(Callie)
From what Lenny had told her so far, the shipyard, the size of a city, was built in a chaotic jumble like a blindfolded five-year-old assembled the pieces. Along the passage they walked, there were several windows to the outside. It was a beehive of activity, as ships flew in every direction, flying to or leaving the shipyard.
They paused in a large tube with a clear composite window along the entire left wall, as well as a map depicting a bird's-eye view of the city, back lit by the gas giant below. Callie whistled softly, looking at the map of the city, and comparing it to the city, both beneath them and above them. Like she first thought, the shipyard was a mess.
It wasn't flat, and the city grew in every direction, creating a mess of train lines that even with techknowledy to help were a pain to navigate. Callie turned to Lenny, her mind a whirl. "This city looks like an engineer on the fritz built it. I thought Engineers were not allowed to do drugs while they worked?" Callie said.
Lenny laughed loudly in a deep growl, his trimmed tan tail swishing happily. "It's built similar to the Nightlong moles tunnels on my home planet. The funny thing is, those moles can live for up to a hundred years. Most of the time, the moles dig so many burrows that they get lost, and starve to death."Lenny replied with a shrug.
"That sounds like some serious self destructing behaviour. Why would they do something like that?" Taniya asked worriedly. Lenny's flicked his tail in amusement. "They hunt their prey by luring it into their tunnels and caving in the roof. At first, the numerous tunnels are an advantage, but after a while, they get too expansive and become a hinderance."Lenny replied with a shrug of his furry shoulders.
"Do you think that is why they built the shipyard like this?" Taniya asked excitedly. Callie butted it. "I don't think there was any planning involved in the construction of this shipyard. Can't you see this map? It's crazy!" Callie retorted.
"Don't be such a downer. Wouldn't that be cool if this place was designed like a maze to lure in prey?" Taniya asked. Callie smiled, happy her friend was in a good mood.
"I don't mean to be a spoilsport, but if that was the case, we would be the prey walking into the trap."Callie replied.
"Why can't you ever just let me have fun?" Taniya asked with a pout. "T, I have no issue with you having fun. And I enjoy having fun myself, but if we are not on guard here, we could die."Callie replied, turning to one window.
Resting in a docking bay to their left was the grack arka. The frigate was not the most impressive ship Callie had ever seen, far from it. The ship was only about a hundred meters long, designed for speed and manoeuvrability rather than heavy armour and guns.
Already, several large drones were flying around the rear thrusters with their strobe lights active, lighting up the worn hull plating with laser scanners.
The view out the clear composite window turned chaotic, as a flurry of drones exited a side passage of the shipyard towards the heavily armoured rear section housing the fusion reactor. As they watched, the drones removed hull plating, opening the ship up.
Callie had to admit, despite the shipyard's poor reputation, they didn't slack off. Lenny showed Callie and Taniya to the ligne. It was like a train, only it traveling in a tube. The ligne didn't use something as crude as railway tracks, following a confusing system of tubes throughout the shipyard. The tube shaped device hovered in wait, suspended by a magnetic field.
As they approached, the door opened with a happy chime, revealing uncomfortable plastic seats and several bars to hold on. Well, the function of the ligne was high tech, but the seating was certainly not. They got on and Lenny input a destination. Traveling at over a hundred miles an hour, the train crossed the district into a district helpfully named the stacks.
Callie smirked at that name, wondering if it was just a translation oddity. The ligne door slid open with a hiss of air, and down the corridor was a sign. It was about the size of a shuttle, with silver and green chips in a pile. And scrolled on the sign in bright pink graffiti was the name, the stacks.
Callie turned to Taniya, giving her a questioning look. "What? Don't look at me, I'm not the designer."Taniya said. "Whats wrong with the design?" Lenny asked.
Callie coughed, her eyes tracing over the garish sign and its flashy pink graffiti depicting a weasel with a bright pink shawl. "Soo, this Yergan, do they have a questionable fashion sense?" Taniya asked curiously. Lenny laughed. "They are rather fond of opulent displays of wealth."Lenny reply.
The narrow tunnel opened up, and a wash of noise slammed into Callie as she ascended the stairs. There was a wide, massive room filled with dozens of people. The wash of sound comprised people shouting, the whir of drones overhead, and the clatter of holographic projections advertising the shops along the walls.
