ATTS-11-5



"She has been what?" Admiral Stahl gasped as he looked at the Avatar projection of the other immortal admiral. "Captain Black Velvet has been arrested by your marines and Commodore Anderson, who you put in charge of the rescue and slave recovery operation is interrogating her now." "CENTRON, connection to Commodore Anderson. Priority Alpha!" The sentient computronic of the Devi reacted faster than a regular request to the Comm desk. "Anderson here, Sir. I am glad you called. We need more transport assets." "Shut up, Commodore. I am calling you on priority Alpha to give you instructions, not to hear your reports." Stahl took a deep breath. Did you arrest Captain Black Velvet?" The commodore swallowed hard, having the Eternal Warrior actually yell was not a good thing for certain. "Yes, Sir. She resisted all standard interrogation methods and psionic probes, so I am currently using more conventional methods. This bitch will tell us the location of the rest of her crew. Her ship was a regular slave transporter." Stahl took a deep breath."Go to blue-blue-blue protocol right now!" After the necessary motions were taken to establish said security clearance protocol, Stahl said."The woman is a NAVINT asset and not a pirate. She acted in the guise of said pirate to gain access to the smelter moons, her name is Jane Smith. Where are her associates?" "We keep them in Zero time stasis. There is a disgraced Golden, a genuine Nul. One of them is human; there is a X101 of all beings and the final one is of unknown nature, the scan results make no sense. We bathed that vessel with the strongest paralysator settings. It also worked on the Nul by the way." "If you harmed the Narth you and me are in a world of trouble, Commodore." "A Narth?" "Release the prisoner immediately, limit exposure. Provide them with a Scorpion at once! Do not send them to your CMO." "Aye Sir." McElligott was still there, his arms crossed."It is the second time we do this to her, you know. And this after she liberated almost 16 million slaves. Togar, Dai, Karthanians, Ithe, a bunch of others and no less than 9,822 Union citizens. Not to mention we might have harmed the Narth." Stahl leaned back in his seat and made a guilty face, an expression McElligott has never seen in the face of Stahl in all the three millennia he knew the man. "It is on me, I dropped the ball. I should have informed the USS Kilian about the special circumstances." "Well if it is any consolidation, I too expected her to come back with a few hundred liberated Union citizens, not the entire population of three smelter moons." "We didn't put into account who went to the smelter moons." "Your lucky, she worships the ground you walk on. Let us pray that the Narth is unharmed."

