The tale of Karath
chapter 1
Karath stood in a square column at the edge of a battle traing field, As the occasional fly landed on his face or even sometimes in his eyes he was forced to push away the urge to pull his arm up and swat it, after all he was training to be a assault trooper the most dangerous and most rewarding part of the society of freedom. Freedom, what freedom. Ever since his parents had been killed protecting their farm from pirate invaders he had been a slave of anger and resentment, and the only way to cure it, he believed was to kill every damned pirate in the whole Pluspiga system.
As an officer advanced towards him and the rest of the unseasoned recruits there was a buzz of anxiety and everyone seemed to grow a full two inches. The officer, a man of gold standing had come to greet the new recruits and then break as many of them as he could, after the rigorous execises of the few weeks that followed Karath could have sworn that, it was as if he didn't want to have anyone in the new society of freedom army, probably out of fear that his own rank, which had been given to him only because another gold was needed at the time and at the time an army was practically non-existent.
"To your duties, FALL OUT", yelled the grandiose gold officer at the top of his voice after which he stepped over to speak to the junior officers who would be doing the real work of training Karath and his fellows to be close combat killing machines, Karath liked that phrase.
One burly officer, a bald man with scars across his whole face stepped over to Karath's section.
" I am staff seargent Shagrin, copper standing and I will be taking you through the stresses and strains of training for the SOF army", the officer said in a deep voice. Karath wondered how old he could be, All the other copper standing officers probably lacked any battle experience, even the haughty gold standing officer looked younger. Karath set about counting the chains on the black clad officer's chains and found that the officer was well over thirty five.
"Do you have a problem ensign", the officer said harshly, the bronze badge on his black beret gleaming in the light, he was a truly impressive sight. Karath froze for a moment, the adrenalin pumping throuh his vains.
"N-No sir".
"Good, first today we'll be training close combat", Karath smiled slightly, close combat being his favourite subject.
"Now follow me", Shagrin turned around, saluted his superior officer and ran at what seemed to Karath like a mere jog, even though the ten nineteen year old recruits he was in command of had severe troubles even keeping up with him.
When they arrived Shagrin walked over to the conrete rack built into the hard bunker wall and taking out ten knives threw them at his officers. all but Karath and one of his fellow recruits known as Raiko Fox did not step out of the way but tried to catch them instead. Fox caught it perfectly and Karath although catching it had a small chunk of skin cut out of his palm.
Fox smiled as Karath clenched his fist and desperately tried to shy away from the pain. One of the on duty medics stepped over to him and put a small anaestatised white glove onto the right hand, which only hurt more even though it was protecting him from disinfection.
"Nice try", Smiled Shagrin and then continued, "since you boys seem to have a death wish why don't you fight". Karath was slightly angered at being called a boy but gladly stepped into the ring and after a few moments of preparation both were given small wooden batons, Karath could sense Fox's sadness at not being allowed to use the knife which was obviously his favoured instrument; Shagrin had obviously sensed it as well and grinned, " wouldn't want any of you boys to get hurt". Karath almost spat in his face with distaste but resisted the urge, that would only get him thrown out before he even had a chance to grapple with the pirates. The two young men stepped into the ring, anxiously eyeing each other. Karath started by swing the baton round, in the hopes that it would hit the other's left temple but Fox ducked and kicked Karath in the stomach . Karath fell to the floor feeling slightly dizzy and lay unmoving, like a spider laying it's trap until Fox stood right above him, at which time he took the baton, pulled it round Fox's legs with one arm and then taking the baton on the other side so that he encircled fox's legs pulled forward, and after a few moments of imbalance Fox fell to the ground with a loud crash. Karath istantly jumped to his feet and threw himself over Fox, imagining him to be the pirate who had killed his parents, and took him into a strangle hold, but Fox was already uconcious. Suddenly Karath was hit by something hard and sent tumbling around the floor, throwing himself to his feet he started to hear Shagrin's voice again,
"Are you trying to kill him ensign, can't you see he's unconcious, or are you just stupid". Karath realised that the officer had been screaming at him to stop as soon as he started moving towards Fox a second time and as his memory caught up with him he realised what he had done and he restrained a tear. Looking down at Fox he saw that there were several medics itting around him.
