Eric Olafson, Captain Black Velvet 28

Chapter 28

Cateria had arrived and with her came several Med Techs and five med bots. Har-Hi himself had piloted the tank down. Now my XO came over to where I was standing and smirked. “The next time I am going with you on an away mission, I wear a helmet. That rock hammered me real good, you know.”

I squeezed his hand and put my other hand on his shoulder. “I am sorry, it was my fault. I should have listened to you.”

He chuckled. “No it wasn’t your fault. We all picked a dangerous profession and getting out of bed is dangerous.”

I sighed and frowned at him. “I guess you will lecture me now that we should not get involved in local affairs, right?”

“No Captain, I won’t. I am your XO and must be the devil’s advocate, but once you make a decision, I support it to my last breath.” He crossed his arms and said. “I am just glad it isn’t me who has to write the log book entry or explain what we are doing to the admiral.”

We all arrived at the rebel hideout with the first rays of light of a new day, I had remained with the Togar and several marines to guard the trucks and make sure they arrived safe and unobserved.

There in the cavernous belly of the freighter wreck industrious and well organized was Cateria, med bots and med techs. They had triaged the wounded, set up treatment tents and processed what looked like endless line of beings.

To the Togar I said. “I was under the impression there were only a few wounded, where do they all come from?”

An Ithe woman came over and shook my hand with both of hers. “I can see again! I can see again! Dugos the benevolent Spirit has heard my chants, thank you!”

The Togar answered my question. “No one here has seen a doctor or got any medical aid in ages. The news of your miraculous med crew spread like a wildfire through this community of ours.” He looked to the floor and I sensed the big cat felt embarrassed. “I am sorry for us taking so shameless advantage of you.”

I said. “I don’t think you need to be ashamed or embarrassed. I am glad we can help.” Pointing at his bandaged arm, I added. “You should have that checked out by my CMO as well.”

“I will be last, if there any supplies left.”

“Ninety, I see you are a good leader with the wellbeing of your people foremost on your mind, but as a leader you are needed and you can do that best by being well. I am sure we can manage supply wise.”

I walked with him over to Cateria, who just came out of a treatment tent. I said to her, “Sorry for putting all this on you, but I have one more.”

She actually smiled and said. “Captain, I know I am not always the most emotional person and I am well aware of my reputation, but I became a Medic because I wanted to help. It was my idea to have those people checked and I tell you some of them really needed our help badly, lots of infected Taser and whip burns, gouged eyes and other wounds from torture. Captain, this is why I am a physician.”

While she spoke she scanned the arm of the Togar.

Just then Jolaj the white Togar girl came out of the treatment tent carrying a small Ithe child and handing it to its waiting mother. “He is fine now, I treated his skin infection.”

The big Togar fell to his knees and buried his head between his arms. “My life is blessed. I was privileged to gaze upon the Goddess with the innocent fur.”

Jolaj said.” Get up, Togar.Perhaps once I was a Goddess, but that changed. I became an outcast and a wanted criminal by the decree of the Queen and the high priestess. Now however I am med tech First Class Jolaj Grotha, Union citizen.” She actually raised her chin and her voice as she said that and she looked quite proud.

Ninety got up, but still bowed devoutly. “Neither jealous priestesses nor blind queens can change the fact, what all Togr kind knows. What joy and hope will you bring to the thousands of Togar slaves on the smelter moons if they hear the White Goddess, Child of Marmou is alive!”

She waved her white paw and said. “I would not want to return if the queen herself offers me all the treasures and honors the empire could bestow. I am a free Union citizen, have a purpose and friends.”

Cateria leaned over and whispered to me. “Her official CITI came over GalNet just a few days ago and Lt. Har-Hi made her conscription official. She tells that to everyone at least three times a day.”

Former commander Roghor holding a TKU carabine and wearing black pirate leather came from the entrance and said.”Captain, the recon sentries are deployed as the XO requested.”

Ninety bowed again. “Mighty Roghor himself, the brother of the Queen!”

“And as a male, accused by a female I had no chances and no recourse. Mighty Roghor is no more, Commander Roghor died when the Vighrr exploded. I am Roghor, of the Silver Streak and serve Captain Black Velvet.”

I thanked Roghor and said.”So you are the brother of the queen?”

