Pleaides' calling
16 Jun 2022Claude Lecardunoie
I was having a meeting with Klaus Zieberski, at ArmBorr Ind. elections HQ, on Clairaut City, 10 Tauri. First I had been supporting them in their civil war versus Official 10 Tauri Defense Force, and then through an electoral process versus the Wala League. ArmBorr Ind. prevailed in both, and I like to think that was little bit thanks to me.As a consequence, my relation with ArmBorr Ind. staff were excellent and I strongly supported their projects for 10 Tauri system, and I still do. ArmBorr Ind. being backed by the Federation, I also got promoted in their auxiliary navy, and received some reward for that: I left my room in the Versailles Clairaut for a nice penthouse, paid by the Federation, in the high class residential district. 3 rooms, kitchen, bathroom and a 50m² terrace with a view on the station's main biopark.
The rental of this place even came with a "buttler". Silvius was his name. When I asked the building concierge were Silvius was coming from and which hosteling school had he studied to, he replied, with a wink : "Oh, hosteling school, no! But Madame Lavelle Escort Agency, yes. He'll serve you well. Courtesy of the Federation".
He served me well indeed. He explained me that he came with the appartment rental as a "furniture". Again, Federation hyprocrisy: they forbid Slavery, even Imperial Slavery, but they allow this. As for me, well, although not in favor of slavery, I have no problem with the Imperial Slavery Code. It gives Imperial Slaves a legal status and protection. I am still not to sure if they can earn their freedom at some point but Silvius would several years later. He's now the most wanted luxury concierge in 10 Tauri.
All of this was a welcome change from the cheap hostels or pilots dorms I was used to! In spite of all these privileges and although I trusted some of the local Federation factions such as ArmBorr Ind. and their people, I was still very doubtful regarding high ranking Federation politicians and congressmen.
Anyway, I was in the office of Klaus Zieberski, the election campaign manager for ArmBorr Ind. to pick up my reward after we won the elections. No more digital transactions for me, I could come and go in and out their headquarters and was always received in person by their main officials:
- "How are you, Commander Leacardunoie. I thank you again for your dedication to our cause. I transfer your credits on your account right away. How do you like your appartment? Everything's allright there?"
- "Well, yes thank you Sir. Everyting and everyone is really nice there. How could I help now?"
- "ArmBorr Ind., with your help, has now established itself as one the main political group in 10 Tauri. We don't own any installation yet, but that will come in time and we can pause our current collaboration for now. But, I just received a communiction, I can't tell you the source, just that it goes well beyond ArmBorr Ind. business."
- "Ok, I am all hear"
- "Commander, do you know the Pleaides"
- "I have never been there, but I know it is far out of the Bubble, that it has only been recently colonized, 6-7 years ago or so, and always under the threat of Thargoids incursions"
- "Yes correct. I have been asked to send someone there, someone I can trust for an important task. I warn you, you wouldn't get any support from us, the Pleiade are beyond our reach, and no support from the Federation either, but you would be well paid. I need an answer now, before going any further!"
I made some quick thinking: ArmBorr Ind. position was now strong enough in 10 Tauri, at least for the coming weeks and they didn't really need me. My guess was that this mission came from an important Federal official, someone close to Felicia Winters, Zachary Hudson, Zachary Rackham? Others? My acquaintances in Sirius Corp. would probaly have told me not to accept, but they were too busy working their agreement defense protocol with the Alliance and I decided to wait and see how that would turn out before going any further with them. And above all, I had never been out the Bubble yet!
- "Ok, Sir, I accept. I take your mission"
- "Excellent. All I have are planetary coordinates. I just transfered them to you. Don't waste anytime, you should be gone no later than in 3 days. And not a word to anyone."
I went back to my penthouse and started planing my journey to the Pleiades.
Fisrt, the mission was rather unclear, just coordinates on a planet of the Pleiades and an encrypted key. So a polyvalent ship would be better. Unfortunately, the more polyvalent ship of my fleet, was Coby, my Cobra MkIII. But the Pleiades are some 350ly from 10 Tauri. Going there with Coby would take an eternity. No! I needed a new ship, with a long jump range, fighting abilities, cargo capacities and no more than 10M CR. An Asp Explorer was the obvious choice. I quickly contacted the Lakon Spaceways local retailer. Bad news, they did not have any in stock, but there were some available in Gernsback City, in LHS 1604, 5 or 6ly from Clairaut City.
I spent the rest of the day, to pack my stuff to leave the next day to Gernsback City and then to the Pleiades.