Galaxy of Empires- Merchant Wars Episode #1 (8 page)

“Should be able to manage.”

“Okay then. The serial killers will be fed to
Gothica.”

“The political prisoner is also a
sorcerer.”

“Really? That is interesting,” Eve says with
intrigue. “I am gonna go down and talk to our political prisoner.
You know what they say, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’” She
disappears down the corridor. A few minutes later, she walks by the
force field doors of the cells on level 3. She comes to the
appropriate cell according to the prisoner manifests.

“So, Archibald, it says here you’re a
political prisoner, which is odd for a sorcerer to be a political
prisoner in the Elemental Empire.”

The male human replies, “I don’t know who you
are and what you are doing on the ship, half-breed…whatever. None
of your business why I am here.”

“My, such an attitude, and here I was
thinking about releasing you—guess not.”

“Are you pirates looking for a ransom?
Unfortunately, my brother will not pay anything for my release
because it was I who tried to overthrow him and assume my rightful
place.”

“So you are a failure. A failed sorcerer. You
look lonely. I can arrange for some company for you. I will send
two of my girlfriends down here to keep you company.”

“I don’t need any slutty girlfriends to come
down here.”

“They will be here in a few minutes.”

Eve sends a telepathic message to her
daughters to come to cell 18. After a few minutes, her starving
girls come around the corner.

“Enjoy, my sweeties,” as Eve drops the force
field. The girls pounce on the arrogant sorcerer and began draining
all of the life force out of him. They rip him to shreds as his
screams echo down the hallway.

“Nothing like fresh sorcerer on the table, or
I should say arrogant bastard?”

All three of them head back up to the
bridge.

“I think I will name you, Xaqu and Chaca
Noctu, my daughters. Remember you cannot eat Gothica because she is
poisonous to you. She has my blood running through her just as you
do. In fact, I think I will adopt her and she will be your
step-sister. So you will need to get along with each other,” Eve
says telepathically. “I need to get some education for all three of
you and learn some languages.”

After a few days passed, they enter Reptilian
space. Eve activates the main vid screen.

“Contact Fartan Balltail.”

A male snake man appears on the screen.

“Well, how’s my favorite client? Have not
heard from you in a while,” Fartan says snidely.

“Don’t you mean ‘money pit’ that you suck
funds from?” Eve says with no sarcasm in mind. I am gonna need a
bunch of documents drawn up. Going to need birth certificates for
two, which are for my daughters 17 and 18, and citizenship papers
as well. Will also need some adoption papers for an arachnid
female, age 17, that I found with the citizenship papers. Also,
need some papers made up for a salvaged ship with the following
serial numbers; it is an elemental transport ship. I am sending
over the details now.”

“Looks like you have been busy. I can make
all the documents for my usual fee, but the arachnid is gonna cost
you four times as much and lot more bribing.”

“Do not give me that crap! I will give you
double for the arachnid and not a platinum bar more or your wife
finds out about your mistress.”

“Okay, calm down. I accept your terms.”

“I will contact my office on home world and
have it transfer the money to you. Make sure you have all those
ship documents filed at the port by the time I arrive at the
landing pad. The ship still has elemental identifying markers
painted on it. I will change the transponder now to the new salvage
title identification number. Just tell the port officers that I
will be painting the correct numbers after I land. Make sure you do
it quickly. I do not need the ship to be confiscated due to
improper paperwork. I have already lost an expensive ship this week
not to mention couple of hundred good workers.”

“Also, contact the Consortium consulate and
tell them I need papers for 12 telepathic refugees and get
reptilian work visas for them as they will be working for me. I
will transfer the information on them to you shortly.”

“I also need you to make up a couple of shell
corporations and make them complex enough so it will be difficult
for anyone doing research to find out who owns the companies. I am
planning on some hostile takeovers and company purchases and I do
not want anyone to figure out exactly what I am doing until it is
too late. Also, I know that in your profession you run across a lot
of seedy characters. I need one of your contacts from the black
market, if you can arrange that. I’ll give you a hundred platinum
bars, 50 for you and 50 for the contact just for setting up the
meeting.”

