BW16

CH 11: Death Fight Arena

I was sitting in my chair feeling stunned by what I just heard, thinking hard what I could do to save my friends. How did they manage to capture a Narth ? Did I deal with the Kermac and the Worm? That there were groups out there on Sin 4 wanting to capture a Narth, I knew from the time I had been here before. I somehow knew he was still alive but I could not feel anything else and that was more than disturbing. TheOther who held the security post came over and said with a low voice. “Captain we now have an asset inside the Donheer compound and we should be able to make contact any time now.” I turned and looked at the Y’All. “An asset?” “Yes Ma’am. Lt. Neugruber authorized additional personnel for Mehdi Senhadji mission and two of the NWC officers volunteered. Mehdi managed to trace the weapon deal to the Donheers and our tiny friends managed to follow one of the suspected Mil Tech dealers onto the Donheer Compound Island.” I could not completely keep my anger out of my voice as I said. “While I appreciate initiative I sure would like to be informed who is sent outside on a place like this.I was under the impression our NWC friends were still working to neutralize that other pirate ship, the Brazen Business?” "Sorry captain, they are long done with that one." I put my hand on his arm and added. “Thank you Mr. TheOther. How soon can we make contact?” Elfi said. “They are calling now, Captain.” The main screen changed and we looked at an office from underneath a desk. We saw feet and the support projector for an old system hover chair. A voice spoke. “Lt. Bergdorf reporting, Captain. I managed to infiltrate the actual office of Duke Donheer. My associate Ensign Sahlhof is on its way to the security center of the island for detail assessment. We believe a Union fleet officer or perhaps a former one is the source of the stolen mil tech and he seems to be in the employment of this syndicate leader.” I could not help myself and said. ”Be careful, you are not small enough to be invisible.” “Your concern is duly noted Captain. However we are wearing Atlas Battle Suits and we are both fully cloaked and thus invisible to almost all sensors, certainly to all of TL 7.” He stepped from under a desk he was currently hiding and flew to a shelf unit with art objects and sports trophies. There due to his size and perspective between gigantic looking trophies he looked down into the room and I saw the fat white man behind his desk. Shea said. “I got the scan data from the DNA residue Mr Bergdorf gathered under the chair of Donheer. He looks almost human but it is to be Kermac, Saresii and artificial Shiss DNA crafts. It looks like he is related to our friends at Brahma port as some of the markers match with the samples we collected there.” I looked at the man who sat behind his desk and operated a communications device. He had white, finely scaled skin. His head was hairless and he had reptilian Shiss eyes above a small nose with flaring nostrils over a wide mouth that was filled with small, needle sharp looking fish like teeth. While I served on the Hyperion and under a Shiss captain, Captain Zezzh managed to show warmth and compassion in his completely alien reptilian face, there was not a hint of friendliness in this face. I wondered if this is how things were going to be. Instead of chasing through space and using the ship and all its amazing technology we once more saw what a spy of ours observed. My best friends were caught by this bastard and he was blackmailing me. I had a good mind to simply take my marines and raid his place, right through the front door. Of course he had captured Narth, Har-Hi and the Golden, so a frontal assault could endanger my friends lives. I could not rely on the old Eric and jump in the middle of things. The main problem of it all this was that I had a ship and it had to come first, even before my best friends. We had a mission that also came before the personal safety of my crew. Something happened on the screen, an old man came into the study and he looked much like Donheer did, only the Kermac features were much stronger and he said. “Are you dreaming again about expanding our empire? You know the other families are getting nervous and a Syndicate war is never a good thing, son. The old Simian called and wanted to know what happened to the Half Dai.” Donheer got up and said. “It is my empire, old man. Mine! You are old and weak. You were content with a quarter of a dirty planet. I care not what that stinking primate wants. I captured that Nul spy and he too will die in the Arena tonight." "We guranteed free passage, you even accepted the million polos! We Donheer keep our word!" "I keep my word when it suits me. I am almost strong enough to take them on, all of them and then will I wipe them out. That's a word I gave to myself. Those I tend to keep.” The old man who seemed to be the father of Duke Donheer replied. “You are part Shiss, part Kermac and your grandmother was a Saresii slave woman but you inherited none of their wisdom or their psionic powers, but you certainly know how to be arrogant and self-inflated. The old Baro is no roll over and his outfit is not far behind us.You coudn't even deal with Rillo after he busted up your party." The old man pointed with disgust at a platter of food. "You like eating of the finest things yet you have no class. The balance of the four families has served us well and made you rich. Maintain what we have and expand slowly and into areas that we know.” The Duke slammed his fist on the table and pointed with his other hand towards the window behind him. “Sin 4 is a speck, an unimportant speck. There are bigger powers out there and I intend to play a part in the big games. I want all casinos under my control. I want that arrogant Sinister Sports and only allow SII do business here if I feel like it. I don’t want a miniscule share of the Sojonit business. I want to control that entire whorehouse temple bsiness and all the profits." "You are insane! Have you seen what SII did? They have more of these big ships!" "And I want bigger ones! I am going to destroy the other cartels and then we build a new spaceport on the southern continent, mine the riches of our moons. Once I have put this system under my control, I will announce that we are part of the Shiss Empire. The White Nestling himself has told me that there could even be a position for me in the Royal Nest.” The old man wrung his hands. “The Death fight arena is our crown jewel; we make more money with the advertisement deals and the merchandising than with all the casinos and business. Leave those world conquering dreams, this is not what we do. Your plan with the Nul is madness. You speak of powers out there and try to play on their level and yet you do not comprehend.” “Silence old man. The White Nestling will give much control and I will be an important part of a galaxy spanning empire, not just a measly planet and the plan is perfect. The Shiss have abducted the Nul who is very important to the Nul Empire. He will fight in the Arena tonight and die. I will claim I purchased it from Black Velvet, a notorious pirate. I’ll have her confess that she worked under direct orders of the Union and that will hopefully start a war between the Union and the Nul. Of course the Union will win but at a high cost. I am almost certain the Kermac will not let an opportunity like that pass and will attack a weakened Union perhaps join the Nul in the fight. No matter who wins, the Kermac, the Nul or the Union, one of them will be gone and the others weaker than ever before and the galaxy is ripe for the taking by the Shiss. We will have a front row seat and riches and power beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.” The old man sighed. “You are a fool, these things aren’t as simple as dealing with other cartel families, and these things are way out of your league.” “Be silent and be careful old man. I just might have you thrown in the arena for monster bait. I have a great show lined up for tonight.” The old man walked out and slammed the door behind him.

