Read Online Carinae Sector: 01 - Traders' Scourge - Part 2 - Maveen Offer by David Buck - Free Book Online

radio microphone. Nonchalantly, both human and Trader made a mental note of the frequency on the radio display.
    Steve turned off the radio, handed back to view finder to Garendestat, and jumped out of the runabout. He was hoping the message would get through, and he observed Garendestat looking at the runabout thoughtfully as they headed further around the rear deck.
     
                                                                ***
     
    Gindane had enough of reading of the various reports that filled her days, and was now watching human media channels in an attempt to learn more about the planet. She was amazed to learn that several of the media channels were not even in English, indeed a junior linguist in her crew had pointed out the haven world possibly used dozens of regional languages.
    Gindane had selected a media channel that did not break out too often to market mundane products. She could not imagine that on Barus, the thought of wasting a prime communications channel on a household product was a strange concept. The media channel seemed to have a lot of current affairs information available. The commander watched as human cameras highlighted wide spread protests in several human cities, though Gindane, with her still limited understanding of English could not follow the story easily.
    Apparently the protestors were demonstrating against unilateral actions of the most powerful country, the USA, in the oceans near a place called Australia. Australia was highlighted on a map from the media channel, and Gindane automatically checked their existing references for this area. The next news article made Gindane sit up and take real notice. The media diagram was a passable set of diagrams of both the Trader main ship and several of her sneak ships. The path of the Trader ship had taken was shown on the screen.
    After water landing, the Trader ships had made for an offshore chain of islands to the west of Australia, and then landed on a small island. Gindane made sure her recording system was getting this information set aside for later reporting and analysis. The human news report concluded by showing human surface ships now blockading these islands, and Gindane called an urgent meeting of her ships officers to further plan their next moves.
     
                                                                ***
     
    Susan Roberts felt a wave of exhilaration that her crew shared as the fast response boat left the confines of the Dongara marina. The aluminum RIB craft was a refurbished twelve meter former patrol boat, and one of her media crew was a cousin to the latest owner of the boat.
    After a suitable amount of cash had been transferred, the boat skipper had bundled Susan and her crew onboard, and they had then raced for the open sea. The response craft was powered by a pair of 300hp outboards, and rapidly accelerated to over fifty knots as they headed due west.
    The young journalist knew that speed was only part of the plan she had discussed with the owner. They would first head due west well over the southern horizon from the two patrolling frigates. When past the line of the Abrolhos group, the boat would turn north and approach the location of the Aurora Discovery from the South West.
    With all her media crew strapped into decent shock absorbing seats in the response craft, Susan gritted her teeth and held on tight as the powerful boat crashed through the early afternoon swell.
     
                                                                ***
     

Chapter 4
     
    Garendestat was feeling hot and unwell at this stage, and the trip around the deck with Steve had left him very tired as well. He sat down under the shade and requested another bottle of cold distilled water by making a drinking motion. Within minutes a crew member had returned with