“Sounds like you’ve got big plans, and I can
smell the money now,” Fartan says, already spending the money in
his head before anything has even happened.

“I think when they created the saying
‘Lawyers are a bunch of slimy snakes’ they were thinking about you,
Fartan,” Eve remarks.

The snake man responds,” Why, thank you, My
Lady,” trying to figure out if that was a compliment or an
insult.

After a few days, they enter the port at
Hoshan and touch down.

“Yes, I see your lawyer filed all the papers
on this ship, but he didn’t pay the docking fee or the penalty fee
for not have the correct ship identification number painted on the
vessel,” the port supervisor insists.

“That is a bureaucracy for you,” Gartooth
says.

“Okay.” Eve gets out the currency transfer
pad from her vest and pushes some buttons. “There, that should do
it,” she sighs.

“Okay, and here is a package your lawyer
left,” the supervisor says as he hands her a box. She opens up the
box full of passports and other documents. There is also a note in
there from Fartan.

“The Consortium consulate will have the rest
of your documents.”

“Okay, guys, take a month-long vacation. I
have some things to attend to, and I added bonuses for everyone for
this hardship we have been through. I am going to be working on
getting us a new ship. 42, I need you to check on the status of our
other ships and the funds we have available to buy a new ship
before you take off on vacation,” Eve says to the crew.

“Thanks, Boss” they say as they depart on
their separate ways.

Doc says, “Don’t think it is a wise idea to
allow Gothica to walk around in the city, as she is undead.”

“We do business with arachnid merchants here
in the home world. They even have a consulate here. Granted there
are not very many of them here and they are a rare sight, but they
are hardly a disruption. As far as being undead, the only reason
you think that is because you know she is undead. But look at her:
she looks like any other arachnid as her coloring has not changed
or anything. You said yourself she is a mutant undead. I mean they
eat the same things and the same way whether they are alive or
undead. The sun has no effect on her and trust me no one will know.
Besides, she will probably walk around invisible most of the time
because she shy.”

“Hmm….That is true. You know me, I am just a
worry wart.”

Eve chuckles,” That is the truth.”

“I will do more research on arachnids while I
am on vacation. I will read a lot of books and stuff, as I am a
curious person.”

“That is fine, Doc. I will call you and we’ll
do lunch sometime next week.”

“Sure.” The Wolfkin waves goodbye as a taxi
hovercraft appears and scoops her up. About that time, a rather
large hovercraft appears in front of Eve. It is a luxury model with
all the bells and whistles. A human chauffeur gets out and goes to
the other side to open the door.

“Hi, Henry, I see you been keeping my prized
limousine in good condition while I have been gone. I do not have
any baggage this time around as I lost my ship, but I’m going to go
shopping with my daughters. Say hello to Xaqu and Chacu and my
adopt daughter, Gothica,” Eve announces.

Henry is alarmed by the sight of Gothica who
has changed her legs into two humanoid legs while still having four
arms.

They all got in the eight-seater hovercraft
that had vid screens and other cool gadgets.

“Take us down to the market center. Stop at
the Giuliana’s store first, Henry.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Okay, girls, stay close to me and do not
wander and no eating people, okay?” Eve felt that was odd thing to
have to say, but chuckled inside nevertheless.

“Gothica, people are not use to seeing
arachnids on this planet, so they might stare at you, but do not be
alarmed. If you just want to walk around with us, being invisible
is fine.”

“Okay. I am nervous anyway.”

“We are nervous, too,” the sisters say
telepathically to Gothica and Eve.

“Well, if anyone messes with us, we will just
eat them,” Gothica says with sarcasm and winks at the two sisters.
All three of them laugh. Eve frowns at them, but then laughs.

“No eating people…young ladies,” Eve says
with a smirk. Gothica, being a warrior arachnid, has the ability to
enchant magic weapons, so she can enchant some items and let her
step-sisters drain the magic for food.

