Yesterdays Heroes Once More Part Forty Seven .... Who Was Thaddeus Bach ?

 

Space Ghost stood up. Then he started speaking. " My name is Thaddeus Bach, or was as the Universe believes Thaddeus now is dead. Thaddeus  He held up one of his arms and used one his arm bands to show pictures as he told his story. 

The Young Elite Officer Bach

Bach was a Peacekeeper, part of an intergalactic law enforcement Agency  called the Eidolon Elite. Our Galaxy consisted of a Union of many planets. Many different races made up the Union, many originally came from Home Planets that did not exist anymore. Earth in my time had been abandoned due to the it not being able to sustain life anymore. This due  to  thousands of years of over development and striping away all useful resources. All that was left was a dead world,  a Toxic Death Planet. We had a name for this type of worlds, A Ghost Planet. There were many in the Universe, most of which had been destroyed by war or like the Earth , greed and bad practices and management..

Although he, Thaddeus had never lived on Earth, his ancestors originated there.  The knowing that their plant was doomed the People of Earth had ventured out into the cosmos to find new worlds and build new civilizations. This is where they met others. some very much like themselves and many very Alien, but in time these different worlds and cultures united. The Eidolon Elite were the Police and Law enforcers of the Union. Made up from most of the different peoples and races. Everyone was equal or that is what we believed.  Being a Peacekeeper was a good job and Thaddeus Bach enjoyed it.  Others saw how good he was also. One of these was Head Commander of The Elite,  Zuis Vetor. Soon Vetor  had Bach co - oped into another part of another part of the organisation who were called the Wraith.

Captain Temple, Commander Vetor & Officer Bach

Captain Temple & Officer Bach dressed in their Wraith Uniforms.

The Wraith Uniforms gave the wearer incredible abilities including Invisibility, Flight and enhanced strength. However, Bach had noted that Temple's uniform looked like it contained extra technology, or was it only a difference in the design ? 

The Wraith were a part The Elite  that most people never heard of. They acted completely in Secret and left little trace if any of their existence. Most of the Eidolon Elite had not heard of them.  They had advanced technology that allowed them to act as "Phantoms" or "Ghosts". This meant even if seen by a person, the Tech they contained made them void from being recorded by video or any type of surveillance equipment.  They were still Elite Officers,  and still answered to Vetor, but did they? They  took on missions of high importance. Missions that could and sometimes did end in the death of the Officer.  They had special attire  as well that they hid under their conventional Elite Guards Uniforms. This Wraith attire was not just for show, it contained special technology that gave the wearer special abilities.  Their number was small, about 40 officers. Manly due to the Tech needed to produce their special abilities was limited and hard to produce. The Wraith had originally been the idea of an Elite Officer Temple a few years before. The same Captain Temple who Bach had come to know.

Then as he continued on  it began to be clear that to everyone listening that this man standing before them considered  Thaddeus Bach and Space Ghost as separate entities.

Space Ghost continued his story. Thaddeus knew the being an Elite was not without danger, but now as a Wraith it had now become more so.  His wife did not like him risking his life all the time. His wife was called Elua. She had been the daughter of  one the High Judges who's job was to sentence Criminal once they had been arrested by the Elite. However, her father Judge Jenda had been assassinated a few months previous  by what had been described as an Invisible Ghost. This Ghost Killer, as it was called, struck from time to time.... or so people believed.  Captain Temple was put in charge of investigating all the cases, but he said he found no connections or evidence to say that a Ghost Killer really existed or the deaths were even connected. He had volunteered for the job it turned out.  Temple was a friend of Bach, and had been a mentor to him when he first joined the Elite. Temple was part of the Wraith, and had inducted Bach into the secret order himself after discussing the matter with the  Head Commander Zuis Vetor. Now Temple could mentor Bach in his new roll as a Wraith.

When the chief scientist of the Elite , Dr Ulter,  was also  killed under mysterious circumstances Bach wondered if it had been someone with Wraith technology that had committed this and other crimes.  He mentioned this in private to his friend Temple, who just laughed it off. Saying No Wraith would do this, and none of their Tech had ever been mislaid or could ever be copied. Dr Ulter it appeared had built and designed most of the Wraith Tech himself. Again Bach was not convinced of this. Many of the pieces of tech that his own suit contained looked like it had been designed by different people. Part of a Wraith's duty was to maintain his own equipment, so Bach had studied its design very well.  