--""--

I was losing time watching this. I needed to find my friends; nothing so far had told me how he managed to capture them and where he kept them. I was about to get up and call for a conference to hatch a plan when something happened on the screen that shocked me deeply. The next man that walked through the door was my former friend Wintsun. Our tiny spy still invisible in the room said. "This is the Union officer we followed." Donheer greeted the green skinned man saying. “You have been successful in capturing the Dai Warrior and I appreciate men who get me results, but then you used to be a Union officer and they do train their people well.” Wintsun was the same and yet he had changed. He seemed much older than he was and his face had a lost all of the openness it had before. What was he doing here on Sin 4? Did he recognize Har-Hi? Wintsun said. “That is why I was able to use the P 4 Paralysator to get that Dai. He had his Clan glyph removed so he is most likely an Okthi you know a renegade and not associated with any clan anymore.” “Wonderful, we have a nice full program for tonight. The Terror Hammer will make his great come back tonight and die heroically as I must punish him for deceiving me and running off, playing dead for so long.” Wintsun grinned. “I think he is a Saturnian. I never liked these brutes anyway.” Donheer leaned back in his wide seat. “You will enjoy the big fight tonight and I see a great future for you Wintsun. You have risen fast in my organization since you came here.” Wintsun sat down and said. “I am your man Mr. Donheer.” “Have you activated the Loki torpedoes?” “Yes I have, and they are the full size Type IV, one will be more than enough to destroy that pirate ship and level most of the city as well. “Are they that powerful?” “Four of them will buckle the shields of a Union battleship and the sixteen you got would be enough to take on anything short of the Devi. What we lack are propper launchers, but our engineers managed to create a nice launch rack. No matter how fast she tries to leave, those torpedoes are faster." “Splendid, the Kermac are very interested in those and made a generous offer and since you activated them and made them useful, I think I will give you a nice bonus as well.” I didn’t hear what Wintsun said as just then I felt Narth’s presence in my mind. “Eric I am alright, but we were surprised by a paralysator shot over a distance. Since there are so many minds out there I must have missed them. The person who captured us for the Duke is Wintsun.” I felt a wave of relief and responded. “I know, I am watching that bastard right now. Where are you?” “We are held in a prison underneath the Donheer fight Coliseum. It is a state of the art containment facility to hold all kinds of life forms. Unfortunately there is a very strong Kermac psi screen, effectively neutralizing most of my Psionic abilities.” “Do they know you are a Narth?” “No they did not recognize us or me. I am not even scheduled to fight. They think I am a weak scholar and I am scheduled to be sold as a slave.” I was deeply relieved to hear my friends were not harmed and then I called my senior officers to a conference in the den and said. “Here is my plan...”

