Dark Vengeance (24 page)

I was informed that all of my clothing and possessions were to be burned in a special fire. With great relief I realized I had not brought along my Nasebian crystal, an ethereal jewel given me by a Nasebian emissary, a member of a race so advanced only limited communication was possible. I could only imagine R.J.’s response when they explained to him he was not getting his laptop back.

Finally, fully dressed in an outfit that looked as though it had come from the set of the Raiders of the Lost Ark, I was ushered into a debriefing room. R.J. was already there, still a bit red-faced from what I guessed was news of his laptop’s demise. I did not expect the debriefing to take long. Six hours later, we seemed no closer to concluding it. Enuro investigators came and went. There were periods of “good cop, bad cop,” and once or twice I had to catch myself from laughing. Five foot tall cops just aren’t that intimidating, even when they have the authority to vaporize you.

The discussions eventually became worrisome. There was a chance I would be charged with interference with a flight crew and endangerment of those aboard Star Seven. The meeting reached its low point when they wheeled in a rack with a variety of restraints on it from face guards down to ankle chains. It helped me regain a certain sobriety. But, just about the time I expected them to shackle and blindfold us for the firing squad, the newest interrogator declared, “Captain Tarn, Commander Smith, I believe we have everything we need. You are to meet with Chancellor Tcal before being transferred to your ship. You are free to go.”

“What will happen to the Star Seven?” I asked.

“It has not been decided. It will either be destroyed or irradiated for decontamination. We do not know yet.”

“And Captain Mars?”

“Captain Mars is well. He will be just fine. His own decontamination process is much more involved than yours was. He is presently still undergoing that procedure.”

“And that’s it? Am I considered a criminal on Enuro? Am I not allowed to ever return?” I asked.

The investigator coughed back a laugh. “It is just the opposite, Captain Tarn. You will be something of a legend here. On your next visit to Enuro you may have difficulty avoiding too much attention.”

“But I’m responsible for everything that happened. People lost their lives.”

“No, Captain. You are not responsible. You will understand better after meeting with the Chancellor. I am not at liberty to discuss it further.”

It was clear no further information would be forthcoming. R.J. and I rose and as we left the room, Ian was just going in. He stopped and held up a hand to me and we stopped and shook.

“On my planet we are brothers now, Adrian. We have shared blood.”

“Mine too, Ian. Let’s try to keep in touch.”

“I guarantee it,” he replied.

They urged Ian on and shut the door behind him.

Before we could wonder where to go next, an Enuronian gentleman in formal-looking attire appeared and gestured to us. He bowed slightly as he approached and gave us a big professional smile. “Captain Tarn, Commander Smith, it is my honor to guide you to your shuttle. I am Chancellor Tcal.”

“Chancellor, I understand you will be filling us in on some things?” I asked.

“This medical service ship is technically Enuro sovereign territory. We must wait until we’re aboard your shuttle before any sensitive matters can be discussed. The shuttle is this way…” He led us down a very narrow hallway. Silver pressure doors slid apart to allow us into a loading area where an accordion docking fixture was open and waiting. As we crossed over, we lost gravity and went into a float. Inside, the familiar surroundings of an Earth shuttle greeted us. The hatchway hissed and sealed behind us. The doors leading to the flight deck were closed. The Chancellor motioned us to wait before taking seats. We hung on to the overhead hand holds and felt the shuttle shift away from dock.

“First things first,” said the Chancellor and he floated over to a nearby closet. He drew out two silver suitcases and selected one for each of us. I held to a wall strap and popped mine open to find a formal captain’s uniform within.

“I would suggest you first put those on to be certain there are not any problems. Your very first order of business on the Electra will be the change of command.”

Once again, I was caught off guard. I looked over at R.J. and he was still hanging on to his open, floating suitcase, staring down blankly at his own shiny new commander’s uniform. Somehow the magnitude of taking over the Electra had escaped us until now. We were about to be formally piped aboard to exchange salutes with the representative from Enuro who had overseen all the work done on the ship. It was now a new class of starship making it a brand new command. Had it not been for the disasters aboard the Star Seven I would probably have thought this through by now, but as it was the realization was no less than shocking. I looked over at R.J. again. He was still staring at his new uniform as though there had been some kind of mistake. We were two misfits about to be given command of a huge starship, and we were just going to have to accept that.

“Really, Gentlemen, you should change. That aft compartment is designed for just that purpose. It has all the accessories you may need.”

I closed my case and pushed back aft. R.J. finally looked up at me with a blank stare. I gave him a big patronizing smile and closed myself in the shuttle’s dressing room to make the change. It took some fumbling along with upside down adjusting of garments. Reemerging, I was suddenly grand marshal of the big parade. R.J. appraised me with great consternation, then reluctantly pushed off and disappeared into the changing room. There was bumping and muffled sounds of displeasure. He reemerged as a starship commander. He floated over and used one of his rare four letter words. “What the hell are we doing here?”

“We may not have thought this through.”

We stared at each other for a few moments trying to reconcile who we were.

