The Shinjo Shipyards: Recruiting
by Kakita Kaori, M'thack-ir, and Shinjo Keetan
A story of the Space Ronin, Shinwa, in an age of Space Travel, wherein our heroes get some help to rescue Nezumi.
The Shinjo Shipyards are huge beyond belief, and good relations between the Unicorn and Phoenix mean that The Warren usually can find a place to get repaired there when external repairs are needed. Of course, usually, M'Thack-kir returns the ship to Phoenix space if it needs work. But this time, Shiba Itsuki is going to stay with the ship, while M'thack-kir and Shinwa are going...recruiting.
Some early communications have turned up some promising leads, and those leads have lead to this small, rather gaijin-themed, tea house in Circle 9, Deck 4, called 'The Eagle's Rest'.
The proprietor gives the pair an odd look as they enter, but he serves Unicorn. They get all sorts here.
Shinwa sits down at a table, orders some tea, and waits to see if he is joined by anyone interested in some koku and a quick and very quiet expedition into Scorpion Space on a distinctly /NOT/ Phoenix ship.
M'thack-kir, for his part, doesn't sit down with Shinwa at all. Instead he approaches the bar directly and quietly asks the bartender for some elderflower nectar in perfect Rokugani.
"What with?" The barkeep replies, perhaps curious as to what a specimen of a nigh-extinct species might include in its diet.
"A glass," Kiru says flatly before squeak-whispering something.
The bartender sets about responding to the request, with a glass appearing in front of the Nezumi soon after.
Instead of picking it up, Kiru turns around and leans casually against the bar, surveying the room. Anyone with a view of the glass behind him might notice a tiny, furry creature poised on the rim, drinking furtive sips.
Shinwa keeps an eye on M'thack-kir and looks up when he receives his tea. Their connection is late, but they can wait a little while longer.
The standard Unicorn jumpsuit makes the Rest a sea of purple, even seeing how small the tea house is. The deck may be out of the way, but it is popular with the pilots in from long voyages without a taste of anything other than Rokugani aesthetics. Picking out a single face among the crowd would seem almost impossible. Save for a few personal items that change from pilot to pilot, the uniforms are, well... uniform.
Height, however, can easily do for identification when aesthetic fails. From the entrance walks the world's shortest giant, flanked by a only moderately smaller woman and another figure who's height does not allow him to be seen above the crowd. So, he is merely a shock of silver and black hair that follows the other two.
The giant's dark skin would be remarkable anywhere outside a Unicorn port, but here he is merely one of many. Despite his stature, he weaves through the tables with grace rather than forcing a path as he leads his companions through the tea house. Nonetheless, their passage is marked by their fellow Unicorn, some with rolling eyes, others with politely concealed snickers.
He spots the table where Shinwa sits, and makes his way over, until his form unintentionally looms over his contact. The great bear of a man sizes up the Ronin with a quick glance, then dips into a deep bow, respectfully waiting to be acknowledged.
His face flushes with embarrassment as his companions, the large woman covered in tools and the silver ghost that looks like a strong wind might up and carry him off, simply walk around him and sit at the table unannounced. The lithe man sits easily, faint traces of music leaking from his headset, while engineer is stiff and business-like.
The woman flicks a few silver-armored fingers over the holo-display on her left arm, and Shinwa's message is displayed on the tabletop.
"You're the one who posted this request?" She asks without preamble.
Composing his face to perfect stillness, the ronin stands and bows, deeply, first to the extremely tall man and then to the other two are with him, even if they did not bow to him. The bows are deep, a reflection of his inferior rank as a ronin. Initial formailities taken care of, he returns to his kneeling position opposite the tool-bearing woman and her plugged-in companion.
He looks down at the display. "Yes," he says simply. "That is our request. I have a gift I am eager to bestow on a Unicorn pilot willing to take a risk in Scorpion space." He looks up, directly into the woman's eyes. His own are calm, neutral, and very serious. "I am called in this life Shinwa. Do you know such a pilot?"Recovering from his embarrassment, the large man kneels in between the two of his companions. He is the perfect medium between the two, resting easily without being carefree, professional without being stiff.
"I am known as Moto Ariel. This is Shinjo Ketaan, and my wife, Koshuud Tai-Wen. You must forgive my company's enthusiasm, we've not been dockside in some time. Asteroids make for poor etiquette partners."
The woman, evidently Tai-Wen, rolls her eyes at Ariel, then gives a seated bow and a non-committal noise that might be interpreted as something that, given time to mature for a decade or so, might resemble an apology.
The phantom of silver and silk in a skintight jumpsuit runs his eyes over Shinwa. Rather than Ariel's quick examination, Ketaan's gaze takes in far too much and lasts just a hair too long for propriety. He eventually nods to himself, though wether in approval of what he sees or in time with his music it is hard to say. His bow is lent a certain flair by his outer robe, which swirls around his kneeling form like a cape made of clouds. When he rises, he bears a small, almost devious smile, and his eyes are laughing.
"My good, Shinwa, was it?" Ketaan asks, just a hair louder than Ariel due to his headset. "You seem to be fortune's favored child this day. In an entire port of daring and skilled pilots, you've stumbled upon the most. Of which, well, that depends entirely on who you've been talking to."
M'thack-kir's attention is fully on the table where the three Unicorn have joined Shinwa, and he makes no ploy to conceal his interest. However, he remains at the bar, not willing to risk approaching. The barman can hear some muffled squeaking, though, from both Kiru and his glass, not that he can comprehend what is being said:
"One of them smells funny."
