*The Shadow in the Shade* CH 1 - The Gathering Dark [Onyx Syndicate]-[SYN]

[Geodin]

The Shadow in the Shade
Chapter 1: The Gathering Dark

---Sugarland Prison, Texas System---

_____"Two years is a long time. I'm out in one and a half with good time. But man, two years is a long time," Geodin Daemon said, sighing, "Rotting in this place. I mean, don't get me wrong, it could be worse." He stood up and walked to his cell door, running his hands across the bars. "Just a few more hours until I'm processed. I'll be out of this god forsaken place, and back on my ship. Free. As. A. Bird."
_____His cell mate, Antonio, spoke softly, "Just do like I said, get in touch with that friend of mine and he'll sort you out and help you get back on your feet. Just tell the beautiful redhead bartender on Houston, I sent you to pick up some flowers for my mother. She'll give you a neural number. Make the call and wait for instructions."
_____"I heard you the first time." Geodin turned and look at him, "I appreciate you giving me this job with the Onyx Syndicate to help me to get right again. I won't forget it." His voice was genuinely grateful. He knew that his debts had continued to accrue interest while he had been in prison.
_____"See that you don't. It may be a long time before we see each other again." Antonio cast his gaze to the small four inch by four inch window to the outside world. "I've got four more years on my sentence. But I'll be taken care of. The Onyx Syndicate takes care of its own, and I played the part of the good soldier. I took the heat, no questions. I was smart!" His eyes lit up and his voice was fiery, "I did the thing. I got it done. And I didn't say a fracking word! And so what? Prison is like a vacation." His laugh was tin and hollow, but his smile was warm, "You'll be fine. Play your cards right and maybe you'll live long enough to see me again!"
_____Geodin only nodded. He saved his friend his pride, and his own heart the grief by remaining silent in the moment. Several minutes passed. Finally, he said, "You can do four years with your eyes closed. We'll see each other again. And I'll make good on your word, y'know? I'll join up with the Onyx Syndicate and then when you get out, we can work side-by-side." He extended his hand out, and Antonio embraced it with vigor. "I'm going to see your ugly fracking mug again, you hear me, son?"
_____An orge of a prison guard approached the cell, clanking his baton on the bars of the cell door. His manner was surprisingly friendly for a prison guard, "Geodin Daemon, you're processed. Get your stuff and let's get you out of here."

