The Protectors
Nov 7, 2022 2:57:28 GMT -5
Post by Radrook Admin on Nov 7, 2022 2:57:28 GMT -5
The Protectors
by Radrook
by Radrook
The solar system was teaming with Earth colonies, and once warp drive had ben perfected, Earth spaceships had been regularly embarking on missions of exploration beyond the solar system. But once the exploration efforts began to move towards the Horsehead Nebula, 1,375 light-years from Earth, the short, blue-furred, pot-bellied pig-like aliens had appeared suddenly out of seemingly nowhere demanding that Earth exploration of that section of the galaxy immediately cease. This region, they claimed, was sacred and claimed that they had been entrusted to protect it. To the question of who had entrusted them with such a task, they unequivocally responded, God, while rolling their huge, blue, melancholy eyes skyward with reverent expressions on their porcine faces.
Of course, Earth’s military authorities took umbrage at this demand, and considered a military solution. But politicians were the ones entrusted in dealing with such things, and they preferred diplomacy. An establishment of friendly relation for mutual benefits. To be able to reach some mutual agreement that would prove acceptable to both sides in order to avoid bloodshed, was the last suggestion. But the aliens just would not accede to anything other than a total evasion of the specified zone.
"This is ridiculous!" Fabian Reynolds, the tall, seventy-two year old, bald, full white-bearded Admiral in charge of Earth's Solar System Security Space Fleet said.
"Who do they think they are to be placing restrictions on our exploratory missions?"
“Well, admiral,” Nicanor Steelton, the Vice Admiral or second-in command, a short mouse-like humanoid with a squeaky voice, patiently responded, “obviously, they feel that they are their God's emissaries. The God that they say human Christians, Jews and Muslims worship. The one mentioned in the Bible."
“Is that so?” the admiral shot back with a murderous scowl on his pale, wizened face.
“That's a lot of hogwash," he continued “Those areas of our galaxy directly behind the Horsehead Nebula must contain some type of potential mineral wealth that they are refusing to share. Why, don't we just send an exploratory mission to that region? "
“Well Admiral, if those areas have been colonized by these aliens, then they have a right-" Nicanor said in an effort to reason with his commanding officer, whom he considered a loose-cannon of sorts.
“But that's just it,” the admiral shot back, “the bastards aren’t claiming colonization of any of those regions. Which means they don't own anything at all there. So where is their right to be setting limits?”
“Once again, you are missing the point Admiral.” Nicanor explained patiently. “They claim to derive their authority from God. That it was a mandate bestowed upon them millions of years ago."
"But exactly what is it that they are guarding ?" the admiral asked impatiently, while pacing the floor of his flagship's cockpit from bulkhead to bulkhead.
"They claim that those sectors are harboring Edenic planets where no sin has been committed. In short, Admiral, they would be contaminated by association with us, whom they consider creatures of sin. " Nicanor added knowing full-well that reasoning with the emotionally-prone admiral would simply get him nowhere.
The Admiral grunted at that statement, and left the flagship's cockpit in a huff. Hell! The diplomats were too soft. Too slow for his liking. So he would take care of the matter himself. No, he didn’t have the authority to deploy any of his fleet to challenge the upstart aliens. At least not officially, but he could sure as hell hire mercenaries to do it, and that is precisely what he was going to do. He knew exactly whom to approach with the offer, the infamous Solar System pirate Narconeous.
"So what compensation will I get from this venture general?" the tall, muscular, Alpha Centaurian, green skinned, red crested, Humanoid Narconeous, Captain of a fleet of mercenary pirate ships, asked upon being contacted via subspace communications. He listened intently as the holographic image of the Admiral hovered on the table in his quarters
"You will be allowed access to any mineral wealth that you can extract from the planet that you invade or its moon." it said.
"Allowed? Ha!”
“No offense intended captain. Let’s just say that we will not interfere. You know, make things unnecessarily complicated when they can be simple.“
There was a long-pause of silence before the Pirate spoke again.
“But what is it exactly that I am up against, Admiral?"
