Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 7

by Vanessa Ravencroft

  He put his head back on. The jaws of the skull mask moved only a little while he talked. “You must surely have heard of me, I am the bane of the Union, the living nightmare of merchant captains and the new incarnation of the Dark One himself. I am the Red Dragon.”

  I made an airy gesture. “I don’t keep up much with gossip and I don’t subscribe to the newsletter of the self-help group for delusionally challenged egos, but I am sure this is what you are. Now that does not explain why you found it necessary to interrupt my business.”

  He put his hand on his chest. “Oh my, you are as cold and arrogant as they say you are. I love that in a woman. Besides, I am in a good mood so I will overlook the insult for now. Our community of freelancing entrepreneurs is a small one and new players are scrutinized, especially one who operates under the identity of a 500 year-old pirate that suddenly reappears.”

  I looked him up and down. “So, you decided to scrutinize me? I don’t particularly care what you do in your spare time, Red Dragon, but it can be very unhealthy to stick one’s nose too deep into my business.”

  His voice lost all friendliness. “I am very impressed by your display of fighting skills in the arena, and I am certain it was you who clipped the fat duke’s wings. Rumors have it that you stole his Loki torpedoes, too, but make no mistake. I am not a little planet-bound gangster. I am the Red Dragon, and I command the Sinister Alliance.”

  I also put more edge in my voice. “Then it will come as no surprise to you that I am not impressed by alliances and groups. Duke Donheer wasn’t so little just yesterday. I wonder if you would have said the same thing three days ago. Now come to the point as to why you stopped me or make way. I intend to do business here.”

  He held up his hands. “Maybe this is going into the wrong direction. Come and see what I have to offer. I see three lovely ladies, and I do have loads of Union fashion.”

  I looked over his offerings. “I don’t wear secondhand castoffs, but I might be interested in these rolls of Saresii silk I see over there and perhaps the slaves.”

  He walked over to the silk and said, “You have a fine eye, this comes from the Gahabee Looms of Sares-Four and would bring enough credits to buy a new ship if one had access to a Union Xchange. The slaves are all healthy. I got rid of the rubble at Alvor’s Cove, those only good for the stew pots of Togar. The liquor, the robots, and most of the rest are finest Union wares.”

  I waved to Sobody. “I’ll have my associate check your offerings if you don’t mind so I have a clearer understanding of the actual value.”

  He nodded and gave Sobody access.

  While my golden friend checked the wares with obvious expertise, the skull-masked pirate said, “Having a Golden in the crew for such business matters must be a great boon.”

  I watched Sobody as he looked at labels and said, “He is my quartermaster and has proven his worth many times.”

  He looked over his shoulder. “Even I have not seen a crew like yours. Is that a real Y’All?”

  I waved at Sobody and said, “Let’s go, the proprietors of this business are a little too nosy for my taste.”

  To the Red Dragon, I said, “It is no one’s business to question the origins of anyone in my crew. If you really want to know, go ask him. I doubt you’ve brought enough men or weapons to survive the answer.”

  He spread his arms. “Captain Velvet, I am sorry. I admit I am a bit curious and I see you are as no nonsense as they say you are. Now let’s do business, and I promise I won’t ask any more questions.”

  I nodded and Sobody haggled with the man. At the end, we agreed to purchase the liquor, the slaves, and the silk. Sobody said, “The robots you can keep. Without the proper factory registration and activation codes, they are as useless as scrap metal.”

  He sighed. “He is quite correct. I guess I have to find another fool to get rid of those.”

  Even with his mask, he could not hide his feelings as Sobody did his key routine and opened the polo chest, carried by the NWC battlesuit. “Business must have been good for you, Black Velvet, and I wonder where you do business. I have never seen such a magnificent fighting robot outside of Union tech. This machine looks as if it could go toe-to-toe with a Union Cerberus and come out on top, yet I can’t identify the society that might have produced it.”

  Before I could say something, he said, “It was a rhetorical question. I don’t expect an answer.”

