Carinae Sector: 02 - Admiral's Fury - Part 1 - Purple Blood (22 page)

Illuria helped Emeria with the kitchen as the two Trader males now discussed the crew members they would seek for their long voyage. In the back of his mind Narindestat went over the details of Emeria’s urgent briefing, for he had also evaluated that if the Barus or the Vorinne saw the rebuilt Illuria then this would increase the risk of war. He knew that he had the important position of top chair at the Captain’s Table, but he knew also that the other captains would not lightly sanction a risky mission into the inner parts of the galaxy.

The Trader captain’s thoughts turned to other more pleasant matters, as the dinner chime sounded, and his four grand children made their way over to greet him and Illuria with bows of respect.

                                                                     ***

Chapter 8

Omerio piloted his small trading ship into the targeted star system at high speed, and he kept an anxious watch on both his forward and rear sensors as his ship accelerated heavily. After half an hour the last Sspol cruiser jumped into the system, and he increased his ship’s speed further as he watched the cruiser come after his ship. He now broadcast a warning to any other ships in the system, even if he knew only a specific pair of ships was likely to be present.

‘Omerio, pilot of Barus fleet scout, I am being pursued by a Sspol cruiser and request assistance. I entered a remote system earlier and encountered a wrecked ship that I salvaged for cargo....’

Omerio set the message to repeat even as he anxiously scanned the system for any other ships. He thought he saw a swirl of light some distance in front of him caused by a larger ship altering course before the ship console chimed with an incoming message.

‘Attention Barus Scout, this is Cephrit long range scout F3, please alter course further in system to my position. I will attempt to negotiate with the Sspol on your arrival.’

Omerio held his course and he soon detected the Cephrit scout ship docked alongside a civilian lifter for resupply. After an hour he reduced speed and again spoke to the Cephrit.

‘Thank you for accepting my emergency call, the fleet master at Cephrit Base 31 is well known to me and he will be most appreciative. I was out looking for a fleet of human ships in the area when I stumbled upon the Sspol ships instead.’

Omerio had the sense to remain silent as the viewer came online to show the young male Cephrit pilot of the scout ship. The Cephrit gave a series of clicks that Omerio recognised as anxiety before it chirred hurriedly in the manner of the insect race.

‘We usually ignore the Sspol after sending each other non aggression and neutrality clauses. However you seem to have upset this particular Sspol captain as he is not responding to my requests.’

Omerio merely offered a token reply and provided an image of his cargo hold to the Cephrit scout.

‘I recovered these items just before the Sspol appeared and drove me away from the wreckage of an unknown ship. So how are we going to survive this encounter?’

The Cephrit scout replied again with what Omerio felt was false confidence.

‘The cruiser appears to be slowing heavily from their rapid approach and they are scanning the space around us for some reason. I do not think they are now on an attack run, however the scans of your cargo hold contents interest me.’

Omerio kept silent as he also watched the Sspol cruiser approach to several hundred kilometres. He ensured that his recorder was operating correctly as he watched the cruiser halt as if uncertain. The Barus captain then noted that the alien ship was now backing away slowly and moving to change course away from them. The Cephrit scout also sounded amazed at this development.

‘Now why would an incredibly powerful Sspol cruiser back away from the both of us Omerio? Perhaps he can sense something nearby…’

Omerio had just announced he did not know the reason when suddenly the space around all three ships was filled with uncloaking Maveen ships. He identified another set of friends, namely the Earth probe and his probe team with their gate ship. Before the now panicking Cephrit scout chirred loudly.

‘Maveen, in this area of space, and the Sspol are backing away! Omerio ensure you transmit non-aggression clauses and keep your weapons unpowered.’

Omerio suppressed a grin at his new friend’s discomfort before he complied with the Cephrit requests.

The Cephrit scout pilot realised he was grinding his hind plates together in anxiety, and he made the conscious effort to suppress this response as he continued to send non-aggression causes to both the Maveen and Sspol ships. His biggest fear was the massive firepower that must be present on the Sspol ship being fired indiscriminately. He knew neither of the Cephrit ships, or for that matter the small Barus trading ship piloted by Omerio, would survive even one stray blast. The tactical computer showed that the Sspol cruiser could possibly prevail against even the Maveen, but he watched his navigation display as the Sspol cruiser icon changed from red to green with the receipt of codes indicating both non-aggression and neutrality. The Maveen vessels status also changed from amber to green as they also started to transmit the same clauses.

Omerio felt a rush of relief that his plan was working with the ship colour codes changing, also the Sspol cruiser continued to put real distant between itself and the smaller Maveen ships. He knew that the Maveen had to speak for his plan to work, but he was not prepared for what actually occurred next when the Earth probe spoke as if he was a stranger.

‘Maveen lead probe to Barus ship, you have Sspol materials in your ship’s hold that will benefit the Maveen cause and we instruct you to hand them over to us.’

Omerio kept silent as the Cephrit scout pilot anxiously spoke in a series of clicks and chirrs.

‘Omerio, do what the Maveen say and give them the damn cargo and then we can get out of here.’

Omerio kept silent as the Maveen probe repeated his demand and the Cephrit scout pilot repeated his own point in a more panicked manner. He made a quick question to the lead probe and got his expected answer.

‘Maveen, why do you assist us by getting the Sspol cruiser to back down? Surely it is not just the cargo I carry in my ship?’

‘Barus pilot, our differences with the Sspol is none of your concern and our nature is also changed as we are no longer eternal servants. We saved your lives to frustrate our old foes the Sspol, and they dislike battle when they could be heavily damaged so far from their colonies.’

Omerio was ready with another question even as he now refused the demands of the Maveen.

