Author's Note: The 3rd chapter! Finally! Real life again caught up with me and threw me down a deep ravine. Now for those of you alarmed that my story suddenly changed . . . don't! I'm just introducing a plot twist here, heh heh. BTW, my first 2 chapters have been retouched, mostly for grammatical reasons. Feel free to recheck my grammar.
Oh, the disclaimer: Don't believe anyone telling you I own anything in this story. In fact, don't believe anyone...
Chapter 3: Important Message
It's very hard to imagine Beta Carab II as a thriving trading planet. But it was, many many years ago. Before the discovery of the Caernavon Current, and the subsequent 'cleansing' of the route from pirates and highwaymen, nearly all great trading ships stop by to gather their last breath before plunging through the Great Empty, a vast expanse of space with only old, dying stars and dead planets.
Things can't be better. Until they found the Dilithium mines, that is.
Precious crystals, these Dilithium. Many would pay fortunes to get their hands on some. Unfortunately, these crystals are not the kind of crystals you would place on your cabinet for all to see. It's the kinds of crystals that everyone wish they do not see, as it may well be the last thing they ever see.
For Dilithium crystals make good bombs.
And that's the reason for the ensuing rush: To gather as much Dilithium as possible and get the upper hand in the many skirmishes still dotting the nascent Empire. Needless to say, this brought much grieve and suffering to this once peaceful planet, a civil war that lasts for the better part of a century. The Empire did finally send a handful of the Imperial Expeditionary Forces. But too late. A genius whose name has been long forgotten discovered a way to end the war once and for all: He lit the fuse. And the great Dilithium mines all self destruct, demolishing nearly all major cities and bringing down millions upon millions of life.
The explosion also help raise an unbelievable amount of dust into the upper atmosphere, plunging the world into eternal twilight, prevented from devolving into ice age only because the ground had also split asunder, spewing forth red hot magma onto the surface, giving the heat needed to balance the lack of sunlight.
No longer a hospitable planet, and no longer containing Dilithium crystals in significant amount, Beta Carab II quickly lost its appeal to many. And after the discovery of the Caernavon Current, in droves everyone stay away from the planet like a plague. Even the Imperial Expeditionary Forces are recalled, leaving only a rudimentary Imperial Constabulary Regiment in place. Which have been having a tough, and failing, attempt at bringing law and order.
No wonder that this planet, with its eternal ash clouds kept alight by regular eruption of the volcanoes, quickly become the backwaters of the empire and a refuge for vagabonds and outlaws . . .
The man looked around suspiciously, and hurriedly crossed the deserted road, his overcoat's collar turned up to conceal his face, which is also covered by a broad fedora hat. As he briskly walked along the empty walkway, every now and then he looked over his shoulder, ensuring that no one is following him. When from his left, a clanging sound nearly took his breath away.
"Damn rats!" he cursed silently, quite relieved when he realized that it's not someone after him, just some rodents scurrying about trying to eke out a living among the foul-smelling refuse.
He hastened his pace, until finally he reached the place he wants to be: One Eye Pete's Tavern. Quickly he opened the door and slipped inside.
The Tavern was actually quite pleasant; it's definitely a lot warmer than the dank street outside. And the air here is actually breathable, albeit with a thousand and one aroma wafting from the patrons of the tavern. If you can put the 'interesting' scents aside, you can actually almost enjoy the art-deco interior of the tavern. Burgundy table and seats, burgundy leather covering the walls, and burgundy barstools. They sure are color-coordinated, and would surely look beautiful if not for their sorry state of scratched and torn bits here, there and everywhere.
He walked toward the bar, found himself an empty barstool, and sat. "One Vodka Martini. Shaken, not stirred."
"Hey, mister, that seat's taken," grumbled the alien beside him.
"Don't worry. He's a friend of mine. He won't object," replied the man.
The alien, who with his pointed ears looked like an elf, if there ever was any, gazed sharply at the man. "You wouldn't happen to know a Murloc named Anita, would you?"
"No, but if you meet her again, give her my regards, okay?" Answered the man.
"Hm. I got something for you. Come after me behind the bar in 5 minutes," whispered the alien-elf, "and be careful, the walls have mice."
"And the mice have ears. I copy you," acknowledged the man.
The alien-elf stood and left, leaving the man alone.
#Five minutes.# the man thought, #Damn. I hope his information is worth all this trouble.# While he's thinking, he's faintly aware that someone is watching him closely. #Sh--! Is my cover blown already?# So he took his drink in his hands and casually turned around, seemingly interested in a game of Billiards nearby, while actually quickly scanned the room. But he didn't see anyone suspicious. #Damn.#
After 5 minutes that felt like a decade, he rose from his stool and paid the bartender. Then he quickly slipped behind the bar. And he felt it again. Like someone is watching him closely. #Brr. This is spooky. I'd better shuffle along.# Three years of training and five years in the field have thought him a lot on the art of identifying your enemy. But this one is very elusive.
