The Camaleon Chronicals

[oZoneRanger]

((Just needed a place to put it all in one Thread. If anyone braves the big wall of text and notices anything wrong with the Lore, please PM me. Grammar errors as well. Feedback in a PM if you like. Any edits I make, are grammar, spelling and a line here or there to make it flow a bit better. But content is set, and will follow the activities of my characters inGame, Ill be adding links to posts of correspondence, and screen shoots to back up the story line. Thanks Discovery players, you are a decent group of people))

Mega Kudos to :j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus and JackTorrance for his brief but scarry apperance

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Phillip DeLafontain sat at his desk, wondering about the can of worms he had gotten himself into. Another message concerning rent, this time from the former IND officials. He looked over the message again.

"Not unreasonable, considering all that is at stake" he mumbled to himself.
He scratched his head, rubbed his face, pulled out a bottle from his desk and took a shot.

"its all riding on one role of the dice...if I can just get that new contract up and going, things should be fine.." he thought to himself.

"Maria...can you please check the incoming transmissions and see if we have received any responses from the King of Gallia about when we can start delivering Neon up that way..."

He stood up and looked out the small porthole in his office. "life used to be much simpler when i was just flying a ship..."

"NO...NOTHING YET SIR.." screamed Maria from the next room.

He walked back over to his desk and hit the intercom.
"Maria...please, please ...no more screaming..learn to use the intercom"

"OK SIR...WILL DO...." she screamed again from the next office.

He winced, he would like to fire her, but she worked for cheap. Under the circumstances, he would have to make do.

He sat back down in his chair and wondered what the next step would be...

"SIR.." Her screaming voice came over the intercom and from the next room. "YOU HAVE ANOTHER MESSAGE FROM THIS OTIS JETHRO FELLOW"

It was almost to much to much to take.

He took three deep breaths, trying not to loose his cool.
Pulled up the message on his terminal and started to read.

"Well at least the rent part is settled. I know who Ive got to talk to now" he thought to himself. " I wonder if Mr. Jethro has any pull with the Gallia Govenment if they do, then this plan is probably a bust...they have never liked sharing the pie with anyone...but maybe..who knows..." He took the bottle of wine and finished it off.

He started working up a letter to Mr.Jethro directly. It was going to be a long day.

"Maria ...could you please bring me another bottle of wine." He was going to need another drink or two.

A small almost whisper came over the speaker on his desk.
" ehhh Sir..sorry. no more here in the office.... would you like me to go to the Bar and bring one up?"

"Damn..no wine" he thought to himself " but at least she learned how to use the intercom..well one battle at at time.." he smiled and continued to type.

"Yes, please Maria do that for me would you"

"OK SIR WILL DO BACK IN A FEW MINUTES" she screamed from the next room.

He shook his head with a grin and continued his letter.
" no one is perfect all the time he thought"

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLafontaine was asleep in his chair, feet up on his desk, he was in a beautiful dream, sipping Gallic wine on some far off beach in his head, where the air was fresh, the sun shinning and life was good and perfect..

"MISTER LAFUENTE..."

His assistants high pitched booming voice made him loose his balance, and from a perfect sleep he awoke to find himself on the floor of his office with a large bumb on the back of his head.

"MISTER LAFUENTE...."

He pulled him self up to the edge of his desk and hit the intercom.

"Maria its DELAFONTAIN...Fontain...not Fuente"

He rubbed the back of his head and wondered if his headache was due to his crash with reality or the 2 bottles of wine he drank before passing out at his desk.

"What is it maria?"

"Sir" her whisper voice came over the speaker "sir the ion storm has passed, the comms are up again"

He was now annoyed, bruised and hungover.
"speak up Maria I can't hear you "

"DE STORM HAS PASSED..YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FROM MR. JET ROW, DO YOU KNOW IF HE IS CUTE HE SOUND RICH"

He grabbed his aching head. He sat down in his chair. The severity of his reality comming to full weight on his shoulders. He hit the intercom.

"Maria could you please come in here". It was the last straw, he was going to fire her.

A few moments later, she appeared in the door way. She must have known she was going to get fired. She was wearing her tightest blouse and shortest skirt. The outline of her figure in his doorway made him loose his thoughts for a brief second. He remembered why he had hired her. Eye candy for prospective clients.

"Yes Mr. LaFontaaaaiiiin" she said meekly with a flirtish grin, putting emphasis on the last part of his last name.

"ahh...nothing..nothing..Maria..send Mr Jethros message to my terminal, and bring my some pharmaceuticals would you please."

"Yes Mr Lafuente" she said curtly, looking at her nails, as if sensing that the danger of unemployment had passed.

He rubbed the back of his head. All of a sudden curious "..ah Maria, why do you think Mr. Jethro to be rich?"

She peaked her head around the corner with excitement in her eyes. "Becouse... he want you to seel him 25 apartamentos...thas is allot of bathrooms..aiii quien pudiera tener un hombre asi" her voice trailed off behind her as she went to get the pharma.

"He what?' he though to himself. He hit a couple of keys and waited for the message to show up on screen. "she is half crazy, but nice to look at" he mused

The message came up and he started to read it. "Nope, shes not that crazy after all" he thought. "At least there is no bad news here", he thought to himself, "and a unique opportunity to rid himself of stale spacestation air for good." He could hear Marias voice coming back to his office.

"...tiene que ser un hombre muy rico..all those houses ...Here mister Lafuente" she said handing over the pills. As she turned to leave, she put on her best wiggle, knowing her boss would be watching her walk out, all men watched her walk. She knew it, used it and liked the attention.

"Thank you Maria" his eyes lost somewhere between the small of her back and her knees. "Anything from Gallia yet Maria?". He popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with the last bit of the wine left over from the night before.

"Gallia? no notting yet Mr.Lafuente."

He finished reading the message. Pulled up a fresh transmit page and started to work. He didn't care what he had to do. Beg, borrow, steal, sell his first yet unborn child, it didn't matter. He was going to live the good life no matter what it took. And a nice little office on a nice new station sounded like to perfect place to be.

"Maria.." he said while typing.."have the cafeteria send up a pot of Java and take the rest of the day off."

"Really Mr. Lafuente...oh thank you, I think I go get my nails done..." her voice trailed off, as he put his thoughts together.

As much as she was nice to look at, he didn't need her around to read over his shoulder. And he could do with out the squealing tone in her voice considering the condition of his head. And, she had already proven to him that she could play dumb real good. He could not risk taking any chances of any of this getting out.

[oZoneRanger]

Maria knew the routine well. Every morning she would spend an hour getting herself ready. She had learned to mix and match her closes so it never looked like she was wearing the same thing twice. She would put on just enough makeup on to accentuate her features, but not pass over into what her mother would call a "Zorra barata".

The one item always present in her daily collage of color and cloth, was a round Opal necklace, an old family heirloom, and the only thing she had managed to keep with her since she was a little girl. It was the size of a small coin and hung around her neck from a Platinum small link chain and rested between what she liked to call "her best weapons". Men were going to stare at them anyway, so she gave them an easy excuse to do so.

Before the elevator door opened, she knew who she would see. The two LPI security guards assigned to this part of Toronto station.

"Worthless perros" she though to herself. She didn't mind putting on a show, she had done so as a means of survival for so long it was second nature. But these two were worthless, less than worthless, they offered her nothing useful at all and she had to pass by them at least 5 times a day.

She adjusted her security badge into a strategic position above her left breast. Again giving the officers one more easy excuse to gawk at her assets.

The elevator door opened, and as if on cue, the officers where at the far end of the Hall, as they were everyday. The security station was right next to the elevator door, but they were always at the opposite end, clearly against regulations, when she arrived.
"They like to see me coming instead of going" she mused to herself.

She put on her best innocent but seductive smile, and gave them a walk her mother had made her practice over and over again. "You walk like this Hija Mia and no man will ever stop you". Her mother was right. Her strut down the hall was hypnotic.

As every other morning, in her left had she carried a small tray with 5 cups of coffee. Perfectly balanced, not a drop would spill, while it seemed that every other part of her was bouncing and giggling with just the right amount of movement to stay within a proper level of decor and not appear to cheap and within reach.
"You have to make men want you, but also make it clear that they can never ever have you". Again her mother had been on the mark once again.

They watched her walk towards them. Their eyes drooling with lust. The younger one would always look at the floor and try and steal a glance here and there. The old one, he had no problems with looking and letting her know that he was.

"Good morning Mr. Fife" she said to the older one, addressing him first as he was in charge. "Barney you look handsome this morning are you lifting weights" she said to the younger.

"Good morning Maria" they both said in unison and on cue. This was the best part of the elder officers day. The younger one, had never had a woman talk to him like she did, and was in a state of nervous perpetual blush when she was around.

"Here boys, I brought you some fresh coffee" she said handing over the cups one by one.

She knew what came next. The older one, Mr. Fife, handed his coffee over to Barney the younger officer.

"Sorry Maria, need to scan you ID, protocol you know"

"Why of course Mr. fife, scan me all you like" she said with a giggle as they thrust out her upper body just a few inches.

The hand held ID scanners worked from a range of 6 meters. But the older officer would always take her ID in his right hand, and press the scanner up against the security card with his left, thus forcing his right hand to press up against her exposed skin on her upper breast, his pinky finger he tracing a small circle on her skin.

She smiled and looked deeply into the old man.

"Everything in order Mr. Fife?" she said softly.. (one day I will put a knife into both of your eyes you old useless leach of a man) thinking this at the same time she asked her question.

" ahh...yes...yes Maria..everything is in order" The old man, removed his hand from her badge and grabbed the coffee from his underling who was staring at his shoes, his face flush with emotions he did not understand. The older officer had not even bothered to check the results on the scanner.

" You know, maybe one day.." putting her fingertips on the old mans flaccid chest and moving them downward a few centimeters.., "if dat thing don't work, you have to frisk me" said Maria with a picaresque smile, adding the final touch to her rouse.

With that, she walked off to the -icT- office leaving them behind to deal with their thoughts.

