Hafipaer pays attention to the negotiation and tries to get a read on the woman and her reaction to Nik-A-Nik, Ace, and Robyte.
Xevras stares at his datapad for a moment, a sinking feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. This... wasn't just some ordinary competition. These were people who could very possibly be killing for their credits.
He looks down to Nik-a-Nik and says, "I think we should take the deal, too."
"Excellent! Well, my boys can help you unload. Where should I transfer the funds?"
Xevras taps out a quick message to the rest of the crew's comms. EJ's probably going to be mad at us either way. I'd rather pay Runo.
Ace types something out as well, miniscule claws rapidly typing away at an appropriate-sized comm unit.. same here, ejs going to be peeved EITHER way, we dont want two targets on our back and/or piss off an old man if we can help it.
The Skitter glances about before his own hands fly over multiple boards
"Correct. Boss people will be mad either way. Best is to make friends" a second string almost immediately follows up on this "We should prepare. Don't know what EJ will do."
Hafipaer responds in text to the group. EJ won't be happy if we pay Runo but they also won't be happy if we have Runo bad mouthing EJ, and us. Let's make at least one half of this situation happy.
He sends another quick message. Also, nuts to EJ.
so were in agreement then?
so were in agreement then?
Six thumbs up comes from the Skitter
With a predatory smile, the woman transfers the funds and snaps her fingers. The massive Shobhads spring into action when she does, grabbing crates from the truck one-handed and four at a time. The unloading process becomes the only thing easy about this run thanks to the strong thugs.
The crew knows there will be fallout from the deal and it is tough to say which outcome would have been worse, but for now they can sit on the news until they report back to Tarika at Absalom Station.
Xevras doesn't relax until they're back in the Drift. "I was looking things up, and... that gang that took over Ka Imports have been making people disappear."
He shudders all the way from his tail up his neck to his head. "It's a good thing we got out of there quick."
Ace gives a squirrely thumbs up, atill a bit shocked at how much Xwvras's body shakes as she shivers.
Robyte happily accepts the deal and is also happy about getting out of there. He didn't want to deal with those people any more than he had to, considering what's going to happen when they get back to the office
Partway through the first day of Drift travel, Xevras asks the big question. "So... what are we going to tell the Company?"
|
Nik-a-Nik shrugs.
"The truth? We are already going to be roasted for that, so there is no need to compound it with lies. We had perishable goods, the original buyer no longer existed, and we did the best we could to find a secondary buyer - and we figured that they wouldn't want the bad social media optics from stiffing the seller."
"Phrasing it in terms of optics is probably the best to save our bacon. Even if it's just to make that bacon slightly less burnt."
And now I want artificial bacon.
Hafipaer arches his back in a long stretch.
"Honestly, serves them right. If they want someone to get the best price for something, send merchants not haulers like us."
"To be fair. I think if they knew about the change of ownership they would have send more suitable individuals. But I agree. Best the truth. We did the best we could with info we had. Save a client and save face does sound more appealing. Hopefully the bigwigs will understand. Trouble will come, yes, as it usually does. But hopefully not as much as if we gave them bad rep" the Skitter adds to the mix, crossing ass 6 his arms
Xevras nods. "That does sound like a good way to phrase it."
Then he grimaces. "Somehow I have a feeling they'll still be taking it out of our pay, though."
"Better they take it outta our pay now than take us off the company."
The next few days are dreary and dull in the Drift, flying back to headquarters at Absalom Station. Well, not entirely dreary, as a pack of parasites attaching themselves to the hull of BD514 halfway through the trip back home breaks up the monotony somewhat.
Nearly as soon as BD514 exits the Drift, an incoming comms request lights up on the control panel. The commcode show it is your intrepid, friendly dispatcher Tarika. She's connected from a cubicle somewhere in the corporate tower of the station, tinkering with her huge wrench. Seeing the crew's face, she immediately starts fidgeting with the tool and asking what happened.
After being caught up on the situation she sighs heavily. “Corporations are expandin’ so fast,” Tarika says with a weary sigh. “By the time y’all went from Castrovel to Akiton, your local buyer had already been bought out by an interstellar conglomerate! Guess there’s no room for family businesses anymore. Not in the Pact Worlds, at least.”
She shakes her head and taps a few buttons on her datapad. “But let’s focus on what matters: gettin’ y’all a high-payin’ gig to put ya back in the Company’s good graces. I got just the thing. Came in not long ago, in fact, and it’s... well, not perfect, but it’ll do the trick. A drow callin’ himself Lord Sinjin is shippin’ guns from Apostae to a planet in Near Space. I guess the Gideron Authority is tryin’ to settle a world called Vohxa, and the local miners are turnin’ into more of a problem than anyone figured they’d be."
