Sajh Tyreed sat at the dining table in the combination dining/mess hall/conference room of the Be’Kal Zephyr a passenger freighter starship. He sipped his morning java while his boss, Captain Farzeke, “Zeke” Be’Kal perused their shipping manifest on his tablet. They had just picked up their last load at Mars City in the Sol System. Before they headed out, they wanted to plan their itinerary to make the most efficient use of their time and get their deliveries made on time.
“Man, I wish we hadn’t agreed to fill that order on Se’Nar,” Zeke murmured and reached for his mug to take a sip of his Java. It was coffee from Earth plants grown at Mars City. They called it Java.
"I know, Zeke, but it was the quickest way we could make up for the losses on our last run," Sajh replied.
“But I just hate going into Drayid space. Those bastards are almost as bad as the Alliance enforcers,” said Zeke. “What am I saying? The Alliance stops us every chance I get."
“At least they won’t stop us in Drayid space. They won’t even go there."
“But those bugs are creepier than the enforcers. They don’t play games. They just grab you and send you off to the slave auctions,” Zeke muttered.
“Don’t think about that. Just think about all the money we will make, delivering those delicacies. We’ll be in and out of there in no time," Sajh said.
“We’ve got four stops, and then back to Eridani Four,” Zeke commented.
“We get in and get out, then two weeks at base and start all over again.”
“How many passengers?”
“Pick up one at Rhamda, two at Tau Ceti," said Sajh. “We’re going to start at Se’Nar.”
“Okay then," said Zeke. “Are we ready for liftoff?"
Sajh nodded.
“Bella, set course for Se Nar, lift off, and take us there,” Zeke commanded their AI unit.
The two men push their chairs out from the table and locked them in. They picked up their mugs and took them with them as they headed up to the bridge to monitor their progress.
“Captain Javitt, we’re coming into range of the Be’Kal Zephyr. They’re still inside Alliance space. We can hook them with a tractor beam before they cross over into Drayid space.”
“Do it,” he replied. “Have security bring Farzeke to the conference room when they get him.”
“What if he doesn’t have the contraband?”
“It’s there,” Javitt said confidently.
“Right, sir,” the young Ensign replied. She knew better than to ask more questions. Javitt’s reluctance to offer further information let Ensign Brace know to shut up and do her job. She guessed it was a setup but, didn’t know why.”
“We got an Alliance Raptor on our tail, Zeke. We got nowhere to go,” Tray Morikin second in command called over the intercom.
“Are they talking to us?”
“They want to board for inspection---say it's routine.”
Fuck! What was it going to cost him this time? Damned Alliance Enforcers. He was tired of their silly games. They were certain to find something that they would conveniently forget if he would just cooperate. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
“Which Raptor this time?” Zeke called back.
“Three,” Tray called back.
“That’s Ark’s ship,” His older brother was an Alliance Law Enforcer. He shoved his fingers back through his longish, pale blue hair to get it out of his face. “They must want something bad. Let ‘em come. We can’t outrun them, and there’s nowhere to hide. Let’s get this over with.”
#
While Raptor Three was locking the boarding tube on to the cargo bay of Zephyr, Zeke went down to the cargo bay to meet the enforcement officers. When the hatchway opened, four officers came through the opening. Two of them were wearing body armor and armed with ion rifles; the other two wore the regulation Kelly green uniforms.
The leader of the group was a young lieutenant who looked like trouble. When he had stepped inside the Zephyr’s cargo bay, Zeke said, "Hi, I'm Captain Zeke Be'Kal. How can I help you?"
"I'm Lieutenant Jakem Norvval. You will remain with my friends here while the ensign and I inspect your cargo for contraband. We have a warrant."
"Of course, you do. I would expect nothing less of Captain Javitt. And if he sent you, then he expects to find something which was a planted here because I do not transport contraband," Zeke stood there with his hands resting on his hipbones staring down the lieutenant. He had been through this before, and he refused to be intimidated. Finally, the lieutenant turned and strode away, and began matching up the lists on each of the cargo modules to a copy of the manifest. This went on for about half an hour until he found a small unregistered module behind one of the larger registered containers.
Zeke frowned when he saw it because he knew it was not on his manifest. In fact, he had never seen that module before that moment. He was certain that was because it was planted. Just what did they think they were pulling? He used to be one of them, and he knew how things worked. They would find the illegal cargo they planted, and then offer to forget about it if he would do some outrageous task for them that might get him killed.
“Well look what we have here," Norvval commented. “We have a module of contraband."
“What a surprise!" Zeke muttered. "That’s because someone planted it."
"Hands behind your back, Captain Be'Kal. You're coming with us," Lieutenant Norvval ordered.
“Bella please let Tray know that I am being escorted to Raptor Three to discuss contraband found in our cargo hold. I don't know when I might be back."
The AI didn't answer verbally but offered a two-tone response to let him know he was understood.
Zeke glared at him as he put his hands behind his back and one of the two guards the applied a zip tie, binding his wrists tightly together. One of them jerked him around, gave him a little push toward the boarding tube, and followed him back through the tube. The next thing he knew he was standing in Captain Javitt's office.
“What can you tell us about the twenty kilos of Nepeta cataria we found in your cargo hold?” Captain Javitt demanded when the two burly enforcers shoved him into the room.
“I was stocking up?” Zeke smirked.
