A LOPER TALE

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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Had to laugh at Hawle not sending Stikka because he doesn't like the rain. Say what you want but he does care about his subordinates.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

34

UNDERCOVER

Ochoa stepped out of the elevators, having convinced the reception guard of her appointment. With ‘Puttman Clan investments’ being based on the fifth floor, she got off one floor early ‘by accident’ and looked around the companies listed on the walls. ‘Micoban Starlines’ occupied two of the doors to the left and ‘Rayvon commarkets’ had the rest of the floor. She hid the comm detector Januvitski had given her and activated the link after sitting down in the passageway. She opened the commline and called the comm number they had from Minchin’s records. It didn’t matter that there would be no visual as her comm wasn’t equipped with a visual display. It didn’t matter that he probably wouldn’t speak. She just had to… Ah, well, here she went…

Across the way, Januvitski set up the reception dish and trained it on the building opposite. 4th floor. She ran checks with her system to make sure it was working and zeroed in on a Raitchian ordering his next meal for clarity; at least as much as she could get with the rain splashing noisily off the windows and ledges. Across the way, on the unoccupied floor that 50 credits to the maintenance officer had made sure would stay unoccupied, Katara readied herself with her vision enhancer as Cafferty mooched nearby.
“What’s got your tail in a twitch,” she asked the Tod.
“I’m not fond of sending a scientist to do a guard’s job,” he groused. “Anything could be happening in there.”
“She might even be doing her job,” Katara commented. “I’ve noticed most people aboard do a good job, despite how scatterbrained and oddball they seem.”
“Infuriating, isn’t it?”
“As Kokarra said ‘I much prefer those who can hunt…’”
Cafferty nodded. “...’to those who can fake it through appearances’. Suppose so.” he continued to hover protectively, moving slightly from left to right and back again.
“You’re still moving,” Katara complained. “What’s on your mind?”
“Just… something with Lieutenant Groal,” he admitted. “He’s going to ask me to do something and I don’t think I want to do it.”
“I’ll tell you…” Katara started, before Januvitski called across that Ochoa was starting the call. “Later,” Katara finished, turning back to her duties and observing the building opposite.

Ochoa stood up as the comm connected and someone picked up. In her ear, she heard someone say ‘who is this’ and she smiled slightly to herself as the detector told her to go left, towards the Micoban offices.
<”I’m an associate of Mr. Minchin,”> Raven’s voice said through the relay. <”I was told to contact you if anything happened,”> Ochoa wished she’d had more time to write better lines for the Commander. Not to mention she should have worked on the delivery. Stiff wasn’t the word. Concrete beams weren’t as stiff as… The elevator dinged behind her. Ah. She had to hide the comm away and mute it as the Raitchian female, ostensibly from the people she was supposed to be being interviewed by arrived. “This isn’t the right floor, is it,” she said plaintively, on the edge of embarrassment.
“No,” the female replied irritably. “This isn’t where you’re supposed to be. Who ARE you, by the way? I looked up Ochoa Kelbar and couldn’t find any appointments for you today.”
“Are… are you sure,” Ochoa queried, doing her best to look worried. She’d chosen to keep her first name for a simple reason. There was always a minor chance that an unfamiliar name might trip an actor up if they failed to respond to their characters’ name. “It…” She gestured expressively, “it was all arranged by Kelvin Pollan in Marktober province and…”
“Kelvin Pollan,” the female replied. “You’ve not seen the news today, then?”
“Um… no?” Ochoa gripped her bag’s handle tightly, twisting it somewhat. “What’s happened?”
“Better if I show you,” she replied, showing Ochoa a news report on her padd that said a Raitchian called Kelvin Pollan from Marktober had been arrested on fraud charges. Charges that Ochoa had earlier decided made him the perfect mark. Ochoa sagged slightly. “But what… What does this mean?”
“It means, I’m afraid, that you’ve been conned. Like so many others, apparently. There isn’t a position available here at the moment.” She brightened. “I can keep your resumé in case something comes up but… I suggest you go to the police. I… I’m sorry. People still do this every day…” She escorted the slump-shouldered amateur Thespian back to the elevators and took it down to the lobby.

<”I don’t know what you’re talking about, “> the voice told Raven as Januvitski zeroed in on the signal, using the information Ochoa had managed to glean before being blown. She’d heard the Raitchian put the knowledge she’d gained from the media online system to good use and the Human made a mental note to see if she could find any of the female’s performances on vid or on a certain Racon’s hard drive. She remembered what Ochoa had said. ‘There’s always fraud somewhere’ and wondered if that was why so many Raitchians she’d met didn’t want to live in their own colonies? She’d locked the bio scanner onto the figure talking and could see his heat image on the screen as it picked him out from the others. A glance to Katara showed the Vixen had him pegged as well, her eyes locked onto her prey through the viewer. <”Minchin told me to say he had evidence linking you to the ‘project’,”> Raven continued. <”If you want to see some of it, you’ll find it in lockbox thirty one in your the local bus station. I suggest you look. Code is… One eight seven four nine. There’s a comm in there. I suggest you get it before the Police there do. Then call me. Or I’ll call them.”> They heard Raven close the line as Ochoa got to the ground floor and stood, shoulders slumped, in the rain after talking with the guard for a few moments. She slopped through the growing darkness towards the car park as the target left his computer terminal quite quickly. “Target coming to you, Oster,” Januvitshi said into her comm as the visible Raitchian appeared in the foyer and ran out into the rain to get to his vehicle.
“Picture on the way,” Katara added as her viewer took a picture and sent it to the viewer the Feline had taken.
<”Got it,”> Oster said from the near deserted local station.

“What did you think, Jan,” Ochoa asked Januvitski, suddenly appearing at the Human’s shoulder as she pulled apart the surveillance device.
‘Jan’ turned to the sopping wet Raitchian and tried not to laugh at the happy face on the drenched body, soggy fur hanging down over her eyes. “You did a good job,” she admitted.
“Wonder if Raven’ll let us take it easy this evening,” she said aloud as she pushed wet fur out of her eyes. “Got a date with the guard!”
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

This continues to be an enjoyable story! Please keep it up!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

I decided to let a mistake I made whilst writing stay in the story. After all, anyone can flubb a line...

35

WHEN IT RAINS...

“Well,” Commander Hawle protested as he and Colleen were escorted from the presence of President Tulwit by a pair of attachés/guards, “that went better than expected.”
Colleen happened to agree and nodded. “He promised not to arrest us for following protocols and deigned to order the Finance Minister to co-operate with us but he wasn’t happy about it.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t,” Hawle told her. “It might have something to do with the weather,” he added as they looked out at the teeming rain. He looked back at one of their escorts. “Is the weather always like this,” he asked.
The guard considered not answering but, after a moment of looking like he was chewing a wasp, decided he might as well answer. “Weather Control’s been offline for two days.”
“Two days,” Colleen questioned, cocking her head slightly. “Seems a while.”
“Hmm,” Hawle muttered. “As we’re here, perhaps my Chief Engineer could have a look at the system.” He nodded. “I’ll have him go over.”
“I wouldn’t advise that,” the attaché argued. “It’s a secure location.”
“Two days ago,” Hawle countered, “the force that seems to be agitating for war struck at Micanna. Under the remit we’ve been allowed by your President, that gives us leeway. I intend to use that to the limit. Tell the Weather Control people he’ll be there shortly.”

The pair stepped out into the rain and got into their hire car to drive down to the main gate. “So,” Colleen said gently, “Calavix?”
Hawle nodded. “It seems so. Or a misdirect. But it needs checking. And repairing,” he added as they juddered over a pothole. He stopped outside the gate and pressed his comm. “Hawle to Loper.”
<”Loper. Stikka here, sir,”> the Racon replied. <”What can I do for you, sir?”>
“Send Hawle… no, wait, don’t send Hawle, that’s me. Send GROAL, Winsome and a guard down to the Weather Control station to see if they can turn off the taps. Apparently the system malfunctioned three days ago.”
<”Three days heavy rain,”> Stikka replied with a hum. <”Floods and storm damage...”>
“Absolutely,” Hawle replied, trying to keep a straight face as Colleen grinned behind her clenched fist. “Hawle out to lunch.” He closed the line and gave in to laughter. “I can’t believe I got that wrong!”
“Seasonal blooper tape, here you come,” Colleen chuckled as a car sped past. “We doing the late lunch here?”
“Might as well,” Hawle admitted. He looked up at the driving rain hitting the windscreen. “Provided we can park next to the restaurant.”

Pangal had had better mornings and it was only the events that had happened on Micanna that had Chief Kally taking what she’d been saying seriously. It seemed the Chief had some sort of source on the Mican colony who’d been telling him what had happened there the last few days as the press certainly weren’t covering it. He still wasn’t happy about it and he made that quite clear as they sat in the detective’s offices, surrounded by his people. “So,” he demanded, “what is it you want us to do about things?”
Pangal shrugged. “At the moment, nothing. A team’s investigating a lead we have right now and they’ll need to have an interview room readied for them in a short time. One of yours can be with me in the observation room…”
“Gracious,” he grumbled. “It’ll be me.”
“Of course. It’s my habit to keep the local force involved in all levels of the investigation and we intend to. But there’s a certain… trust issue.”
“I resent the implied allegation…”
“...That I haven’t made. But it’s undeniable that you have a fraud division unrivalled in the main systems and that’s not for a good reason. One lead from there to here. We couldn’t risk the slightest chance of that lead vanishing. That’s been dealt with. We’ll now be open with you, provided you are with us.”

At that, the door opened to reveal Raven and her team as they escorted an extremely unhappy looking Raitchian into the room, all of them wet from travelling from the car park, where they’d parked up their hire vehicle. Theirs was a small campervan that Raven had rented earlier as it was both transport and a small office if needed. Now a Raitchian constable was trying to decide how many parking tickets to give it for blocking in an official vehicle and taking up two bays as they tried to get as close as they could to the main entrance. And she’d left the lights on. “Got a place for us, Chief,” Raven asked Pangal and the one she’d never met.
Pangal almost replied, then remembered she was in someone else’s house and looked to Chief Kally. He huffed. “Jella,” he said, “show them to interrogation room three. Deeks? Get some towels for our guests, would you?”
“I’ll help,” Ochoa said with exaggerated brightness, following the lank furred blonde Raitchian out to get the pick of the towels for herself.

