02 - Destroy The Corrupt

<< You Have Been Judged

Ages - Age of Expansion - Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Serial Killer >>

No one runs a racket and gets away with it. Not in the Federation and not when it steals business from The Bad Company. Punish the interlopers! But justice must be served. Is it a racket? Or are they just better at business? Send in the Magistrate to investigate and apply the law. What will Rivka uncover? What justice will she deliver? Keep pulling the threads. See what unravels. They keep leading her... Somewhere. She knows she has to follow. Even if it smells like a trap. Criminals can run, but the Magistrates can run faster. Fear and fury, fire up the blasters and protect the business! You'll love following Rivka’s adventures where no one is above the law. You have been judged and now the corrupt must die.

RIVKA’S NEXT CASE

Chapter 01

Red saves Rivka when a felon tries to kill her after she delivers her verdict. He thinks she should be armed, and she doesn’t think so. Will have lunch, go to Magistrate’s meeting, to pick next cases. At the meeting, she finds that, as the newbie, she might have the short end of the cases again, so she complains, and learns about the Magistrates Manual. However, she had been personally requested by Nathan Lowell, of Bad Company, to look at an import/export company, the Mandolin Partnership. Businesses have been breaching their Bad Company contracts whenever Mandolin arrived, and businesses only do that when they are afraid. They’ve already spread their influence to more than twenty worlds. They are based out of the Corrhen Cluster. So she needs to be up on the RICO laws (Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations,”). Bethany Anne brought that name from Earth, because of the massive corporations in the universe that turned whole planets into slaves. Rivka goes to Magistrate’s Briefing Room to do research on RICO, Red goes back to AGB to try to date their waitress from that day.

Chapter 02

Rivka works with Lexi, the Legal AI who helps the Magistrates with research, etc. (See Groups, Magistrates), for their personal biases, and for Rivka’s interpretation of the RICO Act.) Rivka finishes early, goes to AGB to see Red. He gives her a pistol, for defense, and she gives him the day off, for Lindy. Except that as she left AGB, a couple bumped her twice, and she knew they were going to steal from her. But Red was there, as he had followed her, and saved her. He didn’t get the day off after all. Rivka goes to the gym for a workout, chats (finds out Grainger never went to Law School).

Chapter 03

Meets with all at AGB to go out on cases. Jay, Red and Red’s date, Lindy there. Rivka approves of Lindy. Rivka gave a toast, before the meal began. “To the rule of Law”. The next morning, Rivka goes to breakfast with the dentist, Tyler, who’s reading a Kurtherian Gambit book - # 90??. And he’s read every one of them! Tyler finds out that Rivka has killed, and is slightly shocked. Ignores it, because he doesn’t want to give up his picture of her. Hamlet doing fine, still abhors humans. Might be an alien !

THE CREW

Chapter 04

Lindy going on the mission with them, as per Red’s invitation (without checking with Rivka!) Rivka had mentioned before that they couldn’t handle it all by themselves, and Red took her seriously. Going to possibly 21 planets. Collect data, consolidate, and analyze. A scavenger hunt for predicate crimes. Not illegal, but good sign of racketeering. First two planets are Show Low and S’Korr. S’Korr first. Has seven leaders, who never converge and meet. Each in their own lane. All go to work out and practice firing on the range Chaz had created. Rivka will have to watch herself, because with his enhanced body, Red will be faster and stronger. They enter S’Korr space, and must wait, as there is no place to park at the spacedrome. Needed to park at the spacedrome to get ground transportation for travel to meetings. Chaz informs her, “I’ve secured a limousine service. Your first appointment is in four hours with a Mister K’Leptus, head of Best Sports Book.” Before she goes, she reviews Federation Statutes regarding theft and gambling. Jay and Lindy to survey Casino, maybe pick up gossip.

S’KORR

Chapter 05

Rivka finds out that on S’Korr, men are in charge, and lawyers are illegal, and she expects crime to permeate “every orifice in this shithole.” The limo pilled up to the door, and Red got out to check the surroundings before Rivka emerged. They were admitted by the guards at the door, and progressed to the fifth floor, to meet with K’Leptus, a human. Red acknowledged the security guards around him, nodded to them (intimidation), and went into the office for Rivka’s talk.

