We would compromise our advantage by disclosing our position, Toiber. We don’t know yet where these ships are located and if they’re enemies. It would be wiser to wait under the cover of our anti-detection shield. Do you really want to warn him?
We won’t let him fly into his death! Send your message and lift the disguise. Show him where we are!
The anti-detection shield deactivated moments later while Nautilus sent a message by means of a narrow beam transmission to the Messy Unit.
No reaction.
Status Report! What’s his reaction to our warning? Is he changing course?
The Messy Unit is dissolving and losing its structural integrity! I can no longer detect the ship!
Arkroid grabbed his armrests.
What do you mean dissolving? Is the Messy Unit under attack or destroyed?
Nautilus needed an unusual amount of time before answering, I’ve been deceived. The Cobalt Hunter was a projection – a very good one. The ship is gone. The space sector before us is empty. We’re alone. Wait … I was just scanned! Our position is no longer a secret.
»Reactivate the shield!« Arkroid commanded. »That clown had produced a virtual target echo. How is it possible that you fell for it, Nautilus? Klori’Tar thumbed his nose at us.«
»How can I distinguish real from fake, if the projection looked real and simulated all the ship’s signatures as I know them.«
»Okay then. Check the space sector, Klori’Tar must be around. The projection didn’t come from out of nowhere.«
»Huh … I think we underestimated Klori’Tar.«
Maya grinned and glanced at her virtual terminal.
»I’m detecting three ships, approaching!«
»They’re coming in fast!« Vasina added.
»They are Rexa ships,« Nautilus explained.
»Rexas? Here?« Vasina asked.
»They just opened fire!« Herimos shouted through the command central.
Pi commented, »Fortunately for us, they’re acting hastily and without a strategy. We’re still beyond their weapons range. Our appearance and that from the Messy Unit must have scared them out of their holes!«
Nautilus executed a short distance jump and re-entered three hundred thousand kilometers away. Although operating under the anti-detection shield, the jump was still detectable due to the side-effects, caused by the tachyon wind’s photon burst. The Rexas reacted quickly.
»They changed course and are firing at us again!« Tranos warned. »They’re covering the nearby sector with a barrage of different weapon systems – they’re fishing in the dark!«
»Evasive maneuvers with normal propulsion systems, no tachyon jump!« Arkroid commanded and calmly watched the expanding, plume-like Rexa energy discharges.
Nautilus changed into an elongated shape to offer a minimum of ship surface toward the attackers. The attack didn’t pose a great danger to the ship as the Techno-Ferry always evaded the plasma charges ahead of time.
»What a nice welcoming party! Shoot first and don’t even ask what we want. I’d like to meet these commanders … they’d regret it!« Herimos growled.
The Rexa ships conducted a series of maneuvers, which indicated that their commanders were annoyed. Two of their ships passed the Techno-Ferry at a dangerously close distance. Thanks to the dimensional shield, they didn’t detect Nautilus.
Nautilus performed a couple of passive scans without jeopardizing the ships position.
»The Rexa ships are heavily armed. They’re sentinel ships, no doubt. There must be something in this solar system worth defending,« Nautilus announced. »I have just detected the signature of a tachyon hub. The portal is located on the first planet from where the sentinel ships started. We can assume with relative certainty, that we’ve found a trace of either Morgotradon or another agent of the Dark Brotherhood.«
»Klori’Tar possesses information, not available to us,« Kuster~Laap admitted, whirling his ears with excitement. »He kept his promise!«
»If this is correct then I’ll send him a fruit basket as a present!« Arkroid said and grinned.
»If this is common practice on your home-world to show your appreciation, then make it a big one!« Kuster~Laap suggested. »You certainly understand the strategic significance of a Dark Brotherhood outpost so close to the Crux-Heart? I suggest to call the Krolakans and have them wipe out that Dark Brotherhood base!«
His deep voice made everybody twitch in pain for a moment. His hard line approach was uncharacteristic for him.
»The Rexa ships are still searching for me,« Nautilus announced.
