Chapter 28

Both ships broke through the atmosphere of Veldhern, making a beeline for the station up in orbit. The shuttle headed straight for the military docks, while the Darkstrider moved to its assigned berth. They had already been granted clearance to dock, which was something as far as the crew was concerned. Several of them looked back and forth at each other with worry.

“Was it really necessary to tell them who we really were, Alex?” Kasumi questioned.

“Considering that Shazza’s disguise matrix shorted out, I figured the truth was necessary. A version of it at least,” Alex told her.

“I have to agree with Kas. What happened was unfortunate, but coming up with a lie would have been preferable,” Korsa agreed.

“We will need to cultivate allies outside of the Artucian and will need to find those who have potential to be allies,” Alex explained.

“He makes a point,” Inari replied, finishing up with the docking procedure. “I have heard of Ana Williams, back when I was still with the Federation. She was known as a hardass, but a fair hardass and one hell of a tactician. It explains why she made it to commodore while still so young.”

“You think we can trust her?” Priya wondered.

“To an extent. I am unsure where her loyalties lie, but if I’m right, she would be a powerful ally to have in our corner. Hell, maybe if tabled right, she could well come over to our side,” Inari laughed.

“Interesting thought, but let’s shelve that for now. We have a debrief to attend and it’s best not to keep them waiting,” Kasumi reminded everyone.

“Does that mean us too?” Luminia asked, indicating herself, Tahral and Aesha.

“We keep no one out of the loop, Lumi. You better come with us, if for nothing else, to help us with explaining things,” Inari told her.

“All right,” she agreed, with the other two Artucian nodding along.

“With that said ... Jaesa, Stanley, you have the ship. Deploy Sentries to patrol the Darkstrider and keep watch. Lord only knows what will happen now,” Alex stated.

“Acknowledged, sir. Carrying out your orders,” Stanley told them as the crew debarked the ship. As they walked off, the crew was surprised to find Williams’ aide there, waiting for them.

“Hello ... Maia, was it?” Inari asked.

“Commander Maia O’Toole, Captain Sunara. If you’ll follow me please, the commodores are waiting for us,” she replied in a chipper voice.

Inari caught the ghost of a smirk, and the commander’s roving eyes told her all she needed to know about Maia’s state of mind. Priya caught the looks as well and stared daggers at the woman’s back. Inari almost guffawed, but kept a lid on it as she watched her lover seethe. It was cute, watching her woman get jealous, but she assuaged Priya’s scowl with a few whispered words.

“She can look all she likes, but you’re the only one who gets to touch me and make me scream,” Inari breathed into her lover’s ear. Priya breathed out happily, her anger dissipating, and she fanned herself gently, getting a little hot under the collar.

Commander O’Toole kept a brisk pace, which was no trouble for the taller members of the crew. She led them along to administrative offices as had the Lt. Commander had before. Only this time, she led the crew in a different direction, one which saw less foot traffic.

They kept their guard up, mindful of any treachery, but so far, saw no sign of it. Maia then stopped at a pair of double doors, stepping up to security console. She placed her hand on a scanner and looked right at it; the machine scanning her hand and eyes simultaneously. A green accept prompt lit the screen and a clicking thunk emanated from the doors.

“The way is open. If you will all please enter,” the commander ushered them.

Seeing how they had little choice in the matter, the crew pushed past the doors and walked into the room. It was decorated much like any ordinary board room, but much simpler than the one they were in earlier. Inside waited Williams, Saubath, Dohbalan, their aides, minus Maia and another man they hadn’t met before.

He was a tall and reedy sort, but with a youthful and jovial look about him. Though thin, he worked out, and he had some muscle to show for it. He wasn’t quite as brawny or powerful as Alex, but had a look that said he could take care of himself. He wore a small goatee and had a small smile on his face. He stood close to Commodore Williams and Inari guessed that he was important to the woman.

“Welcome, crew members of the Darkstrider! Please be seated!” Williams told the crew.

“Is this room secure?” Alex asked, eyes darting to the walls.

