Alpha Security Chapter 5

[Ed Man]

Up in Smoke
Chapter 5

Josh went to the room they give him and checked in with the team’s intelligence reports. Director Moa had received the same report Josh was reading and had asked that Alpha Security pull out and close their investigations. She had agents in place and they would take over now.

The one report Director Moa didn’t have was the one on her. She had been busy behind the seen.
She had set a trap out for the Shredder Clan they jumped right into.

A freighter full of weed was due to dock at the Pirate station in four days. But weed wasn’t all that was going to be onboard. A bomb designed to take out the docking bays trapping everyone that wasn’t killed in the blast onboard.
A group of Teladi Company for hire mercenaries with a new Corvette Class M6 and fighter wing will be coming in to finish blowing up the station destroying everything and everyone.

Josh read the report as a chill ran down his back thinking about all the innocent lives about to be killed.
The Teladi Company had approved the plain as an accepted lose of life for peace and stability.

Josh couldn’t chance warning anyone. The Teladi Company had decided what to do in their sector.
And right or wrong it was their decision.
Josh decided to try and save a few of the friends of Samna and Mimi. By throwing a going out of business party at the Trading Station the same time the freighter is expected to dock. What few decent people that were on the station all knew and liked Samna and Mimi and hopefully would attend. Or maybe just the fact they were leaving the rest would sell out and leave with them.
The Shedder Clan wants the bar and the weapon dealer’s shop. Two brothers own them and are friends with Samna.

Mimi went into the room with her brother as Josh [still undercover as the Rock] waited for the decision.

Mimi came out and looked at Rock saying. “We decided to sell and split the funds. Half the team wants to go their way and we’re ok with that. But the Taladi we left at the station and two others I know want to stick with us. We need to go and get it over with. Samna and I want you in with us if you want so think about it on the way.”

As the ship exited the gate Josh set course for the Pirate Station and said. “Mimi the man that owns the station we were at is about to open a new station raising beef for their leather. He’ll need a whole crew like pilots, security, sales and workers. A lot of job openings. You should try to talk to your friends at the station into leaving with you. The Shredder Clan is getting out of control they tried to kill your brother. What do you think they’ll do to your friends when you leave? Mimi talk them into leaving with you I got a real bad filling about this station. I’m not coming back here after we leave. All I see at this station is death for anyone who stays and I like living.”

Mimi was uneasy on the trip to the shop not letting anyone near her. She told the workers at the shop the decision to sell. Mimi then called the two brothers on the com and told them their decision and the events that had happened. She asked that they load their things onto the freighter and leave with them as a group.

The two asked to give them a few hours to talk it over with their family first.
Time seamed to drag as the shop closed and packing was started. Mimi keep the freighter and gave the ones that wanted to leave the fighter along with their cuts. The Clan had transferred the credits and gave them 24 hours to clear out.
The two brothers called telling Mimi they would be leaving with them and had called telling the Shredder Clan they were selling out and leaving.
The two brothers had two small fighters and a freighter that flew the speed of a snail. Josh asked that they meet with him in the bar to talk he had a plain to get them away safely. Josh called for the Bayamons he captured they would be there about the time they were leaving.

As Mimi and Josh entered the bar Josh spoke. “I have a plain to get us out of here. I have two Bayamons in route to here for extra cover. Two hours before we leave take a few cases of your space fuel and Mimi has some weed left and give half to the pilots the other half to the guards. By the time we leave they’ll be so drunk we’ll slip right out of here. Send a few good bottles and some weed to the Clans office. A good pirate will never turn down a free drink.”
Everyone smiled as they agreed seeing it’s hard to fight when you so high you can’t walk straight.

Josh ordered his Demeter to jump in and dock for the brothers and their family. The old freighter they owned was a wreck. If it came under fire everyone onboard would be killed.

The Demeter docked and was being loaded as the brothers sent the old Mule they owned of to the equipment dock for repairs. The weed and space fuel was being delivered as everyone waited on the plain to play out. The Bayamons were holding just out of sensor range ready to go.

The last delivery was sent to the Clan’s office. Now to just wait one more hour then leave as a group.

Josh still had bugs throughout the station as Sarah monitored the partying.

“Josh a Vulture loaded with weed and two Falcons just jumped in and set course for here. They have moved the attack up a day. You need to move out now.” Sarah explained.

“We need to move and move fast. One of my ships just spotted a pair of Falcons headed for the station.” Josh replied.

Fear griped the group as they moved to the docking bay to leave. No one seemed to care about them leaving except a pair of pilots watching in the distance. Josh called for the Bayamons to close up on the station and hold.

“Change of plains people. Everyone get on the Demeter except one pilot for each ship. The Demeter has a jump drive and will jump to Taladi Gain and dock at the Trading Station. We will run east staying way out of sensor range. The smaller fighters and the Bayamon will stay with the freighter. We’ll make our way around to the East Gate and jump into Taladi Gain and meet you on the station.” Josh replied.

Everyone started loading but the ones that wanted to split from the team wanted to go their way in their ship. They said they would take their chances. Their ship was fast and they wanted to go the other way.

Everyone was loaded and the ships headed out to space. The freighter along with the Bayamons and small fighter headed full speed east with Josh lagging behind in the Falcon to cover their rear.

Josh had relayed a flight plan to the other ships keeping them well out of sensor range. The trip would take a good eight hours to make. The Falcons and Vulture would be docking at the Pirate station way before they were close to the gate.

The other fighter had set a course to the Trading Station and would come dangerously close to the convoy.

