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"Come in planet of Orion, we urgently need to speak with Tyler Burrows. This is the Earth colony ship Constellation calling, please come in we urgently need your help."
Tyler looked across at Caroline and smiled at her. "We really are in demand aren`t we darling?" Tyler walked across to the communications console.
"Come in Constellation, this is Tyler Burrows here, I am afraid that I am a little busy at the moment fighting space pirates on the planet New Earth to be of much help to anyone else at the moment."
"This is the Earth space cruiser Defiant here, is the space pirate still in orbit around New Earth. We are approaching New Earth in response to their distress call. We would have been here earlier but we are escorting the Constellation as there is some concern regarding her safety from space pirates as well."
"The space pirate is no longer in orbit about the planet; we have shot it down in flames, its remains burned up in the planet`s atmosphere just moments ago." Tyler replied.
"You say that you just took on a space pirate and destroyed it, how and with what?" The Defiant captain demanded to know.
"With the Orion Defender, the flagship of the navy of the planet Orion." Tyler replied facetiously.
"Are you saying that the planet of Orion has a space cruiser, which is expressly forbidden by your planet`s charter."
"First of all I would hardly call the Defender a space cruiser; you will be giving her delusions of grandeur. Secondly are you sure that you and the Constellation want our help Defiant. We can discuss any problems that you have when you come aboard our flagship, and after we have finished off the pirates who have already landed on the planet of New Earth, Defender out."
Alice Tarraway was sitting at her desk listening to the conversation between the Defiant and Tyler Burrows, and she thought that he really did sound like the many myths that were circulating around about Tyler. She hoped that meant that he would be able to finish off the investigation started by the two seriously ill government agents on board the Constellation. Alice had spent most of today by their side within the small clinic, although it was mainly by the side of Paul Divine.
Tyler now contacted the colonists on the planet below his ship.
"New Earth, come in please, we are in orbit above your planet in response to your distress call, we have already destroyed the space pirate`s starship, will you let us know where their land forces are so that we can rid you of them as well."
"Orion Defender we heard your conversation with the Defiant, thank you for coming so promptly. The pirates are in full retreat, I think they also heard your conversation, but where they think they are going I do not know. At the moment they are some two miles north of our town and heading towards the forest, which is another mile further on, they might be hoping to evade your forces I suppose, once they get inside of it."
Caroline was back sitting before the monitor that was linked up to the telescope, and she had quickly found the pirates as they rushed away from the small colonist town and toward whatever salvation they thought they may be able to find within the forest.
"There they are Tyler, in full retreat." Caroline said jubilantly.
"Well we cannot let them hide inside of the forest, or it will cost too many of our warriors lives trying to winkle them out. Richard send a couple of shots down just in front of them to show them that the game is up, Colin get them on the radio and tell them to surrender or our next shots will be amongst them."
Caroline liked listening to Tyler, to some of the terms that he used, like winkle, she knew what he meant, but they were often terms that had not been used for something like five hundred years, for her they somehow added to Tyler`s charm.
A powerful bolt of pure energy flew down from the Defender followed by a second, both bolts whistling through the planet`s atmosphere and exploding loudly just feet from the leading pirates who threw themselves to the ground in case more bolts of energy followed these two shots. Stones kicked up by the violent explosions flew up, cut their faces and clothes. Dirt also thrown up covered them, and got into their eyes, but then they were lucky that this was all they had to suffer. The only thing that followed was Colin telling them to surrender immediately, something which they did immediately for as the New Earth colonist had said, without a starship there was no place for them to run.