--””--

Shea was brushing my hair out and said. “I am not sure if anyone has told you that, but you are very beautiful, and tonight you look quite stunning.” Her comment touched the vanity of my female persona as I looked at myself in the reflection field. The long blonde hair had the same color as that of my mother and suddenly I was reminded of her and I felt guilty for no longer having nightmares or thinking much about that event, but now I saw her, right there in the mirror. Not that my mother would have worn something like this. I wore a low cut clingy gown of thin black Saresii silk and black velvet I had purchased during our visit at the secret NAVINT base.It was hanging on thin straps from my shoulders. To it I added a shiny black fur stole, gloves and a tiny purse. Shea was finally done with the hair and Elfi handed me a feather domino with veil. I sighed, “Maybe I should simply wear an Atlas Battle Suit and we storm the place.” Shea gave me a look from underneath her long lashes. Sojonits have an old saying. “Lace underwear felled more warriors then the sharpest swords. In some instances a dress like this can be just as effective as a battle suit.” Elfi added. “We can still change the whole thing. It is your plan after all.” I pulled on the gloves and said: “No we better stick to the plan. I want this to be over with so we can concentrate on the Red Dragon and our mission. I want to leave this world. It really gets to me.” Shea said. “If everything goes well then we will have done our part to change this world and to me that makes it all worthwhile if there are no longer Skaakh girls seeing their mother torn apart by scavengers and no one else dies of hunger.” Looking at it all this way made me feel much different and I said: “You are right, we do make a difference and that is what counts. I just pictured my first mission as a Starship captain completely different, more uniforms and less silken underwear.” Elfi blushed: “I am not wired that way but even I thought you looked extremely hot in your undies. Besides you enjoy every moment, so quit whining, Captain.” I was split in my opinion inside as always. While part of me extremely enjoyed the feel and the look, the other found it exposing, impractical and not what a Starship Captain should look like. Would I ever find true peace inside? At the agreed time, a luxury skimmer approached and I left the ship via the ramp and not by the IST. I found out it was anything but easy to walk down a declining metal surface in stiletto heel pumps without falling. An Oghar and a Togar stepped out from the drive compartment and held big blaster weapons looking nervously around. I was glad I wore a mask as I saw Wintsun getting out of the skimmer as well. I felt nothing but contempt towards this traitor. I wondered what had turned him so completely, or maybe it was always there and I was just too blind and naïve back then to see the signs. It was he who shot Narth while I was unconscious in the Crawler Cat. For that alone he needed to pay, not to mention that he was a traitor and now responsible for the capture of my friends. He had a crooked smile on his lips as he undressed me with his eyes and he said: “My, my what a scrumptious sight. I had no idea pirates could look that hot. Now I need to make sure you don’t have any hidden weapons other than the obvious ones hidden under that thin dress of yours.” I said. “Touch me and you are dead.” He laughed dirty and said. “Be civil, pirate whore. We have the better cards. Your crew mates die if you don’t comply and we blow your rust bucket sky high. Now let me scan you or I’ll have the Togar perform a manual search.” He did use a hand held scanner and his hands were sliding up and down my dress and legs, around my breasts and down my thighs. He as breathing harder and I had never felt so angry and violated. How much worse must it have been for Jolai. I felt very vulnerable and cursed the thin dress that was such a great idea just a while ago. He finally stepped back and said. “What a nice firm body you got, I think we will have some fun later. You and I after the Duke is done with you. Now get in the Acron-Lux skimmer, we do not want to make the Duke wait.” Elfi’s voice came on over my tiny inner ear receiver. It was made almost completely out of organic components and was of the finest Saresii spy technology from the first Saresii Empire and beyond anything the crooks on Sin 4 or pretty much anyone else could possibly scan for. She said. “Teams are in position. Circuit is almost there and the Marine Team is on it’s way too. We have you clear on the surveillance equipment.”

