Space Relics (Galactic Archaeology Book 1) Read Online Free

unless he paid his bills soon, and he wasn’t going to pay anything unless he got paid first.
    “Don’t start acting wounded with me,” Rick said.
    A smile flashed on her face and she raised her eyebrows excitedly. “Does that mean that we’re going to hunt Lord Baylor down?”
    “Turn on the engines,” Rick said. “We’re on a hunt. On the hunt for an aristocrat.”
    Amy squeaked in excitement and her hologram took a seat beside Rick. She added holographic seatbelts to give the impression of being made of flesh and blood. Whoever had coded her had definitely been too lonely. She was far too real to be useful aboard a ship.

Chapter 4
    “A transport shuttle is no ship for a military confrontation, Richard.” Amy hadn’t shut up in the whole time they’d been aboard the transport shuttle. “Are you aware of the Argonaut’s weapons systems?”
    Yes, Rick was aware of the Argonaut’s superior firepower, her superior speed, and the risks of facing her without a proper plan. And Amy had reminded him of the risks incessantly. Yes, they could die, but they’d die anyway if Rick’s loan sharks realized that he couldn’t pay them back. The concept of modern banking had evolved throughout the years, and bankers could become very persuasive whenever someone’s payments came late. Persuasive in the sense of breaking people’s knees and chopping their ears off to mark them as debtors for the rest of their lives. Rick would rather keep his body untouched.
    “Why do you keep ignoring me?” Amy insisted. “This shuttle isn’t good enough for you to fly, and I don’t have my systems here. What do you expect us to do once we catch up with Lord Baylor? He’ll crush you before you can even hail his ship.”
    It was never a good idea to confront a member of the nobility. The laws protected them, and if that wasn’t enough, most people were afraid of their power and their influence. If Lord Baylor decided to annihilate someone, it was a good idea to run. But Rick had a natural skill for getting in trouble, and he wasn’t going to skip the chance to do so.
    “I was planning to ask him nicely,” Rick said sarcastically. “He might decide to give the ship back and pay us.”
    “That is highly unlikely, Richard,” Amy said matter-of-factly. She was just like one of those nerdy people who attended the Academy and never knew anything about the real world. Sarcasm sometimes flew over her head without her noticing. “You do have a back-up plan, don’t you?”
    “Well, I was thinking of going through the justice systems.” Rick looked away from her to hide his grin. His ship was gone, his money was gone, and Lucas was wounded, but at least he could enjoy the trip. “The cops will help us get my ship back and sentence Lord Baylor to a long stay in jail for robbery, assault, and taking part in a murder attempt.”
    “With the current levels of corruption in the government?” Amy stared at him and blinked incredulously. “It’s unlikely that any judges would consider going against a lord, and you’re a former smuggler. Do you think that your word weighs as much as theirs? Even if you gathered up all the workers in the expedition, no judge would ever find him guilty.”
    “Hmm…” Rick acted as though he were thinking. “Let’s go ahead and steal the Argonaut back from him, shall we?”
    “He’ll be expecting us,” Amy said flatly.
    “He won’t be expecting what he’ll find.” Rick’s cocky words came out of his mouth almost automatically; the consequence of years of acting as though he knew what he was doing.
    “Bluffing?”
    “Yeah, but I’ll think of something.” Rick had enough time to improvise a plan to get the Argonaut back. Lord Baylor had had to dock somewhere nearby, and there were only two planets with adequate installations. That gave Rick the advantage of knowing where to look for his ship. And besides, the nobility were inbred and dumb. How difficult could it be to outsmart just one of