The Gathering Storm - Part I
12 Oct 2017Jellicoe
Obsidian Orbital, Maia"Engines disengaged, ground crews despatched." The computer trilled as the great magnetic clamps engaged and the Resolution settled gently onto her allotted pad. The docking bay of Obsidian Orbital was busier than usual, the recent discovery of alien structures across the Pleiades bringing scientists and alien chasers from across the bubble, also attracted by the discovery were those with rather less reputable motives, adventure seekers and treasure hunters and, inevitably, hot on their heels came pirates and thieves looking to prey on the unwary and largely unprepared. The Pleiades had always been frontier territory, right on the very edge of human space and shrouded in an aura of mystery and danger beyond mankind's understanding. It was home to an eclectic mix of explorers, miners, traders, bounty hunters and criminals, some seeking riches, others knowledge still more refuge. The hard nosed cynical and violent rubbed shoulders with the naïve, innocent and gullible, fortunes were made here, and lost, some returned to the bubble with wealth beyond their wildest imaginings and stories of their adventures they would dine out on for the rest of their lives while others, their credits expended and broken in body or spirit remained, stranded, to eke out whatever living they could on this humanity's wild frontier, a stark and eloquent warning of the risks of chasing dreams. Now though this frontier territory was seeing a gold rush as amateur researchers and treasure hunters swarmed over the alien structures oblivious to any danger and often in hopelessly unprepared ships to haul exotic cargo back to civilisation.
While this frenzy had been taking place the Resolution had been engaged in a painstaking survey of the region looking for any trace of the mysterious and deadly Black Flight. It had been a largely frustrating quest, a few clues scattered here and there but no solid leads, the closest call being an encounter with an enigmatic Diamondback near the permit locked HIP 22460 system, the ship had followed the Resolution's low wake, then escaped before it could be tracked. The crew were tired, frustrated and looking forward to some much needed relaxation.
"Holo-call coming in." Claude said as the vast hydraulic lift lowered the ship into the hangar.
"From?" Jellicoe replied irritably
"Professor Ishmael Palin."
Jellicoe raised a curious eyebrow, this was unusual, he knew the professor, the engineer, scientist and possibly humanity's foremost expert on xenobiology and had paid numerous visits to his research centre, indeed he regard him as a friend but for the professor to make contact himself was almost unheard of.
"An unexpected pleasure Professor, I trust you are?" Jellicoe began when Palin's hologram shimmered into view, his left eye in its familiar squint.
"Very well thanks Stannis, how are the thrusters?" the professor replied in his low, gravelly voice.
"You excelled yourself." Jellicoe replied. "I can almost throw this thing around like a fighter. So what can I do for you?"
"I need your help Commander. These alien sites that are showing up have to be researched, urgently in the light of recent events and we know almost nothing about them."
"I rather think somebody does." Jellicoe said wryly.
"That's as maybe but I've got a state of the art lab and some of the brains in their field, this is what my centre was set up for and I'm being kept out of it."
"What do you need?"
"I need samples for study." The Professor replied eagerly. "Particularly biological matters, as much as you can get me."
"Consider it done. How do I get it to you? Do you need me to run the blockade?"
"That won't be necessary, the Pioneers Cooperative are helping me, deliver it to their contact at Danielle's Progress I'll send you the details and see you right for your trouble."
"Alright I need to give my crew some downtime but I'll leave in twenty four hours."
Jellicoe did not like spending too long on the ground at Obsidian, while the Ant Hill Mob controlled the station and had, just about, preserved its independence the Federation could not be ignored and with two Farragut class battlecruiser's based in the system the Mob's independence had limits. It was not unknown for Federal agents to openly make arrests on the station itself while off duty military personnel seemed, to all intents and purposes above the law, the Mob may have retained control but its control was strictly supervised. Jellicoe's good relations with the Mob's leadership and willingness to pay large backhanders to keep his visits off the official logs mitigated much of the danger but it was still a risk.
In a dingy bar a short elevator ride from the docking tube the senior members of the Resolution's crew sat drinking and planning their next mission, the air was thick with tobacco and onionhead smoke while loud rock music blasted from a heavily overcharged sound system. The bars patrons were the usual Pleiades mix of traders, miners, dangerous looking men it was safer not to ask and desperate down and outs seeking a brief respite from their travails in alcoholic or narcotic oblivion, a whole corner was given over to a group of off duty Federal Marines who were getting raucously drunk.
"I can't see much risk being involved." Harry Soames was saying. "This Black Flight have pretty much given up trying to stop anyone getting to these sites, the secret's out now, pilots are crawling all over them."
