Luitenant I had met first. Her nose was pink instead of black. The large all black eyes shimmered soft and I was certain she had black long eyelashes.

The Holdian Commandant sat behind her desk, or more correctly she actually sat on the desk and looked over my file.

“No sense to keep a young man idle, we are always short handed out here.”

She got up from the pillow she used as a seat and paced up and down her massive desk, and then she threw her small hands in the air and said.

“It’s bad enough to be out here as it is, but during that crazy religious season on Netlor we are simply overwhelmed. I only have one Battleship and two Super cruisers to keep an eye on 580 square light years of spatial border line, but we have the dubious luck to be the closest Union system to Sin 4 and Netlor. Every scum and every spy is trying to get past us into union space. Now they send me a Midshipman decorated like the Silver rat of Mount Aktura, from the Devastator no less and orders directly from the Immortal Warrior.”

She stopped her pacing right before me and looked at me with quivering whiskers, her little fists stemmed in her sides. I could not say much as I was still standing in attention. She then pointed her pinkish paw like hand that was covered with the finest touch of fur at my nose.

“You appear out of the blue, no ship has landed that I don’t know about and no officers or soon to be officers have been transferred.

You are here to check on me right? Fleet Command doesn’t think a female Holdian can do the job and sends me Midshipman to give him something to do.”

She placed mimicked quotation marks with her fingers as she said ‘Midshipman’.

She pointed her little finger at me again. “What do you say to that?”

“Ma’am, I am still in attention.”

She snapped with her fingers in a very human gesture and said. “Oh right, sorry about that Midshipman Olafson, at ease!

I worked very hard to be where I am and it wasn’t easy, oh no. Everyone thinks of me as some cute cuddle thing and rarely do I get the respect other Commanders get.” She glared at me. “Do you find me cute?”

“Well perhaps if I compare you to a Petharian I might come to the conclusion but otherwise, you’re just another Officer to me, Ma’am.”

“Liar.”

She accused me to be and I could not even defend myself without lying more so I didn’t.

Then she went back to her pillow and sat down.

Now since I could talk I said. “Ma’am I assure you I am just a Midshipman and I arrived here from Netlor. I am not here to evaluate you or report on you. I know next to nothing about this Checkpoint other than that it exists and until yesterday I had never seen a Holdian nor did I know a Holdian commands this base.”

She was still giving me a smoldering stare and said.

“Netlor, I see, perhaps you are a spook. I don’t trust you NAVINT guys one bit. Yes I know you are necessary and no disrespect meant.

Perhaps you are not a spook and just a believer like the rest that goes to that place. I am supposed to give you something to do for four days and then what?”

“Then I hope to be reassigned Ma’am back on my ship to hopefully graduate.”

She waved. “Your ship is the Devastator; she won’t come here to pick up a Midshipman.”

She pressed a contact on her desk unit. “Command and Control, check for me what ship is supposed to come to pick up our guest?”

A voice responded. “The Devi is on her way, Ma’am. Mr. Olafson is scheduled to transfer in four days.”

She glared at me even more. “Simple midshipman my furry behind, excuse my language, Mr. Olafson. Now report to Lieutenant Yordat he is the flight boss here. You supposed to be a Wolfcraft ace and we got lots of patrols to fly.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

I turned and was about to leave, fighting to keep the grin that is creeping in my face long enough under control until I was out the door.

--””--

It took me a while to find and reach the base hangars. They were almost exactly on the other side of the small planet. After a trip on a Trans Planet Mover that traveled not in a tunnel but on a surface mono rail across the planets almost featureless ice surface. A TPM employee told me the trip would take about four hours. The TPM would travel at supersonic speed but still had to travel a little over 3,800 kilometers and would have to make two stops on the way.

I didn’t mind. While I was eager to get behind the controls of a Wolfcraft again, but I promised Mother Superior, the mysterious Deepa that I would try to be more patient. The Devi was on her way along with my friends. I was on a Union Planet and I was on my way to do a job I loved to do. Life could not be much better.

After shooting over the thin mono rail for maybe fourty minutes, it slowed down and a voice announced. “Methane-Village, passengers with destination Methane-Village please prepare to debark in 3 minutes.”

The TPM train slipped into a transparent, brightly lit tunnel. A mother with a small child on her hand passed through the isle and towards the doors. She wore a bright red padded suit with a folded helmet in the collar. The child looked the same, except its suit had little blue dots all over.

Outside a lonely S-10 service bot pushed a cleaning tool over the floor.

I watched the mother and the child use a declining slide belt and could see a collection of dome shaped buildings and dozen yellow lights not far from the mono track halfway buried in the methane and carbon monoxide snow.

I wondered how it would be to grow up out here or why they had chosen to be there.

The train moved on and I made it to the fighter base.

The TPM came to a halt and I exited with three other Fleet men. Enlisted from the looks of it and perhaps back from a few days R & R.

