The Chronicles of Count Altair

(I've decided to write my own little chronicle. I like writing, and so why not. Unfortunately it will take circa 4 months to get it up on the chronicle board, and I don't think I'll be interested in it then. Well, here it is. You don't have to like it, but I would appreciate comment, and no storylines of your own added on to this, anyway, here goes.)

(note; this takes place in my own tailored universe, the one of my upcoming plugin Star's End, the Raiders)

Prologue:

'You can't be serious in believing that the Union will attempt an invasion of ESF space. I won't, no wait, I REFUSE to believe that you're being serious.'

The President of the Earth-Sol Federation was not a fat man. One might as well call a bee fat. But he exceeded an aura of chubbiness and his red face added to the rumours that he consumed chocolates lavishly. At the moment Admiral Murda and he were in deep conversation.

'Look, Denarj, I'm sure the Union is totally unaffected by whatever the pirates do. This is just' She waved her arms about 'an attempt to throw a bit of sand in our face. I'm sure that my own attempts to start pirate militias inside their borders is equally annoying. You can't draw conclusions like that. But just suppose...'

'No, I don't want to go and tell the Unification Committee of Corporations that.. some pirates are kicking the stomach out of ESF forces. What will they think?'

She moved over the cluttered board the president used as desk. He didn't care where he put his belongings, and so she had to search for the thing put down only 30 seconds before. She inserted it into the holo-vid.

'Here is the proof.'

On the screen pictures appeared. She zoomed in a few, and then expanded them. While not a strategist like his predecessor, the man in the hover-chair could clearly see some kind of energy ball being fired from a circular tube.

He wiped his forehead on his sleeve.

'I'll take... your word for it. But, I mean, what is so obvious about plasma weapons? Why, only last week I had some physicists saying they had made breakthroughs... and, the ah, neutron rockets or whatever can easily take care of plasma weapons. Avril said so. Yes, he did.'

She leaned back in her chair and gazed at the ceiling. The galaxy might age, stars may go but human psychology remained viable no matter what.

'It's not the actual power, Denarj, it's the psychology. If you can come up with a weapon that is strategically superior, you may have a successful battle. But if you go and produce something totally, revolutionary, the opposition is always at a disadvantage as long as it exerts a psychological effect. Oh' she waved 'it's not always true. Remember, I have studied my histories as well. Neutron launcher were inferior to thermonuclear bombs, but the terror of having your gene structure annihilated...'

He leaned over the desk, and then rebounded. He held in his hand a holo-pad.

'Hmm... Naccali doesn't make much of an appearance anymore. Neptune Command, I think you're interfering in the affair's of other divisions. You... really shouldn't. I'm going to write something now. Please, go away.'

It might have been insulting, but she couldn't imagine Denarj Nefalk insulting someone.

She left.

Part 1: Secrets Infernal

If you drew a roughly accurate map of the Eastern arm of the galaxy, and divided it in 2 you might, just might come up with something approximately the current division of humanity. On the desolate side of things, Earth rests. And the Earth-Sol Federation. Some distance towards the great black hole at the centre of the galaxy, is the Union of Worlds. Rebels to the heart, in the fact they rebelled against Mother Earrth. Currently peace reigns. He did not like that.

Avril DuPont turned around and watched the remaining digits tick on the clock that rested near his command chair. Forwards from that he saw a map of the galaxy, which wasn't really true. The map of the galaxy kown to humanity. And then he saw his underlings. Not much to look at. Oh, he believed that they were useful., but Avril harboured a secret thought that they were worthless. There were many more technicians, but were there many more DuPonts? Not likely.

'Stardrive disengaging in 3 seconds.'

His computer voice didn't give much warning. Then again, in his ship people who were caught by surprise were soon surprised by being dismissed.

'The system is Klaefnon. It is of secure Earth-Sol allegiance. It is near the border' a seamingly endless number of polar coordinates relative to Earth droned out - 'current position.' The computer turned itself off.

'Kleoifnir, get me a readout on the ESF forces here.'

'Yes sir.'

He called up Kleoifnir's board and relayed it across to the ship's main graphic display.

'Ok... um Tenandril, I want you to ETA our rendezvous with the planet. Please bisect the asteroid belt in half if necessary.' He didn't mention: Watch out for asteroids.

The ship soon found itself above Horoscoe. The ship was incapable of landing. If it did, which made many of the technicians shudder, it would tear itself to pieces and ruin most of the main continent. If the fusion reactor caught fire, then even more of the planet would be destroyed. He didn't know exactly, but there was a certain weight limit to ships using fusion rockets per mass. The governor would be making the trip. He took out a needle and injected himself, the timer would let him sleep 3 hours.

