The door to the Governor’s treasury was locked and sealed. I fired a low-power bolt into the lock mechanism and followed up with a hard kick from my boot. The door flew open, revealing two additional doors inside.
Garrett spoke. "The AMP artifacts are on the right. I walked here once with the Governor, but he wouldn’t let me in."
The door to the artifacts room was soon breached. The room was small, and the collection was far less impressive than what I had envisioned. The suit Garrett had delivered was by far the most impressive item the Governor had acquired. There were battle suits from various other species, none of which were as interesting or feature rich as the powered Human suit.
A robotic arm was laid out on a table. A laser hand weapon was showcased on another. In a back corner of the room were two kinetic weapons and a metal device with a pull pin that would fit perfectly in the palm of my hand.
I spoke as I picked up the pinned device. "I’ll carry this one. I like the feel of it; it’s heavy."
The crude steel makeup of the kinetic weapons had a certain stylistic appeal, but I couldn’t fathom what purpose they would serve while in combat. I reasoned they might have been the weapons of a species the early AMP creators had done battle with.
The remaining items appeared to be various electronic devices from that period, including a precision measuring device and other hand tools that appeared to be useful for crafting metal objects. A steady stream of Feldons began to carry the items out of the room.
Garrett said, "The Governor knows we are here. I’m seeing activity on the top three floors. It looks like he might have as many as fifty to seventy-five of those guards. We need to get out of here fast, or they are going to be riding our asses all the way back to the ship!"
I pointed to the last Feldon as he exited the room with a soldier’s uniform from a species called the Gambits. We were soon moving back down the stairwells as the guards entered from above.
I grabbed Garrett. "Take that wall over there. You and I are going to slow them down."
As the Feldons stomped away on the stairs below, I waited with Garrett. The first two guards that raced down came into view without having their weapons at the ready. Two well-placed ion bolts ended their rapid advance, also bringing the progress of the others to a stop.
I gestured to Garrett as I spoke. "Move down another five floors, and we’ll do the same thing again."
We quietly moved down the stairwell as the guard voices from above indicated they were having an argument over how to proceed.
As we lay in wait to hand out another ambush, Garrett spoke. "Uh-oh, we’ve got a problem. There is an elevator unloading three floors below us with five of those guards."
I looked up, Garrett and I each began to race down the stairs. Garrett moved past the door as it began to open. I fired an ion bolt into the opening, blowing the door from its hinges and sending the approaching guards scattering, just long enough for me to quickly move by.
When we reached the forty-first floor, three guards had the Feldons pinned in a hallway just outside of the docking bay. Our bolts could not reach the guards. Heavy fire from the guards prevented our group from crossing the hallway to the docking bay doors.
I moved to the front of the group as Garrett fired the occasional bolt back up the stairwell. I looked over the ancient device in my hand.
One of the nearby Feldons spoke. "What is it?"
I replied, "It looks as though it’s something you throw. When this pin is pulled, the weapon, if it is a weapon, would be activated."
The Feldon replied, "Well, pull the pin!"
I nodded as I slid the pin out of its hole. A lever sprang outward. I waited for an indication that something had happened. There was none.
The Feldon spoke. "Perhaps you have to throw it."
I again nodded. "Doesn’t hurt to try."
I took careful aim and rolled the crude device down the hallway toward the guards’ position. The device rolled to a stop only three meters from the cover they had chosen. Again, as we waited, nothing happened.
The Feldon shrugged.
I spoke. "No sense in letting the Governor have it back."
I knelt and took careful aim. As the ion bolt from my hand blaster impacted the device, it exploded with a fury. My reaction, although stunned, was to race out into the hall, taking a position just inside a doorway that offered a shot at the guards’ position. Two well-placed shots sent one guard to oblivion while the others moved farther down the hallway they had held.
The Feldons moved quickly across the hall and into the docking bay. I followed Garrett through the doorway.
As the last of the Feldons boarded the
Heap
, I fired two final bolts at the hallway doors, blowing them from their hinges and catching the advancing guards by surprise. I dove through the gravity wall as the
Heap
began to lift off the deck.