“So the job is simple: go to Apostae and meet with Sinjin’s agent, Tause Jarzeed, at a place called Lamashtu’s Lair, where you’ll pick up the cargo. Take it to a Gideron military outpost on Vohxa and collect payment. Oh, and no questions asked. You know the type.” Tarika rolls her eyes as she sends over the last of the job details.
"Ya do realize there's like, a fair number of uplifted bears, yea? Anyways, I'm with Nik-a-Nik here, as long as we don't get screwed over, I'm fine with practically anything. With terms an' conditions for stuff that might get Daikitsu pissed enough ta revoke my ability ta shapeshift."
"Yeah, doesn't stop someone from makin' an owlbear though. Magic an' tech has advanced so much more since then, all it takes is ONE mad bioengineer," the little vulkarisu says with a chuckle.
Xevras grins slightly at the two's banter, though it quickly disappears as he starts thinking about the job. "One question, out there in the wilds like that, what's keeping them from opening up the weapons shipment, turning around, and pointing them at us when we ask for the payment?"
"We could also lock the crates and wait for payment before giving them the codes? There are a lot of options" the multi coloured hacker suggests
Hafipaer smiles slightly at Xevras' concern and when he speaks his tone is clearly sarcastic. "I highly doubt EJ would send us into a situation where we would be so easily double crossed."
His expression takes a more serious look as he continues. "Jokes aside here, I think Xevras is right to be worried and both Nik and Ro have good ideas here. We shouldn't hand over the everything until we at least have some assurances." Turning back to the terminal on the bridge. "Maybe we can get access to data on these warring parties before we head back out. No questions asked does not mean we can't at least understand who we are dealing with."
The local infosphere at Absalom Station quickly returns dozens of news articles about the hobgoblin warlords of the Gideron Authority's recent military expansionist moves, including against the diverse humanoid population of the Marixah Republic.
Gideron's targets have been worlds where hobgoblins have, or have had, a presence, which means large corporations such as EJ can justify doing business with invaders. This explains their attack at Voxha, where ruins of a hobgoblin settlement were recently unearthed. Of course, the world also has sizeable deposits of siccatite, so it has intrinsic economic value to both nations.
"I just want to make sure we've thought things through before showing up in a war zone," Xevras replies to Half-right.
He browses the infosphere articles about this Gideron Authority, most especially looking for any reports of double-dealing or disappearances attributed to them.
Xevras cannot find any instances of dirty trade from Gideron Authority. Their military campaigns seem well-organized and executed, and as a military junta, they seem to understand the value of reliable logistics. Similarly, there are no reports that they "disappear" anyone. On the contrary, the Authority is quite public about those they execute. The better to pacify resistance.
"Welp. As long as Daikitsu ain't gonna decide to take my shiftin' for it, I'm on board." the soldier says.
Robyte nods in agreement "If they are on the up and up, loosely speaking, I guess there isn't much to worry about on that end of the trade"
"Should we worry about the other end?" Xevras half-opens and closes his wings, his tail twitching nervously. "I just don't want to end up on a streak of bad jobs..."
"I hear you Xevras." Hafipaer stands and arches his back to stretch. "I for one think we need to keep an eye on both groups in the deal. I don't know who to trust less, a drow, a hobgoblin, or a corporate exec."
Before signing off, Tarika promises to buy a "fancy meal" at her favorite cheap restaurant on Absalom Station, Noodles Between, when you get back, "Bigger margins on guns than berries, this job will get you square with EJ, so celebration dinner is on me!"
"We got those credits to split from that extra crate... anything you think we need?" Xevras asks the rest of the crew.
"Unless you can refit the cockpit, nah" Ace says
Xevras taps a claw on a cheek scale thoughtfully. "I mean, if you wanted just a UI refresh we could probably get a new display and I could do some custom work with it, but... not sure the Company would be cool with that. And really I could probably do that with what we already have."
"Oh nah, it'd be a crap ton more than a dang UI refresh. I can manage with what we have though," Ace says with a thumbs up.
Hafipaer motions towards the crew quarters. "I'd say a little more space in the racks or maybe a new heating unit, but the company likely would just take the ship from us if we improve it too much."
"Yeah, I've piloted in my shifted form before, an' it's actually more effective but... that'd be a rodent squox-sized cockpit. EJ ain't gonna be happy if we do that."