Futuristic The Bounty {FaddedFox and Lucyfer}

[FaddedFox]

"We need the Taren crystals and Balminium, Jace," the woman growled, her black tongue flicking across the screen. She bared her jagged fangs, the motion making her narrowed eyes appear demonic. Each word she said was just under a snarl, but it didn't phase the human. Jace had long gotten used to the guttural speech and mannerisms of his 'friends'. Jace had been around the block more times than he could count and dealt with governments and organizations that thought they were the 'big bad'. They were all the same. What mattered was getting them what they wanted in a way that benefited all of mankind. He didn't give an actual shit about their woes.

"These things take time. Have I disappointed you before? No?" he mused when she was silent, "Then trust me. I know what I am doing. We'll get you what you need and we'll bring them to heel. We just need to paint a picture before we take our steps, Captain. I'll speak with you soon. I have an audience to address." He gave her a salute before terminating the connection. They may all think they were in charge of this alliance, but Jace held the cards. The man sighed as he stood and straightened his suit. Though he much preferred loose clothing when working, he had to appear the model citizen. They all had parts to play. Jace ran his hand through his hair and ensured not a single strand was out of place for the cameras. He checked his appearance in the mirror and adjusted the glasses he wore more for affect than actual need. Once he was ready, he headed for the podium. It was time to set the stage.
_-_

The dimly lit bar was bustling with activity. It may not be the biggest bar on this star station, but it had the best food this side of Westerion trading route. Various races took up residence at the tables or bar without care. There was no segregations between the races here. This was a safe zone where anyone and everyone was welcome so long as they didn't start anything within the establishment itself. It was a amalgamation of chatter, laugher, games and music. Several bright screens were hovering so everyone in the bar could see them. Initially, a game had been playing but it had suddenly changed to the news channel. The breaking news story had mostly been ignored, but a few key words were starting to garner attention from the customers. The din quieted and the words echoed across the open space.

[Representative Maron: ... We are here today not because we individually are great, no. We are here today because the diverse races, planets, galaxies, have come together in this crucible for a common goal. What is that goal, you ask? Advancement. Advancement of medicine, technology, education. We have built a better world for future generations of all people, not just one race in misplaced nationalism. We have come to understand that the way forward is through collaboration and aiding each other in times of need. As head of the Inter-world Trade Union, it is my duty to inform you of complications and the goings on between our planets, as it truly affects each and every one of us. Many of you know about the tension impending between Zalenthi and the representatives from Aks'shaka. You yourself may have found yourself in the middle of the stand-off and closures of trade routes between the ships and the planet or have been turned around altogether.

This hostility between the Le'ak of Zalenthi and the Aks'shaka will amount to nothing but a degradation of trade, the despicable and unnecessary loss of life, and disruption that goes beyond just this particular negotiation. Zalenthi has gone back on their ideals of collaboration and common ground. Representatives of Aks'shaka have been amenable to the various demands and limitations proposed by Zalenthi authorities. It is sad to see Zalenthi deny life saving resources in the midst of these negotiations and outright refusal to open trade. The limited resources they do trade have increasingly spiked in price, leading to constraints and inflation. At this time, they are the sol mass distributor of the Balminium catalyst. Without cooperation, we can continue to see prices rise, making anything containing Balminium will be obtainable by the wealthy alone. Many of our technology now is fueled by Balminium. Without it, we can see our society as we know it come to a stand-still.

But do not yet fret. We may be facing hard times, but I and the charitable Aks'shaka, are doing our best to work with Zalenthi and pursue trade for the benefit of us all. The trade route near Zalenthi, for now, will experience a closure for the safety of everyone involved. Anyone trying to cross will be stopped and investigated before being asked to utilize another route. We will open alternative routes so cargo and trading ships may continue to meet their supply and demand undeterred while we work for a quick resolution. Thank you for your cooperation. Announcements will be made periodically so that you may all be up to date on the situation and the trade routes. Thank you for attention.]

Arien growled low in the back of his throat as he watched the screen. Deep green eyes narrowed in indignation as the petal extensions around his head lifted and rattled. Though he was a man of few words and generally tried to be as expressionless as he could be, he was an open book. It didn't help that his own body betrayed his emotions. Arien's grip tightened on his glass till his knuckles were white. He wasn't as politically savvy, but he could tell bullshit when bullshit was spewed. Perhaps he was biased. He was from Zalenthi, after all. But that also meant he knew his people's code of conduct. They wouldn't just 'refuse' trade. There had to be a reason.

