Swde.ox

led and said.

"Well other than the fact that he is a few thousand years older than you and that you now look quite delectable there isn't all that much difference in you two when it comes to such things. What you just said with just a few details missing exactly what he wants to do.

"I was certain I had grown a few centimeters in my seat with the deep pride that filled my chest.

"Sir this is a great compliment indeed. I would not dream or dare to compare myself with Admiral Stahl, but if you see similarities then I am on the right track."

The eternal Soldier walked into the visual pick up.

"You certainly are, Son. Now transmit your position and stop all engines and wait. The USS Shadowrunner will rendezvous with you and take that alien control device from you, also those prisoners and bring you some supplies and an addition to your crew."

"Done, we are stopping right now and coordinates are transmitted."

McElligott blinked and said.

"Say, Captain Olafson would you not have to notify your helmsman and your Navigator?"

"Sir, Narth has the Conn and I relayed my orders directly to him."

Stahl pointed at a readout in front of him.

"Coordinates received."

McElligott poured himself a glass of whiskey and snorted.

"I should have known."

Stahl helped himself to a glass as well and said.

"The Intel you gathered on the Nul situation is more serious and we are still analyzing it. Cooperation between Nul and Kermac would not be a good thing, but knowing about it is half the battle. We keep you posted if we get any additional information on that and of course do the same if you run across anything as usual."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes, Sir of course."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Stahl put the whiskey down.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"If you can, find out what it is that the Red Dragon and the Sinister Alliance are planning and if you can, find out the location of their secret meeting place.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“I am heading for Sin 4 maybe I can pick up some intel there.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“Yes that is where I would go too. Once you neutralized the Red Dragon, I think we can give you guys a break and you can come home to Richter Base and take that vacation we promised."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">–“”--

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The USS Shadowrunner was just like the Chimera, a disguised ship. On the outside, an old Mega-Poodle operated by a privateer and on the inside, a state of the art Union ship.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Just like a regular poodle, only three times as big and better armed, this Poodle had also bigger cargo holds.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We transferred the pirate crews and much of the loot of the Swift Profit, as we hoped it could be returned to the families of the victims.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">In return we received our first Wolfcraft fighter. It was equipped with a smaller version of the Janus Device.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Along with the Wolfcraft came a few containers of fresh food supplies.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Not that we were anywhere near running out and we did have Molecular reconstitution systems that recycled 99.99% of our waste, but it was nice to have fresh things and a larger variety.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I stood in the Cargo hold and talked to the Captain of the Shadowrunner who was from Holstein Planet.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Holstein was close to Nilfeheim and it was nice to exchange some non-important local gossip. He had send over a crate of Holstein Pilsner, my favorite beer, and to the delight of our chef, a supply of Holstein butter.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">While I was standing there a large Battle Robot, bigger than a Fenris and more massive than a Cerberus, came over the freight tunnel that connected our ships and stomped towards me. The machine saluted and remained in that position.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Then a hatch on the chest of that at least three and a half meter tall machine opened and three hand sized men appeared, and they saluted again. I noticed they wore Union Black and I recognized them as Mini Terrans.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">A magnifying field screen established between me and one of the men said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Lieutenant Charles Bergdorf and two specialist of the New World Commonwealth reporting for Duty, Ma'am. Admiral Rutherford personally sends this Terror Mech. He thinks you might be able to use it and us."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Welcome aboard then. I am delighted to have you aboard. Your machine looks impressive."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes Ma'am it is the pinnacle of NWC technology and rivals one of our Battle ships fire power. It was conceived to answer possible invasions by large enemies and the Terror-Machine-Suit series is the latest. We have been briefed about the Tigershark's true mission and volunteered."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi walked around the towering machine and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"If this thing equals the fire power of one of these spheres, then it exceeds a Fenris for sure."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Lt. Bergdorf said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"It is also a full functioning space ship, capable of reaching destinations of over 1500 light years. It maneuvers almost as good as a Wolfcraft and can operate in full robotic mode, but when I am connected to it, it can move like a human, picking up feathers, or crush steel."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I think this is a nice addition to our Marine detachment and Lt. Pure will get you situated."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Pure came, as SHIP had heard me and summoned him. I filled him in and the three Mini Terrans returned inside their machine and followed the Attikan Marine.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">While I watched the battle robot thing stomp away I noticed Sobody talking to Har-Hi and he repeated that strange move he had done in the Tavern killing one of the pirates.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I could tell my Dai friend was deeply impressed.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I joined them and asked.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"How did you actually cut that Thauran?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody pushed back the sleeve of his robe and revealed a metal wrist band with a little hump and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"This is a Monofilament whip. It shoots a strand of molecular thick Monochronium metal wire. The thing is highly flexible and there is a little weight ball at the end. It is so thin it cuts through nearly everything and it can be electrified or heated to 4000 degrees if the cutting alone doesn't do the trick. It isn't useful against a fully armored person in a Union Battle suit, or against shields, but in close quarter or hand to hand situations it is deadly. It takes quite a bit of practice as it can be very dangerous to the user.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It's a very old Golden weapon but I have had his one now for a very long time and it turned out I am still good with it, I haven't used it in anger in almost 500 years, you know."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Can you get me one of those?. I think I could fit one above my dart launcher and below the bomb pellet dispenser."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody smiled proudly.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"This is a great compliment coming from a Dai. I have a spare one for sure and I'll show you how to use it, too."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Above the dart launcher and below the bomb pellet dispenser. Are we talking about the arsenal you carry on just one arm?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi shook his head.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No, only what I carry between wrist and elbow, I've got a bigger list if we talk about the whole arm."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I rolled my eyes and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Thor's Hammer, I had to ask!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Captain of the Shadowrunner handed me a PDD in clip board mode.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I think that is all. I got the device, the sleeping beauties and the loot and you got the walking doll house complete with real life action figures."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I checked the list just flying over it with my eyes just because it was nice to do something that was fleet routine. Something normal captains would do every day. I loved our current mission, but once in a while I wished we could be a Union ship openly. I stopped and read over the list more carefully and then said to Har-Hi who was still next to me and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Say the Togar female isn't on this list. Aren't we transferring her too?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"She is still at sick bay. Cateria hasn't released her."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I thanked the captain and wished him a good trip home. After our ships had separated and we were back on course to Sin 4, I went to our sickbay. I found it strange that the Togar female was still here; she didn't look that badly wounded and as far as I knew, Togar were biologically similar to many mammalian species. I also remembered Narth's ominous thoughts and wondered why he hadn't come back to me about it.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I actually never seen our sickbay other than during my first ship tour and looked forward to see Cateria in her element.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Out of thin air, Narth appeared next to me as I turned into the corridor of sickbay and he said: "Apologies, Captain. I have not updated you as I am still missing certain information I am not sure how to obtain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I stopped and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"What do you mean by that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I mean I am morally hampered, it has partially to do with your sense of fairness and as I said the Hugavh share goes both ways."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Narth, I am not complaining or expecting you to have all the answers for me all the time. I just think we are not the right environment for these human flesh eaters, and sending her along with the Shadowrunner would have been a good idea. However I am curious what my sense of fairness has to do with all of this."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You bought her, acting out of that very sense, and I must tell you that the Togar female was tortured and raped in the most horrible ways aboard that Pirate ship Her psychological condition is fragile and very difficult and Cateria is trying her best with old fashioned counseling and medication to help her. She didn't think having her treated like an enemy by uncaring Union authorities would be good."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">What he said touched me somewhere deep. I remembered as Egill had transferred me somehow into the body of a female to teach me what hell could mean, and I had almost been raped by Harkun. I had not thought about this for a long time but now it returned as a vivid memory.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth nodded.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You see, all your past experiences have formed your personality and we shared this with the Hugavh. Now the Togar female has a mental shield, preventing me from probing deeper and finding out more details. I could easily break it of course, but I would basically commit the same crime on her again as these men did,"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He lowered his head.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"With my increased understanding of human emotions, my own approach to things changes. I would have broken her shield without hesitation only a year ago."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Narth, this is not a bad thing, it is what we call a conscience, and it tells us what is right and what is wrong above any laws or any rules. We humans can differentiate between good and evil, and this opens a whole can of worms on such subjects as ethics and religion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am still at the beginning trying to understand all this, but I fail to see why opening a can of worms is of any significance to this discussion? I am certain we have no can of worms in our freight manifest."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Go ask Shea about that one later. Let us check on the Togar and see if we can get her home somehow."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"That is the problem I mentioned earlier."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I went through the double doors of our sickbay. It had the symbol of Aesculapius over a six pointed star etched into semi transparent material. The lobby behind was white and blue and everything looked brand new and sparkling clean. Cateria wore a light blue and white coat and white pants. Her usually short cropped hair was now a little longer and gave her a somewhat gentler appearance. Her slight smile also helped.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Hello Captain, what can I do for you? Is it an inspection, or are my services required? Back issues perhaps, walking day in and out in these murderous heels or carrying that rack you decided to have must do a number on your back."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Cateria, my back is fine and I am not here for an inspection either. I am here to inquire about the Togar female."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria lost her smile and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Her name is Jolaj Grotha and physically she is as good as new. She comes from a matriarchal society and has been raped not once but many times and not by members of her own kind but by aliens to her, whict makes it even worse. She is young, barely adult in her society, and she is also perhaps the most wanted person in the Togar Empire."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"That is what I meant, if the Togar Empire becomes aware that she is alive and aboard our ship, they will try to capture us and kill her."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said gloomily:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I didn't make a big secret out of buying her either. In a Tavern of all places. Chances are the Togar already know we have her. What has she done?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"That is the information I was unable to obtain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"All I know about the Togar society is what I could find on GalNet. I am trying to win her trust so she opens up on her own. Captain I simply could not release her. What would they have done to her on Union side? She doesn't belong there, they know as much about the Togar as I do, and she belongs to a society that eats humans. I asked Narth and the others not to mention her and I hoped you would forget her for a while."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She looked at me intensely.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I know why you bought her. To impregnate her with a virus or something and make her the instrument of her own kind's demise, and half the ship agrees with your idea."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I said what I said as I stood in a cargo hold with thousands of dead humans, slaughtered and butchered like Fangsnappers. I saw humans herded and separated in slave pens destined for the spits of Togar grills. So my general opinion of Togar society isn't very favorable, but I don't buy sentient beings for any purpose whatsoever. I bought her to get her out of the situation she was in. I wonder what what kind of monster you think I am?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I don't know you as well as the others do. I know you are fair and straight forward. I know I can trust you with my life and I am here because you showed me mercy, but I also remember how it is to be your enemy."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't have any real response to that and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Well I am not going to kill her or kick her out, but I'd still like to know what we are going to do with her. She isn't a prisoner. Can I talk to her?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria shrugged.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am not the best psychiatric expert and know next to nothing about Togar, so I guess you can."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I followed her into a well lit room with a bed with curtains on a window that simulated the view onto a green sun drenched meadow. There was a desk and a chair as well. The white Togar female was on the bed and she was restrained. Cateria answered my unspoken question.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Partially to prevent her from harming herself and partially because she is a Togar with very sharp claws and teeth. Neither I nor my staff have the desire to become patients."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Togar was really pretty, looking almost like a human woman with a skintight white fur suit, if it wasn't for the four toed, claw like feet, the catlike face and the long tail. I wondered if the Pree or the UNI who supposedly seeded human life also seeded the Togar. She looked straight at the ceiling and did not move or react as we came in,