"You're damn lucky he didn't die, ensign",Shagrin paused as if remembering something from decades ago, "What's your name ensign".
"Grak, sir Karath Grak", Karath said nervously, half expecting Shagrin to shoot him down on the spot.
"Grak, your as damn psychotic as your father Grak, damn near killed me once !!!!"
"You knew my father, sir" Karath said suddenly looking more interested and remembered his father who was gold standing at the time of his death.
"We trained together" , Shagrin said in his usual deep voice, "He was our squaddy leader until that damn snotty golden boy Lokke took over after his death, I'm not surprised he died earlier than he did, he was as damn psychotic as you boy". Karath was already beginning to like the staff seargent.
"How come if you trained together you didn't go on to rise in the ranks or .....".
"none of your business boy", Shagrin said coldly, it was obviosly not subject close to his heart and Karath fealt any enthusiasm building up within Shagrin had been drained away by that one question.
"O.k. kids time for your next session, follow me", Shagrin said, once all ensigns had fought and been evaluated to find how much more practise they would have to do, again speaking in his normal throaty unemotional voice.
The ensigns arrived in a large room full of technological equipment and Karath wondered what it was he was to begin training in and as if hearing his thoughts Shagrin barked, "Now we will
start blaster repair training, the techs will help you", and with that he marched out.
Most of the techs in the room were themselves cadets with a strange green insectoid creature whowas walking around the room in starnge zigzagging movements apparently not even noticing the arrival of the ten assault ensigns. After a few minutes he said, "ah your'e here", in a raspy voice and told each of the tech ensigns to get with one of the trainee soldiers, a thin young man with black spectacles covering his large brown eyes stepped over to Karath and after almost tripping over his white robes, cursing and throwing them to the floor to reveal the black uniform which every SOF trooper wore.
"Hi, I'm Kainin Brent", the short man introduced himself.
"I'm Karath Grak ", replied Karath and followed Brent over to one of the work tables. While showing Karath the various parts of the blaster and how to repair the blaster they struck up conversation.
"So Brent, what you doing here", Karath asked wondering how old Brent really was.
"I came here to be an assault tech, we'll be working together in the field", Brent said over enthusiastically.
"I mean why'd you join and you look a bit young".
"Oh, no I look younger than I am, really. I joined because the army is te frontier for research and also I get a chance to work with SS'Kriss over there, don't tell him but he's kind of a hero of mine", Brent burst out with enthusiasm and Karath wondered if this man was even crazier than himself.
"The insectoid over there ?".
"he's a verpine, from the roche asteroid belt, completely self taught, you know".Karath was getting a bit bored and asked, "why an assault tech though, you could just become a tech and you'd never have to fight and risk your life?".
"It's personal", Karath wondered if everyone in the base was completely withdrawn but figured it was only people who had a personal problem with the pirates that joined the assault units, so they could get in close and personal with the pirates.
"I'm one of the best shots in the academy", said Brent proudly, veering off at a tangent in an attempt to avoid Karath's question but Karath continued, "Yeah that figures, I joine the assault troopers rather than any other part of the army for reasons of revenge, my parents got killed by pirates". Suddenly Brent fealt more confident and after demonstrating to Karath how to fix some minor problem with the trigger answered. "The city block where I lived got incinerated by pirates with som new weapon they'd invented while I was away meeting someone", Brent said , his eyes going watery.
The next few weeks passed quickly and when not under intensive training Karath became great friends with Brent and Fox while slowly beginning to understand Shagrin.
