Dark Deeds and Black Flights - Part II
10 Aug 2017Jellicoe
"Core Dynamics Juliet Echo Lima, maintain course and speed, descend to fifty meters. You are five kilometres from our position." An electronically disguised voice broke the silence on the Resolution's bridge."Nothing on scanners." Claude said. "They must have gone cold."
"Let's not take any chances." The commander said coldly. "Deploy hard points."
"Core Dynamics Juliet Echo Lima, retract your weapons." The disguised voice responded almost immediately. The commander breathed hard, a cryptic message delivered via a third party summoning him to this deserted rock to meet God knows whom had already made him decidedly uncomfortable, to then be told he couldn't even be ready to defend himself was making him actively consider turning round and putting as much distance between himself and this barren moon as possible, as usual though his innate curiosity won out.
"Very well retract hard points." He countermanded his previous order with audible irritation before looking questioningly at his first officer who was intently studying his scanners.
"Very feint trace, there's certainly something there but not we enough heat to lock on to it. Hold on there it is, he must have powered up. Two klicks dead ahead."
"Core Dynamics Juliet Echo Lima, land your ship and approach. Alone." The disguised voice said. Jellicoe checked his own scanner and there was indeed a contact now just under two kilometres ahead, the functional and unlovely lines of a Core Dynamics Dropship. Many pilots distained the Federal Dropship frequently comparing it unfavourably with its Imperial equivalent the Gutamaya Clipper, and it was certainly true that the Federal vessel lacked the grace, style and speed of its sleek counterpart but its rugged reliability, toughness and ease of maintenance made it a popular choice of ship across the bubble not only with the Federal Navy but with many corporations, independent mercenaries, haulers and even occasional explorers. The question here was who owned this one?
"With the number of enemies I've got if you think I'm going to board an unknown ship with no explanation you're very sorely mistaken. I want some answers first." He deployed hard points to add emphasis. "And make them very good ones."
The coms feed went briefly silent as the signal changed from audio only to holo-coms and a familiar figure shimmered into view, he looked older and much more care worn that at their last encounter but his bright eyes still twinkles with mischievous humour.
"Hello old friend." Said Admiral Craddock.
The exterior of the Dropship with its fades paintwork peeling in patches was typical of thousands of navy surplus ships in private hands all over the galaxy, and this impression was maintained by the airlock and corridor leading off it both dimly lit, grimy and looking to all the galaxy like a mid range trading vessel who's owner was struggling to make ends meet. Jellicoe was led into the hold, its first compartment brim full of cargo pods exactly as one would expect, beyond that though everything changed. The second section of the hold had been fitted as a large operations room with holo-consoles and work stations lining the walls. The centre of the room was dominated by a vast table ringed by more terminals with a gigantic holographic map of a large space station in orbit of a highly volcanic planet hovering above it which was being studied by three men and two women all of them, like everyone else in the room wearing blue military style one piece jumpsuits. At the far end of the room was a raised area behind a frosted Plexiglas partition, clearly the command centre.
"This way please sir, time is pressing." The orderly said politely but firmly as Jellicoe stopped to study the room. The terminals, some manned some automated were monitoring a bewildering array of information, coms feeds, shipping movements, trade data even military deployments, some staff sat poring over charts of single systems while others studied clusters of several with the military, merchant and other traffic between them. Jellicoe's eye was drawn to a woman studying a holographic model of another space installation, similar to the one over the central table but noticeable different. Once on the raised section behind the Plexiglas Jellicoe saw the area, itself not an inconsiderable space was further subdivided, a briefing room sat empty while next door a well equipped laboratory was not and two white coated scientists sat engrossed in their instruments. Jellicoe was ushered up the central corridor and into a plush, well appointed office.
"Stannis M'boy, it's good to see you again." Admiral Craddock looked up from his desk with a warm, expansive smile.
"I was beginning to think you were dead Admiral." Jellicoe replied coldly.
"Not yet." Craddock's eyes twinkled as he answered.
"Impressive set up."
"Yes these things make very good special operations barges, I had this one customised before I had to leave Nanomam."