---Planet Houston, Texas System---

_____She is beautiful.
_____ Geodin was immediately struck by the bartender's physical features as he entered the bar. Her bright red hair stood out like a beacon he couldn't ignore. He felt some apprehension as he looked around at the other patrons, but approached the bar and took a seat. He waited patiently until she finished with another customer. He could feel his pulse rising.
_____She sauntered over, alluring and friendly. Her sky blue eyes shimmered as she spoke, "What'll it be, honey?" Her voice was silky.
_____"Oh, I'm not as sweet as honey." He smiled, almost forgetting his purpose. Flirting, he asked sweetly, "What's your name, beautiful?"
_____She obviously enjoyed the compliment. She smiled, leaning closer to him, "Last time I checked, it was still Miranda." She giggled softly.
_____"Miranda," he repeated. He gazed into her eyes and got lost for a moment. Flustered, he blurted, "Yeah, I, uh, uhm, I'm supposed to pick up some flowers." He watched her expression change for an instant, and then it was back to sweet. He quickly added, "For my friend's mother, as a favor. Uhm, Y'know?" He read her expression as recognition. This was definitely the woman he was looking for. "Can you help me, Miranda?"
_____She leaned forward, pressing her lips only an inch from his ears. Her voice was sultry and she wasted none of her breath, "I could help you in more ways than one." Before he could respond, she kissed him. He felt her tongue probing his mouth, and he reciprocated greedily. She broke the embrace, grinning. She licked her lips and said, "Yeah, the flowers are in the back. I'll show you, follow me."
_____He wiped off his shocked expression and quickly followed her behind the bar and then into the backroom. She gestured for him to sit on a chair next to a small table in the corner of the room. As soon as he sat, she wiggled into his lap and ran her finger across his cheek. She kissed him, again. He couldn't help but get swept up in her instantly. He had just gotten out of prison and the touch of a woman inflamed his passion. He put his arms around her and stood up with her legs quickly wrapping around him. She did not relent and kept sloppily kissing him. He slammed her into a cabinet, pressing himself into her. He freed one hand and began to run his hands over her body. She moaned softly into his mouth and bite his lower lip. He struggled to focus, but finally found a moment, "Don't you have something special for me?"
_____"This isn't special enough?" She replied with some indignation in her voice. Miranda frowned and pushed him back just a bit.
_____He stammered, "I, uh, of course. I just meant," he paused, catching his breath, "I'm supposed to, uh.."
_____She slapped his chest, playfully, "I know what you're here for stupid." She kissed him once the lips, and handed him a piece of paper. "Call this number for the thing. And call this one," She grabbed a pen and wrote on his hand, "For me." She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest. "Okay?"
_____He nodded.
_____She smiled and kissed his cheek. She handed him a bouquet of flowers. "For appearances," she said. She pinched him. "Go on, now. And call me, soon."
_____As soon as he left the bar with an assortment of flowers in his hand, he picked up his Neural Pad and called the number. There was no answer and no voice mail option, so he merely hung up and waited for a call while he walked back to the Houston Spaceport, where his ship was parked. A few minutes later he received the call. A modulated voice said simply, "Barrier Gate Station, Coronado. Forty-two hours from now." Geodin heard a sharp click, indicating the unknown voice had hung up.
_____He approached the Houston Spaceport and wandered up a few flights up stairs until he stood before his ship, the firefly, Hierophant. He admired his home for a moment before entering. The vessel was in surprisingly good condition, after having spent most of his time in prison sitting in a Liberty Police impound lot.
_____Kayla Corsican stood in the entryway, waiting. Her pale face was covered in steaks of grime and she had a handful of optical cable in her hands. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw Geodin. She couldn't fight her curiosity, "Do we have a job?"
_____"We've got a meeting at Barrier Gate Station, in Coronado. We've got a little less than two days to get there." He made sure not to mention the intimate encounter with Miranda, he knew how easily she became jealous. They had never slept together in all the time she had piloted the Hierophant. Geodin hadn't made that easy, either. Still, she had a somewhat territorial response to other women who happened to show interest in him. He looked at her, and impatiently barked, "Well? Set a course!"
_____"A year and a half I'm working my butt off, trying to keep this thing bird from rusting! I upgraded the computer systems, the navigational sensors, and the engine manifolds while you lounge away like you own the bloody place." Her tone was more playful than angry. She tossed the optical cord in his face.
_____"But I do own it!" He exclaimed, narrowly ducking out of the way of the stray wires. He looked at her intently for a moment. He appreciated her occasional verbal thrashings and bossy demeanor in the oddest of ways.
_____She did keep the Hierophant space worthy the entire time I was locked up. How much did it cost her to get it out of the Liberty Police impound lot?