“Oh just a few potbellied pig-like aliens who appeared on Earth demanding we keep our distance from the Horsehead Nebula region.
"Then why don’t you do it yourselves?" the pirate asked, his holographic image squinting one red, suspicious eye."
“Because the Earth Council has advised caution! Without its approval, my hands are tied!"
"So you are going against the Council’s advice, Admiral? Isn’t that a bit dangerous for your career?"
“Once I prove that I had been right all along, they will thank me for the riches that they will gain!"
"But suppose it's just a total devastation? Nothing but some sort of vicious alien joke? Suppose what they consider riches, we consider manure? Such perceptions vary drastically among planetary species, as you well know"
"I will pay you three million Rubias personally if you accept the challenge, Captain, you have my word!" the admiral uttered with the most solemn voice that he could muster.
The pirate Narconeous was taken totally aback by the offer. Three million Rubias was nothing to sneer at. Each Rubia was equivalent to one thousand human American dollars back in Earth’s year of 1950.
“Alright admiral.” Narconeous finally said after a prolonged silence. “ I will assemble my fleet! But mark my words, Admiral, if the Rubias are withheld, we will not target Earth, nor any Earth fleet, nor any Earth colony, we will target YOU. Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes, Narconeous, we have an understanding.
Their holographic images both nodded in agreement, and the deal was done.
Soon, the pirate fleet of twenty seven ships was on its way. No, it was not numerous, but they compensated for it in the potency of their weapons. Each ship was bristling with disintegrators that hurled anti-matter, energy bolts which would obliterate any other craft on contact. In fact, that was one of the reasons why the Earth military authorities had avoided doing battle, but had preferred to ignore the occasional pirate forays into Earth territory for bartering and resupply purposes as a minor inconvenience.
After traveling at warp for a day, the fleet was approaching the Horse-head Nebula when it was suddenly hailed by a pot-bellied alien from a vessel that was approaching from the Horsehead Nebula’s direction at sub-luminal velocity. The message was the same as had been given to the Earth authorities. The area was not open for space exploration by any unauthorized creatures, and the authority vested in them was from the almighty God who had assigned them to that sacred duty.
The pirate leader, of course, was intimately familiar with threats. He had faced many during his infamously cruel career, and knew that threats were very often merely baseless blusterings that could safely be ignored. Yet, for some reason, this time he was feeling compelled to negotiate with these creatures.
“We are just on a peaceful exploratory mission--" he heard himself say.
"No, you are not. Your vessels are heavily armed and you are a pirate of ill repute to whom life is expendable. We know all about you, Narconeous, and your bloodthirsty ways. You and your kind are not welcomed here. We seriously advise you to turn back!”
At that, the pot-bellied aliens could hear the entire pirate crew laughing over the intercom, and with good reason. After all, the alien ship was alone and much smaller than any of their smallest vessels. It was obviously not a warship, at least its design indicated no attacking capabilities nor potential. So why should they feel forced to heed this demand. The last time someone had dared to demand that they leave a star system, the demanders had been instantly disintegrated. So why Narconeous was hesitating and delaying a violent response for so long, was totally beyond his crew’s comprehension.
"Captain, shall we open fire?" the Reptilian who resembled an Earth Komodo Dragon in a purple uniform, impatiently asked the captain who had remained silently staring at the viewing screen after the pot-bellied alien had spoken. Then, as if the Reptilian’s question had suddenly wrenched Narconeous out off a temporary catatonic stupor, he savagely yelled, "Fire!" into the intercom and all the fleet’s disintegrators simultaneously boomed into action, but not against the pot-bellied alien ship, but against each other until all were gone. Afterwards, on the pot-bellied alien ship, a prayer of thankfulness was said.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Solar System Security Fleet Admiral wondered what ever had happened to the pirate fleet that he had hired, since no subspace communications had been received, and he was being forced to assume the worse. A private commercial scouting ship had been deployed, and the pirate fleet’s devastation had been confirmed.