'Admiral?' He woke up with a jerk. The adreline flushed his cheeks red as the needle drained dry and dropped lifelessly into the chute. The governor was standing in front of him.

'We need to discuss things in my room.' He said brusquely.

He led the way down the whole ship almost, into his private sanctum. The air was cleaner here, and roses could be scented.

'How are the pirates going?' DuPont asked and sat down, not even offering his guest W'Rakleen coffeee.

'They are... umm...' the governor apeared nervous.

"It's perfectly safe Morris. How are they. Are the negotiations going well? Speak man!'

'Yes, I'll need more resources.' Morris Terrek felt like he was reciting something.

'I brought some with me, 239 tonnes of armokur.'

'I know I can trust you, Avril. But can I trust the rest of ESF or your division?'

'The ESF no. My division yes. Admiral Murda will investigate your rebellion. I guarantee it will not progress to myself, and you will not be harmed.' The admiral rose.

'Thankyou.' Morris rose and shook hands.

'One, two, three, now!' The tubular object squealed. A thin ball of white casing jumped out and hit the mattress at the far end of the wall. When the object touched it, the mattress disappeared.

'Excellent!' The technician at the board rubbed his hands vigorously. It wasn't cold inside Station 23, but the frosted glasses that held in the air made him chill.

'That's the 3rd time it's worked out of 4' He said unnecessarily, 'I think, we can start using it on the cruiser model.'

A man was standing apart from him. He wore a vest marked with the insignia of an ESF captain. The insignia was torn.

'Yes, the ESF forces will not know what hit them.' He was also happy at the weapon's success.

Apart from the bustling techs and the man, was a woman. She was not scruffy like the pirates, her uniform seemed to be made of water. The lates plastic textiles, and her accent was harsh and clipped. She wore no insignia, but it was easy to tell her nationality.

'It is expensive. Don't waste it. Well' She glanced at her wrist, 'I can see you know the basics of the design. I will go now.'

Before she left the chief technician grabbed her arm. She shook it off roughly.

'Can I just... where did you get this technology? The ESF is nowhere near this kind of development.'

'That is none of your business.' She said, and the ice on the window frosted a bit more.

The technician stooped with disappointment. For some reason she smiled.

'We didn't invent it. I'll tell you that.'

'Wha-' The Unionist walked away.

He fumbled in his pocket for some of the coffee tablets, then realised he had ate the last one hours ago.

'Right, let's try that again, I want no mistakes.'

(I plan on continueing this chronicle)

-=====
You're only stupid if you don't realise it.

Part 2: The Finite

Excitement tinged the air of the cruiser vessel, Vainglorious, as it glided through the asteroid belt which enclosed the Paladas system. In space a million miles forward arc of it's vision, a freighter drifted with a few guards. Deadly vessels, they belonged to the federation of Earth-Sol.

'Everything is ready, yes?' Mondle Hree asked his second.

'Yes captain.' The woman in charge of Targeting said. 'The plasma weapon is charged. We can' she glanced at the readout, 'fire 2 shots.'

'Good.'

Mondle turned and strode down the corridor to his cabin at the back of the ship. When the crew manning the hallways or working on the ventilation saw him, a solemn silence ensued.

No one new why Mondle did this. Every time he was going to make a strike on ESF freighters or some military police vessel he would walk by himself into his cabin. He would lock himself in his room, and then emerge a few minutes later. Expression solemn. Eyes a mask.

Some said he went there to pray, and it could be true. Many of the renegade bands this side of Beurasaj had trained under him, and he had survived every encounter, if not won, with his rivals. Could God or some divine authority have helped? Others said he went to drink from a secret cabinet that held vodka from his ruined homeworld of Kar. Others said the bottle contained some mystic potion that gave him luck during battle. Before it had died out as a result of lack of food, Kar had impressed quite a reputation for mystery.

The truth was that he went there to cry.

Upon entering his room, he shut the door and locked it. At that, all the cameras there turned themselves off. There was a bottle on the table. He did not touch it. Instead, he went to the far side of the room and pulled open a drawer containing a picture of his wife and children. Claudi and Orice. He sat in that lonely chair, all by himself and stared. Then after the tears began trickling down his weathered face, he began reciting his oath to the ESF authorities who had killed his family by raising the taxes until every being on that lonely frontier world died by slow starvation. It wasn't complicated

'I will murder every last sonofabitch in your damned empire.'

Then he got up, wiped the tears from his eyes, and went back to the command deck. It was time.

Reading the displays on the board, he said, 'Engage the stardrive'.

The ship disappeared and then reappeared right next to the convoy. To those inside the ship, it had taken a journey. To those outside, it had disappeared. To those in the convoy, well, they were probably swearing too much now to worry about that kind of thing.

