by David Buck
‘Steve, it will take some time, but we will be setting up refuelling facilities so that the main ship can be refuelled as soon as it lands. The Illuria is at its most effective military capability in space, not stuck on the surface due to no fuel. Father also wants to survey the rest of the star system as a priority.’
Steve replied that he could understand the wisdom of that decision and offered to supply human resources to refine fuel if required. After several more minutes sneak ship five undocked and headed for the Barede planet. The ship circled behind the planet as they dropped out of orbit and entered the planet’s atmosphere well out over the ocean at high speed. The sneak ship dropped to sub sonic speed as it approached the darkened western coast still at high altitude. Steve and his mission team then revelled in seeing the lights of the new settlements appearing on the horizon ahead of the ship.
Steve now took a moment to reflect on the initial news that Dan and Douglas had transmitted to the Trader ship via the Maveen probes earlier when the Trader ship had arrived. After four months the colony was already off to a good start and several cities had been surveyed for construction. The fossil fuel situation for transport remained their biggest concern however they had no shortage of static power facilities as they had found large pockets of geothermal energy. Also good metal deposits had been located and their first crops were due to be harvested shortly.
Steve returned his attention to arriving at the colony with the sneak ship slowly losing altitude as it spiralled down to land. After a moment’s radio traffic, Garendestat was directed to a nearby clearing called Greene’s Crossing fifty kilometres west of the original site, and flares were fired to assist him. Garendestat was smiling broadly, but kept silent as he brought the ship down in a flurry of blown dirt and grass, as he had been briefed by both Dan and Douglas earlier. The mission team gathered their belongings before the sneak ship doors opened, now Steve led Samantha and the four other humans down the small ramp, as a rousing cheer erupted from the huge gathering of people awaiting their arrival.
Steve was amazed at the reception for on either side of the ramp stood an alternating line of soldiers at rigid salute from every nation present in the colony. To one side there was a brass band playing and the large crowd sounded like they had been partying for a few hours. Towards the back of the clearing a large banner waved in welcome. Steve stopped at the foot of the ramp as Dan and Douglas came over to join them, with Dan carefully folding his younger sister into his arms and giving her a long hug.
Steve was looking around and fielding handshakes from Dan and Douglas when a hush came from the crowd. He turned to see Garendestat, now resplendent in his dress uniform, standing with Emeria at the top of the ramp. He did not take his eyes of the two Traders, as he loudly but politely introduced the two of them to the crowd. He knew that most humans present had never seen the Traders in person before.
‘Your attention everyone, please give a warm welcome and a cheer for lieutenant Garendestat and medical officer Emeria from the Trader ship Illuria.’
The two Traders were clearly amazed at the sight as they slowly walked down the ramp, as polite handclapping and enthusiastic cheering from the crowd greeted them in turn. The new arrivals settled back to enjoy their welcome from the crowd in large clearing framed by dense bush land, as overhead the majestic galaxy that had held all they knew continued to shine in the endless night of space.
0******0
The story continues in the second novel of the Carinae sector series…
***
In towards the centre of the galaxy in a clearing on a lush and verdant planet, the matriarch quietly considers her plans further. The Deltas Vass female trills for an attendant male to bring her a drink as she further studies the new reports, both clandestine and legal, about the strange new planet called Earth.
***
At galactic Cephrit star-base 31, the station master reviews the endless reports on the war with the Tilmud with little interest. The Cephrit ponders the universe as he considers the fate of the Traders in general and specifically what happened to Narindestat, his Trader protégé.
***
In the depths of an Earth ocean the eternally patient Maveen probe three silently continues to patrol around massive dormant shapes.
***
Elsewhere in the solar system, a small atmospheric probe races high into the upper atmosphere of Neptune. The automated probe then sends a short tight beam burst of data back down to the waiting life forms in the lower cloud layers below. The probe soon returns to the planet’s lower atmosphere and is recovered by a waiting airship the size of an aircraft carrier.
***
Table of Contents
Traders’ Scourge
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue