The Consuls of the Children of Raxxla sat in holographic form around their virtual conference table. The situation was grave, their leader was in Imperial custody awaiting trial and her followers had been damned as revolutionaries and terrorists. It was hard to see how the situation could be worse, but the situation was the way it was and nothing could be done about it, there had been recriminations and arguments but ultimately plans had been made and strategies agreed, the meeting was about to conclude when a tall man in an expensive flight suit spoke.
"If none of you object I'm going to do a little digging into this MetaDrives business."
"MetaDrives?" The man at the head of the table asked looking curiously at the speaker.
"They're a small high tech company who've been doing research into advanced hyper-drives, a few months ago they got into financial trouble and Sirius Corp wanted to buy them out, then it went quiet until last week when their CEO died suddenly and one of their techs went on the run accused of something to do with financial irregularities. The whole thing stinks to high heaven and if Sirius are involved I'd bet my last credit there's something dodgy going on, I think it's worth looking into."
"Okay see if you can find anything, but be careful and do try not to Sirius off too much, we've got enough enemies as it is."
The conference over the tall man opened a com link to his ships bridge.
"Claude plot a course to Chi Orionis would you? Skirving can handle the flight let me know when we arrive."
"Roger that skipper." Came the reply and Jellicoe cut the link.
"Computer open me a link to November Uniform Sierra, maximum encryption."
"Channel open." The computer confirmed presently and the hologram of a man in Imperial uniform with the sharp face of an intelligence officer appeared apparently on the other side of the desk.
"Juliet Echo Echo." The man said using Jellicoe's code name to preserve the anonymity of the Children of Raxxla, even from each other. "A not entirely unexpected pleasure. Unfortunately I can't tell you where they're holding Salomé that information is way above my clearance level."
"It's not that as it happens." Jellicoe replied, smiling at having caught the spook unawares for once. "What have you got on a small Federal company called MetaDrives Inc?
"Just give me a moment." The intelligence man hid any surprise with consummate professionalism and worked the console on his desk. "Not much that isn't common knowledge; high tech R&D firm looking into drive systems, rumoured to be making use of these meta-alloys, Sirius Corp interest. We're keeping an eye on them but they're not the focus of any active operations. Ah this might help you a little, about a month ago a Federal Military unit called the Earth Defence Fleet were trying to broker a deal for Core Dynamics to bale MetaDrives out rather than Sirius to maintain Federal control of any new tech, our agent said he was expecting Sirius to try some dirty tricks to sabotage any possible deal."
"Did he say what/2
"No. As I say we've only got half an eye on it, he should report in again next weekso I'll let you know if he's got anything."
"Thanks. Now a name, do you have anything on a Raan Corsen?"
"Ah yes the fugitive. She has come to our attention before interesting lady, turned up in the Pleiades with designs on being a famous explorer then took a corporate desk job with MetaDrives. Hmmmmmm, there is more but it's restricted access."
"Can you get a discrete look at any of it?"
"Depends on the access level, I'll put in a request for clearance, let you know if I find anything. Out." Jellicoe thought for a moment then opened a line to his first officer on the bridge.
"Claude would you ask Mr Chisholm to take over on scanners and come in here please." Two minutes later Claude Marsaud entered Jellicoe's ready room.
"Skipper?" The first officer enquired.
"Got a job for you." Jellicoe told the former net runner. "Get me everything you can on a Commander Raan Corsen from the past week - coms, docking logs, sightings, anything. Start in Chi Orionis and work outwards from there." Claude smiled, nodded and set off for the cutting edge, very expensive and not entirely legal computer terminal that Jellicoe maintained for his almost sole use.
"We've just jumped into Chi Orionis sir." Lieutenant Commander Skirving's voice buzzed through on coms. "Any further orders?"
"No hold position here for now." Jellicoe replied. "Computer get me a line to the Earth Defence Fleet, use my navy signal." The link took a short time to open and about five minutes later the hologram of an immaculately uniformed Post Commander appeared sitting on the other side of Jellicoe's desk.
"How can I help you Rear Admiral?" The man respectfully enquired.
"I'm here from Admiral Craddock's office to investigate the disappearance of this Raan Corsen, you should have my authentication, I'd appreciate your co-operation."
