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Authors: Loren K. Jones
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exactly what happened here? The CSS Justice Department has contacted me to let me know that they are launching a full-scale investigation into our involvement in this incident. The Jolly Jane's computer core has provided them with enough evidence for an indictment against us."
"Madame Chairwoman, there is no way--"
"Did ye no' hear me?" she snapped, her voice cracking with the strain of the last few days. "The Justice Department of the Confederated Star Systems Government has indicted the Amberson Cartel for supporting commerce raiding. I want to know exactly what has been going on, and who is responsible. There can be no payoffs this time. The entire Hobson's System heard those transmissions."
"Madame Chairwoman, please," one of the men down the table from her began cautiously. "There is no proof against us. There are just unfounded allegations made by a tramp freighter. It will be a simple matter to prove that we had nothing to do with them."
The Chairwoman of the Board glared at him for a moment, then pressed a button on her desk and a new recording began playing.
"LaFontain Control, this is Harris. We lost contact with that miserable little freighter. We're assuming that they were lost in hyper due to a bad nav fix."
"Harris, this is Station Manager Jameson. That miserable little freighter tricked you and came back here. They delivered the shipment and demanded payment even after we proved the containers were full of trash. They are on their way out now, so you have a second chance. Don't screw up again."
"I'm going to overtake them and kill each of them personally."
"Shut up, you arrogant ass! Don't get fancy, just blow them out of space. Fail again and Amberson's is through with you and your little crew of misfits. Kill that ship or you'll never dock again."
The recording cut off as the chairwoman glared around the room again. "Those are the decoded versions of the transmissions that the Jolly Jane recorded in LaFontain. The CSS Navy is on its way to arrest Nathan Jameson and seize the LaFontain facility. The indictment against us could land the entire board in prison, and allow the government to auction off the cartel." She paused and looked around at the stunned faces of her board of directors. "Someone's head is going to roll, ladies and gentlemen, and tis not going to be mine. Find someone to sacrifice and provide the Justice Department with all the evidence they need to convict them." She stood and looked around the table. "An' while yer at it would someone please kill the survivors from the Jolly Jane ?"
* * *
Eleven parsecs away another recording was being listened to.
"My name is Sterling Albert Stevenson, but it's also Silver Llewellyn Garand. How that happened isn't important. I am the Navigator on the independently owned space ship Jolly Jane, Captain Denise Stabenow commanding. She, First Mate Olaf Larsson, Chief Engineer William Putin, and Load Master Jeremiah Brasov rounded out the crew. They are all dead, and I'm down to about three hours of air in my suit pack. Sorry, Ann. Please don't cry.
"I am making this recording as a dying declaration. In our memory banks and backed up in my suit's memory is information about the raider who attacked us and who we surmised were their employers, the Amberson Cartel of New Britannia. The Kiev should have picked up at least part of it while I was talking to the raider. Don't let them get away with this. Sterling Silver, out."
Admiral Stevenson stared at the recorder and shook her head. "Melodramatic to the end, my love?" she asked.
"I didn't know you were following the Kiev with Willy and the small-boys. I thought I was really going to die this time." He paused to take a sip of her bourbon. "I thought Denise and Olaf were already dead. Now that the Jane has been officially declared un-repairable, I have to find something to do with myself. And pay back the insurance company."
"I already did that," Ann said as she snuggled down beside him.
"Madame Chairwoman, there is no way--"
"Did ye no' hear me?" she snapped, her voice cracking with the strain of the last few days. "The Justice Department of the Confederated Star Systems Government has indicted the Amberson Cartel for supporting commerce raiding. I want to know exactly what has been going on, and who is responsible. There can be no payoffs this time. The entire Hobson's System heard those transmissions."
"Madame Chairwoman, please," one of the men down the table from her began cautiously. "There is no proof against us. There are just unfounded allegations made by a tramp freighter. It will be a simple matter to prove that we had nothing to do with them."
The Chairwoman of the Board glared at him for a moment, then pressed a button on her desk and a new recording began playing.
"LaFontain Control, this is Harris. We lost contact with that miserable little freighter. We're assuming that they were lost in hyper due to a bad nav fix."
"Harris, this is Station Manager Jameson. That miserable little freighter tricked you and came back here. They delivered the shipment and demanded payment even after we proved the containers were full of trash. They are on their way out now, so you have a second chance. Don't screw up again."
"I'm going to overtake them and kill each of them personally."
"Shut up, you arrogant ass! Don't get fancy, just blow them out of space. Fail again and Amberson's is through with you and your little crew of misfits. Kill that ship or you'll never dock again."
The recording cut off as the chairwoman glared around the room again. "Those are the decoded versions of the transmissions that the Jolly Jane recorded in LaFontain. The CSS Navy is on its way to arrest Nathan Jameson and seize the LaFontain facility. The indictment against us could land the entire board in prison, and allow the government to auction off the cartel." She paused and looked around at the stunned faces of her board of directors. "Someone's head is going to roll, ladies and gentlemen, and tis not going to be mine. Find someone to sacrifice and provide the Justice Department with all the evidence they need to convict them." She stood and looked around the table. "An' while yer at it would someone please kill the survivors from the Jolly Jane ?"
* * *
Eleven parsecs away another recording was being listened to.
"My name is Sterling Albert Stevenson, but it's also Silver Llewellyn Garand. How that happened isn't important. I am the Navigator on the independently owned space ship Jolly Jane, Captain Denise Stabenow commanding. She, First Mate Olaf Larsson, Chief Engineer William Putin, and Load Master Jeremiah Brasov rounded out the crew. They are all dead, and I'm down to about three hours of air in my suit pack. Sorry, Ann. Please don't cry.
"I am making this recording as a dying declaration. In our memory banks and backed up in my suit's memory is information about the raider who attacked us and who we surmised were their employers, the Amberson Cartel of New Britannia. The Kiev should have picked up at least part of it while I was talking to the raider. Don't let them get away with this. Sterling Silver, out."
Admiral Stevenson stared at the recorder and shook her head. "Melodramatic to the end, my love?" she asked.
"I didn't know you were following the Kiev with Willy and the small-boys. I thought I was really going to die this time." He paused to take a sip of her bourbon. "I thought Denise and Olaf were already dead. Now that the Jane has been officially declared un-repairable, I have to find something to do with myself. And pay back the insurance company."
"I already did that," Ann said as she snuggled down beside him.
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