A
Ametheliana
Osman City
Captain Ulysses Werner walked along the crowded city streets. He was still dressed in his black fatigues, black beret, and leather officer's coat. He finally got to step away from his work and decided to take a stroll through the city. He didn't care about where exactly he was walking, he just walked down the twisting streets and alleyways. As he walked he found a local bar and decided to stop inside. He walked through the double doors and ignored the lingering glances, and sat down at one of the tables. He called over one of the waitress and ordered himself a bottle of whiskey and a glass of ice. As he waited for the drink he pulled out his datajockey and decided to read more reports.
There had been a lot to do as a member of Uso's crew, but not a lot to learn as of yet, for Aashi Nath. Everything she had to do for her thus far was well within Aashi's metaphorical wheelhouse and she found that she almost revelled in the work she had done thus far. There were plans set and plans executed already between mostly Uso, Aashi, and a rogue-ish Ronin and, together, they had already done some pretty good things for the planet. And after that much work, Aashi was happy to permit herself a stroll down the Osman city streets, but what really struck her was the bar. Always one to be happy to drink her crew under the table, she was excited to see the familiar bottles and boozes calling out to her.
Outfitted in her only garb, a long violet dress with slits up the sides and enough fabric left off the chest to expose what looked to be large objects but were nothing in comparison to her larger hips. She swept away the thick fabric of her long draping overcoat and moved her leg out from behind it to ready herself to sit down. She spotted half of an empty table partially obscured by a wall and went to it. Where she was sitting down was something of a surprise to her as the table only appeared empty and only until she had fully sat down did she realize her mistake.
"Well," she said coolly as she looked at the face of the man she was across from, covered in black from head to toe with a demeanor to match, or so Aashi perceived from the few seconds she had before she spoke again, "isn't this a surprise?"
Werner looked up from his datajockey with a disinterested look. "Is it because you didn't know I was here? Or that you are a pirate and I was on the anti pirate task force for the NSN?" He stated flatly.
"If only you knew the real truth," Aashi said, reflexively both nervous and collected simultaneously. "A pirate stalker is worse than a pirate, you know."
"Two sides of the same coin Ms. Aashi." He said looking up with the barest hint of a smile.
"Then you and I can share a drink?" she asked him with no hesitation in her voice.
As they waitress walked up she handed the bottle and glass to Werner, he slid they bottle and glass to Aashi. "Can I get another glass... and most likely another bottle." He said looking up at the waitress, passing her some cash. We she saw the amount, her eyes widened and thanked him fervently before rushing off to fill his order.
"Now then." he said looking back to his new drinking partner. "I know your name, you might as well know mine. Name is Ulysses S. Werner. A pleasure to meet you in person." he added.
"So I guess we're not going to be swapping stories over these drinks, huh?" Aashi asked and then continued, "It sounds like you might just know half of mine. Is that the case?"
Ulysses withdrew a cigar and lit it, the corners of his mouth hinting at a smile. "Sorry Ms. Aashi, but I pride myself information. Especially those I work with." He tapped his datajockey and slid it to her. It was a report... on her. "You are wanted for 23 counts of theft, 31 counts of smuggling, 4 counts of murder, 2 cases of man slaughter, and vandalism... To name a few." He said as he exhaled the cigar smoke from his lungs.
The waitress wordlessly appeared as Aashi began tapping her fingers against her thigh and Aashi made no notice of her as she bent over the table to set down the second bottle and glass. Once the amber liquid was in it, she clasped it firmly and tilted it to her lips, tasting the slick wetness of it against the tip of her tongue slide down until it started to tingle at the back of her throat. She exhaled slightly afterwards and felt the burning, exalted by it. In another swig the glass was finished. Aashi had little to say but many thoughts moved about inside of her head. She voiced none of them, only tipped the bottle and filled the glass again.
After another drink, she said, "I don't see any NSN rank patches on any shoulders in this bar, do you?" After a moment of silence, she went on to say, "I know what you've done to the NMX. The Rok'Veru Offensive wasn't something that went unnoticed. You know where you and I differ, but I know where we converge. I wasn't always a captain and neither were you, but we both took command of our ships when ours were out for the count. You treated your crew well, and kept them alive, as I did mine. Now, I also know you were a part the evacuation of the Tange system. You don't know it, but you saved a lot of people that came to my ship. That's when I first heard that you weren't such a bad guy. You were a bad guy to us bad guys for a long time, but you're not half-bad."
