32. Taking back what is ours
The Itani battle group was placed around 1200 metres from the wormhole to Geira Rutilus with a set of fighters parked on the wormhole itself. They had thrown back nine assaults during the last week so far and were still at 80% combat efficiency. The last three attacks had consisted of between fifteen and twenty fighters of obsolete designs and they had been destroyed easily within minutes of them arriving in-system. When the sensors were initially showered with exotic particles no-one expected it to be different this time but after a minute of continuous radiation the tech's in the Itani command ship started sweating slightly. The wormhole had disgorged no fewer than three Tridents, two HAC's and 60 fighters. Of these fighters, 12 were the newest Prometheus design and were marked with a large [ONE] on the side. The battle group pulled further away leaving control of the wormhole to the overwhelming Serco force and called to Deneb command for help while dispatching its fighters to create a screen for the capital ships.
###
Keria hated the large bulky Prometheus but knew that it was the best ship she could use for this mission. The other eleven members of the new Serco military guild flew at her side in identical Proms, silent and deadly. It had taken her some work to establish, but with the help of three of the better Serco pilots, Veracity, sheffield and Aelius she had convinced Skycommand to accept the new guild as a responsible and powerful part of the Serco military. And this re-taking of the wormhole was going to prove precisely that. She set out for the nearest flight of Itani and designated targets across her squad. A literal wall of flares sped across the ether and impacted all around the IBG's, tearing three apart immediately and damaging two others. The other squad had done roughly the same as she and sheffield had agreed upon earlier with not quite as devastating a result but that was expected, after all the other squad faced a squad of Valkyries. The remaining Itani boosted on still, they knew they had to take the fight to the Serco. Within a second the opposing fighters merged in a furious melee.
Keria hammered Gatling fire into the flanks of a desperately dodging IBG and destroyed it completely, shifting target as fast as her fingers could press the button. The initial Itani screen had been smashed and the secondary was inbound. Keria checked her squad and noted with a small smile that they had only taken slight armour damage. She frowned as she saw a SVG from the Serco Defence Force engage an Itani life pod and hailed the pilot immediately.
"Pilot, belay that. We are Serco, we fight with honour."
"Just doing to them what they did to us."
"Last warning pilot. Belay that and return to your position. Just because the enemy doesn't have honour does not make it necessary for us to loose ours."
"Yes ma'am. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry, just don't do it again. For the Lady."
"For the Lady."
She saw the pilot return to his position and smiled. This was the right way of fighting. The second Itani wave entered the 2k-kill zone and the capital ships started firing gauss canons at them. Keria gave the go and her squad surged forward to max. speed before launching another wall of flares at the enemy. The result was not quite as good this time but then they would at least get some fighter vs. fighter combat. Keria grinned, she only hoped Riddik was having as good a time as she was.
###
The light reflected in the mirrored sunglasses of the slender man that sat slowly thumbing through his newspaper in the fashionable cafe "Heart's Desiré". They reflected the warm glow of Dau's yellow sun, the asteroids that had been placed in a pattern outside the station, a testament to the power of UIT, and the slightly pudgy face of Fletholm as he seated himself opposite. The man smiled and removed the glasses revealing the deep blue eyes behind and showed Fletholm that the smile did not reach his eyes. This was no social call after all.
"Mr. Fletholm. I m glad you could make it."
"And you would be...?"
"Not important Sir, I assure you. Call me Utia if you must assign me a name."
"Very well Utia. I received your somewhat strange message and am here. What do you want?"
The man smiled at Fletholm's discomfort. The message had consisted of Brix's personal items and a meeting place.
"I want you to help me."
'I don't see why I should do that? As far as I can see you caused me a lot of trouble."
"Well, tit for tat I guess Mr. Fletholm. "
"I have no idea what you are talking about Utia."
The man smiled broadly and leaned forward.
"Lies Sir. When I said my name was Utia your pulse increased by six percent, a slight reddening of your neck and a minuscule twitch of your left eye gave you away. You are very good at hiding these emotional responses but not good enough. You know precisely what I mean."
Fletholm was no longer in doubt who he was talking to by now.
"How?"
"I need you to ensure that the Serco Diplomatic Service receives a message without any chance of anybody else getting it."
"I see, we can probably do that."
"No, you will do it. There is a slight difference."
"Yes there is. We are even then. This message?"
He indicated a small envelope in the table. The man nodded.
"Yes, we are. Back to business as usual."
Fletholm rose and grabbed the envelope. He stuffed it in his jacket and walked away without further niceties.
###
Asteroth docked his Warthog II in Helios Outpost and gathered his kit bag from behind the cockpit. He had dumped the SVG in Pelatus at the Ineubis station and bought the Warthog instead. That had allowed him to escape the obligatory pirates haunting Sedina and Odia with little more effort than pushing the turbo toggle to on. He was tired, dead-tired. After leaving Cat deep in Cantus he had boosted immediately for the Jallik wormhole dodging strike forces at every wormhole before running the gauntlet around the Itani nation's border, always a challenge in a SVG. Still, it had taken him more than three days to get out of Itani space. Once out, he had flown aligned for grey space and immediately boosted for Pelatus and a little bit of rest. When he had landed a message signed Skycommand popped up in his HUD informing him that his presence was requested immediately in Helios B-7. He had downed a couple of quick-me uppers with a large mug of caffeine enriched koffee and moved out almost immediately.
A couple of Skycommand Military Policemen were waiting for him, large MP signs on their collars, as he crawled out of the ship.
"Captain Asteroth?"
"Yeah, that is me."
One MP swiped the surface of Asteroth's hand with the DNA scanner and nodded to the other.
"Sir, I must inform you that you are as of this moment a prisoner. You have not been accused at anything yet Sir, but we must insist that you follow along without any problems."
Asteroth sighed tiredly; this was the reason he had hurried home?
"Whatever. Is the Diplomatic Services informed of this?"
"Yes Sir, a certain Mr Beria is going to visit you shortly."
"Right. Well, I hope you have a bed wherever you are taking me. And a shower."
The two MPs walked with Asteroth without forcing him but in such a manner that it was impossible for him not to comply.
