Chapter 12: Arsenal IV

After we had triaged the wounded and contacted the Union Carriers, the news spread fast. There was an intense but very short space battle. The Na tribe and their closest allies had used their ships to bring the non-Dai troops to Thana Shoo, with many Muta-Kerr and Shiruti still in the ships. They were intended to take over the mothers and battleships of the non-compliant tribes.

The Dai were fired up with anger and flew their fighters with a merciless vengeance.

However, the true difference was made by the Union carriers and their clouds of Karhi-Wolfs.

I did not return to the Exer-Hi with Har-Hi and his father but boarded one of the carriers, the USS Kener. It’s captain a male Garbini welcomed me aboard and invited me to the officer’s mess hall for dinner.

I was assigned luxurious guest quarters where I had a chance to make myself representable and get into uniform.

As per Admiral McElligott’s special orders, much of the crew was made of Union Dai, and they were notably different to their brethren. Here Daiyee served along Dai, the only homage to their heritage were chest harnesses, sans knives but with the Union flag at the center.

The dinner was just as a Union Fleet Dinner was supposed to be, with fine tableware, immaculate dress uniforms worn by immaculately groomed officers. Displaying perfect table manners.

I had to give them an account as to what happened and I told them without getting into too much detail. I emphasized on Har-Hi and the Pale Ones.

The Garbini captain told me about the fight and loss of one pilot. Then the conversation shifted to other subjects.

While none of the senior officers were Dai, technically the most senior Dai officer was Har-Hi and he had been advanced to Luitenant skipping two ranks, there were four ensigns at the table. All of them sporting the insignia of space fighters.

One of them, right across me stared at my ribbon display.

“Ma’am, I see you sport the ace ribbon. You are a fighter pilot?”

“Yes, Ensign.”

“May I ask what squadron and fighter base?”

“The 12th of the Devastator.”

“Amazing!”

“Aren’t you interested in more details of the events at Thana Shoo?”

He waved his hand.

“No not really, Ma’am. Our tribe, the Ir tribe is small and has only been formed about two hundred years ago. We were always short of everything, targets big enough to feed and supply a clan but small enough for us to handle were rare indeed. Thana Shoo to us is just a meeting where the big and old Tribal leaders brag about their successes, make pacts and form alliances. Have their sons fight in the arena. Our leader is a Pir you see, Thana Shoo means not much to him or us. We don’t sell our Daiyee and never had enough resources to pay for new fighters.”

The Dai right next to him dabbed his mouth with a napkin and said.

“We were led by a Wak, that’s a level above a Pir. Since we joined the Union, our tribe exists more or less by name only. Our mother most likely is still moored at Dai Nest. Our Wak is the OPS officer aboard a battleship of the 2nd Andro. He did give us a call regarding the call to Thana Shoo. His exact words were, and I apologize Ma’am.

“Screw Thana Shoo and those Pale goons. I am not going to leave my captain and our ship for a meeting of old tribe patina and self-important glorified pirates.”

The Garbini captain wearing an environmental support suit under his formal wear said.

“We should be in GalNet range in about 12 hours, Captain Olafson.”

It was just as he said and I was able to deliver a detailed situation report to all three Immortals.

The Commandant of Richter Base, Director Cherubim said.

“Due to the latest developments, your Ship the Tigershark will be redirected to Arsenal IV as soon as the final repairs and refits are complete. Your crew is either there already or on their way. Be there in three weeks. I will brief you for your next mission.”

Admiral McElligott waved his hand, “You heard the creepy lady, change of plans. Not Richter 4, but Arsenal 4. See you there, McElligott out.”

The last one still connected was Admiral Stahl and he gave me a piercing look.

“There was more to the fight at Thana Shoo, right?”

“Yes, Sir.”

He went straight to the bottom of things, revealing he knew much more about me than I thought anyone would.

“Cherubim is wrong, you are not one of us. You are not just an immortal in terms of long life.”

“No, Sir. I think I will become an entity, I am not sure what this means yet but I was told I will have a choice.”

“I trust you to make the right one. Keep me posted if anything changes.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He gave me a fatherly smile.

“I instructed the Captain of the USS Kener to give you a Scorpion, it will give you the freedom to spend your last days at a real vacation destination.”

