by Saxon Andrew
“Uhhhh…what makes you…believe that…your ship would be…in danger?”
“Because until a new vessel has made a deposit and established residency on Tortuga, it is open for anyone on the planet to attack until residency is established. I’ve been told that you can remove those obstacles before I arrive at your planet.”
“It is possible that…they could be removed…but it comes with a fee for me to assist…in making it happen.” The bank official said as it leaned back in its chair.
“How much?”
“A hundred…thousand…non-refundable…Unity Credits paid in advance. Another fifty thousand…Unity Credits are required once the…obstacles…are removed and…residency established.”
“Do you accept direct transfers?”
“I…do.”
“I’m going to give you an account number and request you transfer a hundred fifty thousand credits to your establishment immediately.”
Leo would have never believed that a Tortugan’s face was capable of smiling with their hard shelled beaks but discovered he was wrong. It smiled by moving its tongue from one side of its face to the other. “That would be quite satisfactory, Captain! It’s rare to have someone arrive with your expertise at getting things done.”
Leo knew it had to be rare to have a pirate show up with enough wealth to do it. He did notice that there was no hesitation in the Tortugan’s speech with that statement. Leo entered the account number into his communicator and sent it. The Tortugan looked away from the display and then turned back to him, “What is…the name of your…vessel…how many crew serve on it…and who commands…it?”
“It is named the Thermopylae, there are twenty crewmen on board, and Leonidas Alexander is in command.”
“I will notify records…that your ship is now registered…as a resident and…you will be afforded…every benefit and right…our planet offers.”
“I would like to send a shuttle down to deliver my deposit. When may I come to make the delivery?”
The Bank Officer smiled again, “You are cleared by Tortugan Traffic Control to deliver your deposit immediately upon arrival. I will provide the security at my bank to insure your delivery is not in jeopardy when you arrive.”
Leo now understood, without doubt, that a smile straightened the Tortugan’s speech right up. “We’ll arrive in about six hours and I’ll immediately move my vessel into orbit and send the shuttle carrying my deposit down to your establishment as soon as we’re parked.”
“I’ve notified Traffic…and the coordinates for you to park your vessel…will appear on your panel…now!” the bank official said. “Do you require living…accommodations…for yourself and your crew?” the Tortugan asked with its head leaning toward the display in anticipation.
“Do you offer quarters for new arrivals?”
“We do…have a selection of various…quarters based on…how much you wish…to pay.”
“What would you recommend?”
“We have a building…suitable for yourself and…your crew on the…outskirts of the city…for a reasonable rent.”
“How much?”
“Eight thousand credits…a month.”
“Do you have anything closer to the center of the city?” Leonidas asked.
The Official’s tongue went across his face again, “We have a luxury building on the river in the center of the city that requires twenty thousand a month.”
“I’m transferring another quarter of a million Unity Credits to you immediately. That should pay for the first year, wouldn’t it?”
Leonidas wondered if the Tortugan’s tongue was ever going to stop moving across his face. After a minute the Official said, “It is now your quarters and will be awaiting the arrival of your ship to assume occupancy.”
“Thank you for your excellent service and I will shuttle my crew to their new home once we complete the delivery of my deposit.”
“That would be excellent. I am also going to send you a copy of the laws and regulations that govern your behavior while on Tortuga. You should go over them before you arrive to avoid making a mistake and possibly having your residency rescinded.”
Leo saw the Tortugan’s tongue continue moving across its face and knew he had been taken but didn’t care. This should make a grand entrance into the pirate community and get them noticed. He was going to need that to get close to Blakely. “Thank you and I will go over the regulations on the way to Tortuga.”
The display went dark and Leo looked at Barney, “Move the ship in to those parking coordinates above the planet as soon as we arrive at Tortuga. Call me when you leave the intersection.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Leo looked at Embree, “When the regulations arrive, I want you to go through them thoroughly and provide me a summary of what I need to know.”
“Yes, Captain.” Leo smiled, Embree was the fastest reader he had ever known. He would probably have the document read before it completed downloading. He went to his quarters and began changing his clothes. He had spent a lot of time thinking about what he would wear on Tortuga. Every Captain dressed to be noticed and the more flamboyant the look the better. He looked at the tri-corner hat with a large feather coming out of the hat band and then picked up what would set him apart from all the others. It had cost him a lot, but the ancient Spartan Breast Plate was worth every credit. He had polished it until it shined and it fit him perfectly. It was heavy but his enhanced muscles didn’t even notice it. He thought about a Spartan Helmet but decided that was taking it a bit too far. He put on black shirt under the armor and then put the tri-cornered hat on. He looked at himself in the mirror and knew Victoria and Desiree would laugh at his appearance…but he liked it.
He undressed and smiled as he went to his bed and closed his eyes. He thought about capturing John Blakely. He smiled, this would be good for business. He wished Desiree was here to help in the planning. He continued smiling as he thought about her being here beside him. Then, he thought about Ana. Either of them was a good image to think about. He closed his eyes and slept.
• • •
Leonidas’ communicator started vibrating and he pressed the connect button, “Yes!”
