The auctioneer smiled out at the dimly visible audience as the spotlight illuminated the next item up for bid. The light revealed a scantly clad gray skinned female with pure silver-white hair cropped short and sensual black lips that complimented her equally dark eyes.
The assembled crowd grew hushed as the girl was brought reluctantly forward on the slightly raised stage and her hand manacles fastened to the uprights that forced her to stand with her bound hands high up over her head, displaying her taunt and well toned muscles to their best. The female brought more then one appreciating murmur from the crowd.
"Our next item up for auction," the speaker announced, "Is a Nebari female. Approximately twenty cycles of age and as you can all see... in excellent health."
As if on cue, the girl twisted in her bounds as if trying to free herself.
"And as you can also observe... she is very spirited. The buyer will receive many useful cycles out of this slave. Shall we begin the bidding at... three-hundred thousand Quid?"
He knew the opening bid was a little on the high side - but he also knew this exotic female was worth it.
A red-scaled humanoid in the front of the audience stepped forward and placed three metallic food cube-sized currency slats into the first slot of the large bidding table. The auctioneer inspected the bid and then slid a clear door closed over the small cubbyhole and then placed the bidder's marker on the auction roster. The bidder then went to stand off to one side while the auction continued.
"Ventuoo QupZata opens the bidding at three-hundred thousand Quid for the Nebari female," the speaker confirmed. "Do I hear a counter bid of three-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid to set the auction in play?"
"Three-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid!" spoke up another red-scaled being, who then approached and deposited his currency slats into the second slot on the bidding table.
"Ventuoo XotaCa now bids three-hundred thousand and five-hundred Quid for the Nebari female," the auctioneer told the crowd, he then turned first bidder. "Do you wish to withdraw your bid, Ventuoo QupZata?"
"I will match bid and continue," the first bidder announced.
The auctioneer bowed. "Very well, Ventuoo. The outlay is met and the sale proceeds. The bid is now three- hundred and one thousand Quid for this Nebari female. What do I hear from the assembly?"
The bidding went on for some time until there was nine bidders total competing for the Nebari slave.
When the bid reached three-hundred and ninety thousand the vast majority of the assembly dropped out of the bidding, leaving just the nine standing up in front to continue. At four-hundred thousand Quid, the number of people bidding dropped to seven.
By the time there was only three bidders left in the game, the price had risen to four-hundred and forty-five thousand Quid for the gray girl dressed only in a silk loin cloth and brief halter-top that was made out of a second length of the same silk material. The female had been "peace-gagged" with a clear plastic muzzle to keep her from shouting out and disturbing the auction. But her eyes held the look of uncertain apprehension that most slaves had while up on the auction block and going through the long process of bidding to see whom would own them next.
The auctioneer again smiled to himself. The girl was indeed a beauty and he had picked her up for a mere twenty-five-hundred thousand Quid from a Hynerian merchant. He'd almost already doubled his cost for the girl and the auction wasn't even over yet. He'd been in the business long enough to know that each of these three men wanted the slave for themselves very badly.
There was no telling how much they might be willing to shell out for the Nebari.
"The bid is now four-hundred and fifty thousand Quid. How do you each stand?" he asked.
"I will match bid and continue," replied Ventuoo QupZata.
"I will match bid and continue also," said Ventuoo XotaCa.
The third bidder paused a moment, looking to be deep in deliberation.
"How say you, Ventuoo AllSha?" asked the speaker a micron later.
The red man frowned and clenched one hand in a fist. He glanced back at the Nebari girl again and made up his mind.
"I will match... and continue," he finally said.
The auctioneer nodded. "Very well, my good Ventu'ti. Outlay is again matched and the sale proceeds in good faith. The bid is now four-hundred and fifty-five thousand Quid for the Nebari."
Both QupZata and XotaCa matched the bid and stood. The auction rules allowed the auctioneer to jump up the bidding at his preference after the initial group of bidders dropped to three. This normally left only the serious bidders in the auction, the ones with a large enough currency bank to keep going for an obviously hot property.
AllSha however had reached his limit and with one last forlorn look at the captive girl withdrew his bid placement from the slotted table and step back into the crowd to watch the finish of the auction for the lovely Nebari slave.
"Ventuoo AllSha has withdrawn," announced the auctioneer, "Bidding continues with the two Ventu'ti that remain."
QupZata and XotaCa glared at each other over the bidding table. Neither looked ready to give in over the gray woman and that made the auctioneer tremendously happy.