Tyler dropped Appolon and Tryon off together with his six warriors plus Colin Ryan, who had come along for the ride, about half a mile from the pirates. Appolon was a six feet high native chieftain of Orion, and Tryon his friend, was only a little shorter. Both had blond hair and blue eyes and good looks. Tyler now took off again and hovered above the pirates` heads. Appolon had taken one of their short wave radios with him so that he could keep in touch with his friend during this part of the operation. Colin Freeman following Tyler`s request ordered the space pirates to lay all their weapons in a heap on the ground and await his ground forces. Colin Freeman then warned them that should they so much as cough, then Captain Tyler Burrows would order his weapons officer to open fire with his Phaser weapon and forget about taking them alive. On hearing who it was who was in command of the odd looking ship above their heads, the space pirates decided en masse to do as they were told, such was the power of his name due in no small part to Tom Parkinson`s propaganda program. Appolon arrived on the scene to find twenty forlorn and dejected space pirates sitting on the ground, and after a quick search of each of them to ensure that they were not hiding any further weapons, he marched them quietly back towards the small township.
It was just about now that the Defiant turned up, and so Tyler contacted Appolon on his radio and informed him that the Defiant`s security team was taking over from them. The Defender would pick him and his warriors up and then fly over to the small township to see if they could offer any other help.
The people of New Earth were delighted to meet their benefactors, and most of the colonists who could get to the Orion Defender did so, they all wanted to meet the man behind so many myths. Tyler and Caroline came out of their ship to meet a throng of people who surged forward cheering and thanking him personally. Tyler quickly informed them that he had been but a minor member of the team that had destroyed the space pirate vessel and captured the landing party. The ship`s crew were the people mainly responsible for converting this small cargo vessel into a space cruiser; they are the ones who should be thanked. Paul Johnson who had just exited the craft soon squashed this idea.
"Don`t believe him folks, Tyler here is the reason you are safe now, without his driving force nothing would have been done."
"Thank you Paul." Tyler said feeling a little embarrassed by his friend`s praise. Then the entire crew of the Defender were taken to a party that had been swiftly set up by the colonists. Tyler remembering the distress call that had preceded the arrival of the Defiant, warned his bridge and engineering crew to stay sober in case they were needed. Tyler was joking though as the chances of getting drunk on a new world colony planet were pretty slim, the wine and beer that would be available on the likes of Persephone and New Earth was very weak, although on a planet with a native population such as Orion, it is quite easy to find a stronger substitute. However, Tyler never got drunk now; he did not feel the need to in his new life with Caroline.
Two hour`s into the party a small shuttle craft landed near to the Orion Defender and deposited Alice Tarraway and the First Officer of the Defiant. It did not take them long to find their way to Tyler, who was talking to the Mayor of New Earth about ways in which the two planets could co-operate.
As soon as Caroline saw the newcomers heading straight over to talk with Tyler, she excused herself from the two New Earth colonists with whom she was talking with, and made her way over to Tyler, Appolon had also seen the new arrivals and had walked over to join the growing group around Tyler.
"I am glad to finally meet you Mr Burrows, for I believe that you are my last hope in sorting out the crisis aboard the Constellation." Alice said, and then she went on
to relate to the group about her all that had happened on the Constellation, of Charles Bragg`s request that Tyler be asked to help, and of the death of some of Tyler`s friends on Earth.
My God thought Tyler, it is like the curse of King Tut, now Brian and Tracy Goddard were the only scientists still left alive from the Time experiments. Tyler decided to help Alice Tarraway to find those responsible for the crimes. However, how was he to do it?
"I am not a detective Miss Tarraway, surely it would be better to wait for one to be sent from Earth?"
"No that would be impossible; you are the best hope that we have in solving the crisis." Alice said. "Let me explain, if we waited for another agent to come from Earth then the possibility of another murder happening on board the Constellation during this time would be greatly enhanced. If we have two spies on board the ship, they must be prevented from escaping with the stolen technology before the new agent arrives and investigates the murder, and the attack on the two agents."
The first officer from the Defiant then joined in the discussion. "My captain has just received a message from Earth, it seems that President Michaels heard of your victory over the space pirate, and also about Orion possessing a warship, and I have been asked to outline the main points to you.
One, if you agree to help in this matter then you would be given the rank of special agent for the Interstellar Investigation Bureau.
