Stand on Xanadu (The Lunar Free State Book 9) by John E. Siers

Author:John E. Siers [Siers, John E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Theogony Books
Published: 2023-08-07T16:00:00+00:00

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ICV Majorca, in Tatanna Orbit

“Clear of the docking grid. Steady on departure bearing.” The young woman at the helm sat back, awaiting orders.

“Bring up the drive, go to two hundred gravs when we are clear of the buffer zone.” Buxton relaxed in her command chair. Farewell, Tatanna. On to the next port of call.

That went about as well as could be expected, she decided. Confeds won’t be happy, but they knew it was a possibility. Her standard cargo contract clearly stated she was not responsible for any failure to deliver caused by action of local port authorities.

Technically, Buxton was not a smuggler. She was an enterprising trader and cargo hauler, willing to accept contracts without questioning the contents of the shipment or any unconventional delivery requirements. She kept her paperwork in order, followed regulations to the letter, and had never been charged with smuggling or any other crime.

Her client in this case had expected her to deliver the shipment in question by drop pod, to coordinates on the planet that were hundreds of kilometers away from the port. She’d been willing to do that, but not with a Moonie warship on her tail. She’d planned for that contingency and had made sure the shipment was properly manifested for normal delivery.

No problem, as long as I make sure my pretty little ass is covered, she thought. I didn’t really need to turn on the charm for the Moonie Marine. He had nothing on me, had no choice but to let me go. Never hurts to keep my ‘people skills’ sharp, though. Besides, he was kind of cute. I enjoyed playing with him.

Majorca was not large as cargo carriers go, but she was clean, fast, and well equipped to serve distant ports that saw very little commercial traffic. Her oversized drive was sufficient to leave pirates—and most warships—eating stardust. In addition to contract hauling, Buxton engaged in free trading, buying goods in various ports to sell elsewhere. She preferred dealing with humans but was comfortable with alien races like the Akara or the Sillascaritans.

She even had dealings with the Otuka on occasion. The centaur-like creatures were voracious carnivores who considered humans to be a tasty snack, but they were also shrewd traders. Buxton had no problem doing business with them.

Dealing with the Otuka requires a slightly different approach, she thought with a chuckle. You still want to keep them distracted, but they are immune to ordinary human charms. Instead of looking sexy, I just have to look delicious.

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