Tavia secured all of the systems for slipstream movement and turned to her partner, “Slipstream transit is seven hours 12 minutes. We might as well get some rest.”
They left the small bridge and entered the combination dining and sitting room that spanned the width of the ship. Aft and starboard of the room was a small galley that occupied three quarters of the width with the port quarter consisting of a passageway that led to a guest cabin to starboard and a master cabin that spanned the full width of the ship. Both cabins had full bath facilities. A small hatch at the rear of the master cabin led to a crawl space entering the engine room. The ship was not designed to be repaired in space. As Tavia and Bill sat around the small dining table enjoying a meal, Hatch sat on the floor in a corner eating her live food. They always spoke to hatch in her serpent language now that they had mastered it.
Bill turned to Tavia, “I think when I retire from the legions I may buy a yacht like this and sail the systems.”
Tavia, stifling a laugh, “I can give you two reasons why that won’t happen. First, you will never leave the legions. Second, you don’t know how to sail.”
“You could teach me.”
“I have a better idea. Why don’t I just sail you through the stars.” Tavia said this much more tenderly than she had wanted and Bill picked up on that. He smiled and they ate further in silence. Whether they knew it or not, they were falling in love. They also both knew this mission would make or break whatever germ of a relationship was developing. They had never been alone before and now they would be spending an unknown amount of time together. It was true, Hatch was there; however, Hatch was at Tavia’s side almost since she hatched from an egg. As a result, she remained unnoticed but always present.
Tavia took the main cabin and William Marshal the guest cabin. Neither had a previous romantic relationship, even though the centurion was ten years Tavia’s senior. They were not quite sure how to handle their feelings, so they put them aside for the mission. An hour before system arrival the alarm woke Tavia and she showered and dressed. As she entered the living area, she saw Bill, doing calisthenics. He was bare-chested and Tavia could see the severe wounds he received fighting in the serpent civil war, were well healed. Scars were not a problem in the 32nd century, since medicine had long learned how to heal without them. Legionaries looked at them as marks of valor and tended to keep some in areas visible to others. The hidden areas were healed without scarring.
“Good morning Bill, we have a half hour to system insertion.”
“I’ll be ready. Let me get a quick shower and dress. What do you think we should wear?”
“I decided to go with a jumpsuit. Not sure how this station is so we will have to consider it may be grungy.”
“Good thought.”
William left for his room and Tavia said good morning to Hatch, who had slept on the floor, and then went to the pilot’s seat. William came in, shortly before the end of the slipstream, and sat in the other seat. Tavia pressed a button and the sails depolarized. The white before their eyes disappeared and resolved into the system. Sensor data began to come in.
“The system is a binary star system consisting of a main sequence spectral class B star and the partner is a main sequence spectral class M., a blue and a red star. There are 14 planets all in orbit around both stars. I am getting telemetry from mining bases on some of the rocky planets. There are five rocky planets and eight gas giants with the farthest planet consisting of an ice ball. The giants have many moons and there are two asteroid belts. I am also getting telemetry from a space station in orbit around the tenth planet, which is a gas giant with several moons occupied by mining bases. This must be a mineral rich system. I bet Sinclair would like to get control of this one.”
Bill Marshal looked over at Tavia, “A very thorough report on the system. I can see it is hard to get the mining scout out of you.”
“As hard as getting the legionary out of you,” Tavia joked. She then pressed a button on her console. “This is the private yacht Unicorn requesting permission to dock at Dubna station.”
The lag time was close to two hours before a response could be expected. Tavia put up the system sails and began to sail the star wind towards the tenth planet. Sailing the star wind was one of Tavia’s favorite things. The ship moved silently under sail. The only sounds were slight creaking noises similarly to those heard on sailing vessels on old Earth’s oceans. As they sailed into the system, they could enjoy the beauty of it all. Every star system of the galaxy, of which there were over 400 billion, was unique. They were like snowflakes in that regard. The gas giants of this system were breathtaking. Most had complex ring systems with large numbers of moons. Suddenly Tavia started to feel like a tourist enjoying the sights. Due to the strong stars, the weather in the system was tricky and Tavia enjoyed the challenge of sailing the energy flows. She was suddenly startled out of her reverie by the response to her message.
“This is Dubna station traffic control. You are cleared to dock at bay 1289. When you are secured, report to the stationmaster to identify yourselves and indicate your business. After that, you are welcome to enjoy our amenities. Docking fees must be paid in advance. Fueling and resupply is also available.” Tavia sent a thank you.
“Tavia,” William asked, “what will they do when they find out we are full of fuel and food.”
“Calm down, Bill. When the Slones put this mission together, they thought of that. We are very light on fuel and our food stores are low.”
“Not sure I can get used to this. In the legions, life is simple. If they are in front of you they are the enemy.”
“Well, Bill. Time you get educated in spying then. Just follow my lead.”