"I am glad to say that sixty percent of all applicants to the assault part of the army have passed and those of you who have passed and are standing here today will be moved to the bloodletter unit under the command of Nar Haroth who is of silver standing. 10 of you have proved particularly efficient and are moving straight up to copper standing, please come out to receive you brassards when I call out your names", Lokke spoke quietly into a mirophon sounding so phony Karath almost laughed but seeing Shagrin standing behind Lokke and looking grimly at him he resisted the urge.
"In charge of demon squadron is ensign, or should I say trooper Grak", Karath stepped forward and saluted his officer who mistook the wide grin on his face for joy at being promoted. After being handed the badge for his beret, a small demonic face and a single copper chain which he would have to clip into his right shoulder pad somehow he yet again saluted and did an about turn back to his squad which he would hopeully command over the course of the next few years.
Karath watched as Fox was given command of some other squadron in the bloodletter unit and the insectoid SS'Kriss then stepped forward to hand the ranking insignia to the single unit of techs, Brent being given command of the ten man squad.
"Well done lads", Shagrin stepped into the mess room where the new officers were holding a party. It was obvious that he was happy to be among equals even if they'd only served a fraction of the time he'd spent in the army.
"Hiya", smiled Brent and looked up from his drink. Brent was clearly not used to drink and after half a pint of Juri juice he almost collapsed. Fox was playing darts in a corner of the room with some of the other officers and winning easily while Karath who had been drowning in his pint looked up to greet Shagrin.
"Finally we get to kick some pirate asssssssss", Karath said his voice slurring badly.
"Not me", Shagrin said looking slightly disappointed "I gotta go train up another load of kids".
"Why not ask for transfer ?", Karath asked
"They dropped me here because...", Shagrin's voice trailed off and he descided not to answer.
"Theyyy cannowwwt drop yyuu heiar for everrrrrrrr", Karath toppled over on the floor after finishing his sentence and Shagrin walked over to him and put him in such a position that he would drown in his own sick but as he left the sentence stayed in his head, perhaps they could at least give him a chance, let him prove taht he was better now so that he would not have to spend the rest of his life teaching young ensigns who would probably die as quickly as they had joined.
"But sir, I have loyally served eight years in this training camp and after the incident I spent four years in a psychatric ward", Shagrin practically screamed at the Platinum ranking officer named Garrotte.
"You killed twohundred and thirtyfour innocent bystanders at Kalleg, even in a lifetime you can't punish yourself for that.
"Sir, I've served almost twenty years in this army, I've watched lowly cadets rise above me, you can at least give me a chance".
"The answer is no".
"Sir!!!!"
"Dismissed staffseargent". Shagrin fealt like shooting his commanding officer in the face.
"In that case I'm sure the world would be happy to know what really happened at Kalleg. I have nothing to lose while you, you're in with a pretty good chance of becoming the next crystal ranking officer.
Karath and Brent had joined Shagrin for moral support and sat outside in one of the waiting seats wondering what was going on.
"Here, I hid a little microphone on Shagrin, it's getting quite interesting". Brent handed an earphone to Karath who listened intently.
"what's Kalleg".
"don't know, never heard of it".
"I'll have to ask Shagrin about his history some time, again",grinned Karath as he listened into the small earphone and after a few minutes Shagrin stepped out, a broad smile on his face.
" I've been given command of Diabolo squadron", Shagrin said ,"C'mon let's go get something to eat". Karath was about to ask about Kalleg but descided this was not the best time, truly Shagrin was a very interesting character.
Chapter 2
Karath sat in the large personnell carrier, nervously awaiting his first battle, and he was not alone, he could see it in the other officers sitting in the musty cabin, all except Shagrin who had been longing for this moment for well over a decade.
Suddenly the ship rocked and Karath slammed the back of his head against the wall.
"What's up", he shouted and he could hear one of the pilot's shouting that they were under attack. The ship rocked some more and Karath ran down the corridors, closely followed by several other officers.