‘So how has you nature changed and what are the implications for other races? I also refuse to surrender my legitimate salvage items.’

A long pause came over the video channel before the Maveen replied.

‘We are now eternal servants to none and eternal helpers to all, yet we will stay clear of the vassal races. We understand the rule of law and will not persist in obtaining the two pallets of stable metallic hydrogen alloy from you.’

The exchange between them was along guidelines that Omerio had quickly suggested earlier. With their roles completed, the Maveen actors unhurriedly docked onto the gate ship, before leaving the star system on different course to the now departed Sspol cruiser.

Omerio kept silent for several minutes as he watched the Maveen leave, until the subdued clicks and chirrs of the Cephrit in his scout ship interrupted his thoughts.

‘This has been the most stressful part of my patrol, but congratulations Omerio for both getting us out of this alive and for the contents of your hold.’

Omerio thought about the added weight of the cargo in his hold, as he replied after quickly scanning the Cephrit lifter.

‘Well we can deliberate at length about the Maveen as I transfer these contents to the lifter. You will of course escort the lifter back to Cephrit Base 31 for me and give my regards to the fleet master. I assume ownership of the two pallets, but Cephrit scientists are permitted to research the materials with the findings copied to the Barus research institute.’

The Cephrit readily agreed to the given instructions as his mission was now complete in any case. Omerio politely listened as the scout pilot then replayed and analysed for an extended period, the full exchange with the Maveen, and he decided that the message he wanted to place had been achieved by his subterfuge.

After three more hours, the cargo transfer was completed and Omerio set a course for the former Dradfer colonies. He thanked the scout pilot for the assistance of the Cephrit, which left the scout pilot nonplussed, but Omerio knew that the fleet master would remember this simple courtesy. Four more hours later the Barus trading ship reached the hyper drive point and the relative safety of hyperspace engulfed his ship as he engaged the hyper drive.

                                                                     ***

The life chapter matriarch crooned a soft series of calls filled with joy and celebration. The musical chiming calls floated around the verdant foliage next to her clearing, and were answered in series of musical replies by her attendant drones. The earlier meeting with the Cephrit fleet master had been unsettling and the matriarch had now been forced to take an additional contingency measure. She had installed her most valued fleet officer drone, a treasured gift from another matriarch, inside one of her best mating pouches.

The pouch was now discretely covered over, and she felt intense feelings of satisfaction as her latest mate preformed his biological duties. The matriarch had special hopes from this mating as some operations out in the galaxy could not be done by even trusted drones. Besides it had been many centuries since she had mentored two daughters at once, even if this process could be dangerous for her own personal survival.

The Deltas Vass matriarch, with her emphasis on the biological imperatives of life, knew that the same concerns applied to many races. The Zronte and Vorinne would parse it all differently with their sanctimonious compliance to various edicts, but many times she had observed that their reasoning was specious and only expressed to serve their own narrow interests. The realisation of this treachery by the two races was the main reason for her secret and illicit activities.

The matriarch knew she would have earned her death several times over by either the Vorinne or the Zronte if they became aware of her actions. This consideration now took her back to her work in progress, and the massive matriarch now fell silent.

The Deltas Vass matriarch was highly concerned about specific recent events involving the Vorinne second envoy ending the war, and was seeking clarification from her field agents.

The matriarch wondered idly how the Zronte battle lord responsible for causing the Cephrit Tilmud war would be taking the news. Her own plans were now well underway and she knew that complications elsewhere could also yet be fatal to her plans if not herself personally. Her drones detected her changed and resolute mood, and they quietly continued about their own business out of their respect for her.

                                                                     ***

Captain Narindestat walked into the main meeting room and favoured the map of the former Trader home world, Dracile, with a deep bow of respect. No still living Trader had ever been on distant Dracile, but it was still revered even if now the planet was a Tilmud slave world given over to farming. He was followed into the meeting room by all the other Trader captains now present at the Barede colony, who each in turn bowed and to the ancient map and made their way to the high backed chairs they had been assigned earlier.

Narindestat pulled out his own chair at the head of the table, and now stood waiting for a few moments as the other fourteen captains did the same.

Garendestat, who was doubling as Narindestat’s second, walked in the room and pulled the ornate doors closed behind him. He stood at attention at the door and all the senior captains gave him a polite half bow of senior to junior officer. Garendestat wrapped the ceremonial Captain’s rod of office against the doors three times before he intoned loudly the start of the meeting.

‘Call to order and hear all that are present, the current Captain’s table is called to session, and senior Captain Narindestat is presiding. Only senior captains are required to speak though all may vote.’

Narindestat though about this point as he first took his seat, then Garendestat knocked the rod once more against the doors and the other captains present then took their seats. The requirement for only senior captains to speak was a convention used to keep the Captain’s table on track as the junior captains had to first get a senior captain, usually their sponsor, to support their efforts before they could table anything in these meetings. The convention also protected the Traders to an extent as it prevented the junior captains from interacting with vassal races in a random manner unless they were sponsored by the table. Narindestat was more indulgent and routinely sought input or explanations from all captains present, even if the combined authority of the senior captains was binding.

Garendestat walked over to his father’s side and placed the Captain’s rod by Narindestat’s left hand, before took his place along with several senior administrators still standing in front of simple chairs down one side of the meeting room wall. Narindestat slowly picked up his rod of office and tapped it twice formally against the small round seal in front of him.

‘We will first have a series of reports from all senior captains. The administrators will table their reports and then we will move onto the prime reason for this meeting.’

Garendestat sat back and relaxed for half an hour as the formalities of running the Trader colony were followed by the captains table. Nothing of much value was mentioned, though he did notice his father sit up and take notice when the news of the human’s latest discoveries was announced by senior captain Tahenedestat.