The meeting was in a restaurant, the Queen’s Comfort, on Waterloo station. Lachlan chose it mostly because the Comfort was on a Libertonian owned station, and because the restaurant’s owner was Lachlan’s old friend and business partner. It wasn’t exactly what you’d consider a propper "upper class" establishment, but they were known for their good selection of drinks, a lot of discreet rooms and dedication to their guest’s privacy. Lachlan booked one of those rooms, named The Balmoral’s Lounge, for today’s meeting.
It was a cozy room, decorated in what Lachlan guessed must be one of the retro-modernism branches, a tangled web of styles which tried to emulate old earth from the pre-sirius times. Lachlan didn’t know how good this particular branch was at emulating the old earth’s “19. century aristocratic residence" as the restaurant claimed, but it was spacious, it had comfortable armchairs, and there even was a mockup of an ancient fireplace complete with a holographic projection of the fire.
The middle of the room was occupied by a large circular table, filled with all sorts of food and drinks, cold and hot, kept at a perfect serving temperature by the warmers and coolers built into the table..
Lachlan was sitting in one of the chairs next to the fireplace, a glass of gallic wine in hand and he was reading a book on the screen of his portable terminal. The others should arrive soon, but for now, while he was waiting for them, he could enjoy a bit of quiet, something he hasn't been able to do much lately.
Mel signed her name on the inventory datapad with a completely unnecessary flourish, and then handed it back to the customs agent.
"But whyyyyy?" Ida whined as Mel started picking her way towards the main entrance of Waterloo station.
"You know exactly why. We've been over this a million times. It's not like me cocking up my first impression with Lachlan is some big secret or something," Mel turned towards Ida and walked backwards slowly while responding.
"Pleaaaase? You won't even know I'm there. Verspreche!" Ida held up her hand as if she were being sworn into a governmental office.
"Hmmm..." Mel held up her empty left hand and studied it as if she was reading a datapad. "Nope, still says you're not an official member of the Irregulars, kid. Watch the Ranch, 'kay?"
"Langweiligggggg..." Ida complained in German, but went back to the ship nonetheless.
* * *
After a solid half-hour of searching the station and its vast corridors and walkways, Mel finally found The Queen's Comfort. She was gobsmacked. Her life in Houston had never brought her anywhere near this level of fancy living. Real wood-grain decorations, old antique replicas of globes depicting ancient Terra, and paintings of various noteworthy Bretonian figures and nobility. The fact that this was just an average, middle-class Bretonian drinking hole was completely lost on Mel. By her standards, this was the lap of luxury!
For a brief moment, she actually regretted not bringing Ida. She made a mental note to bring the kid another time.
Regaining her focus, she gave her name to the host at the front door, and followed him back to the longue where Lachlan was waiting.
Lachlan raised his head when the doors to the room opened. When he saw Mel enter, he put down his terminal, stood up and walked towards her.
"Welcome, welcome! Pleasure to finaly see you in person." he greted her warmly, but then a devilish grin appeared on his face.
"I have to admit," he said, "I half expected to see the green haired rascall with you. Well, no matter. The others are still not here, so pick your poison," he gestured to the table filled with food, all things alcoholic and one or two non-alcoholic drinks, "and take a seat, we'll probably have to wait a bit more."
He was standing at the ramp of his ship, watching the people on the dock going on about their daily routine while smoking a cigar. At a younger age, he was not fond of things like that, but that was another time. He almost feels like a completely different man. What a man? Just a boy who thought himself a man. *scoffs on himself* He was naive back then and thought that life is fair and the righteous always win. How pathetic.
"You don't have the time to ponder over the past now! They are waiting for you."He hears a voice from inside the ship, and a few seconds later he sees his first mate, Sadako Ezakiya, who stands at the top of the ramp and gives a face to Vaako, which means only one thing: "Do as I said or you suffer". Of course, she always has this face. That's why she is such a good firstmate. But even Vaako needs to accept it; she is right now.
