Chapter 10: Beasts

Har-Hi had left over two hours ago with the first twenty and reported the city was orderly. The crew members with him had a good time and the locals were used to visitors and merchants from other places. He also reported that there was a market and Circuit excited. I warned him not to buy any more eggs. Even though I had to admit Fenris had turned out to be liked by the crew and more or less fit right in.

Two of the minis were out near the Red Dragon watching I suspected the Red Dragon sneaking out, perhaps even under water, as he had to expect that he was watched.

I tried not to be nervous and trust my crew. I had decided to be more of a real captain and let my crew do more, besides I felt it was unfair to always be the one able to leave the ship.

Brana, the Delicate came on the bridge and with her came the officers of the First Watch. The usual watch roster had been changed temporarily to give everyone the chance for a little shore leave.

SHIPs avatar established and took the Science station. Technically only Conn had to be covered when dirt side, but I insisted on all stations to be occupied while we were beyond Union shores. I simply could not totally relax when our ship was on the surface of a non-union world.

I got up, so she could occupy the command seat. I gave her the standard situation report. After that, I stepped down from the command center and I noticed she was wearing a very similar leather suit as I did. She, of course, registered me noticing and a fine smile graced her strangely human yet alien facial features.”I simply could not decide on what a Delicate pirate should wear, so I asked SHIP for your suits pattern and this is what the Auto Dresser came up with.”

“It looks very nice on you, not that I think there are many Delicate pirates, of course, I could be wrong on that one.”

She sat down in a flowing graceful move. “I never heard of any Delicate being a pirate. Piracy is not as big of a problem as it is here or in the Andromeda galaxy. The Attikan Commonwealth which controls much of the LMC has suppressed such activity for millennia.”

“That makes me like the LMC and the Attikans even more.” Then I sighed.”You say there is a pirate problem in the Andromeda galaxy?”

“Oh yes, I have friends living there. The Union foothold is truly small compared to the vast size of the Andromeda galaxy. I think still over ninety percent are completely unexplored.”

“I guess the Admirals know a place to send us if we ever run out of this scum in this galaxy.”

I lingered for a little longer on the bridge and added.”I sure don’t know much about the Delicates, but I was under the impression you guys were never part of the Attikan commonwealth, at least if I remember my class on Union members correctly.”

“You are quite correct, Captain. Our home world Ester-Song is about as distant as a planet can be from Attika and still be in the Large Magellan Cloud, but we were aware of the Attikans for a long time.” She paused and her flawless almost translucent complexion of the finest peach color darkened a little and her expression became more serious. “My beloved sister joined a human and became his wife. They loved each other very much and decided to settle on a beautiful garden world colony. The planet Belle-Verde was attacked by pirates. The pirates killed many, my sister was one of the pirates’ victims.

I am part of this crew because Admiral McElligott gave me the chance to become part of a mission that is doing something about that cursed practice. Revenge and seeing it done is still a core motivator of my dedication, but I am very proud and happy to be part of your crew, Captain.”

“I am glad to have you be part of it.”

She caressed the leather that covered her tights.”It is a material and style of fashion very much unknown to us, but I must admit I really enjoy the feel and the look.”

“I am sure there aren’t many aboard who do not share that feeling looking at you.”

I checked on the Utelle sitting behind Helm. The bird-like being dutifully acknowledged my presence and reported.”As per your orders, I keep Helm in standby mode and I am running combat helm simulations focusing on evasive maneuvers at the moment as per Lt. Ndebele’s instructions.”

“Are you going to be part of a shore leave group, Mr.Orkis?”

“I have not planned to do so, Captain, I rather wait till we are back on a Union world, so I can spread my wings.”

“You are capable of flight?”

“Yes, Captain on worlds with an atmosphere and gravitation not exceeding the standard, I am able to fly. I am very much a land walker now, but I do occasionally miss a real flight. Simulations are a good relief of course.”

“I feel the same about swimming.”

Then I exchanged a few words with the rest of the officers now on duty and left for my quarters. I really needed to relax, Har-Hi was very responsible and much more disciplined than I was.

Maybe I should take a swim, there was time and it always relaxed me.

Har-Hi tried to relax a little, the captain had actually listened to him and remained aboard and let him reconnoiter the place first.

