Episode 121, Set up
02 Nov 2024Ryuko Ntsikana
Episode 121, Set up
Estrellas de la Mirage, Fleet Carrier
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With his boots propped on his desk, Ryuko wore a grin of pure mischief as he studied the wet, red-faced crew members packed into his office. Laughter erupted around the room, with each person caught up in the infectious roaring. Captain Akio dabbed tears from his eyes with his sleeve, trying in vain to regain composure. The only stoic face in the room was Tara’s; arms crossed, she leaned against the wall, slowly shaking her head.
“That’s not even the best part,” she said, narrowing her eyes at her human companion with a touch of exasperation.
“Oh, no…” Corvus managed, wincing from the ache in his side as he struggled for air between laughs.
Lysandra, gasping and still recovering, chimed in. “Imagine their faces when he just strolled right in…”
Tara nodded, a wry smile surfacing. “Right past security, shoulder-bumping one of them on his way in. Walks straight into the Pilot’s Federation office and demands legal counsel—didn’t even wait for them to ask!”
Even Nyx, normally as stoic as stone, cracked, a giggle escaping as he leaned forward.
“A triple Elite,” he laughed, “they must’ve been scrambling.”
“Oh, they were,” Tara continued. “Within minutes, every tenacious legal bureaucrat with a razor-sharp pen was in that room.”
Chief Farouk clutched his chair, one hand finding Lysandra’s shoulder as he roared with laughter. “Then he presents the scans I pulled from their fleeing raiders!”
Raven doubled over, pounding his knee. “Suing the hell out of them! Mercy—this pirate is merciless!”
With a mischievous grin, Ryuko swung his boots off his desk, leaning forward as the laughter in the room quieted. “On the bright side,” he said, voice casual but precise, “this suit—loss of revenue from their botched raid—puts them in a precarious position. Legally, they’re stuck.”
Lysandra smirked. “Statistically, though, you’ll spend more on counsel than you’ll ever see back.”
Ryuko shrugged. “True, but that’s not the point.” His tone cooled, focus sharpening as he spoke. “They can’t move against us directly now, which means we can push our… graciously supported faction toward an all-out war with the non-native faction. Meanwhile, we’ve ensured the public sees them for what they are. With every blow, their support drains.”
Captain Akio, typically reserved, started chuckling, catching everyone’s attention as he tapped his datapad with the back of his hand. “You’re going to love this. Your reputation with the ruling faction just dropped to ‘unfriendly.’”
Another wave of laughter rolled through the room, while Tara’s eyebrow rose as she turned to Ryuko, who held back his own laugh, though his smile broadened.
“I know that look,” she said, crossing her arms. “What are you planning?”
Ryuko’s eyes gleamed. “Think it’s time for another appearance at their station. A new ship’s about to be released, and I’ll need some modules for it. They just happen to have the ones I want.”
More howling laughter erupted as everyone caught on. They knew the “unfriendly” label was just for show—blocking Ryuko from the local module market could be turned against them in court, but granting access would expose the hollow nature of their sanctions.
Tara smirked, arms crossed as she shot him a knowing look. “So they try to ice you out, and you just turn their own system against them?” She laughed softly. “It’s almost cruel.”
Ryuko’s smile broadened. “Almost.”