by C H Gideon
“The Orau are a nomadic race of beings, originally from the planet Oraunta,” Asya reported. “Not a lot of information in the system, but these people are known for raiding and pillaging pretty much every place they come across.”
“Vikings,” XO exclaimed.
“I don’t know what Vikings are, but if you say so,” Asya went on. “Regardless, they’ve a reputation for being cruel and destructive. They raid a planet and eliminate the native leadership, then strip the natural resources. When they move on, there’s little left. They leave destruction in their wake.”
“Nice folks,” Maddox remarked, shaking his head. “Guess we shot up the right bastards.”
“Unfortunately, there’s no way to be sure,” Jiya stated, cutting in. “Krokus 4 is a blank slate with no detail. There is no information in any of the databases we’ve downloaded. No one has had any interaction with them.”
“So, what do we know?” Reynolds pressed.
“That the planet is oceanic, obviously,” Jiya replied. “The surface is ninety-six percent water, with only about two percent of the available land appearing to be habitable.”
“Our colonel didn’t look like a fish,” Tactical said. “He part of that two percent?”
“I don’t think so,” Jiya answered. “The population of Krokus 4 is fairly small and condensed, most of them apparently living under the water’s surface,” she said. “There’s only a tiny group of people scattered across the surface lands. I would estimate less than two hundred overall.”
“Certainly not the makings of an army or a space navy,” Reynolds mused.
“I would guess Colonel Raf isn’t native to the planet, given his physiology,” Maddox suggested. “Their tech appears to be quite advanced, though, so I can’t be sure that something catastrophic hasn’t happened to Krokus 4’s native population in their recent history, forcing the surviving people to adapt to the new normal of living underwater.”
“Speculate: how advanced?” Reynolds asked.
While he hadn’t seen anything overly impressive among the fleet of destroyers surrounding them—their weaponry and defensive systems were standard—the fact that the vast majority of the people on Krokus 4 could live and prosper underwater told him there had to be some sort of advanced systems he might be interested in.
That opened the door to trade. They just had to get the Krokans to let them come down for a chat.
“As noted before, there are traces of Kurtherian energy signals emanating from the planet, but most of them appear to be coming from the ocean,” Jiya said.
“Meaning that the tech that they’re using to survive underwater is influenced by Kurtherians? Is that now or from the past??”
“Can’t be sure how pervasive it is without closer examination, though,” the first officer replied. “
“Which is the plan, if we can get Colonel Planetblock to let us come down,” Tactical bitched.
“His people will see reason,” Reynolds announced, although he wasn’t as confident as he wanted to be.
“Or we kick in the door?” Tactical asked.
“Let’s play it by ear before we decide to go storming the planet, okay?” Reynolds shot back, shaking his head. “Not everything has to be about blowing shit up.”
“Blasphemy!” Tactical shouted.
“What’s that?” Ria asked, pointing at an image she’d brought up on the viewscreen.
A space tug appeared from the other side of the planet, towing behind it what appeared to be a tiny space station. A tenth of the size of a Krokus 4 destroyer, the tow craft pulled it into open space a short distance from the superdreadnought.
“Want me to blow it up?” Tactical asked.
“Didn’t we just go over that?” Reynolds replied.
“So, is that a yes?”
“That’s a no, Tactical.” Reynolds sighed.
The tow ship released its cargo after making sure it was settled in place, then peeled off, returning wherever it had come from.
“Our host is back,” Comm announced.
Reynolds motioned to bring it up on the main screen and Colonel Raf reappeared before them.
“President Jaer Pon has decided against allowing you and your crew to come down to the planet at this time,” the colonel told them. “He has, however, graciously decided to send an envoy to meet with you and negotiate.”
Colonel Raf motioned in the general direction of the floating station the tow ship had dropped off.
“We have provided a meeting location where the talks will occur,” he continued. “A shuttle with our representatives will arrive shortly. We would ask that you send your own representatives over, and, please ensure that they are not armed.”
“So, we’re supposed to send people over to what looks like a floating trash can, unarmed, and trust that nothing shady will go on?” Tactical asked.
Reynolds groaned when he realized his other personality hadn’t bothered to mute his question.
“Forgive my—” Reynolds started, but Colonel Raf only laughed.
“I understand your hesitation,” he replied. “We give you our word that your people will not be harmed, and that we will treat with them fairly.”
Reynolds nodded. “Then we’ll meet with you,” he replied. “As soon as your reps have arrived, we’ll shuttle over.”
The colonel nodded, still smiling, and cut the connection.
“Way to go, Tactical,” Jiya complained. “Now they’ll be expecting assholes.”
“They wouldn’t be wrong,” he replied. “I just won’t be among them.” A quiet chuckle slipped out of the speakers above his position.
“Can’t we replace Tactical like we have Helm and Navigation?” Jiya asked Reynolds.
Reynolds ignored the question. He wasn’t completely sure at this time that he could reintegrate all of his personalities seamlessly, at least not while he was still constrained by the android body Takal had made for him.
While a marvel of technology, it barely contained Reynolds as he was now. To connect the missing parts of his mind might well be too much for the body to take, and that might cause even more problems.
