Chapter Eight
Nov. 8th, 2004 11:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrI like this chapter. Of course I'll probably wake up in the morning and read over it and find plenty of things that make me wince, but for now at least I like it muchly. I've been dithering over writing it all day, b/c I was sure it would suck. . But once I started writing, it worked out better than I thought it would, though the end is rather more quiet than I had thought it would be, but eh. I can always improve it later. For now, I am off to sleepy. *blows kiss* G'night!
Chapter Eight
Merchant class star ship 00061225, the dragonfly
"No deal, Val. You and I both know our haul is worth a hell of a lot more than that." Einn looked at the man across the table in disgust. "Stop treating me like some yuppie who doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. I outgrew that shit a long time ago."
Beside the Captain, Faller shifted minutely, impatient and annoyed.
Across the table was a human with dark brown skin, his scalp bald and shiny. A large, black leather and metal patch covered his right eye, an extension of the black leather and metal in which he was dressed. He lifted his heavy boots off the table where he'd propped them and leaned over the table. "I’m not treating you like anything, Einn. It ain't my damn problem your booty ain't worth what you thought it was worth."
"Don't make me repeat myself, Val. We've been doing business with you for a long time, and we've always been good to you. Start fucking with me, and I'll turn nasty in a hurry."
"Einn, Einn," Val relaxed back in his seat. "Don't jump the gun on me. I'm being honest with you."
Einn rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't know honest if it slept with you, Val. Save the oily voice for a sucker. It won't do anything but piss me off."
"When have I ever tried to stab you in the back, Einn? Come on, I've always been up front with you."
At this Einn snorted and rose to his feet, as did Faller. "You haven't stabbed me in the back because I've never been dumb enough to turn around. I'm not playing games with you, Val. Either pay me what I know my haul is worth or get the fuck off my ship. If you can't find the way out, Faller will be glad to escort you."
Faller looked almost giddy at the thought, his eyes a hard glitter. He watched the one-eyed man carefully as he and Einn made to exit the meeting room.
"Perhaps I'd offer more if you were giving me a complete inventory."
Einn stilled at that, "That is a complete inventory. What are you playing at?"
"Rumors about town are that you're still holding a man hostage."
"So what? A hostage is hardly inventory."
"I bet you'd change your mind if I were to tell you that particular hostage could be worth ten million points."
A sharp hiss escaped Einn's lips. "He's just a Rehabber. Why would someone be dumb enough to pay quality points for a stupid Guard?"
"Come off it, Captain." Val said impatiently. "You know damn good and well that's not a mere Rehabber. And if you don't know, you're an idiot."
Einn narrowed his eyes, motioning for an irate Faller to remain still. "I’m curious to know how you came about such information."
"Because I have clients in high places, and this particular client would like to make life difficult for a certain Lower Chancellor." Val still sat in his seat, for all the world looking like a bored, slightly annoyed businessman - albeit in leather and metal studs. "The obtainment of Cyan Alexander would greatly improve his abilities to do just that."
Faller sneered, "And no doubt you're being paid twice what you've offered to get him for your client. Which ring boss are you whoring yourself out to, hmm?"
"Shut it, Redskin."
"That's enough!" Einn snapped. "I had no idea you were this fucking worthless, Val. Really, it astonishes me."
Beside him, Faller snorted. "It shouldn't."
"Mmm, true." Einn nodded thoughtfully. "Scum is scum, I guess."
Val rose to his feet, boots clomping heavily on the floor. "Yeah, like you damned pirates have any fucking room to talk. Don't preach to me about scum. I'll give you one last chance - give me the Rehabber and I'll see you're paid double what the entire haul is worth, plus the 10 mil points."
"Forget it, Val." Einn waved his long, spindly arm in the air in a dismissive gesture. "I told you - he's not for sale. Not for any price. Now get the fuck off my ship." With a press of the control he kept strapped to one arm, the door of the meeting room slid open. "Guests first," he said icily.
Face cold, Val moved out of the room into the hallway. Faller and Einn eventually followed, staying several steps behind him and watching closely. Their footsteps clomped and clanked on the metal floor of the ship. All three remained stonily silent.
In the next instant, Einn's eyes went wide and he threw himself forward, tumbling both himself and his first mate to the floor as a small explosion rocked the ship. "Bottom-dweller," the epithet of his home planet didn't translate with quite the bite it would have had back on Fornar, but he felt better using it. He didn't have very strong magics, but he had enough to shield himself from the worst of the blast, and his own body served to protect Faller. He didn't bother waiting to ask first mate was okay, but immediately rose to his feet and surged toward Val.