THE MEETING

Chapter 06

Lindy and Jay made their way into the building, headed to two seats which were reserved, headed out again, and heard the query “How much, Baby?” They decided it might have not been the best plan to come in unescorted. Rivka talks with K’Leptus, as agent of the Federation, asking to see his books. “I don’t think so. You can order your Federation super-geeks to hack in, but the books aren’t connected to the net in any way. There’s nothing to hack into. You’ll just have to guess how much money we make, how much we spend, and what we spend it on. I admit to nothing. How I run my business is really none of your concern.” Rivka admits, “What I’m looking for is who is pulling your strings? Who from off-planet is taking a cut that they shouldn’t get because of threats, whether blackmail, extortion, or violence? I need to know.” “ don’t draft any contracts. Contractors draft contracts and negotiate particulars.” “Let’s talk about you. I have zero interest in prosecuting you. As much as it may hurt, there are bigger fish in this galaxy. They are pulling strings at the planetary level, of which S’Korr is one. I would like your cooperation in building a case.” As she spoke, she received an emergency call from the girls, so she and Red had to go and rescue them. The women were on a table and men were pelting them with chips, yelling at them to “take it off.” Red and the Security in the area got into a fight (because Security wasn’t helping the girls), and immediately there were betters all around them, giving odds and offering vouchers. Rivka bet 10,000 Federation credits on Red, and K’Leptus bet 10,000 on his man, Brutus. No weapons, so Red gave all of his to the girls to hold. Rivka’s buttocks were grabbed by a stranger in the crowd, and she punched the man in the teeth. No one noticed, as they were all watching Red and Brutus. Red killed Brutus as the fell down together, twisting his tail up and puncturing Brutus’ throat with his own spiked tail! They all left, as K’Leptus tried to stop them to talk. They would be back tomorrow to talk, Rivka announced. And K’Leptus said “We’ll be waiting for you. Rivka wondered who “we” was.

INTRODUCING THE MANDOLIN PARTNERSHIP

Chapter 07

When Rivka was back on the ship, High Chancellor Wyatt called, talking her through the case. She had not yet found the predicate crimes she was looking for, so had to continue talking to the “little guys”. “And the Mandolin Partnership run by Oscura Mandel is where you should focus your efforts,” Wyatt advised. She put Chaz to work on finding out who owns who. She would need to go to the warehouse next, where the supply orders were placed and delivered, to find more evidence. Rivka asks the Chancellor about who had saved her life, and given her purpose. He told her, along with a lot of other facts about his enhancement and career expectations for himself and others. (See Characters Wyatt, High Chancellor).

RIVKA’S NEED

Rivka and Jay order dinner for everyone, pizza, a universal food, and decided they needed a hacker more than a cook, so Rivka called Grainger, saying, “ I need some serious digital power if we’re going to get to the bottom of anything. Who can we bring onto the team? You have to know somebody.” “You want me to find someone to join your team on no notice, deploying for however long it takes you to adjudicate the case. Will you cut them loose at the end, or are you going to hijack their life?” “A temporary gig.” He suggested talking to Terry Henry Walton. Before Chaz connected them, the pizza arrived, catching Lindy and Red at an inappropriate time. They all sat and ate, and decided to look at old movies.

Chapter 08

Rivka called Terry Henry, and asked him for a hacker. He does know of someone, so she will pick them up from the War Axe as soon as she can get there. The problem with this, is that the War Axe was under bombardment from a smaller ship that could appear, fire on them, and disappear immediately. They could not track it because it was not using the Etheric as a source. As the corvette Gated to the War Axe, the Axe received a blast from the enemy destroyer, returning fire and probably hitting it, but not destroying it before it disappeared. The enemy was trying to attack the Research Station R2D2, and trying to get the Axe, because Ted is on it, along with other valuable people. Someone is coming after the heart and the genius of the Bad Company.” When TH met with Rivka he was willing to offer her “Ankh’Po’Turn. After much talking, Ankh agreed. (See characters, Ankh) Ankh boarded the corvette.