»There’s a good chance that Peu’Fler can chase them away with his fleet, the Rexas can’t be that naïve and face the Krolakans. That’d be their end. We should chase them away and take a closer look at that portal, there may only be a small pirate hideout,« Maya interjected. »However, if this is one of Morgotradon’s bases then it speaks for itself that we have to intervene ...«
»… including a self-destruct system!« Pi added. »This doesn’t mean that we can expect a direct encounter with Morgotradon. We can’t allow ourselves to underestimate him. He’s the most dangerous enemy we’ve ever faced!«
»I hope we’ll meet him there!« Maya said and received an astonished look from Arkroid while she just shrugged. »The encounter is inevitable. If it comes to a fight then it’s better when I determine the time and conditions!«
»You mean …?«
»… what else!« she responded sternly, avoiding Arkroid’s inquiring glance.
»A ship deactivated its anti-detection shield!« Tranos announced suddenly, he had kept an eye on the displays.
The Messy Unit just appeared fifty thousand kilometers starboard side. It possesses a very advanced anti-detection technology! Nautilus reported to Arkroid via mental bridge.
»Obviously,« Arkroid said to himself, but loud enough for the team members to perceive. »Is this one of those technological marvels that fell out of the sky above Klori’Tar’s home-world?«
Nobody answered as they took his question rhetorically.
»Rexa ships are changing course and are set to attack the Messy Unit!« Herimos growled loudly. »If he’s smart then he’ll turn away. I hope he’s not looking for a fight. The odds are against him and we can’t help.«
Instead of flying away, Klori’Tar executed an absurd maneuver, actually flying toward the Rexa ships.
The Rexas seemed surprised and gave up their formation, flying away in different directions, just to take the Messy Unit into their midst.
»A classic tong and shear maneuver,« Tranos commented. »They want to be able to attack the Messy Unit from three sides!«
»Can’t we help him? I hate to sit around idling!« Ivanova burst out, watching the displays, the Messy Unit was flying into the trap.
Two of the Rexa units had taken a parallel position to the Cobalt Hunter, while the third unit tightened the grip from above.
Excited, the team followed the unfolding event on the displays.
»They’ll nail him in a second!« Tranos remarked.
Arkroid exchanged quick glances with Pi.
»I hope he knows what he’s doing … he’s a hunter, right?« Pi asked.
»The Rexas opened fire!« Herimos remarked.
Nobody on board the Techno-Ferry believed that Klori’Tar could escape this barrage.
Seconds before the plasma charges hit the Messy Unit; Klori’Tar executed a short tachyon space jump and rematerialized behind the Rexa units. Their commanders didn’t have time to react accordingly. Moments later, three expanding, bright, fiery plumes indicated their former positions.
»Eliminated!« Tranos huffed surprised.
»Eliminated is not the right word for what we just witnessed,« Pi corrected. »The ships vanished, eradicated, wiped off the face of the universe – no debris, nothing! How’s that possible?«
»Nautilus, deactivate anti-detection shield!« Arkroid commanded. »We need to have a stern word with this Klorian. I wan
t this weapon analyzed!«
»Which also fell out of the sky, I assume,« Maya added sarcastically.
War paint
Klori Tar’s head appeared enlarged but in true color on the holographic display after Nautilus had established a secure comm-channel with the Messy Unit. Klori Tar seemed resolute and angered. He had applied several, thick blue stripes across his face and forehead, which stood in stark contrast to his pale skin and red hair.
»What’s that supposed to be? War paint?« Maya mocked.
Arkroid was surprised.
She’s right, that’s war paint!
Klori Tar didn’t waste his time with salutations and cut to the chase, »I don’t know which thirsty gmorg convinced me to take you along on this mission? You are not only nixing my plan of attack by revealing yourselves too early, you’re also flying through my line of fire, damnit! You put me at a disadvantage and delayed my kills!«
»We just wanted to warn you,« Arkroid coughed, interrupting Klori Tar.