Not only that, but there were at least three species of aliens, maybe four, if you included parasites in their hosts. The massive corridor was in absolute chaos, the filled with four distinctive languages. Funny enough, their group, comprising two humans and a Tallax, was not the oddest collection in the massive market area.
One stand, selling The Best Comms in the sector, had three patrons out front. A beetle like Gwark, his carapace a deep black, a ragged, blond furred Tallax, and a short, light-skinned human wearing a straw hat, of all things. Not just that, but their store clerk, dressed in a bright red dress, had the stunning white hair and dark skin of the Slax.
"Well, come on, stop your gawking. I know of an eating establishment often frequented by Yergan. If not the boss, we might be able to find one of his officers there."Lenny said, amused by their hesitation.
Callie followed from behind, her eyes flitting to all the various shops, and more importantly, the aliens. It did not surprise her to see every person in the place carrying a weapon. As this place was a haven for pirates, human traffickers, and murder.
Callie monitored their surroundings, noting a drone hovering on the top of a holographic display, its camera following them. If she was less weary, she would have ignored the drone. It could just be a coincidence, but Callie doubted that. Several aliens watched them with interest, but after a cursory glance they went back to minding their damned business.
They walked through the market, and all the while, the tiny drone followed them, keeping a safe distance away. Taniya rushed over to a holographic display and perused the selection of goods for sale. Noting this, Callie watched the drone from the corner of her eye, noting it didn't bother tracking Taniya at all.
Soo, she was the target. This wasn't completely unexpected. Callie was willing to bet her left sock that one of the crewman on Grack arka worked for Yergan, or at the very least traded the information for Lagnars.
With that in mind, she kept on guard, an invisible barrier around herself at all times, ready for someone to take a pot shot at her. Her senses were heightened, but she wasn't too worried. She doubted any of these people would bother buying the extremely expensive bullets that utilized the art.
It was a tense hour of constant vigilance that was putting her on edge. The people, and most worryingly, were the drones, they were everywhere. Those blasted drones moved about like flies, posing the largest threat as could carry bombs or even small arms. Callie knew they had arrived when Lenny stopped in front of an extremely detailed holographic display.
The incredible smell of grilled meat and baked fries wafted out as two particularly small Tallax exited the front door. Two soldiers, one a Gwark, and the other a human dressed in soft suits, stood at the front entrance. They each had rifles, with a pistol at their sides. The gwark stood waist high on its six legs, its mandibles clacking as they approached.
Callie listened in, but couldn't hear what the two security guards were saying until they drew closer. Judging by the beetle's red carapace, it should be from the core worlds. She flexed her rusty language muscles and addressed the Gwark security guard.
"Greetings, we are looking for something good to eat and heard this place is the best on the shipyard?" Callie asked, her throat tingling from speaking the tough language. The human next to the gwark gave Callie a once over, his gaze lecherous.
"You have an interesting accent. Where are you from? Asunder? Or Lendathal?" Asked the Gwark, his bug like eyes unblinking. Callie grinned. "Fifty lagnars and I will tell you."Callie replied jovially. The Gwark chittered, its mandibles clacking in amusement..
"You must be from Asunder? Which clan are you from?" the Gwark asked. Callie bit her lip, and glanced away, exaggerating the motion so the beetle could read her expression. "They excommunicated me from the clan for completely unreasonable charges."Callie said, slumping her shoulders in shame.
The gwark chittered curiously. "Oh? And what were the charges?" Asked the Gwark. Callie grinned mischievously."I may have slept with my boss, and then his head of security before absconding with a hundred thousand lagnars."Callie said mischievously.
The gwarks carapace split, revealing bright blue wings. His mandibles clacked together as he laughed uproariously. Next to her, Taniya was staring at Callie, her mouth agape. Callie was aware that Taniya couldn't speak or understand the Gwark tongue, but she no doubt had some basic software in her comm to translate for her.
The gwark turned to his silent human comrade. "Pit, stop your leering, and scan them already." Pit, the burly human, gave Callie a broken toothed smile before drawing a bulky hand sized scanner from his belt. He reached out to pat her down, his hand reaching for her chest, where she had several hidden knives.
