It had scattered the traffic lanes.
“Let’s do that again!” Bob said, pumping a fist.
Squit took her seat next to Bob. Arkei was already strapped into her seat again. Regan was the last one standing, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to sit down. He didn’t feel much like a captain at that point. He felt reckless and overly confident.
He looked at the ships scattered about.
“Will they be okay?” Regan asked.
“They’ll be fine,” Straya said. “A jolt to their electrical systems is all.”
Like an EMP.
Calico tried to find a bright side. “At least with all the chaos, nobody can trace it back to us.”
She was only met with grumbles. Regan appreciated it, though.
Regan was about to take a seat when the red light went off. It was a call. And like everyone else in the room, Regan assumed it was Salvato.
Regan pressed the button.
Luckily, it was Tookie, who had a new greasy sandwich in his hands and crumbs sticking to his tongue. As disgusting as Tookie was, Regan welcomed a friendly face.
“Tookie!”
“Well, I’ve seen you all look better,” Tookie commented, squinting at the sight of them.
“I hope you have some good news for us,” Regan said, taking his seat.
“I do. I got his location. Salvato is at the Unmined Jewel casino. It’s an asteroid in the area. I’m forwarding the coordinates to you now.”
Regan buckled his seat belt and put his hands behind his head, looking at Tookie with a smile. It was time to get back on track.
“Thank you, Tookie,” Regan said.
“Good luck, human,” Tookie said before signing off.
Regan looked at his crew, none of whom were operating the controls at that point, still adjusting to the impact from the blast.
“Team, I messed up back there,” he said. “I acted too quickly.”
“Captain,” Reverie said. “We’re still alive, and our enemy who was trying to kill us is not.” She reached out and touched his arm as she said this.
The other ladies nodded. Even Arkei, though she said nothing, gave Regan a nod of understanding.
“Can we get to this asteroid casino?” Regan asked.
“Actually, the blast likely rendered many authorities non-operational for a while,” Straya said. “And it put many radar systems down too, so we can just cruise up there.”
“I have the coordinates entered, and it’s not that far away,” Calico said. “I think we can make it just fine.”
Regan nodded and commanded, “Let’s go kick some gangster ass.”
He took a deep breath and leaned back into his seat.
Chapter Fifteen
The accidental distraction caused by Regan allowed their ship to easily navigate toward the Unmined Jewel Casino, though he still felt guilty about how it went down. Since giving the order to head to the asteroid, Regan didn’t say much.
But he knew it wouldn’t be long before one of his crew members said something. Arkei had been furious with him in the hallway, but Regan knew he hadn’t heard the last of it. Though he was the captain, the girls wouldn’t leave it at that. Of course, it was Straya who took the jab.
“So, Captain…” Straya started. “I understand that you had to take action to get us out of a dangerous situation, but did you really dump all the antimatter modules?”
Regan wasn’t sure he knew the answer to that question, but considering they were all contained nice and neat in a crate, he doubted any other modules somehow weren’t in the crate.
“I dumped an entire crate,” he said. “So, if that was all of them, then yes, that’s what happened.”
“I had removed all of them for inspection,” Posha noted.
Straya shot him a look. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
“But, it worked, didn’t it?” Regan asked.
A grumble crept through the bridge. No one agreed nor disagreed.
“Captain, I’m not sure you understand the full ramifications of this,” Calico said.
Regan considered admitting this was true, but he also didn’t want to do anything to create uncertainty in his abilities as a captain. Not that he thought his crew would demand any change, but it was a sense of pride for him. Regan had made it this far, had made it to the captain’s chair, and now had done something stupid that could have serious ramifications, ramifications he wasn’t even fully aware of.
It was a time to trust his crew and not play the tough guy.
“Calico, tell me, are we unable to use the FTL drive now?” Regan asked.
“Captain, we have one good jump left, but we must save it,” Calico responded. She said it simply and directly, not with spite or coldness, which Regan appreciated.
But Straya didn’t handle it as well. She asked, her voice snippy, “Do you have any idea how much those were worth?”
Regan admitted he didn’t, and Straya put her hand to her forehead, her other hand balled up in a fist.
Regan looked at her and waited for her to get out whatever it was she needed to. But when she spun around in her seat and made eye contact with him, she composed herself a bit more.
“It’s just…” she continued. “That was a lot of money, and it’ll be difficult to acquire more of that quality, Captain. I don’t mean to speak out of turn, I just worry about our resources is all.”
Regan nodded at her. “I appreciate your honesty. All of you. And as your captain, I want you all to continue to speak to me freely. I’ve made a mistake and put us at risk because of it. But I still ask that you trust me, and I’ll do the same with each of you.”
The entire bridge nodded at him and smiled.
“Captain,” Reverie whispered. “You have also saved all of our lives more than once. We are with you.” She bowed her head when she said this, which touched Regan.
He wasn’t satisfied with his action still, and knew he might never be, but lesson learned, he supposed. His crew was still on his side, and they understood him more now.
