"This is Wren transport, Shadow, captain Jackson Fauss calling, Hera. Hera reply." I called down to the planet. Requesting a landing to refuel and hopefully find work. Don't know why I'm back on this god forsaken rock.
A voice came over the radio. An older gentlemen by the sound of it, with a gruff yet gentle voice." Transport Shadow, this is Hera."
"Hera I am requesting landing for refuel and supply."
"Well son your clear for landing. There are ports open in Serenity View's port, and in Grainhal. I'd take Grainhal, more ships go in 'n out of there, the port fee's dang near nutt'n."
I smirk a little he cant see it, garram vid' went out weeks ago... I should fix that. " Thanks, Grainhal it is. This is Shadow making approach, in to Grainhal port."
"Have a good'n son. Hera out." And the radio and fuzzy screen went black.
Grainhal is the main port town of Hera, ships come here to transport grain and other produce and crops from here to every corner of the verse, though that's just the cover story. Most of it gets redirected to the Core planets. It was the same on Shadow.
My mom and her kin were grain farmers, taught me the trade, but I wanted to be in the black with my dad. He was a pilot, one of the best. Married my mom against granddads wishes though that soon changed though when dad got his own mid-bulk transport, Camel class, a strange looking craft with good cargo space and real good fuel economy but not great on speed. But what ever the old bird was or wasn't, dad loved her, almost as much as mom. Named it aft'r her too. His kin ran one of the transport companies on Shadow, when he married mom the tow businesses joined up made us one of the wealthier families on the rock. And the only one that could ship its own stock.
The plan for me was to go in as a pilot when I was old enough. Lot a good plans do, huh.
When I as ground side I decided to go and look for a job or a pub. Maybe both.
Walking down the streets you could tell this was a mostly farm'n place. Every vendor was a-sell'n produce and stuff for grow'n the produce. Sad to say I feel at home in this environment, Ships and farmers. Reminded me of home. I stopped every now and again when things looked of interest. But bein a pilot out a work and look'n don't take no one long to try n' push me along my way.
Hard to find work these days I been doing odd jobs here and there most stick'n to the outer worlds, since I have an empty hold hope'n I can find me some work.
I start ask'n about here and there, " Scuse me, mam, sir. I'm look'n for persons in need of a ship, and an empty hold."
Had a few interesting offers but none that would even pay the next port'n fee. So kept a-walk'n. I haven't had this much trouble finding a job since I go out of that prison when the war ended.
Work wasn't to be found for a young browncoat stuck in the core. I eventually got a job as a mechanic for a small shipping company that did a little under the table dealings, what did I care, anything against the alliance was good in my eyes. Eventually I was trusted with my own route from Sinon to Boros and back. Every now 'n ag'n they send me to Londinum. I always got the creeps. Alliance every where looking every were at everything, it made me a might twitchy.
I started to learn how to hack as a result of being stuck in the core. It got me out of some tight spots before. The only things I still carry around of those days are my data book and a few electronic lock friers. I almost got caught by the alliance on one trip, wont go into details, be it enough to say the job went south. That's how I acquired my ship actually. I stole it reset some of the systems so it was like an entirely new ship, to those that don't know better. I had to sacrifice a lock frier to reset it all. But I aint nothing if I'm not resourceful.
Found my way out to some old familiar places, around the back corners of the verse. Even found my way back to Shadow, tempted to land where the old homestead was, thought better of it though not having any radiation protection. Bring me back round to the present.
I was talk'n to an older gentlemen on a deal, delivering some grain for a mite cheaper then the actual shipping companies. When a strange man came over to me, "I hear you're a pilot." He stated in a voice that was a mixed accent of core and outer worlds, "I might have a need for your talents."
I know I'm needing to be a tad more wary of this but I need the coin, "You have a job?"
The man smirked, "If your interested."
"Mama dint raise just any fool now. I'll hear ya out but I aint gonna make any promises. I never walk from a potential job. Works hard 'nough to find for men like me."
He sized me up a bit, taken notice of my obvious choice of brown in my wardrobe, examined my old unit patch and crew patch I keep on my flight jacket. "I have work that's right down your ally, sir. If you'll come my way." He gestured me to a small bar at the corner of the street. "There" and he followed the nod and began to stroll.
I nodded and followed the suit.
We entered the dirty old Bar in the port town of Grainhal; named so clever the Drunken Farmer. If the place looked like gose from the outside then the inside, well there aint a colored enough word in the verse to descried this.
Walking in to the bar there was a first the smell most recognizable of beer and smokes. A long bar along the back of the large room partly exposed an older over weight man, in a stained white button down and a black apron. A pair of glasses adorned his wide cautious face and a scare trailed from his right eye to the ear on the same side. He was cleaning a glass and talk'n to a patron of the bar, farmer by the cloths all I could tell from the back. There were tables dott'n the floor here and there most of them filled, with various folks have'n a good time. The suit led me to a booth table in the back corner, were there was another, slightly younger man in a tux tryin' his luck with one of the bar maids; Smoothed-back hair, a look of a moneyed individual, and that same mixed accent looked as he was doin well till he caught a glance at us walkin in.
"if you'll please excuse me dear, I have business to discuss," he handed her a tip with a wink, and she walked off. "So my associate here says you're a pilot looking for work, is this fact?" I nodded," please speak boy, this light is terrible."