"Space will do that."
"Do we have to go with them?"
"Put some nectar up your nose, Rik. Or make more pheromone. I don't mind."
"Hmmph."
Shinwa spends a long, slow moment evaluating the three people in front of him, though if he makes any judgement one way or another, it is impossible to say. He pulls out a small scrap of writing plastic, and what actually looks like it might be a brush tip pen. Primitive. He writes a set of coordinates on the plastic, and an amount of credits, denoted in Imperial koku. He slides the scrap across the table.
The amount is impressive enough to make it worth the trip, but not so much that it seems completely impossible that a ronin specialist off a very profitable job or two couldn't have put together the amount.
The coordinates, if entered into a datapad, point to The Lantern, a volcanic moon circling a gas giant on the outskirts of Scorpion space.
"I need to pick up thirty passengers and leave in a hurry. As few Scorpion or Imperial entanglements as possible. We have no desire to trigger a conflict by accident. Interested?"
Ketaan reaches for the plastic, which Tai-Wen smoothly snatches before his hand can reach. She does some quick mental calculation, then nods to the two of her companions.
"Hmm. The ships only have room for six, including us. By fast, I presume that you mean there won't be time for multiple trips. So, we can fly anything you can get, but we'll need a larger ship," Ketaan muses to himself. He exchanges a glance with Ariel, who suddenly has a thought. At his thought, he turns to Tai-Wen, who is already running the calculations. The Angela begin firing conversation back and forth such that it seems almost a language into itself.
"What about,"
"Them?"
"They've the ship for it."
"They could use the money."
"Can we afford their cut?"
"It'll be tight."
"Stipends are still good."
"They aren't bad at staying under the radar."
"So?"
"We can afford it."
"Then?"
"Agreed."
"Aye."
"Right. Making the call."
Tai-Wen gets up from the table, the holo-display on her microfabber already live. Without making excuses, she steps off to a corner of the tea house, and opens an encrypted deep-space comms line to Shinjo Kailen.
Ariel turns back to Shinwa nodding. "I think we know some people with a ship to suit your needs. Even better, they've got experience avoiding unnecessary entanglements. You've no problem bringing on more people to this venture?"
Shinwa's eyes dart towards the bar where the Nezumi is trying to make himself inconspicuous, a silent question before he turns back to Ariel. He takes a sip of his tea as he considers that addition to his plans.
"A Unicorn ship? A crew too large will bring more people with questions who might not like the answers. But something smaller, and fast..."
Ariel nods, leaning in close after throwing a glance to his wife. She is thoroughly impatient with the time it takes a deep space call to connect on a personal device's processing power.
"Suppose there were a scouting and survey vessel, strictly non military, which was not officially in the Unicorn rosters. Entirely legitimate business, I assure you. However, we know a pilot on such a vessel, a ship large enough to collect your passengers and swift enough to avoid attention. Alternately, if you already have a vessel, this pilot is more than capable of flying whatever you have while we provide escort."
At the ronin's pointed glance, Kiru's ear twitches, but otherwise there is no reaction from him.
Shinwa will manage fine. Nothing to break.
The nectar is soon gone, as is the tiny sugar glider that had consumed it all. Rik has now darted back into the safety of his home in his friend's scarf.
Kiru tilts his head slightly at Shinwa, perhaps asking if it is safe for him to approach yet.
Kailen is on board the 'Ki Rin's Way' watching a movie in the ThranishGeek Channel, when her commlink alerts her about the incoming call.
"Moshi moshi." Tai-Wen hears.
"Finally. I thought this thing would never go through," Tai-Wen says, tapping up the volume in her earbud and switching the audio to personal only. "Daybreak, calling the Way. Got a job, could be right up your alley. Personnel extraction, 30 bodies, low visibility. One run, decent pay."
The shorter phrases standard to deep space communication, so as to avoid as much misunderstanding as possible should the communication be scrambled somewhere in the vast space between transmitter and receiver, could only do so much. Tai-Wen waits, tapping her foot impatiently while her message dances off into the void to the tune of an unpredictable amount of lag.
"Hmm... Not a kitsune, I suppose." The Unicorn whispers to no one in particular and turns the volume down.
"Send me the details. We'll respond within the hour." She thinks of sending regards to Keetan, but nah... Now it is time for business, it seems.
Shinwa listens to Ariel's 'theoretical' description of the ship. "I understand. We have no ship that can be used for this mission, and are grateful for ship and pilots."
He gives a small bow from seiza. His gestures are oddly formal, even archaic, especially for a castoff ronin normally scrambling too much to survive to be worried about such proprieties. "Are we then agreed?"
He removes from a pocket of his trenchcoat a stack of unmarked credit-sticks and lays them on the table, indicating an amount of koku sufficient for at least docking fees, ship refitting, and general preparatory tasks involved with such a mission, and maybe a few pre-mission celebrations besides. He does not say directly that it is the first portion of their payment, made up front, but the intent is clear. "Please allow the privilege of helping you prepare for your journey. If we are agreed, my partner and I will meet you at your ship when you are ready to depart."
He has not said yet who his partner is. He probably does not intend to do so until the agreement is formally made.
Just in case.
Hajime would show up not long after, with a rather sleepy face as if she had just gotten up from bed. She looks over to Kailen. "Hey, Kailen-chan. What's going on?
Tai-Wen dials the info into a text-only transmission, then sends it spiralling off into the Void. With a nod, she returns to the table just in the to take control of their finances.