"where are the damned fighter pilots", he yelled and suddenly as if answering his request two squadrons of fighters came out of nowhere and counterattacked the two pirate ships who had descided to finish off the apparently defenceless transport ship. Karath wondered if the pirates knew they were coming or if this was just a random raid, but suddenly more and more pirate ships started coming out of hyperspace in front of them.
"Oh shit", the ship's captain screamed, "all gunners to positions....someone call for support!!!!".
Karath watched as the captain kept on going through the stolen ships which the not so technically minded pirates used and suddenly a thought came to him, "Turn back, make sure the don't break your hyperdrives, put all shielding in that area, it's a trap they knew we were coming", Karath spat in the captain's face slightly as he spoke and the captain knowing himself to be the vastly more experienced was just about to start arguing when a message came in from high command stating the same thing, so making a quiet derogatory remark under his breath turned back to his commamd console and told the squadrons to cover them while his ship prepared for hyperspeed. Karath wondred about the possibility of a trap but who could possibly want to betray the society.
The platinum officer known as Garrotte stood over his datapad looking in dismay as the reports started to spew in. the transport carrier Dracul had survived the ambush and escaped back to the base with minimum damage to it's hull. After putting the datapad down he stepped across the room and opened a small green safe and entering some password known to him only it flung open, almost hitting him squarely across the face, Garrotte then proceeded to take out a small subspace comlink, "Dargul base, Dargul base, this is authorization Ultima Celestion"
"this is Dargul base hidden operations, what is it Garrotte", came the tired reply which Garrote recognized instantly as Boron, the chief of coordination among the not so allied Alliance for unified pirates. Garrotte cringed, "You failed, an assault officer Shagrin has become a liability to me and thus our cause, you know what would happen if I was interrogated by the SOF. He must be destroyed". Garrote heard a cackle coming through the com, "You are merely scared for your own life Garrotte, why don't we just dispose of you !!!!".
"You need me, If I am given the rank of Crystal in two weeks I will be able to ensure the fall of the SOF", Garrotte was sounding more nervous now but hearing someone knock at the door he closed the com and shoved it into one of the drawers under his desk.
In stepped the current officer of crystal standing and Garrotte feeling a bit paranoid asked the higher ranking officer what was intended of this meeting, his voice stuttering slightly as he spoke.
"Oh, I merely wish to give you my best wishes for the election next week, I am fully behind you and anything you do", Garrotte wondered how much he'd support him if he said he was planning on the destruction of the SOF and the assassination of the voice of the people as well as the complete take over of the alliance for unified pirates.
"Thank you, sir", Garrotte said, too quickly, "If you don't mind I have much work to do".
The crystal standing officer laughed heartily," Oh not at all, that's what I like about you, your constant drive to help improve the society", The elderly man suspected nothing and smiling slightly Garrotte relaxed into his chair.
"Yes sir", he said and looked down at the desk which contained the incriminating evidence of the comlink tuned up to the pirate base secreted on the other side of the planet.
"It was a trap, we were trapped, sir", Karath looked up at Garotte,"There must be some spy working in the government".
"You're only just out of the academy, this was your first battle, how can you be so certain ?", Garrotte said cooly and stared into the yellowy green eyes of the young officer.
"I'm certain sir, it was an ambush, I've studied pirate tactics their patrols are nowhere near that big".
"Think you're a bit of a hotshot kid, don't you, I've served twenty five years in the army, that's longer than you've been alive and the pirates are completely chaotic, there is no government for the pirates no organization, how can you learn pirate tactics when they don't exist", Karath wondered if the only way to convince this officer of anything would be to blackmail him like it seemed Shagroth had done.
"Sir, you know the pirate bands have allied together, they are much more organized than when you were in the field.....", Karath stopped realizing wat he had just said.
"Are you questioning my abilities copper standing Grak".
"No sir, but you know as well as I that the pirates have united under some warlord who claims to have magical abilities and ...."
"Magical abilities, you shouldn't rely on gossip kid", Garrotte said cruelly, more to show defiance to Boron than to undermine the young officer.
