The air felt hot at the twenty-fifth floor of the building, the windows were open and a slight breeze cooled the sweat from Bright's brow. The creature sitting across from Bright was his best client. Only his need for the transaction to follow through had him biting his tongue. For the eighth time she had caressed his leg with her tenticales and had him squirming in his seat.
"Oh now, Bright, take my offer I will pay extra for your ...mm...services." The Lolligan creature clacked her beak.
Looking at her squid-like features Bright did his best to hide the shudder that past through him as he thought of what the extra services might entail, "As appealing as that sounds the only services I can offer you are my merchandise." He said trying to push a tenticales that was trying to make its way into his pants.
Withdrawing her tentacle Naya pouted. "Hmm, you've never been with a lolligan before...mm... have you?"
"No"
"We logillan's can be very...mm...giving." she smiled with confidence, "the humans that have serviced us have always been quite... mm.. stunned."
"Are you sure they're not just traumatized into silence?" Bright raised an eyebrow. Naya squawked with outrage. "Naya, you know what we're both here for so I suggest you quit this bullshit your trying to pull."
Fury and humiliatation made her eyes seem blacker and glosser than they were, her tenticales lashed out as if to whip the offender for the insult. Her temper subsided as one of her subordinates leaned in to whisper a calming reminder. "My lady... the weapons" Bright could barley hear the male's words but he understood the male was reminding Naya of their purpose. "Your are Beautiful" the male finished.
Slightly mollified Naya settled back into her seat, "Very well, let's see what you... mm... have for me."
Bright nodded to his right hand man, Boun. Placing the case on the table in front of the scheming merchant, Boun opened the case. Inside was a black small underwhelming looking weapon, "This is an Ignis Blaster, it will burn anything within a 100 meters in just a few seconds." Boun picked up the blaster and walked to the open window. He smiled at the unimpressed Naya as he aimed at a tree below. He fired the blaster and fire swept up consuming the giant tree within a few seconds, and just a quickly as the fire spread, the fire died out only leaving black ash as proof the tree was ever there.
"Hmm, how much are you...mm...asking for?" The Logillan female asked as she walked back to her seat, trying to hide her excitement.
"450,093 Narios" Bright said leaning back in his chair.
"That's ridiculous Bright even for you, no one will...mm...pay that much."
"They will when they find out I have a whole shipment of these." Bright smiled confidently knowing she would want everything he had.
Slime began forming on the Logillan's forhead. Bright could only assume it was what past for sweat. Another shudder threatened to make it's way through his body but Bright supressed it as he'd already insulted her once today. One more insult might push her over the edge. Boun put the blaster away and Bright stood as if prepared to take his leave but Naya broke first. "You have...mm... a deal." Naya said wraping her tenticale around Bright's arm.
Bright sat back down, inwardly sighing in relief. He knew she would take the bait but the confirmation settled the tension between his shoulders. They needed the Narios and the more they could get the better.
-------------------------------------
"Captain, target is in my sights."
In the airship, above the building, Mew could hear the conversation the fugitive Bright and the Logillan female were having. Only the invisible shield hid them from view. "Okay, Mike are you in position?"
"Yes" Mike confirmed. "All exits are covered."
"Air support?"
"Covered Boss" Tul answered. He was already on his rizer ready to catch anyone trying to escape.
"Ok, Zee, aim but don't kill him we need him alive."
"Got it, Cap" breathing deeply, Zee, snapped his gum, and pressed the trigger. Suddenly, the stunner was ripped from his hands.
"I'll take that." A laugh from above had Zee pulling out a blaster from his side holster. "How about we trade. I'll take this..." the man lifted the stunner "...and you take that." The thief winked and threw a grenade directly at Zee's feet. Zee had little time to jump before the grenade exploded throwing him off the roof. Thinking quickly he threw his rizer under him allowing it to expand and hover in midair. Pain shot up his leg when his foot landed in an unnatural position, causing him to stumble off the board.
"I got you." Tul grabbed Zee's arm before he could completely fall off his rizer. Zee winced his body aching and burning from the explosion. The pain in his back reminded him he was still alive giving him strength to pull himself back up. "I'm going to make that smiling asshole pay." He promised griting his teeth as he steaded the rizer. "Captain-" he groaned into his head piece.
"I see him." Mew affirmed, "Get back to the airship."
"Yes, Cap" he groaned again.
"Mike, Zee is down proceed to the next plan. Tul you cover the windows."
"On it." Tul replied, "Don't worry Zee, I'll bring the bastard to you." Tul promised Zee before he took off after the perpetrator.
---------------------------------
"Bright! in coming!" Bright heard Off yell into his head piece just before he saw his friend fly in through the open window. Off tossed a stunner at Bright.
"We need to get out of here, there are Space Enforcers surrounding the building." Off yelled, pulling out a smoker from his pocket.
Bright stood aiming the stunner at Naya, "You bitch you betrayed me." Suddenly realizing she had been stalling.