---Barrier Gate Station, Coronado System---

_____"Invitations?" The shorter, young man at the door asked. He was wearing a high-end suit, and carried himself like he was in complete control of the door. The taller, grumpy looking of the two men never said a word. He just stared at Geodin, angrily.
_____"My inspirations? Well that's a good question." Geodin was aloof. His voice was harmless, "I suppose, I have a lot of inspirations." He scratched his goatee and hummed out loud for a moment. He had already sized them both up. His father had taught him well, and nearly two years in Sugarland Prison had taught him even better.
_____A mix between aggravation and confusion showed on the shorter man's face. His voice was strained with irritation, "No. Invitations!"
_____Geodin wondered how easily he could provoke them. "Is there a party in there?" He asked, curiously. "I love parties." As he made the statement, he turned to the tall, silent man. He tilted his head at an angle and said, "You don't really like me, do you?"
_____The tall, silent one shook his head. His face was tense and angry. He looked ready to hit Geodin in the face.
_____Geodin smiled, "You don't like him, either?" He pointed to the shorter man in the suit.
_____He shook his head in the affirmative, again.
_____Geodin laughed. "What's your name, big guy?"
_____His voice was pure bass, but he smiled finally, "Ralph."
_____"Are you kidding me?" Geodin looked at Ralph and chuckled again.
_____"It's short for Ralph-on-so." Ralph smiled vanished.
_____"Oh." Geodin reacted quickly when the shorter man put his hand on Geodin's chest. In one blurry, lightning instant he had twisted his hand behind his back and was on the verge of breaking the arm. "What's his name, Ralph?" Geodin's voice was calm despite having incapacitated the aggressive young man.
_____"It's David." Ralph frowned and took a step forward.
_____Geodin became thunder incarnate for only a moment, "I go where I please!" He pressed on David's arm, causing him to moan in pain. His voice returned to normal, "Oh, Ah! Ah!" David cried out again. "I'm going in there, Ralph," a statement of fact. Geodin broke David's arm with an audible snapping noise and shoved him forward into Ralph. They both fell on the ground, with David screaming loudly in pain. He was on the verge of tears. Geodin pulled out his plasma pistol and put it in Ralph's face. He repeated himself, upset this time, "I'm going in there, Ralphonso!"
_____Ralph nodded in agreement.
_____Geodin walked passed the two of them into the banquet hall adjacent to the bar. He had scoped the place since landing on the station, twice. It had seemed fine except for the two assigned to watch the door. He was not sure what to expect inside, but he was sure that he had to get inside. He lowered his pistol arm to his waist and nearly dropped his gun as he turned the corner of the entrance to the banquet hall.
_____There were rows of tables covered in every kind of food imaginable, from all across Sirius and the Edge Worlds. There were even a few delicacies that he did not recognize. He saw a few Outcasts with Spice Masks, a clear indication of Cardamine addiction. A group of Rogues at one of the tables lazily eyeballed him and the noise from the door. As he walked across the room he recognized several faces.
_____He chose one of the people he recognized and started a conversation, sitting down next to him. He kept his voice low, with a hint of surprise, "James Trenton, Junker Congress."
_____"I heard you were dead." James' voice sounded genuine. "So?"
_____Geodin laughed unconvincingly, "Worse. Prison."
_____James Trenton sounded somewhat shocked, "The police finally caught you smuggling drugs? I don't believe it!"
_____Shamefully, Geodin shook his head. "You won't, ah, hell! " He paused, "One charge of Tax Evasion and one count of Forged Documentation of Ship Registration."
_____James laughed uncontrollably, "Who'd have thought you'd get put away for that?" He didn't stop, "Of all the things."
_____Geodin couldn't help but laugh with his old Junker friend, "So I assume all these people are here for the same thing?"
_____"More or less. More or less." James Trenton smiled, knowingly.

