This story is a Semi-Sequal to Flight Risk, and I suggest you read that one first before this.
Aurora filled out the report detailing exactly what had happened while she flew the supplies here and what she saw of the EFA Hermes. Cooped up in her ship, she typed in all she could remember, calling on SAM to fill in the rest of the details she had either forgotten or had been too focused on something else.
Like her broken arm.
The arm had begun to heal nicely since the accident. A simple fix, really. A few hours in her own infirmary to repair the immediate damage, give it a bit of rest, and find a hospital on the planet to mend the rest of its hurt. After only a week of pain, it was back to its full and healthy self. But that wasn’t the main thing that occupied her mind as she typed up the report.
Dealing with what she saw on the planet took up her mind. The Hermes was on the same course as her; Godlon. A planet far away from many other settlements in this sector, only recently set up for human life and struggling to make do. While she only had enough medicine for a minor village, the Hermes had been expected to carry a significant amount of medicine and other resources to the entire planet. Yet when it failed to arrive, many were worried as to what could have caused the delay. With Aurora’s discovery, calls began for ships to be sent out to protect and analyse the damage for further care. Though she trusted her gut on what it had been.
Pirates.
It made sense. A freight like that, taking as long as it did, with as many supplies as it had? Easy pickings. Defences on those things were tough but not unbeatable.
Though how they managed to track it down was strange. The ships ledgers were kept secret and critical missions like the one it was on are often hidden from the public. There was talk of spies, traitors, hackers, or even just random chance.
Aurora wasn’t too worried about it. It just wasn’t a concern of hers. Once she finished the report she would just hand it in and that would be that for her. All she really wanted to do was just get another contract and be off of this planet. She wasn’t one for sticking around and mingling.
Nearing the end of the day she managed to get the report in to the local authorities. They weren’t too far from her own ship, just a few blocks away. About as far as where she needed to drop of the supplies.
The walk itself was fairly uneventful. She could tell that this town had once been a pretty nice place to live. Though with how desperate times were getting, it could only look so good. Dull signs where ads would have flashed, shop windows with nothing inside, people walking aimlessly down the road to whatever relief they could get to. It was enough to make anyone sad.
Aurora kept her form close to her chest as she made it to the station. A few armed guards let her through as she handed the report over to the receptionist. He glanced down at it briefly, nodding along as he recalled the next steps for his own job.
“Anything else?” he asked.
“No, thanks,” Aurora said. “I’ll be on my way.”
“That won’t be necessary,” another voice said behind her. “She will be staying with us for a while.”
Aurora turned around and saw a tall woman dressed in a pressed suit making her way towards her. Obviously a police officer, maybe even a captain given the array of badges on her left side. Aurora raised an eyebrow to this stranger.
“Am I in trouble or something?” she asked.
“No,” the woman said, putting her arms behind her back, standing at attention. “Quite the opposite, in fact. Will you come with me, Aurora? I have a new job for you.”
“A job?” she said, bewildered. “Listen, lady, I’m not interested in whatever work you have lined up for me. I just finished up that report you guys requested and I want out of here. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done my part.”
“And that’s why you’re the best person for the job,” the woman sighed. “I’ll ask you again to come with me. I won’t be so polite a third time.”
The captain raised her hand, with two guards seemingly appearing out of no where behind her. Aurora looked up to them, their strong and tall frame that would easily overpower her. She sighed and nodded the captain. The best she could hope to do right now was to play along and get paid. Getting thrown in jail would put a big stop on whatever career she hoped to make.
“Excellent,” the captain said, before heading down the corridor.
“Though I protest to the method of this,” Aurora grumbled under her breath.
They lead her through the dingy and decaying halls of the precinct. It was clear that even before everything went to Hell this place was not built to last. Paint peeled from the mouldy walls, pictures of previous squads sat against the wall where they had fallen and not been put back up. The trophy wall was empty save for a single small one from eight years back. Aurora could just about read it as saying ‘Best File Management for a Local Precinct.’