"And since then you've been doing what exactly?"
The Admiral smiled slightly. "Setting up a network, contacts, agents, eyes and ears, safe houses, sounding out people who may share my concerns. This is not a battle we can win with guns or warships but information and intelligence. I'm pretty sure I've kissed my navy pension goodbye"
"So exactly what is going on?"
The Admiral rose, moved over to the small porthole and stood looking out onto the barren moon. "I'm afraid I may have to ask for your indulgence a little longer my dear boy."
"Think again Admiral." Jellicoe's voice was as hard as steel. "You nearly get me killed in the Pegasai and tell me to trust you, I have that psychotic bitch Sleer try to grab me in Delkar just because I'm close to you and I'm now wanted across the Federation so I think I'm damned well owed some answers."
The admiral turned back, thrust his hands deep into his pockets and exhaled. "Yes M'boy, yes I suppose you are he said thoughtfully as though weighing every word. "You remember I told you that I believed there were dark forces at work in the Federation and that intelligence were particularly infiltrated?" Jellicoe nodded. "I sent you to the Pegasai to flush them out, I thought I could identify the rogue element and crush it. I was right about the rogue element but I had no idea how deep this goes, every layer of the Federation is riddled with their influence, not just FIS but Congress, the navy, our great corporations, I strongly suspect even the president himself may be compromised and not just the Federation, these people have their hooks into the Empire, the Alliance and way beyond, we're up against our own governments, and our own institutions are working against us."
"I know, the Teorge logs showed that."
"Ah yes this mysterious Salomé of yours. I do wish I had been able to meet her, she could have been invaluable to lead the resistance to these people."
"A martyr is a powerful symbol." Jellicoe countered.
"It is but alive she could have held a movement together, without her I fear resistance will fragment into futile gestures aimed at grabbing headlines like that ridiculous attack on the Perseus of yours."
"Ridiculous?"
"This is much bigger than just Palin." The Admiral said frowning. "I have reason to believe these people have a black ops military unit here in the Pleiades, if we can flush it out into the open it may give us the crack we need to prize the whole thing open, if there is one thing that may defeat these people it is exposure."
"Secret military unit?"
"Yes one of their delivery pilots, a chap named Hyford put us on to them, he made the nearly fatal mistake of looking at what he was carrying for them. We intercepted a transmission from him about fleeing to Colonia to escape a private military unit in the Pleiades. Since then we've picked up several cryptic fragments that only make sense if this man was right."
"What was he carrying?"
"I don't know, but it was enough for them to want to kill him for knowing about it. We think these people are behind a number of disappearances but for the first time we may have a solid lead."
"Which I presume is where I come in?" Jellicoe asked.
"Quite so." The Admiral worked his console and a holographic map materialised between them. "The Electra system, uninhabited beyond this station." Craddock zoomed in on a large installation. "A civilian coms hub, entirely unremarkable, still fully functional, no distress signal received and absolutely no cause for concern, except that an installation with over a hundred people on board hasn't had a single supply delivery in over a month and when we sent a ship to investigate it was attacked and driven off, barely got out in one piece."
"And now you want me to see if I can do any better?" Jellicoe asked cocking a sardonic eyebrow.
"Yes. If there's a fight to be had your ship is rather better prepared than any of ours. Get in, find out as much as you can and move on to your next objective."
"Next objective?"
"The big one." Craddocks face became grave. "We've been monitoring the signals from that coms hub, all as they should be with a single exception, shortly after our ship approached a brief burst transmission was sent to a location in the Celeano system, heavily encrypted and all but undetectable but there's something else, you remember in your report from the Pegasai you said that Hogan was transmitting a lot of data out into deep space beyond the bubble? This is where it was going, the same location. We sent a Python to investigate it reported a station then coming under attack then it vanished and hasn't been heard from since, hopefully your ship will have better luck."
"Let's hope." Jellicoe said dryly.
"Here's a coms cypher, it should be uncrackable but don't use it for anything sensitive, report that personally. Good luck Stannis."
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OOC If anyone did pick it up the brief nod to Babylon 5 is entirely intended!