The four Tornado crew members reversed and retraced their earlier route after successfully secreting the Gouveian Crown Jewels aboard the Ghambran’s Scorpion Cruiser and as soon as they got back aboard the Spider Hawk Merri announced
“Phase one
complete”
“Excellent”
Lyris said “I’ll let Oshwin know and he can initiate phase two”
The Tornado was
still heading slowly in the direction of Zenden with Zerrad in the left seat
and a pensive Asti Alegionaris beside him when Bagg joined them
“I bring coffee and cake” he announced
“Not for me Bagg” Asti said
“I’ll take some coffee” Zerrad said
“I’ll leave the cake anyway” Bagg said “In case you change your minds”
Eliciting no further response, he turned to go and he was just leaving
the flight deck when the comms burst into life and Oshwin Lemiks voice said
“Golbolt Interstellar Soman calling Tempest Freighter”
And Asti was immediately on her feet
“Go ahead Golbolt” Zerrad responded
“Delivery
complete, phase two initiated” Oshwin added and Asti squeezed Zerrad shoulder
and then turned and hugged Bagg
“Message
received Soman, will contact hounds”
“Tally ho”
Oshwin said and then the comms went quiet.
“I’ll have
that cake now” Asti said
While Asti
was chomping her way through a plateful of cake, Bagg spread the good news
around the remainder of the crew and Zerrad sent a coded message to Commander
Salmin of the Legion Aeronautica, tipping him off about the whereabouts of the
Gouveian Crown Jewels.
He sat in
the pilot’s seat on the flight deck sipping his coffee and had barely taken two
mouthfuls before he got a response asking for further details and coordinates,
Zerrad responded with the requested information and then smiled to himself
before draining his mug, then he reached for a piece of cake and found that the
plate was empty.
Oshwin
watched the three men as they approached, Maxil Weltz was a tall heavy-set man
while Vint Reganus was shorter and leaner and the third man was nondescript and
almost anonymous.
The first
two where Ghambran agents and the third was one of their henchmen.
In the
gloom the group looked quite innocuous but in truth they were anything but.
“Ah still here then?” Oshwin said as the men got closer
“Apparently so” Weltz retorted curtly and walked past without making eye
contact.
Oshwin ignored the snub but paused before he asked
“Do I understand from your lack of cordiality that you have still had no
luck in finding the Tornado?”
Maxil bristled at Oshwins words but didn’t break stride until he added
“It would appear that I have had more good fortune than you have then”
He knew that that would get their attention and he was right as it
stopped Maxil and Vint in their tracks and walked briskly towards him.
“You know where it is? Weltz barked
“I do” Oshwin replied
“Where?” Reganus demanded
“Within easy reach” Oshwin retorted
“Where exactly?” Maxil asked through gritted feet
“Well that information is going to cost, so let’s negotiate”
“Well negotiate with this” Maxil said drawing his sidearm and put the
pulsar weapon to his head and then six of Oshwin’s men stepped out from the
shadows and aimed their disruptors at the Ghambran’s
“It would appear that my negotiators out number yours” Oshwin said and
laughed as Maxil lowered his weapon
“How much?” the heavy set Ghambran asked
“Well I’m not a greedy man, but I know you want them really bad, and I
have a lot of negotiators to pay, so let’s say a twenty thousand Dinaris”
“Twenty thousand” Reganus snapped with real venom “That’s outrageous”
“If you don’t want the location, it’s of no consequence” Oshwin said
“But when you change your mind the price will have doubled”
It took less than a minute for Maxil to cave.