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said to Cateria.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Deactivate her restraints."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You think that is wise Captain?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Deactivate her restraints and leave me alone then. I don't think I am in danger."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She did and the restrains holding the Togar disappeared into the bed frame.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Hi Jolaj, I am Freya and I am the Captain of this ship."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She did not move as she said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You bought me!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Only to get you away, we are on our way to Sin 4. I can even make a little side trip to Kaliment and you are free to go. You are not my property and you are not a prisoner."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You can kill me if you want and you can use me."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I killed the man named Bloom and his men are all going to be hanged for acts of Piracy."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She moved her head for the first time and looked at me.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">" You do not show your face, yet you are not pirates. The ship is old on the outside but inside like we think a Union ship might be. Why should I believe you?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You do not have to believe me. I am sorry for what happened to you, but I have a mission and a ship that comes first. I will instruct my Ships surgeon to do Psycho Surgery on you. Afterwards you will remember nothing. My ship's secret is safe, you will not remember any of the bad things and we let you go on Kaliment where you can reach the Togar side easily."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Then you are a coward and let others do your killing for you. Why not kill me right away? Any Togar that helps me is automatically sentenced to death. Any Togar that kills me will gain great fortune with the Queen."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"What could you have done that is so terrible?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She turned her head away and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I was born."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I can understand that you don't trust me or anyone for that matter and frankly, I don't trust you. I don't particularly like Togars, and I am not too fond of any species that buys and hunts my kind for food. But I hate unfair situations and yours is very unfair. So I am asking you, what is it you want?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Kill me, please, simply kill me and all the problems are gone. The pain I feel, the trouble I cause everything will be gone and you are rid of me as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Why I sat down and touched her hand. I was not sure, but her pain and sorrow I could almost physically feel.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Death comes to us all sooner or later; there is no need to seek it out."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She turned her head and I could see the pain and the shame she felt in her big green cat eyes.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Her fine whiskers quivered and I saw the fine fur underneath her big eyes was wet.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Just kill me, please!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I touched her cheeks and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No worries Jolaj, I give you my word I will find a solution and, while this is a war ship and we will be in dangerous situations, I promise you no one will ever hurt you again while you aboard this ship and under my care."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I took her paw like hand in mine and squeezed it saying:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Do you believe that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Tears rolled down her cheeks and she nodded.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes, I believe you."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Again I was surprised by my own actions as I pulled the dangerous alien cat being close and hugged her and she started sobbing in a strange mix of animalistic and human noises.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am sorry for everything. I didn't ask to be born you know. I didn't ask for white fur, I am sorry for being Togar and that I have eaten human. I am sorry for being female and making them…"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Her fur was at least as soft as that of the little Holdian commander. I did not understand everything she said as she switched between native Togar and Freeszone Squawk. Many of her words were swallowed between deep sobs, but I could feel her pain and hopelessness while I was holding her. I was suddenly reminded of Egill and could almost see him nodding with approval. I was certain I heard another voice say:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"As long as he can feel compassion so strongly through the female persona I have given him, all hope is not lost."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">For a brief moment I wondered about my own imagination but then was distracted by the white furred Togar I was still holding. She was crying softer now and I patted her back. I don't know how long I sat there holding the alien female, but then I noticed she had fallen asleep and I let her down, covered her and quietly left.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria and Narth were there outside the door, but it was the Seenian CMO that spoke first:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"She hasn't been able to sleep without sedation...I'm sorry for having misjudged you, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't get into that and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Don't restrain her any more and if she wants to get up and wander around, let her. Ship will keep an eye on her so she isn't wandering in restricted areas."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria looked back through the door window and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I'll see to it, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I will attempt to learn more about the Togar and maybe I can find out why white fur would be of significance."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">SIN 4

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We had reached the Sin system and as always, I had us drop out of Quasi-space in the outmost regions of the star system. I said: "Maintain course to Sin 4, and steady as she goes. Mr. Shaka."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Aye Captain, keeping it all well within the limits for a Kartanian."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Elfi keep your ears open and record all comm traffic. Ship, help her please."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Already on it, Captain, search patterns for Pirate name activity, Mil tech offers in effect." "Narth and Shea, make sure you don't use any active scanner beams we are not supposed to have."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"We adjusted our active Sensors to match our Disguise." Har-Hi handed me a PDD in clipboard mode and said: "Arrival at Sin 4 or not, it is 0900 Union time and that means you got to sign the daily order sheet, Moi Captain. Only with your signature can I process them."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Where is Ms. O'Connells? Is that not her duty?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Her duty yes, but since you decided to pull two shifts and throw my carefully arranged shift schedule in chaos, she is off duty." I blinked guilty and said: "I just wanted to be on the bridge myself when we arrived. I somehow hoped never to set foot on Sin 4 again and yet here we are."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea sighed at that and said: "I can't help but think the same way, and this dirt ball is supposed to be my home."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said. "Your home is where you make it and not where fate put you when you were born. At least we arrive in a nice ship this time, and at least I am not bound and can go to the bathroom anytime I want."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Everyone looked at me and I said: "Well the first time I arrived here I was bound and I needed to go to the bathroom real bad. It's not a story I should tell you all, but not being able to go can be real painful."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said: "No one is laughing, Captain. This makes your accomplishment to escape barefoot and without any resources even more amazing. You didn't go into great details when you told us how you escaped your tormentor, but I can imagine it was much more difficult than you let on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Maybe I'll tell you one day. Right now we've got a job to do and, as we are the first federation ship in this system, while we are here we might as well collect some data and upgrade our catalogs and information on this system."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Golden One came onto the bridge and Ship said to me: "I asked Sobody to the bridge to help Elfi with the Comm traffic analysis."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"It's all good Ship. I think we can throw regulation 563.43 B out the window with many of the other regulations regarding proper bridge conduct. Besides you are not just the AI. You do carry rank and you are an Officer."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody looked over to the busy science console and said: "Captain, we are supposed to be pirates! Pirates don't survey, measure and explore."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I smiled, answering: "Not to worry, Ancient Merchant. We won't launch any probes or send survey teams to the other planets."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har Hi, who stood with crossed arms next to my seat watching the science crew do their job, turned to the Golden and said: "Even you might be surprised at the data we can collect just with our sensors. I doubt there is another species that elevated scientific sensor analysis to such a science as the Union."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody agreed saying: "This is one of the reasons I am such a fan of the Terrans and the Union, Mr. Hi."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea looked at her readouts and reported: "None of the other planets are used or occupied as far as I can tell; there are no energy signatures or material concentrations that would suggest artificial manipulation or presence. Yet it appears that there are several candidates with promising mineral and metal riches."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said. "Crooks don't mine and those who do don't want to mine and have the fruits of their labor stolen or taken away. So I guess that is the reason no one is mining out here,"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She nodded and returned to looking at her read outs. I knew her well enough that I could tell by her body language she found something, so I asked: "Lt. Schwartz is there anything I should know about?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Capitan it is not anything that would affect us or the mission in any way. The Sun is a Spectral Type O2 and..." She stopped in mid sentence and kept looking at her read outs. She turned: " It is my home system Captain but I never had the chance to scan our sun before. This star is unstable and I am running a simulation through Ship right now, and a Nova eruption is likely to occur within the next two or three hundred years."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I responded saying. "It won't affect our mission then because I hope we all will be somewhere else by then. Maybe the situation will have changed by then and the Wurgus Solar Engineers could stabilize that sun."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth was also busy on his console and said: "Captain, there is a lot of traffic in this system, and I am detecting weapon fire at nine different locations within the system. Mao analyzed the conflicts and concluded that none of the fights are connected."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mao did not take his eyes off his read outs and confirmed what Narth had said: "Narth send me the scanner data but I can't see any correlation between any of these shoot outs. It appears no big ships are involved. Weapon energies exchanged are consistent with armed system shuttles and the like." Shea said: "That is normal. There is only one law here, the law of the stronger. There are always quarrels and fights anywhere on or around Sin 4"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I leaned back." Har Hi sound Battle stations anyway. I like to be ready."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Aye Captain! General Quarters!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We reached the Planet without any incidents and Shaka took us into a standard orbit around the Garden world that was known as SIN 4.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It had only two continents and several large islands. The rest was Ocean. Even from space the upper continent didn't look very inviting. It was gray and looked dirty. There was visible pollution oozing from one of the large islands in a gray smear across the greenish oceans.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"So how do we land?" I asked. "Did anyone hail us?" This question I directed to Elfi. The beautiful Saran woman answered: "There is lots of activity on all channels, but no one is taking any interest in us, Sir."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth checked his scanners and said: "No one has even noticed us."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "We simply land. There are a few space ports but there is no active landing control. I suggest we land at the Gorotolah and expand if it is still there. It is the largest space port on the southern most edge of the Continent."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She waved her hands over the main viewer and magnified a section of the planet below and pointed at an area. I was certain it was the same spaceport I had been before, as it had the Ocean close by.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shaka was under his Virtu Helmet but unlike most other Virtu Helmsmen he always paid attention to what happened on the bridge and participated in our conversations. He said: "I am on Ship vision and can see it and there are other ships as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I smiled at Shea and then said: "Shaka, take us down there and put us as far away from the other ships as possible. Mao, keep our shields active and Narth, double check the Janus system."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We landed on the same cracked and crumbling, Duro-Crete field I had been on before. I recognized the tall Duro-crete wall in the distance, but most of the Skeleton hand spider infested terminal was gone, and there was still a crater where the SII ship had blasted one of the Spaceports turrets away. To my utter surprise I recognized the now completely salvaged and butchered hulk of the Kartanian courier ship that I had arrived on Sin 4 not so long ago. It was nothing more than a twisted wreck, but I recognized its hull shape,

