In another remarkable case of suspicious coincidence, I mention 'extortion' in the strip that runs on the due-date for U.S. citizens' tax returns. I don't know how these things happen.
Narrator:Mercenary Captain Tagon brings home the bargain of the millenium. But where do you park a warship that outmasses most space stations?
Tagon:Luna control, I need a parking orbit.
Luna Controller:Do you have a preference?
Tagon:Check my mass and drive specs, please, control. I think you'll want me high and out of the way.
Luna Controller:Egad.
Luna Controller:How does the lesser magellanic cloud suit you?
Tagon:Something in our galaxy would be preferable.
Tagon:So, Breya, how do you like her?
Breya:This ship is huge... What are we going to do with a ship this large?
Tagon:Pay the bills. I've already landed a contract that happens to be perfect for this ship.
Breya:Ennesby told me about the automation problem. Manual ship combat without a trained crew is Crazy, tagon.
Tagon:There's no shooting involved in this contract, Admiral. Nobody wants to get in a fight with something this size.
Breya:So you're going to bluff some contracted enemy into submission? That's really crazy. No way.
Tagon:You underestimate me, Admiral. I'm hurt.
Tagon:When I registered the ship under our mercenary company charter, contracts started pouring in from all over the system.Then the U.N.S. security council offered to triple the best offer I had in hand. All we need to do is leave the system in a week without shooting anybody.
Breya:I think if we listen carefully we can hear the demons casting lots for the tattered, grubby remains of your soul.
Tagon:It's not extortion if they pay you before you have a chance to properly threaten them.