No, for now, the asshole part of his personality would have to stay separate.
“Ready a shuttle for us, Jiya, and get Ka’nak up and ready to go, as well as Geroux,” Reynolds ordered. “Maddox and L’Eliana should go with us, too.”
Maddox saluted from his station.
“That’s a lot of crew you’re dumping into a potential trap,” XO warned.
“Well, if they do anything stupid, feel free to light them, their fleet, and their planet up as you see fit.”
“Those are the kind of orders I love.” Tactical laughed.
“You’ve got command, Asya,” Reynolds told her, once again reminded of how he’d doubted her on the last mission. He was still making it up to her, but he figured putting her back in command made it clear he trusted her.
Jiya and the crew left the bridge and made their way toward the hangar bay, but Reynolds lingered a moment longer.
“A word, Asya,” Reynolds said softly, crooking a metal finger for her to follow him off the bridge. Once in the relative privacy of the corridor he faced her, his features set and mouth grim. “I need you to learn more quickly. It’s standard operating procedure to raise the shields before going through the Gate. We survived this one, but we may not the next. I need you to learn. I need the crew to learn. I need all you meatbags to gain personal experience so you can train future generations. You don’t think one superdreadnought can patrol this entire galaxy, do you?”
“I’m sorry,” Asya stammered. “There is no excuse. Why didn’t you stop me?”
Reynolds straightened and threw his chin back. “I am the Superdreadnought Reynolds. If you haven’t figured it out, I have a certain arrogance. I don’t think these creatures can beat me in any fight, straight up or otherwise.”
“But SOP is SOP.”
“Follow it,” he ordered. “I am an integral pa
rt of this ship. Although I’ll leave and the others will think that I’m not here except for some errant alter egos,” he pointed toward the bridge with a head toss and a scowl, “I will always be here, but I’m giving you all rope. Don’t use it to hang yourselves. You need to learn. The crew needs to learn. I’m giving part of my soul for you to manage, so don’t hurt my fucking ship!”
“Yes, sir!” Asya blurted. Reynolds nodded once.
“Keep an eye out for more of those Orau craft,” he told Asya, “and let us know if the destroyers or any of the Krokus 4 fleet does anything suspicious.”
Captain Asya assured him she would, and Reynolds left for the hangar bay.
He was taking a chance meeting these people in an undefended box floating in orbit above the planet.
But that was what had been offered, so Reynolds would make do.
They’d had worse starts to their planetary adventures.
Chapter Two
The shuttle’s thrusters moved it silently from the hangar bay into space.
Geroux sat alongside her friend Jiya, and Ka’nak sat beside them. As usual, the Melowi warrior mimed throwing punches in the air in front of him, his trademark combat visualization.
Reynolds wondered if he should have Doc Reynolds check the guy’s caffeine levels before a mission from now on.
He knew Jiya lived on the stuff, and she’d dragged Asya into her web of coffee-drinking madness. Ka’nak was already high-strung, which was probably what made him a good pit fighter.
Geroux was the opposite. Quiet most of the time, she’d huddle with Jiya and chat up a storm. The other times, she was usually nose down in her computer, working on some project or another.
Right now, she was working on the latest task that Reynolds had assigned her.
Given the Krokans’ distrust of Reynolds and his crew, Reynolds wanted a safety net to fall into should something happen.
He’d set Geroux to hacking the peripheral Krokus 4 systems to get a better idea what they were facing.
He didn’t want her to break in fully, because that was too risky. The Krokans might discover the hack, which would ruin any chance of a negotiation.
No, he wanted her to get the lay of the land, so to speak; work out a way to kick the door in if that became necessary. Until then, he wanted her to be subtle. To pick at the threads and see what unraveled without actually yanking on any of them.
She looked up and caught him staring.
“While high tech, their systems are fairly primitive,” she reported, thinking that was what he wanted. “I’ve got reliable hacks ready for most of their systems, but there’s some weird code I’m having trouble with.”
“Where’s that coming from?” Reynolds asked.
“The planet’s surface,” she answered, then paused. “Well, not exactly the surface. It originates under the water, but it’s not coming from their primary city. It seems to be located a short distance away, basically out of nowhere. I can’t detect any source mechanics.”
“Is it a transmission?” Reynolds asked.
She shook her head. “No, more of an energy signal. Like the others, it’s got Kurtherian traces about it, but it’s definitely not Kurtherian. I’ll keep working at it, but it’s way different than what we’re picking up from the primary Krokan systems.”
“Let me know if it changes,” Reynolds requested.
She nodded.
“Almost there,” Jiya called.
Reynolds glanced out the shuttle’s window and took in the strange meeting place the Krokans had provided.
“It’s pretty much…a box,” Maddox stated.
“Doesn’t look like much else, does it?” Reynolds asked.
“It has rudimentary shields protecting it from the elements, but it won’t hold up to the barest of weapons fire should someone turn a gun on it,” Jiya reported.
“You thinking it’s a trap?” Ka’nak asked.
“It’s tactically precarious,” Maddox offered.
Reynolds shook his head. “Not sure what they think they’d accomplish by setting us up,” he replied. “They have to realize the SD Reynolds is out of their league and would wreak havoc on their world if it were turned loose.”