"Of course sir." The commander replied smoothly. "Our own investigation is already well underway with Sky Marshall Beskov personally taking the lead. We're about to make a public appeal for information and sightings, I've sent you the file to study at your leisure."
"Thank you Commander, I'll be in touch." Jellicoe cut the link then addressed his ships computer. "Download the file to my slate as soon as we've got it and put me through to the galley, I'm starving and can't face another ration bar." After ordering a sandwich and sachet of zero g tea Jellicoe took up his slate and began studying the Raan Corsen file, it was very thorough and professional, charting Corsens escape from Chi Orionis and the EDF's efforts to contact him and offer him protection in return for information. Most interesting by far were Corsen's replies and obvious fear, in particular Jellicoes eyes were drawn to a claim that Sirius were after her, people were getting killed and nobody could protect her from them. While Jellicoe certainly knew Sirius were more than capable of cold blooded murder to strike so openly in the heard of Federation space was rather out of character and suggested that whoever this Corsen was or what he knew must be extremely important. Jellicoe took a bite from his sandwich, a sip of his disgusting tea and sat back to think. Raan was on the run so where would she go? The Empire? Sirius had influence there too, the Alliance? More plausible but still a shot in the dark. He called up the star chart and started looking for local contacts, then winced when he saw who the nearest information broker he was on good terms with.
"Computer get me a com link to Oleg Lobanovsky." Jellicoe finished his sandwich, drank as much of the tea as he could stomach and went over the file again while he waited for the computer to track down the data broker, a half hour or so later the hologram of a thickset man with bright green eyes, curly black hair, thick beard and magnificent moustache shimmered into existence facing him across the desk.
"What do you want as if I couldn't guess." The man said in a gruff, thickly accented voice.
"Raan Corsen, I'm looking for her."
"You and half the sector. If I knew where this woman is I would be a rich man I think."
"You don't know anything?" Jellicoe asked not even trying to hide his disbelief, Oleg Lobanovsky was not easy to deal with, a gruff, coarse and thoroughly unlikable man who charged fees that made your eyes water but his network of contacts and informers was unrivalled and little indeed happened in this part of space without Lobanovsky knowing about it very soon after.
"Nothing your tame hacker won't be able to find out." Lobanovsky growled. "She jumped from Chi Orionis on the 26th, she was rescued by the Fuel Rats in LHS262 on the 28th and a day later she was caught on security camera leaving Bootd Port where the logs show she ran repairs and maintenance on her ship, after that the trail goes cold, no coms, no docking logs not even any sightings. None of my people know anything."
"Any ideas?" Jellicoe asked,
Lonanovsky raised a single bushy eyebrow. "My brain is a valuably commodity, it does not work for free for you."
"Five thousand." Jellicoe sighed, the eyebrow rose again. "Alright seven." It lowered again.
"Very well, she has vanished completely yes? She could be dead but it seems unlikely, someone could have got her but if they did I'd know about it so my thought is she is hiding, not in a port or city as there is no record so maybe in space or on a planet somewhere."
"Is that it you bloody rogue?" Jellicoe demanded hotly.
"You ask for information and I tell you what I know, you ask me to speculate so I speculate but you are not happy with my speculating. I cannot win with you people." Oleg answered in an affronted voice.
"You win on every deal you make." Jellicoe countered.
"And yet you people keep coming back to Oleg, why is that I wonder?"
Jellicoe breathed hard. "Alright, anything you do get can you tell me first? I'll make it worth your while."
"No you won't." Oleg replied with what passed for a smile but looked more like a scowl. "I know who you're bidding against and believe me you don't have the credits." Jellicoe leaned back in his chair as Oleg's holographic form vanished and thought, to describe this as a hunt for a needle in a proverbial haystack was a gross understatement, by now Raan Corsen could be anywhere in human space, but the fact that nobody appeared to have seen her suggested she had gone to ground fairly close by, even so that left a vast area to search for one small ship. He opened a com link to the bridge.
"Mr Skirving it's the Commander, I'm going for some sleep if you need me I'll be in my cabin." Jellicoe left his ready room, disengaged his magboots and floated to his quarters, he planned to sleep for six hours but when little over four had passed he was awoken by the noise of an incoming message, it was Claude in a state of considerable excitement.
