Chapter 7: Roghor

While the Stellaris scientist was on his way back, I presumed at least. I stood with my fists stemmed into my hips and looked up to check out the still quite hot strange shaped object sitting before us on the ground.”So what is it, do we know?”

Shea hovered about three meters of the ground and close to the mostly black surface of the thing that roughly reminded me of a tick, a big bloated abdomen, and a really tiny head.

She had used her marvelous sword to cut into the things hard outer crust, to give access to a probe she apparently remote-controlled now.

“The Eduk has just responded to the images I have sent to Science central. Eduk thinks it has seen such before and is convinced it is a terraforming device of the Earlies.”

“Okay, you just managed to explain what it is and I still have no idea what I am looking at. The Eduk are some sort of”

Har-Hi made a disapproving sound.”Captain, how could you not know that the Eduk is an institute of geo-something experts of the 56th region. I mean even I know them.”

Shea scolded us both.”You are hopeless both of you and besides, there is no such institute and where is that 56th region supposed to be anyway?”

I said.”The only Eduk I know is some kind of huge being, found in space just like we found Dusty and it has a GalNet show, right?”

She nodded.”Long before we found that Ancient gate, there was an effort underway to reach Leo II, the standard Union way by building a step by step space station bridge. They have to complete 138 stations and completed 68 so far. And yes Eduk has a weekly show called ‘Tales of Deep Space’”

“Alright, and that relates to this exactly how?”

“You wanted to know who Eduk is.”

“Ah yes, I did.”

Har-Hi nodded.”You did.”

She nodded satisfied and floated down, and closer to us.”Eduk was encountered in deep space between the M-0 Galaxy and Leo II. During the installation of Step 18, actually quite a few years back. Eduk is very old and capable of hyper tapping energy and achieving Faster than light travel.

Narth was suddenly next to us and said. “We call this Psionic Manipulation of Quasi-Space transition. This is how our Narth Spheres travel.”

“And there I was thinking you were using psionic oars.”

Narth seemed perplexed.”What would a psionic paddle do differently from a physical one?”

Shea blew a strain of her gorgeous hair out of her face and said.”Both our captain and the XO want to know what we have, expect explanations they can understand and make fun of the answers given.”

“Oh, yet another sarcastic response. I should have suspected, knowing her attitude towards psionics.”

“I just don’t like them.”

“Yet they came in handy at Thana Shoo, eh?” Har-Hi said.

“You know I still have no idea what that overgrown magma tick is. Can we get back to the subject? By the time I know, Makers will be back.”

Shea continued. “Eduk claims it comes from the “other side” and it accidentally overstepped Quasi-Space and fell through a HyperSpace hole, much like Dusty it suffered from eternal boredom and lonesomeness

Eduk is a very large entity and unlike Dusty unable to reduce mass and density at will. He is 800 meters in diameter and made up of dense carbon, silicates, heavy metals, and other quite common elements.”

“Okay, now I assume this thing is not Eduk, right?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well, I guess I know much more about Eduk. And that space thing knows what this is?”

Har-Hi said.”Dare I ask who the Earlies are?”

Shea said.”Scholars of early galactic history believe there were several advanced civilizations that seeded life, or more precisely their brand of life. One group we call the Seeders might be the ones that propagated carbon-based human life, another are the Earlies who opposed the Seeders, sterilized Seeder worlds and introduced their version of non-human life.”

“Okay, that I can understand and this thing is some sort of machine that does the sterilizing?”

“Eduk thinks so, he remembers speaking with the Seeders and apparently Eduk does not have a good opinion about the Earlies.”

Har-Hi kicked the thing.”It isn’t dangerous to us right?”

“Oh it is, but Dusty has immobilized it.”

I said to my Dai friend.”That is a question you need to ask before you kick something big and hot.” To Shea I said.”These seeders were active billion of years ago. Those walking mushrooms and that lava potato are active now, not that turning a garden world into a Takkian adventure resort seems much of a terraforming effort. Where is the connection?”

She shrugged.”We just got this one out of the ground twenty minutes ago, we have just started our investigation.”

I had to agree with her on that one.”Need anything?”