Chapter 09

Terry Henry called everyone back to Rivka’s ship, as it hadn’t taken as long as it might have. His group said goodbye to Ankh, as he might not be back. Hamlet and Wenceslaus hissed at each other, Dokken wasn’t around, and Floyd, the unenhanced female wombat, didn’t matter. Yanmei, (a weretiger), confronted Hamlet, let him establish who the bigger cat was, then picked him up and took him into the ship. Aaron picked up Wenceslaus (same reason), and they all went into the corvette, including Floyd. Lindy liked Floyd, and would have kept her, but an alarm sounded, and all who needed to left the ship. Erasmus and Chaz would work together, settled by TH and Rivka and Ankh. The corvette exited the newly-made Gate, emerging immediately in the Show Low system. All unbuckle, and they look forward to Ankh solving their hacking problems.

SHOW LOW

Chapter 10

They arrive on Show Low, heat not oppressive, but heavy on the humidity. A jungle-like planet so far. Red was the first off the ship. A rust-streaked hovercraft had come to take Rivka to her appointment with the Chairman. Ankh gave her a small stack of devices she should place close to any equipment she wanted him to access. The craft took them to the meeting area. They started toward the building, being met by Iskander, personal assistant to the chairman, who would escort them inside, and Pyrothasm, who would wait with the rest of their party. Her party would wait outside, talking to the pilot and Pyrothasm, trying to find predicate crimes, while she was inside with the Chairman, placing Ankh’s devices. Red was not allowed inside with her unless he unloaded all of his weapons, which he did, and followed her. She had concealed the small pistol on herself, so was minimally armed.

MEETING WITH THE CHAIRMAN

Rivka immediately told the Chairman of her purpose – to look for illegal external influence in Show Low’s affairs. His thought immediately went to a meeting he had had in that very room with a well-dressed couple and the agreement they had forced on him. He offered to introduce her to his law enforcement people, but she confronted him immediately with the meeting information. He was surprised that she knew of that, and he asked, “What is your role here, Magistrate?” She replied, “We believe that an organization is using illegal methods to expand their business within the system, protection rackets and supply contracts obtained through coercion, in whatever form that takes. I need to know the organization and the form of intimidation they used. Everyone is afraid of this group, but no one is going to roll on them. I will have your information, Chairman Robson, and will do whatever is required to get it.” The Chairman offered her a tour of the facility, and his fear was palpable. They left his office, and went into the hall. “The organization is called the Mandolin Partnership. It is led by Oscura Mandel, but he goes by his nickname, Nefas. “They are the third largest corporation in the galaxy. They have been here only once. The Mandolin Partnership has extensive real estate holdings on Show Low, including their office building. I can make the introduction if you’d like.” They had not threatened him, but offered him blood-trade items (longevity treatments, and treated-blood batches.) Rivka commented, “On a personal note, it’s not illegal to drink blood, but it’s highly addictive. I personally guarantee that your source is going to dry up, no matter how that needs to happen, and I aim to resolve the other issues that have you living in fear.” “I considered my life forfeit. Once I signed the deal with Mandolin, I didn’t think I’d get to retire while young enough to enjoy it. I knew that someone would find out, although it’s been long enough that I was starting to wonder.” He’d been drinking blood for almost a year. “You’ve been drinking the blood for a year? Then it’s going to be hard to quit. Give me your stock of blood—voluntarily, of course. I want to have it tested to determine where it came from. What we find will indicate whether there’s been a crime or not. I suspect there has been since there’s no such thing as a reputable blood trade.” They went to his personal quarters, where he gave her the blood, and she made the official statement required. “Chairman Robson, I am seizing the supplies acquired by means of the blood trade on suspicion of illegal acquisition. Should the samples prove to have been acquired through legal means, they will be returned to you at my convenience. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter of Federal security.”

RIVKA’S NEW WEAPON

Chapter 11

When back on the ship, Red was hungry, asked Ankh what he was eating, and ate multiples of bars (Tasted like spaghetti and meatballs. Ankh had re=programmed the kitchen processor!) Erasmus had found that the Chairman was a wealthy hidden member of Show Low society. His money was all skimmed and hidden away, and he had been complicit in the scheme. Rivka decided to go to S’Korr, to meet with the contractors, with Ankh working on it. After S’Korr, we’ll hit on the biggest economy on the list, Zaxxon Major. Red gave her back her pistol, and Ankh gave her a new weapon, developed on R2D2, a Neutron Pulse device. It looked like a small flashlight. “Please be careful. It delivers a focused neutron pulse which destroys organic matter. A short pulse injures unless the target is hit in a vital spot, and then even a short pulse can kill. You dial the setting here. Eleven is the maximum. One is the minimum, but both can kill. Don’t use eleven unless you want your target and everything near it dead. This weapon has no effect on inorganic matter.” Rivka thanked him. Suddenly, the corvette was under attack by non-descript fighters from the last Ixtali war. They determined they were from a cargo ship that was fleeing, so they pursued, destroying another ship by Gating as it shot at them, causing a massive explosion.

