Special Police DekaOps

37

Michelle received the signal of an unscheduled ship coming in system like the new protocol demanded. A split second later they received an encoded transmission, Commander eyes only. So she promptly transferred it to Major Pierce. A few minutes later he came barging out of his office saying that the team had to get to the orbital station immediately, including the two of them. Several more minutes later they were piled into one of the special shuttle pods and Ace took them to the station. On the way the Major filled them in on the rush.

Shortly after landing they stood in formation as the hanger crew quickly moved the pod out of the way. “This is a waste of time,” Dan muttered.

“Dan,” the Major warned, “remember to play nice.”

“Oh I’ll fake being nice no problem,” he shot back. “But all of this for a gold badge?”

“We’re just being courteous,” he answered. “Just be glad this one didn’t decide to drop in unannounced.”

“I’ve heard stories about the Tokukyou,” Target spoke up. “Are they as bad as they say?”

“We’ve only met a couple,” Ace said.

“And I have met one myself,” Rev added. “They did have an air of confidence around them.”

“What he means,” Dan cut in, “is that they’re all a bunch of arrogant pricks.”

“Dan what did I just say?”, the Major sighed.

“That was me being nice,” he informed him. “Do you want to hear what I really think of them? Because I’m more than willing to share. Besides Goldy isn’t even here yet.”

“Quiet,” Michelle told him, “here comes the ship.” They stood at attention as the ship came closer. The hanger crew quickly did the same. In moments a single person white and black craft passed through the hanger’s force field.

It landed in front of them. A few seconds later the side hatch hissed and opened. Dan and the others were startled to see who came out wearing a Tokukyou uniform. The BlayThrottle on her wrist was altered a bit as the handle was in the middle instead of the side. Her white hair was pulled back in a ponytail but the light blue of her skin and emerald eyes were still the same. Those eyes seemed to twinkle a bit as she smiled at them, “Greeting my friends. It has been far too long a time.”

“Drilian?”, Ace said in disbelief. “You are the last person we expected.”

“Quite,” Rev agreed, “in our last encounter you said your duty was to your King.”

“And that statement is still true,” she answered. “A Commander from SPD personally traveled to my planet and requested my services. With the permission of my King I accompanied him back to SPD headquarters. Apparently word of my quest to retrieve my King’s armor had traveled far and wide. Reports of my tenacity and skill impressed those who are above me from my understanding.”

“Glad to have you aboard,” Ace told her.

“Your message sounded important,” the Major spoke up.

“That is correct,” Drilian reached into a pocket on her uniform and retrieved a datadisc. “Command had received word of something coming through your planetary system that may require the skills you recently obtained.”

“We’ll show you the way to the command deck,” Pierce told her.

As they followed Target asked, “Was the Tokukyou training hard?

“I feared that it would be,” she answered. “Going from a Knight to a Deka seemed a taunting task. Fortunately my skills as a Fourth Level Knight allowed me to complete the training rather quickly. As I had studied intergalactic law during my quest in fear of accidently breaking them in search of my King’s armor, I was pleased at how fast I was able to conquer the program.”

From the rear of the group Dan mumbled, “She picked up some of the arrogance too.” Besides him Michelle elbowed him the ribs and hushed him.

***

Inserting the datadisc into a station Michelle quickly accessed it. Above the table they were standing around a holographic image with a red tint appeared that quickly took the form of an old space cruiser with two external engines in the back. The image started rotating when the Major asked, “So what are we looking at Drilian?”

“That is part of the dilemma,” she answered. “This craft has no markings, no identity beacon and has answered no hails that I am currently aware of.”

“So it’s a derelict?”, Boomer asked.

She shook her head, “That is what my superior thought as well. However the craft has a tendency to alter its course to evade oncoming patrol ships.”

“So it has a pilot,” Dan mused.

“Or a working AI,” Ace added. “Who knows how long that that ship has been going.”

“True,” Drilian agreed. “The erratic behavior is what first drew our attention to this vessel. It quickly rose on the list of priorities when a ship was able to get close enough to pick up a dark matter reading. That reading is on the disc as well”

“I got it,” Michelle said as she pulled the information up. The read out appeared on the screens on the table.

