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CHAPTER 9:  DOWNWARD

The incident with the dust cloud was now over six weeks ago. Down here in completely unexplored space, it really hit home how big our galaxy really was. Back home in the Upward sector with Hyper Highways and Space trains ; with known planets and systems and of course with everyone connected to GalNet space did not feel as empty and vast. We had crossed the gap and now steadily went further down the Coreward sector. Our sensors picked up some space traffic now and then, but in general, this area of space appeared to be much less busy than our Upward sector. We had made two more fuel stops on uninhabited worlds and this time without incidents. Until today, we more or less followed a straight line but today the Red Dragon had changed course as we passed a Quasar. Shea suspected this Quasar was some sort of waymarker for the Dragon. Krabbel pointed at a star system on his navigation screen. "It looks like he is heading for that KII type star . There isn't much else around." Mehdi Senhadjii was sitting in for Shaka, he had little to do and had expressed his interest in Helm. For several months he had studied with Shaka, and today was his first watch on Helm. He was visibly proud of his new position."New course data received and entered, Captain." "You sure love Helm it seems. I wish I could as easily pick up on your instructions on Combat Psychology ." "But you do, Captain. You are a very astute student with a great natural talent." Har-Hi groaned with a grin."Galactic spirits have mercy. You learning what Mehdi does is downright frightful." Cateria who now more often than before spend time on the bridge stood next to Sodoby. "There were always Quasars near Seenian worlds. I was only a medic of course but I think, we once had contact with a very advanced civilization who made them." "We always wondered about that. I mean many of our scientists believe Quasars where artificially made." "I am not sure if Quasars are indeed of artificial nature. It is just something I remember." Shea asked. "Do you remember much of that enemy you were fighting, we only know as the Dark Ones?" "No, I never saw one and I don't think even our military knew much, but I think It was a space-faring society just like us for the most part." She lowered her voice as if she was afraid to be overheard."There was a persistent, highly forbidden rumor that the Dark Ones were actually Seenians who somehow objected the Queen and were able to obtain an even more advanced tech than ours." Mao said."Whenever some legend or story is forbidden by official governments there is more truth to it than the rulers like to admit." Elfi nodded."That is true and there were and are forbidden truths in Saran society." Tyron Suit who know just like Ak Fective always stood right behind me whenever I was on duty and on the bridge said."It is more than a legend. At the height of our development, a Seenian Prince and son of the last Seenian Queen created the New Dark Ones and declared himself emperor. The queen was utilizing an artifact of the First Empire that existed not millions but billions of years ago, and the prince somehow found or utilized tech of that era to wage war upon his mother and the Seenians. The new Dark Hordes were no mysterious, relentless foe as official Seenian records show, but Seenians led against Seenians." His explanation left us speechless, there in a few sentences, Tyron explained one of the greatest mysteries there was. He went on apparently unaware of our awe. "I am reading and watching much since I am freed and no longer a thing. This, of course, is the reason there are no artifacts found. They are one and the same. Artifacts of the first Dark Ones are billions of years old and I doubt much has survived that much time." Shea asked."You would not know more about those opposing Seenians? If they won, where are they?" "I do not know. I have been deactivated and packed away before the war ended, a fact I learned aboard this vessel." "Do you know anything about the other, the first Dark Ones?" "All I can tell you about them, are the legends and myths my former owner was telling and hearing about." Shea turned her seat."I like to hear about it." "According to these stories It was said the Dark Empire ruled over more than a thousand Galaxies. They had one Emperor. One Being on the top who ruled with absolute power. This being or entity was known as the Imperius Invictus. According to these legends, he was not a mere being but a god, a demon perhaps. With powers beyond psionics. Another rumor was that it was the goal of the First Empire and the Dark Ones to find and appease that god, and created that Empire to impress that Dark Entity. What of it is true I do not know but it was said this Dark One had ultimate dominion of space and time. A thought of this god could move Galaxies and that his power and rule stretched over more than one reality and more than one dimension. There supposed to be a physical of a prophecy that is the source of much of what the Seenian scholars called trans galactical myths and legends." Cateria was visibly shocked about this."I never believed it but even I heard whispered rumors about that." Narth added."Perhaps the Narth Supreme knows if these are indeed just stories, but all stories and legends have an origin as we too had contact with