Chapter VIII: Cheating Mercs

Jack fidgeted with the strap of her bag as she kept glancing at the direction where Liege had gone in. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply and concentrated on the sounds around her, knowing the most helpful thing she could do was just that. To listen for danger.

Liege slipped through the security barely being noticed, and hid beneath the hull of one ship as she looked for her target. The mercs had stupidly worn the insignia of their ship on the back of their jackets, so she knew which on the look for. Spotting the insignia on the hull of a ship only two docking stations away, she swiftly ran through and found herself at the hull.

Unsheathing her new blade, she fiddled with the lock holding the repair plate that was removed to check the system grid. It finally came loose and with a whoosh of air, slid down and to the side.

Expecting the see the grid right there, Liege cursed as she saw it was further into the ship. Setting her wristwatch for no more then twenty minutes she lifted herself up into the hull and flicked on a flashlight.

The blue orb of the light floated in front of her and followed her as she ducked under pipes and climbed over steel tubs. She had no idea where exactly she was going but she smiled when she found the system grid.

Putting away her knife, she slipped it into her left cuff and took out small wire-thin tools. She cursed when she checked her watch a little later to see she only had five minutes left.

Wishing she had paid closer attention in her engineering class, she tried to remember how to close down the take-off system but keep the other ones up and running. Breathing deeply she put away her tools and took out her knife again.

Finding what she decided to be the take-off system chip, she wedged the blade behind it and it popped out into her left hand. Tucking it away in a pocket she turned to leave when she thought of taking the memory chip.

She could then find out where they had gotten the information, who exactly the bounty was from and so on and so forth. She quickly found the chip and wedged it free and heard it clink with the other chip in her deep pants pocket.

Liege followed her way in and found the small exit. She was extremely grateful when she dropped from it and pushed back the repair plate.

Slipping out as easily as she slipped in, Liege almost sprinted to her gate, seeing that they would be boarding at this point in time.

Liege was glad to see Jack had already boarded the transport and grinned to the transport officer who took ticket.

"Glad to be leaving, miss?" the friendly officer asked.

"Ye got no idea how glad 'm to be goin' home." She replied, thanking the officer for the ticket stub as she boarded the transport.

She barely had time to brace herself as she was face to face with Jack launching her entire body at her friend. She pulled back and grinned when Liege smirked.

"Did it?"

"Ye bet I did. 'n I gots a little present for da lovely lass who though' it up." Liege replied, depositing the two chips into Jack's hand.

"Oooooh Liege, you shouldn't have! Thank you so much!" Jack squealed, seeing what the other chip was.

"Ye sound like I just gave ye diamonds."

"Well, they've got just the same worth."