repairs.”
“Good point,” Ashley said.
“Let's get going. I get the feeling the Minister wants us there as soon as possible,” Captain Valance said, taking his long coat from the back of the command chair.
Old Debts
Ashley followed Captain Valance in relative silence. He was downright intimidating to anyone ahead. Crewmen and soldiers just doing their jobs looked down the broad polished hallway and couldn't help but stare for a moment then get out of the way. The Captain was just over six feet, wore black body armour with thin overlapping metal strips and a black long coat over top. They were armoured cloaking field emitters that could manipulate the movement of air, muffle sound, and create a field that completely hid him from sight and sensors. Over top the armour and black long coat he always wore a white silk scarf; as if he didn't stand out enough.
She didn't go along with him often, she supposed it was her lack of combat training and the fact that she was the only other person aboard that could fly the Samson well. He had trained her himself after purchasing her from a very wealthy Baron many light years away. Once they arrived back on the ship she was told to stand on the bridge beside the command chair. She did.
For an entire week she watched everything on the bridge. What she didn't know was that he was watching her. It didn't take him long to see that she couldn't stop staring at the pilot's station, she was fascinated with that post in particular. Ashley thought she was doing her duty as a slave, fetching him drinks and food from the galley, but that was a ruse.
After the first job she was aboard for, it was a cargo heist, she found a share of the take in her bunk footlocker after the stolen goods were sold. She approached him on the bridge and to her surprise he told her she could buy her freedom for one hundred credits. She didn't know what to say, she was born a slave, raised a slave and thought she was already lucky to have a quiet, but kind master. Never would she forget the moment he just reached into her thigh pocket, took out three fifty credit chits, put one back and told her; “now you're free. Tell me if you'd like some work.”
The next year and a half flew by. She was at the controls of a simulated ship the very next day. The Captain, Monica who was the pilot at the time, and Silver all took turns helping her learn the ropes. A couple months later she was at the controls to the Samson for the first time and just as the Captain had guessed, she was a natural. Months later Monica retired to one of the Captain's cargo haulers and Ashley became the lead pilot. Since then she had seen combat, touched down on metal, land, water and even navigated a shifting nebula. The Captain still took the controls from time to time, but she knew he trusted her with his ship. In fact, the entire crew trusted her.
They came to the end of the hall and got into an express car. The doors closed and they began to move. “Captain I was thi-” she started to say but was cut off as the car accelerated to over a two kilometres an hour in under four seconds. The inertial dampeners built into the car prevented them from getting tossed around, but she was still surprised by the quick acceleration.
“You were thinking?” Captain Valance asked with a smile.
“I was wondering if I could get certified. I think I'm ready and there are some ports I can't pilot through without my certs. This way you'll never have to take the controls or give me your certification number to use.”
“I'll vouch for your flight time. I'm pretty sure we can get you in for testing somewhere.”
“It doesn't have to be right away or anything.”
The express car came to a slow stop. The Captain lead the way out and down the hall. “I'll see when the center opens here. The Samson took a lot of damage, so we'll be docked for at least a twenty four.”
“Here? You mean I could get certified right away?”
“I can't see why not, this is a capitol world. You just have to promise me something.” They came around the corner into a Port Authority Seizure and Confiscation storage bay. There were at least three dozen vessels up to two hundred fifty meters in length. They were docked to the sides and ceiling and set down on the deck far below. “Promise me you're not going to sign up with another crew or buy your own ship and start your own operation.”
Ashley's jaw dropped. The ships in that bay were all in great shape. Some showed signs that there had been major repairs done, but she would happily fly anything there. “Don't worry, I'll stick around,” she quietly reassured.
“Good, because I'll really need you. I'm still not sure what we'll be doing, but I'll need a good pilot.” Captain turned and walked to one of the nearby airlocks.
She ran to catch up as he walked inside. “You're not sure where we're going? I thought we'd be following leads to your daughter.”
“We are going to head in that direction, but that lead is a year and a half old. We'd also have to go through Regent Galactic territory. Not a great plan, especially after paying for repairs out of pocket.”
They stepped through the interior doors into a shuttle made for over twenty passengers. It was empty except for a woman in a white uniform marked with a high rank insignia. “Good morning Captain Valance, the Minister is expecting you.”
“Good morning Lieutenant Commander. It's just the two of us, so we're ready whenever you are.”
“Good, if you'll have a seat we'll be off.”
Captain Valance sat down in the middle of the cabin and Ashley sat beside him to strap in. “So we're picking up work here?”
“I'm cashing in a favour. I need a better lead and he might just have one.”
“What kind of Minister is he?”
“He's the Minister of Trade. I don't like dealing with politicians, but like he said, the Samson is popular right now. Normally that's bad in our line of work, maybe we can turn it around.”
“You'll find a way.”
The shuttle disconnected from its moorings and got underway. They emerged from a bay on the side and began accelerating towards the nearby planet of Seneschal. The massive blue planet was to their right, they could see it through the transparent metal window running the length of the shuttle.
“There's that hurricane the Minister was talking about,” Ashley commented. “It's huge.”
“Looks like it covers at least ten percent of the surface.”
“Can their cities survive that?”
“They don't have to,” Jake said as the pointed towards the horizon of the large blue world.
After a few more seconds Ashley saw them. Hundreds of massive ships in a tight orbital group. There were lights from small shuttles and larger transports moving back and forth between them. Some looked more like massive fish than ships, others had long keels and upper decks that looked like they were normally wide open to atmosphere. “They just pull up and go into orbit?”
Jake nodded. “When things calm down or their break wall field reduces the severity of the storm they just go back to the planet surface.”
They were among the massive city ships moments later and she admired their gracefully curved hulls, the thousands of lights coming on as early risers greeted the morning. She couldn't make it out before, but only half the ships were white or grey. The rest were vibrant colours, some were even shaded as a gradient from light to dark, top to bottom. “They're beautiful.”
The transport turned around and they started decelerating. Moments later they were inside another, much smaller launch bay and the sounds of the airlock sealing to a boarding tunnel rang throughout the shuttle.
“We are secure and you may disembark,” announced the shuttle Captain over the interior speaker system.
They unbuckled and Ashley lead the way through the airlock. As soon as she came through the interior door she stopped. “Wow,” was all she said.
The foyer was ten meters by ten meters with a black floor etched in gold radial patterns. The walls had inlaid wooden scrollwork and there was a silver chandelier drifting lazily from one corner to another.
“Good morning,” said an older looking fellow. He was in an intricate deep blue and green robe. It was tied at