"They're interested at least. We'll get word in an hour or so, save for cross-space lagtime," she says in a matter of fact tone, sweeping the credit sticks into a buttoned pocket of her apron. "I don't imagine they'll turn us down."
"There is one other thing," Ketaan says, toying with the one credit sticks he managed to liberate before their deposit was banked. "We like being in the dark as to our mysterious employers as much as the next pilots, but if you wouldn't mind asking your friend at the bar to join us?"
It would seem that Ketaan had not truly been idle after all, and those lazy eyes didn't miss much. For his lackadaisical pose and tone, one might easily mistake him as simply a fop asking over a guest for tea.
The ronin does not seem surprised or concerned about the question, or Tai-Wen's seizure of the credit sticks.
Shinwa lifts his hand and moves his fingers in a gesture and indicates that it's OK for Kiru to come join them at the table. He watches the Unicorn carefully for their reactions, his eyes narrowing slightly. Is this going to be a problem?
"Let me introduce my partner in this venture, Kiru-san." Slight emphasis on the '-san'. I recommend it shouldn't be.
In a much quieter tone, only audible to those at the table, Shinwa adds, "And the term is 'Nezumi'."
He does not smile.
Shinwa may not smile, but Ketaan sure does. At the secondary comment, his eyes widen and his lazy grin opens into a full expression of childish joy.
"Wait, seriously?" Ketaan tosses an obvious stare at the figure at the bar, not bothering with the subtly of his earlier examination. "Remarkable."
Tai-Wen and Ariel, for their parts, have both pulled out data pads and are already flicking through various information. From the mirrored reflection flying by on the back of the flexi-plastic, it seems that Ariel is looking up greetings and social aspects, while Tai-Wen has the more practical concerns of anatomy and diet. As one, the husband and wife look up and say, "I have questions."
Kiru approaches at the signal from his brother-in-arms, pausing a few steps from the table to scratch underneath the Phoenix-coloured obi he wears as a neck scarf.
A stiff, low bow precedes his introduction. "M'thack-kir of the Burnt Crane Tribe is pleased to make new friends. Shinwa, they are now friends, ne?"
Shinwa raises an eyebrow and turns back to the Unicorn, his expression relaying the Nezumi's question forward. "Well. Are we?". He nods at the married couples' question. "That first. Then answers."
"I got a call for a job from some clan mates of ours that I met a month ago. I am waiting for the details. Maybe the captain is interested." She turns the volume up again while waiting for the intelligence. "You should see the last episode Captain Harlock. I have recorded it."
When the message arrives, she reads it and gives it to Hajime to read it as well. "Well? What do you think?"
Tai-Wen begins to respond with, "Let's not get...," but is immediately cut off by her husband saying, "Yes, of course," and her frontman enthusiastically sticking out a hand to the Nezumi with, "Shinjo Ketaan, a pleasure."
She mimes throwing her hands in the air in exasperation, and sighing, "Well, I guess we are. I'm Koshuud Tai-Wen, and my big spacer-headed husband is Moto Ariel. We're all friends now, good? Great."
Kiru tilts his head to the side, unsure of what the outstretched hand means exactly.
He isn't holding anything...It can't be a scent gland. Humans are too primitive.
"Friends touch hands in the Thundering Horse Tribe?"
The faintest smile traces the corner of Shinwa's mouth. "This is a common thing among the Unicorn, so I have read, Kiru-san." He nods with gratitude towards the three who have made relatively polite greeting towards his partner.
"Friends then. As friends, we can answer some questions."
The matter of friendship settled, Kiru slides onto the seat beside Shinwa comfortably. He is evidently not some meek servant, having such a casual air about him now. His tail flicks underneath the table to coil around his left leg.
"Questions?"
"How did you get to,"
"What is the protocol for,"
"Enough!" Tai-Wen interjects, raising her voice without sharpening it. Her fellow Angels stop talking, and Ariel even has the sense to look abashed. "You two can satisfy your curiosity on your own time. This is a business meeting."
She sets the datapad down and presses a button on the side of the table to signal for service. Her gaze darts between the Ronin and the Nezumi, weighing each of them carefully.
"We can safely assume that we will be conducting business. So we will need to know more. What exactly makes you think that there would be Imperial entanglements, and why do these thirty people need extraction in the first place? If it is something illegal, be prepared to offer a great deal of incentive for us to not get up and leave now."
The three Unicorn hear a squeak not quite from Kiru's throat, which both Kiru and Shinwa comprehend as, "She is too loud. It will draw predators."
The Nezumi casually rests one hand under his chin, comforting the hidden Rik with a waft of subtle pheromone that these humans wouldn't be able to detect.
"Does the Thundering Horse Tribe not care about freeing slaves held illegally? Being tortured?"
"Now just hold on a second, you little,"
"What Tai-Wen-sama means to say," Ariel says, smoothly defusing the situation before it can erupt, "Is that we know only what you have told us. And it is you who said that avoiding Imperial entanglements would be best."
"And, truthfully, Tai-Wen does speak for all of us," Ketaan adds, slipping smoothly from his seat to massage some of the tension out of the engineer's shoulders. "If slaves are being held, then it would seem beat to involve the law. Since you ask otherwise, there must be some reason, ne?"
"In short," Tai-Wen says in controlled tones as she swats her teammate's hands away, "No matter how much we might feel for the plight of such people, only a fool jumps into a nest of Scorpions unshod. If you want a job done properly, then you'll need to tell us what we're getting into. We need more than credits from a pair of surface hoppers so deck-soft you still smell of soil. If we didn't, we'd be no better than mercenaries."