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Nothing much had changed; there were the same garbage fires, piles of waste and filth.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shaka took off his helmet and shook his head looking at the main viewer saying: "Good lord, what a dump. If this is such a lawless place, who actually build this spaceport? It looks it had been a well planned facility once."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I looked into the direction of our geek squad and said:"Good question."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It was Sobody who had the answer, as neither Shea nor Narth seemed to know. He said: "It is a little known side note of Galactic History. After the first signing, the Nioban did not want to have any more meetings on their world and the Big Four looked for another place where they could meet, sort of a neutral ground place. This planet was chosen, and the Kartanian, smelling the opportunity to do business with the Big Four, build this space port, the terminal and the original city. It never happened. The Nioban changed their mind and now everyone meets at Crossroads, a Nioban world, and not here. The Kartanian abandoned the world and, since it was in Freespace and had a city and space port for the taking, it didn't take long for pirates and similar vermin to find this place. Syndicate Families developed and it all turned into the Sin 4 we all know today."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "Not that anyone had the right to take this world, as it has a sentient native population."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Elfi said: "Someone did notice us and we are being hailed."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I settled back down in my seat and put on my mask then said: "I am ready, put it on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The being looked like an Oghar mixed with a Shiss and looked quite frightening. "We are calling the Silver Streak."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said: "Looks like you got our attention. Speak up, what is it you want?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"We know who you are, Captain Velvet, your reputation travels faster than your ship."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Put it on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"This is indeed Captain Black Velvet of the Silver Streak. Whom do I have the dubious honor to talk with?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The answer came right away. The voice sounded rough and somewhat high pitched and I could hear other voices in the background. "Captain Velvet, you are talking to the Gorotolah Spaceport Protection Agency. We heard of you and your ship and we know you are a successful pirate. We are very happy you choose to land on our port. However this is a dangerous place and we can only guarantee your safety for 20,000 Polo coins, or goods of similar value. If you decide not to pay or to leave we are forced to use our DE guns on you. We have two large DE turrets aimed directly at you. You have exactly 20 minutes to comply. A group of our associates will approach in a floater and expect payment to be transferred."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mao manipulated the main viewer and magnified a set of buildings across the landing field. Indeed there was a bunker like building with a force field surrounding it and a set of DE turrets on top aiming at us. Mao said. "Captain, those pea shooters won't even dent our armor without shields. They don't have anything big enough to put us in any real danger."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har Hi agreed: "They are bluffing and hope we don't know, but there aren't any weapons big enough on a planet that could seriously harm a ship of our size, even if we really were a Kartanian Freighter with original shields. Any weapon big enough to could crack our shields would seriously damage a huge area around us. This isn't a Poodle." (2)

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I nodded and said: "Elfi can you pinpoint the location of the transmission?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She moved her hands over her console and responded: "Yes Captain I have localized it to that transmitter array over there."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I pointed at the turrets and said: "Mao, fire our simulated Froth Caster and place a 5 gram TL bomb right where that transmission originates. That should do as payment."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">From the outside it looked as if our Nul turret fired, the Translocator load was invisible and undetectable.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The result was more than I expected. The 5 gram antimatter exploded and obliterated not only the bunker and the building with the transmitter but the entire building complex with a tremendous fire cloud.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi coughed into his fist and rubbed his fingernails on his jacket. "I don't think this is what they had in mind when they asked for goods of similar value, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea shrugged. "I doubt anyone really will notice and expect others will take their place and try a similar scam."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I got up from the seat, and said: "Let's have a conference in the Den to figure out what we need to do and how we are going to do it."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi was standing and said: "There are three reasons why we came here. Number one is to find the Terran weapons dealer and shut him down. Number two is to find out where the Sinister Alliance is meeting and what they are planning and number three on our list of things to do is to identify all pirates and freelancers that are on the wanted list of Union Police, with special focus on the Red Dragon."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Hans spread out a series of high resolution pictures of three space ships. "These are the ships that share the landing area with us right now. All three are operated by notorious outlaws and pirates. I prepared dossiers on each of them from the data we have available. As for the Mil-Tech dealer I would like to go into the city and gather some intel on that."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Hans managed to look embarrassed and said: "I am not on Sin 4 for the first time either and I have some contacts and a reputation here, even though I am supposed to be dead."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said: "Not that I want to sound nosy or anything like that, but could you be a tad more specific?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He looked down on the table surface and said. "Before I joined the Fleet I was fighting for money in one of the big Arenas here. Nothing to be proud of, but back then I was a young punk with no brain and an expensive taste."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You?" Was all I could say. Hans was always so correct and straight.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, me, I was known as the Terror Hammer and fought in the top league. I still have some connections here. Golden said he would come along as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I can't simply allow you go outside Mr. Merchant. It is very dangerous out there and how would they react to the Merchant of Merchants being here?" He smiled and said: "You worry too much, Captain, Cateria will do some plastic surgery again and add the ugly branding of the Expelled on my head and besides even us Golden have a hard time to tell us apart. To any stranger we look very much alike." He then looked up to Hans and said: "I think I could help out there more than I can here. Sin 4 is a rotten place but it runs on money and business and that's what I know best."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I sighed: "You know how to make a point but be careful and stay with Hans."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "I would like to go to the temple and get a few things."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"How will you get there safely?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I'll call the temple and have them pick me up."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Elfi was next and said: "Ship and I decoded a message send from one of the pirate ships out there. The ship identified as the Merchants Sorrow, commanded by Sodex the Wild, was contacted by the Red Dragon. The message tells Sodex that the Red Dragon will be here in seven days to participate in the semi-annual Pirates market."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I acknowledged her report and said to Hans and Sobody: "Well we are here for at least that long, so you may go and do your intel-gathering, but keep in touch and report as often as you can."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody and Hans agreed to do that.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Now it was Narth who got up and I said to him: "Don't tell me you, too, have been on Sin 4 before as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He shook his shrouded head. "Not in a corporal sense, no, but I did share some of your experiences while you were here. I got up as it seems that's what everyone does when reporting. "I am addressing you in my capacity as OPS officer and it is part of my duty and my department to allocate resources and delegate projects. The OPS department is often called the XO's …"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I interrupted him: "Not that I mind a refresher course about what OPS is but I am sure you had another reason for getting up, right?" He said: "Oh yes, of course. I have a request from Ensign Dien Tallow."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I actually remembered the name from some list I signed or someone I greeted, so I said: "I think I heard the name and I believe it is someone in our science department. Is he from Sin 4?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Captain, but as you correctly remembered, he is a member of our science department. He is quite a brilliant and talented Scientist with Sociology, Xeno Archeology, Biology, Microbiology and Xenoentomology as his main fields of expertise. He had an interesting proposal and suggestion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth waved the man over. He was human and one of those who would not stand out in a crowd of one. He looked older than most Ensigns but then he had gone the Science Corps route and they often tended to be older. He saluted me and he managed to make a military greeting look shy and weak. I told him that no one had to salute here in the Pirate's Den and encouraged him to simply tell us his suggestion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He said: "Captain, we are the first Union ship on Sin 4 and I heard we might have a few days time, so I would like to propose we survey the planet. I am aware of our mission but I think we can do it while hidden and not be obvious. The southern continent and some of the islands, and especially Trash Island, are of particular interest to me."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Yeoman O'Connell had appeared behind me in her usual quiet way and held a mug of coffee. I was so getting used to her punctuality that I grabbed the mug before I even acknowledged and thanked her. To the scientist I said: "I am not opposed to your idea, but we do have a cover to maintain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He pointed to Cirruit and said: "Ma'am, the Chief Engineer and his team has modified one of our Armadillos to make it look old and non-Union. I studied as much about Sin 4 as I could find since it was a possibility that we would come here. Visiting Trash Island would be a highlight in my scientific career, Ma'am."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I sipped at m coffee and asked.:"Why is this island of such interest to you?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Unrestricted transfer of goods and life forms for almost 500 years from all regions of our galaxy must have created a very unique environment, especially in terms of vermin."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea agreed: "It sure would be an interesting expedition and no one but Skaakh and Stiks live on Trash Island."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I finished my coffee and said: "Alright, I approve it, but I better go along to make sure our science crew isn't overdoing things."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">(1) Note: This is a Suggestion by Slivak. It was adopted into the story by the Author.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Below is the original and the reason for changing:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">QUOTE: Cateria and Narth were still there and the Seenian CMO said to me."She hasn't slept without sedation until now, what you did was amazing. Until now I thought your female form is nothing but an act and a costume, but it is not, I see that now." /QUOTE

