“That’s a point. But how many people disappear like that every year back on Corrida?” Star asked, tilting her head curiously.
“I don’t know. It happened once, though,” Moon retorted, then frowned. “Do you feel that strongly against it? You’re arguing a lot.”
“No, I’m trying to make sure you’re thinking this through,” Star corrected, a smile flickering across her face. “I don’t mind the idea of staying, but I want to be sure it’s for the right reasons. For me… well, she’s run her own business, and was obviously successful, so I could learn a lot from her. I’ve looked up the price of the armor she wears, and even without enchantments, it’s worth more than our parent’s house. And I’m sure it’s been customized further than that.”
“Alright, then,” Moon said, pausing for a moment, then asked. “We talk to her tomorrow morning, tell her what the situation is, and see what she says?”
“Seems fair. Lying to her seems like a terrible idea, and if nothing else, she can tell us no. Or maybe she’ll point us in a direction we hadn’t thought of,” Star agreed.
“Good. Now to finish reading these, and I can think about how to reply,” Moon said, rolling back upright so she could read more.
Star laughed, then started doing the same.
“Hmm. A tricky situation, isn’t it?” Evelyn murmured, looking at the twins thoughtfully as she sat in the small room she’d set aside for meeting with the various women.
“It is. I know you offered jobs, but… we’d have to figure out how much they paid, then decide what makes the most sense,” Star said, shrugging as a flash of guilt crossed her face. “I know our parents would love to see us, but if they’re in debt, I don’t want to make their situation worse.”
Evelyn nodded, toying with a lock of hair as she sat back, considering for several seconds. She’d never really paid that much attention to how wealthy she was, if she was being honest. Not in comparison to normal people. When she was preparing to overthrow Peldra it’d been a concern, but not much after that. A thought brought her finances to the fore of her implants, and Evelyn considered the number for several seconds. The main issue was to not let the account get too low, as far as she was concerned… but she wouldn’t have many problems with that. No, she could afford to be reasonably generous.
“What positions are you interested in?” Evelyn asked after a few moments.
“I’m training as a chef, so I thought that would fit. I’d also like to learn to fight, but I’ll understand if that isn’t possible,” Moon said.
“And I’m thinking… what’s the term for someone who handles finances aboard a ship?” Star asked, frowning.
“It depends, but a purser or quartermaster are the ones I’ve heard most often,” Evelyn replied, smiling in amusement.
“Then I’d like to learn to do that. Maybe I can help you and learn enough that I’d be able to be in a better place in the future,” Star said, looking Evelyn in the eyes as she smiled nervously. “I know it’s a bit…”
Evelyn dismissed her apology before it could come out, running a couple of searches, then sat forward. “Very well, I have an amount I’d offer. I still have to write up the contracts, but here are the basics. Two-year minimum contract, at which point renegotiation is possible. With that, you would get three thousand mythrite per year, plus room and board aboard ship or in my place of residence, whichever I choose. Considering your situation, I am willing to offer two thousand mythrite as an advance, with a thousand coming out of each year of pay, split evenly over the duration.”
“Uh…” Moon hesitated, her eyes huge, and looked at Star, a slight look of desperation on her face.
“May I ask if that’s for both of us, or each?” Star asked after a moment, licking her lips nervously.
“Each, of course,” Evelyn said, her smile widening. “It wouldn’t do much good to give you what you’d be able to earn elsewhere, would it?”
“That’s… about what we’d make if we were graduates, though!” Star protested. “We were a year from that!”
“And? You’re planning to learn, and do the best you can, are you not?” Evelyn asked, looking at her. The two women nodded numbly, and she smiled. “Well, then it’s settled. That’s my offer. Figure out what you want to do, I need to browse ship listings, and it seems that at least two of your fellow passengers are preparing to leave.”
“Really?” Moon asked, blinking a couple of times, then asked. “Um, I mean the others… who is leaving already?”
