Dean Dean finds himself adrift in deep space after an unfortunate collision on the fold space highway. A chance discovery of an unusual artifact brings him to the attention of the feared Dedan Empire.
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The patrons rushed out of the Dead Pirate at the news, led by Dean and Miss Yadnee. Bob's talon-like feet spewed a mist of sand into the air as he clambered behind the pack. Dean stopped at a signal beacon, shielded his eyes from D-Jinn's split sun, and keyed in the coordinates Mama Sitta said.
"It is reading as a mostly destroyed V1 Freighter, do you have any reading of its actual configuration?"
Mama Sitta reached into her dust-worn satchel and plucked out her holographic display screen.
"This is linked to our main satellite systems. It's a direct scan of the actual ship."
Dean scrolled through the list of tech and weaponry listed and could feel a lump growing in his throat. He sensed Miss Yadnee looming over his shoulder to sneak a peek at the list.
"Well. What do you think?" Dean asked, handing the holo display back to Mama Sitta.
"We haven't got a comms link to the ship yet, but I can't think of any innocent reason why somebody would hide their ship's configuration to enter the D-Jinn system," she replied.
"With the kind of weaponry I saw, and the actual ship type, there is no doubt this is a hotshot. It has to be Tal Garu's lacky," Miss Yadnee said.
"A hotshot, coming to D-Jinn?" Mama Sitta glanced at the pair. "I knew your return was trouble, Dean."
Dean accessed the signal beacon again and sent a simple question through an open comms channel toward the ship.
"Are you here to fight?"
Dean, Miss Yadnee, and the remaining patrons of the Dead Pirate didn't have to wait long for a response. The signal beacon crackled as it interpreted an incoming burst of tachyons from the comms channel.
[Hello, on D-Jinn IV. My name is MAI, we do not wish any harm anyone on the planet, we are simply here for Captain Dean Dean.]
"He isn't here," Dean said, turning to look at Miss Yadnee with a smile on his face. "That should do the trick."
Miss Yadnee didn't say anything in response, instead she offered a sarcastic double thumbs up as the signal beacon crackled again.
[We know that is you captain. Ideally, we don't want this to come to a fight, but as you have no doubt verified, we are heavily armed.]
In the background there was a muffled voice that was indecipherable, but before they could guess what it said, MAI answered the question for them. [Even with a Vazin fighting in your corner.]
"Shit." Dean looked around at the small crowd remaining, those with a vested interest in the motivations of this hotshot, and he could feel their angst and, appropriately, their fear.
"Ssshe isss Vazin?" Bob said as he took two large conspicuous steps backwards and away from Miss Yadnee.
"I am of Vazin bloodline and a direct descendent, but I can assure you I mean no harm."