Rivka asked Erasmus for the specifications of the destroyed ship. “The ship is registered in the Kleath Protectorate and owned by Kolston Incorporated, who licensed the ship for use by Dromet Shipping.” Dromet shipping has only one client, “It is not Mandolin. It is operated by Reemstar, a subsidiary of Breedin Company.” It gets convoluted at that point. I do not know who Breedin works for just yet.” She listened to the last communication from the destroyed ship. The crackle seemed to come from an old-style radio. A pleasant baritone spoke simply. “Kill that ship and all within.” “Yes, Nefas,” replied another voice, the Captain of the destroyed ship

RIVKA QUESTIONS HER DECISIONS

Rivka began to question her conscience. Was she finding crime because she was looking for it, creating it? She called Wyatt, to ask for guidance. “Magistrates are about keeping the peace. That is secondary to upholding the law. The first is what we do, and making it happen within the second is nice. With your gift, you have the opportunity to be the best of the best, ensuring that only criminals are punished. Remove that element, and then maybe we can have peace. Remove the murderers, the serial thieves, the rapists—the evil that most sentient creatures do. The Magistrates exist to excise society’s cancers.” “What if some innocents get caught in the tide?” “That is a risk we are willing to take, which is different from the more accepted policy that nine guilty go free to keep one innocent from being punished. But only the Magistrates have this latitude. All others will let the guilty go without the proof.” “How will I know if I go too far?” “ Your conscience will tell you, and you will call me again.”

Chapter 12

Lindy and Jay were staying on the ship this time. Rivka didn’t want to worry about them, so she could concentrate on the contractors, get access for Ankh, get the information she needed, and get out. Nefas knew about her and had already ordered her death once. She expected it was a standing order for anyone who did business with him. She had hard proof that Nefas had ordered her murder. That was all she needed to cut the head off the snake, although in court, he would claim that the voice wasn’t his and that there must have been a different Nefas. Erasmus still hadn’t found a direct link between Breedin Company and Mandolin

S’KORR AGAIN

Rivka had an appointment with one of the contractors, K’Trapton, on the thirteenth floor. Unlucky? Security demanded that they hand over their weapons, and they refused. Rivka and Red bluffed their way past the guards, proceeding to the elevators. They were met by two more guards on that floor, again demanding their weapons. Again, Red fought them off, confiscating their weapons. They found the contractor they were to meet, and asked him, “Why did you change from the Bad Company to Breedin or whoever you’re using now?” He gave a stock answer, cheaper, better service, etc. “What did he threaten you with if you didn’t take the contract? What did he bribe you with?” She pushed the contractor away. “You’re complicit too. Bribery. Nefas bought you.” “What do you get by signing an exclusive deal?”

He responded, “I’m sorry, I guess the shell company for this planet is called ‘Solaric.’ Any of their subcontracted freighters will be stopped and boarded. Their manifests will be missing a certain percentage of what they’re carrying, which is a Federation crime—transporting undeclared cargo for sale. As the recipient of such goods, you are also complicit.” S’Korr is within the Federaton… “I can make you a deal. Magistrates have that authority. Come clean, and testify against Nefas,” Rivka offered. K’Trapton mumbled through a litany of contract details that bored the snot out of Rivka, but she had her datapad record it all. She perked up when she realized he was giving her the blueprint to Mandolin’s shell game. Nefas had instructed K’Trapton on how to do it. She tapped out a message to Ankh. Are you getting all this? “Thanks. I’ll let you know if we still wish to prosecute you for your self-dealing and other crimes against the people and businesses of S’Korr. I’m not so sure the likes of K’Leptus will forgive you for stealing from him. Same with all the other business owners. We had a deal! You can’t tell any of them. Nefas! He’s evil. Go after Nefas! “” I believe you that Nefas is behind this, but we’re two for two in officials who fell over themselves to support him. If he is evil then so are you, Mister K’Trapton.”