“It is. There are no recording devices present in this room, and it was designed that way. Though information is important, the UCW saw the necessity to create a place here on the station that was ... private. There are some situations that require secrecy, and this is one of them. Oh, and miss Shazza? You can go ahead and remove that disguise matrix, if you wish,” Williams informed them.

Shazza smiled, before looking up at Alex, who nodded his assent. Shazza then tapped at the matrix on her upper breast and deactivated the device. Both Dohbalan and Saubath looked a bit unnerved by her proper form, as did the aides. But the new man there didn’t seem fazed or surprised, and if he was, he gave no indication.

“So ... Commodore Tomisic, why don’t you start from the beginning?” Saubath asked, seating himself.

“Well, I think it’s best if Commander Sunara speaks her piece first. It was because of her and the original Darkstrider crew that we were found in the first place,” Alex informed them.

Inari spoke about how they had recently picked up the bounty on Rat Faced Mike. She went on about how their recon job went south and were forced to flee. How they made a blind jump into Wild Space, which is how they locate the Perseus. She told her part of the story, up until their capture by Kasumi, which is where Alex picked it up.

He recounted the events that followed afterwards. Shazza’s capture, the crash on Talemkha, the battle that followed, their meeting with the Artucian, all of it. The assembled group were a captive audience, hanging on Alex’s every word. Both Williams and Saubath were intrigued at the mention of the old Human Systems Alliance and what it had become.

Alex was careful in telling the story, leaving out the more sensitive bits about the energy they used. Though they had a recording of Shazza using the Aether, it was clear that it wasn’t a recent occurrence. They had seen Shazza use it, but not the other members of the crew. As far as Alex was concerned, there was no point in showing all their cards just yet.

“That is quite the tale! If it turns out to be true,” Dohbalan replied.

“I doubt they’re lying to us. Do you not remember the Darkstrider tearing that destroyer a new one?” Saubath growled.

“Point taken! If I may ask a question ... Commodore Tomisic?” Dohbalan wondered.

“Go ahead.”

“If you have such a massive ship full of advanced technologies, then why leave it in the Talemkha system? Why not bring it with you?” the administrator asked.

“Several hundred years of atrophy has brought the hyperdrive down to where it is little more than a paperweight. We have the tools to bring it back to functionality, but we lack the raw materials to do so,” Alex explained.

“If you would humor me, maybe we could be of assistance. If you were to give us the co-ordinates for the Talemkha system, we could help you in effecting repairs to the Perseus,” Saubath offered.

“A generous offer commodore, but I’m afraid I must decline,” Alex replied.

“Come now, commodore. Surely you could see the advantage in allowing us to aid you in bringing the Perseus back online. If you would allow us to help...” Arcann continued.

“I said no, commodore. The matter is closed,” Alex reiterated, with an undercurrent of finality. Saubath thought to press the matter until Williams interjected.

“You heard the man, Arcann. Leave it be,” Ana told the Takharian man. A brief flash of disappointment crossed his features before he closed his mouth.

“Apologies Commodore Tomisic. My ... enthusiasm got the better of me,” Saubath replied.

“Apology accepted,” Alex responded.

“So, this Unified Systems Alliance that you have formed, what is it about exactly?” Williams asked. Dohbalan, Saubath and the aides all looked to Alex expectantly, curious about the new initiative.

“From what I’ve learned about the state of the galaxy, a new initiative such as this is warranted. The Human Systems Alliance stood for the good of humanity and everything that was needed to advocate for humankind’s strength. With so many new species out there in the galaxy now, I felt a more open approach was needed. Especially with several factions refusing to work together for a greater good,” Alex began.

As the big man outlined the new Unified Systems Alliance and its mandates, his audience paid close attention. They nodded and smiled at the basis the USA represented and what would happen as it expanded and grew. Even Williams, who was usually skeptical about such initiatives found herself being drawn into the ideals of it. It took a while before the entirety of it was explained, but when Alex was finished, the entire group was looking at him with a sense of awe.

“That is ... wow! An ambitious undertaking if I’ve ever heard one!” Arcann Saubath replied.

