Shortly after finalizing their deal, Spark and Rick said their goodbyes to the doctor then headed out towards Klixxt's shop. Rick suggested taking the scenic route, so they boarded the train that ran around the inner wall of the station and took in the sights of the city. The trip to the shop would have taken 20 minutes by foot but the train would take them in the wrong way, adding over an hour to the trip. Spark fell asleep shortly after the train started, leaning up against Rick as he watched the city pass by. He was truly happy; he had found Spark, had managed to get a great ship, was picking up a top-notch crew, and they could go anywhere he wanted, free from obligations and no shackles of duty. Not long ago he had been part of something else just as big, but that hadn't been his dream and he had managed to break free just in time to run head first into his future.  

Spark woke up as Rick gently shook her shoulder. “We are almost there; did you have a nice nap?" She nodded, yawning and stretching before hopping off the seat as the train came to a stop. “I was so nervous at the hospital but I'm feeling much better now." Her stomach gurgled and she blushed, glancing around though they were the only one in that particular train car. “Guess I'm hungry too, I can't wait until we get to the restaurant. I want more fish!" Rick chuckled, placing a hand on her head and ruffling her ears. “Well, we still need to stop by Klixxt's place to get your boots and then we can eat. Sound good?" Spark nodded as she stepped out the door ahead of Rick, skipping ahead happily and mewling softly to herself as the thought of fresh cooked fish made her mouth water.  

Klixxt was with another customer as they entered and they were waved to a waiting area where Spark and Rick browsed Klixxt's collection of publications while they waited their turn. Klixxt finished his dealing, exchanging brief pleasantries with the customer before showing them out, assuring that their order would be delivered within the next 7 day. Spark had settled on a magazine showing off the fashions of Earth while Rick had picked up a hobbyist magazine about custom shuttles and their designers, shuttles being the most common personal craft owned by most of the spacefaring elite. Spark was showing Rick an outfit from her magazine, commenting on the design as Klixxt approached. “It has been too long friend human, Fluffy One." The talk box blurbled out in a simulated greeting. Rick looked up and smiled, putting his publication back on the table and standing up. Spark however, closed her magazine, hopped off the chair and tossed the magazine at the table, causing Rick to have to scramble to catch it before it slid off the far side. Spark stood in front of Klixxt, then bowed before letting out a horrific string of squeaks, growls, yaps, and barks.  

Klixxt opened its eyes wide, pulling back from Spark and starting to raise its upper arms before recovering, relaxing and giving Spark what could only be a grin before responding with an impressive string of clicks, whistles, and chirps that the talk box translated dutifully. “A surprise this is Fluffy One, overjoyed we are to accept your greeting. Like youngling, you have much and more to learn but a good attempt it was. I return your welcome." Spark grinned as Rick cleaned his ear with one finger. “Could have warned me before you began yowling like that. Where did you ever learn..." He broke off and sighed, realizing that she had plenty of time to have learned on Drakon while they were working on the ship. He shook his head and just chalked it up to just another surprise she would introduce him to.  

Spark walked over to the dealing table, Klixxt following as she began placing her order for magnetic shoes. Klixxt listened, then tapped out some figures into a pad and slid it over. Spark looked at the invoice and her ears folded back against her head as she looked at Rick. “It is twice what we had thought, and it will take three weeks to have them made since he has a number of promised projects ahead of ours." Rick nodded and looked at the invoice, then signed his name to the invoice. Klixxt took the pad and set it on a side shelf with a handful of other orders, then turned to Spark. “I need a word with Rick here, and I wanted to make a modification to your pressure suit to increase its efficiency. I will waive the upgrade fee if you can run and bring it here while I talk to Rick, can you manage that?" 

Rick frowned and glanced warily at Klixxt, then turned to Spark. “Think you can manage to get back to the ship and bring the suit on the small sled? Do you want me to go with you just in case?" Spark hesitated nervously for a moment then shook her head, swallowing down her worry at being alone in the station for the first time. “I think I can manage, and if not, I can always ask a guard for help, right?" Rick nodded then watched as she walked out the door, pulling out her tablet and bringing up a map of the station before heading off towards the landing platform. Klixxt walked to the door and turned the sign to read be back in 30 minutes, locking the door before motioning for Rick to join them in the workshop area in the back. Rick planted himself on one of the benches as Klixxt began working on one of his current jobs as he talked, the action serving both to keep the Twill calm as much as getting work done while conversing with an old friend.  

“Able Saxton." Rick stiffened at the name, completely focused on Klixxt and as tense as if a knife were pressed against his throat. “Why now?" Rick asked, his voice empty of emotion. “He was spotted four days ago at the spaceport, along with four others all wearing uniforms and toting weapons. Security sent them away, but thought you should know." Rick cursed and glanced at the door. “She is safe right; they aren't on the station?" Klixxt shook their head and also glanced towards the door. “They left in their ship the next day, but if you are asking are they gone, that is anyone's guess." Rick nodded and stood, about to head out the door when Klixxt stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “Be careful, you don't want to fall under his spell again, not after last time. You only managed to escape due to luck but this time it is already spent. There won't be a second escape." 