“You could get ten years stasis for that,” Javitt reminded, “Felines are only allowed fifty grams for personal use. You have only three felines including you in your crew.”
Zeke didn’t bother to point out that there were only two felines in his crew including himself. Tray was sapien, not feline.
“Really?” Zeke said with mock innocence, his cat-like eyes glittering with barely controlled anger. “Let’s quit playing this damn game, Javitt. We both know that stuff was planted. We don’t use catnip, and we don’t buy or sell it. It was planted, so why don’t you tell me what this is really about---and while you’re at it, get these damned cuffs off me. Where the hell am I going to go?”
Javitt gave a slight nod, and one of the Enforcers flanking him from behind released Zeke’s hands from behind his back. Zeke’s lime green cat eyes continued to glitter and his mouth compressed into a grim line. Zeke was tall and powerfully built as is his brother Arkis. The brothers had entered the Alliance Law Enforcement Training Center a year apart. Zeke opted out at the end of his first contract. Arkis stayed. Both were well trained in martial arts and weaponry, but Zeke got tired of trying to live up to his brother’s flawless record---not that Ark would ever lord it over him. But their superiors always favored Ark’s no nonsense by the regs performance of his duties Now he was in business for himself, Captain of his own ship.
Had Javitt not been a Narovian feline humanoid himself, Zeke might have accused him of racism, as it seemed like he stopped Zeke’s freighter every time he got in range. This was a ruse, and they both knew it.
Javitt looked to the Enforcer’s behind Zeke and gave another slight nod. The door whooshed opened the movement of air behind him was the only indication people had come and gone behind him.
“The contraband could disappear if you were to do something for us,” Javitt admitted. “We need your help, and I can’t legally force you to go on this mission. But I can make the charges disappear if you help us.”
“I’m listening,” Zeke said.
“While Raptor One was off chasing pirates, Tenzari took half a dozen females from Earth to sell at the Se’Nar slave auctions. They’ve crossed over into Drayid Territory, and we have no jurisdiction there. We need to get them back without starting an interstellar war.”
“You want me to steal those females back?” Zeke dark blue brows knit.
“Not steal, buy,” said Javitt. “Our agent will go with you posing as a Vrootomian Prince there to buy females for his harem. Once you get them, we’ll rendezvous at Rhamda Station and transport them back to Earth or wherever they want to go. At least two of them will have the option to go to Narova. Their DNA identified them as meomee through the clandestine matchmaking service on Earth.”
“And all I have to do is take them to Rhamda?” Zeke wondered.
“That’s it. There are no restrictions on trade in Drayid space. Officially, those females don’t exist. But, we know they do. Earth is under our protection, and the chancellor wants them rescued.”
“What’s in it for me?” Zeke asked. Surely, they didn’t expect him to do it out of the goodness of his heart.
“Of course,” Javitt nodded. “The contraband disappears, and you get the standard transport fees for our agent and the females.”
Zeke shrugged. “How about I keep the contraband until we get to Rhamda---in case we need it for leverage or bribes?”
Javitt frowned and gave him a speculative look. “Yeah, okay. I guess we can do that.”
Zeke nodded. He could find no problems with the deal. He was going to Se’Nar anyway. He didn’t have anything to lose, but he was going to have words with his brother about the damn contraband. If Law Enforcement was willing to pay, they needn’t bother with the subterfuge.
“Well, all you had to do is ask, Javitt,” Zeke said sweetly. “As long as the Alliance is paying… Even you know how I feel about slavery. You’d think the Tenzari would learn. I’m in.”
Momentarily, the courtesy signal on Javitt's door sounded. “Enter," Javitt murmured.
Zeke turned as his brother Arkis entered Javitt's office. Zeke grinned at him, and the two brothers hugged and patted each other on the back. It had been a year and a half since they'd seen each other, and despite their diverse careers, they remained close as brothers.
"Well Javitt, you didn't tell me that Ark is the agent who I'll be taking to Se'Nar with me. All you had to do was call, and we could have avoided all of this nonsense," Zeke said nicely. “Okay, Ark. Are you all packed and ready to go?"
"You know me. I've always kept a bag packed and ready to go. You know how it is in law enforcement. You never know where they will send you on a moment's notice." Ark grinned at his brother. “I had no idea that Javitt was going to rope you into this mission, but I'm glad he did. It will give us time to catch up and you the opportunity to do a good thing."
"As I said, all you had to do is ask," Zeke said, "We're on our way to Se’Nar already, and you know how I feel about slavery." Zeke turned back to Captain Javitt, "Are we done here?"
"We're done. You can go," Javitt confirmed.
"Then, we'll be on our way." As Zeke headed for the door, Ark saluted the captain respectfully before he followed his brother out of the office.
"I don't know how you can stand working for that pompous ass. There was absolutely no reason for him to make this into such a drama," Zeke grumbled. "It wasn't funny. It was a waste of precious time---when we could be on our way to catching up with that slave ship. As it is now, we'll have to punch it to make Se'Nar in time for the auction. I sure hope they gave you enough gold."
"They were loading it while Javitt was jerking you around," Arkis replied as the two men hurried down the corridor toward the lifts to the boarding dock where the Be'Kal Zephyr was connected by the boarding tube to Raptor Three. "That was a nice move getting him to let you keep the catnip."