Sector of Anarchy
Chapter 12
After an adventurous evening of cat and mouse with Sherpa and Josh was the mouse. Josh went to the command center talked to his senior officers said his farewells and went to check on Jags.
Jags had made it through the surgery and was in the recovery room when Josh looked in to see how he was doing. The transformation was complete as Jags lay there half asleep looking like a ordinary guy sleeping on the bed. Josh left him a get well card with a few words of encouragement written inside on his table beside his bed then left.
The ship was loaded and ready to go when Josh got there the second in command was waiting to welcome Josh onboard and for the final order to launch.
As Josh went to the bridge looked at the commander and said. “Captain take the ship out and jump to orbit and run a ship wide inspection before we leave the sector.”
[Captain] “Under stood Sir. Take the ship to full power all systems check and the ship is secure starting jump drive.”
The count down started while the crew watched as the count hit 1 and the ship jumped for the base to outer space. As soon as the ship hit outer space the crew was checking every room and system one last time before the main jump out of the sector. After the ship and systems check the Captain declared. “All systems check and the ship is sound. We have a feed from the sector showing the all clear we are ready for the main jump on your orders.”
[Josh] “You have a go for the jump Captain.”
The countdown went to the 1 and the Venture exited the gate several systems away.
[Josh] “Congratulations Captain you, the crew and our ship the Venture have just entered a new system. Take us to our rallying point and launch the probes and support ships.”
The ship moved to a spot way behind the gate hidden in the shadow of a large nebula. The probes were launched as the data started coming in showing the all clear two scout ships and a support ship undocked and started placing satellites.
[Captain] “Commander have a look at this.”
A probe had passed a ship of some kind. After a closer inspection it looked like one of the freighters spotted in the sector the assassins were headed to. The ship had lights on but there was a lot of wreckage around the ship as it sit on top of a small asteroid.
[Josh] “Captain send a team to look at the freighter and check for survivors and launch the support ship and team to replace the recon ship already in the sector we been watching.” [Captain] “Yes Sir.”
The two ships launched a scout ship at full speed to inspect the damaged freighter and a support ship pulled away from the Venture and jumped.
As the scout ship moved into position scans showed weak life sings coming from a woman onboard.
[Josh] “Send a drone down to scan for hidden germs or viruses the crew may have died from sickness.”
The drone scanned the ship and woman she was clear but about starved to death and the air was about gone.
Josh had the team transport the woman onboard the scout ship and give her a booster shot designed for starved and dehydrated pilots found in space.
The woman was alive but unconscious as the ship landed back on the Venture. The ship must have been there for over two months because a small surveillance drone had been stationed in the sector near the Gate that was sending the base a steady picture of nothing but the Gate and space.
The freighters cargo hole door was gone and the main drive was damaged. The power unit was the only stable system on the ship. Two bodies of the crew were mangled and caught on the jagged rocky surface of the asteroid while the scout ships had recovered three more floating in space. The ship design was simple with a enclosed rotating living area in the back of the ship that was damaged along with most of the supplies. The ship had some ore a little silicone and some other minerals scared all over the ship cargo hole from a blast of some kind.
Josh had a crew start work on repairing the ship back to its original design with a few modifications.
The space station in the sector the assassins were headed for was the main hub of activity through out the sectors. The main language used was close to the one used on the planet they just came from. They were a few planets that they traded with and a few unknown races that have landed on the station sence the surveillance team had been in the sector. A lot of data had been intercepted only leading to more questions about who they are and what are they doing here. The only good thing about the station was that if you were not their enemy you could land and trade your goods for anything including slaves.
And one thing about a slave that owes you his life they talk about anything you want to hear.
The next morning the woman was awake and eating.
[Josh] “What happened?”
[Woman] “Something exploded in the hole I thing it was a new box of mining sticks we traided for on our last run. I was co pilot and first one back into the ship and was going to get the ship ready to leave when the ship exploded. Who are you and where are we?”
[Josh] “You’re in the medical section of our ship. We’re still in the sector you were in. When we found you onboard the freighter you were about dead.”
[Woman] “What are you going to do with me?”
[Josh] “You’re safe here. Do you have any family and what’s your name?”
[Woman] “My name is Kate and the people on the ship was the closest thing to a family I had. What are you going to do with me I don‘t have anything to pay you and if you plan on making a slave out of me just throw me out a air lock now I would rather be dead!”
[Josh] “We don’t make slaves out of people so calm down. I do need your help let me tell you about our mission.”
Josh told Kate what they were doing there and what there plans were and where they were from and why they needed to leave. The two talked a little while till Kate was worn out and had to take a break. As Josh was leaving the room Kate stated. “I owe you my life I’ll help you if I can.”
Josh looked back into the room at Kate and said. “Thanks that’s all I want and your welcome to join up with us if you want to.”
[Kate] “And if I don’t want to join your cause what then?”
