Jades Mine was a small shard located between the first and second ring of what used to be a single planet. It was actually a working mine before the impact, and for whatever reason how the shards split, the mine remained intact and had become a bit of a space bazaar for the early moving spacecraft of the system.

Asdrubal maneuvered the ship and parked on the highest levels of the quarry with another dozen sailing yachts and a couple of larger cargo vessels. The handful of workmen who loaded and unloaded the ships appeared at the ramp and immediately began unloading the cargo from the ship's hold.

A representative for the client was there and transferred the funds into the Harpy’s operating account.

“Let’s go poke around a bit,” Asdrubal said, as he and the rest of the crew of the Harpy started down the industrial scaffolding that had been repurposed as the main thoroughfare of the mine.

Asdrubal and Fatima got off at the first level to work some of their own contacts, and Hammer went down to the second level to work one of his. The first few years after the impact were a bit wild and he himself had helped contribute to that. Now there were groups out there who stopped those from trying to take advantage of people, and Hammer himself bore the scars from one.

In fact, Hammer thought to himself as he ducked down one of the old quarry passages, the person he was looking for was a man who ran the contract for the same women who had very nearly killed him.

The Meow Syndicate they were called, a group of women bounty hunters who took out the worst of the worst, either dead or alive. Hammer had even heard they were taking aerial contracts now, and hired some hot shot pilot that could fly anything out there.

Hammer turned left from the main strip of vendors selling their wares and hawking various services to a quieter part of the mine. Hammer recognized the tent when he saw it. A blue tarp with crossed swords. A woman stood guard out front with one of the now infamous cat shaped helms.

This was not either of the women he had faced before. The sniper or the swordsman. This one carried an assault weapon, and as he approached, she had it aimed directly as his broad chest.

“Good job on threat analysis,” Hammer said with genuine sincerity.

The cat helmed woman said nothing. A few moments later she dropped the barrel and pulled back the flap of the tent and motioned the large man inside.

Hammer walked in and was impressed. He hadn’t been to the mines for quite some time but the things people were doing with the space was impressive. The last time Hammer had been asked to stop by and speak with the broker, he had been in the tent with his desk and papers.  

Now the tent was merely a facade for a rather spartan but well crafted office space straight out of the green surrounding stone. Another pair of bounty hunters greeted Hammer as he walked past the entryway, each giving him a look up and down. They were becoming competent guards as well it seemed.

The duo motioned the man in through the inner door where he found the man himself, The Broker.

The Broker was an older gentleman about the right age to be Hammer's father, not that Hammer knew his father. His head was cleanly shaven and a jaw that would’ve made the old soldier think he was a boxer rather than a bookkeep. Usually the outfit was rolled off with a small pair of spectacles resting on his broad nose. But this time.. his eyes were.. glowing.

“Didn’t figure you the type for cosmetic surgery, Broker.”

The broker smiled and turned his gleaming blue eyes in the direction of Hammer.

“They aren’t,” he said and stood to shake the big man’s hand. “You play your cards right, and I’ll tell you what all these things can do, Hammer.”

Hammer thought about that.

“Who can do surgery like that? Who’s got that tech laying around?”

“All in good time. Now you are here to ask me about pirates, are you not?” The older man said and smiled an even bigger smile at the now surprised mercenary.

“That’s right. I know why you’re here, and yes, I know who did it. Even better, I can tell you what you should do about it.”