Target studied the data as she leaned against the table. She looked over at Boomer who nodded, seeing the same thing. “I recognize this wave length on the dark matter. Some species have been using it in warheads in missiles. The effect similar to an matter-anti matter explosion if it’s configured right.” Looking up at the others she said, “It’s a pretty recent development too.”

“How recent?”, Dan asked.

“Roughly two years,” she answered.

“I think that might throw out the AI theory,” Ace commented.

Looking over at Drilian Rev asked, “If the ship is carrying weapon grade dark matter why has it not been stopped by now?”

“Because the ship is using star gates so old records of them have been lost for decades if not centuries,” she replied.

“They weren’t totally lost,” Dan said.

“That would be correct Captain,” she told him. “Archivist have been working well past they’re scheduled shifts trying to find them. Those we do know about have had probes sent into them to locate their exit.”

Dan started looking worried, “Combine that knowledge with the usual smugglers tricks and that ship could be off the grid for days before showing up again.”

“Your words ring true Captain,” Drillian told him. “Fortunately researchers have discovered one of the ancient gates in your planetary system, past the planet you call Neptune. And the latest reports indicate that the ship might be heading this way.”

“Drilian, is the location of the gate on the disc?”, Michelle asked. She said it was. In moments the ship was replaced by a map of the solar system. A blinking light past Neptune’s orbit indicated the gate’s location. After a moment Michelle pulled up the location of the nearest star gate on the image, represented by a blinking light just past Saturn. “Using the old gate the ship can jump in without being noticed. Then he can jump from this one before anybody can stop him.”

“That is the craft’s usual pattern,” Drilian said. “Some of the star gate specialist theorizes that the ship can also access the newer gates from the older ones.”

“So nobody knows where he’s jumping from,” Dan said thinking that over.  “Do you have any idea when it’s going to get here?”

“I am afraid I do not, part of the reason why asked you to gather here so quickly is because I do not know. It may have entered you system already.”

“Then speed is of the essence,” The Major said. “The only real concern is the ship detecting us as soon as we get there. Ace, does the Tiger have a cloaking system?”

“Not built in,” she answered. “And the Mark V star drive is interfering with the tech we have on the Shepard. Neither team can figure out why yet. But the guys up here came up with a sensor mask. It’s not a cloak but it should hide us from his sensors long enough to get on board.”

“It’ll have to do,” the Major said. “All right team, move out.”

The field team and Drilian all said, “Rodger!”, before running out.

***

They were able to seat Drilian in the back of the Tiger as it left the hanger. Ace pushed the engines as she headed for the SPD emergency gate between Earth and Mars and calculated a quick jump from it to the Saturn gate. From there she pushed them a little harder to cut the time to the ancient gate. “What I wouldn’t give for a little in system jump ability right about now,” she muttered as she kept an eye on the engine readings.

Drilian floated foreword to the main cabin. Target caught her when she missed the handle by the door. “I got you.”

“My thanks my friend,” she said gratefully as she got a grip on the console. “I am afraid my space training was cut short when I was given this assignment.”

“It takes awhile to get you space legs,” Boomer told her.

“Some longer than others,” Rev commented as his antenna started to droop.

“But you got there,” Boomer reminded him.

“Drilian did that ship have any offensive or defensive weapons?”, Ace asked. “That report of yours didn’t say.”

“None involved in any encounters have said,” she replied. “Those that have fired on the craft reported that the hull was more resistant to damage than usual.”

“An extra think hull,” Target mused. “Makes sense considering the cargo. Ace the cutters might have a hard time getting through, if at all.”

“We’ll get through,” she said. “That’s one of the test I make the station crew run when I’m there. I’ll stake my reputation on it.”

“That is not something to state lightly,” Drilian said in total shock.

Ace smirked, “You don’t know my team.”

Boomer added, “You don’t know what she’ll do to them if they make a liar out of her.”

Ace shot a look toward Dan who put a hand up to keep her in place. Looking back at Boomer he said, “That was your freebie for the day. Next time I let her take off the kid gloves.”

“Oh please say something else,” Ace muttered. Boomer promptly shut up and turned his attention back to his station. Drilian still looked confused at the exchange.

Seeing this Rev told her, “You get used to it.”

“It is a tad unsettling to see a team I have worked with before behave in such a manner,” she said.

