An Adult Conversation

Posted on Thursday March 4th, 2021 @ 9:52am by Niyahra Riohn & Kyan Mackenzie

Mission: Marauder's Map
Location: Some run down space station in orbit of Rangalor V
1408 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

It had been two whole weeks since Kyan had been off this station. Well, more aptly, it had been two whole weeks since the security people had locked him in the brig. And for what?

"Guy 'ad it coming to him so he did!" the little Only muttered under his breath.

The guy in question, an Orion named Athor had tried to cheat Kyan at a game of Dom jot. In response, the crimson haired boy had stabbed him. To Kyan, it had seemed a perfectly reasonable response to such a provocation. To the pit bosses on the station though, it was cause to throw him in the brig.

It hadn't helped his case that Athor was related in some way to the Syndicate boss who ran the station. "Like that's any excuse tae be cheatin folk at the tables!" he thought.

And more to the point, Athor didn't even die! Its was barely a flesh wound! He shook his head. "These grups is just as bad as the Star Fleeters and no mistake!"

"Quiet in there!" the Orion guard called out from behind his desk.

Kyan glared at him through the forcefield. "Come in here and quiet me then ya great puke colored git. I dare ye!" then... "And where's me fookin dinner then?"

It had taken her way more favours than she had really wanted to burn at this point of the endeavour, but it was for a good cause. At least she had hoped. Niyahra was getting exhausted by the whole endeavour, and the shivers were coming back a lot earlier than she had anticipated. At this rate, she'd need a lot more Kred before she could set out to the salvage operation. That was of secondary concern though. First, she needed to get to this MacKenzie fellow Frost had tipped her about. Equal parts experienced and crazy enough to fly the Valkyrie class fighters.

She stepped through the doors of the area with the holding cells, it was a lot quieter and emptyer than one would expect from a Syndicate run operation. She simply stepped up to the desk with the big burly Orion behind it and dropped a PADD on his desk, "The kid's coming with me." There was no need for negotiations, she had done all of that with this man's boss.

The Orion reached forward and took a look at the text on the screen, "Right." he tossed it back on the table, it's not like he really cared. He just sat there making sure that everyone remained on the right side of the forcefield. He got up, "glad to be rid of him, I don't know what you did to deserve him, but I'm sorry for you." He walked up to the controls in front of Kyan's cell, "looks like your mommy is here to come pick you up"

Kyan hopped off the metal slab that had served as his these past weeks and peered up at the tall Trill woman with a wary eye. "Since me mum's been dead these past three hundred years and change, and wasnt spotted when she wasn't so....I'd ask who you are and what it is that her after the now."

After a pause he added with a forced smile "with thanks of course, for springing me."

Niyahra had no intention of explaining everything to the man, that looked an awful lot like a pre-teen, in front of Orion goons. She simply walked towards the exit, "your dad is worried sick about you," she looked over her shoulder, "Juniper, he said, Juniper if that boy is in trouble again, I sweat I'll ground him for a week." She then turned away, "So I told him, Sam, don't worry, he probably got lost on the way home. You know how kids his age are." She hoped that her throwing his adoptive parents' names around would help him accept her and follow her, or at the very least intrigue him enough to string him along.

That last bit was also eyebrow raising. This was obviously NOT Juniper Mackenzie, who had also been dead for going on a century now. Same with Sam Aylward, so she was sending a message of sorts, which he took to mean "Come with me... I know you." or something to that effect. In any case, being free was better than being locked up... probably.

"Sure sure" he chirped, exiting the cell. "I'll just be needing my stuff back if you dinnae mind."

The guard simply nodded, producing a case from under his desk. After heaving it onto the polished surface he began withdrawing items.

"Two curved knives..." the Orion began.

"Those are Karambits." Kyan offered, peering over the counter so that he could ensure that all of his belongings were there. "They're from Earth.

Without aknowledging the correction, the Guard placed them to the side and continued. "One... small... Mek'Leth. One... belt."

"Whip sword" Kyan corrected. "Wanna see how it works?" he asked eagerly.

"....and one Zakdorn?..."

"Ferengi." Kyan chimed in. "It was a Yule present from Dagh."

"....Ferengi... disruptor pistol." the guard continued, apparently eager to be rid of him. "And thats it."

Kyan nodded. "Sure and it is. Although now that I've no need of it anymore, here's YOUR knife back." Kyan reached into his shoe, producing an Orion blade and placing it on the desk. "I nicked it this morning when you brought be food in. Good blade that."

The guard snatched his knife off the counter and checked his belt where sure enough, the sheath that hung there was empty. "Get. Out." he seethed as he replaced the blade. "And don't get caught here again."

Kyan offered up what to the uninitiated might have been a cheeky grin as he collected his posessions and stowed them away. " I'll be sure ta ask after you if I'm ever this way again.... that is if you're not food for the worms beforehand." The ancient boy then turned and followed his Trill "mother" out of the security office. Once they were out, he subtly palmed his Ferengi dispuptor and followed Niyahra until they were well down the corridor before stopping and aiming the weapon.

"So... "mum" can ye tell me now who ye are and why you sprang me from there? Y'know... since we never met before?

"I'm in need of your particular set of skills," Niyahra turned and looked at the small guy holding her at gun point, "do you really think that's smart? Considering where I just got you from and the fact that this station is Dominion controlled?"

Kyan shrugged. "Me mum, before she shuffled off tot he afterlife, told me not to be going places with strangers so she did, even if they say they know her... or in your own case, ARE her. And since I don't know nothing except that you're a Trill...." He then gave it a little more thought. "So if you'd be tellin me your name the now, and why you need my "skills" then you'd nae be a stranger anymore, an we would talk about things."

"I am Niyahra, and I can get you back behind a stick," She wanted to keep this short and vague enough to be able to step away from him and not be persecuted. Even though she was already on thin ice and the interaction in the replimat earlier had shaken her up. She needed to be vigilant, or it would come to bite her in the ass.

The offer was as intriguing as it was vague. "So it's a pilot you're after then." Kyan replied. "Well that's me but is it a big ship needs flying or would you be meaning the type I flown in me previous job?" He asked, hoping for the latter. "And if it is the second one and not the first, It's happy I'd be tae be seeing what you've got."

"We're pretty much covered for the big one," Niyahra turned to continue walking down the promenade. She really didn't feel comfortable discussing all of this in a public place like this where there were eyes and ears everywhere, "We need you to go out in one of those small deadly ones."

A grin that on someone "older" might be seen as predatory tugged at the corners of Kyan's mouth. The boy holstered his disruptor. "Then it's a pilot you've got!" he chirped. "Let's be about it then!"