It would be nice to have a little time before Mega-Metal's goons arrived and started to throw their weight around.
Lando killed speed, switched to repellors, and felt the landing jacks thump down a few moments later.
The Tink slumped to the left, but Lando decided to dispense with the phony leak. Might as well save the Number 3 lube for someone who cared.
He did leave the ship's systems on standby, however. He hoped the Mega-Metals rep would listen to reason, but you never knew. He could run if push came to shove. Assuming they let him get aboard the ship, that is.
The Tink was almost entirely surrounded by ground vehicles by the time Lando and Wendy climbed down from the lock. There were beat-up trucks, tractors, and homemade creations that defied description.
Behind them Lando saw flat, uncultivated ground, the dark clustering of the town, and the white-capped mountains beyond. He noticed that clouds had moved in to hide the sun and erase most of the shadows.
Lando watched as men, women, children, and dogs crowded in and around Wendy, all talking, laughing and barking at once, each eager to hug, kiss, or in some cases, lick her hand.
Lando felt envious. He had many things, not the least of which was The Tink and the freedom that the freighter represented. But Wendy had her people, a place to call home, and a cause that she believed in. It looked like a lot.
The crowd parted suddenly and people looked his way. Wendy moved forward with a large, awkward-looking man at her side.
The man's bones were visible under the surface of his wind-reddened skin. A shock of white hair stood straight up from the back of his head, and that, along with the beard that whipped sideways in the wind, gave him the look of an old-time prophet. He was dressed in heavy work clothes and wore a circle-and-triangle pendant around his neck.
But it was the man's eyes that caught and held Lando's attention. They were brown like Wendy's, warm in a way, but almost fanatically determined.
Lando knew that this was Wendy's father, the source of her strong personality, and a force to be reckoned with. It was something they had in common. Strong fathers and mothers who died young.
The man extended his hand and Lando took it. Wendy performed the introductions.
"Pik Lando, I'd like you to meet my father, Blopar Wendeen. Father, this is Pik Lando."
Lando found tremendous strength in the other man's hand. A hand heavily scarred by endless hours spent repairing machinery, and callused by hard physical labor.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
Wendeen nodded pleasantly, but his eyes were like lasers, cutting through the surface to see within.
"The pleasure is mutual, Citizen Lando," Blopar Wendeen replied gravely. "I look forward to giving you a proper welcome and hearing of your adventures. Unfortunately, Wendy informs me that there are other, more pressing matters to deal with first."
"Look!" a little boy yelled. "The corpos are coming!"
Lando turned in the direction of the boy's pointing finger and saw that he was correct. A VTOL aircraft had made its way through the mountain pass to the north and was coming in for a landing. It made a wide turn, and Lando saw the Mega-Metal markings and the words "Corporate Police" stenciled along the fuselage.
He turned back to Wendeen. "Yes, sir. I had a little disagreement with a man named Lorenzo Pal. He was wounded."
Blopar Wendeen frowned. "No offense, Citizen Lando, but we abhor violence, and I don't see why we should be held responsible for your actions."
Lando felt the blood rush to his face. He fought to control his voice. The sound of the VTOL's engines grew louder.
Wendy held up a hand, as if anticipating what Lando would say. "Pik… please…"
But Lando's attention was focused on her father. He raised his voice in order to be heard over the sound of the aircraft engines. "Well, Citizen Wendeen, maybe you think Lorenzo Pal has the right to rape your daughter each time she returns to this planet,
Lando killed speed, switched to repellors, and felt the landing jacks thump down a few moments later.
The Tink slumped to the left, but Lando decided to dispense with the phony leak. Might as well save the Number 3 lube for someone who cared.
He did leave the ship's systems on standby, however. He hoped the Mega-Metals rep would listen to reason, but you never knew. He could run if push came to shove. Assuming they let him get aboard the ship, that is.
The Tink was almost entirely surrounded by ground vehicles by the time Lando and Wendy climbed down from the lock. There were beat-up trucks, tractors, and homemade creations that defied description.
Behind them Lando saw flat, uncultivated ground, the dark clustering of the town, and the white-capped mountains beyond. He noticed that clouds had moved in to hide the sun and erase most of the shadows.
Lando watched as men, women, children, and dogs crowded in and around Wendy, all talking, laughing and barking at once, each eager to hug, kiss, or in some cases, lick her hand.
Lando felt envious. He had many things, not the least of which was The Tink and the freedom that the freighter represented. But Wendy had her people, a place to call home, and a cause that she believed in. It looked like a lot.
The crowd parted suddenly and people looked his way. Wendy moved forward with a large, awkward-looking man at her side.
The man's bones were visible under the surface of his wind-reddened skin. A shock of white hair stood straight up from the back of his head, and that, along with the beard that whipped sideways in the wind, gave him the look of an old-time prophet. He was dressed in heavy work clothes and wore a circle-and-triangle pendant around his neck.
But it was the man's eyes that caught and held Lando's attention. They were brown like Wendy's, warm in a way, but almost fanatically determined.
Lando knew that this was Wendy's father, the source of her strong personality, and a force to be reckoned with. It was something they had in common. Strong fathers and mothers who died young.
The man extended his hand and Lando took it. Wendy performed the introductions.
"Pik Lando, I'd like you to meet my father, Blopar Wendeen. Father, this is Pik Lando."
Lando found tremendous strength in the other man's hand. A hand heavily scarred by endless hours spent repairing machinery, and callused by hard physical labor.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
Wendeen nodded pleasantly, but his eyes were like lasers, cutting through the surface to see within.
"The pleasure is mutual, Citizen Lando," Blopar Wendeen replied gravely. "I look forward to giving you a proper welcome and hearing of your adventures. Unfortunately, Wendy informs me that there are other, more pressing matters to deal with first."
"Look!" a little boy yelled. "The corpos are coming!"
Lando turned in the direction of the boy's pointing finger and saw that he was correct. A VTOL aircraft had made its way through the mountain pass to the north and was coming in for a landing. It made a wide turn, and Lando saw the Mega-Metal markings and the words "Corporate Police" stenciled along the fuselage.
He turned back to Wendeen. "Yes, sir. I had a little disagreement with a man named Lorenzo Pal. He was wounded."
Blopar Wendeen frowned. "No offense, Citizen Lando, but we abhor violence, and I don't see why we should be held responsible for your actions."
Lando felt the blood rush to his face. He fought to control his voice. The sound of the VTOL's engines grew louder.
Wendy held up a hand, as if anticipating what Lando would say. "Pik… please…"
But Lando's attention was focused on her father. He raised his voice in order to be heard over the sound of the aircraft engines. "Well, Citizen Wendeen, maybe you think Lorenzo Pal has the right to rape your daughter each time she returns to this planet,
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