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

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  "It is so nice to finally meet project 12, I mean former Admiral Swybar!" The Kermac said.

  "I do not know what you mean by Project 12, but I think you could be the one responsible for my rescue."

  "Oh yes I am. I am also the one responsible for you being executed in the first place, but how that happened has to wait. Do have a seat Admiral. I have a pressing matter I hope you can help me with."

  A chair appeared and Swybar sat down and said."As I told your associate, I have nothing to lose quite literally and I will full cooperate without reservations."

  "You will find the Kermac can be generous, now tell me what you know about Koken?"

  "It was discovered recently and it is believed to be the…to be your original home world."

  "Yes, but do go on. How it discovered and what was is done about it?

  "Because the Siucra attacked an Explorer in the region,"

  "The Siucra were our first thrall species but that was over a million years ago. They still exist?"

  "I am not up to date on the latest developments, but I am not sure if any Siucra have survived the final attack. They worshipped the Kermac as gods and considered it their holy task to keep the space around Koken sterilized of all sentient life that had the potential of defiling their holy place which was Koken."

  The Kermac made Swybar tell the entire events and then the Wizard said." Amazing we did not even know they still existed. Yet there was a Thrall species worthy of our attention. Koken is far from Union space, does the Union have any plans for it?"

  "I don't know what the actual plans are, but I know it is considered Union Space now. The Tinkehel have become members."

  "Who are the Tinkehel?"

  "A Sentient species that was almost wiped out by the Siucra and their home world is only 12 Light years from Koken. I seen highly classified reports of UNI technology caches both on Koken and especially on Koken Moon. I know Admiral Strother of Coreward Fleet Command requested four Gigamon Space stations into that area."

  "We must go to Koken and retrieve a few things. How would you suggest we do that?"

  "That could prove difficult. I am dead and no longer able to travel freely in Union Space."

  "Ah but because you are dead you can. I was told from reliable sources, they have not yet deleted your command codes and the Citizen implant does not record the date of death."

  The former admiral rubbed his chin."In that case there are several things we could do."

  They showed him to a GalNet terminal and he dialed in and could access his personal files without any problems. A plan formed in his mind, how he could accomplish what the Kermac wanted and to get his revenge.

  ***

  I was less than a day away from my destination, as the Comm. Unit activated receiving a message from Fleet Central. I verified my identity and the main screen showed the Commander I knew to be Admiral McElligott's Aid." Good afternoon Midshipman Olafson, your Computronic verified that you have reached the coordinates necessary to brief you on your mission."

  "Aye Sir."

  "Switch to Secure Scramble 6"

  I turned the Channel to the highest security settings.

  "Proceed to Pauli Station and find Commodore Morgan. She is of NAVINT and she will brief you and instruct you in Clearance procedures and she will have the final instructions for your mission."

  All this did not sound like a simple delivery mission to me, but I verified and repeated my orders. The Commander gave me a sad grin." I know you wonder what this is all about, and I couldn't tell you if I knew, but you better get used to it. You are the only Midshipman I know of who is on the scanner screen of the Old Man. It is very hard to get his attention, but once you got it it's even harder to sink back into obscurity. With that I mean once the Immortals have noticed you, your Career and life will never be the same again, I know. It happened to me."

  "I guess you have a point there, Sir!" I sighed and acknowledged.

  Pauli Station was a Gigamon Class Space Station, of the same class as Arsenal Gate. While I knew the purpose of Arsenal Gate, I wondered why they had put such a large station more or less in the middle of nowhere. As far as I knew there was no important Navy installation or important System nearby. The closest occupied star system was Novak's Sun and it only had one occupied planet called Novak One and according to GalNet its main export was Oranges and nuts, agricultural products and nothing spectacular or secret.

  True Narth Prime was only 45 Light years away, but Narth Prime had its own network of space stations and a Gigamon Station called Narth Gate.

  I could not find any particular reason for Pauli Station on GalNet either.

  Even for the nearly inexhaustible resources of the Union and the Fleet, there had to be a reason for making such an investment. Gigamon Stations were the largest Standard Class Deep Space Stations, heavily armed and defended with enormous crews and material needs.

  Traffic according to my scanners was light. I only noticed a big freighter and a Space bus in scanner range and then hailed the station. An Attikan with spotted fur and Lieutenant rank appeared on the screen. "Good evening Midshipman Olafson, I have received your flight plan orders and transponder codes, all is in good order. Please approach from Galactic North and release Landing controls once you are in the Green Zone. Traffic Control will take over from there. Welcome to Pauli Station."

  "Thank you Sir."

  "Say, Midshipman your name sounds familiar. Do you know Fectiv and Pure?"

  I smiled." Yes those are friends of mine I met at the academy!"

  "I am Fectiv's older brother, Factnav. He has told me a lot about you. If your orders leave you any spare time, give me a buzz after I am off duty and we have a drink together."

  "I sure would like that. I will let you know as soon as I received my orders."

