Jump point three was busy as the Gabriel winked into the Uly system. More than a hundred ships formed lines in towards the Earth-like planet of Uly from several jump points. It was slightly larger than Earth but had similar huge oceans covering over two thirds of the surface and six huge space stations could be clearly seen on the rotating holomap, even at this distance.
‘Pretty planet,’ said Rayl, folding her arms and lying back on her couch to admire the view.
‘Pretty dangerous too,’ said Bache. ‘Be careful what you say – they can be a bit touchy sometimes, especially concerning security.’
‘Okay,’ said Andy. ‘I’ll be polite and—’
A sudden transmitted voice boomed around the bridge and interrupted him.
‘Starship Gabriel, this is Uly security control, please state the nature of your visit.’
‘Hello, Uly control,’ said a cheerful-sounding Andy. ‘We’re looking for a Halyd—’
Andy stopped suddenly as he saw Bache staring at him and shaking his head urgently.
‘You’re looking for what?’ Uly control answered.
‘…err…a holiday…place…somewhere nice,’ he said, cringing. ‘With a beach perhaps?’
A silence ensued on the bridge and everyone froze, listening for the strangely delayed reply from Uly control.
‘Starship Gabriel, you are cleared to proceed to Station IV on this vector and dock on airlock 139, then await further instructions, Uly security control out.’
A green course line appeared on the holomap and Phil asked Cleo to lock onto it.
‘Crap,’ said Bache, which caused everyone to turn and stare at him.
‘What’s up?’ Andy asked. ‘Did I just screw up?’
‘Station IV is military only, no civilian access. If we dock there they will try and board us,’ said Bache. ‘Can you open up a communication line again?’
Rayl touched a couple of icons and nodded at him.
‘Uly control, this is GDA Commander Loftt on the starship Gabriel, can you patch me through to Councillor Graddox, protocol delta four.’
There was a pause again and just as everyone was beginning to think Bache had been ignored, the same voice returned.
‘Councillor Graddox is unavailable.’
Bache rolled his eyes and spoke again.
‘This is a protocol delta four requisition, please give me your rank and name for the discourse refusal report.’
There was silence again, this time it went on even longer than before.
‘Graddox,’ said a sleepy voice. ‘Do you know what time this is?’
‘Sorry to wake you, Milo,’ he said. ‘It’s Bache Loftt here, can we have a few moments of your time?’
‘Shit, Bache, I didn’t know it was you. Where are you?’
‘Being ordered to dock on Station IV.’
‘Well, don’t do that. Put yourself in a high orbit and get a shuttle down here for breakfast, I’ll send you a flight plan. Leave Station IV to me, I’ll sort them out and don’t come armed or anything, my security gets a bit touchy about that.’
‘Thanks, Milo, there’ll be two of us and we’ll see you soon, Bache out.’
He turned back to the others with a grin on his face.
‘All sorted,’ he said, relaxing back into his couch.
Andy regarded him with raised eyebrows.
‘Who’s Graddox then?’ he asked.
‘Uly clan chief,’ said Bache. ‘Sort of like your prime minister. He’s the top administrator of one of the large land masses down there.’
‘Dropping into an orbit now,’ said Phil, giving Bache a nod.
‘We’ve got two military ships suddenly turning towards us and arming weapons,’ said Rayl. ‘Do you want me to arm…oh, hang on, they’ve turned away again and powered down their systems.’
Bache smiled and stood up.
‘The Councillor’s orders came through, I suspect. Come on Andy, shall we go get some minced ran-tie on toast? It’s delicious.’
Councillor Graddox had been true to his word. Bache and Andy were soon in a shuttle following a course sent up for them. Once the orange glow and firework display coursing across the front screen had dissipated, they dropped into heavy cloud, and the hull cooled quickly in the hail that became heavy rain as they got lower.
‘I thought you mentioned it being their summer,’ said Andy, as another flash of lightning caused him to flinch and dig his fingers deeper into the arms of his seat.
‘This world can have some crazy weather at times,’ said Bache, lounging in his seat nonchalantly. ‘They made the same mistakes you guys did with global warming, to such an extent they had to abandon a lot of the coastal areas and move to higher ground.’