“A fact that has not spared me demotion or humiliation, a fact that would not spared me an execution. No captain, I am like Jolaj. I care for Togr but not the Empire. My son and my daughter have made the same decision. We will be citizens of the Union and maybe my children or their offspring will see a free Togr.”

I motioned to the astounded rebel leader.”Wy don’t you two catch up on things, while I make myself more representable?”

I had a shower in one of the inflatable hygiene modules that were part of the medical equipment brought down from the Tigershark and Shea presented me with a new leather suit. The greatest joy in days was to use a simple brush on my clean again hair that had looked like an old floor mob. Feeling much more presentable, I checked with the ship to make sure everything was alright and then had a bite to eat.

The medical treatment of the rebels was still going on, but the line was much shorter now.

Ninety intercepted me with Roghar at his side.” First the All white Goddess and now Roghar, the mighty among your crew. Who are you really?”

Roghar bowed.”She is my Captain. I told you I am the Mighty no longer and have been reduced and humiliated, many periods ago. That the Goddess found shelter aboard her ship, surprised me not. She is indeed Joltaj the Goddess, but like me she found greater purpose and a new home.” To me he said.”Thank you for saving her and accepting me and my children.”

One of the Ithe joined us. “Your Gryther is doing well, and the other wounded animals will soon be fully recovered as well.”

I looked over to the stable boxes and said. “I am glad to hear that.”

Ninety said “You will leave soon I assume?”

“I am a little pressed for time and this is not what I am supposed to do, but seeing women and children executed; villages exterminated for water makes me thinking. I am also still hearing my Chef’s words. So I am not leaving just yet. However I am pondering what we could do right now.”

Har-Hi came out of the landing tank and came over. “I set up perimeter guards; I am sure the local authorities will discover the destroyed regional headquarters soon.”

I looked at him from the side. “You completely destroyed it?”

He tried to make an innocent face. “I did have a few Antimatter grenades left and I was not in a good mood, Captain. Besides you should talk to your Narth friend. I never saw anything scarier than him turning loose his powers.”

“All the troops are dead?”

“We did leave a few alive, but after we freed the prisoners, they armed themselves and showed no mercy. Most of the soldiers were killed by the prisoners. A few escaped I am sure and some were secret sympathizers.”

Ninety said. “It is hard to predict what they will do. They may retaliate against villages and small communities in the district. They may go into a full attack and round up everyone.”

The female Ithe commandant had joined us and she said. “I think the regional commander will keep it quiet and simply replace the soldiers and rebuilt. I know him and he would not want to explain to the Magistrate how a military convoy and the regional HQ got destroyed. He will however terrorize the region even worse.”

I turned to her and said. “Thank you for keeping your word and freeing my friends and alerting my ship, Commandant.”

She declined her head. “I am a Commandant no more. To the world I am dead like the rest, but I am free.”

Cateria now also joined our small group and said. “We are pretty much done here, Captain. Everyone is treated. Jolaj and my staff are wrapping things up and then we can pack everything.”

Har-Hi made a snorting sound, looking at me from the side and said. “This concludes our involvement here, right?

Everything in me told me to stay and do something about the situation, but so far I had no clear idea what to do, that could have any effect on the local conditions.

A Karthanian who was the only one of his kind among the rebels, had fought alongside the mountain Ithe, but had not spoken much so far. I only really noticed him standing near the Togar as he spoke.

He said to Har-Hi. “You are Dai Than and acts of mercy might not come as easy to you as to your female friend and Captain.

The medical help you provided has mended more than bones and healed more than wounds. It has raised hopes and reignited dreams, that we are not alone in this hopeless struggle after all. The fate of Itheamh and its people is closely linked to the conditions in the Karthanian Conglomerate and as long as the First Engineer is kept prisoner and asleep by the horrible Guild Masters, the Karthanian hand lays heavy on this world. Like the Ithe and the Drak, not all Karthanians are bad.”

The Togar rebel leader sighed and said. “My bone faced friend speaks of the realization we all have to face, that our rebellion movement has no chance of ever succeeding and freeing our world. It is this hopelessness that keeps us from speaking with one voice. I am certain even many Drak would follow us if we could make some headway.”