"No point taking any chances." Vik put in. "Have a fighter up while we're on the ground just in case." Jellicoe was only half listening his attention drifting to the marines, part of him envied them the camaraderie and belonging, the certainty of knowing their place in the galaxy and their trust in the Federation, he remembered when he had had that and he missed the sense of security and comfort it had brought him, but that had been before, the truth may indeed set you free but that freedom came with a high price tag. Once, not so long ago he would have been reassured by these menus presence, he may even have fought with them in the various battles with the Empire in this part of space, now he knew that any of them would shoot him without hesitation if they knew his identity. He was an outcast, an outlaw hunted wherever he went, that was the freedom the truth had brought him.
"Commander?" Mira's voice brought him out of his thoughts and back to the present.
"Sorry, this music's too loud what did you sat?"
Mira looked quizzically at him. "I said if you want to keep a CAP in the air for an extended period we're going to need more pilots."
"Yes we do." Jellicoe answered his thoughts firmly back in the here and now. "We also need to replace the rest of the navy personnel we lost in Delkar, see if you can find any decent pilots."
"I could do with some people to replace the marines." Harry Soames put in. "If we get boarded at the moment we'd be trying to fight them off with deck hands and mechanics." At the mention of marines Jellicoe's eyes involuntarily returned to the drunken group across the bar who had turned their attention to a rather attractive barmaid. The girl was clearly not interested as she tried to collect their glasses while trying to ignore or laugh off a succession of crude suggestions and obscene gestures.
"Alright." Jellicoe answered Harry. "See if you can find any military contractors who won't sell us out if a better offer comes along."
"Mercenaries?" Harry asked shocked.
"I don't like it either but if..." Jellicoe broke off as a commotion broke out across the bar. One of the men had clearly gone too far and the girl had slapped him across the face, the other marines now had the girl surrounded, a look of rising panic on her face.
"You fucking nebula bitch." The red faced marine snarled. "You fucking touch a Federal Marine?"
"Please sir." The bar owner begged, quickly on the scene. "She not mean it, she sorry, she new here and get scared by the noise. Free drinks all night for you all. La'Niyah, get these fine men another round."
"I don't want your fucking piss water." The marine yelled. "I want that fucking bitch to show some respect, no nebula tart turns Jon Beeby down."
I believe the lady said no." Jellicoe's voice cut through the din of the bar. "And you are a disgrace to the uniform."
"Yeah? And who the fuck are you?"
"Montgomery Drake." Jellicoe replied using his middle and mothers maiden name. "Now I really do suggest you and your friends go elsewhere. Now."
The marine's hand went to his pocket, emerging brandishing a flick knife. "I'm gonna fucking cut you up you..." He never finished the threat. Mira's slender arm whipped out, her clenched fist connecting with Beeby's jaw and the hulking marine collapsed to the floor.
"Some folks say diamonds are a girls best friend." Mira said grinning at Jellicoe's look of surprise. "Hell I say it's a set of brass knuckles." Then all hell broke loose. The other marines charged, Vik and Harry pitched in hitting out right and left and many locals joined the fray, the tension of months of Federal arrogance and high handedness finally finding vigorous release.
A shrill whistle sounded from the entrance and a contingent of Federal Military Police with a couple of black clad station security men rushed into the bar.
"We need to leave. Now." Jellicoe said urgently to the barmaid.
"One condition." The girl said. "I come with you."
"Agreed." Jellicoe replied.
"Follow me."
Classified location, Nanomam
Some hours later several hundred light years away a small, slender woman with short, raven black hair and sharp, savagely beautiful features took a holo-call.
"Admiral we've had a confirmed sighting of this Stannis Jellicoe you wanted keeping tabs on. He was involved in an altercation with some of our marines in a bar on Obsidian Orbital."
"So he is still in the Pleiades." The woman said thoughtfully. "Was he apprehended?"
"Unfortunately not." The man replied uncomfortably. "He was able to slip away in the chaos."
"He has an irritating talent for that."
"We suspect he'll still be in the area, do you want me to launch a search and destroy operation?"
"That won't be necessary Commodore." She smiled at the look of confusion on the mans face. "You forget that I know what's coming in that part of space, and with what we know of Mr Jellicoe's character it seems extremely likely that he will be among the first of the glorious dead." She smiled savagely. "He gets to die a hero and we are rid of a troublesome nuisance, a satisfactory outcome all round wouldn't you say?"
"Very good Admiral Sleer." The man replied.