the Dark Ones. The Narth Supreme has shared little of that time with Narth. It might be the reason we choose to abandon all contacts  and removed our world from this plane." Shaka now also took part ."If the Narth met these First Dark Ones and if Suit is correct about the billions of years, then the Narth must be around far longer than the Pree and the Uni." Cateria said."The Pree were to us what we Seenians are to you, a Lost Civilization. Somehow I have a feeling the age of the Narth isn't counted in millennia but in eons." Narth declined his shrouded head. "Your feeling is quite correct. We were the very first life form in this Universe that gained sentience and the first to reach Techlevel twelve. We were called the Nnnth and had a corporeal existence. We met an entity, the Arth who existed in hyperspace. We merged and became the Narth, but I must correct you, as one can divide Billions of years into centuries and count them " I rolled my eyes as I did so often at Narths matter of fact statements and looked at Cateria. You heard him you can count billions just fine...just takes a little longer." She smiled."This is such an incredible story. I never thought I would admit it but I am very fond of this crew and this Narth." "As this Narth is fond of you and I even know what the meaning of fondness is." I turned to Shea. "That brings me to a question. We do have time so why don't you tell me the story behind that sword of yours. You never actually told us. How come it cuts even a Seenian suit?" "Why it does it I can't tell you. It defies all methods of scanning. The Material appears the same at any magnification. there is no molecular level, no surface structure, no measurable energy but it cuts through anything except its own scabbard." "Is it a secret where you got it from?" "No, I just never really told it to anyone.” She completely turned her seat around. “I was a young Sojonit. On my way to complete an errand for the order. When I witnessed a fight. A bright almost glowing human-like man in what I can only describe as a very ancient looking armor fought another man in a black armor of similar design. The Man in the black armor seemed to emit black flames all around him and they fought each other with swords. They fought like I never seen anyone or anything fight. Hurling energy beams at each other out of their fists and nothing around them mattered, they simply crashed through concrete walls and steel as if you and I walk through air. Their weapons cut anything in their way. then the bright glowing one noticed me and thundered something I didn't understand. The Black Armored one however actually caught a falling wall that would otherwise have crushed me and because he was distracted saving me was stabbed by the white glowing one. The Dark one was wounded.The white one was about to strike again, I jumped up and tried to stop it by pulling on its other arm. The wounded Black one took the moment and beheaded the other.

At this the body of the white Knight withered away in a blinding light and the Dark One was looking at me and I saw no face just a mask with nothing behind the eye-holes and he picked up the remaining Sword of the White Knight and handed it to me then he too vanished." She finished and she sighed. "They had leveled the entire city block, hundreds had died but no one of the survivors had seen what caused it. No one remembered the fight except me. I have spent much time researching and stumbled on only a few references to the Knights of the Light and it was on a fragmented piece of vellum in the Sojonit Library." Narth said. "You should come to Narth Prime and show your sword to the Narth Supreme. Yeoman O'Connell who had been here the entire time took my horror mug from out the Serv-Matic and brought it to me while she said. "I think you have witnessed the clash between a Warrior of the Order and a Light Knight. I know little more, but I know of a Coven Sister who has spent her entire existence on the research on this and I know she had witnessed a fight similar to yours. She might be able to tell you more." Har-Hi grunted."I can't for the life of me, figure out why this rings strangely familiar to me, but I must admit I don't like this idea of beings with powers and abilities like this. It would mean that there are things out there that make all our struggles and achievements appear pointless and small." He put in words what I was thinking. Several of these immortals have told me that I too would become something like that. There were undeniable events in my life and recent memory that had no real explanation, but I still clung to the idea, that I really was just a weird Neo Viking with gender issues and nothing more. Aloud I said. "I feel that way when it comes to psionics, but It is actually natural that there are other things and powers out there. Life develops even in the strangest places. That reminds me how is that dust thing doing?" Shea looked away and was suddenly busy on her console. Narth was not paying any attention to me and Har Hi simply stared at the main viewer. "I was just asking a question, guys." Har-Hi said. "Who are you asking?" "Anyone who can answer me that question. Why do I have a feeling that thing isn't in a box and contained in force fields and you all know about it?" Har-Hi said. "You didn't specifically order it to be in a box. You said to make sure it