After this we had Class again and it was about military courtesy and how to salute, greet, snap to attention or stand at ease.
Admiral Stokes finished his last report and as usual he was among the last. Cheeka was already gone and probably home by now. Her desk was as usual very orderly and organized. He had different assistants before her, but she was by far the best. She would have made a fine Chief. He wondered if she had any of her Cookies left. He was an Ult and had no sense of taste or smell, at least not like humans had, and no Ult would eat anything baked, cooked or fried. It took the Ult much longer than other civilizations to discover and utilize fire, being an amphibious species, and when they finally did it was not used for cooking or heating. Ulta was a warm planet and heating was not necessary. After living almost 3000 years alongside humans and other species, some Ult began to eat steamed meals but it was still considered unusual and out of the norm, but he spend most of his adult life in the Union Fleet and he often thought of himself more human than some humans and adopted many mannerisms and habits. The crunchy buttery cookies sanding up his throat but then dissolving was a pleasurable experience only Cheeka's cookies could provide. Ah there in the upper left drawer , a box with the light brown flaky baked things, his lower fin folded sideways, that was how an Ult smiled. He sat down with the box of cookies on the desk and ate another one.
The FleetCom terminal started blinking and the Fleet Headquarter Logo surrounded by five stars appeared on the activating field screen. There was only one Officer who had five stars. Admiral of the Fleet Obrock Mc Elligott, it was either him or his office calling. He accepted before the call would be routed to the Main Desk. A handsome second Lieutenant appeared and he said." Hello Sweet cheeks, my boss wants to talk to your boss is he still in?"
Webb activated visuals and said." I am flattered you call me Sweet cheeks, Lieutenant, but if your boss wants to talk to my boss, he would have to talk to himself, right?"
The man sat upright and became all business." Oh sorry Sir! I did not mean any disrespect. I thought I am calling Ms. Hopkins." Stokes remembered that Cheeka's last name was Hopkins since she dissolved her last marriage contract." My assistant went already home and I will ask her tomorrow if she feels offended you calling her not by her proper name. Now get me connected to the Admiral."
"Yes Sir, right away!"
Mc Elligott was in his office holding a golf club and standing before a simulation that transferred the rear of his office into a luscious green golf course with old looking buildings in the distance. "Ah Webb, there you are. I was not sure if you were still in the office or not. I know you usually are and so I called. Turn on your Avatar and join me for a few chips, I just received this new Simulation of St. Andrews. It now even captures the smells of Scotland."
"I was on my way out when you got me Sir. I am not good at that human game!"
"You are the best darn Ult golfer in the entire Union and you know it. There are humans who wish to be half as good as you." Elligott however turned the Simulation off and handed his club to the robotic golf bag and turned on his Avatar instead and appeared in the anteroom of the Academy Commandant's office.
Webb was long enough around humans to be able to differentiate and recognize even subtle facial expressions and body language. The Old Admiral was an old man even before the Guardian had made him immortal and so his appearance of an old man had been frozen in time and he always appeared like a wrinkled white haired man with a slight bend stature. While he wore the Uniform jacket of a Fleet officer with all the decorations and rank insignia the highest ranking officer in the fleet had, he wore a skirt. Not that anyone knowing Obrock ever use the word skirt, but the word kilt. It was the traditional dress of the Highlanders, a special tribe from Earth. The kilt, the single malt scotch whiskey, the socks and black shoes were the famous trademarks of the Immortal Admiral. Every school kid in the Union knew about these things, but Webb was certain that only very few knew where the original Scotland was or the meaning behind those trademarks. Elligott walked to the big windows and said." I do have a few things I wanted to discuss with you and it is official business too, more or less, but we still need to go golfing again. And no simulation either but right at the real St. Andrews."
"I have been there three times now with you, Sir. You should come with me to Ulta, we do have our first Golf course there as well and it is a very scenic 6449 Par 67 course."
"Send me an invitation and actually follow up, and I be there!"