While I listened to them, somewhere in my mind, a spark of an idea, began to grow. I was not yet able to put it into thoughts or even words. I said to the Karthanian. “Tell me more about the Karthanian situation.”

The rigid face of the Kartanian could not show emotions, at least none I could identify, but his voice was full of emotions I could understand. “I still have hope. One day someone will break into the deep chamber underneath the Guild Hall and carry the lost key to awaken the First Engineer. He will wipe away all corruption and the filth that besmirches the noble and ancient halls of our trades. When this happens, the Smelter moons will go cold and no sentient being be it Karthanian, Togar or anyone else will be forced to work and die. We have been honest engineers and paid for labor. No slavery existed in the days the First engineer guided us. When we are free once more, Itheamh will be free too. The Drak Magistrate who bases his power on Karthanian masters will be swept away.”

The Kartanian turned once more to Har-Hi and said. “Even you would rejoice, as there are many thousand Dai slaving and dying on the Smelter Moons. There are species that adjust to slave labor better than others. I can tell you, your kind is not one of them; they suffer greatly as their pride is hard to crush. Yet we still call them brothers.”

Har-Hi said to him. “You misjudge me, Karthanian. Dai are as honorable and able to feel compassion just as humans do, but I am the first officer of our ship first and foremost and in this capacity I must remind my Captain of our primary mission. We have little time and we are just a small ship, not a battle ship with thousands of trained marines to simply topple the regime and then have the time to stay and make sure you do not start to fight among each other. When you remove one force, the vacuum that is created cannot stay empty. Nation building is a difficult business, not to mention that it is against Union regulations to interfere in such ways.”

The Togar nodded slowly. “I understand your dilemma and we are not asking you to stay or fight with us, we merely hoped you would.”

Har-Hi again turned to the Karthanian saying. “You are correct, Dai-Than do not do well in captivity, but I doubt there are thousands of Dai slaves. Where would they come from? The Karthanian and the Togar are formidable but they are not capable of overcoming Dai Tribes and capture thousands.”

The Karthanian snapped back. “Who said anything about capture? They are sold by their own peers.”

Har-Hi pulled his swords, both of them and almost killed the Karthanian. “Do not insult my people, Boneface. We are not Karthanians. No Dai has ever enslaved another Dai. No Dai has ever sold another Dai!”

The Kartanian was braver than he looked and raised his head and presented his throat to the hovering blades and he said. “Then strike and kill me. My death does not change the fact that it is done, you can ask two of your kind right here. Where do you think they came from?”

I did not interfere as Har-Hi’s swords hovered less than a hairs width from the thin rigid throat of the Karthanian.

Har-Hi was taking a deep breath and I knew he performed a mental exercise to calm down. I trusted he would make the right decision. Har-Hi returned his swords into their scabbards and said between pressed teeth. “What do you know about Dai-Than being sold into slavery?”

The Karthanian said. “It is going on for almost twenty years now and used to be a great secret. It is done by a Dai tribe leader and his name is Cam Elf-Nah. This Clan leader made a deal with the Guild masters of the Chamber. In exchange for slaves he would receive raw materials and the right to hide his Clan fleets in Kartanian space. I know all this from my Dai slave brothers and it is from that source I know that this Cam Elf-Nah dreams of uniting all Dai Clans under his rule and anyone not accepting his rule, he declares Okthi-Dai.”

I could see in my friends face that he believed the Karthanian and he clenched his fists. “What has become of my race? Is this the true legacy of my father’s decision? If my father would have stayed, maybe he could have uncovered this atrocity.”

I put my hand on his shoulder and said. “He said twenty years, that was long before your father made his decision. The history of your people has just begun; the Dai will emerge from this even stronger than they are now.”

He said to the Karthanian. “You said there are two Dai, can I meet them?”

The Togar answered instead and said.” They are right here, mighty Dai.”

Ninety had a truly booming voice as he roared loudly and called the Dai. The Dai I had met before and a second even younger looking Dai came moments later down the ramp and walked closer staring at Har-Hi with wide eyes. Both had the characteristic red skin of Dai-Than and were tall and muscular, but they had their hair cropped short, unlike the black long hair of my friend who wore always carefully oiled and combed it back. Both of them wore a conglomerate of uniforms and armor pieces.

The older Dai wore his crudely made Clan glyph attached to a home-made harness across the chest like the broad armor plated straps all Dai Warriors wore.

