The Ballard of Cairo
Part thirty-four: Famous for five minuets

Borghese Spaceport
Borghese
Lyran Alliance

Jackson brought the Wataru to a stop on their assigned pad at the spaceport. Out of the view port he could see a crowd of people standing behind a security fence and several VTOLs flying overhead. Whatever was going on, he didn't like it.

He keyed on the PA system. "Lt. Cairo to the bridge...Lt. Cairo to the bridge."

Cairo appeared a few minutes later, "What's up?"

Jackson just pointed out of the window. Cairo picked up a pair of binoculars and scanned the crowd. "Some of the people out there have placards with our names on." He looked more closely at the VTOLs. "Holo-news agencies? Paul, see if you can pick up some TV on the main screen".

Jackson flicked a few switches and a man appeared, standing in front of the crowd that surrounded the DropShip. "Just moments ago the DropShip Wataru landed here at the Borghese Spaceport. It is believed that Lt Steven Cairo and the so-called 'Cairo's Crusaders' are indeed onboard, though no one has left the ship since it stopped." The screen changed to a photo of Cairo taken when he was serving with the Dog Soldiers Company. "Since entering the Federated Commonwealth almost a year ago, Lt. Cairo, a native of the world of Los Alamos in the Periphery, has waged a one-man war against pirates. His fight has taken him from Arboris, to Wolcolt, to Idlewind in the Draconis Combine and into the Ghost Bear Domain. He has even gone as far as the former Clan Smoke Jaguar home-world of Huntress, before finally coming here to Borghese."

The photo changed to one that Cairo knew every millimetre of. "Lt. Cairo is said to be hunting this man, Sebastian Cain, a mercenary who has been accused of piracy on more than one occasion. The Wolf Dragons, who for a time employed Lt. Cairo, refuse to release any information as to the reason for this feud and are still looking into who leaked Lt. Cairo's story to the press."

Cairo turned off the monitor and screamed at the intercom, "Sgt. O'Brien to the bridge, double time!" His face was a mask of anger when O'Brien ran through the hatch. He turned the monitor back on and let her see what was happening.

She seemed almost as shocked as he was. "Steven I swear to you, I haven't told anyone but Outreach about what we've been doing."

For a moment she thought Cairo was going to hit her, then he seemed to relax, if only a little. "You realise that Cain now knows I'm after him and will be looking for me?" Cairo pushed past her and stormed off.

Jackson shook his head. "This is not going to help. If the press see him like that, we may be in for some trouble. They seem to have built him up as some sort of hero, but if they think that he's a raving psychopath, then they'll turn on him...and us. If that happens then we may as well go home. This mission requires stealth to work. No more reports to Outreach - not until we've found the leak. You may want to lay low for a while. He's got even more reasons to hate you now and I don't think he can keep control much longer. We have to get him to a psychiatrist soon." O'Brien nodded and walked back to her cabin.

To Be Continued...