Ketaan retakes his seat, still smiling. "Tai-Wen, dearheart, no one can understand you when you talk like that. Thing is, our services may be for sale, but our conscious' aren't. So we'll need to know why you want this to stay out of the purview of the law, and what exactly we'll be risking war over."
"It can't be spoken about here. Three Face Night Tribe has many ears."
The name is presumably safe enough to utter aloud, but Kiru suddenly looks uncomfortable, and one of his ears twitches anxiously.
"Well then," Ketaan drawls as he deliberately reaches over his teammates to flick the service light back off, "Let's the five of us go somewhere a little quieter. What say you?"
At the sudden outburst of questions, Shinwa looks cooly impassive. He raises a hand with an almost imperious gesture to cut off the discussion.
"First, /Friends/, we are going to quietly drink tea for a time while those staring at us lose interest."
He quietly takes a sip of tea to demonstrate. After a short time, hopefully with the table growing a little quieter and Kiru becoming less distressed, he puts down his cup.
"The answers are straight forward. The passengers are Nezumi slaves. Slavery for Nezumi is technically still not disallowed by Imperial law, though of course it is considered dishonorable. The location where they are held is secret. The method of the way we received this communication can only be duplicated by Nezumi. And should the Scorpion find out that the base is discovered, they will kill all the slaves than have the Phoenix use it against them in court."
He pauses for a moment, then continues. "We do not know if there are other such groups, but the Scorpion could kill them all rather than allow such secrets to be revealed. Is all clear now... friends?"
He gestures at himself and Kiru. "As to why...You have only the testimony of a robin and a nonhuman. If you find that and the koku worthy enough, then if the Scorpion find out you were involved you can claim you did it simply for credit and had no idea the Nezumi were Scorpion property. "
His voice is neutral. "Or you can turn us over to them now. Or walk away and leave this job for others more willing to see slaves freed. Your choice. Please decide quickly, however."
Kiru lowers his gaze and whispers, "Three Face Night Tribe is experimenting on the slaves. Torturing. Kiru understands it will escalate soon if nothing is done."
He says nothing else, not to explain how he got this intel, nor to justify the assertion that not only is he not the last Nezumi in existence, but that there are at least thirty others of these rarely seen creatures.
Shinwa keeps his cool gaze impassive, even regal, as he watches the Unicorns' response and awaits their decision.
Let us see if these are still yet the Children of the Wind.
The Wake Angels do not need long to confer, but rather just share a glance back and forth, then nod.
"Good enough for me."
"We'll do it."
"Looks like you'll have to endure the pleasure of our company a little while longer, friends."
A small nod of his head. Still no smile. "Excellent. Is there anything else? Or are words now made a course of action decided?"
As one, Ariel and Ketaan both look to Tai-Wen, who starts tapping on the datapad.
"Well, there are practical concerns to consider. The ship we sent for is outfitted for human passengers. I can make any necessary retrofits, but I need to know what to expect."
She sets the datapad on the table, spins it around, and slides it to Kiru. Up on it is a rather extensive and invasive survey.
"Weight, dietary requirements, common illnesses, transmittable illnesses, whether we can expect Zero-G sickness, what sort of injuries we can expect, and more. Transporting refugees is a risky business to begin with, but in tight packed quarters we need to consider everything that could possibly slow us down. And there simply isn't enough publicly available knowledge on Nezumi biology to make those calls. If you would please?"
Kiru shrugs. "Underfed Nezumi weigh the same as Rokugani. Nezumi do not get sick, and if there are any injuries, only M'thack-kir will cure them. As for dietary requirements, should only need three tatami worth of dirt."
But what if I die trying to rescue them?
His ear twitches again.
No. That is not my path or my Name. It will be fine.
"There will likely be some diagnostic implants embedded in most of kin-kin. Once removed, can friends dispose of them? Oh, and some rags for modesty will be needed."
Please don't ask me why.
Shinwa's voice is even, despite the hints at the recitation of a horror. "Standard non-meat fare is fine. They will not be staying long. We merely need to get back to Phoenix space and you will be free of us and our guests and be on your way. We need to finalize those arrangements, but we should have them together before we depart."
Ariel and Ketaan nod, followed by Tai-wen's slower acknowledgement.
"I'm no surgeon, nor are these two. We'd be more harm than help pulling any wetware from anyone if you want the meat looking in better shape than the tech. But if you can pull them, or know someone who can, I can make sure that they won't transmit. Nothing like a quick data wipe and a run through a fabber material cycler to ruin some tech's day," Tai-Wen offers.
Shinwa sinks deeper into cold silence as the atrocities are discussed.
This is too dark. This is not how this should be. He allows the Unicorn to discuss with the Nezumi a little while longer if there are additional questions left. He has said enough.
Kiru nods, satisfied.
"Thanks in advance for the assistance. Shinwa, time to go?"
Very to the point—this is hardly a social engagement.
Shinwa nods. "That would be best. You may reach us at this ID when you are ready to depart, and we will have the rest of the information you desire."
He waits to see if there is anything else, then stands and bows, deeply and formally, as to a superior.
"Domo Arigato. You have shown great reasonableness and compassion."
His words are oddly formal and old-fashioned, like something out of a book or old movie.
In their staggered levels of casual, the Angels rise and give a variety of bows.
"Well, we've work to do then. We will contact you soon," Tai-Wen says as she rises from her own perfunctory bow.
Ketaan tosses a hand up in farewell as the Angels begin to walk away, and over his shoulder flies, "Be seeing you!"