"Skipper it's Raan Corsen." Claude blurted out as soon as Jellicoe had accepted the call. "She's broken cover, I've got a fix."
"If none of you object I'm going to do a little digging into this MetaDrives business."
"MetaDrives?" The man at the head of the table asked looking curiously at the speaker.
"They're a small high tech company who've been doing research into advanced hyper-drives, a few months ago they got into financial trouble and Sirius Corp wanted to buy them out, then it went quiet until last week when their CEO died suddenly and one of their techs went on the run accused of something to do with financial irregularities. The whole thing stinks to high heaven and if Sirius are involved I'd bet my last credit there's something dodgy going on, I think it's worth looking into."
"Okay see if you can find anything, but be careful and do try not to Sirius off too much, we've got enough enemies as it is."
The conference over the tall man opened a com link to his ships bridge.
"Claude plot a course to Chi Orionis would you? Skirving can handle the flight let me know when we arrive."
"Roger that skipper." Came the reply and Jellicoe cut the link.
"Computer open me a link to November Uniform Sierra, maximum encryption."
"Channel open." The computer confirmed presently and the hologram of a man in Imperial uniform with the sharp face of an intelligence officer appeared apparently on the other side of the desk.
"Juliet Echo Echo." The man said using Jellicoe's code name to preserve the anonymity of the Children of Raxxla, even from each other. "A not entirely unexpected pleasure. Unfortunately I can't tell you where they're holding Salomé that information is way above my clearance level."
"It's not that as it happens." Jellicoe replied, smiling at having caught the spook unawares for once. "What have you got on a small Federal company called MetaDrives Inc?
"Just give me a moment." The intelligence man hid any surprise with consummate professionalism and worked the console on his desk. "Not much that isn't common knowledge; high tech R&D firm looking into drive systems, rumoured to be making use of these meta-alloys, Sirius Corp interest. We're keeping an eye on them but they're not the focus of any active operations. Ah this might help you a little, about a month ago a Federal Military unit called the Earth Defence Fleet were trying to broker a deal for Core Dynamics to bale MetaDrives out rather than Sirius to maintain Federal control of any new tech, our agent said he was expecting Sirius to try some dirty tricks to sabotage any possible deal."
"Did he say what/2
"No. As I say we've only got half an eye on it, he should report in again next weekso I'll let you know if he's got anything."
"Thanks. Now a name, do you have anything on a Raan Corsen?"
"Ah yes the fugitive. She has come to our attention before interesting lady, turned up in the Pleiades with designs on being a famous explorer then took a corporate desk job with MetaDrives. Hmmmmmm, there is more but it's restricted access."
"Can you get a discrete look at any of it?"
"Depends on the access level, I'll put in a request for clearance, let you know if I find anything. Out." Jellicoe thought for a moment then opened a line to his first officer on the bridge.
"Claude would you ask Mr Chisholm to take over on scanners and come in here please." Two minutes later Claude Marsaud entered Jellicoe's ready room.
"Skipper?" The first officer enquired.
"Got a job for you." Jellicoe told the former net runner. "Get me everything you can on a Commander Raan Corsen from the past week - coms, docking logs, sightings, anything. Start in Chi Orionis and work outwards from there." Claude smiled, nodded and set off for the cutting edge, very expensive and not entirely legal computer terminal that Jellicoe maintained for his almost sole use.
"We've just jumped into Chi Orionis sir." Lieutenant Commander Skirving's voice buzzed through on coms. "Any further orders?"
"No hold position here for now." Jellicoe replied. "Computer get me a line to the Earth Defence Fleet, use my navy signal." The link took a short time to open and about five minutes later the hologram of an immaculately uniformed Post Commander appeared sitting on the other side of Jellicoe's desk.
"How can I help you Rear Admiral?" The man respectfully enquired.
"I'm here from Admiral Craddock's office to investigate the disappearance of this Raan Corsen, you should have my authentication, I'd appreciate your co-operation."
"Of course sir." The commander replied smoothly. "Our own investigation is already well underway with Sky Marshall Beskov personally taking the lead. We're about to make a public appeal for information and sightings, I've sent you the file to study at your leisure."
