beneath the shadows (following orders, part 1)
26 Jun 2016Arkadi Kreven
<private log / diary entry (mental transmit)>"Commander Arkadi, this is not open to discussion" the PostCommander said with stern voice. "Orders from the HQ. If you don't play along we can still extradite you to the Allinace administration. Your bounty might be dormant but there are still people who will pay a good price to get you in theire hands to question you about the death of a certain Alliance diplomat."
I really didn't like the direction this conversation was taking. I'd rather talk about the next deliverys of medical diagnostic equipments. Unfortunatly I was not in the position to determine the subject of this briefing.
"Orders where to undermine at every occasion we can muster," I tried to find a way out. "You have to be talking about the incident in LHS 2936?" I looked over to the military man, for a sign of affirmation. "The system had a civil war going on. The local Camorra was uprising against the Nationalist movement and in all that chaos I had the chance to follow orders to eliminate an Alliance buerocrat. Do you remember the memo that encouraged every Federal contractor to disrupt the legal flow of the Mahon administration?", I tried to sound confident and with some conviction I confronted the armchair commander: "Why am I getting punished for this now? I was following orders, you know? I did take sever risks eliminating his transport and bounty hunters where following me back deep into Federal space."
The suit in front of me didn't flex a muscle as he answerd. "Orders have changed. With the Dangerous Games around the corner we cant afford any bad publicity. We are playing along the interstellar rules of engagement now. Strictly. Didn't you get that memo, Commander?"
I shrugged. I still wondered what had ridden me to say this sentence spoken by douchgbags of various coleurs 'I've only been following orders' damnit. How did I get into this situation? I should have refrained from this dirty business from start.
The PostCommander was talking and talking...
"... you will have to return your badge and licence. But you will still be under Federal command. You will be sent for covert operations deep into Imperial space..."
I remembered the words of the piratelord Beanyman, whom I have met shortly after the accident in the Alliance control system. It was right after I have shaken off those bounty hunters who have been following me since I left the Camorra war. They came after me as I was entering the war zone in LHS 115 to help the local democrats against a corrupt corporation - but thats another story. I have been lucky that Cmdr D. from the Syndicate was there to help me out of trouble. He also was with me as I found the secret whereabouts of Beanyman.
It was near an astroid belt where our ships took up the scrambeled ID of a pirate ship. It was Beanyman. He was flying a shiny Fer de Lance and submitted to my interdiction - he was not giving me a fight at all. He lazyly drove one direct assault after the other not even aiming at my moduls. As his ship exploded I scanned a one-way transmission. The words of Beanyman came through the white noice of the ether:
"Let my death be a new beginning. I waited to have you and your friends meet me. My death serves me well - get your bounty payout and let all believe my death as fact. But know, the Dangerous Games and the pacifist movements at the current expansions are not what they seem to be. Beneath the shadows there is something lurking. This is only the beginning. Something will be happening. Soon. You know the Farraguts that guard Merope ... you know that the Meta Alloys and the Unknow Artefacts spread through large parts of the inihibited galaxy. You know it. Preperare yourself, hide in the shadows and gather strength, gather with likeminded independents and hide in the shadow until the time is ripe... you will know when. And you might meet me at that point, if we are lucky enough."
I brushed my memory aside. I looked into the eyes of my superior. He was looking at me, waiting for an answer. "Allright, I'll do it" I said. "Better exile then captivity. What exactly am I supposed to do?"
"Travel down under, dive below Patreus and Arissas domain, search a calm backwater system and wait for orders. While you wait, you can try to gain some trust from local authorities. This will help you with future assignments. Maybe accquire one of those Imperial ships, this will make you less conspicious."
This conversation happened only some days ago. Now I just left Daramo. I have been on my way down under as I passed this system.
The war of Daramo was widely announced. It felt like a spectacle. Enormous payouts where promised and hired mercs flew busily back and forth. I also met Cmdr D. from the Syndicate again who also had subscribed himself to this war. System security was omnipresent and it seemed more like a show event then a war. It was a hyped confrontation between Federation and Empire. Strange enough there was neither word nor sign from the Kumo Crew who have been a strong power in these parts lately. Out of curiosity I participated - and I wondered - I was ranking up with only a few operations - I suspected media was present in the fights - I guess this was all publicity show for the Dangerous Games. All the galaxy seemed to have degenerated to a shallow show.
The words of piratelord Beanyman keep ringing in my head: 'Beneath the shadows there is something lurking. This is only the beginning. Something will be happening. Soon.'