“Already? The two of you had the longest turnaround time on messages,” Evelyn replied, raising an eyebrow sardonically. “Orm has already packed and is simply waiting on the ship heading to her destination, Peldri is arguing with Tianna about something silly in the break room, and Dirax has already packed her bags. I expect all of them to leave shortly, though Tianna may not. I’m not certain. Beatrice seems to be waiting for another message, she’s sent at least six of them out at this point.”
“I…” Star looked at Moon, who returned the look, and their embarrassment was enough to make Evelyn chuckle.
“You have time. Go, think. Make a decision. Just remember who I am. You can do searches, you know,” Evelyn said, gently flicking her fingers at them to shoo them out. “I have things to do.”
“Yes, Evelyn. We’ll… we’ll discuss it,” Star said, standing up and bowing her head a little, with Moon following her example. “Thank you, for everything.”
Evelyn considered replying, but then she just sighed and watched them leave. Only once they were gone did she murmur, “Why am I letting them stay anyway? Ah, well…”
She shrugged and turned her attention back to the network. The ship was going to be much quieter soon enough.
Chapter 25
When Evelyn decided to look at ships to purchase, the first thing she did was remove every listing which involved an auction. While she was certain there were ships that she might want up for auction, the problem was that others could artificially inflate the price, and she didn’t want to have anything to do with that. No, she wanted a ship she could use, as well as one that was reasonably priced.
Excluding the tiny ships was easy enough, but after that it grew harder. Plenty of bulk haulers fit her search parameters, at least roughly, and a lot of the used ship dealers were the types to try to make sure their ships showed up in as many categories as possible, which was incredibly aggravating.
Eventually she managed to work her way through the options, though she also took a look at some of the new ship dealers. The problem there was that virtually none of them fit her requirements… though there were a few that were close. In the end, Evelyn had four options, and looked at the holograms slowly rotating above her console with a frown.
Most expensive of the lot was a Halcyon Yards Astral Sojourner, built new in the yards only four AU away. The ship would be considered a heavy cruiser by the standards of most navies, which was only appropriate, as it was intended to function as a feudal lord’s personal command ship in battle, and thus had the armor, armament, and plush interior that both she and Fya would like. Evelyn’s primary issue with the ship… well, there were two issues. She gave even odds that the yards would either refuse to sell to her, or they’d inflate the price even more when they found out who she was. The other issue was that she didn’t care for gold and ivory exteriors, and changing the colors would take still more money and time. She wasn’t going to wait for a ship to be custom-built.
Second on the list was the merchant cruiser Invincible, poorly named in Evelyn’s opinion, since the yard had been forced to completely refit the ship after it’d been disabled. Invincible had been a convoy escort for nearly fifty years before being wrecked, which meant that its weapons were old, but it was about the right tonnage for a heavy cruiser, and the modular, sturdy design meant that updating its weapons was relatively easy. Evelyn was mostly concerned that it wouldn’t be as nice as what she wanted… and from the listing, she suspected numerous mercenary companie
s would be vying for it soon. The ship had an impressive cargo hold, but the module could be easily replaced with several barracks, drop bays, fighter hangars, or even a combination of the three.
The next ship was a light cruiser, this one similar to the Astral Sojourner, but it was used in this case. The Don Dormal wasn’t anything too unusual for its type; heavily armored, relatively lushly appointed, and heavily armed, but much of its furnishings had been damaged when the subordinates of the previous owner had mutinied. It was also haunted, which explained to Evelyn why the ship hadn’t been kept by the new council ruling the small asteroid colony in question. Ghosts were never easy to deal with.
Last of the lot was a ship that… well, Evelyn was dubious of it as well. She had no clue who had built the Hellion’s Smile, as the ship wasn’t designed like most of the ones she’d seen. The entire center of the ship was a massive, open tube which used magic and technology as an acceleration rail. It was designed for missiles or torpedoes, but its entry helpfully explained that it could be used to launch anything that fit inside the tube, from chunks of asteroids to rail gun rounds to fighters, assuming you didn’t want the pilot around anymore. The acceleration was simply too great for any known compensator to deal with. The ship had other weapons as well, and heavy armor, but it was a touch on the small side for what she wanted, which was… annoying.