  He disconnected and I smiled to myself. This was a pleasant surprise and I hoped I had a few moments to catch up with him and maybe get the GalNet Codes for Fectiv and Pure's PDD's.

  As Pauli Station came into visual range, I noticed the huge station was partially attached to an asteroid or dark moon. Objects like this were called wanderers. Planets, Moons or large asteroids that have been expelled from their original solar system and floated through interstellar space, were hard to find but not uncommon. I wondered if that rock was the reason for the Pauli station.

  I reached the green traffic control zone and landed remote assisted in one of the enormous docking bays. A mechanical arm took the entire Sturgeon and placed it in a parking rack on the side.

  I secured the ship according to standard protocols, after I had put on dress uniform and checked my appearance one more time.

  Pauli Station Port was just like any other Space port. This one was lively but not very busy. The Usual businesses and restaurants gave a sense of belonging. As long as there was an Arthurs one could be sure to be in Union space and no matter how far from home, some things were the same everywhere.

  The Instructions I had received were specific and included an address. At an Info Bot station I learned that much of the asteroid was hollowed out and added to the station and the whole complex was enormous, but the Info-Bot transferred its instructions to my PDD and using the IST System I reached Level 175 Section 45, Corridor 14 in no time.

  As I exited the IST I stepped into a lobby area inside that Corridor. A man in black coverall and no visible rank insignia sat behind a dark wood counter. The front of the Counter was decorated with a blue glowing stylized eye and the letters NAVINT. Which stood for Navy Intelligence, judging by his blond curled hair and the stern nose I figured him to be a Pan Saran, but he did not wear the polished brass chest armor they usually did. He looked up form whatever he was doing." You must be Midshipman Olafson."

  "Yes Sir I am."

  "The boss is waiting for you. Please go down this corridor all the way to the end, there is a double door. Go right on in and welcome to the family!"

  "Sir, what family?"

  "NAVINT of course,
this is Pauli Station and this is the NAVINT academy. Midshipman arriving here for his second year, I just wanted to be the first to welcome you."

  I nodded a little surprised and then went down the corridor as instructed. Now I knew what the purpose of Pauli Station was, but I didn't really want a career in NAVINT. Was I not supposed to be able to make my own choice? On the other hand I had not yet made up my mind what career path to take. Maybe I had waited too long and the choice was made for me.

  Nothing ever appeared to be simple. With a sigh I approached the door and it opened right away.

  It was a sparse decorated office with a desk, before it a visitors chair and behind it an older woman with dark short cropped hair.

  I snapped in attention and saluted her. "Midshipman Olafson reporting as ordered, Ma'am"

  She had the same warmth in her eyes as a Rock shark as she eyed me up and down and then she smiled." Welcome Midshipman Olafson. I am Commodore Morgan and I welcome you to Pauli Station."

  She waved and motioned me to sit down. "We are a little different than the regular Navy; we don't flaunt ranks, or do much of the saluting and all that."

  I sat down and said." Thank you Ma'am, am I correct to assume that I am to serve my second year here at NAVINT?"

  "Well that would be your choice later on. If that is what you want. For now you are here to receive your new Security Clearance. It is very rare that anyone gets a Clearance that high and I never heard of a Midshipman getting it, but I am instructed by Fleet Command to instruct you for all procedures of the Blue-Blue Red Level."

  I was tested and memory conditioned for the next three days and received detailed instructions. No one knew why or if they knew no one told me. A Saresii Technician wanted to implant a Psi Shield, he explained that every Command Officer and every Navint Agent got one of these, but as he tested me he said." I don't think you need one. I never met anyone as perfectly shielded as you. I am a Level 20 telepath and I couldn't even tell you are here!"

  Just then the Commodore walked in and said to the Saresii Technician." I hope you haven't started, we have explicit orders not to implant him."

  I was still on the examination couch underneath a metal sensor ball while they talked. The Technician said." No I haven't started yet. It looks like he already has one and yet I can't even localize the Implant."

  "He has Narth connections."

  To me she said." Your Narth friends shielded you better than anyone could. Have you received your new code key yet?"

  "Yes Ma'am it was implanted this morning."

  "You know how to get the day code?"

  "Yes, Ma'am, I am to log on in the morning to the Security Network. Identify myself according to protocol and then listen to the day code."

  "Very good, now give the day code for today. This is an order."

  "I cannot give you the day code unless you have identified yourself according to Blue –Blue protocol to an independent official Computronic system."

  "Acceptable! Now where would you find an independent Official Computronic?"

  "Aboard Union Ships, all public places such as Union Star Ports and any Computronic connected to Nelson."

  "Appears to me you got it. Maybe you change your mind after you're done with that assignment of yours and come here to Pauli Station and specialize in NAVINT."

  "And I was under the impression; I just had to deliver a space ship." I could not help saying it with a sarcastic undertone.

  "Do you know how many beings serve in the Union Fleet?"

  "Not exactly no."

  "I think it is in the Trillions and do you know how many of those ever see the Admiral of the Fleet, or talk to him? The chances to win the Pluri-Lotto are much better, now you have met the Old man several times and you are on his personal call list. Getting back into obscurity is almost impossible."