--""--

The Coliseum was a huge ring shaped building bathed in multi colored lights. Hundreds of heavily armed skimmers patrolled the sky around it. While we were underway Wintsun put his hand on my knee and said. “No worries pirate whore I’ll be gentle the first time.” I did not know where I got the strength to remain calm and say. “You should worry scum face. The time you wish you had not done that is soon at hand.” He laughed. “It’s over, you lost. Playing as a girl in a man’s universe has its dangers. So accept it and you might get an enjoyable ride out of it, or two.” We approached a landing platform high above the ground and the fat Duke was standing there flanked by two Togar male warriors armed with Kermac Line blaster guns. He greeted me with what I could only describe as a slimy smile on his thin lips, revealing his needle like teeth. “Oh how lovely and mysterious. Well I am sure you will share your identity and show me what you have hidden behind those feathers and veil. You see I always get what I want.” I said. “Why this interest in me?” "Friends of mine on Brhama port told me what a strong woman you are and I love breaking beautiful, arrogant women.” “Is it because you were rejected by one and couldn’t get her? Or did you mommy spank you a little too much?” He pointed his finger at me, almost touching my nose and I knew I had touched a raw nerve as I he hissed. “You will beg for my mercy. I promise you!” I smiled under my veil and said. “The night is still young and might hold a few surprises for us all.” “Now that you are here I think we can come to a business agreement where I get your ship and I let you live. It’s a real good offer, I assure you. I am not always that generous.” I said. “I thought I was here to discuss a price for my crew members release.” He raised his shoulders and said. “I lied, I always do that and I’ve got you now. I am sure I can persuade you to give me all the necessary access codes.” “I’ll have my ship blown up before I give it to you.” His grin returned and he said. “Our little pirate lady thinks she still has choices.” His face became hard and the smile vanished. “Pirate, I do not know who you are and frankly I don’t care. Let me make it perfectly clear to you. You will die tonight in a most unpleasant manner if you don’t do exactly as I tell you.” One of the Togar extended his claws and growled.” Follow him or I will make you.” So we went into the VIP box with the best view over the fight arena. I estimated at least 80,000 beings in the bleachers around the arena. There was a GalNet Team complete with a group of flying Robo Cams. An ocean of flags, project-a-signs and every surface that could hold advertisement was used to promote well known Union products. He offered me a seat right next to him and said. “Until I kill you I will be civil and you can enjoy your evening as it will be the last you have in such freedom. How about some Terran Champagne or something else perhaps?” I declined and sat down. The lights went out and a single spotlight caught us, the fat Duke and me. He got up and said to me: “Get up and cling to my arm or I kill you right here.” Pure rage was building up and as always I felt it first in my stomach, and only because I used a mental calming exercise I had learned from Narth was I able to do as he asked. He held up his arms and his voice was magnified to thunderous levels. “Ladies and Gentle Beings from all over our pretty Galaxy, I Duke Donheer, welcome you all, here in person and via GalNet, Shiss-cpjt and all the other broadcasters that are here tonight. Welcome to another Fight to the Death night, here at the Donheer Coliseum, the home of the genuine Ultra Gore Kill League.” He made a pause to accept the applause and the cheers and then said. “I appreciate you all and because you have been great fans I have prepared great fights for you tonight. As usual bets can be placed until the Fight siren signals the start of a contest. Merchandise and Souvenirs can be purchased at the GalNet Donheer Site. Get them now because these will be collector items soon!” The spotlight turned off and the lights came back on. An unseen promoter now spoke. “Tonight you will get your money’s worth of blood splattering excitement. Men, women and beasts will die in the eternal sands of the arena to satisfy you. And what a spectacle our Duke himself has lined up for you. A Dai Warrior just captured from the most vicious Dai Clan sold to us by the Kermac who declared all Dai must be eradicated. A Half Dai Assassin from a far off world with a long list of skills. Will this sneaky dagger wielding coward have a chance in open combat? Into the mix and smuggled from the deadliest planet in the Universe, three monstrosities from green Hell, a real Stomper and two Insectosaurus’.” The crowd cheers thundered. The speaker waited till the noise ebbed away somewhat and said speaking over a drum solo. “Our friends of the Union Fleet supplied us with a ghastly but powerful grey Nul warrior and to top this Royal Rumble to the Death we announce the return of greatest of all fighting champions this Arena had ever seen. The destroyer of life, the Terror from a far and unknown Galaxy, The one and only Terror Hammer has returned!” A sea of blue and yellow flags and streamers appeared, held by fans who chanted rhythmically “Terror Hammer!” Duke Donheer said more to himself than to me or anyone. “It is a shame to kill him, the crowd loves him, but no one defies me and makes a fool of me!” The round arena was now lit and cages lowered from above. I saw Har-Hi in one and Hans in another. A third held a huge grey Nul. I had never actually seen a Nul in reality and I had to admit that being looked more frightening than a Y’All. Of course truth to be told, ever since I knew TheOther I got used to the looks of the Y’All. The announcer presented six more ferocious looking beings: A Saurian, two Yellow Throat Shiss, a Togar fight champion and two Perthanian Union citizens who had been captured and were forced to participate in this spectacle. What galled me most was that this arena spectacle included Union citizens kidnapped and forced to fight and die and according to Donheer, he had billions of viewers and lucrative advertisement contracts with Union companies. Every advertisement director that Okayed this should be held accountable for treason, every Union citizen considering this entertainment and supporting it declared to be enabling criminals and stripped of all citizen privileges. The Duke said.” Kiss me.” “Not in your lifetime.” He gave the Togar that stood behind me a sign and said. “Defying me has consequences. Maybe that will make your Dai fight even more. There is nothing the crowd loves more than a Damsel in distress and monsters with slimy tentacles. The Togar aimed his weapon at me and snarled. “Get up, Pirate.” The Duke said. “On your knees and beg for mercy, or I’ll have you tossed into the arena. Not waiting for the Togar, making me comply, I vaulted over the railing of his floating VIP box and landed in the coarse sand about five meters below, rolling over my shoulder to lessen the drop impact. The Dukes voice spoke loud addressing the crowd. “Captured by myself during a tremendous space fight. One of the Union’s most wanted Criminals. The lady pirate known as Black Velvet. Special bets can be made by whom this slender weak human female is killed first.” Elfi spoke in my earpiece. “Team Aqua has breached the outer defences unnoticed and is in the process of neutralizing everything in sight.” That meant my Marines had successfully landed on the Dukes Island and had begun searching for the Loki torpedoes. Elfi then said. ”Team Blackout is also progressing towards their objective.” Narth said into my mind. “I have recuperated well enough. I am certain I can teleport.” “Can you take the Golden along?” The answer came immediately. “Yes.” I was sending him my mental instructions. “Narth take the Golden home.” The cages holding the fighters and monsters clapped open and a pile of swords, spears and sabres was uncovered in the center of the arena. The stomper a terrifying monster with eight legs with a mass of long tentacles on one end screamed and