After a few more hours of observation, I head back to the ship. While on my way up the main gantry to the ventral cargo bay on deck 4, a car pulled up and stopped. All four doors opened, and four men in suits exited the vehicle.
Another car rolled up behind them, and the driver’s door opened. My hand went to the grip of my pistol in its holster on my thigh. B’Nan and Jay walk down the ramp, both armed with rifles. I nod to them, then descend back down the ramp as the driver rounds the vehicle and opens the rear passenger door facing us.
I raised a staying hand to Jay and B’Nan, who followed me down the ramp. “Stay here. If I tilt my head to the left, kill them.”
“Got ye, boss,” Jay replied; Having dropped the usual feeble old man facade. His tone now is serious.
With a nod, I strode down the gantry to meet our guests. “What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” I raised a thin eyebrow.
“Making you an offer.” A gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair approached me, with a wolf-gray suitcoat on, and a stubble adorned his chin. “I know about your little break-in with the Vasivich estate.” He smiled candidly.
“What of it?” I replied, my eyes squinted in suspicion as I put up my guard.
“I know people in the Vasivich outfit who dislike how the old man is running things.” he smiled at me politely. “I see whatever you have planned as a… mutually beneficial change in management, as do my associates.”
“Who are you, and why should I trust you?” I inquired, still eyeing the middle-aged man.
“Me? I am Zane. One of Makarovo’s Lieutenants.” he smiled.
“You still have not answered my question. Why should I trust you?” I placed a hand on my hip, awaiting his reply.
“Because I can keep the entire Vasivich syndicate in line while you deal with the.. Transition.” he smiled. “And I don't care if you want his seat. Anyone is better than that old man.” he scowled in scorn.
“Why?” I lifted a thin, well-groomed eyebrow in intrigue after inquiring. Clearly, Zane had an axe to grind with the old man.
“Because he’s going soft. He isn't interested in expanding. There is no ambition.” Zane’s scowl deepened.
I nod slowly, considering. “We should discuss this inside.” I smiled.
“That would be lovely, miss.” Zane smiled at my offer.
[Fifteen minutes later…]
“...And that’s the story.” Zane smiled. “I just want a change in management, Vasivich is complacent, stagnant. The other lieutenants are getting restless. Five of the six of us are on board. But we cannot make a move due to the dirt the old man has on our dealings on the side.” he frowned.
“..what of the last one?” I cocked a brow.
“Dietrich? He’s cozy with the old man, Vasivich’s favorite.” Zane sipped his wine slowly, then made a face of approval. “Not bad, you have good taste in booze at least.” he smiled.
Vlondril, Jay, B'Nan, and Starri sat across from four of Zane's men. The eight of them eyeballed each other, gauging dispositions. There was a lot of tension in the room at that moment.
“But, I will say…” Zane started, paused, sipping his glass a moment before he continued. “That took some balls to break into Vasivich’s estate, snatch that datachit with all that dirty laundry, and leave like nothing happened,” he smirked. “You have a rather skilled crew.”
I nodded imperceptibly. “So what’s in it for you?”
Zane arched a brow. “I beg your pardon?”
While pinching the bridge of my nose, I heaved a sigh. “You expect me to think that you don’t have something to gain from this?”
“Ah! Of course.” he chuckled. “I do have something to gain… If you would allow yourself to take Mister Vasivich’s place, I can promise a smooth transition and the… removal of disloyal elements from the organization.” he pauses. “Of course, I expect a larger cut of any profits.”
“It seems that mobsters are all the same, no matter where you are from.” I chuckled, sipping my glass of red wine.
“Is that so?” Zane lifted a bushy, wide eyebrow.
I nodded, swirling my glass pensively. “A lot of your type tend to see the universe as your golden opportunity to make a profit.” I smiled, pausing a moment for effect. “However, that makes you easy to understand.”
Zane went silent for a few moments, then threw his head back in laughter. “Get a load of this one, Vlondi!” he cackled.
My gaze shifted to Vlondril. “Wait, you called them here?”
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Guilty as charged~!” Vlondril sing-songs.
“So you- got-” I balked at the Iridian matron.
“Yep! All five of them.”
I’ll be damned! She managed to get five of six on our side. I stared at Vlondril for a few moments, then looked at Zane. “So I take it you know what my plan is for the organization.”
Zane had a slow, pensive sip of his stemmed glass of wine before answering. “Vlondi told us everything. All of us are on board.” He smiled.
