Chapter 6 #2
"Are they dead?" Brick asked.
I glanced at Lily, who was happily enjoying the abhorrent snacks.
"They picked a fight with Lily," I said simply. She looked up, some dust on her chin that I reached over and brushed off with a thumb while I continued. "Lily did what Lily does, resolved the conflict very cleanly, and kept us all well protected."
The helivore bobbed her head, a massive grin plastered across her face.
"Do you think the authorities are going to do something about that?" Brick asked, looking around the group as if wondering why no one else seemed concerned about the situation.
"Brick, I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't think there are any authorities here," I answered.
Brick frowned and seemed to consider my words more thoroughly. "It has been pretty lawless. Still, we can't just kill people willy-nilly."
"Like I said, they picked a fight with Lily. They took us back here at blaster point, and... I'm not going to say they deserved it, because no one deserves that, but I can't say there's much sympathy in my heart for that group."
Brick shook his head, realized he was outnumbered on this one, and went back to picking at the snacks.
"Anyway," I said, clearing my throat, "what's done is done.
Lily was actually decently reserved, and I can't say they didn't bring it upon themselves.
Could someone come to retaliate? Absolutely.
But I doubt it's going to be the authorities.
This kind of thing probably means there's an element of organized crime somewhere in the area that might eventually become a problem for us. "
"These kinds of things," Melgara said absently, one delicate eyebrow lifted high. "I wasn't aware you had much experience traveling." She very keenly pointed out my naivety.
"I imagine," I said. "Besides, there are plenty of examples of what happens in areas where enforcement is clearly absent.
People start making their own rules." I was drawing on old lessons from history.
Times like the settler eras. We were on an alien world and flung far into the future, yet the nature of beings didn't seem to change with time.
What changed was only the things they could do, and the mechanisms by which they did them.
As I spoke, Tiri bit her lip, listening to the whole exchange while keeping her face a practiced neutral.
"Anything to say, Tiri?" I turned to her, sensing there was clearly something on her mind.
"Yes, and no," she said. "First off, I don't think the captain is wrong.
This place is rough around the edges, and they don't sound like the kind of people anyone's going to be missing.
Still." She paused. "It might be best to keep a low profile—or at least as low as we can manage.
" Her eyes shifted to Lily before bouncing around the group to Melgara, Brick, and then settling on Violet.
"Of course." I nodded. "I didn't mean to say we're going to walk around killing for what we need."
"No, we're not barbarians," Melgara agreed, though there was a small glimmer of something dangerous somewhere in her eyes.
"But we will be respected." She nodded to herself.
"Well, that's it for Brick's major concerns.
Perhaps we can move on to the other parts of our tasks," she said, glancing around at everyone else.
"Well, I was able to get in contact with my merchant company, and they have a ship within range that will come within a week. With that, I’ll get my credentials restored.
Though I might be leaving you all." Tiri paused.
"You have been wonderful company, and as promised, I will be happy to find plenty of work for you in the kikai sector.
It will probably take me at least a few weeks to get everything sorted out and back in control of my business.
Perhaps I can be of assistance by helping with costs for your ship? "
I smiled at Tiri. "That's wonderful news. Thank you."
She gave a half-dainty bow from her seat at the table.
"Well, that's all good." I turned to Melgara. "Do you have anything exciting to share with the rest of us?"
She was all smiles. "We've gotten plenty of goods to restock us.
They needed three days minimum to get it packed.
Once Brick sent out the message that we're going to have to find lodging, I pushed it back two weeks for a deeper discount.
However, there are some medical supplies that will be delivered before then.
" Melgara turned and eyed Lily, some silent communication running between the two of them that I wasn't sure I wanted to get involved in.
"Sounds simple enough. Violet, did you have any luck?" I asked.
She shook her head. "I'm afraid I won't be that useful. It seems most of the people I knew have moved on. If I'm honest, the place feels…" She hesitated, searching for the right word.
"Corrupt?" Melgara offered.
"I don't know if I would have used that word, but it does feel like a certain negative influence has set in here." Violet winced.
I grimaced. No one wanted to come back home and find the place in the hands of unscrupulous others. "I'm sorry."
"It's not as if it's your fault. Or is it, Captain?" She had at least enough pep in her to make a joke.
"Well, if it's my fault, Brick will certainly make me fix it."
The whole table laughed except Brick, who frowned and grumbled under his breath as he continued to munch away on his snacks.
Tiri quietly slid a few more in his direction anytime his supply ran low.
I smiled at the two, thinking to myself that there were going to be wonderful opportunities to be a wingman for him in the near future.
"Well, I suppose that just leaves Lily and my report. As you can see, we secured the lodging." I gestured around us. "And we'll do a little to see if we can't fix it up and perhaps make it more up to Melgara's standards."
"You make it sound as if I'm the one with the highest standards in this group. I assure you, I am not." Her eyes pointedly rested on Tiri, who didn't seem at all bothered by her gaze.
"Well, then I suppose we'll have to find a little work around this town. It's not like we have the funds to be completely out of work this whole time, do we?" I glanced at Tiri, who I defaulted to as being in charge of our finances.
"I'm certain we can find some work, especially if this place is as unscrupulous as it seems. There's always a certain need for people who are going to do a job and not stick around," she said while sorting out snacks for Brick.
I raised an eyebrow at Tiri, wondering if she was a little less scrupulous than I thought, only for her to turn to me.
"I am a merchant. That means understanding people and making deals. It doesn't mean I have made any such deals.” She regarded me sharply.
I mimed zipping my lip, which got a nod from her. Then I unzipped my lips with a smile. "If you're so good at deal-making, would you do me a favor and help us find some such deals?"
Tiri nodded. "We can go see what others might be saying, though I don't know anyone, so there's no promise," she said pointedly.
"Just asking for a little help finding the deals. You don't have to settle them."
"Well then, if that's it…" Lily stood up suddenly with a very clear purpose in mind, though what that purpose was was anyone's guess.
But then she stretched her hands high overhead and very pointedly yawned loudly. "I'm ready to select my bedding for the night and get some sleep."
"Not a bad idea," Melgara agreed, pulling out a set of surgical gloves and a small canister of what I assumed was sanitizer. I was tempted to comment but thought better of it, instead moving to find my own room.
As I walked, Lily trailed behind me, and I paused, glancing over my shoulder. "Are you coming with me?"
"Of course," she said. "After all, I must ensure your protection above all else."
I decided to just let her trail along behind me. There really was no sense in me trying to go against Lily. Besides being a helivore, she was mentally a force of nature.