RIVKA AND RED WOUNDED

They were fired upon as they left the building, Rivka being wounded in the chest. As they ran to their ship, which Ankh had managed to bring close by, they were fired upon by two shooters who came racing up in a car. Red killed one, and Rivka disabled the other with Ankh’s neuron device, both of them ducking into the car for protection. The car’s engine died, and they were again forced to run for the ship, but both of them were severely wounded.

Chapter 13

As the corvette came down between the buildings, Rivka was able to lift Red and, using him as a partial crutch, was able to fall onto the ramp which descended from it, allowing it to draw them into the ship. Because of their enhancements, their bleeding was already slowing, and they both would survive. Chaz was taking the ship out into space as quickly as possible, and Ankh had found whatever information Rivka had wanted in the records, ready to talk to her when she was conscious. When Rivka was ready, she went to talk to ankh, And he and Erasmus filled her in on all of the multiplicity of layers of protection and safety that Mandolin Partnership had created to protect themselves. (See Groups, Mandolin Partnership) And they prepare to go to the Zaxxon system to continue the battle.

ZAXXON

Chapter 14

Even though they wore armor, and carried multiply weapons Rivka preferred to leave no bodies. Avoid that if possible. They will deal only with the top people on every planet they approach from now on, and will shoot to kill, if necessary. Have decided to name the ship Peacekeeper, even though they may think of her as The Walking Dead. Rivka will be meeting with a facility manager named Miss Lauton. They landed, and headed toward a building named Galactic Standard. Astrocom Support. When they attempted to find Miss Lauton, they discovered she had been fired Z9would have cooperated with Rivka!), and so went to her home, to see her.

Chapter 15

Ankh said he had gotten into the computers, and gotten what they needed, so maybe they wouldn’t have to go to the other five planets. When they got to Lauton’s house, they found her home, and indeed in agreement with Rivka’s surmises. They rescued her just as security forces approached, and Peacekeeper was holding them off. Rivka felt as if she had a thread, and the racket was starting to unravel. Lauton told them of the companies they dealt with on Zaxxon. “I’ve never heard of Mandolin. We deal with Gargeath for our interstellar shipments of goods, and Lameeris for the digital billing, which is the most lucrative enterprise on Zaxxon Major!” and she became sad when she had found out about the shams. Zaxxon was her home. Rivka stood and locked her hands behind her back. “We are seeing people’s true natures, as revealed by the extremes of wealth and poverty. Each strips the veneer away, making what is underneath visible. We’ve seen the worst of civilization, and we’ll continue to see the worst the galaxy has to offer because those are the people we have to stop. Someone has to stand between the power brokers like Oscura Mandel, or ‘Nefas,’ as he is called, and people like Lauton, innocents only trying to do their job.” We have to explore only two more planets before we go to Morinvaille. “Take us to these coordinates in the Corrhen Cluster,” Erasmus replied. “Ankh and I have analyzed the situation. Mandel has known where we were going because we did not hide our movements. The Magistrate arranged meetings well ahead of time; meetings with people who were later determined to be in Mandel’s pocket. With current hostilities bordering on open warfare, the Magistrate no longer has the pleasure of announcing her schedule. We will go to the Corrhen Cluster, where we will establish meeting requests with every major player on every planet in question, including those we’ve already visited.” And she Gated out.

Rivka was going to meet with the President of a small planet names Quarst. She had picked it as one of the final two worlds because it has seen the greatest upheaval since contracting with one of Mandolin’s sub-sub-subcontractors. The planet has suffered under the president’s leadership, and there is no end in sight. I believe that he will be the most malleable under interrogation.” Quarst and Belheeake should give them what they needed to dismantle Mandolin and its supporting companies, at the cost of about 50% of the job opportunities in the job area. Rivka called Grainger, for advice. There were no supporting forces available. All were tied up in other operations. “The longer this case drags out, the harder it will be to pin down the perps. Those scumbags have made enough that they can buy a new planet and start over. You need to collect the evidence so Ankh can help the Federation’s best accountants set up triggers to identify something like this before it grows beyond a single planet.” She’s on her own. Sink or swim.

