The Pike Chronicles - Books 1 - 10

by Hudson, G. P.

  “Our sensors are detecting the activation of weapon systems on several of your ships. Stand down immediately, or you will be-” The Dvorkan turned to someone off screen. A lively conversation ensued. Jon tried, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. He was certain that much of it involved swearing. Finally, the Dvorkan commander turned to face Jon again. “It seems there has been a misunderstanding. Your ships are free to go, though you will need to purchase the necessary permits.”

  Jon was flabbergasted. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

  “There was a mistake,” said the Dvorkan, raising his voice. “That is all. Now, you will either transfer the necessary credits for your weapons permit, or you will go back the way you came. What is your decision?”

  The muscles in Jon’s shoulders relaxed. He felt relieved that he didn’t need to fight another battle. “I’ll purchase the permits. How much will they cost?”

  “One-hundred-and-fifty-thousand credits,” said the Dvorkan with the kind of half smile that indicated a large chunk of the payment would go into his personal account.

  “I’ll pay,” said Jon. He had no interest in provoking the Dvorkan further. It was not the first time he’d encountered corruption, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

  “Excellent,” said the Dvorkan, his smile significantly broader. “Do you authorize the credits to be transferred from your account?”

  “Yeah, go ahead.”

  “It is done. You are now permitted to continue to your destination. Safe journeys.” The Dvorkan terminated the communication, and his face blinked off Jon’s screen.

  “What the hell was that about?” said Jon, baffled by the encounter.

  “Maybe they were bluffing about boarding our ships. It could’ve been just a tactic to get us to cough up the credits,” said Henderson.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t look like the bluffing type. You could be right. It was probably a shakedown from the start.”

  “He could’ve been telling the truth. The Consul might have given us all the permits we needed. Maybe this guy just made a mistake.”

  “I don’t know. Something fishy is going on. I just haven’t figured out what it is yet. But I will. Resume course. Let’s hurry up and get to our destination before the next Imperial officer tries to get their hands on our credits.”

  Chapter 21

  “The alien ships were intercepted by an Empire battleship,” said Captain Keer, the three-dimensional projection of his head floating in front of Consul Kang.

  Consul Kang gasped, worrying that someone else could take the credit for her discovery. “Why were they intercepted?”

  “The battleship commander said they lacked the necessary permits to bring warships through system, and threatened to board their ships. Of course, we know that once boarded, those ships would be seized.”

  “And were they?” said Kang, a pang of anxiety creeping in.

  “No. My men were following the encounter from their cloaked vessel. They contacted the battleship commander. He was told that he was interfering in a sensitive investigation, and would face serious charges if he persisted.”

  “Did it work?”

  “Yes, the Captain seemed aware of the damage such charges would have on his career, and he let Admiral Jon Pike go. Of course, he made sure to sell Pike some weapon permits at an inflated price, but it is to be expected.”

  “Thankfully Admiral Pike secured plenty of credits before leaving. Excellent work, Captain.”

  “Thank you, your worship.”

  “I assume your men are still following the alien ships.”

  “Yes, your worship. A cloaked squadron is keeping a close eye on them. Their travel remains predictable and consistent with a trip to Kaizon One.”

  “Good. Stay with them. Our plan has not changed. They will need to travel down to the surface to meet the scholar. When they do, you will spring your trap.”

  “What if the scholar interferes?”

  “She is irrelevant. You are free to take whatever action is necessary.”

  “It will be done, your worship.”

  Chapter 22

  After crossing through the last transit point, Jon finally caught a glimpse of their destination. The planet Kaizon One, home of the Dvorkan scholar, Miira Kev. It was one of several inhabited planets orbiting a large yellow star, a fair bit larger than Earth’s sun. It was a bustling solar system.

  Traveling through the Empire, Jon remarked at the Dvorkan willingness to inhabit various planets. In this system, for example, Kaizon One was ideally situated to support life. Sitting perfectly in the system’s habitable zone, it had ample sources of water, flourishing vegetation, and plenty of oxygen.

