Eric Olafson, Captain Black Velvet 001b

Prologue

Freespace was not a natural region, it existed only on maps, in Nav-Tanks and Computronic files.

Its boundaries had been defined by diplomats and delegates during the last Armistice Conference on the Planet of Intergalactic peace.

The Big Four, the Blue and about seventy independent space faring civilizations discussed, argued and finally agreed on this region.

This mutually agreed upon region of space was to act as a buffer zone between United Stars, Galactic Council , Shiss space and the Nul , aka the Big Four.

Thus give those who did not want to ally themselves with one of the big powers a peaceful place to exist and develop after their own fashion. On the very core of this treaty was the agreement that no official ships or parties of any of the Big Four were allowed to enter Freespace, including Military ships, law enforcement or even science expeditions.

Freespace was meant to be a free trade zone for civilian commerce and traffic. With trade and travel so it was hoped, came understanding and thus lasting peace.

Freespace did not turn out to be the region of peace where free commerce and civil exchange of culture would erode the differences as the dreamers, diplomats and Utopians hoped it would; instead it became a breeding ground of pirates and a destination of the lawless from every corner of the Galaxy. Planets like Sin 4, Alvor’s Cove, Kalimant, Drogs and N’ger gained notoriety as places where law and order meant nothing and for the right price everything was for sale.

Most of the seventy societies that signed the Treaty to remain independent regretted their decision as their worlds became the target of pirate attacks and Slave raids.

The biggest independents were the Togar, the Karthanians and the Shattered Empire of the Oghr.

The Karthanians hated the Togar and the Togar disliked everyone, except for dinner.

The former ancient Oghr Empire, shattered into Nine Kingdoms were constantly fighting among each other, didn’t get along with the Togar and considered the Karthanians hostile competition and agitators. To this volatile mix came all the freelancing pirates and the Shiss raiders. Openly condemned by the Shiss but everyone knew they were sponsored by the First Nestling of Shiss-Ta.

Of course the Kermac and the Galactic Council using all sorts of clandestine schemes to increase their influence, to gain new Thrall species and agitate against the Union.

Truth to be told the Union did not exactly stick to the conditions agreed upon in the Freespace Treaty and also operated undercover ships, secret bases and conducted all sorts of intel operations.

Of the so called Big Four, this is what the dominant societies in this region of the galaxy were called, only the Nul seemed to actually honor the treaty and showed little interest in Freespace affairs and politics.

In other words, Freespace was dangerous, completely lawless and far from peaceful.

After encountering a living mountain, floating rocks, a Kermac scheme to move an entire moon and finding a ship full of human body parts, the USS Tigershark was now making her way to Brhama port, a well known pirate port.

Chapter 1 »