went straight for me. Hans was immediately attacked by one of the huge Insectos .Looking like a cross between a praying mantis, scorpion and dinosaur it had sharp looking scissor claws and a stinger oozing with greenish slime on a long flexible tail while it scurried fast through the sand on its six insect like segmented legs. The grey Nul, as big as Hans, was wearing a slave collar. It blinked and I knew someone was causing the Nul pain, perhaps controlling him via remote controlled shocks or something of that kind and they had glued something over his only eye, making him blind. The huge Nul staggered through the sand while he tried to get rid of the gooey sticky mess over his eye. I kicked the nice open toed heels of my feet, and ran as fast as I could towards the pile of weapons. Barely escaping the Stompers attack I came close to the Perthanian and said. “If you want to see Union side again make your way to the spaceport and find the Silver Streak as soon as the lights go out.” I didn’t wait to see if he understood and in my ear I could hear Elfi say: “The Golden has just popped out of thin air and now Narth is here as well.” I asked “Is Circuit ready?” “Almost, he needs five more minutes to hack into the power grid, because it is more primitive than he thought.” The Stomper collided with the Nul and grabbed him with his tentacles. I never liked the Nul but even he wasn’t here on his own free will. I threw a Vibrosword as hard as I could into my XO's direction and Har-Hi jumped and elegantly took it by the handle out of mid-air and swung it immediately against the Insecto severing its right claw arm right off. Hans had just shown what he could really do, grabbed the tail just behind the dangerously sharp stinger of the other Insecto and with a groan ripped it right out of the poor animal and used the tail like an oversized club beating the wounded animal with it. The spectators exploded in a frenzied uproar and chanted his name even louder. I threw a sword to the half Dai who was just as agile catching it as Har-Hi and attacked the Sauron. With a grim satisfaction I took a long handled battle ax with two sharp looking blades and swung it around. The weapon was not high tech. I did not have any Vibro or other function but it was made of a tough metal and had a razor sharp edge as I found out after slicing it through the upper thigh of the attacking Togar. The majestic looking cat warrior screamed and his shiny brown fur was dulled by his own dark blood. I was no longer Erica or female. I was a child of Nilfeheim, Neo Viking by blood, savage warrior by heritage and all layers of my complicated personality peeled back as I put every ounce of my strength and anger into the second blow decapitating the Togar and sending his head flying. Har-Hi was fighting the Insectosaurus and he clearly had the upper hand but the yellow throat Shiss, who wore a costume much like Hans, appeared to be an experienced Arena fighter and sneaked up on my friend, was about to attack him from behind. Normally I would not have thought twice, in my opinion Har-Hi could clean the whole arena by himself, but he most likely was still fighting the effects of the Paralysator shot, and I knew out of my own experience how that felt. To all this he could not rely on his own swords and weapons. With two leaps I was close and brought down the ax along the spine of the first four armed lizard that effectively took this Shiss out of the game and tried to reach Har-Hi's attacker in time. The costumed Shiss turned and almost decapitated me, but Har-Hi had evaded the Insecto so skilfully that the sharp stinger of the beast hammered into the side of the Shiss head, there was no doubt this was a calculated move. There was no need to help Har-Hi. I looked around and saw the Nul, still unable to see clearly, being tossed through the air by the stomper and he would certainly die during the next attack. The Stomper uncoiled his tentacles and one of them snatched the Nul. He struggled against the pull of the tentacles. Any lesser being would have long ago died between the maws of the Stomper. I ran towards the Nul and yelled. “Nul Warrior lean as far back as you can to put more tension on these tentacles, I cut you lose.” I ducked at the last moment as one of the barbed tentacles whipped towards me. The ax was a primitive weapon indeed, but I would not have wanted anything else at that moment. I drove it through the first tentacle, it proved to be razor sharp. Stinking ooze sprayed over me as I hacked through more tentacles like a maniac. The Stomper had forgotten about the Nul and now focused on me. I had to duck, jump and slice with the heavy blade, sticky with the rancid smelling blood of the Stomper. I knew the Sojonit body changing process had changed my outer appearance but in order to pack my male frame into a female shape, the additional mass was compacted and the result were denser muscles, I never felt as strong even though I had thinner arms and I marvelled at the agility of the female body that allowed fight moves a male body could simply not match. Somewhere in the back I heard the crowd but I had to focus now, one false step and I was toast. I was a warrior once more, unrestrained by rules and limitations of civility. Much more reacting to my instincts than to my concicous thoughts, letting my senses guide my muscles even before they reached my mind. The skin of the Stomper was hard as a rock and it took heavy blows to make it even splinter, but there was a thin yellow line of skin between the top and bottom armour where the legs moved, that wasn’t covered by the crystalline armour and the ax blade cut deep into it with each blow I managed to land. Something scratched my back and I was certain the barbed tail of the stomper had not completely missed its target. I was bleeding from several cuts, but then I was close and with three strong chops I severed one of the stomper’s legs. The sand was trenched with the stomper’s blood and it stuck to my feet. The beast was now screaming and each blow with the ax cut deeper into the side, cutting chunks of flesh out of an ever deeper gouged wound. The last tentacle severed and another leg useless, the Stomper now groaned and his remaining legs buckled. It was finished. I jumped on the still breathing stomper and split his skull open after hitting it several times,ending the poor creatures misery. Only now I paused for a moment, covered in sweat and blood, not all of it from the stomper. Almost out of breath with a heaving chest I raised the ax in the air,praised Thor for giving me this victory and locking for my next oponent. I could suddenly hear the crowd chanting my name in frenzy. “Black Velvet, Black Velvet...” Elfi’s voice sounded concerned. “Captain Can you hear me?” “Yes I can hear you.” “Captain, I was trying to reach you for almost five minutes but you did not answer. Are you alright?” I jumped of the Stomper and said. “I think so. How far are we?” “Everything is ready.” “Do it.” The lights went out again. I felt Narth’s presence and the faint pulling sensation of Translocation. As the lights came back on I stood in the Sky Box of the Duke. Four Special Forces marines disguised as Pirates were led by TheOther wearing what looked like a genuine Y’All battle suit. With terrifying weapons in each of his fists, the unnaturally twisted body of a badly mangled looking Togar lay before the feet of the giant and the bloody remains of the other guard not far away. One of my marines held Wintsun, while the Duke was still sitting in its chair but all his flair of power and self-importance was gone. The fat man’s face showed panic. A glance down to the arena showed me only the dead monsters. Hans and Har-Hi were gone and so were the Pertharians, the Nul and the man named Honsu. I still held the bloody ax and I could not even imagine how I looked, I stepped forward and he cringed back. I snarled at him as he raised his arms. “Oh no I won’t make it that easy for you.” He held up a little device and said with a weak voice. “One push and the torpedoes will launch.” I swung the ax and his hand along with the device flew in spray of blood. “Push your button now, if you can.”

