Chapter 24: Scorch Marks Interlude

Stahl’s suit shield had collapsed twice, and the scorch marks on his armor showed that he came awful close to making his ideas of retiring quite mute, but the Steel Gauntlet had managed to secure the alien ship, and the grey skinned Kermac Captain still struggled in his augmented suit fist. Stahl had grabbed him, before he could activate the self destruct. Sergeant Black Horse, a genuine Terran Apache shouldered his monstrous boarding axe and said.” Ship Secure, Big Chief.” None of the men in the Iron Gauntlet called Stahl by his rank or name, but woe to the poor soul who would even hint a disrespectful thought against the Admiral in their presence.

Stahl nodded.” Get Chief engineer Dohan over here on the double. I want him to go over this flying dodo pile with the fine comb and make sure it isn’t going to blow anytime soon.”

“You got it Big Chief.”

“Casualties?”

“Georg bought the farm Sir. He was a damn Yankee but a good man and Rumble lost an arm, but since he had four he won’t mind, besides I am sure the meds can get him a new one.”

“Make sure Georg is taken home. We will remember him later.”

“Aye Chief.”

Only now did he pay attention to the Kermac Captain.” Listen carefully, mister. I just lost a good man and I am in a very grumpy mood. I want to know everything.”

“I will tell you nothing. Your actions have perhaps postponed our victory but we have what we came for.”

Alyica appeared right there and she stared at Stahl, said nothing but her eyes told him all she wanted to say. Instead she said.”They have stolen several crates of Translocator cannons from one of the Stations storage holds. I can read him clearly and I am sure we can do a memory dump and get all his secrets.”

The Kermac struggled more.”How can this be. Not even a Saresii should be able to read our thoughts.”

“Looks can be deceiving Kermac. I am not a Saresii and what I do is not Psionics, but that is not important. The information you carry however is.”

She then stared at the scorch marks and the molten visor of Stahl’s battle armor.” I think you need to be in sickbay too, you look odd without eyebrows.”

“Can you take care of this fellow? I got to finalize things over here and then we need to find those cannons.”

The Kermac Captain floated, unable to move a limb toward the woman and they both disappeared.

Translocator canons were shipped in special crates. Only a Union Officer with the appropriate clearing could open it, without triggering the self destruct. However nothing was certain and any safety system could be fooled or bypassed. This was a civilization at least as sophisticated as the Union and to rely on a hope alone was not good enough. The Union was able to keep this technology out of the hands of others for almost 1500 years. These Canons were the main reason the Union was so successful. There was the Armageddon Device just recently put into field tests by the Terran WepLab and he had great hopes, but having this Celtest weapon in the wrong hands would still be disastrous.”

No one in the Galaxy was a better interrogator than Alyica, she would find out.

Something was very strange here. The Y’All fought like devils but he doubted he could have taken this ship with so few casualties if they were of the old kind. Also these Gray skinned Kermac acted differently than the ones he knew.

--””--

ITALIAN

I found the Commander waiting in the lobby. She wore a black velvet dress, that clung to her figure like a second skin and a fur stole in the same color as her silvery hair. She was stunningly beautiful in an exotic way and reminded me of the Saresii general I had met at the Academy Office and of course Master Alema. I wondered of all Saresii looked that way and how they managed to recognize each other. She raised an eyebrow.” By the Spirit, you clean up nicely.”

I blushed.”The suite did not have an auto dresser and the only civilian clothing I had was my Nifleheim stuff.” I had left the fur cape behind on Nilfeheim, but I had taken my leather suit and vest and that’s what I was wearing.

“I think it looks very good. I like black leather.”

I wondered why a Commander was so social and friendly. Did she want something from me? I was not entirely sure if her friendliness was genuine but I decided to play along. What could happen, having dinner on a fleet base planet with an officer of the fleet?

She presented her arm and I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not. Part of me hated her for looking so good and my female side I tried so hard to suppress wished to wear a dress like that. I was suspicious of her motives too but then having a beautiful woman on my arm wasn’t the worst thing in the world either.

She said.”You look as if you contemplating half the problems of the Universe. If you would rather not go with me and have dinner, you can say so, I won’t be offended.”

As we walked to the exit of the Hotel, I sighed and said,” I am sorry, Ma’am but to be honest I am trying to figure out if there is a reason why you are so nice. Don’t get me wrong, I sure appreciate it but you are a Commander and I am a Midshipman.”

She looked at me from the side.” I am also a woman and you are very handsome. Neither of us is wearing uniform and I am hungry and rather go out with nice company than eat alone. I am usually not known to be nice, rather the opposite. It is part of being a JAG investigator and prosecutor.”

Outside the hotel a cold dry breeze blew from the desert and she pulled the fur stole over her naked shoulders. Somehow I found this unconscious move of her very feminine and attractive and said.”Well I am hungry too. The last thing I ate was breakfast on the Madrid and that was even before I took my shift.”

The doorman of the Hotel waved us a Taxi and she said while it approached.” You had a duty shift on the Madrid? I was under the impression you were just a passenger.”

We entered the cab and she said to the operator.” Antonio’s ristorante please.”

I answered her question.” Yes I was a passenger, but Captain K’Tngnk let me take helm and I was on that station for those four days.”

“I know that Ant. He is a stickler for Navy traditions and by the book as you can be. So K’Tngnk let you steer his beloved Madrid?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“You know you could call me Gwen if you like while I am not in Uniform.”

The Taxi floater dropped us off a moment later before the glass door of a warmly lit restaurant. Something smelled delicious even out here in the cold air. I opened the door for her and a thin tall man with a black pencil beard greeted us and he knew Gwen as he said.” Your favorite table is waiting for you Bella Signorina and I just got a delivery of fresh mussels from Nuovo Napoli.”