A Prologue Part Three ~ The Rise(sample)

Chapter Three ~ a Lesbian Drug Runner:

Reine raised her weapon back up, as she listened - her gun slowly drifted to aim at the ground. Her eyes narrowed, before she looked back at her engineer; who shrugged in response. She spoke happily.

"I like credits, that's why I'm here. Come on out and we can talk, my crew is just going to come take your weapons and control of your vessel for the time being. My specialist will also be procuring a portion of your cargo to fill my ship. I hope you understand. You can call it a freedom fee - we freed you from the Federation, right?"

Acovis moved forward with the platforms. Jin moved forward with Reine, as the three approached the cargo hold behind the platforms. A pretty face with long dangling strands of braided brown hair popped out from behind the flag. The woman was very dark-skinned and athletic; when she stepped out, she was a few inches taller than her.

"Also my abusive father, but hey yeah... we can go with that. I also cooked drugs for him on said hidden planet. We've been importing them to the Federation, but I think they caught on.

They wanted to renegotiate the terms of our arrangement and know the location of our planet. Which my father didn't want, and neither do I. He said never deal with pirates, but I'm thinking you might be different."

"Hrm, how old are you?"

"I'm twenty, kid. How old are you?"

"I'm twelve and I'm Captain Reine Xavior, not a kid."

When Captain Xavior approached her prisoner, her hands rose up to the sky away from her pistol. She reached over and took the pistol, before she handed it off to Acovis; who kept going into the freighter behind his platforms. She motioned for her engineer to follow him; before she started back towards her cargo bay with her captive and spoke again.

"I've worked very hard to become what I am today, as I'm sure you've worked hard to accomplish what you have. What are these drugs you speak of? I'm still quite new to the family business."

The captive blinked a few times and looked down at her with intense hazel eyes. She walked with her back towards her ship and considered the situation. She carefully worded her response.

"Captain, drugs are things people do to mess up their minds. Different drugs do different things to your brain. Some of it is pleasurable, some of it not as much."

"Why would someone do that?"

"You're a pirate and you don't drink?"

Reine was thoughtful, as they entered the cargo hold of the Vexor. She took her prisoner into her kitchen, where she laid her rifle down on the table. They sat on opposite sides of the table. She noticed her captive was very beautiful, as they continued to talk.

"Oh, what alcohol? Of course, I do."

"That's a drug."

She nodded in realization of the term. Acovis could be heard moving large quantities of something into the cargo hold. She spoke at length with her about the subject.

"I see. Well, I suppose if used responsibly those are fine."

"What kinda thing do you like?"

She raised her brows in response, "What do you mean?"

Her captive tried to explain casually, "You know - uppers, downers, stuff that makes you see things?"

"Huh, well I've only drank before. Plus drinking is making me feel sick lately, so I'm trying to cut back."

Her prisoner's brows raised, as she inquired, "I see, are you pregnant?"

She was taken aback by the question and considered her. Her captive appeared to already know the answer. She slowly nodded and answered.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

Her prisoner chuckled and waved a hand at her in reply, "You got a glow girl, some dude done knocked you up for sure. Look, I know the perfect drug for when you're prego. You are already gonna feel like crap, so just smoke some herb and relax.

I grow lots of the stuff on my planet, even make some stuff out of it. Anything else, including drinking - is gonna make you feel sick girl. Trust me, I know drugs."

Her captive pulled a long thick stick from behind her ear. Captain Xavior realized it was something akin to a cigarette, but larger. Annie, her stepmom, smoked cigarettes when she got drunk. The woman produced a lighter from her bra and slowly lit the produced item.

She took a few drags of the so-called herb, before she held her breath and passed the item to Reine. She slowly took the item and smiled, before she put it to her lips to give it a try. She coughed loudly and freed the smoke, as she could not hold it in.

She held the item out in front of her with narrowed eyes. She looked it over carefully, as she slowly stopped coughing; before she tried again hesitantly and passed the item back to her prisoner. She spoke again, as she let out the smoke in her lungs.

"So what's your name and what do you have in mind?"

"I'm Aden Wellsvann. Honestly, I want to be able to meet someone on a planet nearby my own - that I can trust to take the goods for a good price. I'm making or growing all of it and there are mines full of these jewels on the planet.

I kinda like to keep busy... Keeps my mind off things. So, when I'm not doing the drug thing or need a break, I just go dig up some pretty stones. Truthfully, I just bring them to sell once the house gets full. I want access to a market where I can order supplies as well."

She took another hit and passed the smoking apparatus back to her, as she replied, "Sounds reasonable. I'm going to be taking what I can carry now like I said before, as a fee of course. How will I reach you?"

Aden grinned and laughed at her trying to smoke for the first time, before she replied seriously, "That sounds like something a pirate would do, so okay. I have a small long range satellite that connects me to the Federation's communication network. Here - take these and a crate of them if you want, Captain."

She produced a small box of the items she let her captor try and a communication device from her purse. She slid the box across the table and held the device towards Reine as well. She blinked and laughed, handing her the herb stick; motioning for her to wait, she stood and went to her bedroom.

She returned shortly with her communication device and held it next to Aden's briefly. The devices responded, and they put them away. Reine spoke happily.

"Alright, the deal is struck. Let us go tell my specialist where a crate or two of these are."

She smiled down at the box and silently opened it to take a peek, as Aden watched her carefully. She was thoughtful for a moment, before she stood. She spoke carefully to her captor, as she handed the rest of the item across the table.

"Seems like you enjoy the herb, Captain. Here take the rest of this. I look forward to doing further business with you."

Captain Xavior smiled up at her and closed the box, as she carefully took the item from her fingertips. She began to follow her out into her cargo bay, which was quickly filling up with crates of jewels. She spoke sincerely.

"Thank you, Aden - for being so... agreeable. Also, for the crash course on drugs... this herb feels pretty good. I look forward to business between us as well. If you like - I can bring you back to Valhalla, so you can see the marketplace for yourself?"

She took another drag off the item, after she finished speaking. Acovis started returning with another load behind the drug smuggler. Aden turned to look at her and considered the offer, before she replied.

"Yes, I think I would like that - so-long-as I can get back to my vessel."

"It's a twenty hour FTL trip there, then you can stay as-long-as you like, and when you're ready to return I will drop you back off here. Shouldn't take more than a few days..."

Within the hour, her ship was full of precious gems and a few drugs the smuggler had recommended for value. Reine and her crew met Aden on a nearby planet, at her request - due to the fact, she did not want to leave her ship on a battlefield. This added about an hour to the trip.

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This is not the end - Next Chapter ->