Page 74 of Stealing Mercury
“Roma?” The chief’s face scrunched with derision as he said the word.
“They own a small planet,” Samantha added. “In the Earth Alliance Beta sector.”
“I know the company, but they have no legal standing here.” The chief got to his feet and extended a hand to Mercury. “Welcome to Haverlee and Gollerra sector.”
Mercury hesitated for only a moment before he stepped forward and took the man’s hand. “Thank you.”
Samantha cleared her throat to draw Pillar’s attention. “I should also tell you that the ship I arrived in may have been reported missing or stolen.”
The chief settled back into his chair. “How did you end up with it?”
“I was hired to pilot some freight for Roma.”
“Your friend here?” He indicated Mercury with a tilt of his head.
Samantha nodded. “I took an unconventional route. When they realized that, one of the idiots they sent along tried to take over the pilot’s station.”
His brows lifted again, like two fuzzy caterpillars trying to walk off his face. “He thought he could fly a transport?”
Samantha shrugged. “To skip ahead a bit, we took the escape-pod to the surface of a planet and the fellows on the ship I brought here came to rescue the Roma men. They didn’t have any intention of the rest of us getting off the planet alive. Taking their ship was the only way we were getting back.”
“Hmm... They... and Roma might not see the logic of that. Those men on the planet, what exactly happened to them?”
“We left them there with supplies. Roma knows where they are. It was habitable. Lush even. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“Well, then. You best make this an official report so your side of the story is on record before they can twist the facts around.”
“I can do that. Pillar, I need a favor.”
The caterpillar brows crawled toward each other as his face scrunched. “Oh, Sammie. I hope you’re not going to—”
“I need you to hold the report locally for a few days.”
His hands fisted around the arms of his chair. “You’re not thinking of flying that ship back out of here.”
“I promised Mercury and his brothers that I’d get them where they need to go.”
“I’m sorry, Sammie. I have to impound the ship. If you hold onto it, no one will believe you’re not a thief.”
“I’m willing to risk it.”
Pillar shook his head. “No. This is my port, but I can’t control every bit of news or gossip that gets out. Someone will have noted your landing and your launch. And no other port is going to clear you inbound without your license number.”
“That won’t be a problem.” Samantha hadn’t expected it to be easy to convince him.
“Where—? Never mind, don’t answer that. Probably best I don’t know too much of what you’re planning, but I can’t let you pilot that ship, Sammie. Keeping that ship would cause you nothing but trouble. And I don’t want trouble coming back my way.”
The floor beneath her boots shook as she got to her feet. Through the window, she saw a Golley freighter in the distance, lumbering skyward. “I understand, Chief. We’ll find another way.”
“Twenty-four hours, Samantha. I’m impounding the ship now, but I can hold the paperwork until tomorrow. Give you one peaceful night’s sleep.” He reached across the desk as if to take her hand but stopped when Mercury growled a low warning. “Sorry, I can’t do more.”
“There is one more thing.”
His head dipped with interest. “Yes, if I can.”
She dug out the metal disk she’d picked up from the bottom of the ravine and handed it to him. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”
His lips pursed and slid right and left as he thought. “No, don’t recognize it, but I can try to identify it. Would take some time.”
