I was barely out of Simone's apartment when I felt a disturbance around Luxea. I stepped to the wall, made myself invisible with my Stealth technique, and closed my eyes to concentrate.
*
“Come on, Luxea.” The man pleaded. “Just one drink! That's all I ask.”
“How many time do I have to tell you no?” Luxea asked and tried to walk around the man. He stepped to the side and blocked her from leaving the small electronics store. “Move aside.”
“I've been waiting months to find you here again.” The man said. “At least hear me out.”
“No.”
“I promise that it's something you'll really enjoy.”
“You better move before I call security.” Luxea said, her anger starting to rise.
“You're such a kidder.” The man said and started to reach for her. “Come with me and... ARGH!”
A slightly glowing blue hand gripped his wrist like a vice and stopped him from touching her.
“The lady said no.” A disembodied voice said.
“What the... hey! Let me go!” The man said.
“I'll let you go if you leave quietly.”
“Do you know who I am?!?” The man asked.
“No.” The voice said. “Nor do I care.”
“Let me go right now, or I'll...”
“You'll what?” The voice asked. “I'm a floating blue hand and a disembodied voice. What are you going to do to me?”
“I'll find you, whoever you are!” The man said. “I'll make you regret crossing me!”
“You're the one crossing me, you idiot.” The voice said. “Did you even ask the lady if she was seeing anyone?”
The man didn't respond.
“Of course not.” The voice said. “You self-entitled pricks think everyone in the universe is yours to do with as you please.” Another blue hand appeared and grabbed his neck. “Now, I'm going to ask you once more nicely. Leave her alone.”
“What are you going to do? Kill me for hitting on her?” The man asked smugly.
“No. She's a beautiful woman. She gets hit on all the time.” The voice said and Luxea's face flushed red. “I'll kill you for not taking no for an answer when she clearly doesn't want anything to do with you.”
“Hey, it's just a business deal.” The man said.
“I don't care.” The voice said. “If you run the business this way, we don't want anything to do with it.”
“We?” The man chuckled. “This is for Luxea only.”
“Either you're more of an idiot than I know you are, or you're too stubborn to see the reality of your situation.” The voice said and the floating blue hand let the man's neck go. “Look around you, stupid.”
The man turned around and everyone in the shop and in the street outside were watching.
“Do you really think that a normal person wants to deal with you now, knowing how you treat women when they refuse you politely?”
“Don't listen to the weird voice! I'm just trying to...” The man started to speak to the people.
“A few of them might listen to your excuses and lies.” The voice said and cut him off. “They all know what you're really like now and they are going to deal with you if they have to... and that's all.”
“I'll get you for this.” The man grumbled.
“No, you won't.” The voice said. “Do you want to know where I am right now?”
The man looked around the crowd.
“I'm not even in that section of the station.” The voice said and a few people gasped. “Luxea, a holomap of my location, please.”
Luxea smiled as she brought out the little projector she just bought and hooked it to her datapad. A few moments later, a map appeared ten feet away and showed the map of the station. It showed Luxea's location on the main concourse and another person's two thirds of the station away in the restricted section. The little dot moved from side to side to prove that it was a live feed.
“How exactly are you going to get me all the way over here, before I kill you?” The voice asked.
The man grit his teeth.
“Right. You can't.” The voice said. “This one time I am going to give you a pass. I'm going to let you go and I'll forget all about this... unless you decide otherwise and come after me or her. So, what will it be? Will you leave quietly or do things have to get serious?”
“Quietly.” The man said. The blue hands faded away and he rubbed his wrist where it had gripped him. He gave an angry look to Luxea and then stormed out of the shop. Everyone avoided him and he disappeared into the crowd.
“Thanks.” Luxea said.
“Leave the holomap up and stay there. I've alerted the station's security about this and told them the guy's probably going to retaliate against you, the ship, or me. He'll have you followed back to the hotel and his men will be waiting for us.”
“How do you know all that?” Luxea asked.
“It's basic bad guy etiquette straight from their playbook.” The voice said with a chuckle. “He'll be arrested for attempted murder in about an hour.”
“That's a little excessive, isn't it?” Luxea asked as the blip for Hunter quickly moved towards her.
“He's overreacting, yeah.” The voice said. “That's how some people react to being told no.”
“What if I was the one that told you no?” Luxea asked, half-jokingly.
“I would be a sad little mess for a while.” The voice said as the blip stopped at the section's security gate. “I'd respect your decision, after showering you with gifts and messages to take me back.”
“What kind of gifts?” Luxea asked with a smile and the voice laughed.
“I hope neither of us has to find out.” The voice said. “I'll be there in a minute.”
“I know.” Luxea said. “This real-time map is fantastic. I can even see you moving on it.”
*
The crowd let out a collective gasp and there were a few moans as I slowed down near them and walked normally. I had left off my uniform coat and my blast shield; but, I still had most of my hair hidden.
“By the goddess.” “Look at THAT!” “Oh, she's so lucky!” “Do you think he's real?” “I'm so jealous!” Various people all said at the same time. Luxea turned off the holomap and put it and the datapad away as she came out of the shop.
