by Francis, Ron
“Alright,” Jesse answered. “I’ll do my best to answer all of you questions.”
Without any further preamble, the questions began. “You were expected almost two days ago. Why were you late in your arrival?” The voice inquired.
“Actually,” he began. “We arrived within the predetermined timeframe. We have not arrived late.”
“Our records indicate you could have made it here quicker. Why did you delay?” The voice continued, unsatisfied with his first response.
Jesse could see where this was going, it seemed like this was going to be more like an interrogation and not a round of friendly questions. He knew the key to getting through this with any hope of still seeing the King would be to admitting no wrongdoing. He began by not agreeing that they were late. “Our FTL drive was overheating, so we had to stop to effect repairs, but we still made it during the agreed upon timeframe.” Endeavor’s crew was looking at him, wondering why he kept mentioning the timeframe, and he muted the transmission. He told them he didn’t like the tone of the questioning. He said it felt like someone had told them what had happened in Conglomerate Space and they were going to somehow try to use it against them. His strategy would be to try to admit no wrong because he knew they were being recorded. After giving his crew the brief explanation, he un-muted the transmission.
“Endeavor, did you fix your light drive on the planet Binwar or Zenith?” The voice continued its inquiry.
“Both, actually, we were forced to leave Binwar before repairs were completed,” he responded tentatively. He was shaking his head and the crew began to have the sinking feeling that Jesse was right about the questioning.
“Were you forced to leave after you assaulted a Pandaran citizen, Colonel Marcos?” The voice countered.
“No,” he replied. “I didn't assault anyone; video evidence will show that I was just defending my ship's doctor and another crew member against an unprovoked attack.”
“Why did you leave Binwar before repairs were complete, then?”
“We were chased out by pirates from the Lawless Sector. Garrinoras is still upset that we foiled his attempt to invade Kaldor.” Josiah nodded at Jesse. He knew his friend was playing this game well, not only avoiding blame, but putting the responsibility for any wrongdoing where it belonged.
“So the Pandaran that was badly beaten had nothing to do with your departure?”
“The thug that attacked us wasn't quite as tough as he thought he was. He had nothing to do with our leaving. He should really learn to get his anger under control, though. Check the video evidence; you'll see who started the fight. I just happened to be the one to finish it. The police even let me walk away from the scene because they knew I had done nothing wrong.”
“Did you then go on to Zenith to complete repairs?” The voice continued undaunted.
“Yes, we did,” he replied.
“While on Zenith, you assaulted four Conglomerate soldiers, did you not?” The inquisition was in full swing now, and Jesse had still admitted nothing.
“I didn’t assault anyone on Zenith,” he replied. “You’re Intel must be faulty.”
“What about the injured soldiers, Colonel? Who assaulted them, then?” The voice impatiently demanded.
“How should I know? I was attacked by several men, but they never identified themselves as military or law enforcement, so I couldn’t honestly tell you who I defended myself against.” He winked at his crew, glad they were not on vid for this transmission. He had turned off vid when the Hyperians did not use theirs.
“Are you familiar with the name Colonel Jaketh?” The next question came.
“Yes, I am.” He admitted. “He was with the pirates announcing over some speaker that I was wanted in the Lawless Sector for crimes against Zinnebulous. Neither I nor anyone on my ship has ever been to Zinnebulous, therefore, we could not possibly have committed any crimes there. It seemed like it was just another ploy by Garrinoras, so I figured this Jaketh guy was a pirate, too.”
“You seem to have an unending supply of excuses, Colonel Marcos,” The questioning voice seemed unhappy.
Jesse wasn’t too far behind him as he responded with an edge to his voice. “Not excuses. Answers. There’s a difference. You are asking me questions, I am giving you answers. I thought that was how this was supposed to work. Was I wrong?”
“We only have one more question for you, Colonel Marcos,” The voice replied. “Did you attack a Conglomerate flotilla by the asteroid field in the Zenith system?”
“No,” he answered tersely.