Webb ate another cookie and waited for the old man to come to the reason for his visit.
Mc Elligott pointed out the window. "I am not interfering with Academy business, but I would like to know why there are ten cadets all by themselves painting one of the already red Applicant roads red again."
"Because one of them hid a Gelatinous Stink Pulse Maggot in one of the lesser liked instructor's back pocket and there was a considerable disturbance when said instructor, took his break came up here, sat down in the Officers mess hall and squashing the maggot."
Elligott chuckled. "That is a good one. They had to air out the Assembly at Pluribus for two days after the Elly had that cultural specialties lunch almost all new members hold and only about fifty delegates showed up for the feast and all species without noses or sense of smell. I see there is an Elly among them, was it him?"
"I am pretty sure, but when we asked who did all ten stood up and insisted they did the deed."
"That's a pretty tight group for three day old Cadets."
"Very unusual indeed and it is that Neo Viking, the blonde one down there who was the initial cause to get them stick together."
"Neo Viking you say? Olhausen, Olbertson…Olafson. Is his name Olafson?"
Webb stopped putting another cookie in his mouth." Yes Eric Olafson, that's his name. Do you know him"
"Not really, no, but his name turned up before and there aren't many Neo Vikings this side of Nilfeheim, I think Richard had interest in him if he hasn't forgotten by now."
"What official business is it that you wanted to discuss , Sir?" Webb was disappointed to find out he just ate the last cookie.
" Well since there is an Elly in that group and he seems to get along with the others, even making Academy pranks , I think I take those ten down there."
"You take them?" Webb said and leaned forward." Where?"
"Oh silly me, I forgot to tell you. The Yokuta want to celebrate the Union Victory over the Nogoll. The Yokuta are a virtual unknown species that until know slaved for the Nogoll in a star system named Arlicherb. The Nogoll ruled with iron fist over the Yokuta for over 300 years and now they are free. They are a Tech Level 3 society and technically or cultural quite unimportant, but I rather have the Yokuta join the Union as them being turned by the Kermac or have another Free Space system were Pirates can hide and exploit the natives."
Webb nodded." I can understand that. I know this corner of space quite well, as it is right in front of Arsenal's front door so to speak and I am certain the Kermac know about the Yokuta and just wait for the Union to leave, turn them into a thrall species and regain control over an important system they had lost due to the Nogoll, but what does all this have to do with Plebes Cadets, barely 4 days in the Academy?"
"The Yokuta heard 300 years of bad propaganda about the Union, and they don't trust us. But they do trust the Elly who are genetically related to them. The Yokuta Tribal Council wanted to talk to a young Elly who made friends with other Union species. The Yokuta believe youth speaks the truth as they didn't have enough practice to lie like adults and Elders. Now I see an Elly best buddies with Humans, two Attikan, a Garbini and a Non Corp. I would have preferred a fully trained Ensign, but these are the first joining, right?"
"There are sixty that made the entry qualifications, and a few thousand joined Basic training so I heard from the Space Naval School for Enlisted Personnel."
"Put two more Elly in that group down there and remove two of the humans and have them report at the Landing fie
ld at 0800 tomorrow morning. Issue full dress Uniform. The whole affair will last only a day and they be back in time to be ferried to base camps."
Webb used his PDD and made it an official order and had the Admiral sign off on it then transmitted his orders to the instructors.
Ealy did not make it to Kermac Prime he had received an order from the First Billie to head for the Tilbahr dust cloud and await orders. The Tilbahr cloud was 14 light years from The Nog and within TLFAX range. His reconnaissance units reported that the Kermac main system was swarming with Kekall and Hythagh Battle Ships. The Kermac had obviously prepared for such an eventuality. His orders had him miss out on the big battle in the Ontbe System.
