Dark Haven 2 - Chapter 9

[crunn]

Chapter 01 (Survivors)
Chapter 02 (Excursions)
Chapter 03 (No Place Like Home)
Chapter 04 (Rising)
Chapter 05 (Politics)
Chapter 06 (Seepage)
Chapter 07 (Getting Back)
Chapter 08 (Set Up)

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DARK HAVEN 2

Chapter 9 (All We Have)


Teladi Way

Jubilee

Piersons Quarters


The room is dark. The Lieutenant is asleep.

".......mmm.....
...wwww...
...whaaa...
What The HELL!!!
My ear!!!"

'Oh, of course. It's vibrating.'

He presses his lobe.

"Go ahead sir, I'm alone, I can talk."

"Lieutenant Pierson, I haven't spoken to you in a while.
How are you?"

"I'm well sir. And how are you?"

"I am also well, thank you.
Congratulations on the promotion to Lieutenant, well deserved. I should have called sooner to say so."

"Thank you."

"How are you finding things in Argon Fleet?"

"Difficult sir, difficult.
I don't think I'm cut-out for the military life. I'm more the peaceful trader type."

"You are doing fine.
A Lieutenant onboard the Jubilee. Second in command and you have earned it. You wouldn't be there otherwise."

"I know we've been through this but could you please explain again why you picked me for this assignment."

"Because you are the ideal person for this assignment.
You are someone who probably won't get too high in rank, so you should remain in the field and not stuck behind a desk.
You are the type that does not draw attention to himself. You blend into the crowd so hopefully no one will have reason to dig too deeply into your background.
You adapt fairly well to many of the situations you might encounter in Argon Fleet without excelling in any, Ok, perhaps trading. But If I chose someone who excelled in anything or everything they would be noticed."

'Excelled in everything?... Like Sina?
Hmm, I wonder.' Thinks Pierson

The voice in the Lieutenant's ear continues. "But more importantly than any of that, you are the most observant person I have ever known.
You notice things other people don't. You see things no one else sees.
And you, my friend, were in Dark Haven.
The Admiral has already shown me the vids of the battle..."

"Admiral Illandas?
He works for you too?" Pierson suddenly realises that he spoke rather than thought those last words. He flushes in embarrassment.

The voice again. "Oh, no no...
But I wouldn't tell you if he was." A smirk is very nearly audible.
"I'd like your impressions of these... Aliens.
As always I don't want either of us breaking any rules,
other than the obvious one,
so nothing that would be deemed classified, just your own personal thoughts and feelings."

"Ok sir, I'll tell you what I can.
Evil... pure, pure Evil...
That's the feeling I had when there were a thousand of them chasing me.
But, somehow, I don't think that's it.
I don't think they were evil.
I'm not sure they are intelligent enough to be evil.
The small ships certainly are not too bright.
They picked the nearest target, me, then followed indefinitely even though they couldn't possibly catch me, at first.
If they'd gone straight for the Jubilee they would have caught it.
Then later, when the Pirates became their nearest target, they still kept after me...
Me?... or was it Monroe they were after?" Pierson thinks aloud.

"Monroe? Monroe...Monroe, Monroe...
Ah, here we go. Captain Jack Monroe of the Armadeaus.
It says here that his ship is MIA."

"Yes, and he, the dead hero.
But I think we might be getting into classified material now."

"Ok, back to the Aliens."

"Hunger.
The way they gather every last scrap of debris from a battle, they leave nothing behind.
The way the Spore consumed the station.
Always eating.
Always eating.
I think that could be the key to understanding them.
They need to keep expanding into new sectors to find food.
Their different ships seem to have specialised functions, As if they are designed or grown or born to perform specific tasks. Combat, sector defence. The small ships tend the Spore, they are food gatherers and Spore defence.
And the Spores link all their sectors together like Jumpgates."

"Pierson, you have just described insect behaviour to me, sounds like Bees or Ants."

"Sir?"

"Oh, sorry. Bees and Ants are Earth insects. They live in colonies and have various types for the different jobs. Warriors, workers, scouts and so on.
Anything else?"

"Yes.
Fear.
I was afraid when I was near them."

"Understandable."