"Oui, oui."He nods at Sadako, then drops his cigar on the floor of the docking bay and steps on it to extinguish the fire. "See you soon again."Vaako says farewell to her, and then he starts walking in the direction of the bar where the party is arranged. Thanks to his foresight, he already sent one of his crewmen earlier out to ask about the location of this place, so he knows exactly where to go instead of wandering aimlessly around.
A few minutes later, he arrives at the facility called "Comfort". To be honest, this place is far above his usual ones, but that is not a bad thing. He slowly walks up to the host, a man who is at least ten years younger than him, introduces himself to him, and then allows him to lead the way to the room, where their party will be. Soon he will meet his new boss and other captains of their organization. He hesitates for a mere moment before entering the room, where he can immediately see the fully stacked table and the two people around it.
He instantly recognizes the boss, even if he only saw him through holocommunication. The other person was never seen by him so far, but thats not a big surprise. He is new to this organization, so he hasn't met any of the captains in person so far. He slowly walks towards them while barely noticeably assessing the room. With the entrances, the escape routes, and the defendable positions in case of an attack, he was in too many fights to not think about the possibility of getting attacked.
"Bonsoir. It is a pleasure to meet both of you finally in flesh." Introduces himself when he gets closer to them and then offers his hand for a shake. First for Lachlan, and then for Mel."I am Vaako Daelon Gaheris, at your service". While his words may sound a little weird, galant behavior is something he learned at a very early age from his parents.
"I see not many of us have arrived yet." - He looks around in the room, and then he sits down on one of the chairs around the table, hopefully after Lachlan offers one for him too. Of course, as a guest, he would naturally deserve it, but Lachlan is the boss, and he is not yet familiar with his behavior. It's better to be cautious.
Lachlan turned from Mel to the newcomer and greeted him with a bright smile.
"Vaako! Pleasure to meet you," he says while shaking Vaako's hand. "Somehow you look even more grizzled in person than over comms."
Lachlan then gestures towards the room.
"As you already noticed, there's not many of us around yet, so we may as well make yourself comfortable while we're waiting for them. Get yourself a drink and claim a chair, they are unbelievably comfortable."
He half turnes back to his chair, but then he stops and shooks his head.
"What a terrible host I am. You two haven't meet each other yet, right?" he asks rhetoritacly. "Vaako, meet Melony, Mel, Vaako, our gentleman from Gallia.
Grey-painted Draugr, a rare sight in House space, has just docked to Waterloo Station. Usually manned by 4 people, this ship was now piloted by one. Tommy Epsetti, freelancer, smuggler and Irregular, climbed down the ladder, with his eyesight blurred. Last cargo run turned into a nightmare for him, and he was barely able to get some sleep. Tommy was looking forward to an opportunity to have a little bit of rest, so he happily accepted Lachlan’s invitation to Waterloo.
After a quick customs procedure, blonde Libertonian began to look around. He didn’t find anything of interest around the dock, just your normal docker work and a few ships, among which towered a Serenity. He finally was able to focus, remember why he came there in the first place, and managed to find a datapad. After connecting to Waterloo's network, Tommy found the location of Queen's Comfort. Taking a few puffs from his electronic cigarette to calm down his nerves, he goes to the lift, ignoring the glances of Bretonians, more used to classic tobacco smoking.
Few minutes of travel - and Tommy arrives at the restaurant. He quickly scans the area, finds the host and inquires about the private lounge where the meeting would be. Host leads him to the private room. Tommy thanks the host and enters the area.
He sees 3 people sitting in a spacious room around a big table filled with drinks and all different kinds of food, some of which Tommy didn’t even recognize. He recognized the coordinator, a young bearded man with very long hair. With him were a young woman, seemngly Libertonian like him and middle-aged man, all of whom he saw previously only as holographic images on Irregular intercom. “Greetings, people. I’m Tommy Epsetti, captain of Zero Space” After a quick introduction he takes a seat and exhales with relief. “Sorry for the lack of manners, but I’m just too tired. Last run for me was a nightmare, and I’m still processing what’s happened”
"I have to admit, I half expected to see the green haired rascal with you," Lachlan said with a rye grin.
