Shopping Trolley, Cloaked in Irbzrk System
“They’ll only be unconscious for a little while,” Adrian reassured his comrades as he laid the sleeping Corti in the Hunter assault pod. “They’ll wake up once we’re done and call for help.”
“I cannot believe you drugged their food tablets,” Chir said, and Adrian could have sworn he heard some admiration in the Gaoian’s voice. “You have a truly evil mind, Adrian.”
“Thanks,” Adrian replied with a big grin, “I try.”
“Alright,” Trycrur interrupted. “We’re about to get started on ‘Plan A’. Would anybody else like to say anything before we embark on the worst plan Adrian has ever put to us?”
Chir shrugged. “It’s better than the usual ‘Plan B’?”
“Masks on,” Jen said, holding Adrian’s out to him. They’d decided it was for the best if they didn’t go showing off that they were human, or at least not until they needed to. There weren’t so many humans running around the galaxy that they could afford to go attracting attention over the fact.
Adrian took it and slid it over his face. “How do I look?”
“Like the hind quarters of a Qltrk!” Chir laughed. “But I think it does what we need it to!”
“Weapons check,” Trycrur interjected, and everyone took a look over their kinetic pulse guns. She’d taken a short time to ensure Adrian and Jen were both registered for the guns to configure itself and function properly, but if they lost these for any reason they’d have to figure something else out. As humans they tended to be more dangerous than the guns in any case, but they were trying to present a certain appearance and the guns were part of that.
“I think we’re good,” Adrian said. “I’ll fire off these guys and then we can drop them a line.”
+++++
Communications Station, Irbzrk Orbital Factory
Officer Mndlr’s shift was almost over, a notion he looked forward to with great eagerness. They’d been short staffed and pulling double shifts, and after his fourth double shift Mndlr was ready to vent himself into hard vacuum. Fortunately his shift had been quiet, aside from the usual chatter, and he’d been able to let his tired mind cruise along on automatic.
So when the communication light flashed he didn’t notice who was calling right away, and simply connected the link and gave his normal greeting. “Comms station, Officer Mndlr speaking.”
“This is the surviving crew of the Imblrktz!” came the sharp response, bringing Mndlr back to his senses immediately. He wasn’t familiar with the name of the vessel, but the phrase ‘surviving crew’ was never a good one.
“Go ahead, Imblrktz!” he said, starting up a scan of the sector. There wasn’t any ship showing that transcoder value in range. “I don’t see you on scanner…”
“We’re under cloak,” the voice came again, and Mndlr picked out the vocal patterns of a Gaoian. “Didn’t want to scare you. We’ve got ourselves a Hunter troop ship.”
Mndlr hesitated at that. “Please repeat,” he said, thinking he must have heard wrong. Why would a Gaoian be calling from a Hunter troop ship?
The fact was repeated after a moment, and the Hunter ship dropped its cloak to prove the matter. Mndlr had to send out missives as quickly as he could to prevent the entire orbital factory from collectively shitting themselves.
“I… have you,” Mndlr told them, regretting that these people couldn’t have waited half an (hour) to be the next guy’s problem. “What are your intentions?”
“We had thought we might get some help for our actual ship,” came a female voice this time. “Maybe you could do something about that? We had heard you were an orbital factory…”
Mndlr frowned, it would have been obvious to anyone to know an orbital factory when they saw one. It was clear to him that the female was being rude, but what else could you expect of soldiers? “We don’t service Hunter vessels, you understand…”
“We don’t require service for this craft,” the Gaoian male responded again. “We liberated this craft from the Hunter attackers.”
“You expect me to believe you defeated a Hunter attack and stole their ship?” Mndlr asked, disbelieving it even though he could clearly see that the communications were coming from that vessel.
“I don’t care what you believe,” the female interjected again – Mndlr had decided that he didn’t care for her, and would have to try to avoid any future dealings with her. “We need parts, you have parts. Which element of this defies your comprehension?”
“I can check our manifest,” Mndlr suggested. “It will tell me if what you need is in stock.”
“We don’t need a permanent replacement,” the female continued, less aggressively now. “We need reactors that will power our ship, a Heavy Cruiser class, and will let it get to port. The current reactor is down to two percent generation.”
“Reactor trouble?” Mndlr asked. “It took damage in the Hunter attack?”
“It did,” the Gaoian male replied, although Mndlr could hear angry muttering from the female in the background. “We don’t need a straight replacement, several smaller reactors should give us what we need.”
“That will be quite costly,” Mndlr replied, checking over his databases. “Your ship isn’t on the Dominion registrar, so which government will be paying the bill?”
