Rhubin flew us down to the planet's surface and landed at the given coordinates. It was near a large corporate building and there were several people and aliens in business suits waiting for us.
“You really did catch him.” One of the aliens said as we left the shuttle with the prisoner and the passenger.
“I did.” Azora said. “I'd like the reward, please.”
“Of course, of course.” The alien said and waved to a man behind him. That man stepped forward and opened a small briefcase and inside was a single credit chip in a holder. Azora picked up the chip, then Luxea snatched it from her hand and stuck it into her chip reader.
“Hey!” Azora exclaimed. “That's...”
“...completely legitimate.” Luzea said and handed the chip back.
Azora just stared at her with a blank look on her face.
“Thank you for returning our wayward employee.” The alien said and two other aliens came forward and took Ernas by the arms, then escorted him into the building. “I swear, the more privileges these slaves get, the more they think they can take what they want and just leave.”
“HE'S A SLAVE?!?” Azora yelled.
“Hm? Oh, don't be upset.” The alien said. “My galactic is horrendous. What's another word for slave?”
“Indentured worker.” I said, and the alien pointed at me.
“Yes! That's the word. Indentured.” The alien said. “He agreed to work for us for five years if we paid for his education and all living expenses. Signed a contract and everything.”
“How long has he worked for you?” Luxea asked.
“Only two years.” The alien said. “What he didn't know was that we were impressed with his work and started grooming him for a management position with a bigger office and even his own secretary. We gave him access to some of our more prominent client's accounts to see how he would handle their finances.”
“He siphoned off some of those funds.” I said, and the alien nodded.
“Fifty thousand credits is barely an hour's income for our business; but, losing that income always raises red flags. We sent a toad to check on his progress and to see what he intended to do with the funds, then he panicked and ran.”
“Calling someone a toad isn't nice.” Azora said.
“Why isn't it?” The alien asked as he looked at her like she was speaking nonsense. “He is a toad.”
“RIIIBIIT!” The alien behind him croaked, and Luxea covered her mouth to stop from laughing.
Azora was slightly stunned by that. “Um... wh-what... what's going to happen to him?”
“We've already arranged for Ernas to be sequestered to his penthouse apartment and he can only handle the ten thousand credit clients.” The alien said. “He's also defaulted on the contract and enacted the clause for extended service for another two years.”
“The idiot has to start over from the bottom.” The man that had handed over the credit chip said. “If he's lucky and works well, he can have this expunged from his work history before his contract is up.”
“If he doesn't?” Azora asked.
“He'll have a hard time finding a job, even inside our own company.” The man said. “He can choose to switch professions at that point, then he'll have to start over again.”
“He... he'll be working for you... forever.”
“I told you, only if he's lucky.” The man said.
“This business deal is completed.” The alien said and waved both of his hands at us. “Thank you for the prompt dealings!” He didn't wait for a response and turned around, then the group he was with followed him into the building.
“I didn't get the chance to advertise.” Luxea sighed.
“I'm sure they know who we are.” I said and led her and Azora back into the shuttle. “If there's one thing corporations appreciate, it's speed of delivery.”
Azora didn't say anything and sat in one of the shuttle seats, and Luxea went to the cockpit and sat beside Rhubin. I was tempted to go and sit off by myself, then realized it wouldn't look good for our company if I ignored our very first passenger. I held in my sigh as I sat down in the seat next to her and she turned her head to look at me. She had tears in her eyes and looked to be on the verge of crying her eyes out.
“You're not an actual bounty hunter are you?” I asked, and she shook her head. “You loved him a lot, didn't you?”
Azora took a quick breath, threw her arms around me, then burst out crying and sobbing as she put her head on my shoulder. “I abandoned him!” She exclaimed. “He loves me and I left him!”
“Yeah.” I said and pat her arm. “He's going to have a hard life in his penthouse apartment and working the same job that he had contracted with them to do, before he robbed them.”
“That... makes it sound... like Ernas was wrong.” Azora said between sobs.
“He was.” I said. “If he had been coerced or tricked into it, I would probably be all over that building and destroying everything in outrage.”
“You... you would?”
“Perhaps.” I said as the scene played out in my mind and I smiled. “Ernas agreed to work for them and betrayed them, and yet, they didn't ask for the money he took and only wanted him to come back.”
