***
Two days later, Duskwalker dropped out of slipspace and made its way into the Miran system. It had no inhabitable planets, but its position had, centuries ago,
made it a perfect place to build hundreds of orbital factories dedicated to taking in raw materials from the ten or so agri-worlds in the sector, pumping out
the food for the hundred and five other inhabited planets.
Which made Miran one of most crowded star systems in this region of space. Ben and Chris were both busy, making certain that Duskwalker had a registered place
in the queue, while Amy and Fiona looked out the main windows, catching glimpses of a number of starships. No two seemed to be alike, ranging from small
transports to a number of super-freighters that were nearly the size of Pioneer Two. One of those came within a hundred kilometers of Duskwalker and nearly
drifted into their flightpath, drawing an irritated "check your nav beacons asshole!" from Chris.
"On the hull... those look like railguns," Amy said.
Fiona glanced at images from the hull cameras, and saw tiny needles on the massive hull. She couldn't tell what they were, but if Amy said so...
"Armed freighters?" she asked, still a little unsure.
"I'd heard rumors on the net about it," she replied. "With the League putting most of its Navy on the Imperial border, troublemakers have
been able to sneak in elsewhere. A ship like that... It's cargo is literally worth billions. Hell, so is the ship. With that much at stake... I could
easily see them telling the League to shove their weapons restriction laws. And depending on what planet they belong to..."
"Democracy at work," she quipped. "Chris, where are we going?"
"Well, that, I'm trying to get an answer on. Station One-One-Nine apparently has some sort of problem with unloading, they're backed up. So,
we're being rerouted. Hopefully, I'll be able to get us a parking berth at one of the civilian stations afterward. This place is a bargain hunters
dream."
The girl shrugged, looking at another super-freighter. "Why do they even need us?" she asked. "Why not just use those things?"
"They cost more then some military ships of the line, and they actually carry too much material." Fiona gave Amy an odd look. "Our cargo was
harvested earlier then expected, remember?"
"There wouldn't be enough from Trenton to fill one of those things," she said, catching on.
"Not for another month and a half," Chris said. "We fill those little gaps and unexpected shipments." He turned his attention back to his
headset.
Duskwalker followed its assigned flight path, flying over a pair of super-freighters that seemed to have a swarm of smaller ships following in their wake. As
they passed, Fiona began to amuse herself by using the exterior cameras to zoom in and look at various shops. It was in doing that that she first noticed the
smaller craft. One-man fighters, looking more like atmospheric vehicles then most spacecraft, moving between the shipping lanes in groups of six or twelve.
"System defense forces," Ben replied when she asked about them. "Anything big happens to Miran, and billions of people are in danger of starving
to death. There's at least a League Navy task group here at any time, and three solid military stations that hold hundreds of fighters and shuttles."
"Since they can get around the naval lanes easier then a battleship at full military thrust," she said.
Ben chuckled. "Fast learner."
"Ben, you getting updated flight paths?"
He checked his console. "Downloaded. Altering heading."
***
After the gleaming metal and crystal spires of Pioneer Two, the civilian space station titled Hathoways Bridge came as something of a shock to Fiona. Seemingly
built out of whatever scrap metal could be found at the time, it was a cramped, crowded series of corridors and halls, thousands of people moving about their
business.
Many of them were much more obviously non-human then even Pioneers Casts, leaving the girl trying not to gawk at the sight of squat little reptile creatures
moving about, their air tanks occasionally leaking methane, or the eight foot tall beasts hidden behind a thick layer of fur, or the dozen or so other species
that moved through the crowd.
Chris smirked at the look on her face as they moved along. "Stop staring at the Unggoy," he said to her. "They tend to unnerve easy."
"Oh, sorry," she said as the stubby alien went past them. "It's just... I've never seen one in person. They're... taller then I
expected."
The Duskwalkers Captain chuckled. "Taller. They'd love that," he mused.
"I mean, I've seen aliens before, but never so many, and so, so," she searched for a word. "Natural?" Chris looked at her oddly.
"What I mean is, well, look at everyone here. No one really seems to notice it." She considered it for a moment. "That's what makes it so
impressive."
Chris thought about that for a minute, then nodded. "I think I get what you mean," he said, then looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Aha! Time
for you to experience a piece of alien cusine," he told her, heading towards a vendors stand. "They call it Ta'terin, but frankly, there's a
human term that matches it."
She waited as he spoke with the man behind the stand for a moment, paid and came back with two dark blocks on plastic sticks. "Here you go," he said,
handing her one. She looked at it curiously for a moment, before realising it was coated in a thick layer of icing, before shrugging and taking a bite.
The girl paused, then took a second bite and regarded it curiously. "It's cake," she said at last.
"Cake on a stick," he chuckled.
"Cake on a stick that doesn't crumble," she noted. "Oh what a world of wonders." Chris laughed, taking a bite of his own as they
continued on. After a moment, Fiona spoke up again. "So, where'd the others go?"
Chris shrugged. "Not a clue," he admitted. "Still, a little alone time for them might be a good thing," he added with a grin.