  One of his Oghar took the 20 bags of polo coins and scanned them. “It is all there, Red Dragon. The money is genuine and full weight to the last coin.”

  He still eyed the chest. “I heard how you dealt with Dentar Bloom, and I know you sold the Mighty Nine. The Volting commanding her was an associate of mine. All this and your decisive action against the duke show me you are not to be trifled with. Maybe you are the perfect addition to my plans. This peddling with secondhand merchandise is not what you and I are about. You delegate it to a Golden and I do it out of necessity but I have bigger goals.”

  I said, with a slightly amused tone, “Ah, right, I think I heard of that one. Attacking a Union outpost. From what they said at Brahma Port, it wasn’t exactly a very lucrative venture and very costly to those who decided to partake.”

  He almost hissed like a snake as he answered, “Yet I managed to do it. I attacked a Union outpost and got away. I dared what no one dreamed to attempt. This was not an undefended colony, and we managed to land troops. The prize would have been Translocator cannons, shiploads of Union tech and thousands of slaves. Yet I am no longer interested in Union tech, I found something much better and the day I will be able to fly openly all the way to Arsenal or any other planet in the Union and lay waste to their fleets is not so far away.”

  As delusional as he sounded, there was something in the way he said it, that I almost believed him. “What makes you think you could challenge the cursed Union in a way not even the combined forces of Kermac, Nul, and Shiss could?”

  He laughed silently. “By doing the same thing as the Eternal Soldier did. Going somewhere and gathering technology beyond anything they have.”

  I gestured to the robots. “Sounds like the fantasies of a madman who has to sell scrap metal to pay his crew. No one knows where Stahl got the Devastator or the Translocator tech.”

  The Red Dragon cursed under his breath and then said. “Maybe you are 500 years old, but you know nothing of the Union and the Devastator. It is a Celtest ship and the Translocators are Celtest technology. The entire Union military might is centered on a single weapon system. Imagine what would happen if an enemy shows up that is immune to that weapon? If that enemy had shields that neutralize the TransDim abilities of that cannon? The entire Union Fleet suddenly has no teeth and even Stahl could do nothing but run in his big ship.”

  He stepped toward the closed shipping container. “Come, Black Velvet, I will show you something that will change your mind about me.”

  He opened a secure door by touching a biometric lock.

  Of course, it was not the brightest idea to follow an obviously mad pirate with a violent temper inside a metal box alone, but I was well armed and my friends were outside so I did.

  It was dark inside the container except for a single transparent showcase, illuminated by a single spotlight. Inside the showcase was a dark-gray, one-piece coverall-like garment. It was like a catsuit with shoes, gloves, and a tight-fitting hood that would leave only the face uncovered if worn. It hung in an ArtiGrav field. “Okay, so you like to display your underwear in a fancy manner. I fail to see the point.”

  He snickered. “Very funny but this is a Celtest battlesuit, the Tech Level Eleven equivalent of a Union Quasimodo. It has more firepower than a shipload of Nul, better shielding than a Union battleship. It is deep-space worthy and you can travel vast distances with greater speeds than a Wolfcraft. Its shields are completely immune to Translocator fire.”

  I knew of the powers of a Seenian battlesuit firsthand and while he somewhat exaggerated the abilities of t
he suit, I was very concerned if he had access to this technology. He was right, an enemy with Seenian technology would be more than just a serious threat to the Union.

  “If this is all true, why are you not wearing it?”

  He opened the seams of his uniform blouse and said with pride in his voice, “But I am! I am wearing a similar suit. This is but one of many pieces of Celtest technology I have. Not broken artifacts, but fully functional and well maintained.”

  I tried to keep the distress I felt about this information out of my voice. “Why peddle scrap metal and petty things if you have Celtest artifacts worth billions?”

