Sxvgh.odt

led 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. 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."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes, Sir of course."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Stahl put the whiskey down.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"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.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“I am heading for Sin 4 maybe I can pick up some intel there.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">“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."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">–“”--

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The USS Shadowrunner was just like the Chimera, a disguised ship. On the outside, an old Mega-Poodle operated by a privateer and on the inside, a state of the art Union ship.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Just like a regular poodle, only three times as big and better armed, this Poodle had also bigger cargo holds.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We transferred the pirate crews and much of the loot of the Swift Profit, as we hoped it could be returned to the families of the victims.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">In return we received our first Wolfcraft fighter. It was equipped with a smaller version of the Janus Device.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Along with the Wolfcraft came a few containers of fresh food supplies.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Not that we were anywhere near running out and we did have Molecular reconstitution systems that recycled 99.99% of our waste, but it was nice to have fresh things and a larger variety.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I stood in the Cargo hold and talked to the Captain of the Shadowrunner who was from Holstein Planet.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Holstein was close to Nilfeheim and it was nice to exchange some non-important local gossip. He had send over a crate of Holstein Pilsner, my favorite beer, and to the delight of our chef, a supply of Holstein butter.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">While I was standing there a large Battle Robot, bigger than a Fenris and more massive than a Cerberus, came over the freight tunnel that connected our ships and stomped towards me. The machine saluted and remained in that position.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Then a hatch on the chest of that at least three and a half meter tall machine opened and three hand sized men appeared, and they saluted again. I noticed they wore Union Black and I recognized them as Mini Terrans.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">A magnifying field screen established between me and one of the men said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Lieutenant Charles Bergdorf and two specialist of the New World Commonwealth reporting for Duty, Ma'am. Admiral Rutherford personally sends this Terror Mech. He thinks you might be able to use it and us."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Welcome aboard then. I am delighted to have you aboard. Your machine looks impressive."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes Ma'am it is the pinnacle of NWC technology and rivals one of our Battle ships fire power. It was conceived to answer possible invasions by large enemies and the Terror-Machine-Suit series is the latest. We have been briefed about the Tigershark's true mission and volunteered."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi walked around the towering machine and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"If this thing equals the fire power of one of these spheres, then it exceeds a Fenris for sure."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Lt. Bergdorf said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"It is also a full functioning space ship, capable of reaching destinations of over 1500 light years. It maneuvers almost as good as a Wolfcraft and can operate in full robotic mode, but when I am connected to it, it can move like a human, picking up feathers, or crush steel."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I think this is a nice addition to our Marine detachment and Lt. Pure will get you situated."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Pure came, as SHIP had heard me and summoned him. I filled him in and the three Mini Terrans returned inside their machine and followed the Attikan Marine.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">While I watched the battle robot thing stomp away I noticed Sobody talking to Har-Hi and he repeated that strange move he had done in the Tavern killing one of the pirates.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I could tell my Dai friend was deeply impressed.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I joined them and asked.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"How did you actually cut that Thauran?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody pushed back the sleeve of his robe and revealed a metal wrist band with a little hump and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"This is a Monofilament whip. It shoots a strand of molecular thick Monochronium metal wire. The thing is highly flexible and there is a little weight ball at the end. It is so thin it cuts through nearly everything and it can be electrified or heated to 4000 degrees if the cutting alone doesn't do the trick. It isn't useful against a fully armored person in a Union Battle suit, or against shields, but in close quarter or hand to hand situations it is deadly. It takes quite a bit of practice as it can be very dangerous to the user.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It's a very old Golden weapon but I have had his one now for a very long time and it turned out I am still good with it, I haven't used it in anger in almost 500 years, you know."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Can you get me one of those?. I think I could fit one above my dart launcher and below the bomb pellet dispenser."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody smiled proudly.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"This is a great compliment coming from a Dai. I have a spare one for sure and I'll show you how to use it, too."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Above the dart launcher and below the bomb pellet dispenser. Are we talking about the arsenal you carry on just one arm?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi shook his head.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No, only what I carry between wrist and elbow, I've got a bigger list if we talk about the whole arm."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I rolled my eyes and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Thor's Hammer, I had to ask!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Captain of the Shadowrunner handed me a PDD in clip board mode.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I think that is all. I got the device, the sleeping beauties and the loot and you got the walking doll house complete with real life action figures."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I checked the list just flying over it with my eyes just because it was nice to do something that was fleet routine. Something normal captains would do every day. I loved our current mission, but once in a while I wished we could be a Union ship openly. I stopped and read over the list more carefully and then said to Har-Hi who was still next to me and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Say the Togar female isn't on this list. Aren't we transferring her too?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"She is still at sick bay. Cateria hasn't released her."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I thanked the captain and wished him a good trip home. After our ships had separated and we were back on course to Sin 4, I went to our sickbay. I found it strange that the Togar female was still here; she didn't look that badly wounded and as far as I knew, Togar were biologically similar to many mammalian species. I also remembered Narth's ominous thoughts and wondered why he hadn't come back to me about it.