Null
Parolov 29, 942
19:00, Commonwealth Standard Time
Aashi Nath, an Iromakuanhe and former pirate on a quest to claim what was once hers but lost to space and far from her reach, wore a void walker suit. It didn’t fit her horns quite well and kept her from blending in quite easily on Null, a Freespacer territory that she thought would be the first step in many to recovering her ship, the Devata.
She knew the way to case a place and eyed the stalls, food market, and the ship docking port individually. When she had been under the planet’s surface for a few hours surveying all there was to see, Aashi came to believe the best answer was to ask a question.
Who she asked that question to was of the utmost importance.
And, so, she chose wisely.
Her question came after she had approached an unmarked stall, closest to the port and with a rounded, monolithic Freespacer that bore the chrome outerwear of a Locksmith.
“Is there a gate that goes far North of here?” Aashi asked.
Her question was rebutted with another, “How far North?”
“Far.”
“You are under no flag you can claim nationality to,” said the monolithic ‘Spacer. “You will answer my question before I answer yours.”
“I know there are gates North of the Blue Rift,” Aashi said with eyes going between the two of the ‘Spacer’s eyes, studying them.
The ‘Spacer’s eyebrows twitched together. “I can take you to the very edge, the very North of the Blue Rift Expanse. No further.”
Aashi nodded curtly, “I would appreciate that, if that is what you can do.”
“Give me an hour to secure safe travels. Leave your things and enjoy the market.”
“I would appreciate that even more,” Aashi remarked. “Your name?”
“Travelsecurator-One Two 12-4982-6091.” The ‘Spacer nodded, continuing, “Come back here then and we will find you a way back to the Commonwealth.”
The name sent shivers down her spine. She had only them to worry about. ‘Spacers didn’t hold her piracy against her. The Nepleslian Premier had absolved her of all crimes she had committed in his space, but the Astral Commonwealth. The Astral Vanguard? Her footing there was unsure.
“I thank you,” Aashi said and departed from the stall.
“I know what you’re looking for,” came an uneven voice as a man sidled up next to her as she walked.
Aashi’s hand was on the Solanii pistol beneath her long, draping jacket and it was out of its holster, pushing towards the man’s side.
He felt the tip of the pistol jabbing him and chuckled, nervously but with an ounce of pride that was undeterred.
“Keep talking,” Aashi said, walking an even pace that was hard to match. The man was a little one, especially in comparison to her. He was outfitted in a void walker suit and carried an unconcealed weapon on his belt.
He made Aashi uneasy, as he should. She flung her eyes back to Travelsecurator’s stall, which was within eyesight, still. He was turned the other way, thankfully. She didn’t want his friendliness to end when he saw the trouble she caused.
“I said—“ Aashi began, but she was cut off.
“I said, ‘I know what you’re looking for.”’ He looked at her with a slight smile, but there was fear in the corners of his eyes.
“What is that?” Aashi asked.
The little man went on to say, “Let’s sit down.”
Aashi shook her head, black and blue hair shaking violently as she did.
“We keep walking, “ she said.
“Fine, then.” The little man looked grumpy, now, and raised his hands to push the pistol off of and away from himself. Aashi jabbed it in further.
“What do you have to tell me?” she asked.
“Your ship, Miss Nath, is not here.”
Aashi was livid, “I know that, but how do you know me?”
“You’re a legend,” was all he said.
Aashi asked, not flattered, “And you are?”
“An admirer.”
“Let’s sit.”
He said, “Let’s.”
When they had taken their seats, Aashi positioned her rifle on her knee, facing the little man in his void walker suit. She could see mousy brown curled hair and a clean shave beneath the helmet and wondered where he had gotten his information.
He told her something she wasn’t expecting to hear, “He lived.”
“Who lived?”
“The boy,” came the short response.
Aashi was confused and leaned on the only thing she had going for her, saying, “I have a gun pointed at you and you’re giving me little clues as to what you’re talking about. Who you’re talking about.”
“There was a boy. You and the boy were the only ones to survive.”
“Survive what? A raid? A what?”
The man smiled, “Precisely. What? He wouldn’t speak of it.”
“Where did you find this out?”
The little man said, “He came to ’Spacer territory, just like you. Landed a magnificent purple ship.” He then spoke her name, “The Devata.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
He told Aashi, “Like I said, I’m an admirer. That, and I know how much you make when you’re stealing. I want in on that.”
Aashi scoffed, “Only my crew get in on that.”
“Make me a part of your crew.”
She had only ever had Iromakuanhe crew members and this little man, she knew nothing of him.
“Family comes first.”
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning I can’t hire you,” she told him. “Family first.”
“Then what is all this for?” he asked, standing and raising his arms.
“Like you said, because you’re an admirer.”
