Just a start, need to finish the chapter later.....
EDIT - New part added under the *****
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Chapter 6 - The Apprentice
"pas preparee
a me cacher derriere des vitres teintes
pas assuree
contre les risques du metier". Ysa Ferrer.
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"Nivick you old dog! Thought you'd never make it!" came a jubilant voice over the comm, it was Fredic's father in the Lifter.
"Sorry about the delay Vaalen, I'm introducing the boy to our little club", replied Nivick over the comm as he winked at Piotr.
"Piotr eh? About time he learnt about his uncle....and his parents. Glad to have you along boy!", before Piotr could say anything the other pilot continued. "Nivick, I'll rendez-vous with you back at base Beta, I've transported a jump drive and some cells to the Bayamon, punching out...now."
Piotr saw a glow emerge from nowhere which began to engulf the Lifter and the Bayamon he'd just captured, a few moments later both ships entered the now fully formed wormhole and sped from sight. In the shimmering afterglow of the jump he turned to face Nivick, his expression was grim.
"If you know something about my parents you better tell me now, old man."
The older pilot began to smile, but sensing that this might have made the atmosphere hostile his expression too turned serious.
"I will Piotr, I wish I could have told you before but the situation was too dangerous. But now...well now it is too late to worry about making things any more serious than they already are." Nivick began to punch in some codes into the ships systems as he spoke. "But, where we're going now, all your questions will be answered. Whether you like the truth or not."
Piotr recognised the now familiar glow of a forming wormhole enveloping their fighter.
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"Entering system, Bala Gi's Joy" announce the ship's computer.
"Home at last lad, some food and the answers to your questions"
Piotr sat numb as Nivick guided the ship on a course outside of the normal system space, on a course towards some red nebula gasses. As they entered the cloud Piotr realised that this might not be a good idea.
"Warning, hull at 95%"
The older pilot chuckled at the exporession on Piotrs face. "Don't worry lad, this helps to keep our base a little more secret than most".
A few moments later the sleek fighter emerged from the nebula cloud and advanced towards an asteroid one click distant.
A shaft of light appeared at the base of the asteroid, and Piotr saw docking lights flicker into existence, guiding their ship in.
"Welcome back Nivick", a women's voice came over the comm.
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The interior of the asteroid was much like any other docking bay. Except this one had more types of fighters than Piotr had seen before, Argon, Boron, Xenon and a few others he did not recognize, he did recognize the Lifter that Fredic's dad flew though, aswell as the Bayamon beside it which was swarming in maintenance droids. The ship sizes ranged from small scout ships to impressive heavy fighters. Nivick swiftly docked at an empty platform and opened the ship door as soon as the docking clamps were confirmed engaged by the computer.
"Come along boy, I'm hungry and I need a drink. Judging from the look of you, you do too". Nivick began to walk off.
Not knowing what else to do, and feeling apprehensive about what he'd got himself into, his earlier anger forgotten the young freighter captain tagged along.
Apart from a guard at the docking bay lifts, who gave Nivick a crisp salute that was returned as he passed, Piotr saw no-one on the asteroid base until they got to their destination, a canteen.
"Hey Piotr! About time you got to learn about all this my friend!". Fredic stood up from the table at which he'd been talking to his dad and moved forward to guide his goldfish impersonating friend to a seat. He poured a generous measure of Space fuel into a glass and set it before him.
"Drink that, then we'll talk."
******
As the fiery liquid scorched his throat Piotr held the empty glass to his forehead and reflected upon all that had happened recently. Just a few weeks ago he'd never have believed, in his wildest dreams, that he'd now be drinking space fuel on a secret asteroid base, deep within a red nebula in a lawless, pirate controlled sector. He'd never have believed that he'd be asking questions afresh about his long dead parents.
"We'll talk, Fredic?", he laughed, "I don't think so. I think you're going to talk. I think you're going to tell me everything, right from the beginning. What really happened to my parents...", seeing Fredic's look of surprise he slammed his empty glass back on the table.
"That's right, Fredic, my friend", he spat out the word, "your dad let slip something about my parents...and my uncle. Now talk, if you really are my friend, if the past ten years aren't all a ****** lie! Don't think I haven't remembered the ore run you sent me on that nearly killed me! Now talk dammit, I want answers!"
Piotr glared round the table in the silence following his outburst. He was, in his anger, glad to see that Fredic was looking down at his hands, ashamed. Even Nivick had been shocked speechless by the fury of his emotion.
After a few moments the woman made as if to speak but Fredic stopped her by raising his hand.
"No, wait Alhandra. He is my friend of all these years, I must be the one to explain things to him".
With the other hand he again filled Piotr's glass with the space fuel. He looked up into his childhood friend's eyes and sighed.
"I deserved that. I'm sorry. I'll start at the beginning, just as you say".
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Piotr sat down on the bunk in the quarters assigned to him by Nivick. His head was swimming with everything that Fredic had said, and this coupled with the effects of the half bottle of space fuel he'd gotten through as his friend had spoken he really needed a lie down.
His father had come from a long and proud line of fighter pilots, this Piotr had known. What he'd never been told is that after his retirement, and before his untimely death of course, his father had joined an exclusive club of retired Argon Navy officers. What's more he'd never been told that this club wasn't a meeting place for doddering old men to exchange war stories, but was in fact an unofficial extension of some parts of the Argon intelligence service.
He lay his head on his pillow and before sinking into an alcohol induced oblivion thought about two more things. One, that his parents had been assassinated because of his father's involvement with the club. Two, that he, Piotr, was now to follow in his father's footsteps and join the club, despite never having been in the Navy.
are we in for flashback sequences or will chapter 5 be a fast forward of the story to return later to that part, or will that part be deemed "lost in translation'' 