"Good bye boys" she said.
"Good bye Maria" said the two officers. When she was out of earshot. The older one turned to the younger. "See that...she wants me..I know it"
"Yea..*snort* looks like she does *snort*" said the red faced novice cop.


She reached the office and entered the security code.
"Good Morning Mr. Lafuente" she said " I brought you some fresh coffee." The man never seemed to leave the office. They had much more space than they needed.

A voice came over the intercom "Tain Maria..DelaFontain...please get it right someday."

She enjoyed toying with him like this. But today she though she would give him a break. She tapped a few keystrokes on her terminal to check for new messages.
She began to walk to his office "Sorry sir, I go home and practice in the mirror every night your name..but its difficult to say for a girl like me." She said as she put the 3 coffees on his desk, and sat down in the chair across the desk from him.

Phillip looked at her as she walked in. He wondered how it was she could look so pristine and new everyday.

"Any new transmissions?" asked Phillip. He had worked all night on shipping schedules and plotting out his next move and was at a loss as to what to do next.

"No sir..nothing..aiii nothing from Mr. JetRow" she said as she clasp her hand above her heart. "and nothing from the King of Gallia either."

"Damn.." he said " this is not good" he sat staring at his desk, unaware of her observing his every move.

A dead silence lingered in the air as Phillip was lost in thought.

"Mr. DelaFontaiiiin" she said, playing with his name just a bit more. " A king is like a woman, you have to give them more than they ask for if you want them to notice you" she said nonchalantly looking at her freshly done nails. " You could send him flowers of something maybe"

"Don't be silly Maria, I can't send the King of Gallia a basket of fruit and some flowers and expect that to get this deal done." He fumed at here naivety, becoming annoyed.

"Of course not sir, but you have much more office space here than you need, you have 4 floors you do not use." still looking at her nails "maybe they need some place to stay the night when they come here." She stopped with a flash in her eyes " Do you know if these Gallia people are good looking?" adding the last part to deflect just how smart her idea was.

He looked at her. "Im going to have to keep on eye on this one." He thought, she is not as much a pushover as she pretends to be. But he had to admit, she was right. He did have something more to offer these Gallia folks. He was a bit disappointed in himself for not having thought of it before.

"You know Maria" he stood up, pulled out his wallet and took 3000 Sirus credits from it. "You are right, Maria, I hate to admit it but it is true." handing over the credits to her he said. "Her take this, go out and buy yourself some nice things, we may need to travel soon, and I want you to look nice."

"WHAT YOU MEAN LOOK NICE" she stood up taking the money from his hand at the same time. " THIS " she gestured with her hands with a wild flare of motion "IS NOT NICE TO YOU? " she said as she spun around and let him take a good look and then started to walk out the door "Pinche cabron..you would not know nice if it bit you on the ass Mr.L A F U E N T E" Her voice trailing off, she had a smile on her face he could not see.

"I meant sophisticated Maria...sophisticated" answered back Phillip.

"SOPHISTICATED?...NOW YOU CALL ME STUPID..me cago en todos tus muertos you malparido..." her voice halted by the slam of the front office door. Her face still smiling.

Phillip smiled to himself. He was beginning to catch on to her act, and it didn't bother him one bit. She was turning out to be a nice addition to his staff of one.
He started to work on a new letter to the King of Gallia and waited to hear from Otis Jethro.

Unaware to both of them, the opal necklace around her neck had been a witness to everything.

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLaFontain was having a pretty good day. As he walked down the causeway linking Toronto station to the docking facilities, he stopped to look out of one of the large observation portholes.

"There she is...ohhh my oh my..she sure is sexy." he thought to himself. Outside, in the vacuum of space, coming out of the trade lanes and lining up to dock was icTs newest acquisition. She was a beautiful ship. He knew the purchase was a big gamble. His better judgement told him to hold off, to wait it out, to take solid steps forward. But he had never been much for patience.

He continued to walk down the gangway to the docks, physically bumping into every third or fourth person he came across, not being able to take his eyes of her.

He caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the oval window. He was smiling and it surprised him. He had not seem himself with a smile on in a long time. "Damn I doooo look good." he thought to himself.

He watched as the ship slowed to a crawl and lined up behind 3 other transports, setting herself up between Huron and the space station. "That ship is so sexy, it even makes that ugly rock of a planet look good."

"tweekbeep" his commsbadge breaking the moment for him. "Mister DeLaFUENTE", people passing by glanced at him drawn to the pitch and tone of the voice coming from the speaker on his badge. He didn't care, he just purchased a fraken Yacht and nothing, absolutely nothing was going to ruin it for him.

He tapped the badge. "Yes Maria?, and when you respond, can you remember not to yell into the microphone" he smiled, he had baited her, and he waited for her tirade.

"pinche cucaracha..you know Mister LaFuente...I was gonna give to you some good news ..but I not gonna tell you now...you find it out for yourself..you ugly man..no you not even dat high on the.." He tapped his badge twice to cut the transmission, leaving her in mid sentence.

His smile even bigger now. He had managed to set her off, instead of her goating him, multiplying the enjoyment of the moment.

He breathed a great big breath of satisfaction. "Could this sun cycle get any better?" He thought to himself, as he looked out the large window at his retirement plan, slowly fading out of view and cueing up to dock.

"Attention Toronto Station.." Warning sirens and emergency lights springing to action. "..All hands to battle stations.." His good mood and smile turning instantly to panic. "..Multiple inbound boogies..." He plastered his face to the space glass. "..Civilians move to assigned safe zones.."

Around him people started to run in one direction of the causeway or the other, desperate to get to the airlocks of the station or the docks.

If there was on place you did not want to be in an attack on Toronto station it was on the long corridor connecting the station to the docks. Sepia class stations were designed for more habitable planets where the need to impress dignitaries and commerce partners required you gave them a nice view and that the defensive infrastructure of the planet could protect it. The only reason they had built one way out in Ontario was the Platinum on Huron, more out of a need to lay claim to it, than a need to impress anyone. "Attention Toronto Station" the alarm started to repeat itself. "We have multiple inbound boogies...."

"No...not today..not now...it's not even insured yet..." his face molded to the smooth glass, his heart shrinking in fear, desperately trying to get a glimpse of his new toy and see if it had docked.

Before he realized it, he was alone on the gangway. The air locks on both ends coming to a close and the thick metal shields on the outside of the long corridor starting to slowly come down and lock in place, covering the exposed observation windows. It was station protocol, if you got stuck between the locks during an attack, it was your own fault. The whole process took less than a minute.

He sunk down to the floor, his back to the now impregnable windows, his knees flat against his chest. "How could it go from so good to so bad so quick" he thought. "Just my Fraken luck."

The alarms continued to sound. He just sat there blank faced and at the mercy of the moment. He hit is comm badge. Nothing. Again, station protocol, all civilian frequencies inside the station were turned off during an attack. There was nothing he could do or say to anyone. 10 seconds later he felt the first shock of explosions vibrating through the station.

[oZoneRanger]

15 minutes later, he was still in the same spot. It had sounded from his perspective, that anything out side the station would not have had a chance.

The LPI had launched its defense fighters, and Battleship Ottawa launching theirs as well. Toronto Stations defensive weapons all came on line. A call was even put out to Fort Severn for back up, but before those fighter got to the station, it was all over.

"Attention Toronto Station..The area is clear, return to normal duities...medical crew alpha 1 to docking bay 12..medical crew Gamma 3 to the docking bay 7....Attention Toronto......"

He picked himself up off the corridor floor as the airlocks started to open, the emergency lights turned off, and the metal shields started to withdraw. He struggled to get a glimpse of his ship, he feared the worse.

Medical crews started to appear from the station side of the long connecting hallway, running at full speed behind a fast moving robotic TraumaCart. As the TC sped by him, he was scanned and he heard a metallic robot voice. "Civilian..no injuries... administer Pharma for stress and a Vile for venereals".

"Venereals?" but before he could react, one of the medic team following the TC ran up to him.

"Here take these two and drink this" pulling from a pouch around his waist, handing him a set of pills and a small vile of liquid, the whole time the medic kept his attention on the data pad on his left arm.

DeLaFontain took what the medic had thrust in his hands.

"Put your left thumb print here on my data screen to acknowledge you have received proper medical treatment"

"Venereals?" he asked, thinking, can this day get any worse for me? Putting his thumb print on screen.
"You been to Cortez lately?"
"Yea...last week to finalize the purchase of a ship, but I swear I didnt.." still in shock from all that had happened.
"Its in the water there mate" cutting him off, the medic had heard that excuse before..."happens to us all..drink that Vile....you'll be fine."

The medic started to trot off to the next patient the TC would have lined up for him.

"Hey, how bad is out there?" shouted DeLaFontain. Without stopping but turning around and trotting backwards the medic shouted back and said "Two transports with major damage, 8 crew dead on one, 3 on another...Search and Rescue say the third one is not salvageable, they are gonna let it crash into Huron, and get it out of the way.. all dead on that one.... Expect a bill deducted from your station account for treatment, I did ya a favor though...the Vile for the venereals is on me...I wont report it..." and before he could ask about his ship, the medic was gone.

The observation windows were again exposed, and DeLafontain started to search one side of the gangway and the other desperately looking for his ship.

**TweekBeep** The civilian comms system had reset. DeLaFontain tapped his badge. "DeLafontain", dreading what he feared would come next.

"Mr. DeLaFontain this is Toronto Station flight control." Here it comes, he hung his head and rubbed his face, expecting the worst. "We are patching you through to Captain Hand.." he waited for the silence to end..

"Lady Luck, go ahead...." a new voice came over the comms badge. "Mr. DeLaFontain...this is Captain Hand of the Lady Luck, all fine here sir...The ships got a kick ass set of thrusters sir" the excitement of having escaped death very evident in the captains voice.."We made it over to the Ottawa and took cover there..to many things blowing up around Toronto sir to hang out close by....no damage to report..not a scratch..expect us to dock as soon as they have the mess cleared up around the station sir.."

