A Deal is Made
24 Sep 2019Falcon15e
Kai and Lamb sat idly in the cockpit of the Adder watching the station drift lazily through the empty space. “So what’s the plan?” Kai asked as she twirled her hair floating in zero G.
“Well, Johnston said that his shuttle should post here in a few minutes and then his repulsers were going to conveniently ‘fail’ which is where we’ll get our opportunity.” Lamb said staring at the sensors.
“Did you tell Johnston that we don’t have weapons on this ship? Even if we did, what do we know about using ship weapons??” Kai’s agitation was starting to get the better of her.
“Yeah, he knows. He said we would have help.”
“Where are we getting all this help? I mean, doesn’t it seem kind of odd to you? We have FIS crawling all over the station, we go around whacking these dudes but not a single body has been found?” Kai is almost in a boiling rage.
“Well, Johnston is helping us.” Lamb parrots again.
“I don’t think its just Johnston. I think there is more going on than what we’re seeing.” Kai slumps back in the pilots chair letting her frustration stew. Its quiet for several minutes before Kai finally punches a nearby console. Lamb looks up from the sensor panel.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lamb says.
“I just want to get this done. All this sneaking around, all this killing, its starting to wear on me.” Kai says, her frustration easing to exhaustion.
Lamb triggers the switch on her chair and it pivots 90 degrees so she can face her. “Hey - I know. I understand. But remember the rage you felt, remember the hurt. These people deserve this. This isn’t your fault but if we hadn’t done anything, then these guys would have gotten away with killing your parents and our friends with no consequence.”
“Yeah, I know...” Kai says staring down at her hands.
*PING* Lambast shoots her attention back to the sensors panel. “There he is! Lets get him!”
A single ship, a Cobra, pops out from the mail slot and thrusters toward the little Adder.
“This isn’t right...” Lamb says looking from the scanner to the windscreen. “Its only one ship and a Cobra? That doesn’t seem like a vessel that a mob boss would use to travel around the cosmos; and there’s no escort!”
Kai sits up in her seat, “And he’s vectoring right toward us.”
Lambast grips the throttle, ready to ram the Cobra before a hail stops her. “Its the Cobra...”
“Answer it!” Kai says.
Lamb opens the channel, ***Adder, this is the Renavato, requesting permission to dock.***
Lamb looks at Kai who shrugs at her in response. Lamb answer the hail, “Uh..Renavato, this is the Adder, Jewel’s eye, permission granted.”
Kai stands up from her chair and readies her knives. “Okay, if this bastard somehow figured out who we were, we kill him here and now and jettison his body in space.”
“Wait -“ Lamb says, “If this were Dell, he wouldn’t hail us and wouldn’t request to dock. He would probably just space us. There’s something wrong here.”
Kai’s shoulders slump, “So we just let them board and kill us?”
“No, no, I say, we act peaceful. Like, be prepared to kill them but lets just assume at first that we’re innocent, that might buy us more time.”
Kai becomes agitated again, “No, I refuse to stand by and be slaughtered like—“ The docking clamps silence her.
Both girls move from the cockpit into the Adder’s tight little living space near the docking umbilical. After the docking sequence, there’s a knock on the Adder’s hatch. Lamb moves up to the hatch and opens the airlock. A single man floats across in a crisp suit.
“Lambast? Kaisla?” He states resoundingly.
Each girl identifies herself.
“I need to search you for weapons.” He responds, almost bored. Both girls look at each other. Kai quickly becomes defensive.
He throughly searches Lambast, to her gentle protest, relieving her of a single pistol.
He looks to Kai, “Please don’t resist, my boss would be frustrated if she didn’t get to meet with you in person and we had to kill you.”
Kai becomes confused, “Her?” He starts his search in her moment of daze and relieves her of her knives and another pistol before reaching up and activating the comms on his ear. “Okay, they’re clear, I’m sending them up.” He motions to the airlock with his head.
The girls float across the airlock into the Cobra. The micro-gravity of the Cobra slowly gets stronger, allowing the girls to adjust their stance to their feet. Immediately, their met with opulence and wealth. The interior of the Cobra, although also small, is decked out in rich wood, leather and tastefully appointed accommodations. Entering into the main chamber, a woman with close cropped blond hair sits in a plush leather recliner sipping wine.
The blond lady motions to two chairs, “Ladies, please sit and excuse the formalities but I had to assume you would be expecting Mr. Dell.”