“Would you care to elaborate on that answer?” The voice inquired with a little force in the question.
“No,” he repeated, knowing it would upset them. “Unless you have any more questions, I think we are finished with this friendly inquisition now.”
“I will rephrase my last question, did you engage in combat near the asteroid field in the Zenith system, and if so, why?” The voice had finally seemed to figure out Jesse’s strategy.
“Yes, we did,” he admitted. “A fleet of pirate ships led by Colonel Jaketh and the Mannagore Captain Blade chased us into an asteroid field where they then proceeded to open fire on us in the asteroid field for several minutes. We then came up with a plan to escape their unlawful detainment and we destroyed three pirate ships in the process.
“How did you escape a twelve ship blockade?” The voice asked.
“I have a stellar crew, and pirates are idiots. Are we done here?”
“Yes, we are. Thank you for your compliance. Please hold your position and we will contact you after the King and his advisors have gone over these transcripts.” The voice cut the transmission before he could respond, which was probably better anyway.
“What was that all about?” Suzy asked with a good amount of disbelief in her voice. “I thought the Hyperians were supposed to be the good guys in this galaxy?”
“The Conglomerate must have reached them and said some pretty negative things about us. I thought Jesse played it perfectly.” Josiah replied.
“Yeah, but the Hyperians should know they can’t trust the Conglomerate, so there has to be something else in play here.” Collin concluded.
“I believe Collin is right.” Kimi added. “Something else is happening that we are unaware of. There can be no other reason for what just happened.”
Jesse was really disappointed, but also really angry. He had really wanted to explore the Hyperian Sector and possibly use the telemetry equipment to plot a course to Earth. It appeared as if Garrinoras had found a way to keep that from happening. He would just have to find another backup plan. The disappointment must have been evident on his face.
“It’s okay, Jess; you did the best you could.” Suzy encouraged as she squeezed his arm.
“Thanks, Suzy,” he put his hand over hers. “I’m just wondering what we are going to do for a backup plan if we can’t get to the deep space telemetry equipment. Plus, I really wanted to see that palace,” he added with a sad smile.
She felt bad for her friend; he very rarely seemed to want anything for himself. He really was looking forward to seeing the palace and meeting the King. She just smiled and answered, “Maybe we still will, Jess, maybe we still will.”
“Hey, Collin,” he called. “Could you move us another ten thousand kilometers to port? I still have that feeling.”
“No problem,” he set course and then asked. “So what’s our next move? If we can’t use the Hyperian equipment, I mean.”
“I honestly don’t know guys, I’m sorry. We still have eleven months to come up with something else, though, so let's not worry too much.”
“Collin and Kimi are right,” Josiah began. “What if Hyperia isn’t against us? What if maybe there is someone on Garrinoras’ or the Conglomerate’s payroll high enough in rank to keep us from the King?”
Before Jesse could answer his friend’s question, his heart sank as he watched a Hyperian Battle Group drop into the system right where they h
ad been a few minutes earlier.
“You know, I really hate it when you’re right, Jesse.” Josiah remarked sadly.
The Hyperian Battle Group was impressive. It consisted of two Destroyers, six Melee Cruisers and eight Gunships. Someone on Hyperia wanted to make sure Endeavor didn’t get away again. Hyperian Destroyers were among the most feared ships in the galaxy. Each one was built to take on an entire enemy fleet group. She crewed over five thousand and carried three hundred Predator fighters along with fifty assault shuttles. The ships were long and rectangular with hard lines. With forty decks, a Hyperian Destroyer would usually tower over its enemies. The ship was twice as wide as it was high and its fighters launched from both sides of the ship near the middle. The ship could fire over thirty weapons at once, making it the perfect ship to neutralize a larger number of vessels. The Destroyers contained a front and rear bridge so it could continue to coordinate its efforts if the main bridge was destroyed. Hyperian Gunships were fairly standard with better engines and shielding than their enemies, but what really set the Hyperian Fleet apart were the Melee Cruisers. Hyperian Melee Cruisers were built for large scale, chaotic conflict. The ships were flat and broad, and on the front they contained a powerfully built apparatus used as a battering ram. The ram measured wider and a little higher than the front of the ship, which is why the ship contained a raised bridge a quarter of the way down. The back of the ships are lined with six powerful sublight engines, twice as many as needed in order to give the ship greater acceleration. There were also plenty of powerful weaponry on the ships, but the feature that set them apart was that they were built to plow into other ships during battle without sustaining damage. To that end, the armor and shielding in the front was much tougher than in the back. Melee Cruisers were never supposed to run from battle.
