Spring

[Dane Summers]

If there was one truth in life that Danny knew...Life was good.

It was coming on to a beautiful red sunset on the planet of Cambridge, a dusty afternoon, and from all the looks, a nice cool one too. Turbulence buckled through the hull as he descended through layers of warm and cool air. He lounged back in his pilots chair, and flipped the comm's array to the local air-waves. Flipping through stations, he finally settled on a nice song to fly by, as the ship made way for the star-port in the capital city.

It had been nearly 6 months since Danny had left the Renegades. Facing a crisis of conscience over the death he was causing, he decided to re-evaluate his life - truth was, he felt old before his time, and he was worried over his future. The idea of living fast and dying young seemed romantic, that is until you realized you were having trouble sleeping, and you couldn't figure out why your hands were shaking. All troubling questions that Danny didn't want to ask, and didn't want answered. But a change was needed.

So, he cut ties with King Rorry, sold his bomber, spent some of the money on a hitched ride to Barrier Gate, and spent several months just slumming it. He did some odd jobs, but money was never really a problem. In that time, he wasn't bored, and he could sleep at night. That alone was worth it. In time, he felt the wanderlust, and then sitting still became unbearable. A sturdy ship, and a star to steer her by was just the solution.

And so, Danny California became a smuggler. He found an Anki freighter, and was now shipping a hold full of small arms for some criminal elements on Cambridge - a planet of learning, museums, art, culture - and a whole lot of folks who found crime easy work for easy money, even despite the law. Danny didn't care - they paid good, and he was getting an honest dime for honest work - well, honest compared to piracy anyway.

"Freelancer Gamma 7-1, come to heading Zero Nine Nine, VFR Beacon One One Seven Six, do you copy?"

Music cut out, and flipping a switch for his comms, he dialed in the new heading and had his autopilot home in on the landing beacon. "Copy tower control, im inbound, all dialed in - Requesting permission to set down on, uh..." he checked a piece of scrawled paper "...Revetment Alpha Two Eight - Copy Sunshine?" That was the codeword - letting him dock at an out of the way landing pad, so his cargo could be moved fast and discrete before local customs had time to search his vessel.

He was descending, but the comms were still quiet. He should have gotten the counter-sign, and clearance to park at Revetment A28 - but still nothing. He got a little nervous, but he still had time to break the autopilot and shoot for space. They could scramble interceptors after him, but with the regular response times of the Bretonian Police, he was fairly certain he would be long gone before they were out of atmo'.

"Copy Sunshine, your cleared to Revetment Alpha-Two-Eight - Good Hunting, out." There it was, the counter-sign, and Danny let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Lights on the ground changed from blue, to strobing green indicating his new path. He cut out the autopilot, took hold of yokes, cut in some hovering thrusters, and followed the landing lights - strobing an easy to follow line off toward the far off landing pads. With a gentle rumble through the ship, it touched down nicely, resting easy on the anti-grav landing thrusters. The next hour saw a group of twenty men, and a few loading walkers, unload over five hundred cargo units of small arms, all in under 20 minutes.

Danny was just checking his neural net account, showing a lot of new money, just as a stuffy looking customs inspector was making his way across the windy pad, looking sour and bored. Easy to bribe then, heh.

Yeah, life was good.

---

The truth of getting somewhere without a ship was very new to Dane.

He had always had some sort of transportation amidst Sirius - the first ship he got, he hitched a ride to Erie with his Brother - after that, it was him at the helm for all the years since. Back when he was in the Navy, he had no real reason to go anywhere, so it was never a problem.
But now, with nothing, trying to get all the way to Okinawa - from Cambridge, no less - was proving to be frustratingly difficult. Plus, with money involved, and not a whole lot of it after the wired ship sale, he couldn't afford multiple trips - it was trying to find one way or no way. And that...was proving to be impossible.

Since the Gallic invasion up north, the Tau lines were split - While that effectively ended the Bretonia\Kusari war, it did leave Bretonia facing Gallia pretty much alone. The Gallic's weren't too partial to having unknown ships flying in what they considered their turf. That pretty much meant that any travel between Bretonia and Kusari, was just as dead as it had been - however, even Freelancer's were weary of making the trip, now that the Tau's were pretty much a parking lot for super heavy battleships, with no qualms about shooting first, and asking questions never.

