Synopsis:
Kordivan informs the crew they have been hired by FedInt to help record certain
transmissions at a communication centre on (planet). This will involve
capturing the centre, as it is a private business, and the Federation
government does not wish to be directly involved. He also speaks privately
with Meliar, who will NOT be joining the rest of the crew at the com
centre. An Iraari friend of Kordivan's looks over and repairs the Klarg Star
before departure. While traveling to (planet), the Klarg Star is jumped by
pirates. The crew cripples one of the vessels, an old Pachekki destroyer,
and arranges for it to be towed to a nearby stardock, after its surviving
crew surrenders.
After arriving, Meliar disappears, and the rest of the crew (with Kordivan)
pretend to deliver supplies to the station. They stun the guards and
monitor the transmissions, finally hearing several transmissions from one
Mr. Melanie (of the notorious crime family) complaining to Senator Nichols
about the sudden death of his son. After recording this, the crew leaves
and meets Meliar back at the ship. On the return trip to the space station,
the Klarg Star One is intercepted by a decloaking Iraari Destroyer. Most of
the crew is gassed, and K'yrth is stunned by Kordivan.
When they regain consciousness in a holding cells, they are escorted by
Human and Teske guards to Kordivan's office. He explains the destroyer's
presence as "Well, you damaged my other ship." He inquires about what the
crew found on the Kaa starbase, and just what happened to a small silver
sphere. The crew is separately subjected to various tortures, then knocked
out and returned to the Klarg Star. When they awake, they are alone, but
Kordivan has taken the large black box (with conical attachment) they
found on the starbase. The silver sphere, hidden in the Thoron fighter
remains, as do the HPPs. In no mood for games, Kress, Merlmer, K'yrth and
Ramirez demand to know just what Meliar was doing during the raid.
Meliar finally admits to being a paid assassin. He was hired by Kordivan
(who he thought was still a FedInt agent) to run a mission. He denied
actually killing Melanie's son, however: "He bought the drinks!" The Klarg
Star returns to stardock Alpha and explains what happened to Agent
McCarther. He has the Klarg Star swept for bugs, and gets a copy of the
transmissions Kordivan recorded.
The crew, nervous of future engagements, decides to repair the damaged pirate vessel, renaming it Righteous Indignation. It is equipped with medium missile tubes, a military grade laser and a gravity wall projector. The crew returns, with the Righteous Indignation, to the Empire. Along the way, Ramirez discovers that the Klarg Star's computer has a dormant artificial intelligence subroutine. Kress orders him to find out what would activate it.
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