Chapter 2: Shopping on Mars

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“So what’s on the agenda Mr. Hunter?” Derrick asked in his deep voice that came naturally to a man with his heritage. Derrick was a dark-skinned large man with a militaristic haircut and powerful frame. He stood at six feet and seven inches of human physical perfection. Their group was currently traveling down an elevator in order to get to their next destination.

‘This man could probably crush my skull with one hand.’ Jayson thought as he took in the man’s look. And while Jayson stood a bit shy of six feet, and was confident in his looks and shape. He knew Derrick and a few of the other guys protecting him had him beat. ‘I’m going to have to start pumping more weights soon.’

“Let's hit up the closest dealership and see if we can find anything we can use.” The new CEO of Nexus Reconstructions said with a tone that made his escort feel more relaxed around him. The majority were grateful that he wasn’t a spoiled elitist that was planning on making their job an unnecessary pain. The fact that he was clearly just a normal guy that just became rich was making it easier for them to want to protect him.

“Did you hear that Rachel?” Derrick asked towards an average height brunette that was closest to them. As they traveled towards the parking lot of the hotel they were in. Jayson was naturally surrounded by his new personal protection squad. Derrick was standing at his right, while Jewel was at his left. The rest surrounded them while the brunette stood behind their red-haired employer. Jayson found her shoulder-length hair to be rather cute on her. The small glasses on her face enhancing her natural beauty, while giving her a bookworm kind of feel. The fact she was quite womanly for her petite frame made her a bit more alluring.

“Yes sir, plotting the quickest route and coordinating with Ares’s system as we speak.” Rachel said as she worked on a lifebox. “We should be ready to depart by the time we get the young lord familiar with his new chariot.”

“My new what?” The redhead asked with confusion.

“While the escort vehicles we will be using belong to the Fangs of Saturn. The vehicle you will be riding is something that was bought by Lord Bismark.” Jewel informed her employer with a smile as Jayson became speechless at the vehicle before him. A large and impressive-looking stretched limousine was now parked before him. Jayson was only expecting some kind of high-class passenger car, maybe an SUV, or perhaps a basic limo. But the beauty before him was something he had once told his grandfather he would love to ride in. The expensive machine looked like it had greater armor than that of a tank. Its style inherited from its militaristic origin was quite intimidating. The fact that it was the perfect mix of Red on Black left him speechless.

“That’s mine?” The redhead said with excitement radiating from his body. He couldn’t believe he was about to accomplish one of his childhood dreams.

“Yes sir, and impressive as hell. One of the nicest vehicles we ever had the honor to protect” Derrick said as he opened the door to the M-style Limo. Jewel quickly stuck her head in, placed her lifebox near a scanner before nodding as the vehicle finished scanning itself for any form of tampering.

She then climbed in as Jayson noticed four more figures in their uniform had joined them. As he looked around the parking lot he saw three more groups also surrounding expensive forms of transportation. Providing protection for their client's vehicles and those their own groups were going to be operating.

‘Who the hell asked the old man for an AirBus?’ Jayson thought with disbelief as he looked at the party bus that was capable of using lower air lanes to travel. While it looked fun as hell to be in, he couldn’t imagine how expensive it was to maintain and operate. ‘Then again it can’t be too far off the cost of my own gift.’ He soon got into the stretched limo and once again found himself stupefied by the luxury that made up the inner cabin of the vehicle.

“It's official. I am now filthy rich.” The redhead said with equal parts disbelief and awe.

The sound of Jewel and Rachel giggling at his words left him a bit embarrassed. The fact that Derrick was simply nodding his head in the agreement didn’t help Jayson feel any better.

“We have just been approved for departure, the others are ready to begin their escort.” The voice of the driver said making Jayson, and the group with him, look towards the front of the limo. Jayson could see two people in the front cabin. He wasn’t too sure on how to feel about seeing fully armed men where usually a well-dressed driver would be. Then again those two guys could probably do a much better job of protecting him than a basic driver. Unless the butler happens to be a lethal shadow, those guys were still considered to be the best attendants in recorded history.