“I've got something to tell you.” I said and held a hand out to her. She nodded as she took it.
“So cute!” “They look so good together!” “Look at his muscles!” “Look at his hair!”
We ignored the crowd around us and we walked back to the hotel. As I had accurately guessed, two men had trailed us from down the street. Once we were inside the hotel, they rushed over to the lobby and followed us inside. We stopped at the desk and told them that if anyone asks what room we were in, they should tell them and then call station security. The clerk nodded and we went to the elevator and went up to the top floor.
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Our room had a huge bubble window that was half the length of the room and it looked out into space. The twin stars, the main tourist attraction, could be clearly seen. Luxea and I stood side by side with one arm around each other as we stared out at the view.
“Where are they now?” Luxea asked.
“Coming out of the elevator.” I said. “I can't act until they come in and we get the security recording of them threatening us and hopefully as they try to assault me.”
“How can you be so casual about this?” Luxea asked. “I'm trembling.”
“I guess all those years fighting creatures that can kill you with a bite, a swipe of their tail, or with a poison that doesn't have a cure, has left me with a severe case of nonchalance.” I chuckled. “I don't know if that's good or bad yet.”
“Me, either.” Luxea said. “So, do you think Simone is going to work out as a member of our crew?”
“I have no doubt.” I said and then smiled. “I saw her breasts, though. I'm a little biased.”
Luxea chuckled just as the men in the hallway used a small explosive device to blow the card key receptacle and the lock from the door. She let out a startled scream from the loudness and the door handle flying across the room, then the two men stormed into the room and she really screamed. They started to raise their laser pistols and Luxea ducked her head against my chest.
“Max Millian sends his regards.” One of them said and they both opened fire. My fully repaired personal shield device easily caught the barrage of laser bolts and the embedded focusing crystal absorbed the energy. The two men's mouths made that little 'o' of surprise and then station security burst into the room behind them and tackled them to the ground.
They weren't gentle at all in their restraining technique.
Both men were beaten to a pulp in barely three seconds, disarmed, and taken from the room. One of the hotel clerks came into the room and deeply apologized for allowing the breech of their security. I told him it was my fault for antagonizing an unstable person by trying to reason with them, and that made the man smile. He quickly offered us the next room over, at a discount, and we moved over to there.
Both Luxea and I received messages from station security the next day about Max being arrested. He just happened to have some sensitive materials on his desk that he wasn't supposed to have, so his business was raided and they found a lot of activities that the business was doing behind the scenes.
“I didn't expect that.” I said and we read about quite a few of the underhanded deals he had going.
“Okay, I don't feel so bad about all of it now.” Luxea said with a laugh.
With the confidential information from Simone about the ship and shuttle sale, Luxea contacted Ernas from the Bogorim Corporation to arrange a meeting. When she mentioned the sale, he had been extremely relieved. He had discovered it right after he started his inquiries and he wasn't allowed to say anything, unless we already knew about it. The meeting was set up to happen in two weeks time and he gave us the coordinates for the system. It was only three days travel from where we currently were, so we didn't have to cut our little vacation short.
Luxea and I enjoyed our alone time in the hotel, took occasional browsing trips around the station to see if there was anything we might need, and checked the bounty listings for any work we might want to do. On the last day of our stay, a bounty popped up for me. Or, I should say, on me. It was quite the sum to charge for my head, so Luxea immediately posted the circumstances of the bounty for everyone to see. Once she proved that the arrest for all of the charges against him and having his businesses confiscated was his own fault and not because of me, the bounty was blacklisted.
I know that sounds odd, considering the content; but, it meant that no other bounties concerning the matter would be allowed to be posted, either by him or on his behalf. It was definitely the best outcome we could have hoped for in that situation.
Simone had several people help bring her things to the ship and stored them in the secondary hold. It was pressurized and she didn't have to worry about damaging anything that she owned. Surprisingly, it wasn't awkward at all as she came in through the ship's main hatch to meet us and greet the others for the first time.
“Hey, Luxea!” Simone said loudly as she dropped her personal bag and walked over to Luxea, then she hugged her. “I feel like I know you already!”
“No in-depth mind reading.” I reminded her, and she laughed.
“Says the man that scanned me down to my neurons!” Simone said and let Luxea go. “I don't do that unless they want me to, and then it's usually an ordeal for me.” She gave me a wink. “Remember what happened at dinner?”
I chuckled and turned to Rhubin. “I gave her a taste of my detection range and knocked her right out.”
“Ha ha!” Rhubin laughed a little and held a hand out for her to shake. “It's nice to meet someone else that can't handle his mind tricks.”
Simone took the hand and shook it. “Oh, that could be handy!” She said as she picked up Rhubin's thoughts about me putting him to sleep in the debris field and then waking him up. “I haven't had a good sleep like that in a while.”
“Neither did I.” Rhubin looked at me. “What was it? An hour or so?”
“Something like that.” I said with a smile.
“I was wired for almost three days after your little pick me up.” Rhubin said and laughed.
“I've got a lot more control now, thank you very much.” I said and used a Presence Hand to pick up Simone's bag. “Come on. I'll show you to your cell.”