Chancellor Tcal spoke. “You are both probably aware of how extensively Enuro acts as a center of trade in this sector and beyond. We can do that because of a very old agreement with the Nasebians. They guarantee us protection and because of that hundreds of other species feel safe dealing on Enuro because they know no enemy would dare interfere. A key part of the agreement with the Nasebians is that the Enuro government will never engage in war with any other species. It has been a sound business plan for many centuries but as in all things there can be difficulties. You are both well aware of the extensive slave trade operating on the planet XiTau. Those who operate that slave trade are exceptionally sly about it. They manage to recruit individuals under false pretense and coerce them to leave their home planet voluntarily with the promise of great spiritual reward. For that reason, no laws are actually broken, so no legal intervention is possible. Once the victims are far from their home planet only then do they realize they have actually been indoctrinated into the slave trade. The citizens of Enuro have not been exempt from this travesty. In fact, Enuro victims are considered some of the most valuable commodities of all. They tend to bring a very high price during XiTau’s slave biddings. The number of Enuro citizens taken this way over the years is quite high. But as I’ve mentioned, it would take war to recover them and Enuro’s agreement with the Nasebians prevents that. However, Earth and many other populated planets in this sector have been experiencing the same type of abductions. Recently intelligence sources on Earth were able to obtain extensive computer records from the planet XiTau. Those records listed virtually all of the abductions and the sale of those individuals along with their final destinations. Earth’s leaders called for and arranged for a summit with all of the planets who have been suffering these abductions. The ambassadors on the Star Seven were some of those representatives returning from that caucus. It was unanimously agreed at that conference that with the computer data brought back from XiTau, the time had come to put a stop to this ongoing tragedy. It was agreed that Earth will attack XiTau and recover all enslaved individuals there, and each of the other planetary governments involved will target and recover citizens sold to the other worlds associated with the XiTau slave trade. This operation will be coordinated by Earth and will be staged and setup to happen simultaneously on all planets involved. You will be briefed in much greater detail upon your return home. Although Enuro cannot participate in this combat rescue mission, our people were able to refit the Electra and several other ships in support of it. In that way, Enuro hopes to recover the people it has lost. Gentlemen, there really is no point in asking questions. All of your questions will be answered more accurately when you reach Earth orbit.”

“Chancellor, the Electra is an untested vessel, is it not?” I asked.

“Although it has remained in space dock, all Electra systems have been thoroughly tested, Captain. The only unknown that remains is your knowledge of the ship’s new systems, but there is a plan to mitigate that. A team of Enuro consultants is aboard Electra waiting for you. You and Commander Smith will undergo extensive training until your departure from Enuro orbit. By the time you arrive at Earth, you will both know the ship well.”

“But as I understand it, we have only a skeleton crew aboard?”

“Yes, most technical departments are represented by one or more Earth people from which you’ll probably wish to choose your department heads. They have been aboard assisting in the work for several months and know their systems well.”

I opened my mouth to ask something further but was stopped by something moving past the shuttle’s view port. The Chancellor’s briefing had been so beguiling I had not even taken a moment to look outside. Suddenly a ship’s gray superstructure filled the port and starboard portals.

“Ah, we’ve entered Electra’s shuttle bay. I think you’ll be pleased with the upgrades we’ve installed, Gentlemen.”

Within Electra’s gravity field, we settled down into shuttle seats and waited for the hanger bay to pressurize. R.J. looked like a kid dressed for his first day of school and not wanting to go.

As we readied to disembark, the Chancellor came up to me and held out his hand. We shook and he said, “So you see, Captain Tarn, the assassin who attempted to dispose of you aboard Star Seven was representing the same people who have been abducting Enuro citizens. They are our enemy as well as yours. The crimes he committed on the Star Seven were in no way your fault but rather the fault of our common enemy. The hopes of everyone on Enuro will go with you when you attempt to rescue our people and bring justice to those at fault.”

I stood speechless. The shuttle’s side door slid open as though we were being evicted. We stepped out to the hanger deck, a place I had visited many times before, though long ago. But, it was a very different place this time. It seemed larger, though I could not be sure. The area was so pristine you could have eaten off the deck. Along the east hanger wall there was a long series of observation windows on the upper level. In the center of the arched ceiling, a new traffic control booth had been constructed consisting mostly of big windows overlooking the bay. Other shuttlecraft lined the west wall. There were yellow taxi lines running everywhere with fluorescent gradient markings on the walls for docking orientation.

As I turned around to face the rear of the bay, I had to catch myself from jumping out of my new uniform. Thirty or forty people, some Earth crew, other Enuro engineers and technicians, were grouped together staring. Seven officers stood at ease in a line in front of them. A podium had been set up nearby. Three dignitaries from Enuro waited there, one holding a partially opened scroll. It struck me that someone very important must be attending this ceremony so I glance around before finally realizing it was me. R.J.’s blank stare had changed to one of dejected surprise. A piper sounded his boarding pipe causing him to flinch. A Lieutenant Commander standing at the end of the officer’s line turned sharply and called attention. His charges straightened up. He turned to us and as we approached marched deliberately over, saluted and waited for our response. I returned his greeting and for an uncomfortable moment waited for R.J. There finally came a sloppy salute, though the Lieutenant Commander seemed perfectly content with it.

He turned back to me. “Ready for your inspection, Sir.” He spun and began leading us to his officers.

I followed along with R.J. close in tow. I managed to lean over to him and whisper, “Buck up, Commander!”

He returned a stolid, sarcastic look, ironically perfect for a hard nosed commander. I had to fight back a smirk.

At the inspection line, the Lieutenant Commander returned to his place. Neither R.J. nor I had ever done a formal line inspection, so we stepped along and did our best to look serious. At line’s end the three dignitaries stiffened and the one in the middle raised his scroll and spoke, “Captain Tarn, as the designated representative for Earth’s Global Space Initiative I present to you the Starship Electra, Galaxy Class. As you fly her through the night, know that the pride and craftsmanship of the Enuro people fly with you. Captain, as executors for the Enuro Space Council and having read these orders of relief, we stand ready to be relieved.”

It seemed like my cue. “I relieve you, Sirs.”

The three of them gave salutes with an open hand against their shoulders. I returned an Earth salute and was glad to see R.J. do the same out of the corner of my eye.

The dignitaries immediately came forward to shake our hands and congratulate us. Off to our right, the Lieutenant Commander yelled “Unit dismissed,” and the crowd immediately became loud and animated, some celebrating, others grouping to engage in abstentious conversation.