CH9 Biting Kermac

CH 9 Dyne

The Tigershark was fast, very fast and without being restrained by our disguise as a Karthanian armed trader, we made it to Dyne in under two minutes. The Tigersharks save TL speed was 68,921 times the speed of light. Our ship could accelerate to Quasi Space in 2.8 seconds. Shaka,  despite the seriousness of the situation sounded happy. We are here Captain. System Dorsi outmost orbit 1 light hour ahead." Narth reported."I have a larger contact on the utmost scanner horizon. Apparently on his way to Dyne. Shea did not take her eyes of her readouts."That contact appears to be a Jootar Brute, no other artificial contacts within sensor range, but I am detecting seven energy contacts on the surface of that third planet that could belong to Tullerman sized crafts. Four are on standby, two of them appear to in the process of landing or leaving the planet." I slid to the edge of my seat and said."Nothing leaves that dirt ball until we know Har-Hi and Elfi were brought here." TheOther said."Captain, I am receiving a coded Myon message. It is from Elfi, I mean Lt.Elfiatra." "What does it say?"I urged him to forget formalities and tell us what our friends were transmitting." "Lt Hi and I abducted by friends of the scavengers. Disguise blown, Har-Hi and I killed the abductors. Not much fuel left, heading for yellow star, the destination of these scavengers." "Shaka get us to that planet, maybe Narth can pick something up." "I do not want to pick anything up Captain. From all indications and Sodoby's description. That planet is rather unsavory." "I mean the minds of Har-Hi or Elfi." "Oh...I am not a good long range telepath, but I doubt either one of them are on Dyne. Their vessel is much slower. I am certain we arrived here well before them. The Tullerman only reaches a speed of 1024 times the speed of light." I didn't need Shea or Narth for that calculation and said. "So the Tullerman needs two days to get here?" Shea failed to stop Narth in time.The shrouded OPS officer raised his finger. "No, Captain it takes that craft 2.1401 standard days in a more precise estimate." Mao interrupted."That Jooltar warship has detected us, they are on a straight intercept course and under max acceleration. Shields raised weapons armed and extended." "As a Karthaninan armed trader we won't be able to get away." Shea said. "And that Brute will be more than an equal opponent to the Silver Streak." "I guess the subtle way is out, well maybe they have seen a Tullerman." I said and added."All hands battlestations. SHIP sound General quarters." The penetrating siren sound and SHIP's no nonsense voice repeating."General Quarters General Quarters all hands man your battle stations." Echoed through the ship. I had no time to play around. Two of my friends were out there, but I could not go all Union on the aggressor.I had risked much getting her under real engine power, finding out not even neccessary. We were too close to an occupied planet, without knowing what eyes might be on us by now. Dropping out of Quasi gave no indication how fast we had been. "We haveb no data on that particular ship." Hans reported. "The other ship opened..." Mao could not finish his sentence, when the shield indicators flared up."...fire, Captain." "Kermac Line Cannon, direct hit. Simulated shields at 80 percent." Narth said. "Mao, tit for tat. Paint that bastards bow with our FTL DEs and I understand you can mask our Quark-Gluon Plasma casters.Just so the feel it for sure." Mao complied and said."We got their attention for sure, their bow shields are gone." A Leedei litteraly stormed on the bridge."Captain, Sir. Our missing officers are aboard the Moniku. Our officers are well shielded, but there are people over there thinking about a Dai and Saran woman."

