Galaxy of Empires- Space Pirates Episode #1 (3 page)

“Welcome to my humble abode, Capt. Meeks. I
am Trent, the guild master of this fine establishment,” Trent says
with a smoothness to it.

Meek nervously replies,” Glad to meet
you.”

“You do work for Pirate Lord Cos as a
freelancer, no?”

“Yes, from time to time.”

“I have a job for you that requires your set
of skills. I need you to set up a meeting for me with a certain
lady.”

“Um... why can’t one of your crew do
that?”

“Her name is Lady Evella Noctu of the Noctu
Merchant Group. I have sent some people, but that didn’t turn out
so well. She has people trying to assassinate her on a regular
basis, so anyone from my humble guild would be killed before they
even got a word out. As much as it will pain you not to lie or
scam, when you are dealing with her, I would not recommend doing
either. She is a telepath, a very powerful one at that, so she will
know if you’re lying.”

“Er... so you just want me to set up a
meeting? That is all?”

“Correct.”

“What is the catch and what is in it for
me?”

“Four hundred platinum bars and a hauling
license from the Shipping Union.”

“Seems straightforward,” Meek is wondering
what happens if he refuses. He glances at Shawn and notices he has
that same concerns.

“Very good then. Here is the address of the
hotel where she is staying in the Consortium District. They have
meeting rooms there already so I have rented Suite A. After you
speak with her, let me know the time for the meeting,” Trent says
with a certain vigor.

“Okay, I will go find her now,” Meek assures
him. He leaves the room with Shawn.

“So do you think she will kill him?” a male
arachnid says, coming out of invisibility then moving to the seated
man in the corner.

Trent replies, “I hope not. Running low of
communication ideas.”

***

“This is the room,” Meek says in a hesitant
fashion.

“Python and I should probably wait around the
corner, so she doesn’t get spooked,” Shawn suggests.

“Gee, thanks.” Meek looks at both of them
with a frown.

“Yeah, I agree with Shawn…just in case she
gets upset easily. I don’t want my brain fried,” Python says in a
nervous manner.

“Oh now Mr. Guns-a-blazing wants to take a
back seat to the action,” Meek says with a huff. “Why don’t YOU
knock on the door and I will cower around the corner.”

“Why don’t you all SHUT UP before I kill all
you just for annoying me,” a loud female voice says with irritation
from behind the door. The three stop talking and start making faces
and shrug shoulders at each other. “Well, you going to come in or
just stand there crapping in your pants. I don’t have all day.”

“Sure thing, Lady Eve,” Meek manages to
squeak out as all three come in the door. They see a corpse on
floor with a severed head next to it. Lady Eve is sitting on an
expensive sofa reading a handheld tablet. Their own weapons spring
up out of their holsters in midair activating while swiveling
around and aiming at the three of them.

Eve says, “Who are you and what do you want?
You have 60 seconds before I add your heads to my collection.”

“Guild Master Trent would like to meet with
you to discuss something of importance,” Meek says without
hesitation.

“The Assassin Guild Master, hmm, interesting.
Sounds like the spider is inviting me to his web. Why should I
accept this offer?”

“On the contrary, he wants to meet you in one
of the meeting rooms downstairs whenever you’re available.”

“You are pirates. What are you doing speaking
for the Assassins’ Guild?”

“Umm...well you killed all the assassins he
sent, probably because you thought they meant you harm, but they
were just trying to deliver a message.”

“Well that makes sense. Tell him I will meet
him downstairs in 30 minutes and not to be late.”

“Yes, Milady,” Meek says staring down his own
gun barrels hovering in midair.

“You can pick up your weapons downstairs at
the front desk when you return,” Eve assures.

Python was about to object, but the other two
look stared at him shaking their heads in a no fashion and pointed
to the corpse on the floor. Python decides not to press the issue.
They back out of the door.

Eve turns to Gothica. “Go to the meeting room
and check it out. If looks like a trap, let me know. If not, just
wait there and stay invisible,” Eve says.

“Yes, Mother,” Gothica replies in the soft
voice of a female arachnid lurking in invisible mode. Gothica is
Eve’s stepdaughter and an arachnid warrior.