is properly contained. Shea said it just could fit in a box as I recall." I got up. "Krabbel you have the Conn. I think I am going to have a look myself. Is this some sort of conspiracy?" The Dai shook his head."You know better than that. We would never conspire against you. We simply thought it might not be all that important. You being the Captain having all those other things on your mind." "Har-Hi, we are flying now for the better of six weeks through space with nothing happening at all. I am running out of ideas how to phrase nothing in the Logbook. Now I am not bored or anything like that but certainly we are not busy. Shea, what is going on?" She also got up. "Maybe it is better you do come and see for yourself. Dusty has learned a lot in two month." "Dusty?" "It wanted a name. Everything has a name. The concept of naming things was alien to it. You don't need names if you think you are the only living thing in the universe." "You named the thing Dusty?" "No that was Alice. She named it and Dusty liked it." "So where is Dusty now? I have a feeling I won't find him contained in a box in our cargo hold." Narth nodded. "I think you can trust your feelings on that indeed." While I walked to the IST I said. "You are in on it too?" "I am in on this ship yes." "Narth I carried your 'Hug thing' and I think you just tried to act. I told SHIP that isn't going to work and you are certainly even a worse actor than she is." SHIP giggled and I looked up towards the ceiling as I always did when I addressed her. "Now that you are part of this, surprises me not one bit." "Honestly Captain we did not do anything against your will or anything that would have harmed you or the ship. We just thought you might order Dusty to be contained in a box. He really was terribly lonely all his existence and he is thirsty for companionship and loves to talk. Dusty was afraid you would order him outside once we reached a suitable star system. So we sort of promised it not to say much as long as you didn't ask." "I didn't ask because I was under the impression the thing was contained in a box and would be released so it can feed on a sun or something. So where is it?" "Playing Cards with Golden, the Holdian Specialist, TheOther and Circuit in the Pirates Den." "Dusty the Cosmic Dust cloud is playing cards in our Pirates Den. Do you know what the Admiral will say if he reads that in my report?" I went into the IST and down to the Hangar Deck. SHIP answered. "I am not able to predict what the Fleet Admiral would say." “He will most likely fall off his chair again.” I reached the Hangar deck and stepped through the door and the curtains to our Pirate Den. There on a smaller table to the side of the huge round one sat The Other, our Y'All, my Chief engineer, the Little Furry Specialist Warner and the Golden Merchant. Two-Three was standing behind something that had the form of a humanoid. It looked somewhat as if a kid tried to form a man out of dark sand. No facial features, just eyes made from different darker colored sand. I heard Circuit say." Looks like you got a full house, not bad but it won't beat Sodoby's Royal Flash." Then there was silence. They noticed me. The huge thing spoke with a mechanical sounding voice. "Now why is no one talking. Is this part of celebrating a Royal Flash?" Warner lowered is round ears."I guess Senior officers and Captain's can leave the bridge even during shift." Circuit got up. "Captain, meet Dusty. Dusty this is our Captain." The thing said. "Captain please do not send me out. I am no longer alone and I found the greatest pleasure in the universe, company." "I am not going to kick you out. I am just a bit surprised to find you here and not contained as I thought you were." "Captain. I am not dangerous. I did not know this sphere contains beings. I did not know there was any other thinking and talking being, except me. I cannot remember how I came to be and I never met anyone like me. All I know is I was alone." "And I am not a monster, you could have told me. You make me sound like some cold heart Fangsnapper. I even allowed Suit to be conscripted." Alice the sad looking girl I only now noticed came around and stood before me. "Then could you not conscript me and Dusty too? So we can be like the others and not outsiders?" "I am sure glad McElligott gave me a big enough ship. We might have to weld some containers on the hull to make extra room by the time we return. I can't really conscript you, Alice, you are still too young." "I am seventeen or at least that old because Dad found me seventeen years ago and that is old enough. Narth said so. Dad would be happy I know." "Well, what can I say against that if Narth thinks so and if Cloud can play cards I am sure he can find something to do, but I want you Shea and Narth to tell me that Dusty and Alice know what that means to become a member of the fleet. Including the possibility they are being sent to the Academy after we return." Narth pointed into the group. "Alice has completed Union Citizen education and already studies for her Academy entry. A you know Har-Hi is holding Basic school for Alice, Suit, the Golden, Ensign Xon, our Togars and now Dusty every day in his spare time." "I  begin to understand what the Old Admiral meant when he called us the strangest ship in the fleet. But alright I sign your Conscription documents and swear you in."