“The Imblrktz is a Dominion ship,” the Gaoian male claimed.
Mndlr double-checked his database just in case. “I don’t have it listed.”
There was a pause over the line. “My commander wants to talk to you.”
Mndlr sighed. He’d just been talking to an underling all along? That always made things difficult, but normally the commanding officers-
“WHO IS THIS?!” boomed a voice over the link, so loud that Mndlr threw himself out of his seat. In the background he heard the Gaoian male tell the yelling commander Mndlr’s name.
“MENDLER!” the voice thundered again, louder than any voice Mndlr had ever heard before. “WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PULL HERE?”
Mndlr approached the communication console nervously. “I was simply unable to find-“
“I DON’T CARE A SHIT, MENDLER!” shouted the angry commander, “I WANT MY SHIP FIXED!”
“But with all due respect,” Mndlr replied weakly, “you’re not listed as Dominion-“
“I HAVE BEEN A DOMINION SOLDIER SINCE BEFORE YOUR MOTHER SHIT YOU OUT, MENDLER!” the voice continued at full volume. “I WILL NOT HEAR OTHERWISE FROM YOU! IS THAT CLEAR?!”
Mndlr stared at the communicator console, shaken. “Y-yes…”
“My commander wishes me to inform you that the Imblrktz is running a false flag,” the much quieter Gaoian male continued. “You are not to ask further questions, understood?”
Mndlr nodded at the console meekly, then when he realised that it was voice only he gave a quiet affirmative.
“Good,” the Gaoian male. “Charge it to the Dominion Federal account.”
Shopping Trolley
The link disconnected and the crew burst into raucous laughter. They hadn’t actually expected that the first part would go that smoothly, they’d expected to fall back to further contingencies, but right now they’d skipped most of those and simply needed to dock and wait to receive their goods.
And not screw up in the meantime.
“Good job everyone,” Adrian congratulated them. “Jen, I didn’t know you could shout like that.”
“My da says I get it from my ma,” she explained, smiling shyly.
Scary mother, Adrian thought to himself, but remained impressed at Jen’s quick thinking to adapt the script. He might have done similar, but he was sure he’d have used a lot more expletives and threats on the man’s life. It was probably better this way.
“We’ll wait for him to send over the docking coordinates,” Chir said, “assuming he’s not trying to mess with us, then we’ll keep to ourselves as much as we can.”
“I wasn’t going to suggest we wander the station,” Adrian replied. “It wouldn’t make sense for any of us to do so anyway.”
Jen turned to Trycrur. “Trix, we can oversee them loading on the reactors, I think it’s better if the boys are ready to deal with any fight that might start.”
Trycrur frowned, and it was clear to Adrian that something about Jen agitated her. Maybe it was a woman thing, and maybe that could cross-species, but Adrian didn’t know what to make of it and he didn’t have the time to try and figure it out.
“It’s a good idea,” Trycrur had admitted after a few moments. “You two are bound to be the better shots anyway, if it comes to that.”
The communication console beeped, and Chir looked over to it. “Here we go, we’ve got ourselves a dock. Looks like we’ve got five smaller reactors to take with us as well.”
“Will that be enough?” Adrian asked.
“Not on their own,” Trycrur said after a short think, “but with help from the ships on the flightdeck, or the one in the hole, it’ll be easily enough.”
He sighed in a general sense of relief. “Thank goodness something is going smoothly for once, then.”
+++++
Dominion Cruiser Itrz, vicinity of Irbzrk orbital factory
“Finally here,” Ship Master Drzzk said as they made the final hop into the Irbzrk system. He was relieved they had made it, he hadn’t been sure the Itrz would hold together during warp, given all the damage the landing vessel had done to it.
Now they’d be able to get the Itrz the repairs it needed, and everyone could enjoy some much needed shore leave, even if it was only in the Irbzrk system. At least those who hadn’t been part of Clklict’s little mutiny would get shore leave, the rest of them would get funerals.
“Ship Master,” Lrwn, the new Systems Superior, called out. “I’ve just performed a scan after we ended warp here, as per standard procedure.”
“Thank you, Lrwn,” Drzzk said, appreciating the new Systems Superior’s enthusiasm for the job. “You don’t need to tell me that unless you find something.”
“I have found something,” Lrwn replied. “At least I think I have. I mean it’s definitely something either way…”
Drzzk’s eyes narrowed. “Spit it out, then!”
“There’s a Hunter troop transport entering dock,” Lrwn said. “It matches the scans of the one that attacked us.”