"The bid now is four-hundred and sixty thousand Quid. How say you both?"
"I match bid and continue," said QupZata right away.
"I match bid and raise to five-hundred thousand Quid," replied XotaCa.
The crowd murmured loudly at XotaCa's action and the man's red-scaled face spit into a grin at QupZata.
The auctioneer could barely contain himself from dancing right there on the spot.
"I will match the bid of five-hundred thousand and continue," barked QupZata smartly.
The speaker composed himself long enough to carry on the auction.
"The new bid is accepted and outlay matched. The bid is now... five-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid for this exquisite Nebari female.
"I will match and continue!" exclaimed XotaCa.
"As will I!" responded the other bidder stubbornly.
The auction speaker had to squeeze his hands to keep from rubbing them together in anticipation of the profit he was going to make over this one slave. He was so caught up in his dreams of sudden wealth that he almost missed what happened next.
"Six-hundred thousand Quid!" said a voice from somewhere on the floor.
"What?!" all three men on the raised platform said at the same time.
The audience erupted in conversational turmoil as spectators quickly parted for the tall figure draped in a black cloak. The new bidder stepped up on the low stage with heavy boots.
"Six-hundred thousand for the slave," said a monotone voice from under the dark hood. The cloak moved aside and the figure upturned a felt-bag so that the currency slats spilled out onto the bid table in a jumble. The auctioneer would have died in pure bliss at any other time, except that the humanoid limb that reached out to deposit the placement bid was covered in metal. And the armor was etched with Scarran icons that he knew all too well.
"Enforcer!" the speaker gasped out before he could stop himself.
The watching crowd grew silent except for the scattered whispers and murmurs that contain the terms "Black Syndicate" and "Shrike."
"L-Lord Shrike," the auctioneer finally managed to stammer out after a few microts. "It's a honor to have your presence with us. The Syndicate's representatives are always welcomed here in our auction house."
The black-garbed Enforcer made no comment to the speaker's shaky welcome. Instead, he regarded him silently with impassive blue eyes from under the hood of his cloak. The speaker looked back at his other two bidders and saw that they were staring at the Shrike with semi-bulging eyes and that their red skin had noticeably paled. However neither man made a move to withdraw their placement bid for the girl.
"Well... let us continue with the sale then, shall we?" asked the speaker nervously to nobody in particular. "The...ah? The new bid... is six-hundred thousand Quid for the slave. How stand you all?"
"I will match bid and continue," replied QupZata.
"I also will match bid and continue," XotaCa said.
The Shrike merely nodded his consent.
"Very well, my Lord Shrike... and my good Ventu'ti," announced the auctioneer. "The bid stands in good faith and the new bid shall be six-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid."
"Match and continue," XotaCa put in at once.
"Match and I raise bid to six-hundred and two thousand Quid!" shot in QupZata.
XotaCa glared daggers at the other man and scowled deeply.
The speaker ignored the two red men for the moment and turned his attention to his third bidder.
"How bid you, Lord Shrike?" he asked attentively.
"I will match and continue," said the emotionless man.
"Will you also match, Ventuoo XotaCa?" the auctioneer asked the first man.
XotaCa looked angry enough to spit pulse bolts.
"Nay!" he spat, "I withdraw from the auction."
"Very well," the speaker answered as the retired bidder recovered his initial placement bid from its slot on the table. "Ventuoo XotaCa has withdrawn and the sale proceeds. The new bid by Ventuoo QupZata is accepted in good faith. The new bid is now six-hundred and two thousand five-hundred Quid for the female. How say you, Lord Shrike?"
"Accepted and continue," the assassin replied.
QupZata licked his lips. "Matched and I again raise to six-hundred and three thousand Quip for the girl."
"Six-hundred and fifty thousand Quid," countered the Shrike.
QupZata jumped in before the speaker could go through the confirmation of bid ritual.
"Six-hundred and sixty thousand Quid!" he threw in.
The air suddenly filled with a metallic chime and the twin blades from the assassin's brace slammed into the bid table. Burying themselves halfway into the alloy surface and spilling currency slats in every direction on the platform.
"That was my offer, not a bid," the Shrike hissed menacingly.
QupZata lost all the color in his face at the abrupt outburst from the Enforcer and wondered if he was going to die in the next few microt. The auctioneer nearly lost bladder control but recovered quick enough to divert a potential unpleasant situation.
