Chapter 12: Gathering at N’Ger

Stahl had returned to the hotel where his wife and the others were staying. N’Ger had grown in leaps and bounds ever since Sin 4 was no more. Since Alvor’s Cove was closed for business.

That the Togar and the Karthanians suddenly wanted and applied for Union membership had changed the political situation in this region of space considerably.

N’Ger always has been a busy place of trade and transcultural commerce, but the recent changes truly increased its importance.

The planet and the planetary system was deep in the Coreward sector of the M-0 galaxy.

This region had been known as Wedmar’s Triangle, long before the rise of the Union.

To the galactic west were the Jooltar. To the Galactic East the many shattered kingdoms of the old Oghr Empire. Above the Oghr brutes in terms of these old directions and to Galactic North the Karthanians and the Togar.

While N’Ger wasn’t a Tech level Eight clean Union world; and the main market place had the character of a shantytown made of temporary buildings and tents. It was a world where travelers came for thousands of years.

There used to be 11 merchant houses, one had been destroyed and leveled but the remaining 10 had swiftly gobbled up space and business, These ten houses ruled the planet and the many other cities of this world.

The hotel they had chosen was not associated with any of the merchant enclaves, but a stone and concrete building near the south entrance to the landing field.

The Eternal Warrior knew there was serious business ahead, an affair that was in the making since the very beginning of existence. He did not understand it all, but he never been the kind that worried too much about the future and potential difficulties. If he had to be honest to himself, he actually enjoyed himself. He was with his beloved wife on an exotic planet, far from Union space. On a quest with adventure at every corner. Deep down this was the kind of life he always enjoyed most. Doing something, blazing ahead into uncharted waters instead of sitting behind a desk, pouring over requisition requests and personnel files.

Harris was perhaps the best Captain the Devi ever had, and the new one would have to fill big shoes. He had become good friends with Harris. This was the real crux being immortal, friends aged, retired and eventually died.

Harris had been the CO longer than most and clung to that Command seat like Velcro. A nice and quiet desk job with regular hours and full retirement just a decade or so away was perhaps the declared goal of some kind of administrator, but not to those whoever took the big seat. While this was true to most COs of any ship, it was especially so for those who commanded the Devi. There were bigger ships now, ships more powerful and better armed. None, however, came even close to the fame and legend of the Devi.

Stahl truly missed the time when he was the CO of the Devi.

This was the reason he understood Harris very well, the old CO should have been on his way back to Arsenal IV by now, but the latest report from LEO II informed Fleet Command, that Harris wanted to check out the rumor of a second Crucible and extended his mission by another six weeks.

The Eternal Warrior grinned more inside than truly visible. There was no other Crucible, and the rumor was more than vague.

The new captain, a Nul of all people had been on Stahl’s radar for a while and picked to become the next CO of the Devi.

He reached the balcony that was part of the spacious apartment suite he had rented.

Alycia, his mysterious wife was lounging under the off white canvas roof that extended from the apartment door to poles on each side of the hip-high balustrade enclosing the balcony.

She was wearing a black and red bathing suit like outfit and a wide-brimmed sun hat. To her right a small table with a large glass filled with something pink. Her lissome legs crossed in a very female fashion. She blinked and said. “What amuses you, my love?”

“I made a call to Fleet Command to check on things, and was told Harris is chasing after a rumor in the LEO II galaxy, extending his deployment by at least six weeks.”

In a fluid motion of legs, she got up and joined him at the rail of the balustrade. She sneaked one of her arms into his and let herself be pulled closer. “He will miss the big seat for sure.”

He changed his gaze from looking over the ocean of lights that just came on, illuminating the many thousand stalls and tents seaming the open landing field, to look at her from the side. “It’s a human condition, my love. Humans age and must make way to younger ones.”

“You need to go back”

“No, love. Whatever we are about to do is still ahead of us, but we are still on N’Ger. I don’t mind hanging out, but there are more pleasant worlds than N’Ger if that is all we do.”

“Not everyone that needs to be there is there yet.”

“Fair enough, not that I am complaining, seeing you like that reminds me that I am not only human but of the simple male variety.”

“There never has been anything simple about you.”

“What about that horned woman we picked up just outside that connection cave?”

Alycia turned to look towards the apartment. “She is half Netherworld and she is hiding some kind of secret, but I know the Yellow Wizard and he told her to seek out Coven protection.”

“Your other friend, Lucy isn’t trusting her I think.”

Alycia’s smile deepened. “Lucy hates men and thinks humans are weak, but she really likes you. Lucy respects you like she never respected anyone of this plane and it warms my heart to see my oldest friend and my one and true love getting along better every day.”

“I guess I am getting used to her, I am no longer compelled to make the sign of the cross every time she appears.”

“She is the daughter of a very evil and bad entity, but we can choose my love. She chose to help me against the will of her father and has been hunted, cursed and shunned for my behalf for a very long time. She trusts beings of the Nether realms even less than others,”

“I am with her on that, there are always agendas, treachery worse than in a Thauran court, but I think that Angela is really hunted and on the run for a long time.”