--""--

The Narth was unharmed, but for the first time in all Narth existence, he suffered from what he described a headache. He told me that the Narth Supreme recommended that he meditated and rested for a day period. I didn't feel much better. The Commodore and his goons had done a number on me. I did not reveal to them that I was a Union officer because I was under orders to keep that part secret and my requests to make a GalNet call were denied. An hour ago, Commodore Anderson came storming into the brig and yelled at the Lieutenant who had hit me several times, quite hard and told me that he could do it even harder. "Release her at once." "Sir?" "I gave you a direct order, Lieutenant. She is not a pirate but a NAVINT asset that used the guise to get access to the smelter moons." The Lieutenant made a troubled face and gave me a crooked smile."I am sure you NAVINT people understand and it wasn't personal." The Commodore released the restraints himself. I got up, kneed the Lieutenant in the groin and as he groaned and bend over, I hit him with my knee under the chin, I spat at him."Then you will understand that this was personal. You went beyond the acceptable and enjoyed your position of power over a restrained woman, you pervert, I will put you on report." I wasn't sure if there would be a report or a follow-up, considering our unique position and mission. I was given a Scorpion and orders to report to Admiral Stahl aboard the Devastator and under the guise name of captain Jane Smith. The Devi had an X101 health engineer and he was checking on Circuit to make sure he was alright, Mao remained aboard the Scorpion and so did Narth who followed the advice of the Narth Supreme. It was Captain Harris himself who escorted me to Stahl's office. As we were in the I.S.T. he said."Welcome aboard Captain Olafson. I don't really know what exactly happened or what your actual mission is, but I am very proud you have been made captain by the Immortals. I knew you would end up commanding your own ship and who knows maybe the big chair of this ship will be yours again one day. We do have a regular steel container kicking tournament now, thanks to your ship's last visit." I gave him a crooked smile."I can't tell you what my actual mission is, I was just beaten by a lieutenant for not revealing it. However I promise I will keep that tradition, should I ever command the Devi again." He actually saluted me just before Stahl's office, I returned the military courtesy and entered after the door opened for me. Stahl got up from his desk and if I didn't know better I could have sworn to see something like a guilty expression in his face, I saluted him."Captain Olafson under the cover of Jane Smith reporting, Sir." "Sit down, Captain. How is the Narth?" "According to the Narth Supreme, my friend will recover. Right now he is meditating and resting trying to get rid of what he describes a bad headache." "I can not say it any other way, but apologies for this. It was my fault for not informing the responding units about your special circumstances. The first batch of liberated slaves told the Commodore about Captain Black Velvet. It didn't help that the slave transport you commandeered was of the same ship type as the Silver Streak." He spread his arms."I am sorry, Captain Olafson." "Sir, I understand why it happened. This was a different situation than the one back at Camp Idyllic, but was it really necessary to hit the ship that Narth piloted with the full strength of a ship-mounted F 12 paralysator? The last time, it was an F4 and it did a number on him." He sighed sounding relieved, then he gave me a lengthy report on what occurred on Ithe and to Har-Hi. After hearing what my crew had to face, I chastised myself for letting them fend on their own. This was not what a Captain supposed to do. I could have sent someone else to the Smelter Moons and stayed with the ship and my crew, especially knowing that they faced a serious threat. Stahl pointed to the cabinet where I knew he kept the cold beer."Go grab two of them. Girls do drink beer right?" "Yes Sir, my tastes have not changed." While I fetched the beer, he said. "I guess we both are guilty of this, and it is my fault for making it an acceptable exception. This particular way of leading is not very popular and on the verge of prohibited." "It is not?" "No, Erica. Every XO, command school and of course Fleet Command will tell you it is against regulations for a Captain to do and don't do certain things, but the number one rule is that the commanding officer makes the decisions and no one else. He or she will be responsible for the consequences of course." He took the beer bottle and kept speaking. "That does not mean I sanction or encourage your solo missions away from your bridge, where by all common sense you should be." I lowered my head."I know, Sir." "I am not reprimanding you or tell you to change your ways. I can't simply because I more often than not do the same. Even after three thousand something years, I can't sit back and sent others into action. I also know your mission is quite unique and conventional approach isn't always possible. You do have an exceptional crew and they did exactly what you wanted them to do. Take care of a situation while you were taking on another." I didn't drink, the immortal Admiral usually could instill confidence in me and he didn't fail now, but he could not completely dispell my sense of guilt, especially hearing about Krabbel's lost leg and Har-Hi's near-death fight with a Star Demon.