  The other populated planets, and moons, were not as abundant as Kaizon One. Some were even hostile to life. Not much different from the first Dvorkan planet they’d encountered, with great domed cities to protect from the elements. Those cities were an engineering marvel. Jon had seen domes before, but nothing on this scale. The Dvorkans had truly mastered the art of city building in hostile environments.

  If there was little room left on the habitable planets, many would need to move to those less hospitable. Considering their mercantile nature, Jon was sure the cost of living on a habitable world was highly prohibitive. It would force those of lesser means to a less desirable planet, or even a moon. And those likely to be pushed there would be these alien races the Consul had spoken of.

  He thought of the inhabitants of the Consul’s planet. In a remote system, on the outskirts of the Empire, it was extremely hostile to life. There were no habitable planets nearby to trade with, nor any other populated planets for that matter. He imagined that life on that desert planet was very affordable, compared to life on a planet like Kaizon One, or even one of the more hostile planets in this system.

  It seemed, perhaps like something of a refuge for less savory types. The Consul had indicated many Dvorkans moved there to avoid other alien races of the Empire. He suspected though, it wasn’t the full story. He was fairly certain of black market activity on that planet. It would stand to reason, that those involved preferred to keep a low profile.

  “Sir, we are being hailed,” said Henderson.

  “Patch them through to my console,” said Jon, wondering what demands he would encounter this time.

  A Dvorkan woman appeared on Jon’s screen, sporting the same surprised expression shown by each Dvorkan they’d met thus far. She rebounded quickly regaining her composure. “What is the nature of your business in this system?”

  “We are here to visit someone on Kaizon One.”

  The Dvorkan nodded. “Eighty thousand credits. Armed ships are not permitted in planetary orbit. Do you permit me to withdraw the necessary credits from your account?”

  Jon tried to conceal his sticker shock. Clearly the more prosperous systems were also more expensive to visit. He was thankful for the forethought to secure more credits prior to their trip. But those credits were quickly evaporating. “Yes. Please go ahead and withdraw the necessary fees.”

  “Please note that firearms are not permitted on the planet surface. You are further restricted from firing your ships’ weapons in system, regardless of the nature of your quarrel.”

  “I understand.”

  “Very well. Enjoy your visit to Kaizon One.”

  “Thank you.”

  The Dvorkan gave Jon a perplexed look, and ended the transmission.

  “These Dvorkans have a fee for everything,” said Commander Henderson.

  “I guess you’ve got to pay for an Empire like this somehow. Prepare a shuttle, and assign a team of Marine.”

  “Yes, Sir. What about the other ships?”

  “Have them send their own contingents as well. With any luck we won’t run into hostilities on the surface. But the manpower would be nice if we do.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  Jon opened a comm and Breeah’s face appeared on his screen. “I’m about to head down. Do you want
to meet me in the hangar bay with Anki?”

  “Of course. We’ll be right there.”

  “Okay, see you in a bit.” Jon closed the connection, and left the bridge.

  Chapter 23

  “This planet is amazing!” Anki was taking in Kaizon One’s lush landscape, and imposing cities, from the display inside their shuttle.

  A second shuttle, carrying the rest of his team flew in close formation to Jon’s. After the trouble they’d encountered on the desert planet, Jon decided it would be prudent to bring greater numbers down to the planet. They were careful to abide by the law prohibiting firearms on the surface, but made sure to equipe as many alternative weapons as possible. The Dvorkans had specified firearms, not ion blades.

  “It is something to behold,” said Jon, in awe of the pristine planet.

  “Those buildings are miraculous,” said Breeah. “How do they build them to such great heights?”

  “The Dvorkans have displayed a mastery of engineering,” said Jon. “Those towers are another example of this prowess.”