“This is normal behavior for them,” he explained, “but when the mission starts in earnest they will perform like you saw before.” She took that in and nodded. But she did notice that Dan shot each of the others a look that they acknowledge with a nod. From that point on they acted like the team she witnessed before.

For the next hour and a half small talk was kept to a minimum as they studied their sensors for any sign of the craft. The closer they got to the old gate the more Dan got a sinking feeling in his gut. “Is there any kind of ion trail out there?”, he asked after a bit.

“Not since we left the gate,” Target replied. “It’s practically fresh space out here. Any sort of trail wouldn’t be that hard to spot.”

“Maybe we beat them here,” Boomer offered.

“Or they didn’t come this way at all,” Dan said looking out the front window at a bunch of dark nothing.

“That is a rather pessimistic point of view Captain,” Drilian commented.

“Just keeping the options open until we have something concrete,” he said. “I know from personal experience intelligence can be wrong from time to time.”

“And what do you do in those situations?”

“Depends on how off the intel was. Sometimes I had to make up a plan B on the fly.” None of them saw her nod her head by only the tiniest of margins. Before she could ask anything else alarms started to go off around them.

“We got a gate opening right in front of us!” Target announced.

“Performing evasive,” Ace said a split second later. The Machine tiger rolled out of the way as the portion in space right in front of them started to swirl like a whirlpool. The effect lasted long enough for a large craft to come through. Ace quickly turned the Tiger around to pursue. “Nobody said the gate was that close!”

“My apologies,” Drilian told her. “I was only supplied with the information they gave me.”

“Like I said,” Dan told her. “Ace find a place to park this bird.”

“I’m pulling up the schematics from the datadisc now,” Ace said.

“What about their sensors?”

“I activated the sensor mask as soon we got the alarm. The ship’s not trying to run, it looks like it’s working.”

“We’ll find out for sure in a few moments. Ace do your thing, Drilian you might want to strap in case things get rough.”

“At once Captain,” she quickly headed for the back as Ace flew the Tiger closer to the craft. Catching up with the ship Ace slowed down enough to match its speed she waited until a scan was performed to find a hallway or a large room that matched the schematics they had so they could board. Finding it Ace got closer and let the magnetic clamps do the rest and grab hold and seal the bottom of the Tiger to the hull. “We’re ready to go,” she announced.

“Get ready to board,” Dan ordered. All of them unstrapped themselves and headed for the middle of the ship and turned sideways to face the entry door.

“Activating gravity field,” Target said.

“Activating cutters,” Ace announced as soon as she entered. She watched the screen intently, it took a few extra moments but she got the green light, “We’re through.”

“Ship atmosphere is breathable,” Rev said after a few moments.

“Blow it,” Dan ordered, a brief muffled explosion and metallic clang preceded the entry hatch opening. Alien air hit them almost immediately, but as Rev said they could breathe it. “You cut it a little close there Ace,” he commented as he walked in and noticed how close the entry point was to a back wall.

“At least we’re in,” she shrugged. Dan nodded and waited until everybody was out and the Tiger secured.

“Stay together as much as possible,” he ordered. “Keep an eye out for some kind of access terminal. If we can get a floor plan before whoever is in charge can notice it’ll make our job easier. And look out for anything suspicious, we do not need to be trapped in here.”

“Rodger,” they responded. Drilian held back for a moment and watched them before following.

***

“Now this ain’t right,” a dingy, scraggily looking anubis-seijin said as he looked at his external scanners. For some reason his ship gained weight suddenly. Then an alarm went off, there was a breach in the hull. His first thought was a meteor hit him, it happened enough. But the reading said it was a much larger than a meteor. In fact the emergency bulkheads should have came on to keep the ship pressurized, yet he wasn’t losing any atmosphere in the ship.

Which lead him to the only other explanation, “I’ve been boarded. I tell ya it’s getting to the point a smuggler can’t to any decent business any more. Hey gasket head!”

An Igadroid covered in various metal plates walked in, “What is it.”

“I think it’s pirates. This far out it can’t be anybody else.”

“I’ll deal with them.”

“Good.” As the Igadroid exited the pilot muttered, “Slag it I thought pirates didn’t steal from their own kind.”