Pit held up his scanner in front of Callie, his eyes locked on her chest, his grubby hands reaching out to grope her. Callie batted his hand away.
"I will need to take your pistol and knife."Said Pit in Tallaxian, his face contorting in displeasure. Callie reached into her jacket and pulled a small thumb sized chip from her coat. She ignored the lecherous security guard and turned towards the other guard..
She tossed the chip to the gwark. The gwark caught the chip, its bug like eyes flashing as it scanned the amount inside. "Pit, what are you doing? Don't you know these three are reputable? As long as they don't draw their weapons, it's fine if they keep them."the Gwark said, chittering excitedly as it slid the chip inside its soft suit.
"What are you talking about, Greg? These three don't look that reputable. They look like troublemakers."Pit said, his eyes flickering with greed. Callie rolled her eyes and drew another chip with almost five hundred lagnars stored inside.
This was blatant extortion, but Callie would not complain. After all, these chips filled with lagnars were BORROWED from Shimmer. She was simply pleased these two were amenable to bribes. In fact, she doubted there was even a rule that said no weapons inside. The three enter the front door, no longer hampered by the two security.
Callie was at the back of the group, standing in the door as a waitress approached, the young woman smiling prettily. Taniya took a step forwards excitedly, while Callie stood in the back listening to the two guards talking. "What the hell Pit? I told you not to call me Greg. If you do it again, I am going to bite your leg off!" Said the Gwark..
"Oh, go screw yourself Greg. Addressing you as Gerfesterdantal every time is just absurd."Pit replied gruffly. Callie smirked. The human waitress led them up a flight of stairs, and they followed a separate tube attached to the restaurant.
The server led them inside, and Callie raised an eyebrow. Wide corridor opened up into a transparent glass booth with a gorgeous view of the blue gas giant below. Callie sat on the far side of the table, giving herself a view of the single entrance and the stunning view.
The waitress gesture to the clear composite table, and the three ultra thin tablets.
"I am Cindy, and I will be your hostess for the evening. Please take a few minutes to brows the menu on the tablets. We have fine selections of drinks for both humans and Tallax. Simply send me a ping on your tablets if you have questions."Cindy said, before sauntering out of the room with a seductive sway to her hips.
Taniya picked up her tablet and gave Callie a curious look. "Was that story true? I swear, you are too good at lying. I can never tell if you are telling the truth." Taniya asked, giving Callie a scowl.. "Of course not. I have never actually been to any of the Gwark worlds. And besides, why would I sleep with the head of security when I could just kill them and take the codes?" Callie replied, picking up her tablet.
"You are forgetting something, T. What human would be brave enough to sleep with the commander?" Lenny asked, sitting on a tall, extra wide chair, his right ear flicking in amusement.
"Ouch, now that is just rude, Lenny. You are forgetting about aliens as well."Taniya said, with a grin towards Callie. For her part, Callie put on a hurt expression at the twos prodding. "Taniya, you wound me."Callie said, a smile tugging at her lips.
Taniya punched Callie on the shoulder playfully, and Callie didn't even tense up at the motion. "Soo, Callie, what do you suggest?" Taniya asked, her focus solely on her tablet. Well, she knew this was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time before Taniya slipped up and used her real name.
Callie turned her gaze to Lenny, who seemed to recognise the crucial exchange, sitting there tensely. Lenny was staring intently at his tablet, pretending for all the world like he hadn't just heard the slip.
"Sorry commander."Taniya mumbled apologetically. "Its fine, I was wondering how long you could keep the secret."Callie replied, scrolling through the selections of wine and food on her tablet. She selected one, and the image enlarged, revealing a live image of a steaming slab of meat, with succulent sauce, and a fluffy green salade on the side.
Callie selected the option, choosing medium rare for the steak, and a light tangy sauce for the salade. She selected a random red wine that looked good, uncertain which might pair well with the steak. The waitress returned, and they all gave the tablets back to the waitress.
The waitress examined all their orders. "Excuse me Cindy, what wine would you suggest with the drogue steak?" Callie asked, changing her mind. Cindy smiled, tapping Callie's tablet. "An excellent choice for a steak. However, I would suggest a light white wine, instead of a bold red."Cindy said with a sweet smile.
Callie nodded."Please, bring whichever you think would pair best with the steak."Callie said. The waitress left, and Taniya turned to Callie..