"I see," said the auctioneer. "My apologizes, Lord Shrike. It was not understood that the Syndicate was exercising tithe right at six-hundred and fifty-thousand Quid." He nodded to QupZata that he should quickly remove his placement bid from the half-destroyed table and make his exit off the stage as quickly as possible. Turning to the watching crowd he said, "The auction is forfeit and all bids are void. The Syndicate purchases this slave outright for six-hundred and fifty thousand Quid. Tithe right has been declared and honored. In good faith this purchase has been completed."
The Shrike produced several more metallic tiles from somewhere on his person and dropped them onto the bidding table after pulling his blades out. The auctioneer had two of his assistants unfasten the Nebari girl's hands from the upright display and secure a collar around her throat. After attaching a lead, they brought the girl over to her new owner. At first she balked at being handed over to the Shrike and tried to pull away from the assassin. A hard yank on the leash and a promise of a beating made the girl compliant and she behaved herself from then on. The assistants couldn't blame her for acting up with being sold to the Syndicate, but this was business and her fate was her problem, not theirs.
The slaver's and audience were very surprised when the Shrike suddenly removed his cloak and draped it around the now shivering Nebari in her skimpy attire to cover her.
Some might have stared and considered the odd behavior more... if the sight of the gunmetal colored armor plates that sheathed the assassin's body wasn't so intimidating. The well used pair of Peacekeeper issue pulse pistols sling at his right thigh and at his left hip didn't bode well for those who wanted to be too nosey into Syndicate business either. The currency slats were hurriedly swept into a waiting strongbox and the next slaves to be auctioned were brought out and hung for display.
Everyone forgot about the tall Sebacean Shrike and the beautiful Nebari slave in the next few moments as the lot of Kalish prisoners was put up.
Outside the slaver's auction hall, the Enforcer hurriedly pushed the Nebari slave into a waiting public transport vehicle. The assassin got in behind her and the ground car took off just as the door closed behind him.
"How did it go?" asked a small being that was already in the car waiting.
The slave let out a delighted giggle.
"Like a charm, frogface," Chiana said with a huge grin.
"I knew it would work just as well again," answered Rygel with a smile of his own.
The Shrike frowned at the pair.
"It barely worked this time," he told the other two grimly. "The bidding was going far beyond the amount of currency I had on me. I had to improvise or we would have lost Chiana."
"You? Improvise? Imagine that!" chuckled Rygel.
"And he was very good at it," put in the Nebari girl with an approving smile for Berret.
Berret handed the girl the sonic key to her collar and cuffs. "I fail to see what you are both so pleased about. If they had not bought my bluff, we would be in serious trouble." Chiana just gave Rygel a knowing look and smirk with one side of her pretty mouth as she finished removing her restraints.
"The risk is half the fun," the Nebari told him.
"And it grows each time we attempt this ruse," Berret countered, "By now word is beginning to spread throughout this system about the scam the two of you have concocted. This is the third world in the system we have done this on and by now the authorities have to be catching on that the currency we are using to buy Chiana back is counterfeit. I believe this scheme has outlived its viability."
"What are you talking about?" shot in the Hynerian. "I'll have you know that my counterfeits are virtually perfect! Ha-ha! Not even the banking services here have caught on to them yet."
"Still," went on the Shrike, "As Crichton says, we are pushing our luck."
"We should be able to do it one more time at the next planet before we leave system," Chiana told them. "Just one more time and we'll have a nice stash of credits socked away for the future."
Berret screwed up his face in doubt. He knew once the Pixie was on a roll with a scam, there would be little persuading her from her determined course of action.
"I do not know how I let the two of you talk me into participating in this?" he said sullenly.
"What? You're not having fun?" exclaimed Rygel. "I thought you enjoyed putting the whejjet to slavers? Its not like we're pulling the gromlet wool over the eyes of honest people."
"Yeah," agreed Chiana. "Its not like we're hurting anybody innocent."
"Besides," Rygel said while pointing a forefinger in Berret's direction. "The whole plan swivels around you playing the big scary Syndicate Enforcer to make it work."
The Shrike set back in his seat, wishing that the automated taxi-car would hurry up and arrive at the commerce port so they could board their Transport Pod and get off planet. He looked back at Rygel and the Hynerian raised a waiting earbrow in patience.
"I still don't like it," he finally said to them. "Have you given thought to what the others are going to say if they find out exactly what we have been doing on these stops?"
"Not to worry," said the Dominar with sincere assurance. "When they find out... if they find out, they will be pleased that we have taken these steps to amass our... our 'emergency' fund. They will know we have everyone's best interest in heart. Why just this last time we added twenty-five hundred thousand Quid to the kitty alone."