The repeated strikes from the guards’ blaster rifles did not penetrate the
Heap
’s newly thickened hull. The Feldon flagship shot out of SS241 and was soon on its way to Effica. A direct course was set, giving the Governor’s men a path to follow.
Garrett opened a comm with the Governor. "I’m sure by now you saw that I was behind the attack on your collection. Unfortunately, I picked the wrong stash to take. I thought your AMP artifacts might have some value, but they are useless. I spent a lot of credits hiring the crew and ship that I used. I would be willing to trade the artifacts for my initial investment. After that, you won’t see me again."
The Governor replied, "Mr. Williams. Why am I to trust anything you say? I saw on the video that you had the Grunta working with you."
Garrett laughed. "The Grunta, just like those Feldons, was looking for work. He seemed like an easy way to add muscle to the venture. Cost me two thousand credits for him alone."
The Governor shook his head. "Mr. Williams, I was so disheartened when I saw it was you who was involved. I had thought you to be above such. But I do admire a man who takes the initiative to better his position. While I am unhappy at the loss of the artifacts, and of a good pilot, I would be willing to compensate you for the return of my items. What sum did you have in mind?"
Garrett replied, "I have twenty thousand credits into this thing. Bring me that, and you can have your collection back."
The Governor laughed. "You think too small, Mr. Williams. I would have gladly paid five times that amount. Return the items, and you shall have your credits."
Garrett half smiled. "Ah, no. Here’s how this is going to happen. I will designate a place and a time, and you will come get them. And when I say
you
, I mean you personally. And to sweeten the pot, as a gesture on my part to reduce your desire to put a bounty on my head, I have another artifact for you. It’s a helmet that goes with that suit I brought you recently."
The Governor sat forward in his chair. "You have the helmet?"
Garrett smiled. "I have the helmet. I came across it after following up a few leads. I don’t know what your fascination is with that stuff, but if you are willing to make the trade, I will throw in the extra for, let’s say, two thousand credits?"
The Governor nodded. "I will gladly pay you the twenty-two thousand credits for the return of my items, plus the helmet. If you return those items as you say, I will also forgive this transgression, completely. There are other artifacts out there, and I would like for you to continue to gather them for me. With this new item, you have shown that you have an aptitude for the search and recovery of such. I would also reward you with a standard salary and then handsomely again for any further items."
Garrett offered a half frown. "How do I know I could trust you in such an arrangement? How do I know you wouldn’t just decide to kill me at some random point in time?"
The Governor again smiled. "You wouldn’t. Consider that incentive to continue searching. I am much more interested in acquiring artifacts than doling out retribution for petty indulgences. Even in the business of thievery or with other less-than-legal activities, one must maintain a certain level of trust in his word if he is to do business with others. Consider this my word, Mr. Williams. Do we have a deal?"
Garrett sat back in his chair, looking around at the cockpit as if in deep thought. "OK, here’s how it’s going to happen. I heard the stories that you were once on Effica. I’m sure you are familiar with the hotel Fantasta. That is where we will make the exchange. You come on a small ship, bring no more than a half dozen people with you to pilot the ship and load the items, we exchange credits, and you leave."
The Governor replied, "And the helmet will be included?"
Garrett nodded. "The helmet for the suit will be there."
The Governor spoke. "Can I see the helmet?"
Garrett shook his head. "No. This is where that level of trust among thieves has to come into play. Just ask yourself why I would want to make you angry when I am trying to straighten things out. You come out to Effica in three days, with no more than a half dozen of your henchmen. We’ll make the exchange and go our separate ways.
The Governor slowly shook his head. "That area is rife with pirate activity. I will need at least five ships and forty men."
Garrett laughed. "I don't think so, Governor. Since the Talisans got a new emperor, things have really quieted down. Just bring your ship and personal guards. That should be enough."
The Governor thought for a moment and nodded. "You have your deal, Mr. Williams. Expect me in three days time."