“Yes, captain my lab facilities aboard the Tigershark. I know this is a state of the art mobile Sci Corps lab, but it just isn’t the same.”

“I fully understand, girl. I see what I can do to get our ship here. I also think I call that USS Usain again.”

--””--

They only removed the bonds of Jolaj’s wrists after the small spaceship had left Kaliment. She had been separated from Roghor and did not know what had happened to him. The small cabin she found herself in felt Union, this wasn’t how she remembered Togar built things.

The door was locked and there was nothing in that cabin, she could use as a weapon. True she was a Togar female and that meant she had formidable weapons built into her paw like hands and feet, but her capturers were Togar as well.

Jolaj tried to be brave, but the situation felt hopeless and she cried. She was so happy aboard the Tigershark, laughing and joking with her best friend Dusty. Learning to treat and help the most diverse life forms had been the most fulfilling career she could have ever imagined. Much more than being a clueless symbol of a clueless species that was doomed to go the way of the Shiss.

Back on the Tigershark, her friends called her Snowball and they did it with love and admiration. Cateria, the ships CMO was a genuine million-year-old Seenian with great wisdom and knowledge. Cateria was stern and it took her a long time to open up but open up she did and became like a mother to Jolaj. A great teacher letting her take the lead in many things and simply supervising in a very patient manner. There was the Garbini engineer turned med tech. On any other ship, he would still be working in engineering and dream of a medical career. Not so on the Tigershark, while the Shail who wanted to be an engineer would never see an engineering department from the inside.

No, she was not a Togar by culture and society. She was a Union citizen.

In her bitter sobs, she remembered how the cold and stern captain, all in black leather and with a frightening mask, came to her bedside after she had been rescued and turned into the most caring woman and promised her that no harm would come to her.

Her tears still moistened the wrists of her paws, but the sobbing slowly ebbed away. Jolaj remembered that promise and it was given to her not only by a Union Fleet Captain but by Captain Erica. She flew her ship right into the maw of the biggest nest of Y’All warriors to rescue TheOther. There was no one and nothing that would prevent her from coming and rescuing her. All she had to do was to make the best out of her situation and do whatever she could to make the Captain proud.

--””--

The failure of Lumis to come to an agreement with the Highfather was more unsettling to him. He retreated into a sphere of light and he lamented. “Crea, hear me. You have sent me to prevent the coming of the Dark One, yet I am unable to find the Vessel and my aides and warriors falling ad failing before even the battle started.”

“The battle started when I decided to purge the universe of darkness and death. When I broke the Rule of Duality and want it restored with a new singularity base, mine alone. The coming of the Dark One cannot be prevented, but the Dark One can be conquered again. The weapon that struck him before and divided him still exists. Find it and smite that evil entity while it is still incomplete before it makes the decision and focuses on me.”

“Crea, how can I find this weapon if I can’t find the Dark One?”

“You are on Avondur. The answer can be found there. Hold the weapon and neither time nor space can hide the Dark One from you.”

--””--

McElligott, to my surprise, called me just moments before I was about to call Fleet command to get an update on the Tigershark. My surprise was doubled as he was apparently standing on the bridge of my ship.

“Captain Olafson, I think it is time you get an old fashioned Admiral of the Fleet complaint. Not only did none of your crew actually take that leave, they were supposed to take, but they keep pestering Fleet Command with questions as to how soon the Tigershark will be ready. I should be very grateful for such an eager crew, but 800 requests an hour is a little much.”

He sighed.”So I am taking this fish myself to you. Almost everyone is back and when I told them we going to take her out of dock and to you, they cheered as if I have given them extended shore leave on Para-Para.”

“The Tigershark is ready?”

“Your engineer basically invented a new way of attaching something indestructible and it was Mr.Circuit who was teaching them ... ah never mind the details. Yes, your ship is ready and we are halfway there.”

“I doubt I heard better news lately, Sir.”

“The reason I am calling, however, is a different one. A certain Dr.Makers complained to Science Central, that you basically took over, encouraged him to commit suicide and captured a super dangerous life form. He also stated that you have left him in the Crust Exploration vehicle all by himself, while it was deployed all the way under the planet’s crust.”