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I sat over my log book and had just noted the conscription of Starman Dusty and Starman Alice Enigma. One was a sentient dust cloud and the other a little girl with alien DNA and the ability to lift seventy-ton landing tanks with the psionic energies she was able to channel. I leaned back and turned a number of pages back. There was my notes on Suits conscription, The Togar Commandant and his children, the Gray Nul, lovely Jolaj, and Sodoby. A truly unique collection of individuals for sure. I looked up and said to Fenris, the little dragon. “Well, at least you don't want to become a crew member.” The creature raised his head an winged over and settled on my shoulder and made a croaking sound. I scratched his scaled throat and the thing squeeze his yellow reptile eyes. “Say is it just me or are you still getting bigger?” Fafnir did not answer of course., but the Intercom blinked and Elfi came on. “Captain we are approaching that orange star system and we are picking up Tachyon communications and substantial space traffic. “I am right there, go to Condition Yellow” Elfi who held the Conn got up as I came in and exchanged seats with TheOther at communications. While I had total confidence in all the ships officers, it became sort of an unwritten rule aboard the Tigershark, that the department heads came on duty and took their stations regardless of what bridge watch was on duty, when I called condition yellow or battle stations. Condition Yellow by fleet standard meant that all off-duty personnel proceeded to back up stations. Recreation facilities were closed and battle or a dangerous situation were to be expected, but on the Tigershark, it went a few steps further, due to the Alert condition readiness reaction plan I had worked out with Har-Hi. Sidearm lockers rotated into access mode and all personnel would use battle dressers to get into their BBS (Board Battle Suits) and my Marines went into full armament mode. These were normally elements of Red Alert, but I felt that this extra level of paranoia was justified as we were far from any help or reinforcements. My senior officers and friends had found their stations. My seat rose into the battle dome and SHIP populated the 360-degree computronic assisted view of the surrounding space with the info icons exactly in the configuration I preferred. There was a contact icon for Sobody and one for Cateria. The nine pirate ships left in a straight line formation behind the Red Dragon heading for the fourth planet of this eight planet system. We were the last ship. Sensor data started to populate the infoboxes next to each planet, the sun and about eighty artificial energy and mass contacts. Shea, SHIP, and Narth worked faster than even the sensor department of the Devi. Elfi's symbol flashed red. Prioritized by SHIP and indicating an incoming transmission. The symbol next to the Red Dragon also flashed. “Captain, Red Dragon is hailing us.” “Put him on, audio only.” The Red Dragons voice said. “This Cosporus and a local culture hub and trade world. We will land on the fourth planet for fuel, serving our engines and for restocking our ship stores. The local civilization are the Trontigmakader. Don't ask me to repeat that, I am glad I managed to say it the first time. Polos, Iridium and Tellurium are accepted for payment.” Captain Sandovahl of the Killerbeast chimed in. “Have you been here before?” “Captain Brathering has, as the Puup region isn't far from here. We will land on the Mustar spaceport. I have already received landing permission for us all. As soon as we land there will be a meeting aboard the Red Dragon before we interact with the locals.” After the Red Dragon disconnected, I blinked at Sobody's icon that was flashing with the contribute info symbol, “You know about this place?” “Only indirectly. I have been here about one hundred years ago. There is a Golden Bazaar in a nearby system. It is run by my brother Sagodi. There is also a trade enclave on Cosporus. The planet is in character a little like N'Ger. The local authority is, or at least was headed by four Trontigmakader. One is the Broodmaster, one is the Godmaster, one is called the Lifemaster and the last one is the Deathmaster. Each represents an aspect of life: birth, religion, life, and death. Back when I was here last, all four have equal power and say, but is the Lifemaster who's dealing with daily life, with trade, civic and is more or less like a king, unless matters infringe on the aspects of the others. They are enemies to the Puup and the Yotenen who are also in this region of space. Tech level is around six and their Aggresso Level is also six. They are insectoid in character but have an endoskeleton and communicate by producing sound by rubbing their wings together, they also can hear and understand. The language spoken in these regions is called the Common. I have downloaded it from Golden databanks before we left for these parts.” SHIP said.”I have created a lingu skill cerebral upload.” I acknowledged, lowered my seat and had the ship stand down from condition yellow. Then I asked. “Does your brother know the Golden are Union?” “Yes all nineteen bazaars of this galaxy know. We used Kermac Long range Telepaths for communication. I am sure the Welcome Wagon might already be on its way. As it had to take the long way around Freespace that might take a while of course.” “What exactly is underway?” Narth delivered the answer. “Once a new Union member is accepted, the Assembly