--""--

DEATH FIGHT ARENA

Chula Chakrabongse was still there, he stared down in the now lifeless arena. He pointed at the dead stomper."Did you see that? Did any of you really see what I saw?" Only two of his entourage remained, the rest had fled. One of them said."Yes your highness I saw it too. Those fighters are so beyond your league, we can be glad it ended like this and ou did not challenge the Terror Hammer or that woman for a fight." "Oh you are weak, Anh Dung. I am the best. And I have seen my future wife.Only she will do! I shall court her."

--""--

Unknown to Chula, another man was pondering the events of the arena while he made his way out the arena. While he was still angry as can be towards that lying bastard, and he would take steps to clip the wings of that self entitled duke. He was no closer to his actual assigment. The gray Nul was somewhere out there and he need to find him, but he simply could not focus on the next steps. His mind went back to the arena. That pirate woman was all he could think off. Such a graceful beauty, reduced to a raw female fighting spirit...he had seen nothing quite like it in all his long life. Oh yes he knew it, he was deeply in love.

--""--

We had returned to the ship, our disguised landing tank was attacked twice, the hits not even registering on the tanks strong shields. Our attackers however were exploding in mid-air as I had ordered to return with maximum fire on anything that even appeared threatening. I felt sore, dirty and exhausted and my back started to hurt real bad. I visited sickbay and Cateria shook her head as she saw me. “In Gorhum’s wisdom, Captain you look awful.” “I feel awful too, and why is the ship moving?” A med bot caught me and placed me on one of the diagnostic tables. Cateria begun to work on me and she said. “Stompers, like all creatures of Green Hell are poisonous and only because you somehow survived the sting of a Wurgus you are still on your legs and among the living. A little longer though and we would have a Dai for a captain.” I was mildly amazed to see that she was assisted by the white furred Togar, she still wore the white dress but this time with the logo patches of the med team. While she derma patched my back, I said. “Looks like you found something to do after all.” Jolaj nodded. “I am not a very technical person; my schooling was limited to theory, literature and arts but this way of healing appeals to me.” After that I had a long shower and felt much better and called for a meeting in the Pirates Den. I motioned to Mao first and asked. ”You,Fective and Pure led the Aqua Team, how did it go?” Mao pointed to the two small Terrans who stood on the table before him and said. “Thanks to Lt. Bergdorf we managed to neutralized the sensor grid so we could dive underneath the Donheer Compound shields. We found the Loki torpedoes along with the P Bomb and a whole cache of other Union Tech hardware. We destroyed everything safely and then detonated one Loki torpedo. The Donheer Island compound is completely destroyed and Sin 4 has one less island. I should also mention that our gentle Krabbel was very good at convincing one of Donheer’s deputies to tell us all we wanted to know and finally we set off a much smaller charge in the city to destroy the HQ of the Donheer Syndicate with all the hand weapons and other things Wintsun may have stolen.” I was very pleased with that and said. “That went well then and I do appreciate the help of our New World Commonwealth crew members.” I looked towards Hans and continued. “But I like to be kept in the loop who is sent outside. If we have to leave in a flash I do not want to leave anyone behind.” Hans face was unreadable but then he nodded. “Yes Captain, I understand, I should have asked for permission.” “Hans we are friends and I rely on all of you to be innovative and spontaneous, we managed to get out of this situation so well because of it. So I should commend you and as a friend I do, but as the Captain I need to know those things. This is not a reprimand or anything like that, but next time it happens it will be.” His face now showed relief and he nodded in his unique neckless way and said. “Yes Captain, thank you.” I smiled in his direction and then looked over to Har-Hi, Narth and the Golden. “You almost made my heart stop when I heard you were abducted.” Narth said. “I did not know I could be affected by Paralysator rays. It severely impaired my abilities for hours but it won’t happen again. I changed my physiology in that regard.” Har-Hi shrugged. “There isn’t much we could have done. That bastard used a F4 Paralysator, and stunned an entire City block. But I am sore having lost all my weapons and my suit." Narth shook his head. "I retrieved your equipment. The guards made me take off my mask and cloak and were unable to remain among the living. I took this moment to secure what was taken.It is in a subspace pocket under my cloak." Har-Hi sighed a deep relieve. "Thank you." I added a thankful thought directed at Narth and said aloud. “I am not blaming you for anything either of course. I am however trying to express how glad I am you are back and safe.” Har-Hi placed his hand on mine. “When I said I follow you to the Badlands I meant that. I know you don’t like to send us in harm’s way but you will have to do it again I am sure and you simply can’t do everything by yourself. That you are concerned about our safety, be assured we know that, but that must take second place to our mission and your position being the Captain.” The Golden added. “We never were in much danger, Captain. Narth recovered fast and told us your plan and Hans was there as well. They did not know we knew him. He could have freed us anytime.” Hans nodded. “They never considered the Golden or Narth in his disguise as material for the Arena and wanted to sell them.” Then he spread his mighty arms and said. “Sorry Captain I have to say it. I never have seen anything like you attacking that Stomper. You were the only standard human in that arena and yet you were the most dangerous creature of us all.” Har-Hi looked at me. “I keep saying that, and not just a Stomper, a Togar and a Shiss and doing it all while barefoot and in a dress.” I tried to ignore them as I wondered about that myself. Of course I knew of the Norse legends telling of warriors going berserk, but some believed it to be legend only or somehow drug induced .It was almost like a drunken euphoria while fighting that Stomper I felt an animalistic satisfaction,that was actually a little disturbing. I said. “You should talk, Mr. Terror Hammer, ripping the tail out of an Insectosaurus.” He smiled and wanted to say something but I gave him a scolding look and he swallowed whatever he wanted to say. Then I looked down at my feet. “I liked those sling back pumps and I ruined a perfectly good dress as well, no wonder I was a little agitated.” They all laughed at that. After a moment I returned to be serious. “We need to interrogate our prisoners and learn where they got these weapons and if there are any more hidden on this world.” Har-Hi said. ”What about Wintsun, will we go by the book?” I dreaded my own answer and said. “Yes we will. He was a friend, but he killed and is a traitor.” Cateria got up. “I think it will be best we perform a brain dump on them and let SHIP shift through all their memories.” I agreed with her and then dismissed them. “Let us hope that the Red Dragon shows up on time tomorrow so we can and rap this part of our mission up. I really want to get some vacuum under our keel.” Yeoman O'Connell approached with coffee. "Our chef wants to know if he should serve breakfast, lunch or dinner?" "Why is this a question?" "According to Ship and Union time it is lunch, according to local time it is very late dinner or very early breakfast and since most of you were outside he doesn't know what you want." I smiled."We will have lunch of course. This is a Union ship no matter what." While the redheaded Yeoman relayed my orders to the galley and placed the coffee mug in my hands,I asked. "Say Mr.Bergdorf I hate to ask details, but did you not want to take the Brazen Business out of business?" "Oh we have Captain, not as spectacular as our Leedei, but the moment he leaves the planet you'll see."