"Why do I find your explanation... less then sincere?" asked Berret as he crossed his arms.
"Because it is," shot in Chiana.
"Huh!" replied the Hynerian with a dismissing wave, "It's not my fault you're suspicious of everything. Aren't you happy to be splitting half the profits with Chiana?"
Berret raised an eyebrow at the comment from Rygel and Chiana shot up abruptly in her seat.
"Half!" she exclaimed, Wadda ya mean half! Huh-ah! We split the loot three ways," she insisted.
"Are you farbled?" retorted the Hynerian. "This whole plan was my idea! I should get half for coming up with it."
"Yeah?" Chiana said while leaning in closer to the smaller being. She cocked her head to one side as she continued, "Well, in case you're forgetting... I'm the one wearing a slave's garb and I'm the one that gets put into chains! Do you think they're going to pay as much for you?" She turned to glance at Berret for a microt. "And Berret's the one who has to go and get me out. This takes all of us to make it work... so we all get an even cut." She smiled evilly at the Dominar. "Unless you want to go it alone from here on out?"
Rygel curled his lip and half snarled at the smirking Nebari woman.
"All right! You ungrateful conniving backstabbing bitch! We'll cut the loot three ways," he said reluctantly.
"That's better, Ryg," replied Chiana with a pleased look and a condescending pat on the Hynerian's head, "And don't ever forget about the backstabbing bitch part."
She settled back in her seat and cuddled closer to Berret. Looking up at her metal-clad friend she found him regarding her with a slight look of disbelief on his face.
"What? What's wrong?" she inquired of the Shrike.
"The two of you forgot that I was present," explained the ex-Enforcer, "The least you could have done is kept up the pretext that we were doing this for the future good of the crew." He glanced across the passenger compartment to take in Rygel also. "Neither of you have any attention of sharing the money we made with the rest."
Rygel snorted. "Bah! Like you were ever that naive to believe that. Give your cut to the others if it makes you feel bad if you want too." The Hynerian got a crafty look on his face as he added, "Better yet... let me hold it for you while you wrestle with your conscious."
The Hynerian ruler turned to one side and muttered lowly, "...If you have one."
Berret caught the snide barb that Rygel really wasn't trying to hide to well. He was debating on reaching across the space that separated them and possibly tossing the annoying Hynerian out the window of the speeding land vehicle when Chiana pulled on his arm to get his attention back.
"Look, Retty," she started, "We did the work so we get to hold onto the money. If something happens that the others needed it... we'll give it up then. Okay?"
"Do I have a choice?" Berret asked.
"No," Rygel put it.
Chiana glared at the Hynerian royal. "Shut up, Toad! Nobody was talking to you." She turned back and reached up to stroke one side of Berret's face. "Hey, just one more time," she told him. "Where else are we going to find a system where slavery is legal? We're like that guy John told us about... Robbing Hoods. We take from the rich, and give to the poor."
"Which is us!" chuckled Rygel.
"We're only hurting slavers," Chiana reiterated.
Berret sighed. "I'm not comfortable with the time between when Rygel sells you to them and I go to buy you back. To many things can go wrong."
"Its only over night. I can take care of myself," Chiana countered. "It's been okay so far." She smiled up at him in that way she had when she was trying to get him to come around to her way of thinking. "Just think of it as striking a blow against the slavers you hate so much. We're putting a dent in the Syndicate's income so to speak."
"A very, very, small dent," Berret retorted.
"A dent none-the-less," said Rygel.
Berret turned to stare out the window. "When will they get to the landing port?" he thought to himself impatiently. The sooner they were back aboard Moya the better he would feel and the sooner he could put this arrangement out of his mind - until they visited the next planet in the system and the pair he was with would insist upon trying the scam one last time.
"Masokta frell me," the Shrike cursed in a low tone.
Chiana's eyes flared wide in mild surprise at his muttered comment.
"Ow! You're picking up some colorful language," she snickered. "Does this mean you're still in?"
"You are a bad influence on me," was all he said.
"I take that to mean a yes," answered the Nebari. Chiana winked up at him. "I may be a bad influence... but I'm fun."
"Remind me of that when we are in prison somewhere."
Chiana choose not to answer and instead happily rested her head against Berret shoulder. A few moments later the ground car turned down the long road leading to the spaceport. Across from them, Rygel hummed to himself contently and occasionally murmured out loud about what he wanted to spend his loot on.