He bowed before Har-Hi his fists crossed before his chest. The gesture I knew was called the Urst-Thanar and only done if a Dai Warrior accepted the supremacy of another and declared himself a servant and follower.

While I watched them I realized how much I already knew about the Dai Culture. The older slapped the younger one and he too then bowed in the same fashion.

Har-Hi removed the cover of his clan glyph and almost visibly he straightened his stance even more, his eyebrows rose a little over his now half closed eyelids as he mustered the boys. I was certain not even the grand wizard of the Kermac himself could have possibly look more arrogant. Yet Har-Hi added a flair of princely grace. He said to them. “You may identify yourselves now.”

The older one said. “I am Mar-For of the For-Ka-Ti tribe and this is Mar-Ta. He was born on the smelter moons so I made him my brother.”

Har-Hi said. “I am the first son of Tar-Ka-Hi, Champion of Thana Shoo, High Warrior of the Crimson Order and bearer of all seven honor blades. I have completed nine of the twelve steps to Juth-Ni of all Dai.”

I knew he did not do that to brag, it was his way to instil a little racial pride in the two young Dai Than. It did not fail, their yellow eyes glimmered and their faces lit up with awe. The older furrowed his brow and said. “The Clan of Kar-Hi declared Okthi by Cam Elf-Nah?”

Har-Hi’s right hand went for his upper honor knife and he said with an ice cold tone in his voice. “I stand and deal death to anyone dishonoring my father and my tribe. As it appears that blinded fool Cam-Elf Na is doing more damage to the Dai and covers all that is Dai-Than with shame. Crawling and taking orders from the Shiss and now I hear he is selling Dai into bondage. No such crimes have been committed since the evil Ortha Okthi was defeated by the Sentient Spirit Warriors in the time before time and was sent to the darkest pits.”

I remembered him once telling me of this mythical battle between the God Spirits the Dai believed in and a horde of evil Dai that turned into demons by all the evil deeds they did. It was the origin of the world Okthi and synonym with all that was without honor.

Mar-Fo bowed again and said. “We have been sold to the Smelter moons, as we were very young and long before your father decided to go to the Union. We only know of these recent events from the Dai that are now sold in greater numbers to the Smelter Moons.”

Har-Hi kept the hand on the knife and said. “I could not believe the Karthanian as he told me many Dai are sold to the Smelter Moons. How can that be?”

“We don’t know many details, mighty prince. I was eight and Mar-Ta was born on the smelter moon.”

Har-Hi’s face fell even more and he said. “What enemy did your tribe face, back then? Surely it must have been a formidable enemy.”

Mar-Fo shook his head and said. “No High Prince, it was not. It was Cam Elf-Nah who ambushed us and destroyed our Clan. This is what my mother told me to remember.”

My friend could not hide his emotions as he heard this and he said. “Tribe wars do happen but they are declared and it is at Thana Shoo such wars are fought, in the arena warriors against warriors, not ships against ships.”

Mar-Fo answered. “I was still little back then, High Prince. I do not know anything of the details, other than what my mother told me. Our Clan Leader bested Cam Elf-Nah in the fights for the honor to be Champion of Thana Shoo. She said that Cam Elf-Nah swore revenge and ambushed our clan by sending warriors to our Dai Mother pretending to to partake in festivities. They used weapons of unknown origin to kill our warriors from within. After that they destroyed our defenses and killed anyone who resisted. Mother said he could not leave anyone alive to tell of his deed, so he sold all survivors to the Karthanians. Other Dai at the Smelter Moons tell us he used this same deception many times.”

Har-Hi shivered with barely contained rage. “Your story must be heard by the Pale Elders of Thana Shoo, it will end the reign of this demon. How many Dai-Than are on these moons?”

Mar-To raised his shoulders and said. “We know only of Olx, the moon we escaped from, but there are seventeen such places, all called Smelter moons. On Olx we think there are many times the number hundred.”

Mar-Ta held all fingers of his hands and said. “We are not very good with numbers and such but for each finger you can count hundred for sure maybe a little more.”

Har-Hi whispered. “A thousand Dai Slaves?”