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We, as an audience, can see the change in Eric and his duality, you make it pretty clear and the lead up in the last book for this event was excellent. But then you had Cateria basically state it, which undermines all the previous work you did.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">My suggested. My suggestion would be to have it phrased something like this... SUGGESTION: Cateria and Narth were there outside the door, but it was the Seenian CMO that spoke first, "She hasn't been able to slept without sedation...I'm sorry for having misjudged you, Captain." /SUGGESTION In this event, I would think less is more. It also helps shape Cateria's character. People often find out more about themselves when they get something wrong, same thing happens with characters and their audience. As a whole you've done well trying to show the story to the audience, now you just have to stop telling them it

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">(2)

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi refers to the energy needed to break a Star Ships shields. On the deflected energies would cause severe damage to the surroundings. In space this is of little consequence, on a planets surface this is another story. A full sized Battle ship with shields would devastate an entire continent or more.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Chapter 4: Chapter 4

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Trash Island

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I sat in my ready room and had a secure connection to Admiral McElligott and I finished my report saying."I have the crews of the Swift Profit and the rest of Bloom's crew all in security stasis. I had no problem taking the Swift Profit, and we destroyed the ship after stripping most of its valuables."McElligott leaned back in his chair and in doing so allowed the visual sensors of his GalNet terminal to pick up more of his office. It was just another office, nothing elaborate or something you would expect the office of the Admiral of the Fleet to be. There were a few shelves with books. There was a strange triangular brass object on his desk and a few PDD's strewn around. He noticed me looking and said. "This is a Sextant; it is a nautical instrument I had to learn to use when I was a Midshipman in his majesties Navy. King William that is, may he rest in Peace."He then tabbed one of his PDD's. "The information on Cam Elf-Na confirms a few other reports I have and we are moving assets in the area to respond quickly if he decides to do that. In the light of this information it was a good decision not to destroy Brhama Port. If he attacks there we can see that on our long range sensors and have an idea from where he might attack. The good thing is such a massive Dai fleet is hard to hide. The bad part is; it is a huge fleet by any standard. I will be talking to Har-Hi's father right after we are done to see what he thinks we can do to prepare.""I am sure Har-Hi will be glad to hear his father is consulted by you."McElligott smiled. "Kar-Hi is more than an advisor to me. I consider him a good friend and his advice is sound and tempered with wisdom and experience. The advice of our other friend I am sure you can guess.""I would not be able to guess the tactical and strategic decisions, Admiral Stahl might make, Sir.""Tell me what you would do if you were me and faced with a possible Dai Incursion?"I shrugged. "I am barely getting used to be in command of a ship, Sir.""Just humor me.""Well I would issue a sector alert, move ten or fifteen Battle groups in the area and hide them in nearby star systems. Then I triple Gazelle and Specter patrols all along the border. Maybe have the Corps of Engineers beef up our outposts and every floating rock with Exo Load Cannons and as much Loki Batteries as possible and I make sure the Devi and the first fleet is in the region as well. Certainly a group of Attikan Fast Battle ships to run first response would be a good I'd let them come, close the back door and make sure there won't be any left to have similar ideas in the future."The old man actually giggled and wiped a tear out of his eyes and said."Well other than the fact that he is a few thousand years older than you and that you now look quite delectable there isn't all that much difference in you two when it comes to such things. What you just said with just a few details missing exactly what he wants to do."I was certain I had grown a few centimeters in my seat with the deep pride that filled my chest."Sir this is a great compliment indeed. I would not dream or dare to compare myself with Admiral Stahl, but if you see similarities then I am on the right track."The eternal Soldier walked into the visual pick up. "You certainly are, Son. Now transmit your position and stop all engines and wait. The USS Shadowrunner will rendezvous with you and take those prisoners from you and bring you some supplies and an addition to your crew."I said." Done, we are stopping right now and coordinates are transmitted."McElligott blinked and said."Say, Captain Olafson would you not have to notify your helmsman and your Navigator?"I said."Sir, Narth has the Conn and I relayed my orders directly to him."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Stahl pointed at a readout in front of him."Coordinates received."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">McElligott poured himself a glass of whiskey and snorted. "I should have known."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Stahl helped himself to a glass as well and said. "The Intel you gathered on the Nul situation is more serious and we are still analyzing it. Cooperation between Nul and Kermac would not be a good thing, but knowing about it is half the battle. We keep you posted if we get any additional information on that and of course do the same if you run across anything as usual."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes, Sir of course."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Stahl put the whiskey down. "If you can, find out what it is that the Red Dragon and the Sinister Alliance are planning and if you can, find out the location of their secret meeting place. After that I think we can give you guys a break and you can come home to Richter Base and take that vacation we promised."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The USS Shadowrunner was just like the Chimera, a disguised ship. On the outside, an old Mega-Poodle operated by a privateer and on the inside, a state of the art Union ship. Just like a regular poodle, only three times as big and better armed, this Poodle had also bigger cargo holds. We transferred the pirate crews and much of the loot of the Swift Profit, as we hoped it could be returned to the families of the victims. In return we received our first Wolfcraft fighter. It was equipped with a smaller version of the Janus Device. Along with the Wolfcraft came a few crates of fresh food supplies. Not that we were anywhere near running out and we did have Molecular reconstitution systems that recycled 99.99% of our waste, but it was nice to have fresh things and a larger variety. I stood in the Cargo hold and talked to the Captain of the Shadowrunner who was from Holstein Planet. Holstein was close to Nilfeheim and it was nice to exchange some non-important local gossip. He had send over a crate of Holstein Pilsner, my favorite beer, and to the delight of our chef, a supply of Holstein butter. While I was standing there a large Battle Robot, bigger than a Fenris and more massive than a Cerberus, came over the freight tunnel that connected our ships and stomped towards me. The entire machine saluted and then remained in that position. Then a hatch on the at least three and a half meter tall machine opened and three hand sized men appeared, and they saluted again. I noticed they wore Union Black but I recognized them as Mini Terrans.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">A magnifying field screen established between us and the man said. "Lieutenant Charles Bergdorf and two specialist of the New World Commonwealth reporting for Duty, Ma'am." Admiral Rutherford personally sends this Terror Mech. He thinks you might be able to use it and us."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Welcome aboard then. I am delighted to have you aboard. Your machine looks impressive."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes Ma'am it is the pinnacle of NWC technology and rivals one of our Battle ships fire power. It was conceived to answer possible invasions by large enemies and the Terror-Machine-Suit series is the latest. We have been briefed about the Tigershark's true mission and volunteered."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi walked around the towering machine and said."If this thing equals the fire power of one of these spheres, then it exceeds a Fenris for sure."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Lt. Bergdorf said."It is also a full functioning space ship, capable of reaching destinations of over 500 light years. It maneuvers almost as good as a Wolfcraft and can operate in full robotic mode, but when I am connected to it, it can move like a human, picking up feathers, or crush steel."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said. "I think this is a nice addition to our Marine detachment and Lt. Pure will get you situated."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Pure came and I filled him in and the three Mini Terrans returned inside their machine and followed the Attikan Marine.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I watched Sobody talking to Har-Hi and he repeated that strange move with his hand and' from Har-Hi's face, I could tell my Dai friend was deeply impressed.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I asked."How did you actually cut that Thauran?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody pushed the sleeve of his robe back and revealed a metal wrist band with a little hump and said. "This is a Monofilament whip. It shoots a strand of molecular thick Nonochronium metal wire. The thing is highly flexible and there is a little weight ball at the end. It is so thin it cuts through nearly everything and it can be electrified or heated to 4000 degrees if the cutting alone doesn't do the trick. It isn't useful against a fully armored person in a Union Battle suit, or against shields, but in close quarter or hand to hand situations it is deadly. It takes quite a bit of practice as it can be very dangerous to the user. It's a very old Golden weapon but I have thad his one now for a very long time and it turned out I am still good with it, I haven't used it in anger in almost 500 years, you know."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said."I need one of those. I think I could fit one above my dart launcher and below the bomb pellet dispenser."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody smiled proudly. "This is a great compliment coming from a Dai. I have a spare one for sure and I'll show you how to use it, too." I said: "Above the dart launcher and below the bomb pellet dispenser. Are we talking about the arsenal you carry on one arm?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi shook his head. "No, only what I carry between wrist and elbow, I've got a bigger list if we talk about the whole arm."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I rolled my eyes and said: "Thor's Hammer, I had to ask!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Captain of the Shadowrunner handed me a PDD in clip board mode. "I think that is all. I got the sleeping beauties and the loot and you got the walking doll house complete with real life action figures."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I checked the list just flying over it with my eyes just because it was nice to do something that was fleet routine. Something normal captains would do every day. I loved our current mission, but once in a while I wished we could be a Union ship openly. I stopped and read over the list more carefully and then said to Har-Hi who was still next to me and said: "Say the Togar female isn't on this list. Aren't we transferring her too?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said: "She is still at sick bay. Cateria hasn't released her."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I thanked the captain and wished him a good trip home. After our ships had separated and we were back on course to Sin 4, I went to our sickbay. I found it strange that the Togar female was still here; she didn't look that badly wounded and as far as I knew, Togar were biologically similar to many mammalian species. I also remembered Narth's ominous thoughts and wondered why he hadn't come back to me about it.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I never seen our sickbay other than during my first ship tour and looked forward to see Cateria in her element.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Out of thin air, Narth appeared next to me as I turned into the corridor of sickbay and he said: "Apologies, Captain. I have not updated you as I am still missing certain information I am not sure how to obtain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I stopped and said:"What do you mean by that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I mean I am morally hampered, it has partially to do with your sense of fairness and as I said the Hugavh share goes both ways."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Narth, I am not complaining or expecting you to have all the answers for me all the time. I just think we are not the right environment for these human flesh eaters, and sending her along with the Shadowrunner would have been a good idea. However I am curious what my sense of fairness has to do with all of this." "You bought her, acting out of that very sense, and I must tell you that the Togar female was tortured and raped in the most horrible ways aboard that Pirate ship Her psychological condition is fragile and very difficult and Cateria is trying her best with old fashioned counseling and medication to help her. She didn't think having her treated like an enemy by uncaring Union authorities would be good."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">What he said touched me somewhere deep. I remembered as Egill had transferred me somehow into the body of a female to teach me what hell could mean, and I had almost been raped by Harkun. I had not thought about this for a long time but now it returned as a vivid memory.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth nodded. "You see, all your past experiences have formed your personality and we shared this with the Hugavh. Now the Togar female has a mental shield, preventing me from probing deeper and finding out more details. I could easily break it of course, but I would basically commit the same crime on her again as these men did,"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He lowered his head. "With my increased understanding of human emotions, my own approach to things changes. I would have broken her shield without hesitation only a year ago."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Narth, this is not a bad thing, it is what we call a conscience, and it tells us what is right and what is wrong above any laws or any rules. We humans can differentiate between good and evil, and this opens a whole can of worms on such subjects as ethics and religion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am still at the beginning trying to understand all this, but I fail to see why opening a can of worms is of any significance to this discussion? I am certain we have no can of worms in our freight manifest."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Go ask Shea about that one later. Let us check on the Togar and see if we can get her home somehow." "That is the problem I mentioned earlier." I went through the double doors of our sickbay. It had the symbol of Aesculapius over a six pointed star etched into semi transparent material. The lobby behind was white and blue and everything looked brand new and sparkling clean. Cateria wore a light blue and white coat and white pants. Her usually short cropped hair was now a little longer and gave her a somewhat gentler appearance. Her slight smile also helped."Hello Captain, what can I do for you? Is it an inspection, or are my services required? Back issues perhaps, walking day in and out in these murderous heels carrying that rack you decided to have must do a number on your back."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Cateria, my back is fine and I am not here for an inspection either. I am here to inquire about the Togar female."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria lost her smile and said. "Her name is Jolaj Grotha and physically she is as good as new. She comes from a matriarchal society and has been raped not once but many times and not by members of her own kind but by aliens to her, whict makes it even worse. She is young, barely adult in her society, and she is also perhaps the most wanted person in the Togar Empire."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said."That is what I meant, if the Togar Empire becomes aware that she is alive and aboard our ship, they will try to capture us and kill her."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said gloomily: "I didn't make a big secret out of buying her either. In a Tavern of all places. Chances are the Togar already know we have her. What has she done?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said."That is the information I was unable to obtain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria said."All I know about the Togar society is what I could find on GalNet. I am trying to win her trust so she opens up on her own. Captain I simply could not release her. What would they have done to her on Union side? She doesn't belong there, they know as much about the Togar as I do, and she belongs to a society that eats humans. I asked Narth and the others not to mention her and I hoped you would forget her for a while." She looked at me intensely. "I know why you bought her. To impregnate her with a virus or something and make her the instrument of her own kind's demise, and half the ship agrees with your idea."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I said what I said as I stood in a cargo hold with thousands of dead humans, slaughtered and butchered like Fangsnappers. I saw humans herded and separated in slave pens destined for the spits of Togar grills. So my general opinion of Togar society isn't very favorable, but I don't buy sentient beings for any purpose whatsoever. I bought her to get her out of the situation she was in. I wonder what what kind of monster you think I am?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria said. "I don't know you as well as the others do. I know you are fair and straight forward. I know I can trust you with my life and I am here because you showed me mercy, but I also remember how it is to be your enemy."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't have any real response to that and said: "Well I am not going to kill her or kick her out, but I'd still like to know what we are going to do with her. She isn't a prisoner. Can I talk to her?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria shrugged. "I am not the best psychiatric expert and know next to nothing about Togar, so I guess you can."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I followed her into a well lit room with a bed with curtains on a window that simulated the view onto a green sun drenched meadow. There was a desk and a chair as well. The white Togar female was on the bed and she was restrained. Cateria answered my unspoken question. "Partially to prevent her from harming herself and partially because she is a Togar with very sharp claws and teeth. Neither I nor my staff have the desire to become patients."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Togar was really pretty, looking almost like a human woman with a skintight white fur suit, if it wasn't for the four toed, claw like feet, the catlike face and the long tail. I wondered if the Pree or the UNI who supposedly seeded human life also seeded the Togar. She looked straight at the ceiling and did not move or react as we came in,