“I would be inclined to agree! And you have stated that this new race, these ... Artucian? They’re fully onboard with this?” Dohbalan wondered.

“Absolutely. As the ambassador for the Artucian race, if you have any questions about them or where we stand, you may direct them at me, Administrator Dohbalan,” Luminia told him, catching the man’s attention.

“Thank you, ambassador. I will do that should any concerns come to light,” the man responded with a smile.

“I now understand your need for secrecy. Though we are obligated to report any new factions to our superiors at the UCW, I think we can all agree to keep your secret. For the time being at least, until you are ready to become known in the galaxy,” Ana Williams offered.

“I second that motion,” the man next to her agreed, making himself heard. The rest of those assembled voiced their agreement, wishing to stay on the good side of this new faction. They also saw the same thing that Commodore Williams did; as potential allies for the UCW and no threat to Veldhern.

“Also, if I may, I would like to extend a measure of gratitude to you all, as honored guests here on Veldhern,” Dohbalan offered.

“Oh? What did you have in mind?” Alex queried.

“Well, firstly I would offer you and your crew, a discount at all the station’s and planet’s stores, booths and kiosks. I would also like to offer you all the use of one of our VIP villas, for one week, as a gesture of our thanks,” Dohbalan told them.

“Thanks for what?” Inari gasped, floored by the offer.

“For intervening when you did, when our security forces where overwhelmed and caught off guard. Especially you, Miss Shazza, for taking down those pirates so quickly and if I may say, so brutally,” Dohbalan stated, smiling at the Xuul’khani woman.

“Indeed! Your actions not only saved the lives of those guests but also the lives of the injured soldiers who were wounded in the fighting,” Williams piped up.

“Agreed! If any of the guest’s lives had been lost, it would have been a total PR minefield, which none of us would want to navigate,” Saubath said.

“Something I’m sure would have been an absolute cluster fuck,” Kasumi snickered. Everyone laughed at this, agreeing with this analogy, and finally calmed down after a few minutes.

“Administrator Dohbalan, we humbly accept your offer and thank you for your generosity,” Alex replied, nodding his head in a show of respect to the man.

“Also, your ship, the Darkstrider, will be allowed to go planetside if you wish, but for travel to and from the station, we ask that you use a shuttle that we will provide. Before any of you ask, it is so that Veldhern’s atmosphere is minimally impacted,” Dohbalan went on.

“Again, thank you, administrator,” Alex replied, accepting the offer.

“Before we adjourn, I would like to ask about the Ooantahl, and just why they got involved after the battle,” Williams queried.

“If you wish to know about that, then you will have to ask the Ooantahl about it. They were adamant that what transpired between us, stayed that way,” Inari told the commodore.

“Fair enough. Now that we have addressed the business at hand, I think we can call it a day and state the matter as closed,” Williams stated, speaking to the group.

With a round of nods, the meeting was adjourned, and they all left the sealed meeting room. Dohbalan promised to have the discounts put into place before the day’s end and gave them the co-ordinates for one of the seven VIP villas not in use. Thanking the administrator again, the crew of the Darkstrider headed back for their ship. They were more than eager to get some proper, uninterrupted, R&R.

The administrator tasked a few security personnel with flying the shuttle down to the villa, while he left to honor his promise to the crew. Williams left to get some quality time with her husband, while Saubath headed for the red-light district on the station. They dismissed their aides, giving them the rest of the day off, as it had been a long one. They needed a few hours of time for themselves to help process the day, and they all took it.

Saubath headed to his small quarters on the station and changed out of his uniform. While he was easily recognizable to those who knew him, there were a fair number of Takharians on the station. Enough to where those who didn’t know him wouldn’t give him a second glance. Though that most species failed to recognize how his people differed from one another annoyed him, today, he was thankful for it.

The one thing about Arcann Saubath, that nearly no one knew about, was that he was a sleeper agent for the Tosh’kanthi Collective. If anyone knew about this secret allegiance that the man had, he’d have been arrested on the spot. Stripped of his rank and tossed into a hole so dark that it would have made hell seem cheery. But that was after UCW Internal Affairs had questioned him extensively.