Berret sighed once again to himself.
"I'm so frelled," he thought quietly.
The assembled crowd grew hushed as the girl was brought reluctantly forward on the slightly raised stage and her hand manacles fastened to the uprights that forced her to stand with her bound hands high up over her head, displaying her taunt and well toned muscles to their best. The female brought more then one appreciating murmur from the crowd.
"Our next item up for auction," the speaker announced, "Is a Nebari female. Approximately twenty cycles of age and as you can all see... in excellent health."
As if on cue, the girl twisted in her bounds as if trying to free herself.
"And as you can also observe... she is very spirited. The buyer will receive many useful cycles out of this slave. Shall we begin the bidding at... three-hundred thousand Quid?"
He knew the opening bid was a little on the high side - but he also knew this exotic female was worth it.
A red-scaled humanoid in the front of the audience stepped forward and placed three metallic food cube-sized currency slats into the first slot of the large bidding table. The auctioneer inspected the bid and then slid a clear door closed over the small cubbyhole and then placed the bidder's marker on the auction roster. The bidder then went to stand off to one side while the auction continued.
"Ventuoo QupZata opens the bidding at three-hundred thousand Quid for the Nebari female," the speaker confirmed. "Do I hear a counter bid of three-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid to set the auction in play?"
"Three-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid!" spoke up another red-scaled being, who then approached and deposited his currency slats into the second slot on the bidding table.
"Ventuoo XotaCa now bids three-hundred thousand and five-hundred Quid for the Nebari female," the auctioneer told the crowd, he then turned first bidder. "Do you wish to withdraw your bid, Ventuoo QupZata?"
"I will match bid and continue," the first bidder announced.
The auctioneer bowed. "Very well, Ventuoo. The outlay is met and the sale proceeds. The bid is now three- hundred and one thousand Quid for this Nebari female. What do I hear from the assembly?"
The bidding went on for some time until there was nine bidders total competing for the Nebari slave.
When the bid reached three-hundred and ninety thousand the vast majority of the assembly dropped out of the bidding, leaving just the nine standing up in front to continue. At four-hundred thousand Quid, the number of people bidding dropped to seven.
By the time there was only three bidders left in the game, the price had risen to four-hundred and forty-five thousand Quid for the gray girl dressed only in a silk loin cloth and brief halter-top that was made out of a second length of the same silk material. The female had been "peace-gagged" with a clear plastic muzzle to keep her from shouting out and disturbing the auction. But her eyes held the look of uncertain apprehension that most slaves had while up on the auction block and going through the long process of bidding to see whom would own them next.
The auctioneer again smiled to himself. The girl was indeed a beauty and he had picked her up for a mere twenty-five-hundred thousand Quid from a Hynerian merchant. He'd almost already doubled his cost for the girl and the auction wasn't even over yet. He'd been in the business long enough to know that each of these three men wanted the slave for themselves very badly.
There was no telling how much they might be willing to shell out for the Nebari.
"The bid is now four-hundred and fifty thousand Quid. How do you each stand?" he asked.
"I will match bid and continue," replied Ventuoo QupZata.
"I will match bid and continue also," said Ventuoo XotaCa.
The third bidder paused a moment, looking to be deep in deliberation.
"How say you, Ventuoo AllSha?" asked the speaker a micron later.
The red man frowned and clenched one hand in a fist. He glanced back at the Nebari girl again and made up his mind.
"I will match... and continue," he finally said.
The auctioneer nodded. "Very well, my good Ventu'ti. Outlay is again matched and the sale proceeds in good faith. The bid is now four-hundred and fifty-five thousand Quid for the Nebari."
Both QupZata and XotaCa matched the bid and stood. The auction rules allowed the auctioneer to jump up the bidding at his preference after the initial group of bidders dropped to three. This normally left only the serious bidders in the auction, the ones with a large enough currency bank to keep going for an obviously hot property.
AllSha however had reached his limit and with one last forlorn look at the captive girl withdrew his bid placement from the slotted table and step back into the crowd to watch the finish of the auction for the lovely Nebari slave.
"Ventuoo AllSha has withdrawn," announced the auctioneer, "Bidding continues with the two Ventu'ti that remain."
QupZata and XotaCa glared at each other over the bidding table. Neither looked ready to give in over the gray woman and that made the auctioneer tremendously happy.
"The bid now is four-hundred and sixty thousand Quid. How say you both?"
"I match bid and continue," said QupZata right away.