Who had taken off at a run when he realized his small bomb hadn't been quite as effective as it was supposed to have been.
He came to a stumbling halt as at the hallway intersection a black-clad leg and boot connected with Val's face, sending the dark-skinned human crumpling to the floor. He blinked as Cyan appeared, standing over the man he'd just knocked out.
Cyan looked at Einn, "What the hell was that?"
"The fucker planted a bomb after we decided we turned down his offer. I assume he thought to take what he wanted after the bomb took care of us."
Unimpressed, Cyan looked back at the fleeing man he'd taken down, then back to Einn. "Rather a stupid ass plan. How on earth did he plan to take the entire haul with him?"
"He wasn't planning on taking the entire haul," Faller said, thoroughly pissed off, as he reached them. "He was planning on just taking you."
"What?" Cyan looked at them both like they'd grown extra heads.
Faller sighed, "Apparently word is out on the streets about just who exactly you are. And someone who doesn't like your brother very much was probably hoping to buy you from us and then hold you for ransom."
"I thought criminals were supposed to be intelligent.” Cyan toed the unconscious Val. "Any one who did their job properly would know damn good and well my brother would sooner pay someone to kill me than to save me."
Einn and Faller remained silent, unable to form a worthy reply.
"So what do we do now?"
Grimacing, Einn turned to his first mate. "You okay?"
"A few scratches and a bruise or two. Nothing of any note."
"Then get us the fuck out of here. Bangkok isn't worth our time; we'll try to sell the haul somewhere between here and Kreska - or after Kreska. I don't fucking care anymore. Send some men to assess the damage in the conference room."
Faller's eyed Val, stretched out awkwardly on the floor. "What should we do with him?"
"Put him in the brig. We'll drop him off on a meteor or something along the way. That'll teach him to try and fuck with the Dragonfly."
"Aye, Captain," Faller obeyed with relish. "You should get to medic."
"I'm fine," Einn said with a frown.
"Your back is a mass of blood," Faller replied.
Cyan's face knotted in concern, as he moved to examine Einn's back.
"Eh," Einn shrugged - then winced. "I guess I didn't block as much of the blast as I thought I had. Fine, I'll go to medic. At least it doesn't seem to have hurt anyone else."
Faller nodded, "It seems to have been rather limited in its effectiveness. If we'd closed the door as we left, you probably wouldn't have been hit at all." Suddenly he looked discomfited, "Thanks for--"
"Don't even say it, Faller. Get to the bridge and get us out of here before port control wants to know what all the noise is about. If they ask, tell'im the boys got rowdy celebrating."
"Celebrating what?" Faller fought an amused smile.
"How the fuck should I know? Last I checked, none of you needed an excuse to waste yourselves in port. Now get to the bridge." With a wince as the pain from the wounds finally began to hit him, Einn headed off in the opposite direction. "I'm going to medic."
Cyan remained in the hall, uncertainty on his face as he watched Einn walk off.
"He was offered ten mil for you, ya know." Faller said sourly.
That gave Cyan pause, "I hadn't realized I was that damn popular."
"That kind of money would have solved a lot of problems for us," Faller was staring at him.
"Then I guess it's lucky for me he's not that ruthless a pirate."
"You have no idea, Rehaber. No idea at all."
Cyan narrowed his eyes, "Just what exactly are you trying to say? Because you're not making yourself real damn clear."
"I'm saying," Faller said in a stony voice, "That Einn's been going to a fuckload of trouble for you. The crew doesn't trust you, I certainly don't like you, we've been screwed on our pay because of you, we're going out of our way to deliver you to Kreska, and those wounds on his back and the fact we have to flee Bangkok is because of you."
Cyan turned his gaze away, looked abashed. "I didn’t know I'd cause so much trouble." He turned back, frowning. "But I really don't know what you expect me to do it about it."
"Try getting over yourself. He's bending over backwards because he's been taken with you from the beginning. He doesn't just take on anyone who asks and deliver to places well out of our general territory. You've had nothing but special treatment since you first asked for transport. So the very least you could do is thaw that chilly righteous Rehaber attitude of yours."
"Why the hell do you care? I would think you'd be happier to see me gone."
Faller turned away, voice both angry and tired. "Yeah, I'd like you to be gone yesterday. But his happiness means more, even if I have to put up with you. And even if it's only until we reach Kreska. So go work on making happy before I decide to lay you out like you did Val." Not bothering to look back at him, Faller stalked stiffly down the hallway toward the bridge.