"He's hiding something," Arien murmured.

"Hey, Ari, might want to tone it down a notch," Naomi informed against her own glass. "You're getting admirers."

Arien glanced at her before taking note of the various customers in the bar. Many had turned to look at him. Some of those gazes were wary of his obvious aggression and others were laced with malice. They probably believed what the representative had said on the screen. Even though Arien had nothing to do with the trades and agreements, he was Le'akian. Considering what the 'news' just purported, he was a face of the enemy. No matter what he did here, people would assume negative intentions. Arien didn't want to cause problems for Ancasta and the crew. Maybe it would be better if he just left before something happened.

Arien forced down the rest of his drink and willed the petals to lower back against his neck. The bartender set down the food they'd ordered but the sight of it now turned his stomach. He set down his coin and pushed the food back. "I've lost my apatite," he informed. "I'll be on the ship."

Naomi grabbed his sleeve as he began to stand. "Arien, you don't have to go sulk in the ship. You have every right to sit here. Just ignore them. " Normally, Arien walked around and took in the sights when they made it to any station. They all got a bit stir crazy being stuck in a ship for a long period of time. Naomi didn't want him to forgo that desire and need just because some people wanted to be assholes. The only reason she'd even brought it up was the fact that she knew Arien didn't like to be the center of attention.

Arian shook his head. He didn't want to be here and he needed space. Maybe he was taking things personally, but he didn't like lies and half-truths. This was just painting his people in such a bad light. He pulled free of her grip gently and headed towards the door of the bar.

Naomi shook her head, a few strands of her curly hair falling forward in her face. She blew them out of the way so they wouldn't end up in her stew. She hadn't seen Arien so wound up before. Well, actually, there had been that one time an Amali person had tried to attack her when he was drunk. Arien had gone full soldier and beat the guy for even touching her, but that had been completely different. That had been an actual danger. This? This was just propaganda bullshit. Of course there were people who gobbled it up like turkeys gobbled up feed, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Zalenthi had always instigated trade before. She didn't doubt this would blow over and trade agreements would be struck as usual. This was probably just an attention grab.

Naomi tapped her spoon against her lips and looked over at Ancasta and Hayate. "Sooooo, that was fun," she sighed. She waved the bartender down then. "Hey, could we get a container for the food please? Thank you much!" The man simply nodded and provided her the container. Naomi quickly began to shovel it in so it wouldn't get cold. She was sure Arien would regret not eating later. They'd been on the ship a long time without sun. Arien was bound to get fatigued without a good hearty meal. "That trade route that just got blocked off, is that going to hinder us now? It looked like the routes that they opened instead are going to take us completely away from and around the planet. Did we have a bounty for Zalenthi?" She didn't normally concern herself with the bounties that Acasta and Hayate did. Her main concern had always been the ship and their destinations.

 

[Lucyfer]

The cloying scent of tascrose stung Ancasta’s lungs as she leaned back in her chair in the Occidental Kapileio, a familiar haunt to the Ananke’s crew. She exhaled the pungent smoke as her eyes fell listlessly on the screen as it flickered a sudden change. The man who appeared on the screen was a familiar face.

She still remembered the shackles holding her to a metal table.

‘Jace Maron.’

Idly, the red-haired woman wondered how far away he was as she tipped her chair further back, disregarding the others around her. Could she take Ananke and get there before he left? No, there were no defining features to the background. Bland, as ever, with only the important symbols for what he stood for present – like the symbol of the so-called Inter-World Trade Union, and the flag representing the world of Aks’shaka.

Zalenthi was absent, of course.

The brief intrigue that flickered in her hazel eyes returned to listless as her attention was brought back to the table, and le’ak that sat at her table, and worked in her crew. She had no issues with the le’ak – no more than she had with humans, ferens, or the others that roamed the galaxy. Unlike Naomi, she did not interject verbally, and she kept her chair tilted as Arien rose, dismissing the food he’d ordered.

Well, Ancasta wasn’t really hungry, either.

