RANZUN STALT

Durosian Pilot   -   Vuska’s Renegades   -   Bert Godding

Ranzun Stalt seemingly had it all. The young Duros was already an accomplished pilot when he joined the starship design team at Fendora-Bengalla Trade Corporation. He was a rising star within Fen-Ben. His designs were brilliant, and he often participated in test flights of his team’s experimental equipment. Ranzun had credits in the bank, females in his bed, and a bright future.

But then, the discrepancies began to surface. Expense accounts that didn’t match. Clandestine meetings. Other transcorps (Trans-stellar corporations) seemed to be beating Fen-Ben to the punch on design and innovation. The investigators quickly closed in on Ranzun Stalt as a spy.

Stalt was guilty as sin, of course. His vanity was stroked when the other transcorps courted him. His greed was stoked by the payments he received for smuggling out starship plans to Fen-Ben’s competitors.

Ranzun knew that Fen-Ben didn’t take industrial espionage lightly. They didn’t press charges, they eliminated the problem. Ranzun stole a shuttle and escaped mere minutes before Fen-Ben’s investigators and assault squads showed up and gunned down everyone in his department.

After weeks of dodging Galactic Trade Federation patrols and Fen-Ben hit squads, Ranzun wound up in Smuggler’s Haven. Vuska’s Renegades quickly saw the value in an experienced pilot who knew the inner workings of the Fen-Ben transcorp. Besides, Ranzun was eager to get some payback against Fen-Ben. Rationally, Ranzun knew that he stole from them, and they would be understandably upset. But that was just everyday business for the transcorps. Fen-Ben made it personal when they tried to kill him.