Cyan stared after him, dumbfounded.
Then with a heavy sigh he turned and made his way to the medic room.
He paused in the doorway, more distracted that he wanted to admit by the sight of a bare-chested Einn. He'd probably be more distracted if Einn's back was currently being cleaned and bandaged. "Can't you heal most of that yourself?" he asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of him.
Einn shook his head, quickly masking his surprise at seeing Cyan there. "No - my magics are enough to staunch the flow of blood, if I really wanted to use them. But it's not worth the energy expenditure. I already lost a lot creating the shield that kept me from real harm."
"So there's no serious damage?"
The medic, an older human with graying hair and a stern face, answered Cyan's question. "Shallow cuts always bleed a lot; that's why they look worse than they really are. Other than that, he's only got a few minor burns. He's suffered worse than this."
Cyan smiled, relieved. "That's good to know."
Einn had his head tilted down so the medic could attend to a burn on his neck, and lifted only his eyes to star at Cyan. "I didn't know you cared."
"Neither did I," Cyan said slowly. "Your charming first mate pointed it out to me."
"You're all set, Captain." The medic interrupted.
"Thank you, Ronald."
Ronald simply nodded, and quietly left the room as Einn immediately turned his attention back to Cyan. "I don't need you asking after me because Faller ordered you to."
"I don't take orders from anyone." Cyan glared at him, though there was uncertainty in his eyes. "I was trying to keep my distance for very good reasons."
Einn regarded him cautiously. "Very stupid reasons."
"So I've been told. More than once. None of you has any common sense."
"If we had that, we wouldn't make very good pirates."
"I don't get you."
"What's to get?"
"Why you give two shits about me, for starters."
Einn shrugged, wincing slightly. "If I knew, I'd tell you. Why does it matter? I give, isn't that good enough?"
"I would think you'd give more for ten million points."
"I’m going to kill Faller. As soon as he's asleep, so he can't kick my ass for trying to kick his."
Cyan laughed, though it sounded somewhat forced. "This is a bad idea."
"No, it's not. You just think too much, Rehab."
A sigh of resignation, "Then maybe I'll try to think a little less, for a while anyway."
There was a slight pause, as both hesitated over what to do. It was Cyan who finally moved first, stepping close and carefully settling his hands on Einn's shoulders to avoid any wounds, tilting his head to meet Einn's lips.
Chapter Eight
Merchant class star ship 00061225, the dragonfly
"No deal, Val. You and I both know our haul is worth a hell of a lot more than that." Einn looked at the man across the table in disgust. "Stop treating me like some yuppie who doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. I outgrew that shit a long time ago."
Beside the Captain, Faller shifted minutely, impatient and annoyed.
Across the table was a human with dark brown skin, his scalp bald and shiny. A large, black leather and metal patch covered his right eye, an extension of the black leather and metal in which he was dressed. He lifted his heavy boots off the table where he'd propped them and leaned over the table. "I’m not treating you like anything, Einn. It ain't my damn problem your booty ain't worth what you thought it was worth."
"Don't make me repeat myself, Val. We've been doing business with you for a long time, and we've always been good to you. Start fucking with me, and I'll turn nasty in a hurry."
"Einn, Einn," Val relaxed back in his seat. "Don't jump the gun on me. I'm being honest with you."
Einn rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't know honest if it slept with you, Val. Save the oily voice for a sucker. It won't do anything but piss me off."
"When have I ever tried to stab you in the back, Einn? Come on, I've always been up front with you."
At this Einn snorted and rose to his feet, as did Faller. "You haven't stabbed me in the back because I've never been dumb enough to turn around. I'm not playing games with you, Val. Either pay me what I know my haul is worth or get the fuck off my ship. If you can't find the way out, Faller will be glad to escort you."
Faller looked almost giddy at the thought, his eyes a hard glitter. He watched the one-eyed man carefully as he and Einn made to exit the meeting room.
"Perhaps I'd offer more if you were giving me a complete inventory."
Einn stilled at that, "That is a complete inventory. What are you playing at?"
"Rumors about town are that you're still holding a man hostage."
"So what? A hostage is hardly inventory."
"I bet you'd change your mind if I were to tell you that particular hostage could be worth ten million points."
A sharp hiss escaped Einn's lips. "He's just a Rehabber. Why would someone be dumb enough to pay quality points for a stupid Guard?"