“Ok, agreed, we will pay you when we have the location”
“Nice try” Oshwin said “you’ll get the location when I get the money”
Then he handed the
smaller of the two men, Vint Reganus, a small data tablet
“Transfer
the twenty thousand to the account detailed on this” he said, “When I have the
money I will send you the location where you can intercept the Tornado”
Reganus
snatched the tablet from Oshwin’s hand and the three Ghambran’s walked away
“It’s been a pleasure doing business with you” Oshwin said
Once the transaction had been completed Oshwin contacted Lyris from the
comfort of his office
“It’s done”
“Did they pay up?” Lyris asked
“Oh yes, they want you so badly I think they would have paid treble”
Oshwin said
“Well done boss” Lyris responded
“I think they will be leaving imminently” Oshwin added
“We’re ready to go” Merri said
“Ok but be careful” he warned
“We will” the Captain said
Oshwin was correct, the Ghambran’s wasted no time at all getting under
way, so the Spider Hawk waited until the Scorpion Cruiser had lifted off, and
then they followed at a safe distance.
The
Ghambran’s Scorpion Cruiser was a fast ship in its class but it wasn’t fast
enough to outrun a Tempest Class Freighter with its powerful Plasma Turbine
Pyroclast Engines so they knew that as long as the Tornado kept going they
would continue to increase the distance between them, but now Maxil Weltz knew
where they were going to be and so he would be there first and would hit them
hard before they knew what was happening.
The Spider
Hawk maintained its pursuit of the Ghambran’s and were beginning to get a
little anxious as the Scorpion were getting very close to intercepting the
Tornado, because although the Tornado could easily outrun the Scorpion it could
not outgun it, and they were just passing Zenden’s moon Linden when Shiyne said
“I’m
picking up something”
“What
exactly?” Merri asked as she turned to look at her as she sat with her eyes
closed as she used her telepathic gift.
“I’m not
sure yet” she replied and a moment later a broad grin spread across her cerise
coloured face “its them”
Asti had
also picked up the Legion’s presence on the Tornados scanners but Maxil Weltz
and Vint Reganus had not, as their thoughts of revenge on the crew of the
Tornado had given them tunnel vision, so the first they knew that they were not
alone was when they were hailed.
“This is
Commander Emad Salmin of the Legion Aeronautica, cut your main engines and
prepare to be boarded”
“This
vessel is under the protection of Prefector Collis of Ghambra” Maxil Weltz
protested “You have no jurisdiction here”
“I repeat,
prepare to be boarded” the commander said again
“Negative,
you have no right to board us” Weltz shouted and in response they received two
low energy pulsar strikes on the hull.
“Prepare to
be boarded or next time it will be the pulsar cannon” the commander threatened
“Message
received, cutting engines and standing by” Weltz grudgingly said
Once they
had complied the Commanders Firedart escort took up station around the
Scorpion, one to Port, Starboard, Forward, Aft and two stationed above.
There were
two docking rings on the Scorpion to facilitate transfers to and from the
Cruiser while in space, one in the belly below the loading bay and the other
was topside behind the flight deck which was also the mooring point for
shuttles or ancillary craft.
Vint
Reganus had killed the engines and was using the thrusters to hold the ship
steady as the Legion Blaze Command vessel maneuvered into position and locked
on to the belly docking ring.
When the
hatch opened Maxil was waiting to greet their visitor
“This is an
outrage, you have no right, this is a gross abuse of power” he said
“When
Prefector Collis gets to hear about it you’ll be lucky to get command of a
backwater shuttle”
“There is
no abuse, I’m am empowered to board any vessel I suspect of, criminal,
subversive or treasonable acts” the Commander stated, “Now take us to the
flight deck, we will be landing on Linden where you will be searched and
inspected”
“This is
preposterous, we are on urgent business for our government and time is of the
essence” he exploded
“Are you
going to comply?” Commander Salmin asked
“I am not”
he retorted
“Very well”
Salmin said “Lt Nulak have this man restrained”
Once on the
flight deck they found Vint Reganus equally outraged and uncooperative so he
too was restrained and Lt Nulak piloted the Scorpion to the surface as
Commander Salmin silently prayed that he really hadn’t overstepped the mark.
When they
had landed on Linden the Commander addressed the five members of the Scorpions
crew, who were all restrained.
“You will
now be taken outside where you will wait under guard while your vessel is
thoroughly searched”
“And when
you find nothing I will have you lick my boots as an apology before I have you
thrown out of your precious Legion Aeronautica” Maxil shouted
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