***
"This isn't a Gamemaster," Amy said, putting the game console back on the bench. "It's a knockoff. Now why would I pay good money for
this?" she asked.
"Yes, it's a knockoff," the storeowner said, backing up slightly. "Still, it plays all the games just fine, and is only a quarter of the
pric-"
"What about online?" she demanded. Ben ignored the sales argument, alternating between the junk on the other benches and idly watching the people
walking past the front window, trying to recognize the various alien species that appeared.
Unggoy, droids (All much more bulky and angular then Ragol Casts), some species he didn't recognise that reminded him of a bear crossed with a pitbull,
even a Dalek... crowd watching was proving extremely satisfying today, and that was before he saw a familiar face.
"Oh, either the universe is smaller then my science teacher said, or someone up there likes me," he chuckled. "Amy, forget about the
console," he said, heading for the door. She looked up and followed.
Bens target was a skinny human man that looked like he hadn't shaved in a week, in the middle of a discussion with a woman. "Authent codes for Degas
aren't exactly easy to get, but I know the right people," he said with a smirk. "The codes are legit, recovered from a freighter that went down.
The package includes all the information you'll need, for a price, naturally."
"Question is Jonal, does the price match your quality?" Ben asked, coming up behind him and clamping a hand on his shoulder. Jonal jerked, then
bolted, his jacket popping off and remaining in Bens hand. "Now that's a clever design feature," he said, giving chase. Amy followed him, with
the other woman blinking and following on general principles.
Jonal sprinted down the corridor and darted into an alley. Amy's ears twitched as she heard him growl. "What the hell Um'as? I paid you to be my
bodyguard, and you let a disgruntled customer walk right up to me?"
The trio came around the corner and skidded to a halt at the sight of a massive Sangheili leaning against the wall, the eight and a half foot reptile reading a
book. "You do not pay me enough to guard you all the time," he rumbled, the four mandibles of his mouth spreading wide. "I am on a break."
The woman leaned over to Ben. "So... what's your issue with Jonal?" she asked quietly.
"Ripped us off with a shipment of metals," he replied. "Looks like he's fallen on rough times since then." The woman nodded,
considering.
Amy frowned as he looked at her with what could possibly be described as a leer. "Well, is this one of your disgruntled customers?" he asked. Jonal
nodded rapidly, as the Sangheili barked a laugh and straightened up. "In that case, I am no longer on my break. And I shall consider the girl part of my
payment. Quite satisfying, while she lasts."
The Ragolian scowled, before Ben moved aside, motioning for the other woman to follow. She blinked. "Shouldn't we-?"
"Nah, she's a Hunter. Honor and independence and all that." He blinked as the Sangheili took a small cylinder from his belt. A moment later, it
extended into a long metal staff. "Huh, another staff fighter. Interesting. I'm Ben by the way."
"Luna," she replied as Amy merely waited. Um'as roared and charged, towering over the tiny elfin girl. Luna winced, expecting to see Amy tossed
back out into the main corridor, broken from the blow. Instead, she leapt, grabbed the staff, flipped around it and buried both feet in the beasts mouth. His
momentum actually reversed and he was sent flying into a pile of garbage, out cold.
The womans jaw dropped as Amy landed lightly, twirling the staff in one hand. "Now then, where were we?" she asked, only to see Jonal break into a
sprint.
"And again," Ben said, giving chase, the two women following.
***
Fiona picked up a cooking grill and studied it. "Now this, we need," she said.
Chris looked at her. "We do?" he asked, honestly confused.
She rolled her eyes. "Chris, your kitchen is in dire need of an upgrade."
"It's been fine for as long as we've owned it," Chris replied.
"That's because you're not the cook," she pointed out. He shrugged, conceding the point, before going off to browse. Idly, he flipped through
a stack of music albums, noting that these markets always had the best junk around, looking up just in time to see Jonal sprint down the hallway.
The man blinked, leaning towards the window. "I know that guy," he said to himself, before Ben, Amy and a woman he didn't recognize ran past in
pursuit. "Hell," he growled. "Fiona, come on!" he called out, running for the door.
Fiona looked up, then handed the grill to the storekeeper. "I'll be back for that," she said, following her captain.
Jonal ran through the sparse crowd, occasionally shoving people out of the way as he made several turns through the halls to try and lose his pursuers. It
didn't work, the five people sticking on his tail easily.
"Where'd you find him?" Chris asked as he caught up to them proper, blessing the fact he'd learned his lesson about getting in shape years
ago.
"Selling something to this lady," Ben replied, puffing slightly. "He wasn't happy to see us," he added with a grin. Jonal led them into
a larger hall that had been converted by the locals into a crude mall. As he ran down a frozen escalator, shoving a woman out of the way, Amy jumped over the
hand railing without touching it and dropped two dozen feet, rolling as she landed.
Chris snorted, vaulting the railing and landing on the roof of a stand. "There's a shock," he noted as the mystery woman did the same, Ben and
Fiona taking the stairs. "I'm Chris."
"Luna."
"What'd this guy do to you?" he asked as Jonal knocked over a stall attendant and a clothes rack. The pair avoided it easily as Fiona and Amy
detoured down a side path to try and intercept him.