“I get the same vibe. She will tell us eventually, I am sure.”

The Eternal Warrior, looked down to the street level three stories down, not for a particular reason, but he instantly recognized the man with the Fedora.

“Phil! Phil Decker?” He called the man’s name and then noticed the Old detective’s companions. Three of them were quite famous and known to almost everyone as the Three Wisemen. Egill Skallagrimmson of Nilfeheim, easily recognizable wearing full Neo Viking garb; Alegar Moansti, the foremost Saresii, the Narth Representative and the fourth was another Narth and the tallest Narth he had ever seen.

--””--

That the newcomer was not just another visitor was clearly apparent to everyone. Even on Avondur where thousands of rifts and transdimensional gates, both on the planet and within the system, ensured a steady stream of newcomers and visitors for many millions of years.

This newcomer arrived with an army of at least a thousand warriors. Highly professional beings accustomed to violence, battles, and war. Beings without any allegiance other than to their master. Without any moral and ethical boundaries and equipped with highly advanced weapons and equipment.

For three days, they had worked on the Stratella Caravanserai. The official word was it had been purchased from the old Stratella family of merchants, but rumors claimed that the newcomers brutally tortured the owners forcing the last of the Stratella come before the City Council of Sandakarr and transfer the deeds and documents of the old property to the new owners.

Gone was the stone and mud-walled caravanserai. In its place a futuristic palace of smooth black and silver walls, sharp angles and armored gates.

The winged skull symbol on the gate had not been seen in this galaxy ever since the First Empire collapsed, eons ago. A few scholars, however, knew it was the symbol of the First Emperor.

The arrival of these newcomers claiming to be servants to the Emperor and calling themselves Imperials had been noticed of course by the Seven Circles and many others.

Luurat, the High Lord of the Tomradi was among those. He was the chosen leader of a very advanced society that was the self-declared inheritor of the First Empire and searching for the shards that made up the Cosmic Key. The very tool that, when re-assembled not only pointed the path to the Imperial Vault but opened it. Giving whoever found it, access to the most advanced tech in the entire universe, but bestowed god powers and dominion over most of the Universe.

Even after over a million years of searching for the shards, the Tomradi only ever managed to find two shards.

The news, that a being arrived on Avondur claiming to be Invictus Rex himself, brandishing the banner and symbol of that godlike ruler, not only summoned the largest fleet of Tomradi Conquer Discs ever seen; tremendously big battleships able to destroy planets; but the Tomradi High Lord himself wearing his living battle shell.

Luurat knew about the special conditions that supposedly ruled this special world. However, at no time in its known history had a fleet of such might ever appeared in its vicinity. The Tomradi were the unchallenged masters over ten galaxies and all the life they contained.

Luurat marched right into the Hall of the Crimsor, the ruler of the Red Knights who claimed and held dominion over much of Sandakarr. Luurat was not an envoy, not an underling easily dismissed and not impressed by the Netherworld connections of Crimsor. The Tomradi lord, backhanded an armored Red Knight and servant of Crimsor with such force, the big and strong being shattered one of the big stone columns that supported arches holding up the high and distant vaulted ceiling, The knight so forcefully swept aside, buried in a pile of rubble and bent armor.

“Crimsor, have one more of your lackeys step into my way and I will level this fortress and decorate the pile of rubble with your broken bones! You dismissed the envoy I have sent, in favor of Miracel, a Knight of Light claiming he is beyond us. I am Luurat, are you beyond me, Crimsor?”

Crimsor rose from his throne-like seat, but did not descend the five steps. “I say what I said then. These are the chambers of the Red Knights, neither Lord Lumis nor his minions may demand anything. The haughty attitude of Crea’s soldiers is well known. Heed this warning as it extends to the Tomradi. One or all of you. Now speak your business and I will then decide if you shall pay for the injuries you caused to my servant or if I decide to answer otherwise.”

“The agreements and conditions that shelter the Seven Circles and this world are not made with Tomradi, now newcomers are claiming to know about Imperius Rex?”

“Why don’t you ask them yourself? They transformed the old Stratella Caravanserai, you can’t miss it. Go test your might and strength against them.”

--””--

“N’Ger again?” Har-Hi said after Elfi relayed the new orders.

“We’ve been there a few times, I admit but never really long enough to find out much about it,” I said. “What else do the orders say?”

Elfi spread her arms. “Nothing else, Captain. Just go there fast. Once there we will be briefed by NAVINT.”

I, of course, got the orders on an encrypted com package, secured Blue-Blue-Red but I did not apply the standard protocol that wanted me to take the message in my office under secure conditions. I decided long ago, that my bridge was the most secure place and I trusted the ones present more than anyone.

This was how things were done on the Tigershark, while I was in charge.

Mao grinned deeply. “Whatever it is, it is not Richter 4 or some stupid vacation. I hope for a real long assignment.”

“It will eventually happen, guys. Everyone aboard is top-notch, almost everyone got a promotion. Even SHIP will no longer be stuck to the Tigershark. If I understood it right, Mothermachine is providing her with a roaming avatar.”

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