"No. I know what I feel like when I'm scared, It happens quite often." He smiles.
"This was different. It was like the fear was around me as-well-as with in.
I had to fly near the Spore at one point, the closer I got the worse it became.
I couldn't go any closer than eight K, I just couldn't do it. I had to go out and around to get to the other side.
Then when the small ships jumped in I was taken by insurmountable terror. I became oblivious to the rest of existence. Focused only on one thing, to flee.
It took me a miz or so to regain enough sentience to remember about the Jubilee and warn them.
I believe this fear, this panic was forced on me somehow.
But how? In space, in a sealed ship. Telepathy? I don't know."

"Again with the insect or animal behaviour. Many species have defence mechanisms.
Loud noises, bright colours, bad smells, chemicals, acid, and many more.
Or is that a rave I'm thinking of? *chuckle*
They use these to warn off potential threats.
This fear could be something similar."

"Possibly...
I'm not sure I have anything else to tell you.
Their ships capabilities are mostly unknown and the video you saw covers the rest."

"Thanks for that Pierson.
And remember, call anytime, even just to chat.
Good bye."

"And good night Mr Brennan Sir."

Pierson represses his ear-lobe and lies back down."

...


Jubilee

Bridge


"Xenon."

"How many?"

"L and two M's
Heading south towards Ore Mine Zeta.
Easy."

"Ok Ensign Tarr, intercept course.
Keep watching, I don't want any surprises.
I've got the weapons.
Time?"

"Three mizuras."

The Corvette quickly closes on the three Xenon fighters.
The battle is over in a moment. The main guns take out the L in a single volley and the upper turret takes care of the first medium fighter. The final enemy ship sees to its own demise by stopping to turn on the fast moving M6. The silver shards crackle and burn on the shields of the Jubilee.

"Pah! First level training sim is tougher.
Come on Xenon, is that all you have?!" Exclaims Lieutenant Keswen

'Hmm... Who left him in charge?' Thinks Ensign Tarr.
'He'll not be happy until they send another fleet through.'

...


Argon Fleet Command


Illandas arrives back from R+D. He notices the name on the door now reads Admiral Illandas.

'Efficient.'

A quick look behind him.

'Nope.'

Then he gingerly opens the door.

'Nope.
??
Empty this time.
Good.'

"Admiral, you are back." Reamus jovially announces.

A startled Illandas turns to find Reamus right behind him.
"Ahhh.....
Commander, do you have a Transporter Device in your office?"

"No sir." A puzzled Reamus replies. "Are you looking for one?"

"Never mind."

"Are you alright sir?
You seem a little..."

"Fine Commander.
You wanted something?"

"I have the information on the Corvettes you asked for."

"Good, go in, I'm getting a drink first.
Can I get you anything?"

"Nooscan Tea, but please, allow me."

"No, I'll just be a moment, sit down."

The Admiral goes to the small sitting room at the end of the corridor and fixes two cups of Nooscan Tea.
Originally a Teladi drink, but most races manufacture and enjoy it now. All but the Boron who find totally unpalatable.
He takes the hot water from the FMS and pours it into the two cups.
He then feels in his pocket for the tracking device.

'...I wonder...
No he would see it. Besides I don't know what the digestion system would do to it.'

Illandas returns to his office with the tea.

"Thank you admiral."

Illandas sits and leans back savouring the faintly acidic aroma.
"The Corvettes Commander?"

Reamus puts the cup down on the desk, inserts his PDP in the desk then begins.
"As you know ten M6's were built with the mission to explore and map each of the ten newly discovered sectors. The sectors were temporarily named X1 to X10."

The Commander presses a button and an image of a Corvette is displayed.
"The first M6. Named Centaur. Exploring X1.
It reported in a few stazuras ago. It has mapped a five hundred kilometres sphere around the gate and found nothing of interest.
No other gates, fourteen low yield asteroids, no nebulae, one sun and one uninhabitable planet.
X1 is worthless and the Centaur has been instructed to return home for reassignment. Last log update shows it in Lucky Planets."

The Commander presses again and the image of the Centaur is replaced by that of another M6.

'His jacket pocket?
I could put it in there.'

"X2, The Victory. Last log update shows a similar story to X1.
This time two planets, one is just barely habitable. Severe weather patterns.
The Victory should be finished mapping in a stazura or two."