Dane and Ashley sat on the ground in a packed port terminal on Planet Cambridge. They had been here for the last hour, running from gate to gate, looking for any flights heading up to the Sigma's, or at least, Frankfurt. Most ships heading that way were not taking on passengers, and definitely not for the money offered. There was an OS&C Luxury yacht heading for Hawaii, but with the kinda scratch they had, asking for passage would just get them laughed at. So, here they sat, waiting for something to clear up, and Dane, hoping his luck would get them there fast. Every day they spent on Cambridge in hotels, would just eat up the money they were hoping to use for passage.

Ashley had her computer open, a holo display hanging in the air, showing a list of all the ships docked on the port, and the lists of their destinations. The info was pretty precise, updating faster then the public boards, and showing a lot of ships not showing on the public boards. He'd ask where she was getting the feed, but it was pretty obvious. He had to smile about that.
"Found one." She said, rising to her feet.

"Really? Where, who?" He jumped up too, and felt a tingle in his legs - he had been sitting for a while.

"Indie Freighter, Freelancer Papers, dock A28 - heading for Nagano" Without word, she started jogging off toward A28, which, as it figured, was a ways away.

Dane stood there for a second trying to remember where Nagano even was, knowing only that it was in Kusari, because of the odd sounding name "What the faa....where the hell is Nagano?" Only to realize she had already run off, and with a shake of the head, ran off after her.

It was a ten minute jog, and by the end of it, Dane was outta breath. Normally he would say something about being outta shape, but he can't remember when he had ever been in shape - not like being a pilot demanded some crazy physique. Ashley wasn't even phased, and as she looked at him, she smiled.
"Yeah yeah yeah, save the criticism for later..." He said, trying to get breath under control.

The day had long since crawled from afternoon into evening. The last rays of sunlight were stretching across the horizon, setting the clouds on fire with vivid pinks, oranges, and reds. The air was getting a bit of a nip to it, and Dane, still wearing only a t-shirt, found the bit of cold seeping into his flesh, creeping towards his bones, very annoying. They stood among a crowd of about two hundred people, of all types - mostly just regular folks. Some young, some old - some looking like young adventurers, some looking like this was a trip to the grocery store. Others looked a little better, just by the expense of the clothing they wore, while others seemed to be wearing only the clothes on their backs. It was a diverse group, with Dane and Ashley fitting right in. All of them were huddling together in a rough line, waiting to board the ship.

The ship itself was interesting, and one Dane had never seen before. It had smooth lines, marred by huge boxy cargo pods. The outer hull was scored with char, either from hasty re-entry's or weapons fire. Probably both. Despite that, the ship looked well kept, even if the captain didn't care about looks. An indented Renzu logo was splayed on the side of the main hull, while under that was painted on "Ventura Highway", complete with art of a leggy half-naked blonde lounging on the letters.

Dane smiled, and started laughing. Ashley looked at him "What?" He just pointed to the ships name. She smiled too. Ventura was one of the many suburb towns that Dane and Ashley knew growing up. While both of them had lived in the rich suburb of San Fernando, Ventura was just a few minutes away. It's main attraction was all the highend bars, nightclubs, arcades, clothes shops, diners, and hangouts - both trendy, and lived-in. "Ventura Highway" was the term for the main strip, which had everything anyone could need, from one end to the other - "cruising the highway" was local slang for the teenagers, who would start at one end, usually by noon, and end up at the other by nightfall, drunk, penniless, and passed out - but since the end emptied out onto the beach, passing out in the sand and surf was actually pretty nice. In a word, Ventura was a paradise for the young, and a headache for the old.

Dane could tell no one here got the name. Which was fine. It made him feel good that it was somehow for him and Ashley alone - it did make him want to know who the owner was, however. A freelancer still yearning for the young days of home, probably - just like him. However, as people started shuffling into the small open port on the cargo containers, he didn't see anyone that looked like the captain. A holo-sign was displayed showing destination, and a neuralnet account to transfer funds into - each person that shuffled to the door was given a green light if their payment went through, otherwise the dock official shoved them away. The cost for the trip was steep, since the destination was Luxury Liner Makinac.

When it was their turn, Ashley sent the payment, and they got the green light - moving into the cargo compartment, which was actually pretty big, lit by industrial grade flood lights. The "Passenger Seating" was just benches, that look like they had been pulled up from built-in slots on the floor of the compartment, set lengthwise, so your back is either to the wall, or too other passengers sitting opposite you. Shuffling past people, trying to stow their packs, most holding on to them with a death grip, they found seats. Ashley went back to her computer, and started going through spreadsheets of info. He couldn't make out what it was. Instead, he just leaned back, let out the air in his lungs, and settled in for a long flight.