"I was in a business deal with him. Now I wish to discuss how genuine it was," she said, dodging a surprised looking Dalek. Chris chuckled, then
swore as he saw the man running towards an elevator that was opening. Eyes narrowing, he pushed himself to run faster.
Jonal stumbled to a halt in the elevator, smacking his hand against a floor button. Spinning, he grinned at the approaching group, watching the door close.
Before it could do that however, Fiona grabbed the staff from Amys hand and threw it like a spear. Jonals eyes widened as it flew through the doorway, then saw
the glory of creation as it slammed into his crotch.
Duskwalkers Captain hissed as Jonals knees gave way, dropping him to the ground. The staff caught in the doors as they closed, holding the lift in place.
"Damn Fiona, where'd you learn to throw like that?" he asked.
"High school sports team," she said as the two men pulled the lift door open. Chris nodded as he stepped in and pulled Jonal up by one of his arms,
Luna grabbing the other.
Ben looked around at the gathering crowd. "Private show, move it along," he scowled, motioning for the other two women to get in the elevator. The
slim man stepped in after them and tabbed a button for a floor that, if he remembered the map, should allow for some empty rooms to talk to the thief in.
The thief in question whimpered, his legs still unable to hold his weight. "So how's about we have a talk?" Chris grinned as the lift moved. He
got a mixed gurgle in reply. Shrugging, the starship captain let him go, dropping him to the floor where he curled up in a semi-fetal position, trying to
clutch at his bruised privates protectively. "He's not going to be walking for a while."
"My heart bleeds," Ben said, before looking up at Fiona, who was starting to look somewhat horrified, and more then a little green. "Don't
fret too much," he assured her. "This creep's a con man and thief." Idly, he kicked the man in the stomach. "Cheated us out a few
thousand dollars on a shipment," he explained.
Chris gave him an annoyed look. "We nearly went bankrupt and had to take out a second loan on Duskwalker. Not what I'd call a few thousand." Luna
looked at him, then scowled at Jonal again, planning out her own questions.
His best friend shrugged. "Well, yeah, I'll admit that," he said, before the lift doors opened to reveal an empty corridor. "Let's find
a room, shall we?" he asked as he and Chris grabbed Jonal by the shoulders and dragged him out of the lift and down the hallway into an empty conference
room. Jonal yelped as the two men slammed him down onto a chair
"Gotta tell you Jonny boy, you look like shit," Chris said.
"He did just get clobbered," Ben noted.
"No, I mean besides that. I mean, look at him. Hasn't shaved, ratty clothes..."
"He stinks," Fiona noted.
Chris continued on without pausing. "Frankly, he's a bum. Which makes me wonder what you were doing business with him about," he said to Luna.
The woman merely looked at him calmly. "On second thought, no I don't," he decided, turning back to Jonal. "Now then, let's talk money,
shall we?" he smiled. "Namely, the money we lost when you changed our delivery location."
As the man whimpered slightly, Fiona leaned over to Ben. "Delivery location?"
"About a year ago, we were hired by Czerka Corp to make random runs out near Manticore," he explained. "This jerk was a mid-level data pusher
that started meddling with the paperwork. We delivered a shipment to the 'wrong' company, and he tried to hide it. Luckily for us, his bosses were
catching onto him, but..." He scowled.
"Look, I don't have any money," Jonal managed in an unsteady voice.
"You had enough money for a bodyguard," Amy noted, smacking the staff against his knee lightly, drawing a flinch. "Not a good one, but still, a
bodyguard."
"Okay, I have a little money," he admitted. "But I need it! I heard they've got a price on my head!"
Chris snorted. "Of course you have you dip. You stole from Czerka. What'd you expect, they'd shrug and move on? They have a reputation to
maintain. Still, you only stole... what, ten, twenty thousand dollars Solarian? With that kind of money, only the small time crowd would go after you... Or the
people that get lucky and run into you on the street," he grinned.
Jonal managed a weak smile. "You're a freight hauler. You can't afford a bounty hunter license. You can't make anything off me."
"We can turn you in," Ben noted. "I don't know about you guys, but that does bring a smile to my face."
"Gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling," Fiona agreed. Jonal squirmed, then winced at the pain in his crotch. "Oh stop that. Even I know you
don't try to steal from Czerka."
"They'll kill me!" he protested. "They'll kill me and you'll help them pull the trigger!" He let a small smile slip at the look
of unease that flickered across her face at the concept, failing to notice Chris reaching into his jacket.
A moment later, he was knocked off the chair as Duskwalkers captain slammed the butt of his pistol into the side of his head. "Jesus, what is with
you?!" he demanded, only to jerk to a halt at the view right down the pistol barrel.
"Jonal, Czerka thought we stole that shipment," he said in a cold voice. "They came after us. So I'm really not interested in what they do
to you. I'm more interested in paying off debts you caused, or at least get a little compensation."
Fiona looked at the others, a slightly uncomfortable look on her face, and was about to say something when Luna spoke up. "I'm afraid I can't let
you do that," she said calmly, having taken a small blaster from her jacket and aimed it at Chris. "I still have need of his services." By the
time she finished the sentence, the other three people had their guns out and aimed on her. Even Fiona, much to her own surprise.
