Eric Olafson, Fleet Cadet 21

Chapter 21: Stow Away Interlude

Peter Baker had neither slept nor eaten much in the last days. Everything had gone wrong ever since he captured the Y’All herald and brought the being to Fornax Hub. He told them to keep the being in Stasis until fleet could arrive. He had barely left the security lock up facility aboard the stations when all lights went out and the station was boarded by Y’All and Kermac. What was odd that these Kermac fought, they weren’t the same cowardly white skinned Kermac he knew about, and still these gray skinned bastards had the same Psionic abilities. The Y’All were also different from the bigger and silent warriors he remembered from the Invasion 1500 years ago. While these beings looked identical they were smaller, not as massive and they appeared to be much smarter.

The Station was a military installation but had only a minimum of military personnel and lots of civilians. Peter had fought like a lion and the eight Cerberus robots the station had made a huge impact. Would they had more, the entire thing might have ended otherwise. The odds had been thousand to one. The Kermac and the Y’All had come with overwhelming numbers and struck with ferocity.

The Invaders killed everything in sight and as soon as they had freed the captured alien, they retreated. They had brought in floating energy cannons and with those and overwhelming numbers they were able to defeat the Cerberus robots.

The Barracuda Destroyer had fought valiantly and triggered self destruct before the Y’All could board her. He knew what they were after, the secret of the Translocator canon. The being he captured had asked him plainly if he knew about the workings of this weapon.

They had broken in one of the Stations warehouses, and it appeared they knew exactly where to look and took six big crates with replacement translocator cannons. The Invaders did not know that Peter managed to hide in one of the crates.

He had to make sure they would not learn the secret, even if it meant his life.

Now he was in that tight crate aboard an alien ship heading for an unknown destination. Peter had placed six charges and was ready to detonate them at any given moment.

Thanks to his advanced suit the Kermac could not detect him with their Psionics and he wanted to find out who was behind all this and he hoped he could escape with vital information, before he had to activate the charges and destroy the cannons and also committing suicide. He was prepared to do so, but if there was a chance to escape he would take it and that is why he still waited.

--””--

JAG OFFICE 54653

Lorman’s Starbase was basically a big town and a spaceport on an otherwise empty planet. I had made my way via slide belt to the main concourse of the space port and took a moment to read my orders. I still had 12 hours before I was supposed to report to JAG Office 54653 in the Fleet Justice Tower.

The space port was just like the ones I had seen before, with the usual businesses and retail outlets. I watched a group of perhaps twenty beings in bright orange jumpsuits, shackled together and guided by a five armed marines and two robots walk towards a waiting Leyland transport. Only to see another orange jump suited man, his hands in heavy cuffs escorted by two marines going the other way two minutes later. Fleet Officers and personnel walked busily back and forth and they all wore dress uniform. No one was casual, the whole atmosphere of this spaceport was somehow subdued and serious, still busy and lively but the din of many voices I had experienced on other ports was not there. As if everyone whispered.

I also noticed four Federal executioners in their dark red robes talking to two Union Officers. Somewhere an alarm went off and a dozen armed marines were running and flying towards the sound.

I grabbed a bite at the local Swine and Dine and then went out to the Taxi Stand. The flyers were operated by beings and not robots or computronics. The one I flagged down was flown by a green skinned being that reminded me of Wintsun, he had the same coppery red hair. He confirmed my destination and then I asked him if he was from Sunflower, planet

“Why yes I am. Our world is not far from here, just about 13 light years. Do you know the place?”

“No not first hand, but one of my friends comes from there, Wintsun Asher.”

“Ah the Asher Family. I know of them, nice folks.”

The flight only lasted 3 minutes and the Pilot refused any payment and wished me well.

The Air of this world felt extremely dry and cold and had a dusty scent to it. Everything was coated with a very fine layer of powdery brown dust. I saw robots with Vacuum machines almost everywhere and from the looks of it, their task was a never ending one. The building I had to go was a twelve story square Duro Crete and glass construct with a large JAG symbol above the main entrance. Before it a large green grass area with a fountain and the statue of a man holding a book in one hand and addressing some unseen audience. Metal poles I thought of as lights as first were actually spraying a fine mist of water into the air and here the air was much better and did not feel so dry. I was still very early and had no particular hurry, but I wanted to report in before I did anything else.