Jayson blinked for a moment as he watched Derrick waiting on him to give his approval.

“Ah… please make it so?” Jayson asked with confusion clear in his voice before he felt the limo start to make its way out of the parking garage. The hum of its powerful engine allowing the redhead to ignore the recent wave of embarrassment that just hit him.

“So where are we heading to Rachel?” Derrick asked in order to give the young man a chance to collect himself.

“It's the second-largest dealership when it comes to personal spaceships. It's also the closest and the one more than likely to have large ships. Although I’m not too sure if it will meet our needs.” The brunette said with a shy voice making Derrick and Jayson looked at her with some confusion.

“Really? Why is that?” The redhead asked since he figured she had done her best to find a place they could visit.

“It would be best for Mr. Hunter to see with his own eyes.” Rachel’s words making Jayson feel worried about what was to come. The sound of vehicles flying past the Limo made the green eyes of the redhead grow before drawing his attention to the windows.

“Are those Air bikes?” The words of the new billionaire were filled with awe. He had always wanted to ride one.

“It's one of the easiest yet most effective ways to do our job. Not only are they fast and maneuverable but they can carry a weapon set up that makes them very adaptable.” Derrick answered with a smile and pride.

“It's also easier to receive a flying permit from the city for a squad of air bikes instead of making a request for larger military vehicles. And because of their weapons being built into the machines instead of on top, they don’t make the local populace unnecessarily worried.” Rachel added with pride. She had been the one to push for a hidden weapon deployment system for their air bikes. Which was something that became very popular with their normal clients.

“I see.” Jayson said as he remembered how his home’s local mercenary force acted more like a band of bandits than a security force. Many of those he grew up with wasn’t a fan of how they were so quick to show off their “Strength”. It had yet to become a true problem for the populace of the colony he called home, but he feared it would one day be. Hopefully, it won’t be while his family was still there.

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The impressive limo continued to turn heads as it made its way through the capital of Mars. Its colors and armored frame instantly drawing attention to it. The thirty-minute trip was a new and unique experience for the young man. Jayson at the moment was going over the data packets he had started to receive from Nexus Reconstructions. As its new CEO, he had a lot of work to get started on. His eyes focused on the screen of his lifebox as it continued to feed him more data on his company. He was surprised to learn that a large percentage of his business came from military contracts. And the rest made up of mercenary and private groups.

‘So we basically deal with disposing of old and damaged weapons of destruction. Mom is gonna hang me by why legs for this.’ The redhead thought as worried filled him once more. His mother wasn’t a fan of the military, much less soldiers of fortune. Not only did he went and gained a protection detail by actions not his own, but selected the one business that catered mostly to war. ‘I should have picked the hospital.’

“We will soon be arriving Mr. Hunter.” Jewel said as he looked up from his lifebox. He could see Derrick giving orders to his men, while Rachel continued to frown as she busied herself with her own lifebox.

Jayson could feel the limo coming to a stop and waited for one of Derrick's men to open the door. The mercenaries around him were grateful to the redhead, for not only listening to their words when they rode down the elevator but actually following them. Jayson had always been the type to acknowledge the voice of a specialist when it came to their field. So when the head of his security force set some ground rules he saw no reason to disobey. It would be rude to do otherwise, they were after all being paid to keep him safe. And in their business keeping the client alive is all that mattered.

It wasn’t long before Jayson was escorted into the large dealership that was in reality a port remolded to appeal to the most wealthy. The place was a privately owned space dock with each of its docking spots filled with different spaceships. Their group had been allowed to ride through the dealership on an air shuttle bus, that had an exposed cabin. While Jayson enjoyed the experience of seeing all the different ships available, not to mention appreciating how many details the salesman knew.