Up on the ship, Sarah Chapston walked back to her rooms and sighed at a reflection that showed the hint of bruising on her arm. She couldn’t help but think back to her old marriage, even though she knew the incidents were totally different. Dalmar had never meant to hurt her in any way; it was just the shock causing spasms in his sleep. But it had brought back bad memories when he’d tried to apologise this morning and… She sighed and opened the door to be met by the smell of flowers. Roses and tulips she recognised. There was another scent she didn’t recognise and it probably belonged to the spotty yellow flowers in the third vase along. “Dalmar,” she said questioningly, “what’s all this?”
He appeared from the bathroom, wearing a white teeshirt and light green trousers that showed off a little of his physique. “I got them sent up from Rayvon,” he said. “I know you’ve been without flowers for some time and you like them and…”
She smiled, crossed the room and kissed him gently. “This is why you’re nothing like him,” she told him, referring to the Human she’d told him she was reminded of in the morning. “I know he’d never do something like this.” She stroked his muzzle and the slightly dry fur there. “He’d never do anything that’d make him suffer, love. I know you can’t stand the scents.” She tapped his nose. “They overwhelm this,”
He licked her finger before she could pull it away. “Well, it IS my best feature,” he protested. “Mum always said so.”
“I pr’fer the lot’ve you.” She backed away slightly. “How’s the arm?”
He flexed it experimentally. “Not had a twitch in three hours,” he claimed. “Which is great. I’ll be off the painkillers totally soon. Anyhow… Shepherd’s Pie for dinner?”
“Ooh, fair enough,” Sarah replied, sitting down. “Then we can discuss who we invite to our next film party.”
And they talked and laughed into the evening.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

God knows that I make a lot of flubs so I am fine with that! Nicely done!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

36

WEATHER CONTROL

Within three minutes of receiving the call from Hawle, Groal, Harvey Winsome and Colesford arrived on the surface some hundred yards from the weather control station to find themselves under the watch of several security guards and an official from the station. Harvey glanced around, feeling the mental energy of the Raitchians extending towards hostility, particularly when they laid eyes on Colesford. “We’re not happy about your being here,” the official said, mentally indicating to Harvey that that went quadruple for Colesford. Harvey wondered if that was exactly why the big engineer had chosen the strong Mican for the job but chose to say nothing.
“No-one’s ever happy to see an outsider who might be able to end their troubles,” Groal replied. “But we have access to things you might not. I’m the Engineer. Winsome’s the I.T. specialist and Colesford’s the Gofer.”
“Gopher,” the official repeated tersely.
“Gofer this, gofer that,” Groal shrugged. “Shall we get in out of the rain,” he asked, glancing up at the precipitation that had totally saturated the ground around them after two days of non stop rain.
“I suppose,” the official said. Harvey couldn’t help but notice the guards kept their eyes on Colesford as they were walked to the main building, something that looked like it had once been a gleaming white structure. Now it was stained and streaked brown and slightly rusty. It made Harvey wonder if the rain was pure. Mainly, though, it made him thankful that he’d brought a poncho to protect his good looks.

He did, however, decide that he preferred to be inside and said as such as he shucked the plastic covering off in the security room, where they were to be searched. He was pretty sure none of them were actively carrying weapons but the Raitchians wanted to be sure. He felt Groal’s tools were about to be closely scrutinised. “Why rain,” he heard Colesford ask.
“No better way to destabilise a society than too much rain,” Harvey explained. “People generally hate the rain. It makes them miserable, contributes to dangerous storms on the water and drowns crops and fields. On many worlds it’s entirely natural but, on colonies with weather control..?”
“It affects how they look at those who control the system,” the official said, returning to the room. “So, the reason you’re here is not to help but to look for sabotage?”
Groal straightened up and put his atrociously coloured shirt back on. “Does it really matter? Point is, either way, we repair the system.”
The Official glared at him. “Of COURSE it makes a difference. If it’s a saboteur, he… or she could easily do the damage again after you leave. I’d have to…” he gestured and walked in a tight circle to calm his anger. “I’d have to get more guards from somewhere and make sure they were reliable.”
“Question is,” Colesford said, ignoring the glare Groal was giving him, “are YOU trustworthy?”
The Official glared at the Brownfur Mican. “I won’t even respond to that allegation from a Mican right now except to say that I say I am and you should take that with as much certainty as I have to take you’re not a spy for Micanna!”

Raven sat opposite Kelvan Deshay in the interrogation room and stared at him. The Raitchian shifted slightly in his seat and resettled, putting on his best ‘who, me’ face for her benefit.

In the observation room, Kally shifted slightly closer to Pangal. “That black stripe across your Commanders’ eyes,” he queried. “her parents fought in the wars?”
“That’s the polite way of putting it,” Pangal said, her tone indicating that it probably shouldn’t be brought up to Raven herself.
“Is she trying to intimidate him?”
“She’s not trying,”Pangal replied as, in the room they were watching, Raven put a padd on the table between them.

“Your commline,” Raven said patiently. “according to your employers only you’re permitted to use that line. Which is quite interesting.” She paused and looked up at him. “As it turns up on the comm logs of a Micannan native called Minchin.”
“I don’t know anyone of that name.”
“Oh, I doubt you’re telling the truth there. You’ve called him several times over the last month and he’s called you three times. He tried to scrub the data but,” she shrugged, “he wasn’t very good at it. Our people found your number after he was arrested.” To this, Deshay simply gave a short smile.
In the other room, Pangal stopped scratching her left ear and let it stand up properly again, flexing the muscles. “Interesting reaction,” she mentioned.
“Why does he seem happy,” Kally asked rhetorically.
“Because he knows something he shouldn’t, I think,” Pangal answered. “Shortly after being arrested, Minchin was executed by a sniper. It’s not been released to the public. So,” she added, pointing to the Raitchian, “does HE know it?”
“Do you want to tell me why you’d be dealing with him,” Raven continued, “or shall I tell my theory? I’ll take it,” she continued, without giving him time to talk, “from your silence that you’re going to say nothing so I’ll tell what I surmise. You work for a spaceport development company – in fact you’re one of the senior members. Now Minchin’s a powerful business type on Micanna. Lots of funds. Lots of pull. But the political power isn’t his. So it seems the two of you worked together on a plan to remove the President, helping him with an insurrection that constitutes interplanetary terrorism. Of course, Minchin’s telling everyone that it was your idea.”
“That’s a lie,” Deshay muttered.
“Of course he would do that, wouldn’t he,” Raven continued, as though Deshay hadn’t spoken. “After all, a businessMican gotta business. Throw a Raitchian under a bus, get a better sentence. Might even get him a few ladies visiting, if you know what I mean.”
Deshay chuckled. “It’d be interesting to see him stand up in court to say that,” he remarked.
“Oh, he doesn’t need to. This is a federal investigation. Council rules apply. He’s being interrogated by the Security Chief on the Fallir. That’s just what they’ve got from him so far. They’ll take him to Talvery and get all they can from him via the station telepath.” She glanced at him before feigning disinterest and picking her teeth with a claw.
“You’d need a medium,” Deshay said, before realising he’d said too much.
Raven straightened up, interest suddenly reawakened. She smirked and looked at him slyly. “Now how did you know he was dead,” she asked innocently.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

This is getting even more interesting! Nice job!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

37

MAKING THE SUN COME OUT

Harvey Winsome whistled as he ran his tests on the computer systems, a fact that the guard on him found annoying. Which was why Harvey was doing it. The I.T. worker that had been assigned to him clearly didn’t seem to mind it and was grinning whilst facing away from the guard. Harvey, having made sure all his anti-viral and firewall programs were up to his personal code and the malware detectors were running, interfaced his computer with the mainframe and continued whistling ‘Colonel Bogey’ until the I.T. programmer warned him he’d probably better stop as Punder – the guard apparently – would probably hit him if he didn’t. “That’s no fun, Gilly,” he said, calling her by her first name as she’d not bothered to tell him her family name.
“No,” she agreed, “but it saves on headache pills.” She peered over his shoulder. “Our anti-virus programs are run regularly,” she protested.
“I’ll bet,” Harvey replied. “But I’ll also bet that, being governmental, it’ll either be provided by the company who charge you least or provide the best backhander. Not a comment on you, by the way,” he added, glancing into her warm eyes. He gave her a bright smile. “You just do the best with what you’ve got. This programming is pretty top notch,” he admitted. She preened. “Yours,” he guessed.
“Absolutely. Underpaid and overworked, that’s me.”
“Hmm,” Harvey told the brownfur Raitchian, “if you ever fancy a change of… Oop, hello,” he said, indicating the screen, where a yellow dot had shown up on the screen. “Looks like a subroutine it wants me to look at.
Taking the information provided by the dot, Gilly worked on her own console at speed, pulling up the code on screen. She frowned at it. “This is redundant code,” she said. “It’s replicating code designed to tell the main computer when rain is required so what’s it..? No,” she said, “hang on, the entry codes are wrong…”
“Are you sure?”
“I was one of the team that put ‘em in so yup.” She gnawed on a pencil for a moment. “It’s this line here,” she added, pointing the gnarled remnants of the writing tool at the screen. “That code’s off. That code translates any request for weather into a request for rain. No wonder we’ve had trouble. I’ll get it…”
“Nah,” Harvey said quickly, “leave it for now. We need to see if any ‘response’ coding’s been put in. It might…”
“...put the code back in and we’d need to get it out again. Can I ask you something, Harv?”
“Uh, um, yeah,” he flustered, wondering what this was about as the computer ‘dotted’ another section of code.
Gilly reached over and patted his tail. “How uncomfortable are chairs with this beauty?”
Harvey laughed to cover up his blushes as she stroked the fur. “They’re pretty bad, yeah,” he agreed. “I much prefer stools!”

Groal, on the other hand, was looking in the power control panels and peeking at the blueprints he’d been permitted to borrow by the works manager, who was standing right next to him. “The flow’s been off kilter for two days,” the manager told him. “It refuses regulation and reroutes itself whenever we try t shut it off. I don’t know what you’re going to be able to do, Celican, but we’re going to be talking serious flooding across the whole planet if it keeps up.”
“Yes, I…” Groal paused as a spark of energy shot past his muzzle,, making him jump. “I see what you mean,” he added, pulling his slightly frizzled muzzle from the panel. “It’s defending itself.”
“Tell me about it,” the manager complained.
“Have you tried… OK, you probably considered it but what about turning it off?”
The manager scoffed. “You mean purposeful sabotage,” He extended a hand, palmpads upwards. “That’s what the government official called the idea. Government won’t let us do it and, er, union won’t let anyone else,” he added hopefully.
Groal chuckled. “What would happen if I did? Me not being union and not accountable to the colony government?”
The manager shrugged. “Well, there’d be some disturbance as the system reverts to nature, I suppose. Unpredictability would be rife. Storms, droughts, high winds…”
“You’ve already got most of those,” Groal agreed. The question had been rhetorical as he’d read the effects of shutting off the system as soon as he’d heard he was coming. He’d only had a few minutes but the general gist was ‘weather’s gonna get worse’. He tapped his comm. “Groal to Winsome.”
<”Winsome here,”> the Jondahl replied. <”What’s the plan, squire?”>
“What’s a… nevermind. You found anything in the computers to tell what’s going on?”
<”I have.”> Groal heard a protest at the other end of the line as both had the communal speaker/microphone setting on to allay their hosts ‘concerns’. <”O.K., WE have. There’s a couple of deep hidden subroutines. Well hidden that Government approved anti-viral and Malware software detectors can’t get them.”>
“Well, they probably bought cheap,” Colesford put in, drawing another protest from Harvey’s unseen friend. “No offence,” the Mican continued, “most Governments’ do.”
<”Gilly’s very proficient,”> Harvey claimed. <”She’s able to isolate the affected code whilst I’m scanning for them. Having two does speed the work.”>
“Right. Are you ready to deal with the computer problems? If not, I may need to improvise a hardware fix.”
<”Give us a moment,”> Harvey replied.