"Why didn't you ask her about Yergan?" Taniya asked, ignoring her earlier blunder. Callie glanced at the entrance of the room. She was willing to bet the room was bugged, despite the fact she couldn't spot any surveillance devices.
"In gwark culture, it is considered an offence to bring up business deals over a meal. Any deals or sales must be done after the meal."Callie said. Lenny nodded at that.
Their meals came, and they ate. Callie ate her steak, content to enjoy the meal, while she could. The steak wasn't amazing or anything, but it was far better than the nutrition bars she had been eating for weeks.
Like she expected, the steak was vat grown, putting a damper on her enthusiasm. At least the salad had a pleasant crunch and was dressed with a sweet sauce. They discussed Gwark culture until they finished the meal, as Taniya was interested in the bugs.
Cindy returned to take their plates, and Callie gave her a hundred Lagnar tip on top of the hundred Lagnar bill.
Callie drew her knife from its beautiful leather scabbard, and the edge shimmered maliciously, drawing energy from her reservoir. Cindy took a step back, looking concerned at the bare weapon. "Cindy, I was wondering if you know where I can sell this unusual weapon?" Callie asked, turning the knife, where Cindy could see the odd green composites comprising the flat of the blade.
Her interest peaked, Cindy leaned in, her attention drawn to the shimmering edge of the blade. "Of course, let me speak with my manager, I will be right back."Cindy said, with a lovely smile for Callie. They waited, and Callie sipped her tart white wine. Taniya fidgeted with her tablet, swirling a lock of light blond hair in her fingers..
Lenny looked more composed, but his groomed tan tail was perfectly still, hinting he was on edge. Several sets of heavy footsteps approached from the hall and two figures, both gwark skitter into the room. The one in the lead, its carapace a bright blue, stopped just inside the door.
Callie couldn't see them, but she knew at least two others were waiting in the hall, just out of sight. Lenny tensed up across the table, the young Tallax's posture telling. "Good evening Callie. My name is Tony, and I am the manager of this fine establishment. I hear you have an interesting weapon for sale?" Asked the Gwark with the blue shell, in heavily accented Tallaxian.
"Yes, it is a knife."Callie said, drawing the knife in question. The knife shimmered a light green, the light reflecting off the silver and green composites comprising the blade. "You wasted our time on a useless piece of composite?" Tony asked, its mandibles clicking in annoyance.
The other stepped forward, its mandibles wiggling in interest. "Show me what it can do!" Order the second Gwark. The second bug stood out like a beacon, its shell painted a glossy orange. She assumed this must be Yergan, judging by their garishly painted shell. Callie flipped the knife around and casually stabbed the thick, clear composite table.
The table, as thin as paper, yet stronger than steel, parted to the monomolecular edge of her knife. The knife channeled the art, refining an edge so thin, almost nothing could stop it. Both beetles chittered with excitement as the knife sunk hilt deep.
"How much do you want for the weapon?" Yergan asked, greed in its eyes. Callie casually drew the knife from the table, looking into the bulbous eyes of the pirate lord. "This weapon is but a mere trinket, something I wanted to show to get your attention. However, selling this knife is not my purpose for coming here."Callie said vaguely.
Yergan chittered."What do you want? Don't you know what I do to people who waste my time?" Yergan asked coldly. Callie smiled at the beetle. "I am not here to waste you time. I am here to offer you both a business proposal."Callie said, looking both Tony and Yergen in their large bulbous eye.
"Is this the same business proposal you offered captain Shimmer before you took over her pirate crew?" Yergan asked, their mandibles grating together menacingly.
Yergan's eyes flickered, and from the hallway four guards enter positioning themselves besides the two gwark. Callie ignored the weapons pointed at her, her eyes on Yergan. Taniya and Lenny were not so calm, rising hastily from their chairs.
Callie's eyes flicked to Tony, the manager of the restaurant. She palmed her knife casually, lounging in her chair like she didn't have a care in the world. "Shimmer was smart enough to turn over command of her ship and follow me. My question is, are you that smart?" Callie asked calmly.
Yergan backed away, as he replied, allowing the four security to get in front of him. "You are a bigger fool then i thought. Kill them all!" Yergan ordered, looking more annoyed than angry.