authorizes a so-called Welcome wagon. While it is called wagon I do not know, but it is a large convoy of freighters bringing PDDs, CITI machines, materials and personnel for Union schools, Union clinics. GalNet terminals and of course deploy GalNet Extender buoys to establish GalNet coverage. The convoy may also include Wolfcrafts or an entire Union Feet. The Convoy contains all the basic things a new member needs to become a full Union member.” The Golden nodded. “It is absolutely amazing how efficient and well organized the Union is in this matters. The whole PUMA process, you know the Potential Union Member Assessment was done with a level of proficiency honed by accepting thousands of civilizations. That amazed even the last skeptic voices remaining in my civilization. The incredible effort to reconnect all the distant bazaars and even search for the lost ones is not lost to us Golden. It was always planned to reconnect to some of the more distant bazaars, but we never went past talking about it. It took the Union and their unshakeable can-do attitude to actually do it. We Golden became stagnant and that is one of the reasons I wanted us to become Union. Many societies measure another civilization on technological achievements, but it is these social and cultural aspects that sets the Union light years apart from anything that exists or has existed as far as I know. I mean BoCA who oversees the Welcome wagon program had a tailor-made list of things ready for us Golden within a week and the Assembly appropriated incredible resources to find all Golden. Union citizens did not hesitate to vote on it. My people are deeply impressed by that," “If the Bazaar is not too far, do you want to visit your brother?” “There is a reason he is on a bazaar that many light years from mine and I have been here only once a hundred years ago.” “So he opposed your decision to join the Union?” “Oh no, he agrees with that and he is a loyal Golden to the first merchant. Our...let's say problem has female character. Family matters nothing important.” “I had no idea you had women..” “How do you think we procreate? You might not like it, but the Kermac, even the Uni before and we Golden belong to what is called the human mystery. We have more in common than what sets us apart.” I blushed. “I didn't mean it like that. I just didn't see a Golden Female while I was on your bazaar and there are species who get along with one gender just fine.” “Or three!” The Leedei said. “I mean three genders, captain. Sorry for uh..” “You should know by now Mr.Fivcheer, that no one gets in trouble on this ship for speaking out, voicing an opinion or forgetting to say, Sir, Ma'am or Captain.” Har-Hi agreed. “We are a pretty undisciplined bunch in that regard alright.”

--””--

Red Dragon had announced us collectively and we all had landed on a fairly big sized and busy spaceport. The planet or at least the region we had landed had a very mild climate with a breathable atmosphere, that had only a few percent more oxygen than Standard. The atmosphere was also very humid. The spaceport was very unusual for the fact that it was basically a wide shallow river delta and the entire landing field was about 2 meters underwater and spaceport buildings were on stilts all around the edges. So were some of the local city buildings There was a good number of spaceships. None of them even close to the size of Union giants. Captain Basoro's Hontu and armed 900-meter freighter was the biggest ship and our Silver Streak the second biggest in terms of volume and size. The landed ships were serviced, loaded and unloaded by barges and boats. It was much less orderly or technical than a Union port, but it was busy for sure.

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Har-Hi and I went flew over to the Red Dragon and were greeted by the Dragon at the boarding ramp. We arrived almost at the same time as the Jooltar captain, the others were already there. “My ship won't have an impressive lair as your, Black Velvet but let us go inside, this humidity is anything but pleasant.” I had to agree with him on that one. I was well armed, wearing Tyron and Narth could interfere if there was trouble so I followed inside. The Red Dragon's lair was just a conference room and distinctive Union in its layout, but then the ship was of Union origin, so this fact did not really surprise me. Every one of the remaining captains had found a seat. Har-Hi once more stood behind me. Captain Sandovahl said. “Say what you have to say. My crew is eager to leave the ship after being perched up that long and see what this place offers in terms of entertainment.” “This is why I called you for this meeting. We are not here just for fun, while we all have crews that are eager to get some fresh air and blow some steam, we must be careful and keep a low profile. Go and give your crews some time off, but keep a tight leash on them. No fights, no looting or stealing. Sandovahl made a grinning face. "So half the fun is right of the table?" The Puup said."The Trontigmakader are a peculiar bunch and in this system, they are the masters. You may ruin it for all of us if you get caught stealing." The Red Dragon said. "We are here for fuel and to service our ships, and then we go on. So go back to your ships, organize some shore leave for your crews and put trustworthy officers in charge, and most of all fuel your ships and do what you need to do to get them spaceworthy for the next leg of our quest.

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