  Despite the snarky Dvorkan attitude, Jon couldn’t help but admire their many achievements. But he was becoming more convinced that it was unwise to share the jump system. There was no telling how far they could take the technology. Considering their aggressive history, Jon had no interest in extending an invitation to invade their corner of space.

  The shuttles touched down at a designated landing pad, near the Imperial Science Center. There, they would seek out the scholar, Miira Kev. Exiting the shuttles, the landing party proceeded down a crowded city street.

  “It is not just Dvorkans,” said Breeah in astonishment amidst all the well-dressed aliens walking around.

  “No, they’re not,” said Jon, “Kaizon One seems to be home to a multitude of aliens.”

  “It is strange for so many aliens to live on such a prosperous world. I expected it to be full of Dvorkans.”

  “Me too. Especially with how the Dvorkans we’ve already met referred to them. Now I’m starting to think that the aliens’ wealth is what got them citizenship. It’s not cheap to run an empire this size. Taxing wealthy citizens goes a long way toward paying for the needed infrastructure.”

  “If these races were conquered, why wouldn’t the Empire simply confiscate their wealth?”

  “I’m sure they did at first. A large portion of it at least. The Consul said something about the aliens paying tribute to the Empire, before acending. The Empire had decided it more profitable to make them tax paying citizens instead.”

  “Better to have them generate wealth, and taxes, rather than enforcing poverty on them.”

  “Exactly. Why kill the golden goose?”

  “What is a golden goose?”

  “An old Earth story. It was in one of the books Governor Sallas recommended I read.”

  Arriving at the Imperial Science Center, they stood in awe of the towering structure before them. On entry, they found an automated system demanding payment. Jon sighed, keying in his account information, and the number of people in his party. When the system confirmed payment, they were allowed to enter.

  Once inside, it became apparent that the Imperial Science Center was something of a museum commemorating the many Dvorkan scientific achievements. A blue female who seemed tall even for a Dvorkan, stood in front of one of the exhibits. Gathered around her was a group of what Jon could only assume were Dvorkan children, even if many of them were almost as tall as Breeah. The group stood in rapture, hanging off every word as the woman spoke of the Dvorkan age of glory, which appeared to be a highlight in Dvorkan culture.

  “How will we find the scholar in here?” said Breeah.

  “We won’t. This is obviously a tourist attraction. She’s got to be on one of the upper floors.” There was a group of visitors accessing what looked to be an information console in the corner of the main hall. “Lieutenant Jarvi, get AI access to that console. Let’s see if she can get into a database and find the scholar.”

  “Understood,” said Jarvi, then headed toward the console and politely waited his turn. When the others finished Jarvi placed one hand on the terminal, facilitating the link for AI.

  “I have gained level one access to the Science Center’s network,” said AI over Jon’s comm. “Accessing their directory. Miira Kev is located on floor one-hundred-forty-three.”

  “Thank you, AI. Excellent work.”

  “Your most welcome, Admiral,” said AI. “Would you like me to drill deeper into the network.”

  “How’s the security? Will you get caught?”

  “I believe I can safely probe this system without detection. I have not seen anything to indicate the presence of another AI.”

  “Okay, go ahead, but be careful.”

  “Of course, Admiral.”

  “While you’re at it, how do we get up to the scholar’s floor?”

  “Sharing directions with Lieutenant Jarvi now.”

  Jon looked over at Jarvi. “Do you have it?”

  “Yes, Admiral. Follow me.”

  The group fell in behind Lieutenant Jarvi, who weaved his way through the crowds, and exhibitions. Jon realized the they weren’t drawing the same attention as they had elsewhere. They would attract the odd, curious look, but it would seem that had more to do with racial identity, than intolerance. Kaizon One had so many different types of aliens, that Jon’s team had an easier time of hiding in plain sight.

  Before long, they approached a set of elevators. Upon arrival, the doors of one of the lifts opened, and Jarvi ventured inside.

