FutureSight - a YEAR 10000 story

14 - Captured

He landed on the inside of the massively oversized vessel. A full contingent of soldiers was waiting for him, many holding shoulder mounted particle beam cannons.

As he landed the face in the monitor nodded and ordered him to lower his ramp and allow his vessel to be boarded. "Any escape attempt or otherwise hostile action will give us grounds to fire and destroy your vessel."

Daren did as he was ordered, although he was beginning to get real sore at the Sel Sarrak Combine. This would be the second time that they screwed him over.

The sound of armed personnel boarding his ship greeted him. He heard a shout from the main cabin. "Daren the Outlaw, come down from the cockpit with your hands up. Any quick movements and you will be fired upon."

He held his hands up and slowly stepped down the stairs into the open arms of maybe ten guards. The guy shouting the orders nodded and gestured for the guards to move. He began walking. "Walk with me Daren."

Daren slowly lowered his hands and followed the man outside into the hangar. It was massively spacious, and yet took up only a fraction of the ship. It was a testament to its size.

The man - Daren guessed he was a captain from the rank insignia - turned to look at him as they walked away from the Anvil. "So, Daren, I imagine you are wondering what might be going on."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

The captain nodded. "I'll drop you a hint: we knew about FutureSight's location from the beginning of your mission with the Consheir rebels. We used them to get it. It is on your ship somewhere, I imagine. My men are turning it upside down and inside out right now, to find it. It won't stay hidden for long."

Daren simmered, said nothing, and kept walking.

"The Triad fleet you thought you saw appear was actually a ruse of my design. You see, once you knocked down the defenses for Fortimus Palus, we needed something to scare you off. Something plausible. I used a holographic generator to create this phantom fleet. You all just assumed that our plans had gone awry and we weren't able to distract the Triad. In truth, this ship was waiting on the outskirts of the system, waiting for the rebel ships to leave so that we could go and pickup FutureSight for ourselves."

"This plan wasn't entirely without cost, you understand. We actually did have to use our fleet to distract the Triad from Fortimus Palus. It was a massive battle, one which I have never seen the likes of before. Dozens of ships were destroyed. Hundreds of lives were lost, on both sides. That is over now, and this ship is retreating with the rest of the Sel Sarrak Combine fleet. Retreating to one of our secret bases, out in the arms of the galaxy."

"Why are you telling me this?" Daren growled.

"Patience my good man. In time comes all things."

Daren kept walking, keeping a constant eye on his ship. It looked fine, and as long as they kept it that way he wouldn't have to get physical with them.

"The reason why I am telling you this Daren," the man said," is because we need your help. The Ejiir have invaded a fringe world, the first step in a grand plan to conquer this galaxy. We need your help to fend them off-"

"Bullshit," he spat, stopping his walking for a second. "I'm only one man, and besides, you Combine types are never truthful. What's the real reason you want me for?"

The man paused, then kept walking. He placed his hands behind his back, and Daren began to follow him again. "The truth is is that you are the best pilot we have seen in a long time Daren. We think that if there is a way to defeat the Ejiir, it lies in your skill and the science of FutureSight. Now you are going to cooperate with us, whether you like it or not."