It was just unfortunate that neither Jayson nor Rachel seemed to approve of the ships. Derrick on the other hand nearly fell in love with a very sporty-looking personal transport, while Jewel was dreaming of taking a system cruise one day. Mainly on the expensive-looking yacht that Jayson was sure wouldn’t ever be able to land on a planet under its own power. Its design was too darn weird in his opinion.

From small single crafts that usually did speedy jobs, to party ships that were more or less just a waste of money, and finally to large cruisers that would be better off being used as a vacation resort. One thing they all had in common was that they were clearly not made in mind to ferry a military force.

“Rachel.” Jayson suddenly cut off the Salesman that was currently pitching a space yacht that would apparently guarantee the redhead the time of his life.

“Yes, Mr. Hunter?” The girl answered with a bit of surprise that he was suddenly talking to her. She wasn’t expecting their new employer to interact with anyone else in their squad besides Derrick and perhaps Jewel. It was a bit comforting to learn that he bothered to remember their names.

“Are the majority of all dealerships like this? Is this more or less all of the ships for me to pick from?” The woman felt a bit bad at the frowning face of the salesman as the guy and the mercenaries could clearly see some signs that Jayson wasn’t planning on giving the place any business.

“Unfortunately… I got on the global net hoping to find a place that might fit our needs but I have yet to find such a place through the usual means.”

“I don’t wish to be rude.” The salesman growled out, clearly with no sincerity in his words. “But what kind of needs do you have that we can’t currently provide.” The man was clearly proud of his products and ability to sell. He couldn’t accept that the man before him felt they weren’t good enough.

“Rachel if you would be so kind,” Jayson said making the woman nod her head and show off the data of her lifebox towards the salesman.

The man quickly paling as he saw the demands that needed to be met. While the group currently traveling with Jayson wasn’t too big, nor were their air bikes and the Limo itself something that couldn’t be carried by the larger ships. They were just a small squad out of a battalion that was stationed on mars to keep their contractor safe. The Fangs of Saturn had sent a fair-sized force to Mars and were currently being housed by one of their allies. The warehouse they were currently occupying had fifty bodies ready to fight. Two aerial personal means of transport for quick response. Three escort helicopters. A dozen ground machines of war, and finally three of the newest and most dangerous weapons of destruction waiting to be deployed. Along with the support personnel to ensure business went on without a problem.

“I.. I’m ashamed to admit that none of our ships are capable of handling such a request. And I have no doubt that none of our associated locations can either.” The man said with shame in his voice.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“I appreciate the honesty… however there is something that caught my attention… the ship named Purple Rose… how hard is it to pilot?” Jayson said making the man develop a grateful smile.

The shuttle quickly made its way towards the ship that Jayson had named. Six bodies soon found themselves floating before a beautiful piece of scientific art that was ready for purchase. It was a personal void traveling ship. It was extremely slick, and its paint job made it look more like a jewel than an item for everyday use. Just one look would make it clear that it was one with few that were able to consider its equal. Jayson could proudly say it was the most beautiful privately owned long-distance shuttles he had ever seen. The fact he could see Rachel’s eyes filling with want made it clear it would be a purchase he wouldn’t regret.

“The Purple Rose is one of the newest ships straight from Luna’s Shipyards. She is a Tenth Generation descendant of the Valkyrie class ships.” The man said with pride in his voice.

“Fast, with powerful shields, and with a twin defense plasma cannon system. She can easily get you from Earth to Mars in less than a month. And her maneuverability puts most of the military fighters to shame.”

“How does she stand up against anti-capturing tactics?” Jayson asked as he studied the amazing ship before him. The black, purple, and gold paint were breathtaking when looked upon. The purple rose petals that surrounded the ship made it look like it had just flown over a majestic flower field under a moon-lit sky.

“Her frame is too hard to detect, and her shields are capable of changing their frequency to deflect many common tractors beams. Her AI is powerful enough to fight off a whole team of potential hackers. Not to mention she contains an overdrive system that will allow its owner to easily gain a distance from potential pursuers, without having to worry about putting a strain on her engines and thrusters.”