***

They found a terminal soon enough. It took Boomer a few extra minutes to decode the encryption. He muttered something about an, “Original encryption program,” and wishing Micelle was here. He pumped his fist slightly when he finally broke it, “Got it.” Working fast he was able to download a map of the ship before he was locked out. “It’s a different encryption program,” he said looking it over. “It looks totally different.”

“We’ll work with what we have,” Dan said.

Drilian spoke up, “I do not wish to question your authority Captain, but is that action wise to take?”

“Seeing how long it took him to decrypt the first one I think it is,” he explained. “No offence Boomer.”

“Non taken Cap,” he said as transferred the map to the other’s Opslicense. “So what’s the plan?”

Studying the map for a couple of moments Dan said, “We try and take the bridge.”

Eyebrows raised in surprise Drillian went, “A rather daring plan of action. Would it not be wiser to disable the engines?”

“Normally I’d say yes but look here,” he showed her the map. “It looks like the engine room is right below the cargo bay.”

“It looks that way to me too,” Ace agreed.

“And if I was the one piloting this thing I’d fix it so some of that dark matter fell right on top of anybody who tried to tamper with the ship’s engines.”

“And we don’t know how ‘dirty’ those engines are,” Ace told her. “I saw the ion trail readings as we were coming up behind this hunk of junk, it wasn’t anything within the norm.”

“So the bridge it is then,” Drilian concluded. “I am amazed you determined that course of action so quickly. For a moment I thought you were attempting a feat of daring bravado.”

“Huh?”, Boomer asked.

“She thought Cap was going to do something stupid,” Target translated for him.

“Oh,” Boomer said in understanding.

“We’re wasting time,” Dan told them. “The bridge is going to be hard enough to take as it is. Ignore any elevators and take the service ladders. The longer we can hide ourselves the better.” They acknowledged what he said and headed for the nearest ladder. With Dan taking point he used his surveillance gear to make sure the area was clear before signaling everybody else down.

“He does this often?”, Drilian asked Rev while waiting for him to signal.

“It is part of his standard behavior,” he said. “Captain Stevens has two main priorities, the mission and the safety of the rest of us. I thought it was strange at first myself. But it works for him somehow.”

“We all go home or none of us go home,” Ace said repeating one of Dan’s mottos. Drilian absorbed that bit of information as Ace’s License went off, “Ops5 here.”

“A wave of Batsuroids just went past the opening,” Dan said in hushed tones over the link. “I counted at least eight.” There was silence for several moments, “They’re waiting by one of the elevators. I got an idea.”

After listening to his plan they went to work immediately. Boomer hovered in the elevator just long enough to hit the down button and get out of there. “Elevator in use,” one of them Batsuroids said. They positioned themselves for the maximum amount of damage in case the target was hostile. The door opened but nobody was inside. One of them looked down and saw a device on the floor. Before they could react it exploded sending shrapnel in their direction. Dan, Ace and Target took care of any left standing with their SP-Shooters.

“The pirates are hostile,” a voice said over an old intercom. “All forces to section three.”

“We’re pirates now?”, Boomer smirked.

“Aye matey,” Ace joked as they ran down the hallway.

“They knew we were on board,” Rev reminded them.

“That’s why we have to hurry,” Dan said. Before long they came up on a force of Batsuroids and Anaroids lead by a patched up Igadroid. “Change standby. Emergency! DekaOps!”

Each of them was surrounded by a digital field. Dekametal formed around them in a burst of bright light forming a black bodysuit. A colored striped ran down their body from the top of their shoulder to their boots, a number forming on the left side of their chest. “Face on!” Dekametal flowed around their heads forming a helmet.

“Special Police!” The lights on their helmets flashed to life, “DekaOps!”

“Emergency!” Drilian said bringing her BrayThrottle up to her chest and hit the button on the front of it. “DekaKnight!” A gold and blue digital field surrounded her as the Dekametal formed around her. A silver bodysuit with dark blue highlights on her shoulders, , hips and inner legs covered her. A gold roman numeral number 6 appeared on the left side of her chest. “Face on!”, Dekametal formed around her head forming a helmet with a visor with vertical slots. With her feet together, left slightly back, she held her right arm to her chest, two finger extended. “The honorable detective of the skies.” Slashing her arm to the side she exclaimed, “DekaKnight!”

