The Lady and the Tramp
04 Oct 2020Eagle 5
The Liberty came to a stop without drama, miraculously never being scanned once... Mind you there were easily over 100 vessels patrolling the immediate area outside the station and the Imperial Drydock Facilities.
It's almost as if they were looking for something specific and I just happened to not be it... or maybe I got lucky which happens from time to time, and the fact that I don't know which case it was bothered me.
This wasn't the first time I took.... scratch that... was voluntold to go behind enemy lines. As a Navy guy this is the sort of work that you hate... paranoia sets in real quick and each bulkhead suddenly becomes a listening post, but you still have to be careful. I had to keep it together on my debut mission for Slone's ** Mercantile Outreach Program ** or MOP for short. A fitting acronym as it sounds like we're the sort of guys that would have to go behind the regulars and "mop" up whatever mess they couldn't handle for whatever reason.
The first order of business was to check in with the station's controlling faction: The White Tempars and sign up for the community goal they outlined for Harold's funeral. White Templars... how charming, I bet they honestly think they are fairy tale material with names like that...
About the event: this would be a week long's extravaganza of fine foods, booze and cigars.. just like Harold would have wanted as he was a well known partier. My thoughts shift momentarily to his daughter Aisling.
So young and yet now deprived of both her parents. The first (the mother) succumbed to the excesses of both legal and illegal substances and now the latter her late father shot dead by would be radical terrorists.
A senseless death given his status as black sheep of the imperial family with no aspiration whatsoever to become Emperor. The White Templars seem to have taken upon themselves to remember the slain Duval in the most fitting way he would have appreciated, but I can't help but feel that, while the support is appreciated, the young Princess would not find the festivities to her liking given her family's tragic history with excesses and debauchery.
And what about her assistant? I wonder what she's up to?
Once again I must have been in fate's mind because as soon as I walked through the station's operations hub I was greeted with a familiar voice.
"Well two times in two weeks... one would think that's more than just a coincidence"
> You know my mother used to say that when things happen they typically happen in threes... and since I'm not one to waste the opportunity I thought I'd spend some more time around... shall we say friends?
Lady Livernois shot a knowing smile at me... the kind that let me know that she had far more pieces of the puzzle than she should have had. This was beginning to concern me as I had already begun to suspect she was more than just Aisling's personal assistant. The gift which was now affixed to the Liberty's dashboard as a dazzling ship on a stick was too much of a targeted item. She knew who I was, and I'm certain she wouldn't fall for the old "I was in the neighborhood" line with a cargo hold full of Lavian Brandy. That's a hell of a detour.
"Then I hope that on our third rendezvous we will still be friends
Damn... time for plan B.
>I wouldn't want it any other way.
"Good. Any plans for your stay here in Baal?
>We're here for a good time not a long time so I think I'll just be coming and going from Kamitra with some of their famous Cigars.. who knows maybe I'll even get lucky and break into the third quartile but with a limted hold space I don't think my chances are that great.
"I see.. that ship of yours it's the Liberty isn't it?
>Yeah it's my old companion.
"Indeed it is.. I can tell it's built for speed It'll serve you well.
>Believe me, it has... anything I should be worried about?
"The trip to Kamitra can be treacherous from here: rogue celestial objects, pirates...and patrols. Definitely watch those
>Thanks I had a feeling this wouldn't be a cake walk.
Lady Livernois nodded knowlingly and left toward the transit hub but just before she left the room she turned toward me with an apprehensive look and addressed me one more time
"Commander.. the patrols do watch for those...
And then... she left.