Part:0 --- Prologue | Star Frontiers

<div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: center" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-size: 48pt; text-decoration-line: underline; line-height: 84.175px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-weight: bold" class="TextRun Underlined BCX8 SCXW181833725">Star Frontiers<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 48pt; line-height: 84.175px; font-family: WordVisiCarriageReturn_MSFontService, Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop BCX8 SCXW181833725"> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">The treacherous double agent aimed his needler pistol at me as he prepared to escape. I didn't think he could kill me with one shot from the small weapon, but I didn't want to find out. Dalmor was working for the <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-position: left bottom; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2,url('data:image/svg+xml; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent'" class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2 BCX8 SCXW181833725">Sathar, that mysterious, evil race of intelligent worms who were trying to conquer and destroy peaceful worlds. <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">I knew he was ruthless. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my Vrusk partner, C'hting. The eight-legged insect man had faster reflexes than I, and I knew he was calculating whether he could draw his blaster and fire before Dalmor could shoot. <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">The thought was still in my mind when one of C'hting's arms flashed in a lightning-swift draw. I dived to the floor as Dalmor swung his pistol, but the needles whizzed harmlessly past C'hting and me. C'hting's laser beam only grazed Dalmor as he dashed out the door. We charged after him, but my curse was echoed by C'hting as we watched Dalmor leap aboard the monorail. <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">We jumped into my waiting skimmer and maneuvered into traffic, gliding smoothly above the road. ''It is fortunate Bakchu the Yazirian is guarding the spaceport,'' C'hting rasped. <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">"If that big monkey can't handle Dalmor, no one can," I replied. "That's only if Dalmor's going to the spaceport, though," I added. "There are two other monorail terminals on the way. Maybe we can get to one of them before his car does." The skimmer was running at top speed, but I clenched the controls in frustration at every corner as the magnetic control fields slowed us to a safe speed. We arrived at the terminal just as Dalmor's car was pulling in. <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">Leaping from the skimmer, we ran to the exit ramp. Both C'hting and I crouched behind the polycrete wall and aimed our weapons at a very surprised Dalmor as he stepped from the car barely 10 meters away. "You are under arrest, Dalmor. Do not move," clicked C'hting. With a desperate cry, Dalmor drew the needler from his coat. C'hting and I fired before he could aim. Both shots hit Dalmor and he sprawled across the platform, unconscious but still alive.<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: WordVisiCarriageReturn_MSFontService, Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop BCX8 SCXW181833725"> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 17.2667px; font-family: WordVisiCarriageReturn_MSFontService, Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="LineBreakBlob BlobObject DragDrop BCX8 SCXW181833725"> <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">After filing our reports with our contact at the PanGalactic Corporation, C'hting, Bakchu and I <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">drove to the Spacer's Rest to celebrate over a few mugs of thick Yazirian ale. We were discussing what we would do with the 100 credits each of us had earned for the mission when all three of our communicators signaled incoming calls at once. Bakchu snarled in dismay when the face of Beren Tiu, our contact at PGC, appeared on the tiny screens. "Ah, I'm glad I've got all of you together," he smiled. "Nice job on Dalmor, though it's a shame you had to shoot him in public. I called to tell you that while we were interrogating him, we got a lead on a lime job you might...'' <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">"Hold it, Beren," I growled. "You promised us we could take a week off after this mission and, by the stars, I'm going to take a week off!'' C'hting and Bakchu rumbled in agreement, and Tiu looked disappointed.<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">“All right," he said, "if you're not interested in 200 credits apiece, I'm not going to force you to..." <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">Two hundred credits! The three of us looked at each other, and Bakchu curled his lips in a knowing smile. <span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr BCX8 SCXW181833725" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow: visible; cursor: text; clear: both; position: relative; direction: ltr; font-family: 'Segoe UI', 'Segoe UI Web', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext" class="Paragraph BCX8 SCXW181833725"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: none !important" class="TextRun BCX8 SCXW181833725">"What's the job?" I asked.<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 21.5833px; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif" class="EOP BCX8 SCXW181833725"> </div>