“Stop the intruders,” the Igadroid ordered.

“Take ‘em,” Dan said at the same time. The two forces charged each other. Dan took on the Igadroid head on. Ace and Boomer battered through the bots with their D-Rods. At the same time they activated the Rods’ energy field and sliced through the same one. Rev ran at a group of Anaroids before jumping up and landing feet first on the Batsuroid behind them. Target jumped and flipped out of the way firing her D-Shooter when she had a clean shot.

Drilian pulled down the handle of her Throttle and revved it twice before snapping it back in place. “Lightning justice,” her left hand to crackle with energy. A small energy trail following her movements as she sliced through the Aneroids and Batsuroids unfortunate enough to get in her way. Her movements were almost dance like as she made her way through. At a snap of her fingers they exploded and fell to the ground.

“Glad you’re on our side,” Ace commented while she had a few moments to watch.

Dan was able to force the Igadroid after getting close enough to plunge his D-Knife into its’ shoulder. The bot stumbled back into a control panel. “Time to get spaced,” it said and slammed a fist on the panel. An alarm claxon went off a few moments before the wall next to them started to open.

“Shit,” Dan muttered as the air started to rush out of the opening. He did not see that one coming.

“Nooo!”, Drilian cried out as she couldn’t find anything to hold on to and was sucked out the opening.

Grabbing their OpsLicense they held them over their heads, “EXO Mode!”

Lowering the License in front of them a digital field grid came from the badge and ran up their arm and over their bodies. The field expanded in places as Dekametal filled in the spaces forming black armor plating. Rockets formed at various places on their back, shoulders and waists. A breathing device formed on the lower half of their helmets. A colored number formed on the left side of their chest as they slotted their License on the right.

“Ops5 locked in!”

“Ops4 locked in!”

“Ops3 locked in!”

“Ops2 locked in!”

“Ops1 locked in!”

“I’m after Drilian,” Dan announced before jumping after her.

“Give him a place to land,” Ace ordered as the rest of them took care of the bots and tried to keep the Igadroid from closing the opening again.

Using the helmet’s targeting computer Dan locked in on Drilian tumbling form and had the rockets on his back as high as they could go. “Got you,” he said as he grabbed her around the waist. Flipping around he aimed himself at the ship. “Keep that door open!”, he shouted as he saw the opening getting smaller.

“I’m working on it,” Ace said. “It’s an automatic system I can’t stop it.”

“This is going to be close,” he said through gritted teeth as he read the heads up on his visor. The closer they got the more he positioned himself to protect Drilian if the opening got too small. Then it occurred to him that they wouldn’t be able to make if he tried to slow them enough to stop from crashing into the barge. At the last possible second he cut the rockets on his back and used the smaller shoulder one to turn him around so his back slammed the interior wall. “Ugh,” he grunted from the impact. After a few seconds the opening closed and the hall was repressurized.

“That’s one way to come to a stop,” Ace said as Rev checked on both of them.

“Never mind me,” he said, “check on Drilian.”

“I am… I’m fine,” she finally said. “My armor protected me long enough for you to rescue me. Captain Stevens you have my eternal gratitude.”

“Just doing my job,” he said as they stood up. “What’s the situation Ace?”

“Igadroid got away with a couple of bots,” she told him. “I’m pretty sure they headed for the bridge.”

“Then let’s hurry before they have a chance to fortify their position even more,” Dan said. “Drilian can you go on?”

“I am able to continue the task Captain,” she answered. “I am grateful for your concern for my well being.”

“What did I tell you?”, Ace chimed in. “We all go home or none of do.”

***

“The pirates were SPD?!?!”, the pilot shouted at the Igadroid. “Tell me you spaced some of them at least.”

“I attempted to,” the Igadroid answered, “unfortunately the ones wearing the black badges activated a power up I haven’t seen before.”

“A black badge unit?! Oh slag we are in it deep now.”

“One wearing a gold badge tumbled out but the one in charge of the black badges retrieved her.”

“A tokukyou too? How worse can it get? I’m getting too old for this crap.”

“SPD is approaching,” one of the surviving Batsuroids announced. A few rounds of fire followed the electronic squawk in the next moment.

