Awakening

Chapter 11 - Reunion - Scene 2

Strolling the immaculate corridor towards the captain's-quarters on Atevias' ship was both magical and terrifying. Physically--the place was garmented with real paintings from before the Union, wooden planks covered the metallic surfaces and wires, and the lighting was designed as if the sources were nothing more than torches in a cave. One would grin merely from the clopping of his boots on wood. Mentally, though--it represented Eric's deepest fear of getting caught. Even though he chose to take this walk to the captain today, he still felt it deep inside him.

what if he knows?

The prior conversation with the senator still resonated like ripples in his mind. Eric suspected Umusa was something more than what he worked hard to be--the unexplained meetings, the long nights and the proficiency with which he avoided trouble painted a suspicious aura around the man, if one ever cared enough to take a deeper look at him. But Eric never thought Umusa to be that much more.

A Walker, he thought. Just the taste of the word sprinkled goosebumps all over his body, let alone swallowing the meaning of the title. It must be true. It was the reason the senator managed to pick me up. It must be how he knew where I would be during the raid... But... What he wants to achieve now is...

Eric nearly stumbled into one of the captain's guards, as the guard emerged from the corner with a grunt and a "watch out, dwarf."

The captain's shields, he called them, always wore full helmet and voice-distorters, concealing their identity from the rest. They were known to be cruel and harsh in fulfilling their duty--protecting Atevias. One cannot raise a hand on a fellow pirate and not expect a knife in his back later--a common saying in these parts of the law.

Eric nodded and turned towards the captain's door, Umusa's plan still booming in his head.

I hope privateering is still Atevias' dish.

"Oi, Sunny," the captain said as the door slid open.

"Captain," Eric said nodding towards . The guards were still sticking their shoulder-armor in front of Eric, preventing him from entering.

"Well, don't just stand there, come in and take a seat with me."

The guards parted, making just enough room for Eric to push himself through their armored bodies.

It wasn't the first time Eric visited the captain's-quarters, but every time he did, the ancient design sucked the attention away. It was like entering a toppled keg through the cork on top and inside a forgotten world.

Paintings of blue oceans, wooden ships with white sails and disfigured faces with peculiar hats hung on the wooden walls. Two antique-guns without any place for batteries hung above Atevias, creating an X shape with their unnecessary long barrels.

"Well, lad," Atevias said. "Are you a mute? How was Arkoon?"

Eric took another step towards the guest-chair, hearing the door behind him close.

"A wise man," he said extracting the holo-drive with the codes. "The scanner didn't work."

Atevias narrowed his eyes, inspecting Eric with a piercing gaze. For some moments, which felt like minutes, he didn't speak. He allowed Eric to take his seat and slap the holo-drive on the wooden desk.

"There are three types of winners in a battle, Sunny," he finally said. "The strong, the quick and the cunning."

The captain leaned and grabbed the holo-drive, sliding it on the table as if it was pure gold in the old ages--the scratching of the wooden surface cut the air. It was, practically, gold.

"I was never quick nor strong, Sunny," he rambled on. "I always took my time and found my way around problems, stabbing my enemies in their backs, stepping around stones or finding new routes to reach my booty."

His eyes shot straight towards Eric's, the red orbs gleaming in the dark room and spreading a chill in Eric's body.

"Are you a problem?"

Their eyes locked. The air stopped shifting around them and grew cold still, as if the air-conditioner was now set on a sub-zero temperature.

It wasn't a surprise--Atevias was a careful individual, plucking out bad weed with finesse every now and then with his deft eyes.

"I'm the solution," Eric finally said. "I'm... plunder. I'm..."

"Booty," the captain said, shifting his gaze to the drive.

Nothing was said, softening the air while Atevias glazed at the rectangular memory stick. The same piece of technology which was, essentially, booty for him and his.

"My old man used to say," Atevias broke the silence, still marveling the holo-drive. "don't shake hands with a masked-man."

"It was either getting the booty or dying."

Atevias zipped his eyes back to Eric, pointing at the drive with his forefinger. "And what stops Arkoon from planting an invisible virus in this drive that will kill all us freebooters?"

Eric took a breath and crossed his arms. "There is more,"

"More?"

He nodded.

"Speak."

"He wants to buy an expensive service from you."

A greedy grin built up on Atevias' face, as his tension released and he lay his hands on the table. Credits always had a way to penetrate the many layers of the captain.

"Understandable," he said. "Which of the services?"

Eric extracted another drive from his vest, holding it between thumb and forefinger for emphasis. "Extraction."

"Hmm..." he hummed.

"Arkoon wants me to extract a target from Martian Asheera, seemingly an associate of--"

"There is no me on my team," the captain said. "There is us."

"He was very specific about the details of the mission."

"I don't care. These are our rules. This is our way of life. You knew that the moment you decided to fly under my wing, carrying my banner--"

"Half a million credits here," Eric slapped the drive on the table. "And another half once the target is secured outside Mars."

They became silent, the echo of plastic on wood still rang in his ears. He knew he got his attention with the sum. He got to know Atevias well over the last months--the captain will never turn down this offering. Not when it consisted a payment equal to a year's work. Not when the mission was already half done--being the man who smuggled half of the Arbium from Mars. Not if...

"No." the captain finally said.

"Half a--"

"No," he said, this time more forcefully. "I won't risk the mission by sending one fresh swashbuckler. You're going to need a way into Asheera, and Zeffir is the one to provide you one."

Zeffir, Eric recalled the name. It was an infamous one on the wanted list of the Union. One of the few lieutenants of captain Atevias. The one in-charge of Mars. A smuggler of many talents.

Eric nodded.

"Ready your ship while I decide how much of the booty you're going to keep."