Werner's face remained neutral, yet his eye showed a hint of surprise. "Well aren't you quite informed. Not many know of my patricaption in that ops." He said pouring himself a drink and topping of hers. He shrugged. "That is all in the past now. Now we are on the same team as ironic as that is." He said raising his glass. "Care to drink to that?"
"Happy to," Aashi replied with a genuinely pleased smile before her mouth opened and she sipped the warm liquid slowly. She ruminated on just what he meant and when she couldn't put the pieces together herself, she let her lack of knowledge apparent, "I know what team I'm on, I just didn't know men like you were on it. That must sound so naive," she said. She lowered her head and put her hand on the crown of it before raising it again and looking at him to say, "Uso's?"
He took a sip of his drink savoring the burn. "You scorn me Ms. Aashi." He said with the slightest hint of sarcasm. "I was forced to retire and I still wanted to captain. My little sister got me a job and that job led here." He said swirling his drink before taking another sip. "Thus the lack of patches." He added.
"I've scorned you once," she said, putting her hands up in surrender, then lowered them to say, "I won't do it again. Given appearances I can only assume you're just as competent and capable as you were back when you had adorned shoulders. Appearances are never deceiving when you have as keen an eye as mine and I'm wondering just what kind of fighting is keeping you in such good shape. Specifically, what kind of fighting have you seen while working," she swirled her whiskey in its glass and repeated his vague phrasing, "here?"
He looked back up at her. "I have been doing scouting run against the NMX for Uso as of late."
"And what have you turned up?" she asked, a morbid curiosity rising as she hoped to hear what her immediate future held under Uso's flag.
Werner's serious demeanor grew colder. "A shitshow if we are being frank. Three carriers and 23 pillager class ships. If we had the number we could beat them easily. As it is now, this will be a challenge." He answered frankly.
Aashi let her eyebrows raise on her dark sienna forehead and lifted the glass charismatically after he had finished and her eyebrows had gone back down, saying, "It will be, won't it? You're known for working subversively. Sneaking into the enemy's shadows and only popping into the light of day almost as soon as the daylight's been knocked out of them. I'm known for simply the opposite and Uso, well... Uso's known as a conquerer of sorts. Combined..." she said, letting him tie up the loose ends she was throwing out.
"It is a clash of styles to be sure. However it can be used to our advantage. We just have to fight smarter not harder. Jam their comms, kill them off, and move on. Ambush them and repeat." He sighed. "At least that as far we have gotten."
Aashi nodded as he spoke, "You stand up to all of the expectations one could have of you. You're smart and right now it looks like Uso's got a lot of brawn. She needs the brains, and I'm glad she's got it in you. Don't doubt that I have both, but know that I rely on my team just as much as you rely on yours." Aashi filled both of their glasses and then leaned back in her chair, chest popping as she put her elbows on the back of her chair. "So it seems like you're just as powerful an ally as you used to be an adversary. I'm glad to hear it, genuinely. I'd also be glad to hear what it is you're captain of, I don't know much about Uso's fleet as of yet and I know there are some pilots on Uso's team, but no captains I can speak of."
He actually smiled as he took the drink. "The same to you my Nemesis." He said downing his drink. "I am the proud captain of an old C2 Escort Carrier. The Necromancer has had extensive overhauls done to compete with the newer ships out there. New shields, guns, computers, etc." he said with a wave of his hand.
"There's some extreme attack range on the Necromancer, then. Armor piercing weapons are always nice to have. C2's are generally top-notch but the fact you've modified it extensively shows me you're more serious than even Neplesia about attacking your enemies with force. They were never good at catching the bad guys," she said, pointing a slim finger at herself, saying, "case in point. But you seem to be well adapted to it. Who would you say is your biggest asset on your team? Save for Uso and myself," Aashi said with a rolling tenure, "of course."
Werner looked thoughtful for a moment. "That would be my XO. Commander Kovac is one of my close friends. He quit when he caught wind of my forced retirement. Joined back up with me once I got a new ship. How about you?" He asked taking another puff from his cigar.