"Copy that Captain Hand" DeLaFontain breath a big sigh of relief.."Take your time we'll be here."

"Copy that ..Hand out"

Before he could do, think or say anything else. "TweekBeep" his badge coming to life again.

"DeLaFontain"

"YOU know what MR.LAFUENTE...I was going to be a nasty putona to you to day....because you are a pendejo malparido ..." all DeLaFontain could do was start to laugh at her anger.

" But I tell you anyway..but you don't deserve me to work for you..." She evidently didn't notice the attack, not surprising he thought to himself.

"...But I know you been waiting..so I give it to you..The King of Gallia..he say you can go see him..and take your Stupido Neon with you...perro sin madre, one day I show you.." He tapped his comm badge twice and shut her up again.

He turned and stared to walk back to the station. It would be awhile before his ship docked. "The Lady Luck" he thought.."could not ask for a better name." His smile turned to laughter and as he walked station side. His mood in contrast to everyone else around him. His laughter drawing evil looks.

"I got my Venereal Cured." was all he would say to anyone who disapproved of his exuberance and made eye contact with him. "Yep..sure did..Venereal...Cured." smiling and giving people the "Thumbs up" gesture.

"From so bad to so good so quick." he mused, walking off to the bar to get a drink to help him wash the venereal medicine down and live out the rest of the moment.

"Just my fraken luck.." he let out another loud burst of laughter to the dismay of all whom where around him.

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLaFontain, had been drinking for a few hours. Perhaps it had been the tension of the raid, the fear of dieing in a metal sarcophagus the size of a large building or the possibility of loosing his new ship.

Maybe it was the mixture of alcohol, pharma, and the Vile for the Venereal. Either way, whatever the combination, it was proving to be more than the bartenders and the other patrons could handle.

The Barkeepers were old hands in the business. They had seen all kinds of things serving swill. They could smell problems coming way before they showed up. They both had one golden rule. Ya don't call the cops, ever. You try to handle all your problems in house, and only get personally involved with the "other side" of the bar as a last resort.

This was the lower deck bar. The bar where all the deckhands, dockworkers and Ore haulers living on Toronto Station kicked back after work. It's normally a rough in character but relaxed atmosphere. But anything could put this group of tough, simple hardworking men over the line. That anything today was DeLaFontain.

By the way he was dressed, he belonged up on the Main Promenade bar. Where all the corporate suits flocked together. The bartender who first served him, mentioned it while pouring him the drink.

"The bastards kicked me out, ME, a man set to travel to GaLLia and Beyond". Was DeLaFontains answer, throwing down 300 credits on the bar right off the bat. First time big tippers are 9 times out of 10, big problems. Another golden rule of bartending.

But the week had been slow. Usually after the a raid, the dockcrews had to work around the clock to make up for lost production, so he followed yet another golden rule of bartending... "Take the money while you can." The bartender was beginning to believe that there were to many golden rules in his profession.

DelaFontain had walked in, proclaiming his good luck to the four walls and anyone that would listen to him. He was loud and friendly at first, but after the fourth drink he became much louder and less amicable.

It was far from appropriate. Many in the bar had lost friends in the raid. Something he now seemed oblivious to.

The captain who had brought the Lady Luck to Toronto had stopped in, but only after DeLaFontain insisted 8 times over the comms system he do so.

Captain Hand, had another ship to ferry out that afternoon, so he refused the drink he was offered. Partly out of duty to his next paying charge and partly out of respect for the friends of the fallen who had gathered briefly to share a solemn drink and get back to work when the cargo docks reopened.

The big corporations didn't stop for hardly anything, it had always been that way in Liberty, and today would be no different. It would be back to business as usual in a matter of hours and the loss of life, transports and cargo would be written off as part of the cost of doing business.

Big profits demanded big risks, and no matter how dangerous life in space was, there was always a stock of willing applicants to take over when someone fell off into the void.

But a moment or two of respect was called for and DeLaFontain was out of line. Captain Hand tried to persuade him to leave and offered to take him back to his office. DeLaFontain would have none of it.

"What?... you think someone else's death is going to stop MY celebration? I've been cured of Venereals today" letting out another burst of mad laughter. "If you won't drink with me captain, YOU ARE FIRED" he said spewing half of his last drink all over the captains flight suit following that up with another madmans cackle.

It would have been funny in under different circumstances mused Captain Hand. He didn't work for DeLaFontain. He was a new ship delivery pilot. After today he probably would never see him again.

"FIRED do you hear me...I'll fly that damn ship myself".

The Captain was almost ready to hit him himself. But, he realized that something was off about the man. DeLaFontain would never know just how lucky he had been to pull him as the pilot to deliver his new ship.

He was ex-navy, disenfranchised with the service, and had sought work elsewhere. Had he not known of the specific gun range, firing arcs and position of the Ottawa from his days in the navy, it would not have mattered how fast the engines of the Lady Luck were.

"Sir..really..I think its best you should leave now." Hand tried one more time, sensing that the mood in the bar would not allow DeLaFontains behavior to continue one way or the other.

"Look MR Hand, leave if you want to...I am going to see THE KING of GALLIA do you hear me" once more, the shouting and the mad laughter brought more unneeded attention upon him.

The entire bar now thought he was just plain crazy. Gallia? King? what was this fool talking about. 2 out of the 30 or so other patrons maybe had heard some small talk of a new system out past the borders of Brettonia proper. But no one had ever heard of Gallia or a King. They were all just working stiffs, 9 to 9ers, mostly muscle and little in area of functional grey matter. They could not be expected to understand or know much more than their profession as dockhands required.

"Alright Mr. DeLaFontain, have it your way." With that, Captain Hand left him to most certainly be beaten down by a mob who, soon would be looking to take out their anger and loss on the first thing that presented its self. DeLaFontain was in the lead to achieve that honor.

Captain Hand did though, place a call over the comms systems to the icT offices and let the nice lady with the strange accent know what kinda of trouble her boss was in.


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"Yes...Yes I understand Captain..The Bar on the lower decks. I will take care of it..thank you for the warning.." Maria tapped the communicator on her desk to off with a slam of her fist

"That stupid fool of a man...useless waste of oxygen.. The lower decks is no place for him." She thought as she pulled open a drawer in her desk and withdrew 20000 Sirius credits on two cards from a metal lock box. If he was causing trouble, she was certain that she would need the money one way or the other.

She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a pearl handled 7inch black ceramic stiletto. It had taken her a week to smuggle it onto the station piece by piece. She slid the Stilleto into a special slot on the right side of her left leg. They were her favorite cut below the knee boots.

Civilians were not allowed to carry any type of weapons on station. But Maria had learned long ago of the necessity to sometimes break the rules and to always have a knife nearby.

"That stupido cucaracha, if they don't kill him I am going to." she got up and went to the door, taking off her jacket to reveal a no sleeve tight fitting black shirt. She looked at herself in the mirror
"If these don't stop a fight" she said adjusting herself "my cuchillo sure will."

She made one final check of her hair and make up and decided she was "Dressed to Kill". She blew herself a kiss in the mirror and walked out the door and into the hallway.
____________________________________________


When she saw LPI officers Mr. Fife and Barney. She decided that she would take them along. "Better to have as many distractions on hand as possible." she thought. She noticed that for once they were at the control station by the elevator.

"Good afternoon boys" she said in her most seductive tone.

"Afternoon Maria" replied Officer Fife with that familiar look in his eye.
"Hi" was all Barney could muster to say, looking at his shoes, too embarrassed to look at Maria directly because of the way she made him feel.

"I wonder if you boys could do me a small little favor." her finger tracing the edge of the security officers desk, she leaned over to let him get a better look.

"Sure thing Maria, but, we can't leave our post. See we are in a 'code yellow' because of the raid and we have to stay here in case there are any 'breaks' in security." replied the older officer. His tone condescending and official as if he were in an important high security position. They were floor guards, the lowest of the low, the most incompetent.

She paused for a moment looking at him. She would have to change tactics. These two were only staying near the control station because it was the closest they could be to the internal comms link, in case they had to call someone to rescue them. "No heart huevoless leaches" she thought.

She turned around so she was not facing them. She let her eyes slowly swell up with tears, and put on her best damsel in distress pout, and began to whimper softly.

They were both taken back by it. "Maria, what is wrong." The older man stood up from his desk and came around to put his arm over her shoulder. He wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to have his body touch hers. It made her skin crawl to have him that close. The younger officer did what he always did, stood motionless and stared at the floor.

"It's....*sniff* it's ..my sister" she started to improvise "she came to see me on the station today.." She turned to the old screw, so he could see the mascara now running down her checks.

"She called me on the comms she made a mistake and went to the wrong bar on the lower decks.... and.. said some men are drunk." The sobs becoming heavier. "and they are touching all over her" now crying softly "Please help me Mr.Fife, I will be in your debt all my life, I can't let anything happen to my sister."

The old man sprang to action. "lets roll Barney" said the old man as he moved to the elevator. He liked the idea of Maria owing him a favor, and if she had a sister, his mind running over all the lustful possibilities, even better.

"What...uh.." said Barney following the old officer as if he were on a leash. "where to?"

"To save Marias sister you fool." Nothing was going to stop the old man. His imagination taking over, visions of being a hero in his head, and the eventual repayment twofold.

"Should we not just call it in?" asked Barney while they waited for the elevator. He knew about the lower decks, and they scared him. Maria two steps behind winced.

"NO, ah..we can handle this ourselves Barney, I'm sure its nothing" he didn't want anyone upstaging his rescue.

Maria relaxed and followed them in, head down, playing the part of the poor helpless girl needing the protection of big strong men. It was the furthest thing from the truth.
____________________________________________


The elevator ride had been brief. The old security officer, punched a few codes into the control panel. "We will lock the floor down, just to be on the safe side, and we will by-pass all the other floors."

Maria made it a point to engrave the codes in her memory. "Could be very useful some day" she thought.

The elevator opened up to the lobby of the bar. From the sound of it, the lynching had started or was about to start. She let the old officer and Barney lead the way, staying three steps behind them.