Not that she ever was – never mind that the tacrose had the side effect of suppressing an appetite. The two legs on the chair clattered on the floor after Naomi asked for boxes to go, and she ashed the rolled substance in the tray on the table, and discarded it there as she rose to her feet, “Don’t worry about the bounty,” Ancasta waved it off, “it’s legal.” They weren’t always, but that was something Naomi didn’t need to trouble herself with knowing. Well, actually, she probably did since she was part of the crew that would go down if they were ever caught associated with an illegal bounty, but they weren’t caught.

Hayate frowned at that, “It could be a problem – where are you going, you have food?”

Ancasta answered with naught more than a dismissive wave of her hand, and out the door she went, leaving Hayate to slack in his chair, before sighing, and straightening up in his seat, “Well, like Ancasta was saying – it shouldn’t interfere with the bounty. We have a legal reason to be on the planet,” he hoped that was going to be enough to get around whatever ridiculous blockade was going on. “But if it’s not,” he leaned forward, brushing some of his black hair off his forehead, to take a box as well to help pile food into it, “we’ll grab another bounty. Don’t worry, we’re not going to starve because of this,” he chuckled, “worse come to worse, we can go get regular jobs!”

That was not a delightful thought, and he was sure Naomi would scoff at the idea.

She might be able to get a normal job. He could, and even Arien – but the thought of Ancasta doing it was laughable.

She’d probably do something illegal.

Well, more illegal than the couple of illegal bounties Hayate pretended not to notice. He hadn’t taken one on himself and didn’t tend to accompany her on those.

“Does make me wonder what comes next, though….” He closed the box on Ancasta’s food with a sigh, before pushing it to the side.

~***~

Ancasta followed Arien at some distance initially, before she lit up another tascrose and let her stride lengthen, pace increase, to match him. She wouldn’t speak. There wasn’t much of a need, really.

She was there to make sure he didn’t get harassed on the way back to the ship – or wherever he chose to wander.

People might think to harass him.

They’d think twice about a woman with a gun at her hip. She’d kept it hidden by her jacket in the Occidental Kapileio, but beneath the artificial lights of the space station, in the open, she saw no reason to make others feel comfortable around her – so she’d pushed the jacket back to make it clearly visible.

Space stations were always too damn cold.

 

[FaddedFox]

Naomi tilted her head to the side when Ancasta got up from her seat as well. She idly wondered if there was something she needed to attend to or if she was going after Arien. Well if she was going after Arien, at least the man would have someone to 'talk to', not that he actually spoke all that much. It always made her wonder what was going on upstairs. She usually poked and prodded and teased until he broke down and said something. She'd been rewarded with a joke or two that was entirely out of place, but it was nice. Naomi was enough of a chatterbox to make up for it. At least she had more regular conversations with Ancasta and even Hayate.

She turned her attention to Hayate as he shoveled Ancasta's food in another container to go. "Regular jobs? Regular jobs? Are you serious?" she chuckled. "Can you imagine any one of us in a regular job?" She shook her head. "I mean I guess I sorta had one before but I don't want to go back to that stationary life! No way! Ancasta would die of boredom"

Naomi sat back in her chair a moment as she thought about the situation. The announcement had faded and it was back to showing a strange sport. Naomi had no idea what the hell they were. It was so chaotic and random. People were back to having their conversations and minding their own business. They were all probably wondering what was going to happen next too, how much of this was going to change life and trade? How long would the blockades last and how would everything get resolved? The Aks'shaka didn't have a planet nearby, mostly just a large force of ships. They'd come a long way and had been in the news quite often with how much technology and things they'd given to 'advance the common goal', as Representative Baron had spewed. When would they go back to their own galaxy? After this trade agreement, perhaps?

She started sipping up her stew again. "What's next I suppose is the same as always for us. Hop to different stations and planets and grabbing more bounties," she answered Hayate with a shrug. "If the price of Balminium is going to sky rocket, we are going to need to stock up on some equipment and fuel proponents. It feels like to me, that there is going to be a rush soon and then it will be hard to get anything because merchants are sold out. I don't want us to get stranded or anything." That would suck. Balminium was a great energy catalyst that increased the life and power of energy sources. It was what helped make warp travel possible, long distance travel, and powered a host of other mech. Certainly you could get by without it, but the run time of whatever you were using was going to be cut in half and any long distance travel would be arduous. There were other suppliers outside of Zalanthi, but Zalanthi had always been extremely rich in it and had quickly dominated the production and dispersion of it. They'd even made it safer to handle by condensing it into a little 'core'. Once the core was added to whatever was being powered, the shell dissolved slowly to provide just enough of the catalyst to work as needed. It was ingenious. One day she wanted to crack open those cores to see how it all worked, but she didn't have a specialized lab to do that safely.