--""--

The Duke

Duke Donheer found himself in a featureless white and brightly lit room. He had not imagined things, there stood a Y’All at the door with both his arm pairs crossed before his chest. He tried to move but found himself fixed to a diagnostic chair. A helmet like thing hovered over his head and he was certain he recognized the design of this alien contraption for what it was, a Saresii Mind extractor. Every single memory and every secret stored in his brain could be downloaded into a file to be analysed. It was the most efficient interrogation method ever invented, and only the Old Saresii ever perfected it and made it work. Only a handful of these machines survived from that time so long ago, and officially did not even exist but he had heard rumors that the Saresii Secret Service known as the Grey Cat Society still had a few of them. He would have given half of his empire for one of these. He knew the Union had developed special techniques and implants to prevent a mind dump and it was said they equipped their Starship captains and senior officers with such, but they were as impossible to get as these machines. To see a real live Y’All was even more amazing to him, even in his current situation he wondered how one of these beasts would fare in his arena. He still felt dizzy and a little numb, perhaps the machine had already done its job. Only now he realized the Y’All there at the door wore a black Union uniform. Could it be? Could the Y’All secretly be Union members? Everyone believed it was the Kermac who had something to do with the Y’All, but maybe it was the Union after all? A sliding door opened and another no less massive figure came in making the floor vibrate. It was the Terror Hammer, but he also wore the uniform of a Union officer and sported Lieutenant rank bars on his collar. A woman with short hair and cold features followed close behind him holding a file chip. No one paid any attention to him, something his ego could not stand so he said. “Hey I am awake, what is going on here?” They still paid no attention so he added. “You are Union and have no business here on Sin 4.” A female voice behind him said. “Dealing with Union Mil tech and killing Union citizens in your arena makes you our business.” The woman who had answered him had to be in the room all along came into view from a place somewhere behind the chair he was fixed on. She wore a Sojonit Mask and the typical pink hair wig of that sect of prostitutes, she too wore Fleet black and a Lieutenant bar on her collar and took the data chip from the other woman. Then she said. “Your empire is destroyed and we recovered or destroyed all the weapons you illegally obtained. We have got everything you ever knew on file now and it will take our computronic very little time to shift through all of it. You are welcome to make a statement but it is not necessary.” His mind became clearer and with it emotions of fear. “What are you going to do with me?” She said. “You know the penalty of dealing with Union Mil Tech.” He protested weakly. “I am not Union and never was. You can’t do that.” She patted his cheek. “Our Assembly decreed that anyone obtaining classified Union technology must be neutralized. As you see by analysing your situation, we could do just that, but our Captain had a better idea.” The woman with the short hair said. “Making our Captain angry is a very bad idea, there have been many before you, I was one of them after all who made this mistake and you did a marvellous job of outdoing everyone before you." Donheer swallowed and licked his dry lips. “What is it you will do, kill me?” The Sojonit said. “No, the Captain decided to release you to the local authorities.” He started to laugh and said. “That’s more like it and I am the local authority around here.” But as he saw three Stik come into the room, all three of them clean and in full feather and leather regalia his laugh became a choking sound and he swallowed hard, saying. ” You can’t be serious. That scum is lower than dirt and has no authority whatsoever.”

