Give a man his smoke
01 May 2016Tan Gorn
October 3301, Ocairi B1CMDR Tan Gorn, Earl of Ocairi, was sitting in an armchair on a balcony of his family estate on Ocairi B1 watching the local sun setting behind a mountain chain far on the horizon. He was deeply engaged in an illegal activity. The clouds of mild tobacco smoke he puffed out of his pipe floated around looking to fool innocent bystanders with a pretense on a cherry flavor. Real tobacco shall not be flavored. Real tobacco shall not be illegal. It never was illegal in Ocairi system. Until two weeks ago when local corporations used havoc created by Federal raiders and took control of the system from Empire Group. Why would a business driven government ban tobacco in an agricultural system was beyond Earl’s understanding. A plan to counteract it was within his reach. There was a precondition though that Tan would need to overcome before the plan can become a reality.
While he was contemplating ways to go around this precondition, it manifested itself on the balcony in a shape of red haired, green eyed, slim figure whose body outline was emphasized by a silk evening dress.
"I brought your brandy, my lord."
Between themselves they rarely used titles, only to tease each other occasionally.
"What are you going to do? Can’t imagine you smuggling in tobacco on every run from Kamadhenu…"
Tan decided to go straight for the target.
"Remember I told you about the Chapterhouse of Inquisition? How they help Her Majesty by supporting local patronages? I think I am going to message CMDR Endincite and become an inquisitor for Ocairi."
"Tan, we’ve been through this before, you deliver thousands of tons of supplies for Her Majesty every week. Now you will join this inquisition and I will forget how you look. You are not twenty any more, not even thirty, you will burn yourself out and what am I going to do? Bring flowers to your grave?"
Tan scratched the temple where a gray streak passed through the dark hair after he barely escaped death in his T9 blown by a notorious Federal hunter next to Shajn Market. She is right, he thought. But then, letting corporations do whatever they want is not what I can tolerate either. Maybe, just maybe, it will work…
"But hon, I am not making you stay here any more. You have pilot’s license, don’t you? Come with me! Neither you nor me will set a step on this balcony until I can smoke freely here!"
He could make that offer now. He no longer had a T9 that can be preyed upon by virtually anything. His brand new Anaconda provided much more safety, enough to bring Alwysse out with him. He could not risk her life. She is crazy enough to stick with him despite almost twenty years of age difference, but it does not mean that she should die with him. At thirty two she has most of her life still ahead of her.
"Tan, you seriously… You are, aren't you... "
The rest was obscured by sobs and sounds that generally you can still hear for a while after the screen goes dark.