Azora's tears slowed down and she lifted her head from my shoulder.
“Imagine if all companies did that.” I said. “Making the happiness of their employees a priority and forgiving them for their crimes and not putting them in jail or to death.”
Azora stopped crying when I said 'death'. “He... he could have died?” She asked, shocked.
“It depends on the local laws, I think.” I said. “He's pretty fortunate that they want him to fulfill his obligations and didn't charge him or turn him over to the authorities.” I smiled. “Of course, as far as I know, they are the authorities here.”
“But... what if...”
“If you're worried about him, just call him the next chance you get.” I said. “They didn't say he couldn't talk to people or even meet them on his own time.”
Azora stopped hugging me and sat back in her seat. “I... I didn't think... I thought he would be...”
“We all assumed that they wanted him arrested.” I said. “Aren't you glad that he's not?”
Azora nodded slightly several times. “Thank you.”
I shrugged and we didn't speak again until we docked back to the ship and went down through the hatch. Rhubin and I reattached the shuttle to the ship and went back inside.
“So, where do you want to go?” Rhubin asked Azora.
“I...” Azora looked at all of our faces and then back at Rhubin's. “I'd like to go home.”
“One quick trip back coming right up.” Rhubin said. “Luxea, want to give me a hand with the coordinates?”
They left and went to the cockpit, despite everyone knowing he didn't need her help, and I was left alone with Azora.
“We should probably sit down or something, right?” Azora asked.
“The living room is this way.” I said and she followed me there. I sat down on the couch, and she sat down right next to me, despite having a whole couch and several chairs to sit on.
“What's your name?” Azora asked.
“Unavailable.” I said.
“Hee hee.” Azora laughed awkwardly. “I wasn't... I mean, you're handsome and everything, but...”
“The big metal plate on my face doesn't turn you off?” I asked.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“No, I... it's kind of endearing that you can act normally with it.” Azora said. “I want to hold you and tell you that you're being so brave about it.”
Well, damn. I thought. I guess my disguise really can backfire like Evelyn said. I lifted my arm, and Azora practically jumped onto me and held me tightly for the ten minute trip back to the neighbouring system. Once there, she opted to get dropped off at the station. We had paid the docking fee for the day already, so we docked and gathered at the main hatch to send her off. She left the ship with both a happy smile and a sad face. Before we could close the hatch, someone came out of the port master's office and waved for our attention.
“You really do have a fast ship.” The uniformed man said as he approached. “I was just looking at your flight path with the port master.”
“It was impressive, wasn't it?” Rhubin asked. “This little ship blows everything else away.”
“It does, and I've talked to the station manager. We want to hire you for a high priority diplomatic mission.”
“We don't want to get involved with politics.” I said.
“You'll only be providing transport and won't be involved with the discussions.” The uniformed man said. “We were all set to book them onto a passenger liner and send them on the three month trip, and then...”
“Here we are.” I said.
“Before we think about taking the job, what are the particular requirements and how many people are going?” Luxea asked.
“There are three delegates, all female, two security guards, also female, luggage for the trip, food and necessities for an extended stay, and they need to get there as soon as possible.”
“Three months was as soon as possible?” Rhubin asked, surprised.
“The passenger liner has many stops and layovers on their circular route. One of their stops just happened to be where the delegates needed to go.” The uniformed man said.
“How much were the passenger tickets?” Luxea asked.
“Two thousand credits each, round trip.”
“That's a top tier luxury liner.” Luxea whispered.
“So, what do you think?” Rhubin asked me.
“Where is this mission going to?” I asked.
“It's a planet called Chofaris in the Fogaris System.” The uniformed man said. “You'll be landing at Sefaris, the coastal city, and dropping the delegates off at the government buildings there.”
Places here have some weird names. I thought to myself.
“Is it still a round trip?” Luxea asked.
“No, you're just delivering them to their new posts in the government there.” The uniformed man said. “We'll even pay the same fee as if they had taken the passenger liner.”
“This seems too good to be true.” I said, and the uniformed man looked at me. “What's the catch?”
“I don't know what you mean.” The uniformed man said, and I felt the Presence waver slightly.
“We refuse.” I said and walked back into the ship. “Luxea, Rhubin, let's go.”