He and twenty crew members had done a little sightseeing. The City was reasonably clean and the amusement venues here near the spaceport were of the same kind you could find the galaxy over. Har-Hi was convinced that the one truly unifying development of spacefaring societies were not spaceships but bars and taverns.No matter where more than one spacefaring civilization came together, there were watering holes, places where beings gathered to consume non-essentials and meet with others.

This spaceport district of the Trontigmakader city had one such place next to the other.

They had visited one of the colorful markets, not only Circuit had made purchases and it was clear that the crew members were enjoying their shore leave after such a long time being inside a ship.

One of them, a Direct Energy Weapon Specialist named Derek Simmons, was among the first group. He held an alien skull, decorated with gems and painted symbols before the X101. “The dealer said it bestows magical powers. It will be perfect for our Den.”

Sobody grinned. “It’s not the skull but the Black Leaf Gongrha that inside. When chewed makes you believe all kinds of things.”

“I just bought tox?”

“Very potent tox indeed and you made a fairly good deal. You could easily triple your money selling it on N’Ger.”

Circuit held up an arm long bone decorated with feathers and a crude edged blade on one end. “This was a bargain too, a genuine Tok Tor scepter, of a long-disappeared species of mystics.”

“Very nice, what are you going to do with it?”

“Having it and be mystical. We X101 have nothing mystical.”

To Har-Hi the Golden whispered as Circuit went to another colorful stand. “I can’t bring myself telling him but the dealer just made that story up on the go, and the bone is made of raisin cast and not older than perhaps a month.”

“Just like his real replica sword of Terra.”

Shea said. “It makes him happy and that should count for something.”

Just then they ran into the shore leave group of the Jammer and Captain Lia Bassett. Also about twenty members of her crew, most of them known Upward and Spinward species.

Har-Hi counted Eight Humans, four Jooltar, two Togar, five Shiss, and one Zarin.

Zarins were virtually unknown to Union science but well known to the Dai. The Zarin were native to even more distant regions of the Downward sector if he recalled what he knew about them correctly.

Zarins had a somewhat similar society and culture as the Dai as they also conducted planet raids and used family-based ships and fleets.

However they occupied, he remembered his father talking about them, planets and weren’t truly nomadic. They also had not developed to the same Tech level, but also made use of space fighters.”

Har-Hi had never seen or met a Zarin himself and as far as he knew, neither had anyone of the Hi tribe as it never ventured that far into the Downward sector.

The information on the Zarin came from other tribes at meetings on Thana Shoo. Usually in humorous tales of Dai besting the Zarin.

This Zarin was a little taller than Har-Hi and wore a kind of armor that looked anachronistic and gaudy to Har-Hi; complete with impractical spikes and overdone ornamentation, but it was clearly the product of a warrior race.

The being was humanoid in appearance as it walked on two legs and had two arms. The head was hidden underneath a helmet that matched the suit in style and ornamentation.

Captain Bassett was a woman alright, but neither her body nor her style could hold a candle to his Captain. Har-Hi realized that he was comparing that woman with Erica and realized that he started to think of Erica as a real woman. Something about this thoughts did not feel right as he analyzed his own thoughts and feelings.

Lia took stock of Har-Hi and the crewmembers of the Silver Streak just as Har-Hi did with hers and said. “You, I have seen before. You are the first mate of Black Velvet and this diverse, well-equipped crew must be of the Silver Streak of course. Come to join us, we are about to wet our throats in that tavern over there.”

Har-Hi was not too eager to mix with other pirates, but then this is what pirates did and maybe he could gather information.

“Alright, one or two drinks before we have to return to the ship.”

The Tavern was reasonably clean and featured a large guest room with sturdy tables and a long bar tended by several bartenders.

One of the servers recommended Walkik and described some kind of alcoholic herbal brew.

Har-Hi had to agree it was not to bad and tasted somewhere between beer and Shea’s wintergreen chewing gum. He also tried to hide a smile as his mind projected what Admiral Stahl or Erica would say after trying this wintergreen tasting beer-like beverage.

He tried to keep on everything, he was very proud of the disciplined behavior of his group.

