I smiled."Yes I am certain he can."
Egill blinked." I heard every word and as usual I have understood nothing."
I laughed."I have the same problem usually but Narth my friend tried really hard to make me understand at least a little bit."
Egill gestured to the Saresii."This is Algear Moansti, First among the Saresii and One of the elected Seven. Don't bother to introduce yourself to him, I told him all about you."
Before I even realized doing it , I had bowed slightly before the Saresii and said." I am deeply honored to have the fortune to meet you."
The Saresii who looked like a nice woman but was judging by the name and Egill's choice of words as he, smiled and said." The honor is mine as well. To see a human, a Neo Viking of all choices being so close to the Narth is quite surprising."
I then told Egill a little about the Academy and my first year and he told me that Sif was not working out as he thought she would and had run off with a Student friend of hers and he did not know where she was at the moment, but he expected her to be still on Pluribus and was not too worried.
He then told me that he had to attend to a meeting and wished me good luck. Before we ended the call I promised to call when I could."
Interlude: Assembly
Egill terminated the connection and leaned back. Algear glanced at his friend."You love that boy and you told me so many times and yet you criticized him and snarled at him during the entire call, I do not understand."
"It is my way to show him, I care. He understands."
Algear sighed and said in complete unison with the Narth." Humans!"
Egill padded Algear on the shoulder. " I explain it to you one of these days." To the Narth he said." Now can you explain to me why Eric is on the Assembly List as High representative of the Narth?"
"Narth Supreme decreed that Eric is Narth and when Eric speaks he also speaks for Narth."
"And you think that is an explanation?"
"Yes one thinks so!"
Algear smiled at that and then said." Well at least he is not in the Fornax Cluster as you feared he might be."
"I don't know what exactly is going on there but the Attikan Representatives spoke of a major fleet built up aimed at that cluster and I heard the Devastator signaled Attikan forces from there. My grandson had the uncanny ability to be somehow always in the middle of the biggest trouble. I think there is big trouble brewing at that cluster."
Algear wrinkled his pretty nose."It would take even the Devi many months to get there, if not years. How can she report from there?"
The Narth raised his hand." Distances are relative to the speed you travel. Space is not absolute in any case and it appears logical that this formidable ship traveled perhaps at a greater speed. This is not a mystery to Narth, however I would be greatly thankful if you explain to me how trouble is brewed."
Before Egill could attempt to explain that to the Narth, the current speech of a ThreeOz was interrupted by the speaker of the Assembly." I must apologize for cutting your speech time short Representative Molx, but I must call the assembly for an emergency meeting. We just received a report from fleet command that the Devastator is currently engaged fighting Y'All ships in the Fornax Cluster. The report also indicates that the Y'All ships are crewed by the Kermac!"
That announcement caused quite a stir. While only a few very long living beings remembered the first Y'All attack, everyone knew about the devastation and the horrors the last Invasion had caused.
That the Kermac were involved came as a shock only to a few. Many knew about the rumors that they were involved somehow with the earlier Y'All Invasions.
The Petharian representative, who shared similarities with the Y'All was the first to speak." The Petharian are home to the M33 Galaxy and we have not experienced the Y'All invasion but we are now members for over 1000 years and we know well about these meddling Kermac. I say we declare war on them and wipe them out of existence once and for all. No Kermac, no Y'All so it seems to us. Every Petharian will be mobilized and we will stand to the last soul by our Union brothers!"
The Klack Queen herself was next, she spoke via Avatar." This time the Klack are with the Union. Neither Kermac nor Y'All can conquer us now. I agree with the Petharian, the Kermac have meddled and stirred trouble ever since they ascended and it is time they do that no more. The Klack will be part of the victory or die with our Union."
The Attikan Rep floated in the middle." The Commonwealth is not a member for very long, but not a single member of the Commonwealth regrets our decision to join. The Y'All and the Kermac will wish they did not pick a fight with the Union, Attika will stand to the last ship and planet and defend the Union. It is a community of many civilizations and it is one worth fighting and dying for."