The woman regarded them calmly, even as Chris mentally cursed himself for a rookie mistake. They'd just let the woman come with them, not even considering
that she may be a threat. "He's a con man," he said. "A thief, nothing more."
"Which is why I hired him," she said. "While I intend to determine if he was dealing fairly with me, I will have him alive."
Chris cocked back the hammer on his gun, the noise echoing in the silence. "Try it, and both you and him will be dead before you know it."
"So will you," she noted.
"Given the number of guns and where they're aimed, maybe I'll just roll shitty damage," he responded with a slight grin. "I seem to make
a habit of that."
A slight smirk appeared on her face. "Are you always this reckless?" she asked.
"Only with the beautiful ones," he answered. Amy narrowed her eyes slightly, planning to use her telekinesis to pull the gun up and away from Chris,
when the door was slammed open.
Fiona and Ben spun, bringing their pistols to bear on the bruised and angry Sangheili standing in the doorway, holding a bulky pistol of his own. "You
have my employer," he growled. "You will unhand him now."
Amy kept her own pistol trained on Lunas head, making a silent promise to never leave Sato on the ship, unable to provide backup, ever again.
"You've got a candy wrapper on your shoulder," Ben noted. Um'as glared at him.
"You dumped me in the garbage," he growled, mandibles flaring out.
"Considering Amy 'payment' was a really dumb move," he pointed out. The aliens eyes darted over to the Ragolian, lingering for a moment in a
way that made her skin crawl.
"She still is," he said calmly.
"Sangheili!" Luna snapped, drawing his attention. "I have as much interest in getting your employer out of this as-"
"What's this guys bounty?" Chris asked loudly.
"Thirty thousand Solarian Dollars," the alien replied.
"I'm guessing he's not paying you that much?"
"I have no legal way of claiming it." Chris nodded in understanding.
Amy smiled. "I do," she said. "The Ragolian Hunters Guild is recognized as legal bounty hunters." Luna shot her a furious look that she
promptly ignored. "How about it? It's more then this con man would be paying."
Um'as growled, his gun moving to Amy. The Ragolian recognized it as a Mauler, a Brute weapon that was essentially a miniature shotgun. Difficult for humans
to carry, perfect for an 'Elite', regardless of it being developed by their racial enemy.
Still, having it aimed at her was actually an advantage, given it would take at least one shot to overcome her personal shield, a protection Ben and Chris
lacked.
"So, that's a no?" Chris said with a grin.
"This female insulted me. I will be repaid."
Ben scowled at the reptile, studying him. The massive creature was clad only in light robes, lacking the layers of circuit laced armor plates needed for
Sanghieli energy shields. "You're unshielded Elite," he said suddenly. "The ladies are Ragolian Hunters."
The aliens eyes, along with Lunas and Jonals, widened in nervous surprise. "You can't get through their shields in one shot," Chris continued.
"We've got the gun advantage... but we're not looking to kill either of you."
"We're not letting you take him," Luna said calmly as Jonal whimpered.
"I know. You lose nothing from this," Chris said. "We at least got the satisfaction of this shit in pain." He looked over at Um'as.
"Which leaves the question of what you want more. A paycheck or a bit of payback."
The alien growled, mandibles pulling in, before he moved away from the door slowly, never taking his eyes, or Mauler, off Amy. Chris pulled Jonal up, still
holding his gun to the mans head. Ignoring the con artists pained whimpers, Duskwalkers crew moved towards the door.
"This isn't over Wood," he managed.
"Jonal, you're a fucking coward," he whispered in the mans ear. "Maybe next time you won't have a bodyguard and business deal to save
your ass. Keep that in mind."
He was the last one through the door, shoving Jonal at Um'as before slamming it and flicking the lock button. "Move!" he ordered, breaking into a
sprint for the elevators. Fiona was already there and hitting the call button. Chris got about sixteen meters before the Sangielli shoulder slammed the door
hard enough to snap the lock snib, bursting out into the hallway with a roar.
Chris ducked as Ben and Fiona raised their pistols and fired, the bullets and photon bolts missing, but throwing Um'as off balance and convincing him to
move back into the doorway for cover. Amy dropped in behind Chris, the Barrier on her arm activating and giving them cover until they reached the elevator.
Um'as leaned out and fired off several shells from his Mauler, only to have the pellets scatter after a short distance, ruining their effect. The moment
the elevator arrived, the four piled in, Fiona and Ben keeping their guns at the ready until the doors closed.
"We need to get to the ship," Ben said, reloading his pistol as Chris hit the buttons for five different floors.
"So much for shopping," Fiona sighed, checking her pistols charge, then doing the same. "...Would you really have killed him?"
"Would you think any less of me if I admitted I'd honestly considered it?" Chris asked quietly, the group hiding their pistols as they stopped at
the first floor.
The young woman considered it, then shook her head. "You're human," she said after a moment. "And you choose not to."
Duskwalkers Captain smiled slightly.