RIVKA CHANGES HER MIND

Chapter 16

Rivka decides to go to Morinvaille first, instead of last. “Change of plans, my friend. It’s time to swim with the big dogs. I need you to cut all signals from the planet and keep those communications systems offline until I give the all-clear.” “I will need the configuration of any space-based communication relays to improve our chances.” Ankh will simply blow up all space communications satellites to cut communications, and they will cut off the head of the monster first, so that it cannot relay instructions to its subsidiary planets. Rivka calls TH to ask for help, but he’s still fighting the disappearing ship, and can’t break off to help. She sends her coordinates to him, just in case he might be able to come. Red tells her to lie to Mandel, to tell him the evidence has been transmitted, and that it’s too late to do anything. They gate to the planet, land, and find an empty, abandoned building – a trap. Only one ship on the planet is operational. They’ve all gone, anticipating her move.

THE TRAP

Chapter 17

All of the above-ground is a façade. The below-ground, the basement areas, are where the people/work areas are that they need to address. So they find a way to go down. Red shot an opening with the rail gun, found a staircase down, sent two grenades to make sure it was clear. It the bottom was a sealed door. Red fired hypersonic blasts, the kicked the door down, as a voice called – Wait! They didn’t, and went deeper into the underground rooms, finally meeting with Oscura Nefas Mandel. Rivka tells him it’s all over, that she has enough to put him on the prison planet for life, and he tells her that she knows that isn’t going to happen! She quotes the multiple charges against him, including ordering the destruction of her ship while she was on it. Mandel ran, and escaped upstairs, disappearing. After Rivka and Red had searched the rest of the premises, not finding him, they came up, and re-entered their ship, to find him on the bridge, holding a knife against Lindy’s throat, ready to make a deal.

RIVKA KILLS MANDEL

Chapter 18

Rivka sat down in a chair. Mandel was holding a knife on Lindy, Jay and Ankh were unconscious on the floor, Lauton and Hamlet were not to be seen. Nefas ordered Jay to leave the ship, taking Jay and Ankh with him. Rivka agreed. As Red started to move, Lindy twisted and Rivka shot at Mandel with her Neuron gun, set at eleven. Mande; went down, Lindy fell to the floor, bleeding, and Red and Rivka went to her, staunching the blood with gauze from the first-aid unit there. Lauton came out, wondering what had happened, and did not recognize Nefas. They got Ankh and Jay into their beds, Lindy and Red went to his room, Hamlet went back to sleep on Rivka’s pillow, and Lauton offered to clean her room while she helped Erasmus to get back into Ankh’s head. They go back downstairs, to hook Erasmus up to Neras’ operating systems, only to find that the router had been damaged when they blew down the door, so they had to wait until Ankh woke up to re—route the machines .

Chapter 19

Erasmus and Ankh go down to the basement to re-route the machines, with Jay and Red as their helpers. Jay and Lauton go outside to sit in the sun, and Rivka goes onto the bridge to start writing her reports. Lindy and Red practice weapons training, and Lindy decides she wants t be a fighter. She never wants to be in the position again that she was with Neras, not knowing what to do.

MANDOLIN FLEET APPROACHING

Ankh came running to their alcove. Fleet approaching- have to get back to the ship. So they all ran back, boarded, and locked it up and took off into space, all wondering what it was that Ankh carried so carefully and protectively. It was the Mandolin fleet. The screen showed nine frigate-class ships and a massive brute that probably carried the last of the fighters from the Ixtali War. “I knew there should have been more. That was how you brought the planets under your umbrella. They had no way to defend themselves from your fleet, because they didn’t have one. Then you’d use your wealth to buy your way across the galaxy.” The larger ships held orbit, and the Ixtali fighters launched to come after them on the planet’s surface. Erasmus eliminated all but four of them, shooting them as they slowly transitioned into the atmosphere. Erasmus got two more, but the other two disengaged, climbing as they went. They would land, attempt to get Neras' ship operational, so that it would provide enough of a distraction for them to Gate out of the area. Rivka asked to be connected to Nathan Lowell, and Chaz told her it was impossible, because Ankh had used some of those parts to bring the router back on-line to get the information on Mandolin. They landed, and Ankh went to try to get the other ship operational Rivka's report had not been sent, as the system had been down.