“How many passengers can she take in while providing comfort?”

“She can easily house ten individuals through a three-month journey before needing to dock in order to resupply.”

“We got Mom, Grandma, Aunty, and the twins…” Jayson mumbled before smiling. “Give her an additional offensive option, along with some maintenance drones and you got yourself a deal.” The words of the redhead making the salesman nearly shine in excitement.

“Right away Mr. Hunter. Take us to the main building so that we can complete our customer’s order.” Once again their ride took off, Jayson couldn’t help but smile at the fact that his three guards looked like they had wanted to continue some window shopping. He couldn’t blame, the ship dealership was filled with some of the best ships Mars could offer.

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After an hour of paperwork, and having his funds verified and transferred over, Jayson was now the owner of one of the most valued and desired personal ships on the market. The Purple Rose was just a few meters longer than fifty, A third as tall and wide as it was long. He had no doubt that anyone watching it would more than likely think the ship wasn’t for a masculine person. Which to be honest had been the reason it had caught his eyes. His mom had worked for as long he could remember, and considering the fact, his grandmother had been a single mom as well, he knew that they had been quite limited in what things they could do for fun. Since he was small, the memory of his mother looking at commercials of wonderful resorts had engraved itself in the back of his mind. The ways her eyes filled with longing and how she would always end up sighing and whispering “one day”, made the young man desire to be the one to bring that day to her.

And now thanks to the generosity of his grandfather, that one day had come to be a lot faster than what he had originally planned for. The first step was the gifting of the Purple Rose to his mother. It was large enough to transport not only her but his grandmother, his Aunty, and his twin seven-year-old cousins. He had no doubt his mother was going to milk traveling the star system for a few good years. In fact, he planned to encourage her to take such a journey as soon as possible.

Thanks to her son paying for its maintenance, insurance, and potential modernization, she would have no reason to worry herself over it. The fact that its abilities were so advance than the more available ships meant that it should in theory be able to get them out of most problems.

The Third Tier Pilot Drone was capable of operating and responding to any command and situation as if it was a human being. This meant that none of his family members would have to worry about needing to learn how to fly. Even though he figured they would still wish to. The redhead was just grateful the girls were going to be too short to handle operating the ship on their own. There was also the problem of knowing how much he loved to spoil his younger cousins, leaving no doubt they would demand a ship of their own when they got old enough. He could already picture them using their cuteness as a weapon in order to get what they wanted. And if he was honest he would admit to it not being the first time they had done so. Those twins were going to do their best to milk his wallet dry, thankfully it had just received a massive depth to its capacity.

Jayson was also grateful that they were able to install a twin missile delivery system, along with a telescoping rail cannon for an extra punch to potential trouble makers. Thanks to those additional offensive packages, Purple Rose can now face foes that needed a harder hit than what the ship’s plasma cannons could originally handle.

Unfortunately due to the weapon’s unique design, it could only be fired at most five times and each time required a two-minute recharge rate. The plasma cannons were located at the bottom of the ship, the missiles on the wings and the rail Cannon on its top. Unfortunately, all three weapons were fixed position weapons, meaning that Purple Rose had to lock directly at a target to unleash its payload. However, the speed at which that it could fire its plasma rounds and rail projectiles left nearly no chance of evasion. Its missiles were slower but were capable of making impressive course corrections.

Yet such knowledge wasn’t a major concern to Jayson, since its weapons systems were considered to be the last resort. The ship was supposed to be one of the fastest in the system. And thanks to him for paying for enhancing its propulsion systems, fuel capacity, and overdrive system. In theory, there should be nearly nothing that it couldn’t outrun. If the salesman was telling the truth, which Jayson believed he was due to how proud his words happen to be, his mother’s ship was going to have no problems in letting her visit any place her heart had ever desired.