The owner of the Messy Unit just looked at Arkroid for a couple of seconds before he continued, »This is not the first time I’ve encountered this galactic scum! I’m a hunter and don’t need your help! On the contrary … I came to your aid. You should be happy to have me and my Cobalt Hunter as allies!«
»I have a question regarding your ship, Klori Tar,« Pi injected. »What kind of weapon did you employ against the Rexas? Was this harsh reaction absolutely necessary? There’s nothing left of them. Would it not have sufficed to scare these Rexas and chase them away?«
Klori Tar looked at Pi as if he had just encountered a resident of the Empire of Death.
»It baffles me to see that your species had survived for so long. If you continue with this attitude then your people will be doomed and not last for another hundred years. Also … it would be foolish to discuss my tactics via a comm-channel, even though it seems secure. All I can say from experience is that the commanders of these guardian ships would have never given up and not allowed me to check out their base on the planet. They were bluntly confident, attacking me with only three ships, huh!«
Only three ships! It seems clear to him that there’s a base down there. He hasn’t wavered in his ability to beat the Rexas! We need to reassess this man from the ground up. He’s not as naïve as he lets us assume. He knows exactly what to expect and to find in this system! Arkroid thought.
I analyzed his weapon and the results, Toiber. It’s an anti-polarization weapon, also called an annihilator! He possesses technology; I would have never thought he could have.
Arkroid only faintly listened to Klori Tar’s ongoing accusations and bragging and concentrated more on Nautilus.
I don’t know what an annihilator is, please explain.
He uses an energy field of a higher order, which he transforms into a lightspeed-fast, bundled waveform, directed at the target. Upon impact, the matter affected, is transformed at its sub-atomic level to anti-matter. This continues until this energy potential of the wave is depleted. We can safely assume that the inner parts of the Rexa ships were still consisting of normal matter while the hull was transformed into anti-matter. This led to self-destruction as anti-matter and normal matter spontaneously reacted, literally annihilating the ship in an instant.
This is a horrible weapon!
All weapons are horrible, Toiber! The effects are similar to the ones on the Kugo home-world. I think, however, that it is coincidental that Klori Tar possesses a weapon which creates these results.
»I found out what the recent anomaly had done to the Kugo world,« Klori Tar said further. His tone of voice indicated that he wasn’t at all moved by the fate of these beings. »My Cobalt Hunter analyzed the phenomenon and took advantage of it, thus adapting the weapon systems accordingly. See … you should know that my weapon technology is very flexible, smart and the best in the galaxy.«
Pi straightened in his seat.
»Are you trying to tell us that you configured a new weapon system within minutes after analyzing the catastrophe that hit the Kugos?«
»Trying to tell you? It’s a fact! Didn’t I prove it already? By the way: There are no more enemy ships in the system. Morgotradon, master of the inner planet, is not here either. He left at the first signs of the dimensional overlap, I assume. That coward flew away, because he can’t predict the side effects after such an occurrence. He didn’t care about the Rexas. Well, I took care of the problem anyway. Opportunity knocks! I’ll smoke out the rat’s nest down there! Then the next ones, until I get my hands on this bastard!«
Assuming that Morgotradon had simply fled the scene is probably exaggerated. He just retreated for now, and that isn’t a sure thing either. Even if Klori Tar’s accusations are correct, it still doesn’t mean that Morgotradon could return via the tachyon portal. This is perfect for him, so close to the Crux-Heart. No, this is an important base! Arkroid thought.
»May I ask you for a favor, Klori Tar,« Arkroid requested. »Let us take a look at this base before you start your extermination campaign. We don’t know much about Morgotradon and need to find some answers. There is also another danger which can be directly linked to Morgotradon. The Great Tremor. We might be able to gain more insights and even find Morgotradon’s current hide out.«
»Uhh … the Great Tremor is just a myth!« Klori Tar said with a mocking voice. »Some cultures also believe that the sandworms on Robio 9 are the highest developed intelligences in the universe. I only use them to catch shloggs on my home-world.«
It seemed to Arkroid that Klori Tar didn’t take the warnings about the Great Tremor seriously.
