Quinn, Lutrin, Tony and Gem board the Wilma Deering and detach from the freighter. Captain Locke keeps the attention of the Martian gunship while they slip away. The RNS Shiva fires a warning shot and Locke allows the Martians to dock and board. Twenty minutes later the Shiva leaves empty-handed and Black Orpheus rendezvous with the Deering.
Tony was able to hack the comm channel of the Martian marines and listened in as they exhaustively searched the freighter for Gem. On the way to the bridge the marines had a stand-off with Egan Tull (Locke's security man). Someone fired. A storm of shouts and gunfire followed. Back aboard the freighter they learn Egan was killed.
Tony offers condolences and what little comfort he can to the Lockes for losing their friend. Tamika grimly remarks that if Tony had told them the truth from the beginning she still would have helped them.
It's a tense few days to Ceres. They land at a facility run by the McKenna Trading House, and McKenna personnel unload the cargo, including the smuggled railgun parts.
Lutrin decides they should get some ice cream -- or whatever passes for it here -- while they plan their next step. A suit with an armed escort approaches them and introduces himself as Mr. Subraham, an associate of Mr. Santoro. He congratulates them on bringing Gem safely to Ceres. He asks her to come with him.
Tony objects they don't know Subraham at all. He asks for some time to check with Santoro back in Nexus City. He sends a secure message and they all wait in the nearby food court.
While they wait for a reply, Tony asks Subraham about some people he ought to know if he's working with Mr. Santoro. Subraham's answers are satisfactory, and he is amused by Tony's pluck. They talk about Gem, and Subraham tells Tony flatly that Gem is the package in this case, and he will turn her over to him soon enough. The VDU wants her for leverage over the Martian Senate.
Tony can see how this must play out: eventually the VDU will turn Gem over to Mars and she will be killed. Loyalties divided, he makes a fast, hard choice and shoots Subraham, right in the middle of the food court. The fixer's bodyguards are just a few steps away and draw their weapons.
Lutrin is ready though. For the first time he draws his power sword in anger as he falls on the bodyguards with deadly efficiency. Bullets fly. Gem dives for cover. Quinn sneaks around their flank and burns one badly with his laser. Tony kills Subraham and a bodyguard at close range, while Lutrin finishes off the rest. In just a few seconds, it's over.
The crew uses the panicked crowd to slip out of the food court and back to the Black Orpheus. Locke tells them McKenna also sent men looking for Gem. With no time to lose, the captain also makes a choice. He preps the ship for take-off. The smuggler is now a pirate.
McKenna isn't about to let the captain steal his freighter though. He sends a pair of starfighters to bring them back. But Black Orpheus has a few surprises up her sleeve, and a hidden heat cannon in her prow. Lutrin proves himself an able gunner as Quinn deftly dodges lasers from the starfighters. One of them fires a rocket at close range but Tony is able to defeat it with ECM. Both fighters are destroyed.
Free, at least for the moment, the new crew of the Black Orpheus sets course for the Outland.
-- END TRANSMISSION --