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said to Cateria."Deactivate her restraints."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You think that is wise Captain?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Deactivate her restraints and leave me alone then. I don't think I am in danger."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She did and the restrains holding the Togar disappeared into the bed frame.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Hi Jolaj, I am Freya and I am the Captain of this ship."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She did not move as she said."You bought me!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Only to get you away, we are on our way to Sin 4. I can even make a little side trip to Kaliment and you are free to go. You are not my property and you are not a prisoner."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You can kill me if you want and you can use me."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I killed the man named Bloom and his men are all going to be hanged for acts of Piracy." She moved her head for the first time and looked at me." You do not show your face, yet you are not pirates. The ship is old on the outside but inside like we think a Union ship might be. Why should I believe you?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You do not have to believe me. I am sorry for what happened to you, but I have a mission and a ship that comes first. I will instruct my Ships surgeon to do Psycho Surgery on you. Afterwards you will remember nothing. My ship's secret is safe, you will not remember any of the bad things and we let you go on Kaliment where you can reach the Togar side easily."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Then you are a coward and let others do your killing for you. Why not kill me right away? Any Togar that helps me is automatically sentenced to death. Any Togar that kills me will gain great fortune with the Queen."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"What could you have done that is so terrible?" She turned her head away and said. "I was born."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I can understand that you don't trust me or anyone for that matter and frankly, I don't trust you. I don't particularly like Togars, and I am not too fond of any species that buys and hunts my kind for food. But I hate unfair situations and yours is very unfair. So I am asking you, what is it you want?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Kill me, please, simply kill me and all the problems are gone. The pain I feel, the trouble I cause everything will be gone and you are rid of me as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Why I sat down and touched her hand. I was not sure, but her pain and sorrow I could almost physically feel. "Death comes to us all sooner or later; there is no need to seek it out."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She turned her head and I could see the pain and the shame she felt in her big green cat eyes.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Her fine whiskers quivered and I saw the fine fur underneath her big eyes was wet. "Just kill me, please!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I touched her cheeks and said."No worries Jolaj, I give you my word I will find a solution and, while this is a war ship and we will be in dangerous situations, I promise you no one will ever hurt you again while you aboard this ship and under my care." I took her paw like hand in mine and squeezed it saying: "Do you believe that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Tears rolled down her cheeks and she nodded. "Yes, I believe you."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Again I was surprised by my own actions as I pulled the dangerous alien cat being close and hugged her and she started sobbing in a strange mix of animalistic and human noises. "I am sorry for everything. I didn't ask to be born you know. I didn't ask for white fur, I am sorry for being Togar and that I have eaten human. I am sorry for being female and making them…"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Her fur was at least as soft as that of the little Holdian commander. I did not understand everything she said as she switched between native Togar and Freeszone Squawk. Many of her words were swallowed between deep sobs, but I could feel her pain and hopelessness while I was holding her. I was suddenly reminded of Egill and could almost see him nodding with approval. I was certain I heard another voice say: "As long as he can feel compassion so strongly through the female persona I have given him, all hope is not lost."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">For a brief moment I wondered about my own imagination but then was distracted by the white furred Togar I was still holding. She was crying softer now and I patted her back. I don't know how long I sat there holding the alien female, but then I noticed she had fallen asleep and I let her down, covered her and quietly left.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria and Narth were there outside the door, but it was the Seenian CMO that spoke first: "She hasn't been able to sleep without sedation...I'm sorry for having misjudged you, Captain." (1)

