Day One-

“Look Lanigan, I said I could deliver, and I will. You just have the credits here when I get back, and I will be counting them all.”

“Trent, just remember, I have to have the shipment here tomorrow, if your late, the deals off and my buyer goes else where.”

“I’ll be here. See you then.”

The freighter pilot engages engines and hovered off the deck plates.

“Freeport Seven, this is Trent requesting departure.”

“Mr. Trent, this is Freeport Seven, you are cleared for departure. Good sailing.”

The freighter, bigger than most and better armed, moved off and the pilot engaged his cruise engine and was gone. The station was unusually quiet. Trade usually brought lots of traffic, pilots looking for work. The only unusual people now though were some bounty hunters looking for wanted pilots. There was a quiet man, mustache and all, sitting in a corner booth. The ambient light in that corner was a sight bit lower, nice for anyone who did not wish to be seen. Only the tell tale light from a burning cigarette gave away that someone was in the fold of the darkness.

Space, in this quadrant, was darker, more foreboding. No one could explain why, just that it was. Tobias had warned Trent to stay in Bretonian space, to work at his business, but Trent saw greater profit in the rim worlds. Selling what he owned, Trent had bought his ship and left, much to Tobias’s sadness.

The mysterious man in the bar left the station shortly afterward. His destination, the planet Pygar. His goal was money. He was very good at what he did, and the current contract would let him retire on some back world and never need anything again. He just had to get one really insignificant item. But, getting his hands on it, well, that was easier said than done.

The small craft banked into a tight turn to the planetary gate. The robot manning the station did not even question his reason for being there. Security was light as well. Strange for a dig sight, but that only worked for his advantage.

After landing and getting a scanner from his hold, he locked in on the item he was after. After two near misses with patrolling security, he located the room. A quick look around, and he reached into his coat pocket and removed an electronic lock pick. Placing it on the door, he began to run random codes. A cheerp and a click and the door slid open.

Entering, he left the lights of and drew out a pair of night vision glasses and began to inspect the room. There was no safe, only a locked cabinet. He chuckled at the ease of the job, and began to hand pick this lock. “Click” Not even a challenge on this one, he thought to himself.

“Freeze” An alert security officer called out behind him.

“Wait, I can explain this” the man said as he turned slowly to face the officer. “You see, I have to deliver this to a scientist and he said it was ok to just pick it up here.”

The guard laughed as he reached for the com panel on the wall. For a second, he took his eyes off the man, and that was all it took. The man grabbed a book beside him and through it at the guard. This caused the guard to throw up his hands to deflect it, taking his gun off the intruder.

The man lunged at the guard, knocking him into the wall, his head snapping back to impact the door frame. He was out cold and slid down to the floor. The man turned the light back off and put his glasses away and left the room. He had to get out of here before the guard came to or someone else found him.

Once in space, he headed back to Freeport Seven to await his contact. They had said they would meet him there, and the exchange would be made. They would be bringing the credits with them and he could head for Kusari space after the deal was done. He would be too hot in this area for a long time.

Trent obtained the cargo he was after. The price was a lot less than he had expected. Strange how one item is almost of no value to one person, then worth a kings ransom to another. This pay off though, was one he could show up Tobias and prove him wrong. After leaving the depot, Trent plotted a course to return to Freeport seven, figuring to be there in two days time.