“That’s presuming these people are intelligent,” Maddox countered.
“There is that,” Reynolds admitted, but he didn’t want to think that he was leading his crew into a trap. “Be ready, just in case.”
The crew shuffled in their seats as they stared out the window. They didn’t like the idea of walking into something stupid any more than he did. And be ready…with what? They were unarmed.
L’Eliana stared straight ahead while the rest examined their destination. She wasn’t ready for an adventure.
“You okay?” Reynolds asked her.
She nodded and swallowed loudly. “My first… Well, my first just about everything,” she admitted, laughing nervously.
Reynolds smiled. “Don’t worry, you won’t be expected to do much this trip. Maddox taught you how to operate the shuttle’s autosystems, right?”
“He did,” she assured, mumbling the steps under her breath.
“Then you’ll be fine,” Reynolds told her. “You stay in the shuttle and wait for us to return.”
L’Eliana nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Everything will be fine,” Reynolds reiterated, as much for himself as her. With growing trepidation, they closed on the Krokan station.
There wasn’t time for more conversation as the shuttle aligned itself with the external dock attached to the small station.
Jiya glided the ship in easily, connecting the shuttle to the berth with the barest of thumps.
“We’re locked,” she reported. “Activating and pressurizing the boarding tunnel now.” A low hum resounded through the ship, followed by a hiss. A moment later, Jiya tilted her head up. “We’re all set.”
Reynolds stared out the window at the Krokan shuttle that had arrived a short while before he and his crew had. Nothing about the other ship made Reynolds think it was anything more than a basic shuttle, designed to ferry passengers into or out of space.
“Watch that shuttle,” he said over the comm to Asya, regardless. He was hopeful, but that didn’t mean he’d make it easy for the Krokans to pull something if that was their intention. “You so much as see it light up on the scanners, you blast it.”
“Yes, sir,” Asya shot back.
“All right, people,” Reynolds announced. “Let’s do this. Ka’nak, upfront.”
The Melowi warrior grinned and took his place at the hatch. Reynolds knew he was spoiling for a fight—that was his nature—but he was smart enough not to get them tangled in something they couldn’t win.
Reynolds lined up behind him as the hatch hissed and peeled open, the landing ramp extending outward and clanging against the station’s deck a moment later.
Stay sharp, Jiya passed over their internal comm.
Not detecting any weapons aboard, Asya told them. Keeping their word so far.
“Let’s hope they continue to do so,” Reynolds answered, waving Ka’nak forward.
The warrior walked through the airlock and into the station, his head on a swivel. Reynolds did the same, the crew crowding behind him as he surveyed the scene.
The small station was no more glamorous on the inside than it was on the outside.
Half the size of the SD Reynolds’ hangar bay, the makeshift meeting hall was one big open space once they passed through the pressurization chamber.
They stepped out through a second hatch and were surprised to note that they could see everything in the place clearly. The station was brightly illuminated by overhead lights, and there was nothing to block their line of sight.
A large table, with chairs scattered around it, sat in the center of the room. Six Krokan representatives stood on the other side of the table, staring at the crew as they arrived. There were what appeared to be three males and three females.
Like Colonel Raf they w
ore immaculate uniforms, ranks and insignia displayed proudly, though Reynolds had no idea what meant what. He could only presume the female at the center of the grouping was in charge, given where she stood and the confidence of her posture.
Their dark skin gleamed under the lights, reflecting purple when the right angle aligned. Their eyes shone brightly with inherent intelligence.
The Krokans hadn’t sent a team of underlings to meet with Reynolds and his crew. That made the AI more comfortable.
Looks like a court-martial getting ready to happen, Maddox said as they made their way toward the table.
They are quite…decorative, Reynolds admitted.
They’re comfortable, though, not tense, Ka’nak reassured them. If humanoids are consistent in their body language, they don’t look ready to start a fight.
Good to know, Geroux said with a sigh. The only weapon I have is my computer, and I’d hate to have to break that over someone’s head.
We’ll be fine, Reynolds said, hushing them as they drew closer to their counterparts.
“Greetings, Reynolds and crew,” the female announced as they came to a halt by the table. “I am Flor Alar, and these are my assistants Gol Ree, Ata Vi, Du Tho, Mar Son, and Elv Tin.” She pointed to each as she said their name, starting with the females and closing out with the males.
Reynold named the crew in turn, introducing them.
“It is our pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Flor stated.
“As it is ours,” Reynolds replied pleasantly. Once they had gotten closer to the Krokans and could see them more clearly, he realized that they weren’t as impeccable as he’d first believed.
Flor especially. Her eyes shone brightly, as did those of her assistants, but there was a quaver in them that Reynolds hadn’t noticed in those of Colonel Raf.
She looked tired and worn. There were creases in her brow and cheeks that were hard to examine without staring, but Reynolds’ advanced vision helped parse the details without looking as if he were conducting a medical examination.
Flor Alar was slim, wiry almost, as were the other Krokans, almost like they didn’t eat enough. Veins stood out on the backs of their hands, and Flor clenched her fists over and over without realizing she was doing it.