Two, the Orion Defender would be incorporated into the space fleet of Earth with you put in command of this quadrant of space; this means that Orion can keep its space cruiser, but that you would be responsible for the safety of this sector of space. That is to say, it would be up to you to defend it, which is more than Earth can do now.
Three, if you require a second crew for the ship, then it could be provided from amongst the veteran space corps crewmen, those who are nearing retirement and fancy moving to a quiet planet to finish off their time crewing your space cruiser, they would finally retire to live on Orion. They could be housed in the old marine barracks if Orion would refurbish them.
Four, as Commander of this quadrant you would receive all the necessary intelligence reports; this should help secure your planet`s safety as well as the planets near Orion.
Five, you would also receive a salary each year commensurate with your rank that you could take in credits or goods."
The young officer summed up this list of offers from President Michaels by adding his own thoughts on the matter.
"They all add up to quite a nice package Sir, our President must not only want the stolen items back rather badly, but he must also believe that the space fleet of Earth is too stretched at the moment to be able to defend this quadrant of space adequately, which it is."
Tyler looked at the young officer before him and smiled. "And with that package the president can say that he has ensured the safety of the sector in space, and without having to do anything in reality. A win win situation for him." The officer agreed but could not say so, so he just smiled at Tyler.
Appolon smiled grimly, for he could see how Tyler could lose out, should things go wrong, while the president cast all the blame onto him. However, he decided to speed the present problem set before them along, and worry about the future when it arrived.
"Tyler, you have only been on Orion for three years but already you are its Mayor, now you are also a Special Investigator and even an Area Commander in the space fleet, soon we will have to make an appointment just to talk to you. Tyler, you must put this young woman out of her misery and tell her whether or not you going to help her, or must I get your boss here to order you to?" Appolon said looking across to Caroline. Tyler turned to Appolon and smiled.
"I feel as if I have won the lottery Appolon, I have been offered so much." Appolon simply smiled questioningly for he had no idea what a lottery was, but he got the gist of it.
Caroline looked at Alice Tarraway, at her beautiful red hair and her lovely green eyes before she spoke to her husband.
"Tyler, if you do decide to help out, then I am coming as well, you will need me to watch your back." Caroline knew that she could trust Tyler, but she was not sure that she could trust this beautiful woman from Earth. Appolon then added himself to the party.
"Either we go as a team or no one goes Tyler." Appolon declared to his friend.
"Appolon, as if I would have it any other way." Tyler replied to his friend and his wife.
"You are sure Mr Burrows that you want your wife to join you on board the Constellation, one person is dead already and two more are still unconscious following a murderous attack on them, it could be very dangerous for you, and especially your wife or indeed anyone else who is helping you?" Alice Tarraway asked, not wanting yet another innocent person`s death on her ship.
"What do you think that Caroline is going along for, she is his body guard, and I am only going to make up the team?" Appolon said before Tyler could respond. Alice looked from one to another, not knowing whether Appolon was serious or joking.
"Don`t worry Miss Tarraway, I am well used to looking after myself, it is Tyler who is the one amongst us that needs looking after, else he is likely to endanger his life saving others without taking a moment to think about the risk to his own life." Caroline said and the smiled to herself as she remembered the times when Tyler had actually saved her life.
Alice did not know what to think or how to answer, and the Defiant officer had looked just as baffled earlier on, but he thought that he could now read between the lines, and so he spoke next.
"When will you be ready to come aboard the Constellation, Commander?" The First Officer said, giving Tyler, his new rank. Tyler took a moment to realise that the officer was speaking to him and then replied.
"Oh we will be ready as soon as I have given the Defender`s crew their orders, but before I even consider doing that I think that we should first discuss the problems aboard the Constellation further. I want you and Miss Tarraway to come aboard the Defender with myself, Appolon, Caroline and my bridge officers, to talk over the situation." Tyler was taking charge.
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