The wait wasn’t very long. Actually she didn’t wait. She followed. And the Bolrag unknowing led down into the shack covered house.

She stood in the doorway at the bottom of the stairs as the henchman told his boss she had arrived. Obviously he didn’t realize she had followed him due to the number of impolite remarks and the dead give away of their plans, “You told me to shoot her, do I just go up and shoot her myself or so you want us all to go and watch the little Feline die?”

If they didn’t know that she was there already she decided to make her entrance then. “I thought we had a deal Yanku,” She said smoothly.

He gave a sigh mixed with an annoyed growl. “Yanku’s not here. He’s out on an important business deal.” He laughed a little. “The deal was to kill you. But I guess we left you out until now.”

“We’ll that sucks, because I came here for something and I think you have it.”

“I’m afraid I’m going back on that promise. And I think we all agree with that. You’re a bit out numbered.”

The rest of his crew moved about anxiously.

“I’ve never been good with numbers. Usually my equations just end up at zero. But you may be lucky because I’ve already given up on old habits.”

“Then let me teach you some math!” he said, pulling his gun out and firing a laser beam right at her chest.

But she wasn’t there. She had already made it to the other wall. His shot sizzling the door she came in from. She grabbed a henchman and used him as a shield. The others started shooting and obliterated her Bolrag shield but she had time to grab his gun and start firing back.

One, two, three henchmen down as she flipped over the center table, shooting midair and upside down.

The room was ablaze with electricity and fire smoking out of the walls. The last henchman made a run for it but she stopped him just outside the room with a shot to his back.

The main one tried his luck, but was outmaneuvered once again.

She landed and evaded another few shots before being left alone with last Bolrag sitting at the end of the table, her gun to his head. His face to an empty and smoldering room.

“So where is it?”

He squealed a little and nodded his head over to the left.

“Don’t move,” She said politely as she went to check it out.

There is was, the catalysts she was looking for. She picked up the container, stuffing it into her purse, and went back through the door she came from.

The Bolrag had the great idea of shooting while she was walking away. She probably deserved it as she actually didn’t pay him her end of the bargain either.

She stumbled a little as the shot hit her backside and was absorbed into her armor. She stood straight and turned around to wished him farewell, returning the favor.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

———

Back on the ship and heading towards the Skylancer, she called Gerome to let him that she’s coming back to the office soon.

“Who is it?" He answered.

"Gerome, it’s me. What took you so long to answer? I called at least three times."

"Sorry, just got carried away in some work."

She heard some papers moving and the sound of a keyboard.

"Hello Ginger, what do you want?" He said.

“Just checking to make sure you’re all right. I’ve finally gotten to my location, I’ll be back soon.”

"Did they come through with the deal yet?"

"Yep, The Bolrags came through and we’ve started payment for the detective's search for the lost shipment of fuel.”

"Well take it back we don't need no fuel, we were just granted permission to leave and get our asses back to command on Ceria,”he said, getting a bit snappy. Apparently the boss called and didn’t like the way things are going.

"Great news,” she said. “I'll contact the detectives right away. I’d hate to waste money like that.”

"No, not great news, that means we don't have a job anymore and all the work that we were doing for the last year and a half has all been in vain. These scientists haven't gotten anything done at all. All they do is sit and watch music videos all day waiting for their petrie dishes to grow. It's almost like they're on strike."

"They're not on strike. I just think they’re simply young and not so aspiring youth. Lazy, that's all."

"That's what I'm saying. I'm going down to the lab later today to see if they came up with anything. Chances are one to a million that they still haven’t made anything that works."

"Alright, Do that and we'll see you soon. I'm coming back, but the trip is long.”

———

The trip was long. And after a while she had enough of staring off into space and turned on some music.

And finally we had made it back to the Skylancer. We could see it’s shape growing as we came closer, still another hour to go.

It was one of those ships the size of an entire planet, built to be a planet for recreational and business purposes. But now it was on lock down.

An emergency com blared through the radio, “Emergency. Security breach, no incoming traffic allowed.”

That’s another day of waiting in the ship.

She had the idea to call Gerome. It rang and rang, but no answer. “I’m sure he’s safe,” she told herself. “He likes adventure. He’s probably right in the middle of it taking care of who ever it is invading.”

She sat patiently, inching closer to the hangar.

Finally Gerome called back.

“Ginger, where are you?" He asked.

“I'm hovering right above waiting for the last fifteen minutes.”

“I'm right here in your hanger spot. You’re not here!"

“They locked us out. The ship won't answer the request for landing. It's just telling me 'Emergency, Security breach, no incoming traffic allowed' and I can't get anything else out of them. It's just an automated voice."

"Okay,” she said, thinking over some new plan. “Just hold on down there. I'm coming to you." He hung up and she wondered what exactly was his plan.

Barely a minute later something emerging from the hill of the Skylancer and Gerome called again.

“Ginger, did you see us? We just flew out of the hull in a fifty seater emergency raft.”

“A what? Are you in the water?"

"No. I think it looks like a flying house…” he mumbled to himself for a second, "An escape pod. Ginger, we're in a fifty seater escape pod. It's huge."

"I see you. That is huge, did you bring the whole lab too?”

“No, it just me and Freddy, and some office supplies.”

“Ok, just hold on there I'm flying over."

Getting in line with his pod she called him back, “Wow. That's really a big escape pod. Is it for the Military?”

"No, It's just me and Freddy."

"Who's Freddy?"

"No time to explain, just try to come over so we can board."

"Well I think I can land inside, can you open the cargo doors?"

He started mumbling to himself again, but then the cargo doors of the pod opened up, it was definitely big enough to slip into, just barely.

"Okay, I'm coming in, just close the doors once I'm in."

"Ten-four."