Then they are gone, once more melting into the sea of purple that is the Shipyards.
A story of the Space Ronin, Shinwa, in an age of Space Travel, wherein our heroes get some help to rescue Nezumi.
The Shinjo Shipyards are huge beyond belief, and good relations between the Unicorn and Phoenix mean that The Warren usually can find a place to get repaired there when external repairs are needed. Of course, usually, M'Thack-kir returns the ship to Phoenix space if it needs work. But this time, Shiba Itsuki is going to stay with the ship, while M'thack-kir and Shinwa are going...recruiting.
Some early communications have turned up some promising leads, and those leads have lead to this small, rather gaijin-themed, tea house in Circle 9, Deck 4, called 'The Eagle's Rest'.
The proprietor gives the pair an odd look as they enter, but he serves Unicorn. They get all sorts here.
Shinwa sits down at a table, orders some tea, and waits to see if he is joined by anyone interested in some koku and a quick and very quiet expedition into Scorpion Space on a distinctly /NOT/ Phoenix ship.
M'thack-kir, for his part, doesn't sit down with Shinwa at all. Instead he approaches the bar directly and quietly asks the bartender for some elderflower nectar in perfect Rokugani.
"What with?" The barkeep replies, perhaps curious as to what a specimen of a nigh-extinct species might include in its diet.
"A glass," Kiru says flatly before squeak-whispering something.
The bartender sets about responding to the request, with a glass appearing in front of the Nezumi soon after.
Instead of picking it up, Kiru turns around and leans casually against the bar, surveying the room. Anyone with a view of the glass behind him might notice a tiny, furry creature poised on the rim, drinking furtive sips.
Shinwa keeps an eye on M'thack-kir and looks up when he receives his tea. Their connection is late, but they can wait a little while longer.
The standard Unicorn jumpsuit makes the Rest a sea of purple, even seeing how small the tea house is. The deck may be out of the way, but it is popular with the pilots in from long voyages without a taste of anything other than Rokugani aesthetics. Picking out a single face among the crowd would seem almost impossible. Save for a few personal items that change from pilot to pilot, the uniforms are, well... uniform.
Height, however, can easily do for identification when aesthetic fails. From the entrance walks the world's shortest giant, flanked by a only moderately smaller woman and another figure who's height does not allow him to be seen above the crowd. So, he is merely a shock of silver and black hair that follows the other two.
The giant's dark skin would be remarkable anywhere outside a Unicorn port, but here he is merely one of many. Despite his stature, he weaves through the tables with grace rather than forcing a path as he leads his companions through the tea house. Nonetheless, their passage is marked by their fellow Unicorn, some with rolling eyes, others with politely concealed snickers.
He spots the table where Shinwa sits, and makes his way over, until his form unintentionally looms over his contact. The great bear of a man sizes up the Ronin with a quick glance, then dips into a deep bow, respectfully waiting to be acknowledged.
His face flushes with embarrassment as his companions, the large woman covered in tools and the silver ghost that looks like a strong wind might up and carry him off, simply walk around him and sit at the table unannounced. The lithe man sits easily, faint traces of music leaking from his headset, while engineer is stiff and business-like.
The woman flicks a few silver-armored fingers over the holo-display on her left arm, and Shinwa's message is displayed on the tabletop.
"You're the one who posted this request?" She asks without preamble.
Composing his face to perfect stillness, the ronin stands and bows, deeply, first to the extremely tall man and then to the other two are with him, even if they did not bow to him. The bows are deep, a reflection of his inferior rank as a ronin. Initial formailities taken care of, he returns to his kneeling position opposite the tool-bearing woman and her plugged-in companion.
He looks down at the display. "Yes," he says simply. "That is our request. I have a gift I am eager to bestow on a Unicorn pilot willing to take a risk in Scorpion space." He looks up, directly into the woman's eyes. His own are calm, neutral, and very serious. "I am called in this life Shinwa. Do you know such a pilot?"Recovering from his embarrassment, the large man kneels in between the two of his companions. He is the perfect medium between the two, resting easily without being carefree, professional without being stiff.
"I am known as Moto Ariel. This is Shinjo Ketaan, and my wife, Koshuud Tai-Wen. You must forgive my company's enthusiasm, we've not been dockside in some time. Asteroids make for poor etiquette partners."
The woman, evidently Tai-Wen, rolls her eyes at Ariel, then gives a seated bow and a non-committal noise that might be interpreted as something that, given time to mature for a decade or so, might resemble an apology.
The phantom of silver and silk in a skintight jumpsuit runs his eyes over Shinwa. Rather than Ariel's quick examination, Ketaan's gaze takes in far too much and lasts just a hair too long for propriety. He eventually nods to himself, though wether in approval of what he sees or in time with his music it is hard to say. His bow is lent a certain flair by his outer robe, which swirls around his kneeling form like a cape made of clouds. When he rises, he bears a small, almost devious smile, and his eyes are laughing.
"My good, Shinwa, was it?" Ketaan asks, just a hair louder than Ariel due to his headset. "You seem to be fortune's favored child this day. In an entire port of daring and skilled pilots, you've stumbled upon the most. Of which, well, that depends entirely on who you've been talking to."
M'thack-kir's attention is fully on the table where the three Unicorn have joined Shinwa, and he makes no ploy to conceal his interest. However, he remains at the bar, not willing to risk approaching. The barman can hear some muffled squeaking, though, from both Kiru and his glass, not that he can comprehend what is being said:
"One of them smells funny."
"Space will do that."
"Do we have to go with them?"