  “AI, do you have control of this lift?”

  “Yes, Admiral. Security restriction preventing access to the upper floors have been temporarily removed.”

  “Good work, AI. Have you run into any problems?”

  “Not yet, Admiral. This is not a military installation, so the security is not robust enough to hamper my activities. The restrictions are intended to keep tourists from going beyond the public areas.”

  “Understood. Don’t make any unnecessary stops along the way.” The sight of a lift filled with humans and Diakans might look strange to an unsuspecting Dvorkan, and Jon wanted as few conflicts as possible.

  “Yes, Admiral.”

  When the doors opened, Lieutenant Jarvi took the lead again. The rest of the group followed, moving down a wide, empty hallway. Jon was thankful to not run into any Dvorkans. Things were going well so far, but that always made him nervous.

  Jarvi stopped in front of a tall door. “This is it,” he said.

  Jon wondered if he should knock. “AI, is there a notification system to request entry?”

  “Yes, Admiral. Would you like me to notify the scholar of your presence?”

  “Go ahead.”

  When the door finally opened, an eight-foot-tall Dvorkan female stood before them. “What are you doing here?” she said. “The exhibitions are downstairs. This floor is not open to the public.”

  “Miira Kev?” said Jon.

  “Yes. Who are you? And how do you know my name?”

  “We need to speak with you. It is very important.”

  “What could you possibly want to speak with me about.”

  “The Builders. We’re trying to find them.”

  Miira’s eyes narrowed. “Who sent you? Never mind, I don’t care. Just get out of here.”

  “I’m serious. We are in desperate need of your help.”

  “And I’m serious too. I don’t know who, or what you are, but I’m done being ridiculed. Good bye.” Miira turned to walk away, and the door began to slide closed behind her.

  “The Erinyie have returned!” said Jon.

  The door slid open again, and Miira stared at Jon. There was a faint look of astonishment on her face. “What did you say?”

  “The Erinyie have returned. We need your help. We need to find the Antikitheri. The Builders. This is no joke. I wish it was.”

  Miira looked Jon over, as if trying to make up her mind. “Come in,”
she said finally.

  With a subtle sigh of relief, Jon and the rest of his group followed her inside.

  “Where are you from? I do not recognize your races,” said Miira, gliding through the room with great strides.

  “That’s because we are not from the Empire. We’re from an entirely different region of the galaxy. One with its own transit point network. We are on a mission to find the Builders. We need their help against the Erinyie.”

  She seemed remarkably unfazed. “And you say they have returned? How did this happen?”

  “We are at war with another race. An evil race known as the Juttari. We were winning that war, when the Erinyie arrived. The Juttari believe the Erinyie to be gods. We believe the Erinyie have returned to provide aid.”

  “How do you know they really are the Erinyie?”

  Jon, pointed to the Diakan members of his group. “These men belong to a race known as the Diakans. There is a Great See’er on Diakus who has the gift of sight. She sees the future, and the past. She identified the Erinyie, and told us about the Antikitheri, and how they are our only hope. That is why we are in this region of space. It was in the path of our journey. The Great See’er showed me the region of space where the Builders live. That is our destination.”

  “Impossible. All evidence indicates that the Builders occupy a region of space at least five thousand light years away. No transit point reaches that far.”

  Jon squashed an urge to explain the jump system. “We know where the region of space is, but it is rather large. Do you have any way of finding the home world?”

  Miira locked her pitch-black eyes with Jon’s, quietly scrutinizing him. “You have a way to reach the Builders. Miraculous.” she said finally. “I can help you find their home world, but you must take me with you.”

  “I’m afraid that trip has been canceled,” said a voice from the door.

  Jon spun around to find a group of Dvorkans, clad in the same black military uniforms, pointing sinister looking weapons at them. He wondered briefly how they’d managed to get into the room undetected by his, or the Chaanisars’ augmented hearing.