Drzzk was staring at the details of the scan almost immediately, leaning in over Lrwn’s left shoulder. “No sign of fighting?” he asked. It seemed likely that if it was Hunters, or even the human, that there’d be signs of fighting.
“None at all,” Lrwn reported. “It just looks like they’re taking on cargo. I’m getting a message stating that it was seized by the crew of the Imblrktz and they’re using it to collect enough parts to get their ship moving again.”
“Very unusual,” Drzzk. “Normally you’d expect a ship to send out a distress call if they were in that kind of trouble. Keep monitoring them, we’ll send a group to investigate, and follow up with a tactical force if they find anything off.”
Lrwn nodded. “Yes, Ship Master.”
+++++
Shopping Trolley
“Ix-nay on the uman-hay,” Jen had said, thoroughly confusing Trycrur and Chir on their first exposure to pig latin. “We don’t even want to bring up the existence of humans at all.”
“Of course not,” Chir said. “That much is obvious, with the Great Hunt going on we don’t need to be drawing any kind of attention to the fact we’ve got two humans with us.”
There was nothing for them to do and sit and wait at the moment, and of course to go over their plans again at the last possible moment; the Shopping Trolley had just entered the docking area and the automated systems were directing her into a designated bay with some kind of tractor beam system Adrian didn’t fully understand, but it basically seemed to be like dragging her in on course using a bunch of magic ropes.
“Oh no,” Trycrur exclaimed, dutifully monitoring the sensor systems while the rest of them lazed about. “Adrian, what was the name of the Dominion ship you attacked?”
Adrian groaned, he’d forgotten that that ship would have needed to go somewhere for repairs as well. “You’ve got to be shitting me?”
“There’s a Dominion cruiser that just entered the system, substantial damage to the docking area,” Trycrur said. “Transponder ID is Itrz… sound familiar?”
“Itrizz?” Adrian repeated. “That sounds like it might have been it, yeah. Have they recognised us?”
“They’re scanning us hard,” Trycrur replied. “At the very least they’re going to be suspicious.”
“Well,” interjected Jen, who had quickly developed a troubled frown at the news, “that puts a spanner in the works now, doesn’t it?”
“No,” Adrian replied, getting to his feet and pacing. “We stick to the plan. If those arseholes come calling, we try to bullshit them first.”
“If they come calling,” Chir warned, “they’ll be ready for a human this time.”
Adrian grinned, tapping his godawful mask. “Like I said, we stick to the plan. There’s no humans to be seen around here.”
+++++
Irbzrk Orbital Factory
“The Itrz have asked us to put some eyes on these guys,” Vkntl told his security team. “You’re to be dressed as workers on the dock, and you’ll be looking for a human.”
This caused a commotion, with all members of his security team trading glances. Nobody liked the prospect of a human coming onto the station, not with the Great Hunt going on. Irbzrk was an important part of the Dominion war machine this close to the conflict, and they couldn’t afford to give the Hunters any reason to come and destroy it.
“You will not engage the human in combat,” Vkntl continued, personally very glad for that part of the orders. From what he had heard of human combat abilities, they were only really able to be put down with weapons that would do the same to you and everyone around you if you messed up. “You are simply there to observe. I have provided you with images of several documented humans to help you pick these ones out, but unfortunately there is likely to be no image of any human aboard this ship.”
“What do we do if we see a human?” one of the security team asked, voicing the question they were all thinking about.
“Discreetly send notice to myself,” Vkntl replied, personally extremely glad for that part of the orders where he was not actually entering the location of a Hunter ship with a possible human on board. “I will ensure the details reach the Itrz, and we will wait for their team to arrive before leaving it to them.”
There was some relief in the tension at that, none of the security team were what Vkntl would call real soldiers, and from the way humans tended to take apart real soldiers with no effort, Vkntl wouldn’t have expected to end up with any of them left alive afterwards. That would be a huge black mark on his record, regardless of the cause.
“Alright, everyone,” he said. “Gear up.”
Shopping Trolley, Dock 13 at Irbzrk orbital factory
“I’m telling you that I need to inspect the vessel,” the foreman said to Adrian. He – at least Adrian thought it was a he – was one of those Rangle-prangle blue giraffes that seemed a common species in the galaxy. “For possible contaminants and other things! I’m just acting on orders.”
“Yeah, fine,” Adrian replied, sweeping his gaze across the docks where there were some obvious soldiers dressed up as dock workers watching them. It looked like they had their suspicions, but they still weren’t sure, otherwise they wouldn’t have just been sitting there. “I will show you around, the others will ensure the cargo is loaded properly.”