“The Igadroid rushed out there to see Dan standing by a similar set of controls that it used earlier, “Anybody want to bet on what this does?” He hit the control before the bot could stop him. The door to the bridge snapped shut before another wall opened up. The Igadroid was sucked outside into open space. “We’re going EVA,” Dan ordered and they followed it out into space.

“What the slag are they doing?”, the pilot wondered. Then he got an alert that the passage way behind the door was pressurizing. The door opened up revealing DekaKnight standing there. “No, no, no, no!”

“Transporting illegal good, carrying weapon grade dark matter,” Drilian said as she stepped forward. “Villain your day of judgment is at hand.” Holding her BrayThrottle toward him she hit a control causing a small screen to flip down. A tiny, mechanical voice announced, “Judgment time!” A red X and a blue circle flashed between them. In the minute that was happening a special court was deciding the case. Finally the red X decided his fate. “Deletion approved.”

Grabbing the handle of the BrayThrottle she revved it three times then pulled it down all the way. At the top of it a blade of energy shot out, “Sword of Virtue.” She twirled around and slashed the pilot three times before stopping with her back turn toward him. “Got you,” she threw the thumbs down as he was deleted.

Outside the ship Dan and the others were knocking the Igadroid, keeping it tumbling, making sure it couldn’t get off a clear shot at one of them. “Line up!” Dan ordered. Falling in on either side of him he put his left hand over his shoulder toward his back. “D-Cannon!” Aiming them foreword  he ordered, “Sight up!” A targeting reticule in their visors appeared. It hovered in their vision before locking in on the Igadroid, “Strikeout!” The Igadroid was destroyed in the next second.

“Captain Stevens I cannot seem to stop this craft,” Drilian said over the link.

“Just get us in Drilain,” Dan told her. “Ace can take care of it.”

“Acknowledged.” Finding the control in the bridge Drilian opened the wall and let them in. In moments Ace was in there and going over the controls. In less time than that she had them at a full stop.

She smiled behind the helmet, “That was easier that I thought it was going to be.”

“Ace are the star maps still intact?”, Dan asked.

“Let me check.” After a moment she said, “It looks complete to me.”

“Boomer contact the orbital base, tell Michelle to send some techs to guard this thing and arrange for command to pick this up. Also tell her were going to hook up a D-Hack and try to download the computer’s star maps. More than one Alienizer probably knows about those old gates, we need to cut out that advantage as soon as possible.”

“That was your plan all along,” Drilain said, “to discover the location of the ancient star gates.”

“It was a secondary objective,” he admitted. “My main goal was to stop this thing. Since we were here we might as well help command complete those archives while we’re at it.”

***

When they got back to the orbital station they convinced Drilain to stay and rest up a bit instead of leaving right away. She walked the halls to the field team quarters with Michelle and Dan, “Thank you for your hospitality my friends.”

“There’s no point to rush of,” Michelle told her, “besides we hardly had any time to talk the last time you were here. And it’s good to just unwind from a mission every so often.”

“It is my understanding that space is limited on this station. Where will I be resting?”

“You can stay in my room,” she said.

“Will I not be putting you out?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” she said squeezing Dan’s arm and giving her a wicked grin.

“Not in front of the guest,” he told her. “Michelle’s room is over there. If you need anything we’ll either be in the rec room or in this room over here.”

“Of course, thank you again my friends.” Driian entered the room and made sure the door was locked. Pulling an SPD communication disc out of her pockect she placed it on the desk in the room and activated it.

A bald head with pointed ears stared at her, “Report.”

“The mission was accomplished as I said it would be,” she said.

“And your observations?”

“Captain Stevens preformed exactly like I thought he would. He was even able to surprise me with his tactical ability.”

“So you’re saying he’s a candidate.”

Drilian bit her lip, “I receive the feeling he would be… resistant to the idea.”

“He’ll come around. I’ll observe myself to make the final determination. Remember you cannot tell him about this or any of his unit, not even his commander. Is that understood?”

“I hear and I will obey Commander Solen.” She ended the transmission and stared at the disc for a long time. Captain Stevens was an honorable man and in the short time they knew each other he apparently trusted her. Now if only she didn’t feel like she was betraying that newly won trust by keeping this from him.