The younger Dai nodded and said. “There are less now I am sure, only the women and the young ones survive. The warriors usually die very fast as the Overseers kill them for disobedience or for trying to fight and never let them out of the heavy chains.”

Neither I nor the others had said a word since the Dai talked. Har-Hi looked at me with pain in his eyes. “I am honor bound to you Captain and to my commission, otherwise I would go to war right now and not stop killing until the last Karthanian died for what they did to my people. I am Okthi; I am the son of my father, but I am also Dai and the blood in their veins is the same as mine. I cannot stand idle to see a megalomaniac destroy what is left of our culture and our heritage. With every Dai that dies the gene pool of my species shrinks. And what of the cultural treasures every Dai Mother carries, the precious antiques and artifacts rescued from our doomed planet.”

Har-Hi was talking himself into a rage, like I had never seen before. Mar-Ta said. “You speak with fire and honor, high prince, but why are you traveling with a weak human female and take orders from her and not be on the side of your father with a Dai fleet in orbit?”

Har-Hi grabbed the throat of the Dai. “I am Lieutenant Har-Hi of the United Stars Navy first and above all else. It was my father’s wish that I become the first Dai who serves the Union and set an example. I am honored beyond your grasp of understanding to serve with this Captain.”

The Togar growled. “She defeated a Shogotrz with nothing but an ax and I have seen her attack a Drak armored troop carrier and win.”

Har-Hi tossed the young Dai aside and looked at me with eyes that shimmered with tears of rage and sadness. “Captain, leave me here. I will fight. I must do whatever it takes to free my kind.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. “I am not leaving you behind and I am not leaving you alone in this, you are my friend.”

I knew he was close to tears and he said. “Captain that will end your career or maybe they’ll hang you first for abandoning our mission and disobeying orders.”

“Richard Stahl told me once that a Captain must first and foremost do what she thinks is right. Our mission is important and we will find a way to find that depot. Even if we have to capture the Red Dragon and squeeze the location out of him somehow, even if we have to fly to the other end of the Galaxy to find it. We will not leave here until the Smelter Moons are shut down and then we will fly to Thana-Shoo and talk to the Pale Ones.”

Har-Hi slowly put his hand on my shoulder and said. “Captain, are you sure?”

“You said you’d follow me to the gates of hell. Sounds like these moons are the next best thing.”

I then turned to the Togar and the Karthanian. “I guess we’ll stay here after all, at least until you all are no longer rebels and I think I even have an idea how we going to do that.”

The Togar said. “Whatever you need, Captain; whatever you want us to do we will do it or die trying.”

Mao’s voice interrupted us, coming from my wrist com. “Captain, there is an army marching towards the scrap field forest, at least a thousand men with tanks, battle walkers and bomber-fliers.”

Thirsty Torch

The Togar glanced over my shoulder at the field screen image my PDD projected. It came from Mao, who had taken a surveillance post just five thousand meters from the regional district head-quarters which was over 500 klicks from our current position. The images relayed came from the high power optics of Mao’s battle suit and showed a force of about a thousand infantry soldiers riding on one at least hundred armored personnel carriers accompanied by fifty battle tanks and fifty Mecha walkers with missile launchers. The tech used was clearly of Karthanian origin. Above the troops hovered maybe fifty armored flyers.

The Drak army had just reached the demolished installation and we could see the soldiers dismounting their vehicles and swarming all over the place.

The Togar groaned and then said. “They know we hide in the Old Vaselkis-scrap field forests as we call this valley. It is big but they will find us with a force like this, we will fight but and then this will be the end.”

I said. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win, as a wise Terran once said.”

Har-Hi looked at the images as well. “Don’t worry Togar, we already have enough fire power down here to defeat an army ten times that size and, judging by their primitive equipment, it won’t even be much of a fight.”

I nodded and flicked the image to map mode, expanded the scale to see a bigger picture of the situation and overlaid it with a tactical map I had the Computronic generate.

While I did that I said to him. “Defeating them is not the problem, Ninety. Doing it without them suspecting Union involvement and going into General mobilization, that’s the goal we want to achieve; even better if we can defeat them and use the victory as a tool for our goals.”

While I was studying the map and formulating a plan in my mind I could hear the Karthanian whisper to the Togar. “Are they serious? What army did they bring to defeat that?”

I turned and grinned. “I brought my friends and Union Marines.”