Luxea and Rhubin didn't comment as they stepped back into the ship with me.
“W-wait!” The uniformed man said.
“What's the catch?” I repeated the question.
“It's a war zone.” The uniformed man said, slightly deflated and he hunched a little. “Passenger ships are allowed through, so you should be safe...”
“...but, there's no guarantee.” I finished for him, and he nodded. “Do the delegates know?”
“Yes. They are going there on their own initiative, despite protests from both governments there and here.”
“Are they here on the station?” I asked, and he nodded. “Then Luxea and I will meet with them.”
The uniformed man let relief show on his face for a moment, then stood up straighter. “I'll take you to them right now.”
“Rhubin, stay here and keep the ship ready for departure.” I said and held a hand out for Luxea. She took it with a smile and the uniformed man led us from the dock and through the station to the rooms that the delegates were staying in while they waited for their transport. The uniformed man knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments, the door opened and an ornately dressed woman stood there. The gold accents of her dress highlighted her brownish-blonde hair that was similar to mine.
“Yes?” She said, then saw who was there. “What can I do for you today, major?”
“Forgive the intrusion.” The uniformed man said and gave her a slight bow. “We might have a fast transport available for you.”
“Wonderful!” She exclaimed and stepped back. “Please, come in.”
“Thank you.” The uniformed man said and stepped into the room. Luxea and I followed him inside, and the woman stared at my almost six feet of height and my long flowing dirty blonde hair.
“I wish I could see your eyes.” The woman whispered, barely above a breath.
That's why I'm covering them. I thought with a smile.
She shook herself and closed the room's door and walked over to an archway. “We might have a fast transport!”
“Wonderful!” Two other women's voices exclaimed and came out of the other room, and they wore identical dresses and had similar hair.
“When can we leave?” One of them asked.
“These two people from The Wave have asked to meet with you before they decide to take the job.” The uniformed man said.
“Then let us greet them properly.” One of the women said and stepped forward to stop in front of me. “Great Warrior, my name is Uzahne.” She said and bowed her head to me. “I have been appointed to be a delegate to help the war-torn region of the Fogaris System. The woman on my left is Ahaen and the one on my right is Sheph.”
I nodded my head to them in turn. Sheph had been the one who answered the door.
“We humbly request that you put yourself and your ship into jeopardy to take us to our urgent task.” Uzahne said. “We would normally take the safer route; but, our need to be there as quickly as we can dictates that we must ignore our own safety to try and accomplish our task.”
“Do you really believe that your presence will make a difference?” I asked.
“Just the word that we would be arriving has made a difference.” Uzahne said. “If we show up before our scheduled arrival, I am positive that it will change the course of the war.”
“For better or for worse?” I asked, and her stoic face broke into a smile as she took my hand.
“With your help, we can find that out.”
Ahaen leaned in close to Uzahne and whispered in her ear. “You shouldn't casually touch a man like him publicly.”
“I know.” Uzahne said without whispering. “That's why I did it.”
“You really want me to take you, no matter the cost to either you personally or to those around you?” I asked, and she nodded.
“I am tempted to beg; but, we both know that tactic won't work.” Uzahne said and her smile grew into a grin. “I also know that offering you a monetary bonus won't work, either.”
“You can't spend money when you're dead.” I said, and she nodded.
“What I can offer is good companionship, interesting conversations, and perhaps an enjoyable shared meal or two.”
“Uzahne!” Ahaen exclaimed, and Uzahne laughed.
“I don't believe he would take advantage of me.” Uzahne said as she looked into my eyes, right through the blast shield I had over them. “Not in that way, anyway.”
I bowed my head slightly to her. “What about when we arrive at your destination?”
“There's a very good chance for several minutes of sheer terror, possible capture, and even death.” Uzahne said truthfully, because I didn't feel any wavering in the flow of Presence.
“You know all of that and you still want to go?” I asked, and she nodded again without hesitation.
“There's only one more thing that I need to ask you.” I said.
“You can ask me anything.” Uzahne responded.
“Do you need help moving your luggage?”
Uzahne smiled. “We have porters that will make short work of that and the supplies transfer.”
“Can I take that to mean you accept the job?” The uniformed man asked me, slightly confused.
“It'll be tight with five more passengers.” Luxea said. “I suppose we can put the delegates in the spare room with the four bunks and I'll let the security guards use my room.”