The last straw for Phillip DeLaFontain had been when finally tired of his outburst and laughter, the leader of the group had asked him if he would be willing to pay for around of drinks in honor of the fallen. Since he was rich enough to go see a king he should pay for a round as well.

"I would not waste my own spit on a dead man, much less any of my credits. Now bugger off and go Frake your.." He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence.

The large man was a loader/unloader. His day was spent moving heavy crates and equipment from one end of the cargo docks to the other. He flung DeLaFontain to the middle of the group of men with little effort. They formed a circle around him and started to push him from one man to the next like a small child's rag doll.

The bartenders had decided they would let this ride its self out. One more call to the LPI about problems in the bar, and they could loose their lease. Besides, after the raid the LPI would be busy, at least for an hour or too, with things more important than dockworkers settling a score.

It was also reported that one LPI fighter was downed. If a security team did show up, they would mostly side with the workers seeing as one of their own was one of the Fallen being disrespected.

"Where is your King now butterball" shouted one man
"Oii ...off with his pants then, I'll give him back that venereal he says hes been cured off." Shouted another. The circle of men howling with laughter, taunts and insults.

DeLaFontain was anything but a fighter, and being severely intoxicated he was easy prey. He was barely managing to stay conscious from the alcohol in his system.

When the doors to the elevator opened and they walked in the room, they were taken back by the size of the Mob. They both hesitated. From their perspective it was exactly what Maria had described. A large group of drunken men. What they could not see, was DeLaFontain.

Maria slipped in behind the officers unnoticed. It was much worse than she expected. To many of them to take on. Quietly and quickly made her way unoticed to the bar.

She spotted DeLaFontains data pad, an empty open packet of pharma for stress and an small empty glass Vile.

She understood now what was wrong with her boss. The venereal medicine and the Pharma alone without alcohol were harmless, all three mixed together produced a brief but pronounced state of dementia. The more alcohol, the deeper the emotional crisis. If she could get him out alive, he would sleep it off and remember next to nothing.

She let her hair hang down in front of her face to hide the runny mascara and asked the bartender for a drink. She pretended she was just there to watch the show.

The old officer summoned up all his courage. He wondered if this was all gonna be worth it. Barney was petrified and doing what he did best, eyes glued to at his shoes, shifting his weight back and forth from one foot to the other.

"I say stop in the Name of the LPI" Shouted officer Fife.

There was a brief silence as the mob stopped tossing DeLaFontain around the circle and he fell to the ground unconscious. In unison they all turned towards the door and focused their attention on the two officers.

The outburst of laughter was unanimous. They were the most pathetic pair of LPI officers they had ever seen wear a badge.

"Well .. Well.. what do we have here, a couple of floor guards." said the leader of the pack in a mocking tone. "Go back to your hole, you flunkies, this doesn't concern you."

"I am going have to ask you to vacate the premises." demanded Fife swallowing hard.

The bulky dock worker walked up to the old officer, towering over him, "and who is gonna make me do that now? You and your girlyman partner here? This does not concern you rental Hack, your not a real cop, a real lawman would be siding with us right now, so...... why don't you two just bugger off" he was giving them a way out.

Fife looked at the large man and decided it was now a matter of the small amount of pride that he may have left as a man and an officer.

"I will ask you one more.."

The old man didn't get to finish his sentence either. The crate mover gave him a small shove, making Fife trip and fall, knocking him out as his head hit the floor. More howls of unanimous laughter.

"Now that was not even a challenge." more laughter all around the room. The brute now focused on Barney, who looked to be about to loose control of his bowels.

"Now, girlyman..what do you want to do about this?" pointing to his partner on the floor. Officer Barney was frozen in place. Fear grabbing hold over every inch of his body.

The bartenders were becoming nervous. It was starting to get out of hand. Roughing up a drunken clown was one thing. Assaulting a floor guard was big trouble. Even if they were flunkies, they still had badge. One of them, brought the drink Maria ordered as cover over to her.

She had been paying attention. His left knee was weak. His hips and lower back had suffered from the years of heavy lifting and moving. She saw that Barney was about to try and make a move for his gun, but would not be able to get a shot off, his target was to close, his weapon was latched in its holster and the safety was on. It was time to act, before this turned into something that could not be swept under the rug.

"If ya think ya can get to your gun copper, ya better have 30 shots ready because my boys..." Gesturing 4 meters behind him to the large unruly crowed. "..are not going are not gonna just stand by while ya shoot me."

Silence as everyone waited to see what Officer Barney would do.

Maria got up off the Bar stool, turned to the Bartender and whispered "Allow me to solve dis problem for you Mr. Keeper" she smiled and she downed the drink. It was the last thing he had expected to hear from her.

She turned back around and started to move decisively and quickly upon the mongrel leading the pack. She threw the glass still in her left hand, against the far wall with all the strength she could muster. The shatter of glass grabbing everyone's attention, making even the large man look away from the direction of her approach.

She spun around to the right on her right leg, extending her left at the same time, and let the tip of her boot connect on the left side of the left knee precisely at the joint.

The effect was devastating. His knee buckeled and he let out a shreek of pain as he fell to floor on his now blown out knee. Maria passed behind him, grabbed him by this long hair with her left hand and as she did, she spun to her left, forcing her opponent to spin with her, further damaging his knee against the floor , making him now face the motley mob he had been the master of ceremonies for.

She took one step back, dropped her right knee to the floor and in one swift motion pulled the mans head to rest on her left knee as if he were in a guillotine but face up. The motion so swift and violent, it pinched the nerves in his lower back. He was now unable to move.

With her right hand she reached for her pearl handled Stiletto, pulled it from her left boot and swiftly put the tip of the black blade on his external jugular vein, applying just enough pressure to break the skin and cause a small trickle of blood to run down his neck.

The whole motion took less than one and half seconds to complete. It had been beautiful, elegant and extremely violent. She had everyone attention except DeLaFontains, who was on the floor, passed out.

"HOooolaaaa.... Miiiiister big man.. would care to donate some blood?....I am about 5 and half litters short." She licked the side of his face for effect.

She snapped her kneck like a whip and flipped her hair back. The effect of the dried mascara on both her cheeks along with what she had just said and done was chilling to the bone. She added an evil "hisssss" sound to top it all off.

She put her lips close to her victims ear, all the while looking at the crowd making sure there were no spontaneous heroes present. No one dared move.

"If you move one single solitary millimeter, I will kill you...Now, I want you to piss yourself pendejo.. and let me know you understand."

He was about to anyway, Maria just gave him a way to save face in front of his crew. The front of his work dungarees becoming moist and dark.

"Good..I see we have an understanding." she said, slightly amused.

"Officer Barney can you please pull out your gun slowly and calmly for me?" Even though she had the upper hand, she wanted to completely command the situation. Never taking her I eyes of off the mob in front.

In silence Barney did as he was told. The heavy weapon shaking in his hand.

"Do you..... have it.... out Barney?" she asked in a mixed tone of sex and violence that both scared the living crap out of the mob and turned them on at the same time.

"Yes Maria"

"Good...now move away from the door and over to the Bar and give these nice hard working Lunks a clear path to exit....and you" Talking to the man with his neck exposed on her Knee "Stop pissing, if you get my new boots soiled I most certainly will kill you."

"Barkeeper...Can you please tell these gentlemen what time it is, and pour me another drink please?"

The Bartender looked over at his partner. Things like this were common out in the Border worlds, but neither had seen anything like it in Liberty. One shrugged and the other one Nodded an affirmation. It was as good away of resolving this mess as any and they didn't have to get involved. "Its closing time folks, pay your bills tomorrow..."

"No need," interrupted Maria "I will be buying all of the drinks tonight ...."

One of the bartenders was about to object, this was a business after all, fight or no fight, he worried about the tab and who would pay it. His partner stopped him with a look that said "Let it go, will make it up tomorrow if we have to, did you not just see how she took down the biggest man in the bar."

He reached under the bar for a bottle and a fresh glass. Pouring what Maria ask for, but of the cheap stuff. No sense in wasting anything expensive. "Sure thing Miss."

"My sympathies for the friends you have lost today gentlemen...now...VAMOS...scat.. you worthless sapiens.... and take the access stairs, the elevator is out of order" Her orders were clear and to the point.

She held her position looking each man in the eye as they filed out. They were terrified and mesmerized. Barney was doing his best to look fierce behind his shaking gun. He to was terrified.

Before the last of the heathens left. She violently threw the man she had under her knife forward and to the floor. She got up and moved backwards to the bar, flipping the knife back into the slot in her boot.

"You two..." She said to the last two.."Grab your friend here and careful with his piss, no need to track it all over this nice floor. He wont be able to walk for a couple of weeks"

She reached into her back pocket and pulled out two two 10000 credit Sirius cards. She tossed one on the bar and one at the men that were attending to bigman now pissboy. "Make sure his medicals and family are covered while he is recovering." They nodded their agreement.

Maria turned to take the drink. But the bartender had already poured it into the sink and was reaching for the top shelf. The Lady had style, she deserved only the best. Style being the 10000 credits she had tossed on the bar.

As the limping man and his cohorts left with out saying a word. She turned back to look at Barney. He still had is gun out following the three men with its barrel.

She picked up a napkin off the bar, moistened it with spit and began to wipe the dried mascara off of her cheeks. She hated looking disheveled.

Officer Fife was returning to consciousness. He was dazed and disoriented. Trying to pulling himself up off the floor.

Maria put her hand slowly on Barneys shoulder as a big sister would. She whispered in his ear. "Barney, you can put your gun away now, my brother in arms, we keep this to ourselves, or I pull my knife out again, do you understand" she said with a disarming smile. Her tone was soothing and maternal.

Barney smiled nervously nodded his agreement and holstered his gun. It was the first time in his life he had ever felt a bit of pride, and it felt good.

The bartenders stopped what they were doing. Becoming very amused with Maria and her vast skill set. They wondered how she was going to solve the issue with the assault on the aging Floor Guard.

