RidOv Chpt-24

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==Ridiculously Overboard!! (A Captain Roberts Tale!!)Chapter 24 - Contact with the Northsun==
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"Fighters on approach...
...looks like they're based near a coastal watershed with a highland."
<<"Unidentified vessel, this is the Northsun Defense Association, Identify yourselves and explain your presence!">>
Amanda hesitated.
"Like you practiced, Amanda."
"Right...are we live?" she glanced, Lori held up three fingers, then two...then a 'zip' motion.
"Northsun Defense command, this is the, ah, 'independent vessel' Evanescent, we come in peace, looking for trade, over."
Lori gave her a thumbs-up and a smile.
<<"Independent vessel Evanescent, your markings are Outworlds Alliance Military, please clarify, Over.">> the pilot's voice was that professional crisp only military aviators or newsreaders can really manage.
"The vessel was salvaged, Over."
<<"Bring your vessel to Geosynch orbit over the equator and stand by for a standard health and welfare inspection, Evanescent, Over.">>
"They're serious?" she blurted, making Lori flinch.
"Roger that, Northsun Defense Association, we've got nothing to hide, Over." she recovered.
Amanda shot Larry a worried look, as the ship maneuvered under helm control.
"Dropship lifting, Looks like an old Fury."
"Be aware, Northsun Defense, this model doesn't come with a docking collar, Over."
<<"Your airlocks should work okay. We'll be along side in a few minutes, Over.">>
"Northsun Fury, portside please, we know that one actually works, Over." Larry took over.
<<"Rajah dat, Evanescent, we'll be along side in a few, do you have people to dog the baggie, Over?"
"Uh, Negative Northside, we're short-handed, part of the business is looking to make hires until we can put into a shipyard for that, Over.">>
"Understood. be advised, this is not a seizure operation, but our agents WILL respond to violence with deadly force, Over."
"Must be a rough area." someone, one of Larry's people, commented from the starboard weapons console.
"It is." Larry noted, "not too far from some nasty places, and we chewed up-"
"The mic's still hot." Lori mouthed.
The Fury-class DropShip came along-side, and a plastic flexible umbilical was extended by their crewers to match up the airlocks.
"Let's go meet the guests." Larry noted.
Amanda stood up, anchored her boots and activated them, and walked with stompy motions while the older spacers drifted in nullgee.
"You can do this too, you know."
"Uh...yeah...isn't it like, rude?" she asked at the shaftway, as she opened the hatch to the next level down.
"Not really, not for a customs and welfare inspection." he told her, "These guys are professional spacers...or they really ought to be."
She inactivated her boots and followed down to the boat decks, where the passenger lock was.
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The 'inspection team' were armed for a fight, and looked incredibly relieved not to be shot at.
"Holy crap, it's...clean!!"
"well, yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" Amanda blurted again.
"alright, who's in charge here?" a grizzled, veteran looking man asked, "I'm seeing no ranks..."
"I'm her XO." Larry spoke up, "This is Captain Roberts...and you are?"
"Preceptor Carel Chamberlain, Northsun Defense Association, space branch." the older man stated. "I gotta say, we expected something a little different."
"How so??"
"well, there's a rumour out that there's a notorious pirate on the loose."
Amanda beamed, then tried to hide it. "Notorious?"
"Trader from Alpheratz, must be a mix of sea stories. What do you have for trade?"
"How are you set with ammo, energy weapons, and spares?"
"really? You're bringing guns? what're you looking for?" the suspicion was back.
"Fuel, rumors, and food. We've been living on meals-rejected-by-everyone, and my last customers got themselves dead without paying, so we're willing to make a deal in exchange for calories and Hydrogen, maybe a topup on the other gasses for environmental." Larry asserted, "I mean, if we had something decent i'd offer you a meal, but seriously, we're eating field rations and peanutbutter butt-plugs."
and....the suspicion evaporated, "You know Guestrite?" 
"Ayeh. Mi Cambiano Yo, Knight-Cartwright setation." Larry told him, "ju?"
"Mi Gephardt-Keller numbah se'en...oh, you're the only one who speaks it?"
"yeah, I think you're confusing the hell out of my boss." Larry allowed.
"You passed my home burrows on your way in from the gas giant, my sister in law's been drifting on your tail for nine days, with a load of rockbreakers if you turned hostile."
"Then we're not hostile! I am sorry about not having something decent to offer as a guestrite gift."
"It's okay, the people who pay me are dettefet, it's not a requirement. On the other hand, there IS a fee for landing and trading."
"How steep?"
"Well, you dont' have a dropship so it's the shuttle rate, parking at the port is nine hundred C-bills a week, up front."
"I've got that. Captain, I need to pay the man."
"Okay?"
"Wait...you're serious, she's your CO?"
"Captain Roberts is why a battalion of the Sons of Plunder are currently experiencing the afterlife." Larry announced.
"For real? you...they hit us three times last year, it's why we're so paranoid!"
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