Mel cracked a smile herself.
"You know, I think the kid honestly expected to see herself here as well!" she laughed. "But you were pretty clear about 'members only,' so I didn't want to push my luck. If you're cool with it, I'll let Ida tag along next time. I know she'd love this place!"
"Well, no matter. The others are still not here, so pick your poison," Lachlan waved a hand over the table in the center of the room. "And take a seat, we'll probably have to wait a bit more."
"Honestly, I'd murder for a whiskey," Mel said.
Lachlan pointed out a fancy bottle of brown liquor sitting on the edge of the table opposite them. Mel nodded, wandered over to the far side of the table, and plopped down in one of the cushy chairs.
Mel had only begun pouring herself a double of whiskey when the Gallian walked in.
"Bonsoir. It is a pleasure to meet both of you finally in flesh. I am Vaako Daelon Gaheris, at your service," the man said in a sweeping formal gesture while extending a hand to Lachlan and then Mel.
"Nice to meet'cha!" Mel said, standing and reaching across the table to shake the Frenchman's hand.
There was a cautiousness to Vaako's formality that seemed oddly familiar to Mel, but it took her a few moments before she could place it. Kelvin, she thought to herself. Her old friend Kelvin carried himself in almost the exact same way as Vaako; greeting everyone with a smile and nod, but with body language that only barely betrayed years of living on the edges of space. To Mel's eyes, Vaako was a man who'd seen conflict and knew how to survive it.
Lachlan made the formal introductions between the two, and then the three of them settled into their seats and indulged in some idle chit-chat while they waited for the rest of the Irregulars to arrive.
* * *
A young Libertonian man, clutching an electronic cigarette, burst in through the lounge doors, a hollow look in his eyes. Mel couldn't exactly place his age. The man was gaunt, with a young boyish face, but had a full head of blonde hair that was so bright it almost appeared gray/white. Mel wouldn't have been surprised to learn that he was 20...or that he was 45. Either could have fit his description. But that wasn't what drew all the eyes in the room to the man's face.
“Greetings, people. I’m Tommy Epsetti, captain of Zero Space," he said, collapsing into one of the plush chairs. “Sorry for the lack of manners, but I’m just too tired. Last run for me was a nightmare, and I’m still processing what’s happened."
Mel had seen plenty of men and women with the same look in their eyes after getting front row seats to the various conflicts in the Texas System. Tommy was very clearly dealing with some kind of shell shock. Mel almost reflexively felt the need to reach out.
When Tommy arrived, Lachlan stood up to greet him, but seeing how the man looked and how he quickly planted himself into one of the empty armchairs, Lachlan just shrugged, noded to Tommy in a silent greeting and sat down again. He let Mel carry the conversation for now, and picked up his terminal, quickly taping on it, to check a few things and to make sure no one is currently looking for Tommy's ship or Tommy himself, in case his current disposition was caused by an unfortunate run-in with the law.
“I’m…I’m fine… As fine as scared to hell man can be, anyway.”
Tommy sighed loudly and tried to keep his cool.
“I think I should clarify why I’m in such shape. It’s not because I ran into some Police patrol, or BAF blockade of Dublin. It’s because of something… I can hardly describe it”
He took a bottle of Liberty Ale, poured a bit into the glass, drank it in one shot and continued:
“I was on my normal route. Gold to Freeport 11, Iridium back to Foyle. Treacherous, but manageable, especially with my blockade-running experience. First part was a breeze. I even had some fun, racing to Freeport with some Gallic Transport through Theta and Delta.. It’s the second part where things got awry.”
Tommy visibly shuddered.
“Just as I undocked from Zoner’s base, my sensors picked up a transmission. System-wide, mind you. It was very weak, barely detectable from a background noise. But I… I was clearly able to hear a woman, sobbing. Then I heard, way more clear, the cry for help. Desperate, screeching even. Usually people would shrug it off and leave, but my curious nature has forced my hand.”