“I have a crew of my own,” he said with an involuntary twitch of his cheek.
Aashi’s eyebrows knit together as she flung her free hand to her other waist and grabbed her Solanii carbine and lifted herself from her sitting position to turn to guard her back while pointing her pistol above the table, at the small man.
Behind her were two fiendish void walker suit-clad men of opposing heights and with scowls behind their helmets. One of them had already brought his arm down to sweep Aashi’s carbine out of her hand, but Aashi rejected that idea and, instead, brought the carbine up and to his face, hitting him square on the helmet’s front, impacting while she brought her knee up to her own chest and jutted out her heeled boot towards him.
The man flew backwards after she had kicked him and she directed her attention to the man to her other side, knocking her elbow into his face before pistol-whipping him and watching him fall. She pointed both of her guns at the man that had been talking with her.
Distinctly aggravated, Aashi said, “Lay off or prepare to be laid down.”
The man, realizing her strength, laid down his own weapon as a Locksmith came over to them haughtily.
Aashi holstered her guns, not taking her eyes off of the man.
“I’ll lurk in your shadows, Nath, until I’m ready to strike you down if you won’t have me.”
“I won’t.”
“What was going on here?” The Locksmith said as he looked at the two stumbling from Aashi’s attack and the man that she had been talking to.” Looks to be over. Is that the case?”
Aashi was quick to reply, “It is, indeed.”
The Locksmith said, “Then let’s show a little respect to one another and go separate ways, shall we?”
Aashi waited for the man to nod and walk away before she herself eyed the Locksmith.
“Thank you for your help,” she said with a tilt of her head, as if bowing slightly.
“There should be no trouble on my watch.”
Aashi replied, “Trouble there will not be. May I buy you a meal for your efforts?”
“Buy yourself one, you have quite the trip ahead of you.” The Locksmith jutted his jaw in the direction of the unmarked stand she had approached earlier. “I wasn’t just patrolling the area. I was asked to watch you after you asked to go where you’re going. Do you know what’s in store for you there?”
With a tone of confidence that was unbefitting to how she truly felt, Aashi said simply, “Yes.”
“Returning to your home?”
Aashi said, “Finding it again, yes.”
“I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you,” Aashi said gratefully.
She found a place to eat and sat down with her food, enjoying the snack in peace now that the trouble of the little man was less of a problem and more like a reminder what her true mission was. It was to find her ship and go back to the life she once lived.
Parolov 29, 942
19:00, Commonwealth Standard Time
Aashi Nath, an Iromakuanhe and former pirate on a quest to claim what was once hers but lost to space and far from her reach, wore a void walker suit. It didn’t fit her horns quite well and kept her from blending in quite easily on Null, a Freespacer territory that she thought would be the first step in many to recovering her ship, the Devata.
She knew the way to case a place and eyed the stalls, food market, and the ship docking port individually. When she had been under the planet’s surface for a few hours surveying all there was to see, Aashi came to believe the best answer was to ask a question.
Who she asked that question to was of the utmost importance.
And, so, she chose wisely.
Her question came after she had approached an unmarked stall, closest to the port and with a rounded, monolithic Freespacer that bore the chrome outerwear of a Locksmith.
“Is there a gate that goes far North of here?” Aashi asked.
Her question was rebutted with another, “How far North?”
“Far.”
“You are under no flag you can claim nationality to,” said the monolithic ‘Spacer. “You will answer my question before I answer yours.”
“I know there are gates North of the Blue Rift,” Aashi said with eyes going between the two of the ‘Spacer’s eyes, studying them.
The ‘Spacer’s eyebrows twitched together. “I can take you to the very edge, the very North of the Blue Rift Expanse. No further.”
Aashi nodded curtly, “I would appreciate that, if that is what you can do.”
“Give me an hour to secure safe travels. Leave your things and enjoy the market.”
“I would appreciate that even more,” Aashi remarked. “Your name?”
“Travelsecurator-One Two 12-4982-6091.” The ‘Spacer nodded, continuing, “Come back here then and we will find you a way back to the Commonwealth.”
The name sent shivers down her spine. She had only them to worry about. ‘Spacers didn’t hold her piracy against her. The Nepleslian Premier had absolved her of all crimes she had committed in his space, but the Astral Commonwealth. The Astral Vanguard? Her footing there was unsure.
“I thank you,” Aashi said and departed from the stall.
“I know what you’re looking for,” came an uneven voice as a man sidled up next to her as she walked.
Aashi’s hand was on the Solanii pistol beneath her long, draping jacket and it was out of its holster, pushing towards the man’s side.
He felt the tip of the pistol jabbing him and chuckled, nervously but with an ounce of pride that was undeterred.
“Keep talking,” Aashi said, walking an even pace that was hard to match. The man was a little one, especially in comparison to her. He was outfitted in a void walker suit and carried an unconcealed weapon on his belt.