She wanted to say Sneha Chadha Leen's name or perhaps others, ones that she had even given stolen ships to and let go off to roam space as their own captain, but she couldn't say those names anymore. She could only rattle of the names of those she had grown to know only recently.
"I'd be stumbling over names if I told you any, because I haven't had the chance to fight with any of them. So far we've had diplomatic missions where Uso showed herself to be as capable and competent as any of my former ship mates. I can only attest to her fortitude, nobody elses. Unless I count a sparring match and some witty banter between Ronin and myself as reason to call him an asset. Commander Kovac sounds like he may need some warming up to me, too, if he was part of Neplesia's Navy or Marines, too. Will he need a couple bottles of whiskey to do it, too?"
He nodded. "He is former Navy as am myself. He will warm up to you if give him a bottle of alcohol. might take a few bottles, but you will get there. Your bank account might take a hit though." He said with a smirk as he took another drink.
"My bank account," Aashi said with a brief laugh, "my bank account can't even throw a punch, let alone take a hit."
He smiled. "Well then you will have to find another way to make friends. That will make it considerably harder though..." He replied.
"Haahaha," Aashi laughed more robustly this time, "Maybe I'll use what Uso's paying me to pay him off in order to work for Uso better. Quite a conundrum I've gotten myself in, isn't it?" She took another drink and continued to relax against her chair as she watched the bustling bar as warm plates were served and people downed libations around her. She could feel the warmth of the atmosphere and it reminded her of being on her own ship surrounded by people. With that thought, she grew solemn and unfit to be around so much that reminded her of how little she had. "You wouldn't mind taking me back to the ship, would you? Uso's, not yours, though I would love to see your beauty soon, I do."
Werner's faced contorted from it's stoic, cold demeanor to a sympathetic one. As if he knew what was going on. "Sure. Come on Ms. Aashi. I will show you they way back to the palace. The ship is normally there." he answered standing, placing a tip on the table.
Aashi rose and flattened her dress against her pelvis, smoothing it out, before stepping in the direction he walked. "I've seen and heard some stories about the nobility around here," she said. "Have they given Uso any real trouble that you can speak of?"
"They did in the beginning. Though I was hired rather recently. You would have to speak with the older guys, Raphael: The Elysian or Cyrus: The Cyborg Merc are you best bets for the full story." He replied as they walked.
"There's a space angel on the crew, huh? I'll have to talk to this Raphael. A cyborg mercenary is always a friend to me. Any mercenary is a friend to me, though," she replied. "I suppose I don't need to concern myself with their politics, the idea of anyone usurping Uso doesn't settle too well with me, but it seems that threat is long gone away. Now, it's a matter of defending the territory and creatures," she said, thinking of the adorable I'ee, "against other, worse creatures. Would you say they terrify you, Mr. Werner?"
"Who? The I'ee? They were... difficult to get used to at first, but now..." He looked over his shoulder.
"They grow on you?" she asked.
"Yes, they grow on you." He said agreeing. As he looked back he could see the outline of the Queen's Slave sitting infront the Palace. "There she is..." He said stopping and looking back to the pirate.
"Thank you, Mr. Werner," Aashi said, turning to him, then said, "I didn't expect to feel such camaraderie outside of my own ship. You'll learn how affixed to Uso's success as planet leader I really am soon enough, but you may also see that I hold on to that for dear life because it is one of the only things I have gained since I lost everything. I'm not telling you this for no reason, I'm telling you because I lost years of my life locked away and honed my ability to empty out any feelings of loneliness, but recently those feelings have been finding ways to stray back into my life. Knowing that I have accomplices, ones that are both competent and kind, that chases those feelings away, Mr. Werner. And for that," she said, "I thank you." Her familiar, the Skyfish that had been out of sight as of yet, appeared and its manta ray like body and it nudged Ulysses' shoulder and rubbed its open mouth against his ear.
"Good night to you," she said with a smile and ducked her head as the Matai Skyfish ended its rub against Ulysses and flew in front of Aashi as she turned away from him.
Ulysses smiled as he petted the Skyfish. "Good night Ms. Aashi. I twas a pleasure to meet my nemsis." he said with a slight bow.
