before we get into this though.”
“We're already in it. As far as Regent Galactic is concerned we're wanted criminals already,” Captain Valance said. “Besides, knowing that she wanted to contact me before tells me that what I have planned will work.”
“What's that sir?” Ashley asked.
“There are only a few important rules to follow if you're looking for someone who might want to be found. Make sure you get all the help you can, keep your eyes and ears open, and make sure that you do everything you can to make yourself visible.”
“You're going to use the publicity to your advantage?”
“Like a great big beacon.”
“But it sounded like you didn't want to do any publicity,” Ashley commented.
“I didn't want to have people following us around showing the galaxy what we'd have to do to get the job done. There's a difference. Just because I'm turning a new leaf doesn't mean that I'm not willing to be a very bad man to anyone in the wrong. When I think about that cargo train I get angry,” his expression darkened. “I get so angry. I think about all the jobs we've pulled off. Work that I should have questioned or turned down. Then I wonder how much damage I can do in all the right places with the same skills we used finishing that work. How much harm can I do to all the right people for a change.”
Stephanie smiled and looked to Ashley. “It's about time.”
They watched the repair crews for a while before the trio pushed away from the rail and started down towards the gangway. “How long to we have before the hunters start circling?” Stephanie asked.
“There's a specialist coming after us already. As for the rest from Regent Galactic territory, the first of them should start showing up in about three weeks unless they have the cash for a wormhole generator.”
“Think we'll be able to keep away from them?”
“No.”
“So we counter.” Stephanie concluded.
Captain Valance simply nodded.
“Counter?” Ashley asked.
“When the bounty hunters start getting close we hunt them back.” Stephanie explained. “After we've taken care of a few most of the others should leave us alone.”
“What about the ones who don't give up?”
“Those are the ones I'll hunt down. We'll turn them in to Aucharian authorities for a reward if there's anything left of them when I'm done.” Captain Valance concluded.
Summons
It happened fast. Captain Valance was on his way back to the gathering of city ships in orbit before the hurricane had been broken, mere hours after he had returned to the Samson. This time he went with Stephanie, his First Officer. Ashley was off doing her flight test for her certification, the defence base had two instructors aboard, and one of them was up early.
Stephanie and Jake were taken to the large government city ship, the capitol city of the Aucharian government. It was a massive twin hulled vessel that dwarfed most of the other vessels in orbit.
They were escorted directly to the office of the Minister of Defence, Lauren Timmer. She was a lovely woman with long dark violet hair and she wore the muted grey robes of her office. She appeared far too feminine to hold that post, but Captain Valance knew better. She was one of the greatest tacticians alive.
They walked into her spartan office, decorated only with three chairs in front of a large desk. The floor was a dark red and the walls were a deep blue with a window spreading from wall to wall behind her overlooking the tumultuous planet below. “It's good to meet you Captain Valance,” she said from behind her desk, gesturing for them to sit down.
They did so, but she remained on her feet. “Quite a storm,” she said, gesturing towards the clouds far below. It was still breaking up, and would be for some time. “We have climate control but every few years something comes along that our systems can't handle. It's a good thing too. Storms like these move so much water that land becomes exposed and the earth is turned. A natural tilling of the soil. Billions of plants and fish die, buried alive or crushed under kilometre high waves. It releases nutrients into the water, dredges up materials that would otherwise remain buried, and brings change. Opportunities for new life to take root arise, land masses shift. Without one of these storms certain crops would grow out of control, others would be suffocated. The circle of life might stop turning.”
Stephanie could listen to her talk forever. Confidence oozed from every annunciated syllable. She could tell there were layers to this woman that few had ever seen.
“You have made Regent Galactic turn their heads. We intercepted a battle group headed straight into our space. Their departure point was Thadd. They were after you.”
“I'm honoured.”
“You should be. If it weren't for you that battle group wouldn't have fallen into a trap we set for them at the last second. If we weren't there to stop them they would have taken you and your crew, most likely in order to execute you publicly. Their media and imperial system of government thrives on examples.”
“We would have gotten clear,” Captain Valance said with a smile.
Minister Timmer chuckled and nodded. “You might have at that. The information we have on you and the Samson is incomplete, but it's enough to verify your reputation. We are on the defensive, and we need people who are eager to do the opposite,” she turned and brought Captain Valance's records up on a holographic display above her desk. It was an account of bounties delivered, ships captured, even some information on his last privateering venture. “I have to admit, I didn't even know you existed before you brought Minister Lorne's brother back to face grand theft charges. You saved his career, you know.”
“I know.”
“So you are aware, the only reason why you're talking to me is because you did manage to save thousands of lives in the Thadd system. The unfortunate part of that is that Regent Galactic bombed the planet before taking possession. They'll be putting fires out for years, St. Kitts is unrecognisable.”
“I'm sorry to hear that. It was the closest port with rescue personnel.”
“You're right. In the end the rescue vessels did end up in our space. The waking slaves have been freed but we're still rousing the ones that were in stasis. None of them have any personal memories from what we've seen so far. Vindyne technology was used to suppress them without physically damaging their minds.”
“To suppress them?”
“That's right. Some of our medical personnel are working on a way to bring their memories back but we're well behind on that kind of research.”
Captain Valance looked at her quietly for a moment. “Did you find anything out about my daughter?”
“I was wondering when you'd ask,” Minister Timmer said with a smile as she sat down. “We did. She was recently spotted on a frontier base. No one would have noticed her at all if she hadn't been responsible for putting three ship thieves out of business,” she brought up video footage of Alice throwing a handgun at a much taller fellow then running into her ship.
“She must have been out of ammunition,” Stephanie said quietly.
“Actually, port law prohibits the departure of ships carrying anyone who discharged a firearm. Law enforcement must clear them before they can depart.”
“Smart girl. Looks like something you'd do sir.”
“Thanks to this incident we know she flies the Clever Dream, an Arcyn Starskipper model craft with a wormhole generator. One of her eyes has been replaced with a very high end prosthetic that can gather more information than the average person can handle and she uses the same kind of vacsuit some of your crew wear. She was using the name Fran Molleneuvre on that base. Is that enough for you to start working for us Captain Valance?”
“Did you find out where her next destination would be?” Jake asked.
“She didn't register a plan with the Port Authority. That, along with a number of other obvious traits, seem to
