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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ptolemy" data-source="post: 9640943" data-attributes="member: 1412">One unexpected consequence of the rescue was that Foxx was asked to give Karl’s presentation at the Gala. He was due to speak for the small traders association. This made everything much easier. Foxx called Paulette again to tell her about the change. We now knew how we could get the video about Brocero into the feed. We still needed a way to prevent them from cutting off the broadcast. So we paid a visit to Marin and Jekki. They had taken rooms at some old establishment for mendicants of their order. After having had a collection tin shaken at us several times the old crooks joined us in the lobby and we went for a walk. Marin told us that if we wanted to prevent anyone from cutting off the video feed which Foxx had made to denounce Drasser and Brocero we needed some cut-off relay disruptors and foam. The foam was to prevent anyone from being able to physically remove the relay disruptors when they were in place. Not quickly enough to matter to us anyway. We looked all set for the rehearsal.Tristan was getting nervous having promised Rock Redburn that he would be his assistant during Rock’s presentation bit. The plan was for us to place the relay disruptors in the main media room and the power room during the dress rehearsal. We took our seats and watched as things happened on stage. We had great seats and would be very near both the Duchess’s and Brocaro’s tables. We all laughed at Tristans part in Redburn’s presentation. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. It didn’t help calm him! There was a scheduled fire drill during the intermission/dining section of the itinerary. Foxx and I went up to visit Paulette in the video booth and Tristan and Noah set off for the basement and the main power room. During our visit to Paulette Foxx was able to connect the relay disruptor and spray on the foam while I ran interference. Noah and Tristan likewise placed their disruptor in the power room. One interesting thing which came up was Noah bumping into one of the bent coppers from his old force. He was moonlighting as head of security for the Gala and offered Noah work. Noah agreed and we were all set.Miskom checked himself out of hospital, probably against doctor’s orders, and declared his intention to come to the Gala to cheer us on. He looked white as a sheet and Karl was badly bruised around his face, so they looked a treat. We took our seats shortly after arriving. The Duchess had a table front and centre. Two concentric semi-circles of tables sat directly behind hers. There was the table with the representatives of Brocero. We finally saw Drasser in the flesh along with her dad and a couple of lackeys. She wore a suspicious looking tiara. There was the Tarlet Industries table, Velhom was wearing an equally suspicious hat. At the table of ministers sat, you won’t be surprised to hear, a woman with a suspicious beehive hairdo. Oh for - try to keep up. Don’t you remember that the psionic amplifier needed three sets to be irresistible. The Naval Table had some scary looking admirals and various MegaCorp parasites sat at the rest.Haha, very funny, I didn’t “kidnap another Duchess”. The first wasn’t a Duchess, she was the mother of a duke and I didn’t kidnap her anyway. Not really. Well, er. Look, shut up. The show started although the first presentations were a blur as we kept getting stares from Drasser, Valhom and Beehive lady. They watched us, we watched them. The annoying “celebrity” chef at our table kept whinging about something or other, the stand up comedienne completely alienated the Duchess when she did her routine for the charity awards section, but the academic who sat with us, Moira Stark was interesting. She is an astrophysicist  or something and was telling us about a star that might go nova in the Trojan Reach soon. Tristan was discretely called to get changed for his thing with Redburn. Noah, while dressed in his best as a guest, had to hover near the stage for much of the night, keeping an eye out for problems. Damn right I wasn’t happy with splitting the party but what could we do? Tristan returned, mounted the stage and called out in a clear voice which barely registered as the same as the one from the rehearsal “I’ve got you know, Redburn” drew his sword and set about Rock with gusto, eventually collapsing with Redburn’s sword clutched under his arm. He called out “Same time next week” after a very hammy death. The room filled with laughter. Dinner was served. It was mediocre at best and the chef we sat with became insufferable. Tension mounted, and so did Swaylor Tift, the musical guest who was to follow the meal. As she left the stage after an elaborate set it was the turn of the small traders spokesperson, Foxx.Foxx started off with what sounded like the speech that Karl had written, small traders are the backbone of, blah, blah. Small traders create much of the wealth in, blahity blah-blah. It did. They had sensibly not given the Drasser gang any reason to interfere before they started their video. The room watched open mouthed as the information we had put together dripped poison in Brocero and Drasser’s ear. Foxx swayed and put their hand to their head and Tristan curtly, with clear enunciation gave the order “inject Foxx”. The medical auto-injectors that we had rigged up to our comms worked perfectly and although Foxx now had to