Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series)

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  I stared at her in disbelief. “I might be one of you immortals, but I will not become something else. I am Eric of Nilfeheim and I will never turn my back on my friends. I trust my feelings. I do think you have your own agenda,something that goes beyond all this but I know you are a friend.”

  “Are you really the same Eric Olafson that left Nilfeheim? You live day in day out as a female now and the world perceives you that way. You are not a young Cadet but a Starship Captain. Yes very young but do you think Stahl and McElligott would have given command over such an important mission to a child? No Eric you are changing and developing, and who knows what comes out at the end.”

  Again she removed all the patina and revealed the truth to me. I could not even use my first name anymore and yet as she said it I knew the female part of me was only a phase as well, it would not be the end of my transformation. Maybe I really was slowly turning into a Narth.

  She held up my mask and said: “This will be your friend, Eric. It helps us disguise our emotions, hide our true nature to those who do not understand us, allow our friends to see us and not fear us and eventually allows you to become someone else while fading from the memory of others.”

  I shivered and said: “Will you be my guide? I am new to this Immortal business and it frightens me more than anything ever before.”

  She declined her head. “Yes Eric, I will be your guide as long as you let me and as far as I can. Richard will be there as well as the Coven. Of course the Narth Supreme will eventually supplant us all and be the guide you need.”

  She got up and said with an open smile that now reached her eyes and she said. “How do you feel anyway in your new life and role?”

  “Much has changed and I find myself more and more content with my new role. I have not really missed my old body much.”

  “That is good to hear. Being content in oneself is a big part of true happiness. Now let us talk a little business and after that we wll go into the basement.”

  From her table she took a small PDD, looked at it and said: “I have Intel that the Red Dragon will be here soon. He has left Alvor’s Cove and is on his way. Also a Mercenary and Assassin named Dimon Honshu arrived recently and asked many questions about the Silver Streak and Black Velvet. TSI believes he is an Agent for the Nul-Nul or has close ties to the Triangle that is the Nul Intelligence Service. He was seen talking to two Nul Agents. You might want to keep an eye open for him. I am giving you information on him in a data file so you can check it out.”

  I updated her on what I had on that and she raised her shapely eyebrows and said.

  “It seems the training you received and your marvellous crew dug up some serious Intel here. I think it was a great idea to go to Brahma Port first in disguise and with surveillance equipment.”

  She was right again. I would not have even considered something like that before and perhaps all that clandestine spy stuff I had learned really changed my approach to things.

  She seemed to know what I was thinking and said: “Now let us go downstairs and call a mutual friend of ours who is eager to hear your report.”

  In the secret Intel Outpost deep below the actual temple and in the briefing room that was already familiar to me, she activated a secure link and McElligott appeared right away. “You are Captain Olafson, right?”

  I forgot I wore the Sojonit mask again and took it off. “Yes Sir.”

  Mother Superior laughed: “Who else would it be. I am here too.”

  “Mother Superior, I never get used to the fact that I have never seen your real face. Now dealing with your two masked doll faces is just too creepy for me. I want to see facial expressions.”

  “Alright old Man when this is over I wll come to Earth and show you. But the Captain wants to give her report and go back to the ship.”

  McElligott waved his hand.

  “I am always eager to hear these reports, but what could there to be to report? That Pirate has not arrived yet and I read the report you filed with Admiral Stahl just the other day.”

  I delivered my report about the hidden weapons and the Stiks, The Itomarian Staff and the boxes, about Fusionbeam and the Psionic girl. I closed my report with saying: “That’s all, Sir. I wanted to wait till tomorrow after we had tried to recover the Terran Weapons and had more on this Honshu guy.”

  The Sojonit leader laughed out loud and said: “What could there be to report? Indeed, you forget who you are talking to!”

  McElligott had his face buried in his hands then looked up. “Alright Captain. I am sending the Minerva. That is a Privateer ship that like the others is one of our secret units. By the time this is over, you know all our secret assets. ”

  He sighed. “As it may be, you are to transfer the Itomarian relics and the Stik Delegation to the Minerva. We will bring the Stik to Pluribus and as soon as the Stik have made their case and we confirmed their claim, we will inform the other Three members of the Big Four that Sin 4 is now a Union World and move in and clean-up that cesspool. If you can determine the whereabouts of those Terran Weapons and maybe find out how they get there that would be a priority.”

  I acknowledged his orders and the masked woman added: “I bet Richard will want to come with the Devi.”

  “We have had the Sin 4 problem now for quite some time and all we had to do is send in the Olafson Gang.”

  He sighed and said: “Remind me to sit down and have a drink before you deliver your next report!”

  “Sir, I am not sure what I should have done differently.”

  “It is all good, Captain. All is good. Continue just as you have done before. I trust in your abilities and judgements, as Richard and Cherubim do. One thing is for sure Mr Olafson; your reports aren’t boring to say the least. Carry on.” With these words he cut the transmission.

  Now Mother Superior removed her mask and said: “You and Richard are the only ones outside this post who have seen my face and know my true identity. While I trust the Old Administrator, experience of a very long life time has shown me it is always good to keep the numbers of those who know all about you to a minimum.”