Captain Ulysses Werner walked along the crowded city streets. He was still dressed in his black fatigues, black beret, and leather officer's coat. He finally got to step away from his work and decided to take a stroll through the city. He didn't care about where exactly he was walking, he just walked down the twisting streets and alleyways. As he walked he found a local bar and decided to stop inside. He walked through the double doors and ignored the lingering glances, and sat down at one of the tables. He called over one of the waitress and ordered himself a bottle of whiskey and a glass of ice. As he waited for the drink he pulled out his datajockey and decided to read more reports.
There had been a lot to do as a member of Uso's crew, but not a lot to learn as of yet, for Aashi Nath. Everything she had to do for her thus far was well within Aashi's metaphorical wheelhouse and she found that she almost revelled in the work she had done thus far. There were plans set and plans executed already between mostly Uso, Aashi, and a rogue-ish Ronin and, together, they had already done some pretty good things for the planet. And after that much work, Aashi was happy to permit herself a stroll down the Osman city streets, but what really struck her was the bar. Always one to be happy to drink her crew under the table, she was excited to see the familiar bottles and boozes calling out to her.
Outfitted in her only garb, a long violet dress with slits up the sides and enough fabric left off the chest to expose what looked to be large objects but were nothing in comparison to her larger hips. She swept away the thick fabric of her long draping overcoat and moved her leg out from behind it to ready herself to sit down. She spotted half of an empty table partially obscured by a wall and went to it. Where she was sitting down was something of a surprise to her as the table only appeared empty and only until she had fully sat down did she realize her mistake.
"Well," she said coolly as she looked at the face of the man she was across from, covered in black from head to toe with a demeanor to match, or so Aashi perceived from the few seconds she had before she spoke again, "isn't this a surprise?"
Werner looked up from his datajockey with a disinterested look. "Is it because you didn't know I was here? Or that you are a pirate and I was on the anti pirate task force for the NSN?" He stated flatly.
"If only you knew the real truth," Aashi said, reflexively both nervous and collected simultaneously. "A pirate stalker is worse than a pirate, you know."
"Two sides of the same coin Ms. Aashi." He said looking up with the barest hint of a smile.
"Then you and I can share a drink?" she asked him with no hesitation in her voice.
As they waitress walked up she handed the bottle and glass to Werner, he slid they bottle and glass to Aashi. "Can I get another glass... and most likely another bottle." He said looking up at the waitress, passing her some cash. We she saw the amount, her eyes widened and thanked him fervently before rushing off to fill his order.
"Now then." he said looking back to his new drinking partner. "I know your name, you might as well know mine. Name is Ulysses S. Werner. A pleasure to meet you in person." he added.
"So I guess we're not going to be swapping stories over these drinks, huh?" Aashi asked and then continued, "It sounds like you might just know half of mine. Is that the case?"
Ulysses withdrew a cigar and lit it, the corners of his mouth hinting at a smile. "Sorry Ms. Aashi, but I pride myself information. Especially those I work with." He tapped his datajockey and slid it to her. It was a report... on her. "You are wanted for 23 counts of theft, 31 counts of smuggling, 4 counts of murder, 2 cases of man slaughter, and vandalism... To name a few." He said as he exhaled the cigar smoke from his lungs.
The waitress wordlessly appeared as Aashi began tapping her fingers against her thigh and Aashi made no notice of her as she bent over the table to set down the second bottle and glass. Once the amber liquid was in it, she clasped it firmly and tilted it to her lips, tasting the slick wetness of it against the tip of her tongue slide down until it started to tingle at the back of her throat. She exhaled slightly afterwards and felt the burning, exalted by it. In another swig the glass was finished. Aashi had little to say but many thoughts moved about inside of her head. She voiced none of them, only tipped the bottle and filled the glass again.
After another drink, she said, "I don't see any NSN rank patches on any shoulders in this bar, do you?" After a moment of silence, she went on to say, "I know what you've done to the NMX. The Rok'Veru Offensive wasn't something that went unnoticed. You know where you and I differ, but I know where we converge. I wasn't always a captain and neither were you, but we both took command of our ships when ours were out for the count. You treated your crew well, and kept them alive, as I did mine. Now, I also know you were a part the evacuation of the Tange system. You don't know it, but you saved a lot of people that came to my ship. That's when I first heard that you weren't such a bad guy. You were a bad guy to us bad guys for a long time, but you're not half-bad."
