The crew of the Antigone stepped down the ramp of their ship onto the concrete of the landing bay, with seven people in tow, including the newly acquainted Mr. Kennet.
“I’ll go with Ana to the bounty office to collect, you boys restock the ship and make sure we’re ready to go,” Leora commanded. She and Ana split off with their prisoners.
The three men walked into the series of shops and businesses that resupplied visiting ships.
After their errands were complete, The men exited the space dock and the trio walked into the town proper. Allais was a medium-sized city on the western coast of a small continent on Brinnan. The planetary government allowed the city to be a safe haven for less than honest traders, pirates, marauders, raiders, bounty hunters, and other space-faring types in order to cement itself as an independent system and to give the government a steady supply of merchants and mercenaries. The streets of Allais are rough and one should seldom venture alone, many people want to be your friend in the city but few are to be trusted.
As the men passed beggars, prostitutes, and “specialty merchants” Rayan spoke up
“So, you really grew up here, Dorian?”
“Aye” he responded sharply
“O-kay, I guess you did”
Dorian sighed and turned around “What do you want, kid?”
“Nothing, just trying to make conversation”
“Why don’t you talk to Elio?”
“Who, shit for brains?”
“Hey!” Elio sounded offended and gave Rayan a little shove
Dorian turned around and kept walking “Aye, I grew up here, my parents were refugees from Senebruck, escaped the revolution. We came here penniless”
“Whatever happened to them? Your folks I mean?” Elio asked
“Hell if I know, my mother died before I joined the navy and my father probably died in a bottle not long after, don’t see how he could pay his gambling debts without stealing my money”
“You don’t sound bitter at all, do you miss them?” Rayan asked
“No. Does one miss a tumor? Or a rock in your boot?”
“Come on, Dor. They're your family”
“Family doesn't mean much when you had to fight for scraps and then fight your father that night for the same. Just another street mongrel who wasted away in the dice house”
“It can’t have been all bad”
“I suppose. If there's one thing my father taught me, it's that you shouldn’t rely on others to survive. I guess it made me the best at what I do, or did, rather”
“And what was that, old man?”
Dorian stopped and turned “Do you know the time, Mister Castillon?”
Rayan scrambled, looking in his pockets. Dorian reached inside his short coat and brought out a gold pocket watch with the initials “R.C.” engraved on the cover.
“Asshole” Rayan grabbed his watch from Dorian’s hand.
“Besides, didn’t you grow up on Brinnan too?” Dorian asked Rayan
“Yeah, but that was in Port Aygo, and I had Lyssa with me”
After a few more minutes of walking, Elio spoke up
“Doesn’t it hurt to come back here?”
“Not really, it makes the most sense setting up here”
“So staying here is fine for you? You don’t feel bad?”
“You shouldn’t let personal feelings dictate your life, only sound logic should make decisions”
“You know something Dor? I think I've met computers who show more emotion than you do”
“Fuck off, Rayan”
“Woah, so hostile all of a sudden, you know you need to let someone in at some point, right?”
Dorian glared at Rayan
“There’s gotta be something soft and gooey underneath all that bitter old man”
Dorian kept walking on in silence.
After some more minutes, the group of men entered a bar called “Libertalia”, a well-known spot for bounty hunters, mercenaries, and pirates.
As they sat at the bar, a large, friendly-looking bartender with a cybernetic arm came up to them
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the Antigone boys”
“Hey, Vasa, how’s things around here” Rayan said
“Eh, same old business as usual, wife’s pregnant again”
“Sorry to hear that, any news around town?”
“Now, now, you know that’s for paying customers only”
Elio counted and placed down a small stack of red bills, hunter’s guild scrip.
“We’ll take three beers”
The bartender, Vasa, grabbed the drinks, placed them in front of the men, and leaned in close
“I’ve heard that The Company has a new top dog in this sector, a mean sonofabitch named Sellicus, arrived here just after you lot left”
“Sellicus? Why would we care about some change up in the Company brass? Still a bunch of assholes to us” Dorian asked
“I don’t know about you boys but I would think that it's interesting that the INTC would send a commodore all the way out here”
“A commodore?”
“Aye, there's been whispers that the Company is planning to make a push into this sector, Merchants have been getting converted, expeditions are everywhere, their spies everywhere else” Vasa motioned to a pair of patrons at a nearby table “Seems like they sent Commodore Sellicus to clean up”
“Clean up?” Rayan asked
“It seems like Sellicus is trying to get rid of any farers that aren't Niveian, he’s been stopping ships just outside the sovereign zone, converting traders, capturing pirates, that sort.”
“Why’s this important to us?” Dorian asked
“Now, I know that you guys would never dream of seeking… illicit employment, but I know your crew hates the empire as much as we do, so tread lightly”
“Aye, thanks for the heads up, get one for yourself” Dorian threw another coin on the bartop”
After some time, Leora and Ana entered the bar
“Captain Veliarix, always a pleasure when you're here”
“Wish I could say the same about you, Vasa” They laughed and shook hands
“You boys staying out of trouble?” Leora asked
“Aye Cap, as usual”
The crew moved to an empty table and Leora opened the small case she had brought in, inside lay six canisters, one larger than the rest. Leora distributed one to each crew member and kept one as well as the larger one to herself.
“Always a good day” Rayan slid the canister open, revealing a large stack of coins and banknotes.
“You got the ship share?” Dorian asked
“Aye” Leora patted the large container, half of each take the crew earned went towards the ship’s fund to keep it in working order
“Well, I think this calls for some celebration,” Leora said
Vasa walked over with a tray of five shots of a dark liquid.
“Sa’ting ka’lusang’an” Leora raised her glass
“Moquil’pohuailli” Rayan did the same
“Tyl nista kempa” Elio grabbed one
“Ilelirye “ Ana matched
“Cheers,” Dorian grabbed one and the glasses went up and came back down.
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