The door behind the bar led to a staircase descending to the basement. A bit hesitant, as he didn't know what could be waiting under there, yet he still descended the stairs.
"Ah. We've been expecting you. Have a seat, Captain Hawkins."
The greeting, friendly as it is, nearly made him jumped out of his skin. Not so much as to its suddenness, but because of the name attached to the sentence.
"How... how do you "
"... know your name, Captain? Well, it's my job to know everything in this sector of the Empire," smirked the voice's owner, a portly Canid with bright beady eyes. "My name is Angus McCall. Do seat down, please, dinner will be served in a moment. It's such an honor to have an officer on His Majesty's Secret Service to drop by."
Captain Jim Hawkins sat down. Out from a curtain behind Angus, two women came bringing food and drinks to their table. As they turned to leave, another person came out from the curtain, which is the alien-elf Jim met previously.
"Ah, there you are, Abner. I believe you have met with Captain James Hawkins upstairs. Captain Hawkins, this is Abner. My right-hand man, so to speak."
"Glad to meet you, Captain."
"Please. Just call me Jim. Glad to meet you too, Abner."
"Okay, let's all sit down and dine, shall we? The Angorian swampbeast is very delicious but only when hot. Business can wait until later."
So they ate the dinner in silence. Hmm, it IS delicious. This guy really has class, thought Jim.
"Thank you for your compliments, Jim."
Jim almost choked. "How do you know "
"what you're thinking? As I said, it's my business to know everything, Captain. Not to mention that I actually have a Doctorate in Applied Psychology, specializing in Human Behaviour. Forgive the expression, but you are so easy to read, Captain."
Jim smiled, "I'm impressed. You know, you reminded me of another canid Doctor, but he's an astrophysicist not a psychologist." Yes, the pride was almost like Doctor Doppler.
Angus just smiled, but didn't say a word. But not out of impoliteness, but because he's busily gulping down the last bite of his dinner. "Well, it's surely an honor for me that you think I am worthy to be alongside Doctor Delbert Doppler," said Angus, ignoring the surprised look on Jim's face, "We've crossed paths several time and I also admire him greatly for his intelligence and principles. But now, let's get on to business, shall we?"
Abner snapped his fingers, and the two women came again and took everything away, placing three mugs of ale on the table.
"Captain, in my hands here is a memory module. It contains all information you want to know. But only the first pages. The other pages are encrypted, and I assure you no one in the Etherium can open them up if they don't have the key. I will send you the key as soon as I get what I want."
"Which is?"
Angus picked up a cigar from a box on table, and theatrically took his time lighting it. Pause for effect. "An Imperial Invisi-ship."
Jim nearly choked on his Ale. "You gotta be joking me! You want an Invisi-ship?".
"Yes. I believe I can put it to good, fruitful use," smirked Angus.
"But, that's impossible. There are only "
"four of them in the Empire. Yes, I know. And at 200 million drubloon each, definitely not a cheap prospect. But," he leaned closer to Jim, "what good is an Imperial Invisi-ship if there is no Empire to protect it with?"
Jim slumped in his chair as he started to realize what Angus was implying. "So you have information on a rebellion, am I correct?"
"More of a revolution. And it begins from the very top." Angus leaned back on his chair, "I believe you'll find more detailed information in the memory module. Do we have a deal?"
"Hmm," Jim furrowed his brow, "and may I know what you're planning to do with such a ship, sir?"
"Don't worry. You have our word that we will not use it for blatant criminal activities. It's just ... to make us easier in gathering information."
"And moonlight as smugglers?" quipped Jim.
Abner laughed. "Only for good cause, Jim. There are oppressed people in this sector that want to have freedom. We're ... shall we say, giving them a helping hand."
Jim rolled his eyes, "Weapons smuggling. Great."
Angus leaned forward again, and in a rather impatient voice, said "So, do we have a deal?"
Jim thought for a while, "Can I have one week to think this out and, should I agree, arrange things out?"
Angus smiled. He knew he won this round. "Go ahead. Abner will follow-up on your promise."
Jim picked up the memory module, and started to rise. "I can see how you get your information, Mr. McCall. You surely have great spies. Up in the tavern, I knew I am being watched, but somehow I never can pinpoint who's watching."
Sudenly, Angus's face turned a deathly shade of pale. "Watched? In the tavern? And you didn't see who're watching?"
Quite surprised to see his host clearly shaken, Jim answered, "Yes, why "
"Captain Hawkins, I suggest you go away real quickly, through the backdoor," said Angus, very urgently, "It's very dangerous "
His sentence was cut in mid-speech as they heard the sound of gunfight upstairs.
"Abner! Lead Captain Hawkins to safety, now! We got no time to lose," commanded Angus, "Captain Hawkins! Do follow Abner, he'll lead you through the secret catacombs."