Werner's face remained neutral, yet his eye showed a hint of surprise. "Well aren't you quite informed. Not many know of my patricaption in that ops." He said pouring himself a drink and topping of hers. He shrugged. "That is all in the past now. Now we are on the same team as ironic as that is." He said raising his glass. "Care to drink to that?"
"Happy to," Aashi replied with a genuinely pleased smile before her mouth opened and she sipped the warm liquid slowly. She ruminated on just what he meant and when she couldn't put the pieces together herself, she let her lack of knowledge apparent, "I know what team I'm on, I just didn't know men like you were on it. That must sound so naive," she said. She lowered her head and put her hand on the crown of it before raising it again and looking at him to say, "Uso's?"
He took a sip of his drink savoring the burn. "You scorn me Ms. Aashi." He said with the slightest hint of sarcasm. "I was forced to retire and I still wanted to captain. My little sister got me a job and that job led here." He said swirling his drink before taking another sip. "Thus the lack of patches." He added.
"I've scorned you once," she said, putting her hands up in surrender, then lowered them to say, "I won't do it again. Given appearances I can only assume you're just as competent and capable as you were back when you had adorned shoulders. Appearances are never deceiving when you have as keen an eye as mine and I'm wondering just what kind of fighting is keeping you in such good shape. Specifically, what kind of fighting have you seen while working," she swirled her whiskey in its glass and repeated his vague phrasing, "here?"
He looked back up at her. "I have been doing scouting run against the NMX for Uso as of late."
"And what have you turned up?" she asked, a morbid curiosity rising as she hoped to hear what her immediate future held under Uso's flag.
Werner's serious demeanor grew colder. "A shitshow if we are being frank. Three carriers and 23 pillager class ships. If we had the number we could beat them easily. As it is now, this will be a challenge." He answered frankly.
Aashi let her eyebrows raise on her dark sienna forehead and lifted the glass charismatically after he had finished and her eyebrows had gone back down, saying, "It will be, won't it? You're known for working subversively. Sneaking into the enemy's shadows and only popping into the light of day almost as soon as the daylight's been knocked out of them. I'm known for simply the opposite and Uso, well... Uso's known as a conquerer of sorts. Combined..." she said, letting him tie up the loose ends she was throwing out.
"It is a clash of styles to be sure. However it can be used to our advantage. We just have to fight smarter not harder. Jam their comms, kill them off, and move on. Ambush them and repeat." He sighed. "At least that as far we have gotten."
Aashi nodded as he spoke, "You stand up to all of the expectations one could have of you. You're smart and right now it looks like Uso's got a lot of brawn. She needs the brains, and I'm glad she's got it in you. Don't doubt that I have both, but know that I rely on my team just as much as you rely on yours." Aashi filled both of their glasses and then leaned back in her chair, chest popping as she put her elbows on the back of her chair. "So it seems like you're just as powerful an ally as you used to be an adversary. I'm glad to hear it, genuinely. I'd also be glad to hear what it is you're captain of, I don't know much about Uso's fleet as of yet and I know there are some pilots on Uso's team, but no captains I can speak of."
He actually smiled as he took the drink. "The same to you my Nemesis." He said downing his drink. "I am the proud captain of an old C2 Escort Carrier. The Necromancer has had extensive overhauls done to compete with the newer ships out there. New shields, guns, computers, etc." he said with a wave of his hand.
"There's some extreme attack range on the Necromancer, then. Armor piercing weapons are always nice to have. C2's are generally top-notch but the fact you've modified it extensively shows me you're more serious than even Neplesia about attacking your enemies with force. They were never good at catching the bad guys," she said, pointing a slim finger at herself, saying, "case in point. But you seem to be well adapted to it. Who would you say is your biggest asset on your team? Save for Uso and myself," Aashi said with a rolling tenure, "of course."
Werner looked thoughtful for a moment. "That would be my XO. Commander Kovac is one of my close friends. He quit when he caught wind of my forced retirement. Joined back up with me once I got a new ship. How about you?" He asked taking another puff from his cigar.
