Ax moved past the chair and sat down in her seat, “Alright B4, I’ll take over,” B4 released control and allowed Ax to take the helm. She pulled up on the column and gained their altitude even faster. Soon they were out of the planet’s atmosphere. Ax punched in some coordinates, and then she initiated the slip-drive. The Risk Taker launched into the wormhole and was safely on its way.
Ax unstrapped herself and went to where the civilian sat. “What happened? Who are you? Why should I keep you alive?” she pointed her blaster at his head and she pulled a knife out and pointed it between his legs. “Talk! Now!”
The man gulped, “My name is Howard Joneson. As I said before, I represent the Enviro-Control. Daren Nevil’s crime was already sentenced and the only thing left was to follow through with the execution. I was the one to carry it out. The genocide he committed had repercussions across the galaxy. Everyone will know that the great Ax Darnell caught the criminal and delivered him for execution,” Howard tried to readjust in his chair.
Ax only tightened her grip on her blaster as well as the knife. “Last question…Why should I keep you alive?”
“As long as you keep me alive, you’re safe. Enviro-Control needs a report from me every six hours, so when they don’t hear from me, they’ll come looking for me,” Howard continued.
“He makes a valid argument, master,” B4 replied.
“Did I ask your opinion? Where do I drop you off?” Ax had her helmet almost touching Howard’s face.
“Elis Prime would be fine. By the way your payment has risen since you made such a successful delivery,” Howard replied coolly.
“I don’t like having my cargo killed in front of me. It’s bad for business,” Ax turned to return back to her chair.
“Do you know that Daren Nevil’s terrorists group waits to destroy one more world?” Howard asked making Ax stop in her tracks.
“What world?”
“The one that started life…Earth,” Howard hesitated.
“Earth shouldn’t be a threat to the Eco Cleansers. There are barely a billion people on Earth,” Ax commented.
“True, but it is the seat of humanity. These terrorists are aiming to wipe out humans from the earth and just have nature take its course.”
“Alright, Howard, where should I go?” Ax responded.
“As I said before Elis Prime, there are no other systems more sympathetic to the Eco Cleansers than that one. Are you able to conceal this ship?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“People don’t take kindly to bounty hunters, you’ll need to change your appearance of the ship or cloak it, and otherwise we’ll be fired upon,” Howard explained.
“B4, are we able to switch the hull plating while in slip-drive?” Ax asked her robot.
“We can as long as there are no major course corrections,” B4 replied.
“Alright, initiate hull transfer and reveal the Curious Maiden,” Ax continued.
“Your outfit is going to have to change. Terrorists know of the chrome-helmeted Bounty Hunter Ax Darnell,” Howard looked at Ax carefully.
“Don’t worry; I won’t look like a bounty hunter. I’ll still have a helmet on though. You won’t know my identity that easy,” Ax smiled from behind her chrome helmet. The gall of Howard Joneson to even suggest such a thing annoyed her beyond words. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, touch anything and B4D6 will personally vaporize you,”
“He can do that?”
“Yes, and he doesn’t have a strict moral code so don’t try anything. B4, watch him closely,” Ax turned and walked away to the elevator. Howard sat down on his little pull out chair deflated by all that happened. He straightened up and looked at B4. As soon as Ax was gone from the upper level, Howard began his own inquiries.
To Be Continued...
so far its good, good progression of story as well as slowly revealing the characters.
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