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0
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The next cycle, when it is approaching midday at the palace, Deal Hunter descends to the royal landi...
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1
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As she exits, two Warbots come out of the palace to escort her.
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2
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Standing at the doorway to enter the palace is a servant.
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3
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Kainda stops.
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4
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The servant says,
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5
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“His Majesty is waiting in his office with Prince Adric. I will escort you to them.”
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6
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Kainda nods, and they walk.
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7
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They are using the large hallways.
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8
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After passing a couple of service corridor entrances, Kainda says,
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9
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“Stop, follow me.”
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10
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The servant is surprised to see Kainda walk over to a service door, open it, and walk in.
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11
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Kainda walks through the corridors, turning a couple of times, and then opens a door that leads to t...
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12
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Kainda says,
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13
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“Do you need to introduce me?”
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14
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The servant is nervous.
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15
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No one has ever used the service corridors.
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16
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She knows Kainda is the princess, but that she knows the service corridors so well is disconcerting.
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17
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She replies,
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18
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“It is not required.”
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19
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Kainda nods and says,
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20
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“You can return to your normal duties.”
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21
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Kainda walks to the large double doors.
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22
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She signals the Warbots that are outside.
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23
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One of the Warbots opens the door as she approaches, and she walks into the room.
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24
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Inside are Kabir, dressed in normal attire; Adric in casual clothing, the industrialist she saw yest...
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25
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Kainda doesn’t pause at the door.
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26
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She walks over to a side table and removes her helmet.
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27
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She places it on the table, oriented so the face is looking at the room.
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28
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This will give Hunter the ability to see and hear.
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29
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Kabir asks,
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30
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“Do you always wear the armor?”
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31
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“When I am outside my ship, yes.”
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32
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“What are you worried about?”
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33
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“The pirate bounties are still active. After I stole the frigate, they increased the bounty to twent...
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34
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Kabir looks at Adric, and they both say,
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35
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“Oh. But you don’t have a gun.”
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36
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“I don’t need a gun. A gun won’t be the deciding factor in a battle. A command position is not about...
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37
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Adric introduces the industrialist as Rudolf Lock and the uniformed person as Captain Wolfgang Antli...
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38
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Kainda nods to them.
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39
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With the introduction, Captain Antlion stands and bows.
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40
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Adric looks at Kainda, saying,
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41
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“Sis, you look strong.”
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42
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“A lot of high acceleration, trying to stay alive. Aunt Vicky said I looked heavy.”
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43
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Adric smiles and says,
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44
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“No, definitely strong.”
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45
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Kabir asks,
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46
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“Can you tell us what has happened to you? I don’t know what to believe from what they told me.”
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47
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Kainda begins with an account of the yacht, its pickup by Deal Hunter, and her subsequent return.
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48
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Overhearing the guards about the attack and then stowing away to get the Vince-4.
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49
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“Seriously, Kainda, you stowed away on a ship to get away.”
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50
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“Yes, no one believed me. I was told not to talk about it to get back into my room. Then on Vince-4,...
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51
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“You disappeared. No one was sure what happened.”
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52
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“I talked my way into staying on Deal Hunter by helping negotiate trades. Dealing with bounties set ...
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53
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“Where is the Deal Hunter’s original captain?”
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54
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“We worked out a deal. He is retired and has left for parts unknown, so he can’t be tracked. I dropp...
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55
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“Yes, what was the whole deal with the casino?”
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56
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Kainda replies,
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57
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“I needed information. I needed to know who created the bounty, and the only way to get it was to ha...
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58
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Adric says,
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59
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“Wait, you hacked their computer systems. That was never reported. We only know about the poker game...
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60
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“Correct, they didn’t even know. I was the distraction while the actual attack was happening.”
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61
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Adric asks,
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62
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“There was a pirate fight in the news.”
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63
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“That was the second major attempt to kill me. It was a trap set up by the pirates, and I assume Adm...
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64
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Kabir stands up.
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65
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“Nuclear. Crap, where did they get one? What happened? What did you do?”
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66
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“I jumped at the last second. Landed with a dead ship: no power, and no automatic reset for the robo...
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67
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Captain Antlion says,
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68
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“I don’t know that anyone knows how to do that alone.”
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69
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Mr. Lock shakes his head in disbelief.
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70
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“Your reputation as unstoppable is well deserved.”
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71
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“After that, there were messages. Vicky insisted on meeting, supposedly to convince me to come to th...
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72
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After all the explanation, Kainda looks at Kabir and says,
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73
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“I am here to talk about this sector of space. I have a list, but I will defer to your list first.”
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74
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Kabir looks at Adric, Mr. Lock, and the captain and says,
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75
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“Hell no, I want to hear what you have to say.”
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76
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Kainda starts,
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77
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“We live in the Dail sector, which is considered pirate space. From what I have found, we have it be...
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78
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Adric replies,
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79
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“We know that. We can’t fight the pirates of an entire sector alone.”