After about twenty minutes, everyone had gotten settled in. The big port official, previously shoving people off who didn't make payment for passage, had walked in standing by the entry hatch. Music started to play over the speaker in the cargo bay, followed by the overlay of the Captains voice.
"Good evening ladies and gentleman! This is your captain speaking, the intrepid Danny California!" The voice was upbeat, and he could tell the speaker was smiling while talking. A few people chuckled at the name, and Dane smiled too. "Alrighty folks, I'd like to welcome you on board for our non-stop flight to Nagano, and the Luxury Liner Mackin'crack, because hell if I can pronounce it. All you folks on board, thanks for your payments...except for those deadbeats we had to physically boot...and oh yeah...Roger Clayborne, Sammuel Fitz, Alley Rorgen, and Cristen Salls - you think your smart, but I always double check things - nice hacks though. Mr Port Monkey? Yeah? Boot them off please, yeah, thank you" The port official obviously didn't like the name, but carried out the order - the four people were removed roughly, and thrown from the ship bodily. "Yeah, bu'bai now!" the captain chuckled, "Now that weve gotten rid of those bad apples, were all ready to go. For those of you who signed on for the beautiful sights from here to there...I don't have windows...I lied. Sue me."

Dane burst out laughing, and got more then a few harsh glares. Not everyone on board was happy, but no one got up to leave. "So, sit back, enjoy the ride, and I promise you, that the safety features work. Last time I checked. Honest." No one looked happy. A few folks thought it was a joke, but even then, they were a little concerned. Dane grinned, he liked this pilot, and was glad that the trip would be fun, if at least interesting. Ashley had barely noticed the announcements, still going through data. Some of it looked like data on the Garanchou, cargo specs, stress ratings, performance reports. It was all deep science with starship engineering, and more then Dane had ever cared to know when it came to ships he flew, despite having been a former mechanic in the Navy.

The Port Official's shadow came over him, and Dane looked up. "Captain wants to see you in the cockpit."

"What, me?" he stood up, and saw he only came to the shoulders of the big man. "Yeah, you, your name is Dane Summers, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then its you, Captain wants to see you." Without a further word, the big man moved off, and out the hatch, sealing it behind him. He pointed toward an opposing hatch, set in the opposite wall from the exit. With the view from the outside, Dane knew this was only half of the cargo space, so that hatch must have led to a connecting corridor between the two. The Hatch sealed, and Dane, still standing, wondered what to do. Looking down at Ashley, still absorbed in her notes. "Hey, I'm gonna go see what this crazy captain wants." She nodded, but said nothing. There was a moment where he wanted to pat her head as he left, but hesitation stopped him. He worried about whether it would breach personal boundaries, if she would be pissed at the interruption, or creeped out by his touch. In the end, he wavered, and the moment was lost - he let out a breath and headed for the hatch, gritting his teeth in regret.

The Hatch led into a very small corridor, connecting the cargo compartments with the main fuselage. It was small enough that he could barely walk abreast. Moving down it, he saw adjoining corridors heading for the engine access, and a ladder well heading down, that he had step over. He passed an open sliding door on his right, that contained a small cabin - with clothes of all kinds scattered every which way, and the whole thing stank like body oder - ahead of him, was an open sliding door, and he could see the cockpit beyond.

The Cockpit was setup thin. It had two stations, set staggered from one another, The pilot sat in the front, with the co-pilot in the rear station. In a way, it was setup like a combat cockpit, and Dane remembered from flying a Roc, that it wasn't too different.
The captain was sitting in the front, with his feet up on a console. He was going through a preflight checklist, and looked bored as hell. He still hadn't noticed Dane. "Hey, you wanted to see me?"

The captain looked up, and grinned wide. It had been about as many years since seeing Ashley, that Dane had seen any of his old friends on Cali. Back then, his mind was always wrapped up in her, and afterwards, everything else had kinda washed away. But all of that seemed a distant memory now, and Dane couldn't help but smile in amazement - its a funny feeling to see your best friend again, and wonder why you had ever forgotten him.
Both of them embraced in a back slapping hug, laughing. That feeling was like a wake up call. The last few days had gone from the bleakest they had ever been, and Dane having hit rock bottom - to now seeming like everything in his life was coming back to him in one go. Hell, he woke up this morning from being at his worst - as the day was ending, things had changed so dramatically, that it was literally moving at lightspeed.