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I actually never seen our sickbay other than during my first ship tour and looked forward to see Cateria in her element.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Out of thin air, Narth appeared next to me as I turned into the corridor of sickbay and he said: "Apologies, Captain. I have not updated you as I am still missing certain information I am not sure how to obtain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I stopped and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"What do you mean by that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I mean I am morally hampered, it has partially to do with your sense of fairness and as I said the Hugavh share goes both ways."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Narth, I am not complaining or expecting you to have all the answers for me all the time. I just think we are not the right environment for these human flesh eaters, and sending her along with the Shadowrunner would have been a good idea. However I am curious what my sense of fairness has to do with all of this."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You bought her, acting out of that very sense, and I must tell you that the Togar female was tortured and raped in the most horrible ways aboard that Pirate ship Her psychological condition is fragile and very difficult and Cateria is trying her best with old fashioned counseling and medication to help her. She didn't think having her treated like an enemy by uncaring Union authorities would be good."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">What he said touched me somewhere deep. I remembered as Egill had transferred me somehow into the body of a female to teach me what hell could mean, and I had almost been raped by Harkun. I had not thought about this for a long time but now it returned as a vivid memory.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth nodded.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You see, all your past experiences have formed your personality and we shared this with the Hugavh. Now the Togar female has a mental shield, preventing me from probing deeper and finding out more details. I could easily break it of course, but I would basically commit the same crime on her again as these men did,"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">He lowered his head.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"With my increased understanding of human emotions, my own approach to things changes. I would have broken her shield without hesitation only a year ago."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Narth, this is not a bad thing, it is what we call a conscience, and it tells us what is right and what is wrong above any laws or any rules. We humans can differentiate between good and evil, and this opens a whole can of worms on such subjects as ethics and religion."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am still at the beginning trying to understand all this, but I fail to see why opening a can of worms is of any significance to this discussion? I am certain we have no can of worms in our freight manifest."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Go ask Shea about that one later. Let us check on the Togar and see if we can get her home somehow."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"That is the problem I mentioned earlier."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I went through the double doors of our sickbay. It had the symbol of Aesculapius over a six pointed star etched into semi transparent material. The lobby behind was white and blue and everything looked brand new and sparkling clean. Cateria wore a light blue and white coat and white pants. Her usually short cropped hair was now a little longer and gave her a somewhat gentler appearance. Her slight smile also helped.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Hello Captain, what can I do for you? Is it an inspection, or are my services required? Back issues perhaps, walking day in and out in these murderous heels or carrying that rack you decided to have must do a number on your back."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Cateria, my back is fine and I am not here for an inspection either. I am here to inquire about the Togar female."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria lost her smile and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Her name is Jolaj Grotha and physically she is as good as new. She comes from a matriarchal society and has been raped not once but many times and not by members of her own kind but by aliens to her, whict makes it even worse. She is young, barely adult in her society, and she is also perhaps the most wanted person in the Togar Empire."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"That is what I meant, if the Togar Empire becomes aware that she is alive and aboard our ship, they will try to capture us and kill her."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said gloomily:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I didn't make a big secret out of buying her either. In a Tavern of all places. Chances are the Togar already know we have her. What has she done?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"That is the information I was unable to obtain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"All I know about the Togar society is what I could find on GalNet. I am trying to win her trust so she opens up on her own. Captain I simply could not release her. What would they have done to her on Union side? She doesn't belong there, they know as much about the Togar as I do, and she belongs to a society that eats humans. I asked Narth and the others not to mention her and I hoped you would forget her for a while."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She looked at me intensely.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I know why you bought her. To impregnate her with a virus or something and make her the instrument of her own kind's demise, and half the ship agrees with your idea."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I said what I said as I stood in a cargo hold with thousands of dead humans, slaughtered and butchered like Fangsnappers. I saw humans herded and separated in slave pens destined for the spits of Togar grills. So my general opinion of Togar society isn't very favorable, but I don't buy sentient beings for any purpose whatsoever. I bought her to get her out of the situation she was in. I wonder what what kind of monster you think I am?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I don't know you as well as the others do. I know you are fair and straight forward. I know I can trust you with my life and I am here because you showed me mercy, but I also remember how it is to be your enemy."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't have any real response to that and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Well I am not going to kill her or kick her out, but I'd still like to know what we are going to do with her. She isn't a prisoner. Can I talk to her?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria shrugged.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am not the best psychiatric expert and know next to nothing about Togar, so I guess you can."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I followed her into a well lit room with a bed with curtains on a window that simulated the view onto a green sun drenched meadow. There was a desk and a chair as well. The white Togar female was on the bed and she was restrained. Cateria answered my unspoken question.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Partially to prevent her from harming herself and partially because she is a Togar with very sharp claws and teeth. Neither I nor my staff have the desire to become patients."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Togar was really pretty, looking almost like a human woman with a skintight white fur suit, if it wasn't for the four toed, claw like feet, the catlike face and the long tail. I wondered if the Pree or the UNI who supposedly seeded human life also seeded the Togar. She looked straight at the ceiling and did not move or react as we came in,