“Collin, let’s wait here, but continue moving away from the battle group. If it does appear that they have spotted us, or if they casually get too close, we can just jump out of the system. I'm really sorry guys, I really believed this was going to be a safe place for us to explore. It appears that I've wasted your time and put us in danger once again.” This trip really was beginning to take a toll on him.
“We all knew the risks when we signed up for this mission, Jess,” Josiah encouraged as everyone else nodded their agreement. They hated to see their commanding officer so down, especially when none of it was his fault.
______
Captain Blade finally had some good news. He had spoken to Admiral Greyside, who had assured him there was a plan underway to move against Hyperia. If all went according to plan, they would even be able to capture Colonel Marcos in the process. The Admiral had joined the long list of people that hated Jesse Marcos for making his best men look like fools and destroying two of his ships. He had received a copy of the Hyperian inquiry of Marcos, and had found his answers appalling. Jesse Marcos had admitted nothing. There was absolutely nothing there the Admiral could bring to Balinaz Superior, the ruler of the Conglomerate. Admiral Greyside desperately needed something to charge Colonel Marcos with. The worst part about the inquisition was that everything Colonel Marcos said was true. Colonel Jaketh was working with the pirates. The men on Zenith had not identified themselves, although they were clearly Conglomerate soldiers. The fleet had fired into the asteroid field at Endeavor. Greyside needed something concrete, an actual crime, which was hard to find in Conglomerate Space. The only real crime in the Conglomerate was not cutting the government in on the action. Balinaz had recently been taking small steps to change the Conglomerate’s image, but it would be generations before all of the corruption could be wiped away.
The Admiral himself had contacted Garrinoras and promised delivery of Colonel Marcos to Captain Blade. He praised Captain Blade and let Garrinoras know that if Colonel Jaketh had listened to Blade, Marcos would already be in custody. The Admiral assured Garrinoras that he was personally taking over the hunt and welcomed the six extra ships he had sent. Captain Blade had decided that this was one human he actually didn’t hate. He still had to contact Garrinoras, so he sent the transmission.
“Mighty Garrinorasss,” he began. “What orders do you have for me in light of this new information?”
“Captain Blade,” Garrinoras bellowed. “You are to bring Colonel Marcos back at all costs. If you have to betray this Greyside, then do it. If you fail me in this, you will no longer be my second-in-command. Do you understand?”
“Yesss, Mighty Garrinorasss,” he replied. He understood very well. To be demoted in Garrinoras’ organization was to be killed. As the transmission ended, he called Yartan over and began making plans, contingency plans and betrayal plans. He would not lose to a human. He would capture Jesse Marcos or die trying. Yartan was a capable second-in-command. Yartan’s red skin gave him an intimidating look and he was considered big for a Farannsian. He stood six-foot four inches tall and spent every spare moment in training. He was one of the best warrior’s under his command. His people were split in their hatred of humans. About sixty percent of his people actually liked humans, including the government currently in power. Many, however, hated humanity as much as any of the other species in the Lawless Sector. The only species Blade knew of that were completely allied with humans were the Qualoosh and the Julanii. He suspected that was because they were considered to be slave races to all of the other species in the galaxy. Human trash had somehow managed to rule three quarters of the galaxy. He couldn’t understand it, and he vowed to change it.