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't get into that and said: "Don't restrain her any more and if she wants to get up and wander around, let her. Ship will keep an eye on her so she isn't wandering in restricted areas."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria looked back through the door window and said:"I'll see to it, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said: "I will attempt to learn more about the Togar and maybe I can find out why white fur would be of significance."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We had reached the Sin system and as always, I had us drop out of Quasi-space in the outmost regions of the star system. I said: "Maintain course to Sin 4, and steady as she goes. Mr. Shaka."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Aye Captain, keeping it all well within the limits for a Kartanian."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Elfi keep your ears open and record all comm traffic. Ship, help her please."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Already on it, Captain, search patterns for Pirate name activity, Mil tech offers in effect." "Narth and Shea, make sure you don't use any active scanner beams we are not supposed to have."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"We adjusted our active Sensors to match our Disguise." Har-Hi handed me a PDD in clipboard mode and said: "Arrival at Sin 4 or not, it is 0900 Union time and that means you got to sign the daily order sheet, Moi Captain. Only with your signature can I process them."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Where is Ms. O'Connells? Is that not her duty?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Her duty yes, but since you decided to pull two shifts and throw my carefully arranged shift schedule in chaos, she is off duty." I blinked guilty and said: "I just wanted to be on the bridge myself when we arrived. I somehow hoped never to set foot on Sin 4 again and yet here we are."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea sighed at that and said: "I can't help but think the same way, and this dirt ball is supposed to be my home."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said. "Your home is where you make it and not where fate put you when you were born. At least we arrive in a nice ship this time, and at least I am not bound and can go to the bathroom anytime I want."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Everyone looked at me and I said: "Well the first time I arrived here I was bound and I needed to go to the bathroom real bad. It's not a story I should tell you all, but not being able to go can be real painful."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said: "No one is laughing, Captain. This makes your accomplishment to escape barefoot and without any resources even more amazing. You didn't go into great details when you told us how you escaped your tormentor, but I can imagine it was much more difficult than you let on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Maybe I'll tell you one day. Right now we've got a job to do and, as we are the first federation ship in this system, while we are here we might as well collect some data and upgrade our catalogs and information on this system."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Golden One came onto the bridge and Ship said to me: "I asked Sobody to the bridge to help Elfi with the Comm traffic analysis."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"It's all good Ship. I think we can throw regulation 563.43 B out the window with many of the other regulations regarding proper bridge conduct. Besides you are not just the AI. You do carry rank and you are an Officer."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody looked over to the busy science console and said: "Captain, we are supposed to be pirates! Pirates don't survey, measure and explore."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I smiled, answering: "Not to worry, Ancient Merchant. We won't launch any probes or send survey teams to the other planets."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har Hi, who stood with crossed arms next to my seat watching the science crew do their job, turned to the Golden and said: "Even you might be surprised at the data we can collect just with our sensors. I doubt there is another species that elevated scientific sensor analysis to such a science as the Union."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody agreed saying: "This is one of the reasons I am such a fan of the Terrans and the Union, Mr. Hi."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea looked at her readouts and reported: "None of the other planets are used or occupied as far as I can tell; there are no energy signatures or material concentrations that would suggest artificial manipulation or presence. Yet it appears that there are several candidates with promising mineral and metal riches."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said. "Crooks don't mine and those who do don't want to mine and have the fruits of their labor stolen or taken away. So I guess that is the reason no one is mining out here,"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She nodded and returned to looking at her read outs. I knew her well enough that I could tell by her body language she found something, so I asked: "Lt. Schwartz is there anything I should know about?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Capitan it is not anything that would affect us or the mission in any way. The Sun is a Spectral Type O2 and..." She stopped in mid sentence and kept looking at her read outs. She turned: " It is my home system Captain but I never had the chance to scan our sun before. This star is unstable and I am running a simulation through Ship right now, and a Nova eruption is likely to occur within the next two or three hundred years."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I responded saying. "It won't affect our mission then because I hope we all will be somewhere else by then. Maybe the situation will have changed by then and the Wurgus Solar Engineers could stabilize that sun."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth was also busy on his console and said: "Captain, there is a lot of traffic in this system, and I am detecting weapon fire at nine different locations within the system. Mao analyzed the conflicts and concluded that none of the fights are connected."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mao did not take his eyes off his read outs and confirmed what Narth had said: "Narth send me the scanner data but I can't see any correlation between any of these shoot outs. It appears no big ships are involved. Weapon energies exchanged are consistent with armed system shuttles and the like." Shea said: "That is normal. There is only one law here, the law of the stronger. There are always quarrels and fights anywhere on or around Sin 4"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I leaned back." Har Hi sound Battle stations anyway. I like to be ready."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Aye Captain! General Quarters!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We reached the Planet without any incidents and Shaka took us into a standard orbit around the Garden world that was known as SIN 4.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It had only two continents and several large islands. The rest was Ocean. Even from space the upper continent didn't look very inviting. It was gray and looked dirty. There was visible pollution oozing from one of the large islands in a gray smear across the greenish oceans.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"So how do we land?" I asked. "Did anyone hail us?" This question I directed to Elfi. The beautiful Saran woman answered: "There is lots of activity on all channels, but no one is taking any interest in us, Sir."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth checked his scanners and said: "No one has even noticed us."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "We simply land. There are a few space ports but there is no active landing control. I suggest we land at the Gorotolah and expand if it is still there. It is the largest space port on the southern most edge of the Continent."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She waved her hands over the main viewer and magnified a section of the planet below and pointed at an area. I was certain it was the same spaceport I had been before, as it had the Ocean close by.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shaka was under his Virtu Helmet but unlike most other Virtu Helmsmen he always paid attention to what happened on the bridge and participated in our conversations. He said: "I am on Ship vision and can see it and there are other ships as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I smiled at Shea and then said: "Shaka, take us down there and put us as far away from the other ships as possible. Mao, keep our shields active and Narth, double check the Janus system."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We landed on the same cracked and crumbling, Duro-Crete field I had been on before. I recognized the tall Duro-crete wall in the distance, but most of the Skeleton hand spider infested terminal was gone, and there was still a crater where the SII ship had blasted one of the Spaceports turrets away. To my utter surprise I recognized the now completely salvaged and butchered hulk of the Kartanian courier ship that I had arrived on Sin 4 not so long ago. It was nothing more than a twisted wreck, but I recognized its hull shape,

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Nothing much had changed; there were the same garbage fires, piles of waste and filth.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shaka took off his helmet and shook his head looking at the main viewer saying: "Good lord, what a dump. If this is such a lawless place, who actually build this spaceport? It looks it had been a well planned facility once."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I looked into the direction of our geek squad and said:"Good question."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It was Sobody who had the answer, as neither Shea nor Narth seemed to know. He said: "It is a little known side note of Galactic History. After the first signing, the Nioban did not want to have any more meetings on their world and the Big Four looked for another place where they could meet, sort of a neutral ground place. This planet was chosen, and the Kartanian, smelling the opportunity to do business with the Big Four, build this space port, the terminal and the original city. It never happened. The Nioban changed their mind and now everyone meets at Crossroads, a Nioban world, and not here. The Kartanian abandoned the world and, since it was in Freespace and had a city and space port for the taking, it didn't take long for pirates and similar vermin to find this place. Syndicate Families developed and it all turned into the Sin 4 we all know today."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "Not that anyone had the right to take this world, as it has a sentient native population."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Elfi said: "Someone did notice us and we are being hailed."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I settled back down in my seat and put on my mask then said: "I am ready, put it on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The being looked like an Oghar mixed with a Shiss and looked quite frightening. "We are calling the Silver Streak."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said: "Looks like you got our attention. Speak up, what is it you want?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"We know who you are, Captain Velvet, your reputation travels faster than your ship."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Put it on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"This is indeed Captain Black Velvet of the Silver Streak. Whom do I have the dubious honor to talk with?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The answer came right away. The voice sounded rough and somewhat high pitched and I could hear other voices in the background. "Captain Velvet, you are talking to the Gorotolah Spaceport Protection Agency. We heard of you and your ship and we know you are a successful pirate. We are very happy you choose to land on our port. However this is a dangerous place and we can only guarantee your safety for 20,000 Polo coins, or goods of similar value. If you decide not to pay or to leave we are forced to use our DE guns on you. We have two large DE turrets aimed directly at you. You have exactly 20 minutes to comply. A group of our associates will approach in a floater and expect payment to be transferred."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mao manipulated the main viewer and magnified a set of buildings across the landing field. Indeed there was a bunker like building with a force field surrounding it and a set of DE turrets on top aiming at us. Mao said. "Captain, those pea shooters won't even dent our armor without shields. They don't have anything big enough to put us in any real danger."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har Hi agreed: "They are bluffing and hope we don't know, but there aren't any weapons big enough on a planet that could seriously harm a ship of our size, even if we really were a Kartanian Freighter with original shields. Any weapon big enough to could crack our shields would seriously damage a huge area around us. This isn't a Poodle." (2)

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I nodded and said: "Elfi can you pinpoint the location of the transmission?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She moved her hands over her console and responded: "Yes Captain I have localized it to that transmitter array over there."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I pointed at the turrets and said: "Mao, fire our simulated Froth Caster and place a 5 gram TL bomb right where that transmission originates. That should do as payment."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">From the outside it looked as if our Nul turret fired, the Translocator load was invisible and undetectable.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The result was more than I expected. The 5 gram antimatter exploded and obliterated not only the bunker and the building with the transmitter but the entire building complex with a tremendous fire cloud.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi coughed into his fist and rubbed his fingernails on his jacket. "I don't think this is what they had in mind when they asked for goods of similar value, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea shrugged. "I doubt anyone really will notice and expect others will take their place and try a similar scam."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I got up from the seat, and said: "Let's have a conference in the Den to figure out what we need to do and how we are going to do it."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi was standing and said: "There are three reasons why we came here. Number one is to find the Terran weapons dealer and shut him down. Number two is to find out where the Sinister Alliance is meeting and what they are planning and number three on our list of things to do is to identify all pirates and freelancers that are on the wanted list of Union Police, with special focus on the Red Dragon."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Hans spread out a series of high resolution pictures of three space ships. "These are the ships that share the landing area with us right now. All three are operated by notorious outlaws and pirates. I prepared dossiers on each of them from the data we have available. As for the Mil-Tech dealer I would like to go into the city and gather some intel on that."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Hans managed to look embarrassed and said: "I am not on Sin 4 for the first time either and I have some contacts and a reputation here, even though I am supposed to be dead."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said: "Not that I want to sound nosy or anything like that, but could you be a tad more specific?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He looked down on the table surface and said. "Before I joined the Fleet I was fighting for money in one of the big Arenas here. Nothing to be proud of, but back then I was a young punk with no brain and an expensive taste."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You?" Was all I could say. Hans was always so correct and straight.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, me, I was known as the Terror Hammer and fought in the top league. I still have some connections here. Golden said he would come along as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I can't simply allow you go outside Mr. Merchant. It is very dangerous out there and how would they react to the Merchant of Merchants being here?" He smiled and said: "You worry too much, Captain, Cateria will do some plastic surgery again and add the ugly branding of the Expelled on my head and besides even us Golden have a hard time to tell us apart. To any stranger we look very much alike." He then looked up to Hans and said: "I think I could help out there more than I can here. Sin 4 is a rotten place but it runs on money and business and that's what I know best."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I sighed: "You know how to make a point but be careful and stay with Hans."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "I would like to go to the temple and get a few things."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"How will you get there safely?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I'll call the temple and have them pick me up."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Elfi was next and said: "Ship and I decoded a message send from one of the pirate ships out there. The ship identified as the Merchants Sorrow, commanded by Sodex the Wild, was contacted by the Red Dragon. The message tells Sodex that the Red Dragon will be here in seven days to participate in the semi-annual Pirates market."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I acknowledged her report and said to Hans and Sobody: "Well we are here for at least that long, so you may go and do your intel-gathering, but keep in touch and report as often as you can."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody and Hans agreed to do that.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Now it was Narth who got up and I said to him: "Don't tell me you, too, have been on Sin 4 before as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He shook his shrouded head. "Not in a corporal sense, no, but I did share some of your experiences while you were here. I got up as it seems that's what everyone does when reporting. "I am addressing you in my capacity as OPS officer and it is part of my duty and my department to allocate resources and delegate projects. The OPS department is often called the XO's …"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I interrupted him: "Not that I mind a refresher course about what OPS is but I am sure you had another reason for getting up, right?" He said: "Oh yes, of course. I have a request from Ensign Dien Tallow."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I actually remembered the name from some list I signed or someone I greeted, so I said: "I think I heard the name and I believe it is someone in our science department. Is he from Sin 4?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Captain, but as you correctly remembered, he is a member of our science department. He is quite a brilliant and talented Scientist with Sociology, Xeno Archeology, Biology, Microbiology and Xenoentomology as his main fields of expertise. He had an interesting proposal and suggestion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth waved the man over. He was human and one of those who would not stand out in a crowd of one. He looked older than most Ensigns but then he had gone the Science Corps route and they often tended to be older. He saluted me and he managed to make a military greeting look shy and weak. I told him that no one had to salute here in the Pirate's Den and encouraged him to simply tell us his suggestion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He said: "Captain, we are the first Union ship on Sin 4 and I heard we might have a few days time, so I would like to propose we survey the planet. I am aware of our mission but I think we can do it while hidden and not be obvious. The southern continent and some of the islands, and especially Trash Island, are of particular interest to me."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Yeoman O'Connell had appeared behind me in her usual quiet way and held a mug of coffee. I was so getting used to her punctuality that I grabbed the mug before I even acknowledged and thanked her. To the scientist I said: "I am not opposed to your idea, but we do have a cover to maintain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He pointed to Cirruit and said: "Ma'am, the Chief Engineer and his team has modified one of our Armadillos to make it look old and non-Union. I studied as much about Sin 4 as I could find since it was a possibility that we would come here. Visiting Trash Island would be a highlight in my scientific career, Ma'am."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I sipped at m coffee and asked.:"Why is this island of such interest to you?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Unrestricted transfer of goods and life forms for almost 500 years from all regions of our galaxy must have created a very unique environment, especially in terms of vermin."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea agreed: "It sure would be an interesting expedition and no one but Skaakh and Stiks live on Trash Island."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I finished my coffee and said: "Alright, I approve it, but I better go along to make sure our science crew isn't overdoing things."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">(1) Note: This is a Suggestion by Slivak. It was adopted into the story by the Author.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Below is the original and the reason for changing:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">QUOTE: Cateria and Narth were still there and the Seenian CMO said to me."She hasn't slept without sedation until now, what you did was amazing. Until now I thought your female form is nothing but an act and a costume, but it is not, I see that now." /QUOTE

