latest signal. “Who is this Chamstel? What was the point of origin?” he asked emphatically.
“We don’t know who Chamstel is” replied Jebna. “It came from a hotel in Hironimum on Fultra using the hotel account. There were 142 guests. We are checking them now.”
Angina leant forward a little and tapped a button on her communicator. The door opened and two guards entered. She spoke softly “Charak, I think you will agree that this is enough evidence to call for your suspension pending further investigation.”
“Don’t you see I am being setup here? This is nonsense.”
“Then you have nothing to fear.”
Raitah just sat there immobile like she could not believe what was happening. The guards took Charak away.
“Now we need your full cooperation” said Angina.
“Of course” said Raitah, only now recovering her wits.
“Excellent” smiled Angina.
Half an hour later Raitah exited the ‘complex’ via the shuttle pad on the roof. Once inside the shuttle she hailed Mida Konklas. “As planned” is all she said. Her face was as unmoved as a slab of granite. When she heard Mida click off without actually speaking, a wry smile appeared on her face.
Chapter 20. Dregun shuttle over Cheklin 2012, 5 August
Imperial Admiral (IAdm) Meeka Sallusam pulled a satisfied expression on his gnarled face as his Dregun shuttle came out of warp behind the third moon of the outer gas giant. He had been on the run now for six weeks. He knew the fate of fleet admirals that deserted their post. He was surprised though in the last system he had visited to see the broadcast proclaiming his guilt. He couldn’t see how they knew he had killed that old fool Assani. But what really hurt was the pathetically small bounty they had placed on him. ‘Really?’ thought Meeka and his smug expression went.
He was here in Sturam because this would be the last place they would look for him, being the most liberal of the home worlds. But it was also because he had a debt to reclaim from a former fellow officer, now fortuitously the owner of the most profitable shuttle corporation in rogan space. “Yes Bakun Lickta owes me big time” said Meeka.
“There is the issue of how best to make contact…” and Meeka’s voice trailed off as his mind reflected yet again on his options. He was still not convinced as to the best course of action. They all carried risks.
As if to remind him, the system diagnostics that were automatically conducted on coming out of warp alerted him to the most pressing of constraints. His craft was low on fuel. It still came to him as an unpleasant shock for he had never, in the last seventy three earth years, his entire service career, ever had to pay for fuel. But here he was a fugitive without money and in need of significant sums to stay a step ahead of Imperial justice.
What he really needed now was another ship, one the authorities would not be searching for. He needed fuel and provisions and most of all a safe hideaway “but something comfortable” said Meeka to himself out loud. “Oh yes and a new identity.” This Meeka knew would cost the most of all.
He composed his short message to Bakun Lickta. He ensured that it would be routed through a number of intermediate star systems ending with the nearby Plasus star System. This would make it difficult to trace the fact that he was in fact already here. “Just in case” said Meeka. He hit send, knowing that it would take at least another twelve hours to make its way to Likta. “A necessary consequence” he added as he got up from his chair.
He walked back into the main cabin behind the cockpit, lay down on one of the two beds and closed his eyes. He wasn’t really content but there was little more he could do till he got a response from Likta. Once more he found himself reflecting on his fortune or lack thereof. ‘This was not how I envisaged I would end my days’ he thought ‘on the run, unable to bask in glory and, more importantly,
“We don’t know who Chamstel is” replied Jebna. “It came from a hotel in Hironimum on Fultra using the hotel account. There were 142 guests. We are checking them now.”
Angina leant forward a little and tapped a button on her communicator. The door opened and two guards entered. She spoke softly “Charak, I think you will agree that this is enough evidence to call for your suspension pending further investigation.”
“Don’t you see I am being setup here? This is nonsense.”
“Then you have nothing to fear.”
Raitah just sat there immobile like she could not believe what was happening. The guards took Charak away.
“Now we need your full cooperation” said Angina.
“Of course” said Raitah, only now recovering her wits.
“Excellent” smiled Angina.
Half an hour later Raitah exited the ‘complex’ via the shuttle pad on the roof. Once inside the shuttle she hailed Mida Konklas. “As planned” is all she said. Her face was as unmoved as a slab of granite. When she heard Mida click off without actually speaking, a wry smile appeared on her face.
Chapter 20. Dregun shuttle over Cheklin 2012, 5 August
Imperial Admiral (IAdm) Meeka Sallusam pulled a satisfied expression on his gnarled face as his Dregun shuttle came out of warp behind the third moon of the outer gas giant. He had been on the run now for six weeks. He knew the fate of fleet admirals that deserted their post. He was surprised though in the last system he had visited to see the broadcast proclaiming his guilt. He couldn’t see how they knew he had killed that old fool Assani. But what really hurt was the pathetically small bounty they had placed on him. ‘Really?’ thought Meeka and his smug expression went.
He was here in Sturam because this would be the last place they would look for him, being the most liberal of the home worlds. But it was also because he had a debt to reclaim from a former fellow officer, now fortuitously the owner of the most profitable shuttle corporation in rogan space. “Yes Bakun Lickta owes me big time” said Meeka.
“There is the issue of how best to make contact…” and Meeka’s voice trailed off as his mind reflected yet again on his options. He was still not convinced as to the best course of action. They all carried risks.
As if to remind him, the system diagnostics that were automatically conducted on coming out of warp alerted him to the most pressing of constraints. His craft was low on fuel. It still came to him as an unpleasant shock for he had never, in the last seventy three earth years, his entire service career, ever had to pay for fuel. But here he was a fugitive without money and in need of significant sums to stay a step ahead of Imperial justice.
What he really needed now was another ship, one the authorities would not be searching for. He needed fuel and provisions and most of all a safe hideaway “but something comfortable” said Meeka to himself out loud. “Oh yes and a new identity.” This Meeka knew would cost the most of all.
He composed his short message to Bakun Lickta. He ensured that it would be routed through a number of intermediate star systems ending with the nearby Plasus star System. This would make it difficult to trace the fact that he was in fact already here. “Just in case” said Meeka. He hit send, knowing that it would take at least another twelve hours to make its way to Likta. “A necessary consequence” he added as he got up from his chair.
He walked back into the main cabin behind the cockpit, lay down on one of the two beds and closed his eyes. He wasn’t really content but there was little more he could do till he got a response from Likta. Once more he found himself reflecting on his fortune or lack thereof. ‘This was not how I envisaged I would end my days’ he thought ‘on the run, unable to bask in glory and, more importantly,
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