--""--

I doubted that it was anywhere in the regulations, not even if interpreted very generously and with both eyes squeezed shut, but as we returned to Itheamh and back aboard the USS Tigershark we were hugged, kissed, our hands shaken and greeted. Eyes that could get moist, were shedding tears. After a while I said."Guys, guys we are officers and we must return being professionals. Where in the history of the Universe has a Captain ever been hugged by his SHIP?" I then held Har-Hi's arm in Viking warrior fashion."So you decided to kill a Star Demon all by yourself." "I am cursed to be a Dai warrior who has a Captain taking on every monster and creature there is, I had to fight something big and dangerous to even the score." He grinned as he said that, but in his eyes, I saw how serious and how dangerous the fight really was. I squeezed his arm and he did so as well. "Thank you, captain." "Thank you, Har-Hi for being the best XO." "No, I mean for liberating all those Dai." "Truth to be told, my friend they did most of the liberating themselves once the control collars were off." His eyes sparkled."14,000 Dai Than!" "What will happen to them? If I understand they have no Tribes to go back to." "My father is with the Union Armada, he is in command of a carrier group. He and other Union Dai are taking care of them." "They will be okay with the Okthi part?" Har-Hi's face was full of pride. "Father says we are not Okthi, just because Cam Elf-Na sais so. It has to be the decision of the Pale Ones. The hearts of our mothers would have died if they had done so after all." "It seems there is still much I need to learn about the Dai society." "Yes, Erica there is and I found out I myself have not yet learned all there is to know." After that, we had a little reunion party in our Pirate's Den. Krabbel ensured me that his new leg was just as good as the old one and that he could not even tell which one it was he had lost. I called him a fibber and hugged the big furry spider with much affection. Then as we arrived at coffee and deserts, I asked."Any news from the Red Dragon?" Hans shook his head. "Not directly, but I have intelligence from the Ithe and our NAVINT outpost, the Red Dragon is still right here on Itheamh, sitting on a landing field of the Pragh spaceport. With all the Union fleet assets so close by, he won't risk activating his engines and revealing an energy signature that is known ton Union authorities." I lit a cigarette from Shaka and O'Connell presented me with coffee in my very special and very ugly skull mug."Well, the big armada keeps moving and will be gone in a few days. Only a few ships remain to assist the Ithe and keep guard till the PUMA process has officially started and more permanent protection can be installed." With a shriek that sounded like a venting plasma valve, Fenris our strange mascot fazed through a wall and into the Den. The bugger was noticeably bigger than before and it landed with clicking claws and flapping wings right before me and squeezed his yellow reptilian eyes close as it pressed its head against me. Shea actually coed and clasped her hands together."Oh, how cute, Fenris missed you too." I petted the little dragon and said."Is it just me, or is he getting bigger? Anyone has any idea just how big Fenris might get?" Shea spread her arms."We do not have any reference data, so to answer your question. No, not really." Mao had to tell again how we were captured by Union marines. Shea told us about Stahl being in temporary command of the Tigershark. SHIP chimed in and said."The new interim planet governor, Ninety requests to come aboard." "Let him in over the landing ramp." The big Togar was not alone, he was in the company of Grtonner Icylemh, the former Engine Builder. Both were members of species I had little contact, but I could tell they were ecstatic. "Captain Black Velvet, the entire planet is celebrating. Not just our liberation from the Karthanian overlords but you bringing back all those that had been sent to those cursed smelter moons." Grtonner agreed and said."Come, all of you and be celebrated. You might be pirates to the Universe, but you are all heroes to Itheamh." "We truly appreciate the sentiment." I said, " but we rather not be exposed too much. Besides, it was you who was the main factor in all of this. We just tipped the scale, for the changes to take effect a little earlier than they would have anyhow." The tall Togar shook his mane."Open that door once more Captain Velvet, please. There is someone who wants to see you." I asked SHIP to do so and outside on the landing ramp stood a little Ithe family. A female, a man and a kid. I recognized Drenc because of Crancy and he came running, not walking or listing to his parents."You brought him back! You brought back my Daddy!" I always considered myself in control of my emotions, and the kid was not human. Yet I felt my throat constricting. Our actions were validated by this moment. His mother was not far behind him. "I too want to thank you and I want to apologize for what I said to you. My husband is back and we seeing a new horizon for us and for the entire planet." Ninety bellowed."It is a small gathering, Captain. Just the ones that know you, let us share a meal and a few drinks. You will go on and do whatever you must do, and my days will be filled with activities to make sure our society stays on the course and until it can elect a new government." "Alright, I guess we could celebrate a little. There is a little time until the big armada has passed this system and our special friends dare to move again."