"You think we could get some at a discount when we get to the planet? I mean, Arien is from there, right? Maybe they do family discounts or something?" she mused with a chuckle. She paused when another thought came to her. "Oh, I wonder if Arien will stay on the planet this time with everything going on." She hadn't really thought about it, but Arien probably did miss home. Maybe that was why he was worked up. He had mentioned that eventually he'd return to his planet and life there, but he hadn't said anything about remaining there after this bounty. "I'll be sad if he decides not to come with us. We'll have to find another medic." Naomi planned to ask him once they were on board again. She finished up her food and sighed. "Always delicious!" she grinned.

"So, Hayate, what should we do now? Head back to the ship too or something you wanted to grab? I don't mind accompanying you if you want!" She figured that Arien and Ancasta probably wanted a moment to themselves. They'd all been crammed in the ship for a long while now, and that tended to get people stepping on toes around each other.

___
Arien sighed as he started walking through the people milling about on the streets. They all had their own business to attend to and for the most part, didn't pay him much mind. Arien was tall and towered over most humans, but he wasn't the tallest 'alien' species by any means. It allowed him to blend in a little. Without his petals up and framing his head like a crown, he usually got by without notice. That suited him just fine. He was an observer. He didn't need to take action unless there was a dire need to do so. Even in the rage he felt then, there was no reason to take it out on the people around him. They were not responsible for his state of mind.

The Le'akian moved to the side to be out of the way of the main road before he paused and looked up at the sky. The station had a protective barrier to shield it from the space atmosphere. It was dark with little lights twinkling in the distance. The vast expense had always filled him with wonder. Exploring the various stars and planets had been humbling. There was so much more beyond the eye. It had been freeing. Right then, he just felt suffocated. Ships and stations had the same feel. The oxygen was polluted and there was little no natural light. It was always a relief when they made it to an actual planet, but the feeling went beyond that. The words on the broadcast weighed heavily on him.

It had been publicly shaming Zalenthi. There had been no real substance of why the trades had been denied or what it was that the Aks'shaka had wanted outside of Balminum. Certainly his people weren't perfect, but they wouldn't just deny something that would save people because they wanted 'money'. Would the Council retaliate with a news report of their own? What would this mean for his people going forward? Was he going to cause problems wherever they went simply because of where he'd come from? Too many questions. He was glad that their bounty was taking them back home. Maybe he could talk to his father and see what was actually happening. His father was still on the Frontier, an élite now. He always accompanied the Council.

Arien glanced back when he felt the familiar tingle in the back of his neck when he felt watched. Ancasta was not too far behind him. Had she followed him out? She was showing off the weapon at her belt, making a show of force. He was all too familiar with that stance. Arien couldn't help the tiniest upturned quirk that tugged at the edge of lips at the display. It still felt like yesterday when it was his duty to go around and be the intimidating body guard. Still, the display from Ancasta made him feel touched rather than emasculated. She cared enough about him to try and ensure his safety after his whole race had been slandered. Few Le'akian people traveled alone and outside of Le'akian ships and groups, so he was an easy target for someone filled with enough bigotry and hatred.

Arien allowed Ancasta to catch up to him and began to walk side by side with her as they made their way back towards the ship. They were silent in their comradery walk. Silence wasn't awkward for him, and enough information was given in nonverbal communication. Arien simply enjoyed the company she provided. Upon reaching their destination, he turned to look at his captain. "We are still going to Zalenthi, right?" he asked. It would make sense if she didn't because of the blockade, but he wanted to make sure they were still going to their original destination regardless of what had been spewed. Ancasta usually didn't listen to that dribble.

 

[Lucyfer]

Hayate could only chuckle along with Naomi’s reaction to the idea of regular jobs. He wasn’t surprised by it, but her reaction still amused him. With the meals packed, Hayate was able to go back to his own, what passed for curry out here. It wasn’t really curry, but it was hearty and strangely spiced. Sometimes, the chef made it in a way that left a bad aftertaste, but today seemed to be a good day.

Or a new chef.

Hard to say.

Naomi’s pragmatic answer to what came next made him snort. He supposed she wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t like this really influenced them. Perhaps Arien a bit more, but even then, he wondered how much it really would. “Ancasta might just change how the Ananke runs if Balminium prices go up,” there were alternatives, none as efficient, but he’d noticed that about Ancasta, and Ananke.