  “I don’t completely understand this need for secrecy on these levels, but then you know more about this than probably anyone.”

  “Richard Stahl is integrity personified, he won’t sell out to anyone and nothing. He would not hesitate to lose everything including his life to stand for his principles. Admiral McElligott is a good man too, but I have seen him put agendas before convictions and accept policies.”

  She sat down and motioned me to do the same and continued: “Consider this a first lesson as I tell you about a time when a Kermac controlled political party gained control over the Assembly and enforced the Pacifist Movement. The 2nd Galactic War had just ended, the enemy came close to winning and the final victory had been costly in lives and properties. The Union was a fraction of the size it is now and the citizens were war weary.

  The Pacifist Party accused Richard Stahl of being a warmonger and questioned why Immortals were still in positions of power. It escalated into false accusations and Richard Stahl was placed on trial for war crimes against the Kermac and found guilty. The argument was that he and most of the old Admirals and senior officers prolonged, even caused the war with their aggressiveness and that peaceful negotiations would have been a much better alternative than war. Many had forgotten the real reasons for the outbreak of the 2nd Galactic War and most citizens did not believe that Immortals really existed or should be in positions of power. They were after all originally from Earth and did not represent anyone else.

  They actually arrested Stahl and send him to a Penal Colony until he could be handed over to the Galactic Council for trial and execution. Stahl managed to flee with about 200 loyal friends and Marines and disappeared. All other known Immortals were evicted from their posts and two of them were placed on trial and executed.

  Only after Aaron Mendelsohn and a certain Saresii woman you know exposed the Pacifist Party and their use of Kermac
Mind control on the Assembly did they lose power.”

  I listened to her story. I had heard about Stahl’s exile but never any details. It was not taught in school and no classes were held on this at the Academy that I could remember.

  She nodded as she saw me thinking and said: “Yes, it was a shameful period and those Assembly members freed from the mind control realized what they had done. Of course the Kermac operated very delicately and managed to do it slowly and without controlling anyone who would have noticed the Psionic influence, but all they had to do was control a small portion of opinion makers and key figures. Do you know that there was one Immortal who kept his post and position throughout the entire time?”

  I whispered. “McElligott?”

  “Yes, no one called him a warmonger and no one could find any incidence where he got involved in politics, other than accepting the decisions the Assembly made.That he was an immortal never seemed to come up.

  For one you could say that is exactly what he is supposed to do and you would be right. In this regard he is as steady as Stahl, but on the other hand one could say that a man in his position should sometimes question orders and decisions, just as he asks every one of his officers to do. So you see, while I trust McElligott to a certain degree, I would never reveal all my secrets to him.”

  I was thinking about that for a moment and said: “I trust him too, but I have the feeling that he sometimes envies Admiral Stahl for his reputation.”

  “Your feeling is not so wrong on that one, my Soja. The reputation of the Eternal Soldier has slowly seeped into the consciousness of our Union as a whole and while some don’t even think he is real, they trust him and his name. His legend is told in countless stories from one end of the Galaxy to the other, while no one really talks or remembers McElligott unless you happen to be in the Fleet.”

  “What about Cherubim?”

  “She is an enigma even to me, but I know for her Earth comes first and the Union second. She probably told you she is the Hunter, but she has more often than not also been the Executioner.”

  “There are others like you and me, some have kept their existence well concealed but as I said, beings with such long lives always have a mission and a purpose that transcends the plans and goals of those who only share this reality with us for a limited time.”

  “What does all this mean to me then?”

  “This, my Soja is for you to find out. Make your own observations and come to your own conclusions. What I see with my eyes might not look the same when you look at it. Just keep your eyes and mind open and realize that nothing in this universe has only one side.”

  She then laughed silently. “Except perhaps Richard Stahl.”

  I had returned to the ship and changed back into my usual black leather outfit.

  Deepa, aka Mother Superior, had talked to Shea alone. I was just slinging the weapon belt around my hips when the door announced her.

  She too had changed and now wore a Saresii type midnight blue velvet one piece suit that modelled her gorgeous curves without creases and like a second skin. She hugged me and said. “Mother Superior told me a few things and I know you have been accepted as a special member to the Order and since you do belong to the Avenging Angels are subject to stringent secrecy rules. She said that one day we both will be able to share all our secrets.”

  I held her and her warm body and the incredibly soft velvet made an especially pleasurable experience that stimulated glands and animalistic instincts that did not fit my outer appearance or the wish to be female at all.

  “I would like that very much, if we can work out our relationship while we are serving on the same ship. I am sure we will be able overcome every obstacle in civilian life later.”

  She grabbed me by the hair and pulled my face into hers and we kissed passionately. I was not sure where this would have led us but SHIP interrupted and our AI said: “I am so sorry Captain but I have to disturb you, there is an urgent and serious development that needs your attention.”

  I let her go with a fleeting kiss on her nose and we both rushed to the bridge.

  Elfi had the Conn and she said.