***
Two days later, Duskwalker dropped out of slipspace and made its way into the Miran system. It had no inhabitable planets, but its position had, centuries ago,
made it a perfect place to build hundreds of orbital factories dedicated to taking in raw materials from the ten or so agri-worlds in the sector, pumping out
the food for the hundred and five other inhabited planets.
Which made Miran one of most crowded star systems in this region of space. Ben and Chris were both busy, making certain that Duskwalker had a registered place
in the queue, while Amy and Fiona looked out the main windows, catching glimpses of a number of starships. No two seemed to be alike, ranging from small
transports to a number of super-freighters that were nearly the size of Pioneer Two. One of those came within a hundred kilometers of Duskwalker and nearly
drifted into their flightpath, drawing an irritated "check your nav beacons asshole!" from Chris.
"On the hull... those look like railguns," Amy said.
Fiona glanced at images from the hull cameras, and saw tiny needles on the massive hull. She couldn't tell what they were, but if Amy said so...
"Armed freighters?" she asked, still a little unsure.
"I'd heard rumors on the net about it," she replied. "With the League putting most of its Navy on the Imperial border, troublemakers have
been able to sneak in elsewhere. A ship like that... It's cargo is literally worth billions. Hell, so is the ship. With that much at stake... I could
easily see them telling the League to shove their weapons restriction laws. And depending on what planet they belong to..."
"Democracy at work," she quipped. "Chris, where are we going?"
"Well, that, I'm trying to get an answer on. Station One-One-Nine apparently has some sort of problem with unloading, they're backed up. So,
we're being rerouted. Hopefully, I'll be able to get us a parking berth at one of the civilian stations afterward. This place is a bargain hunters
dream."
The girl shrugged, looking at another super-freighter. "Why do they even need us?" she asked. "Why not just use those things?"
"They cost more then some military ships of the line, and they actually carry too much material." Fiona gave Amy an odd look. "Our cargo was
harvested earlier then expected, remember?"
"There wouldn't be enough from Trenton to fill one of those things," she said, catching on.
"Not for another month and a half," Chris said. "We fill those little gaps and unexpected shipments." He turned his attention back to his
headset.
Duskwalker followed its assigned flight path, flying over a pair of super-freighters that seemed to have a swarm of smaller ships following in their wake. As
they passed, Fiona began to amuse herself by using the exterior cameras to zoom in and look at various shops. It was in doing that that she first noticed the
smaller craft. One-man fighters, looking more like atmospheric vehicles then most spacecraft, moving between the shipping lanes in groups of six or twelve.
"System defense forces," Ben replied when she asked about them. "Anything big happens to Miran, and billions of people are in danger of starving
to death. There's at least a League Navy task group here at any time, and three solid military stations that hold hundreds of fighters and shuttles."
"Since they can get around the naval lanes easier then a battleship at full military thrust," she said.
Ben chuckled. "Fast learner."
"Ben, you getting updated flight paths?"
He checked his console. "Downloaded. Altering heading."
***
After the gleaming metal and crystal spires of Pioneer Two, the civilian space station titled Hathoways Bridge came as something of a shock to Fiona. Seemingly
built out of whatever scrap metal could be found at the time, it was a cramped, crowded series of corridors and halls, thousands of people moving about their
business.
Many of them were much more obviously non-human then even Pioneers Casts, leaving the girl trying not to gawk at the sight of squat little reptile creatures
moving about, their air tanks occasionally leaking methane, or the eight foot tall beasts hidden behind a thick layer of fur, or the dozen or so other species
that moved through the crowd.
Chris smirked at the look on her face as they moved along. "Stop staring at the Unggoy," he said to her. "They tend to unnerve easy."
"Oh, sorry," she said as the stubby alien went past them. "It's just... I've never seen one in person. They're... taller then I
expected."
The Duskwalkers Captain chuckled. "Taller. They'd love that," he mused.
"I mean, I've seen aliens before, but never so many, and so, so," she searched for a word. "Natural?" Chris looked at her oddly.
"What I mean is, well, look at everyone here. No one really seems to notice it." She considered it for a moment. "That's what makes it so
impressive."
Chris thought about that for a minute, then nodded. "I think I get what you mean," he said, then looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Aha! Time
for you to experience a piece of alien cusine," he told her, heading towards a vendors stand. "They call it Ta'terin, but frankly, there's a
human term that matches it."
She waited as he spoke with the man behind the stand for a moment, paid and came back with two dark blocks on plastic sticks. "Here you go," he said,
handing her one. She looked at it curiously for a moment, before realising it was coated in a thick layer of icing, before shrugging and taking a bite.
The girl paused, then took a second bite and regarded it curiously. "It's cake," she said at last.
"Cake on a stick," he chuckled.
"Cake on a stick that doesn't crumble," she noted. "Oh what a world of wonders." Chris laughed, taking a bite of his own as they
continued on. After a moment, Fiona spoke up again. "So, where'd the others go?"
Chris shrugged. "Not a clue," he admitted. "Still, a little alone time for them might be a good thing," he added with a grin.