--""--

I remembered the entrance to the wreck being covered with a thick tarp to block any light from escaping. It had been rolled away and the light of many torches and light elements illuminated the place. The sun was had set about an hour ago and the moonless night of Itheamh was upon us. For the first time, I heard Ithe music, singing and laughing. While I could not identify most of the individuals, to me most of them looked pretty much alike, but I recognized the Dai Than boys, the Karthanian and the Drak commandant who had helped free Har-Hi and Narth. Mao again became the center of much attention as he asked if more Nuktur stew would be served. Just as Ninety promised it was a relatively small event. After the meal where they served the standard fare, much to Mao's delight. Thankfully they had brought food from the spaceport that was more palatable. Not that I was hungry anyway. The Karthanian came over and said to me."I would like to show you something if you humor me and follow me." The owner of the orbital dockyards took me outside and to a clearing between grass trees and spaceship scrap. There stood a fast looking spaceship, it was clearly of Karthanian design. It bristled with weapons. I estimated it to be about the size of an old Comet class destroyer, or about 160 meters long. The underbelly boarding ramp was lowered and he said."This is the Walkarr, and I have designed and built it. It would honor me greatly if I could give you a little tour." "Sure why not, it looks like a fine ship." The boarding ramp led to what appeared an actual elevator. A short ride brought us to the bridge or what he called the command center. To my surprise, the human boy Mel was here already. He didn't say a word but Grtonner did."Captain, Velvet. We have a shipload of Karthanian rebels and your marvelous engineer has the key to activate the ancient ruler. We need to go to Karthania and press our advantage.” “Grtonner, we were luckier than we should have been and actually ill-prepared for what we did. Going against poorly defended outpost factories is one thing, going against an entire civilization is another.” I said and then I turned and asked. “Circuit has what?” “He has found the ancient cipher key that is needed to activate the First Engineer. It was hidden in Crancy.” As I turned I also noticed Grtonner holding a weapon aimed at me and he said. “I am sorry Captain Velvet, but I am Karthanian first.” He fired and that was the last I saw before everything went dark.

--””--

If there was someone keeping records, I was certain I would win. I was certain no other Union officer found herself abducted, knocked out or rendered unconscious as much as I did. This time it was entirely my fault. I trusted too many and too easily. I trusted Sobody’s judgment and I trusted that cursed Karthanian boneface without investigating him more closely. But I could not fault our Golden friend, I had Narth with me the day we met the being and Narth did not detect anything. Maybe I relied too much on the psionic abilities of my friend, he too could miss something. Truth to be told, I was angry mostly at myself. For getting myself once more in a situation like this. I did not really feel any discomfort so far and tried to open my eyes, only to realize I had something over my head that prevented me to see. Feeling my body once more I was certain, I was sitting in a chair of some kind, with my hands and feet tied or otherwise immobilized. I closed my eyes and tried to use my other sense, something I started to develop still back home on Nilfeheim. Dr. Dwyer called it electroreception and considered it some delayed mutation and an unexpected result of the genetic manipulations the settlers of Nilfeheim received so long ago. While I never really used it much, I grew more accustomed to it. It did not work well, as the electroreception sensed every active device nearby. It did tell me however that I was still on the bridge of the Karthanian destroyer. Someone pulled the hood of my head and it was, as I almost expected, the traitorous Karthanian spacedock owner. “I am terribly sorry, Captain Velvet but you left me no choice.” “Betrayal of trust is not a choice. Sobody trusted you and so did I, but I won’t make the same mistake again.” “Captain, I am Karthanian. With your help, we liberated millions of my kind. Yet there are many millions more that will be rounded up, to replace the ones we liberated. Without Ithe and other slaves, the ruling guild will resort to even more ruthless oppression and send more of my kind to the now idle moons. I can’t let this happen. Neither my life or my honor matters. We must try to stop this and you were not willing to commit. As an individual, you will hate me, but I hope as a leader you will understand that we must make decisions of this kind.” “Forcing me to do something, by kidnapping me is not the right approach. You could have said what you just said to me before you decided to act.” I then saw the motionless body of Circuit, looking like a human-sized puppet with its strings cut. I knew Circuit was not affected by paralysators. “If you hurt my friend, Grtonner, you will pay for this betrayal like no one has before.” I remembered Circuit being affected by Tech Stop while we fought the crooked base commander and his pirate cronies at Richter base. Fear that he damaged my friend mixed with cold rage building up. “Untie me now.” Mel, the human boy from Itheamh came into my field of view. He held a slave collar control in one hand. His face reflected none of the demure shyness he always had when he looked at me before. “We needed you Captain Velvet and we are thankful for what you did, but we don’t need you anymore. Grtonner wanted to get you on our side, he thinks you are resourceful and keep you alive to thank you for all you did for us, but the cause is more important than that. You wear one of the slave collars and it will guarantee your cooperation.” He pressed one of the studs and my body was flooded with waves of pain. He hissed, spitting every word. “I lost all compassion while wearing one like this. My loyalty is with them and I hate you for what you make me think.” He pressed the stud again and the pain was even more intense. I tasted blood in my mouth. The Karthanian put his long-fingered hand on the arm of the human traitor.”She did nothing to us, but help. We must keep her restrained but we won’t torture.” Mel twisted away from the Karthanian touch. “She is Union, they let us all suffer. Yet they could have stopped it long ago.” He howled in rage.” She does not leave my mind, she has powers!”The next wave of pain was so intense, my muscles cramped and I fell out of the chair to the floor, my vision blurry from pain and tears.