"Oh Mr. Fife, you should have seen how Officer Barney saved your life, he beat that man to a pulp, he was amazing." She said in a different tone and voice, the one that most appealed to Mr.Fife.

"Is that not right Mr. Bartenders?" She dared not ask Barney anything for fear he would buckle under the pressure.

"Oh yea..sure did.. he don't look like much, but the kid is fast as a Nyx." said the first.

"Yep, don't know what we would have done with out him, finest officer I've ever run across." said the second. They were old pros who knew how to follow a lead. They were very convincing.

"Barney, why don't you take Mr. Fife back to the control station, you don't want anyone to miss you at your post, and I don't think we need to report this, since you were not in your assigned areas" further laying the next step.

Barney simply Nodded. "*snort* Ok Maria *snort*"

Officer Fife was getting what little wits he had together. "What a about your sister Maria?" Maria moved toward him and blocked his view of DeLaFontain's passed out body. "Oh, she is in the bathroom fixing herself up, Mr.Fife" She winked at Barney, hoping he would take the hint and move on his on will for once.

Amazingly Barney moved and put his arm around his elderly partner "Mr. Fife, Lets get back before we are missed Sir, you don't need a reprimand this close *snort* to retirement" Barney had hit him with the only thing Mr.Fife ever worried or talked about, his pension.

"Ah yea....yea..." They started to walk off towards the elevator. "You really beat that man down Barney?" Still a bit unbelieving, as they walked into the waiting elevator.

"Yea *snort* first I hit him with a right see, and then just *snort* like you taught me, I hit him with a left and right and another left..." The closing elevator door killing the conversation for those still left in the bar.

She looked at the time piece on the wall. It had only been twelve minutes since Captain Hand had called. "No LPI security detail yet, so..no blood no foul." She thought to herself.

She relaxed herself back onto the barstool and looked at the figure of DeLaFontain lying on the floor of the bar. She smiled "worthless pendejo....".

One of the Bartenders had called out the robotic floor cleaner, and it set to work on the small amount of piss still on the floor. They were both looking at her, with big wide grins, a clear sign of admiration.

"So...who does a pretty girl have to Kill around here to get a decent drink"

They both chuckled at that line. One of them reaching for the Top shelf and the other for three fresh glasses. "You looking for work Miss?" asked the one returning with the bottle of the best they had.

"Nope...I got a good job...." she said, a loud snore interrupted her in mid sentence. The BarKeeps now wondering what to do about this passed body on the floor. "See him over there....that pendejo IS my boss" At once the entire situation made sense to both men.

"Well...." he said pouring three drinks and raising his glass to toast with Maria and his partner.

"Your boss..Miss, is a very Lucky man." They banged their glasses together.

"To those who were lost today" She said. The moment becoming solemn for an instant. They downed their drinks, and slammed the glasses onto the bar face down as was customary.

DeLaFontain let out one more loud snore and curled up into the fetal position looking peaceful and serene. All three at the bar struggling to keep their shots down, openly laughing at her boss. The bartender reaching for three more fresh glasses.

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLaFontaine was still fuzzy around the edges. It had been several days since the "Rumble on the lower decks".

He remembered going to the Bar on the upper decks and having a few drinks to calm his nerves and anxiety prior to the arrival of The Lady Luck. He remembered the attack on the station, cowering in the walkway between the bulkhead airlocks, talking to the medic and little else after that.

He woke up the next day on the sofa in his office. Banged up and bruised, a splitting headache, but otherwise unhurt. He could not remember how he had gotten there. He spent the next couple of days playing catch up.

He had called in his ship captains, and talked with them about opening up a trading route to Gallia.
"To where? ..." they answered. He realized he had a problem.

No one knew how to get there, what the fuel consumption and turn around times would be. Where would they have docking rights. Just how hostile was Gallia? He had read the transmission from the Gallia authorities, but refused to let it affect him. "Its just business.." he thought to himself. He needed contacts, and didn't have them. He typed up this transmissionand waited for a reply.

He also had not heard from Otis Jethro concerning the lease of the office space on Toronto Station.
He sent out another communique to him and hoped all was well.

He thought long and hard, and decided that no matter how nice the trade route to Gallia could be, he wasn't going to put all his eggs into one basket. He had purchased off the showroom floor 2 Heron transports for short range hauling with in Liberty and a Spatial to be used as an escort/recon ship civilian explorer and put them to work.

He needed to look for local business partners. He heard about Detroit munitions coming under new ownership and would look into getting a contract up and running with them.

He could hear Maria walking into the office lobby. He shut down his terminal and pretended to be asleep. He sensed that something had gone on that was yet explained, but could not put his finger on it yet. He wanted to keep her at a distance, not not trusting her, but just being cautious. For the moment the less she knew the better.

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLaFontain was on his fifth cup of coffee. He was looking at the trade report for the past day. "Not bad...need better."

[font=System]Ship Name #units Commodities Origin Destination 0.00
Lucky Hauler 01
592 Military Vehicles Ft. Severn Concord 8,671,024.00
2,964 Prisoners Concord Sugarland 5,210,712.00
2,964 Basic Alloy Houston Detroit Mun. 1,446,432.00
2,964 Small Arms Detroit Mun Ft.Severn 2,560,896.00
592 Military Vehicles Ft.Severn Concord 8,671,024.00
2,964 Prisoners Concord Sugarland 5,210,712.00
2,964 Basic Alloy Houston Detroit Mun 1,446,432.00
2,964 Small Arms Detroit Mun Ft. Severn 2,560,896.00

Lucky Hauler 02
2,971 Optronics Los Angeles Denver 2,124,265.00
2,970 Superconductors Denver Trenton 632,610.00
2,970 RoboticComponents Trenton Ft.Severn 2,515,590.00
594 Military Vehicles Ft.Severn Concord 8,700,318.00
2,964 Prisoners Concord Sugarland 5,221,260.00
2,970 Basic Alloy Houston Detroit Mun 1,449,360.00
2,970 Small Arms Detroit Mun Ft. Severn 2,566,080.00

Deliverance
3,372 Basic Alloy Houston Detroit Mun 1,645,536.00
3,372 Small Arms Detroit Mun Ft. Severn 2,913,408.00
3,372 Prisoners Concord Sugarland 5,927,976.00
3,372 Basic Alloy Houston Detroit Mun 1,645,536.00

Leroy Brown Engaged by Pirate call sign E-Charos Pirate Destroyed

LuckyStrikeIII Dry Dock 0.00


Record keeping was not one of Maria's strengths. He thought. He needed to see about getting some insurance going on his ship's. Also having not heard back from Otis, he could only fear the worse, they may have to move stations.

[oZoneRanger]

DeLaFontain was in a rage, he had been having a shouting match with his new head of Corporate Security Leroy Brown.

This man from the Texas system, well known for how tall he was, how far he could spit chaw, and his capacity for never getting nervous. The only ship he could fit in and be comfortable was a Spacial with a tricked out cockpit.

"But I want to know, right now, how is it you feel you can spend 30million credits an armor upgrade" demanded DeLaFontain.

"Hey...why don't ya just simmer down now.... that extra .2 could be the difference between life and death out here in space." replied Brown in his slow deliberate drawl.

"But it takes up 170 units of cargo, what can you haul now?" exasperated at having given Leroy a free check to get the ship of his choice and all the bells and whistles. But good help was hard to find and so like with Maria, he took what he could get. He was starting to regret having hired him.

"How bout my Aiiss...that good nuff for ya...This over sized coffin with wings is gonna Hawl ma Aiiss all over Liberty for ya...deal with nasty old people..keepin ya tuned to the pulse of space, try and keep ya transports safe, least you could do is...." Brown laying it on heavy.

"Ohh..please...please." almost begging him to stop. "What are you doing now?" DeLafontain almost afraid to ask.
"Right now?" answered Brown with a slight hint of evasion.
"Ya..right now...what are you doing with my ship?"

"ah..well...sir....I'm buying a Junker some smokes." ducking his head away from the comms speaker.

DeLaFontain fell back into his chair, "Brown, this intersystem comm link-up is expensive. You are telling me that you are spending my Hfuel, my ships time on buying some Junker cigarettes....YOU do know they are known to pirate outside of house space..you know that don't you?"

"Hey, yea..I tell ya wut Mr DelaFuente...I'm about to givum 5million of your credits to"

"DELAFONTAIN...TAIN" He banged on his table in a fit or rage. Will you people get it right...FONTAIN...DELA FRAKEN FONTAIN...got it?"

Silence over the coms, then the static of a lost connection. "Did he just hang up on me?..MARIA, get him back on the line." he was going into his chicken without a head mode.

From his desk he could see Maria's shadow get up from hers. It was the slowness and deliberateness of the motion that told DeLaFontain he was in trouble. She turned the corner, and her displeasure was evident.

"If you ever dare," walking over to him "Talk to me dis way again Mr.LaFontaiiin, I will make sure that somehow you cojones are set on fire, Mr.Brown only trying to help you and all you do you is yell at him" she turned back around and left the office in a tirade of other things he didn't understand.

"Help me? how the hell is buying a Junker some cigarettes going to help me?"

"What, you know knotting? Junkers knows everything, or part of it, Mister Brown he know this, he live in Texas many years, best way to a junker is by fattening his wallet and putting the cash up front and bargirls, they really like bargirls."

"Cash up front for what?" DeLaFontain still not understanding the moment.

Chirpiiiit**this is the Toronto station communications operator we have a call collect transmission from a Leroy Brown will you accept** a robotic voice coming over the comms. With out hesitation Maria said "Yes" before DelaFontain could say no.

**Thank you, Mr.Brown, go a head please.** "Hey bowass, I done give that Junker the smokes and 5mill, but the new Armour install must have damaged my comms. I couldn't seal the deal, with him, but I think the part about makin contact in a hour got thourgh to him. I'm headed back to Baltimore ship yard and get tha antennae refitted...."

