One mans scrap is...
15 Nov 2020Kris Ghoststar
It was the quiet times that got to her. The waiting. That was her own personal hell.Too much time to dwell on the past. That was always a bad place to go.
However the last three weeks had been pretty chaotic, What with the Federation and the Empire at each others throats.
A lot of pilots had swarmed the system in the hopes of making it big, either in the credits or the fame. Some got both but she had just made enough to keep the tank full.
The broker had offered work, running cargo at the usual rates. Information was still paying well especially in times of war.
"How about salvage?" He said as he put his feet up on the desk and leaned back in his chair.
Kris took a deep breath and leaned forward. "Salvage?" She quirked a brow at the suggestion.
He held up his hand in surrender. "Hey it's still a dangerous region and after the war I need someone who can take care of themselves to pick up a few things."
She stood up and moved to the coffee pot to pour a second cup. It was good stuff too, tasted like Earth grown, not like the ground she could afford. Zero G coffee beans seemed to have a different taste. Maybe it was the way they grew it or the soil but it never tasted like this did.
"Sean, you wouldn't be sending me into another fubar?" She turned slowly to lock eyes on him. The cyber implants zoomed in, picking up any change in his face temperature or pupil dilation. A sure sign of a lie.
"Kris! Sweetheart! I'm genuinely shocked that you would even ask." He semi shrugged and turned away under the gaze. "You know the rules, No questions asked, right?"
She sipped at the dark liquid and savoured the flavour for a moment. "What exactly do you want retrieving?"
He smiled "Great, thanks honey..."
"Don't call me that." She cut him off mid speech.
"Right. Sorry. Anyways, There was a corvette lost in this region." He pulled up a system map on his handheld. "I'll forward the coordinates to you. We need the flight logs. Anything else you find is yours. We will even log it that your are an authorised salvage ship, Legit like... All good?"
Kris nodded once and pulled out her handheld for the transfer. "What about the pay?"
"That is the best bit hone..." He stopped and risked a glance. "ten million."
That was when it hit. the feeling in her gut that it was more than he was saying. It usually was with Sean, running side jobs for both sides of the war standard operating procedure for him. It would catch up with him eventually but until then he did pay well.
"I'll need a ship."
"Sure, sure. There is a diamondback in bay 10 all set up and ready to go." He rummaged in a draw for a moment and produced a security access card.
She drained the mug and headed back to the hanger, sweeping up card up as she left.