Most of the Base so it seemed was built on the Surface inside a shallow but sizeable crater. In the distance I could see they had built Wolfcraft Revolving-starters right into the rim of the Crater aiming into the dark sky at a steep angle. Six large surface to space planetary defense batteries with long range Trans locators Mega Load capacity from the looks of it dotted the crater floor. I also counted twelve missile silos, most likely long range anti ship drones and eighteen tall turrets with quadruple Loki torpedo starters.

That was some serious firepower for a little planet like that, but then it was near the most pirate infested and lawless stretch of space in the Galaxy and when the battle ship associated with the Checkpoint was on patrol, the base was not helpless.

Most prominent in the center of the crater was a humongous Deep Space Scanner array. I doubted the Devi had bigger scanners.

The installations looked like they could be reached via sub surface tunnels and IBT’s.

An IBT carried me right to the local fighter squadron.

I knocked at the designated door for the Squadron Commandant, was called in and faced a short, muscular man.

He had his flight suit sleeves rolled up to show his sinewy, muscle bulging arms. His hair sleek and black, regulation short. He had bright blue eyes and a goatee and moustache.

The Lieutenant came around his desk and shook my hand after I reported with the proper salute. “No need for that, Midshipman Olafson. I was just informed that we get a real Ace, from the Devi’s 12th no less to fly a few patrol sorties with us.”

I shook his hand more embarrassed and surprised by his greeting than everything else. “Nice to meet you too Sir.”

“Rock hound, the Call sign is Rock hound. Hey call you the Viking right?”

I nodded. “Well yes, that is because I am from Nilfeheim.”

He offered me a cigar. “Yes, yes. I just got off GalNet with Commander Cotton and he told me about you.”

He took me to the ready room where six Wolfcraft pilots and two more stood at a pool table and introduced me loudly. “Guys, don’t let the Midshipman rank fool you. We got a genuine Ace among ourselves, Flying Cross, Ace Ribbon, the works. From the Devi no less.”

This was really getting embarrassing and I said. “Guys, just let me do my stuff and then judge me. I’d rather like you to know me for what I am and not for stuff that happened light years elsewhere.” A Takkian came over and poked his sharp claw in my chest. “I like modest humans, but I am the hottest pilot this side of the Pegasus arm and I think I’ll take you up on that. Care for some dog fight action mano e takkia?”

“That’s what I am eager to for, get some vacuum under my butt.”

I got a Wolfcraft IV not a V model but there were minor differences, and it turned out they all flew IV’s.

I almost asked the Auto Doc to give me a euphoria dampening drug as the Revolver starter catapulted me into deep space. I yelled on the top of my lungs, drew the Wolfcraft in a tight loop so I could feel a little of the gravitons come through. The computronic asked me if I was alright and I actually patted the Ultronit housing where the computronic was and said. “Girl, I never felt better. Let’s show that walking pine cone what flying means.”

Granted I did show off a little, despite my initial decision not to. Oh they were good, they were trained Union Wolfcraft pilots and I was sure they would do a fine job fighting pirates, but it was hard to be humble after flying against the best the Devi had and then holding my own against Har Hi.

I didn’t really want to land again. I would have been perfectly content to stay out here till the Devi arrived.

I was the last to land the Wolfcraft and joined the local jocks in their ready room. There was silence at first and they all looked at me as if a ghost had entered the room.

The Takkian who went by the call name Hot Stuff saluted and said.

“I never even considered the things you did with that Wolfcraft possible. I always considered myself a good pilot, but you beat us all even as we tried together. Viking we tried to make a fool out of you and didn’t believe the hype Rock Hound told us about you. Boy you showed us.”

Rock Hound handed out cigars to everyone.

“That’s what they smoke on the Devi, Commander Cotton told me. Maybe that’s their secret.” He laughed and pounded his hand on my back.

I received quarters and was assigned a regular duty roster and completed the first day flying wingman to a patrol through the system and escorting a space bus with engine trouble further out until a Bison came and towed it to the Checkpoint.

Rock Hound, Hot Stuff and two others told me we all would now complete the day having a drink at the Officers lounge.

While I was technically a Midshipman and not a commissioned officer yet, I was a Medal of Honor recipient and as such the lounge was open to me.

The first thing I noticed after the sprawling windows giving a view over the crater were the many different uniforms. There was a lot of Union Army green around, much more than Fleet Black or Marine Blue. Two light blue Science Corps Officers looked completely out of place sitting at the far end of the bar.

By an old Assembly decision it was decreed to maintain an Army. Despite the fact that all the tasks an Army would have in a space born society could be done by spacers and marines. Of course the only real reason to keep an Army were traditions carried over especially by the Pan Sarans and the Terrans.

To give the Army a legitimate task, Union Army was responsible for planetary and system defenses, Pluribus Assembly security and designated for full scale planetary surface warfare.