"Cut Transmission.." DeLafontain had had enough, and the voice recognition software kicking in and obeying the highest ranked voice on the hierarchy tree, in this case Fontains.

"You some silly silly man Mr. LaFuantina" Changing up how she pronounced his name, just to add a little more venom to the mix.

"How you gonna find out how to go to Gallia ..you so stupido sometimes boss" All the work this man put into his job, he was still just a number cruncher, she thought. He don't know how space work.

"You want to do business out in space you got to be out in space boss, you spend your time typing up your fancy letters, drinking behind your desk and waiting for something to happen and its driving us all crazy." said Maria admonishing his behavior.

"Fancy letters,," His jaw dropped. what did she think, going around getting her nails done all the time and dressing nice and flirting was going to get the job done? "I tell ya what Maria, if you think you can do better, have at it, use any resource we have except credits.."

"OK boss" she cut him off to quick, he immediately regretted what he said but was not quite sure why. She walked out to her desk. He sat back down and unlocked the desk safe where he kept his best stock of wine and pulled one out he had been saving for a rare occasion.

He was going to take his ship out on a test run and he wanted some of his private stock for the trip. He placed the bottle his desk and went to his private washroom. He would hop into the sonic shower and defoliate some dead skin cells off and relax before heading to the Lady Luck. He thought he heard the comm notification activate, as he stepped into the shower stall.

"who is it Maria "

"No one sir...wrong transmit codes" she said with her head around the corner. Then back at the speak on her desk.

"Go ahead" static briefly and then

"icT office this is the captain of the Lucky Hauler 01..Ma'am I gots a Junker on the other line says he was talking to Mr. Brown about.."

Maria cut him off " Captain, tell him we will contact him from the Lady Luck over a secure channel..send me his contact information to my data pad and make sure you encrypt it, after that return to your normal schedule icT office out"

She was somewhat proud of how official she had just sounded, it was a voice tone worth practicing she decided. "BeebBeeb" Her data pad coming alive, notifying her of the transmitted codes arriving unhacked.

By the time she turned the corner of the office door, she had a plan together. "Boss, I gonna take the rest of the Morning off and I be back after lunch"

DeLaFontain now in the sonic shower, poked his head out from under the streams and said " Oh yea...sure....go ahead...do whatever...this company seems to run itself,"

He pulled his head back under the streams and set the programing to high, vowing to relax a bit before he took the LadyLuck out on her maiden voyage.

Maria heard the sarcasm in his voice. She saw the bottle of wine, picked it up and took it with her as she headed down to the docks.

"One day pendejo you will learn to keep you mouth shut " she though to herself with a big grin on her face. He had said any resource besides credits.

She walked out and passed Mr.Fife and Barney. They both had been on their best behavior since the incident on the lower decks bar.

Fife out of fear of his pension, and Barney because he had witnessed the unimaginable. Their roles had reversed some a bit, with Barney taking the lead, and automatically calling the elevator when he saw her. It would be there when she got to the lobby and therefore just walk on by and into the elevator and forgo any scanning hassles. Maria was somewhat proud of the turn in his attitude.

"Good morning Boys" she said in passing, with out glancing at them.
"Good Morning to you Maria " they said in unison, "Everything OK with you today Maria?" Barney had very recently drawn up the courage to address her directly.

"Well..." she turned around inside the elevator. "Mister DeLafuente he is being very mean to Maria today" in that child needing help tone Mr.Fife liked so much.

"I think maybe he wants to fire me..aii.." She gave Barney a wink. Rather proud of how she was helping shape the boy up into something.

Barney nodding his eternal complicity. "I'm sure it will be OK Maria, I would not worry to much, I'm sure he will change his mind."

She smiled at him as the doors closed and then punched in the codes she had put to memory from the night of the bar fight. The elevator sped non stop to the walkway to the docks. "Very handy for a girl in a hurry" she thought.

Phillip DeLaFontain was maybe seven minutes behind her at the most. He was upset at the bottle of wine missing off his desk. Fuming, he stormed out the door promising that this time he would fire her. He reached the two security guards as he was finishing his tirade of threats against her, within their earshot.

"Problems Mr.DeLaFontain?" asked Barney, who for some reason had a scowl on his face and was blocking the elevator control buttons.

"Ah no, no officer Barney, just my secretary Maria is a nitwit is all.."

"Turn around and Face the wall sir " Barney had become Barneynator.

"What ??" astonished at the change in attitude in this normally quiet boy. "why?"

"Routine spot check for contraband Sir, please comply..." Barneys voice had lost its *snorts*

"But I'm on my way to take my new Ship out.."

Before he could get out one syllable more, Barney who was surprised at how easy it had been to do, put his hands on Mr.DeLaFontains shoulders and spun him around and pushed him up against the wall and started to frisk him thoroughly.

"Officer Fife, is this really necessary.?" DeLaFontain looking for an ally in the old floor guard.

"Hell, I'd just do what he says, Barney here is a fairly dangerous man, took out a guy the other day in the lower decks bar, that was three times his size." replied the future retiree.

Barney leaned into Mr. Delafontain, and whispered in his ear. "If it had not been for Maria and her knife Mr.DeLaFontain, you would not be alive right now Sir, if you want to have problems with me everyday, you go ahead and fire her." and then in a more official volume and tone

"Well all in order....no contraband, you may go now" and spun DeLaFontain back around and gave him a small push to the now open elevator.

Before the doors closed, Barney stuck his head into the elevator. "Here, let me help you make up some time." He punched some codes into the keypad. "Have a nice day Mr.DeLaFontain." Barney would not stand for anyone talking bad about Maria.

Mr.Fife was more than amazed at the change in Barney over the last few days, and he was somewhat worried about something he could not quite put his finger on. But Maria and her effect over Barney was odd at the very least.

15 minutes later DeLaFontain finally reached the passage level to the docks. "Some time saver that was," he though to himself. While the elevator went up and down 10 times past his floor without stopping he wondered about what Barney had said.

Was someone trying to kill him? Was Maria trying to kill him. Why did she have a knife? Where did she keep it? He decided that what ever it was, giving her the boot would be the worst thing he could do. He would have to have a talk with her when he returned from his little cruise to Planet Cortez and back.

He moved passed the control post and headed to the birth assigned to the Lady Luck. He was just in time to see it leave the dock from behind the heavy blast glass in the air lock doors. "What the Hell? That's my ship...hey where are they going with my ship..."

He started to sprint back to the elevators to his office, someone was stealing his ship.

When Maria reached the Lady Luck, she asked the captain how long it would take to get space born. "less than 5 minutes ma'am. We have had her warming up for a bit, Mr. DeLaFontain is taking her out for her maiden voyage."

"We leave as soon as possible, Mr. DeLaFontain, he put me in charge of a trade delegation, and this is a top priority assignment, if he is not here we leave anyway." she pushed passed him, and sat her self down in the custom Altimenise leather chairs.

She made herself look as official as possible. She had plenty of time to get to the Gate to California. From there a direct transmission between ships would be easier.

The Captain was put off my her manner. "But ma'am..."

"Send me someone to open this bottle Captain" she snapped tossing the bottle at him like a missile, he, almost dropping it on the floor, "and a glass, and once we clear the lanes and are near the Cali gate, put in a request for a secure line to the ship identification on this data pad, its encrypted so do it right.." He stood there. He knew who was she, but not what she was capable. Before he could react any more to her.

"After you make contact, deny all other request for secure links, even from Toronto Station...Vamos...andale Captain, we cannot be late." He nodded and move off to the bridge. Dropping off the wine with the head steward in the ships galley on his way to the bridge.

The stewards response was one off astonishment "Oh my....this is rare, she must be very cultured" The excitement of waiting on some one of such refined taste overpowered his being able to hear the captain say "Yea...she's a real dame that one.."

She wondered what her boss would think to hear her with out the heavy accent. "Different people need different ways of being talked to her mother used to say." It had been one of the most used tools in her skill set.

She sat back and relaxed in the comfortable leather chair. It was the first time she had been on a "Democritus" class ship and she was overwhelmed by the plushness and extravagance.

Impressed, but she could not let anyone see this or notice that it was her first time amongst such nice things.

A few moments later the steward came back with the open Bottle of wine and a glass on a platter made of platinum. "Excellent choice for a Maiden voyage ma'am, it shows you have much class and taste"

The stewart, was admiring his own compliment with an obvious smugness. It was after all a very rare vintage, very few like it, almost a museum piece, not something that someone would drink unless it was a special occasion. It deserved to be mentioned in high regards, and he was an expert.

"Bah, swill as far as I'm concerned" she said, enjoying the look of horror flash over the cabin sweethearts face. He said nothing else as he poured just a bit into the glass for her to taste and give approval.

"Fill it up " she said with an annoyed motion of her hands. "I have already told you what I think about it."

The Stewart appalled, did as she asked. They noticed the ship start to move. The Stewart turned and headed back to the galley.

Normally he would stand off to one side, ready to serve hand and foot, But he dared not, out of fear of what else might come out of her vile mouth.

"I could have fun establishing my residence here" she thought, lots of things to amuse herself with.

A few moments later, The LadyLuck had cleared the station. and was heading to the trade lanes. The captain came over the comms. "Ma'am be just a few minutes and we will be at the California gate."

DeLaFontain was back in the elevator, and heading to his office. He wanted to contact the Lady Luck directly, not wanting to let the whole station know someone had stolen his ship. The elevator door opened and there was Barney blocking his path.

"Problem Sir?"

"Ah No..no Officer Barney no problems at all, just forgot something" He said calmly, wanting to avoid any conflicts. Barney moved out of the way. At once, he turned back around and faced Barney "ahhh...Barney, what you said earlier."

"You want to know more you talk to Mr Brown Sir" replied Barney "Now move along sir, clear the area," herding him away as if he were cattle.

DeLaFontain walked off to his office and the secure comms transmitter for company use. "Talk to Brown? why should I..talk with him about Maria?" his thoughts lost in Barneys cryptic comments.

On board the Lady Luck, they felt the ship come out of the Lanes and warp to a crawl, setting up over Hamilton station using its guns for cover just in case.

