Relaxing in the warm amber glow of control lamps that were all showing full operationality, Captain Sraer felt as good as ever. He was sipping on a nippled bottle of Divinia Rootbeer and listening to ambient/trance music, while hurtling his Behemoth XC loaded with luxuries through grey space. He always made sure before leaving station that his computer was updated with the newest information about pirates’ hideouts and killing grounds; today was no exception. He had logged the location of the two pirates he feared most into his route, avoiding them completely. And the one pirate he didn't fear at all blocked the last wormhole. He loved flying past this particular pirate, his membership of ITAN and high Itani standing made him impervious to the attacks from the pirate's ship, and so he had not been hurt at all ever when encountering her. Today would be the 56th run past Azumi, and as usual he would wave and thumb his nose at her while watching her fume with anger but unable to hurt him at all. He smiled as he entered the jump sequence and activated the jump engines towards Sedina B-8. Sure enough, her pink Rev C boosted towards him like a missile. He grinned; this was going to be fun.
Azumi: Filthy-rich trade guild member, stop your engines at once or I shoot. You must pay a fee of 300.000 or release your cargoes. 3. 2. 1.
He chuckled and thought about just ignoring it. Nah, where's the fun in that?
->Azumi: Hi Azumi. I don't think so, but you can shoot all you want.
He twisted the XC and presented the less armoured underside to the Rev C without turning away from the course towards the wormhole. "That'll piss her off major" he thought.
His next awake thought was back in Jallik when he woke up after the medical team of Miracle Outpost had resurrected him from his pod. And that thought was about how right he had been.
###
Azumi saw the XC turn the belly towards her and did what she had threatened. The extremely light armour of the XC disintegrated under the fusillade of accelerated protons that punched fist sized holes all the way through the ship. Fifteen shots or three seconds of continuous firing later and the XC exploded. It had been a slow day so far but killing Sraer in an XC was precisely what she needed for the party tonight. She called in the location of the liberated cargo and waited for the CLM hauler to arrive. She glanced at her watch and sighed. Merely two hours left and she had only killed Sraer on this watch, not any real traders. She wished for a TGFT or a PA member, or even the Holy Grail amongst pirates, an SSC member. That Xang Xi convoy that was inbound for the wormhole would have to do for now. She hit the boost button and accelerated at 5G's towards the convoy grinning all the way. They would never know what hit them.
###
She should have been at the wormhole between Dau and Nyrius where a convoy of two Moth XC's belonging to PickAxePete and Fluffy flew through towards Dau K-10, with an escort of two Valkyrie X-1's piloted by Mor Isil and Buzz. The moths docked and the crates were taken directly to Waldoze. The conspiracy was underway; the brothers in crime were ready.
###
Hortan woke in his room, the nasty dream disappearing as dew before the sun at equator. He got dressed and bounced down for breakfast, pancakes as usual, before dragging his feet down to Dr. Wyman for his weekly session. His mood dropped like a rock inside a super-massive black hole's gravity well as he entered the office, everything inside conspiring to drag his spirits down; the many synth leather-bound books on the imitated teak synth wood shelves, the brown and dark beige walls, the synth wood and synth leather furniture and the many diplomas on the wall framed in gold. But what made Hortan's mood drop the most was Dr. Wyman wearing his half glasses, leaning back in his chair with the notebook containing Hortan's stories in his suede pant covered lap. He looked up over the glasses when Hortan came in.
"Ah, right on time Hortan. I thought that today would be a good time to review what we have discussed, hmm?"
Hortan's already low mood dropped considerably. He had no real wish to go through all that again.
"I guess if you say so Sir."
"It is quite an interesting case you have young man. I am thinking about writing a paper regarding your illness. You will be anonymous naturally, and it just might land me a position with the Psychiatrists department in Dau senate. So, shall we start?"
He pointed with open hand to the heavy chair in front of the desk. Hortan sat and made himself as comfortable as he could.
"So, last time we talked about those roids that you have given girls names, and the breasts of a person named Buzz."
Hortan flinched at that last name.
"I see you have a reaction to that name?"
"Well, Buzz doesn't really have breasts anymore Sir, he has lost those and gained horns and long nasty fangs instead."
Wyman frowned at Hortan and started jotting into his notebook.
"Oh, and he had goat’s legs and fur all over and a long curly beard."
"I see, a bit like old images of devils? Is Buzz your demon Hortan?"
Wyman leaned forward in his chair; he might be at the root to all Hortan's problems here.
"Yes, I mean no he is not Sir, he is just Buzz I guess. But he sure looked like a demon now you say it. But it was dark and I can't really remember."
"So last time we were talking about your roids you were mentioning that you could call one of them Buzz."
Hortan actually smiled at that and then frowned and looked into the floor.
"I would never do that doc, they would never accept that. Maybe I could call one of them Azumi instead."
He looked straight at the psychiatrist and smiled a broad smile.
"Azumi you say. Is that a real girl you have met?"
"Yeah, she is really special."
Wyman scribbled some lines in his journal before noticing that Hortan was not going to say more and looked up at him again.
"Is it a girl that you are dating or are planning to date or even that you would like to date?"
Hortan blushed deeply and looked down to the floor.
"I guess I would like to doc, she is always so nice to me in a special way you know? But she said that we cannot meet because it is too dangerous for her and her friends."
"I see, and what does this sweet young girl do for a living, where does she live?"
Wyman had a plan hatching in one side of his brain. Maybe he could get this girl to confront Hortan in his office and see the response. He could probably charter a flight from TGFT that could get her here and return her the same day. It couldn't be that much of an expense, besides he would just send the bill to Surbius.
"She lives in Latos and is one of the councillors in CLM."
"Yes yes, Latos hmm? That is not a place for a young girl I think; and what does she do in that organisation?
"She is a pirate Sir."
Wyman mentally crunched his plan and sighed extremely deeply inside. Every time he sensed a plan, reality crushed it.
"I see. Back to square one, eh Hortan? I'll recommend you for another month's of the same medication and some better Lithium carbonate, a new formula that is more efficient. I'll see you in a week, okay?"