--""--

"She went where?" Har-Hi asked. Ninety approximated a human shrug."She followed Grtonner to his secret toy. A destroyer he had built in secret. Maybe they take that thing for a test flight or something. They have taken off a few moments ago." While this sounded like a perfectly normal explanation, Har-Hi wondered why the Captain didn't say a word." He tried to call her on her wrist com. Instead of the Captain, he starred in the face of the Karthaninan. "Why are you in possession of the captain's com unit?" "Because we are in possession of your captain and your X101 engineer. We did what we had to do, your engineer has the key to wake the First Engineer and he will surely do what we ask of him if we promise to keep the captain unharmed." Ninety standing next to Har-Hi screamed."Why? We trusted you!" Har-Hi turned on his heel. "We go and get our captain and then we deal with the traitors."

--""--

I found myself in a dimly lit room, that was without question designed to hold prisoners. I could not detect the faint hum or vibrations, of a spaceship under power and assumed I was either aboard a landed and powered down ship, or perhaps a building planetside. The room was featureless gray most likely some form of concrete and it did not appear to have any furniture I was still tied up. The next thing I noticed as my mind begun to clear, was the unmoving body of my friend Circuit. I feared the worst. I also noticed a second human shape, tied up like me. It was the young man, the traitor Mel. He noticed me moving and lowered his head, so he did not have to look directly at me. My heart missed a beat as I noticed Circuits fingers moving. Mel whispered, “ I am sorry.” “Sorry doesn’t cut it, buster. I am going to kill you the first chance I have.” “Grtonner lied to all of us. He doesn’t want to wake the First Engineer, he does not want to help us to end slavery and misery. All he wants is revenge and replace the leading guild with his own. He told me that the Karthanians would not tolerate a human amongst their midst and he locked me up like with you.” “Shut up! I do not want to hear your excuses, or why a traitor has been betrayed.” I noticed more movement in the still form of my friend. Circuit’s eyes started to take on a dark red glow and then I heard a faint electronic whisper. I robbed over to him. “Circuit please be alive.” “I am Captain, but I still need some time to reset most of my systems.” “Take all the time you need. I am not sure what situation we are in right now, but I get us home, I promise.” “I have no doubt, Captain.” Just then a door opened, I had not noticed before as it was almost seamlessly integrated into the opposite wall, it revealed itself by a faint hum and bright light pouring in the, until now, almost dark holding chamber. The outline of a Karthanian blocked some of the light and made the alien look like a black cutout. “I see you have recovered from the neural overload, our human friend has exposed you too. I am very grateful for what you have done, and I would not allow him to kill you, besides you are a very valuable element in my quest to return Karthania to its rightful glory.” “Sobody trusted you and because of him, I trusted you as well. You are the worst traitor and liar I have come across so far and the hour of payment for your transgression is soon at hand.” “Oh spare me with these hollow threads, Captain Velvet. You are on Arkalon, beyond the reach of the Union. Yes, Sobody saved my life and became my benefactor, but no friendship to a Xeno can trump my desire for revenge and regain what is rightfully mine. I am indeed Grtonner Icylemh. No mere Karthanian but the rightful Guild Master of the Engine builders, denied and betrayed by Gharrhtur Maceuyt and members of my own guild.” “Why are you telling me this?” Of course I wanted him to give me as much information as