It had not been an entirely uneventful time
aboard the Tempest Class Freighter, Tornado, on the journey to Delta 500, but
not in a bad way, there were no hostile run-ins with Scav Raiders as they
crossed the Cammaratian System, the only attacks came courtesy of cupids
arrows, which well and truly found their marks.
And all those strikes occurred between the
occupants of sickbay, where Zerrad Skeet was recovering from a Laser wound to
the abdomen under the watchful and concerning gaze of Malena Endia and while
Sciberran Healer Terrell Vorton brought Zerrad back from the brink of death he
lost his heart to the Tornado’s Navigator Shiyne.
The rest of the freighters occupants were
ship’s Captain Merionwen Strong, pilot Lyris Skeet, Engineers Pulsat Rad and
Vanzyl, Visitor Parham known as Bagg and one passenger Asti who was getting off
at their destination.
So with Merri piloting and Lyris in the
co-pilot seat she used the Tornado’s four vertical take-off jumper engines
which were engaged and the Tempest class freighter landed softly in the space
dock.
It wasn’t a huge ship as freighters go but
pound for pound The Tempests had the highest freight to fuel ratio yield of
their class.
The front section comprised of a sizable
pressurized hold for large freight accessed via a front loading ramp, above
which was the flight deck, living and sleeping quarters, mess facilities and
bath rooms, at the rear was the main propulsion and amidships were the
universal pod bays, which allowed for a mixed cargo option, which allowed for
quick inspection and loading, although sometimes pods were sealed which meant
it was either very valuable or very illegal, either way Merri didn’t mind and
transporting sealed cargo paid much much better.
But this time there was no dodgy cargo so
they lowered the three pods ready for unloading.
The Tornado always flew with at least one
pod but then that was because it was where they stowed their gear and where the
hidden compartments could be found, or not, which was where they hid the
contraband, or even fugitives when necessary.
Terrell stayed in sickbay with his patient
and Malena volunteered to supervise the unloading so she could stay close by
and Pulsat and Vanzyl took advantage of the engines being offline to do some
routine maintenance.
While the cargo was unloaded Shiyne drove
the stroller down the front ramp and everyone else stood in a group waiting to
board.
The moment the Stroller came to a halt the
remainder of the crew plus Asti the passenger climbed aboard and Merri got in
the passenger seat beside Shiyne.
“Drop me at the commerce wing” Merri said
“You’re not coming with us?” Bagg asked
“I’m afraid not, so while you lot get to
enjoy yourselves in the Mall I’m going to be sat in the space port office
looking for our next job”
“Can anyone else hear violins?” Lyris asked
“Very funny” She said “Drop me up here on
the left”
Shiyne brought the Stroller to a halt and
Merri climbed down and before she closed the door she shouted up
“Pick me up on the way back and make sure
you pick me up some prime steak”
“Will do Captain” Shiyne said and Merri
slammed the door shut.
As Shiyne drove off again she said
“Remind me again what a violin is?”
Shiyne parked the Stroller as close to the
Mall as possible and then they all decamped and walked towards the sound of
chattering commerce and they had just entered the throng when a huge cloaked
figure approached
“Princess Asti!” he called
“Oh God they’ve found me” Asti exclaimed
and backed away to hide behind Lyris
He was clearly Gouveian as she was but he
was huge in stature, stand 6 foot 8 high and he was broad and powerfully built,
his hair was short, curly and the colour of burnished steel, ivory skin and
mercury coloured eyes, an altogether striking figure.
“Don’t be afraid Princess?” the man said
“Princess?” Lyris asked
“Yes Princess Asti Alegionaris, youngest
granddaughter of the Regent of Gouveia” he replied
“And who might you be?” Lyris asked
“Parse Sacrod, Legionnaire of the Royal
Guard” he said proudly
“My family have sent you to find me” Asti
said
“Well I’m not going back”
“Is this true, you’ve been chasing her?”
Shiyne asked
“No, no, it’s not like that” Parse said
“They didn’t send me after you to take you
back”
“So why are you here?” Asti asked
“Your mother asked me to follow to make sure
you came to no harm, that’s all” he explained
“She’s on your side, she doesn’t want you
to marry some old man, which you neither know nor love”
“He’s telling the truth” Shiyne said
“Marry?” Lyris asked
“Yes I’m betrothed to Prefector Collis of
Ghambra” she said
“A very old and by all accounts very
unpleasant man, and I’m not doing it”
Just at that moment a transit shuttle
arrived and disgorged its passengers so Asti took her chance and ran and
although he tried to keep his eyes on her Lyris lost sight of her in the melee
as another shuttle arrived and everyone decanted from it.
“We must go after her” Parse said
“You didn’t just come here protect her from
harm did you” Shiyne said
“No I’m also here to warn her” he admitted
“About what?” Lyris asked
“The Prefector is not so understanding is
he?” Visitor Parham reflected
“No he is not” Parse admitted “He wants her
and he will stop at nothing to get her”
“How did you find her so easily?” Lyris
asked
“She has a subdermal tracker” Parse replied
Parse and Lyris spent the next hour
tracking Asti around Delta 500 while Shiyne and Bagg made the necessary
purchases at the Mall,
It wasn’t an easy task because being so
tiny Asti was not easy to keep in sight at all time, she was also very fleet of
foot and they struggled more than once to keep up with her fortunately they had
Parse’s scanner.
But when they finally got within striking
distance of her they were just in time to witness her abduction.
Two men, one either side of her, grabbed
her and bundled her unceremoniously into a waiting vehicle, one was tall and
heavy set the other shorter and leaner.
“We’re too late” Parse said “They’ve got
her”
“Who are they?”
“Ghambran agents sent by Prefector Collis,
those two are Maxil Weltz and Vint Reganus, I didn’t get a look at the driver”
He replied sombrely “I have to rescue her”
“We, have to rescue her” Lyris corrected
him, but for now we need to know where they’ve taken her”
“Ok, let’s go” Parse said
“No you stay here” Lyris corrected him “you
stand out too much, I’ll meet you back at the Stroller”
The giant Legionnaire had no argument so he
just nodded and Lyris set off at a run, fortunately because of the crowds the
vehicle hadn’t got far and was making slow progress and as there was only one
way they could go from there he decided to press on up the thoroughfare and get
ahead of them.
With regular glances over his should to
make sure they didn’t deviate he reached the Mall exit and secured himself a
“Pediscoot” which was a single person two wheeled ride and waited until the
bushwhackers caught up with him and then when they passed he fell in behind
them.
There was sufficient traffic to ensure he
didn’t stand out but not enough to threaten the success of his surveillance and
he was rewarded with the location of their ship after about fifteen
minutes.
The ship was a Scorpion Cruiser, small fast
and well-armed, a popular choice among men of importance and unlimited funds.
Lyris kept watch from a safe distance as
the two men that snatched Asti manhandled her up the ships tail ramp.
The driver followed on and there was a
fourth man at the top of the ramp and they were all laughing as they pushed the
tiny figure of Asti inside.
He couldn’t hear her but he imagined she
was giving them all an un-princess like tongue lashing.
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