Eric Olafson, Midshipman 08

Part 8: INTERLUDE: SWYBAR

Swybin had not planned to leave that fast, it turned out that he lifted off with two Oromarl technicians still aboard. The two had caused quite some damage and fought to the last breath. They spaced crates of valuable Mil Tech, including the P Bomb, before he and his robots could overcome them. Most notably it was them who blew up the Translocator cannon and causing hull damage to his beautiful ship.

He and his mysterious companion had finally crossed into Freespace. No Union ship could follow them there. Just a day ago they reached Karthania itself. The xenophobic engineers let them dock inside a rental hangar above the main planet of the Karthanian Conglomerate.

Karthanians openly declared to be neutral and stayed out of the politics and quarrels of the Big Four, but everyone knew they didn’t like the Union much and did not allow anyone not Karthanian to set foot on one of their planets.

His mysterious friend, first believed to be an agent of the worm, had changed his appearance and name once again and arranged for this hangar.

His associate no longer looked human but appeared to be Karthanian, Swybin no longer tried to figure out if this was indeed the real form or name or just another disguise and identity of his mysterious companion. The former Union admiral had no illusions, the man was dangerous, very dangerous. It was obvious the had great resources and contacts to powers and entities the Union did not even really know of.

The man treated him respectful and promised him that this would be a good place to sell some of the Union tech in return for favors and repairs. He also knew places where to recruit and train a decent crew. After all the Red Dragon was not really a one man ship. It needed a crew and a base of operations. His plans to go to Pluribus had chanced. His now Karthanian appearing companion told him, that the PSI Corps was out in force and Pluribus for all its size and population density would not be a safe place while the best Psi Talents hunted for his specific psionic mental pattern. Rumors spread fast, that a geat number of Narthhad joined the PSI Corps. Bad apples, criminals and spies were exposed and arrested in great numbers. These same rumors sources also reported about hundreds of arrests and trials; of courts and military tribunals operating around the clock. He had no illusion many would be spared an execution, and unlike his’ those would not be faked.

Without the Kermac agent, they had no access to military grade PSI tech. Returing to Union space was not a safe option until he could make concrete plans as how to carry out his revenge.

While Karthanian engineers worked on the damaged hull and added plating and shapes to camouflage and change the unique shape of the Dragon. Karthanian Tech was TL 7 at best, they could not replace or repair the lattice foam Ultronit armor, and had no technical solutions to counter psionics at all.

He didn’t like Karthanians to look so close over his ship. As it had a few surprises and tech solutions that weren’t even Union fleet standard. It was his only and his last trump card. However he did not have all that much choice and so far his companion’s council turned out to be all right.

Swybin glanced over to the usually silent companion. Karthanians were non humanoid sentients. Terransliked to compare their shape and form to upright walking dry land sea horses. While they were about human sized they shared many characteristics with those small Terran sea creatures. Like a rigid outer shell body, a stiff pipe like snout with a permanently open mouth. This mouth contained a long thin tentacle like tongue, they used to consume their usually liquid diet. Karthanian hands begun where other beings had their elbows. These hands had four very long nimble fingers. The way his companion used them made him question the idea of a costume., even though he had appeared human at first. A nimble and small human could fit into some sort of Karthanian disguise, but never use the tongue or the fingers like that.

His mysterious partner noticed his stare and said. “Don’t dwell too much on it, Admiral. Right now I am Karthanian, my name is Entbok now and that is all. you need to know” The personality changing companion handed him a clunky looking brown PDD. “The secret of survival out here is to know all those things you Union types don’t know or don’t want to know.”

“And it is you outsiders who will always underestimate Union.”

He who now wanted to be called Entbok, snorted. “Believe me I do not underestimate the Union. I made every detail and aspect of it, part of a detailed study and was the sole subject of my training.”

“Aren’t you an agent of the worm and thus Union? Probably went to school even before deciding on the career of a crook?”

“On one hand you are quite brilliant Swybar, and then you are as blind and stupid as a Glondil before it leaves the nest. Who I work for is my business of course, but would you not think that all this is beyond the worm? You have the potential to develop into a major thorn in the side of the Union. Ever since the Kermac decided not to go to Koken and reveal to me what he was searching, my employers decided to go with plan B. A plan that was in place ever since we rescued you, use you to cause as much chaos and distraction and so far things work out fine. There is little more that rattles that Union cage more than a pirate using one of their own fine ships filled to the top with their own brand of weaponry.”

Swybar got up from the chair he was sitting in, taking the PDD and grinned. “In that assessment you are spot on. Whoever your employers are they also need to know we are going to poke a very dangerous beast. The Union has assets you cannot imagine.” With these words he left the Command deck and retreated to his captain’s quarters.

Entbok, who was of course not a real Karthanian, looked after him until he was gone and said to himself. “It is my job to find out just what these assets are and even the odds. You, Admiral are just a pawn in a game. Expendable at any time. “The being beneath the elaborate disguise sighed in the knowledge, that despite all his talents so was he.