______
King Dominus had been so excited when the Chairman of Kaldor communicated to him that the famous ship Endeavor was on its way to Hyperia. He was going to meet the famed treasure hunters. He was going to meet the crew that found the most incredible treasure in the recorded history of the Kalephi Galaxy, and then gave most of it away. Most importantly, he was going to meet Colonel Jesse Marcos, the Hero of Kaldor. The Chairman of Kaldor had told him they had something very valuable to Hyperia, and the King couldn’t wait to see it. He only wondered what was taking so long. Endeavor had missed its window, and Torav seemed to think they wouldn’t be making it at all. Dominus wasn’t used to disappointment, but he hadn’t been this disappointed since he was a child. King Dominus commed the palace transmission team and inquired if Endeavor had contacted them yet. He was even more disappointed when they told him that they hadn’t. As he ended the conversation, he noticed a royal page standing apprehensively nearby.
“Is there something you would like to tell me, son?” King Dominus asked, still frustrated at Endeavor’s apparent dismissal of him.
The page knelt and bowed low. With his face to the ground, he began to speak. “I believe the King has been given faulty information concerning Endeavor, Your Majesty.”
The King was puzzled as he replied. “Stand up and look at me, son. What do you mean I have been given faulty information?”
“Commander Gallo’s men have been in contact with Endeavor. I just dropped off a transcript of their inquisition on the Commander’s desk, Your Highness.” The page looked terrified as he replied.
The King knew the boy was frightened, so he replied very gently. “You have done well, son, what is your name?”
“Soall, Your Majesty,” the page replied more confidently.
“Well, Soall, you are going to take me to this Commander Gallo and we are going to get to the bottom of this mystery. What do you say?”
“It would be my greatest honor, Your Majesty.” The page replied with a smile. “May I tell you one more thing, Sire?”
“Yes, of course, Soall.” The King replied.
“I believe Commander Gallo thinks Endeavor to be a threat. He has dispatched an entire battle group to apprehend them, Sire.” The page reported a little nervously.
King Dominus knew there was no treachery in this boy and did not want the boy to fear him. He patted Soall on the back and replied, “That is most important information, Soall. We must get to the transmission room Gallo’s men inhabit quickly.
”
Soall led the King to the room Commander Gallo’s men were working out of. They were both surprised and terrified when the King burst in with his royal body guards and demanded to know why he wasn’t aware of the transmissions from Endeavor.
The lieutenant in charge bowed before the King and responded with great fear. “We were told not to inform you, Sire. We were told you did not want Endeavor in Hyperian Space.”
“Who told you that?” King Dominus boomed.
“Commander Gallo, Sire. You have my deepest apologies, I take full responsibility. My men were following my orders.” The lieutenant was about to come undone as he spoke.
“Silence,” King Dominus shouted. “Open a transmission to Endeavor now, Lieutenant.” The King commanded.
“Yes, Your Highness,” the lieutenant replied as he began to transmit. “I’m not sure they will reply. We have sent a battle group after them, so chances are they no longer trust us, Sire.”
“You better hope they still wish to speak to us. They carry something very important to my family and very important to Hyperia, Lieutenant,” The King replied harshly.
______
“Incoming transmission from Hyperia,” SAMMI alerted.
“They probably want to know why we didn’t hold position like they asked,” Jesse mocked. “Collin, if they are tracking us and those ships come our way, jump us out of here. Don’t wait for my command. On screen, SAMMI!”
Jesse was taken aback when he saw the face of King Dominus on the screen. Jesse knelt on one knee and bowed, as did the rest of the crew in view of the screen. Collin stayed at his post. “Your Majesty,” he began. “We had not expected to hear from you. Are those ships our escort?”
“No, Colonel Marcos,” Dominus replied truthfully. “Those ships were a terrible mistake. It seems one of my commanders had gotten it in his head not to let you speak to me. If not for young Soall here, I would not have even known you had arrived. Please accept my most sincere apologies. If you have any trust left for Hyperia, I would very much like to meet you and your crew. You are hereby authorized to land in the Royal Spaceport next to my palace.”