Finally, Cleo, who was piloting the shuttle, informed them they were two minutes from landing and Andy peered out through the torrential rain, quietly relieved he wasn’t having to fly in this zero visibility.
The struts whined down and the small vessel shuddered as it clunked down onto a hard surface, the scream of the antigravs immediately winding down to a low murmur.
‘I have placed brollies in the airlock,’ said Cleo, as the rain could be heard now, thundering on the roof of the shuttle. ‘There are two humans approaching the ship.’
They cycled the airlock and followed their two guides across the small landing pad and into a low white building close by.
‘The Councillor is waiting for you in the dining room,’ said one of the guides in perfect Ellinika, the galactic language of the GDA that evolved into Greek on Earth.
Bache nodded as they folded their umbrellas and left them forming a puddle next to the door. They were led into a small dining room expensively panelled in a local dark hardwood that gave the room a warm cosy feel. Pictures of impressive indigenous landscapes adorned the walls and Andy wondered if he’d be able to see some of these beautiful places if the rain would just bugger off.
‘Gentlemen,’ said a smiling Councillor Graddox, who quickly stood and approached wearing a brightly coloured sarong-style wrap that reminded Andy of African tribal leaders. ‘Bache, it’s good to see you again.’ He shook Bache’s hand.
‘This is a good friend and colleague, Captain Andrew Faux,’ Bache said, grinning.
‘Good to meet you, Andrew.’ They shook hands and he waved them towards the table where three places had been set.
Andy grinned inwardly; he’d never been called captain before.
One of the guides from before entered and placed a plate containing the promised minced ran-tie on toast: a delicacy of the region made from the minced liver of a Ran, an indigenous mammal that roughly resembled a mountain goat.
‘Something tells me you didn’t come all this way for a holiday or another plate of Ran’s gizzards,’ said Graddox, studying Bache closely.
Andy, who was on his second mouthful, stopped chewing and eyed his plate suspiciously.
‘You are quite correct, Councillor,’ said Bache, pausing before he spoke again. ‘Two days ago, a close friend was kidnapped at gunpoint from his home on Earth in the Sol system.’
‘I see,’ said Graddox. ‘And how does that involve us, all the way out here?’
‘A Uly Halyd class vessel was involved in the raid.’
The Councillor stiffened.
‘You have conclusive evidence of this?’ he asked, his face clouding over.
Bache retrieved his tablet and showed the councillor the images of the strut holes left in the soft soil.
‘The only vessel known to us with this configuration of landing gear is a Halyd class troop landing craft,’ Bache said. ‘The strut spacing is triangular and of exact measurement.’
‘This is unfortunate,’ said Graddox, the jovial tone now missing from his voice.
‘Either it was a Uly operation or you’ve recently lost one of these ships,’ said Andy, speaking for the first time.
The Councillor’s eyes flicked across to him almost angrily, then softened. He shrugged and sighed as he placed his cutlery on the table.
‘Twelve days ago, a marine detachment was on an exercise near Uskrre—’
‘Uskrre?’ blurted Andy, interrupting the Councillor. ‘Isn’t that the planet in the Alpha Centauri system that we nearly went to by mistake during our maiden jumps?’
‘It is,’ said Bache, nodding slowly, glancing back at Graddox and raising his eyebrows.
‘We were testing our new cloaking system,’ he said.
‘The ship never came back, did it?’ said Andy, adopting a puzzled expression. ‘Who was it that had a remote secret base there, that everyone seemed to know about except us?’
‘The Klatt,’ said both Bache and Graddox together. ‘But what would the Klatt have against Edward to go to all that trouble?’ Bache continued.
Andy flinched, which didn’t go unnoticed and with both of them glaring at him, he reasoned he’d better explain.
‘Erm, Ed kinda fucked up one of their cruisers about three years ago.’
Bache buried his face in his hands and sighed.
‘Why does it have to be the Klatt?’ Bache moaned. ‘Nobody messes with the Klatt, not even us. They’re easily offended and have long memories.’
‘Is your kidnapped friend Edward Virr?’ Graddox asked, his eyes wide.
Both Bache and Andy nodded.
‘Oh, shit,’ said Graddox. ‘That won’t look good for us.’
‘If it is the Klatt, it won’t be very good for Edward either,’ groaned Bache.