+-*/\*-+

After coming close to having Derrick make the grateful salesman let go of his hand by force. It was clear it was time for their group to move on. The new billionaire could understand the man was excited about the commission he just made, but there was only so much friendly love he could take. There was also the fact that Jayson was ready to find a solution to their current ship obtaining problem. This is why he looked towards Rachel for a possible solution.

“I don’t think we will be able to find anything from the open markets.” Rachel said with a quiet voice as they made their way to the limo. Having easily figured out why her contractor was looking at her for guidance.

“Where would be the best place for us to find what we need.” The redhead asked since he wished to get home, collect his family, and then make their way to Titan as soon as possible.

He had just finished reading a good chunk of his many messages and the cliff notes of many recent business meetings for him to gain a fair amount of worry.

While Nexus Reconstructions was not in any immediate financial trouble, its earning had started to drop in the last four years. Which was around the same time that Jayson’s grandfathers started to get harder to contact. Until recently, Jayson can only remember a few times that his grandfather wouldn’t answer his calls personally or get back to him as soon as possible. Never lasting more than a few days, and if it wasn’t for his mom noticing this growing change, there would have been a good chance that Jayson would have never noticed.

While his mom wanted nothing to do with her son’s family, she wasn’t the type to refuse them to make a connection. And even though she had her doubts in the beginning, mostly thinking that the money being given to her was to be considered hush money, Bartholomew Bismark did care for his kin. Unfortunately, the man was too busy to ever really be given a chance to be with such an extended family. No matter how much he wished to do otherwise.

And with Lord Bismark’s desire to avoid favoritism among his grandchildren, he had no choice but to keep a fair distance from them. He didn’t want the older children, much less more financially blessed ones to be tempted to commit dark acts. He already knew that many of his beloved grandkids were being pushed by their personal families to claim everything for themselves. The man had sent Jayson’s mom a priority message, with data to go along with it, to prove the man wasn’t lying. The fact that Jayson’s father was a selfish bastard with no care for his actions, made things quite complicated.

‘The sudden rise of crime throughout open space is worrying.’ Jayson thought as he finished his business at the dealership for the purchase of a high-quality luxury ship. The Ship’s Core Key being kept in an unbreakable, un-hackable box that was now chained to his body. Just the extremely protective box itself was worth a quarter of a million credits. It was the Black Box of the Purple Rose, without it the ship could never be used. Scrapped for its parts and material was still an option but its main operating computer would be considered dead weight. And with so many systems requiring authorization from such a machine, it was too troublesome to strip any ship of valuables without having the core key.

Just the amount of effort needed to make a ship available for resale was easily worth half of any ship one tries to steal. And due to the many sensors and security systems, it was impossible to force anyone to transfer ownership of a ship. A person literally had to return to the dealership where the ship was sold, if not towards a military base that had a specialist capable of updating the ship's files and digital paperwork.

There was also the fact that the true key of the black box was installed into the Lifebox of its owner. A machine so interwoven to the life of a person, that after assuring the death of its owner, the box would put to work a person’s will, wipe itself clean and then self-destruct. As far as Jayson knew no one had yet to find a way to stop such an action. The only time it was easy to make a transfer was only if it involved the family of the shipowner. And even then it would only give partial control to anyone that wasn’t the one the owner wished to give the ship to.

It's why it was easier to hold the ship hostage or destroy it for scraps instead of trying to take command of a ship. A disturbing fact of the current times, but one they had learned to live with.

If it wasn’t for the fact that most insurance companies don’t insure space raids for transport companies, most ships would just dump their cargo at the first sign of trouble. There were quite a few actions that needed to be taken in order for one to clear themselves of any potential legal trouble when doing such things. Thankfully that wasn’t an issue Jayson didn’t see his mom getting into.

“The only options we have right now is calling our headquarters and securing us a transport.” The leader of the Fangs of Saturn currently working on Mars said with a frown.