“We are not accustomed to oversight from crew,” the foreman replied, his voice wavering in worried tones.
“I’m not accustomed to some arsehole wanting a peek through my hard-won ship,” Adrian told him tersely. “Today is just full of exceptions!”
The Rangle-prangle peered down at him more closely. “You know,” he said, “I don’t believe I’m familiar with your particular species.”
“Uman-hay,” Adrian explained, and stroked the fur on his mask a little. “Distant cousins of the Gaoians, who I’d bet you have heard of?”
The Rangle-prangle seemed mollified at that. “Yes, of course I’ve heard of Gao,” he said, almost haughtily. “We’re not so far out of the way that we don’t hear about worlds joining the Dominion.”
Jen joined them then. “Is there a problem, “Drian-ay?” she asked. “We’re about to start loading the reactors.”
Adrian gave her a quick nod. “Commander En-jay, this is the foreman. He insists he sees the inside of our vessel to check it for contaminants.”
Jen turned to the foreman. “I see no reason why not, foreman,” she said, “but we have not had time to clean out the meat locker. It’s not for the squeamish. I personally suggest skipping it altogether.”
“That’s where they keep the bodies they eat,” Adrian supplied helpfully, and the foreman looked sick.
“Perhaps I could skip that one?” the foreman suggested. “I will still need to check the rest of the vessel.”
“Drian-ay will be happy to be your guide,” Jen told him. “Won’t you, Drian-ay?”
Adrian gave her a look. “Yes, Commander En-jay. Delighted.”
+++++
Thirty minutes later, and the foreman had completed his inspection with the notable exception of the meat locker. Adrian had spared no detail in describing the horrible acts likely to have occurred in each room, and foreman was not looking in the best of health; he was so green that Adrian wondered if the poor creature was about to throw up.
The mask did not have the ability to smile, but behind it Adrian was grinning like a maniac. “Well, I hope you enjoyed the inspection,” he said as he saw the foreman off.
“Yes,” the foreman said uncertainly. “It was very… enlightening.”
“That reminds me,” Adrian said as they walked down the gangway together, “our food supply is going to come up a bit short. Do you think you could organise a couple hundred food tablets?”
Jen, who was listening, made a gesture along the lines of ‘what are you doing?!’.
Adrian shrugged. “If you’ve got enough.”
The foreman considered this. “I should be able to manage that much,” he said. “I will charge it to the Dominion as well?”
“You’d better,” Adrian replied sardonically, “I don’t make enough to pay for everyone else’s meals.”
“Yes, of course,” the foreman said, noting it down on his tablet. “Anything else?”
“Yeah,” Adrian told him, “you’d better ready a dock for a heavy cruiser because as soon as we get all the reactors in place we’re going to need a place to move her to. Your maintenance guys will have a lot of work ahead of them. Good money in it, I’d bet.”
“Quite good,” the foreman admitted. “Especially for a ship of that size. I will make the necessary arrangements.”
“Great,” said Adrian. “I’m sure everyone will be happy to get off the ship.”
+++++
Dominion Cruiser Itrz, dock 62 at Irbzrk orbital factory
“I want a report on what’s going on with that Hunter ship,” Ship Master Drzzk told his crew as they entered dock. He’d ordered the docking to be fast tracked for the Itrz, partly because of the extent of damage, but mostly because he felt a tight knot of worry about what that Hunter ship was up to.
“The local security team has put eyes on the ship and crew,” Lrwn told him. “A Rauwryhr, a Gaoian, and two creatures called ‘Uman-hay’ I’m not familiar with. The foreman says they’re a cousin species to the Gaoians.”
Drzzk wished he had a Gaoian on board to verify this sort of thing, but they were not yet spread throughout the galaxy and still kept mostly to their own vessels. “Do we have any records of such a species?”
“No sir,” Lrwn replied, “but we are a military vessel, not a library. We don’t have records on absolutely everything.”
Drzzk exhaled slowly, thoughtfully, trying to conjure some decision out of that intangible sense of concern. It was true that the human who had damaged his ship – but had returned his son and away team to him, so he couldn’t be all bad – had flown a Hunter vessel that closely matched this one. Same area of space, as well, but with the Hunters swarming it was hard to use that as a reason.
“I’m going to risk it,” he told Lrwn. “Send in the tactical force. Make sure they go in armed for human. I’m told anti-tank guns are usually sufficient. Take the ship by force and seize the crew, I want to have a personal word with all of them.”
“Sir,” Lrwn replied carefully, “I must tell you that if you’re wrong…”
“Yes, Lrwn,” Drzzk said. “I know what happens to me if I’m wrong.