“Well, I think it’s finished,” Harvey said, noting his program coming to an end. Two more dots.”
“Two more sections of purposefully corrupted code,” Gilly admitted ruefully. “If I ever find out who…”
“Yeah,” Harvey agreed. “Anything there to indicate what needs to be dealt with first?”
Gilly tapped the screen. “This one. The others look like they have to be done simultaneously.” She smiled gently. “Good job there’s two of us here.”
<”Proceed,”> Groal said.
“On it.” Harvey replied, getting ready to enact his part.

Two minutes later, Gilly shut the system down and started the reboot as the rain outside began to subside. She sighed and looked at Harvey. “You did it.”
Harvey shrugged as he looked back. “Couldn’t have done it without you,” he admitted. “Quite a team.”
She stood up. “Mind if I do something,” she asked, gesturing for him to stand too.
He looked, perplexed, but decided to stand and face her. “What’s the..?”
His line was cut off as she kissed him straight on the mouth. His arms windmilled for a few seconds before he made up his mind, put his hands on her shoulders and returned the kiss.
<”Some people get all the luck,”> Colesford said over the comm as he heard the noises.
Commander Hawle. U.S.C. Loper. By the talented DDeer.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

If they wanted to make the sun come out they should have started by trying to sing the song from "Annie". :lol: Anyway still digging this chapter!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

38

KICKED BY THE OTHER SHOE

Hawle sat on the bridge, in his command chair, and looked at the resume sent up to him by Harvey Winsome thirty minutes ago. He sighed in exaggerated manner and turned to Stikka. “Two Raitchians our teams have met in the last nine hours are, apparently, applying to join our crew. And, apparently, both have some base in being attracted to our people!” He sat back. “Am I running a pleasure cruise?”
Stikka nodded. “Says the Lappinean dating a Pekan,” he goaded.
Hawle sat up and batted the Racon’s arm with a hand. “You’re supposed to be on MY side,” he chuckled. “’No, sir! You run a tight, fair, ship’ and all that!”
“I speak as I find,” Stikka protested. “It’s a good ship and a good crew. But there’s a lot of singletons looking for friendly shores to lean on. And they meet those like us on these planets and the attraction is magnetic, according to thousands of Romantic comedy-dramas.”
“I’ve said you should stop watching those, Manny,” Hawle told him. “The pick-up lines are generally terrible.” He sighed slightly. “I suppose I COULD up the Raitchian compliment on this ship, eh, Match?”
The Raitchian science officer took a few seconds to realise he’d been talked to and stammered a response. “Oh, um, yeah. I suppose it would be something, sir. With… security precautions, of course.”
Hawle nodded. “Of course. The Council would insist on it anyhow. I’d talk it over with the section heads but I don’t think this ‘Gilly Weason’ has much to worry about.”

Down on the planet, the Police Chief and Raven’s team were having something of a conflab into the evening. Ochoa had been given permission to head out on her date and, for securitys’ sake, Chief Kally had sent one of his better undercover officers to watch her and watch over her. It was simply trust. Kally didn’t know her, therefore he didn’t trust her. This was why the group hadn’t told her anything about Kelvan’s questioning. The Raitchian had begun to crumble soon after Raven had exposed his attempt at deception and told them of a warehouse Minchin had arranged for him to purchase in the Spaceport district. Micoban Starlines was listed as owning the facility that, according to surveillance pictures, was about two sports fields in size. Quite a size for a cruise company that didn’t have any ships or shuttles. “We should hit it soon as,” Kally said definitively. “See what they’re stockpiling in their.”
Raven shook her head. “I need to talk to you in private,” she said, She nodded to the interview room. “Jaqui, can you keep everyone out of the observation room?”
“Can do,” Pangal replied as Raven headed over, followed by a protesting Kally.

Kally allowed the door to shut behind him before speaking angrily. “I can trust every member of my team, Commander..!”
Raven sat down. She wasn’t trying to intimidate the Raitchian Chief. “I’m going to ask the Loper to send down a full security team in combat gear to assist, Chief. On Micanna, this scenario went badly. It seems to be to do with a new criminal organi…”
“You mean Calavix,” Kally interrupted, before answering her next question pre-emptively. “I’m a Raitchian and I’m a Chief of Police. Dozens of our Criminals went missing last year, only to turn up on an obscure planet at the other end of the patch.” He smirked. “Think I didn’t investigate? I have a friend in our intelligence who has a friend in Mican Intelligence. Or did I just get a chance to talk to one of the prisoners? Or perhaps I found one who didn’t go? There’s a hundred ways I could find out about them, Commander. Even if the Council decided we shouldn’t know, hmm?”
“Well,” Raven said, irritated and put on the back foot by his revelation, “it seemed limiting information was the best way to prevent the destabilization they were looking to cause.”
“Worked well on Micanna.” He held up his hands as though to ward off an attack. “Kidding, Commander. I get why it was done. Just there’s never been a single battle plan that worked one hundred percent. You’re anticipating armed response?” He watched as Raven nodded. “Then I need to mobilize the assault team…” He sighed. “And those I DON’T trust implicitly. Too many busts that don’t quite go to plan, if you know what I mean? Nothing proven, of course. Never anything I can prove,” he admitted, “but I’m gathering files on the worst…”
“As they are on you,” Raven remarked, gesturing with a hand.
“I can’t claim to be blameless,” Kally admitted, “but I can claim to be responsible. I’ll lead your play, Commander. What can you bring?”
“Seven equipped with tactical gear and…” She paused as there were sounds of a commotion from the office outside.

Colleen stepped into Cedar Kirkwall’s domain again as she sought counsel on she considered what to do about the Raitchian Finance Minister. They’d received information that he actually was padding the bill when it came to Micanna but no actual proof had been given so how was she supposed to bring that up when she met him later? Perhaps a Coffee and a cake would help her think? “Colleen,” Cadar called as he saw her. “the lady to brighten my day!”
Colleen stepped up to the serving area and looked at the spread. All Mican desserts, she noted. Mican Kits desserts, in fact. Few things more sophisticated than Oat grain Cheesecakes and mousses. “A Mican day, Cedar,” she asked with amusement.
“Something like that,” he admitted. “Not quite sure what came over me,” he admitted.
“I am,” Colleen goaded gently as she selected a Lingaberry Torte and asked for her normal coffee. “The Children at the hospital have gotten you thinking, haven’t they?”
He sighed. “Can’t pretend they haven’t. Had some good ones in there. I could teach a few things.”
“Even the bad ones,” Colleen asked honestly.
“Well, I could try. But I’d need to meet someone first, y’know? And I’m too nervous for that.”
“Nonsense,” Colleen snorted. “You’re charming. Besides, who said you had to meet someone? Remember Hav? He didn’t meet anyone but they let him adopt that girl.”
“That,” Cedar admitted, “was a special thing. But they generally won’t let singles like me adopt.”
“If you want to,” Colleen advised, “there are ways to influence the issue in your favour. For one thing, you won’t be trying to raise them alone. You know people who can help. Who WILL help.” Why, she thought, did that give her an idea?
“Like you, Colleen? I can’t keep leaning on you for things.”
“And I’m not letting you,” she remonstrated. “I’m offering the information because I know… what sort of person… you are…” She smirked. “And I think you just solved MY problem, Cedar.”

Kally and Raven stepped back into the main room, where Roebuck and his troops were conspicuous by their presence. “What is this,” Kally demanded.
“We know what you’re planning,” Roebuck said casually. “The Militia will take it from here.”
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Love all of the conversations here! Keep it up!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

39

PRISONERS

Raven stepped across the room, Kally in tow, as she headed for the Intelligence Officer. His guards pulled their weapons as the Burman drew closer. He gestured for them to keep the weapons lowered and didn’t gasp as she grabbed his lapels and brought him face to face. Three of them pulled their weapons again and the Police pulled theirs. “What are you talking about, Roebuck,” Raven growled as someone called for her to release the Admiral.
“To breathe,” Roebuck replied hoarsely.
“You may want to put him down, Commander,” Pangal advised, looking to destress the situation.
“Hmm,” Raven growled before noting the situation and dropping the Admiral to his feet. “Explain.”
“It’s simple,” Roebuck said, dusting down his jacket as the others lowered their weapons… slightly. “We believe a vicious criminal organisation is holed up in… a warehouse, hmm? They’re probably more than the Police can handle without considerable injuries and deaths – just ask the Micannan Sheriff’s department,” he added, glancing at Jaqui. “And, although you’d probably like to send some of your troops to assist, the president has decided he really wouldn’t appreciate your troops in full armour on the streets so has asked the Militia to handle the events that are soon to transpire.” He preened slightly. “Of course, to ensure that no warning reaches the people in the warehouse before we get there, I do have to ensure no-one knowing about the operation – that’s you lot, by the way – gets a chance to warn them.” He sighed. “All communication lines from here have been jammed save for Militia and I have to ask you all to remain here. For the time being.” He held up his hands. “Don’t worry. It won’t take long and I’ll leave some of my people here as a sign of trust. They’ll be armed, of course.” He looked down at a Police Officer’s firearm. “With better weapons than yours.” With that, Roebuck walked out.

The senior Militia Officer left stationed his guards at the doors and wandered the room, weapon down and almost inviting attack as another stepped closer to Raven. She readied to fight, bringing her claws out. “Sir,” the guard called to his superior. “Reckon I should take these three down to a secure area. Any trouble starts, it’s usually with leaders.”
The senior nodded. “You and Coval take them down, lock them in and one stays on guard. If any trouble’s heard?” He shrugged. “Well, we’ll have to pacify things up here, won’t we?”

Aboard the Loper, Hawle had a few moments to think for himself as he sucked a mint from his dispenser. “I need more information,” he told Stikka. “To give and to receive. And not, necessarily, official.” He pondered for a moment, then stood up. “You have the bridge, Lieutenant.”
“Aye, sir,” Stikka replied as Hawle made for his ready room.

He entered his room, walked around the table after ordering a Salatan Spice Coffee from the machine, and sat in his chair. He engaged the secure channel. Dawton, he typed in galactic standard, without responding, I need to contact a number on Caldera. I don’t know the number but I believe she leaves a contact number with someone called ‘Harvest Moon’ in Calderon City. Send a message saying I need to speak to....