"I would never betray... mm... the infamous Bright." The female smirked the lie clear in her beady eyes.
Grabbing his rizer from his pocket he threw it in the air just as the door burst open and a tall man stormed in firing his weapon. Off threw his smoker a heavy fog filled the room. Bright jumped on his rizer and a smoke mask already in place covering his mouth and nose. He began firing back as he rode the rizer out of the window. He didn't need to look back to see if Boun was following him, after so many years of selling illegal weapons they knew each other moves. "Mond, get the airship started we need to get the fuck out of here that Logillan bitch betrayed us." Bright yelled into his head piece.
"Copy" came the reply.
"I think Mew is behind this, one of his lackeys was on the roof." Off yelled back as he fired his blaster. "There are more of Mew's men on rizers but I'll cover us while you get to the airship."
A blast flew by Bright's head almost hitting him. "Off, watch out." Bright called out to his best friend but another blast missed Bright and hit Off.
Off felt the impact hit his shoulder. Pain radiated throughout his body. He had time to look down at the blood that began oozing down his shoulder, his vision went doubled and he fell off his rizer to the ground below.
"Off!!" Bright yelled when he saw his long time friend falling. He sped up trying to catch him but another shot flew past him grazing his leg. "Ugh!!" He turned pulling out his blaster and fired at the men following them. Boun caught Off but the awkward catch had him dropping the case with the Ingis blaster. "Shit!!" Boun cursed.
"Just get to the airship!!" Bright called out to Boun. "I'll cover you." Bright fired again this time hitting his target. More shots fired past Bright but he was to quick on his rizer for the blasts to hit their mark. He landed on the airship dock, the ship shook with the force of a blast. Removing his smoke mask Bright ran to the cockpit. "Off was hit we need to get the hell out of here and get to our spaceship before they find it. Accelerate at full speed." Another blast had the ship's alert system shrieking.
"Something is wrong, the control panel was tampered with." Mond said as he reconnected the control system, after a few seconds the airship began it's ascent.
They made their way to their hidden spaceship but ships from space enforcers surrounded Bright's beloved spaceship. The spaceship that had housed him and his friends for years. The spaceship that had all his merchandise stored in the cargo hold.
"Fuck!!" Bright hit the control panel. Having lost their spaceship to the space enforcers left no doubt that they had been betrayed and setup.
"They have the spaceship." Mond whispered in disbelief. "How did these guys get the jump on us so quickly?"
"We were set up. We need to get out of here" Bright was furious at the betrayal. How could this have happened? Naya was one of his best clients there had to have been a reason for this but until he could sort out this mess he needed to save his crew. "We can use this airship to throw us to the next jump."
This ship can't take an accelerated launch and it won't survive a jump." Mond protested.
"We'll just have to improvise."
The airship shook violently making the men stumble. "What the hell is going on?" Bright yelled.
"Another ship is trying to dock, if we don't do something now they're going to take over this ship."
"We'll use the celerites to boost the accelraction system it should take us to the next jump."
"Are you crazy? That's suicide! Airships aren't built for jumps and even if we do survive the jump could throw us to an uncharted location."
"Do you have any other ideas?" Bright growled, they had to get out of here, he'd rather die than let that bastard catch him or his friends. "Besides they probably found our stash in the cargo. Do you really want go to the prison planet?"
"With my good looks are you crazy?" Mond shuddered.
"Exactly, now go get the celerites, when I start the accelerater you throw it into the acceleration tank."
"Got it." Mond agreed running to the engine bay.
Bright began preparing the airship to begin the jump. "This better fucking work." He muttered.
"You know I'm starting to wonder if you're even trying at this point." Fuck! Bright cursed inwardly, turning to the voice, standing so casually by the door was Mew, the man who insisted on capturing him and his team. Mew had his blaster aimed right at Bright's chest.
Rage filled Bright, that son of a bitch. "How the hell did you get in so quickly?"
"That's what I was wondering. After all these years I can finally send you to where you belong."
Bright lifted his blaster. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Mew said pointing his blaster at Bright's head. I won't say it again put your blaster down...now!!"
"Admit it, you have a thing for me don't you?" Bright taunted "I mean why else would you be following me all over the galaxy. If you wanted a date you could've just asked."
"Shut the fuck up!! You need to pay for everything you've done and the murders you've committed."
"I'm not a murderer!!!" Bright bellowed furiously, "but you are, the only one who needs to go to Carcel is you." Bright fired at Mew, the lazer blarely missed Mew's shoulder. Before Mew could retaliate, Bright hit the accelerater. "Now Mond!!" Bright yelled into his head piece. The force of the blast threw both of them to the floor.
Ship in critical condition please exit to all safety units...Ship in critical condition please exit to all safety units. The alarms began repeating just as the ship made its jump.
"Are you crazy!!" Mew raged.
"Yes!!" Bright smiled just as the jump hit full speed.