Following Orders, part 2
12 Aug 2016Arkadi Kreven
I could enjoy my undercover holidays in the Imperial backyard for some time. It was nice to just fly and do trade-runs, some skimmer-destruction and some retrieval missions or just driving on a planet surface with a wing-mate looking for steep canyons to do some SRV cliff-jumping. I even had the time to make a littel trip to the witch-head nebula where some anomalys have been reported and possibly also some barnacle-sites could be found. Fortunatly this fell together with a call for exploration data from the Empire. This exploration had an explosive finish when I was flying down into a maze of canyons bewitched by the sight of the nebulas nearby and didnt manage to pull up in time in front of a steep wall. Another couple of millions down the ditch. I returned to my remote exile upon this mishap.In this remote parts, where I have been setteling, news only drippled in slowly. I have heared that the Dangerous Games finally finished and that someone called Yuri was celebrating with his armada in some not so remote regions of the bubble. A burnt-out trader told me about a system not far from Federal space where the EG-pilots should have a station. Maybe I will visit them some time. The other news I heard was that some mysterious patron has initiated a fighter competition callling it the Icarus Cup. People whispred that the best combat-pilots from all regions, be it military, private security, freelancer or pirate, have gotten invitations for this event. The pilot telling me about this was long gone and I was drinking my Gerasian pint on the lone table as I noticed he had left a littel chip card.
Back in my ship I did insert the chip into the reading device of Friedenspanzers data-processing unit. What a surprise, I got the coordinates of a system and a contact with a littel message attached reading like this: "Meet us and show your skill. If you survive the test you will be in the training with a reknown fight-club We will prepare for the Icarus-Cup together. Jump to the coordinates and meet our contact at the given location if you feel you are up to it."
Nice, I thought. Didn't look like a trap to me. Maybe I'll go. Damn shure yes. What have I to lose, anyway? I could only profit if a combat-veteran was ready to show me some of his tricks and taking part at a Fighter Cup was something I have been dreaming of since I was a samll boy.
It was a good decision. More I can not say becouse the details are confidential.
Not long and I got a new transmission from Federal Command. My exile was nulliefied. Every availabel pilot was called back for duty. The Federation was heating up war-production. Also the Imperial Admiral Patreus was knocking on Federation turf again. I was busy shipping superconductors to Gooheimar and flying in the military strike zones in Oto to oppose Patreus expansion attempts. As if this was not enough of trouble, the Pleiades Resource Enterprise was calling for help to extend influence in the remote region around Maia.
With all this happening I had my prioritys set. I wanted to train for the Icarus Cup and I managed to meet with my new mates for training sessions regularly when I could manage to get off from my other dutys.
Until today.
I have ponderd a long time if I should fit my Python for battle again. What was all this fuss about the barnacles and the unknown artefacts? What my superiors tell me the Federation is trying to bring some order and law to the Pleiades sector to prevent that the barnacle ressources will be pillaged by rogues and prevent that piracy and anarchy break lose in those systems. Of course I know that the Federation also will profit from being the strongest power at the location.
I know GalNet is reporting that the PRE started the agression against the Imperial Inquistion that has set foot in this sector. This is putting the whole thing on a morally bad foot. Still I adher to the cause of the Federal President and I will do what helps our power. I know there are people who think we as humanity should stop infighting, but when I think about it I believe the most valuabel ressources should be in the hands of the power that most sturdy stands in for humankind and can defend it with most vigor. The right hands are those who also can defend itself and its values. For me it is still good old Federation with all its flaws and corrupition. This thought was leading to my decision to go to to hangar and instruct the technician to fit my Python for war. I am disembarking to the Pleiades.