A bit fazed, Jim grunted a short "Okay," before following Abner.
Abner pulled on a candelabrum, and activated a mechanism opening a secret door. "Quick, in here!" he said to Captain Hawkins.
Jim took a look back to Angus.
"Don't worry Captain Hawkins. I will slow them down. We can hold on our own here. Just remember your end of the bargain."
Jim nodded, and entered the catacomb, which was quickly sealed from the other side.
Abner was already a good 30 meters ahead of Jim. "Come on captain! There's no time to lose!" hissed Abner.
Running as fast as he can on the slipper floor, Jim asked, "What's that? What's the rush? Who's fighting?"
Abner curtly replied, "You'll get information about them in the memory module."
They ran for several minutes in the dark catacomb, only the light from Abner's lantern showing the way. Finally, they reached another door. Abner pushed on some bricks on either side of the door, and turned the door's locking wheel. The door groaned open as if protesting why it should be opened again after these years. Abner and Jim stepped outside.
"Captain, from here you're on your own. I believe you will be able to find your way back to your ship, as you should have passed the city gate when you came."
Jim looked around, and sure enough, they have emerged just beside the city gate, the door they have just passed blended in perfectly to the tall walls on either side of the gate. "Okay. Thanks Abner. Do you think Angus sur "
"I'm not sure. But just hurry. I will contact you again," with these words, Abner turned around and reentered the catacombs, closing and sealing the door behind him with a resounding click.
Jim quickly left the city gate, running away from the city into the dead forest, where his Observation Longboat -- an extra-quiet stealth version of a longboat -- is secretly moored. I hope it has not been discovered yet. To his relief, the longboat was safe. He quickly climbed into it and cast-off for his main ship, which was orbiting above the planet, but unseen by all, as it is an Invisi-Ship.
=== === ===
Lt. Commander Xandra van Melle was manning the scanning station, when she picked up the familiar transponder blip. "Ensign Chara, uncloak! The captain's coming," barked the human first mate to the ship's felinid engineer.
Lanny Chara quickly deactivated the holographic cloaking device. "Cloak down, Commander!"
"Good. Man the scanning stations for me will ya? I'll reel the Captain's longboat in." Xandra rose from her chair and briskly walked to the longboat bay. She arrived just as Jim was hovering the longboat in gently. Xandra adeptly caught the lines that Jim threw, and secured the longboat.
"Had a fruitful trip, Captain?"
"Very. Here's a memory module," Jim threw the module to Alex, "Quick, see what we can get out of it in the planning room. Gather all ranking officers. And don't forget to raise cloak again. I'll wrap things up here."
"Okay, Captain. Will do," quickly Alex ran out from the bay while Jim finishes securing the longboat and closing the bay. As he left the bay, he again heard the distinct hum of the holographic cloak being activated.
When Jim arrived at the planning room, the memory module reader had been prepared, and all ranking officers have gathered.
"Well, gents, and lady," Jim nodded toward Xandra, "This module was given to me just 1 hour ago. I believe this module contains very important information. Commander, please start the reader."
Xandra turned on the reader, which spills out the content of the memory module onto the projection screen. Names, pictures, maps, are shown. But what riveted everyone's attention is the timeline. Or more precisely, the objective of the procedures outlined in the timeline.
Assassination of the Emperor.
"Damn! They're kidding, aren't they?" exclaimed Jonathan Colby, the ship's Medic Officer and Quartermaster.
"I don't think so, considering that the one who gave this to me may have been dead by now," mulled Jim.
"But captain! If this plan is true, then the first part of the plan has already gone into effect by now!" declared Xandra.
"As I am well aware of," replied Jim dryly. Then suddenly the stream of data stopped.
"Hello? What's going on?" asked Xandra, confused.
"It's a security precaution by the one who gave me the module."
"But . . . the second part of the plan has not been revealed yet, captain! What are we supposed to do with partial information like this?" cried Zenet Vonthus, the ship's Weaponry Officer.
Thinking quickly, Jim barked orders, "Miss van Melle, have engineering prepare for immediate castoff! Destination, Rigel III Starbase, full speed! Mr. Colby, I want every off-duty man to be on standby, just in case. Mr. Vonthus, I want every cannon on this ship at full charge. Although we're practically invisible, short-range scans may still pick us up, and I don't want to be ambushed."
"Aye, captain!" replied all officers in unison. Everyone rushed to their stations, and soon enough the RLS Determination left orbit toward Rigel III. Thankfully, there was no ambush.
#Damn. I hope Abner will come soon. We need the decryption key.#
Author's Note Again: Damn ffnet keep deleting my asterisks. Had to use pound signs instead. Well, I had originally planned on combining this with what-is-now-known-as Chapter 4. But that would break the mood. And besides I want to 'tune' the next chapter.