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said to Cateria.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Deactivate her restraints."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You think that is wise Captain?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Deactivate her restraints and leave me alone then. I don't think I am in danger."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She did and the restrains holding the Togar disappeared into the bed frame.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Hi Jolaj, I am Freya and I am the Captain of this ship."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She did not move as she said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You bought me!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Only to get you away, we are on our way to Sin 4. I can even make a little side trip to Kaliment and you are free to go. You are not my property and you are not a prisoner."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You can kill me if you want and you can use me."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I killed the man named Bloom and his men are all going to be hanged for acts of Piracy."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She moved her head for the first time and looked at me.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">" You do not show your face, yet you are not pirates. The ship is old on the outside but inside like we think a Union ship might be. Why should I believe you?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"You do not have to believe me. I am sorry for what happened to you, but I have a mission and a ship that comes first. I will instruct my Ships surgeon to do Psycho Surgery on you. Afterwards you will remember nothing. My ship's secret is safe, you will not remember any of the bad things and we let you go on Kaliment where you can reach the Togar side easily."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Then you are a coward and let others do your killing for you. Why not kill me right away? Any Togar that helps me is automatically sentenced to death. Any Togar that kills me will gain great fortune with the Queen."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"What could you have done that is so terrible?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She turned her head away and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I was born."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I can understand that you don't trust me or anyone for that matter and frankly, I don't trust you. I don't particularly like Togars, and I am not too fond of any species that buys and hunts my kind for food. But I hate unfair situations and yours is very unfair. So I am asking you, what is it you want?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Kill me, please, simply kill me and all the problems are gone. The pain I feel, the trouble I cause everything will be gone and you are rid of me as well."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Why I sat down and touched her hand. I was not sure, but her pain and sorrow I could almost physically feel.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Death comes to us all sooner or later; there is no need to seek it out."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She turned her head and I could see the pain and the shame she felt in her big green cat eyes.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Her fine whiskers quivered and I saw the fine fur underneath her big eyes was wet.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Just kill me, please!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I touched her cheeks and said.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No worries Jolaj, I give you my word I will find a solution and, while this is a war ship and we will be in dangerous situations, I promise you no one will ever hurt you again while you aboard this ship and under my care."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I took her paw like hand in mine and squeezed it saying:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Do you believe that?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Tears rolled down her cheeks and she nodded.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Yes, I believe you."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Again I was surprised by my own actions as I pulled the dangerous alien cat being close and hugged her and she started sobbing in a strange mix of animalistic and human noises.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I am sorry for everything. I didn't ask to be born you know. I didn't ask for white fur, I am sorry for being Togar and that I have eaten human. I am sorry for being female and making them…"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Her fur was at least as soft as that of the little Holdian commander. I did not understand everything she said as she switched between native Togar and Freeszone Squawk. Many of her words were swallowed between deep sobs, but I could feel her pain and hopelessness while I was holding her. I was suddenly reminded of Egill and could almost see him nodding with approval. I was certain I heard another voice say:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"As long as he can feel compassion so strongly through the female persona I have given him, all hope is not lost."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">For a brief moment I wondered about my own imagination but then was distracted by the white furred Togar I was still holding. She was crying softer now and I patted her back. I don't know how long I sat there holding the alien female, but then I noticed she had fallen asleep and I let her down, covered her and quietly left.