deal with the side effects (not blindness, you’ll be relieved to know), they weren’t under the influence of the trio of corruption. I heard the Duchess give out the order to a flunkey, go to the editing box and make sure they don’t stop this. We heard chairs over turn and footsteps. Brocero, Drasser, Valhum, the woman with a beehive and a couple of what must have been Brocero’s bodyguards raced towards the nearest door. As they closed in on the exit we saw the startling sight of Miskom and Karl leaping from the balcony to bar the way of our enemies. The three with the psionic circlets stopped, stared and with an agonised look Karl turned his cutlass on Miskom and drove it straight into the old man’s chest. Even with the uproar that had broken out when Foxx’s video finished we all hear Tristan’s scream of “Noooo”. We pounded after our quarry. As a naval officer I had been permitted to carry my sabre. Tristan snatched up Miskom’s sword as we passed the obviously lifeless body of our erstwhile leader. Foxx, in their rage went as far as to snatch Karl’s weapon from the body of Miskom. We headed into the passageway and the cries and shouts of the hall became slightly muffled.Using the powers granted by the devices Tarim and the others had paid with their lives to help build Drasser and company ripped a section of piping from the wall and hurled it at me, taking me in the ribs. It wasn’t a bad injury but hurt like hell. Another pipe was twisted and cloud of steam scalded me. They burst from the building and made straight for their pick up point. There it was, an armoured grav-limo. They were getting away. They had cleared half the distance to the vehicle when Noah tried to get off a shot. He had taken the anti-psi meds and was struggling to see properly. The door of the limo opened and a familiar face appeared. Jekki the gangster smiled at us and waved before opening up with a gauss sub-machine gun. With deadly accuracy he gunned down the body guards, Valhom and Beehive lady. Marin lunged out of the car and with an expression of glee snatched Brocero into his arms and into the limo. I don't think we'll be seeing him again. The door closed, the limo rose above us and Drasser turned to face us. Her arm twisted in an unnatural way and blades sprang out. Tristan got to her first and swung wildly. I lunged more skilfully but met nothing but air with my blade. She lashed out at me, missing by a fraction. Foxx joined us and hacked at her, taking off her arm. Sparks flew as the robotic limb was cut in two. I embedded my sword in her chest which elicited more sparks as synthetic skin parted. It crashed to the ground as the Duchesses security, reinforced by venue security, took up firing positions and ordered us to our knees.Naturally they arrested us and we spent some time being interrogated by the Glisten police. They asked a lot of questions about Jekki waving at us but we stuck to our guns and they had nothing. All our information about Bracero was handed over and we were released. When we had our comms returned to us we each found missed calls. Foxx returned Paulette’s call:“Darling, sensational! I’ve got five interviews lined up and each is paying 50,000 credits for the privilege. That’s 250,000 credits, darling, it's already in your bank. And we have people lining up to buy the book rights, I think I can get you 1,000,000 for an exclusive deal! Darling, when can we meet?”Tristan’s call was from Karin, Norval Killick’s agent (Norval being Rock Redburn’s real name):“After the spectacular events at the Gala Rock has new contract for a show. He wants you in it. Call me back on….”Noah’s call was from his old boss:“Hey, Noah, old boy, maybe we were premature in letting you go. Your old job is waiting for you if you want it.”For me it was Naval Intelligence:“Antigonus, you are being recall to active service. Report to [REDACTED] who will be your temporary handler in 72 hours. Nice work with the Brocero incident, pity you couldn’t have done it more quietly.”And with that my time on the Helena ended.We all had another message. Miskom’s lawyers wanted meeting. It didn’t take long to arrange and we met them on the Helena with Captains Demorden and Grouf (arse), who were to act as witnesses. Miskom owned three ships, the Lola, which he left to Karl, the Louisa which a captain called Stadlin inherited, while the Helena went to “the registered crew at the time of my death” along with the ship’s fund which stood at 375,000 cr. The rest of his credits, some 3,800,000 of them, went to the Shore Path Rehabilitation Centre on Dead End. So we each owned 25% of a Far Trader, which could only be sold if all four agree to the sale. Karl was in a bad way and wasn’t able to attend Miskom’s funeral. I heard the psionic naughty word messed with his head. On top of which he has to live with delivering the killing blow to Miskom, who had been like a father to him. I saw Miskom’s lips move at the last, I hope he said something which will help Karl deal with it all. The funeral was held in space, as it proper. A large gathering of ships escorted us out and fired their lasers or discharged sand casters as we “spaced” his body. I will freely admit there were tears in my eyes and on my cheeks as we said our last goodbye.I packed up my things, including the “goodie bag” which we had received from the awards ceremony and set off to return to my old life as navy officer, where I belong.The End of the Glisten Mystery</blockquote>

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