She wanted to say Sneha Chadha Leen's name or perhaps others, ones that she had even given stolen ships to and let go off to roam space as their own captain, but she couldn't say those names anymore. She could only rattle of the names of those she had grown to know only recently.
"I'd be stumbling over names if I told you any, because I haven't had the chance to fight with any of them. So far we've had diplomatic missions where Uso showed herself to be as capable and competent as any of my former ship mates. I can only attest to her fortitude, nobody elses. Unless I count a sparring match and some witty banter between Ronin and myself as reason to call him an asset. Commander Kovac sounds like he may need some warming up to me, too, if he was part of Neplesia's Navy or Marines, too. Will he need a couple bottles of whiskey to do it, too?"
He nodded. "He is former Navy as am myself. He will warm up to you if give him a bottle of alcohol. might take a few bottles, but you will get there. Your bank account might take a hit though." He said with a smirk as he took another drink.
"My bank account," Aashi said with a brief laugh, "my bank account can't even throw a punch, let alone take a hit."
He smiled. "Well then you will have to find another way to make friends. That will make it considerably harder though..." He replied.
"Haahaha," Aashi laughed more robustly this time, "Maybe I'll use what Uso's paying me to pay him off in order to work for Uso better. Quite a conundrum I've gotten myself in, isn't it?" She took another drink and continued to relax against her chair as she watched the bustling bar as warm plates were served and people downed libations around her. She could feel the warmth of the atmosphere and it reminded her of being on her own ship surrounded by people. With that thought, she grew solemn and unfit to be around so much that reminded her of how little she had. "You wouldn't mind taking me back to the ship, would you? Uso's, not yours, though I would love to see your beauty soon, I do."
Werner's faced contorted from it's stoic, cold demeanor to a sympathetic one. As if he knew what was going on. "Sure. Come on Ms. Aashi. I will show you they way back to the palace. The ship is normally there." he answered standing, placing a tip on the table.
Aashi rose and flattened her dress against her pelvis, smoothing it out, before stepping in the direction he walked. "I've seen and heard some stories about the nobility around here," she said. "Have they given Uso any real trouble that you can speak of?"
"They did in the beginning. Though I was hired rather recently. You would have to speak with the older guys, Raphael: The Elysian or Cyrus: The Cyborg Merc are you best bets for the full story." He replied as they walked.
"There's a space angel on the crew, huh? I'll have to talk to this Raphael. A cyborg mercenary is always a friend to me. Any mercenary is a friend to me, though," she replied. "I suppose I don't need to concern myself with their politics, the idea of anyone usurping Uso doesn't settle too well with me, but it seems that threat is long gone away. Now, it's a matter of defending the territory and creatures," she said, thinking of the adorable I'ee, "against other, worse creatures. Would you say they terrify you, Mr. Werner?"
"Who? The I'ee? They were... difficult to get used to at first, but now..." He looked over his shoulder.
"They grow on you?" she asked.
"Yes, they grow on you." He said agreeing. As he looked back he could see the outline of the Queen's Slave sitting infront the Palace. "There she is..." He said stopping and looking back to the pirate.
"Thank you, Mr. Werner," Aashi said, turning to him, then said, "I didn't expect to feel such camaraderie outside of my own ship. You'll learn how affixed to Uso's success as planet leader I really am soon enough, but you may also see that I hold on to that for dear life because it is one of the only things I have gained since I lost everything. I'm not telling you this for no reason, I'm telling you because I lost years of my life locked away and honed my ability to empty out any feelings of loneliness, but recently those feelings have been finding ways to stray back into my life. Knowing that I have accomplices, ones that are both competent and kind, that chases those feelings away, Mr. Werner. And for that," she said, "I thank you." Her familiar, the Skyfish that had been out of sight as of yet, appeared and its manta ray like body and it nudged Ulysses' shoulder and rubbed its open mouth against his ear.
"Good night to you," she said with a smile and ducked her head as the Matai Skyfish ended its rub against Ulysses and flew in front of Aashi as she turned away from him.
Ulysses smiled as he petted the Skyfish. "Good night Ms. Aashi. I twas a pleasure to meet my nemsis." he said with a slight bow.