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80
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Kainda continues,
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81
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“The pirate clans’ control is based on the power to threaten and destroy. They waste resources. Ever...
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82
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Kabir says,
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83
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“What do you recommend?”
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84
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Kainda pauses, takes a deep breath, and says,
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85
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“Create a sector government. All 236-star systems are represented. Propose a structure, propose a bu...
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86
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Captain Antlion asks,
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87
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“What about the pirates?”
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88
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Kainda turns to him and says,
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89
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“That starts with me. I have proven I can take them out. They are afraid of me. The problem is, I ca...
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90
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Kabir looks at her, saying,
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91
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“I am not committing right now. I need to consider and discuss this. What else do you have?”
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92
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Kainda gives a little smile and says,
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93
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“Stop paying any pirates. Utilize all available resources to expand your factories. Create more figh...
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94
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Adric says,
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95
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“You sly pirate. If the planets see success without the pirates, they will want to be part of it. Th...
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96
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“A metaphor, but it works. If the planets see the success, they want to join to see if they can also...
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97
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Adric replies,
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98
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“And we will be able to help, making our situation even better.”
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99
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Kainda smiles.
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100
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“The more success, the more systems that join, the weaker the pirates become. Now, a couple of other...
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101
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Adric laughs,
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102
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“My badass little sister, the pirate princess.”
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103
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“Let’s get something clear. I am not Princess Kainda. I am Captain Murphy, leader of the Warbot clan...
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104
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Kabir holds out his hand to shake hers and says,
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105
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“Yes, Captain.”
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106
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Kainda shakes his hand and then walks over to her helmet, picking it up.
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107
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Turning, she says,
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108
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“I have work to do. I said my piece. There are a million details to work out, and I could be here fo...
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109
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Adric interjects,
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110
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“You can stay.”
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111
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Kainda shakes her head, saying,
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112
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“The sector will not fix itself. I need to take care of pirates.”
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113
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As she is walking out the door, Kabir says,
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114
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“You know, Father didn’t hate you.”
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115
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Kainda stops and slowly turns around.
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116
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“So that is why I was a prisoner? Because he didn’t hate me enough to get rid of me?”
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117
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Kabir replies,
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118
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“Kainda. I was ten years old when you were born. I saw what happened to father when mother died.”
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119
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“You mean when I killed her?”
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120
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“No, you didn’t kill her.”
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121
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“Died because of complications from childbirth. That means I was responsible for killing her.”
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122
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Kabir says,
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123
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“Father didn’t blame you.”
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124
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“Bullshit. You keep that delusion going in your head. Vicky did. You heard her yelling at the robot....
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125
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“Kainda, our father would leave the room after talking to you and cry. You reminded him so much of o...
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126
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“And yet I was told I was nothing. I couldn’t do anything; I was treated as if I were less valuable ...
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127
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Adric says,
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128
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“That was not our father. That was Victoria. We can see now that she manipulated him. He didn’t know...
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129
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Kabir says,
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130
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“That will be part of the considerations for how she pays for her crimes. She tried to make a psycho...
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131
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Kainda turns, puts on her helmet, and walks out of the room.
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132
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Kabir yells,
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133
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“I’m proud of you!”
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134
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Adric looks at Kabir and says,
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135
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“She wasn’t wrong. We were kids and didn’t know how to help. When we became adults, we didn’t help. ...
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136
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Kabir replies,
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137
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“It was her way of reaching out to us. When all this shit was happening, we could have reached out. ...
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138
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Adric says,
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139
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“Well, she is all grown up and a real badass. She has more actual combat experience than anyone in o...
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140
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“She has survived multiple targeted attacks to kill her. Adric, we are going to propose the sector g...
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141
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Adric smiles,
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142
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“I realize it was not a request. You know, if things get really rough, I know a pirate who will help...
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143
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They both laugh.
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144
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<<<>>>
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145
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As she walks toward the landing pad where Deal Hunter is waiting, everyone hears freighters landing ...
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146
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Deal Hunter has the ramp lowered for her as she approaches the landing pad.
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147
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She enters the ship and goes to the bridge.
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148
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Taking off her helmet, Nanny sees tears running down her cheeks.
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149
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She sits in her captain’s chair and says,
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150
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“Hunter, let’s get out of here.”
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151
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“Captain, are you okay?”
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152
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“Yes, it felt good to say that to them. I am going to change this sector like no one would think a b...
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153
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“Yes, Captain.”
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154
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The freighters around the palace lift off and following Deal Hunter as the ship ascends.
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155
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Attack ships join the formation.
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156
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The noise of the fleet climbing toward space makes the windows and dishes in the palace shake.
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157
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Feeling her ship accelerate toward space, Kainda smiles.
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158
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Feeling better, she thinks, pirates’ own casinos.
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159
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I wonder what it would be like to own a casino.
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160
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I could play poker whenever I liked.
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161
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END
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