The cells were as sturdy as any and Kally grumbled as the guard locked them in. “I’ll watch over them, Coval,” he stated. “You head back on up.” He waited until the other had gone back up the stairs before moving across to a chair underneath the camera and taking a seat.
Raven turned her back to him and looked to be pacing. “So,” she said aloud, “what’s really going on, Jerry?”
“Hmm?” Jerry the guard replied. “Oh? The Admiral’s not happy about how you’ve kept him out of everything despite his attempts to help you. So, when his mole in this department…”
“WHAT MOLE?” Kally exploded before Raven could reach him and gesture ‘silence’.
“This is the guard they put me under on their ship earlier,” Raven explained. “He wants out.”
“...If you can believe him,” Kally grumbled.
“The thing about being paranoid is deciding who to trust,” Pangal mentioned.
“Would you shut up,” Jerry remarked lightly. “There’s a mole, Chief. There always is. It doesn’t need to be cash or Credit. It might be someone who has a relative in the Militia who wants to increase their promotion chances on behalf of their clan. Anyhow. As soon as he found out, he contacted the President and told him he needed to act.”
“And the president went along with it?”
Jerry shrugged. “Why wouldn’t he? He’s got more to gain from people seeing him work with the Militia than opposing them.”
“Why are you telling us any of this,” Jaqui asked.
Jerry shrugged. “Got no clan, got very little credit. Got few skills, other than security.”
Pangal rolled her eyes. “You’ve got no promotion prospects here and want out,” she guessed. “The Council’s the best chance you have to get out so you’re taking it?”
He considered. “Sure, let’s call it that.” He chuckled. “We didn’t get all of you, did we?” A light smile crept onto his face. “I was told there was a Raitchian with you. She’s still free, I note?”
“Nah,” Kally breezed, “she’s upstairs.”
“The only non militia Raitchians upstairs are your officers. They’re all in uniform. These guys aren’t.” He nodded. “Good. It makes it easier. What’s the comm code for your ship?”
Raven huffed. “Like I’m gonna tell YOU?”
“Probably not.” He reached around to his back and tossed a spare comm into the cell. “And that’s treason,” he muttered.
Raven looked at him uncertainly as she stooped to pick the small machine up. “I don’t want to know where you hid this, do I?”
“Nope. If they’re watching, they’ll be down here to shoot all of us in about a minute. Probably stun but I’d imagine there’s a few bad apples with the ‘kill’ setting on. Your move.”
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Not a bad chapter but it needs for Hawle! Lovely work though!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Harry Johnathan »

The Welsh Cinematic (er, literary) Universe™ continues.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Heh. I can but try.

40

CAGED PREDATORS

The guard walked the main room watching the Police and guests as others took the weapons off the people. The Police were more to the front of the room and the interlopers were to the back with weapons being gathered near to the front, where two remained on guard. Katara growled as one of them came near. “Try to take my tools,” she warned, “and I’ll shove one where the sun can’t shine and activate it. There’s nothing there that can be used as an effective range weapon.”
The Raitchian paused for a second. “So they’re close range weapons only,” he asked with a slight smirk.
“They’re tools,” she told him with an expression that spoke of steel in her eyes. “A good engineer doesn’t go anywhere without them and never relinquishes them.” She crossed her arms.
“But sometimes,” Januvitski added as she noted a different Raitchian take an interest in the situation, “they can put the tools down in a safe spot, eh, Kat?”
The Celican looked at her Human colleague as though contemplating what she’d said. “Hmm?” She sighed and her tail swished angrily. “Oh, I suppose so.” Reluctantly, grumpily somehow, she removed her slim tool belt from around her waist and handed it to the trooper. “Anything goes missing from there I’ll know who to disembowel”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” the guard said, taking the belt.
Januvitski sidled up to the Vixen. “There’s no sense antagonising the ones with the guns,” she cautioned.
The greyfur looked back at her. “You Humans are far too fixated on guns,” she advised quietly. “You should get more proficient with your baser weapons.”
“Like our teeth?”
“Like your intellect,” She nodded subtly towards the rest of the room. There’s only five of them,” she said, keeping her voice down. “Two watching the weapons, one watching the CCTV and two patrolling whilst Raven’s got one down there. That gives us the advantage numerically. Plus there’s at least one doesn’t want to open fire on their own.”
Januvitski scanned the occupying force. She couldn’t see anyone less likely to fire than anyone else and mentioned that.
“Of course there is,” Katara confided. “When any Militia takes action against their own people, there’s always a few don’t want to fire first. We can take them. Tell me we can’t.”
“We can’t,” Jan whispered.
Katara glowered at her. “Tell me we can’t take them loud enough so they can hear us.”
The Officer watching the CCTV rushed from the office and ordered one of his people to come with him.
“Do it NOW,” Katara insisted.
Januvitski gulped. “We CAN’T take them, Katara,” she implored loudly, making Cafferty jump slightly. “They have weapons!”
“Look,” Katara insisted, throwing her arms down to her sides in frustration, “there’s no such word as ‘can’t when it comes to combat! These…” She gesticulated towards the others… “RATS here couldn’t outfight a swaddled Kit in hand to hand!”
“You… always have this thing about fighting,” Januvitski retorted, sensing that at least one of the guards was…
“Hey,” the guard insisted, pushing Januvitski away with the butt of his gun as the others covered Katara and didn’t notice two Police Officers keeping to the corners and coming around behind… “Keep quiet or we’ll…”
He was silenced as Katara grabbed his weapon and thrust it back into his face as the two Police tackled those at the table. A shot fired into the ceiling from the gun Katara was fighting for,, singing her hand pads with its’ heat as Cafferty joined in the assault with a sleeper hold around the Raitchian’s throat. He growled as the guard struggled and increased his grip until he stopped. The other guards were down under a fluster of very annoyed Police Officers.
“These RATS,” one said, slapping Katara’s belt back into her hand, “are perfectly well able to handle themselves in a fist fight.”
“I needed to attract their attention,” Katara stated. “People are never weaker than when they think they’re strong. What’s going on downstairs?”

Raven wasn’t one to stand on ceremony and she’d already started working fast on the comm as they heard boots on the stairs. “Should be working,” she said. “Raven to Hawle,” she said.
Hawle’s voice came though scratchily and with gaps as she’d not quite managed to tune it correctly. But it seemed good enough. “Teleport everyone within five feet of me, now!”
As the Officer came into the room and ordered the guard with him to shoot, the group started to fizzle out of existence. The bolt of energy passed through Jerry before smacking the back wall.

On the Loper, the teleport operator had almost started bragging about how he’d never pulled four targets over a wide space onto one pad before when Jerry collapsed. Kally got to him first, relieving the guard of his weapon as Raven smacked the comm to call for Medical attention. Then she tried ordering the operator to get the others.

The officer from the Militia stormed back into the main office and stopped as he saw what was in front of him. He held his trooper back, knocking the weapon he’d been raising back towards the floor as six Police Officers and a gaggle of off-worlders raised weapons against them. “They’d better not be dead,” Katara warned, not allowing anyone else to talk first as she stepped past the handcuffed Raitchians. She powered up a sonic probe. “Or I’ll show you just how much damage this thing can do!”
“They’re not,” the Officer started, “they teleported away before we could do anything.”
“Teleported away,” Cafferty remarked. “Probably means you lot need to take over coz… yup…” he continued, feeling the teleport mechanism start up and he dissolved into lights to return to the Loper. Cafferty always wondered what would happen if things came back wrong so he checked himself over quickly as he stepped away from the pad so the next could come up.
“Few minutes too late,” Katara said, materializing, like Cafferty, with one of the Militia weapons. She hopped off for Januvitski and the others. “Good job we rescued ourselves.” He prodded Jerry. “What happened to this git,” she asked, earning herself a scowl from Raven.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Well your trying to do this is really paying off! Nice job again good sir!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

41

WALKING THROUGH EVENING

Fuze pulled the sheet up and over the figure on the operating table several minutes after the operation began. He tutted and sighed. “Nothing much I could do,” he told Raven. “He was being beamed up when shot?” She nodded. “That explains it,” he said simply. “The body becomes an energy flow and, in the first few seconds of teleport, the energy can be disrupted by an incoming beam. We’ll have to autopsy but I’m figuring the poor sod’s insides have been scrambled by the effect of the shot.”
Raven talked with a tone so dark that it hardly moved her lips, just showing the sides of her teeth. “A painful way to go,” she admitted. “Not one I’d choose.” She thumped the wall. “He was trying to get out, Fuze. He’d just helped us and he’s dead for it!”
“Not everyone survives,” Fuze admitted. “Sometimes I wish they did but that would make me a god and I don’t get on with those. Too pernicious and judgemental.”
“Not that I care,” Raven said, striding for the door.
“Wipe the recording,” Fuze commented.
Raven paused. “What?”
“If there’s CCTV of the cells, wipe it from before he started helping you. That way you three can claim he tried to stop you and his own side shot him.” Fuze gave her a hooded look. “Make THEM pay for it.”
Raven just nodded and left.

“You never heard that,” Bazil told his attendant nurse as he put Jerry’s body in the cold storage. He closed the capsule and removed his personal protective equipment to put them in the bin. He stepped into Barleycorn’s office. “You can come out now,” he said, a little unkindly. “They’ve gone away.”
Night looked over at him. “Sorry, Bazil,” she stated.
“Lucky for you I pulled this one,” the prodigy told her. “The rumours about you would have started up again.”
She swept from her seat and towered over him, her Raitchian stature belying her Mican features and accentuating her black fur. “You reckon I wouldn’t have done everything I could for him, simply because he’s a Raitchian?” She glowered at him and gritted her teeth hard enough that they sparked. “Do you REALLY think that of me?”
Bazil stepped backwards slightly, holding his hands up for protection. “I’d never say that of you,” he protested. “I know you too well. But the opinions you once had still float in the ether.”
Barleycorn sat back down and almost deflated. “Don’t I know it,” she admitted slowly. “Opinions of the past can change but never fade as someone once said. Want me to do the autopsy?”
“Nah,” Bazil replied, near flippantly. “You get the next one in. This fellow was mine from the moment he came in. Coffee?”

Ochoa whistled to herself as she walked the streets of Rayvon’s capital after hours, heading back towards the Police station after a quite decent dinner on a Security guard’s salary in which he’d only suggested shacking up for the night twice. She’d left him with a kiss that promised future dates – that she knew she’d never be available for – and turned down his offer to escort her to her hotel as she didn’t actually have one. Fortunately she’d checked out the listings on a map app earlier and knew a semi decent one next to a bus stop so she told him she’d catch that instead. She’d watched him slope off before she started out, smelling the still wet stench of life in the air as people wandered around her in the new, almost dry, outside. The Brownfur watched some jumping in the puddles as they passed them and wondered if they were having a second kithood now they had the chance. She watched the traffic carefully and made sure not to be close to any large puddles when there were trucks around as the occasional driver could decide to be ‘amusing’ and she’d been soaked already today, thank you very much. But not everything was going as she’d planned. In fact, there was one thing that definitely wasn’t going her way as she wandered the streets and shps, avoiding dark passages and alleyways. Where the heck was she? Ochoa sighed and stopped under a street light. “If you’re going to follow me,” she said, just loud enough for him to hear, “you might as well do it from beside me!”
The Raitchian she’d called to, one of a number on the street, didn’t just look at her, he trotted up to her. “You know how stupid it is to say that around here,” Deeks asked.
Ochoa grinned. “Not as stupid as saying ‘I’m lost, can you tell me the way to the Police Station?’”
Deeks put a finger up and looked like he was about to say something, then paused and thought about it.. “OK,” he said eventually, “I’ll give you that. But it’s still not s… How did you know I was here, anyhow?”
“Well, I knew he’d send someone as that’s what I’d do. It was spur of the moment so someone who was already there and,” she added, reaching around to gently stroke his lengthy head fur, “long, pale, headfur kinda stands out. Extensions?”
Deeks looked offended. “How dare you! This is all natural.” He leaned in to whisper. “I think my Grandfurther was a Rexan.”
She chuckled and elbowed him in the stomach. “That,” she said as he gasped for the reason she’d hit him, was for the awful pun! Grandfurther indeed!” She offered an arm. “C’mon, champ, let’s let you get me home!”
Still coughing, and more than a little doubled up, Deeks took the arm and started heading for the station.

