Chapter 10: 4 Days Later

"Captain, so good you could make it," the commander said from behind his desk. Logan had been asked if he would like to meet with the man in charge of Tortora station and not wanting to be impolite, had accepted. His arrival the day before had been met with great fanfare and people wanting to see the scout who had discovered the first system with a habitable world in it in the last century. What was more amazing was that it contained three of them.

Though technically the House Rodgers' transport had found it, when they were attacked and were rescued, they lost all rights to the system as they were unable to claim it. And Logan had. After the discovery of the planets, Logan and Captain Bishop had immediately left to file a claim for it at Tortora while also calling in two more flights of Corsairs to guard the system.

"I didn't much else planned," Logan said casually as he sat in the offered seat.

"I doubt that," the commander said with a smile. "I'll get right down to it; I have a business proposition for you." Logan was not surprised at his forward manner, it was well known, but what could the commander hope to get from a scout.

"I'm listening," Logan said. The commander smiled at this and Logan felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. Something wasn't right here.

"You discovered a new system four days ago, one with three habitable worlds in it. I represent an interested party who would like to purchase the rights for this system from you, for a considerable sum of course," the commander said, feeling as if this little scout would fall before him like almost everyone else on this station.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you Commander," Logan said clearly, happy that he had offloaded the system as soon as he had filed it.

"Oh I think you can, I can offer you enough money for you to retire to wherever you wish and live in comfort for the rest of your life," the commander said, slightly confused.

"No, you don't understand. I no longer have claim to that system," Logan said calmly.

"WHAT!!!" the commander bellowed, unable to control himself.

"I sold it approximately half an hour after I had claimed it, and for a considerable sum too. If you wish to try for the system yourself, you should take it up with the new owners," Logan said, a slight grin on his face. He had known that everyone would be after him to get control of the system. Not wanting it to be abused, he had allowed people he trusted to acquire it from him.

"And they are?" the commander asked, his voice filled his anger.

"House Jacobs," Logan said and stood. "As I suspect that concludes our business, I say good day." Logan turned and walked out of the room. Happy to be out of the room, Logan breathed a sigh of relief and walked away. He had a short list of things to do, chief among them was filing Zena's ownership papers and saying goodbye to Ayla before she left.

"How are you feeling Zena?" Logan asked as they, Christine and Ebony walked down the corridor. They were headed to the slave register to file Logan's mark information and the paperwork on Zena being his slave.

"Alright I guess," she replied. She was garbed like the rest of the crew but instead of a t-shirt had a belly shirt that fully exposed her mark and an impressive display of cleavage.

"Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to you," Logan said, trying to comfort her.

"Thank you," she said walked a little taller. They quickly made their way through the crowd and into the slave office, where they were greeted by a woman with an impressive flower design on her forehead.

"Yes, how may I help you?" she asked.

"I am here to file information on my mark and on this slave," Logan said.

"A nice one. Papers?" the woman said as she looked over Zena and held her hand out. Logan gave her the papers and watched as she examined them. "These are in order. We just have to get photos of both you and the slave to go with these records and you can be off. Please follow me." Logan nodded at his three ladies and they all walked down the hall after the slave.