Garrett added, "Governor, don’t try anything stupid, or I will burn those artifacts to a crisp. If I detect another ship in the area, or if you have a dozen men pile out of a ship, that hotel and your precious artifacts will go up in an inferno. Do we have an understanding?"
The Governor replied, "And how many men will you have there with you?"
Garrett sighed. "I have eight men remaining. It’s all I could afford. But make no mistake, they will be positioned strategically and will open up if anything goes astray."
The Governor offered a stern expression. "I will hold up my end of the bargain, Mr. Williams. You hold up yours, and we will both walk away from this satisfied."
I entered the cockpit after the comm channel closed.
Garrett turned with a smile. "I thought that went well. He obviously doesn’t know that it was you that overthrew the Talisan Emperor. Everyone knows it happened, but they don’t know who the new Emperor is yet. I supposed we dodged one there."
Garrett continued, "I still don’t know that I buy into your reasoning behind luring him out here instead of us just taking over the station with Talisans."
I replied, "If we attack a security station, the word will go out to all security stations. Not only would the security forces of the New Alliance get involved, but we could easily get Harden Salton poking around for answers. He knows I am here. If he sees you, or if any of the security forces that are looking for you see you, the New Alliance will be flooding this sector with investigators. If we take the Governor out quietly, no one will care."
I continued, "The helmet addition was a nice touch. The Governor would be anxious to get his hands on it."
Garrett grinned. "I thought we might need something to push him over the edge."
Over the next several days, we arranged more than a hundred Feldon fighters in and around the hotel. From the moment the Governor’s ship landed until he entered the hotel room Garrett had designated, he would have a dozen or more blasters trained on him. This was a capture mission first and a kill mission if our attempts to capture him failed. With the Governor in our custody, we could force him to send word back to SS241 for his henchmen to clear out. It was reasoned that a peaceful transition would raise the least alarm.
On the third day, the Governor’s ship arrived in orbit around Effica accompanied by four mercenary gunships.
Garrett raised the Governor on the comm. "I thought we had a deal, Governor. Right now, my finger is hovering above a button that when depressed will vaporize that hotel."
The Governor smiled and lifted his hand. "No need for that, Mr. Williams. If you do that, we both lose. As far as these gunships, they will remain in orbit. I’m sorry, Mr. Williams, but I cannot travel without an escort. Omega is not the most secure of sectors for a single ship; you yourself should know that. Anyway, they will remain in orbit while the exchange is made."
Garrett huffed and responded, "You try anything and this hotel gets torched. Bring your ship down here and we will make the exchange."
The Governor nodded as the comm closed.
I made a broadcast to the Feldon fighters we had in position. "The Governor is coming in. Keep in mind that we need him alive. Do not fire unless you are fired upon first!"
The Governor’s ship landed in a vacant lot just down the main avenue from the hotel. Four of his guards exited and began to check the perimeter around the ship and up the street to the hotel. Garrett stood in the doorway of the hotel.
The Governor stepped out onto the dirt and weeds of the vacant lot, looking down at the dusty ground in disgust. After a short walk, he was standing in front of Garrett.
The Governor brushed dust from his pants leg. "Mr. Williams, show me the artifacts and let’s get this over with. I do not have fond memories of this planet."
Garrett replied, "Very well. Follow me."
Garrett led the Governor up the stairs to the sixth floor and into the room that we had been using. I was seated in a chair beside a small table.
When the Governor entered the room, he let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Mr. Beutcher, why did I know that you were still involved?"
I replied, "Have a seat, Mr. Marcos. We have a few things to discuss."
The Governor casually walked to the chair and sat down. "I am only mildly interested in what you have to say, Mr. Beutcher. Please get on with it. My time is valuable."
I nodded. "Very well. Your reign as Governor is over. Whether you leave this meeting alive or dead is up to you. I want you to call your goons on SS241 and tell them to peacefully lay down their arms and to leave."
The Governor chuckled. "First, let me see the helmet. I would like to get a look at it before we go further."
Garrett grinned as half a dozen armed Feldons stepped in behind the Governor’s guards. "There is no helmet, Marcos. That was a ploy to bring you out here, and it worked."