"I'll look into it but don't expect anything kid, dismissed". Karath hoped he had not gone to far, making enemies among his superiors could seriously damage his chances of growing withing the army.
Karath stepped into the musty officer's bar, tired from the various papers and forms he'd had to fill in from the ambush the pirates had made, not to mention the argument with his superior officer.
Fox was sitting at a table in a dark badly lit corner of the bar and on seeing his arrival invited him over.
"what happened with Garrotte then ?", he asked.
"Not good, he couldn't care less", Karath noticed a short scar running straight down Fox's face and Fox noticing Karath staring rather more than normal grinned, "In the ambush, I got knocked against a clothes hook sticking out of the wall".
At this point Shagrin stepped in a broad smile crossing his face.
"What's up with you ?", Fox asked before Karath could utter a word.
"Hey have some compassion, that was the most enjoyment I've had in years", Karath and Fox looked at each other and then back at Shagrin.
"I see you got cut in the face", Shagrin continued and ordering a drink at the bar sat down next to the two young officers.
"What's up with you and Garrotte, I mean he clearly hates you and still gave you back your old position as a real soldier, and what's Kallegg", Karath suddenly fealt sorry he'd said it and Shagrin's face became more serious.
"Hunh ?".
"Brent stuck a small bug on your uniform".
"How much d'ya know".
"not much, that's why I'm asking you".
"That's good, maybe I'll tell you sometime".
"You were blackmailing Garrotte in there !!!!".
"O.k. ...No if the truth came out it could wreak havoc among the SOF government", Shagrin said, sounding slightly patronising.
"Look, I served four years in detention to prevent the news coming out, I was blamed for this civvie massacre, of course I did it. I was misinformed and ordered. As I say if you know anything more it could topple the SOF".
Janor Sef sat in his golden throne and looked down at a SOF trooper who was groveling for his life.
"No", he smiled revealing a row of sharpened metal teeth and two ragged guards ran up to him, beat him with a stick and after making sure he was dead, ripped his proud black uniform off and then ran away leaving someone else to throw away the body.
"Oi, NO", Janor srceamed ,"You two get rid of the damn corpse". The two pirates ignored him so he dragged them back, using his "magical" powers. "I said get rid of the corpse, or you'll be next !!!!". Janor seemed to sit in his golden seat all the time, thinking. He had to get rid of this officer Shagrin, of course he would keep garrotte alive, if Garrotte became supreme commander of the army without Shagrin revealing the oh so precious information to early. Then he could release it to the society and while confusion spread through the society he could use his fully stable alliance to destroy it once and for all. Janor laughed at the thought, the petty forces of the SOF were no match for him, specially since he learnt how to use the magical power from the ancient libraries he'd chanced upon while invading one of the society's three hospitable moons.
"The force", Janor snickered at the name and at first he had believed it to be some old religious bag of tricks bur Janor had taken interest, because it felt "right", it made Janor puke, but it had helped, all his life he had been lucky, blaster shots at point blank range missing, escaping high security prisons, but ever since he had begun to study the book he had started to grow among the warbands, uniting them against a common cause, and soon he would rule the sector. Janor strocked his long grey beard, with no safe way into the Pluspiga systems the imperials, who had probably destroyed the rebels and begun to expand by now could never enter, well at least not in Janor's life time and that was all that mattered. But until then, after destroying the SOF he could no would be god.
Janor let out a loud cackle and watched as the pirates scurrying around him put their hands over their ears.
Brent looked Shagrin over but to his dismay couldn't find the bug which had been hidden in Shagrin's shoulderpad. "It must have fallen off," Brent said slowly and taking out a small piece of tissue wiped his spectacles clean.
"Damn, why don't you listen to see if you can figure out where it's been dropped", Shagrin said angrily, his voice getting louder and louder.
"Good idea", Brent said hopefully and turned the ear phones on, "I think we might be on to something here, I can hear Garrotte speaking to someone, sounds pretty annoyed too".