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Har-Hi had to give it to Elfi, she was no damsel in distress, but a true warrior princess. She had burned and killed her share of the alien vessel's crew right behind him. Both of them were almost naked, but now well armed. Both of them were filthy, had blood and grime all over them, not to mention a few burn wounds of blaster fire that came close, thankfully not too close. Another jolt made the lights flicker. They were both stuck in a corridor. It took them precious time to cut and burn through one of them already. Elfi wiped the back of her hand over her mouth and grinned."We might not make it, but it seems they picked a fight with someone that has bigger guns." "Never give up, Princess. Doesn't look too promissing I admit, but so far they haven't really concentrated on us with real confinement measures. So they might be too busy to know we are out." The security door before them suddenly opened very fast and both the Dai and the princess were overwhelmed by a flood of panicking beings in all sorts of space and battle suits. He blasted one, Elfi fired at another, but it was clear the dozen or so spacers did not come to fight them but were fleeing something else.He heared the panicked voices. Somneone yelled."Y'All!" Then Har-Hi saw the most frightening and wonderful sight at the same time. In the corridor beyond the security door approached a four armed whirlwind of doom.Ripping beings in full battle suit appart. A second monster, with only two arms but arms like pistons of a planet mining machine hammering armored fist of tremendous size onto the cranium shell of a Karthanin battle robot. The blow was of such tremendous power it litteraly shattered the bot in twisted and bent pieces.That immense titan then swatted a full size Bootnar warrior against the bulk head while the Y'All fired a Nul gravitor cannon, ripping more enemies and material appart in oscilating graviton pulses. Elfi yelled."Har-Hi look!" The Dai turned and from the other end of the corridor, a tall woman in an all black combat suit slicing a Jooltar from head to toe with an ax. A completley shrouded being on her side made two of the spacers close to Elfi float and with a stomach sickening sound, their heads were twisted off by an unseen force. Har-Hi laughed elated."Captain!"

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There they were, looking terrible but I almost rushed  and hugged them, they were alive. I managed to keep my captain dignity and then I saw all the crusted blood over Har-Hi's face and chest. “Odin’s beard what happened to your face. Narth get him to Cateria stat." "I am not wounded,Captain, but..." Narth handed him his swords."I assume you might want to accompany us to the command center of this vessel." Now it was Har-Hi who almost hugged Narth."Yes I want to find out who that light blending gruff voice bastard is before I dice him." I listened to the reports coming from my ear piece."Circuit and Three-Four have secured engineering, Fective and Pure leading our marines call the ship secure. And since Hans just ripped the Control center door out its socket, you should be able to do just that." Har-Hi stormed the rest of the way past a terrible swath of destruction. Neither Hans nor TheOther had held back. The Dai said running."I never expected so many well armed beings aboard a pirate ship. Narth who floated effordless next to both of us said."Because this is the ship of Steen Tirkov, he is a Mercenary and these are his troops." Just as he said that, we entered the bridge of the Jooltar Brute. Steen Tirkov, was held by TheOther. Hans had just flattened an Orkh hammering his fist on the green beings head, apparently Hans' signature move. From something like an equipment locker, his right hand, the cybernetic enhanced woman jumped right at me, and remained stuck floating in the air. It was now apparent she didn't volunteer coming out of that hiden out. Narth had his hands behind his back and examined her."Your occular laser would not have been operational.I severed the control nerve.I noticed your presence for six minutes already." Steen groaned and laughed."I tried to hunt you down, Black Velvet. I guess you got thougher shields than a Karthanian supposed to have, tougher than mine. And you got genuine Y'All warriors. I bet the Union would have paid me well for one of those as well. " "You were after me?" "Are you surprised? Twenty Million credits bounty isn't small change. I heard you were on Brhama Port. Little did I know you had business on Dyne." Har-Hi aimed his sword at the mercenary. "Why did you capture us?" "The scavenger blasting his find of a Dai warrior and a Saran woman all over Myon. Disguised as scavengers themselves. You are Union spies for sure and I bet Kermac would have paid me very well for you two. He pointed at the body of a Kermac."I made good friends with one of them." I sighed under my mask, because I actually knew the Kermac and of course I knew Tirkov. Narth spoke in my mind."He is actually an Union Citizen and he appears not to be wanted. Mercenary units and bounty hunting is not illegal." Aloud I said."Put all survivors in stasis." Tirkov yelled."Selling me to a Slaver? I prefer Sin 4 and a Death Arena." Whatever else he wanted to say was interrupted by Hans hosing the bridge with paralysator rays, while the first marine came in unfolding a stasis box.

