Starborn: Origin of the Stars

After ‘the hero’s arrival’, Robin quickly entered the Hubble to get an update from Landom. Alena and Happy both plundered the stocked supplies and prepared everything needed to normalize Keran’s nutrition-levels and keep his mutation healing him. Together with the doctor they went ahead and made sure everyone in the laboratory was taken care of.

“So, let me summarize our situation, ok?” Robin asked after Landom’s report, “Sevatian and Keran both are heavily injured and unconscious right now, you have a broken leg and Patience… a broken skeleton of sorts, we lost the Sentinel, the Melody II is out of order and on top of that, we are in the middle of a ice-bullet-shooting storm in the Mystic Sea without any means for navigation or communication?”

“We have seen worse!” Landom chuckled.

“What? When? Mate, considering the fact that we have just started this mission, we are quite beaten up.” Robin exclaimed in indignation.

“Calm down, when was the last time you got some sleep? No one is in a critical situation anymore and we not only retaliated against the ones that attempted kidnapping you and Niu, you even found the laboratory of the Eltaran, including one of their people! That is a really great success!”

Robin took a deep breath and calmed his throbbing head.

“Maybe you are right, even if your ‘retaliation-operation’ can hardly be counted as a success. I’ll try to get some sleep. Please wake me as soon as anything happens or the storm calms down. I want to be off this island as soon as possible!”

“Roger. What about the Melody II?” Landom asked.

“While the storm is raging? Nothing. Timothy and Happy should put their heads together, maybe they have an idea how we get the ship in the hangar later.” Robin said and shuffled to his cabin.

Not even three minutes later, he was fast asleep and finally got some well needed rest.

***

The weather calmed down a few hours later. Robin stood up and checked on each crewmember before he gave the order to return to Dreamer’s Hope and went back to sleep.

Keran was still unconscious, but the doctor assured them that he was doing alright. Sevastian had woken up but would have to stay in bed for a few more days at least. Robin didn’t talk to Patience, since she was resting in her cabin already, but when he saw Ang’Tue’s three blue and swollen eyes, he got a pretty good idea about her mood. The Eltaran took it like a champ, but Robin saw cracks in the old man’s unwavering spirit - getting beaten up like that was definitely not something he had experienced in a long time.

Before they left, Niu managed to load the Melody into the hangar with a backup crane and Timothy shut the hidden door to the laboratory.

Half an hour before the estimated arrival - navigation was still impossible so everything was just about ‘fly in that direction for so long and hope for the best’ - Robin entered the bridge.

“Captain on the bridge!” Happy shouted and grinned at him.

“You are impossible.” He laughed and greeted Alena.

“What did I miss?” He asked and sat down.

“Keran is about to wake up, Patience is still resting, as are Sevastian and the doc. Ang’Tue got the last cabin and also retreated. ETA for Dreamer’s Hope is about 25 minutes.” Happy reported.

“Any word from the UAS?” Robin asked, even if he knew that this was nearly impossible.

“Nothing, communications are still dead.”

“So we have no idea what to expect when we return? Damnit…”

“You are expecting trouble?” Alena asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Sort of, yeah. The UAS should know that we have an Eltaran with us and may even assume that we found the hidden laboratory. Also, your operation at the stitch’s workshop will not go by unnoticed. If Landom’s intuition is right, the Alaris family and maybe even Romanes are behind this. Who knows what they will try next?”

“So, why do we return to Dreamer’s Hope then?” She asked.

“Because the Mystic Sea is really big and the coast is not a straight line. Flying there has the highest chance of getting us out of here without any further mishaps.” Niu explained.

Robin pondered a bit about their situation and ultimately called Ang’Tue and Landom to the conference room.

He gave Landom a quick summary about his deal with the Eltaran and explained his worries.

“You really think the UAS would apprehend him just like that? Wouldn’t it be better to try a friendly approach with Ang’Tue to build a bridge to the Eltaran?”

“It would, yes. However, you know how the UAS works better than me. Once you tried to apprehend me too and Ramones has already shown his willingness to bend the rules.”

“If things are like that, what is your idea?” Ang’Tue asked.

“We can only hope that we are able to officially contact the UAS before Ramones can do anything. Can you speak for your people? I would like to record a message for Mrs. Hutton, our most reliable contact at the UAS, and suggest a deal:

One, we found the hidden lab and will send them everything they need to know to quickly find it. Two, I’ll offer to sell the map I used to find this place. There shouldn’t be much more undiscovered locations on it but that’s not my problem. Three, I want to propose a meeting between the UAS and the Eltaran. The cat is out of the bag already, so I’d like to set up a meeting between our people. What the UAS makes of it is up to them, though. Your people can just listen for a bit and then vanish back into hiding, I don’t care.” Robin explained.

“That sounds all great but what do we get out of this?” Landom asked and Robin just shrugged.

“For Ang’Tue they have to guarantee safe conduct and for us I want three things. They shall keep Ramones in check and shorten his leash, I want them to increase my ship-selection and last but not least a big bonus-pay for each of the crew.”

“They shall increase your ship-selection? That doesn’t make any sense at all, with your former services and the Keeper-mission on the horizon, there shouldn’t be much that they could increase anymore…” Landom wondered but realization quickly came, “You want them to owe you!”

“Yeah, with all this, especially if I’m able to negotiate a meeting with the Eltaran, I should be able to get enough leverage with the UAS to remain unbothered for quite some time.” Robin said and added in his mind ‘If they learn just how valuable my ability to sense Keeper-tech really is, that will come in handy.’