****

_____"Send him in, Nadia." Orion Onyx glanced at his cigar, enjoying the aroma and letting it waft into his face. He had specifically requested that one of the men in his employ acquire this batch. They were from Gallia, hand rolled and limited edition, very expensive.
_____Nadia stood in the doorway in a tight satin dress and four inch heels, announcing, "Mr. Brisbane, of Boundless Transport Enterprises."
_____"Eddy, come in. Come in! Cigar?" Orion Onyx's voice was both soothing and enticing. He was a master of his craft and a consummate businessman. "Have a seat." He motioned for the chair in front of his desk.
_____Edward Brisbane graciously accepted the cigar and took a seat. He lit his cigar and took a puff, relaxing in the comfortable chair. "So what's this all about, Mr. Onyx?" He had heard rumors about this mysterious person behind a lot of the underground activity in Liberty. Those rumors had made him cautious, and at least a little nervous.
_____Always the carrot before the stick.
_____"Well a bird whispered in my ear, that your company is a bit over-leveraged to the bank. They're talking about calling in your loans and repossessing some of your assets. These are hard times, " Orion Onyx ashed his premium cigar, his voice was absolute honey, "And I'd like to help you out. Really, I would."
_____"We'll turn it around, soon." Edward stated, proudly. He had worked hard to turn his transport company into a success. He had even skirted the law or in some cases completely ignored it. The fewer questions he asked, the more he got paid, and he needed the money. The economy had weakened a little recently and he had fallen behind on some of the company's loan payments. He was a proud man, but he was curious, "Why, did you have something in mind, Mr. Onyx?"
_____Orion smiled, sipping a glass of whisky on the rocks. He puffed his cigar, enjoying his work. His voice had a firmness to it, then: "I'm a fair-minded sort of man." He liked weaving people into the patterns of behavior that benefited him. He was not a particularly large or scary looking man, but he did possess an ominous mystique. He reveled, "And I happen to own a controlling share in the bank you owe eighty million dollars to." He thought of a carrot in his mind, "I could clear up the debt," he emphasized, "Today."
_____Edward Brisbane's expression was one of surprise, appreciation and a mild sense of trepidation. He had heard the rumors about the Onyx Syndicate and he wasn't a fool. "And what do I have to do?" His voice was cautious.
_____"Well it's like this," Orion started to stand. "You do a few little discrete favors for me and my boys and I'll help you out with the bank. We'll just wipe the ledger and call it even." He made a gesture to wipe his hands. "You do your part, and we'll take care of you. " Orion smiled, and finally made his point, "Eddy, I need a man who knows about Artifacts. Even after all these years there is still a huge market for them all across Sirius."
_____"I see." Edward didn't deny he had smuggled the precious things, or that the Corsairs had been his quiet business partners for a long time. He just asked, "So where do I come in?"
_____"You keep the Corsairs happy for me." Orion added, "And I'll keep you happy." He pressed the buzzer on his desk and Nadia quickly entered, dutiful and silent. Orion turned to her, nodding so slightly as to be almost imperceptible. "Darling, please show him a good time. Won't you?" He knew first hand Nadia was a giving instructor. She would be the perfect carrot to dangle in front of Eddy to make him complicit. There was an elegance to the charismatic way Orion dealt with his competition. He had learned to either placate them, usurp them, buy them out, or kill them. Orion delighted at Eddy's gleeful expression as he starred at Nadia's toned body. In the morning she would be gone, and Edward Brisbane would be the Onyx Syndicate's man.