He made Aashi uneasy, as he should. She flung her eyes back to Travelsecurator’s stall, which was within eyesight, still. He was turned the other way, thankfully. She didn’t want his friendliness to end when he saw the trouble she caused.
“I said—“ Aashi began, but she was cut off.
“I said, ‘I know what you’re looking for.”’ He looked at her with a slight smile, but there was fear in the corners of his eyes.
“What is that?” Aashi asked.
The little man went on to say, “Let’s sit down.”
Aashi shook her head, black and blue hair shaking violently as she did.
“We keep walking, “ she said.
“Fine, then.” The little man looked grumpy, now, and raised his hands to push the pistol off of and away from himself. Aashi jabbed it in further.
“What do you have to tell me?” she asked.
“Your ship, Miss Nath, is not here.”
Aashi was livid, “I know that, but how do you know me?”
“You’re a legend,” was all he said.
Aashi asked, not flattered, “And you are?”
“An admirer.”
“Let’s sit.”
He said, “Let’s.”
When they had taken their seats, Aashi positioned her rifle on her knee, facing the little man in his void walker suit. She could see mousy brown curled hair and a clean shave beneath the helmet and wondered where he had gotten his information.
He told her something she wasn’t expecting to hear, “He lived.”
“Who lived?”
“The boy,” came the short response.
Aashi was confused and leaned on the only thing she had going for her, saying, “I have a gun pointed at you and you’re giving me little clues as to what you’re talking about. Who you’re talking about.”
“There was a boy. You and the boy were the only ones to survive.”
“Survive what? A raid? A what?”
The man smiled, “Precisely. What? He wouldn’t speak of it.”
“Where did you find this out?”
The little man said, “He came to ’Spacer territory, just like you. Landed a magnificent purple ship.” He then spoke her name, “The Devata.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
He told Aashi, “Like I said, I’m an admirer. That, and I know how much you make when you’re stealing. I want in on that.”
Aashi scoffed, “Only my crew get in on that.”
“Make me a part of your crew.”
She had only ever had Iromakuanhe crew members and this little man, she knew nothing of him.
“Family comes first.”
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning I can’t hire you,” she told him. “Family first.”
“Then what is all this for?” he asked, standing and raising his arms.
“Like you said, because you’re an admirer.”
“I have a crew of my own,” he said with an involuntary twitch of his cheek.
Aashi’s eyebrows knit together as she flung her free hand to her other waist and grabbed her Solanii carbine and lifted herself from her sitting position to turn to guard her back while pointing her pistol above the table, at the small man.
Behind her were two fiendish void walker suit-clad men of opposing heights and with scowls behind their helmets. One of them had already brought his arm down to sweep Aashi’s carbine out of her hand, but Aashi rejected that idea and, instead, brought the carbine up and to his face, hitting him square on the helmet’s front, impacting while she brought her knee up to her own chest and jutted out her heeled boot towards him.
The man flew backwards after she had kicked him and she directed her attention to the man to her other side, knocking her elbow into his face before pistol-whipping him and watching him fall. She pointed both of her guns at the man that had been talking with her.
Distinctly aggravated, Aashi said, “Lay off or prepare to be laid down.”
The man, realizing her strength, laid down his own weapon as a Locksmith came over to them haughtily.
Aashi holstered her guns, not taking her eyes off of the man.
“I’ll lurk in your shadows, Nath, until I’m ready to strike you down if you won’t have me.”
“I won’t.”
“What was going on here?” The Locksmith said as he looked at the two stumbling from Aashi’s attack and the man that she had been talking to.” Looks to be over. Is that the case?”
Aashi was quick to reply, “It is, indeed.”
The Locksmith said, “Then let’s show a little respect to one another and go separate ways, shall we?”
Aashi waited for the man to nod and walk away before she herself eyed the Locksmith.
“Thank you for your help,” she said with a tilt of her head, as if bowing slightly.
“There should be no trouble on my watch.”
Aashi replied, “Trouble there will not be. May I buy you a meal for your efforts?”
“Buy yourself one, you have quite the trip ahead of you.” The Locksmith jutted his jaw in the direction of the unmarked stand she had approached earlier. “I wasn’t just patrolling the area. I was asked to watch you after you asked to go where you’re going. Do you know what’s in store for you there?”
With a tone of confidence that was unbefitting to how she truly felt, Aashi said simply, “Yes.”
“Returning to your home?”
Aashi said, “Finding it again, yes.”
“I wish you the best of luck.”
“Thank you,” Aashi said gratefully.
She found a place to eat and sat down with her food, enjoying the snack in peace now that the trouble of the little man was less of a problem and more like a reminder what her true mission was. It was to find her ship and go back to the life she once lived.