His plan was to position himself as a reliable ally that provides many benefits as long as they leave him on his own. When the time comes to really set out, he doesn’t want the UAS to put him on a leash. This was a thin thread he was balancing on, these deals weren’t anything tangible and only worth as much as the UAS values its word. However, with Ramones breathing down on his neck, he now had the chance to test how determined they really were. If they whistle back the commander of the Gaunus-base, it would be exactly the show of conduct he would need.

“I agree to your terms. I’m able to arrange an online meeting with some of our leaders. No promises that they agree to anything further than listening for some time, though.” Ang’Tue said.

“Great, let’s record a video for Hutton then!” Robin hurried them.

They quickly explained what had happened the last few days and proposed the deal they had discussed. Ang’Tue, with his three eyes open and ears not covered, added a few sentences here and there to explain stuff about the hidden lab and his agreement to set up a meeting.

When they were done, Happy announced their arrival at the coast. Quickly, Robin hurried back to the bridge and had Alena sent the video to Hutton as soon as communications came back online.

“We get an incoming transmission.” Niu announced moments later.

“Ugh… I knew it. Open a channel” Robin said with a sigh.

“This is the UAS IPS Discovery, under orders of the UAS you are to land immediately at the following coordinates to meet up with us for a personal meeting.” The voice of a man that didn’t even announce his name could be heard.

“This is the captain Robin Tulward speaking, UAS IPR Hubble, of course we will be happy to meet you there.” Robin said and immediately closed the comm channel, “What do we know about them?”

UAS - A ship under UAS command

IPS - Interplanetary Scout

“Let me check for a second…” Alena said and closed her eyes while Niu flew them towards the south of Dreamer’s Hope. The meeting place was only about a kilometer away from the little town.

Suddenly the doctor, who was still aboard, came to the bridge.

“Mr. Bex is waking up. You should be able to talk to him in a few minutes!” The Ommih happily reported before he read the mood and realized that his entrance definitely came at the wrong time.

“Thanks, doc! Please wait outside, we have a situation to handle first. You can return to your clinic in no time, okay?” Robin dismissed the man.

“Found it!” Alena finally exclaimed, “It’s an interplanetary scout under direct command of the Gaunus branch.”

“So they are Ramones’ men? Damn you, Keran…” Robin cursed, well aware that Keran must have sent a short report when they encountered Ang’Tue, before they were even back on the Hubble.

“What do they want from us?” Niu asked.

“The Eltaran.” Alena answered, “Will you hand him over?”

“This is not about what I want or don’t want. As much as Ramones is an asshole, he has a high position and speaks for the UAS. We have to give them Ang’Tue… for now.” Robin growled with anger in his voice.

Niu piloted the Hubble slowly to the marked position and initiated the landing. Just when the ship came to a halt, Alena disrupted the silence on the bridge.

“We have a response from Hutton. Your proposal is enticing and the conditions are ‘more than reasonable as always’...?” She said a bit confused at the wording.

“At least someone seems to get what I’m trying to do.” Robin sighed, “Inform her about Ramones men and that we probably will have to hand over the Eltaran. She shall hurry up with whatever she has in mind!”

“That won’t do, will it? If they take him now, they are gone in less than an hour. He will wiggle himself out of this, ‘losing’ his prisoner or whatever. Ang’Tue will never officially reach Gaunus, right?” Niu asked with a sad face.

Robin stood up and wandered around a bit, he had only minutes to decide on what to do. He could already see a squad of five armed men walking to their ship.

“Any ideas?” He muttered and to his surprise ROMAS did come up with a plan. It wasn’t a great one, but worth a shot.

“We three will go and greet them.” Robin said and opened the door to let the doc in once again, “Doc, I need your help for a moment.”

“I’m not sure how I can be of service in anything but your medical situation and that seems to be fine…” The man warily answered.

“You need to give Keran Bex, Sevastian Vlasov and Landom Walzor a shot that knocks them out. Keran needs to be gone for at least 12 hours, for the others an hour is enough!”

“What? Why…” The Ommih began but when he saw the bad mood of all three people, he quickly nodded, “Sure, no problem! But I really wanna go back after that!”

“Thanks!” Robin gave him an honest nod and hurried to the exit.

As soon as Robin, Niu and Alena stepped out of the Hubble’s elevator, they were greeted by the fully armed squad.

“Mr. Tulward, we got word that you have an Eltaran aboard your ship?” The man in the front asked. He was only a little bit taller than Niu, had a shaved head and neatly trimmed beard.

“Why would that be of any concern to you, Mr…?” Robin asked the man.

“Because we are here to invite this individual to our facility on Gaunus.” The man said with a sneer, not caring to give his name.

“Well, I cannot speak for the man, but I know he has some other appointments already. I’m not sure he’s ready to accept your invitation.”

“I’m afraid I have to insist on bringing him to Gaunus first. If he doesn’t wanna stay there, of course he can leave anytime.”

“Oh, so you’re not here to apprehend the Eltaran? It’s just a forceful invitation?” Robin chuckled.

“Forceful is such a strong word, isn’t it? Naturally he isn’t a prisoner, but an honored guest!”

“Hm, interesting. If you are sure you wanna do this, I’ll call him.”

“This is not your job to worry about. Under the orders of the UAS you bring the Elataran here, now!” The bald man hissed, clearly pissed by Robin’s attitude.

“Sure mate, just wait a moment.” Robin said and turned to Happy, “You heard Mr… whatever, you heard the baldy, please call Ang’Tue here, will you?”