"Ok, have the Centaur go straight to Teladi Way to join the Jubilee. Once the Victory is finished, also to Teladi Way."
'No, he might find it in his pocket, or loose it.'

"Certainly.
X3 and X4 are very close together in the gate network. Each M6 has found a gate and they believe the two sectors join."

"Have them both send their M5's through to make sure."

"X3 has an M class planet. Tropical except for the poles. A large asteroid field, low to mid yields.
X4, no planets but three bright suns, ideal for energy production.
Both Corvettes are about ten stazuras from completing mapping their sphere."

"I want them finish mapping. Then recall them to Argon Prime.
Let the Planet and Sector Colonisation Departments know about X3 and X4."
'His shoe... What? How am I going to get it in his shoe? No, not his shoe.'

"X5,6 and 7 are each around one quarter explored.
Between them the only things of interest so far are one oceanic planet, not much use to us, but..."

"The Boron."

"And a few high yield roids."

"Recall all three immediately. One to each of our shipyard sectors. Place them on permanent patrol."
'Hmmm, but where to put it...'

Reamus nods then continues.
"The Armadeaus was lost in X8, we know all about that.
The Ramma, X9, hasn't got far yet. Twenty K from the gate it found a bizzar intense pink nebula. They've stopped to analyse it.
Finally the Jubilee, as we know, never made it to X10."

"Very well.
Send the Ramma to Telad Way.
Contact Captain Hall. Tell her that the Centaur, Victory and Ramma will be arriving. Once all three are there she is to call me. I have a mission for her."

"Certainly Admiral."
Reamus stands to leave, taking up his PDP and cup.
"Sir, if you don't mind me saying..." He hesitates, unsure he should continue.

Illandas looks up expectantly.

"You look awful.
You should try to get some sleep."

A tense moment seems to go on forever...

'Uh oh. I shouldn't have said that. I wouldn't have dared with Ornov, so why now? Maybe he didn't hear my...
Run away, or appologise, or run away, or...'

Illandas chuckles.
"You know, you're right.
I haven't slept in, what.., about thirty five stazuras.
And it hasn't been the best of days.
Yes I'll try to get some sleep."

"The Admirals quarters are ready for you."

"Thank you."

Illandas stands picking up his empty cup and reaching into his pocket.
Reamus opens the door as Illandas walks up behind him, tracker in hand.
As they each step into the corridor the Admiral slips the tiny metal sphere into the Commanders jacket pocket.
'Pocket it is then. I hope that's ok there.'

Reamus enters his office and breaths a sigh of relief.
'Reamus, one of these days...
What were you thinking telling the Admiral he looks awful.'

Illandas washes his cup and returns to his office.
He switches on the trackers PDP then breaths a sigh of relief.
'It's ok, he's in his office.
Now, sleep sounds good.
But first one last call.'

[KiwiNZ]

Excellent read! I like the relationship between Illandas and Reamus, it is just a matter of time, it seems, until one of them will have to go on a ship. Illandas would not survive his paranoia forever

So, a mission for the Jubilee? Wonder where that will take them. And Piersson is a spy of Brennan's. Well, he may want every edge he can get.

Looking forward to the next installment.

[toxic_shadow]

Another excelent chapter!

[crunn]

Thanks guys.

"Pierson is a spy for Brennan"
Did anyone suspect anything of Pierson before now?

[johneh77]

Great book so far and no I hadnt suspected a thing about Pierson. Was kinda wondering why he would stop tradeing and join the military though did seem rather odd.
Only thing I dont like so far is the new aliens they realy are creapy wasnt sure I would like your first book till I got further into it.

[crunn]

I hadnt suspected a thing about Pierson. Was kinda wondering why he would stop tradeing and join the military though did seem rather odd.

Ah, that's a relief. I was hoping to say enough to get folks wondering without actually giving it away.
I was a bit woried about Ch3 on the Terracorps station, that I'd said too much...

Only thing I dont like so far is the new aliens they realy are creapy.

[ external image ]
As it should be.

Thanks Johneh, nice to hear from new readers too.

[davecrowley]

Damn fine work. I loved the first book. Now I'm really enjoying this one as well.

Keep up the good work.

[Twsity]

Great Story!!! Keep up the good work

[davecrowley]

Any news on ch 10 yet ?

I can't wait.