GROUNDED SHIP DESTROYED, PEACEKEEPER HIT

Chapter 20

They cannot get the disabled ship running again, so all come back to Peacekeeper. Again, there was a shout of “Incoming”, and all raced for Peacekeeper. Peacekeeper lifted, just in time to avoid being hit by the explosion that destroyed the grounded ship. Peacekeeper was hit directly once, and was using avoidance maneuvers to avoid hits. She formed a gate, within the atmosphere, and as the Gate exploded, it took one of the frigates with it, but also damaged Peacekeeper, destroying the Gate engine and one of the Etheric power supply engines. She could not survive another attack. Ankh might have an answer. He was thinking. Jay, Lauton and Hamlet left the ship, to survive. No need for them to die, as well. “Chaz, record a message to be jettisoned upon our destruction. Include all the evidence, my report, Ankh’s reports, and the following for Nathan Lowell. ‘Nathan, please do everything you can to fill the vacuum that Mandolin’s demise created. We want the least amount of negative impact on the good people of those planets who never knew what was going on. They are the ones we’re fighting and dying for.’ “For Grainger. ‘I appreciate everything you taught me and tried to teach me. Sometimes, even when you have the right answer, things don’t go your way. Peace, my brother. I hope to see you again when the Etheric pukes up the dead. You’ll owe me about a bazillion beers by then. Pay up, bitch, or I’ll haunt you. Tell the others I’m going to miss them. And most of all, thanks for hiring Vered. He’s a loyal and good friend.’ Rivka will go out fighting, seeing how many of the frigates she and the ship can take with them. They all agree. Hey get into a formation, in the center of the frigates, where no matter which way they fire they will hit something. Then, suddenly a green light appears in space, and a Gate opens. It’s the War Axe!

WAR AXE ARRIVES

“Fire the mains,” Captain Micky San Marino barked. The special railguns arranged from stem to stern were able to accelerate projectiles to near light-speed. On rapid fire at close range, it was like getting hit by so many nuclear weapons. The enemy carrier shattered as if made of glass. Minor explosions disappeared quickly as the air became one with the vastness of space. Three frigates were vaporized before they realized a new enemy had appeared. Two more died when they turned to fight. Another died when it tried to run. The last one skipped off the upper atmosphere, using maximum acceleration to slingshot around the planet and head into deep space. Without an integral Gate, it was years from reappearing, if it reappeared at all. The Gate in the system would have to be monitored to prevent the pirate frigate from using it. Or Ankh and Ted could turn it off, only to be reactivated by use of a Federation code. The Peacekeeper was taken into the War Axe, and the went down to the planet to pick up Jay and Lauton.

AFTER THE BATTLE

Chapter 21

They picked up Jay, Lauton and Hamlet, and all went back to the War Axe, and left for Zaxxon, to take Lauton home. When they got there, it had been ransacked, but nothing destroyed, so she was OK. home. Ankh and Erasmus could still operate within the Zaxxon system, so were doing more exploring there. Ankh has decided to stay with Peacekeeper. As he told Ted, They eat well, and they need him. Ted agreed that they would never even know what he and Ankh could do, because their minds didn’t work that way, and Ankh agreed. Then they, too parted, each to their own ship. Rivka agrees that Jay might go into the pod-doc, as she has agreed to stay with the team. Terry and Char had put Floyd in the pod-doc, and she was now like a smart child, looking for Jay. Lance Reynolds talks to Rivka, telling her to upgrade her people in the pod-doc, and be ready to go out again in a week. The criminals never take a vacation, so she couldn’t either. He wants to end the blood trade.

RIVKA’S NEXT CASE

While having dinner with Grainger, he told her about her next case, a serial killer on Collum.” Serial killers aren’t Federation issue ! “Unless they are only killing foreign dignitaries. We’ve lost one a week for the last eight weeks. It can’t continue, or all the delegations will pull out. You know what the Federation thinks about having to abandon a planet, plus Collum’s Chancellor has requested Federation intervention.” . “You don’t need to leave for a couple days. They’re expecting you on Thursday. Enjoy your downtime.”