Starship's Mage: Episode 4 Read Free

this later,” Jenna told him over the intercom. “From the sounds of it, I should check up on Kellers myself. Amber liquor is harder than hard, to put it mildly.”
    Saving and dismissing the data with a swipe of his hand, Damien turned to Kelly and smiled.
    “It looks like you’ve found a hidden override on our ship protocols,” he told her. “My time is yours, my dear, what’s the plan?”

#
    Agreeing to share Kellers’ Amber Fire Liqueur ranked as one of David’s worst decisions in recent years. It had seemed fine at the time, but the next morning his pounding headache happily reminded him that Amber Fire Liqueur was illegal in a good half of the Protectorate.
    The bridge of the Blue Jay was quiet. Jenna was at her station, watching the sensors and maneuvering controls, but the only words they’d exchanged so far today had been grunts and a vague mention of ‘Kellers’ liqueur.’
    “ Heads up sir,” Jenna told him, her voice quiet. “Incoming contact – she’s on an unpowered orbit, but she’ll pass within a million klicks of us in about an hour.”
    “Show me,” David ordered, also pitching his voice low to avoid making both of their headaches worse.
    Jenna swiped a command on her console, and a view from one of the Blue Jay ’s many exterior cameras appeared on the main screen, and then zoomed in.
    A few billion times magnification later and it was clear the contact was the boxy hundred meter length of an Amber Defense Co-operative corvette.
    “Looks like she saw us,” his executive officer told him. “Incoming video channel.”
    He nodded to her and she threw the image on the main screen, replacing the grainy image of the ship.
    The image was of a small but neatly organized bridge, similar in many ways to Blue Jay ’s own, with four working consoles arranged in three dimensions around a command chair. A man with silver hair and a young face was strapped into the center command chair against the ship’s microgravity.
    “This is Commander Antonov of the Amber Defense Co-operative corvette Williamson ,” he said calmly. “Please identify yourself and transmit your cargo manifest.
    “Note that if we are forced to pursue you, you or your heirs will be required to compensate the ADC for fuel and munitions expended.”
    David tapped a few commands on the control screen built into his command chair, transmitted the Blue Jay ’s registry and manifest information before opening a video channel back to the Williamson .
    “Commander Antonov, this is Captain David Rice of the Blue Jay ,” he told the Amberite. “We are bound in-system to pick up a cargo in preparation for a Fringe shipping run. Our pylons are currently empty, though we do have an in-system fuelling vessel we may sell in-system.”
    Seconds ticked by as the transmission shot across the intervening empty space, and then Antonov nodded in response.
    “ I appreciate your prompt response, Captain,” he told David. “You are clear through to Heinlein Station. Be aware that there are fees for being assigned an entry vector, docking, fuelling and access to Heinlein Station that will need to be paid promptly upon arrival.”
    “ I appreciate the heads up, Commander,” David replied. “This is our first time in the Amber system.”
    “Well, then let me be the first to welcome you to the only truly free system in the Protectorate,” Antonov replied with a broad smile. “Enjoy your time in Amber, Captain. I am sure you will find all you need in terms of cargo.”
    The transmission ended and the screen defaulted back to showing the small warship continuing along its long, fuel-conserving, orbit around the system’s sun.
    “Is there anything we’re not going to be charged for in this system?” Jenna asked after a long moment.
    “Based off Kellers’ reaction to coming home, no.”

#
    Leaving Jenna to dock the ship – Heinlein Station had a well-designed central hub that remained stationary while the outer wheel spun to provide