Squints sat back in his chair after going over the summary report one more time. He repeated the status of the terrorists once more to himself.
Disappeared.
He sat in silence for a moment in contemplation.
The LSF had many eyes, but they were not everywhere, and the list of known possible hideouts had run out. With no intel on the location of the terrorists or the status of the hostage, the Security Forces hands were tied. Squints didnt like it, but he was going to have to go outside the limits of the LSF if there was to be any chance of finding and rescuing the Countess.
There was one group who would know the location of nearly every criminal hideout and base of dubious legality in Sirius. It was a group Squints knew well, full of ex-cons and professional gunmen without a cause, and run by a man Squints had met only once, the day he was given his first ship.
Looking back over the report once more, Squints sighed.
Looks like Ive got no other choice. At this rate the Countess is a dead woman.
Pulling out an unlisted number he had kept in his wallet for the last year, he turned to his computer and opened up a communication window. He'd held on to this number in case he ever found himself cut off from the LSF in the Omicrons. Now it was coming in handy for an entirely different reason.
He dialed the number and waited several seconds as the call leaped across a network of FTL relays and finally found its destination at a base in Omega 56. Squints heard the sound of the line pick up on the other end, but the screen remained black, and nobody answered.
Squints grinned slightly; Security-culture was something he'd learned to appreciate during his last year with the LSF, and the people he was calling had good reason to protect their identities from the plethora of vendetta-wielding convicts serving time around Sirius.
He sat up straight and looked into the camera embedded within his computer screen.
This is Francis McClintock, former BHG ID number 503774308. I'm requesting a priority 1 channel on behalf of the Liberty Security Force.
I need to speak to the Guildmaster.
*puts on fedora and trenchcoat* Now I know what sort of community you really are. *walks off into the rain*
---Opening Transmission---
From: Senior Agent Francis Squints McClintock, Liberty Security Force, Department of Covert Operations
Subject: Your help
Message Starts:
Hello Guildmaster.
It's been a while since we first met. I trust the Squinty Sheriff has been given a good captain and a better name since I returned her to the Guild.
I understand you're a busy man so I'll be brief.
The Liberty Security Force is currently dealing with a hostage situation. A Bretonian noble was on her way to Manhatten aboard the Liner HMS Serenity, when her ship was captured by members of the Liberty Rogue terrorist organization. The ship and its crew have been released, but the noble, one Countess Lafiel Tarrant, is still being held hostage for ransom.
The Liberty government refuses to bow to their demands, in order to maintain our policy of not dealing with terrorists. This means that the only hope the Countess has of returning home alive is if MI6 and the LSF are able to coordinate an infiltration and rescue operation.
This is all well and good, however, we simply do not know where the terrorists are hiding. We do know that they were keeping the hostages at one Alcatraz base in California, but since releasing the Bretonian ship and its crew the terrorists have fled elsewhere.
My fellow agents and I have pursued all leads on suspected hideouts in Liberty proper, and none of them show signs of anticipating military response. This reinforces the validity of the terrorists' statement that they have left primary House space.
We're out of leads. We need intel. If we don't know where the Countess is being held, we have no way to mount a rescue operation, let alone plan in advance. The terrorists are growing agitated, the Navy is asking for a game plan, and Copperfield is expecting us to produce answers.
Now, I know the Guild has extensive knowledge of jump holes and hidden bases, both neutral and criminal. What I'm asking is this:
We need your help. As a representative of the Liberty Security Force and as a former member of the Guild's Secondary Fleet, I'm personally requesting that the Guild offer up any relevant intel it has obtained on Liberty Rogue bases located within systems immediately outside Liberty House space, particularly those in close proximity to the California system.
We're not asking the Guild to divulge all its trade secrets. We need intel within this limited area.
If we don't find them, Tarrant will most certainly die.
*puts on fedora and trenchcoat* Now I know what sort of community you really are. *walks off into the rain*
Graves looked puzzled. The irony of the LSF, Liberty's premier intelligence agency looking to him for intel was only mildly amusing, but he took no pleasure in it, being fond of his family ties to Liberty.
"I can tell you off the top of my head. Magellan is crawling with Lane Hackers. Including one particularly tenacious individual who we managed to bring down only after he clipped five of our best journeyman, and, even then, the bastard is still reported as pirating more cargo than you could shake a stick at.
"The ice fields and sensor jammers mean any nav recording system is near useless there. We know they have weapons platforms in the eastern fields, but we never got any farther.
"As for Cortez, well, we've never been there. Never had cause to. No business there. Apart from tracking the odd slaver ship that moves through there en route to the north.
He gave a meaningful look.
"Jump-holes? Gravitational anomalies? Some people swear these are reliable transit points for criminals, smugglers and all sorts. But I have my doubts. Urban myth, I'd say. Besides, people who use them tend to vanish mysteriously. Just like people who talk about their location round here."
He paused and looked around.
"I wouldn't risk it."
He looked over his shoulder.
"Using these alleged jump-holes that don't exist, that is."
He started writing on a note-pad.
"I can maybe send a wing of the 22nd into Cortez on a patrol. The cost should be minimal, as they are pretty fuel-efficient ships they fly, these light fighters. How does that sound?"
Squints' relief was palpable. He'd always felt the Guildmaster was a man of principle, considering the nature of his organization.
"Thank you, Sir. The information is appreciated. I'm forwarding the info on Magellan to my companions now. The ice fields you say? With any luck we'll find something."
Paying attention to what Graves was writing on his notepad, Squints continued.
"I was hoping you'd have more information on the rumors of these jump holes, but I guess it can't be helped. If they don't exist, there's not much either of us can do about it."
Squints gave a small grin to the Guildmaster.
"As for your offer to help patrol Cortez, the LSF would greatly appreciate it. We're stretched thin right now, looking for the Countess in addition to our other responsibilities. I'm confidant the Director will sign whatever necessary to compensate the Guild for its troubles.
In fact your cooperation in helping us to find the poor woman may be the one thing that saves her life. I'd like to extend my personal gratitude, as well as that of the Liberty government."
*puts on fedora and trenchcoat* Now I know what sort of community you really are. *walks off into the rain*