Eve presses her communication device and
says, “Front desk can you send up housekeeping? I have a mess that
needs to be cleaned up.” She looks at the corpse on the floor.

“Yes, Madam. Someone will be up there
soon.”

***

Thirty minutes later the assassins escort
their master to the meeting door downstairs in the lobby of the
hotel where Eve is staying. In the room, there are two sofas face
each other.

Trent signals to his guards to wait outside.
He walks in and closes the door. He waits about 15 minutes before
he starts to get impatient.

“Bah, on time she says, and yet I have been
waiting for 15 minutes,” Trent says in defiance while sitting on a
couch.

“Come now, assassin, do you always get this
impatient when you are waiting for you next victim to show up?” Eve
causally questions him as she becomes visible sitting on the couch
in front of Trent. Trent jumps up after being startled but then
tries to down play it as if he knew she was there all along.

“I was just testing you to see if you thought
I didn’t know you were here.”

Eve chuckles, “Sure you were.” She winks at
the assassin.

“Why am I here?”

Trent says, “It’s about our government.”

“Oh?” She implies with intrigue.

“About 100 years ago, our government and
culture radically changed from being ruled by a council that was
constructed from all of the guilds to just members of the
Merchants’ Guild. They decided to create a system of ‘only
strongest will survive’ by having us kill each other like dogs
fighting over scraps to advance. At first, everyone decided to try
it and now that it is planted firmly into our way of life, it is
permanent.”

“I did some research on it. The old way we
were expanding and growing at 2% per year as an empire. But now
with this new system, we are losing growth to the tune of about 25%
as an empire. Moreover, all of the guilds, except the Merchants’
Guild, have suffered in a similar fashion. The Merchants’ Guild has
such a strangle hold on the empire that is getting more powerful at
the expense of the empire as a whole.”

“What does this have to do with you and more
importantly me?”

“The Assassins’ Guild use to be the pentacle
of hire for killing. Now any slob off the street can be hired to
kill someone, thus devaluing our services and fees. But this is
something that effects the other guilds, too, not just the
Assassins’ Guild.” Brief pause ensues.

“I believe our government is being
manipulated by an outside source, perhaps even another government.
This foreign entity is cashing in on us at the same time it is
weakening our government. My spies think it may be telepaths or
sorcerers behind it.”

“That is a stretch. Do you have any proof of
this?”

“Unfortunately no. Even my spies, who are
professional spies, keep disappearing when they get close inside
the Council Hall. The other guilds think the same way.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“The guilds are looking to support someone
who is powerful enough to help overthrow the current
government.”

“You mean as in a rebellion, treason, that
type of deal?”

“Yes.”

“Why do you think I am this person and why
would I care about any of this?”

“We’ve been watching you. Empress Draca does
not take interest in people personally unless they interest her. We
know you have powers way beyond any normal telepath. You can take
part in shaping the new government to ensure that it is in the best
interest of the citizens.”

“And the military?”

“You mean will Scuttlebutt fall in line. He
is old school and more interested in protecting our boarders than
politics.”

“In other words, you haven’t even discussed
it with him yet.”

“I don’t see why he would mind if the new
government didn’t affect the military that much.”

“I don’t like the current system we have, but
I am not sure I am ready to revolt just yet. Besides, I have a
pressing matter I must attend to in sector nine first. I will be
gone for a few months.”

“The war zone? Why would anyone want to go to
an area that is being fought over by several empires?”

“That is my business. I tell you what, when I
get back, we can deal with this issue. One revolution at a time. I
need to leave now. I will speak with all of the guilds when I get
back.”

“Very well. Thanks for the audience, Lady
Eve,” Trent says wondering what she meant by one revolution at a
time.

***

Down in the lobby of the hotel, Meek, Shawn,
and Python get their weapons from the front desk. Gothica walks up
to them and says, “Lady Eve wishes to talk with you Capt.
Meek.”

“Oh, sorry, but we were just leaving. Got a
ship to catch and all,” Meek says in a hurried blur of words.