"This is fact. I'm lookin for work if you have some for me to have." I said with a wary tone. I always had a hard time trustin core worlders, even if they weren't for the alliance. And the factt that I wasnt getting the ussual vibes off of him had me scratchin my head more. "is, there, any to be had?"
"Yes, there is but I have a college that is in need of a pilot to run some jobs for him. Some might be a little questionable if the alliance were to know but I'm guessing you haven't a problem with that." He said him to eyeing my choice of brown. He too too notice of the patches, he shocked, more then shocked but truly amazed dispite the cool composier masking his face. I do wish it was writen on his face but it wasnt. Its just the vibe. "I had friends in your old unit in the war, I'm amazed any of there numbers are still among the living." he said cocking an eyebrow as her stared for a moment longer.
"If that's what ya want ta be callin. I'm just breathing myself. Where's your friend and did you have a job for me?"
"My friend will contact you when you deliver my goods to him on Boros. I need your docking number to have it delivered to your ship. You will be compensated well for this." He held out his hand and smiled, "do we have a deal?"
I took his hand firm in mine," deal, I leave as soon as I get refueled."
"Good in the mean time," he gave a wave to the bar maid who had apparently been watching, "join me for a drink?"
"Sounds good." I grin and order a few shots of rum straight and a rum and cola to chase it.
Right at an hour later I was sittin back in my chair preparing for preflight and factoring in a course for boros. If this friend has work thats good. I gotta keep flying, even if the jobs get a lil' less then legal. On that note I'm gonna need a more dependable ship. I'll hit the junk yards when I get there. Being a ship yard there will be enough of a choice to be efficient.
My radio buzzed to life, " Mr. Fauss the cargo is secured in you hold," it was the tux guy, that weird accent all but singing over the comm as he was fell'n mighty pleased with himself.
"Thank you, I'll be off your rock in mere moments."
"Very well, good flying" The radio buzzed off.
I looked up at the blue sky over Hera, something didn't feel right.
A.N.: Third person narrator. Enter new character.
A feeling that was well warranted.
Looking out on to the old worn shipping ports of grainhal stood a figure. He was looking through a pair of binoculars, dressed in black body armor, and black combat pants of a alliance shadow operative. He sneered as the Wren class-ship Shadow left the atmosphere. He looked down a wrist, to a small compact computer. "Target leaving Hera, 1300hrs, on route to Boros. Will be resuming pursiut as soon as transportation is procured." He had two hand guns on each hip as well as a straight edged katana slung over his shoulder. His skin was tanned and his dark-eyes narrowed as he searched over the port looking for a promising vessel with witch to make his chase. To his dismay most were nothing more then old transport vessels, a few alliance shuttles here and there but other then that nothing he thought he could use.
"This chase requires a lower profile ship then those i'm accustomed I believe" He said as he grinned evilly as he walked towards the intended group of docks, pulling a black trench coat over his torso hiding his weapons and body armor. "This should prove a most interesting chase."
As the dark figure stalks the docks, searching and asking questions of various residence about ships and their ease of repair and maintenance. Not satisfied with any of the answers he was receiving. He took a watchful position in an unoccupied ally. He pulled his computer to his face again, " Transportation proving more difficult to find then previously expected. I have lost enough time on this minor errand, stealing a ship soon." He clicked a small button on his wrist, to deactivate the data recorder. He started walking to the nearest dock as a chirp sounded from his 'watch'. He pressed another small button, "Yes?"
A small screen flickered as a face of an man appeared on the screen. He wore aface of panic and worry. As if someone was chasing him and he couldn't be in one spot for too long. His long brown hair was a mess and looked as stressed as the rest of him, his eyes werent even on the screen and were bloodshot and held the dark bags of a long night.
"Cody? Is that you? Where are you? Something's happened?" A voice came from the tiny screen on his wrist. He backed further into the ally so as to not attract attention. The brown haired mans nostriled were flared as if he had been running and was out of breath, and he haistily threw on some sunglasses.
"Kory, calm down. You shouldn't have called me here. All communications are monitored."
" I don't care. Cody they've killed them all. I need to hide, I'm next."
"What? Who killed Who?"
"I don't know they came when I was at work the news on the cortex said they linked the murder of your family to me and some people in army uniforms came in while I was at work and killed my family. They didn't care that the surveillance strips were on they just came in and.. "
"Kory where are you?"
"I'm hiding from the police in one of the crowded sectors of the city. I need to get out of here.?"
"GOSE, Go to my house I'll unlock it from here. I'm sorry they said that they would not attack my personal life." 'This is what I get for wanting to retire' "When your in the house look in the kitchen find the oven and enter the numbers 0894 on the pad and then enter, it will open a small locked safe grab the credit cards and the id in there, it will imprint with the picture of the person that inputs the code. show it to someone and they will think you're an operative. Make your way to the coordinates I'm sending you I'll meet you there. I must leave now every moment I'm on they will track the communication back to who ever I'm talking to. "
"Thanks, Zi gin." And the screen went blank.
He stopped staring at his wrist and looked concerned then went back to the hardened determination he normally wears. "This makes things complicated. I need to go."
Moments later a firefly transport roared out of the docks and broke atmo.