Colleen had just walked out of Harvey Winsome’s office mack truck bedroom when she found herself face to face with the Captain. She’d been a little confused with how, whilst they’d been talking, the Jondahl had been tidying his room like important things were happening but she’d managed to get him to agree with her and start working on what was supposed to be the main reason they were here anyhow. And now she was here, almost walking into the Captain. “I take it Winsome’s preparing for the interview,” Hawle asked mischievously as they headed to the nearest break room.
“Interview?”
“For the position of deputy I.T. officer. Apparently he met a good candidate today.” He raised his eyeridges suggestively. “A good, attractive, female, candidate. He credits her assistance as saving him twenty three percent of the time needed to resolve the issue. From him, that’s saying something.”
“But,” Colleen asked, accepting the unspoken invitation to use the machine first and giving an unspoken thank you., “you’re wondering if it means she’s that good or if he just wants the company?”
Hawle nodded before recalling the Collian was standing in front of him and couldn’t see his head. “I have to give that consideration, yeah. I’ll have to look up computer problems for her to solve or something… Anyhow, why were you there?”
“Oh, getting him to search for those hidden accounts we weren’t told about.” Colleen took her selections over to the nearest table and put them down. “It might just give us the proof we need to sort out the primary problem. As in the one we set out to solve.”
“I’m also working on that,” Hawle admitted, “from a different angle after we had to sweep the entire ship for bugs! It might…” He paused, ready to push in his selection, when a voice came through his comm.
<”Dawton to Commander Hawle,”> the voice said.
“Does he ever take time off,” Hawle muttered before answering. He pressed his comm. “Hawle here. What’s up?”
<”I have that call you wanted, sir.”>
“Patch it to my ready room. I’ll be there shortly.” He closed the link and took a deep breath. “I have to go, Colleen,” he said heavily. “I have a call from Harriet Thurso...”
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Re: A LOPER TALE

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Welsh Halfwit wrote: Sun Oct 03, 2021 3:29 pm 41

WALKING THROUGH EVENING

Fuze pulled the sheet up and over the figure on the operating table several minutes after the operation began. He tutted and sighed. “Nothing much I could do,” he told Raven. “He was being beamed up when shot?” She nodded. “That explains it,” he said simply. “The body becomes an energy flow and, in the first few seconds of teleport, the energy can be disrupted by an incoming beam. We’ll have to autopsy but I’m figuring the poor sod’s insides have been scrambled by the effect of the shot.”
Ah, freshly squeezed fuel for my nightmares tonight. That actually reminds me of the first Star Trek movie with that.... accident involving the two vulcan aboard the Enterprize, but obviously Trek's version was more violent and disturbing.
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But [The LORD] said, “Yes, you did laugh.” - Genesis 18:15 (NIV).
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

So glad I have no interest in becoming a coroner because I don't have the stomach for it and I don't think this coroner will have the stomach for it either. Anyway what a lovely job!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

I kinda pinched the description of the death from a description given by a different 'Doctor' in a 1988 TV sci-fi thriller adventure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h13T6tVRm64
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Re: A LOPER TALE

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42

CONVERSATIONS

Talvary Communal Station echoed in the night, Henry felt. He could hear his feet as he walked the decks of the station when most of the others were in bed. Only security and the bare few customs agents were up that should be up and the humm of the replication machines in ‘standby’ mode never covered the ‘clack’ of boots on the metal walkways. He had a few minutes until the ‘Dunvant’ docked and he needed to be ready to tell the Captain where to go and what to prepare for. He could have done it over the communications channels but it was hardly putting him out as he’d usually be up half the night anyhow.

He stayed outside the docking bay until the light went green and then he opened the door and stepped inside to wait for the Captain to step out. He was waiting a mere moment until the port opened and a thick set Feline stepped out. “Controller Postlethwaite, I take it,” the Feline said, talking as protocol as he’d spoken to Henry a short while earlier on the comms and he’d accessed the files so it was obvious Captain Trenchart knew who he was.
“Of course, Captain Trenchart.” Henry offered a hand which Trenchart accepted and shook. “Welcome to the Briar Patch, as they say.”
“Thank you,” the feline replied. “Now,” he added, moving towards the main body of the station and the refreshments available within, “perhaps you should wish to tell me why I’m needed here?”

A moment or so later, the pair sat at a table and Henry put a hologram viewer on the table, ready to use. “A few weeks ago, a Celican freighter came across an unexplored asteroid belt. They notified us and the Frigate ‘Loper’ was asked to stop by and examine the prospects. They didn’t have all the time needed to carry out intensive investigations due to other, more immediate, concerns in the area but their initial investigations showed an abundance of expensive alloys, metals and minerals. Enough for a full mining and sciences ship to be sent out. Which is what’s happening.”
“We,” Trenchart said, sampling the Dalva Tart, “are NOT a mining and science ship. We’re a warship. WHY are WE here?”
“You’re here as escort,” Henry admitted. “The Savval will be here in an hour. You’re here to go with them and watch over them. When the Loper got there, they detected signs that someone else had been there, a force from outside our borders. They set up mines and laid a warning beacon. A few days later, one of the mines was detonated. I sent the Clipper ‘Fallir’ to investigate. When they got there, they found this.” He activated the display to show the probe in a light hologram mode. “You saw the reports about the Loper’s rescue of the Bellaphron last year?”
Trenchart nodded.
“They also rescued the Fallir and her crew at the same time. On their way back, they encountered one of these. It took all three of them to stop it and, even then, all they could do was render it inert by jamming its control signal. The beacon’s currently broadcasting the jamming signal but this thing was on a return trip.”
“It might already have told it’s people,” Trenchart responded.
“Exactly. The situation’s fluid. If people are on their way we may be able to talk with them and warn them off. I will NOT permit them to act within our territory. The Rodomont’s being repaired still so I needed someone who could talk with a big stick and that’s you, Captain. If the situation gets bad, put out the call and I’ll send what ships I can. Ironically, the two nearest will probably be the Loper and the Fallir.”
Trenchart frowned. “The Fallir didn’t remain on station?” He took a sip fro his drink.
“Couldn’t.” Henry admitted. “I had the Loper try to deal with a diplomatic tangle between Micanna and Rayvon that was threatening to spiral into shooting. Since they got there…”
Trenchart nodded. “It’s spiralled into shooting.”
“Worse. There’s a new organisation called Calavix operating in the patch and they, for whatever reason, are attempting to topple at least one of the governments. They tried to topple Micanna first, it seems. Hawle managed to assist the locals in minimizing the damage but still had things to follow up on Rayvon. So The Fallir’s filling in on Micanna for now.”
“Aldair Hawle,” Trenchart mused. “I heard he had a penchant for chaos.”
“Tell me about it.”

<”What do you want, Commander?”>
The stern, craggy, face of Harriet Thurso looked out of Hawle’s screen as he sat in his office and ate a radish. “What do I want,” he replied. “Well, I want universal peace, several hover vehicles that are all my own and a planet full of vegetables that no other Lappinean knows about. But,” he added quickly, “what I’m MOST after, right this moment, is access to all the information you’ve gained on Calavix as I’m in an active situation with them right now.”
Thurso mused. <”So they’re responsible for the situation on Micanna and Rayvon, hmm?”>
“How did y…” Hawle waved a hand. “Never mind. You’ve got people on Micanna. And probably a few ‘Midnight ‘ Micans on Rayvon. But what’s important is they’re definitely here, they’re definitely dangerous and, after failing on Micanna, I’d imagine they’re accelerating their plans on Rayvon. Before returning to Micanna in a new way.”
<”I have to agree,”> the Spymaster said. <”We’ll have to deal with them. But information cannot be given, Commander, it must be traded. You have nothing I wa...”>
“If I DID have something you want,” Hawle cut in, knowing she probably had the habit of hanging up straight after her ‘final’ comment, “do you PROMISE to send us the information you’ve gathered on Calavix?”
Now she looked curious. <”What do you have?>”
“I have a need for your word, Miss Thurso.”
She agonized over it for a moment but eventually sighed. <”Oh, very well, you have my word that, if you have good information, I’ll send you ours.”>
Hawle reached forward and touched a few buttons. “I’m sending you a digital copy of something I recorded this morning in my own conference room. This is a discussion between myself and the Rayvon Militia leader, Admiral Roebuck.”

He watched as she played the recording on impulse and he saw the old Mican’s teeth grind as Roebuck made his claim of running Raitchian Intelligence in the patch. <”This,”> she admitted through tight lips, <”Is good information IF proven. Until then,”> she continued, <”I will allow you LIMITED access to our files. I’m sending the link.”> She ended the call.
“And I’m going to send it all to Harvey to get everything copied secretly before she backtracks,” Hawle told the empty room.
Last edited by Welsh Halfwit on Mon Oct 04, 2021 11:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

What another incredible and interesting chapter! You are too good!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

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Welsh Halfwit wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 9:16 am 42

“What do I want,” he replied. “Well, I want universal peace, several hover vehicles that are all my own and a planet full of vegetables that no other Lappinean knows about."
Truly someone who appreciates the simple things in life.
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But [The LORD] said, “Yes, you did laugh.” - Genesis 18:15 (NIV).
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Re: A LOPER TALE

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43

POLICE BUSINESS

Raven returned, with Kally, to the Police headquarters. The rest of her group had already gone back down and Pangal was going to follow with some security in case the Militia decided to ‘rescue’ their people from the cells. Frankly, Raven was thinking of going for the Calavix base again. She nodded to Cafferty and Katara as they sat on two of the tables, with Januvitski repairing a light fitting that had started to irritate her by flickering. Oster was in the break room, getting tea. The Feline flexed as Ochoa and Deeks sauntered in, chatting. Their talk of beaches and celebrities died as they took a look around the room. “What happened here,” Deeks asked.
“A slight contretemps with the Militia,” one of the others said, pulling up a fallen table. “You missed it as always.” The barest hint of a smile was all that told that the rebuke wasn’t exactly serious. “Want in on the reactions?”
He pointed to a smear of blood on the floor. “Looks like there’s already been some,” he mentioned.
“They didn’t like our tap dancing.”

Raven and Kally retreated to his office and turned on the computer. “I want to pull up all outgoing communication from this office from the time when you jinx’s showed up,” Kally told the Burman.
“You mean since the suspect was brought in,” Raven corrected. “Strange that they left him here.”
Kally grumbled. “They probably didn’t need him. Wouldn’t put it past Roebuck to have had inklings about the warehouse for a little while and we just provided the actual proof.” He clicked on a link to take him into the comm records. Jerry’s assertion that he had a mole in the department had really annoyed him and he wanted it proven or cleared as soon as possible. “That and the fact that he’s probably planning on coming back for him as soon as he’s done.”
“Want us to take him?”
“No,” Kally replied, “I want US to deal with Roebuck. I’m not having the Militia holding my people prisoner in their own offices. Not until someone absolutely official – as in High government tells me they can. Up until then it’s insurrection. The only outgoing is at 1823 from Deeks desk. It must be… hang on,” he added quickly as Raven was already headed for the door. “The register shows Ochoa leaving at 1815. Deeks was, at most, two minutes behind her. Camera,” he added.