***
"This isn't a Gamemaster," Amy said, putting the game console back on the bench. "It's a knockoff. Now why would I pay good money for
this?" she asked.
"Yes, it's a knockoff," the storeowner said, backing up slightly. "Still, it plays all the games just fine, and is only a quarter of the
pric-"
"What about online?" she demanded. Ben ignored the sales argument, alternating between the junk on the other benches and idly watching the people
walking past the front window, trying to recognize the various alien species that appeared.
Unggoy, droids (All much more bulky and angular then Ragol Casts), some species he didn't recognise that reminded him of a bear crossed with a pitbull,
even a Dalek... crowd watching was proving extremely satisfying today, and that was before he saw a familiar face.
"Oh, either the universe is smaller then my science teacher said, or someone up there likes me," he chuckled. "Amy, forget about the
console," he said, heading for the door. She looked up and followed.
Bens target was a skinny human man that looked like he hadn't shaved in a week, in the middle of a discussion with a woman. "Authent codes for Degas
aren't exactly easy to get, but I know the right people," he said with a smirk. "The codes are legit, recovered from a freighter that went down.
The package includes all the information you'll need, for a price, naturally."
"Question is Jonal, does the price match your quality?" Ben asked, coming up behind him and clamping a hand on his shoulder. Jonal jerked, then
bolted, his jacket popping off and remaining in Bens hand. "Now that's a clever design feature," he said, giving chase. Amy followed him, with
the other woman blinking and following on general principles.
Jonal sprinted down the corridor and darted into an alley. Amy's ears twitched as she heard him growl. "What the hell Um'as? I paid you to be my
bodyguard, and you let a disgruntled customer walk right up to me?"
The trio came around the corner and skidded to a halt at the sight of a massive Sangheili leaning against the wall, the eight and a half foot reptile reading a
book. "You do not pay me enough to guard you all the time," he rumbled, the four mandibles of his mouth spreading wide. "I am on a break."
The woman leaned over to Ben. "So... what's your issue with Jonal?" she asked quietly.
"Ripped us off with a shipment of metals," he replied. "Looks like he's fallen on rough times since then." The woman nodded,
considering.
Amy frowned as he looked at her with what could possibly be described as a leer. "Well, is this one of your disgruntled customers?" he asked. Jonal
nodded rapidly, as the Sangheili barked a laugh and straightened up. "In that case, I am no longer on my break. And I shall consider the girl part of my
payment. Quite satisfying, while she lasts."
The Ragolian scowled, before Ben moved aside, motioning for the other woman to follow. She blinked. "Shouldn't we-?"
"Nah, she's a Hunter. Honor and independence and all that." He blinked as the Sangheili took a small cylinder from his belt. A moment later, it
extended into a long metal staff. "Huh, another staff fighter. Interesting. I'm Ben by the way."
"Luna," she replied as Amy merely waited. Um'as roared and charged, towering over the tiny elfin girl. Luna winced, expecting to see Amy tossed
back out into the main corridor, broken from the blow. Instead, she leapt, grabbed the staff, flipped around it and buried both feet in the beasts mouth. His
momentum actually reversed and he was sent flying into a pile of garbage, out cold.
The womans jaw dropped as Amy landed lightly, twirling the staff in one hand. "Now then, where were we?" she asked, only to see Jonal break into a
sprint.
"And again," Ben said, giving chase, the two women following.
***
Fiona picked up a cooking grill and studied it. "Now this, we need," she said.
Chris looked at her. "We do?" he asked, honestly confused.
She rolled her eyes. "Chris, your kitchen is in dire need of an upgrade."
"It's been fine for as long as we've owned it," Chris replied.
"That's because you're not the cook," she pointed out. He shrugged, conceding the point, before going off to browse. Idly, he flipped through
a stack of music albums, noting that these markets always had the best junk around, looking up just in time to see Jonal sprint down the hallway.
The man blinked, leaning towards the window. "I know that guy," he said to himself, before Ben, Amy and a woman he didn't recognize ran past in
pursuit. "Hell," he growled. "Fiona, come on!" he called out, running for the door.
Fiona looked up, then handed the grill to the storekeeper. "I'll be back for that," she said, following her captain.
Jonal ran through the sparse crowd, occasionally shoving people out of the way as he made several turns through the halls to try and lose his pursuers. It
didn't work, the five people sticking on his tail easily.
"Where'd you find him?" Chris asked as he caught up to them proper, blessing the fact he'd learned his lesson about getting in shape years
ago.
"Selling something to this lady," Ben replied, puffing slightly. "He wasn't happy to see us," he added with a grin. Jonal led them into
a larger hall that had been converted by the locals into a crude mall. As he ran down a frozen escalator, shoving a woman out of the way, Amy jumped over the
hand railing without touching it and dropped two dozen feet, rolling as she landed.
Chris snorted, vaulting the railing and landing on the roof of a stand. "There's a shock," he noted as the mystery woman did the same, Ben and
Fiona taking the stairs. "I'm Chris."
"Luna."
"What'd this guy do to you?" he asked as Jonal knocked over a stall attendant and a clothes rack. The pair avoided it easily as Fiona and Amy
detoured down a side path to try and intercept him.