Maria got up and made her way to the bridge. The captain pulled up the Secure comms interface and typed in the following target ship:

.:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: **icT-Lady Luck|requestingsecurechannel|**

The Captain recognized the codes. "no way...Junkers? what the hell.."

"Yes Captain, Junkers, do we have a link?" Maria appearing behind him. Glass of wine in one hand, bottle in the other. Treating the relic vintage like trash.

"Faint but its there Ma'am" replied the Captain with obvious disinterest.

"Cut any other transmissions from coming in." Her boss would be calling the ship right about now, she thought, I can't have him ordering the captain to return to Toronto. she smiled.

"Done Ma'am.." replied the captain, wondering what would come next. Over the speakers a voice through the static

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Greetings there.

The transmission fading out. No one really doing anything.

"Tune that signal in Captain." She said to him sternly. The Captain was not to thrilled about what was about to happen and was dragging his feet.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Pardon me just have some problems here..

The message garbled again."Fix it now Captain" she realize a compromise was needed, "and put a send only feed to the icT offices, Target the speaker on Mr. DeLaFontains desk

"He will monitor the negotiations from there" She took a drink of the wine, which she thought of course was the most delicious she had ever tasted and she bent her left leg and set her foot up on his left arm rest giving the captain one more thing to think about.

The captain looked up at her from his chair, and decided he would just have to go along with it. If the Boss is monitoring it from office, who cares right? He fined tuned the signal and filtered out the static and a stable link was established.

"Somehow the leg thing always seems to work" she thought noticing that the wine was having an effect on her in a most pleasant way.



DeLaFontain reached his office door and punched in the proper keys. He got to his office and before he could sit down

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: I have to take a trip to New York, after that I will call you via Private Channel

...came over the speaker on his desk. He jumped almost out of his skin, scared half to death at a strange voice coming over the comms.

"Identify yourself" He shouted at the speaker

"Not a problema Mister....you call me...anytime...you have the time?" Maria back on the Lady Luck was trying hard to reel in the junker.

"Maria? what the is hell is going on" DeLaFontain staring at the speaker on his desk. His world upside down and at the mercy of his secretary.

"Our Comms are opeeen..for you" She hoped she got this right the first time.

"Maria, will you tell me what the hell is going on" pressing the transmit button, not realizing they could not hear him.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Thanks for the patience darling

"DARLING, I'm not anybodies darling bub now who the hell are you?" DeLaFontain was close, very close to loosing it.

"*Sigh* aiii " Maria, on board the Lady Luck took a sip and knew the hook was set. Darling, was a good word to start off with.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: and apologies...Vincent Here

Maria though she heard a hint of flirtatiousness in his voice, and a first name, she ran through the aliases she had not used recently just in case.

"Ya damn right ya better apologies.." DeLaFontain slumping into his chair, still very unaware that no one could hear him. "This is Phillip DeLaFontain, general..."

"Vicente...interesting name...I had a lover named Vicente once." Maria decided it was time to give this nice Junker some candy to think about. The Captain and crew were fascinated by the conversation, DeLaFontain was more and more confused.

"Maria will you please shut up and tell me what is going on?"DeLaFontain


:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: "Well Darling, I hope that you will have a lover named Vincent again." Maria was certain he was on the hook now, but a bit to close to fast she thought, maybe a little slam on the breaks for good measure.

"I've never had a Lover named Vincent" screamed DeLaFontain "What the Frack is going on here." Pounding his desk with his fist.

"I don't think so...Hes dead...and now I have a slight aversion to the name, but I will aii" breathing out a sigh of slight disapointment.

"Wait, Wait, Who is dead? What" DeLaFontain, now having the paranoia that Officer Barney had put into his ear, run a lap or two around his frontal lobe.

" make a slight exception with you ...guapo" Maria said finishing of with heat.

DeLaFontain picks up the Speaker and starts Banging it on the table. "Will Someone please tell me what is going on,,," He smashes it and and the sound starts to slowly fade away.

"No..No......" Instantly desperate, he starts hold the speaker at odd angles trying to repair the damage his blind rage has caused. The speaker comes back to life and the conversation bleeds back in. "Maybe they can't hear me..." it suddenly dawned on him.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Sounds nice darling, I wish I could be there. Just a small trip..I will hurry, I promise

"Oh..its my bosses new toy.. he doesn't know I took it out ..."

"OOOHHHH I DO NOW MARIA ...I sure do now.." DeLafontain glad his ship was simply held hostage by his secretary and not stolen.

"You know a ship called "Democritus" or something like that? I don't know, ships are not my specialty."
Maria adding every bit of naivety she could muster into her voice. The Captain of the Lady Luck almost in tears at how surreal this all was becoming.

"I will say...its nice...wine is acceptable" She could just imagine her boss flipping out in his office and it multiplied the enjoyment of the moment. She was going to show him how things are done in space.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Yes Darling....the name Democritus is reminds me of something.. but I dunno really. Could you tell me something about that?"

"Dey call it some kinda Yacht..but I'm just a simple bar girl..what do I know." She felt he was asking to much and not giving enough, she threw a countermeasure into the conversation. Every Junker she ever met was more interested in bar girls than money.

"We are on the other side here at the gate to escort you to the station sir.." Throwing it back to business again. "We would not want you to get lost.."

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Very nice. Apologies for my late, but your friend told me that you will call me just after an hour.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: That's why I made this business until that.


"Yes..but you know women..no patience for things like this.." Maria excused herself, she knew she had called him ahead of time, She needed to make sure he showed up. Keeping him on the line and interested was the best way.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Sure *smiles* Anyways its my fault...so apologies again

Two apologies from a Junker in the same sentence. She smiled and said nothing.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Is there anything what I can get for you from New York Darling?

"Aiii...Nothing I don't already have twice...but ...surprise me..." No need to sound desperate. The captain, crew and Mr.DeLaFontain absorbed in the conversation. Everyone wondering where this was leading.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Yas was right *smiles* You are really a bargirl.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: And I like them *winks*
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well then I'll look for something "usefull" a present for you.

"Yes, I have been in a few Bars in my day,,,I do..pretty well you could say" The captain and crew not surprised at all, DeLaFontain speachless in awe.

"Drunks are easier to lift off of.." she added to get a laugh and hoped it worked.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: *laughs* May I ask you about your goals in Gallia darling.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: As I realized you have a trading company, right?

"Oh me?" he was back to business again, time to deflect she thought "I don't have any..My boss..He does..I don't do the big business things."

"Boss? hey...yea..that's me..." DeLaFontain realizing that he had a part to play and pretty sure where this was going. He dropped the Speaker on the floor, and rushed back to the docks to the LuckyStrikeIII. He had to get them to fire the ship up. She was a genius, he was thinking, finally realizing Maria had a plan after all.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Oh...
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Than I have to ask him...

"I am more of a ...greet the public type of girl." Dropping that line made the Captain and crew bust out in Laughter, to which she gave them a stern admonishment with eyes and a smile, seeing now that they were willing cohorts in this escapade of hers.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Anyway, its a pleasure to talk with you

"And yes ..you can talk to that pendejo, but he is on the station..." Giving him yet another incentive to make the trip to Ontario. "But why you wanna talk with him...business is very boring." adding her own line of interrogation.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well as you must know, we are Junkers, so we have to find new partners all the time.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Maybe we could deal with him somehow...but dunno really what is this company, so I have to ask him about it.

"Junkers and partners....aiii a very strange combination of words" She was a "Penny" girl, not by birth but by upbringing, she had meet plenty of Junkers of one type or another out on Bethlehem Station.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: *winks* Not always darling, not always.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Anyway, I'm entering California soon
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: So.. on my way there..

"I'm sure that Mister DeLaFuente will want to talk to you." Maria was hoping that her boss got the play right. Letters and contracts were good, but it was bold action that got things done in space.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: I hope so Darling

"What ..you think i come all the way out here in my best dress because he don't want to talk to you?" Laying on just enough for him to get the point. I'm here to walk you to him. Silly men, she though to herself, always so obtuse and blunt.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: When did you start your duty at the company Darlin?
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: I wish I could be there to see that suit *winks*

She could see he was confused about what he wanted to talk about. To her advantage that his brain was divided between business and Bargirl. A difficult choice for any self respecting Junker. So in her best off the cuff nonchalant tone, Looking at her nails on one hand, glass of wine in the other.

"Oh you know when these IND people always talks about, they left things up in the air, so I slid in here, and I help my boss now.,.6 months..its a nice job...meet nice people" Saying it a way that let him think she was referring to him.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well, unless I'm just a dirty bastard, i don't know much about the life of a businessman.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: But I want to show my best face so I got a nice wine for you darling. I hope we can share it.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: *sighs* Speedrunners

"Aiiiii we can have a taste" She said laying the aiiii on in a way that the entire bridge of the Lady Luck was now hot under the collar.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: I'm Nearly there darling

"Yes, I hear that a lot...but then...Nothing." She *sighed* long and loud.

For the crew it was to much. The Captain briefly muted the microphones. The muted laughter becoming an outburst. They crew had not had a day this interesting in their careers, and this was not their first time around the system.

DeLaFontain reached Lucky Strike. He had gotten no trouble from Barney and Fife. As he was running up to them wildly waving his arms, he shouted for them to call the elevator, "Maria needs my help..." His shirt was out, his hair out of place, He was missing one shoe.

Barney had sprung to action and had the elevator waiting, He was about to punch in the right codes to get him there, but DeLaFontain cut him off. "Thanks Barney, but I want to get there this week son." and he hit the close button, almost catching Barneys arm in the process.

The ride was quick this time. He had little chance to focus, but started to see things comming into place.

When he ran onto the Bridge of the LuckyStrike, the crew was all napping. Several weeks tied up to the docks, waiting wth a cargo full of Neon to go some place they had never heard off. The ship was prepped and ready and the engines were warmed up, but it still had no where to go.