"Thank you Commander, I'll be in touch." Jellicoe cut the link then addressed his ships computer. "Download the file to my slate as soon as we've got it and put me through to the galley, I'm starving and can't face another ration bar." After ordering a sandwich and sachet of zero g tea Jellicoe took up his slate and began studying the Raan Corsen file, it was very thorough and professional, charting Corsens escape from Chi Orionis and the EDF's efforts to contact him and offer him protection in return for information. Most interesting by far were Corsen's replies and obvious fear, in particular Jellicoes eyes were drawn to a claim that Sirius were after her, people were getting killed and nobody could protect her from them. While Jellicoe certainly knew Sirius were more than capable of cold blooded murder to strike so openly in the heard of Federation space was rather out of character and suggested that whoever this Corsen was or what he knew must be extremely important. Jellicoe took a bite from his sandwich, a sip of his disgusting tea and sat back to think. Raan was on the run so where would she go? The Empire? Sirius had influence there too, the Alliance? More plausible but still a shot in the dark. He called up the star chart and started looking for local contacts, then winced when he saw who the nearest information broker he was on good terms with.
"Computer get me a com link to Oleg Lobanovsky." Jellicoe finished his sandwich, drank as much of the tea as he could stomach and went over the file again while he waited for the computer to track down the data broker, a half hour or so later the hologram of a thickset man with bright green eyes, curly black hair, thick beard and magnificent moustache shimmered into existence facing him across the desk.
"What do you want as if I couldn't guess." The man said in a gruff, thickly accented voice.
"Raan Corsen, I'm looking for her."
"You and half the sector. If I knew where this woman is I would be a rich man I think."
"You don't know anything?" Jellicoe asked not even trying to hide his disbelief, Oleg Lobanovsky was not easy to deal with, a gruff, coarse and thoroughly unlikable man who charged fees that made your eyes water but his network of contacts and informers was unrivalled and little indeed happened in this part of space without Lobanovsky knowing about it very soon after.
"Nothing your tame hacker won't be able to find out." Lobanovsky growled. "She jumped from Chi Orionis on the 26th, she was rescued by the Fuel Rats in LHS262 on the 28th and a day later she was caught on security camera leaving Bootd Port where the logs show she ran repairs and maintenance on her ship, after that the trail goes cold, no coms, no docking logs not even any sightings. None of my people know anything."
"Any ideas?" Jellicoe asked,
Lonanovsky raised a single bushy eyebrow. "My brain is a valuably commodity, it does not work for free for you."
"Five thousand." Jellicoe sighed, the eyebrow rose again. "Alright seven." It lowered again.
"Very well, she has vanished completely yes? She could be dead but it seems unlikely, someone could have got her but if they did I'd know about it so my thought is she is hiding, not in a port or city as there is no record so maybe in space or on a planet somewhere."
"Is that it you bloody rogue?" Jellicoe demanded hotly.
"You ask for information and I tell you what I know, you ask me to speculate so I speculate but you are not happy with my speculating. I cannot win with you people." Oleg answered in an affronted voice.
"You win on every deal you make." Jellicoe countered.
"And yet you people keep coming back to Oleg, why is that I wonder?"
Jellicoe breathed hard. "Alright, anything you do get can you tell me first? I'll make it worth your while."
"No you won't." Oleg replied with what passed for a smile but looked more like a scowl. "I know who you're bidding against and believe me you don't have the credits." Jellicoe leaned back in his chair as Oleg's holographic form vanished and thought, to describe this as a hunt for a needle in a proverbial haystack was a gross understatement, by now Raan Corsen could be anywhere in human space, but the fact that nobody appeared to have seen her suggested she had gone to ground fairly close by, even so that left a vast area to search for one small ship. He opened a com link to the bridge.
"Mr Skirving it's the Commander, I'm going for some sleep if you need me I'll be in my cabin." Jellicoe left his ready room, disengaged his magboots and floated to his quarters, he planned to sleep for six hours but when little over four had passed he was awoken by the noise of an incoming message, it was Claude in a state of considerable excitement.
"Skipper it's Raan Corsen." Claude blurted out as soon as Jellicoe had accepted the call. "She's broken cover, I've got a fix."