Looking back on the map, I said. “You could defeat them even without us. This Scrap field of yours is huge. Almost three hundred square miles of grass forest and shipwrecks of all sizes strewn in between; they would need serious sensor technology or a whole lot more men to find anyone in here. It is also a perfect environment for guerilla warfare. Aurelius lost legions of Roman soldiers against German barbarians because he had to fight them on their turf and that is what we’ll make them do as well.”

Ninety spread his big, golden fur covered arms. “I am trained at the war academy for space combat on Togr and I don’t understand what you intend to do to defeat that force. We do don’t have enough Meghlors and Burry beetles, besides they may have shields.”

I said. “If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. If sovereign and subject are in accord, put division between them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”

Har-Hi added, “She is quoting Shin-Tzu again, that is an ancient Terran who wrote a book called the Art of War.”

The Karthanian flickered his black round tongue and said. “Did you say the art of war? Music is art, paintings are art, and dancing is art but war?”

My Dai friend said, looking at them both. “I graduated from the United Stars fleet academy not so long ago. Before I believed we Dai were the most warrior like species, then I learned about the Terrans. They have war gods, war music, war dances.Their favorite pastime is war games and yes, even though they don’t admit it, they raised war to their highest form of art

I interrupted them with a slightly annoyed tone in my voice and said. “We can compare civilizations at another time. I have a plan and we better get started.”

They all paid attention and I said. “We give them bait and lure them between the wrecks. Without their sky stations we don’t have to hold back using real weaponry. Their tanks are next to useless in this environment and we’re going to clean their bombers and flyers out of the sky.”

I pointed at several space ship hulls. “Ninety you take the bulk of your men out there and make sure they see you, and then you retreat to here.” I pointed at a spot of the map. “We will take care of their heavy equipment and then we attack here, but before we do all this. I want you to make a broadcast. I want you three to tell them to surrender.”

Ninety opened his maw and said. “We will do what?”

“I want everyone on Itheamh hear you. I mean you, the Karthanian and the former Ithe commander. I will arrange that images of the fight are broadcast and show that you win too

The Togar said. “I’ll do whatever you say we should do, but would that not make the Drak even angrier and ask for even more Karthanian help. Thousands will go to the smelter Moons.”

I grinned. “I am counting on that.”

The Karthanian said. “I do not understand. We are already wanted criminals and they know us; but they are the ones who control the airwaves.”

“Not much longer. I have very talented people in that regard. We must win this war fast and decisive and in order to unite this planet we need to galvanize the masses. I told you I have a plan and it becomes clearer by the minute.”

I was wearing an Atlas type battle suit in full Infantry configuration; this unit was hand checked by Circuit and I was certain it would not malfunction. The weapons at my disposal were frightening and I was quite certain I could have stopped the enemy army all on my own. Not to mention that all my marines were deployed as well, each of them fully equipped and eager for a fight. Of course that was not part of my plan, but we were there to make sure Ninety and the Rebels would wind gloriously, with as few casualties as possible and everything in full color, high definition on every visual broadcast receiver on the planet.

My suit was fully cloaked as I hovered about three hundred meters above the ground of the former regional Headquarters.

Elfi’s symbol blinked and I activated the comm-link by looking at it. She said.” Captain, I’ve got Lt. Bergdorf. He and his team have infiltrated the enemy Command post and are reporting in.

“Patch them through.”

The Mini Terran officer said. “Captain, the enemy force is commanded by General Bruk Kning. He was holding maneuvers with his unit nearby when they more or less stumbled on the destroyed camp. He was ordered to kill every civilian in the entire district. He is very confident, and he does not yet know that he just uploaded a Trojan horse into the entire military communication network when he called his superiors.

Elfi still listening in said: “Shea and SHIP are ready to activate the broadcast at your command.”

I switched to the scrambled radio band I used to communicate with the Rebels and said, “Ninety, are you guys ready?”

“Yes Captain!”

The suit system linked with the Tigershark and in doing so I could see what every Ithe was watching.

