Part 4 Frag 16--01-14

--””--



Chapter 4 Onward



Mikesh tried his best to coax his small ships engines way past red line. I did not tell him details but I told him that an emergency occurred and that I needed to be back on my ship as fast as possible.

Har-Hi and Elfi had disapeared. All I knew was, that they wanted to use the small ship to come to my aid or be near in case I needed assistance.

The Tullerman had left the system going translight, It was almost certain they did not go on their own free will. But who could have abucted my friend without him putting up a fight?

If he went after something important,he would have left a message or communicated his plans.

Narth had confirmed that the small ship had a range of about 100 light years and there were plenty of places within that distance. There was Togar space of course, Sin 4 and Alvor's Cove. Even a Union Outpost within the Thalim Nebula.

If course there was the story about Cam Elf Na, did he abandon anything to warn his father or something like that?

I actually shook my head and scolded myself for even thinking it.

No he was in trouble I could feel it in my guts, but space was so big. I needed to find out more before I ran after him, most likley into the wrong direction,

“Mikesh, do you by any chance remember an Old Tullerman that was mored at the base?”

“Yes Ms. Velvet, I do. It looked just like the Yukitri, but she is missing for about four or five month. Not that feel sorry for the two cutthroats that are missing along with her, Vaokk and Fundr. “

He tapped the acceleration indicator and gave me a weak smile. “Sorry, she won't go any faster but we should be there in 40 minutes. I guess I will have to buy new engines after that.”

“Never mind the engines. I have my engineer patch them or buy you a new ship. Tell me more about the Yukitri.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Funny thing too, she used to belong to Ilkesh.You know my cousin three uncles removed from my mother;s sister. It's how he got rich, he had three of those and mostly gathered Dai Scrap.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I wanted to squeeze the information out of him with my bare hands, as I had a very strong feeling that our Tullerman was one and the same as the Yukiri and all was somehow related, But we still had at least 37 minutes to go. Of course Narth could pick me up once we were closer, but in all this I did not want to leave the Key to the Universe behind and make sure the thing would end up save in my cargo hold. Besides all the information he was giving could contain the missing piece of the puzzle. Besides he was nothing but helpful and friendly. “He had three you said?”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Yes, well three ships that is, only one was a Tullerman. He lost two of them about a year ago. Their demise however was no mystery. A Poodle III and Togar Claw Boat old ships but still nice and worth quite a few Polos. Officially collecting scrap and scavenging the battle region where the Union engaged pretty much every Dai Tribe and a Nogoll fleet to boot. That's Union space now but they usually don't mind harmless scavengers and let them be.

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Ny cousin however was not content with just collecting scrap. No he also smuggled Union Tech. Union Police or something like that got wind of it. “He pantomimed a hanging and touched his throat. ”Now you know what these Union bastards do with pirates or anyone caught taking their deadly toys; they broadcasted the hanging on Myon Respond….”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I interrupted him. “Yes they don't mess around when it comes to anyone caught stealing Mil Tech, but get back to the other ship.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Ah yes the Tullerman. Well unsubstantiated rumors have it, that they ran into a Pirate ship, beause Yanvik the Runner claims he had seen Vaokk and Fundr on Alor's cove being sold by the Volting Captain..” He paused and turned to looke at me directly. “Wasn't it you who brought in the Mighty Nine? That was the Volting's ship.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Well very substantial rumors have it, the Mighty Nine ran into me.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He shivered .” You killed them all,right?”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Lets say the Volting and his crew were not very accommodating when I asked them to surrender.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“You seem such a nice woman, but I guess that is why you are a Pirate and not a miner.” He retuned to look out the cockpit view port. “Anyhow I was in the Tavern when these two thugs appear. A Jooltar and a Black Nogoll and Golour, one of the Fuel handlers on our table told us they came with a Tullerman that had the same hull patch as the Yukitri.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I silently cursed our own careless and amateurish approach. while he went on. “You know I am just a miner and no expert, but I an sitting in that tavern even before Promic the Pertharian took over running the Motherlode from Gerorn. I mean they don't pay any attention to Miners but we always keep up with the stories of the pirates and the Scavengers.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“And?”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“What I meant is that these two didn't act like Scavengers, besides who ever heard of a Jooltar getting along with a Black Nogoll?”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">I tried to hide my own anger over our, no over my own naïve assumptions. “They don't get along ?”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Does the Union and the Galactic Council get along, do Shiss and Nul get along? I guess you haven't hunted much in these regions, Velvet. The Nogoll black or white were the arch enemies of the Jooltar even before the Nogoll became Kermac thralls and the Jooltar like nothing better than a juicy Nogoll roast.” He padded his belly. “I tend to agree with them.”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">Despite my urgency to ger to the ship and my self castising thoughts, I gasped. “You eat sentient beings?”

<p lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom:0cm">He shrugged. “Why not? The Togar eat humans and everyone else they can digest. The Jooltar