Only a handful of small courier ships had made it out and joined them here at this secret Nogoll rally point. The survivors told him that the new Rear Admiral had the Erba System surrounded with Thor Gun Boats and used long range sniper Translocators ,and fast Fighter attacks without committing his Capital units who in turn attacked Erba and 'The Nog' simultaneously. There were no news of Erba or 'The Nog', Erba was just one planet and a handful of ships. The Nog was the Nogoll home world, it was where the Holy Mountain was. The reconnaissance ships he had sent to reconnoiter around 'The Nog', had not returned. He was close enough for TLFAX but none of his coded messages were answered. Then four hours ago a message came: " All remaining independent Nogoll forces, 'The Nog' has fallen. The Holy Mountain is desecrated by foreign troops and the bones of the Ancestors are ground to dust under the boots of Union Marines. I am Sreal the 2nd of the Itsna Dynasty and I am the last. Fight, seed terror and death among our enemies! You will not last but make them whisper the name Nogoll with fear and remember it for generations!"
Shortly after a second TLFAX message came: "This is Captain Asril of the white Nogoll, I was made the temporary military governor of 'The Nog'. The Black Nogoll rebels of Erba confirm the end of the Itsna dictator ship . Hagurr the poet and dissident was successfully and unharmed freed from state prison and want to run for election to be the first democratic elected Billie of Nogoll history. We know that there are still Nogoll forces out there , you have no supply bases, and your old government no longer exists. Come home lay down your weapons and help in the process building a new free Nogoll and a free 'The Nog'. You will be treated as honored enemies and face no harm or shame. However all Units and Nogoll troops that do not surrender and continue to fight will be considered Pirates and not enemies and will be dealt with as criminals."
Ealy opened ship to ship and spoke :"Traitors! White Nogoll back on the Nog, traitors! Hagurr this pacifistic weakling who could not attract a single nanny, now wants to be first Billie , traitors! Sreal the second has not surrendered and gave us an order! We will fight and carry out his will to the last ship and Billie!"
His scanner operators confirmed the approach of a Union Fleet. They needed to hide, wait for a good moment and strike at soft targets, not slug it out with a space fleet in open combat.
But only two ships made it with him and out of the Dust cloud, able to outrun the Union sensor beams. All was lost, he would go home to Arlicherb. Sneak in with a dozen small boats, hide out in the old mountain base and make plans to make the Union and the traitors pay somehow!"
Lieutenant Ovil, our white furred Nogoll instructor said." Today we will exercise in our extensive pool facilities. We want to make sure that all those cadets who possibly can will learn how to swim."
For once there was good news in the morning! I thought and looked forward to wet my gills and swim and dive.
Potsema wiggled with all his upper tentacles." I know Garbini can swim. My brother learned it but I am still terrified!"
I put my hand on his shoulder and said." No worries we are all there and help you."
Fectiv cuffed me and said." Let's see if you can beat me swimming! I was reading up on Neo Vikings you know! You are supposed to be amphibious!"
"You read up on Nilfeheim?"
"Pure and I wanted to know more about you. It is Attikan tradition to honor a friend by learning about his home and family."
"That is a good tradition and I will do the same tonight about Attika."
Two Three was also excited." Water, have I told you how much I find liquids fascinating?"
The Elly, both Attikan and almost said simultaneously." Yes!"
Then we laughed and Potsema asked." What is so fascinating about it? Isn't a sun's surface sort of liquid too?"
Two-Three rung his hands try to gesture something and then said." It is not easy to explain. A star is all chaos, nothing is orderly and an only held together by magnetics and gravitons. Do you know how long it takes for a photon that is created inside a star to reach the surface and actually escape? That photon travels at light speed no less."
Pure dropped one of his hears and scratched behind it." It should be almost instantaneous, even the biggest star isn't big when it comes to light speed right?"
Two-Three sighed. It can take many years before it reaches the surface. Being bounced around, bent and deflected. You see not even orderly light is orderly and straight inside a sun. Water is liquid but it follows very simple rules and inside all the molecules are orderly and in long chains. You have no idea how much I enjoy being with all of you and in an orderly world." He stomped his suited foot on the floor." I just love solid things!"