Ninety, the Kartanian and the former Ithe Commander along with the Mountain man tribe leader appeared standing before a colorful flag and Ninety said. “Itheamh hear and see. Some of you have heard of me, I am Ninety and these are Nefkin Boneface, former Drak Commander Jutika and the village elder of the Oote Mountains. We are the Instigators and we are the Voice of Freedom. We speak for all Ithe, for all Drak and everyone else living on this planet. To those in power, oppressing us with an iron fist with the backing of your puppet masters the Karthanians, we say Itheamh is yours no more. We will stand and fight and sweep you away. The time of slavery has come to an end. The Smelter Moons will no longer run on Ithe and slave blood. We hereby declare the Oote Mountains and the entire East plain district as ours. The troops currently here have one hour to leave or we will destroy them.

I snickered inside my helmet. The Drak would scramble and try to locate the source of the broadcast but all they would find was the Command Post communications equipment of the General. The magistrate was likely to think that his own General was in cahoots with the rebels, and the General would be afraid to go back as he could not explain what happened and would fear for his own life, oh what a wonderful dilemma.

To Ninety I radioed. “Now take the bait group out so they can see you.”

From the tall grass trees and onto the dusty plain came a force of about five hundred rebels. They were riding an assortment of captured vehicles and animals. A force of fifty Gryther riders appeared as well.

The enemy General and his forces almost immediately spotted them. Yet there was confusion as the General barked orders in his communication device, but the soldiers heard something completely different. Elfi had much fun redirecting and mixing his orders. The enemy general ordered his fliers to open fire but what they heard was, “Hold your fire and stay back.” His ground troops got the order to advance and arrest the rebels on the official channels and from the general’s voice.

I almost felt sorry for the general and wondered what he was thinking as he saw his ground forces move, while his fliers stayed inactive.

I gave my own invisible marines the order to take out the tanks as soon as they reached the forest.

Har-Hi, Mao, Krabbel and I engaged the fliers and shot them down. It was not a fight, it was slaughter. The Drak fliers had no chance. Their shields, formidable enough to deflect rocks, simple projectiles and weak laser beams, collapsed with the first TKU blast impacts. My wrist cannon, in computronic assisted targeting mode, roared and bolts of superheated plasma accelerated to near light speed ripped the enemy air force to shreds. It took no more than maybe 30 seconds and there was no flier left.

I turned and accelerated like a projectile towards the forest. It was a rush that few experienced by flying very fast and close to the ground. I misjudged my speed and crashed like a cannon ball through several tree trunks, creating a deep furrow into the ground. Yet I felt nothing. The Suit protected me completely and was not damaged in the slightest.

My Marines were much better trained with the suits and tore through the enemy battle tanks using their chain swords and the augmented strength of their suits to tear the tanks to scrap.

The main fight however was done by the Rebels themselves, and they fought with utter determination. Now they fought on even ground. They had energy weapons and did not have to fear sudden death from the sky. They fought like demons let lose. My plan was to take prisoners and let as many of the soldiers live as possible, but there was no stopping the rebels. They had lost family members and their homes by the hands of these soldiers and they let them have it. To my surprise it was Ninety who curbed them and ordered them to show mercy.

It was over faster than expected. Of the thousand soldiers, about three hundred had survived and surrendered, among them was the enemy general.

Ninety had a hard time making them calm down. A large group of rebels had gathered inside the freighter wreck’s engineering section. The mood had changed completely. There was laughter; there were lively discussions, men telling other men about the battle and the fights.

I was back in my leather suit. Har-Hi, Shea and Narth stood next to me.

The Togar leader finally managed to get them quiet enough to speak and he said. “This my friends was only one fight and I am sure many will follow before we can lay down our weapons and built a free society where no one has to live in fear or hide.” He paused then threw his arms in the air and yelled. “But we won. Hope is no longer a fools dream.”

They yelled and chanted but fell suddenly quiet as two Ithe warriors dragged the Drak general in.

One of them yelled. “This is the butcher of Uthoo, he murdered and executed thousands and send many more to the Smelter Moons to a slow death.”

The general’s leather coat was ripped to shreds as was the rest of his uniform, and he showed signs of rough treatment.

Har-Hi leaned over and said to me. “It happened faster than I thought it would. While I can understand them, this world will not see peace for a long time

I wondered if he was right but I somehow had a feeling the Togar, even though he was no Ithe, would remain a leading force. As much as I hated to admit it, this Togar was as honorable as could be and had a sound set of morals guiding his actions.