"I was in a business deal with him. Now I wish to discuss how genuine it was," she said, dodging a surprised looking Dalek. Chris chuckled, then
swore as he saw the man running towards an elevator that was opening. Eyes narrowing, he pushed himself to run faster.
Jonal stumbled to a halt in the elevator, smacking his hand against a floor button. Spinning, he grinned at the approaching group, watching the door close.
Before it could do that however, Fiona grabbed the staff from Amys hand and threw it like a spear. Jonals eyes widened as it flew through the doorway, then saw
the glory of creation as it slammed into his crotch.
Duskwalkers Captain hissed as Jonals knees gave way, dropping him to the ground. The staff caught in the doors as they closed, holding the lift in place.
"Damn Fiona, where'd you learn to throw like that?" he asked.
"High school sports team," she said as the two men pulled the lift door open. Chris nodded as he stepped in and pulled Jonal up by one of his arms,
Luna grabbing the other.
Ben looked around at the gathering crowd. "Private show, move it along," he scowled, motioning for the other two women to get in the elevator. The
slim man stepped in after them and tabbed a button for a floor that, if he remembered the map, should allow for some empty rooms to talk to the thief in.
The thief in question whimpered, his legs still unable to hold his weight. "So how's about we have a talk?" Chris grinned as the lift moved. He
got a mixed gurgle in reply. Shrugging, the starship captain let him go, dropping him to the floor where he curled up in a semi-fetal position, trying to
clutch at his bruised privates protectively. "He's not going to be walking for a while."
"My heart bleeds," Ben said, before looking up at Fiona, who was starting to look somewhat horrified, and more then a little green. "Don't
fret too much," he assured her. "This creep's a con man and thief." Idly, he kicked the man in the stomach. "Cheated us out a few
thousand dollars on a shipment," he explained.
Chris gave him an annoyed look. "We nearly went bankrupt and had to take out a second loan on Duskwalker. Not what I'd call a few thousand." Luna
looked at him, then scowled at Jonal again, planning out her own questions.
His best friend shrugged. "Well, yeah, I'll admit that," he said, before the lift doors opened to reveal an empty corridor. "Let's find
a room, shall we?" he asked as he and Chris grabbed Jonal by the shoulders and dragged him out of the lift and down the hallway into an empty conference
room. Jonal yelped as the two men slammed him down onto a chair
"Gotta tell you Jonny boy, you look like shit," Chris said.
"He did just get clobbered," Ben noted.
"No, I mean besides that. I mean, look at him. Hasn't shaved, ratty clothes..."
"He stinks," Fiona noted.
Chris continued on without pausing. "Frankly, he's a bum. Which makes me wonder what you were doing business with him about," he said to Luna.
The woman merely looked at him calmly. "On second thought, no I don't," he decided, turning back to Jonal. "Now then, let's talk money,
shall we?" he smiled. "Namely, the money we lost when you changed our delivery location."
As the man whimpered slightly, Fiona leaned over to Ben. "Delivery location?"
"About a year ago, we were hired by Czerka Corp to make random runs out near Manticore," he explained. "This jerk was a mid-level data pusher
that started meddling with the paperwork. We delivered a shipment to the 'wrong' company, and he tried to hide it. Luckily for us, his bosses were
catching onto him, but..." He scowled.
"Look, I don't have any money," Jonal managed in an unsteady voice.
"You had enough money for a bodyguard," Amy noted, smacking the staff against his knee lightly, drawing a flinch. "Not a good one, but still, a
bodyguard."
"Okay, I have a little money," he admitted. "But I need it! I heard they've got a price on my head!"
Chris snorted. "Of course you have you dip. You stole from Czerka. What'd you expect, they'd shrug and move on? They have a reputation to
maintain. Still, you only stole... what, ten, twenty thousand dollars Solarian? With that kind of money, only the small time crowd would go after you... Or the
people that get lucky and run into you on the street," he grinned.
Jonal managed a weak smile. "You're a freight hauler. You can't afford a bounty hunter license. You can't make anything off me."
"We can turn you in," Ben noted. "I don't know about you guys, but that does bring a smile to my face."
"Gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling," Fiona agreed. Jonal squirmed, then winced at the pain in his crotch. "Oh stop that. Even I know you
don't try to steal from Czerka."
"They'll kill me!" he protested. "They'll kill me and you'll help them pull the trigger!" He let a small smile slip at the look
of unease that flickered across her face at the concept, failing to notice Chris reaching into his jacket.
A moment later, he was knocked off the chair as Duskwalkers captain slammed the butt of his pistol into the side of his head. "Jesus, what is with
you?!" he demanded, only to jerk to a halt at the view right down the pistol barrel.
"Jonal, Czerka thought we stole that shipment," he said in a cold voice. "They came after us. So I'm really not interested in what they do
to you. I'm more interested in paying off debts you caused, or at least get a little compensation."
Fiona looked at the others, a slightly uncomfortable look on her face, and was about to say something when Luna spoke up. "I'm afraid I can't let
you do that," she said calmly, having taken a small blaster from her jacket and aimed it at Chris. "I still have need of his services." By the
time she finished the sentence, the other three people had their guns out and aimed on her. Even Fiona, much to her own surprise.