"Come off it, Captain." Val said impatiently. "You know damn good and well that's not a mere Rehabber. And if you don't know, you're an idiot."
Einn narrowed his eyes, motioning for an irate Faller to remain still. "I’m curious to know how you came about such information."
"Because I have clients in high places, and this particular client would like to make life difficult for a certain Lower Chancellor." Val still sat in his seat, for all the world looking like a bored, slightly annoyed businessman - albeit in leather and metal studs. "The obtainment of Cyan Alexander would greatly improve his abilities to do just that."
Faller sneered, "And no doubt you're being paid twice what you've offered to get him for your client. Which ring boss are you whoring yourself out to, hmm?"
"Shut it, Redskin."
"That's enough!" Einn snapped. "I had no idea you were this fucking worthless, Val. Really, it astonishes me."
Beside him, Faller snorted. "It shouldn't."
"Mmm, true." Einn nodded thoughtfully. "Scum is scum, I guess."
Val rose to his feet, boots clomping heavily on the floor. "Yeah, like you damned pirates have any fucking room to talk. Don't preach to me about scum. I'll give you one last chance - give me the Rehabber and I'll see you're paid double what the entire haul is worth, plus the 10 mil points."
"Forget it, Val." Einn waved his long, spindly arm in the air in a dismissive gesture. "I told you - he's not for sale. Not for any price. Now get the fuck off my ship." With a press of the control he kept strapped to one arm, the door of the meeting room slid open. "Guests first," he said icily.
Face cold, Val moved out of the room into the hallway. Faller and Einn eventually followed, staying several steps behind him and watching closely. Their footsteps clomped and clanked on the metal floor of the ship. All three remained stonily silent.
In the next instant, Einn's eyes went wide and he threw himself forward, tumbling both himself and his first mate to the floor as a small explosion rocked the ship. "Bottom-dweller," the epithet of his home planet didn't translate with quite the bite it would have had back on Fornar, but he felt better using it. He didn't have very strong magics, but he had enough to shield himself from the worst of the blast, and his own body served to protect Faller. He didn't bother waiting to ask first mate was okay, but immediately rose to his feet and surged toward Val.
Who had taken off at a run when he realized his small bomb hadn't been quite as effective as it was supposed to have been.
He came to a stumbling halt as at the hallway intersection a black-clad leg and boot connected with Val's face, sending the dark-skinned human crumpling to the floor. He blinked as Cyan appeared, standing over the man he'd just knocked out.
Cyan looked at Einn, "What the hell was that?"
"The fucker planted a bomb after we decided we turned down his offer. I assume he thought to take what he wanted after the bomb took care of us."
Unimpressed, Cyan looked back at the fleeing man he'd taken down, then back to Einn. "Rather a stupid ass plan. How on earth did he plan to take the entire haul with him?"
"He wasn't planning on taking the entire haul," Faller said, thoroughly pissed off, as he reached them. "He was planning on just taking you."
"What?" Cyan looked at them both like they'd grown extra heads.
Faller sighed, "Apparently word is out on the streets about just who exactly you are. And someone who doesn't like your brother very much was probably hoping to buy you from us and then hold you for ransom."
"I thought criminals were supposed to be intelligent.” Cyan toed the unconscious Val. "Any one who did their job properly would know damn good and well my brother would sooner pay someone to kill me than to save me."
Einn and Faller remained silent, unable to form a worthy reply.
"So what do we do now?"
Grimacing, Einn turned to his first mate. "You okay?"
"A few scratches and a bruise or two. Nothing of any note."
"Then get us the fuck out of here. Bangkok isn't worth our time; we'll try to sell the haul somewhere between here and Kreska - or after Kreska. I don't fucking care anymore. Send some men to assess the damage in the conference room."
Faller's eyed Val, stretched out awkwardly on the floor. "What should we do with him?"
"Put him in the brig. We'll drop him off on a meteor or something along the way. That'll teach him to try and fuck with the Dragonfly."
"Aye, Captain," Faller obeyed with relish. "You should get to medic."
"I'm fine," Einn said with a frown.
"Your back is a mass of blood," Faller replied.
Cyan's face knotted in concern, as he moved to examine Einn's back.
"Eh," Einn shrugged - then winced. "I guess I didn't block as much of the blast as I thought I had. Fine, I'll go to medic. At least it doesn't seem to have hurt anyone else."