"I match bid and raise to five-hundred thousand Quid," replied XotaCa.
The crowd murmured loudly at XotaCa's action and the man's red-scaled face spit into a grin at QupZata.
The auctioneer could barely contain himself from dancing right there on the spot.
"I will match the bid of five-hundred thousand and continue," barked QupZata smartly.
The speaker composed himself long enough to carry on the auction.
"The new bid is accepted and outlay matched. The bid is now... five-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid for this exquisite Nebari female.
"I will match and continue!" exclaimed XotaCa.
"As will I!" responded the other bidder stubbornly.
The auction speaker had to squeeze his hands to keep from rubbing them together in anticipation of the profit he was going to make over this one slave. He was so caught up in his dreams of sudden wealth that he almost missed what happened next.
"Six-hundred thousand Quid!" said a voice from somewhere on the floor.
"What?!" all three men on the raised platform said at the same time.
The audience erupted in conversational turmoil as spectators quickly parted for the tall figure draped in a black cloak. The new bidder stepped up on the low stage with heavy boots.
"Six-hundred thousand for the slave," said a monotone voice from under the dark hood. The cloak moved aside and the figure upturned a felt-bag so that the currency slats spilled out onto the bid table in a jumble. The auctioneer would have died in pure bliss at any other time, except that the humanoid limb that reached out to deposit the placement bid was covered in metal. And the armor was etched with Scarran icons that he knew all too well.
"Enforcer!" the speaker gasped out before he could stop himself.
The watching crowd grew silent except for the scattered whispers and murmurs that contain the terms "Black Syndicate" and "Shrike."
"L-Lord Shrike," the auctioneer finally managed to stammer out after a few microts. "It's a honor to have your presence with us. The Syndicate's representatives are always welcomed here in our auction house."
The black-garbed Enforcer made no comment to the speaker's shaky welcome. Instead, he regarded him silently with impassive blue eyes from under the hood of his cloak. The speaker looked back at his other two bidders and saw that they were staring at the Shrike with semi-bulging eyes and that their red skin had noticeably paled. However neither man made a move to withdraw their placement bid for the girl.
"Well... let us continue with the sale then, shall we?" asked the speaker nervously to nobody in particular. "The...ah? The new bid... is six-hundred thousand Quid for the slave. How stand you all?"
"I will match bid and continue," replied QupZata.
"I also will match bid and continue," XotaCa said.
The Shrike merely nodded his consent.
"Very well, my Lord Shrike... and my good Ventu'ti," announced the auctioneer. "The bid stands in good faith and the new bid shall be six-hundred thousand five-hundred Quid."
"Match and continue," XotaCa put in at once.
"Match and I raise bid to six-hundred and two thousand Quid!" shot in QupZata.
XotaCa glared daggers at the other man and scowled deeply.
The speaker ignored the two red men for the moment and turned his attention to his third bidder.
"How bid you, Lord Shrike?" he asked attentively.
"I will match and continue," said the emotionless man.
"Will you also match, Ventuoo XotaCa?" the auctioneer asked the first man.
XotaCa looked angry enough to spit pulse bolts.
"Nay!" he spat, "I withdraw from the auction."
"Very well," the speaker answered as the retired bidder recovered his initial placement bid from its slot on the table. "Ventuoo XotaCa has withdrawn and the sale proceeds. The new bid by Ventuoo QupZata is accepted in good faith. The new bid is now six-hundred and two thousand five-hundred Quid for the female. How say you, Lord Shrike?"
"Accepted and continue," the assassin replied.
QupZata licked his lips. "Matched and I again raise to six-hundred and three thousand Quip for the girl."
"Six-hundred and fifty thousand Quid," countered the Shrike.
QupZata jumped in before the speaker could go through the confirmation of bid ritual.
"Six-hundred and sixty thousand Quid!" he threw in.
The air suddenly filled with a metallic chime and the twin blades from the assassin's brace slammed into the bid table. Burying themselves halfway into the alloy surface and spilling currency slats in every direction on the platform.
"That was my offer, not a bid," the Shrike hissed menacingly.
QupZata lost all the color in his face at the abrupt outburst from the Enforcer and wondered if he was going to die in the next few microt. The auctioneer nearly lost bladder control but recovered quick enough to divert a potential unpleasant situation.