****

_____Robert Cutter had been starring at her for almost an hour. He was trying to work up the nerve to go talk to her. He'd already joined the Onyx Syndicate and had been smuggling Spice from Malta for weeks, but he still didn't feel quite comfortable in this place. He decided to throw caution to the wind and finally go talk to her. He approached her and awkwardly asked, "What's your name?"
_____She looked at him dispassionately and said only, "No."
_____"What do you mean, no?" He was starting to regret walking over to her. "I was just asking your name." Robert introduced himself, "My name is Bob Cutter." His expression said he was waiting for her to share her name.
_____Reluctantly, she indulged his curiosity, "Elise Pennybrooke," her voice started polite, and then abruptly, "and that's still a no."
_____Robert seemed offended but he like her rugged, sexy look. She was dressed simply in a white tank top that showed her generous cleavage. He starred for a moment and shook his head, grabbing his drink and walking back to a table away from the bar.
_____Geodin approached Robert as he sat back down. "You struck out fast," He said jokingly. "Crash and burn!" He slammed his drink and lit a cigarette. "For a woman like that, you need a little..," his voice trailed off as he got up from his seat and approached her. He motioned to the bartender and said, "Two more, here?" He pulled his plasma pistol and put it on the counter. "A bet you like a man with a big gun." He drew a deep drag from his cigarette.
_____Elise smiled, mildly amused by his confidence, she put her pistol on the counter, too. "Mine's bigger," she said, adding, "and it's a newer model."
_____"The old ones never go out of style. They've got.. experience. You can trust something that's worn in with use." His grin was incorrigible. "It gets the job done."
_____She laughed, then: "I bet it does."
_____"The name's Geodin Daemon." He shook her hand, "and you're Elise Pennybrooke. I've heard of you."
_____"I've heard of you, too. I thought you died." Her green eyes glittered as she smirked, "Too bad for me."
_____"I'm too stubborn to die," he retorted. "Sorry to disappoint." He inquired, "You've heard of me, then? Only the good things, I hope?" He chuckled, then.
_____"Too many smuggling legends on this station all at once. A girl might start to feel unimportant." She grabbed the drink the bartender had brought her and pounded it in a heartbeat.
_____"I only hire the best." Orion Onyx proclaimed behind them.
_____They both turned in unison, surprised. Geodin spoke first, inquisitive, "So you're the Boss?"
_____Orion Onyx nodded slowly. He drew in a deep breath and sighed, "Was it necessary to break David's arm?"
_____"No, but it was fun," Geodin replied honestly, taking a another drag of his cigarette. "I didn't like his manners. So I taught him some." There was a tense moment of eye contact between the two of them. Geodin wondered if he had gone too far, but none of it showed on his face.
_____Orion broke the silence with a burst of laughter. "I suppose you did." He laughed again, repeating, "I suppose you did." He sat down between them. Orion turned the conversation towards business matters, "I've got a job for you two."
_____Elise perked up, but said nothing. Geodin asked, "What sort of job?" He was eager to start working again. He cut straight to the point, "And how much does it pay?"
_____ Elise interjected, "I hope there are explosives involved in this job." She always got excited when there was mention of explosives.
_____"Elise, I need you to pick up a load of black market munitions and bring them here for some interested clients. Ralph will give you the details." Orion turned to Geodin, "I have something special in mind for you, my friend. Let's take a walk." He stood and motioned for Geodin to follow him. After a minute of strolling, they were out of anyone's earshot. He revealed, "Antonio has told me a great deal about you. He thinks very highly of you."
_____"I think very highly of him. He helped me through some dark times in Sugarland Prison." Geodin recalled his first few months in prison and the deep depression that he suffered from during that time. He shuddered to think what life in prison would've been like without Antonio to watch his back.
_____"Antonio has always done what he was supposed to do. I need men like him." Orion nodded thoughtfully, "Men I can count on. Men I can trust."
_____"Trust is a rare commodity in Sirus." Geodin's voice was agreeable. He was curious, "So what have you got in mind?"
_____"I'm opening a Casino in Liberty, called the Bellagio." Orion kept a steady pace, walking the corridors of Barrier Gate Station with Geodin. "I quietly purchased the holding company that financed the project. Spent millions converting an old yacht into the premiere gaming resort. I went through miles of red tape with the Liberty Gaming Commission and they finally approved our Gaming License. It's been almost two years in the making."
_____At the mention of the Bellagio Casino, Geodin's eyes lit up like a supernova. He loved gambling, especially poker and dice games. He'd spent an entire year of his life just wandering Sirius from luxury liners to empty warehouse looking for poker games. Life had been good then. His excitement showed in his voice, "What did you have in mind, Mr. Onyx?"
_____"Please, my friends call me Orion." He stopped walking and put his hand on Geodin's shoulder. "And I want us to be friends, Geodin." He smiled, and they resumed walking. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "I want you to take a vacation."
_____"A vacation?" His inquiry was filled with confusion, and a sort of greedy curiosity.
_____"I want you to enjoy losing fifty million credits. You used to gamble high stakes, right?" Orion already knew the answer, "So it won't arouse suspicion if a high stakes gambler is playing high stakes. If he loses big..," His voice trailed off, and he grinned at Geodin.
_____Geodin understood completely. He nodded appreciatively, "Money laundering." He said it almost proudly.
_____"Precisely." Orion offered Geodin a cigar. "Your cut is ten percent of the losses." He pulled out a lighter and lit it for him. "You're going to do just fine around here. Just fine." He affectionately patted him on the back.
_____Geodin began to sing an Old Earth classic as he smoked his cigar, "Bright light city going to set my soul on fire, Viva Las Vegas! Viva Las Vegas!"