"Really, you'll never get it now then, if you were caught sneaking around in his room, he wouldn't be too happy". Brent smiled at the comment, you don't really think I'd get caught do you, I could handle it, I mean it isn't exactly heavily guarded and I did some training on breaking into military bases at the advanced training centre.
"This isn't a military base Brent".
"Well think of it as an investment, if he finds the bug he won't be too happy either".
"You techs are crazy, you know !!!!".
Brent, Shagrin and Karath moved into the foyer leading to Garrotte's room and after paying the secretary quite a few credits they stepped in to his emoty room, Brent and Karath searching the floor while Shagrin searched the desk in case it had already been found, with no evidence no complaint could be made. Then Shagrin found some very mysterious stuff and opened a small comlink with pirate insignia on it. " Bloody hell, Garrotte's a traitor and the pirates have a base right here. At that point Garrotte and his secretary stepped in blasters pointing at the three officers.
"You traitorous", yelled Shagrin and charged Garrotte but he was knocked down by a stun blast before coming near, and then Brent and Karath were knocked down as well.
"Take these to the other side, and make sure you don't get caught", Garrotte smiled evilly.
When they next awoke they found themselves chained to torture racks and stripped of all equipment, wearing only patchy old clothes which smelled as though they hadn't been changed in years. An old hunched over torturer wearing Karath's clean black uniform which he had already somehow managed to tear.
"I hope you like my old clothes", he smiled revealing a row of blackened teeth,"They're all I've had for well over three years". Karath almost puked.
"You won't get any information from us, pirate scum", said Shagrin in his deep dark voice. The old torturer cackled and then said in his grovely voice, " I don't need any information I just want you to scream". He then started untying Karath, "You can go first on the machine!", But as Karath's right arm was untied he let out a hard punch which hit the torturer straight across his face and sent him sprawling backwards. instantly two guards by the door let rip with their blasters, one shot hitting him in the shoulder and another splintering the wooden rack by his side. Karath started untying himself wile hiding behind a large torturing machine and narrowly avoided beeing shot in the face as the two guards approached. As they came close enough he jumped up from the machine kicking one in the face and ripping his blaster out of his hands. He then jumped over to Shagrin and shot the lock which held the chains holding him together. Karath jumped away from him and narrowly avoided a shot in the stomach, he then found a hiding place behind a large wooden cupboard and then started shooting at the pirate, missing on all accounts. "Crack", Shagrin had come up behind the pirate and slammed his head against the wall. He then picked up the second blaster and shot off Brent's lock, Brent then taking the knives and blaster pistol off the chief torturer and then tying him up with the chains which had held him. Shagrin then shot each of the pirates in both their legs and smiled, "There now we escape".
"Captain Fox, you take your squadron as well as the two specially trained scanning teams outside and search the area for the three officers we have lost. They may have been captured by pirates", said the old crystal officer grimacing. Then Garrotte stormed in, screaming, "What is happening, why was not I informed several of my officers have been lost. You do realise I'm their commanding officer. They have simply been given leave".
"Leave, why ? they still have two months until their next leave as I recall".
"They were getting too hyped up, specially with the lack of engagements over the last few months, I told them to take leave and calm down".
"Very well, Fox I guess you won't be then".
"But sir, they're some of my best friends, if they went on leave they would have told me", said Fox unhappily.
"Are you saying I'm lying captain Fox", said Garrotte sharply and after a short moment's consternation Garrotte replied, "No, sir just...mistaken".
"Hmm, o.k. Fox since you won't be doing anything else you might as well go searching", said the elderly crystal".
"But sir... It's wasting our resources and time".
"Your complaint is noted platinum Garrotte, now if there is nothing else you are both dismissed".
"Yes sir", said both officer's and left.
"A search team has been deployed to search for the three missing officers, if anything is found you will have to destroy them", Garrotte screamed at the holographic picture of Janor.