All the lights were off on their ships and homing signals shut down. The space dust would hide their ships. Josh was glad now this sector was so dusty in the outer regions. If they had to they could run deep and hid the ships and jump out.

Josh was monitoring the other ship as they entered range they were in the dead zone between the Pirate Station and the Sector. Their signal was faint as a flash went off and the last readings came in.
Josh was getting the readings from his satellite in sector. “We are under attack two Falcons just fired miss.” The signal went dead as the missiles hit their mark.

As the Vulture docked a dim flash came from the Pirate Station. A squad of fighters and a M6 jumped in through the West Gate and headed for the Pirate Station. The two Falcons had all ready started firing on the laser towers and fired a pair of hornet missiles sealing the dock even more.

Josh was glade they jumped in the other side of the sector. Sector Security would be checking every ship out of the sector we were simple merchants headed for the Trading Station on business.
They didn’t want us they wanted the Shredder Clan, which thanks to us had been drunk when the dock blew.

Josh thought as they headed for the gate that they used our distraction as a chance to attack. Director Moa did have an informant onboard. And they reacted to quickly. There had to be an informant in the group telling of their plains.

Josh went to the back and looked for a signal or something on the scanner records after they started making plains to leave the station.

There it was. The Split that took charge of the other members was the one. He had sent a message to one of the pilots before he left the station and jumped away.

Josh flashed a marker light into the cockpits of the other ships getting their attention to turn the ship to ship com on. “New course we need to run deep and leave the ships. I’m uploading the info now and the course.” A few seconds later the ship all headed deep and silent.

Just before they went out of range of the satellite sending a beamed signal. All that was left of the Pirate Station was debris. Right before the time they were due to arrive at the gate a pair of Falcons and a second Corvette jumped in to meet them.

“You got a long wait boys! Were long gone and running.” Josh said as they waited at the gate for them.

Four hours later the ship were hid in a cloud of dust. The two pilots space walked to the Falcon. Josh set the Bayamons to guard the freighter. And had the drones onboard the ships to start taking the small fighter apart and store the parts in the freighter. It would take about four days to finish storing the small fighter onboard the freighter.

The plain was to come back later and bring a jump drive and install it on the freighter and jump it out. And if the Corvettes were still there Josh would jump out and come back later for the Bayamons.

Josh hit the jump drive and exited the South Gate into Teladi Gain and docked at the Trading Station.

A team of Security Guards were waiting to escort them to a waiting room for questioning and positive identification.
“Sarah contact Director Moa and tell her I’m under cover as the Rock. Please don’t blow my cover the people with me were running from the Shredder Clan and are friends with the Teladi Company.”
Josh stated quietly as Sarah acknowledged in his internal ear peace.

Everyone had been interviewed and identified except Josh and the two Pilots. They took one of the Pilots first then moments later took the other leaving Josh for last. Josh thought a stroke of luck or Director Moa had contacted them.

“Please follow me Pilot.” An Officer with two Guards stated looking at Josh.
The Officer took Josh to a room and explained. “I have been informed that you’re working with Director Moa. She has informed me to tell you she want the Freighter and fighters you left with from the station.
Here is the list. And a coded massage for you please take it and respond immediately Director Moa is waiting.”

Josh read the list she wanted the Bayamons, Freighter and light Fighter and for Josh to erase all records from his Demeter and Falcons computer and logs before he left the Station.

A technician was waiting to escort Josh to the ship and erase all records and transfer 4 Million credits for the ships in question after downloading their location.

Josh escorted the tech to his ships and let him do his work. The credits were transferred into the Rocks account as an agent gave him instructions then left.

A guard took Josh back to a conference room where everyone was waiting and wondering not knowing what was going to happen next.

Josh tried to explain to the group. “If you want to leave this station alive and stay on good terms with the Teladi. You know nothing about the station we just left. You don’t know what happened to the station. The ships we left have been sold for 4 million credits and they never existed. Never talk about today or what you seen. Before you can leave you must sign a none-disclosure form. If you don’t sign you stay and get shipped off as a prisoner. Sign the form and get an increase in status pulse 1000 in credits.”

Josh explained that he had worked with the Teladi before and that was why they chose him to explain their instructions.
Everyone signed the release and collected their credits. The rest of the team members had decided to go their own ways and wanted their cut of the credits. The two brothers still had their freighter and wanted a new ship for the one they lost.

Josh was stunned at the rest of the members of the Smoke Up were more concerned with how many credits they were going to get than with their dead friends.
Josh thought with friends like that who needs enemies. Mimi was overwhelmed with all that had happened and didn’t know how much to give each partner or what to do.

The 4 million was a payoff to keep them quite so Josh added the worth of each ship as it was. Top money on the freighter was about 650,000. The Bayamons were worth about the same. The light fighter was worth 125,000 credits. The rest was to be split between everyone involved.

After everyone agreed to the ideal Josh gave everyone his or her cut. Everybody wanted to leave as soon as they could go their own ways.

After looking at the anxiety on everyone's face Josh realized these people were scared.
The two brothers needed Josh to transport them and there freight to the Equipment Dock to get their freighter.
The Teladi wanted to by the rights to the weed business. Mimi took her offer the team was gone it was time to move on. All Mimi wanted was to get back to her brother.

Josh transported the Brothers and their family to the Equipment Dock and unloaded their freight.

The Brothers were headed for Argon Space and a fresh start. Their plan was to sell some weapons on the station before leaving and buy another fighter. Josh wished them luck and left for HQ and a new Job it was time for Rock to disappear and Josh to re-emerge.