The Representative of Terra spoke." Together we defeated them once before, this time we are thousand times stronger and have more friends and allies. I like to change the old saying: They made one mistake, a mistake everyone in this galaxy knows not to make..They made the Terrans..No they made the Union angry!" the man of Earth made a crocked smile and said." They just came in time so we can test our new Armageddon Weapon."
The Ult laughed." It had to be the Terrans coming up with a new device to scare the moisture of their backs!"
But then all became quiet as the Narth rose and addressed the Assembly for the first time." If war is upon us and enemies regardless of origin and it is the will of this assembly to wage war, then the Narth will not stand idle aside but join you in the fight. A Narth Sphere has been dispatched to the Fornax Cluster as we speak. It should arrive there within the hour and assist the Devastator. However one would like to caution his fellow assembled Representatives, before declaring war. Let us gather all information and make such a decision wisely and with reason so we really know against whom war is to be declared. It can be easily declared and started, but it is so hard to stop. There are agents and beings that listen to these proceedings and they report to the enemies of this Union. To them I direct this message of Narth Supreme: Make no mistake Narth are Union and what never happened before will happen if the decision is made, Narth will go to war!"
The silence remained. The Narth turned to Egill without realizing that every Visual Sensor was still on him." Egill, one has addressed the Assembly. Yet there is no acoustic response, has one chosen the wrong words?"
"No my friend, but you speaking and what you said is of such importance that everyone is thinking about your address."
"What would you suggest?"
Algear, the Saresii also leaned forward."Yes I like to know that as well, you always have a good take on things."
"I am only of a little planet unimportant planet and these are matters of cosmic importance, but If I were in charge. I would wait, the Devi is there and no one knows more about war and fighting than Stahl. Let him talk to us once he has all the information and then make decision. Right now we are shouting for war after hearing a vague report. It's not enough for me to wager with millions of lives."
The words had been heard by all and a resolution was put forth to do exactly as Egill had said and it was voted approved overwhelmingly.
Interlude: Kermac Prime
The Kermac High Circle of Wizards listened to the report of their spy. He had shown them a recording of the Assembly proceedings as well.
Vorneun the Intelligence wizard looked perplexed." Can someone tell me what is going on here? I never even heard of the Fornax Cluster, what were they talking about Kermac in Y'All ships?" He addressed Nachacht the Military Wizard as he expected him to have done something in secret, but Nachacht looked as surprised but the Grand Wizard clenched his little fist." It has begun! The Call has been answered. The Y'All are here and the cursed Union will be no more than a memory."
Nachacht raised his hands wanting to strangle the Grand Wizard." Did you not see and hear that entire report? The Narth will go to war on Union side! I am not sure if there are enough Y'All in this Universe to stop that one Nart
h Sphere they have sent. Did you hear the Union Reps screaming for war? We are not ready for war!"
The First Wizard said angrily." That was just a Union rouse. A cheap actor. Anyone can look like a Narth! Besides, even the Narth are not invulnerable. They too can be conquered. It is your job Wizard of the Military to make sure we are ready for war." To the Intelligence wizard he said." Your task is to find out how the Narth can be overcome. Your task will take priority over everything. The Universal Collective had a way to deal with the Narth. We are the successors of the Uni."
"They are gone for 250 Million years!"
"The shafts of knowledge are still on Koken. Go there and do your research. No cost and effort to be spared. Take and recruit what you need."
Vorneun was no longer as pessimistic." Yes I will do that. I wondered why we left all that knowledge there in the first place."
"Because the shafts are dangerous and they do not easily give up the information and only Kermac can access them so we cannot use thralls. I value my existence more than knowledge, but you are expendable and so are a few thousand of our kind you can take along. Now go and be successful."