"I see," said the auctioneer. "My apologizes, Lord Shrike. It was not understood that the Syndicate was exercising tithe right at six-hundred and fifty-thousand Quid." He nodded to QupZata that he should quickly remove his placement bid from the half-destroyed table and make his exit off the stage as quickly as possible. Turning to the watching crowd he said, "The auction is forfeit and all bids are void. The Syndicate purchases this slave outright for six-hundred and fifty thousand Quid. Tithe right has been declared and honored. In good faith this purchase has been completed."
The Shrike produced several more metallic tiles from somewhere on his person and dropped them onto the bidding table after pulling his blades out. The auctioneer had two of his assistants unfasten the Nebari girl's hands from the upright display and secure a collar around her throat. After attaching a lead, they brought the girl over to her new owner. At first she balked at being handed over to the Shrike and tried to pull away from the assassin. A hard yank on the leash and a promise of a beating made the girl compliant and she behaved herself from then on. The assistants couldn't blame her for acting up with being sold to the Syndicate, but this was business and her fate was her problem, not theirs.
The slaver's and audience were very surprised when the Shrike suddenly removed his cloak and draped it around the now shivering Nebari in her skimpy attire to cover her.
Some might have stared and considered the odd behavior more... if the sight of the gunmetal colored armor plates that sheathed the assassin's body wasn't so intimidating. The well used pair of Peacekeeper issue pulse pistols sling at his right thigh and at his left hip didn't bode well for those who wanted to be too nosey into Syndicate business either. The currency slats were hurriedly swept into a waiting strongbox and the next slaves to be auctioned were brought out and hung for display.
Everyone forgot about the tall Sebacean Shrike and the beautiful Nebari slave in the next few moments as the lot of Kalish prisoners was put up.
Outside the slaver's auction hall, the Enforcer hurriedly pushed the Nebari slave into a waiting public transport vehicle. The assassin got in behind her and the ground car took off just as the door closed behind him.
"How did it go?" asked a small being that was already in the car waiting.
The slave let out a delighted giggle.
"Like a charm, frogface," Chiana said with a huge grin.
"I knew it would work just as well again," answered Rygel with a smile of his own.
The Shrike frowned at the pair.
"It barely worked this time," he told the other two grimly. "The bidding was going far beyond the amount of currency I had on me. I had to improvise or we would have lost Chiana."
"You? Improvise? Imagine that!" chuckled Rygel.
"And he was very good at it," put in the Nebari girl with an approving smile for Berret.
Berret handed the girl the sonic key to her collar and cuffs. "I fail to see what you are both so pleased about. If they had not bought my bluff, we would be in serious trouble." Chiana just gave Rygel a knowing look and smirk with one side of her pretty mouth as she finished removing her restraints.
"The risk is half the fun," the Nebari told him.
"And it grows each time we attempt this ruse," Berret countered, "By now word is beginning to spread throughout this system about the scam the two of you have concocted. This is the third world in the system we have done this on and by now the authorities have to be catching on that the currency we are using to buy Chiana back is counterfeit. I believe this scheme has outlived its viability."
"What are you talking about?" shot in the Hynerian. "I'll have you know that my counterfeits are virtually perfect! Ha-ha! Not even the banking services here have caught on to them yet."
"Still," went on the Shrike, "As Crichton says, we are pushing our luck."
"We should be able to do it one more time at the next planet before we leave system," Chiana told them. "Just one more time and we'll have a nice stash of credits socked away for the future."
Berret screwed up his face in doubt. He knew once the Pixie was on a roll with a scam, there would be little persuading her from her determined course of action.
"I do not know how I let the two of you talk me into participating in this?" he said sullenly.
"What? You're not having fun?" exclaimed Rygel. "I thought you enjoyed putting the whejjet to slavers? Its not like we're pulling the gromlet wool over the eyes of honest people."
"Yeah," agreed Chiana. "Its not like we're hurting anybody innocent."
"Besides," Rygel said while pointing a forefinger in Berret's direction. "The whole plan swivels around you playing the big scary Syndicate Enforcer to make it work."
The Shrike set back in his seat, wishing that the automated taxi-car would hurry up and arrive at the commerce port so they could board their Transport Pod and get off planet. He looked back at Rygel and the Hynerian raised a waiting earbrow in patience.
"I still don't like it," he finally said to them. "Have you given thought to what the others are going to say if they find out exactly what we have been doing on these stops?"
"Not to worry," said the Dominar with sincere assurance. "When they find out... if they find out, they will be pleased that we have taken these steps to amass our... our 'emergency' fund. They will know we have everyone's best interest in heart. Why just this last time we added twenty-five hundred thousand Quid to the kitty alone."
