The look back

[|TSH|Martind Forlon]

The look back

For Commissioner Forlon it was on the first look an usual morning on Freeport 11, but that day there was something to feel quite differently. Passed more months from time when he arrived here in his old Butcher on Orillion's call, and it was also place where was started work on new police organization called The Steel Hearts. Construction of the new organization went well, including build of the new police starbase, but in Forlon's dark corners of the mind still remained question what happened with The Silver_Arrows after he so unexpectedly and in a hurry left. Orillion last words were about newly planned big operation in the Inner Core, but he refused give any details nor tell what really is planned for the Arrows. "Time to acquire some answers" thought Forlon when he left the base and headed to the jump hole leading into Daedalus system.

Butcher smoothly passed all the way leading to Omicron Theta and shortly after on scanners appeared earlier often visited Freeport 9 where were repaired small damages from short but intense fight with Nomads in Omicron Alpha nebulae.

When ship jumped from Omega-5 into Omega-3, strong emotions and old memories arrived. Forlon stopped Butcher's engines and was for a longer time only looking ahead into asteroid field with Douglas station in the glare of the system central Sun.

After was emotions put under control, Forlon set course to system most important station guarding hidden jump gate leading to the Milky Way galaxy inner core. But something was going really wrong, space was too quiet and there was not any patrolling ship appearing on scanners. "What the hell is going on here?!? This simply not make any sense!!!" thought Forlon when was coming closer to the GMG base, base where were facilities for SAOC (Silver_Arrows Operations Center). Whole gate traffic was previously organized by SAOC and three Ion Guns had direct controls there .. not any known ship was able to come closer as 15km from the base without being approved in advance. Luckily old identification was still working, but ship's systems indicated that security control was working in automatic mode.

Docking permission was granted, but whole station looked as abandoned by humans and on board were found only advanced robots. Station facilities with SAOC were sealed and access there was refused. Trying to break inside by force was evaluated as really bad idea, here will be not available any answers ...

Small butcher soon undocked from the base and headed to the planet Sprague. A planet where were located SA Headquarters and where were planned many operations against hostile aliens.

Small ship entered planet atmosphere and continued in low altitude flight through tight crevasse in the central mountains ...

Was not needed too much flight time for reaching small airport well hidden in central mountains. Forlon jumped out of ship cockpit and in a hurry moved to the Headquarters rear entrance. He used his personal code at the doors control panel, but nothing happened. This was not a big surprise, erasing entry codes for leaving members was standard procedure. Little more surprising was, that not even universal backup admirals code worked. The worst on all this was silence around ... locked doors, but were not present any guards or at least small signs of local security activity.

Everything was more and more mystery, after quick flight through system was found SA local sign near gate leading to Omega-7, but also on the sign table were found deep scratches and it looked like abandoned and obsolete.

Finally, visit to Rugen base bar gave some first answers. One from guests there remembered Forlon and answered some of his questions. Was happened that after a month after his forced leave there was huge Arrows activity. Douglas station was at that time closed for visitors and whole area around GMG base and Planet Sprague was secured. Not even the small most skilled smugglers were able pass through Omega-3 system unnoticed. Informant with a sad smile added that it was the time when he had lost his small freighter and only barely saved life in ejected escape module. After some time everything suddenly silenced. What happened he did not know, he only heard a rumors that mentioned Arrows activity was linked with some newly found artifacts in the Omicron Gamma system. But that was all ... he was not able confirm anything.

Back in Omega-5 en route to Omicron Gamma.

Right after the jump into designated system comes a first surprise ... big new sign with letters "RA". "What it is and what it means?" It looked like ahead of Forlon were only more and more questions without answers.

It seems that many things have changed in Omicron Gama. Before it was only a poor nest for Corsairs, but it seems that someone bring here alot money. Traces of new infrastructure build were present through whole this system. But not only this, police ship long range scanners signalised presence of big trading ships, theirs signatures had strong marks of smugglers. Was about time to visit the planet ...

Main city on Planet Crete also has changed. New modern buildings were present in most of the city center. Forlon did only a quick visit into local taverns and offices, but there were not even the slightest traces abut the Arrows ...

Time for last check, green nebula ahead of police ship had some uncommon parameters. But suddenly sounded alarm from ship long range scanner_ ... ship on inbound course. "Known pirate signature detected! ..."