Vorneun was not sure this was the real answer. There was a reason their forefathers had left the shafts untouched and left Koken. No one remembered the reason why the Kermac left Koken. The story about hearing the Voice of the Universe was mythology. There was another reason. Yet he had been there with the Grand Wizard and nothing bad happened. He wondered also why no Kermac before them got the idea to do that. There was a hidden tome of information guarded by the first wizards that held the answers. Part of his mission he decided was to get rid of the Grand Wizard and make himself supreme and then he would know.
***
No one had showed up to brief me or anything. So I reported in ten minutes before the time I was supposed to be there. JAG Office 54653 was an entire floor of the building and I was asked by a human Ensign to wait in a boring lobby until I was called with a few arm chairs and a low table littered with fleet magazine foils.
A single room plant in the corner looked somehow forlorn. Every now and then women in high heeled shoes and skirt suits would stalk down the corridor and disappear in one of the many doors. I could see the desk with the Ensign and after 12 minutes I asked him if I was at the right place and if they knew I was there. He looked bored and a little annoyed." Midshipman Olafson, I am doing this job for a while now and very good I might add. You are but a Midshipman, about as important as that rubber tree there in the corner. I have registered your presence with those who requested you. All you have to do is sit tight and wait. If it takes all day you still wait. There are important matters worked on and should they need you they call you."
Punching an ensign in the face , at a JAG facility would not have been a good idea, even though I was tempted, so I returned to the arm chairs and grabbed one of the magazines, an issue of Squadron News Magazine from three month ago. I actually began to enjoy myself reading it, there was a lengthy report on the new Bubble bridge design and I was a little proud of myself that I experienced one first hand. A dozen high ranking officers had started a lively discussion below the article arguing in a professional manner about the pros and cons of the design.
Three hours had gone and still no one had come. The Ensign was getting up came over and said."I am off duty now, but your orders were to be here at 1400 hours, your orders do not specify anything else, so I strongly suggest you stay here."
That didn't make much sense. First they dispatch a Battle ship on Admirals orders to get me here with all haste and then let me wait in a boring lobby. Was this a tactic of the defense maybe? Was the proceedings already well under way or even over and I the main witness had not shown?
I did have my PDD with me and there were no messages. I send a message to the Admirals office that I was here an hour ago, but it had not been answered so far.
Even though he was just an Ensign he was a superior officer and he had given me a direct order to wait here. There was not much else I could do.
One of the women I had seen go back and forth approached me about three hours later. She was Saresii, judging by her purple eyes and long silvery hair and I wasn't sure if she was a woman in the first place. She wore civilian clothing and said." Cadet, you are sitting here for hours. Can I ask you why?"
"I was ordered to be here at 1400 hours and I reported in at that time. It was regarding a Court Martial procedure."
"I am Commander Hollow assistant to Admiral Olia. There was only one case on the docket…" she snapped her fingers."Of course you are Cadet Olafson. You went through basic training with Agia Olia right?"
"Yes."
"I am so sorry the proceedings have been postponed as the Admiral of the Fleet himself wanted to be present. However a big crisis has come up and the Admiral had to deal with it."
"Oh okay."
She smiled."Scuddlebud has it the Y'All have returned and Admiral Stahl is engaging them as we speak at a distant star cluster. Something like that would take the priority over a court case."
"I understand."
"What I don't understand is , why you haven't been sent to the Hotel. Waiting here for hours was totally unnecessary."
"The Ensign at the desk insisted I wait here."
"I see." Then she said." We will proceed with the case with or without the Admiral the day after tomorrow. We can prolong it only that long. So you are stuck on this dust ball of a planet for the next 36 hours and if you want I can show you around a little and you tell me about Olia's daughter and the Academy and we can have dinner."
"I am not getting in trouble not waiting here as ordered?"
"No worries. I really am a Commander and I am second in command of this place and I will have a word with that Ensign tomorrow."
"I am glad I would have had to start a conversation with the Rubber tree otherwise. I know the magazines by now."