Simone laughed at the implication and followed me.
“I'll get the ship ready for departure.” Rhubin said as he closed the main hatch.
“I better double-check the main cargo hold and make sure the supplies were stored properly.” Luxea said and went towards the cargo area and Rhubin went towards the cockpit.
“They're good people.” Simone said when I opened the normal door to the cell.
“Unbelievably.” I said and showed her how to change the room's configuration.
“Luxea designed it, didn't she?” Simone asked.
I nodded. “She even paid for it upfront.”
Simone let out a low whistle. “Do you think she'll spot me a loan for a few thousand credits?”
I laughed. “You're not going to need a loan soon.”
“Oh? Why?”
“You'll see.” I said cryptically and gave her a sly smile.
“It's not nice to tease a telepath.” Simone said in a slightly serious tone, then she broke into laughter. “I'm not that easy to bait!” She poked me in the ribs without trying to use a mental probe on me. “I worked for Aphatoris! I know all about operational security and not letting 'the new guy' in on all of the company's secrets right away.”
“I know.” I smiled and took her hand. “We've got some work to do, then a lot of work to do, and then a whole lot more work to do.”
Simone smiled for a moment and then stepped close to me. “I can work in a spacesuit.” She said. “I've got a few thousand hours free-walking on the outside of shipping hulls, both in partial gravity while in dock and in zero gravity.”
“The circumstances of your experience is terrible; but, I'm glad you have it.” I said and kissed her hand. “Having another pair of hands will speed this up immensely.”
Simone smiled sadly at my comment of having extra hands and I reached up and touched her lips with my fingertips to make her sad smile a normal one.
“Don't worry. I've got plans for you.”
“As I do for you.” Simone said with a gleam in her eye. Shall we bet on whose plan will come to fruition first?
Definitely mine. I thought with amusement and stepped back. “Security door.” I said and hit the button.
“HEY!” Simone yelled and the thick metal door closed between us. “No fair!”
“If you can figure out how to get out before we jump to hyperspace, I'll give you a present.” I said and waved at her through the little food slot and walked away. You can't do it by tearing apart the door mechanism on the inside, either. I thought, to give her a hint.
The ship flew out to the proper jump point towards the meeting coordinates and entered hyperspace. I walked back to the holding cell and saw Simone as she sat on the floor, just inside the door, covered in sweat. I opened the door and she flopped out onto the floor on her back. She stared up at me and breathed heavily.
“You figured it out?” I asked.
Simone nodded. “Use... Presence to... push button.” She panted. “Barely... made it... move.”
“It's a start.” I said and knelt beside her.
“P-prize?” Simone asked and I chuckled.
“You need to clean up a little first.” I said and touched her forehead. I gave her a very small amount of Presence to energize her and filled her small Presence reserve. She took in a huge breath and let it out.
“Wow.”
I helped her stand up. “You can use the shower in here or the huge one in my...”
“THE HUGE ONE!” Simone yelled.
I laughed when I 'saw' the tiny cubicle shower in her head that she had used on the station. “Grab your things.” I said and led her to my bedroom and we went inside.
Simone dropped her bag and stared at the giant shower. “I think I'm in love!”
“Naw, that's just envy.” I said. “Don't forget to hit the pulse button when you're almost done washing.”
I left without telling her what it actually did. About ten minutes later, Rhubin, Luxea and I were in the kitchen getting dinner ready when we all heard Simone's passionate yell of delight as she succumbed to her curiosity and used Luxea's favorite shower option. We exchanged looks with each other when the sounds grew louder and changed to something else, then we all laughed.
Simone stayed in there for an hour.
When she finally came out, quite relaxed and very happy, I gave her the present. It was an amulet that contained a personal shield with a focusing crystal in it. Her eyes teared up and she tried to refuse it, and I told her in no uncertain terms that she was wearing it whether she accepted it as a gift or not. She felt my regret that I hadn't thought of making it until after Ohazith's death and accepted it graciously.
We arrived at the meeting rendezvous point in the designated star system and waited for the other ship to arrive. Like Ernas said, the sale itself was legitimate, approved by both the related governments and the ship had been stripped of all weaponry as per regulations. The other ship showed up a few hours after we did and Rhubin being the master pilot that he was, quickly flipped the ship around to the same orientation as the other ship. We matched docking hatches and were invited onto the other ship as guests.
After a short introduction, our company representative Luxea and their representative sat down and started the negotiations. It went surprisingly quickly. The company was eager to sell the ship and the shuttle; but, they weren't going to give them away, either. Luxea knew our limits and how far we could stretch our credits, using the company's and our personal accounts, and she made the best deal to benefit both parties. After a handshake and a hefty credit deposit, we could go to the shipyard that held the ship and shuttle for transport, then we would transfer the remainder of the credits upon receipt of the merchandise.
We shared a quick drink and some light food to celebrate the exchange, then we were back on our ship and on our way. Now all we needed to do was get back to our home base and hire a temporary pilot. After that, we only had to take the three week long trip from there to the Fogaris system, the closest jump point to the unfamiliar system, and then do a short jump into the edge of their enemy's territory.