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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