“Thank you, Reverie,” Regan said.
“Sir,” Posha started with a bulbous finger slowly raised. “I am happy to limit my activity as well. I mean, if you want me to be less intensive in my approach to adjusting and updating—”
“No, Posha,” Regan said. “This was my fault. I appreciate the work you have already done and would like for you to continue. I simply acted too rashly.”
Even if it felt good blowing those assholes out of space and sending a pulsating force throughout the entire sector.
Posha nodded.
“In that case, Captain,” the lizard continued, “maybe I can finish my work on that section, to close it up. You know, so there is no more confusion?”
“Good idea.”
“Excellent.” Posha stood up slowly. “I will try to pull some juice from the sockets and cables where the antimatter was locked into place. We may be able to retrieve some additional power that way. Not much, but usually there are trace amounts that can linger in between in the cables, and other tight connecting places.”
“That sounds good to me, Posha. Thank you.” Regan then turned to Calico. “Calico, without using our drive, how long will it take us to reach the Unmined Jewel?”
“This is a large sector, Captain,” Calico began. “Even though we knocked out many of the radar systems and organizational traffic in the area, we still have to be careful about patrols. It might be some time yet.”
“So you’re saying everyone can take a break?”
“I would prefer that Straya and Arkei remain at their posts in case something else arises,” Calico said. “But yes, a break for everyone else would be fine.”
“Very good,” Regan said. “Squit, please escort Posha to the cargo hold, and give him a bit of speed.” Squit nodded and dashed from the room after Posha. “Bob, let’s grab a drink at the bar.”
Bob gave Regan a flashy grin and stood up. The two exited the bridge. Arkei, Straya, Rever
ie, and Calico nodded as they left the room.
Bob and Regan entered the barroom which had the feel of a modern speakeasy. Music was already playing when they entered, as if automatically.
Regan stepped behind the bar. He grabbed two glasses and filled them with the same booze he remembered taking from the pirate ship.
“I found this place last time I left the Captain’s suite,” Regan said.
Bob and Regan touched glasses in cheers and each took a sip. Regan thought of the first time he and Bob had a drink on Arkei’s ship.
“Haven’t seen you that much, Bob,” Regan said with a smirk. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with one of our new crew members.”
Bob returned the comment with a smirk of his own. He took a sip.
“She’s fun,” Bob said. “I’ve been having a hard time focusing on a lot of things since this adventure began. You know? I have a hard time keeping up. It started at soon as I woke from that cryostate…”
Uh, yeah, Bob, I know.
“But the feeling she gives me…” Bob continued. “It’s pretty consistent.”
“That good, huh?”
“That good, Captain.” Bob beamed, and the two toasted their glasses again.
“Bob, you’re the only other human on this adventure with me. Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts or get into the excitement. I just want to make sure you’re having a good time.”
Bob smiled.
“I’m having a good time,” he said.
“Right on,” Regan said.
The two sipped their drinks while Bob told Regan some of Squit’s more pleasurable talents. While it wasn’t Regan’s thing, he had to hand it to Bob. The dude seemed to have found his soulmate.
Regan realized then that his life wasn’t the only one improved by this whole adventure. While the ladies spoke of their past trials and how they were happy to overcome them, Bob said little about his own, but Regan could tell that Bob was doing better than ever. He could see it on his face. He had been taken from his home world, but able to become someone he clearly always wanted to be. He was living out a fantasy.
The communications speaker came on, interrupting their drinking, piping Calico’s voice throughout the room.
“Captain, we’re approaching the asteroid,” she said.
Regan and Bob set down their glasses and made their way back to the bridge.
Regan and Bob entered the bridge and saw on the viewscreen that they were approaching a massive, flashy asteroid. It had large windows that were cut from its rock surface, displaying the elegant interior. It was surrounded by neon signs and festooned with lights of all sizes and shapes. The neon signs were not tacky, which came as a surprise to Regan. In fact, they were gorgeous. Regan realized that neon was probably not what they were at all, but it was the closest representation he could think of.
The asteroid also had a slight hue to it, like a force field. It reminded Regan of the defensive shield on Arkei’s ship. “Can we enter the surrounding force field without permission?” he asked.
Arkei nodded. “It’s just an artificial atmosphere that supports most life forms. I bet it’s an advanced one that generates gravity too. Wouldn’t want to inconvenience any high rollers.”
Traffic was moving all around. Some waited in lines to have their ships valet parked. Others were whizzing by looking for their own parking space, or maybe just passing by.
This place clearly hadn’t been hit by the blast from the antimatter incident. That, and it was busy, which meant Salvato wouldn’t be easy to find.
“I’ll circle around for a place to park, but first I want to get a look at the front entrance,” Calico said. “See what type of security we’re dealing with.”
Regan and Bob took their seats, while Squit and Posha entered shortly after, with Squit setting Posha down as soon as they passed his seat.
“I must say that having this wonderful creature provide me with some speed is most gratifying,” Posha said.
