Wanderer 3: Tainted Universe by Simon Goodson Page A

underestimate him.
    “How much?” Marsh asked finally.
    The reply was short and to the point.  It was a lot, roughly thirty times as much as Novek and his fleet had left with, but they could manage.
    “And what do we get in return?” Marsh asked.
    “ Commander, I think we both know the answer to that.”  The captain smiled gently, though it didn’t reach his eyes.  “You won’t accept any payment from those who are taking the food for noble reasons, or claim to at least.  Would you really accept anything from me?”
    Marsh felt like kicking himself.  The captain had him off balance and he was making stupid mistakes.  He took a deep breath, using the moment to focus.
    “No.  You’re right.  So what happens once we have delivered the food to you?”
    “ You carry on as you have been,” replied the captain.  “And at some point in the future we return for more food, assuming you’re still here and the station is in one piece.  There aren’t many safe places to get food these days.  I certainly don’t want to damage one of the best.”
    “ Unless we refuse to supply you of course.”
    All hint of friendliness dropped from the captain’s face.  His voice lost some of the gravel, but it was replaced by steel.  Marsh was sure he was seeing the captain’s true personality now.
    “That would be a very foolish choice Commander.  Many people depend on the food you are supplying, not to mention all those on the station that would be endangered by such a move.  I won’t risk damaging a station that can supply my fleet with food.  I won’t hesitate to destroy a station that refuses to.  Do I make myself clear?”
    “ Crystal.”
    “ Good.  How long will it take?”
    Relief fought anger within Marsh.  They could spare the food but giving in to the pirate went against everything Marsh believed in.  He had no choice though.  Too many lives were at stake, both on the station and relying on future food deliveries.  Marsh managed to answer, though the strain was evident in his voice.
    “Two to three hours if you can cope with it.  Longer if you need us to send the food up more slowly.”
    “ We can cope.  Here are the details.  Don’t even think of trying anything.”
    The transmission abruptly cut off.
    “They ended the call,” the comms officer confirmed.  “We’re receiving a delivery plan.”
    Marsh pulled it up.  The pirates had learnt much about Greenseed.  The plan almost exactly mirrored their usual operations, right down to the speed at which deliveries could be sent out.
    Marsh found the level of detail strangely comforting.  He hadn’t been bullied into making a mistake.  The pirates knew what they were doing, and knew they had enough firepower to overwhelm Greenseed.  The comfort evaporated as he wondered who else was studying the station in the same level of detail, and when they would arrive.
    Had it been a mistake to supply food to those who needed it?  Did it draw more attention than was safe?  He didn’t think so.  Plenty of people had known of Greenseed and far more could have found the records relating to it.  At the start of the crisis most of the ships arriving had come to buy, beg or steal food.  Marsh’s offer to supply them had avoided conflict.  In return he asked that they distribute some of the food to those most in need.
    No, it had been the right decision.  Refusing to supply food would have led to far worse conflict.  Now, though, he had to deal with the consequences of those decisions.  In the beginning, when the crisis finally reached Greenseed, he’d been certain the Empire would quickly prevail.
    As first weeks and then months went by that certainty faded.  Visiting ships brought dark news.  Horrific stories of starvation and conflict, of fear and brutality.  Now Marsh kept going because there was no other option.  It couldn’t last though, he knew that.  Initially ships had only arrived every few days but they’d been turning up