It was the Togar who stepped forward. “Yes he is a butcher and deserves death, but we must not become the new Drak. We must resist going down the same road. We can only do what we need to do if Itheamh speaks with one voice and that includes the Drak

To the Drak he said. “General Kning, you know who I am. You have tortured and killed many innocents trying to locate me and this hideout. I was Ninety of the Instigators. We are the Instigators no longer, we are Ithe. I am Togar by race; I am Ithe by creed and soul. That Karthanian over there is Ithe by creed and soul and so is everyone here. We are the first voices and we won’t rest until this world speaks with one voice to outsiders, where every single person speaks with his or her own voice without fear.”

He gestured to the Ithe who held the General and it was evident that even they accepted Ninety as leader and instantly and without arguing let the Drak general go.

The general was a solider and officer I could tell, as he straightened his stance and tried to gather his shredded mantle into a more dignified appearance. “Yes I know you, and I don’t know how you did what you did, but I assume you found some kind of alien device in one of the wrecks to create havoc with our communications and disable the Sky punishers. I applaud your persistence and ingenuity. I am prepared to die; my life is worth nothing anymore.

If I return I face a firing squad for failure, so if you kill me or not, makes little difference. The magistrate has fifty Karthanian Ognix Mechas and I am sure they are already on the way. They can’t be stopped by your communication tricks or your captured weapons. You don’t fight the Drak who for the most part are as tired of the fighting and not being masters of our own world as you are, you fight the Karthanians who use this world and won’t let go. They will come and retaliate even if you manage to flee from the Ognix and hide. Many civilians will die.”

Ninety looked into my direction and I simply nodded. Not that I had any idea what an Ognix was.

Narth’s voice explained in my mind. “Eighty meter tall robotic machines, steered by the disembodied brains of Karthanian soldiers. These machines are heavily shielded with good Karthanian force fields and are armed with four large caliber Force projectors. The machines are incapable of flight and are currently marching in this general direction.”

I turned. “Not that I think we can’t handle them but when you said steered by brains, do you mean the actual biological brains of a living being?”

“Precisely that, captain.”

“And here I am with a Narth and a Leedei with tremendous psionic powers. Wouldn’t it be a shame to waste such talents in a situation like that?”

I could feel Narth’s amusement as he responded. “You have a particularly wicked mind

The Togar in the meantime said to the General. “We do not fear your Magistrates terrors. We lived under them for so long, one more terror makes no difference, but we will no longer be the victims. We will fight, it is better to die fighting for our freedom than to shiver in fear and hide like a coward and live.”

The general said. “Then let me fight with you. My life is over, what does it matter if I die by the hands of a lynch mob or if I die fighting?”

“There won’t be any lynch mobs. We are not the Drak. The only ones who must die are the ones in the Magistrate tower. They are beyond mercy.”

Ninety then came over to me and said. “I do not fear whatever it is they are sending as I have seen with what ease your invisible forces have rendered battle tanks and fliers to scrap; what do we do against those things?”

I put my hand on his shoulder and had to reach up to do so. “Ninety, I don’t want to sound arrogant or ring our bell. I don’t want make light of the situation as it is as serious as can be and we are only at the beginning of what we want to do, but let me assure you there is nothing in the arsenal of the Karthanians we can’t handle. Now you may not believe me, but there is nothing in the Karthanian Arsenals that could stop you.There is little to stop a determined man with a plan and cool head. Everything can be overcome if the cause is right.”

He straightened. “You are right Captain. I’ve been a rebel so long I forgot that I was a Togar Commander and fought in many battles. I am a warrior born and your words ring with truth, strength and confidence.”

He looked over at my friends and then added. “I also know now why they follow you, Dai Than, Nul, Togar, and even a Y’All, Captain Velvet, because of that reason I too will follow you.”

Har-Hi who had his arms crossed smirked while he gave me a side glance. “Yes our captain has that effect on the strangest people; we keep collecting all sorts of strays and odd balls and haven’t even really started on our actual mission.”

Ninety spread his arms. “Come Captain and bring your friends and officers. Let us share a meal and then face what is coming.”

I said. “The approaching machines are no problem. We will deal with them and make sure they won’t be used by anyone again. So let’s eat and then get started on phase two.

Chapter 29 »