"Why do I find your explanation... less then sincere?" asked Berret as he crossed his arms.
"Because it is," shot in Chiana.
"Huh!" replied the Hynerian with a dismissing wave, "It's not my fault you're suspicious of everything. Aren't you happy to be splitting half the profits with Chiana?"
Berret raised an eyebrow at the comment from Rygel and Chiana shot up abruptly in her seat.
"Half!" she exclaimed, Wadda ya mean half! Huh-ah! We split the loot three ways," she insisted.
"Are you farbled?" retorted the Hynerian. "This whole plan was my idea! I should get half for coming up with it."
"Yeah?" Chiana said while leaning in closer to the smaller being. She cocked her head to one side as she continued, "Well, in case you're forgetting... I'm the one wearing a slave's garb and I'm the one that gets put into chains! Do you think they're going to pay as much for you?" She turned to glance at Berret for a microt. "And Berret's the one who has to go and get me out. This takes all of us to make it work... so we all get an even cut." She smiled evilly at the Dominar. "Unless you want to go it alone from here on out?"
Rygel curled his lip and half snarled at the smirking Nebari woman.
"All right! You ungrateful conniving backstabbing bitch! We'll cut the loot three ways," he said reluctantly.
"That's better, Ryg," replied Chiana with a pleased look and a condescending pat on the Hynerian's head, "And don't ever forget about the backstabbing bitch part."
She settled back in her seat and cuddled closer to Berret. Looking up at her metal-clad friend she found him regarding her with a slight look of disbelief on his face.
"What? What's wrong?" she inquired of the Shrike.
"The two of you forgot that I was present," explained the ex-Enforcer, "The least you could have done is kept up the pretext that we were doing this for the future good of the crew." He glanced across the passenger compartment to take in Rygel also. "Neither of you have any attention of sharing the money we made with the rest."
Rygel snorted. "Bah! Like you were ever that naive to believe that. Give your cut to the others if it makes you feel bad if you want too." The Hynerian got a crafty look on his face as he added, "Better yet... let me hold it for you while you wrestle with your conscious."
The Hynerian ruler turned to one side and muttered lowly, "...If you have one."
Berret caught the snide barb that Rygel really wasn't trying to hide to well. He was debating on reaching across the space that separated them and possibly tossing the annoying Hynerian out the window of the speeding land vehicle when Chiana pulled on his arm to get his attention back.
"Look, Retty," she started, "We did the work so we get to hold onto the money. If something happens that the others needed it... we'll give it up then. Okay?"
"Do I have a choice?" Berret asked.
"No," Rygel put it.
Chiana glared at the Hynerian royal. "Shut up, Toad! Nobody was talking to you." She turned back and reached up to stroke one side of Berret's face. "Hey, just one more time," she told him. "Where else are we going to find a system where slavery is legal? We're like that guy John told us about... Robbing Hoods. We take from the rich, and give to the poor."
"Which is us!" chuckled Rygel.
"We're only hurting slavers," Chiana reiterated.
Berret sighed. "I'm not comfortable with the time between when Rygel sells you to them and I go to buy you back. To many things can go wrong."
"Its only over night. I can take care of myself," Chiana countered. "It's been okay so far." She smiled up at him in that way she had when she was trying to get him to come around to her way of thinking. "Just think of it as striking a blow against the slavers you hate so much. We're putting a dent in the Syndicate's income so to speak."
"A very, very, small dent," Berret retorted.
"A dent none-the-less," said Rygel.
Berret turned to stare out the window. "When will they get to the landing port?" he thought to himself impatiently. The sooner they were back aboard Moya the better he would feel and the sooner he could put this arrangement out of his mind - until they visited the next planet in the system and the pair he was with would insist upon trying the scam one last time.
"Masokta frell me," the Shrike cursed in a low tone.
Chiana's eyes flared wide in mild surprise at his muttered comment.
"Ow! You're picking up some colorful language," she snickered. "Does this mean you're still in?"
"You are a bad influence on me," was all he said.
"I take that to mean a yes," answered the Nebari. Chiana winked up at him. "I may be a bad influence... but I'm fun."
"Remind me of that when we are in prison somewhere."
Chiana choose not to answer and instead happily rested her head against Berret shoulder. A few moments later the ground car turned down the long road leading to the spaceport. Across from them, Rygel hummed to himself contently and occasionally murmured out loud about what he wanted to spend his loot on.
Berret sighed once again to himself.
"I'm so frelled," he thought quietly.