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We returned to the Tigershark. Behind Narth and Two-Three Har-Hi and Elfi came aboard. I collapsed my helmet and took off my mask, looking at my XO. "Har-Hi are you sure you are okay.b There is a lot of blood." “I am not wounded or hurt.” “He took a bite out of a Kermac, Captain.” Elfi said. Har Hi straightened .”Captain, I am taking full responsibility, It was..” “It was a Erica Olafson situation so it seems. I know. Well at least for once it wasn’t me this time. I am glad you are back unharmed. I do however like to hear a full report. I also think you and Elfi need to visit Cateria.” “We are not hurt, Captain.All we need is getting cleaned up.” “You have been exposed to  Neuro Ripper rays who knows what side effects there might linger. Besides you took a bite out of one of your captors and I assume neither one seemed to be too clean. Besides those burns I can see on both of you aren't that small. Once she has you declared fit for duty get cleaned up and join me in the  We need to figure out what to do with Tirkov and his surviving crew. Then we have dinner. Unless you ruined your appetite snacking on Kermac.”

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The disguised Tigershark had made landfall on Dyne after all. There was no space port, or anything like that. Just an open field, occupied mostly by small craft, the size of that Tullerman. Steen and his surviving crew were all standing or sitting naked on that open field. Fifty eight of his original crew of ninety had survived. Most of them were just coming around. None of the locals had made their presence known. The Silver Streak of course was the reason, there was nothing even remotley that could challenge her in terms of fire power. Steen blinked as he too came around after the paralysator effect was wearing off. His face expressed the utter confusion he felt. "What? What is this?" "You are on Dyne, your ship the Hard Eight is right where we left it adrift somewhere between the sixtg and seventh orbit. I don't like being hunted but I am not killing for the fun of it.There are locals with space crafts and maybe you can make a deal with them. If not there might be local careers available. If I ever hear you are on my trail again, Steen, I sell you personally to the Togar meat market, in pieces!" "We are unarmed, the locals will sell us for slaves!" "You asking me for a break?" "Yes,I must. There is no one else I can ask.I rather die than end up as a slave again!" I could not tell him how well I understood. "There is a crate with all your personal belongings. I assume weapons too." I stepped inside the airlock."SHIP retract the ramp and close the door. Shaka get us of this dirt ball."

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An hour later I sat in my ready room and made a call to Command. The ship was drifting in space, as we were were at the very outermost limit we still could call and receive. GalCom was no longer able to eastablish  visuals and had to be reduced  to simple audio and two dee. 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.I am prettyb sure Tirkov will make it of that planet. The Hard Eight is still space worthy, but we clipped her claws.” McElligott leaned back in his chair and in doing so allowed the visual sensors of his 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 real books. There was a strange triangular brass object on his desk and a few PDDs strewn around. He noticed me looking at it and said. “This is a Sextant; it is a nautical instrument I had to learn to use when I was a Midshipman in his majesty’s Navy. King George the seventh that is, may he rest in Peace. Completley useless once you leave Earth. ” He then tabbed one of his PDD "I am pleased to hear you let the merc live and I like your solution. If you sent him back to us, I could not do much with him. Your Narth is right, he isn't wanted for any crimes. Whagt he does is always outside Union juristiction." He actually snickered."I think you ruined a perfectly good Da. Your XO is now getting in the same sort of situations." "He is painfully aware of that, Sir." Seamlessly the Admiral changed subject. "The information on Cam Elf-Na confirms a few other reports we have and we are moving assets in the area to respond quickly if he decides to do that. 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. We 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 adviser to me. He is becoming a 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 the Admiral 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 idea. 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 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.I am also very proud of your conduct so far. 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.” “Yes, Sir of course.” 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.” “I am heading for Sin 4 maybe I can pick up some Intel there.” “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.”

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