I spread my arms.”I might have used different words and a somewhat different tone, but I can’t really deny what he is saying.”

The old Admiral had a hard time staying stern.”Science Central, or more precisely the Science Counselor to the Assembly, told him to stuff it.”

“Makers isn’t a bad person, but he is a yellow belly and would not have made it as a Fleet officer.”

“As it may be what is your next move?”

“Get Shea what she needs and then we go Ypeherix hunting. Those walking mushrooms have a lot to answer.”

“Well the Gromsmaro did arrive at N-746-554-696 just short of three days after you have been there, we did find the tribal Dai and the dead Ypeherix you killed, but no other Ypeherix were encountered.

We did check on the other planets as well. So, where do you think to find them?”

“We have a few ideas.”

--””--

Roghor’s situation was perhaps not the worst he had ever been into; standing in the middle of a burning bridge aboard a ship that was about to explode and knowing that both his children were in the same ship was the worst. He was sure however the current one was a close second.

Jolaj was gone, she had been carried away, wrapped and tied like a carpet.

He was of no further interest to them. They succeeded and captured the holy one, the one with the white fur. He had been so stupid, there were only a handful Togar in the entire Union fleet, four of them aboard the Tigershark. No, he had to correct himself. His son had joined the Union Marine Corps and was now in boot camp at Harris Planet, and his daughter wanting to be a genuine Union Fleet engineer of all choices received the best recommendation from Lt. Circuit and was at Camp Idyllic for her basic training. They were safe, but then no one on Togr side cared if they lived or died.

No one really cared about him, other than the fact that he officially was a deserter and a traitor.

They had found him, many hours later in the basement of that tavern.

The ones that captured him didn’t care if he suffocated or died of thirst and hunger. The plastic straps they had bound him with were strong enough to hold a Y’All.

The ones who found him, official Togar police identified him as Commander Roghor and dragged him to the police force bunker and into a windowless, featureless room.

They had taken their time with him and applied pretty much every torture technique known to the Togar. Being naturally playfully cruel with their prey, the sentient cats of the Togr realm had developed quite a few such techniques.

He was near the end of his powers. The funny part of it all was that they had not yet asked him a single question.

He could not tell exactly how long ago they told him, that the USS Winderspere had left. No one was looking for him or the white fur.

Now a female Togar came in and gently caressed his strong arms and then sat across him, in the traditional way squatting on the elevated seat.”You are a magnificent specimen, Roghor. Strong, intelligent, highly educated and utterly loyal to your family and your offspring. I don’t even blame you from deserting and since you are alive. I assume your daughter and your son are as well?”

Roghor did not know who she was, but he understood the technique she was trying to use.

“Roghor, Rog. 1032168-RR-0404460, Luitenant. United Stars Spatial Navy.”

She laughed in a way as if she felt sorry for him.”Commander, you should have been that loyal to your queen and your own kind. That Union giant didn’t care about the two Togar they have lost. Your ship lifted off almost two days ago. No marines, no ship security, no one looked for you.”

Roghor had only one eye left, they had used a glowing wire to burn the right one. His remaining eye was swollen, yet she could almost feel his pride and defiance.”This wasn’t my ship, my captain and our ship will come.”

--””--

I stepped on my bridge and McElligott got up from the command seat.”Every CO thinks of her command as her ship. They may have several commands in their career.” He gave the bridge a sweeping look. “In your case, this is very true, Captain Olafson. The Tigershark is indeed your ship. She is incomplete without you. I spend only a few days aboard, but I have learned this to be a fundamental fact. She changed the second you came aboard.” he brushed over the armrest of the command seat and with a warm vibration in his voice he said.”I think creating her is one of my greatest achievements.”

He saluted.”She is all your’s Captain.”

I returned the military courtesy and said.”Thank you for giving me the chance to command her.”

He walked to the main exit. To Sodoby he said.”Now I understand.” To me, he added.”Get to your business, Captain. I find my way out.”

All the stations were occupied by my friends, and they all smiled openly or in their special way. I knew Krabbel was smiling just as I knew SHIP and Circuit did. Even stern Cateria had come to the bridge and she too smiled.