When she found out she was expected their first child, Elua begged  Thaddeus to quit the Wraith.   She told him that she did not trust Temple. She said she  had discovered evidence of this.  Her Father had written information about the many  Ghost Killings in one of his journal.  And the last thing  he had written before he was killed was.... "T  SHOULD NOT BE TRUSTED". She believed T was Temple. Thaddeus dismissed this, as he believed his friend Temple was good. 

She begged him for months to leave the Wraith, but Thaddeus believed she was getting highly emotional due to her pregnancy and the loss of her Farther, so he dismissed it. He had just had a promotion to Officer First Class, his career was taking off in the Elite.  Thaddeus then discussed the matter with his Captain, friend and mentor Temple. Told him about his late Father in law's Journals, and his wife's fears. Temple told Bach that he would be foolish to give up such a roll and he hinted that soon Bach would be in line for another promotion. Temple was the secret the leader of the Wraith, who only took commands from the Head Commander of The Elite,  Zuis Vetor. Only Vetor knew Temple commanded the Wraith, not even Thaddeus knew this at the time. 

However, unknown to Vetor , Temple had became greedy and bitter. He had used his position as a Wraith to further his career. But He wanted more.  Temple had gone from a lowly Corporal to now a  Captain First Class in a matter of years.  Usually getting promotion after an untimely death of another. Temple as a child had become obsessed with becoming a Elite Officer. He even went as far as having his head tattooed with Elite Symbols when he was young. He had asked his parents permission to join the Elite training program, but they  had refused. However, a week later both of Temple's patients died in fire at their home. Temple had survived as he had made a miraculous escape, or so he said. When  Captain Blowee  of  the local Elite Office came to investigate the fire he took pity on the young orphaned Temple, and with  his help had the boy enrolled into the Elite training program.  Blowee was well liked and respected within the Elite, and with a little help from him and through his many contacts,  Temple became the youngest person to ever become an Officer First Class. 

 A proud Captain Blowee along with his Adopted Son the newly appointed Officer First Class Temple

Blowee even went as far to adopt Temple. However, Blowee had become ill via exposure to a rare toxin and died a few weeks later. The Doctors could not understand how he had become poisoned. His final words were reported to be "Why ?" that a nurse had heard him  whispered into the ear of his adopted son.   Temple was again an Orphan, but now a very rich one at that due to inheriting Captain Blowee's fortune. Which was substantial. 

Temple knew that Bach was a fine Officer, and one of the Best Wraith, but worried that he could out shine him or expose his illegal practices one day. Bach was sent on a mission to take down  a seriously dangerous Arms Dealer,  named Mixis Le Boni. Temple had offered to accompany Thaddeus on this occasion as he had an idea where the arms were being stored.  Bach was happy for any help, but did wonder how Temple knew the location, when he himself who had been investigating Mixis for a month had not turned up any concrete information at that time. All Bach knew for sure that Mixis Le Boni, was a Guanta, a reptilian type of biped. 

They arrived at the location Temple took the lead and lead them directly to bunch of caverns. The caves were full of weapons. They looked like they had just been unpacked. There were not security , there were no guards. Bach became even more suspicious when he spotted a Wraith communicator along  some of the weapons, and a Wraith Phase Pistol. How did Mixis obtain these ?

 It was not very long before they  located Mixis in one of the caverns, he looked like he was expecting them. He appeared not to be in anyway surprised to see them.  " Ah Captain Temple Welcome " Mixis said   walking  forward as if to greet them both.  Then Temple raised his hand as if he was indication Mixis to stop. Mixis looked confused. 

 Instead of  making an arrest and letting the courts rule on the punishment, Temple executed the  Dealer shooting him using an energy blast emanating  from one of  gauntlets.  The Blast passed straight through Mixis Le Boni killing him instantly.  The Blast was so powerful it melted the Rock behind him. 

Bach now knew that his suspicions about Temple's Wraith costume having extra abilities were correct. But why kill Mixis.....then it dawned on Bach that Temple knew Mixis. And Mixis was expecting them but had not expected to be killed. 

 Temple took out his communicator to called on Wraith reinforcements to join him, whilst Thaddeus examined the dead body of Mixis. On the body was another Wraith communicator. and its last signal received  had been sent by Temple himself. This had been a set up but why thought Thaddeus ?

