“And the Sol Bianca is safely docked… and there goes the Professor,” muttered the militiaman at the security terminal. “Crazy Bastard barely gave the airlock time to seal.”
Behind her, Commander Lisa Hayes shrugged slightly. Unlike her young assistant, she’d been on duty for previous visits by the Bane of Paris, and she knew what to expect. “When he’s on the hunt for Science, little details tend to be ignored unless they get in his way,” she explained, unconcerned. “Don’t worry too much kiddo. He’s got a good team to back him up if something did go wrong.”
“Right, his robot assis...tants…” the man managed, staring at his screen. Barely twenty years old, he was in no way ready to handle the image of Miyu Glear, her incredible curves putting a pair of jeans and a tank top to the ultimate test.
Lisa gave him a moment to take in the sight, smiling in mild amusement, then tapped him on the shoulder. “Focus Ensign,” she said. “Where are they going?”
Blushing, he checked his other screens, then nodded slightly. “Eastward along the docking ring ma’am.”
“Not into the dome at all?”
“Uh, no ma’am. They’re boarding the ring trams now,” he confirmed.
Considering that, Lisa managed to suppress a sigh of relief. “I guess there’s a ship or something there that got his attention. Better that than him deciding to dismantle our interwave again. Keep an eye on them, I’ll let the Governor know.”
Picking up the red phone mounted on the wall, she started to dial, but paused at a new voice, coming from the security rooms speakers. “Commander, we have a disturbance outside docking bay eighty-seven,” reported Athena, one of the collection of AIs that juggled security responsibilities in the Valley. “I suspect it might have something to do with our other emergency,” she added in what was, for her, a somewhat concerned tone of voice.
Frowning slightly, the Commander put the phone back on the hook and turned towards one of the security monitors. “Show me.” The screen changed from a map of the docking rings to security camera footage, showing a man in his early thirties and a T7 series Astromech droid moving around the docking bay entrance, hiding various items and weapons behind anything he could find, while a handful of bystanders either watched in curiosity or concern, or put some distance between them and the trouble to come.
“Files identify the man as Captain Christopher Wood of the Freighter Void Eagle-”
Lisa waved a hand, cutting Athena off. “I know who he is. What I need to know is why.” Pulling a phone out of her pocket, she looked up at a camera. “Can you put me through to him?” By the time she finished asking the question, her phone began ringing. On the monitor, Chris paused in hiding a shotgun behind a shipping crate, then fished his own phone out of his longcoat pocket. “Chris, this is Lisa Hayes. Would you care to explain what the hell you think you’re doing?” she growled.
Looking around, Chris caught sight of one of the security cameras and gave a friendly wave. “Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst,” he said, returning to hiding the shotgun. “Where’s the Professor right now?”
Lisa’s scowl deepened. “He’s on the tram system…” She glanced at the map, “and yes, he’s heading your way. Chris, do you have something that would get his attention?”
Growling, Chris placed a grenade next to the shotgun, then darted around the crate and ran towards an abandoned cart. “Well, unless there’s another example of Mad Science floating around the docking ring right now, I’d say it’s all too possible he’s here to visit the two Friez I’ve got making some repairs to my ship.”
Blinking, Lisa gave her phone a disbelieving look, then returned it to her ear. “You look like you’re setting up for war there. You’re going to pick a fight with the Professor? Just because you think he’s visiting a pair of Julian Friez?” Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t keep her voice down, and everyone in the room turned towards her, stunned.
On the screen, Chris paused. “I’m not planning on starting anything Lisa,” he said, his voice unnaturally level. “If he comes here, I’m going to ask him to leave. Don’t worry, I’ll even be polite about it. But right now, I have a catgirl in that hanger this close to fainting in sheer terror at the news he’s even on the same damn moon as her.” Anger slipped into his voice as he handed the droid what looked like some sort of ‘waved taser. “What he did to her, to all of her ‘brothers’? People make jokes of it, but… Lisa, she would rather jump out an airlock than let the Professor get his hands on her again. I don’t give a single fuck what he’s given Fenspace over the years, he’s not going near her. They’ve suffered enough.”
Eyes wide, Lisa stared at the screen for a long moment. That was… That was something she needed to process. At last, she shook her head slightly and pulled herself back to the present. “He’s only got Miyu Glear with him. No sign of anyone else. Chris… be careful.”
He looked up at the camera and shrugged. “As much as I can be with what’s coming,” he replied, before ending the call and getting to work.
