Journeys of the Shepherd

Chapter 12: Weightless

The Union interceptor PSNV Zaschitnikov was dwarfed by the Tianshi-class tanker, as it was being refuelled by the 800-metre ship. The transfer of fuel would take several hours, but the PSNV Zaschitnikov wouldn't need a another refuel until eight months later. While the Union interceptor was waiting disembark, Commodore Ivan Dahler was sitting on the bridge. While stirring in his styrofoam cup of coffee, he looked out of the bridge windows, and thoughts crossed his mind.

He couldn't believe it, the Space Shepherd escaped again. Not only did that bastard Hamilton raided one of their freighters carrying an enormous amount of aethirium, now he had also destroyed a state-of-the-art corvette. Rumors of the hunt on the Space Shepherd spread around the zone like a wildfire, and Fleet Command got word that the Federation was also looking for the renegade pirate ship. Fearing the enemy knew about the stolen aethirium, Fleet Command demanded that Dahler destroyed the Space Shepherd before the Federation found her. Dahler knew he had to find Hamilton and his band of pirates as soon as possible, or he would most certainly lose his job.

But there was one problem: where did she go? After the pirates defeated the corvette PSNV Okhotnik, Commodore Dahler lost track of the Space Shepherd. The Union interceptor didn't pick up any vague indentification codes, that indicated that captain Hamilton had disabled the ID-system of his ship. Some of his officers had suggested that the pirate ship had been destroyed by the corvette, but a wreckage was never found. Dahler speculated that Hamilton was somehow using a false ID-code. But once again, there was no evidence, and it would be impossible to convince Fleet Command. It seemed as if the Space Shepherd and her crew had just popped out of existence. 

Meanwhile, the Union had an even bigger problem on their hands. The Federation was sending warships deeper and deeper into the zone, and was starting to use old military outposts again. According to Federal reports, they were undertaking actions against piracy. But the Union government was certain that their enemy was preparing to conquer the zone, and assure future mining rights. The Union responded by sending their fleet into the zone as well, and arms production was in full gear again. Tensions between the two alliances had never been this high since the war, and the crisis could easily escalate. Just last month, a Federal spy ship was captured above a Union outpost. Dahler sighed, it looked like history was repeating itself.

~*~

Luke held the hunting knife above the sink, and washed the blood of the blade. He just finished skinning and gutting the seven hares they had caught, and left them for the cook. While walking down the corridors, he heard the voice of the captain on the intercom.

'''Ash and Luke, I want you guys on the bridge.''

Luke guessed the captain wanted to talk about the events that happened on the little moon Harwaite, that happened just a few hours ago. He turned around, and went on his way to the captain. A minute later, they were sitting in the bridge.

''When are you going to tell us what the hell we were doing there?''  Ash asked the captain, while swivelling in his seat.

The captain was looking out of the bridge windows, with his hands on his back. ''Later, Ash.'' He answered, and turned his head slightly.

Ash stared at Captain Hamilton for a while, and remained silent. Then he gritted his teeth, and buried his fingers into his arm rests.

''Are you fucking kidding me!'' Ash jumped up from his chair, and started yelling at the captain in a fit of rage. ''We've been travelling for four fucking months! We almost died, because you just had to go to that godforsaken rock in the middle of nowhere! And now you won't even tell us the reason why we were there?!''