She was willing to shift as the winds did. It was all in the name: Necessity. If Balminium became impossible or difficult, she’d just change the whole design of the ship. Sometimes, it made him wonder about her; he’d watched her shift seamlessly into disguises to lure marks into a false sense of security. How often had she changed her own makings? “But it’s probably best we try to stock up even if that’s her endgame. We’ll need plenty to get to the point where we have enough money to change an entire ship’s power source.”

Naomi would know better than him on that, but he was pretty sure it was a pretty credit to do. “I’m not sure Arien’s family is involved that much to get us a discount – but we can always ask,” he chuckled, shaking his head, “maybe offer a few jobs if they need it.” A wink, and a laugh, implying the illegal sort, and implying he would never.

The thought of another medic did make him worry, though. Part of why the Ananke was so good at what they did, was having an in-house medic, and in-house mechanic. It meant fewer stops, fewer hassles. He didn’t want to replace Arien, but…well, that might actually be a necessity.

He was musing as that when Naomi finished, and asked what to do next. “Oh! Hm,” he quickly took another bite of his, “I do need to stock up on Ikt-Akts,” his favorite candy, a chocolate that had expanded throughout the galaxy and mixed in many flavors. He had a goal to try them all, and places like this usually had some flavors from all around, “I’m about out, and I heard a new lyrange flavor was released.”

He finished the curry quick, and pushed his plate forward to signal he was done, too. “Anything you need to nab while we’re here?”

~***~

There was no threat as the pair walked back to the ship. No complications. No conversation. Ancasta finished her tascrose before they reached the ship and tossed the stub in the nearest bin, but kept silent even after her mouth no longer had a distraction. It didn’t bother her. Silence had been a long friend before she ever bothered having a crew. It was still a friend, the loyalist one she had.

So much was kept in silence.

Friendships were kept in silence.

When they reached the ship, Arien broke that peaceful silence with a query, “Of course,” would it be a problem? Possibly. Did she actually give a damn? Not really. Ananke had more than one trick to her, after all. Blockades didn’t worry Ancasta. Little did.

She walked to the ship and merely touched it, a shiver seeming to run over the chrome-hued metal, lights dancing off of it as the barriers unlocked, attuned to her touch. Naomi could also do that – the other two needed keys.

Ancasta could probably tell Naomi to remove herself, but to what end? Naomi repaired Ananke, and had done quite a bit of work to make Ananke the small menace that she was.

The seams of the door appeared and opened, stairs dropping to the ground where Ancasta could start to step up to head into the ship, “Are you planning to stay behind this time?” She called the words back to Arien, continuing up. She could find another job if this one was too annoying – but if Arien wanted something in particular from Zalenthi, then she’d make sure they hit the ground in mostly one piece. It was his home, after all, and if he decided now was the time to return, then he’d return.

Simple.

 

[FaddedFox]

Arien gave a nod when Ancasta confirmed that they would be heading to Zalenthi regardless of what the press had said. Good. He could get to the bottom of what was going on. At the return question, he tilted his head to the side. He hadn't thought about it. He knew his father would probably ask him to stay. Any time they had communications, the man asked. He didn't pressure Arien, or at least didn't try to. He wanted Arien to be around more but he didn't begrudge him his desire to explore, learn, and advance his abilities. Learning to heal was a noble cause and the fact that Arien wanted to help others meant something. Sure right now he was only helping Ancasta and the crew, but still. He was learning so much and he'd created a kinship with the others.

Things were getting complicated now though, with the Aks'shaka. It was probably better if he stayed and helped his people. No doubt most would stay behind to see this to the end. And yet, Arien didn't see that in his future. He still planned to stay with Ancasta and the others. He was needed here, right now. He didn't want to leave the crew hanging without a medic. There were still things he wanted to see and do and who knew when he'd have an opportunity like this again? If he stayed now, he probably wouldn't leave again. Duty and responsibility there would call to him too much once he was immersed back into his clan's politics and social structure. He closed his eyes to center himself and the conflicting desires and needs.