Faller nodded, "It seems to have been rather limited in its effectiveness. If we'd closed the door as we left, you probably wouldn't have been hit at all." Suddenly he looked discomfited, "Thanks for--"
"Don't even say it, Faller. Get to the bridge and get us out of here before port control wants to know what all the noise is about. If they ask, tell'im the boys got rowdy celebrating."
"Celebrating what?" Faller fought an amused smile.
"How the fuck should I know? Last I checked, none of you needed an excuse to waste yourselves in port. Now get to the bridge." With a wince as the pain from the wounds finally began to hit him, Einn headed off in the opposite direction. "I'm going to medic."
Cyan remained in the hall, uncertainty on his face as he watched Einn walk off.
"He was offered ten mil for you, ya know." Faller said sourly.
That gave Cyan pause, "I hadn't realized I was that damn popular."
"That kind of money would have solved a lot of problems for us," Faller was staring at him.
"Then I guess it's lucky for me he's not that ruthless a pirate."
"You have no idea, Rehaber. No idea at all."
Cyan narrowed his eyes, "Just what exactly are you trying to say? Because you're not making yourself real damn clear."
"I'm saying," Faller said in a stony voice, "That Einn's been going to a fuckload of trouble for you. The crew doesn't trust you, I certainly don't like you, we've been screwed on our pay because of you, we're going out of our way to deliver you to Kreska, and those wounds on his back and the fact we have to flee Bangkok is because of you."
Cyan turned his gaze away, looked abashed. "I didn’t know I'd cause so much trouble." He turned back, frowning. "But I really don't know what you expect me to do it about it."
"Try getting over yourself. He's bending over backwards because he's been taken with you from the beginning. He doesn't just take on anyone who asks and deliver to places well out of our general territory. You've had nothing but special treatment since you first asked for transport. So the very least you could do is thaw that chilly righteous Rehaber attitude of yours."
"Why the hell do you care? I would think you'd be happier to see me gone."
Faller turned away, voice both angry and tired. "Yeah, I'd like you to be gone yesterday. But his happiness means more, even if I have to put up with you. And even if it's only until we reach Kreska. So go work on making happy before I decide to lay you out like you did Val." Not bothering to look back at him, Faller stalked stiffly down the hallway toward the bridge.
Cyan stared after him, dumbfounded.
Then with a heavy sigh he turned and made his way to the medic room.
He paused in the doorway, more distracted that he wanted to admit by the sight of a bare-chested Einn. He'd probably be more distracted if Einn's back was currently being cleaned and bandaged. "Can't you heal most of that yourself?" he asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of him.
Einn shook his head, quickly masking his surprise at seeing Cyan there. "No - my magics are enough to staunch the flow of blood, if I really wanted to use them. But it's not worth the energy expenditure. I already lost a lot creating the shield that kept me from real harm."
"So there's no serious damage?"
The medic, an older human with graying hair and a stern face, answered Cyan's question. "Shallow cuts always bleed a lot; that's why they look worse than they really are. Other than that, he's only got a few minor burns. He's suffered worse than this."
Cyan smiled, relieved. "That's good to know."
Einn had his head tilted down so the medic could attend to a burn on his neck, and lifted only his eyes to star at Cyan. "I didn't know you cared."
"Neither did I," Cyan said slowly. "Your charming first mate pointed it out to me."
"You're all set, Captain." The medic interrupted.
"Thank you, Ronald."
Ronald simply nodded, and quietly left the room as Einn immediately turned his attention back to Cyan. "I don't need you asking after me because Faller ordered you to."
"I don't take orders from anyone." Cyan glared at him, though there was uncertainty in his eyes. "I was trying to keep my distance for very good reasons."
Einn regarded him cautiously. "Very stupid reasons."
"So I've been told. More than once. None of you has any common sense."
"If we had that, we wouldn't make very good pirates."
"I don't get you."
"What's to get?"
"Why you give two shits about me, for starters."
Einn shrugged, wincing slightly. "If I knew, I'd tell you. Why does it matter? I give, isn't that good enough?"
"I would think you'd give more for ten million points."
"I’m going to kill Faller. As soon as he's asleep, so he can't kick my ass for trying to kick his."
Cyan laughed, though it sounded somewhat forced. "This is a bad idea."
"No, it's not. You just think too much, Rehab."
A sigh of resignation, "Then maybe I'll try to think a little less, for a while anyway."
There was a slight pause, as both hesitated over what to do. It was Cyan who finally moved first, stepping close and carefully settling his hands on Einn's shoulders to avoid any wounds, tilting his head to meet Einn's lips.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-09 07:41 pm (UTC)