  I sighed." I have a feeling you might be right."

  "Now get out of that examination gown and meet me in my Office in twenty minutes, so I can brief you on your mission."

  Chapter 21: Nothing special

  The Commodore was not alone in her office. There was another woman present and I knew her. It was Commander Gwenn Hollow and she smiled. "Did I not tell you we will meet again?"

  The Commodore said." Your mission is to take Commander Hollow to her home planet."

  I looked at them both and I was sure my face displayed the big question mark I was feeling and I burst out before I could stop myself." This is it?" I realized I spoke out of order, both of them were high ranking Officers and I added." I am sorry, Ma'am. I gladly take you to your home planet, but I don't understand the secrecy and all the clandestine preparations. I think you knew about all this when I left you at Lorman's Starbase."

  The Commodore said." You received this Security training because you know about the Spatial Gate on Wichita. The Gate and the existence of the Cave of things have been classified."

  Commander Hollow laughed." No one expected you to end on Wichita, solving the Big Bone Mystery. Not even my security clearance is high enough to really know what else you discovered there. All we wanted is to reward you with the transfer of the Sturgeon."

  I grinned sheepishly as all made sense and that there wasn't a real mystery after all." Sorry about that."

  The Commander waved her hand "No worries Midshipman, if you ever make it to become a commanding officer, you would have to come here anyway for your Psionic Conditioning and Security briefing. Maybe it is a good omen."

  The Commodore added." After you have taken the Commander home, bring the Sturgeon back here, as this is its new station and then we get you to Arsenal II so you can continue your Academy training."

  And the Commander said." Please meet me in six hours at the ship, so I can catch up a little with my sister. Pauli Station has a great shopping concourse."

  ***

  I used the time to call Factnav and met him in a bar on the concourse. He told me that Pure had changed his mind and had switched to the Marine Corps and Fectiv was back at Arsenal for his second year. He was specializing in a JAG career! Another one of my friends making a choice I would have never guessed. Factnav grinned at that and agreed that this was a surprising choice, but he told me that Fectiv planned for an eight year stint in the Navy and then become a lawyer and that a stint in the JAG department would help him.

  Factnav never asked me what I was doing here and stopped me as I wanted too." This is Pauli Station, we never ask questions here. You never get an answer and if you do its most likely a lie, but intelligence and counter intelligence is as important as Battle ships and canons."

  He swiped his PDD against mine and said." Now you got Fectiv's Call Code. I am sure he will be glad to hear from you. Of course he is back at the Academy and his access to PDD's and GalNet is limited, but you can leave him a message and get Pure's code as well."

  I left him a message right away and send him a Visual of me sitting next to his brother.

  Factnav then wished me all the best and went back on duty and I found my way to the ship, but not before finding a Union Post office. There I packed a few keep sakes for Exa I had purchased on the Concourse and the nice souvenir axe in a big box and had it send home addressed to Elena, so she could safe keep the things for me. Traveling with a big axe was not very convenient or practical, but I sort of liked it and didn't want to lose it or throw it away.

  ***

  She appeared on time and said standing before the airlock." Requesting permission to come aboard."

  "Granted, Ma'am."

  She came in put a suit case down." Now that we have the formalities behind us, you can call me Gwenn again; unless you insist then I will have to call you Captain."

  "Well you are a Commander but if you are okay with first names, then that is fine by me."

  "Alright Captain, get your ship into space and then I give you your destination coordinates."

  I checked the systems and noticed the Station systems had refueled and serviced the engines and moments late
r we left Pauli Station behind us. She handed me a chip and I put it in the Nav Controls. I double checked the coordinates. Planet Endora was at the very fringes of Union Space, not far from the Igras Nebulae, the densest matter nebula known. Since sensors did not work well in the nebulae it was a welcome pirate hide out.

  According to the catalog, Endora was only colonized 50 years ago and claimed by a Group called Frontier Gems Inc. It was in a region of space sparsely populated and there was only rudimentary survey data available.

  She leaned over and sighed." I know what you are thinking: What a dump."

  I shrugged." One cannot choose his or her home planet."

  "Space bus makes it to Endora only once every month, and then usually with an escort from the Ranger station on Mabaa, 45 Light years away." She said with a smile as if to explain why I was taking her there. It made sense to me, the Sturgeon was fast and small and it has teeth. Seeing the number of pirate incident reports of that area I was hoping that was enough.

  She got up and said." I think I check out what the Galley has to offer. Since we are still three days out, we should have time for a nice little dinner."

  It didn't take her long and she came back." The galley is small but well stocked. I prepared us dinner. Would you care to join me?"

  I checked the scanners once more; there was nothing artificial in sensor range. The Computronic would alert me if there was anything and so I joined her, I was surprised to find her wearing a red dress and her silvery hair put up in an intricate hairdo. She had a soft smile on her lips and said." I am technically off duty and going home, so I thought I get out of uniform. I think you could as well if you like."

  "As much as I would like that but I am not off duty."