"Man, it has been ages - how the hell are you?" Danny said, now that the hug was over. Looking Dane up and down, he had always expected to see him out here again, but it was a still a surprise that it had taken so long. When his best friend had left for the Navy, Daniel Callahan hadn't had much reason to stay either. Unlike Dane, he didn't grow up to wealth and privilege. He had grown up in Riverside, a bit of a ways from the lush San Fernando - it was a housing district for blue collar workers - the men worked the ports and businesses, while the women usually worked as house keepers for the rich folks. Danny's parents were neither. His dad was a drunk who worked as a janitor for the local richkids school, and his mom had, allegedly, moved to Denver. Either way, Danny had grown up fending for himself. The difference between the two, is that Dane had been wealthy but never showed it - Danny had never had wealth, but had never needed it. When Dane left, Danny did too - it was pretty easy to join up as a crew-rat on some big hauler - after that, it was one adventure after another.

"I'm doing good. How'bout you? Last I heard you were with King Rorry, yeah?"

"Yep, that was me, ridin' around blowin' stuff up," Danny smiled, but there was a hint in his eyes that said there was a lot more to it. Unlike himself, Danny had a poker face to rival a statue - if it was showing, it meant he wanted it to be seen. "Last I heard you were running a Freeport, heh, how was that?" Dane just nodded, and had to look away for a second. There wasn't a whole lot of mirth in his smile either. Truth was, in thinking about it, he wondered if running that Freeport was really a benefit to his life, or not. After a few seconds, he finally decided that, as much as it was a terrible experience, it was definitely a heroes trial - something that made him a better person in the end. "It was ok - I'm not anymore though - gave it up, wanted to do other stuff, ya know?"

"Yeah, I heard that, same for me and the Renegades - got tired of hurtin' folks, ya know? Does things to your mind."

Dane nodded, he knew all about that. He had never liked pulling triggers. Even thinking back to the state of mind where he almost took Katz on his offer to be a revolutionary, he was glad he didn't - Dane wasn't a soldier. He wasn't a revolutionary. He fought to defend himself and people he cared about - but too many times he just couldn't come to grips with being that person. He hated fighting, and he hoped he'd never have to do it again.
There was a moment of silence. For Dane, he realized that his friend had changed. Not on the outside, but there was a lot on the inside that would never be the same. In a way, it was similar with him - he figured he had changed a lot. Neither one of them were kids anymore. They had taken lives, or at least tried too. Been in fights, lost things that meant something to them.
Danny smiled again, and slapped his old friend on the shoulder. "But enough of the dark days, what say we get this crate in the air. You co-pilot for me?"

Dane nodded "Hell yeah, just like the old days, I'll keep you from getting lost."
Danny fell into his seat, and started flipping switches. A rumble went through the fuselage as the engine ignited. Although he was halfway through the checklist, it was apparently not important. "Tower, this is Freelancer Gamma Seven Dash One, on departure, requesting clearance, over."

"Bull, I never get lost."

Dane took the second chair, and brought up air-traffic info, so they didn't accidentally fly into a landing heavy transport. "Like hell, that one time we needed to Galleria? You took twenty minutes in the opposite direction."

"Copy Freelancer Gamma 7-1, you are cleared for departure - safe travels, port tower out." With that, Danny yanked back hard on the flight yokes, which pointed the nose to the sky. Gravity immediately started to re-assert its control, since the hovering thrusters only pointed straight down. An alarm went off about ground proximity, and mere inches from scraping the rear of the cargo pods on the tarmac, Danny cut in full power and shot skyward like a bullet. The inertial field's over the cockpit and cargo holds stopped anyone from feeling the effect of the maneuver, but in the cockpit, it was damn reckless. Dane let out a breath he was holding.

"No, that was you driving." Danny said, smiling as he looked over his shoulder. Out front, he passed within several meters of a police vessel, while going above-and-beyond safe port velocity. The police craft didn't even have time to activate its lights before it was far behind in there wake.

"Would you keep your eyes on the sky please?" A new feeling, being the 'responsible' one. Dane felt like an old man. It made him laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just change the subject." Danny laughed as the atmosphere spilled away, and they found themselves in high orbit. Flashing green lights around a large ring marked the trade lane...and parts beyond...

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