The Tempest Class Freighter, Tornado, reached the Eikon Cluster with a
full complement aboard, funds in the coffers and three pods of Thermalium
mineral ore for delivery to Eikon Major.
The system was known as the Eikon Cluster, so called due to the high
number of M class planets and moons in the Eikon solar system, they quickly
found an abundance of work with Golbolt Interstellar, based on the moon Somar.
The main reason for
that was that the Operations Manager was Oshwin Lemik and he fought against the
Legion in the Shaxon War with the Skeet brothers, they as pilots and Oshwin as
Logistics Commander.
From the moment they were reacquainted, the Tornado got as much work
as they wanted and regularly ran between Eikon Major and Minor, Eirkos and its
moons, Soman, Rekar and Marikya, and neighbouring planet’s, Achrem and Zenden
as well as Zenden’s moon, Linden, plus a host of other smaller moons and asteroids.
In the time they had
been in the Eikon Cluster they had familiarized themselves with the planets and
moons they visited and had cultivated great friendships along the way, they had
also made a lot of important contacts, so whatever part of the system they were
in they always knew which ear to whisper in to, to untangle any complications,
or open doors that would otherwise have remained shut.
One important ally
they had cultivated was Emad Salmin of the Legion Aeronautica, who was, thanks to the Tornado,
Supreme Commander for the whole of the Eikon Cluster and those aboard the
Tornado, and their friends and allies felt the weight of his gratitude.
This was for two
reasons, one was for their help in capturing a wanted criminal, Kurla Babic, and
second the recovery of the Gouveian Crown Jewels, he was suspected of stealing.
So they had benefitted
greatly from his gratitude, but on one trip as they were just passing Zenden’s
moon Linden, Shiyne said
“I’m picking up something on the scanners”
“What exactly?” Merri asked
“I don’t know, I can’t identify it, we’re being jammed”
“Use your other scanner then” Merri said, which of course meant that Shiyne should use her telepathic gift, because Shiyne
was a Vann and all of the Vann were telepaths, by varying degrees, and many of
them left their home world at some point to use their gifts to earn a wage.
Those at the zenith of their talents worked as corporate negotiators or
in the justice systems of the Legion.
Shiyne was a Vann with mid-range capabilities and she could read most
species to some extent, her skills were limited with the more sophisticated or
complex brains, lesser minds were easier for her to explore.
In addition to reading
minds she could also implant thoughts and the suggestions would stay in place
longer with someone who was more intellectually challenged.
But in this instance, it was her reading skills that were required.
“Roger that” she responded and closed her eyes and it only took her
thirty seconds before she added
“Got them”
“Who?” Malena asked
fearing an attack
“Legion” she replied,
“a squadron of six Firedarts and a Blaze Command Ship”
“What do they want with
us?” Merri asked and Shiyne smiled
“It’s the boss man,”
she replied
“What does he want?”
Merri asked
“A chat” Shiyne
replied and smiled again “And some of Bagg’s scones”
A moment later she
added “we have an incoming message”
“Put it on speaker”
Merri said
“This is Supreme
Commander Emad Salmin of the Legion Aeronautica, cut your main engines and
prepare to be boarded”
Merri nodded and then
opened the mic
“Captain Strong
responding, message received, cutting engines and standing by”
Then she switched to internal
comms
“Malena, stand by the
docking port” Merri replied just as the Legion Firedarts took up station around
the Tornado, one to Port, Starboard, Forward, Aft and two stationed above.
There were two docking
rings on the Tornado to facilitate transfers to and from the freighter while in
space, one in the belly below the loading bay and the other was amidships above
the cargo bays which was also the mooring point for shuttles or ancillary
craft.
Merri 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 Merri had joined Malena and was waiting to greet their visitor
“Welcome aboard Supreme
Commander” she said
“I’m Captain Strong”
“Let’s go to the mess
room” he responded curtly “I will need to see the whole crew”
“I anticipated that” Merri
said “Follow me”
When they reached the
mess the Supreme Commander instructed his escort to stand guard outside while he
entered the mess to find Bagg was performing his familiar role as provider of
scones and coffee.
“That smells really is
amazing” he said “Still feeding the soul and the body in equal measure I see”
“There are plenty to
go around as usual” Bagg said “Please sit”
“So for what do we owe
the pleasure of your visit?” Merri asked as he bit into one of Bagg’s scones
“That is so good” he said,
and licked jam off his lips then he added
“I need a favour”
“Name it” Merri said
The favour was in
regard to Neff Abery who was an influential member of the Eikon Government, he
also had his own Moon, which was actually a moon of a moon, and Miah orbited
Zenden’s moon Linden.
“It all goes back to
the raid on the “Blue Horizon” in Odekka” he said
“I thought that was
all wrapped up” Lyris Skeet said
“Almost” he replied
“except for the top man”
“I thought that was
Kurla” Zerrad added
“He was the ringleader
of the gang certainly, but he didn’t steal the Gouveian Crown Jewels for
himself, he would have known he couldn’t sell it, they were too high profile,
it had to have been stolen to order” He explained “And that’s where Neff Abery
comes in”
“Did Kurla name him?”
Merri asked
“No he’s saying
nothing but the
Lakmean trader, AaHannaa, is talking
enough for the both of them” Salmin said with a wry smile “And so are all the
little fish”
He paused long enough
to eat another mouthful of scone and then he put a small data tablet on the
table and added
“And I have compiled
this evidence against Neff Abery, and it doesn’t stop with the Crown Jewels, he
is involved in a variety of criminal enterprises, including sex slavery into
Mehreen space, I even have images of him sampling the merchandise, and meeting
with Mehreen representatives in neutral space”
“But?” Bagg asked
“But the Legion can’t
get authorization to act against him” Shiyne said reading his thoughts
“Correct, he is to
well protected, both in Government and by the Prefects on Miah” he said “I
can’t touch him”
“He must know where
the bodies are buried” Zerrad Skeet remarked
“Does he know?” Merri
asked
“I doubt it, but even
if he did he’s so arrogant he wouldn’t care, he thinks he’s untouchable” Salmin
said
“He is apparently”
Parse Sacrod added
“That’s why I would
hate for this tablet to end up in the wrong hands” he said as he pushed it
across the table.
“Yes that would be
very unfortunate” Merri said as she picked it up
“Well I had better be
on my way” he said “it was nice meeting you all again”
“Please take a batch
of scones back to your ship” Bagg offered
“I would like that very
much” he said and then he took his leave of them.
“Ok coffee break over”
Merri said as their Legion escorts sped away “Let’s get this bird back up to
speed”
And five minutes later Merri sat in the pilot seat and nodded to co-pilot
Malena who brought the Plasma Turbine
Pyroclast Engines back on line and the Tempest class freighter was back up to
speed and on the way to Zenden.
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