The Tosh’kanthi Collective were a group of businesses that were interested in one thing alone: profits. In the past decade, they had evolved from a shadow group to a more political and military force. Though they were a ways off from challenging any galactic power outright, they were skilled in negotiation and subversion.

It was because of these subversive tactics and manipulations that had allowed them to rise as high as they had. Their current aim was to bring down the UCW, by any means necessary. Mainly because the UCW was the complete antithesis of what the Collective stood for. There was much that the Collective had been involved in, and much of it was considered illegal in many places.

The only actual obstacle to the Collective expanding their business further afield was the UCW. The many laws against slave trading, the import and selling of illicit drugs, among other, darker things had often slowed, if not outright stopped the Collective in its dealings. This alone was enough for the Collective to make the UCW their primary target.

The Tosh’kanthi Collective had already made the first plays and attacks. Most of these were attributed to rogue agents and fringe groups, which is exactly how they wanted things to look. Public opinion had shifted some, but it wasn’t enough to shift the demographics their way, at least, not yet. Still, the Collective had to be careful in what moves they made.

Though they were their own entity and a powerful one at that, they weren’t beyond galactic law. If they were to be careless in their business dealings and transactions, they’d be in for a world of trouble. Exposure of any sort would bring down the wrath of the galactic community on them. Their businesses would be confiscated and dismantled, and everyone associated with them jailed.

Even though the members themselves didn’t have their hands directly involved with the illicit dealings, it would be enough to have them punished. Unlike the way it was centuries ago, white collar crime was punished as severely as heinous crimes were. Many had argued that the severity of punishments doled out to white-collar criminals was too harsh, but the galactic community disagreed.

The UCW was especially harsh on such criminals because they were in positions of power unlike most people. The wealth and information that flowed through their hands could often break entire planets and even empires. This was why the laws in punishing white collar crime was so serious.

So far, the Tosh’kanthi Collective had been careful and were doing all they could to bring about the changes they wanted. It was a painstakingly slow process, as they had few allies within the UCW. Though their influence was growing, and some more legitimate businesses were seeing things their way. Their silent backers had been pleased with the results thus far and wanted more and soon.

The most prominent of their backers was none other than the Human Confederacy. Though it seemed odd, for a human centric group to throw their lot in with an alien shadow group. Saubath suspected the constant failure to subjugate the Human Federation was one of their reasons. Despite his high ranking status inside the Collective, there were only select bits that he was privy to.

With what he’d just learned, Saubath knew that the upper echelons of the Collective would want to know what he knew. While changing out of his uniform, he’d pinged his contact on the station for a meeting. The ping had returned with a confirmation for the meet and they’d meet while at a club called Sirens.

Sirens was an upscale strip club, which catered to tastes from the mundane to the exotic. Dancers of all sexes and races were there, which is why it was one of the more successful clubs in the station. Because it was well kept and had beautiful and exotic dancers, it was already making a name for itself among the XXX world.

Other venues in the red-light district on the station varied from additional, smaller clubs, to stores, booths and kiosks. Many of the latter offered sexual mods, enhancements, and helped promote sexual health and wellness. Due to Veldhern’s touristy appeal, the red-light district had to be small and out of the way. Considering that many of the people who visited were families, it was accepted that such a zone had to be small.

Saubath made his way towards Sirens maybe a half hour later, arriving when the club was just getting busy. He nodded to a bouncer who knew him, as the Takharian man was a regular. The bouncer let him through ahead of the line forming, knowing full well that he wanted to blow off some steam. Since he was a deep cover agent, Arcann had no time for romantic entanglements, hence his frequent visits here.

He knew that his human contact was likely already here and spotted him within five minutes of entering the club. He ordered a Takharian Blood Ale and moseyed on over to where his contact sat. A pair of dancers were already on the table where the man known as Dexter was. They were a human redhead and a blue skinned Takharian woman, entwined in a sensuous dance with each other.

