Brotherhood Bar-Talks

[Laowai]

"Baijiu"? the barman asked. "Of course" Ben said, unslinging his holster and taking his usual seat in the Corner.

"And how did you fare today?" the barman asked, handing over the customary green bottle. Ben laughed "it would be safe to say today was interesting". He smiled to himself, the near miss with the Keepers in Omicron Kappa had been hairy, outclassed and outgunned he had barely managed to get out alive. Luck had not been on everyone's side, and the battle had not been favorable to the Corsairs.

"But we live to fight another day no?" he chuckled to the barman, and he downed his first shot.

"Did you hear, the benitez have gone?" the barman whispered, seemingly afraid... Ben shook his head... "i heard, and i saw, and if that's their will then so be it". He was angry, the pettiness of the argument between the great houses irritated him, a council dispute!? Ben shook his head, he would expect that kind of prattle from the lawyers in Liberty, and he could respect that, at least they were true to who they were, Lawyers...

But these were not lawyers, they were Corsairs.

"CORSAIRS" Ben shouted!

"er... you ok Laowai?" the barman asked, bringing another bottle, without being asked.

"yes, I'm fine. its just today our ranks became thinner over sheer pettiness... bunch of old woman arguing over a goddamn cake recipe, children"....

The barman raised an eyebrow, "what?" he said, "which old woma... .
"Never mind" Ben interrupted... "i know where my home is, i fought all my life to stand here, and here i will stand". Downing another shot he felt the liquor burn its way to his stomach... and then, to his head.. slowly working it's numbing magic.

" I spit on the council!" he said to the barman. "Elders? BAH!" The barman picked up an empty shot glass, "You don't want to go down that road" he said... Ben shook his head... "oh don't worry, I'm not going to make an issue with the high and mighty, far be it for someone such as......."

His voice trailed off, and the Barman went back to his work, feeling that Ben wanted to be alone.

Ben took another drink, The battle today had exhilarated him. his lips curled up slightly as he recollected the days events... remembering weaving between the Keeper capital ships, firing madly as he triggered the mine release. "this is a young man's game" he thought... but he had lived, and returned with a cargo hold full of captured bounty Hunters, and their credit cards, which he had already converted into credits. He loved being a Corsair, it was a simple code to him, he stood by his kin, his family, and he fought those who would harm that. Smiling to himself, he wondered of the battles to come, and come they surely would.


He looked back on the flight recorder's recording of the battle, it had been damaged by an explosion when he had lost his shields, but part of it was still intact. His scope had shown another ID: "CorrupteD", just as he had left the system. He had asked afterwards if anyone else knew this ID and had been told he was another Corsair; " One of those NA lot". He didn't really know them, and there had been some scandal involving the group, but Ben hadn't read the details. His scope clearly showed CorrupteD locked in battle with the keepers, alone, against three capital ships. Shaking his head, Ben wondered if he had lived. If he had, he decided, he would toast him the next time they met.

For a moment, his thoughts turned to his sister. She had run off with a trader some years ago, and lived an itinerant life across Sirius. He kept in touch with her through her husband, who, fearing for his life when Ben had strode into their wedding, gun in hand - made regular water shipments to Crete, and donations to the family coffers. She was fearless, his sister, and he wondered what she would say of the bickering amongst the houses. Like him, she had always been wary of them. But unlike him, she had not decided to stay on Crete.

At a table across from him, a few Corsairs sat in quiet, muted conversation. He didn't recognize them, they wore no house badge and were, like him, independent pilots, traders, Men with no real house, small families of their own. No one speaks for them, he thought, but he knew like him, tomorrow, council or no council, they would be up there.

His communicator beeped, "dammit!" he swore, he had an appointment at the commodities dealer who'd arranged security to move Ben's captured bounty hunters... Jumping up, Ben swore again.
"Whats wrong?" the barman called out....

"The blasted bounty hunters, i left them tied up in the hold!" he said as he rushed out the door.

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