"Wake up ..wake up..." Ramos the Captain of the LuckyStrikeIII was startled by the outburst. "Lets go, get this ship moving.

"What is it boss, something on fire?" Surprised by the way his boss had appeared out of nowhere, missing a shoe, looking like he had just been in a fight with a coop of wild chickens.

"Yea your ass if you don't get these comms up and running right now and get this ship on the move in the next few minutes."

"What? now? To where?" The Captain starting to pull systems online and posting orders of to each individual on the bridge in a check list fashion.

"Gallia, you fool where do you think you are going." Retorted DeLaFontain. Pilots, he though to himself, got to tell them everything.

"Comms are up sir" radio and navigation officer reporting in. "Sir we don't have charts on Gallia. You are sending us up blind?"

"No, with a Junker leading the way." The bridge frozen in disbelief at what they just heard. That is almost worse than going blind with no charts. Ramos had once been pirated by a Junker when he was out side of house space a few months back, and he didn't enjoy the experience.

"Sir, I'm reading a transmission from the LadyLuck and another signal...dialing it in..Seems the LadyLuck is docking sir, the captain reports that they have just escorted a Junker to out side the base....Sir we have a secure comm link..go ahead"

"Hello..is this thing on...yes?" DeLaFontain not sure of what direction to talk.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Aye Lad...Well is that you finally?

"Yes Greetings..this is Phillip DeLafontain " trying to sound as official and as in control as possible. It was in deep contrast to how he really felt.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Thanks for the present *smiles* that Girl was so nice

Everyone likes Maria, he thought to himself, what is it with her. Then he remembered that he had hired her for just this type of thing. This was all his doing, HE was a genius again.

"You have agreed to take our ship as far as.." He didn't know where or what they had talked about in his run down to the LuckyStrikeIII "..the....Space Port?" Captain Ramos not liking to much what he was hearing. Wondering if his boss just made a flat out guess or if he had finally lost it.


:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Sure feel free..

"What are the cost behind this?" certainly it could not be free. DeLaFontain struggling to stay on top of the situation.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well, we shall discuss the needed information..
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Anyway, as I heard, you are looking for the enter to Gallia, right?

Phillip DeLafontain breathed a *sigh* of relief. They were all on the same page.

"Correct we have a contract to enter valid for trading Neon. But we have no contacts out that way..."

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well then I could help you out.

"I just don't want to send an expensive ship like this up blind" adding this to reassure the crew of the LuckyStrikeIII that he would do all he could, to make sure they were looked after, at least till they undocked from Toronto station.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: We have been there so I could show the way for you.

"15mill sound reasonable?" wincing at the thought that maybe that wasn't enough. He didn't want to insult this Junker, so close to sealing the deal. "We want to make sure we are in good hands.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: That wont be an easy trip since the Kusari are at war with Brettonia and we have to pass the war zone.

Damn, he was already angling for more money.

"and I pay for any taxes on the way"

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well make it to 5million lad, I had a payment from one of your employee before.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: so I could lead you there for another 5 million.

The next time he saw that tall Texan he was going to kiss his Aiisss as he liked to call it.

"Fair enough ..pay you now Sir or when we arrive.?" ready to spit on his hand and seal the deal.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Just when we will arrive mate

"Ship is ready to go Sir.." Captain Ramos could not believe they had it all online this quick.

"Good, get this ship out there and just follow that Junker" He said to the Captain.

"Sir, you are not wanting to come along on the inaugural trip?" The Captain said baiting him a bit with the comment.

"No..ahh....paperwork...payments....you know..could be gone for weeks.." DeLaFontain was going to be cautious. He headed to the bulkhead door. "Lock it behind me and good trip." He could go see the king, when all the kinks got kicked out of the route.

The captain brought the Maneuvering thrusters online and eased the ship away from the docks.

"This is Captain Ramos ..cleared and undocking from Toronto Station."

*Initiating Group Communications Protocol*

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: At first Lets enter California.
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Thats could be a safe place for the beginning.

Ramos hoped this Junker Captain realized he was in a Stork. "Copy that...remember sir..this thing is large and slow."

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Sure thing lad, that's no problem
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: just form up on me.

"Yea sure thing Junker" Ramos muttered to himself, "Stress it boys, looks like he is gonna try and make us fly this thing like a fighter. Roll us 5degrees port. Full on the port side, gives us a one quarter starboard side and 4 degree down angle on the stern maneuvering.... .."

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Damn rookies.

"Copy that .." Ramos said, letting him know he heard him.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: Well just simple.. form on me and we can enter the lane.\

"Whats this guy think we are flying" he says to the crew. " I know how to get into a trade lane Junker." again not over the comms but more to himself, concentrating on getting his big long ship into the Lane at the proper angle.

This is gonna be one humdinger of a ride he feared.

:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: I just check my map....there is a more dangerous way..but that is more faster..
:j:. Sleazy.Scarabeus: What do you think? Shall we risk it?



//MEGA KUDOS SleazyScarabeus. cheers mate.

[oZoneRanger]

Phillip DeLaFontain was back in the saddle, back on top of the known Universe and back behind his desk.

He wondered where Maria had gone off to. He had not seen her since the LuckStrikeIII departed to Gallia. He had been so excited and absorbed in his shuffle of papers, that he had paid no attention to her absence.

"She's probably hiding out, afraid I'm gonna fire her for taking my ship" he mused. But it had been almost a half a cycle, and she was normally around by now. He was tired of answering his own calls.

He had been busy looking over the trade logs, and searching out office space in and around liberty. He was not having any luck.

He did with pleasure and much gusto send out the 5million to Gallia to pay for the travel permit, and was at the moment, with a dictionary and a book called "Dealing with Royalty for Dummies" typing out a transmission requesting a receipt.

He was smiling when the damaged squackbox on his desk came to life.

**Station2Station Call From Leroy Brown Will You Accept**

Well, of course he would, he thought "YES, Yes, patch him through" Brown had been a big part of the big win for his fledgling transport company.

**Mr.Brown go head please**

"ahh Hey thar boss...Ha you doin?" The Texan in his distinctive drawl.

"Good, Mr. Brown...good, Hey..thanks for setting that up with the Junker, that was smart thinking on your part" DeLaFontain had been counting unhatched chickens all day and was feeling good.

"A..Yea....sure...ahhh ..Boss, we got slight little problem sir.." Regret soaking every word he said.

"Well, I'm sure it is nothing that can't be fixed Leroy" He replied attempting to be as magnanimous as possible, feeling as if everything had to have an easy solution.

"Ahh...sir, it ain't that simple see...I wuz gettin the antenna on ma Ship tinkered with here on Baltimore station..and a well sir, the ah....Mechanic...he is...dead sir."

"Well, sorry to hear about that, I hope you are alright.." DeLaFontain wondering how a dead mechanic had anything to do with the newly purchased Spatial. "What was wrong with the antenna?"

"Oh yea...yea...it got bent up when they put the new armor on sir, then I had that glitch talkin with the Junker about the smokes and the ....ah hell you know all this sir.... I called ya on it yesterday...." The Texan realizing he was telling him things he already knew.

"Oh..yea..sure..I get it..so we need to have the antenna repaired then," Tapping in some notes onto his data pad, Fix one broken antenna, easy enough he thought. "OK..Ill OK the transfer"

"Transfer for what sir?" asked Brown now lost in his own conversation.

"You need a new antenna right?" Fontain stating what he thought was obvious.

"Na...Antenna should be fine, usually you find them in good shape..." continued the Texan.

"So whats the problem then? Where is the antenna now?" DeLaFontain struggling again to find the bottom of this issue.

"Oh..where is it..Should be somewhere out by the TradeLanes to Mojave, at least that's where the Spatials transmitter went dead sir."

There was silence on both ends. DeLaFontain sinking back in his chair.
"Brown what is going on, just spit it out."

"The Spatial sir...it's gone sir..space dust, bunch a parts in orbit.."

"Brown, what the hell are you talking about?" DeLaFontain said in shock.

"The mechanic that installed my armor, he a...well..he took out for a Test flight sir... and a...seems he ran into some Hackers out in California..." continued the Texan.

"..California...what the hell was the mechanic doing in California with your ship."

"..sir I really don't know...he mentioned something about having some kin out there...I figure he got himself into something he couldn't get out off...I mean.. I had all the weapons systems tricked out...If he though he was gonna use that Snack Cannon and be a hero, he should have checked the pilot interphaze wiring...Either way, I caught a shuttle over to Ft. Bush and I'm gonna fill out a lost ship report...and the supervisor over at Baltimore... he is a good old boy I know from way back....He's got another Spatial they took in on a trade, they are gonna let me have it, seeing as the Mechanic took mine without authorization...anyways be a few days and I'll..."

"END transmission" DelaFontain's head started to throb again. This company would drive him to an early grave. "Does it ever end?" He though to himself.

**Beep Beep** "LadyLuck to icT main office" The ship to station transmission coming online.

Now what, he thought "Go ahead," Where the hell is Maria? Annoyed at having to answer his own calls.

"Mr.DeLaFontain, this Shelby Montrose sir..."
"Who?" DeLaFontain had never heard of him before.
"Sir, I'm the lead cabin steward on the LadyLuck sir."
"Yea and what the Frak do you want?, make it quick, I'm busy and if this is about a pay raise forget it right now.." Extremely anoyed at the voice and its feline quality.

"Ahh no Sir...but please Sir..you need to get down here fast sir, to the LadyLuck sir...Your secretary...SHE is destroying the ship...she has poured all of the Wine into the personal hydro bathing unit sir..she has had..these deckhands here, playing DeadmanHigh all night..Sir, she says she is going to live here now....it's Horrible, Sir you must do something...They want to take the ship out to Huron sir and see how close they can get to the atmosphere before the hull catches fire..."

"Put the Captain on..." Demanded DeLaFontain.

"I can't sir, they were the first ones to pass out sir...the whole crew....I've never seen anyone group of people finish off a bottle of Meskalinita 512 before,..sir its...."

"I'll be right down..." DeLaFontain, got up and walked to the door.