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria and Narth were there outside the door, but it was the Seenian CMO that spoke first:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"She hasn't been able to sleep without sedation...I'm sorry for having misjudged you, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I didn't get into that and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Don't restrain her any more and if she wants to get up and wander around, let her. Ship will keep an eye on her so she isn't wandering in restricted areas."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Cateria looked back through the door window and said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I'll see to it, Captain."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth said:

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"I will attempt to learn more about the Togar and maybe I can find out why white fur would be of significance."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">SIN 4

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We had reached the Sin system and as always, I had us drop out of Quasi-space in the outmost regions of the star system. I said: "Maintain course to Sin 4, and steady as she goes. Mr. Shaka."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Aye Captain, keeping it all well within the limits for a Kartanian."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Elfi keep your ears open and record all comm traffic. Ship, help her please."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Already on it, Captain, search patterns for Pirate name activity, Mil tech offers in effect." "Narth and Shea, make sure you don't use any active scanner beams we are not supposed to have."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"We adjusted our active Sensors to match our Disguise." Har-Hi handed me a PDD in clipboard mode and said: "Arrival at Sin 4 or not, it is 0900 Union time and that means you got to sign the daily order sheet, Moi Captain. Only with your signature can I process them."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Where is Ms. O'Connells? Is that not her duty?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Her duty yes, but since you decided to pull two shifts and throw my carefully arranged shift schedule in chaos, she is off duty." I blinked guilty and said: "I just wanted to be on the bridge myself when we arrived. I somehow hoped never to set foot on Sin 4 again and yet here we are."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea sighed at that and said: "I can't help but think the same way, and this dirt ball is supposed to be my home."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said. "Your home is where you make it and not where fate put you when you were born. At least we arrive in a nice ship this time, and at least I am not bound and can go to the bathroom anytime I want."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Everyone looked at me and I said: "Well the first time I arrived here I was bound and I needed to go to the bathroom real bad. It's not a story I should tell you all, but not being able to go can be real painful."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said: "No one is laughing, Captain. This makes your accomplishment to escape barefoot and without any resources even more amazing. You didn't go into great details when you told us how you escaped your tormentor, but I can imagine it was much more difficult than you let on."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Maybe I'll tell you one day. Right now we've got a job to do and, as we are the first federation ship in this system, while we are here we might as well collect some data and upgrade our catalogs and information on this system."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The Golden One came onto the bridge and Ship said to me: "I asked Sobody to the bridge to help Elfi with the Comm traffic analysis."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"It's all good Ship. I think we can throw regulation 563.43 B out the window with many of the other regulations regarding proper bridge conduct. Besides you are not just the AI. You do carry rank and you are an Officer."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody looked over to the busy science console and said: "Captain, we are supposed to be pirates! Pirates don't survey, measure and explore."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I smiled, answering: "Not to worry, Ancient Merchant. We won't launch any probes or send survey teams to the other planets."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har Hi, who stood with crossed arms next to my seat watching the science crew do their job, turned to the Golden and said: "Even you might be surprised at the data we can collect just with our sensors. I doubt there is another species that elevated scientific sensor analysis to such a science as the Union."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Sobody agreed saying: "This is one of the reasons I am such a fan of the Terrans and the Union, Mr. Hi."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea looked at her readouts and reported: "None of the other planets are used or occupied as far as I can tell; there are no energy signatures or material concentrations that would suggest artificial manipulation or presence. Yet it appears that there are several candidates with promising mineral and metal riches."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Har-Hi said. "Crooks don't mine and those who do don't want to mine and have the fruits of their labor stolen or taken away. So I guess that is the reason no one is mining out here,"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She nodded and returned to looking at her read outs. I knew her well enough that I could tell by her body language she found something, so I asked: "Lt. Schwartz is there anything I should know about?"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"No Capitan it is not anything that would affect us or the mission in any way. The Sun is a Spectral Type O2 and..." She stopped in mid sentence and kept looking at her read outs. She turned: " It is my home system Captain but I never had the chance to scan our sun before. This star is unstable and I am running a simulation through Ship right now, and a Nova eruption is likely to occur within the next two or three hundred years."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I responded saying. "It won't affect our mission then because I hope we all will be somewhere else by then. Maybe the situation will have changed by then and the Wurgus Solar Engineers could stabilize that sun."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth was also busy on his console and said: "Captain, there is a lot of traffic in this system, and I am detecting weapon fire at nine different locations within the system. Mao analyzed the conflicts and concluded that none of the fights are connected."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Mao did not take his eyes off his read outs and confirmed what Narth had said: "Narth send me the scanner data but I can't see any correlation between any of these shoot outs. It appears no big ships are involved. Weapon energies exchanged are consistent with armed system shuttles and the like." Shea said: "That is normal. There is only one law here, the law of the stronger. There are always quarrels and fights anywhere on or around Sin 4"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I leaned back." Har Hi sound Battle stations anyway. I like to be ready."