The arachnid pulls out all four of her
blasters with blazing speed, “I must insist.”

“Woah, chill babe,” Meek says in a panic, as
his two friends freeze.

“Besides, she just wants to hire you for a
job.”

“Oh, well, why didn’t you say so?”

“Here she comes.”

Eve walks up to the four standing there. She
motions to Gothica and she twirls her blasters in cowboy fashion
and then holsters them.

“That was so cool-looking,” Sean says
impressed by the weaponry display. Meek elbows him swiftly in the
ribs. Sean just shrugs.

“I need a lift to Laughing Skull and then
into Wolfkin Territory to the capital. You are going to Laughing
Skull anyway, correct?”

“That is like a two-month trip. We are all
wanted in Wolfkin Territory.”

“You just need to drop my party off. You
don’t need to get out of the ship. Remember your ship has the
correct papers even though you don’t.”

“Oh, yeah. I am not used to having a legal
ship,” Meek chuckles, “You said party?”

“Yes, a party of three. Gothica, Dr. Farshe
Mezeenabark, and myself.”

“That will cost you.”

“How much?”

“Three thousand bars plus expenses. Why can’t
you take a normal shuttle or one of your ships?”

“I am selling all my ships. As far as normal
transports, you think you and your crew are wanted, everyone I meet
wants to kill me. I will pay 5,000 bars plus expenses. Besides,
hang out with me long enough and I will make you famous pirates, if
you live that long.”

“Five thousand bars,” Meek eyes glow with
money signs, “Okay, when do you want to leave?”

“Now.”

“Let’s go.”

“The Doc will be meeting us at your
ship.”

“Okay.”

They walk outside and get into Eve’s
limo.

Chapter 2

As the limo pulls up to the hanger where
Meek’s ship is, they see Doc, a pink furry female Wolfkin waiting
in front with a bag. Eve, Meek, Shawn, Gothica, and Python pile out
of the hover limo. They all go inside.

“Greetings, Capt. Meek. Your ship is almost
ready. The mechanic went to get some parts to hook up your cloaking
device and he should be back in 30 minutes. You have fuel and
food,” Fartan says.

“Excellent.”

“Hello, Lady Eve. I wasn’t aware we had an
appointment,” Fartan inquires.

“We don’t. I am catching a lift with Capt.
Meek. Have you sold all my ships yet?”

“Not yet, Madame.”

“Put it all in my main account. Tell my
personal crew to take a few months off, and I will be back then.
Keep paying them their salaries, though. The other crews just lay
them off. Get me a manufacturing license and be prepared to do some
major corporation takeovers upon my return.”

“Sounds ambitious.”

“You have no idea.”

About that time, incoming weapons fire on the
area where they are standing.

“Terminator bots!” Python yells as he draws
his blasters and starts to return fire. Gothic whips out all four
guns and begins blasting cowgirl style.

Eve yells, “Get inside the ship! Let’s go
now!” They all run up the ramp while firing weapons outward. Sean
is hit in the leg going up that ramp, and Doc takes a hit in the
shoulder.

Eve turns around and sees 12 terminator bots
firing blasters. She releases massive chain lightning that arcs out
in several directions and hits most of the attacking bots. Their
personal shields are not strong enough to withstand the attack and
they are destroyed. As the crew pulls the injured up the ramp, Eve
picks up the two remaining bots with telekinesis and slams them
into a wall. Eve runs up the ramp and hits the close button.

“Lift off in 30 seconds,” Che says over the
ship’s intercom. She had been testing the engines just before the
attack so they were already on. The ship begins to ascend and
shoots off into space.

Meek enters the bridge.

“Report.”

Mcloud says, “All systems check, we are ready
for jump.” The android presses some buttons.

“Okay, plot a course to Laughing Skull and
jump,” Meek commands.

Mcloud acknowledges, “Plotted.”

On the shipwide intercom, the crew hears,
“Jumping.”

The ship shakes as it speeds up. Mcloud’s arm
pops off and lands on the floor.

Meek sighs and shakes his head.

“Can someone please put Mcloud’s arm back
on?” Meek glares at Cogg.