I stood in a deserted officers lobby on Arsenal IV and looked as I always liked to do over the activity on the spaceport. Several Battleships were there and a dozen cruisers. Center stage a new 5000-meter Super-Dreadnought, the USS Zebulon. This was not a Seenian product or a copy, but the latest expression of Union might. Two officers, one a Luitenant and a Quadiped and the other Klack with Luitenant Commander rank insignia came in and stepped next to me, acknowledging my Captain’s gold with respectful and crisp salutes.

“Good fourth hour to you, Captain. Are we intruding?”

“No not at all, I just always liked watching the activities of a landing field.”

The Quadiped said.

“We came to see the new Super-Dreadnought, she was just commissioned. They say two of those can get the Devi in trouble.”

“Honestly, I doubt that. Not taking anything away from the new ships, but the Devi is under the command of Captain Harris, it is not just about firepower or speed.”

The Klack wiggled his antenna in amusement.

“The Zebulon is under the command of Captain Bradley Déry, that guy is from Quebec, Earth, and a true Terran. He wasn’t picked for the big seat of that monster by accident. I heard he was roasted by McKenzie and the Ancient Admiral, Ma’am.”

I gave him a smile.

“I do not know Captain Déry, but I do know Captain McKenzie and Admiral McElligott. If they think he is capable, he certainly is.”

The Quadiped pointed at an Octobot loading hexapod shaped containers.

“These are the new Zero Point bombs.

“Then he added.

“He was our XO aboard the USS Hirsch.”

I actually greatly enjoyed this little professional exchange with other fleet officers. The Klack received a call on his wrist com and they both excused themselves after saluting me.

My new orders had reached me as I visited Terra and original Sweden and Norway.

A strange feeling of truly coming home overcame me as I had seen Earth from space the first time.

My ancestors had left Earth so long ago, still, as I saw that blue and white marble I was certain I had never seen a more beautiful world and there was an unexplainable connection.

Some dim distant inherited memory seemed to tell me, that this was the world I really came from. Earth had beautiful oceans and the Folks of Norway were friendly spoke and even a strange but understandable form of my Nilfe. The traditional music and sights made me feel home as well and the Oceans up at Hammerfest just the right temperature.

The only sour note of my visit to Earth was the moment when I asked for a harpoon as I saw what they called a Blue Whale and I was told that they were not hunted on Earth, what a waste.”

The updated orders asked me to travel to Arsenal IV, as there was no spacebus service to Richter 4.

While I technically had still some vacation time left, I had about all I could handle.

I was told to be at the door to Docking bay 91 at 1600 hours. There was still time as it was just past 1300 hrs. Not certain how to pass the time, I turned and wanted to leave this observation lobby. I decided to look for a Base XChange and buy me a few bottles of Aquavit for my personal bar in my ready room.

As the door passed I almost run into a tall Purple Throat Shiss. He wore Captains gold and while I had a hard time keeping Shiss apart, I would have been able to pick this particular lizard face out of a crowd of thousands, It was Captain Zezz.

He grunted an apology and acknowledged me.

“Captain.”

Then paid no further attention to me and went past me.

I said.

“Not so long ago this landing field was empty except for the mighty Hyperion. She had landed there just to bring a lowly midshipman for his third-year assignment.”

And a year before that, you ran into wet and naive human cadet at the Batchelor housing complex of Arsenal II.”

He glanced at me from the side.

“NAVINT spook or a Telepath, my shielding must be faulty. I was just thinking about that.”

“No Captain Zezz. I can’t read minds at least I don’t think so, but I kept my fangs clean and my honor true just as you said.”

Zezz turned all the way.

“Oh by the white throat devils, It’s you, Eric. You have changed appearance and your gender, female so I gather. Very attractive in a human way, but nothing beats purple scales. You should have added at least some!”

He then simply hugged me.

“I am thinking about you every now and then, but could get no information at all.”

“I was a little out of reach during my last assignment, but I am so glad I ran into you.”

He let me down and held me at arm’s length.

“So you made it, faster than anyone I know, but I knew you would make it after Stahl told me he had picked you for the big test and made you acting Devi Captain.

““He told me you did too.”

“Yes, I did.

“He shook his head not realizing how much he had adopted human mannerisms.

“A Captain. You made Captain, I am so proud of you.”

“How’s the Hyperion doing and her crew?”

“She’s down there, landing field section Eight A. We’re leaving for a joint maneuver with the Nul. Can you believe that? I am a Shiss and now we are going with the Nul together on Patrol and some war games right at the Shiss border. Who would have thought, we have peace and now they are actually members.

““Does it bother you?”

“You know me better than that, I hope. I would be the first over that border and make those cursed White Throats pay for every life of the 33rd Colony.”