He stops to catch a breath and continues.
“I tried to triangulate the signal, but to no avail. Then another systemwide transmission, filled with the unintelligible pleas and cries. She was crying about the storm, that they hurt her, that there’s darkness everywhere. At that point I already knew something wasn't right, but decided to search anyway. I went for the Palau nebula, thinking that signal came from there. with no results”
Tommy stops again, pours the rest of the Ale into the glass, sips a bit and then continues, his voice stuttering.
“I was…was about to head to Tokelau, trying to probe it a bit, not…not actually going there. Then… then IT happened. I heard the m-m-most terrifying screech ever… On a systemwide channel. It n-n-nearly blew out the speakers of the headphones I was wearing. Before that, I didn’t even t-t-t-think that human can screech that way. And then-n-n-n the cry. KILL MEEEEE!!! Ag-g-g-gain, and again, and again. Last thing I heard before my ship flew th-h-he Theta hole was the pleading weep. DON’T LEAVE MEEEE!!!. A-a-and the sound… Like nails on a chalkb-b-board-d-d. I-i-it still haunts me. I can still hear it.”
Once fearless captain, who managed to outrun Police patrols of Pennsylvania, who took Corse patrols head-on, lowered his head, almost weeping. He tries to calm himself down, instinctively huffing his electronic cigarette. Finally, he manages to focus, grabs a glass of beer and empties it
Vaako arrives as the third person to this get-together, even as someone who was always adamant to rather arrive early than be late. A trait that is a good one for a smuggler. Most of the clients with whom we work together do not really appreciate late delivery.
“Appearance can be deceiving; I am not that old.”Vaako answers Lachlan with a smirk on his face while shaking his hand, then turns toward Mel to shake her hand too. It is nice to finally meet the other captains in person; after all, in the future, they would need to work together if they wanted to survive the dangers of the sector.
“Indeed, that is a good idea.”They are still on time; no one is late yet. And even if someone comes late, that is something that can happen to anyone. Life likes to throw unexpected trouble your way whenever it has the chance.
Vaako sits down on one of the chairs, but this is not a random decision. He chooses one of the chairs from which he can have a good look at all the entrances in this room without having to move too much. Some would say he is overly suspicious, but rather than getting ambushed and not being prepared for it.
After sitting for a few minutes and chit-chatting with them, he grabs a bottle of sake and pours it for himself into a glass. In the past, he was not a regular drinker, but just like with the cigar, it's a different story now. Everything is different since Celeste is gone. Gone. Well, it was easier to accept that she died, even if it was never verified. Missing in action. She was never found, nor was her spaceship.
Not soon after, a young man enters the room and introduces himself as Tommy Epsetti, captain of Zero Space. He looks quite a young lad and is already a captain. It is true that he is clearly not in the best shape, but the smuggler business is not an easy one after all.
“Welcome to the party, dear Tommy.”He greets him in a calm but friendly tone, just as he did earlier with the others. He just nods at his words but does not say more. He sees that Tommy is tired and has been through a hard day, so just watch as he takes a seat close to him.
It is not like he is not curious about what happened with Tommy, but he knows that there will be others who ask the necessary questions. Just as he expected, he hears the first question asked towards Tommy, but it comes from the newly met Mel, rather Lachlan, who in the meantime seems to check his terminal.
It does not take long for Tommy to start his story, but like many who were frightened, he is also in need of a bottle of liquid bravery, in this case, Liberty Ale. Vaako listens silently to the story, nodding to Tommy’s words while he twists the ring on his finger involuntarily. In the many years since he entered the Sirius Sector, he has heard many horror stories, but this one is easily one of the scariest he has ever heard.
“It is alright now; you are safe here.”Vaako tries to calm Tommy with his words, but even he feels that he is not entirely sure about that. But when we venture out into the void, we need to be prepared for anything we might find.
