"Sure are lucky we happened across this wreck, Cap'n." Isaac said from under the engine housing.  "This oughta save us some credits in new parts for a time.  Maybe have some extras to sell in Osiris."

​

"Don't count your chickens yet, Isaac..." Fei Ren said, as she took in the state of the engine room.  "The ship's taken some damage from laser fire.  Crew did a fine job of patchin' it up and yet they jumped ship.  Why?"

​

"Who knows and frankly, who cares?  These compression coils are damned near brand new.  It's quite the haul."

​

"Uh, Fei?" her brother Xun said over the comm.  "We might have a problem..."

​

"Zao Gao..." Fei muttered.  "What kind of trouble?"

​

"An Alliance Cruiser just jumped in, right on top of us.  They're telling us to prepare to be boarded."

​

"We have a salvage permit.  Have you transmitted the credentials over?"

​

"Twice.  They say they're checking our information, but they've already dispatched a boarding vessel to the ship you're on.  They're wasting no time."

​

Fei looked down to where Isaac was trying to wrench parts free of the engine.  "Isaac, double time.  We have Alliance types inbound..."  She hurried away from the engine room and started making her way toward the cockpit.  "Xun, get Jesse connected to the Cortex and go over this ship.  There must be something on board that they're after and I want to know what it is."

​

"Sure thing," Xun replied.

​

Fei was nearly to the cockpit when she felt the ship shudder, as the Alliance docking vessel pulled up to a vacant airlock.  As she stepped into the cockpit, she looked around and saw signs of a struggle.  Walking to the computer, she began accessing the controls.  With luck, she could find out what happened to the crew by backtracking their flight path.

​

"Step away from the controls."

​

Fei turned to see a man in a crisp Alliance uniform leveling a pistol at her.  "Under whose authority?  This isn't White Sun and we have a valid salvage permit."

​

"Consider it rescinded," the Alliance officer said, a smug smirk on his lips.  "It was forfeit the moment you stepped aboard this vessel."

​

"Pretty sure this ship doesn't belong to the Alliance."

​

"The crew of this vessel are wanted felons and we are hereby seizing this vessel and all of its contents for a criminal investigation.  We aren't going to yield an important piece of evidence to a xiao tou like you..."

​

The officer's comm came to life with a frantic, static-laden call.  "Sir, we've encountered resistance on the salvage vessel.  A crazy woman is picking off our men..."

​

When the officer took his eyes off of Fei, the captain was in motion.  A sharp blow to the officer's wrist forced the weapon from his hands, followed by a sharp elbow to the face.  The officer's head smashed off of the bulkhead and slumped to the floor.  "Xun, fire up the engines.  Isaac, get back to the Jiangshi and disengage the tractor beam.  According to the navigational logs, this ship was way out past Blue Sun.  I think they found problems..."

​

"What kind of problems?" Xun asked.

​

As Fei ran back to the boarding hatch, she risked a glance back over her shoulder in paranoia.  "Reavers."