Arcann Saubath smiled, as such a pairing was something of a favorite of his, and he sat down at the table happily. He watched the women in the sensuous interlude and smiled at them both, hoping they might be available for some private dances later. He took a pull of his Blood Ale and made himself comfortable. His human contact sat next to him and made a passing interest in the ladies on the table.

“You shouldn’t have initiated contact. It’s too risky, right after a pirate attack,” Dexter growled silently.

“After today, you won’t be so dour after hearing what I have learned and can potentially offer our employers,” Saubath whispered back.

“You had better damn well have something world changing to offer! We can’t afford any suspicion like this! Especially since the pirate attack failed!” Dexter huffed.

“Indeed! I’m sure you’ve seen the footage of the counterattack led by the Darkstrider?” Saubath queried.

“I have. An impressive ship, and I would kill to get a proper scan of its hardware to send to our superiors,” Dexter replied, smiling for the first time since he entered the club.

“What if I could give them something far more valuable than that singular frigate?” Saubath put forward.

“What could be more valuable than that ship?” the human asked, keeping his eyes on the dancers.

“A Prometheus class dreadnought.”

Dexter’s eyes widened at this, as he, along with every human in existence, knew of the fabled Prometheus class ships. It was every child’s dream, to become a talented treasure hunter and be one of the ones lucky enough to find such a ship. Saubath told the tale of what he’d learned in his brief interactions with the Darkstrider crew. Dexter was floored upon learning that the Perseus was within reach!

“So wait, you’re saying that a Prometheus class dreadnought sits in a system, that isn’t mapped, but that the Darkstrider has been to?” the human asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Think of the possibilities of what we could achieve, getting our hands on such a technological marvel!” Saubath iterated.

“It would catapult the Collective’s plans forward by at least a decade!” Dexter agreed.

“Shh!” Arcann shushed him.

Dexter looked chagrined at this, his excitement causing him to break protocol and mention their employer’s name out loud. He was thankful for the meeting at Sirens, as it had a strict NDA clause, which disallowed any monitoring devices within its walls. Though they were safe, it was still dangerous to even mention the Collective out loud, where an errant ear could catch it.

“This is wonderful news! If planned correctly, we can get to this uncharted system, take command of the ship and bring it to our home base with no one the wiser!” Dexter whispered excitedly.

“How do you propose that we do this?” Saubath wondered, as he watched the women delve deeper into each other.

“I have a few contacts who would be more than suitable to do what is needed,” Dexter stated.

“What kind of contacts?” Saubath wondered.

“The hacker kind. From what you’ve told me, they have their own cyber security expert, so we’ll need someone equally as good to get around them,” the human told Saubath.

“I see. Is he or she or they here?” the Takharian man asked.

“No. It will take me a few days to get him here. I assume that we have at least that much time before the Darkstrider leaves?” Dexter wondered.

“More than enough time. They’re here for at least a week, so time isn’t an issue. I would advise that you send for this hacker in a hurry, though. I’m not sure if I got Commodore Tomisic’s hackles up, but the faster you can muster this hacker, the better,” Saubath told him.

“Agreed. Out of curiosity, what did you do to make the commodore act as such?” the human asked.

“I offered aid to repair the Perseus, hoping for a way to get to it, so we could steal it. He turned down the aid, even after I pushed a bit. Though I am worried our window will close when they leave,” Saubath went on.

“Explain.”

“Apparently, they have the tools needed to repair the hyperdrive of the Perseus. They’re collecting the materials necessary to make the repairs, but haven’t gained them as of yet,” Saubath told him.

“So, we’re in a race to get to the Perseus first?” Dexter questioned.

“Effectively, yes.”

“I’ll see about getting the funds to purchase the materials we need. In the meantime, do what you can to stall the delivery of those materials to the Darkstrider. The more time we have, the better off we’ll be in the long run,” Dexter told him.

“Very good. How long have you been here?” Saubath asked.

“Long enough where if I were to leave now, no one would suspect anything. Just another white collar guy who spent too much money at this place!” Dexter laughed.

“All right, then. I’m going to stay and see if my favorite dancer is here before calling it a night,” Saubath informed him.

“Making attachments now?” Dexter questioned, giving him a mild stink eye.