Tavia was a strong woman and William knew it. She was also not to be messed with. For a short time, she had actually been the leader of all serpents and that entire species would lay down their lives for her. While in the egg, the serpents receive genetically coded memories giving them all of the primary school education humans need years to learn. Recently, Tavia found out that part of the added education was knowledge of her importance and standing with the serpents. William was hooked and he loved Tavia, but was not sure if she returned that love.
Transit time to the tenth planet was just over eight hours. Tavia enjoyed the time sailing while William made sure everything that was not part of their cover was properly hidden, just in case someone decided to break into the ship. Hatch would remain aboard. Since serpents are like chameleons and can totally blend with the background, they had no worries about her being detected. They arrived at the station and Tavia slid the yacht into docking bay 1289. Once the clamps were in place, they opened the door, located in the living area, and walked out into the station. After they locked the ship, they looked around. The docking area was full of activity. This was obviously a major station. General Golov had mentioned it supplied all of the mining bases in the area, and Tavia could believe it. Several times on the way to the stationmaster, they had to dodge loaders moving from large warehouses to the various ships on the docks. The interesting thing about wars in corporate space was that nothing was allowed to effect business. Fleets could be attacking each other and armies might be engaged, but money must flow. After asking some directions, they finally found the stationmaster’s office. It was a small shack tucked in the corner of the loading areas. They walked in and saw a man sitting behind a desk, looking a little distracted as his eyes moved from one computer screen to another. Without looking up the stationmaster said, “You must be the young couple from the Unicorn.”
Tavia had to admire the fact that he knew the name of the ship. “Yes. Tavia and Bill Marshal,” Tavia let out a girly giggle and smiled, “we are on our honeymoon.”
“In that case you will not want to stay here long. What do you need?”
“Refueling, resupply and information,” this time it was William Marshal who spoke. “We want the best quality fuel and rations you have available.”
“That w
ill cost you. Do you have an account with us?”
William reached into his jumpsuit pouch and pulled out a few gold coins. They were from the Romani but for the mission had been minted with the imprint of Tudor Industries. “This should cover the charges with a little extra to speed the work and for the information.”
The thing about gold was its rarity, in space as it had been on Earth. It also opened doors that were normally closed and it was untraceable. William had no doubt they would receive the highest quality items but the invoice would say they received normal quality. That with the extra amount would guarantee the stationmaster half of the four coins given. William knew he was right when the stationmaster looked around to make sure no one was watching as he pocketed two of the coins. “You’ll have the best we have for your honeymoon. Information depends on what I know. You have a very strange accent, yet your wife sounds like she is a Balin citizen with an odd inflection.”
This time Tavia spoke up before William could respond, “Very observant of you. My husband is from far off Coreward Industries and we met when he came to trade at our mining base, near the border of Balin and Tudor space. I lived a while in Tudor space.”
The stationmaster thought a moment, “Well that explains it then. We rarely get any ships from Coreward Industries. Even in a direct line, they are almost a year away. So, what information are you looking for? I’m a busy man.”
William continued, “Then we won’t keep you. We will see to the loading of supplies and refueling, and then we will tour your station. My wife has a desire to take an adventure cruise on our honeymoon. I am looking for information about one in this area. We heard rumors there was a starliner that dealt in such cruises.”
Suddenly the stationmaster leaned forward and signaled William and Tavia to lean in. The atmosphere became conspiratorial. “You’re looking for the Rising Star. She doesn’t stop here and she is invitation only. Give me your pad.”
In the 32nd century, everyone carries an electronic pad to record those things that should not be overheard. William handed his over and the stationmaster scribbled on it and handed it back. “You didn’t get that from me.”
William pocketed the pad without looking at it and quietly gave the stationmaster another gold coin. “For your discretion and to make sure the loading starts as soon as we get to our yacht.”
“Refueling is already underway.”
They thanked the stationmaster and returned to the Yacht to find the fuel hoses just disconnecting and the supply antigravity sleds waiting to enter the ship. William pushed a button and the side of the ship opened to allow the sled to enter the yacht and drop off the food. Water was also replenished and it would be recycled from the galley and waste disposal. Once in space it was a closed system. Deliveries and refueling were all automated and no humans were involved. Once the ship was docked, it automatically sent a report to the station computers indicating how much fuel, water and supplies were needed and they were assembled. When payment was received, they were released. When all of the loading was finished, William locked the yacht and the young couple went into the mercantile part of the station.
The interior of the station was huge. The docking bays were along the circular ring of the station whereas the central core was made up of two levels of stores and offices with an area dedicated to housing the station staff. The central core bisected the circle of the outer portion of the station where the docking bays were located. Large solar arrays covered the outer surfaces of the station and supplied all the energy that was needed. William now looked at his pad and saw the stationmaster had written down a location, P15, and the words Rigel Travel. Tavia and William went to the nearest directory and looked for the name, but it was not on the list. They then looked at the location rulers on the side of the directory map and found the location listed. P15 was on the second level but appeared to be at the end of an internal passageway and not on the main storefronts. They decided to walk slowly towards their goal and do some window-shopping to keep up the young love cover. As they walked hand in hand, they kept a close watch to make sure no one was tailing them. If the stationmaster knew about the starliner, he may know it’s a Q-Ship and that could be a problem for anyone looking for it. When they were certain they were not being watched, they went to the upper level.