  “Captain, the patriarch of the Donheer Clan wants to talk to you. He is standing by on a channel. It’s about Har-Hi I think.”

  Shea handed me my mask and I said while I was still putting it on. “Get him on!”

  A fat Humano Shiss hybrid man sitting behind a massive desk.” Ah the mysterious Captain Black Velvet. Let me welcome you to Sin 4 and discuss a little business proposal I have for you.”

  “And you are?”

  “Oh forgive me. I am Duke Donheer and I run much of this planet. I was told you have a Dai Than in your crew. It just happened that I captured one, along with a little Golden and a Human. Should you miss those three then I have a proposal for you.”

  All blood left my face and my stomach cramped:” What kind of proposal would that be?”

  “You accompany me tonight to the fight arena . You will be my guest and after the fights we discuss how you can exchange money against those three. A skimmer will pick you up at Three Hour tonight, and do dress nice. You just might appear on GalNet.

  Just in case those three aren’t that important to you I let you know that Two Loki torpedoes are aimed at your ship and I don’t give a hoot if half the town goes with it. Dare not to show up and see if I am bluffing or not.”

  Chapter 14: Death Fight Arena

  I was still sitting in my chair feeling stunned by what I just heard, thinking hard what I could do to save my friends. How did they manage to capture a Narth? Did I deal with the Kermac and the Worm?

  That there were groups out there on Sin 4 wanting to capture a Narth, I knew from the time I had been here before.

  I somehow knew he was still alive but I could not feel anything else and that was more than disturbing.

  TheOther who held the security post came over and said with a low voice. “Captain we now have an asset inside the Donheer compound and we should be able to make contact any time now.”

  I turned and looked at the Y’All. “An asset?”

  “Yes Ma’am. Lt. Neugruber authorized additional personnel for Mehdi Senhadji mission and two of the NWC officers volunteered. Mehdi managed to trace the weapon deal to the Donheers and our tiny friends managed to follow one of the suspected Mil Tech dealers onto the Donheer Compound Island.”

  I could not completely keep my anger out of my voice as I said. “While I appreciate initiative I sure would like to be informed who is sent outside on a place like this.”

  Then I put my hand on his arm and added. “Thank you Mr. TheOther. How soon can we make contact?”

  Elfi said. “They are calling now, Captain.”

  The main screen changed and we looked at an office from underneath a desk. We saw feet and the support projector for an old system hover chair. A voice spoke. “Lt. Bergdorf reporting, Captain. I managed to infiltrate the actual office of Duke Donheer. My associate Ensign Sahlhof is on its way to the security center of the island for detail assessment. We believe a Union fleet officer or perhaps a former one is the source of the stolen mil tech and he seems to be in the employment of this syndicate leader.”

  I could not help myself and said. ”Be careful, you are not small enough to be invisible!”

  “Your concern is duly noted Captain. However we are wearing Atlas Battle Suits and we are both cloaked.”

  He stepped from under a desk he was currently hiding and flew to a shelf unit with art objects and sports trophies. There due to his size and perspective between gigantic looking trophies he looked down into the room and I saw the fat white man behind his desk.

  Shea said. “I got the scan data from the DNA residue Mr Bergdorf gathered under the chair of Donheer.

  He looks almost human but most of it appears to be Kermac and there is also Shiss DNA. It looks like he is related to our friends at Brahma port as some of the markers match with the samples we collected there.”

  I
looked at the man who sat behind his desk and a Communications Terminal. He had white, finely scaled skin. His head was hairless and he had reptilian Shiss eyes above a small nose with flaring nostrils over a wide mouth that was filled with small, needle sharp looking fish like teeth.

  While I served on the Hyperion and under a Shiss captain, Captain Zezzh managed to show warmth and compassion in his completely alien reptilian face, there was not a hint of friendliness in this face.

  I wondered if this is how things were going to be. Instead of chasing through space and using the ship and all its amazing technology we once more saw what a spy of ours observed. My best friends were caught by this bastard and he was blackmailing me. I had a good mind to simply take my marines and raid his place, right through the front door. Of course he had captured Narth, Har-Hi and the Golden, so a frontal assault could endanger my friends lives. I could not rely on the old Eric and jump in the middle of things. The main problem of it all this was that I had a ship and it had to come first, even before my best friends. We had a mission that also came before the personal safety of my crew.

  Something happened on the screen, an old man came into the study and he looked much like Donheer did, only the Kermac features were much stronger and he said:

  “Are you dreaming again about expanding our empire? You know the other families are getting nervous and a Syndicate war is never a good thing, son.”

  Donheer got up and said. “It is my empire, old man. Mine! You are old and weak. You were content with a quarter of a dirty planet. I am soon strong enough to take them on, all of them and then will I wipe them out!”

  The old man who seemed to be the father of Duke Donheer replied. “You are part Shiss, part Kermac and your grandmother was a Saresii slave woman but you inherited none of their wisdom or their psionic powers, but you certainly know how to be arrogant and self-inflated. You like eating of the finest things yet you have no class. The balance of the four families has served us well and made you rich. Maintain what we have and expand slowly and into areas that we know.”