Both girls sit. Their host continues, “I can sense your confusion but let me assure you, I didn’t bring you over to my ship to kill you. Quite the opposite actually. But, I felt it was time for a proper introduction.”
Lambast is the first to speak, “We appreciate your candor, please excuse our ignorance but who are you?”
The blond pours two more glasses of wine and passes them over to the two girls. “My name is Adele. It is through me that Mr. Johnston, I believe you know him, has been providing you intelligence as to where to find your victims and it has been my resources that have been covering up the murders and ensuring your success. Although, Mr. Dell has now bought the FIS and unfortunately, this change has made my involvement in this task much more difficult.”
Kai leans forward, setting the wine on the side table, “But why have you been helping us?”
Adele sets her wine glass down, “My dear Kaisla, its not long ago I was in your precise situation. Sadly, I didn’t come to the same conclusion as you and I suffered many of my developmental years tortured by the anguish of my loss. I was shifted into foster homes and then forced to suffer transgression there as well before I finally made my own mark and struck out into business. It took me many years to slowly develop my wealth and influence to the point to where I could even be in a situation to locate my own justice. Back when I was a girl, it was also Dell that was responsible for the death of my parents - in not too dissimilar circumstances - and now through your efforts, I am in a position where I can execute my revenge.”
Lambast sips at the wine before focusing her attention to Adele, “So it has been you. I no doubt assume there is a price?”
“Quite the contrary,” Adele states, “The price is that you succeed in assassinating Dell and then I can assume controlling business into and out of Cleve Hub and Eravate as a whole. And for the sacrifices of the two of you? Protection; protection of your families, protection of your interests and if you’re so inclined, a position of your choosing within the business.”
Kai leans forward, “No thank you, I’m quite done killing. After we finish with Dell, I plan on leaving Eravate and never coming back. I want no part in your private little gang or any of them whatsoever. I’m not doing this for you or anyone else. I’m doing it for me.”
Adele maintains a passive expression, “My dear, you misunderstand completely - I’m not suggesting you continue working in the mob killing its enemies. Remember, I’ve been in your position and I had to do a lot of nasty things I wasn’t proud of to achieve the success that I have. A lot nastier than a few murders in fact. I’m providing you, the both of you,” She opens her arms to include Lambast, “An opportunity to find success and riches within the organization without doing any of that. The crusade the two of you have undertaken has made my task of taking control of the organized crime out of Eravate a whole lot easier. I do not intend to let the two of you walk away without being compensated handsomely.”
Kai turns silent, staring off in the distance. “I just want my father’s ship back.”
The Sidewinder had long since been impounded by the bank. Due to her father’s death, the ship had defaulted and immediately been collected.
Adele continued, “You can have any ship you want and you want a Sidewinder?”
Lambast cut in, “Its not about the type of ship. I’ll draft a contract for our services for you to sign. It will stipulate a ship and credit price for our work to be paid in full, placed in escrow until we finish with Dell. Once we finish with Dell, us and our families receive full immunity from any crime organizations working with Dell’s business partners or yourself-forever. That goes as well that no evidence of our actions be turned over to FIS control or law enforcement and shall we be captured in an attempt to assassinate Dell, your organization provides a lawyer of our choosing at no cost to us or debit from our agreed-upon contract. Do these terms sound fair?”
Adele looks to Lambast appraisingly. “Well, Ms. Lambast, it seems you know how to cut a ruthless deal. If your future endeavors don’t work out, I would be happy to have you working for me. Those terms are more than fair. Draft the contract and I’ll sign it immediately.”
Both girls stand to leave, Adele motions to her assistant standing nearby. The assistant steps forward, a data stick in hand.
“Here, this data stick contains the pertinent information that will enable you to get close to Dell. It provides the schematics, security codes and access keys to gain entry. I’ve also got a rough outline of his schedule in there but it changes from day to day. Be careful, Dell will not be an easy target and he has a massive amount of security surrounding him at all times. He’s used to warding off professional assassins so he won’t expect you but it will not be easy nevertheless. If your able to or, trust me enough with a tentative plan, I can assist where able but it won’t be much.”
Lambast takes the stick, “Thank you.”
“Also,” Adele continues producing a credit stick, “This has stick has 50,000 credits on it. That should be enough to get you the equipment you need or cover any costs.”
Kai takes the credit stick. “Thank you again for your help but don’t think this means we’re ready to join the same people that are responsible for my parents death.”
“After this is all over,” Adele begins, “Then I hope we can sit down and discuss the plans I have for this system. This will be a different path than where Dell has steered his organization. I am sorry for your loss.”