Mafew chuckled as his ship sailed away from the Traders ship. It had been a long while since he’d met a new person in this way. Everyone was always the same, or they’d been thoroughly schooled in what not to say or do.
A little refreshing to meet someone so stuck up they ignored even the minor warnings given to them.
Ulra patted his shoulder, “They are good people, Child.”
“Yeah, but you’re the only one off world that gets to call me a Child, much less treat me like one.”
“You are not that upset,” the Dorak scoffed and Mafew grinned.
“No, I’m not. She’ll learn as others have. So long as she doesn’t cross a major line, I’m actually in good spirits. We got supplies to all the Vectors including the hard ones, and so far no one has said anything stupid…Ms. Gardner being the accepting of course.”
“And you got those letters out,” Ulra nodded, “and on time this time.”
“Actually that’s what I’m most excited about!” Mafew spun in his chair, looking every bit the child Sarah had accused him of being.
“No scoldings for me!”
()
Sarah had made her way up by keeping her head down and doing as she was told while doing what needed doing in secret and with an innocent face.
There was no way she’d let ANYONE damage her reputation.
As days and cycles went by, she rewrote her resume and applied to other Companies. She hadn’t sent the applications, yet, only a fool would do that in the middle of space.
No, she just got everything ready for the moment she got back.
She couldn’t get anywhere with a company that was firmly in the pocket of outlaws.
No, PIRATES.
She sneered as she mentally scolded the Feds for lying openly to everyone.
They had NO control over this boy! How was anyone supposed to feel safe?!
She also wrote strong letters to the Federation and CC’d other groups she knew were always against the Outlaw clause.
She received Thank yous and accommodations from those groups.
The company didn’t care what views you held, so she did all this with abandon! Telling her story, and only exaggerating where she knew she could get away with it.
This was how things got done!
It was pathetic and so sad that this was the case, but if she didn’t push, nothing would happen.
It had been that way her whole life.
()
Mafew scowled at the incoming message.
“James! What’s up? It's not my name day!”
“Stop, this is important,” James, a proud desk jockey and reluctant soldier from the federation came on screen, “Who did you piss off?”
Mafew blinked at his first and long-time friend, “…no one important? Surely? I honestly can’t think of anything major enough that would require you to call me directly.”
“OK, recount time.”
Mafew wrinkled his nose, “Come on, James! I can’t be bothered to account for every Barking Tog that got their panties in a twist! They get hot and bothered whether I say anything or not. Heck, my mere existence in this galaxy is enough to make them cry. I don’t have to do a thing! Even Hellen still has nightmares about me….she calls me often to tell me.”
“Yeah, but you must have stepped on a rather influential toe this time, cause politics has EXPLODED here!”
Mafew turned his wrinkled nose into a full-on face.
“Don’t back off now,” James hurried, “higher-ups just want to know your side of the story.”
Mafew sighed and had to think hard.
“The system- no, it's now sector-wide conflict is a place I could have pissed someone off. I’ve been sending relief ships and getting people out who want nothing to do with that nonsense.”
“We’re aware of that, so that’s not it.”
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“Um, sent Carla a nasty letter, but she shouldn’t get it until the Trader ship carrying the letter delivers it. That won’t be for…well that depends on how fast they navigate Fifth Born…”
“What vessel?”
The Holbrooks ship, ya know? We get along with them, I stopped them to inform them of the potential conflicts in their way, cause I’m a good person.”
James rolled his eyes, “whatever, did anyone on the ship seem displeased with you?”
Mafew blinked, “ah! Yeah, there was this one chick. Can’t say I remember her name, but she didn’t seem to like me at all. Not that it was my fault-“
“I’d say 50% at LEAST is always your fault, Mafew,” James cut in, while typing fast on another computer, “Sarah Gardner sound familiar? Or Watson-“
“GARDNER!” Mafew nodded, “that’s the chick. She got all hot and bothered cause she didn’t understand the conflict.”
James turned a long-suffering look to his friend, “How many times do I have to tell you to work on your face and tone when you explain something?
Mafew frowned, “I was very nice about it! I even laughed to show that her rudeness didn’t upset me!”
James dropped his pen and began to massage his temples.
“You REMEMBER I told you not to LAUGH at people?!”
“I wasn’t laughing AT her!” Mafew was now legitimately getting upset, “Gran was getting nervous and only calms down when I show good humor!”
“This is a mess,” James sighed, “Only I and your parents would know what you were doing.”
Mafew shrugged, “That’s not my problem. It's her’s for being so…what’s the word.”
“We’re not going there,” James picked his pen back up and scribbled on a nearby pad, “Anything else?
“I really think she’s the only one I’ve truly bumped heads with on a personal level. Everyone else is generally speaking.”
James nodded, jotting more down.
“Was she someone important?” Mafew asked, thinking about it, and started to gin again, “should I add her to my Christmas card list?”
“NO!” James slammed a fist down, “And stop that! You’re making my job SO HARD!”
Mafew apologized sincerely as his friend looked and sounded like he might start crying.
“Right right,” Mafew raised his hands in surrender, “Since the letters are already in transit-“
“GO GET THEM NOW!”
Mafew pouted, “but there are good ones in there.”
“MAFEW MARG O'SHAN!”
“Hey, you don’t get to use my whole name!”
“YOU WILL GET THOSE LETTERS BACK!”
“You’re not my mother!”
The pen in James’ hand snapped in his fist, ink dripping to the desk, “would you like me GET her? Because I-“
“ALRIGHT!” Mafew shouted, his own hysteria rising, “No need to threaten me!”
James rubbed his face, muttering how he obviously had to…
“…How are they, anyway,” Mafew asked, tentatively.
“Well enough,” James took the alternate conversation like a lifeline, “Harold is still teaching, if you can believe that.”
“Sadly I can. Do I not send enough for them to live on?”
“You know they don’t touch that. Everything goes into the account you made in high school.”
“The hell,” Mafew shook his head, “I thought I closed that up!”
“Cause you were a minor, remember, you had to have your parent with you.”
“Damn.”
“Damn indeed, but I’ll tell them your sentiments.”
“Yeah, and I’ll have to write an extra letter. Janett was supposed to use that money for reservations. She always wanted to fix up the backyard…”
“I’ll tell them that you keep a share to live off of and you only send “what’s extra”. Sound good?”
“Very.”
“Now go get those letters and apologize to Gardner while you’re at it.”
“Absolutely-“ before he could say ‘not’, James thanked him and cut the communication.