So now, after calmly re-evaluating his options, the admiral decided that honoring the pot-bellied alien request that the Horsehead Nebula sector be left alone and evaded at all cost should be honored for the sake of peace. Whereupon the pot- bellied porcine-like alien emissaries boarded their ship and disappeared just as suddenly as they had arrived into the fathomless darkness of space from where they had emerged, while back on Earth, the Admiral was being praised for his wisdom, while Nicanor, the mouse-like humanoid who was the Solar System Fleet’s second-in-command, observed the debacle from a distance, and shook his head in disapproval.
Of course, Earth’s military authorities took umbrage at this demand, and considered a military solution. But politicians were the ones entrusted in dealing with such things, and they preferred diplomacy. An establishment of friendly relation for mutual benefits. To be able to reach some mutual agreement that would prove acceptable to both sides in order to avoid bloodshed, was the last suggestion. But the aliens just would not accede to anything other than a total evasion of the specified zone.
"This is ridiculous!" Fabian Reynolds, the tall, seventy-two year old, bald, full white-bearded Admiral in charge of Earth's Solar System Security Space Fleet said.
"Who do they think they are to be placing restrictions on our exploratory missions?"
“Well, admiral,” Nicanor Steelton, the Vice Admiral or second-in command, a short mouse-like humanoid with a squeaky voice, patiently responded, “obviously, they feel that they are their God's emissaries. The God that they say human Christians, Jews and Muslims worship. The one mentioned in the Bible."
“Is that so?” the admiral shot back with a murderous scowl on his pale, wizened face.
“That's a lot of hogwash," he continued “Those areas of our galaxy directly behind the Horsehead Nebula must contain some type of potential mineral wealth that they are refusing to share. Why, don't we just send an exploratory mission to that region? "
“Well Admiral, if those areas have been colonized by these aliens, then they have a right-" Nicanor said in an effort to reason with his commanding officer, whom he considered a loose-cannon of sorts.
“But that's just it,” the admiral shot back, “the bastards aren’t claiming colonization of any of those regions. Which means they don't own anything at all there. So where is their right to be setting limits?”
“Once again, you are missing the point Admiral.” Nicanor explained patiently. “They claim to derive their authority from God. That it was a mandate bestowed upon them millions of years ago."
"But exactly what is it that they are guarding ?" the admiral asked impatiently, while pacing the floor of his flagship's cockpit from bulkhead to bulkhead.
"They claim that those sectors are harboring Edenic planets where no sin has been committed. In short, Admiral, they would be contaminated by association with us, whom they consider creatures of sin. " Nicanor added knowing full-well that reasoning with the emotionally-prone admiral would simply get him nowhere.
The Admiral grunted at that statement, and left the flagship's cockpit in a huff. Hell! The diplomats were too soft. Too slow for his liking. So he would take care of the matter himself. No, he didn’t have the authority to deploy any of his fleet to challenge the upstart aliens. At least not officially, but he could sure as hell hire mercenaries to do it, and that is precisely what he was going to do. He knew exactly whom to approach with the offer, the infamous Solar System pirate Narconeous.
"So what compensation will I get from this venture general?" the tall, muscular, Alpha Centaurian, green skinned, red crested, Humanoid Narconeous, Captain of a fleet of mercenary pirate ships, asked upon being contacted via subspace communications. He listened intently as the holographic image of the Admiral hovered on the table in his quarters
"You will be allowed access to any mineral wealth that you can extract from the planet that you invade or its moon." it said.
"Allowed? Ha!”
“No offense intended captain. Let’s just say that we will not interfere. You know, make things unnecessarily complicated when they can be simple.“
There was a long-pause of silence before the Pirate spoke again.
“But what is it exactly that I am up against, Admiral?"
“Oh just a few potbellied pig-like aliens who appeared on Earth demanding we keep our distance from the Horsehead Nebula region.
"Then why don’t you do it yourselves?" the pirate asked, his holographic image squinting one red, suspicious eye."
“Because the Earth Council has advised caution! Without its approval, my hands are tied!"
"So you are going against the Council’s advice, Admiral? Isn’t that a bit dangerous for your career?"
“Once I prove that I had been right all along, they will thank me for the riches that they will gain!"