Not a very pleasant place to be in. Certainly one she would be eager to escape from as soon as possible.
They finally arrived at a small office. Text on the door marked it as ‘Captain Julie Layrin.’ It opened with a creak that told Aurora it needed oiling, though she didn’t bother to voice this concern. That was hardly the biggest cause of grief these people had now.
Captain Layrin sat in the padded chair behind her simple desk, gesturing for Aurora to do the same. She sat down opposite the desk, the guards hovering by the door.
“By now I’m sure you may know why I called you here,” she said.
“Actually, I don’t know,” Aurora said, crossing her arms. “You said I’m not in trouble, yet you’ve gone to a great deal to keep me locked up here and feel unwelcome. Why is that?”
“Because right now we need your help,” Captain Layrin said. She sat forward in her desk, leaning her arms on it and crossing her fingers together. “We don’t have the man nor will power to investigate this exploded ship. And we would certainly like those supplies back. Even a hint on where they are would be enough. Something to let us know that hope still remains in our little back water planet. Something to protect us if this happens again.”
Aurora raised an eyebrow once more, staring down the Captain with her strange offer. “You want me to go after these pirates?”
“Or whomever stole that shipment, yes,” she said, not flinching. “You seem like the best person for the job, anyway. Got a ship, got an AI, got experience navigating through that debris field. I saw the holographic images of that thing. You are no weak pilot, even for a beginner.”
“I’d hardly call years of training ‘beginner,’” Aurora said. “Anyway, why can’t you call on someone else? Surely an army would be better equipped to deal with this than me. Can’t you just call one?”
“You don’t think we have tried?” Julie grumbled. “Our comms are down. We barely managed to get that last message to your people to supply us. We could hardly request an army. They care about us I’m sure, but it would be to expensive for them to bother.”
Aurora paused. She never realised how desperate the people of Godlon were becoming. To not even be able to contact another planet was something hard to imagine. Even for a backwater planet like that it was unheard of.
Julie noticed the hesitation and sighed.
“Look,” she began, lowering her hands as if to show her cards. “You don’t have to do this. I may have done a whole song and dance about you needing to help us but really, it’s your call. If you have another job lined up or simply don’t have the ability to help us, you can leave. It is a big call we’re asking for you, especially for your second ever mission. But…”
She looked down to her desk, deflated at her situation.
Aurora frowned. The captain was being genuine, she could tell that much. She’d talked with many ranking officers in her time at the academy. It was rare for them to show this level of hopelessness in any situation. She half thought they would have beaten it out of them by now. There could be no room for it in the field.
Yet right now, that’s all she could do. Accept the hand that had been dealt to her and try to move forward, convincing whatever small time trader came through here that they can help if just a little longer.
She sighed and stood up.
“I’ll take the deal,” she said, holding out a hand.
Julie looked up to her outstretched offer for help and smiled. She stood and took gripped Aurora’s hand firmly and with admiration.
“Thank you,” she said.
“But I’m not doing it for free,” Aurora said. “I will want a full check up of my ship, refuelling it as much as you can, and as much non-perishable food as you can offer. Even algae bread or similar should suffice. Think you can make it happen?”
Julie smiled and continued to shake her hand. “It’ll be a compromise for sure, but we’ll make do. I’ll get to work on organising all of it for you. You get back to your ship and make preparations of your own. I’m sure you’ll need it. And don’t worry, your reward will be more than enough to get yourself something nice.”
Aurora grinned and thanked the captain for her help. A nice pay day sounded good. Might help cover the costs of her broken hand. But getting free fuel and food would be perfect. And a tune up of her ship to boot? That was definitely the best part. No telling how much that would save on future costs.
Besides, what was the worst that could happen?
To Be Continued…
Thumbnail Courtesy of Wallpaper Flare
Cheesman Chronicles 
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