At length, he shook his head. "I do not think so," he answered. He supposed he'd know more once he got there, but his initial reaction and thoughts were to remain on the ship, and that was what he was going to do. He started to walk away from her, back to his quarters before he realized something else needed to be confirmed. "Do you wish me to leave?" he asked her as he turned back to her. He'd assumed she didn't give a flying rat's ass what he was and would keep him on, but best to make sure, considering the potential difficulties she could have in the future. Regardless, there would be no hard feelings between them. This was simply business.
___
"Changing the whole fuel set up on the ship would certain be a lot. You'd have to change the interior holding design. It is certainly possible but it would take a long time. We'd be grounded, so to speak," Naomi mused. It was a lot to process. You had to change the housing unit for the fuel injectors, catalyst, and even the entire engine to properly hook everything up. Each catalyst required different things. Then the solar charges needed to be replaced along with all the weapons and sometimes even the shell of the ship to make the most of the fuel source. She wouldn't mind the work but she knew how antsy everyone was. That would have to be a big discussion with all the pros and cons laid out for the entire team. But then again, if necessity called for it, it would come to pass. Everything was based on necessity.

"Ooh, you know, I haven't really seen what Zalenthi has to offer, tech-wise. While we are there, we'll have to look around a bit, maybe get a tour from Arien about all the sights to see. It is one of the few planets that is advanced, but still had nature in like everything they do and where they live and everything. I remember when we picked up the bounty, we saw the ocean just spread out as far as the eye could see. I have never seen so much water in my life!" she laughed. She was born and raised on a colony so any time they went to actual planets, she was intrigued. Each planet had something different that was inspiring. Nature was something she couldn't get enough of and had quite a few plants she was trying to keep alive in her room. It didn't always go well. Still, she tried. "Maybe we can go to the beach. The sand looked so white.... I'd love to just lay out there." Last time had been a quick trip in a more forested area. The Le'ak didn't live near the ocean after all, and it was the Le'ak they were doing the bounty for. If she remembered rightly, Arien said the waters were home to another race of the planet. She forgot what he'd called them. Come to think of it, she didn't know about any of the other races that lived there.

She shook her head to pull her mind out of her musing. "Ugh, Ikt-Akts? I hate those," she chuckled. "I don't know how you like them." She stuck her tongue out at Hayate then. "I think I like... maybe the cherlig. And that is only if I am in the mood." She stood from her seat and stretched herself out before gathering up the containers and setting them nicely in her bag. "I want to go to to the mecha store. I want to see what new parts they have in stock. I am still working on the little AI foxin. He's almost complete so looking for the right touch ups," she mused. "Let's go get your candy and then there. Do you think Ancosta and Arien would want something? We could bring them back something." She always tried to find ways to perk everyone up and getting them something seemed like the perfect idea.

 

[Lucyfer]

No, of course Arien wasn’t leaving. He was still…well, young wasn’t the word, but naïve, still eager to see the galaxy. He wouldn’t believe this could be serious in any way that could impact his life. And indeed, the odds of it were slim. Even Ancasta didn’t give it much concern, but Zalenthi’s fate also hardly impacted hers. Only insomuch as she could find a way to make it annoy Jace.

That would be worth the trip to Zalenthi alone.

Ancasta scoffed at Arien’s question, and waved a dismissive hand, “Don’t I always want all of you gone?” the constant joke, the constant truth she hid in that joking tone. She had never truly intended to pick anyone up. Asking Naomi had been a joke she took seriously.

It felt like it spiraled, and now Ancasta didn’t know how to tell them this journey was never meant for others, and she didn’t see anything after the end. No, that would cause words like ‘intervention’ and ‘are you okays’ to come up, and that mission she was on belonged to Nana Sune, not Ancasta.

How desperately she wanted to be Nana again. She could almost be her when she was alone, but not with this damned crew.

“It’d be so much cheaper with one less mouth to feed,” a sly smile, “but you figure it out, Arien. It’s your decision, not mine. Don’t let my constant attempts to run you all off decide.” She turned, “I’m going to check the fridge for something,” she left her food behind, and wasn’t really anticipating eating it.

Even if the other two were probably bringing it, and Arien’s meal.

~***~

Naomi may as well have been speaking Aramaic for how much Hayate understood. He tried not to stare at her blankly, but he was sure his inability to understand what she was talking about, even in such broad strokes, was obvious. He did not do the ship stuff, and there was a clear reason for it. He’d always had people cart him off to other places, he’d never learned to pilot. Or fix ships.

That was a problem for others.