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"Aye Captain! General Quarters!"

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">

<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We reached the Planet without any incidents and Shaka took us into a standard orbit around the Garden world that was known as SIN 4.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It had only two continents and several large islands. The rest was Ocean. Even from space the upper continent didn't look very inviting. It was gray and looked dirty. There was visible pollution oozing from one of the large islands in a gray smear across the greenish oceans.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">"So how do we land?" I asked. "Did anyone hail us?" This question I directed to Elfi. The beautiful Saran woman answered: "There is lots of activity on all channels, but no one is taking any interest in us, Sir."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Narth checked his scanners and said: "No one has even noticed us."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "We simply land. There are a few space ports but there is no active landing control. I suggest we land at the Gorotolah and expand if it is still there. It is the largest space port on the southern most edge of the Continent."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">She waved her hands over the main viewer and magnified a section of the planet below and pointed at an area. I was certain it was the same spaceport I had been before, as it had the Ocean close by.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shaka was under his Virtu Helmet but unlike most other Virtu Helmsmen he always paid attention to what happened on the bridge and participated in our conversations. He said: "I am on Ship vision and can see it and there are other ships as well."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I smiled at Shea and then said: "Shaka, take us down there and put us as far away from the other ships as possible. Mao, keep our shields active and Narth, double check the Janus system."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">We landed on the same cracked and crumbling, Duro-Crete field I had been on before. I recognized the tall Duro-crete wall in the distance, but most of the Skeleton hand spider infested terminal was gone, and there was still a crater where the SII ship had blasted one of the Spaceports turrets away. To my utter surprise I recognized the now completely salvaged and butchered hulk of the Kartanian courier ship that I had arrived on Sin 4 not so long ago. It was nothing more than a twisted wreck, but I recognized its hull shape,

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Nothing much had changed; there were the same garbage fires, piles of waste and filth.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shaka took off his helmet and shook his head looking at the main viewer saying: "Good lord, what a dump. If this is such a lawless place, who actually build this spaceport? It looks it had been a well planned facility once."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I looked into the direction of our geek squad and said:"Good question."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">It was Sobody who had the answer, as neither Shea nor Narth seemed to know. He said: "It is a little known side note of Galactic History. After the first signing, the Nioban did not want to have any more meetings on their world and the Big Four looked for another place where they could meet, sort of a neutral ground place. This planet was chosen, and the Kartanian, smelling the opportunity to do business with the Big Four, build this space port, the terminal and the original city. It never happened. The Nioban changed their mind and now everyone meets at Crossroads, a Nioban world, and not here. The Kartanian abandoned the world and, since it was in Freespace and had a city and space port for the taking, it didn't take long for pirates and similar vermin to find this place. Syndicate Families developed and it all turned into the Sin 4 we all know today."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Shea said: "Not that anyone had the right to take this world, as it has a sentient native population."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">Elfi said: "Someone did notice us and we are being hailed."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I settled back down in my seat and put on my mask then said: "I am ready, put it on."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">The being looked like an Oghar mixed with a Shiss and looked quite frightening. "We are calling the Silver Streak."

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<p style="margin-bottom:0cm">I said: "Looks like you got our attention. Speak up, what is it you want?"