possible, to evaluate the situation and find a way to escape, but I didn’t want to appear too eager or interested. “Because I respect you, as much as a Karthanian can trust a Xeno. You are not Karthanian and therefore only useful as a tool, but I have seen you in action and I know how well this Union of yours trains their officers. Without you, I would still be Fantlemo Brthail, exiled and dreaming about ways to regain what is mine. If you cooperate, I will spare your life and find a way to return you to Itheamh.” “What cooperation? You seem to have everything and I am just a Xeno.” “Order your mechanical engineer to reveal all the technological secrets, ISAH pods, Translocator weapons, Loki torpedoes, how to make Ultronit. With this knowledge, the Engine builders will become supreme. With such knowledge, I can walk into the guild hall and demand my seat. I also want the key, with it the First Engineer can be activated indeed or completely shut down forever." For some strange reason, the bonds that held my hands tied to my back withered away. I could see the tape around my ankles melt away. I did not waste the opportunity by questioning what caused it, but lunged forward and hit the Karthanian with a shoulder tackle. The alien was pushed with force into the wall opposite the open door he was still standing in. I heard and felt something crack. I did not care and followed up with a right hook and all the strength I could muster, across his elongated snout. He gargled as the rigid mouth tube broke off his head, watery green liquid splashed over my face and arms. While he slid to the floor and I got to my feet, I knew I had killed him. There was no one else as I looked around. I stood in a long well lit corridor, with a door at each end, about fifty meters in each direction. I hastily dragged the body inside the cell. Circuit was just sitting up. “I think your threat wasn’t as hollow as he thought it would be.” “No I guess not, but I could only do it because my bonds suddenly dissolved for some reason.” “I hoped they would work fast enough, but the reason was my nanites. I never leave the ship without them.” He came struggling to his feet. I forgot that I was the captain for a moment and simply hugged my friend. “I thought I lost you.” “I could not leave you alone, Captain, but as you know Tech Stop does a number on me. Luckily it was not strong enough to penetrate my brain shell, but it shut down all secondary systems.” “Lucky indeed, where would I find a better engineer?” "Maybe here? We are on a planet full of them if I understand it correctly." "This is a serious situation and who knows how we get out of here." "Alright captain, I will try to be more serious then." I then searched the body of the dead Karthanian and found a control device of sorts, however nothing else. The Karthanian’s outfit would not fit a human being. Not that I could pass as one of them even if I somehow managed to make it fit. I tossed the device to Circuit. “Can you make sense of this thing?” “Let me check it out closer.” While Circuit examined the fist-sized, egg-shaped device. I turned to Mel, who tried to move away from me but managed only to push himself a few feet further until his efforts were stopped by a gray concrete wall. His eyes reflected fear, but this time I had no pity and felt only cold rage. He whined. “Don’t kill me, please.” “I wanted to tear you limb from limb, but that would be effort wasted. No, Mel, I won’t kill you but I will let you rot right where you are. I don’t care what the Karthanians will do to you and won’t lift a finger to stop them.” Circuit said. “This thing is sort of a PDD. It controls the doors, seems to have a communication component and a data processing element.” “Well no sense sticking around here, let’s see if we can’t steal a ship or something and leave those bone faces to themselves.”

---