Chapter 23: ICorp

They exited the jump just outside the orbit of the third planet in the system, a gas giant with one large moon. They had been following the trail left by the Corps for just over two weeks and this would be the third location. The previous two had been deserted, with just an empty shell remaining of the base. At the entrance of each they found a small cone shaped slab that could only be opened by a human. Arron was able to open both of them without any problem, so the sensor was set to ignore the traces of Grojan DNA the Corp had used to make him appear as a Grojan.

They had followed the co-ordinates in each slab and had now arrived at their latest destination.

"Weapons online and shields up, Minara?" Mark asked.

"Yes, shields a full strength and all weapons green."

"Right, I'm going to edge us into orbit around the moon. Anything on the sensors yet, Arron?"

"No ... wait, yes weapons have just acquired a lock on us." He pushed the transmit button on the communications console. "This is Arron Johnson of the Slexi Moon requesting permission to land." He spoke in Standard and had translated the ship's name as well. Both he and Mark had dressed in their Intelligence Corp uniforms. "We require assistance."

He leant forward in his chair slightly, and felt sweat trickle down his back between his shoulder blades. If they were facing Grojan they would be fired on without warning.

The screen flickered and a stern looking ICorp sergeant appeared. He stared at Arron for a moment. "Lower your shields and power down your weapons, Captain. Our sensors detect five life forms, please identify the rest of your crew. Arron moved the camera slightly to show Mark sitting at the pilot's console. "I have with me Captain Mark Fuller, two females and a child, sergeant."

The screen went blank for a moment and Arron translated for Minara. "Shut down the weapons and power off the shields please." She nodded, looking a little concerned, but did as he had asked.

The sergeant returned to the screen. "We will send a fighter to escort you in, Captain do not deviate from the flight path or you will be fired upon."

"Thank you, sergeant."

"Oh, and welcome sir, by the way." The screen went blank and they sat and waited.

Less than fifteen minutes later a small ship appeared on the sensors and closed the distance rapidly. The ship slowed and stopped just in front of them and the communicator came alive. "This is fighter Blue One to the Slexi Moon, please follow me." He turned and started to move off. Mark engaged the thrusters and followed.

The entrance to the base was under a heavy rock overhang in the side of a cliff. The rock was heavy with iron ore, so unless you knew the base was there it would have been impossible to find even with sensors. Mark flew under the overhang and landed next to the fighter as he had been ordered. He cut the engines, rolled his shoulders to ease the tension and stood.

"Well here goes, let's hope we haven't made a big mistake." He and Arron kept their regulation pistols strapped to their thigh's, but Minara and Theasa had agreed to leave their pistols off being as they would be classed as civilians, and as they were obviously Grojan neither Mark or Arron wanted to take a chance.

They walked to the airlock and Mark punched the controls. As the atmosphere was safe and the pressure equalized both doors opened and the ramp extended.

Arron and Mark walked down the ramp together followed by Minara carrying Arron Jr, and finally Theasa. Mark watched the reaction of the guards standing next to a balding, jovial faced Major waiting to greet them. The guards just stood to attention and the Major smiled and held out his hand. Mark shook his offered hand followed by Arron.

"Gentlemen welcome, I am Major Cunningham, and it would appear you have been gone a long time." He peered over their shoulders. "Will you introduce me to the young ladies? We have people here who are eager to meet them."

Arron turned and stepped to one side. "This is my wife Minara and my son Arron Jr."

The Major bowed his head and spoke in fluent Grojan. "I'm pleased to meet you, my dear. Do you realize you are the first Grojan we have seen who has actually bonded with one of our chaps? Welcome, welcome. He turned to Theasa. "And this lovely young lady?"

"I am Theasa, a computer specialist."

"And are you bonded to our Captain Fuller here?"

"No sir, I'm not bonded."

"Really? Well I had better hide all our young men then or you might be running off with one of them." Theasa looked shocked and her face went red as the Major laughed. "Oh, don't worry, my dear, of course I won't hide them, you can run off with as many as you like."

Mark bit his lip to hold back a laugh as Theasa glared at the Major, speechless, and he heard a muffled giggle from Minara behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see she had buried her face in her son's hair and her eyebrows trembled as she looked over the child's head at Arron.

Mark realized the Major had cleverly broken the ice and relieved the tension in his small group of visitors.

The Major waved at the two guards. "You're dismissed, gentlemen, I won't be needing you to protect me from our visitors." The two guards saluted and moved away. "Right, please follow me, the base commander is eager to meet you."