“They switch shifts, so there is always one of them on duty. Only one extra bunk will be needed.” Sheph said. “The four bunks in the spare room will be sufficient.”
“I'll handle the credit transfer and let the government know you'll be leaving soon.” The uniformed man said and turned to me. “You will be leaving soon, won't you?”
“As soon as the ship is loaded.” I said.
“PORTERS!” The uniformed man yelled and ran from the room. “PORTERS! Get moving! Dock six! Go! Go! Go!”
“I think he's a little excited to be rid of you.” I said to Uzahne, and she laughed.
“We have been a bit of a burden on his time and a security concern.” Uzahne said. “Perhaps now he can relax with us out of his way.”
“Does that mean I shouldn't relax?” I asked, and she gave my hand a squeeze and let it go.
“Yes.” Uzahne said with a grin. “Your life is about to get much more exciting.”
*
“I can't believe this.” Master Kara Moor said as she and the other two Order members left the port master's office in the station with the super gas giant. “Not only didn't he ask for their destination, he didn't even make them file a flight plan!” She exclaimed and strode over to the large viewing window, sighed, and rested her forehead against it as she looked out at the large swirling mass of gasses of the planet below.
“It is troublesome.” One of the Order members said. “At least we have the ship's specifications.”
“It will still be difficult to track them down, even knowing they are in an out-of-date starship.” The other Order member said.
“Who installs a class three reactor into a ship that size?” The first one asked. “It should have had a class four at least.”
“Maybe storage space requirements?” The second asked. “A family of three lived on it. They would need a lot of food to keep travelling like they did.”
“That's possible.” The first said. “Maybe...”
“Quiet.” Kara said and closed her eyes. She performed a mental technique to calm down and to get her thoughts in order. She stayed there for several minutes, then she opened her eyes and turned to face the two Order members with her. “We're going back to Ulathall.”
The two men just stared at her and didn't respond.
“We could hop around blindly for weeks or even months before we stumbled across them again.” Kara said. “I need to consult with the rest of the council about how to proceed from here.”
The Order members nodded agreement and Kara led them back to their docked fast courier ship. She gave the ship orders to return to Ulathall, The Order's home planet, and the ship left the station with haste. Once the navigation computer came up with the proper jump coordinates to take them where she wanted to go, they poured on the speed and jumped into hyperspace.
*
Azora met with the alien that she owed money to and paid him. He thanked her for paying it back before the deadline, so that he wouldn't have to hunt her down, and then showed her out of his office.
“If you need anything else, just call.” The alien said and shut the door.
Azora wasn't going to call him again; but, that made her think of Ernas and what Hunter had said. She walked over to one of the many public terminals on the station and sat down, then looked for the company that Ernas worked for. She found their listing and placed the call after paying the fifty credit charge. The station was the only place to make a call like that, since it was the only place that had a communications array large enough to communicate with the next star system, and she waited.
A woman answered her call and asked where she should direct it. Azora asked for Ernas, and the screen went blank. Azora was about to cry out that she had been disconnected, and then Ernas' face appeared.
“Hello?” Ernas said automatically, then noticed who it was. “Azora!”
“Hi.” Azora said, her face flushed red.
“How are... hey, wait! You actually called me!” Ernas said, surprised. “I didn't even think to mention it to you!”
“A... a friend mentioned it.” Azora said. “I... Ernas, I'm sorry.”
“No, it's my fault. I'm sorry.” Ernas said. “I shouldn't have led you on like that. It's just... you're so pretty and nice and I love you and...”
“I'm not nice.” Azora said, a tear rolled down her cheek. “I turned you in when I should have...”
“I deserved it.” Ernas said and cut her off. “I did commit a crime and I need to atone for it.” He said. “I can't have visitors for about a month; but, after that...”
“You want me to come and see you?” Azora asked, shocked.
“I've got this big empty penthouse suite that's as lonely to be in as I am without you.” Ernas said. “Of course I want to see you.”
“I...” Azora took a deep breath and let it out. “I want to see you, too.”
“Great! I'll have the monthly supply run stop off at your place to pick you up next month.” Erans said enthusiastically. “By the Goddess, I can't wait!”
“Me, either.” Azora said with a smile.