"I have a vague recollection of dancing on a table and taking of my top," Junebug replied, her voice slightly disapproving of the memory. It wasn't the wildest thing she had ever done at a party by any stretch of the imagination but she had been a little more staid since she was promoted to command her own company. Troopers, even officers, learned to get through anyway they could but you couldn't let discipline erode too much. It had been a hard few weeks, subjective time, since they had gotten the Highlander but she still shouldn't let herself go so far. 

"I suppose we all needed to let loose a little and I guess the local is no joke," she concluded as the engines kicked online, jolting her forward slightly. There was a slight breeze as atmosphere leaked through cracks or started seams in the hull and a second later the ancient weezing atmosphere reprocessor rumbled to life. It was a good thing they had their own bottled air if they needed it. The copilot seat was affixed to the rear of the pilots couch so Junebug and Neil were back to back as the little ship got up to speed.

Experimentally she touched one of the controls on the yellowish console in front of her. The ship groaned slightly as one of its hydraulic arms shivered at the input.

"If these guys are our kidnappers then we need to approach stealthily, I cant imagine they have much sensor range in all this asteroid hash," she pondered. Expensive millitary sensor packages used the RF vibrations of individual motors as well as radar and lidar returns to synthesize accurate positioning. They only one to avoid advanced tech like that was to shut down completely but such technology was incredibly expensive. A warships sensor equipment accounted for a significant portion of the price tag of even the largest vessels. Smaller commercial outfits usually made do with basic radar systems. Even under power a row boat like this would read the same as any other piece of small ferric space junk, unless they were supremely unlucky and got picked up by a visible scan.

____________________

Taya scooped the pile of circuit boards and electronics into her satchel and swiped the card across the holographic reader. It chirruped with silicone enthusiasm as Cheng’s charge card cleared. The bulk electronic stores sole attendant a tall pinch faced woman with red hair far to bright to be anything by a synth job, nodded her head and went back to watching whatever it was she had been viewing on her data screen before Taya entered the store.

Stepping out into the street she took a quick inventory of her mornings work, mostly stocking up on electronics, rations and other essentials for the Highlander. It seemed unlikely to her that Cheng intended them to use his charge card this way but Junebug knew what she was doing. Taya found the other womans confidence very appealing, even exciting at times. Of course it could be equally terrifying in those moments when the woman’s eyes were dead and glassy and she had a weapon in her hand. She shivered and as she did so caught a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye. The man, of medium build and dressed in a gray smock appeared to be looking through a catalogue of medical supplies several shops down. He was no different from a dozen other pedestrians. Except for the fact she had seen him before. He had been at the opposite counter when she had eaten her brief lunch, he had been at the infochant before that. Her mind suggested that he or someone very much like him had been present at a couple of other locations she had visited as well. Fear spiked inside of her, the man was following her.

What would Junebug do in a situation like this? Probably lure the fellow into an alley and beat some answers out of him. Taya was less than confident about her own abilities in that area. Try to lose him? Unless he was a complete idiot he would already know what ship she was from. Half a dozen shipments of rations and supplies having already been sent. Could it be something to do with her father and the Duke’s attempted coup? Unlikely. She had checked for news from Fornax as soon as they docked and received nothing but an ominous blank where data should have been. Perhaps the people who had abducted Nia were interested in them? Possibly, but they could just as easily be ship jackers or kidnappers. Unconsciously her hand slipped into her pocket to where the heavy flechette pistol Junebug had given her was concealed. She only barely knew how to use the thing. Sayeeda had promised some instruction  but there hadn’t been any time as of yet. Best just to get somewhere safe. Trying not to appear to hurry, she headed back towards the Highlander as quickly as she could.

[@POOHEAD189]