Barney appeared, “Captain, we’ve left the intersection and are now inside Tortugan Traffic Control. Eight ships began moving toward us but have been ordered away by Control. Embree says that there has been a high level of communication traffic once our ship’s name became known.”
“That’s understandable; we did have a run in with some of the locals.”
“Embree tells me that we cannot have any of the ship’s weapons energized inside a million mile diameter from the planet. The fee for violating that ordinance is ten thousand credits the first time, a hundred thousand the second, and expulsion from the planet for a third offense.”
“Shut the blasters down, Barney. However, make sure the missile batteries are active. The launching ports cannot be seen from outside the ship and they do not radiate energy that could be detected.”
“Yes, Captain. I’ve already issued the orders. We should arrive in less than another hour and a half.”
“Have the boxes of credits been packed in the shuttle?”
“Yes, and there are ten members of the crew that have been assigned to go with you to make the delivery.”
“Who are they?”
“The blaster crews, Captain. I’m keeping the missile teams at their stations.”
“That’s a good plan, Barney. I’ll be up in a few minutes.” Leonidas stood up and went to the bathing compartment. He had grown his hair long over the previous six months and he wanted to make sure his moustache and hair were clean. You never get another chance to make a first impression; he wanted to make sure it would be a good one. He pressed the ship’s intercom button on the wall and said, “All crew members will change into the clothes they’ve chosen to wear on Tortuga. You should also pack a bag to take with you to our new living accommodations after we make the deposit. We’re
here and now the hard work begins. Remember to avoid saying anything that might cause a hole in our cover story.” Leo pressed the button turning off the intercom and went to cleanup.
• • •
Victoria and Desiree sat at a table in a tavern on Lucia and sipped their drinks. Jimmy and Steve sat with them and Jim said, “This place is pretty quiet.”
Victoria took another sip and sighed, “I know. I’m just not in the mood to go dancing tonight.”
Desiree nodded, “You’re worried about Leonidas.”
“Does it show?”
“We all are. We’re just going to have to learn patience and be ready to respond if he needs us.”
“That’s just it, Desiree. Even being this close, it will take us three hours to get there if something happens. I just don’t like it.”
Desiree sighed, “Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. If we go into the Tortugan system, we’ll be challenged and probably attacked. Revealing our armaments will only insure we won’t be allowed near the planet.” Desiree looked across the room and said, “It looks like Nosey has made another appearance.”
Victoria looked up and saw a large man step inside the entrance, look around, and then go back outside, “He’s been following us for about six hours.”
“He’s not Romanov.”
“How can you tell?” Victoria asked.
“He’d be harder to spot. Nosey’s training leaves a lot to be desired.”
“Should we leave?”
Desiree shook her head, “No, I’m wondering who he’s working for. He knows who you are.”
“I’ve seen that.”
Desiree looked at Steve, “Go and round up the ground crew and have them wait outside. Tell them to avoid being seen.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Jimmy, move over to the bar and take a chair.”
“Captain, if there’s going to be trouble, I should remain here with you.”
Desiree smiled, “Jimmy, you’d only get in the way if we run into trouble.”
Victoria took another sip before saying, “You think something’s going to happen?”
“Nosey stuck his head in here to confirm our presence. I suspect he left to tell someone else.” Victoria looked around the tavern and saw there were numerous patrons scattered around the room. Desiree smiled, “I suspect having others present won’t prevent anything.” Jimmy stood up and went to the bar.
“I guess you’ve seen something like this before?”
“I have. And Nosey waited until we were away from the street without many beings near us before leaving to make his report.”
Three large men walked into the tavern and sat down at a table near the door. A few seconds later, six more heavily muscled men walked in and occupied two more tables. Desiree looked at Victoria as she poured another glass from the clear liquid in the bottle sitting on the table, “I know, the party is about to start,” Victoria said quietly.
“Not yet.”
“Oh?”
“This is the advanced scouts. Notice that they’re whispering to the patrons sitting around them and they’re getting up to leave. At least they have the courtesy to warn innocent bystanders that something is going down.”
Over the next twenty minutes, twenty more men entered the tavern and Victoria looked at Desiree, “I think that’s the last of them.”
Desiree smiled and nodded, “You’re pretty good. What told you?”
“They’ve stopped looking at each other and all of them are glancing at the entrance surreptitiously. I suspect the next one through the door will clarify what’s going on.” Desiree nodded as she sat back in her chair. “Have you noticed that all of them look like they’ve been working out?” Victoria pointed out.
Desiree nodded and quietly whispered, “The last four that arrived are carrying hand blasters under their coats.” Victoria nodded and took another sip of the water she had started pouring in her glass thirty minutes earlier. A man walked through the entrance and both women were impressed by his size. He stood about six and a half feet tall and wore his shirt opened to the middle of his chest showing off his powerful physique. His arms were huge and he walked with a swagger. Desiree whispered, “Remember; pretty, dumb blonde is what’s called for here.”
Victoria nodded and smiled as the tall man walked up to their table, “Why hello, honey! Aren’t you a pretty sight for my eyes to feast on?”