The convoy was defended by 3 ships, a frigate and 2 fighters. Captain Hree could see how close he had came to materialising inside the enemy ships, but that didn't worry him

His second leaned over and screamed into the microphone: 'Machineguns!!!!

A rat-a-tat spued out of the cruiser and impacted on the first fighter that was turning around. The bullets dotted itself against the hull, cracking the delicate material. The man inside died in seconds.

'Damn.' Said Hull. The other fighter swang round and landed a volley on top of the cruiser's command structure.

'Damage?'

'Minor.' Replied damage control.

Just then the machinegun rang out and caught the fightar a permanent mark in the engine, it span out of control and made a magnificient explosion. Just then someone screamed.

'Neutron pills!' Th captain grabbed a pill and shoved into his mouth, praying he hadn't been too foolish not taking it prviously.

True to Hull's prediction, a dull thud was heard and the air in the ship hazed slightly brown as the molecules from the neutron rocket slammd into the crew's cellular structure. Fortunately all had taken pills previously, and their gene code was invulnerable for another 30 minutes, although after that it would become fatal to take another one for a week.

More followed in rapid succession, and now even more deadly things could be heard: bullets slamming into the cockpit of the Vainglorious. The window cracked but did not break.

'Plasma control?' The newly-appointed man sitting at the desk was the only person in the entire crew who could target with plasma weapons. The entire fate of the ship would be in his hands for the next minutes. He was shaking.

'I didn't ta-ta-take the pi-pill. I-I'm dddead.'

Mentally, the captain swore.

'Fire the weapon when you're ready, and we'll see what we can do.'

The man just stared into space.

Navigation screamed 'She's coming back around!'

The frigate was turning back around to face Vainglorious.

'Turn her around!'

Mondle turned to the man shaking in his seat. The frigate had turned a full 180 degree and fired up it's engines. Missiles landed all over the cruiser.

'40 kilometres, she's going under!' Navigation screamed.

'Kill that damned ship, and I'll give you a full military burial!' The man in charge of Plasma turned around and touched a few buttons on the consol. A shot fired out, blinding. It went wide.

'Damn!' The cockpit began to hiss, as bullets hit it continuously.

'Hull?'

'It's going to depressurize, about 3 minutes.'

'Damn!'

'We can get out now.' The man said uncertainly. 'If we leave command, but -'

'We get killed anyway, yes. Plasma, we've got 1 more shot. If you fail, we all die anyway. If you don't you will go down like a hero. What do you say?'

'It's coming around again.' The frigate began to turn around, and startd landing neutron missiles on the hull. The ship rocked as the electronics were fried by continuous breaches all over the ship. Fortunately a nickelroid cut across the missile vector. Mondle turned and looked at the man in charge of plasma. Everyone did.

He manoeuvred the thin tube into position and fired. A thin beam of plasma shot out and began moving towards the frigate. The frigate moved out of it's way. The plasma missed.

The frigate ran into the asteroid.

The man on the control counter slumped.

'He's dead.' The medic officer said, peering into his lifeless eyes.

'Captain, we can catch the freighter now.'

'Do so.'

'Will we be giving him full miltiary honours?'

'Yes.' Mondle turned and strode down the corridor.

(Oops, no one seems to be interested, oh well)

At about the same time that the Vainglorious left the Paladas system, Ob Marz, the supreme dictator of the Union of Worlds, went to see his boss. The stairs was mounted easily enough, and Ob paused outside his heavy oak door. It was just like Yac to play a joke like that. He pushed it open. Cautiosly he poked his head inside. THe air smelt... old. Like it had been recycled, and there was a curious smell completely alien to his nostrils. Evidently no one was hiding behind the door.

Inside the room, he saw his chair, in front of his desk. It was turned away from him, and a man could possibly be sitting in it. He moved forward... ahh yes. A man was sitting in it. How interesting, he thought. He took out his energy pistol and moved forward. With a triumph movement, he span the chair around and pointed the pistol at the figure sitting in it. It was a dead guard. Spittle flowed across his lips as the gaping wound in his neck spat dark water.

'Oh. ****.'

A thousand jolts of pain enters his back as someone expertly handled him across the room. He floated in the air for a few seconds and came to lying on the floor. But he wasn't the leader of the most powerful nation in humankind's history for nothing. With amazing self-control he deadened the pain in his back and limbs, and got up. His adversary was sitting in the chair. He smiled. No doubt the wearer of that face was trying to achieve a sinister smile with no humour. Instead, Ob merely saw a smile. There was no emotion behind, rather there was the absence of any possibility of emotion. He wiped the dust of his coat.