Detective Brunton sighed and told the computer about his feelings on being shot and left for dead. The automated psychologist was more to his taste than the one possible in the hologram simulation room. He knew this one wasn’t real and didn’t exist in even a physical form. It somehow made things easier to talk about. He talked of his intense feelings of guilt over the Officers who’d died to rescue him and how he felt he had some responsibility due to his inability to gather evidence against Minchin earlier and, if he’d been a better Officer, they’d still be alive and going home to their wives and children. The automated system replied that it wasn’t his fault but he couldn’t be sure he believed it. If he wasn’t responsible, what was with the guilt? He turned the system off and winced as he stood up to answer the door. He pushed himself over and tapped the pad to open it and reveal Doctor Barleycorn on the other side. “You realise you could just have said ‘open’, don’t you,” she asked, glancing inside the small studio room.
“A housecall, Doctor,” Brunton challenged, stepping aside so she could enter.
“Well, a hotel call, possibly,” she replied, walking in with her hands behind her back. “I like what you’ve done with the place,” she told him before smiling slightly, showing off her incisors. “Absolutely nothing.”
He sighed and offered her a seat on the chair, rather than the bed settee. “It helps that I only came in with the clothes on my back.” He winced again as he sat on the settee.
“Still in pain,” Barleycorn asked, noting the wince and seeming concerned.
“Oh,” he said absently, “all the time. But it’s only been a day, hasn’t it?”
Barleycorn sat and nodded. “Sorry about your friends,” she said.
“Yeah,” he said, his eyes hooded into shadow deliberately. “Not the way for anyone to go. You here for anything in particular, Doc?”
“Nope,” Night replied glibly. “Just here to provide a friendly face and all that. Speaking of the clothes on your back, you want me to talk to the quartermaster? Get you a jacket that doesn’t have a hole in it exposing the fantastic work I did on you?”
He chuckled drily. “Ashamed I’m going to show you up? Promise I won’t, Doc.”
“It’s only ‘Doc’ when you’re in the sickbay or getting medical treatment. Out here it’s Night. I take it you can guess why?”
He half shrugged, inclining his head towards his right shoulder for a second. “Well, yeah.” A sigh. “You ever wonder, Night? Why we survive and others don’t?”
Night crossed her legs. “Never known a Doctor who doesn’t,” she admitted. “At least, not a good one. We can only look on it as doing what we can, David,” she continued, using Brunton’s first name for the first time. “We take the hits and stand up again. There’s not much else we can do.”
“It’s not easy,” David admitted heavily.
“It’s not supposed to be,” Night assured him. “Not if you’re one of the good ones. That’s what friends are there to help with.”

Kally tapped the computer screen as Pangal teleported in in security armour. “There she is.” He pointed at the screen and then nodded towards a Raitchian officer over the other side of the room. “Mantin. Officer Ramona Mantin. Want to go get her?”
Raven nodded and strode from the office, crossed the room, whilst ignoring the others, approached the Raitchian target from behind and picked her up by the scruff of the neck. She held her off the ground. “Your Chief wants a word with you,” she told the struggling and protesting Raitchian before carrying her back to the office.
“Everyone else,” the Chief called from inside his office, “be ready to move in five minutes!”
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Re: A LOPER TALE

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Welsh Halfwit wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:50 am 43
Detective Brunton sighed and told the computer about his feelings on being shot and left for dead. The automated psychologist was more to his taste than the one possible in the hologram simulation room. He knew this one wasn’t real and didn’t exist in even a physical form. It somehow made things easier to talk about. He talked of his intense feelings of guilt over the Officers who’d died to rescue him and how he felt he had some responsibility due to his inability to gather evidence against Minchin earlier and, if he’d been a better Officer, they’d still be alive and going home to their wives and children. The automated system replied that it wasn’t his fault but he couldn’t be sure he believed it. If he wasn’t responsible, what was with the guilt? He turned the system off and winced as he stood up to answer the door.
Intresting concept.
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But [The LORD] said, “Yes, you did laugh.” - Genesis 18:15 (NIV).
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Yup. Note that the rest of the scene is about how that approach doesn't really work here?
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Its great to eventually realize what is a good idea and what is a bad idea. That can be very helpful. LOL
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Re: A LOPER TALE

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44

THE RAID

The warehouse loomed in the darkness as they approached, keeping lights and sirens off. Roebuck had gained a full forty minutes lead on them but he still needed to assemble his forces so the lead had been cut and the cars pulled up half a block from there. Kally knew the Militia, if they were on site, might well have access to commlines so he wasn’t intent on using them any more than he had to. He opened his door and stepped out into the loamy smell of the docklands. The city on the sea never smelled that clean to him, the salt afflicting his nasal senses with the hint of seabird and heavy vehicles. The catches of the day came ashore less than half a mile from here and the same could be said for a small amount of the oil refined out in the Gozerra field, some hundred miles west of here. He straightened up his jacket collar, the sign for the others to get out of their vehicles.
Mantin was back at headquarters, being watched over by the non security members of Raven’s investigation team. He wasn’t having untrained people involved in this, even if the Vixen was, possibly, the equal of most of his people in violence. He’d never get her insured and, if anything happened to her or if she did something too violent, he’d be for the chop. Which was why he’d left Deeks back there. That surfbum could talk her down. Probably.

Kally looked around as his team assembled and he hoped Pangal’s additional trick would be of assistance now. He glanced upwards as a piece of lightning cracked the sky above the warehouse and, from a quiet night, heavy rain started teeming down over the warehouse. Just, he noted, over the warehouse. It seemed the girl they’d won over at the weather control centre had come through. She’d probably be dismissed immediately they noticed. But, for no, the rain would keep people inside and the noise would cover their approach.

Raven appeared with Pangal and her squad, equipped with Council security armour and assault weapons. The Burman, in armour that was considerably larger than most of the others, stepped over and engaged her suit’s speaker. “You’re in charge,” she assured him, “but I suggest you use us as a ‘battering ram’, so to speak.”
Kally sniffed. “After what I’m told happened on Micanna?” he laid a palm out in the direction of the warehouse, “be my guest.”

The Commander turned off the external speaker and spoke over suit comms. Short range and hard to jam. “Oster,” she said, referring to the feline listed as number 6 on her Helmet’s Heads up display, “Scan for booby traps and life forms.”
<”On it,”> she heard him respond as they advanced.
Raven checked her weapon as Pangal made sure she had some sets of cuffs.
<”About twenty in there,”> Oster reported, <”There’s a field in operation that blocks me from telling much more than that. “>
“Doesn’t really matter,” Raven grumbled. Heading to the nearest door. “they’re all targets anyhow.”
<“Hang on,”> Pangal reported, <”Militia incoming.”>
Raven cursed. Any hope for a surprise had gone up in smoke as fast as the shuttle was coming down. “Oster, cut the power. We go in NOW,” she spat, shouldering the door.

Inside, they were nearly ready to move but the impact of Raven’s shoulder on the door still took some by surprise so, when the door buckled under her second impact, they barely had their weapons raised as the others headed for their vehicles and the lights failed. On the third charge, the door broke off its hinges and Raven practically fell into the building, firing her weapon as she hit the wall inside. Fire came back at her, striking the armour in the arm and chest. Much of the energy dissipated across the armours’ micro network that channeled it into her own power banks but she still felt the physical force of the impacts so she was quite happy when Pangal rolled a stun grenade in, the flash and bang disorienting them for a few seconds before Oster entered and fired at a half track vehicle in the loading bay. The fire glanced off its hull and its weapon fired back, taking Oster clean off his feet and slamming him back into the wall. His icon on the HUD flickered and went out as Raven’s forces took positions. For her part, Raven ran for the half track and its’ mounted assault cannon, growling as it tried to move away from her and the Canine gunner sought to bring his weapon to bear. He fell backwards as Pangal avenged Oster with a shot that blew out a quarter of his torso and threw him off the back as Raven pulled herself up, turned the weapon around and fired it into the cab until the vehicle stopped. She turned the weapon on the second vehicle in the warehouse and it turned away from her, so she could only strafe its’ side.

“You’re supposed to be back at your Headquarters,” Roebuck accused Kally. “We’re in charge of the situation.”
“Your request was not supplied through legal channels,” Kally responded. “Your actions were illegal and we chose to ignore it. For Colony security,” he added. “As of now, we’re containing the conflict. I have people around the area making sure no-one tries to escape the area and the rain is making people stay in. If you want to go on in and join the people who have the best chance of sorting this without all dying? Please proceed. Sir.” He stepped away. “As you’re here, we can use comms.” He tapped his own comm. Kally to all units. You know the set up. Contain any fighters. Take them alive if possible but remember they WILL kill you if they get the chance so don’t give them one. Watch out for vehicles and be prepared to pursue.” He watched the Admiral carefully as the Officer’s hand opened and closed, expressing his anger at the situation and the lack of control.

”Swinney,” Pangal ordered as she swapped fire with a well emplaced gunner, “Secure the main office.
<”On it,”> the Mican replied and Pangal saw him dip into a side passage as the main doors blew in, Militia soldiers entering, firing into the main part of the warehouse more or less indiscriminately.
With a shot flashing past her head,Raven took cover before she turned her speaker on. “AIM, YOU IDIOTS!!”
Jaqui spotted a couple headed out the back so picked herself up as her new ‘friend’ had more trouble than he could live through and she ran for the rear exit.

She exited onto a marine dock and took cover as three weapons opened up on her. “Need support out back,” she called as two new guns entered the fray in the hands of Police Officers that took some of the fire from her. She opened up on one of the positions as she watched a vehicle being loaded onto a waiting boat in the harbour. It was barely on board before the boat started pulling out and she ran to keep up as the last of the restraining gunners fell from the roof to land heavily on the concrete. But it was pulling out to sea. Where she couldn’t follow. And she reckoned it would be lost before any Militia ship got to the area. Lost under the waves. Submarine.
“Pangal to Loper,” she said.
<”Go ahead, Chiefy,”> Hawle replied.
“Opposition are escaping via submarine, sir. We nee…”
<”Hardy’s on her way.”> Hawle interrupted.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Enjoying how this whole chapter has come along! You are doing very nicely for yourself!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Harry Johnathan »

Chiefy. I'll have to remember that if I'm ever forced to become a police officer.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

In this story's dialogue free chapter, I FINALLY get to use Mazes' fighters' special ability.

45

THE LITTLE MERRAT

Flight \Leader Maze Hardy made sure her helmet clips were properly secured before locking down her cockpit lid and preparing for a fast exit from the Loper. The deck crew cleared the hangar and her ship thrust down the exit ramp into near space around Rayvon. She was a little excited and terrified by this. In all the time she’d been out here, there hadn’t been a chance to test her fighters extra capabilities in actual combat and now, here she was, going for a fight.

She angled towards the Militia fleet and the surface beyond, her eyes keeping a lock on the screens in case any of them decided to target her. In effect the Militia could blockade the planet, keeping the Loper from helping the teams on the surface. Indeed, one of their ships did appear to be moving towards her, ugly and squat with mid power plasma cannons. Behind her the Loper shifted position slightly, possibly as a warning, and Maze slipped past the Militia ships’ bridge on her way into an entry vector. The friction burns of a high atmosphere blurred across the nose of the advanced Starlancer as she came in somewhere over the southern continent, headed for the North at the edge of the atmosphere before angling downwards into the full atmosphere. The impulse drive engine worked harder to calm and steady the craft in the disruptive winds and pressures of the atmosphere and Hardy had to make a small course adjustment to avoid a flock of birds some thirty miles ahead. She avoided them with fifty feet to clear and angled back to an interception vector, dropping down to sea level, skimming the waves and slowing before switching the engines over to the hydro-thrust prototype and angling the nose cone down to scratch the surface of the water before probing in, under the waves.