“I know you, but not as good as I would like. You have and are a friend and a role model, we do need to do this Mud worm hunting thing the next time we meet.”

“We need to keep in contact more. So we are able to plan a leave together one day.”

Zezz’s wrist unit beeped and he sighed.

“Darn, they need me at the munitions distribution office, we’re getting a load of these new Zero Point Energy bombs.”

I also gave a hoot about proper protocol and hugged the fierce lizard.

“Take care big Zezz.”

All of his four arms had razor sharp claws and he was strong enough to go toe to toe with a Nul, but his arms wrapped around me in a most gentle fashion.

“I have to go, but call if you can.”

Filled with warm sentimental thoughts I watched him leave and then I too went my way.

The base was huge and the crews of many hundreds, maybe thousands of ships and base personnel milled around with purposeful strides and destinations to go.

Like many Navy Installations, it had a concourse with the usual restaurants and shops and sure enough, I found a store selling fine liquors and beverages. I was able to make my purchase, four bottles of genuine Gammel Opland Port Cask Aquavit. Realizing I could have made that purchase while I was in Norway but I mostly did it to kill some time.

As I stepped out of the store, I became witness to a heated argument between a large humanoid Ensign and a green-skinned Ensign. It retained my attention as the two reminded me of Wintsun and Limbur.

Then I recognized the tall Ensign and the black haired girl nearby, Limbur and Olia indeed.”

So I went over to see what was going on. Most around me were of lower ranks and made respectful way.

I said with a stern voice.

“It isn’t really acceptable for officers to behave like that in the open. There are Midshipmen, Cadets, Enlisted and Civilians around.”

The two snapped in attention facing me.

I asked.

“What seems to be the problem?”

Limbur said.

“This Sunflorian claimed that a friend of mine was a traitor and got hanged. I am sorry but I don’t like my friends being insulted.”

The green Ensign said.

“But it is true. All Sunfloria was ashamed as we heard about it. Our own Governor said he was informed about the details. He even said that hanging him was too good for him.”

Limbur almost swung at the Sunflorian, despite being in attention.

“He might have been a bit strange when I met him last, but he was my best friend.”

To the Sunflorian I said.

“You are dismissed. Ensigns Olia and Limbur you are with me.”

Wit worried faces they followed me while I was looking for a quiet spot, which wasn’t easy in this crowded place.

Finally, I found a quieter spot with a few seat benches.

“Sit down please.”

They did, their faces were still reflecting concern.

“I am Eric, or I was Eric. I am Erica now. This is the new me.

“Limbur gasped openly.

“You became a chick?”

“Yes, I did. Why I have taken this step is a long story, I might be able to tell you one day, but I prefer it that way.”

Limbur looked me up and down.

“And a damn hot one.”

Olia crossed her arms.

“Not only that, you wear Captain’s Gold. Knowing you it’s most likely real too.

““It is real.”

Limbur made a motion with his fingers to simulate scissors.

“Was it an accident or did you ... you know have it removed?”

“I am a complete woman, but I rather not discuss the details of my gender change with you right now. I have much more serious things to say. How did Newport end for you?”

“We didn’t make it to the final Challenge and left.”

Olia smiled.

“Your team won.”

I nodded.

“Yes my team took the trophy, but I wasn’t with them when they did. I had been abducted.”

They stared at me.

I continued.

“I thought you might have heard that Newport Academy is closed. Admiral Dent is dead. Becker and the rest had their court martial and were executed.

Wintsun was indeed a traitor, I am sorry to tell you that.

He was approached by the Worm during our first R&R on Perryton.”

Olia frowned.

“We know all that, we were there. We returned to Newport hearing you were dead.”

Limbur.

“We did not see Wintsun there come to think off.”

I sighed and continued.

“He was the one who shot Narth in the Tractor Cat. Wintsun escaped the Newport purge by killing and stealing a ship full of Union Mil-tech. Stuff he sold to a Crime lord on SIN 4. He was caught and hanged.”

Olia’s eyes became even bigger.

“How do you know all these details?”

I pressed my lips together.

“I was the one who hanged him.”

Limbur clenched his fists and sunk his head.

“We went to School together, Sunfloria is in the same system as Hoffman’s World where I come from. We applied for the Navy together. I know his folks, decent people. I too thought he had changed but I was thinking he just grew up or something. You hanged him?”

I told them as much as I could. Limbur was quiet and Olia said.