“Sadly such options would take too long, making it easier for us to ask our allies on Mars if they could give us a lift, or even using public ships. The last and fastest option at the moment…” Derrick said with a bit of uncertainty at the end.

“So what is the final option? I’m in a rush to get home, and even if I used the Purple Rose to do it, I don’t feel too comfortable traveling on my own. Your group was hired by the associates of my grandfather, if they trust you then so will I. I’m still new at dealing with such things… I’ll take all the help I can get.” Jayson started once more to make it clear that he was going to respect their opinions.

“We could go to an Arms Dealer.” Rachel said making all attention fall on her. Jayson’s eyes growing with disbelief. An arms dealer being nothing more than a fancy title for someone that profited off of battles and wars. They weren’t military contractors but instead private-based weapon dealers. While considered to be legal company owners they were still frowned upon by the majority of the population. Such entrepreneurs were rumored to be capable of arming anyone with just about anything if they had the funds for it. The only thing that could be trusted about them was that they were honest about the quality of their work and the deals they made. Which made sense since their clientele was more than just the legalized security contractors like the Fangs of Saturn. And the farther one was from Earth, the shadier they could become.

“I got in contact with the accountant of the Amazons from Mars… with them being one of our closest of allies… we should be able to trust their vendors.” Rachel said making Jayson close his eyes to think.

“How long do you think it would take for us to get me a warship built by a proper construction yard?” Hoping to find another option that wouldn’t make him as uncomfortable as the one being placed before him.

“Such a contract would have to be approved by many different hands. Not to mention that we would have to find one that is willing to slip us in before a previously contracted work. I’m afraid the cost of getting us a decent ship from them would be the same as getting a patrol group from an Arms Dealer.” Derrick said with a bit of shame. Jayson frowning at a reminder of how politics and deep pockets always made things unnecessary harder.

“They would naturally want to give their local clients more preference. And I’m not into the idea of going into a bidding war for a single ship. More importantly, I really want to get home as soon as possible.” The redhead thought before releasing a sigh.

He turned his head and looked towards the normally shy techno-loving girl.

“Rachel make the call and see about getting us an appointment with their supplier. Tell the Amazons that I’ll be offering them a small commission fee for my gratitude towards their help.”

“Of course Mr. Hunter.” Rachel said with a smile before starting to work on her lifebox once again. Jayson noticing that hers was much better for surfing the web than he could ever be. While he could more than likely connect faster and handle more complicated programming, it wasn’t known for its multitasking. Give it one request and it was the best, but try to work a call, play a game, and check the news at the same time and poof it would probably crash. While Rachel’s seemed to be able to juggle ten things at once.

“Mr. Hunter.” A man’s voice suddenly drew their attention. Standing near the Limo were two well-dressed individuals. The man of Asian heritage was standing at about five feet and eight inches. And the exotic beauty was an inch and a half taller without having to use high heels.

“Oda and Angela correct?” Jayson asked the two as their group stopped before them.

“On behalf of Solar Mediation, we wish to thank Mr. Hunter for the opportunity presented not only to us but also to our company. And once again our condolence goes out to your family for the unfortunate passing of Lord Bismark.” Angela said with clear sincerity in her voice that seemed to also be radiating from the man next to him.

“Thank you. Let us link up and get a move on.” Jayson said as he pulled out his L-box and offered it to the two people that will probably be helping him a lot. They placed theirs owns in front of his and the trio of machines' response of being connected soon filled the air.

“These are the reports that I have been going over since I have become the owner of Nexus Reconstructions. I have already made some notes and hope you two can help me keep it from going under.” The hands of the redhead working his device to transfer over the files he felt they currently needed.

“It would be our pleasure, Mr. Hunter. I’ll start working on all the financial reports, special project funds, and all employee evaluation and pay.” Sakuraba said before starting to work on his own lifebox which was similar to that of Rachel’s design.