The Governor’s face grew angry. "I do not like being toyed with, Mr. Williams. Any deal we had has now changed. And as for you and your little surprise here, Mr. Beutcher, I have a few surprises of my own!"
The Governor lifted his arm pad and brought up a holo-display. The two guards that remained on his ship came into view.
The Governor spoke. "Gentlemen, please bring our guests around so that Mr. Beutcher can see them."
I took a deep breath and exhaled as I began to grow impatient. What happened next I was not expecting. The two guards on the ship brought two Grunta youths, each about ten years old, into view.
The Governor smiled. "I believe you will recognize these Grunta, Mr. Beutcher. They have a striking resemblance to you."
My heart sank as I came to the realization that two of my children were being held by the Governor.
I spoke. "How did you get them?"
The Governor shook his head. "From what I have been told, it was quite the venture. I had word that it was you that had become Emperor of the Talisans. I thought I might need leverage to maintain my position as Governor. You didn’t think I would just roll over, did you, Mr. Beutcher?
"Anyway, your wife, wow! What a formidable woman! Had we known that women were the dominant gender when it came to Gruntas, we would have been better prepared. As it was, I sent eight good men and only managed to capture these two. I would love to have your wife in my employ; she is simply vicious."
I replied, "If you hurt my wife or any of my children, I’ll rip your head from your body right here and now!"
The Governor raised his hand. "Such violence. Hmm. Well, if it’s any consolation, your wife and your other children escaped with only minor injuries, if any at all. I wish I could say the same for my men, but—"
I stood. The Governor’s guards raised their weapons.
The Governor again held up his hand. "Please sit down, Mr. Beutcher. There is no need to go berserk and get everyone killed. Let’s instead come to an understanding where we all walk away as winners."
Garrett placed his hand on my shoulder. "You might as well sit and hear him out. We are at a standoff right now. Negotiation is the best course of action."
I sat down in my chair. "What did you have in mind, Mr. Marcos?"
The Governor leaned back in his chair, placing his fist up under his chin. "Hmm. It seems we have a few major problems that I cannot see us coming to agreement on. You want me out of office; I don’t want out of office. You have done away with the slave trade; I liked the slave trade. Your control over the Talisans is a very troubling prospect for me. It was their ruthless ventures that kept me in power. Without that power, I do not see much of a future for me here. I think I shall offer something that might be acceptable to you, Mr. Beutcher."
I replied, "Go on."
The Governor continued, "I shall resign my position and pull out of SS241 entirely. You can do with it and this sector as you will. I will take my entourage, and my collections, and I will migrate to another sector. With you in control of the Talisans, I see my leaving the Governorship as inevitable."
I sat forward. "That was the offer I tried to extend to you before."
The Governor laughed. "Really, Mr. Beutcher? By stranding me here on this planet? That was just not a fair trade."
The Governor laid one leg across the top of the other and leaned forward onto an elbow. "Look, the collection of items I have taken over the years is not in use. If I leave with those items, the sector will be exactly as it is now, backward and poor. I will return to the station, take my collections, and return here in one week to collect the artifacts. If I am allowed to leave here peacefully, no further lives will be lost. You and your friends can turn this sector into whatever it is that you desire."
Garrett said, "How do we know that you won’t use your wealth to come back and meddle in the affairs of Omega? I’ve had dealings with a lot of people just like you, Marcos. You thrive on power and not wealth. It’s often wealth that brings you that power that you so desire. What’s to keep you from trying to come back?"
The Governor threw up his hands. "I have just offered to give up that power, Mr. Williams. I am well past the halfway point in my life. I have come to the conclusion that I would rather spend those years out in the Alliance, searching for more artifacts, than here in this snake pit, squabbling over scraps. Is that so hard to understand?"
I cut in. "We’ll do it. You have your negotiation. You will have one week to remove your collections from SS241. My children will be left there unharmed. If anything should happen to them, make no mistake, I will use all the resources available to me to track you down and kill you with my bare hands."