The woman regarded them calmly, even as Chris mentally cursed himself for a rookie mistake. They'd just let the woman come with them, not even considering
that she may be a threat. "He's a con man," he said. "A thief, nothing more."
"Which is why I hired him," she said. "While I intend to determine if he was dealing fairly with me, I will have him alive."
Chris cocked back the hammer on his gun, the noise echoing in the silence. "Try it, and both you and him will be dead before you know it."
"So will you," she noted.
"Given the number of guns and where they're aimed, maybe I'll just roll shitty damage," he responded with a slight grin. "I seem to make
a habit of that."
A slight smirk appeared on her face. "Are you always this reckless?" she asked.
"Only with the beautiful ones," he answered. Amy narrowed her eyes slightly, planning to use her telekinesis to pull the gun up and away from Chris,
when the door was slammed open.
Fiona and Ben spun, bringing their pistols to bear on the bruised and angry Sangheili standing in the doorway, holding a bulky pistol of his own. "You
have my employer," he growled. "You will unhand him now."
Amy kept her own pistol trained on Lunas head, making a silent promise to never leave Sato on the ship, unable to provide backup, ever again.
"You've got a candy wrapper on your shoulder," Ben noted. Um'as glared at him.
"You dumped me in the garbage," he growled, mandibles flaring out.
"Considering Amy 'payment' was a really dumb move," he pointed out. The aliens eyes darted over to the Ragolian, lingering for a moment in a
way that made her skin crawl.
"She still is," he said calmly.
"Sangheili!" Luna snapped, drawing his attention. "I have as much interest in getting your employer out of this as-"
"What's this guys bounty?" Chris asked loudly.
"Thirty thousand Solarian Dollars," the alien replied.
"I'm guessing he's not paying you that much?"
"I have no legal way of claiming it." Chris nodded in understanding.
Amy smiled. "I do," she said. "The Ragolian Hunters Guild is recognized as legal bounty hunters." Luna shot her a furious look that she
promptly ignored. "How about it? It's more then this con man would be paying."
Um'as growled, his gun moving to Amy. The Ragolian recognized it as a Mauler, a Brute weapon that was essentially a miniature shotgun. Difficult for humans
to carry, perfect for an 'Elite', regardless of it being developed by their racial enemy.
Still, having it aimed at her was actually an advantage, given it would take at least one shot to overcome her personal shield, a protection Ben and Chris
lacked.
"So, that's a no?" Chris said with a grin.
"This female insulted me. I will be repaid."
Ben scowled at the reptile, studying him. The massive creature was clad only in light robes, lacking the layers of circuit laced armor plates needed for
Sanghieli energy shields. "You're unshielded Elite," he said suddenly. "The ladies are Ragolian Hunters."
The aliens eyes, along with Lunas and Jonals, widened in nervous surprise. "You can't get through their shields in one shot," Chris continued.
"We've got the gun advantage... but we're not looking to kill either of you."
"We're not letting you take him," Luna said calmly as Jonal whimpered.
"I know. You lose nothing from this," Chris said. "We at least got the satisfaction of this shit in pain." He looked over at Um'as.
"Which leaves the question of what you want more. A paycheck or a bit of payback."
The alien growled, mandibles pulling in, before he moved away from the door slowly, never taking his eyes, or Mauler, off Amy. Chris pulled Jonal up, still
holding his gun to the mans head. Ignoring the con artists pained whimpers, Duskwalkers crew moved towards the door.
"This isn't over Wood," he managed.
"Jonal, you're a fucking coward," he whispered in the mans ear. "Maybe next time you won't have a bodyguard and business deal to save
your ass. Keep that in mind."
He was the last one through the door, shoving Jonal at Um'as before slamming it and flicking the lock button. "Move!" he ordered, breaking into a
sprint for the elevators. Fiona was already there and hitting the call button. Chris got about sixteen meters before the Sangielli shoulder slammed the door
hard enough to snap the lock snib, bursting out into the hallway with a roar.
Chris ducked as Ben and Fiona raised their pistols and fired, the bullets and photon bolts missing, but throwing Um'as off balance and convincing him to
move back into the doorway for cover. Amy dropped in behind Chris, the Barrier on her arm activating and giving them cover until they reached the elevator.
Um'as leaned out and fired off several shells from his Mauler, only to have the pellets scatter after a short distance, ruining their effect. The moment
the elevator arrived, the four piled in, Fiona and Ben keeping their guns at the ready until the doors closed.
"We need to get to the ship," Ben said, reloading his pistol as Chris hit the buttons for five different floors.
"So much for shopping," Fiona sighed, checking her pistols charge, then doing the same. "...Would you really have killed him?"
"Would you think any less of me if I admitted I'd honestly considered it?" Chris asked quietly, the group hiding their pistols as they stopped at
the first floor.
The young woman considered it, then shook her head. "You're human," she said after a moment. "And you choose not to."
Duskwalkers Captain smiled slightly.
***