Fiction Friday - Series 4: part 4

Previously:
Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3


* * * * *

I strolled into the corporate lounge in our offices on the capsuleer deck around lunch time. Seven Six and Minessis were giving animated lessons on how to fight other capsuleers near stations to a new recruit off to one side, Lucius Severus was discussing starbase fuel requirements and transport with Barack Vorn for their next project  near the main screen, and Nhi'Khuna was eating a lunch of fried fish and vegetables with her friend and business associate Nhi'Sidaris. Seven once whispered to me that they were lovers and such tastes were frowned upon in the strict Amarr culture, hence why our CEO lived in Gallente and now Minmatar space, but I suspect that was more of his wishful-thinking-fueled fantasy rather than anything based in fact.

I approached my boss' table with a "May I interrupt?" and she replied "of course" with a wave. I pulled up a chair and declined the offer of the last bun from the basket on the table. I had ate on the common decks on my way here; it was out of the way but I enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the public areas.

I quickly relayed what had happened to me in my room with Blodel's pod pilot sister, leaving out only the fact my hangover was caused by little blue pills instead of drinking too much. When I was finished Nhi'khuna told me, "I wouldn't worry about it. Any Amarrian on a Republican station is watched around the clock. Had she approached you in your sleep too closely your door would have probably been down and several station security personnel would have been all over her."

"What if she hires someone?"

"To kill you? Highly unlikely, Amarrian honour debts must be paid in person by a family member. And attempting to hire someone to abduct you and spirit you back to the Empire faces the same difficulties of being watched too closely. I'd wager that as long as you watch your step and keep your wits about you then you will be just fine."

I thanked the ladies for their time and excused myself, my concerns mostly mollified. I had no plans to leave Minmatar space any time soon and if I ever did make any, I was ready to take precautions. I headed back to the control room to see if anyone was running any active operations when Kla'strit came out of it.

"Kirith! You're up!" he boisterously called. "I've got a job from Sistran again, seems those Serpentis blokes are trying to sneak into Teon again. You up for making some ISK as my wingman? I could use your range."

I smiled back at the tall lanky Sebiestor. "Sounds like just the thing to shake off last night." I looked over my shoulder to the others in the room. "Anyone else?"

"Got to buy some POS mods from Rens and move them down to Teonusude," Lucius said for him and Barack. Nhi'khuna begged off with one glum word, "Paperwork." But Seven and Minessis jumped up and the former stated, "Sounds like a good chance to break the rookie in!"

I walked over to the new guy as the others grabbed their stuff to head down to the hangers. "Kirith Kodachi." He shook my hand and said, "Luccul."

"Good to meet ya, Luccul. Let's go kill some pirates."