“All right, we’ll go ahead with that.”
“Good, now that we have that sorted, I can grant you a Privateer’s letter of Marque right now for all your vessels since you've shown evidence of ownership. The Carthan government is obligated to notify you that, while we can offer you a provisional privateering licence for the Triton you will have to prove right of ownership or command once it arrives. If you have no evidence that you’re the rightful commander of the ship when it arrives, you will have to stake a claim and answer to challenges.'
“What kind of evidence do you need?”
“If the vessel answers to your command codes and the main computer verifies that you are the senior commander, then the required terms will be satisfied.”
“But until then you’re telling me that the Triton will be licensed as a privateering vessel under my name.”
“Yes.”
'Thank you very much. All right, who would I be permitted to seize property from?' Ayan’s spirit rose, and she did her best to keep her composure.
'The Carthan Government is licensing you to fire on and seize property from any Regent Galactic or Order of Eden vessel or other asset with a military purpose. You are also permitted to capture any ships owned by aforementioned parties and any vessels carrying objects intended for their use. You may sell all but sentient beings and weaponry to any Carthan ally or neutral party, but must remit any weapons and prisoners to Carthan officials. You will be paid thirty five percent of their market value.'
'Thirty five percent?' Ayan asked, knowing that weaponry and other military hardware was the most lucrative product of many captures. 'That must be conditional, or at least negotiable.'
'No. You are running a raider fleet of ships you didn't even take the time to register with the Carthan government before requesting a privateering licence. We recognize that you're interested in pursuing your interests in our space legally, otherwise you wouldn't be here, but I can't offer you better rates or conditions until you acquire a visa with provisions befitting a Captain in command of a combat ready fleet.'
'Then I'd like to apply for a visa.'
'As a Captain I can expedite the process. You will have to provide contact information for three past commanding officers and submit to two weeks of constant oversight using one of our recording devices as well as a Carthan Officer aboard your command ship. At the end of that two week period we will render our decision and determine what sort of visa we will issue to you. You can begin the application process by paying a fee of fifty thousand credits.'
'I'll have to consult my former commanding officers, make sure their contact information is up to date and such. Is there any other way to negotiate the percentage paid for arms?'
'Do you operate out of any other port? If someone else is offering you a more favourable rate then I may be able to make a case to my supervisor.'
Ayan thought a moment. There had to be something she could say, but all she could do was answer with another question; “What if I’m supplying my own fleet and a military carrier?”
“In that case, you’re free to use any weapons you acquire, but they must be registered individually. If they are reduced to components, then you may use them however you like if you have records of their disassembly. You may be able to negotiate for less strict terms once the Triton arrives, or if you can tell me where it is now and what its primary role might be.”
'I’m afraid I can’t provide you with that information at the moment,' Ayan said. She couldn’t leave it at that, however. “I’m wondering. If one of your privateering partners’ ships is in distress outside of your territory, would you lend assistance?”
“How far outside of our territory?”
Ayan hesitated a moment. What do I have to lose? At worst they’ll think I’m incapable of commanding a carrier. She brought up the most recent tactical information from the Triton and displayed it as a holographic map. “The Triton is in a planetary nebula less than a day away by high compression wormhole. This is the most recent data we have on her.”
“Hold while I consult my superior,” the representative said, wide eyed. Her image disappeared into the wall.
Ayan looked back to see Laura just over her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“I had to try. I don’t think everyone would agree with me asking for help, but I couldn’t stand here without saying something.”
“Here’s hoping they’ll do something.”
The representative’s image re-emerged from the wall with a sorrowful expression. “I’m sorry, there’s nothing the Carthan Fleet can do for you. As you probably understand, I can’t offer any more details than that for security reasons.”
Ayan’s heart sank. She wasn’t aware of how deeply she hoped the Carthans could help. Her request was more than a whim, she knew that if the Carthans had superior forces in the area, they would leap at the opportunity, or at least, they should have. If they claimed that they were in no position to assist them, then there was nothing she would say that would change their minds.
“Thank you for taking the request seriously. Please keep abreast of the situation, if there’s anything you can do to help, you’d have the gratitude of my crew and I.”
'Considering your situation, there’s nothing I can do to improve the terms of the privateering arrangement. If it’s any comfort, some Captains are already becoming quite wealthy under those same conditions. After losing so much, I can see how you might think wealth is impossible, but you must believe me when I tell you there are some wealthy privateers that have made due with much less than you have.'
'Oh, I can believe it,' Victor muttered under his breath.
Ayan cleared her head and her throat before going on. 'Moving on; by the terms you’ve set out here, I can sell everything else anywhere I like?'
'That's right. In fact, any member of your crew with Carthan identification can sell whatever you capture to anyone other than an enemy of the Carthan government, it doesn't have to be you,' the representative announced as though it was of some great benefit.
Ayan didn't agree, the beaurocrat''s beaming announcement seemed obvious. 'Are the Carthans picking a fight with anyone else?'
'There is a treaty between the Carthans and United Core World Confederation, but it will expire in twelve days. All other governments, companies and groups that you are legally allowed to pursue, capture or destroy are listed. You are also permitted to detain the enemy as outlined in the terms until you can hand them over to Carthan authorities for a reward. Rewards are dispensed based on the table included in the data package you’ll receive.'
'All right, sign me up.'
“The services you have requested, including authorization slips for all your vessels come to a total of nine thousand two hundred thirty one credits, or three hundred seven point seven in GC.”
Ayan pondered for a moment, she had no idea what the exchange rate was or what the beaurocrats meant by ‘GC’. “All I have is stamped platinum bullion.”
“That’s recognized Galactic Currency. Please put it in the drawer.”
A drawer popped out of the wall as she carefully opened the courier bag. The pockets inside held, at a glance, twenty of the largest squares that glittered yellow, a package of fifty second largest square tokens that had a blue glint and a variety of others in a smaller bag. She started by pulling a yellow one out.
Jenny gasped and whispered; “That’s a five hundred.”
Ayan glanced at the token and felt like a dunce as she read the top of the square piece, where it was marked with a large 500G engraving. “One moment,” she pleaded sheepishly.
“I’ve never even seen one of those before,” Jenny chuckled to herself quietly as she looked around as though making sure no one else had seen.
Without pulling them from the bag, Ayan inspected the rest of the tokens and realized that the blue bars were two hundred fifty grams, the hundred gram tokens were bright purple, and the lesser denominations were green for fifty, red for twenty-five and silver for five. The fine, industrial diamonds gave them their colour, and each was obviously made to be carried like a coin, but considering they were pure platinum, she couldn’t imagine herself