“Why is it so hard to find a sexy, intimidating ship which has the sort of furnishings I’d like?” Evelyn asked aloud, sitting back in her chair as she glowered at the holograms, then shut the projector off. “The sanest of them is going to be too expensive, and if I go for the ship with the ghost, first I have to hunt down the stupid spirits and remove them, then I can get it refitted. Otherwise it’d be paying through the nose to try to get new fittings in place, and that assumes the spirits don’t ruin them.”
No one replied, of course. That was the problem with being in her private quarters, as well as the advantage. She could talk to herself without anyone deciding to chime in with their own two mythrite.
At least she’d gotten a few contracts put together. After a great deal of thought, she’d decided to give all of the people who wanted to stay aboard the same offers and had used a standardized ship contract she’d purchased for a pittance, then plugged in her terms. Sending it to a legal bot had allowed her to find out where she needed to clarify some terms, and after two more rounds she had a solid contract which wouldn’t allow them to shortchange her easily. Oh, they wouldn’t be restricted from quitting, but they’d have to pay back the advance that they hadn’t earned after a reasonable time period, assuming they took the advance. Not that Evelyn expected any of them to quit if they were willing to sign on with her at all, but there wasn’t any way to know for certain.
The chime at her door distracted Evelyn, and she frowned, checking who was on the other side, then raised her eyebrows as she recognized Orm. The woman was wearing a colorful, flowing green outfit and had a small suitcase behind her. It made it obvious what the woman was here for, so Evelyn turned, opening the door with a mental command.
“Hello, Orm. I’m guessing that you’re leaving now?” Evelyn asked, arching an eyebrow curiously.
“I am, and I wished to convey my deepest respects for what you have done for me,” Orm replied, propping up her suitcase and bowing deeply before Evelyn. “You rescued me from the depths when I believed all breath was lost. You drew me up into warm waters, where I could see the sun and find my bearings once more. I cannot begin to express my gratitude fully and I will pass along your deeds to my people.”
“I did what I felt was necessary, no more and no less. There is no need to thank me,” Evelyn replied, a smile creeping onto her face at the woman’s comments. “You are welcome, though. I wish you safe travels on your trip home. I hope that you reach there swiftly and safely.”
“And I wish you the best weather in thy travels. May the currents ever be at thy back, and the waters taste pure and refreshing,” Orm said, straightening once more as she smiled at Evelyn. “Alas, I must go. The tides have turned, and they wait for no one.”
“Then go. Safe travels, Orm.” Evelyn told her, smiling as the aquana bowed once more, then took her suitcase and made her way out. Evelyn tracked the woman down the corridors, through the hatch, and until she was out of sight of Daggerhound’s systems. Evelyn waited a few moments more, then shook her head, murmuring softly, “Well, it is what it is. Her path is her own, and if she remains free… well. Good enough.”
She hadn’t even gotten settled in when she noticed the elves approaching, arguing amongst themselves. Evelyn had no idea why Dirax, Peldri, and Tianna argued so much, but they did, and they tended to stay in the same area a lot. She’d think that they disliked one another, but if they had, she would’ve thought they’d avoid one another instead. Right as they reached the door, Evelyn opened it, leaning back in her chair.
“I just said goodbye to Orm. I assume that the rest of you are following her?” Evelyn asked, tilting her head slightly.
“Yes, but not in the manner your comment might indicate,” Dirax said, smiling slightly. “I’ve received word that the majority of my accounts remain intact, my cousin’s attempts to claim the public ones notwithstanding. As I wish to return and ensure that as many of my things remain mine as possible, I’m chartering a ship to take me to Soreal as soon as possible.”
“And I’m going with her, since it turns out that I’m from the same planet,” Peldri added, a slightly defensive tone to her voice.