Still, he nodded in agreement about checking out the tech – that would be worth it regardless of if he understood it or not. Anything to keep Ananke up and running! “You’ll want to tell Ancasta that – I’m not sure how our funds look for staying, though if Arien’s family wants to host us a night or two,” feed them, really, “we might be able to make it stretch long enough for a tour,” though Ancasta never seemed one to stay anywhere long.

Even when they had money, she was bouncing to the next job quickly.

But of course, he had to endure Naomi’s slander about the Ikt-Akts. He rolled his eyes at her disdain. “You haven’t had the new flavor, you might like it,” though he knew that was unlikely, he was still going to pick up some. And any other flavor he hadn’t had in a while. He followed her out, “What are you looking for, for Foxin?” he also wasn’t really sure how to refer to or understand the AI she was working on.

He probably couldn’t help find what she was looking for – but he could try! “Unless Ancasta is running low on tascrose, I don’t think she’d want anything,” another bad habit Arien had yet to rid her of. An intervention was probably necessary; those things could really stink the ship up sometimes. “Arien might want something,” he tapped his finger on his bottom lip as he tried to think.

Of course, everything he thought of came from Zalenthi, and they were heading there, anyways. “I can’t think of anything we’re not just going to find when we go to his home,” Hayate admitted in defeat.

 

[FaddedFox]

Arien's lips quirked into a smile again. Ancasta did always say things like that. Perhaps she was being truthful, or it was a jest, or a mix of both. Regardless, Ancasta never actually forced them off the ship or made any of them feel uncomfortable enough that they'd feel they needed to leave. She wasn't abrasive, curt, rude, or anything that would provide a hostile environment that would dictate someone actively trying to get someone to leave a company. And she could always just terminate the contract if she decided she no longer wanted a healer on board. All in all, he didn't see much changing. He was glad to still have a place here with everyone. He didn't like the idea of learning an entirely new company, if a new company would hire someone like him on now that his people were 'bad guys'.

He watched his captain move off to the kitchen then and gave a nod, even if she probably wouldn't see it. He might as well take this time to relax and calm. Naomi tended to try and chatter his ear off when she wasn't working so he'd take the quiet. Not to say he didn't like her. He'd gotten used to her exuberance and talkative manner and enjoyed her banter even if he didn't much respond to it. But now and then he did prefer the quiet calm. Maybe he'd used the time for some reflection on the situation. There was a lot going on and it couldn't be brushed aside.
__


"Hmm. Well I'll give the new one a taste. Just for you. See how I like it. Buuuuut, I don't have high hopes," she mused. She listened to what her crewmate had to say about the gifts then and nodded. Arien was hard to buy for. Well, he and Ancasta were hard to buy for. They were both typed lipped individuals and it was hard to get any information out of them. Hayate was right too; they were heading to Arien's home planet. If he wanted something, he would probably get it there and have exactly what he needed. He did seem to like the lime droplets though. Maybe she'd grab him a roll of the candy so he could have some whenever he did want something sour-sweet. He didn't have that on his planet. And Ancasta, well she knew what kind of tascrose she liked. "It is settled then. We'll grab her some tascrose so she had some, and then some of the Lime Dewdrops," she announced and beelined for the snack shop.

"As for foxin, well I wanted to get a harness for the energy core and then some final pieces for his limbs. Oh and Nari oil for his joints. Now that prices are going up for the Balminium, I am going to have to get a new core and a different housing agent and start playing around with different catalysts to see what will work best. AIs take up a lot of effing energy so this might be a good way to test out different things that we could eventually use for the ship itself," she answered him. "So I guess I need a couple of things. " They entered the snack shop then and she gathered up the items for Arien and Ancasta while she waited for Hayate to grab his own sweets. Naomi decided to forgo the sweets for herself this time. Last time they were in a station port, she'd gone overboard with snacks and she still had quite a few stashed in her room.

When the two of them finally finished shopping for everything, they made their way back to the ship. Naomi was humming under her breath as they made it. She pressed her hand against the key pad as Ancosta had done earlier with Arien and the doors slid aside for them. She entered and hiked up the bags in her arms. "We're back!" she called to the initially empty room. "We've brought food and treats! If you don't come and get it, I'll be forced to charge to your rooms and hand it to you," he warned playfully. Arien or Ancasta may or may not have heard her, but that was of no consequence. She would follow through with her 'threat'.