  “Because I am going to use it. These things will be my sword of vengeance and my tools to true power. I was not joking when I said I will be the reincarnation of the Dark One. I will march right to Pluribus and give them a choice: proclaim me sole ruler of the Union or be utterly destroyed!” He raised both hands to the ceiling. “I know the location of a Seenian War depot. An entire planet full of automated Seenian factories, continent-sized warehouses full of ships, robots, weapons, and more. Technology to gain true immortality. I will use it all and become the ruler of this Galaxy. Those, Black Velvet, are worthy goals and I’ll soon have all the means of making them a reality! I will be the Power Supreme.”

  “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “So, you know on which side to be. To show you how unwise it is to make me your enemy. Perhaps there might even be a place for you in all this. The Celtest Depot is far from here, almost 25,000 light years deep in the unexplored regions of our Galaxy. An almost impossible trip for one spaceship alone. Fuel stops have to be made, engines repaired and overhauled, and all this without any known places to stop and get spare parts. But a small fleet, a convoy if you will, of eight or 10 well-equipped ships can make it and return in two years with a fleet of unstoppable Celtest ships loaded with the finest tech the Galaxy has not seen in a million years. Only I know where it is.”

  “Are you asking me to participate in this expedition?”

  “I will be here on Sin 4 for a few more days, as I expect the arrival of another pirate I want to talk to. Then I am off to Itheamh. Meet me there, and if you come and I haven’t changed my mind about you, I might make such an offer.”

  After we had finished our business at the Pirate’s Market we returned to the Tigershark. I went straight to my office and contacted Cherubim. I got her right away and after I started my report, she asked me to hold on as she wanted McElligott to hear what I had to say as well and made a conference connection. So, I repeated and finished my report to both of them.

  McElligott said, “I just came out of a staff conference of the highest level as our sources confirmed your initial intel report. The Nul were preparing for war. Only two days ago, we received the first official communiqué from the Nul-Nul Empire in which they accused us of having committed an unforgivable act of war by abducting their prince and selling him to the arenas of Sin 4. Just as we were about to end the conference and call for open preparation for war, we were contacted again. This time, the Nul apologized for the misunderstanding and offered to open diplomatic relations between our nations. While all this went on, I had no time to check on you but I should have, since it turns out you were in the middle of it again!”

  Cherubim said, “Wait till you see the visuals of our female captain fighting in that arena! She managed to make the name Black Velvet a household name.”

  I cringed. “Maybe we could skip over that part?”

  It was too late. Cherubim had obviously made the visuals available to him, and I watched them watching the recordings of the arena fight. While I could not see what they did and I could not see Cherubim’s facial expressions, I clearly saw those of the old admiral.

  He finally turned off the visuals and looked at me and then slowly shook his head. “You look so nice, so pretty just like a girl should, and yet underneath it all is still a real Neo-Viking.”

  “Sir, I am sorry if I acted in any way of which you disapprove.”

  He waved his hand. “Don’t mind me, I am just an old Highlander who still needs to get used to the fact that you and your crew are out there. So far, Project Fish has exceeded beyond the wildest expectations on my side and that is a compliment to you, Captain Olafson.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Cherubim said, “That the Red Dragon has access to Seenian technology is disturbing news to say the least. If he can equip his Sinister Alliance with Seenian technology, he will indeed become a serious threat.”

  I hoped I did the right thing but I had to ask. “We noticed that the file on the Red Dragon is incomplete and details have been deleted. Can I ask why?”

  McElligott folded his hands. “That was me, captain. Because we think we know who the Red Dragon might be. However, there is no evidence to that fact, just assumptions. These assumptions were presented as facts in that report and I deleted them. I did not want you to have information that could cloud your judgment if it wasn’t absolutely true.”

  Cherubim said to him, “I don’t understand why Captain Olafson should not have this information. I know the circumstances of the theft of the Red Dragon ship are somewhat embarrassing and the fact that he managed to escape from under the nose of the flagship might not sit well with you, but Captain Olafson sits at the front line and earned our trust many times over.”