The first stop they make is at a clothes
shop. They enter the rather large boutique and start trying on
clothes. Gothica stays invisible and follows them. Eve still sees
Gothica even when she is invisible. The doctor said that the more
contact she has with the three girls, the more she will pick up
their traits or another phenomenon because they are mutant versions
of her DNA. The girls might also pick up some of their mother’s
traits.

“So put the ones you like into that basket
and I will pay for them. Those outfits you are trying on now are
cute, so just keep those on, and I will buy them, too.”

They picked up their packages and got back in
the large limousine. They headed down the street to an arachnid
vendor Eve remembered seeing before. They pulled up in front of a
small shop and went inside. Gothica decided not go invisible this
time. Upon entering the store, they saw two arachnid shopkeepers
wearing beautiful silk clothes. There were arachnid clothes of all
types and sizes hanging from the walls and turnstiles. The
beautiful coloring of the clothes was one of the fascinating things
about this little store. Exotic jewelry and metal weapons, daggers,
throwing items, and bows were also hanging in a different parts of
the shop.

“Greetings. I am Vosha and this is my
assistant Higja,” Vosha said, speaking for both female
arachnids.

Eve says, “Hello. Nice shop you have here.
These are my daughters, Xaqu and Chaca, and step-daughter,
Gothica.”

“Don’t get many arachnid customers in these
parts, unfortunately. Most of my sales are jewelry and weapons. You
have beautiful daughters. I think we can accommodate Gothica very
well here.”

“Good because she needs some clothes and
other stuff.”

Vosha looks Gothica over.

“She is pretty big, even for an arachnid.
Must be warrior class with those muscles. I have some fashionable
arachnid clothes and some warrior armor in her size.” She signals
to her assistant to fetch the merchandise. The assistant comes back
with some boxes, and all of ladies, including the sisters, start
putting clothes on Gothica. She picks about nine outfits and three
sets of arachnid warrior armor that fit her. She also gets some
shoes and combat boots especially designed for arachnids as
well.

“Every good warrior needs some weapons. Let
us go and look at these weapons over here and see what you like,”
the shopkeeper suggested.

Gothica examines some of the weapons and
swings a few.

“I like the swords, but I need four of
them.”

“All of our weapons are made in fours for
obvious reasons. Here are the other two. These are made out of
Osmiridium metal, which is harder than diamonds and is extremely
hard to break and very easy for a warrior to enchant. Very
expensive at 100 platinum bars each. They come with matching
sheaths that snap onto your armor.”

“We will take them,” Eve says.

Gothica takes the swords and holds all four
in the air and starts to mumble. “
Ney cha fer do
asa metu
” and the swords light up with magical flames. The
feat was surprisingly impressive to all the ladies there—not
something many get to witness. They clap in excitement. She
enchants her armor, too.

“Now I know you ladies would want some
jewelry to go with all your new clothes.” Walk over to the jewelry
section. Xaqu spots a snake staff that she likes and asks her
mother if she can have it.

“Yes, dear, you can get it. I think it will
look great with your outfits.”

“I can enchant it for you, too, Xaqu,”
Gothica says. Xaqu’s face is filled with happiness. They continue
to try on jewelry for a couple of hours before they leave.

“Take us home, Henry.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They arrive home, and Eve shows them around
and assigns each of them their rooms. Then they stay up talking,
playing games and, of course, laughing a lot. The girls have never
had this much fun in all of their lives.

Chapter Six

After spending a couple of days at Eve’s home, the
door chimes. Henry, who is the butler as well as the driver, walks
down the hall and answers the door. There is a tall skinny Android
in yellow and chrome metal with triangle eyes standing there.

“Greetings, I am assistant 123, I work with
the consulate for the Consortium. I have been instructed by my
government to invite Evella Noctu to the consulate for a meeting
with our administration.”

“I will inform the Madame promptly, wait
here.” Henry walks down the hall and knocks on the door.