Arien did hear her and opened his eyes. He'd gone into meditation while the rest of their group had been out and enjoying the few plants he had in his room as well. They helped filter the air, especially when Ancasta was smoking. He hated the little habit, but it wasn't really his place to tell her to stop. They all had their own quirks after all. Arien sighed and got up and headed to meet Naomi. "Thank you," he said to her when she handed him the food he'd left behind.

"Welcome. But I also got you these!" She smiled and handed him the roll of candy. "Thought you might light a little treat or something."

Arien was a little surprised but accepted it as well. "Thoughtful, thank you," he said again.

 

[Lucyfer]

The food was no doubt cold by the time Hayate and Naomi returned to the ship, but that wasn’t much of a problem. They had reheaters for a reason, after all. He was jealous of Naomi’s ability to just touch Ananke and open it up, though, a jealousy he didn’t bother to hide. He knew why Naomi was allowed it, considering how much she put into Ananke, but he didn’t fully understand why he and Arien didn’t have it.

He was crew!

He’d joked about it being sexism, more than once.

He’d keep quiet then as Naomi announced their arrival, and Arien arrived to take his food, and gifts of lime drops. “All her idea, I couldn’t think of anything,” Hayate willingly gave Naomie all the credit, “since we’re going to Zalenthi. I guess I really need to learn more about your hobbies,” he laughed a bit, really just knowing the plants, and he was pretty sure Arien had enough plants.

Of course, as he said it, Ancasta walked in from the helm, with another tascrose between her lips, “Naomi has your food, and more tascrose. You know, you’d save a lot of money if you stopped that.”

“You’d save a lot of money if you stopped eating,” Ancasta said dryly, but stepped in, “Thanks. The food will make a good breakfast,” she knew they didn’t really support the habit, but at least she wasn’t spending money on more right then. Not that she was short on supplies. She made sure to stock up for the journey. “We have a reason to stay here longer? I’d rathe get ahead of the traffic jams ahead of us if I can.”

“You’re wanting to set out tonight?” Hayate was a bit surprised. Certainly she needed to sleep, right? Well, perhaps not, a lot of the trip would be through a gate, and that would keep them on a steady route until they needed to hop to another.

Ancasta nodded, “If none of you oppose. Our mark could try to take advantage of the lockdowns of Zalenthi.”

‘I don’t see how…they’re trapped there….’ But, well, Hayate supposed there could be something, so he nodded, though he was still frowning over the idea.

“I don’t have a reason to delay…,” he glanced to Arien and Naomi just in case, though.

 

[FaddedFox]

"Learn more about my hobbies?" Arien questioned and arched an eyebrow at Hayate. What did his hobbies have to do with going to his home planet? It wasn't like they were going there to enjoy hobbies. This was work and information gathering. Arien of course was happy to be going home to see friends and family, but he didn't think they were going to be there long. Especially with lockdowns, he doubted they'd be able to stay long or they may end up trapped on the planet until the blockades were released. Who knew how long that would take? Arien shook his head and popped one of the lemon drops in his mouth. He always found sweet-sour things an interesting mix and the lemon ones were particularly intriguing. He pocketed the rest before heading to the kitchen to put away the food for later.

"I have no reason to delay," he piped up as he listened to the conversations. On the contrary, he was excited they were already leaving. He hadn't wanted to stay here long. The sooner they got to Zalenthi, the better.

Naomi too, shook her head. "I got what I needed. I am good to head out." She jingled her bags then. "I have a lot of things I get to play with to see if I can get my little AI buddy working. Annnndd gives me a new core to play with... in case we do need to change anything for the ship because of the fuel sources." She hiked up her bag then. "I will go run the usual specs and maintenance on our baby and then give you the a-okay to take off. Probably 20 minutes." The ship was fine, but it was standard safety protocols to double check everything to ensure the ship was ready for flight and nothing snuck up on them engine-wise. The last thing any of them wanted was to blow up in the sky or crash-land because she didn't check something. With a skip in her step, Naomi headed back to the engine room.

Arien watched her go a moment before. He planned to head back to his room but paused. He looked to Hayate and tilted his head to the side. "Did you have a specific question?" he asked him. Maybe there was something in particular he needed or wanted to know. That was the only thing he could think of about why Hayate wanted to know about his hobbies. Maybe he was feeling lonely and wanted male comradery? They didn't quite interact as much, outside of necessary things or when they were all at the dinner table or something.