“Not quite. Just establishing my place in her mind, so she thinks of me as someone who could keep her safe,” the Takharian man smirked.

Dexter smirked back, knowing how his counterpart thought and didn’t fault him. This job could be lonely at times, so any companionship was welcome. The human man finished his beer, got up and left, with almost no one noticing him leave. What he didn’t know, was that his departure was noted, as was the conversation that he had with the commander of the Third Veldhern Defense fleet.

Three of the dancers at Sirens were, in fact, Internal Affairs agents for the UCW. Their job was simple; to blend in as dancers and glean any information they could about anyone that came through. Personal stuff was analyzed, then summarily discarded, but things between people of importance, like Saubath, that was the information they strived to obtain.

Of the three of them who worked there, two of which were human women, while the third was a Rondathan woman. Rondathans were a unique race, in the manner of which they were part organic, part machine. They came from a low gravity world, which was far lower than most standard planets. Because of this, they often required bulky suits and prosthetics to get around in the galaxy.

In recent decades, their genome had changed and strengthened considerably. Enough to where they could get around without the need for such heavy mechanics. Some Rondathans did still find it difficult to move about and do daily things that most sentients did. Many, but not all, had some form of subdermal prosthesis, which enabled easier forms of movement.

Rondathans were also a bipedal humanoid race, much like humans and Khontarans. Among all the races out there, their culture and physiology mimicked humans most. Their race was primarily red skinned, with some variants of their race being pink or purple skinned. Their eyes were yellow or gold, with orange, pink and every intersecting hue also being mixed in.

They were around the same height as humans were, with there being those taller or shorter among them. Another thing that was unique to them was their unabashed sexuality. Often, Rondathans were an amorous people, mixing it in so much with their daily lives, that other races viewed them as literal sluts.

This wasn’t the case, as Rondathans were very choosy about their mates and viewed such relationships seriously. Sure, they were quite liberal when unmated, but once they had chosen someone, it was for life. They were often as amorous with their chosen mates, seeing little point in holding anything back from them. Though, aside from humans, Khontarans and some other select races, few could see the benefits to have what is termed as a ‘Rondathan lust for life’.

The UCW agent with the human women had flawless purple skin and was marked with bright orange eyes. She had black hair, as was the case for most of her race, and a lithe, toned body, complete with a sizable bust and what would be called, junk in the trunk. She had an oval face, angular eyes and a similar jawline, with a pert nose, a rounded chin and plump, kissable lips.

Her name was Amarthena, and she had worked at Sirens since it had opened, along with other two counterparts, Tayla and Lucero. Tayla was a black human woman, of pure African descent, which was a rarity in this day. She was tall, nearly six feet in height, just two inches taller than Amarthena. Her body type mimicked the Rondathan’s, albeit she was much bustier, nearly twice her size.

When they had first met, Amarthena and Lucero were sure that Tayla had mods to give her such an impressive rack. Lucero was of the opinion that it had been done, as a way to perk up her tits after having kids. Amarthena thought it was done out of vanity and a need to be noticed. Both guesses turned out to be dead wrong.

On one of their rare collective days off, they were browsing the mod shops, when Tayla was approached by one of the doctors. The doc had wanted to know where Tayla had gotten her mods done, as the doctor was of the opinion that her breasts were perfect. She told the doc how they were real, and the doc scoffed at the notion, until Talya had her put her under a scanner to see for herself.

After she was put under the scanner, the doctor was flabbergasted, at how such perfect breasts could exist outside of the lab. After gently telling the doc she needed to get out more, Tayla suggested that they head out over a coffee sometime. Shocked, but pleased, the doctor accepted, and they chatted a bit before leaving. The trio then left the mod shop, with Amarthena and Lucero vowing never to doubt Tayla again.

Lucero, whom everyone called Lucy, was a Latina woman, who was shorter than the other two, but not by much, at five-foot-eight. She had the typical black hair and dusky skin associated with women of her heritage, along with the striking good looks. Though Lucy was an IA agent, she wouldn’t have been out of place on the runway or in a feature film as a holovid actress.