“And I will ensure to make your welcome as CEO as easy as possible.” Angela said as her Lifebox’s size was more equal to that of a clipboard. And how naturally she carried it in one hand made it clear that she wasn’t planning on putting it down anytime soon.

‘Both seem to be all kinds of professional, easily worth every cred they will cost me. Of course, that also goes for the Fangs as well.’ The redhead thought as he was grateful towards the mercenaries escorting him.

“Before we head to our next direction, should we let the others eat?” Jayson asked as he looked at the mercenaries that had unfortunately been out under the heat of Mars’s atmosphere. Unfortunately, its surface was only sixty percent similar to that of Earth's. Leaving a good chunk of it with all kinds of crazy temperatures in different locations. Scientists estimated another thousand years before it was as close to a copy to earth as it could get.

“While we were inside, those that came with us from the hotel were switched out by other members that were more refreshed. We usually deal with a four-hour shift change in order to keep our people fresh, with eight hours in between working shifts.” The mercenary said with pride.

“And because we already ate with you in the dealership we can handle working a little longer.” Jewel said with a smile, as Rachel nodded her head in support. The salesman had wanted to make sure that their newest client was well-taken care of. And the man had quickly noticed that Jayson had respect for his escort and took a gamble by offering all of them a meal. And with all the money his new client spent, his plans were something his bosses were more than willing to approve.

“I see… then let us continue,” Jayson said with a bit of excitement in his voice. He couldn’t deny that a small part of him had once dreamed about having his own spaceship. The fact that it was going to be a military-grade ship made it even more special. There had been a time when Jayson had considered joining up with a mercenary force or even with the Protectors of Humanity. But his mom had easily talked him out of it. And after learning more about his grandfather it left no doubt that his mom knew of what was to come.

‘It explains why every time I promised something amazing for her, no matter how ridiculous or expensive, she would always tell me that she knew I would one day make those promises become real.’ The redhead smiled at how sly his mom had been over the years. Not only did she helped build her son’s confidence but also made it clear that she expected him to come through.

“Mr. Hunter,” Angela said while looking at the young and newly made billionaire. “Where are we going?”

“To get me a ship.” Jayson said with a carefree smile.

“A ship? None of the ones available here were to your liking?” Oda asked with a bit of confusion. They stood before the second greatest dealership on the red planet. It was surprising to hear that someone couldn’t find something they wanted. Maybe find themselves unable to buy it but never without wanting something. And from the briefing they had received, their new client should easily afford any of the ships that were being offered.

“The one I bought here wasn’t to my own personal liking. Nor could it help me with my most recent problem.”

“And the reason you purchased it?” Angela asked while hopping her new client wasn’t the type to waste money like a fool. Otherwise, she would have to set up a backup plan in case things went south. Hopefully, he was just a collector that just started working on his collection.

“It’s a gift I promised to my mother when I was younger.”

‘For a moment there I was worried it had been to his liking.’ Derrick thought and saw that his second and third in command probably had thought the same. Jayson had gone out of his way to recommend certain things that weren’t of the masculine nature. Which was a little odd for a young man that had been slightly distracted by the beauty of the fairer members of their race. The man knew it wasn’t right to judge others for such a thing, but there were still some things humanity was struggling with. But after learning that Purple Rose was for his mom, they could see why he seemed to make it as likable and comfortable to a female as possible.

Angela gave a smile in approval as Oda once again nodded his head. He was a family man and hoped to one day be able to make a similar gesture towards his own parents. Derrick and his soldiers for hire also approved and once again we're reminded that they had been lucky to have such a good-natured employer.

“So what Dealership are we now heading to?” Oda asked with a smile. He tried to think of one place he could recommend in hopes of earning the trust and favor of his new employer.

“Hera’s Blacksmith.” Rachel’s answers bringing full disbelief and worry upon the two new members of their group. As natives from mars they had heard about that certain Arms Dealer and they couldn’t believe their client was going to walk into such a dangerous den.