.The Troops arrived in mere minutes, and  Temple ordered them to collect up all of the weaponry and take it back to the Wraith HQ. Temple must have pre arranged this too beforehand as there were so many Wraith and Transport Ships.  Temple  said he needed all these weapons  to help arm the Wraith for their future survival.   Thaddeus tried to object and  appose Temple's actions. He even tried threatening to quit the force and inform Zuis Vetor of these outrageous actions.   Temple just smiled and  reminded Thaddeus that no one resigns from the Wraith. The only way out was Death and he could arrange this  if Bach insisted.  He told Thaddeus that he was in fact the Leader of The Wraith, and that they answered only to him, not the Head of the Elite.  Temple had acted this way to test Thaddeus and his loyalty. Not to the Elite, but to him and his ideals.  In his eyes Thaddeus had failed the test, part of him knew this would be the case.  Temple  had already made plans to stop Bach reporting his actions to Commander Zuis Vetor. He could have executed him there and then, but with so many Wraith around it may prove to difficult to cover  yet another death up, 

Temple made Thaddeus a deal. If he kept quite and continued in his duties for another few Years, he would  be allowed to Thaddeus "Retire" and disappear. He could except this deal otherwise Bach's  wife Elua would be the next person to be "Visited"  by the Ghost Killer. Thaddeus knew that he could not risk any further argument with Temple, who he believed was totally mad.  So he agreed to Temple's deal.  

Returning home later that night, Thaddeus decided he could not live with Temple's threat hanging over him. Temple could have him killed or kill him when ever he wanted.  He told Elua everything and that they should run away and start a new life somewhere out in the Universe. She agreed, and said she had already planned such a departure. They had accumulated enough money for them to disappear and have a good and  a better life out there in the Universe. However, Temple had expected that this would happened and had sent some of the Wraith troops to spy on Thaddeus and his wife. These troops were totally loyal to Temple and when they saw that Thaddeus and Elua were planning to run, they attacked. In the fight,  out numbered and over powered, Thaddeus was knock out  by the guards. 

Some time later Thaddeus awoke found himself on a strange planet. He was dressed in his  Wraith Costume but minus any of its tech.. Thaddeus was surrounded by many of the Elite Guards, all  of which he knew were Wraith.  Also present was their leader Temple. Temple told him that Bach he had been judged and  sentenced to life imprisonment on this Ghost Planet. This planet that was so toxic, so barren that no known civilization in the Universe could survive on it for long.  Thaddeus asked why was he sentenced ? What Crime had he committed ? 

Temple then laughed and showed Thaddeus a report that claimed Bach had murdered his own wife and unborn child when she found out he was taking bribes from criminals. She had threaten to expose him as The Ghost Killer. And the T in her late Father's Journal stood for Thaddeus.  This of course was not true. Temple had framed Thaddeus, and took pride in telling him that he had even killed Elua himself. Telling him how she had begged him to spare her unborn child.    He then announced that he was was  the Ghost Killer and planned to kill  Zuis Vetor, the Head of The Elite the following day.....  He had killed Dr  Ulter who had secretly been working for the Wraith. Dr Uter had been used by Temple to reverse engineer a lot of tech that the Wraith had found on missions to other Ghost Planets.  Tech that the Wraith could use, or sell onto others. Most of the Arms dealers worked for the Wraith. Dr Ulter, had made the connection that Temple was the Ghost Killer, and had tried to blackmail Temple. So he had to die also. This was a shame, as this meant that many of the secrets of the Tech the Wraith used died with him.  Thaddeus Sank to his knees realizing that Elua was dead, his baby was dead. Looking up at Temple Thaddeus started to yell and got ready to attack. 

Temple shot Bach with an energy blast from his gauntlet  telling him he was a disappointment. The Blast was not like what he had used on Mixis, not bad enough to kill him, but it did cause him great pain. Then Temple allowed other Guards a chance to beat up a weakened Thaddeus. "Make sure you hurt him" Temple laughed, "but don't kill him.  Let the Planet do that" he continue. After an hour the Guards left a blooded and battered Thaddeus on the ground  to die  from his wounds. The last thing he remembered before passing out was the thruster jets from one of the Wraith Transport craft taking off. Then silence he was marooned and alone and dying. 

What happened next, well come back next time as 

Until then ENJOY !