The lobby was as quiet as the space port, even though there were at least hundred beings around in small groups talking to each other. A human Lieutenant with the JAG logo on his collar greeted me very formally and I saluted and handed him my order chip. He scanned it and said:”Midshipman Olafson ah you are here for the Main docket tomorrow. Arrangements for your stay have been made at Red Tree Plaza Hotel, which is just across the plaza from here. I let the prosecution team know you have arrived. They might want to speak with you prior to the proceedings.”

“Thank you, I will remain at the Hotel then.”

“Yes that would be advisable, not that there is much to sight see on this world anyway.”

The room they had arranged for me was a small standard hotel room with an attached bath room. The window only gave me a view of a wall of another building on the side of the hotel. So I went back down to the reception and asked if I could rather pay for my own and get a room with a view. It was easily arranged and looking on my credit strip, it had grown in size instead of becoming smaller. This time the suite was on the top floor and I had a spectacular view over the vast emptiness of this planet. The City had sprung up in the middle of a vast brown desert with a mountain range in the distance. There was nothing green out there. No roads or buildings, only rocks, boulders and dust. Yet when I looked the other way there was this vibrant busy Union City with parks, alleys, buildings and a downtown district with bright lights and advertisement. I wasn’t sure if they would still come today to talk to me, so I did not get more comfortable and just took off the uniform jacket.

My PDD went off and as I checked, Egill was asking for a call. The Suite was Avatar enabled so I accepted the call and connected it to the Suite GalNet Unit sat down on the Virtu Couch and was connected to my Avatar representation where Egill was. The suite disappeared and was replaced by an Assembly alcove. Egill was not alone, there was a Saresii and Narth.

Egill stepped back and looked at me up and down and then said.” Do you think you can impress me showing up in uniform like that?” He sounded gruff and grumpy.

“Do you think I jump and change clothing every time you call Old man?” I answered similar grumpy. The Saresii woman looked quite surprised at that, there was no reaction from the shrouded being. Since the Narth did not react at my appearance at all I was fairly certain it wasn’t my friend.”

Egill then hugged my Avatar and boxed me in the side. “Good to see you Eric.”

“Good to see you as well Old man. I am glad you called.”

“Elena just called me and told me you went off in a humongous battle ship only a day after you arrived at Nilfeheim.”

“I was summoned for a Court Martial procedure. I am not sure how long it will last, if I have time I go back to Nilfeheim, if not I have to be at Arsenal II for the second year.”

He sighed.” Of all cadets, it had to be you going to a court martial procedure instead of going home. You have not learned to stay out of trouble, even in the Navy.”

“No Sir, I am afraid I have not.”

“Well I am calling you because my friend the Narth representative just told me that you have also made friends with a Narth and he wanted to tell you something.”

The Narth next to Egill bowed slightly and spread his arms.”It is the Eric, sharer of Huhgavh. One has been told by the representative of thy world Nilfeheim, that he knows of you and has contact. Therefore I made Ones desire to contact you known to him. For the Narth that is your Huhgavh wanted you to know that he is undergoing a reincarnation process during which he cannot use GalNet. He wanted you to know that he is with you in spirit and looks forward to continue his study of the corporal world and his education to become a Union officer.”

“I thank you for this message, representative of the Narth. If you can convey my friend that I miss him and look forward to the time we meet again.”

“I shall convey and I am confident he can explain to me how he can be missed.”

I smiled.”Yes I am certain he can.”

Egill blinked.” I heard every word and as usual I have understood nothing.”

I laughed.”I have the same problem usually but Narth my friend tried really hard to make me understand at least a little bit.”

Egill gestured to the Saresii.”This is Algear Moansti, First among the Saresii and One of the Elected Seven. Don’t bother to introduce yourself to him, I told him all about you.”

Before I even realized doing it, I had bowed slightly before the Saresii and said.” I am deeply honored to have the fortune to meet you.”

The Saresii who looked like a nice woman but was judging by the name and Egill’s choice of words as he, smiled and said.” The honor is mine as well. To see a human, a Neo Viking of all choices being so close to the Narth is quite about surprising.”

I then told Egill a little the Academy and my first year and he told me that Sif was not working out as he thought she would and had run off with a Student friend of hers and he did not know where she was at the moment, but he expected her to be still on Pluribus and was not too worried.

He then told me that he had to attend to a meeting and wished me good luck. Before we ended the call I promised to call when I could.”