Potsema snaked a few tentacles around Two-Three." The whole academy thing started out pretty scary, but now I think it is great."
The Elly crossed his stumpy looking arms." You squiggled Eric and now Two-Three. I think it is my turn next! I wasn't hugged by a female in ages!"
I raised an eyebrow." Potsema is female?"
"Yes I am, you did not know?"
"No I did not really look at you in terms of gender at all. How do you tell a female from a male Garbini?"
"There are many ways. I have light brown and red fur and ten tentacles. Males have eleven tentacles and usually black or gray fur and never any red."
"I now know I should have paid much more attention in school and most of all not secretly skip the Neural uploads with Captain Ironhand or Navy Magazines."
Fectiv's tail swished." You managed to switch discs during upload hour? Our teacher was always checking!"
"I could have never done it with Mr. Walters but we had a different teacher the last few years and Mr. Flensburger was not as hard to fool." I frowned." Now I know I should not have done that. You all know stuff about each other and I can't even tell a female Garbini and know nothing about the Elly."
"Don't feel bad. I know little about humans yet!" The Elly said.
Our white furred instructor looked at his PDD. "Cadets assemble in Corridor B before the escalators and wait there. Following Cadets are to report in full dress uniform, cover and side arm at Applicant road two Dome Exit hall at 0700: Olafson, Eric, Ak Pure, Ak Fectiv, Potsema Pe, Onli Nevar…"
I cursed my luck. Whatever we had to do wasn't swimming. I was certain that Swimming and dress uniforms did not go together, the names he called were the others of my new group of friends. Except we had now three Ellis in the group and Hanlin and Bergdorf, two humans walked grinning to the escalators. Pure rippled the upper part of his snout and around the nostrils." I sure wonder what they cooked up for us. Dress Uniform and side arms. I never heard they issue side arms to Cadets until year three."
Fectiv pointed at Purse's snout and said to me." That's how an Attikan shows surprise by the way!"
The Elli looked all alike to me and one of them said. "We Elly do this when we are surprised." His trunk retracted almost completely into his skull and his voice sounded meek and high." If an Elly gets too excited or surprised we can choke on our own noses!"
The other two Ellies shook their trunks back and forth and one of them said." This group seems fun!"
A new instructor we had not seen before, he was human send us through an auto dresser and we all emerged in perfect fitted, pressed real black navy uniforms with golden closure snaps, all that wa
s different was a big green ring around the sleeves and no rank insignia at all. Dress uniform consisted of a stiff collar black shirt with buttons, a waist coat with a diagonal cut collar that was half way flapped down and the inside of this was white contrasting with the otherwise black uniform, The diagonal flap could be raised and fastened with a series of golden colored snaps . The black pants ended in also black all terrain boots. There was a white belt with the Union Fleet symbol on the belt buckle. There was an empty holster for a gun and two loops for some missing equipment. Black gloves and a white hat with black duckbill (called cover) The human instructor carried a PDD checked us all at least five times, then he was joined by two more who went over our uniforms made me wear the gloves that came with it and barked at Pure to do the same. No one really told us what was going on. Two Three leaned over and said."I think we are going to a state funeral or something like that."
The nervous human instructor said." We are now handing out fully functional and fully loaded Union Fleet Standard TKU Side arms. Since you are not instructed in using them properly you are prohibited from touching them. The same goes for the swords and the daggers that are attached to the loops on your belts. While these are ceremonial weapon they are real, if I see anyone of you so much as touch his weapons you will wish not to have been born."
After a while there were more instructors around us than cadets and they all were nervous. While we didn't stand in attention we weren't really able to talk to each other. Everyone carried a PDD and a clip board tried to look important.
We were at one of the Academy Dome entrances, wide doors in the Duro-Crete wall underneath that rim we had used for our first PT exercise. Behind the doors was a waiting room with benches , vending machines, bath rooms and an air lock that allowed access to the space field beyond at the outside of the planet.
Someone yelled, "Admiral on deck."
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 242