[Josh] “I’m repairing the freighter so I can us it but when we leave I’ll give you the freighter and some resources and let you go where you want if you still want to leave.”
[Kate] “Are you one of the Ancients everyone whispers about so fearfully?”
[Josh] “No I’m just a man. But you should now so are the Ancients they’re just more advanced. I fear God who created us all and the universe we live in. They may have the technology to adapt build or change Gods creation but it still belongs to God not them.”
[Kate] “This God you speak of, why doesn’t he stop them?”
[Josh] “God put mankind in charge gave him everything he needed but man determined in himself to listen to the lies of the devil and go his own way and lost Gods blessings. God loved man and redeemed us through his own Son’s blood and offered man his sprit but men still go their own way serving themselves and there manmade gods. Some even serve the devil who’s lies started the whole mess. Someday God will say that’s it and it will all be over but until he does I’ll be living for him and his goodness not the Ancients.”
[Kate] “So what your saying is we all decide to do good or bad things and the Ancients are just people and we all will answer to God in the end?”
[Josh] “That’s right. You can decide to follow God and his righteousness or follow self and pay the cost someday.” Josh left the room and went to the ships operations center.
[Josh] “Put a jump drive and some upgrades in the freighter and put a self destruct on the ship just in case we need to blow the ship and give me a update on the status of the rogue ship and crew?”
[Sarah] “The two assassins picked up provisions on their way back to the ship restocking their supply. The pilot guarding the ship had refilled the hydrogen tanks converting water from a local stream. They have left the planet and are in open space about 50 hours away from the gate. The security guard was shot by the secretary in motel room. She wiped the room down and went back to her apartment.”
[Josh] “We I quess she decided to tie up all the loose ends. Has there been any communications picked up going to or from her or to the Gate?”
[Sarah] “None so far, do you want her to be picked up for interrogation?”
[Josh] “No wait till the assassins are out of the sector she may try and contact them or their boss and I would like to know who their boss is or the sector the orders are coming from. Sarah how long till the freighter is finished?”
[Sarah] “10 hours.”
Josh went to his room to get some rest the mission was going to be a long one.
An escort fighter was already built and setting in the docking bay for the original mission, the freighter loaded with some much needed goods to trade was just a extra. So instead of one slave to get info from now Josh could buy four or five without razing suspicions and with the freighter added into the plan a team would be going in instead of just Josh and a copilot.
Josh and his team were ready to go as soon as the freighter was finished. A few upgrades had been added to the freighter. A external mooring dock for the fighter, long range scanners, a food processor, gravity plates, better shields and power supply with hidden turrets the freighter was more than ready to go it was a new ship.
To keep the real location they came from conceal the plan was to jump into the sector from the east gate.
They sat waiting in the ships for just a few minutes then the message came in the gate was clear of traffic. The fighter jumped first then a few seconds later the freighter jumped.
Josh and the team looked around the sector as small groups of ships flew back and forth from several small stations no more than large spinning ships and the larger trading station they were headed to.
They watched as two small fighters off in the outer section of the sector were well into a intense battle with each other until one of the ships blewup in a ball of fire. The winners ship if you could call him that turned his ship in the direction of one of the small stations and tried to fire his ion drive that was damaged in the fight. Long range scans showed the ship had heavy damage the ion drive was gone the hydrogen fuel tank was leaking into space the power unit was damaged and had been ejected into space to keep from frying the pilot with radiation. The pilot gave his thrusters all the fuel he had left aiming the ship at the small station. The ship slowly moved away from the battle sight and the fuel was gone. Scanns showed the battery power would be gone in 12 hours and it would take 56 hours to reach the station at his speed.
Josh got a report from the surveillance team about the two pilots. The fight had been building up for days about a bad deal. Until one followed the other out of the station the first turned to deep space to run but the other followed till the other turned to fight after a day of running. The winner had been the one trying to avoid the fight form the beginning and had offered to pay him back but the other wanted a fight.
Josh felt bad for the pilot because in 12 hours after the battery run out the ship would start to freeze and the pilot would be dead in less than two hours. It one of the stations were to send a ship to help the pilot would be dead before they got there and no ships were launching to assist.
Josh called back to the Venture to ask his advisors about saving the man. After ten minutes of discussion and Kate standing up for the pilot a cloaked rescue ship was sent to recruit the pilot and fix his ship.
Kate insisted on coming along on the rescue ship and quickly recruited the pilot. The pilot told the team a lot more about the different groups and races operating in the sectors and some of the storys about where they came from. He told about the different pirate clans, the sectors they were in and there ships.
The mans name was Mizar and he was to land his ship at the trading station to finish the repairs. A lockbox with some goods would be transported into his ship to pay for a new ion drive for his ship and some repair work. While at the station he was to join up with Josh and his team.
The station hailed the freighter as they got closer. “State your business unknown freighter?”
[Josh] “We are halling good for trade on your station.”
[Station] “Declare your goods for trade Pilot.” Josh sent a list of the goods.