'You're late.'

'That's not important.' He replied. 'I have just been to see Denarj.'

No response.

'He also said...'

'Did you appear nervous?'

'Yes. Well, I tried to atleast.'

'Did he appear nervous?'

'Um, no I don't think so. He kind of seemed, worn out.'

'Ahhh, yes. I had been expecting that. You have infected him with a number 31 virus. As long as it remains inside him, it will be fighting his mind for control.'

'The Crushev virus?'

'Number 31, yes.'

'Is there any place for me to sit?'

'You may sit on the floor.'

Ob preferred to stand.

'I also went to see the pirates. They seemed to be dealing honourably. They also won a battle against an ESF convoy.'

'That is counter to the Goodness of the Plan and the destiny of the realm. You should not have done that.' The red eyes on the face bore into him.

'I don't understand.'

'Let me set your trajectory. The pirates are to be preserved as a relic for the great war for you species. They must be nothing more. Before the war I may accept that they could have to sharpen their skills on to ESF forces. After the war we will destroy them. If you force them to do more than necessary, I will be displeased. I am displeased.'

'I didn't force them-'

'They told you of it, that is more than enough interaction on your level.'

Ob stood there for a while.

'Go.'

He left. Ob Marz, the dictator of the known universe left his boss. As he left the stairs his feelings that he was betraying his own race were constant. For his friend in his office was Naarad, and a Puppeeter of the realms.

Chapter 3: The Council of the ESF

The ESF political system was a simple one, and had kept it going for many years. Just enough of a dictatorship to survive the rigors of space, and democratic enough to decay into brutality. The people voted for the president, each planet selecting a candidate. At the end of the vote (the person whom Earth votes almost always gets the position of president) he is elected. At the second level of the system, is the Council. Every corporation in the ESF is there. Usually about 200, ranging from Transportation to Weapons Manufacture. They also elect someone, the Corporate Advisor. He has almost the power of the president, and may veto him on some matters.

Such as this one now.

'More funding for Neptune Command? Are you alright Mr. President? We poured 2309 billion dollars into that thing, and now you want to double it!'

The huge room was roughly circular and the president was standing in the very middle. He could feel the eyes of the corporate representatives on his back and on his speech he had prepared earlier. Admiral Murda was also there, but sitting in a not-to-recently vacant seat near the front. The president began again.

'The increase in pirate activity during the last few years has been staggering, ladies and gentlemen. Nay I would say impossible. We have always been a very orderful society - '

A man stood up, he was the CEO of Molecular Tech Inc.

'Impossible? Could it be bad management or a lack of foresight?'

Denarj coughed into his sleeve. He couldn't think properly any more, not without all these people trying to grab his attention.

'Look, the Union of Worlds has been funding them for the past 10 years. And I hope you understand that.'

The CEO spoke again.

'And why must it always be the ESF that is afflicted with such problems? Why cannot our military commanders have the ability to do the same to them?'

There were mutterings of 'hear hear'.

'Because' said Nejalk triumphantly, 'we're not giving Neptune Command enough funding?'

The man sat down hurriedly.

'I take it that you all ag-'

Another man stood up.

'Excuse me, but I have Admiral DuPont here on the subetheric. He wants to talk to the Council.'

Denarj looked meaningfully at Admiral Murda. She shook her head the tiniest bit.

'Yes? Is this the council?' Said DuPont's voice from the speakers.

'Of course it is you imbecile.'

That came from the man sitting next to the CEO of Molecular.

'cough Ok, well I have some important information I need to give you. And I hope it will be enough for the expansion of the Bill of War.'

'Go on.'

'Yesterday, in the Paladas system, one of our main armokur convoys was utterly destroyed.'

'By whom?'

'Pirates.'

'Hmm... Denarj, why do we let our convoys run around without enough protection?'

'I don't know, that was your job wasn't it DuPont?'

The voice came again from the speakers.

'Yes, but I could not get there in time to stave off the attack. If you wish to know, the pirate vessel is completely destroyed by my own ships. I suggest you increase our funding so we can multiply the amount of escorts our convoys have.'

Admiral DuPont had some supporters in the Council, especially those also in the Cossack party. Denarj Nefalk tried to look for members of his own party, the Jihilites, but couldn't find any. The Jihilites despised material wealth.

'I suggest we increase the Bill of War.' Said a DuPontist. 'I would also like to point out to the Council that this state of most disreputable affairs was caused by the President.'

More cries of 'hear hear'. Denarj felt the Earth sway beneath him. He felt like he was flying. Admiral Murda rushed to him and stopped him from falling off the podium. Very soon, there were more security guards at the scene.

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