The Army also fielded and maintained several specialized units. Among them was the Planetary Army Engineer Corps, the prestigious First Guard of Pluribus, Orbital Para-Assault Divisions and technically the PSI Corps was an Army Unit as well even though it was independent of all branches. Unlike the Fleet it was not helmed by an Immortal and did not have the same budget or attention the Fleet received. The Army could by Assembly decree not have any ships, so they maintained a fleet of Transport barges and Drop Boats and they compensated by equipping their troops with Mega Tanks, towering Battle Walkers and mountain sized Planetary Siege Engines. None of the 25,000 Leviathan PSE had ever been deployed in real war but every five years the Army argued before the Armed Forces committee they needed better and upgraded ones.

I was on my second Pilsner and Aquavit while I was thinking about what I knew of the Union Army when two Army men started an argument with a Navy Officer three tables down.

Hot Stuff, as a true Takkian looked more or less like a walking pine cone and came from a very hot planet, enjoyed a small vial of Water. To Takkians who were Silicone based life forms, water was as intoxicating to them as hard liquor was to me.

Hot Stuff sipped at his water vial and said. “How come you know so much about Takkians?”

I tried to ignore the argument that became louder and answered. “I had the good fortune to serve aboard the USS Hyperion under Captain Zezzazz. The Communication officer of the Hyperion, Lt. Miglar was Takkian.”

He shook his head. “I happen to know Lt. Miglar but he isn’t Takkian, but Takian, almost the same but we are pronounced with two ‘k’. The Takians are very close related to us, much like the Sarans and Terrans.”

I had to raise my voice a little to make sure he understood. “Seems you both enjoy water to get drunk!”

He downed the rest of his water and said.” We sure do but then we are the only Silicone species that get drunk from water. The Piamee for example who are Silicone beings can’t do nothing with water.”

We both tried to keep our conversation neutral and ignore the argument, but then an Army Lieutenant reached for the Navy ensign and pulled him half across the table, Glasses tumbled and the Second Army officer actually whacked the Ensign across the face and I said.

“Come on gentleman, this is an officer’s club and not an enlisted bar. I suggest you take it outside and do be fair, two against one isn’t exactly honorable you know.”

The Lieutenant quite obviously drunk dropped the ensign. “Who asked you for your opinion? This is an Army base and we should not even have to share our facilities with the high and mighty Navy.”

He kicked the table aside and moved towards me, his intentions clear. Did I ever manage to stay clear of trouble? He was a Lieutenant, Army or not hitting him would be not a good idea.

But Rock Hound laughed and rolled up his sleeves even more and grinned deeply satisfied.” Welcome to Checkpoint 96, Mr. Olafson and welcome to the bi weekly club rumble. Well a rumble it will be until the Marines get mixed in, so be careful and duck.”

The wiry muscle packed Wolfcraft pilot catapulted himself past me and attacked the other Army officer, while the Navy ensign on the floor performed a leg sweep against the Army man and moments later it was a free for all slug fest. So far I managed not to get hit and evade, I hoped I could manage to maintain that until Base security showed up, but then Rock Hound sailed past me and yelled. “Mr. Olafson we can’t let the Army win.”

As much as I wanted to stay out of trouble, he had a valid point...

--””--

The cute Commander wasn’t pleased at all. She was pacing before the holding cells of base security.

Her bushy tail twitched nervously and agitated and then she first chewed out the Lieutenant. “It’s the eleventh time this year that I am here to bail you out Lieutenant. Let me make that absolutely clear to you, there won’t be a twelfth time.”

We all stood in attention. It wasn’t long since Base Securityand thus Marines finally moved in and only the more severe cases had yet received medical attention. Not due to lack of medical facilities, but due to a standing order of the Commandant. This why Lt. Yordat sported a split lip, and not one but a double set of colorful shiners, he belched out a stern. “Yes Ma’am.”

She stopped and said. “Now I understand the Navy is seriously under-represented with only one squadron on this side of our cold little world, and I am long enough in this Unions Fleet to understand that there are fundamental differences between our brave and strong Army and Fleet Spacers, so I am deeply and I must say very deeply disappointed to see not one Army officer in the brig as well.”

Her little fists clenched, “Next time you better call for back up and I will come.”

Rock Hound said with painful looking grin. “Ma’am as much as we could have used your help, there aren’t any Army here because they are all in sickbay. We had the great fortune to have a drunk Neo Viking on our side who did the Bezerker part after someone insulted his mother.”

I looked ashamed at my boot toes and said. “Sorry Ma’am.”

She looked up and said to Rock Hound. “Don’t tell me the Navy won this time?”

“Yes Ma’am the Navy won.”

Her voice changed from the shrill accusing tone to a satisfied one. “Well done men. Let’s get you out of here and then you need to tell me all about it ... just after I send my apologies to the Army Commandant.”

Chapter 9 »