Snippet #2277882

F.S.S. Salient

Aronimus continued strolling down the corridor, by now Max had wandered off somewhere to explore. The old Admiral was headed to his quarters, and walked in an regular pace, until he received a direct call to his comm.

"This is Admiral Weston, what is it?"

"Petty Officer Hansen, sir. We um...received an encrypted message from...an 'Ace of Diamonds'"

"Ace of Diamonds?"

"We ran a background check, he's listed as a pirate and a mercenary. We attempted to trace the source location of the transmission, but we came to a dead end."

"How did they manage to get through to military channels?"

"We're not sure sir. Would you like me to play the transmission?"

"Send it to my neural interface."

"Understood sir." the comm channel beep terminated the exchange. The Admiral then opened the transmission himself as he resumed his walking speed.

"This is the Ace of Diamonds. If you wish to continue negotiating the terms of our contract on the Federation's behalf, I ask for you to send a messenger to speak with us at the House of Clubs on the entertainment level of Iridosis Station. While it is recommended to speak face-to-face to us yourself, I do understand that you are dealing with pirates, and you should have safety precautions in mind. Please note, however, that we will provide an expanded safety escort for the messenger."

Ace of Diamonds? Pirates? The Admiral arrived in the Captain's Quarters, just as the blast door behind slid shut with a hiss, and the lights flickered on at his presence. He was intent on unraveling what this was about, and he was sure that there was one man who might know the answers. He sat at his desk, and immediately activated the terminal. Multiple giant cyan-glowing holographic and transparent screens flashed into being around his seat.

On one of the screens, Vice Admiral Fontaine came into presence with his characteristic white fluff hair covering his head like needles. His face had the trenches and the lines marked by time, just like the rings of a tree if one were to cut it open. Behind him was the planet that his office was orbiting. The white atmospheric streams formed various arcs across the bluish-green planet's face.

"Yes, Admiral Weston? You called?"

"Sir, I received a message, encrypted, just approximately five minutes ago, from an 'Ace of Diamonds,' I think it would be best if I played it back for you," Aronimus tapped a key on his chair and the transmission replayed itself, in the same voice, same tone, and same intent that it had five minutes ago when Aronimus first heard it.

"I noticed that he mentioned some 'terms' of a 'contract.' Apologies if I am stepping out of place sir, but what does he mean by this?" Aronimus asked as the transmission ended.

Fontaine glanced aside, before asking, "Is this a secure channel?"