He’s only interested in Morgotradon.
»We’d like to take this opportunity to check out the base. Can we count on your assistance?« Pi tried a different approach. »Your experience is important to us and could save lives.«
Maya grimaced over Pi’s buttering-up attempt and shielded her eyes with her hand, but Klori Tar seemed to like it.
»Certainly, Lai Pi! You want to do some research and check out the base of evil? One thing is certain: If you enter the base without an experienced guide then you’ll be risking too much. I hope that your makers have deposited enough eggs in your nests which can be incubated after your demise. If I let you land on that planet all on your own, then you’ll never come back! Worse: My reputation as a hunter would be damaged forever! Your widows would probably show up on my home-world for restitutions.«
»Uh … what?« Voit said.
»I’ll come with you,« Klori Tar decided quickly. »Nobody can say that I left you in a lurch.«
This mission stinks
Nautilus exhausted the ship’s technology to scan and check out the planet from a safe distance. There were far reaching underground installation, larger than Triton Base in the solar system.
Why am I not surprised? Is it because Klori Tar led us here or because there were some Rexas guardian ships deployed in this system? Maya had baptized this planet Spook. Well, it’s high time we check out who’s spooking around in this base, Arkroid pondered.
Spook was similar to Mercury in the solar system and littered with craters. The surface was shimmering in a red hue, almost like Mars. Spook was always facing the sun with one side, creating a constant day and night side. Only within the libration zone, between day and night sides, the temperatures were stable. On the night side, the temperature was close to absolute zero whereas the sun-facing side was sufficiently hot to make the surface bubble in the heat, creating large lakes of molten rock. Most importantly though: Spook consisted of normal matter. The planet as well as the sun had been spared by the effects of the dimensional overlap.
»The planet’s diameter is five thousand two hundred kilometers. The axis is exactly perpendicular toward the orbit around the sun,« Herimos announced, reading the data from a holo. »We should scan the planet’s interior. If there are still some Rexa ships on the planet then they must be inside underground hangars with deactivated power plants. We would definitely n
otice if they plan to activate their ships. There’re some indicators of surface activities, but no defense systems.«
I wonder how many times other intelligences passed this planet and declared it as irrelevant, Arkroid thought.
This base is enormous, replied Nautilus. It’s shaped like a four-point star. Each of the arms is about one kilometer long and they meet at a central junction in the middle. The greatest width of each arm at the junction is about three hundred meters and at the outer tips twenty-five meters. This could be an important base to Morgotradon, maybe even a Dark Brotherhood center. I suggest being extremely cautious. This base is a couple of numbers to big for a Rexa pirate hideout!
As Arkroid opened his eyes he looked straight into Klori Tar’s oversized face inside the holo. He seemed to be waiting for a reply.
»Klori Tar you still didn’t tell us what aroused your attention to this solar system. There’re more than a handful of solar systems in the vicinity of the Crux Heart, not farther away than ten lightyears. Why did you choose this system? Who told you about a potential Dark Brotherhood base? I think it’s time to tell us what’s going on.«
Klori Tar grimaced.
It wasn’t clear to Arkroid if Klori Tar wanted to indicate anger or happiness.
I wish there was a common regulation how galactic people express themselves through gestures when conveying their feelings!
»My Cobalt Hunter has his special ways,« Klori Tar explained briefly.
»Certainly,« Pi replied irritated. »It’s not a coincidence, we figured that much.«
Pi avoided an open confrontation with Klori Tar, although the planet discovery was much more than just an ordinary occurrence or a coincidence. The destroyed Crystal Base was much smaller than the star base on Spook.
»What’s your plan, Klori Tar,« Arkroid changed the subject and signaled Pi to hold back. »How do we get into the base and what do we need to do to prepare ourselves. I assume that you don’t want to land your ship, correct?«
NEBULAR Collection 5 - Panic in the Galaxy: Episodes 22 - 26 Page 24