The initial conversations were about the long time perched up inside ships and the atmosphere was getting a little more relaxes.

Just as the second rounds of drinks arrived, Captain Sandovahl in company with ten of his crew entered and went straight to the long table where Har-Hi and the other sat and without asking e and his men joined.

They too ordered drinks and Sandovahl scanned across everyone present with his piercing cyber-eye. “Oh how disappointing, I truly hoped mysterious Black Velvet would be here. She isn’t spoken for, or is she”

“That is a question you need to ask her. I just recommend you do, when she is in a good mood.”

He touched his throat. “I have seen what she did to Crimson.” He then changed the subject. “What a shame about Unwar Brata. That crew certainly had some bad luck indeed, first their captain gets killed on Itheamh and now this. I still have no idea what it was that got him. Some sort of moving gravitation field, weird for sure.”

Har-Hi disliked the man and his response was harsher than he initially wanted it to be. “You probably had a hard time finding out what it was by the speed you, Red Dragon and the others fled the scene and leaving Brata and us behind. Maybe you should paint your ships yellow.”

The Zarin said. “Watch your mouth Dai. Traveling with a female captain, must make you less than Okti, what real Dai would take orders from a female?”

Har-Hi slowly relaxed his hand. “We are done here, crew. Let’s go.” It took much of his self-control but he remained calm.

The Zarin said. “She must have bought him as a bargain of a slave trader. Dai reputation is so overrated as it is.”

I did not swim. I had taken the time to update the logbook, then I indulged myself in body care and did it the leisurely manual way instead of relying on the automated hygiene routines of the auto dresser. I practiced my slowly improving make up skills since most of the time it was done by the machine as well.

Leaning back in a comfortable seat, wearing a soft robe I should have been content and thankful for this little me-time ... I called the bridge.

“Ms. Noleii give me a short status update, please.”

“Yes Captain, our heavies just finished playing a Steel container kicking match, Xon’s team won. TheOther was in sickbay for the first time since he tackled Tyron as he was activated. Nothing serious and he is alright, they had something called an arm wrestling match and he broke one of his wrists as he wrestled with Hans. Cateria said, he has an amazing healing speed, all she did was sure it was set right.

Alice wanted you to know she passed the pre-entry test to the Academy given to her by SHIP. Our XO is still on shore leave with twenty crew members. Nothing else to report.”

“Well, so Hans is the Arm wrestling champion of the ship, no real surprise there.”

“No Captain, Dusty won, not even Hans could compete with the thirty-seven tons of pressure Dusty could apply.”

“Thirty-seven tons?”

“Narth said so.”

I smiled and said. “Well seems like a regular day on the Tigershark.”

I got up, wandered to the bookshelf, maybe some old fashioned physical reading would change my restless mind, but there was no use. After a few pages, I once again got up and walked over to my viewport. From it, I could see the vast river delta. The spaceport facilities to the west and east lining the shores and beyond the many ships and all the usual spaceport activities, a shimmering ocean. From my viewport, I could also see the Red Dragon and several of the other pirate ships.

I wondered where did he get this information about a Seenian depot in the first place? There was the well-known rumor that there was such a depot on Arsenal III and its discovery was the reason, the Union located much of its military muscle in that system and guarded it with an almost fanatical dedication. As far as I knew none of the other Fleet centers and academies were as tightly guarded. Of course, none of the other places were basically located inside space claimed by the Galactic Council and thus enemy space.

To me, the entire thing had too many holes. Where did the Red Dragon get the information about the Seenian depot?

That he was indeed Swynon Swybar, the disgraced Admiral was certain to me, but how did he manage to install the Seenian equipment?

How was he able to hide the information so perfectly? It might have been just very smart precautions. Did he really forsee talents such as Circuit and Shea? The location information was certainly complex.

I knew there was something missing, a major piece of the puzzle of this mystery. I knew this was the real reason for my restless state; well this and the unexplainable gut feeling that the shore leave group was going to get into trouble somehow.

I dialed myself a cup of coffee and sat back down behind my desk leaned back, closed my eyes and tried to make sense of it all.

He did have genuine Seenian equipment. Yet he still called it Celtest, if he gained the knowledge about the depot, would he not also know the real name of this advanced society?