"Put some nectar up your nose, Rik. Or make more pheromone. I don't mind."
"Hmmph."
Shinwa spends a long, slow moment evaluating the three people in front of him, though if he makes any judgement one way or another, it is impossible to say. He pulls out a small scrap of writing plastic, and what actually looks like it might be a brush tip pen. Primitive. He writes a set of coordinates on the plastic, and an amount of credits, denoted in Imperial koku. He slides the scrap across the table.
The amount is impressive enough to make it worth the trip, but not so much that it seems completely impossible that a ronin specialist off a very profitable job or two couldn't have put together the amount.
The coordinates, if entered into a datapad, point to The Lantern, a volcanic moon circling a gas giant on the outskirts of Scorpion space.
"I need to pick up thirty passengers and leave in a hurry. As few Scorpion or Imperial entanglements as possible. We have no desire to trigger a conflict by accident. Interested?"
Ketaan reaches for the plastic, which Tai-Wen smoothly snatches before his hand can reach. She does some quick mental calculation, then nods to the two of her companions.
"Hmm. The ships only have room for six, including us. By fast, I presume that you mean there won't be time for multiple trips. So, we can fly anything you can get, but we'll need a larger ship," Ketaan muses to himself. He exchanges a glance with Ariel, who suddenly has a thought. At his thought, he turns to Tai-Wen, who is already running the calculations. The Angela begin firing conversation back and forth such that it seems almost a language into itself.
"What about,"
"Them?"
"They've the ship for it."
"They could use the money."
"Can we afford their cut?"
"It'll be tight."
"Stipends are still good."
"They aren't bad at staying under the radar."
"So?"
"We can afford it."
"Then?"
"Agreed."
"Aye."
"Right. Making the call."
Tai-Wen gets up from the table, the holo-display on her microfabber already live. Without making excuses, she steps off to a corner of the tea house, and opens an encrypted deep-space comms line to Shinjo Kailen.
Ariel turns back to Shinwa nodding. "I think we know some people with a ship to suit your needs. Even better, they've got experience avoiding unnecessary entanglements. You've no problem bringing on more people to this venture?"
Shinwa's eyes dart towards the bar where the Nezumi is trying to make himself inconspicuous, a silent question before he turns back to Ariel. He takes a sip of his tea as he considers that addition to his plans.
"A Unicorn ship? A crew too large will bring more people with questions who might not like the answers. But something smaller, and fast..."
Ariel nods, leaning in close after throwing a glance to his wife. She is thoroughly impatient with the time it takes a deep space call to connect on a personal device's processing power.
"Suppose there were a scouting and survey vessel, strictly non military, which was not officially in the Unicorn rosters. Entirely legitimate business, I assure you. However, we know a pilot on such a vessel, a ship large enough to collect your passengers and swift enough to avoid attention. Alternately, if you already have a vessel, this pilot is more than capable of flying whatever you have while we provide escort."
At the ronin's pointed glance, Kiru's ear twitches, but otherwise there is no reaction from him.
Shinwa will manage fine. Nothing to break.
The nectar is soon gone, as is the tiny sugar glider that had consumed it all. Rik has now darted back into the safety of his home in his friend's scarf.
Kiru tilts his head slightly at Shinwa, perhaps asking if it is safe for him to approach yet.
Kailen is on board the 'Ki Rin's Way' watching a movie in the ThranishGeek Channel, when her commlink alerts her about the incoming call.
"Moshi moshi." Tai-Wen hears.
"Finally. I thought this thing would never go through," Tai-Wen says, tapping up the volume in her earbud and switching the audio to personal only. "Daybreak, calling the Way. Got a job, could be right up your alley. Personnel extraction, 30 bodies, low visibility. One run, decent pay."
The shorter phrases standard to deep space communication, so as to avoid as much misunderstanding as possible should the communication be scrambled somewhere in the vast space between transmitter and receiver, could only do so much. Tai-Wen waits, tapping her foot impatiently while her message dances off into the void to the tune of an unpredictable amount of lag.
"Hmm... Not a kitsune, I suppose." The Unicorn whispers to no one in particular and turns the volume down.
"Send me the details. We'll respond within the hour." She thinks of sending regards to Keetan, but nah... Now it is time for business, it seems.
Shinwa listens to Ariel's 'theoretical' description of the ship. "I understand. We have no ship that can be used for this mission, and are grateful for ship and pilots."
He gives a small bow from seiza. His gestures are oddly formal, even archaic, especially for a castoff ronin normally scrambling too much to survive to be worried about such proprieties. "Are we then agreed?"
He removes from a pocket of his trenchcoat a stack of unmarked credit-sticks and lays them on the table, indicating an amount of koku sufficient for at least docking fees, ship refitting, and general preparatory tasks involved with such a mission, and maybe a few pre-mission celebrations besides. He does not say directly that it is the first portion of their payment, made up front, but the intent is clear. "Please allow the privilege of helping you prepare for your journey. If we are agreed, my partner and I will meet you at your ship when you are ready to depart."
He has not said yet who his partner is. He probably does not intend to do so until the agreement is formally made.
Just in case.
Hajime would show up not long after, with a rather sleepy face as if she had just gotten up from bed. She looks over to Kailen. "Hey, Kailen-chan. What's going on?
Tai-Wen dials the info into a text-only transmission, then sends it spiralling off into the Void. With a nod, she returns to the table just in the to take control of their finances.
"They're interested at least. We'll get word in an hour or so, save for cross-space lagtime," she says in a matter of fact tone, sweeping the credit sticks into a buttoned pocket of her apron. "I don't imagine they'll turn us down."