[Station] “You’re cleared to dock Pilot read the rules and abide by them and your trade is welcome.”
Josh looked at the list. “No stealing, no fighting or weapons fire anywhere on the station. Anyone found in a off limits area will be jailed and fined. Anyone on the station unable to bay his bills will be sold as a slave for payment. All ship repairs, fees and supplies are paid when you leave or your ship will be held or sold for payment.”
Josh looked at the rules thanking how much they looked like the same rules at every Pirate station he had seen.
Josh eased the freighter into position and landed the freighter. A team of workers sucured the freighter and fighter as they landed. Josh and two of the team and the fighter pilot put their suits on and went to the office leaving three onboard to watch the ships and freight.
[Dock Master] “Pilot we have a list of offers for some of your freight and I need your name and your ships name.”
[Josh] “The call me Phoenix and the freighters call sign is Kates Break. I’ll take the stations offer on these idems so we’ll have some spending money the rest I’ll sell to the highest bidder before we leave out in a few days.”
[Dock Master] “How many days pilot you can dock for 4 hours if you’re trading then you have to pay for you spot. You sold to the station so you get to park for 12 hours free our best deal is a two day permit. You’ll have to leave after 12 free and 48 paid so after 60 hours you need to be gone or in your ships leaving.” Josh payed the Dock Master and took the gold tokens and coins. Josh gave each of the crewmen some cash and they divided into twos and left out to explore the station and the shops.
Josh and the fighter pilot went into several shop till they came to a large resale shop. The shop had all kinds of idems Josh noticed a few medals in a case that were from the Argon Navy.
[Josh] “Where did these come from and what do they mean?”
[Vendor] “I don’t know I just buy the stuff if I think it will sell what you give me for them?”
Josh looked some more and seen several argon items from different time era’s.
[Josh] “Which one you had the longest?” The man placed a medal on the counter. “This was here when I bought the shop what you give for it?” Josh placed a coin on the counter. The man looked at it for a while and took the coin and gave Josh the medal. They look on through the shop Josh seen a long rack near the back of the shop with all kinds of uniforms hanging on it. Josh walked along looking till he seen a familiar uniform. A lump was in the back of his throat as he looked through the Argon Pilots uniforms he had wore to see if there was any names he knew. Sarah scanned the names to see all names were pilots lost to Xenon attacks some of the outfits were from ships lost in space or destroyed.
It all started to make sence they had been pulling people from different time periods. Some of the oufits were from attacks where stations were destroyed killing thousands. It all made perfect sence the Ancients had been pulling doomed people out of their disasters right before they were killed and bringing them here to this time and space and this was the proof.
The planet they were leaving had records dating back to over five hundred years and the uniforms Sarah could ID were over two hundred years apart but they all were in good condition.
[Josh] “How often doyou get new shipments?”
[Vender] “Who are you? You going to be trouble?” As the man reached for a gun under his counter.
[Josh] “No I don’t want any trouble or to cause you any problems. I would like to know who brings you your supplies?”
[Vender] “Now that would cause me a lot of trouble! So no and get lost!”
[Josh] “I’m willing to pay you what you want for the information and no one will know about it but me and you.”
[Vender] “You need to leave now I’m calling security.”
[Josh] “Sarah transport him to the ship now.”
Sarah transported Josh into the ship as the man stood in the holding cell. Josh turned the restraints of the vender and grabbed him up.
[Josh] “Now lisen you if you don’t want to end up in space with you eyes popping out of your head in the vacuum you’ll re-evaluate my offer!”
[Vender] “Please don’t hurt me I’ll tell you what you want to know I have a family.”
[Josh] “Transport us back.” A second later they were back in the shop.
[Vender] “Please don’t do that again I’ll tell you what I know. About ever three months a ship from the Slayer Pirate Clan through the East Gate comes to the station to sell his goods to some of the shops and that was where the things came from. That’s all I know I just buy it and they leave.”
[Josh] “Thanks that was all I wanted. Keep all this to yourself understood and we will be watching!”
[Vendor] “Yes Sir I understand my lips a sealed.” Josh handed the man a gold 1000 unit token.
[Josh] “I said I would pay you.” The mans eyes lit up when he seen the token. [Vendor] “Thanks!”
Josh and the pilot left the shop while the shop owner placed a out to lunch sign on his door and went into the back where he lived to show his wife the gold token from the sale of the month never telling her how he got the token.
The three crewman and Josh went back to the ships to get some rest and relieve the others so they could look around the station.
[Josh] “Sarah contact the Venture and send a team to monitor the Base of the Slayer Clan.”
[Sarah] “Right away Commander.”
When they got to the ship Josh went to his quarters and laid down thanking another Pirate Clan to deal with the last time he had to deal with a Pirate Clan Director Moa destroyed a base killing over a thousand people just to cover up her corrupt business deals.
Lost in Time Chapter 12
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