Rick grinned and patted his friend's large hand. “Must be important to tell me this, you aren't using your usual forced broken speech. Don't worry, I'll be careful. Right now, though I'm worried about Spark so if you will excuse me." He headed outside, turning towards the space port and heading after Spark, speeding up his pace as a sudden worry began to wash over him like a winter chill. Arriving at the station Rick learned that Spark had indeed beaten him there and had taken one of the shuttles to their ship to retrieve the suit. The shuttle would wait for her at the platform since it was a quick return so all Rick could do was wait for the shuttle to arrive. The shuttle arrived almost 20 minutes later, Rick waiting anxiously on the exit way for Spark to disembark.  

Two passengers exited the shuttle, followed by the pilot. Rick stepped up to talk to him as he reached the landing. “Where is the Kintessian you took out to pad G38 earlier?" The pilot scratched his head and shrugged. “Not sure, said I was going to go pick up the other two and return for her and she did nod at me in acknowledgement, or so I thought but when I returned, she wasn't anywhere to be seen and didn't respond to a hail so I headed back here. I was going to stop by again just in case but you seem to be her owner so I'll take you there right away." Rick nodded; a knot having formed in his stomach. The shuttle trip took 3 minutes, Rick unlocking the door and activating the ship's intercom and calling for Spark to answer but no response came.  

Rick ran to the control room, the ship scanners showing no life signs aside from his own. The video log showed Spark entering the ship and heading towards the storage lockers in the cargo bay where her control room resided. The video went to static just as the door opened, and Rick slammed a hand on the arm of the chair in disgust. A message light started to flash on the console as the video shut off, Rick keyed it up but even before he read it, he knew what it would say. “We have your pet; you have 2 weeks to gather supplies and meet with us on the 5th moon of Castor Prime. I will trade her for my ship you stole, along with anything else you are carrying on board that will benefit the squad and its mission. Fail to appear and your pet will be sold to the slave market to cover your debts. Fail to return my ship and I will have you work off your debt, along with any other debts you incur along the way. You were mine once, and you will be mine again though I will settle for getting my ship back this time. Able, Bravo Commander." 

Returning to the landing, Rick quickly detailed to the shuttle pilot about Spark's abduction and a brief description of the ones responsible. The pilot remembered them from their visit a few days prior and would report the abduction to the security force and through them to the alliance military. Rick thanked him then headed back inside to send a message to Klixxt. Just as he was about to undock Rick received a reply from Klixxt, and an hour later Klixxt boarded the ship, taking his place at navigation and checking Rick's flight plan. “Klixxt, we have 7 hours before we leave, I just got a message from our other crew member that he can have his things moved here within that time and will be lending us a hand on this mission. If there is anything you want to pick up before we take off, now is the time." Klixxt nodded and returned to his shop to pack a few things for the trip, Rick going over the inventory manifest then beginning the long process of a physical inventory, not sure what the Bravo Company took the liberty of acquiring before they managed upon Spark. 

By the time everyone was on board, Rick had a full inventory list. Most of the replacement parts, both pressure suits and all the emergency rations in the galley were cleared out, along with their spare air filters. Rick sent a message ahead to Drakon, requesting that spare filters, food, and two general purpose pressure suits be available once they arrived. He included the payment with the message and sent it just before they undocked, the ship's coffers having been left untouched. Rick assumed they had stumbled upon Spark and had taken the opportunity to capture her and leave before they were discovered before they were able to implant the program that would have attempted to hack the computers and drain any funds in the ship's digital vault into the pirate's ship.  

The first leg of the trip, to retrieve Rick's old ship would take them 4 of their 14 days, the trip from there to Castor Prime would take another 8 days. That left them 2 days to enact a rescue or barring that option, to make the trade and hope that Able would honor his end of the deal and allow them to leave with their lives. Rick harbored no illusions that Able wouldn't take both ships and still force him to work, holding Spark hostage in return for obedience. On the way, Rick sat down with Klixxt and Doc Arty to discuss possible strategies.  

“Klixxt, you already know most of the story, but for Arty's sake here I'm going to start at the beginning. 11 years ago, I got recruited into the defense force. I was a young upstart, fresh out of boot camp and just before deployment orders were issued, I was approached by a man claiming to be the leader of a special squad of elite soldiers. He told me a story about glory and honor then offered me a spot on his team to serve 4 years on a deep space voyage. At the time I was promised that at the end of the four-year trip I would be able to retire to a post at headquarters on my home planet and be granted full citizenship, something that usually takes a full 10-year tour to accomplish. Obviously, I bought into his crap about high risk, high rewards and off I went, proud new member of Bravo Company.  

I was issued a uniform, given a bunk, and placed into indentured servitude for 7 years. I did a lot of things I wasn't proud of as a member of Bravo Company, so I won't go into details. The basic gist of it was we were pirates that preyed on both sides of the line, attacking pirate and alliance alike as well as any independents who wandered into our hunting ground and weren't able to avoid the traps Able had set. About 4 years ago I managed to gain enough trust to be given a ship and sent out to hunt solo in one of our less frequented hunting grounds. While I was there, I managed to locate and disable to tracking device on the ship along with the self-destruct device that kept me on a short leash. I took the ship and fled deep into the outer rings, beyond the reach of Able. I left behind enough wreckage to imply that my ship had met with a nasty end by one of the traps and until recently I didn't know Able knew I was still alive. I was headed back towards the alliance, having stripped the ship of any old markings and picking up forged papers that labeled me as a legitimate trader when I found Spark. After that well, things changed for me drastically. Now I'm asking you to risk your very lives to help me save my engineer, my daughter. I don't have any right to ask but I'm asking, will you help us?"