Putting her own phone away, Lisa shook her head. “Because just having the Professor show up wasn’t enough, oh no..."
Behind her, Commander Lisa Hayes shrugged slightly. Unlike her young assistant, she’d been on duty for previous visits by the Bane of Paris, and she knew what to expect. “When he’s on the hunt for Science, little details tend to be ignored unless they get in his way,” she explained, unconcerned. “Don’t worry too much kiddo. He’s got a good team to back him up if something did go wrong.”
“Right, his robot assis...tants…” the man managed, staring at his screen. Barely twenty years old, he was in no way ready to handle the image of Miyu Glear, her incredible curves putting a pair of jeans and a tank top to the ultimate test.
Lisa gave him a moment to take in the sight, smiling in mild amusement, then tapped him on the shoulder. “Focus Ensign,” she said. “Where are they going?”
Blushing, he checked his other screens, then nodded slightly. “Eastward along the docking ring ma’am.”
“Not into the dome at all?”
“Uh, no ma’am. They’re boarding the ring trams now,” he confirmed.
Considering that, Lisa managed to suppress a sigh of relief. “I guess there’s a ship or something there that got his attention. Better that than him deciding to dismantle our interwave again. Keep an eye on them, I’ll let the Governor know.”
Picking up the red phone mounted on the wall, she started to dial, but paused at a new voice, coming from the security rooms speakers. “Commander, we have a disturbance outside docking bay eighty-seven,” reported Athena, one of the collection of AIs that juggled security responsibilities in the Valley. “I suspect it might have something to do with our other emergency,” she added in what was, for her, a somewhat concerned tone of voice.
Frowning slightly, the Commander put the phone back on the hook and turned towards one of the security monitors. “Show me.” The screen changed from a map of the docking rings to security camera footage, showing a man in his early thirties and a T7 series Astromech droid moving around the docking bay entrance, hiding various items and weapons behind anything he could find, while a handful of bystanders either watched in curiosity or concern, or put some distance between them and the trouble to come.
“Files identify the man as Captain Christopher Wood of the Freighter Void Eagle-”
Lisa waved a hand, cutting Athena off. “I know who he is. What I need to know is why.” Pulling a phone out of her pocket, she looked up at a camera. “Can you put me through to him?” By the time she finished asking the question, her phone began ringing. On the monitor, Chris paused in hiding a shotgun behind a shipping crate, then fished his own phone out of his longcoat pocket. “Chris, this is Lisa Hayes. Would you care to explain what the hell you think you’re doing?” she growled.
Looking around, Chris caught sight of one of the security cameras and gave a friendly wave. “Hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst,” he said, returning to hiding the shotgun. “Where’s the Professor right now?”
Lisa’s scowl deepened. “He’s on the tram system…” She glanced at the map, “and yes, he’s heading your way. Chris, do you have something that would get his attention?”
Growling, Chris placed a grenade next to the shotgun, then darted around the crate and ran towards an abandoned cart. “Well, unless there’s another example of Mad Science floating around the docking ring right now, I’d say it’s all too possible he’s here to visit the two Friez I’ve got making some repairs to my ship.”
Blinking, Lisa gave her phone a disbelieving look, then returned it to her ear. “You look like you’re setting up for war there. You’re going to pick a fight with the Professor? Just because you think he’s visiting a pair of Julian Friez?” Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t keep her voice down, and everyone in the room turned towards her, stunned.
On the screen, Chris paused. “I’m not planning on starting anything Lisa,” he said, his voice unnaturally level. “If he comes here, I’m going to ask him to leave. Don’t worry, I’ll even be polite about it. But right now, I have a catgirl in that hanger this close to fainting in sheer terror at the news he’s even on the same damn moon as her.” Anger slipped into his voice as he handed the droid what looked like some sort of ‘waved taser. “What he did to her, to all of her ‘brothers’? People make jokes of it, but… Lisa, she would rather jump out an airlock than let the Professor get his hands on her again. I don’t give a single fuck what he’s given Fenspace over the years, he’s not going near her. They’ve suffered enough.”
Eyes wide, Lisa stared at the screen for a long moment. That was… That was something she needed to process. At last, she shook her head slightly and pulled herself back to the present. “He’s only got Miyu Glear with him. No sign of anyone else. Chris… be careful.”
He looked up at the camera and shrugged. “As much as I can be with what’s coming,” he replied, before ending the call and getting to work.
Putting her own phone away, Lisa shook her head. “Because just having the Professor show up wasn’t enough, oh no..."