"I doubt it would be a very good conversation, that tree is not known for its conversational skills. So I suggest you go to your hotel, freshen up and change into civilian if you like and I meet you in the lobby in an hour. There is an excellent real Terran Italian in town."
"What does he do?"
"Serve the most delicious food this side of the Galaxy. Trust me on that."
I decided to trust her and was about to leave when she said."Oh and so you know I am a woman."
"You read my mind?"
"No I can't read minds. Even though I am Saresii, I am a good Telekinet though, but that is a question everyone has meeting a Saresii. I just wanted to make sure you know that."
Interlude : Steel Gauntlet
Stahl's suit shield had collapsed twice, and the scorch marks on his armor showed that he came awful close to making his ideas of retiring quite mute, but the Steel Gauntlet had managed to secure the alien ship, and the grey skinned Kermac Captain still struggled in his augmented suit fist. Stahl had grabbed him, before he could activate the self destruct. Sergeant Black Horse, a genuine Terran Apache shouldered his monstrous boarding axe and said." Ship Secure, Big Chief." None of the men in the Iron Gauntlet called Stahl by his rank or name, but woe to the poor soul who would even hint a disrespectful thought against the Admiral in their presence.
Stahl nodded." Get Chief engineer Dohan over here on the double. I want him to go over this flying dodo pile with the fine comb and make sure it isn't going to blow anytime soon."
"You got it Big Chief."
"Casualties?"
" Georg bought the farm Sir. He was a damn Yankee but a good man and Rumble lost an arm, but since he had four he won't mind, besides I am sure the meds can get him a new one."
"Make sure Georg is taken home. We will remember him later."
"Aye Chief!"
Only now did he pay attention to the Kermac Captain." Listen carefully, mister. I just lost a good man and I am in a very grumpy mood. I want to know everything."
"I will tell you nothing. Your actions have perhaps postponed our victory but
we have what we came for."
Alyica appeared right there and she stared at Stahl, said nothing but her eyes told him all she wanted to say. Instead she said."They have stolen several crates of Translocator cannons from one of the Stations storage holds. I can read him clearly and I am sure we can do a memory dump and get all his secrets."
The Kermac struggled more."How can this be! Not even a Saresii should be able to read our thoughts."
"Looks can be deceiving Kermac. I am not a Saresii and what I do is not Psionics, but that is not important. The information you carry however is."
She then stared at the scorch marks and the molten visor of Stahl's battle armor." I think you need to be in sickbay too, you look odd without eyebrows!"
"Can you take care of this fellow? I got to finalize things over here and then we need to find those cannons."
The Kermac Captain floated,, unable to move a limb toward the woman and they both disappeared.
Translocator canons were shipped in special crates. Only a Union Officer with the appropriate clearing could open it, without triggering the self destruct. However nothing was certain and any safety system could be fooled or bypassed. This was a civilization at least as sophisticated as the Union and to rely on a hope alone was not good enough. The Union was able to keep this technology out of the hands of others for almost 1500 years. These Canons were the main reason the Union was so successful. There was the Armageddon Device just recently put into field tests by the Terran WepLab and he had great hopes, but having this Celtest weapon in the wrong hands would still be disastrous."
No one in the Galaxy was a better interrogator than Alyica, she would find out.
Something was very strange here. The Y'All fought like devils but he doubted he could have taken this ship with so few casualties if they were of the old kind. Also these Gray skinned Kermac acted differently than the ones he knew.
Chapter 15: Italian Food
I found the Commander waiting in the lobby. She wore a black velvet dress, that clung to her figure like a second skin and a fur stole in the same color as her silvery hair. She was stunningly beautiful in an exotic way and reminded me of the Saresii general I had met at the Academy Office and of course Master Alema. I wondered of all Saresii looked that way and how they managed to recognize each other. She raised an eyebrow." By the Spirit, you clean up nicely."
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 277