  McElligott said, “The fact that he is part of this conference call and that I let you scold me before the captain should show how much I trust him. It has nothing to do with embarrassment. You, Cherubim, know a lot and usually more than anyone, but in this case, you do not. There is a chance that the Red Dragon is former logistics Admiral Swybar. He and Eric Olafson have a history together.”

  I could not stop myself as I raised my voice and said, “I was there when he was sentenced, he should be dead.”

  McElligott nodded. “That was what I thought as well, captain, but he was rescued by the Worm or Kermac agents or perhaps by them working together.

  “We know he survived the execution and had foreseen his eventual exposure long before you arrived on the scene. As the head of logistics, his department also supervises the bone yard facilities, and he used his influence and position to finish the Red Dragon project and equip the ship with technology we didn’t even know we had.

  “Now there is evidence that he was responsible for taking the ship from the bone yard after we thought he was dead. However, I have evidence that suggests he was killed by his associates as his usefulness ended and whoever is the captain of the Red Dragon now is not the same man. I deleted that information not to deceive you but to make sure you are not clouded by personal feelings and the possibility that it is not Swybar.”

  He gave Cherubim a side-glance. “I promised Eric Olafson justice and as far as I knew, it had been done.”

  I said, “That the Worm is an enemy with vast resources I have learned myself, and that they were capable of faking an execution does not surprise me, as they have faked my death to mask my abduction. I am not the same angry cadet anymore, sir. I have learned that there are many shades between white and black, and I know that you do your best to keep the balance on the white side.”

  He looked at me for a while, not saying anything, and then he said with a softer voice, “You have indeed grown up since then. To fight the Worm and all this scum is the very reason for Project Fish and why you are out there.”

  Cherubim said, “And you manage to teach me a lesson every now and then, old man, and it is received.”

  He got up and fetched himself a bottle from a shelf behind him. “To hear that from you, Cherubim, calls for a drink. I also suggest we return to the business at hand.”

  Cherubim agreed. “The Minerva will arrive in a few days. Transfer the freed slaves, the Stik delegation and the Nul prince. The Minerva will also bring you mail and some additional supplies.”

  The old admiral had poured himself a glass and said, “Good job dealing with that duke and his weapons
. After we are done with this meeting, I’d like to talk to the Nul prince myself. Call me direct as soon as you can have the call arranged.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Cherubim finished her part in the conversation by saying, “Stay on the tracks of the Red Dragon, him having Seenian technology and even knowing how to use it is bad news indeed. If discovering the Seenian depot means that we have to send you on a long trip like that was not planned but can’t be helped. The existence of such a depot is a serious threat to the safety of the Union and we must make sure that no one, not he nor anyone else can make use of it.”

  I nodded. “I agree. I have seen what a little courier ship could do. I will address my crew on that and prepare them for the possibility that we might have to postpone our vacation plans for two years or so.”

  Cherubim thanked me and terminated the call on her end.

  The old admiral said, “Play it by ear, girl, and make your decisions based on what happens. I trust your judgment. Now get me that royal Nul on the horn.”

  I went down to the deck where the Nul had his quarters. The marine guard at his door saluted. “Captain, our guest is well behaved.”

  I pressed the chime and was asked to come in. The Nul stood in the corner of the room. The bed was untouched and the lights of the room were dimmed to minimum. He looked quite terrifying with his slightly glowing eye standing there in a dark corner.

  I motioned to the bed. “Are the quarters not to your liking?”

  His voice sounded like as if he was sitting at the bottom of a deep well as he said, “The accommodations are more than adequate. I expected a security cell, not this, but we Nul do not rest like you in the horizontal.”

  I touched the controls of the bed. “These are vari-matic, I am sure SHIP can help you adjust it to your physiology.”

  “You are very kind, captain, but I am not tired. I passed the time conversing with your truly magnificent SHIP. I learned so much from her.”

  She came on right away and said, “I did not give away anything classified, just general, openly available info on the Union and such.”