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We, as an audience, can see the change in Eric and his duality, you make it pretty clear and the lead up in the last book for this event was excellent. But then you had Cateria basically state it, which undermines all the previous work you did.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">My suggested. My suggestion would be to have it phrased something like this... SUGGESTION: Cateria and Narth were there outside the door, but it was the Seenian CMO that spoke first, "She hasn't been able to slept without sedation...I'm sorry for having misjudged you, Captain." /SUGGESTION In this event, I would think less is more. It also helps shape Cateria's character. People often find out more about themselves when they get something wrong, same thing happens with characters and their audience. As a whole you've done well trying to show the story to the audience, now you just have to stop telling them it

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">(2)

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi refers to the energy needed to break a Star Ships shields. On the deflected energies would cause severe damage to the surroundings. In space this is of little consequence, on a planets surface this is another story. A full sized Battle ship with shields would devastate an entire continent or more.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Chapter 5: Chapter 5

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I missed the Battle Armor greatly as I followed Nestor through the twilight of the coming night. The air was putrid and stank, almost as bad as the Enviro Tanks. I wore my black leather outfit, a tight leather mask and a cloak with hood. the Leather was lined with micro mesh, no animal or bladed weapon could do me harm. The personal force field generator on my belt has to be the last line of defense, it was currently off, not wanting to put all my cards on the table. Narth monitored my mind and could teleport me out of danger, so I was as safe as one could be in a situation like that. I still didn't feel too good, especially after Nestor warned me what kind of surprises could hide between the trash. The Village, he told me, was a Skaakh settlement in the middle of Trash Island, made of old shipping containers and crates. The Village Skaakh had organized armed patrols and guards to fend off the bigger, more aggressive vermin that made trash island such a dangerous place. Narth had dropped us off about half a click from that village, so we could reach the Village unobserved. I was sure there were eyes on the Tigershark ever since the Togar had broadcast their demands all over the system. While I made sure we broadcasted back on the same channels, I was sure there could be some who didn't hear all of it or didn't believe my story.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I knew I was walking on thin ice in regards of our mission and that exposure could lead to serious repercussions, all the way to open war.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I kept my hand on my blaster under the cape and wished I had added a breathing mask to my disguise. Nestor knew his way around and avoided nests of curling tentacles, well hidden at first and exploding to life if something came near. The air was filled with insects of various sizes. I held the hood closed with one hand while Nestor was almost unmolested.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Before we went he had had held up a dirty tub and explained."The Stik make this ointment and it keeps most of the nasty stingers away, not all of them but most. I politely refused the smelly paste he had lathered all over his exposed skin.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We finally made it, and after one more turn around mound of rotting plants and pape,r there was the village. I had rarely seen something more depressing. About twenty large shipping crates with plastic film roofs and dirty curtains stood in a rough circle around a large Standard freight container with an added lean-on out of wood and plastic planks. About a dozen fires burned and two meager, dirty looking men, one human the other some humanoid species I did not recognize, stood by the closest fire holding those primitive one shot projectile rifles. They grabbed those weapons but recognized Nestor and made surprised faces as they saw me. He exchanged a few words with them and simply pointed at the large container and they nodded.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We went into the lean on through a plastic curtain. Nestor took a spray bottle from a shelf and sprayed it all around us. "It's to keep the bugs out as much as possible. Gothar doesn't like us dragging them in."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">After that decontamination procedure we entered the actual container, there was artificial light from Lumi-Plates, shelves with knives and a dozen crude made rifles on one side. Barrels and boxes filled with metal pieces lined the other side. There was a crate with damaged ArtiGrav Coils next to a open sack filled to the brim with little metal disc, a tightly wound bundle of plastic film and a barrel full of E Boards, all damaged and worn. But right there were four tetragon shaped boxes with the same alien writing, filled with dark red fist size glass like spheres. There was a counter in the back that was a steel plank thrown over two barrels. Behind it sat a bird like, featherless creature with a large yellowish beak and small staring eyes. The creature was about man size and what went for wings had turned into arm like limbs with three fingered hands. He eyed us, especially me, with suspicious stares and then he said with a croaking voice. "Nestor, Nestor my old friend, are you coming to settle your account? You still owe me six Copper Flops or merchandise of same value."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Nestor pointed at me and said. "This woman I met on the Mainland wanted to talk to you. I told her you have plenty of ArtiGrav Units."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The yellowish beak looked sharp and a little black tongue flickered between the half moon shaped beak halves. He said with an unfriendly accusatory tone, "You had enough coppers to get a ride to the mainland and did not pay me first? Well we need to talk about that later."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The little speaker in my ear whispered. It was Har-Hi. "The Old Merchant is back. He is now seeing what you see and will give you advice."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I was connected via a safe transdim link to the ship and the tiny camera built into my mask transmitted sound and image.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Gothar the scrap dealer now turned to me and said, " I usually don't do business with folks I don't know. It's a habit that has kept me in business for a long time."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Hearing Sobody's voice in my ear, I simply repeated what he said. "I am sure Ms. Polo Coin will do for a name right now and this is a name that should be familiar to you."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I parted my cloak, took out a little plastic bag and placed it with a heavy thud on the counter. It was filled with hundred Polonium Full-weights.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">His little button eyes blinked and the small round tongue flickered across the beak. "I believe we know each other. What can I do for you?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Again I was simply repeating Sobody's words in my ear saying, "I have a customer who is in the market for ArtiGrav Coils. It just so happens I have room in my freight bay and I am going that way anyway, so I would take them off your hands for a fair price." I had his undivided attention now. "All of them? I got ten more boxes like that."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I made a sweeping gesture and said. "Yes, all of them."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He said with a whiny voice. "I would gladly sell them to you but they are already promised to Warktur and he is my best customer."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody's knowledge was truly invaluable and he had me say: "He never pays you more than 5 Polos per box on a good day. I give you 12 Full weights right here and now."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">His voice and demeanor relaxed somewhat and he said. "You know the scrap business, I can tell." He raised one of his wings and produced a little Hand laser he casually played with and continued to say, "Let us imagine and for arguments sake, I shoot you, take all your money and dump your body out there somewhere?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I flipped the coat and he saw my hand on the Nul Graviton and I said with a relaxed voice "What if for arguments sake, I introduce you to my friends?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He did not even try to blink because Har Hi had appeared right behind him with one of his knives directly at the thin throat and whispered."Did you just threaten our Captain or was this just a joke?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Gothar dropped the little laser and said: "A joke. It was a joke!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said: "You can leave me alone with Mr. Gothar. I am sure we will come to an agreement now."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har Hi nodded and left through the entrance.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I crossed my arms and said."Now how about those coils. I am still willing to deal fair, but don't test me again."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He raised his three fingered hands. "Of course. I think my friend Warktur must find salvage coils elsewhere, your offer is good business."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I made my voice sound pleased and said. "Splendid. Why don't you give me a good price on those bundles of Polymers and that sack of Boron discs too?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He actually rubbed his hands together and straightened his position behind the counter and e said."Of course, it all makes sense. You are dealing with the Dai, they are always in the market for raw materials and recycleables. Good customers if they let you live after a deal. He pulled a greasy PDD with a busted case and tapped on the screen.. "140 Polo for all of it, is that acceptable?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I pointed at the boxes."I say 135 if you throw in those red bulb things, and you got a deal."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He looked at the boxes and clacked with his beak."Frankly lady I don't know what those are. I tried to melt a few but they simply crack. But I am glad to get out of here. You can have them all for 150."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I actually enjoyed this haggling a little and said: "Now you talk sense. Let's say 145 and we shake hands."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He extended his claw like hand and I shook it. He croaked."You are a good business woman. I like your style. How do you want this delivered and where?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Get it to my ship by tomorrow and I'll throw in 2 chips more."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No problem Lady. I have a bunch of lazy hands out there and will have it delivered and loaded in five or six hours."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I gave him directions and said: "The Silver Streak at Gorotolah Spaceport. It's the Kartanian at the end of the field."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mehdi Senhadjii was one of the specialists attached to our S-2 department. That was the official fleet designation of the Security and Intelligence department headed by Hans Neugruber. Mehedi, so I learned, came from one of the oldest Colonial worlds of former United Earth called Vande Mataram. Mehedi specialization was infiltration. He spoke many languages on a truly native level, was a master of disguise and an expert in Observative Combat Psychology which is a special field that took detailed observations of individuals to scary levels. He could watch someone and give you a detailed analysis of their character and intentions. This was impressive even if you could only do that on humans. Meghi could apply this to many non-human species as well.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He had left the Tigershark and carried the same micro fiber communication equipment we had used on Brhama Port. Currently he was in the role of a Freelancing Ill-goods merchant, dealing with any kind of product that was illegal in the influence areas of one of the Big Four.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He had contacted Elfi and she told me that we could hear and see what he did right on the main viewer. It was fascinating and a little scary. Especially since the technology used was very advanced but not impossible for any technological society.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mehedi had contacted us because he had recognized the Half-Dai Dimon Honshu and had followed the man inside a Zorgo-Cave.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mehedi, spoke to us via a wet-link interface, so his brain speech impulses could be transferred directly into transmitted speech without making a sound. It was the next best thing to actual telepathy, and unlike telepathy, it could not be detected. It was easily transmitted via GalNet Nano Bursts..

