Chapter 69

Carly’s giggle was infectious, and Lindsay and Zeke had to grin, too.

Finally, she got out, “I still can’t believe you got that thing into your mouth. I’m going to need a lot of practice.”

Zeke couldn’t let them have the last laugh. “Just remember that you’re welcome to practice on the real thing whenever you wish.”

Before either could respond, Freya interjected, “I’m sorry, Captain, but we are being hailed by the Commander in Chief of UNSEC on Luna, General Shatner.”

“Damn it, what now?” Zeke swore and blinked to the helm.

Zeke sat in his chair and asked, “Freya, how long before we get to Armstrong?”

“We should be able to dock in thirty minutes. I believe my call to Control was passed on.”

“Very well. Put her through, Freya.”

Zeke watched as the vid of General Sharon Shatner sitting in her plush, private office materialised. She sat stiffly with her hands together on the desk. Her suit was immaculate, and her medals shone.

She was a strikingly handsome woman of mixed heritage. Her skin tone and features reminded him of Sofia and the twins. Zeke suspected she came from the same region. He knew she was in her late sixties, but she managed to look more like she was in her mid-forties.

“Good evening, Chief Justice Walker. I believe you left one very pissed-off Brigadier General on Morpheus.”

Zeke smiled disarmingly, “It was my pleasure to oblige, Commander. Maybe he will stop swanning about in his Frigate and put it to its intended use. He might even realise that he is supposed to keep tabs on what is happening in his space station.”

Sharon looked at Zeke blandly. “There may be some truth in what you say. However, you did leave him in the lurch.”

Zeke shook his head, “No, Commander, you and your administration did that. I helped as much as I was legally and physically able to. You only gave me the right to issue warrants and apprehend suspected criminals in the Sol Space System.”

“The right to prosecute and detain the suspects must still be carried out through the legal system of the SSG and your people, as per article 402 of the law codes you supplied me with.”

Tight-lipped, she replied, “You left Morpheus without a legal system. It was your responsibility to take over,” she stated firmly and with disapproval.

“Commander, it is not my fault that Major Howe had to arrest both residing Judges on Morpheus. I didn’t ask, invite, or order either of them to be drunk, stoned off their faces, naked and in an illegal brothel. That, by the way, catered to degenerates who use under-aged prostitutes. That is solely on them.”

“You should have at least taken the responsibility of transporting them here to Luna before returning,” she asserted.

“No. My ships are also exactly what they are. My ships. Nothing in that lovely, printed tome you sent me says that I must use my personal or my company-owned ships to transport prisoners for UNSEC or the SSG.”

“In fact, it says I’m to hand anyone I arrest over to the nearest authorities as quickly as possible. Which I did. They were Brigadier Santos’s responsibility. Just as I did when Detective Dusty Carmichael came to collect the first lot, and again when Captain Connors took the next lot off my hands.”

“Brigadier Santos was asking me to break the laws you people said I had to abide by and uphold. And just what did you expect me to do by staying there? Sort out the Brigadier’s mess? My appointment doesn’t cover that contingency, Commander.”

“Yes, it does. You should have claimed temporary Governorship,” General Shatner replied frostily. “I will make it official. As a Chief Justice, you are under my command. I order you to return to Morpheus as soon as you have dropped off your cargo. You can put the prisoners in your hold.”

“No, Commander, you can’t. Under the agreement, I can’t be appointed to a governing position on an SSG-controlled colony or space station, even temporarily. To do so, I have to willingly give up my Martian citizenship.”

“I did read every word of the tome you sent me, Commander. You can’t pay me enough compensation. I own several businesses and a lot of land on Mars. I forfeit the lot under Martian law. You can stick your appointment wherever you like if you try to force me. I can resign at any time.”

She growled at him, “Mr Walker, a man with your secrets should be very careful whose toes he treads upon. You will carry out my orders.”

Zeke barked out a laugh and sat back in his chair casually. He even raised the footrest and crossed his ankles as he folded his hands in his lap.

“So sorry, Commander, but blackmail won’t work. You can tell the entire Sol system what you believe I am, and it won’t matter. Didn’t you get the broadcast? Brigadier Santos has already told everyone on Morpheus that I’m a mage.”

“What?” she yelled as she slammed her fists on the desk. “That bumbling idiot. You were supposed to take the Governor’s position on Morpheus.”

“Are you nuts? Why on Mars’ independence would I possibly want to take on that thankless job? Commander, I am perfectly happy being a freighter Captain and a very successful businessman.”

“I only turned twenty-three years old today. The last thing I want to do at my tender age is run a corrupt space station. No council, let alone the people, would respect or trust me. It is absurd that you even ask.”

“Damn it,” she responded. “Fine, have it your way. I hereby cancel all UNSEC appointments and contracts with you and your companies. Get your ships out of Earth Space. You have two days.”

“If any of them land on an SSG-controlled station after that, their crews will be detained and arrested. I will bleed you dry while you keep bailing them out and wear the court costs and legal fees.”

“I will also ban the sale of every product you make and confiscate any shipment by a company you’re affiliated with. You will come to heel, Mr Walker. If you tell me the names of every magical person you know of in my space, I may relent.”