Evelyn examined her for a half-second, then spoke mildly. “There’s nothing wrong with finding her attractive, you know. Besides, the two of you have been through an immensely distressing shared experience. I’m told that tends to forge rather strong bonds.”
Peldri’s cheeks abruptly turned a bright red, and she opened her mouth, then shut it, then opened it again. It was Dirax that spoke instead, a hint of amusement in her voice. “I… believed that we’d hidden it better than that.”
“Fya is a shameless spy and gossips more than anyone else I’ve known,” Evelyn replied, and glanced at Tianna, raising an eyebrow. “And you? Are you going with them as well, Tianna?”
“No… I am getting a hotel room on the other end of the station, though. There’s a ship heading back home tomorrow morning, and it’s early enough I don’t want to risk getting stuck halfway there,” Tianna said, smiling nervously. “I just figured it’d be best to talk to you all at the same time rather than each of us coming to you separately. I also wanted to say… thank you. I’d have had trouble getting back home easily without what you gave me, as my family said that most of my assets are locked up in court at the moment. At least my company is willing to give me my job back! My boss was horrified to hear what happened.”
“An excellent point,” Evelyn conceded, smiling slightly. “I also hadn’t considered that courts might have gotten involved… that’s an unpleasant thought. When I died, at least that wasn’t a concern. We started over with the resources Fya had on-hand. In any case… look at it this way. You at least got a free upgrade to tier four implants, no?”
“True! That’ll make my job a lot easier,” Tianna said, her expression brightening. “Anyway, thank you! If you ever need some freelance programming, let me know! I’ll see what I can manage.”
“Yes, it’s very appreciated,” Dirax agreed, while Peldri simply mumbled something under her breath, to Evelyn’s amusement. The elf was just… odd. Though she didn’t blame her, not really.
“In that case, don’t let me keep you. Try not to end up in the same position again,” Evelyn replied, looking at each of them in turn, then shrugged. “It’s your choice, though.”
“I’m certainly going to try!” Tianna said, smiling nervously.
The three gave their last farewells, then left the ship. Evelyn just watched them go, considering for several seconds, then reached out through the ship systems and contacted Fya.
“We’re down to just Beatrice and the five w
ho’re probably staying, so I think it’s time to get things worked out. Could you come to my… I suppose it may as well be my office,” Evelyn said.
“Sure, milady! I’ll be right there!” Fya replied eagerly, and Evelyn let go of the line, taking a moment to track down Beatrice.
The half-elf didn’t look happy as she paced, looking at a data pad in one hand while frowning. Evelyn suspected that whatever she’d learned hadn’t made her happy, but she wasn’t going to interfere in that. No, Beatrice would only be her problem if she tried to stay, though having a trained medic would be nice. You never knew when you’d need one, and as powerful as Evelyn was, she wasn’t immune to viruses or diseases. Resistant, but not immune.
A minute later Fya was at her door, which slid open to admit her almost immediately. She approached and gave Evelyn a hug, then asked, “So, what’s the plan?”
“The problem is that I don’t see any good choices.” Evelyn replied, letting out a sigh as she activated the holographic projectors again. “Take a look and tell me what you think.”
Fya’s gaze turned sharp as she examined the holograms, then she frowned a little as Evelyn felt her perusing the files. It was an odd sensation, feeling someone else accessing the same files, but it did help her know that they were on the same page. By the time the three had departed, Fya was mostly done with her review, and a few minutes later she stopped, looking at the holograms again.
“Not good is right. I think that the Don… Dormal, was it? Anyway, it’s out, because I don’t like dealing with ghosts. They’re icky, annoying, and nigh-impossible to be sure you’ve eliminated. Gone for months, then they pop back into existence.” Fya said, her tone brisk and focused, something that would surprise most people. “Invincible is a much better choice, but it’s going to have lots of people after it. I’ll bet you a thousand mythrite that by the time we got there, it’d have sold.”
Chosen of Chaos (Eve of Destruction Book 1) Page 16