I turned back to Vlondril. “...And you were going to tell me this when, exactly?” I scowled.
“As soon as I was able, but you were never around, so how could I?” She smiled sheepishly at me and shrugged.
After a sigh and a pinch of my nose bridge, I rubbed my temples, thinking to myself. This headache and misunderstanding could have been cleared up had she said something earlier.
[Eridan-III - House Reghyn estate…]
Farsa leaned back in her seat, swiveling around from the broad, Oakwood desk she sat in front of. Staring out the window at the moonless night, with the twin moons of Eridan-III high above. One of them a three-quarter moon and the other a full moon, The shadow of one partially obscuring the other, as both are mutually locked into each other’s orbits. It would be a few more eons before the twin moons collided spectacularly as they pulled each other closer together.
Half-lidding her eyes, Farsa thought deeply about the reports; Kara was on the move in the Kel-Firam system. That meant She was establishing herself, which Farsa predicted would be her next move. It was the logical, prudent course of action, seeing as she is 2 years out of date with no contacts, resources, or creds.
Opening her eyes, she walked over to the ornate cabinets inset in the wall opposite her desk. She opened the top cubby and retrieved a bottle of vintage Frostberry wine, an Iridian wine that has a very crisp, refreshing taste. Which soothed Farsa’s mind when it was racing.
“I should call her later.” She smiled, thinking fondly of her latest apprentice.
[S.S.R. Void Star - Deck 2, Port-side lounge…]
My nose tingled before I sneezed. Vlondril shoots me a look “Bless you!”
“I think someone is speaking of me.” I deadpan, referring to the version of the ‘Burning ears’ superstitions of old Japan.
Vlondril giggles “I hope they said good things!"
"Well, the superstition goes that one sneeze means they're speaking fondly, two means they speak ill." I nodded sagely.
“Humans and their old superstitions.” Vlondril chuckled. “It is quite amusing. For all the talk of not being a superstitious species, Humans are contradictory about the matter” she smiled fondly. “I for one find it fascinating.” She sipped on a glass of wine pensively, a Frostberry wine. Made with berries native to Eridan-III, and cultivated by the Iridians since the dawn of their ancestors in ancient times. Or so the story goes. Much of their ancient history is unknown, as oral tradition dominated their culture, having only invented writing around the time the Napoleonic Wars were happening in the mid-1800s for Humanity.
After I shook my head at these ruminations, I stood. “I should get some rest.” After having arched my back for a long stretch, I feel a few of the bones in my back pop. This caused a moan of relief to escape me. “That felt good.~” I sigh and head for my quarters, passing Galinae in the hall as she heads to the lounge to unwind.
“Kara!” Gali called back to me, I paused and waited, lifting one thin, well-trimmed eyebrow.
She paused a moment, possibly having to choose her choice of words carefully. “I… I don't know what you think, but… I can be of use to the crew.”
I lifted an eyebrow “You think you are useless?” I turned around.
She shifted around bashfully. “W-well, I… uh… I gathered that from when you took me to shoot.” Gali smiled bashfully; It was adorable, such that I couldn't help but smile in endearment.
Gali sighed, gathering up her courage. “I want to stand in as a nurse in the medbay.” she winced, expecting to be rejected.
I sighed, then hummed thoughtfully. “That’s fine.” I smiled. “Report to Doctor Miko in the medbay.”
She blinked, then a smile grew on her face “Yes captain!” Galinae gives a rather poor salute, and turns, bounding off for the medbay.
After she rounded the corner, I continued on my way to the elevator to return to my quarters. Gali was now Tama-san’s problem. I had wanted to use that honorific for a while, so I mouth it to myself. “Tama-san..” I hummed in amusement because it did roll off the tongue nicely.
Miko was a name I was very familiar with, as the Chief Medical Officer of the ship, she was responsible not only for the health of the crew but for medical treatment for anyone who got injured in combat. I hated doctors as a general rule, and I still did not fully trust her. So I avoided the medbay like a plague.
A wry, coy smirk creased my face, proud of my success in avoidance of that infernal room aboard this ship as I entered the elevator. The voice activation cue chimed. To which I replied “Deck 1A.” - the elevator started moving upwards with a brief, soft lurch. Once the doors opened, I headed into my quarters, foregoing a shower and a change of clothing into my negligee, and I just simply fell into bed as a wave of fatigue washed over me. After heaving a sigh, I half-lidded my eyes as I attempted to find a wink or two of sleep. My temples ached from the collective exhaustion of the past week.