--""--

We were back on Trash Island in a valley between stinking mountains of waste about fifty kilometres away from the Skaakh village and I stood next to Har-Hi and Nestor Faller as we watched the Stik drag Duke Donheer, the once powerful patriarch of the Donheer family syndicate to a crater like hole. He no longer insulted the Stik and I heard him say. “Can we not come to an agreement? I can have food flown out to you every day and I even get you all the feathers you want.” An old Stik standing there said. “You have killed thousands of us. You and your kind came to our world, taking away everything, and dirtied the Waters and lands. Your kind brought horrors to our world we had never seen or known. You will die now devoured by one of your gifts to our world.” He was pushed and fell into the pit and Donheer screamed at the top of his lungs as tentacles exploded out of the bottom of the hole. The Stik did not look away as he screamed while the monstrous life form tore him to pieces.

--""--

After we had witnessed the end of Duke Donheer and had returned to the ship, I had one more grave and sad duty to perform. I tugged at my completely black uniform jacket after I stepped out of the Auto Dresser. This uniform had no patches, no ribbons and did not have the white lining, only three golden rings around the cuffs of my sleeve. I did not look forward to what I had to do, but he was one of our own and it was a good and old tradition to take care of our own. The good and the bad. It was my duty alone and it would be on my consciousness alone. I straightened my posture and walked into the empty Hangar bay. The entire crew except those who had to keep the most essential duty posts were assembled. At my sign, two Marines brought in Wintsun. He had been dressed in a Midshipman uniform but all rank insignia had been removed. He looked around and then he recognized Krabbel and I was sure he now realized that the Saturnian without his flashy helmet and arena armour was Hans. His green face paled as he saw Narth. Then his eyes found me and he spat on the floor. “I have nothing to do with your fleet anymore. I quit and I am going my own way. This is Freespace and your jurisdiction ended 1300 light years from here.” I said. “Wintsun can you explain to me why you have changed so much, Limbur, Galmy, Olia, Narth and I were your friends. What made you go this way?” He squinted his eyes. “I don’t remember ever seeing you before. Who are you?” I answered him. “You knew me as Eric Olafson and we were friends.” He looked me up and down and said. “I thought we sent you to the Kermac? What’s with the chick outfit? Did the Kermac turn your mind or something?” I sighed. “The plan of Dent and his cronies did not pan out as they thought it would. They have all paid for their crimes and for their treason. I have your Mind Dump file and could check it, but I want to hear it from you.” He shrugged. “I never liked that creepy Narth, you and him becoming buddies and all that, but it started on Perryton during our first leave right in the Data Head shop. That arrogant chick Galmy showing us all how rich she was and making me feel small by paying for my data head equipment. Then a guy approached me and asked if I would be interested to become rich on my own by doing a few favors for the Worm. In turn he promised me a prestigious spot at the Newport academy, fast promotion and lots of credits. Looking back at it, it might have been a bad decision, but it was fun for the most part.” I didn’t really know what to say to that but I did say.“Galmy did that, not to put you down, but to show you her friendship.” He rolled his eyes. “I spit on you all’s friendship. I wanted Olia but no, she only had only eyes for that brute Limbur and he was supposed to be my best friend. I spit on them and I spit on you,” Then he made a disgusted face and said while looking at me. “I guess you posed as Black Velvet and that means I almost raped my own academy buddy, and a transvestite at that, what a hoot.” I straightened my stance and said. “And now you will pay for all your deeds according to our laws and traditions.” Wintsun shrugged. “So what? I know my rights, we are in Freespace. You have no jurisdiction to arrest me here or even be here with a warship and be in uniforms on Union business.” I noticed the steel edge in my voice as I said. “You are a deserter. You have been found guilty in absence of treason and murder by a Military Court. You escaped Newport stealing a military transport, murdering two officers and four enlisted and selling Union Military Technology. In your short criminal career you really out did some who do that their entire life.You are board a vessel fully commissioned by the United Stars of the Galaxies and thus Union ground.”

I held up his memory chip. “I know it was you who whipped me at the post. I promised you then justice will prevail and now it has.”

He laughed. “Yes it was me and I enjoyed it. It took me a little but you cried and squealed like the pig you are at the end!”

I took my gloves from my belt and put them on. “Everything that needs to be said has been said and you show no remorse and therefore I deny you the mercy I could give.”

With a gesture I signalled the crew and everyone put on their hoods and I said. “No hand shall be soiled by the task of exterminating you from our society and no face will show sorrow for you. By the laws and traditions set forth in this our United Stars of the Galaxies Navy, you are a traitor to your society and it has been judged that you shall hang by the neck until you are dead.”

Wintsun stopped laughing as the Marines started the drum roll and he was dragged to the raised platform that was actually a Landing tank elevator. I followed and said to the Marine Sergeant, echoing Stahl’s words: “You may stand back, Sarge. I must do my own dirty work.”

“Aye Captain!”

Wintsun now saw the noose hanging down and his facial expression changed. His hateful expression left and now he looked just like I saw him the very first time. “Please, don’t do it. You always knew a solution to a problem. Can we not talk about it?”

I answered. “I would have tried to find another way but not now, since I know it was you who shot Narth. I gave you a chance to show remorse moments ago. The time to talk has passed. You are now paying for your crimes according to our laws.”

He struggled but the Marines manhandled him without problems and I said. “Do you want a blindfold?”

He nodded with tearful eyes and I placed a black hood over his head and then the rope. His breath was moving the fabric of the hood. I knew this image would follow me for the rest of my life. “May whatever God you worship have mercy on you.”

I stepped of the elevator platform and pressed the control that lowered it away from his feet. He kicked a few times and then hung still.