"But suppose it's just a total devastation? Nothing but some sort of vicious alien joke? Suppose what they consider riches, we consider manure? Such perceptions vary drastically among planetary species, as you well know"
"I will pay you three million Rubias personally if you accept the challenge, Captain, you have my word!" the admiral uttered with the most solemn voice that he could muster.
The pirate Narconeous was taken totally aback by the offer. Three million Rubias was nothing to sneer at. Each Rubia was equivalent to one thousand human American dollars back in Earth’s year of 1950.
“Alright admiral.” Narconeous finally said after a prolonged silence. “ I will assemble my fleet! But mark my words, Admiral, if the Rubias are withheld, we will not target Earth, nor any Earth fleet, nor any Earth colony, we will target YOU. Do we have an understanding?”
“Yes, Narconeous, we have an understanding.
Their holographic images both nodded in agreement, and the deal was done.
Soon, the pirate fleet of twenty seven ships was on its way. No, it was not numerous, but they compensated for it in the potency of their weapons. Each ship was bristling with disintegrators that hurled anti-matter, energy bolts which would obliterate any other craft on contact. In fact, that was one of the reasons why the Earth military authorities had avoided doing battle, but had preferred to ignore the occasional pirate forays into Earth territory for bartering and resupply purposes as a minor inconvenience.
After traveling at warp for a day, the fleet was approaching the Horse-head Nebula when it was suddenly hailed by a pot-bellied alien from a vessel that was approaching from the Horsehead Nebula’s direction at sub-luminal velocity. The message was the same as had been given to the Earth authorities. The area was not open for space exploration by any unauthorized creatures, and the authority vested in them was from the almighty God who had assigned them to that sacred duty.
The pirate leader, of course, was intimately familiar with threats. He had faced many during his infamously cruel career, and knew that threats were very often merely baseless blusterings that could safely be ignored. Yet, for some reason, this time he was feeling compelled to negotiate with these creatures.
“We are just on a peaceful exploratory mission--" he heard himself say.
"No, you are not. Your vessels are heavily armed and you are a pirate of ill repute to whom life is expendable. We know all about you, Narconeous, and your bloodthirsty ways. You and your kind are not welcomed here. We seriously advise you to turn back!”
At that, the pot-bellied aliens could hear the entire pirate crew laughing over the intercom, and with good reason. After all, the alien ship was alone and much smaller than any of their smallest vessels. It was obviously not a warship, at least its design indicated no attacking capabilities nor potential. So why should they feel forced to heed this demand. The last time someone had dared to demand that they leave a star system, the demanders had been instantly disintegrated. So why Narconeous was hesitating and delaying a violent response for so long, was totally beyond his crew’s comprehension.
"Captain, shall we open fire?" the Reptilian who resembled an Earth Komodo Dragon in a purple uniform, impatiently asked the captain who had remained silently staring at the viewing screen after the pot-bellied alien had spoken. Then, as if the Reptilian’s question had suddenly wrenched Narconeous out off a temporary catatonic stupor, he savagely yelled, "Fire!" into the intercom and all the fleet’s disintegrators simultaneously boomed into action, but not against the pot-bellied alien ship, but against each other until all were gone. Afterwards, on the pot-bellied alien ship, a prayer of thankfulness was said.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the Solar System Security Fleet Admiral wondered what ever had happened to the pirate fleet that he had hired, since no subspace communications had been received, and he was being forced to assume the worse. A private commercial scouting ship had been deployed, and the pirate fleet’s devastation had been confirmed.
So now, after calmly re-evaluating his options, the admiral decided that honoring the pot-bellied alien request that the Horsehead Nebula sector be left alone and evaded at all cost should be honored for the sake of peace. Whereupon the pot- bellied porcine-like alien emissaries boarded their ship and disappeared just as suddenly as they had arrived into the fathomless darkness of space from where they had emerged, while back on Earth, the Admiral was being praised for his wisdom, while Nicanor, the mouse-like humanoid who was the Solar System Fleet’s second-in-command, observed the debacle from a distance, and shook his head in disapproval.