Squit made a noise and giggled. Bob giggled a bit too, but he didn’t translate whatever she said.
Calico breezed by the front entrance of the casino from a decent distance, allowing them to see what the situation was like, but also far enough away that it seemed like a casual flyby. Regan found himself more and more impressed with her piloting skills. And it wasn’t all action or escapes either. He found she knew what she was doing in even subtle situations.
She was talented more than he realized, and he was digging it.
The front entrance was a long walkway where no ships could enter. Large golden posts lined both sides with beautiful lights fixed to the tops of them.
Regan was sure they lined the walkway with cameras. He wondered if Salvato had connections that would report to him if they approached, and something about this thought excited Regan. How angry would Salvato be if Regan simply walked up to the front of the casino he was playing at? How intimidated would he be when he saw how little fear Regan and his crew had about their situation?
As amusing as it was to imagine that he intimidated Salvato, that very well might not have been the case. Regan really had no way of knowing, but it was the right card to play. He needed to walk through the front gate.
“What do we think?” he started. “Park the ship and walk right up to the front entrance?”
“Well, we aren’t handing the keys to a valet driver, that much is certain,” Arkei said.
“Will they let us just walk in?” Calico asked.
“Of course they will,” Straya said with confidence, as if she had been in this situation many times before. “This place is designed for high rollers, and look at this ship! It reeks of money!”
“Well, it used to be, until we trashed it up,” Bob said. He smiled at Regan as he said so, as if he were being helpful.
Come on, Bob.
The rest of the bridge ignored the comment, and Calico moved the ship toward the parking lot, where they could find a spot large enough for them. It was out of sight from the entrance, and they would have to walk a ramp to get to the main platform. It was a gorgeous ramp with studded lights, but it made Regan think of something else.
“You mentioned something about high rollers,” Regan said.
“Totally,” Straya said. “This is a high roller ship.”
“But they won’t see us get out of it here, and they won’t know what type of ship we have when we walk up to that entrance,” Regan said. His concern was growing, but he felt it was valid.
“Mephistopheles bragged that he kept expensive clothes in his dressing room,” Calico said. “Even for ladies,” she finished as she glanced at the females in the room one by one.
“Good call, Calico,” Regan said. “I want you and Straya to come with me, get dressed appropriately, and we’ll head in. Arkei, you’re in charge of the ship while we’re inside.”
“If we get inside,” Calico commented.
“We’ll get inside,” Straya said.
Arkei smirked and nodded at Regan. “It’s no problem, Captain. We’ll be in touch via the communication channel.”
And with that, Regan and his girls headed for Mephistopheles’s dressing room.
As they approached the front entrance, Regan really did feel like a high roller. The garments he wore reminded him of silk, but he wasn’t sure what type of fabric they really were. They fit his body perfectly, as if they were triggered to tailor themselves to his shape when he put them on.
He was wearing a suit, he knew that much, but the fashion differed slightly from the suits he was used to. The coat was long, with intricate designs at the end of the sleeves. The pants had the same design at the leg opening. If anything, it was fancy.
The dresses that the ladies wore did the same tailoring trick on their own, which Regan couldn’t deny turned him right on when he saw them walk out of the dressing room together, with their tight asses accentuated by the fabric.
But the only problem with their dresses was the inability to hide weapons. T
hey had discussed how being confronted by security with weapons would bring about a quick end to their attempt to get in anyway, so they were going in with nothing.
Regan had communicated this to Arkei, who stood at the ready for any potential action. Worst case scenario, the three of them would hightail it to the ship and find armed backup there as they made their escape.
As they neared the entrance, a security team of four large rough-looking creatures greeted them. It made Regan wonder if there was an entire species that were raised to become bodyguards, as he couldn’t imagine anything else that these four creatures could do besides this.
They were not dressed in suits to look nice, as Regan compared them to those at the casinos he knew from Earth. Rather, they looked like soldiers. They had weapons hanging from their belts and each carried a blast rifle of some type in their arms.
They were not messing around. Regan wondered how quickly it would take them to find out he and the ladies had alternate plans other than gambling.
But they had come this far, so they stepped right up to the security detail, who inspected them from head to toe with their sharp eyes.
“Do you have a reservation?” one of the security guards asked.
“No,” Calico said dismissively. “We’re just here to gamble.” As she said this, she barely looked at security, and Regan found it to be convincing. Calico was a natural at playing the rich spoiled brat.
However, it wasn’t good enough it seemed, as security didn’t budge. They had their minds made up before Regan and his ladies reached the entrance.
“That’s not how this works,” the same security guard said. “Either you have a reservation, or you leave.”
Straya tensed up, and Regan knew she wanted to let loose upon the guards, but that would do them no good. Regan reached out and touched her arm gently.
One of the security guards saw the gesture and looked back and forth between Regan and Straya. He smirked.
“You think about getting out of line, and I’ll make you sorry you did,” the security guard said.
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