SotU Chpt 12

=Chapter 12=
==State of the Union==
Part Three - Addicks
And all those things I didn't say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time
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Nadir Jump Point, Small World System
Duchy of Small, Chaos March
17 March 3063
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A knocking on the bunkroom door dragged Peter from sleep. "What?" he grumbled, looking at the clock. He felt as if his head had barely touched the pillow but according to the clock he'd been asleep for about three hours.
"Someone at the door," Catherine yawned from her own bunk. She rolled over and pulled her blankets closer around herself.
"Thanks," he sighed and threw his legs off the side of the bunk. "Who is it?"
"Hogg."
"Be right with you." He rubbed his eyes and then yanked a fresh - well, mostly fresh - jumpsuit out of his bag and shoved one leg into it, hopping as he wrestled the other in.
"Shouldn't have an open door policy." Cat reached for the curtain and pulled it closed, except for a crack.
"I don't," he sighed. "But I'm in charge." Not bothering with the upper half of the jumpsuit he just knotted the sleeves roughly around his waist and slid the door open. "What's so important you need to get me up at this hour, Hogg?"
Hogg - about Victor's height and twice as far around the waist - raked his greasy greying hair back out of his face. "I want to talk business, Morgan."
"..And it couldn't wait until morning?"
"I wanted to strike while the iron is hot," the prospector told him. "The boys and I have been talking and we've been cooped up aboard here for a good long time."
"Going on a month now, I'll grant you."
Hogg shook his head, sending the hair around his head flying around and back into his face. "I'm counting from when we left Zaniah. That time on New Dallas doesn't count."
"Does what we found there count?"
"Only when we turn it into money."
Peter nodded. This was beginning to make sense. "We're one more jump from the Federated Commonwealth, where we part ways - me with my share and you and the boys with yours."
"There's a war going on, Mr. Morgan. I'm not so keen on going all the way there." Hogg explained. "Now I can understand not wanting to stop in the Free Worlds League, since Thomas Marik's old man was more than prone to say that what's his is his and what's yours is his and that sort of thing runs in the family."
There was a snicker from from Catherine's bunk.
"You see." Hogg nodded in the direction of the bunk. "Miss Morgan knows we're right there, but that was two jumps back - that last jump through New Stevens means we've clear. And Small World's a good place to make the split."
"I didn't think the Chaos March was a good place for any sort of business, Hogg. Not with Sun-Tzu Liao eager to retake every world his grandfather lost and half those worlds still squabbling over who constitutes the government."
The old man shook his head. "Now I won't say you're wrong there, Mr Morgan, not for some worlds. But Small World's settled right down, it's even partnered up with Ingress and formed their own little interstellar union. That's as stable as it gets around here... and a lot more stable than any world where the Steiners and the Davions are settling their differences."
Peter rubbed his jaw. "Look, I have a schedule, Hogg. I'm not breaking off the Glowworm to drop you off on Small World. That's going to add two weeks to getting... where I'm headed."
Hogg shook his head. "Well we're not going any further and there's a lot more people in my crew and J.D.'s and... well, Mael Colium doesn't count either way but I'd say you're outvoted."
"The isn't a democracy," Peter pointed out. "I'm in charge and we'll cash you out on Addicks."
"Addicks!" Hogg raked his hair back. "Are you out of your mind? Haven't you heard the news?"
"What news?"
"Ardan Sortek is invading the system." Catherine informed them from her bunk.
"...well, yes." Hogg confirmed. "Your sister is well informed," he added as an aside to Peter. "But there's no sense going to a system with that going on. Even if they don't shoot at you, Holstein and Colium will have their ships commandeered and probably the entire cargo will be claimed too! We'll be lucky to get a promissory note and that doesn't spend very well."
"That isn't going to be a problem, Hogg. I know a guy." My godfather, Ardan Sortek, for one.
"You may think you know a guy, Mr Morgan, but I don't know him. And I don't trust him. You can never tell what'll happen when soldiers come into it."
Peter leant forwards. "What do you plan to do, Hogg, if I say no. Mutiny?"
The old man laughed. "Mutiny? This isn't a military expedition, Morgan. No, we'll bring in the lawyers."
"...what?" Peter said in state of disbelief.
"The lawyers. We'll hit you for endangerment, for withholding our pay, for entrapping us here and not letting us leave. The local government may not be all that well armed," Hogg finished, "But they can keep you from leaving and by the time the courts settle it'll be six months... maybe twelve. What'll that do for your schedule?"
"You son of a -" began Peter
"Mr Hogg," Catherine asked, pulling the curtain back a little. "Why're you arguing with my brother?"
Hogg flushed. "Well, you heard me! I just explained."
"But you're making it sound like there's nothing save for going to Small World and going on to Addicks?" she asked. "Aren't there any dropships leaving here for Small World - if this is stable territory then there must be trading ships?"
"Uh, well, yes, I suppose so," the man admitted. "There are four other jumpships here so I would guess there are dropships."
"Then why not just move your share of the salvage to one of those. That way you get what you want and we're only slowed by however long it takes to transship it."
Peter opened his mouth to object and then swallowed the remark. It was a fair solution.
"Well... I suppose that would work, but how do we pay for the transit?" asked Hogg.
"Take a loan against your salvage." she offered. "We can front you a deposit... that's fair."
He hummed and then nodded. "I suppose. I'll talk to the boys and see how they feel about it."
"Boys?" she asked in confusion. "There are children aboard?"
"No, I mean... you know, the crew?"
"I know Burt and Emma!"
Peter groaned. "Get some sleep, Cat. I'll sort out the rest with Hogg."
She waved her hand. "I like your white suit, Mr Hogg."
"Good night, Catherine." Peter dragged the curtain closed and ushered Hogg - who wasn't wearing a suit, white or otherwise - out of the room.
The older man sighed. "Are you sure she's getting better? Because she's a sweet lady but she's..."
"She's not stupid and she's not deaf!" Catherine called after them.
Peter slid the door closed firmly. "Hogg, I'll make the deal she suggested... but one more word about my sister and your ship to Small World will be the worst rattletrap I can find."
The old prospector thrust out his hand. "Mr Morgan, your sister just cut you a deal."
I'll be glad to see the back of you, Peter thought as he shook hands with the man. At least once we're at Addicks, Uncle Ardan will be on our side.
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