As they walked along the upper level, they made sure the security cameras saw them as a couple on their honeymoon. They walked past the location of P15 and were relieved to see it had a sign saying restrooms and mall offices were down the passageway. That made things easier. They walked down the hall with the intention of appearing to need the restrooms. It didn’t take long for them to notice there were no cameras, at least none they could recognize, in the passageway. As they went down the passageway, it made a sharp turn to the left and there were restrooms on one side with a drink dispensing machine between. The passageway continued to a single door with ‘RT’ at eye level. William pressed the button next to the door and it slid open. They walked in to find themselves in a moderate sized room filled with desks, only one of which was occupied. The person sitting at the desk was a young woman with olive skin and black hair who stood up and came over to them as the door closed.
“Can I help you? I’m Vanessa James.”
It had been decided that Tavia would always talk first due to the accent issue. She now flashed a smile and said, “I’m Tavia Marshal and we were told this was the Rigel Travel Agency.”
Vanessa looked more serious, now that she knew they had not made a wrong turn. “And who told you that?”
“He asked not to be identified,” Tavia retorted.
“Ah, the station master then. I keep telling him we are not doing anything illegal here but he thinks that because we can only afford this closet we must be afraid of detection. Come have a seat and tell me where you want to travel.”
Young as she was, Tavia had excellent insight into people. She knew that the sudden attempt at humor and casualness was a sham. This was illegal and she knew it. She grew up in a corporation and the type of adventure cruise they were looking for was patently illegal due to the danger. “We are on our honeymoon,” Tavia said, “and I have always wanted to do an adventure cruise. What do you have?”
“Well that depends on how much adventure you want. We run cruises that make the events look real but of course, everything is safe. Are you looking for exploration or action?”
“I was hoping for some action. I know this is a war zone, so I hope the starliner will not be in any real danger.”
Vanessa tried to set their minds at ease, “We do not want anything to happen to our customers. You will be perfectly safe.”
“In that case, how about an action oriented cruise?”
Vanessa pretended to think a moment and then said, “We have a ship that will include gambling, shady characters and pirate attacks. How does that sound?”
Tavia did her best girlish giggle and said to her ‘husband’, “Bill, can we do that one. It sounds divine.”
“Whatever you want, dear.” William then turned to Vanessa and said, “How much for the best cabin on that ship.”
Vanessa’s eyes lit up, “The best cabin? That will be 12,000 credits per person for a one-week cruise. Do you have an account with us?”
William said, “Actually, no. We will pay in gold. That should convert to eight ounces of gold.”
“That it does. The ship is called the Rising Star and you will have to catch up with her. She will stop for some excursions in the Petrous system, which is three jumps from here. If you leave today, you can make it by the time she gets there.”
Vanessa printed out the tickets and handed them to William as he reached into his bag and pulled out eight gold coins. Vanessa could hear more coins jingling in the pouch and pushed a button below her desk. A door at the rear of the office opened and two goons walked in. They were heavily muscled and each carried a pistol.
Tavia saw them and both she and William tightened for what they knew was going
to be a shakedown. Carrying gold was always a risk and you had to expect thieves everywhere. “What is this all about?”
“Just sit still, honey,” Vanessa said, “and you will not get hurt. Just have your husband hand over that pouch of gold and you can be on your way.”
The funny thing about gold, besides its enduring beauty and value, was its weight, and William had quite a few pounds of it. He lifted the satchel strap over his head, which brought the gold bag to a point where he had full control of it. He suddenly heaved it at the knee of the closest goon with all his strength. It was gratifying to hear the crack as his kneecap broke and the knee bent in a direction it was not meant to go. As the goon went down, William leapt forward and grabbed his gun. He then rolled into a firing position and shot the other goon in the center of the forehead before he had time to recover from the surprise movement. While this was going on, Tavia reached over the desk, grabbed Vanessa by the hair, and smashed her face onto the desktop. She fell backwards and sat dazed on the floor, her broken nose bleeding.
“Well this was unexpected,” Tavia said to William. One goon was dead and one was writhing in pain. Vanessa was starting to get her wits back and was realizing her pretty face needed some work now. Tavia walked over to the dead goon and picked up his gun. She then returned to Vanessa, “Just sit still, honey, but unfortunately you will get hurt.” Tavia raised the pistol and shot her between the eyes. William put a bullet into the head of the goon with the broken knee. Tavia nodded, “they won’t be warning the ship of our coming.”
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