There was no spaceport on Jansen's Planet. There had been, but whatever calamity had befallen the world generations ago had also destroyed its port. It was one of so many planets out in the Barrens that had fallen on hard times.
So Dekker set down the Barnabas in a clearing in the forest, a remnant of last season's slash and burn farming. If you could call what they did on Jansen's "farming." It was more like a last minute scramble for something to eat. If it wasn't for traders like him the planet's hardscrabble inhabitants would have starved long ago.
The town made someone stay up all night to make sure customs were collected. For the dubious privilege of landing here Dekker had to pay. Luckily Jansen's World still accepted silver. He probably could have bought the whole planet for the contents of his ship's scrap recycler, but trading here did have its benefits.
Like the gorgeous woman that was sauntering up to the landing ramp to meet him. She was tall, redhead, with long hair that was done up to reveal a pretty but dirt smeared face. He couldn't see what kind of body she had underneath her long coat, but he didn't blame her. It got cold here at night.
"Half a silver to land," She said to him in a local accent. "I'm Loreli."
"Dekker. Pleased to meet you. Don't want to part with any silver just yet," He said as he stepped foot onto the planet. He was just under six feet tall, with a compact, hard body that had a few extra pounds that not even trading could strip from him. Stocky was the word. It went well with his ruggedly handsome face and the blue eyes that stared out from dark skin, a token of countless hours spent in the suns of many worlds. As was his muscular body that the girl pretended to be admiring. But how much was real and how much was a sales tactic? He decided not to find out.
"What else can I offer?"
"We'll take some food," Loreli replied. She opened her coat, revealing a flannel shirt that was a few sizes too small. Her breasts were practically bursting out to greet him. She shivered in the cold, or perhaps just to make her tits threaten to fly out of her shirt. "A few silvers will get you more than landing, Dekker. Why wait for the long walk into town?"
Advertisment