"There is one other thing," Ketaan says, toying with the one credit sticks he managed to liberate before their deposit was banked. "We like being in the dark as to our mysterious employers as much as the next pilots, but if you wouldn't mind asking your friend at the bar to join us?"
It would seem that Ketaan had not truly been idle after all, and those lazy eyes didn't miss much. For his lackadaisical pose and tone, one might easily mistake him as simply a fop asking over a guest for tea.
The ronin does not seem surprised or concerned about the question, or Tai-Wen's seizure of the credit sticks.
Shinwa lifts his hand and moves his fingers in a gesture and indicates that it's OK for Kiru to come join them at the table. He watches the Unicorn carefully for their reactions, his eyes narrowing slightly. Is this going to be a problem?
"Let me introduce my partner in this venture, Kiru-san." Slight emphasis on the '-san'. I recommend it shouldn't be.
In a much quieter tone, only audible to those at the table, Shinwa adds, "And the term is 'Nezumi'."
He does not smile.
Shinwa may not smile, but Ketaan sure does. At the secondary comment, his eyes widen and his lazy grin opens into a full expression of childish joy.
"Wait, seriously?" Ketaan tosses an obvious stare at the figure at the bar, not bothering with the subtly of his earlier examination. "Remarkable."
Tai-Wen and Ariel, for their parts, have both pulled out data pads and are already flicking through various information. From the mirrored reflection flying by on the back of the flexi-plastic, it seems that Ariel is looking up greetings and social aspects, while Tai-Wen has the more practical concerns of anatomy and diet. As one, the husband and wife look up and say, "I have questions."
Kiru approaches at the signal from his brother-in-arms, pausing a few steps from the table to scratch underneath the Phoenix-coloured obi he wears as a neck scarf.
A stiff, low bow precedes his introduction. "M'thack-kir of the Burnt Crane Tribe is pleased to make new friends. Shinwa, they are now friends, ne?"
Shinwa raises an eyebrow and turns back to the Unicorn, his expression relaying the Nezumi's question forward. "Well. Are we?". He nods at the married couples' question. "That first. Then answers."
"I got a call for a job from some clan mates of ours that I met a month ago. I am waiting for the details. Maybe the captain is interested." She turns the volume up again while waiting for the intelligence. "You should see the last episode Captain Harlock. I have recorded it."
When the message arrives, she reads it and gives it to Hajime to read it as well. "Well? What do you think?"
Tai-Wen begins to respond with, "Let's not get...," but is immediately cut off by her husband saying, "Yes, of course," and her frontman enthusiastically sticking out a hand to the Nezumi with, "Shinjo Ketaan, a pleasure."
She mimes throwing her hands in the air in exasperation, and sighing, "Well, I guess we are. I'm Koshuud Tai-Wen, and my big spacer-headed husband is Moto Ariel. We're all friends now, good? Great."
Kiru tilts his head to the side, unsure of what the outstretched hand means exactly.
He isn't holding anything...It can't be a scent gland. Humans are too primitive.
"Friends touch hands in the Thundering Horse Tribe?"
The faintest smile traces the corner of Shinwa's mouth. "This is a common thing among the Unicorn, so I have read, Kiru-san." He nods with gratitude towards the three who have made relatively polite greeting towards his partner.
"Friends then. As friends, we can answer some questions."
The matter of friendship settled, Kiru slides onto the seat beside Shinwa comfortably. He is evidently not some meek servant, having such a casual air about him now. His tail flicks underneath the table to coil around his left leg.
"Questions?"
"How did you get to,"
"What is the protocol for,"
"Enough!" Tai-Wen interjects, raising her voice without sharpening it. Her fellow Angels stop talking, and Ariel even has the sense to look abashed. "You two can satisfy your curiosity on your own time. This is a business meeting."
She sets the datapad down and presses a button on the side of the table to signal for service. Her gaze darts between the Ronin and the Nezumi, weighing each of them carefully.
"We can safely assume that we will be conducting business. So we will need to know more. What exactly makes you think that there would be Imperial entanglements, and why do these thirty people need extraction in the first place? If it is something illegal, be prepared to offer a great deal of incentive for us to not get up and leave now."
The three Unicorn hear a squeak not quite from Kiru's throat, which both Kiru and Shinwa comprehend as, "She is too loud. It will draw predators."
The Nezumi casually rests one hand under his chin, comforting the hidden Rik with a waft of subtle pheromone that these humans wouldn't be able to detect.
"Does the Thundering Horse Tribe not care about freeing slaves held illegally? Being tortured?"
"Now just hold on a second, you little,"
"What Tai-Wen-sama means to say," Ariel says, smoothly defusing the situation before it can erupt, "Is that we know only what you have told us. And it is you who said that avoiding Imperial entanglements would be best."
"And, truthfully, Tai-Wen does speak for all of us," Ketaan adds, slipping smoothly from his seat to massage some of the tension out of the engineer's shoulders. "If slaves are being held, then it would seem beat to involve the law. Since you ask otherwise, there must be some reason, ne?"
"In short," Tai-Wen says in controlled tones as she swats her teammate's hands away, "No matter how much we might feel for the plight of such people, only a fool jumps into a nest of Scorpions unshod. If you want a job done properly, then you'll need to tell us what we're getting into. We need more than credits from a pair of surface hoppers so deck-soft you still smell of soil. If we didn't, we'd be no better than mercenaries."