The world around her turned blue as the cockpit colours dimmed to a blue glow. Her helmet adjusted to the new outlook, making it almost as though no change had taken place. Her sensors shifted to underwater levels, quietly probing the area around her. She knew she was some ten miles out from the city and that submarine had to be out here somewhere.

An eddy. That’s what she had. A disturbance in the water some several miles out that told her something of considerable size had travelled through recently. Very recently. It was too close to the city and the shore for any real marine life of any size to come in this close and the direction it was coming from squared with something leaving the city so she had the distinct impression it was her target and she pushed the little starboat around to follow it.

Her scanners showed something was approaching on the surface, still some way out. She assumed it was the Militia patrol craft of some sort, drafted in to search for the submersible. She knew her size would show up as something tiny on their sensors but the other submersible seemed to have some sensor reflective capabilities in their hull so invisibility was on their side. She switched on the exterior lights and watched the bottom of the channel she was currently in, yellow tinged rocks and coral passed by her vision as plants waved lazily in the hints of turbulence. They bent towards her as they were affected by the power of the engine intake and she knew they’d bend backwards under the forward thrust to the rear of her ship. A shoal of brightly speckled fish switched abruptly from their chosen direction of travel, turning with a unity that made her distinctly jealous when she thought as to how hard she’d worked on similar moves with her squad to distinctly less impressive results.

There. She could see it now. Just about. In the air she could catch it in no time at all but, down here, she was much slower, though quicker than the thing she was just about seeing now. She’d turned the lights off again to increase the distance she could see outside and there was the mighty shadow. A transport submarine from its’ silhouette. Based on something the Micans used to transport vehicles on the island planets during the Prey wars of years past. Capable f moving a dozen vehicles or a hundred armed troops from atoll to atoll to where they could do most damage to the Celican forces or the Felines or the Wolven. Whoever was trying to take the worlds really. They’d made hundreds of the things. Obviously, after the wars, some had gone to private buyers and colonial navies. This one, she thought, looked new. Possibly built here. There was certainly enough ocean for it.

She approached in its’ wake, trying to keep any sign of her on their sensors to a minimum whilst she attempted a lock with her sensors. Nothing. Great, she thought, must be some Ricanna tech in the things’ make up. She’d have to eyeball it. Four solid state missiles. That’s all she had. Each launched from inside the wings after a fifteen centimetre release hatch opened. Each equipped with a powerful micro explosive that could probably breach the hull but she didn’t want to drown the vessel so she had to avoid the engines. Just to complicate matters further, there was often an inner hull to these things as she recalled. It might take two knocks to open the door. Plus, she reckoned, her luck couldn’t hold out forever. They were going to note her soon so. Fish one away.

The mini missile thrust forward from the housing and made straight for the larger vessel ahead as something else fell across Hardy’s path. She knew what it was and pulled hard to starboard as the depth charge, dropped by the Militia craft overhead, detonated. She shuddered, just like her craft, as the shockwave hammered it, cracking a seal so water started to seep in. A second charge was coming. It had to be. She jinked to starboard on full engine to avoid it and lost sight of her own missile. What was wrong with those idiots up there? Couldn’t they tell the difference between a submarine large enough for vehicles to be loaded and a microsub? Hardy gritted her teeth and decided to flay them later. Now was for important things. She turned her engines to maximum and engaged the boost, something normally only done for launching back out from the water but now she needed all he distance she could get as fast as she could get it. A third charge went off behind her, pitching the subfighter forward on its nose and Hardy fought to stop it from descending to the bottom of the sea. She pulled the reluctant craft to a level vector and glanced to see if she could find the other submarine. There it was, turning to get a better shot at her. No chance, she told herself as water began pouring through the cracked canopy to a chilling degree. She fired missile 2. It failed to launch. The release mechanism was jammed. She spared it a glance. Debris from the depth charge. 4 was probably down too. It was dangerous to try as anything could be damaged. Even the system that detected damage. She might launch and blow her own wing off as it fired. She flicked 3. That one was on the other wing and probably wasn’t… It shooshed from the wing and impacted powerfully on the vehicles’ side, sparking a rather impressive explosion. She could see the inside of the sub now and realised she must have hit an important system. Well, she thought, going up or down, it wasn’t up to her any more. She engaged her pilots’ suit oxygen supply and started for the surface in a gentle incline, breaching the surface a moment after the larger submarine and boosting herself into the atmosphere. She wheeled in triumph as the atmospheric engine took over again and headed for the Militia ship, transmitting her ident as she went. She flipped upside down shortly before passing. As she passed, she opened the cockpit to soak as many Militia Officers on deck as she could before heading for the city and its’ harbour.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Harry Johnathan »

A C T I O N !
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But [The LORD] said, “Yes, you did laugh.” - Genesis 18:15 (NIV).
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Had to laugh at all of the officers getting soaked near the end. I can only imagine just how funny that would look. :mrgreen:
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

Y'know, I KNEW Colleen was supposed to be doing something on this mission(!)

46

DIPLOMACY

Colleen Una laid out the last few things she wanted around the conference table as Cedar entered, carrying the breakfast things. He placed the Raitchian Kaltobah Porage on the table, along with the closest thing he had to cinnebar powder and Kolvarn juice next to it before bringing the Centarkan Waffles and honey compote he knew she preferred around to her side and complementing it with her usual coffee. “Everything ready, Colleen,” he asked.
“Oh, pretty much,” the Collian Junior ambassador told her best friend. “Harvey came through for us. As usual.”
“Huh,” Cedar nodded. “I’ll have to keep honouring those out of date half price coupons he’s got.”
“He does a lot of good on the ship,” Colleen advised. “Sorted out Crewman Dolla’s finances, found Ensign Cass’s cyber-stalker and set IOC onto him. Aided in protecting Lieutenant Zowaix’s nephew until the money got to him…”
Cedar waved a hand. “I know that, Colleen. I… I told you that last one!”
Colleen laughed. “I know. But, yeah.” She examined a padd. “I think I’m ready for him.”

The Finance Minister, responsible for the deals brokered with other colonial governments, found himself staring at a pair of security guards as he arrived aboard the Loper in the teleport bay, case in hand. One Raitchian guard and one Mican. “The symbolism,” he complained, “is pretty on the nose, isn’t it?”
“The Captain sometimes thinks the obvious should be pointed out, sir,” the Mican guard pointed out.
“In case no-one else has,” the Raitchian added, almost as though they’d been prompted by someone of senior rank a short time prior. “We’ll escort you to Ambassador Una,” he added, letting the Mican lead and following Minister Dellavit out into a passageway that had slightly more people working in it than usual for seven AM ships’ time. The dignitary couldn’t help but take in the way those of different species were working together. Celicans and Canines, Raitchians and Lappineans. Felines and… was that Mican walking on the ceiling? This ship, he decided, was a very efficient madhouse. Was that a..? He stared after the white clothed and white hatted Mican who’d just passed him with a serving trolley. “Was that a CHEF?”
“Absolutely,” the Raitchian guard answered. “He has a galley and a lot of approval.”
“I can only afford to eat there once a week,” the Mican complained as they reached the door and he opened the door to allow entry.
“Ah,” Colleen said, “Minister Dellavit. Please, come in.”

Commander Hawle sat in his personal room, talking on the comm with Elena on Cora II. <”So you’re about wrapping things up, Aldair,”> she asked after he’d detailed some of the things that had gone on over the past few hours.
“Well, we left the sub to the Militia’s tender mercies,” Hawle admitted, knowing he was probably going to get in trouble if he said too much. “They’ll make a play at taking all the credit but there’s enough proof otherwise. We won’t push it and neither will they.” He slurped a Coffee. “All sides win.”
<”Only if they don’t hear your table manners,”> Elena said, wincing before grinning broadly.
“Heh. Well, I’ve not had much of a break so I’m drinking a bit too fast. It’s the final moves so, as you know, time’s of the essence.”
<”You have a ridiculous way of negotiating,”> Elena chided, wagging a finger slyly. <"Untidy, even. How you keep things going well is beyond me at times.">
“Last minute often works best,” Hawle countered. “All things going well, we’ll be back at Cora II in a week, love.”
Elena’s head cocked as though she was listening for something. <”Did you hear that,”> she challenged.
“What,” Hawle said, sitting forward in alert.
Elena’s visage broke into a grin and a few seconds of laughter before continuing. <”I could swear I heard Sarah headbutting her console from here.”>
Hawle laughed. “I suppose she would have! Up for inviting her and Polva around for dinner some night?”
<”I have to do it,”> the Pekan asked.
“I’m not allowed to,” Hawle protested. “I’m a rank officer.”

Dellavit pushed away the empty bowl as he waited for Colleen to finish her breakfast. “It’s early evening on Rayvon,” he commented, “but it’s usually wise to honour civility where it’s offered. And it’s difficult to get good Porage out here.”
“I figured that,” Colleen admitted, finishing off her waffles. “Cedar keeps supplies of several species favourites off the general menu, just in case they’re needed.” She pushed her own plate aside and readied the datapadd. “So, now that’s done, we need to discuss the Micannan allegations and how to resolve the issues they raise.”
Dellavit preened slightly, gently ‘cleaning’ a few spots off his jacket. “The allegations need to be withdrawn and apologised for,” he proclaimed. “They made scurrilous allegations with absolutely no proof whatsoever and hide behind the claim of anonymity. It won’t do, Ambassador.”
Colleen slid the padd over to him and he stopped it with a hand. “What’s this,” he asked before looking at it.
“It’s your secret accounts,” Colleen said smoothly. “We had full permission to investigate the Calavix situation granted by President Tulwit and, I’m afraid, you got caught up in the wash, so to speak. One of our people found these secret accounts, with links back to you, after doing a deep dive into your finances.”
Dellavit seemed to pale, even under the brown fur of his face. His hand trembled slightly. “This… This isn’t admissible.”
“Oh, they’ll find some way to prove it is.” Colleen sighed. “But I don’t think doing that would solve the situation. Especially,” she added, slyly establishing direct eye contact, “because I don’t trust Raichian Intelligence and they told us where to look.”
Now he swallowed. “Raitchian…. Intelligence?”
“Oh yes. The other side of the coin. Potentially as bad for the future as Calavix if THEY get a foothold out here. Oh, we know what Calavix were trying to do, by the way.” She chuckled. “It’s quite something. And we think it involved killing you.”
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Here is hoping that the dinner that Hawle and Elena have goes well. And by that I mean he gets chocolate mousse to the face. :D
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Harry Johnathan »

That last line worries me.
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But [The LORD] said, “Yes, you did laugh.” - Genesis 18:15 (NIV).
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