The man snickered as he lifted his communicator and began reading, “I have been hired by the De La Pascal Family to apprehend Victoria Lenora De La Pascal and take her to the Superior Court on Bella Grande to attend a hearing on the estate of Roberto De La Pascal scheduled two days from now.”
“Uhhh…excuse me Mr.…Uhhh…”
The man looked at Victoria and smiled, “Mr. Deloam.”
“Well, Mr. Deloam, Bella Grande has no jurisdiction here. So why don’t you take your pretty muscles and go back where you came from, Dahlin.”
“I am not from Bella Grande. I am part of an organization that accepts contracts to take individuals to the one paying for the contract.”
Desiree sighed and said, “He’s a bounty hunter, My Lady.”
Victoria looked at Desiree, looked at the man, and then turned back to Desiree, “I didn’t know they made bounty hunters so good looking. I thought they were more like troglodytes. You know, all muscles and no brains.”
Desiree shrugged, “Your point?”
Victoria looked at Deloam and said, “I guess you’re right. He is all muscles. Let’s see if he’s dumb.” Deloam’s face was turning red and his anger was clear in his expression as Victoria said, “You have no legal jurisdiction here, honey, and I choose not to go with you.”
Deloam sneered, “Do you think you have an option?! You will come peacefully or we will take you back by force. Either way, you are going back to Bella Grande with me.”
Victoria slowly started shaking her head and said over her shoulder to Desiree, “You’re right; no brains at all.”
“If the two of you think we have a problem roughing up a woman, you need to think again.” He looked over his shoulder, nodded, and the twenty nine other men stood up from their tables, moved the tables and chairs away from Victoria’s table and spread out around it.
Victoria put her hand on her chest, “Why clutch the pearls; do you think you’ve brought enough men to handle two defenseless women?”
“Shut up and get moving!! You have a ship to catch.”
Victoria sighed, “Dahlin, there are always consequences to behaviors and after we demonstrate some of them to you, I’m going to educate you in the stupidity of just stepping into a mine field without scouting it out first.”
Deloam sneered, “Your crew will not stop us. We’ve been highly trained to handle anyone you might use to defend you. We’ve determined that my unit outnumbers your crew.”
Desiree stood up and Victoria stood as well. She looked at Desiree, “These highly trained, well-muscled men, just makes my heart go all a-flutter.”
Desiree smiled, “You know how I hate to see your heart go all a-flutter.” Deloam stared at them trying to figure out what was going on but couldn’t make sense of it. A moment later, after Victoria hit him in the middle of his forehead with a snap-punch, he wasn’t able to figure out anything. Victoria and Desiree moved into the men gathered around them and bodies began hitting the floor.
The owner of the tavern stood behind the bar and knew his establishment was going to be wrecked. Jimmy reached over and pulled his sleeve, “Hey, how about a brew?” The bartender looked at him with eyes wide open and Jimmy said, “Give me the coldest glass you have.”
Desiree ducked under the arms of a bounty hunter attempting to wrap up her arms and hit him in the sternum with an elbow. He collapsed to the floor as she spun and kicked another man in the solar plexus dropping him on top of the first man. “ONLY NUMBER ONE AND PRESSURE POINTS, VICKY!” Desire shouted as she pushed a pressure point on anther bounty hunter under his c
hin and followed with a leg sweep of another. He hit the floor and she pressed on his sternum.
Victoria dropped three bounty hunters and saw the four men outside the group start reaching for their blasters. She leapt over the crowd and landed directly in front of them. She hit two of them directly in their foreheads and saw that one of them had already pulled a blaster and was pointing it at Desiree. She had the sword out in an instant and the man’s body hit the floor before his head. She spun and hit the fourth man holding a blaster on the side of his head with the sword’s handle, dropping him like a bag of cement. She returned the sword to its scabbard in an instant and reverse kicked a bounty hunter rushing up behind her.
The tavern owner watched the two women move through the thirty men and could only shake his head in astonishment. Jimmy took a drink of his brew and said, “This sort of brings tears to your eyes, doesn’t it?” The owner was speechless and Jimmy walked over to the entrance. He opened the door and ten crewmen from the Play Toy rushed into the tavern. “Just wait here and don’t allow any of them to run.” The crew spread out at the door and watched their two commanders beating the large men senseless.
The last four bounty hunters standing rushed toward the door but stopped in their tracks when the crewmen moved in on them. Desiree shouted, “Take them to a table and order them a drink!” The four remaining bounty hunters were escorted to a table and shoved in a chair. They looked around the room and saw all of their comrades laying on the floor unconscious or moaning loudly. Desiree and Victoria went back to their table and sat down. Desiree pointed at Deloam and shouted, “Steve, bring him over here and deposit him in a chair. You might have to hold him up until he regains his senses.” Two crewmen lifted him and one said, “This one weights more than a block of lead!” Another crewman came over and assisted the other two in putting him in a chair at Victoria’s table. Steve stood behind Deloam and prevented his falling out of the chair to the floor.
Victoria looked around the room and ordered, “Take those that are capable of sitting to a table and order them a drink.”
Desiree poured two glasses and handed one to Victoria, “Did you have to kill that one?”