Ketaan retakes his seat, still smiling. "Tai-Wen, dearheart, no one can understand you when you talk like that. Thing is, our services may be for sale, but our conscious' aren't. So we'll need to know why you want this to stay out of the purview of the law, and what exactly we'll be risking war over."
"It can't be spoken about here. Three Face Night Tribe has many ears."
The name is presumably safe enough to utter aloud, but Kiru suddenly looks uncomfortable, and one of his ears twitches anxiously.
"Well then," Ketaan drawls as he deliberately reaches over his teammates to flick the service light back off, "Let's the five of us go somewhere a little quieter. What say you?"
At the sudden outburst of questions, Shinwa looks cooly impassive. He raises a hand with an almost imperious gesture to cut off the discussion.
"First, /Friends/, we are going to quietly drink tea for a time while those staring at us lose interest."
He quietly takes a sip of tea to demonstrate. After a short time, hopefully with the table growing a little quieter and Kiru becoming less distressed, he puts down his cup.
"The answers are straight forward. The passengers are Nezumi slaves. Slavery for Nezumi is technically still not disallowed by Imperial law, though of course it is considered dishonorable. The location where they are held is secret. The method of the way we received this communication can only be duplicated by Nezumi. And should the Scorpion find out that the base is discovered, they will kill all the slaves than have the Phoenix use it against them in court."
He pauses for a moment, then continues. "We do not know if there are other such groups, but the Scorpion could kill them all rather than allow such secrets to be revealed. Is all clear now... friends?"
He gestures at himself and Kiru. "As to why...You have only the testimony of a robin and a nonhuman. If you find that and the koku worthy enough, then if the Scorpion find out you were involved you can claim you did it simply for credit and had no idea the Nezumi were Scorpion property. "
His voice is neutral. "Or you can turn us over to them now. Or walk away and leave this job for others more willing to see slaves freed. Your choice. Please decide quickly, however."
Kiru lowers his gaze and whispers, "Three Face Night Tribe is experimenting on the slaves. Torturing. Kiru understands it will escalate soon if nothing is done."
He says nothing else, not to explain how he got this intel, nor to justify the assertion that not only is he not the last Nezumi in existence, but that there are at least thirty others of these rarely seen creatures.
Shinwa keeps his cool gaze impassive, even regal, as he watches the Unicorns' response and awaits their decision.
Let us see if these are still yet the Children of the Wind.
The Wake Angels do not need long to confer, but rather just share a glance back and forth, then nod.
"Good enough for me."
"We'll do it."
"Looks like you'll have to endure the pleasure of our company a little while longer, friends."
A small nod of his head. Still no smile. "Excellent. Is there anything else? Or are words now made a course of action decided?"
As one, Ariel and Ketaan both look to Tai-Wen, who starts tapping on the datapad.
"Well, there are practical concerns to consider. The ship we sent for is outfitted for human passengers. I can make any necessary retrofits, but I need to know what to expect."
She sets the datapad on the table, spins it around, and slides it to Kiru. Up on it is a rather extensive and invasive survey.
"Weight, dietary requirements, common illnesses, transmittable illnesses, whether we can expect Zero-G sickness, what sort of injuries we can expect, and more. Transporting refugees is a risky business to begin with, but in tight packed quarters we need to consider everything that could possibly slow us down. And there simply isn't enough publicly available knowledge on Nezumi biology to make those calls. If you would please?"
Kiru shrugs. "Underfed Nezumi weigh the same as Rokugani. Nezumi do not get sick, and if there are any injuries, only M'thack-kir will cure them. As for dietary requirements, should only need three tatami worth of dirt."
But what if I die trying to rescue them?
His ear twitches again.
No. That is not my path or my Name. It will be fine.
"There will likely be some diagnostic implants embedded in most of kin-kin. Once removed, can friends dispose of them? Oh, and some rags for modesty will be needed."
Please don't ask me why.
Shinwa's voice is even, despite the hints at the recitation of a horror. "Standard non-meat fare is fine. They will not be staying long. We merely need to get back to Phoenix space and you will be free of us and our guests and be on your way. We need to finalize those arrangements, but we should have them together before we depart."
Ariel and Ketaan nod, followed by Tai-wen's slower acknowledgement.
"I'm no surgeon, nor are these two. We'd be more harm than help pulling any wetware from anyone if you want the meat looking in better shape than the tech. But if you can pull them, or know someone who can, I can make sure that they won't transmit. Nothing like a quick data wipe and a run through a fabber material cycler to ruin some tech's day," Tai-Wen offers.
Shinwa sinks deeper into cold silence as the atrocities are discussed.
This is too dark. This is not how this should be. He allows the Unicorn to discuss with the Nezumi a little while longer if there are additional questions left. He has said enough.
Kiru nods, satisfied.
"Thanks in advance for the assistance. Shinwa, time to go?"
Very to the point—this is hardly a social engagement.
Shinwa nods. "That would be best. You may reach us at this ID when you are ready to depart, and we will have the rest of the information you desire."
He waits to see if there is anything else, then stands and bows, deeply and formally, as to a superior.
"Domo Arigato. You have shown great reasonableness and compassion."
His words are oddly formal and old-fashioned, like something out of a book or old movie.
In their staggered levels of casual, the Angels rise and give a variety of bows.
"Well, we've work to do then. We will contact you soon," Tai-Wen says as she rises from her own perfunctory bow.
Ketaan tosses a hand up in farewell as the Angels begin to walk away, and over his shoulder flies, "Be seeing you!"
Then they are gone, once more melting into the sea of purple that is the Shipyards.