47

TACTICAL TALK

Ten minutes after the call to Elena, Admiral ‘Artie’ Roebuck sat back in Hawles’ office as the Lappinean played in the feed from the conference room. He wasn’t best happy with the revelation that Raitchian Intelligence was out to ‘get’ Dellavit and made that clear to his host.
“Oh,” Hawle enquired, cocking an ear towards his old acquaintance. “I don’t seem to note Colleen naming you. When she came up with the idea it seemed rather clever.” Hawle shifted to face the Raitchian. “All the stuff we found is borderline legal as it’s not really connected to the Calavix situation and he could challenge it and even sue the Council if it ever got released by us. But we need to sort the situation he’s helped stoke between you and Micanna. So the easiest way out is..?”
“...Make him think WE could use the information.”
Hawle shrugged. “Well, make him aware that you.. sorry, Raitchian Intelligence on Homeworld, are watching him for any wrong doing.” Hawle grinned slightly. “You’ll have a finance minister keeping his nose clean, won’t you?”
Roebuck nodded slowly. “I suppose we will. IF he stays in place. Which is no way certain after the last few months.”
“What was it you used to say,” Hawle asked. “Oh, yeah, ‘if you find a good superior you can work with…’”
“...manipulate things so you don’t lose them,’” Roebuck grunted. “Point taken. Not, of course, that you’d be interfering with planetary politics?”
Hawle looked as though the idea had never occurred to him, widening his eyes, standing his ears up to full length and putting his hands out in front of him. “Heavens, no. Who do you think I am, Lieutenant Creen?”
“Lieutenant Creen,” Roebuck mused, thinking of the Celican they’d both once known. “What happened to him after the three in the brig?”
Hawle shrugged. “Not a clue. He might have gotten assigned to one of the penal reform ships the Celicans were trying out. Anyway…” He leaned slightly over the desk. “Calavix.”
Roebuck huffed. “We were perfectly within our rights to…”
“Four dead because of your actions, Artie. Four. Including one of your own people shot by one of his own! I told you WE had the lead so you went to the President and got him to give you joint authority. Then, how do you announce that? You imprison my team and the local police in their own station!”
“I had to act quickly to stop them from getting killed,” Roebuck retorted. “If they hadn’t then tried to escape…”
“...From an illegal imprisonment? Artie, they’re Police. They know the laws on imprisonment same as a soldier does! If the imprisonment’s by the enemy or illegal you get out as soon as you can!” He swept a hand across the table. “Your gunhappy fella didn’t even give a warning, apparently!”
“And he’ll be punished for that,” Roebuck snapped. “And Lieutenant Horricks! Splitting them up like that was a massive rooster-up! I wanted them held safely, not…” He sighed. “...that. I was really trying to keep casualties down, you know?”
“Probably,” Hawle agreed reluctantly. “Of course you’d also have been seen as the hero if you’d done the raid. I take it you were going to have the press alerted?”
“I’m not that vain, Aldair. The press would have gotten the story eventually anyhow. They always seem to…” He feigned innocence. “Somehow.”
“Right.” Hawle chuckled. “And your link inside Calavix?”
“What ‘link’?”
“Don’t take me for someone who was birthed during the last harvest, Artie. Their strike on Micanna was insurrection, assassinations, bombings and other violence to get the spaceport the faction here are financing. And Rayvon?” He raised a hand. “Gets a bit wet. Easily fixed. The only thing I can think of is either you have someone in the operation or they THINK there’s a spy and don’t want to provoke you.”
Roebuck gave him a slight smirk of appreciation. “It’d be interesting to know, wouldn’t it? To know if it’s that easy to provoke a paranoid people to panic. And we almost lost our fleet, don’t forget?”
Hawle grimaced. “Who can forget nearly getting a planet in the face? We really need to work on working together, don’t we? Raitchian intelligence, Mican Intelligence, The IOC, Cana secret services, Celican Detection Services, the Lappinean secret service… Even the Humans have their own services. All of them looking to help the Council as a secondary effect of helping their races within the Council.”
“Who are the IOC working to promote,” Roebuck asked curiously.
Hawle sighed, turning off Colleen’s meeting as it ended. “Is it too late to rule by fear, I ask myself? Their own budget. It keeps getting cut.”
“So what do we do about it?”
“Well, if Raitchian intelligence ‘aren’t here’ they could afford to slip the IOC some funding for an office or two on Raitchian Colon… Oh,” he added, “you mean how do we resolve the trust issue?”
Roebuck leaned forward. “Now who’s saying the other came down in the last flood? Decent idea. Might even ask for each office to have a ‘specially selected’ Raitchian officer…”
Hawle sat back and waved a hand. “All to be dealt with by people far more intelligent… or more important, anyhow… than I am. If this works then this brushfire’s been doused and my work’s done. All I need to do now is get the evidence logged and go. Speaking of..?”
Roebuck sat forward. “Oh, am I dismissed,” he asked jovially.
“If you don’t want to come with us,” Hawle replied. “We’ve got a Detective to drop off on Micanna and a clipper ship that wants to get out of there before their Admiral tries to seduce him. Unless you’d..?”
Roebuck stood up quickly, backing away from the table. “Ooh, no! She’s a lot of Mican! Too much for this guy to handle! I’ll head back now Dallavit’s gone.”
“I’ll escort you,” Hawle said, dipping his head under the table to check for listening devices.

Colleen waited near the teleport room until Hawle had seen his ‘old friend’ off. She stepped to his side as he walked back towards the bridge. “The pair off went well,” she asked.
“Aye,” Hawle replied. “Two birds and one rock, as the Humans say.”
“Stone!” Said a voice from one of the rooms they passed.
Hawle stuck his head around the doorway. “Two STONES, one Rock, then!” He restarted his conversation with Colleen. “He agreed to the deal?”
Colleen looked proud. “I think he’ll be a good boy from now on,” she admitted as they got to the bridge.
Hawle took up his seat and Raven leaned over. “What did he think about you telling Harriet Thurso his name,” she asked quietly.
“Chappers, put in a course for Micanna. Dawton, tell Rayvon we’re leaving.” Hawle turned to his First Officer. “Hmm? Oh. It never came up,” He replied glibly.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Amazee Dayzee »

Really like how this is coming along now! Awesome work!
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Welsh Halfwit »

48

SHIPS BUSINESS

Raven contemplated the little bit of ‘station keeping’ that she was about to do and wondered on what words to choose as she pressed the button to open the door to sickbay and walked into the room.

The bay was empty of patients for the moment and Night Barleycorn was on her own in the office, keeping the evening watch as Bazil visited the food replicators or went to the hologram room to watch a film or blow off steam in the gym or whatever his Ratty young mind wanted to do. Raven watched as Night looked up at her, the Mican’s tinted eyes blinking. “Oh, evening Sarina,” the Doctor said in greeting. “What brings you down here?”
“Figure you know,” Raven grumbled. “Summat came across my desk earlier. You know that, as executive Officer, everything to do with the crew is supposed to come through me, hmm?” She gave a quarter grin. “Including leave requests?”
Night rolled her eyes. “I’m fully entitled to that leave, Sarina. It’s been four months since I’ve taken any real time to myself so I’m owed a week off!”
“I agree,” Raven nodded. “You’ve got about a month backlogged if you want but it’s not that part that I’m bothered about. You want to spend it on Micanna according to the details you provided.”
Doctor Barleycorn huffed a laugh. “OK, he’s a nice guy and I like him, OK?”
“He’s your patient, Night.”
“After we get to Micanna, David Brunton would be transferred to the central hospital, Sarina. Then he won’t be my patient, will he?”
Raven tutted. “I don’t need to tell you it would be problematic and unethical so I won’t. But,” she added with faux severity, “we can’t spare you until we get back to Cora II. And, until he’s safely handed over, I want you to stay two feet from his lips at all times, OK?”
“Heh. Got it, Commander. Cora II to Micanna is… how much?”
“Council’ll pick up the tab, don’t worry. Captain’ll see to that.”
“How was Rayvon, anyhow?”
“Cold, wet and boring except for the danger.”

In her office, Jaqui Pangal went over the recording she was going to have to send. The one for Oster. It wasn’t the first she’d had to send out in this particular patrol but she hoped it would be the last. She’d read the combat report from Raven and the others and had worked out that his death was, largely, incidental. Not that she could ever tell the family that, though. To them their loved one had died the heroic death in combat against the fiendish enemy, fighting to stop them achieving their aims. His loss would be felt by the entire ship as a trusted friend and acquaintance. Jaqui wondered if Oster had a mate waiting for him at home. Or, indeed, someone he was dating or seeking to date onboard ship.

Groal lay on his back, operating on the underside of a standing console as he tried to get it back online so it could properly regulate the power flow to the starboard engine and wished Winsome was available to run the computing end but, he wasn’t available for another hour or…
“Excuse me,” said a female voice from somewhere above the terminal that almost made Groal bash his muzzle on the underside. He cast a glance at her Pink shoes, blue trousers and whip-like tail. “Oh, hello, Gilly,” he said, reattaching some of the circuits in a new order. “Can I say I’m amazed by how fast you must have packed?”
The feet bounced slightly and Groal imagined she was shrugging. “I never had much to shift,” she admitted. “The rest can be sent on.” She leaned over so she was practically looking at the engineer upside down, letting her head fur drop slightly from the gravity. “The request for me to join’s going through, so the Captain says, but I was hoping I could help out whilst I’m waiting? Seing as I’m probably not going to get paid for the last month at work after I kinda, sorta, circumvented official channels t o cause the downpour last night? And got, um, fired?”
“I heard. Things move fast. I can’t let you program stuff but,” he added, “you can talk me through the readouts on the monitor? Tell me when section 5a reads 187?”
“Absolutely,” Gilly replied chippily. “Um…”
“Yes?”
“Are all crew quarters so small?”
“They serve,” Groal opined, moving circuits. “Plus you’re in a ‘C’ class cabin. Designed for one person at the lower edge of the Command chain. And I think the word is ‘cozy’?”
“Suppose I’ll get used to it,” she admitted, shifting her feet slightly. “184, by the way. The reading.”

Katara sat in the Starwheel bar, lifting a tankard with Hardy as she embellished her story of how many Raitchians in full battle armour she’d had to overcome in the fight at the Police station. It was currently up to five, Jan counted, that she fought single-handed whilst the others all tangled with one each. Maze clearly wasn’t buying it but was letting her old.. friend? Enemy? Acquaintance? Yes, Jan decided, that would describe it. She was letting her old acquaintance have her moment. It seemed important to Celicans to have a good fight from time to time and Katara had been itching for one as long as the Human had known her. Others were listening in intently too and had drowned out her questioning the Flight Leader on her finally being able to send in a report on how the ship had operated underwater. The deck crew had had to sort out the ice that had built up as had often happened during testing but this was probably the first time a fish had gotten trapped in the cockpit, even after she’d dumped most of the water out. The thing had survived the five minutes back and Zowaix was anxious to work out quite how as it had been exposed to a vacuum for part of the trip and should be, as the Scientist had put it, ‘deader than corduroy’. She’d had to explain to Katara why some Humans wore really thick trousers. The crew were repairing Maze’s ship now. Jan wondered what the deck Chief’s report to Monta Weapontech would be like and if Hardy would send it unedited.

She doubted it.

And the ship slid on, back to Micanna.
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Re: A LOPER TALE

Post by Harry Johnathan »

I wonder what it's like to watch a movie via holorgram.
Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But [The LORD] said, “Yes, you did laugh.” - Genesis 18:15 (NIV).
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