As he returned to finalize the deal with the
StellarGrove trader,
Mercer couldn't shake the feeling that he was walking into a situation fraught with danger and uncertainty. But if it meant securing a larger Starfire Citrus deal and earning both
Chen's and the
Ironsides’ favor,
Mercer was willing to take the risk.
With the deal brokered and Xiao Chen's favor secured, Mercer returned to the customs building to oversee the arrival of the first Starfire Citrus crates. The StellarGrove trader had not disappointed, and soon enough, the first shipment with 10 tons of crates arrived, each one filled to the brim with the precious fruit.
Under the watchful eye of
Inspector Lin Xia, the crates were unloaded from the StellarGrove flyer and brought into the
customs building for inspection.
Lin Xia scrutinized each crate meticulously, ensuring that they contained
nothing but the fruits.
After inspection, the cargo was loaded and Jil took off.
In total, a single round trip on the Solaris, with the help of everyone but Emily,
took over 2 hours. There were 4 more trips left.
In the meantime,
Emily was making some calls and
looking for her brother in
Meixian. She promised
Hank that she would tell him if she found any clues. Although
Hank wanted to help,
he had a lot of paperwork to fill out and a team to coordinate. He left her alone, even more so after she told him emphatically that she would not return to orbit, especially since in doing so she would be risking a crazy law from this planet preventing her from returning.
OOC:
Let's finish the trading while she searches behind the cameras
As
Mercer made his way back to the customs building to unload the next lot of Citrus, his holo-communicator buzzed with an incoming message. With a quick glance, he saw that it was from
Ian, one of
Xiao Chen's associates. Mercer's heart quickened, knowing that this message could hold important information regarding their arrangement.
Opening the message, Mercer read Ian's words carefully:
"Mercer, the freight will be ready in 6 hours. Meet us at the starport's docks as planned. Make sure you have everything in order for departure. Chen is expecting results."
It would be enough time to make it on the last outbound trip.
Hours later, 3 loads had already cleared
customs and departed for the
Celestial Voyager with
Jil and Mariella aboard the shuttle. In orbit, the synth helped them quickly unload. In the meantime,
Hank, Peter and Mercer prepared the next lot planet side. Peter even helped and
exerted himself by carrying the bulk of those lots.
It was already late and everyone was tired. They were eating something while waiting for the Solaris to land. Discreetly looking at his datapad, Mercer excused himself and went to the docks.
A couple of minutes later, he stood in the designated location at the spaceport dock, his gaze fixed on the
large box before him. It was significantly larger than a coffin, its seal gleaming under the artificial lights of the starport.
As Ian approached, Mercer couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle over him. The urgency in Ian's demeanor and his tone was palpable.
"This is the cargo you'll be delivering to the Ironsides in Zyronis," he explained, gesturing towards the sealed box.
"It's perishable, Mercer. It needs to be delivered as soon as possible. You can see in this display how much time you have left. After 5 days, no matter what, he will wake up. You don't wanna that."
Mercer's brow furrowed in concern as he processed Ian's words. "
Perishable" cargo was always a cause for concern, especially when the consequences of its "
spoiling" could be dire.
"
Anyway, a mutual friend told me to give you this. It's very specific and only really works in Verdura, but it is perfect for what you need." - continued Ian.
He gave Mercer a
remote scrambler that could interfere with the bio scanners used by Verdura's police force. They wouldn't detect a person being transported as cargo. The only caveat was that its range was very short. Mercer would have to
Sneak and stay close to the freight during the inspection and, to be completely sure, until they reached orbit.
OOC:
Mercer, what do you do?