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't know what a Zorgo-Cave was but didn't want to distract him with unnecessary questions. I leaned forward in my seat and watched our man go inside a darkened half spherical room with hammock like cocoons hanging on silvery threads from the ceiling. Mehedi talked to the first fat Spindlar I had ever seen and said. "Two trips to the pink Ocean."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Spindlar took five Full weights of Mehedi and handed him a coat hanger like metal piece with a hook in the middle of a boomerang shaped metal bar.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Our infiltration expert passed the Spindlar who sat on a green force field bubble and placed the metal contraption into a slot made, some adjustments to a control panel, and a white sheet unfolded. He grabbed the hanger and swung himself onto the sheet that immediately wrapped him tight but left arms and head free. Then he was pulled to the ceiling joining the other cocoons that hung there. Now I could see a skin colored maggot like creature was sliding down the thin thread.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mehedi squeezed something out of a small plastic tube and smeared it around the thread that was holding his cocoon. The maggot approached but did not pass the spot with the smeared substance. From up there Mehedi had a great view, especially with his enhanced cybernetic micro fiber periscope. Narth explained to me, "Those are Zorgos, a semi sentient lifeform of Kermac origin that is bred and sold everywhere in Freespace. They lure their prey into submission by inducing lucid and pleasurable dream states. This ability has been somewhat enhanced and its mandibles and sucking mouth have been removed. They starve to death after threeor four weeks and are replaced. Those cocoons simulate how they store their victims."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I shuddered. "Why would anyone have this done freely and even pay for it?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He transmitted his answer. "Why corporal species do things and what motivates them is still largely a mystery to me, but I assume it is some form of escapism. Zorgo-Caves are legal in the Union but many individual members prohibit them on their planets."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I was still thinking about that when our agent focused his surveillance equipment on the Half Dai Honsu, who hung a few meters away in another cocoon. Narth said. "Now I can get past his mental shields without him noticing as I use the same opening he made to allow the Zorgo dreams."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">While Mehedi monitored the man, Narth sat back and begun to describe the thoughts of the man:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">-Edit

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Dimon Honshu relaxed as the colorful unsubstantial dream colors soothed his mind. He liked the Zorgo caves. Here he could relax and these mindless creatures had no need for his secrets. As he was a good telepath, he knew many Zorgos and that the many dreams they produced and transmitted would confuse the best Saresii or Kermac spy.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He had landed on Sin 4 and noticed the large number of Pirate ships already there. Of course it would be Pirate Market soon and the worst cut throats, killers and deep space scum would come to meet. He had seen the market a few times before and he had to admit to himself that some of the things offered were indeed rare treasures. A man with a good nose could make a killing.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He knew most of the ships and the more famous or infamous pirates, renders, privateers and corsairs. Once in a while one was missing because he got caught by officials, bit into a victim that knew how to fight back or met an early demise by one of his or her esteemed colleagues. Pirates never had a big problem raiding other pirate ships if the opportunity was there. The Worm operated and supported three Pirate ships in Freespace but only the Throat-Cutter was currently present.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Captain Ivok of the Throat-Cutter did not know him as Dimon Honshu as he had never met the Captain in this disguise persona. Of course the Worm sponsored Captains had also never met the Purple Worm in person either.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">There was the Bloody Mary run by Crimson Curse, one of the oldest and most experienced Pirates. Being in this business and surviving over 20 years with the same ship was something he respected. Crimson, so he had heard, never bit more off than he could chew, was not excessively brutal to his victims and usually stayed away from Drugs and Slaves. Maybe that was the secret of his success.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Right behind the Bloody Mary he had seen an old Saran Destroyer that was heavily modified and modernized. Captain Meateater who owned that ship was not a man to be trifled with. He killed first and never asked any questions.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The large Kartanian Armed Merchant somewhat separated at the far end he had briefly seen at Brhama Port before he left.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He made it a point of course to keep up to date on GalNet news and rumors and it could only be the Silver Streak and the mysterious Captain Black Velvet.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He knew there had been a ship and Captain with the same names about 400 years ago and she made a name for herself back then, before she vanished. If she was the same person or someone else using the name he did not know, but she had made quite an impact as he had heard from his associates at Brhama Port. She was also on the Union Top Wanted list.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He decided to keep an eye on her and maybe approach and recruit her for the Worm. He decided to stick around on Sin 4, partially because he had followed a few leads regarding the missing Nul and they all led here and then he wanted to visit the Pirate's market to see if that Red Dragon would show up. He was a Thorn in the worm's side, because the Red Dragon had started to create and operate his own Criminal Organization, known as the Sinister Alliance. Normally this would not necessarily be a bad thing, but the Sinister Alliance was growing fast. He also wanted to see that Black Velvet person a little closer. It never hurt to know a little more about a pirate. Her ship didn't look like much at first glance to the laymen, but to expert eyes it was a different story. The ship had large added ISAH thrusters probably making it quite fast, but he doubted it was very maneuverable.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He was especially impressed with her weaponry. He considered himself a Nul technology expert and that ship over there sported impressive Nul fire power. Either she had a connection to the Nul or, what would not be any less impressive, had raided Nul Ships. If she had connections maybe she was here for the same reason, looking for the Nul Prince. Or maybe she was the one who abducted the Nul in the first place. In any case a worthwhile lead to follow. But first he would hire himself a Sojonit and then he would check out a few contacts and see if they heard anything about a Nul slave.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mehdi Senhadjii interupred Narth's narration about the thougts of the man and reported, "He is moving and it looks like he is not finishing a full dream session. I better get ready to follow him."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth stopped and paused and then said: "Even in this state he was very alert and well shielded I could not go deeper without him noticing."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We all had listened to this fascinating insight into another beings thoughts and I said. "He seems to be a very high figure in the Worm organization as it seems he knows the Purple Worm himself. Mr. Sehadjii, stay on his tracks if you can, but do not risk to much."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mehedi lowered himself to the ground and said. "I'll try my best, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Chapter 6: Chapter 6

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Chapter 5: Duke Donheer

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cirruit stood by the huge pile of scrap Gothar had just delivered and said: "What in the world would you want with that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I shrugged. "Don't ask me. I did only what the Merchant told me. But it was good that way. Now all he can tell is that Black Velvet bought scrap and thinks we have a deal with the Dai Than going." The merchant heard us talk about him and came over." It was actually good business. Do you know how many million of tons of scrap and second hand materials are bought and sold every day and then shipped all over the galaxy?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Again I had to confess ignorance and said "No not really."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He pointed at the open boxes. "These Arti Coils contain valuable materials and are very expensive when new. There are companies in Freespace, and I know of several on Union side as well who do nothing but recycle or rebuilt them and sell them for much less than new ones.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We can easily make 6000 Creds on those alone, right here on the Pirate Market. If we bring those things to my Bazaar and I guarantee a profit of 12 to 14,000 Creds."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth pointed to the cases with the alien spheres and said. "Not to mention a treasure that can hardly be evaluated in Credits."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody rubbed his bald head. "I would not go that far. I am sure we can get two or three billion for those easy. It looks like most of the Data spheres are broken but some are intact and there is nothing more valuable than rare artefacts from long gone civilizations."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth bowed slightly and I knew he was smiling behind his hood. "To some the collected knowledge of a long gone civilization might be beyond monetary values but I am still learning and now thanks to you I can actually revise my estimate of priceless with a more accurate figure."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody looked at Narth and his eyes sparked. "I might not be around as long as you Narth, but we Goldens travel this Universe further than even you, who hardly ever left the Upward Sector and we built our society on the fact that almost any species we ever encountered has need for some sort of money and almost all understand the value and benefits of trade. Trade is a wonderful tool of understanding and making profit is one of the few universally common concepts."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth bowed again. "I yield to this quite correct statement, my Golden Friend."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">TheOther stood quietly to the side and I asked him: "I do not know you well enough yet but I think something is bothering you. I am your Captain but my offer that my door is open also includes you."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He said with a sad tone in his voice: "It is the Stik. I almost killed him and caused him serious pain and harm and that right after I told you that I abhor unnecessary violence. I hope the Lord forgives me."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I put my hand on his side as I could not reach his shoulders and said. "It was an accident and not done on purpose. I believe it is the Suit that augments your already incredible strength to truly astronomic levels. I think we should ask Cirruit if he can't adjust that a little down with the help of a Computronic routine.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He straightened out and sounded less depressed. "This is true. I did not do it on purpose and the suit is magnifying my strength, thank God."