"Miss Benitez, Let me start out by saying that what you brought here is worth more than gold." Jonathon takes a good drink of this new drink. "ahhh, good stuff. Rum, you call it? If you fancy this here stuff, you really ought to try some of our "Mother's Finest". But I digress." Jonathon finishes off his glass and pours another.
"Ronnie here was saying that we may have something in common. I'd like to hear what exactly that is. You see, It is not often to find someone that share common goals. Here, we fight for the people of Liberty. But it is a tough battle, though we shall endure." Jonathon refills his glass, sees that Ronnie needs another and refills that too. He drains it down in a single swallow. "It is not often that we are able to take a break from our responsibilities. It is something to relish. So, if you will, tell me about where you come from."
Jonathon sits back and watches Miss Benitez intently...
With his eyes closed, Ronnie was just sitting and listening to the voices: Strong and deep voice full of power and wisdom of his boss and best friend... and warm voice full of exotic words and accents belonging to this intriguing woman who came here from the other side of Sirius.
The rum filling up his veins, the warmth radiating from his stomach... with his muscles starting to relax and his dark thoughts vanishing from his head he could almost feel good. He didn't even notice Jonathon filling up his glass. In the darkness behind his eyelids, he allowed the voices to fill up his head, resonate and spread around his nerves soothing the tenseness of his constant everyday fight.
Valeria collected her thoughts a moment after she listened to the Xeno leader's words. The ring of voice not remaining unnoticed, she then responded.
"Your hermano, senor Lancehead, has told me a little of your people, honored senor, but I still know very little about el Xenos, if you pardon per favor. Still, I can tell you about mi people, the Corsairs."
She leaned back into the chair and continued. "Our history... is not a kind tale, much like yours. We came to Sirius with the other sleeper ships but ours was sabotaged, by muchos filthy gringos. Gringos who nowadays call themselves el Coalicion."
She paused a moment then continued. "Half of us left the damaged sleeper ship to settle on the only habitable planet within reach. A barren, empty planet but now our beloved home world, Planet Crete." Now she leaned forward again. "We were stranded without food or resources."
After a brief pause she continued. "We had to fight for our survival and this is a fight, honored senores, we continue to this day. We achieved muchos victories, we are no longer starving, but there is yet muchos to be done."
She leaned back into the chair, with her glass this time. "We have carved a living of nothing and survived in the harsh edge worlds. We have fought and won our freedom and no one ... is going to take it again. No government, no corrupted houses, no filthy gringos like those Outcasts who we despise for trying to enslave and take people's freedom with their drug called Cardamine."
A brief, small sip from her glass then her voice addressed both Xenos again. "So, as I understand, honored senores, we share our muchos love for freedom and our ~fight~ for survival. We know very littel about Liberty, so it was a muy bien unexpected surprise to hear about our similarities from your hermano. We are both warrior people, fighting for our freedom and our survival. And we have at least one common enemy.. the Outcasts."
"mhm... Outcasts and their cardamine..." Lancehead responded opening his eyes. "They are one of our enemies indeed. Along with Lane Hackers, Rogues and bloody Junkers". He lifted the glass filled by Death Adder and stared at it for a short while. "The Outcasts only bring the drug to Liberty. Hackers don't really sell it. They're as addicted as Outcasts. It's Junkers and Rogues who are the real death dealers here. It's them who smuggle the Cardamine to planets' main cities. Junkers mostly as Rogues have limited access to the planets."
Ronnie searched his pockets for a cigar but as he found none, he started to play with the lighter. "But I believe we have one more common enemy - the Rheinlanders. They try to conquer our systems. Our crew in Hudson has to fight their patrols every day. And I guess they do the same on their southern border...?"
"Si." Valeria nodded. "The Rheinlanders try to maintain their southern border, but they do not invade the Omicrons." She set her glass on the table after, finally, having emptied it in small sips. "They know better and they have their hands full with us corsairs attacking and raiding it for what we need, so si, they are our enemies."
She paused a moment then continued.
"Personally, I know very littel of el junkers or liberty rogues. We sometimes use the junker's bases and they tend to .. tolerate us .. they seem to deal with everyone. But the liberty rogues, or these Lane Hackers? I think I know next to nothing of them." Even though she just stated they sometimes land on junker bases, a group that the Xenos hate, she retains her composure. She seemed to be unafraid and there was even a faint ring of pride in her voice as if to meet the Xenos with honesty as a gesture of respect.
Jonathon listens intently while finishing the last of his drink. "This stuff is almost as good as "Mother's Finest". No offense, Miss Benitez.
He then reaches into his pocket and hands Ronnie a few cigars. "Here Ronnie, We picked these up from an ill informed trader yesterday." He then turns to Miss Benitez.. "Junkers, (you can hear the disdain and disgust in those two syllables) Are a bain to society. I understand you using their bases Miss Benitez, but you have to watch yourself around them, They would sell their own grandmother if they could get a good price. Let alone them pushing the drugs they get from the outcasts. Filthy Cardimine!"
With that last uttered in total disgust, Jonathon fills and empties his glass in one smooth motion. He remains quiet for the moment, lost in his own thoughts...
Ronnie grined smelling one of the cigars. Quickly, he pulled out a huge military knife and cut off the tip. "You surely know how to comfort such an old space rat as me." he said.
Turning to Valeria, he filled the room with clouds of blue smoke as he poofed the cigar to light it up. "Yeah, Adder is right about that. But there's one more thing about junkers even worse than their cardamine business. They trade slaves." He paused to make the impression even bigger. "Quite a few of our people here on Ouray were slaves. And even more back in Alabama. They are fearsome warriors... you can imagine". He smiled sadly, sighed and filled up his glass one more time. "Rogues are just a bunch of criminals and degenerates. They pirate everything that moves. Lane Hackers on the other hand are a fancy group of rich boys. Bored with whatever they could buy with credits, they look for some... fun. Cardamine addicts mostly."
"How despicable!" Valeria frowned and wrinkled her nose in disdain as she heard of slave trade. "I empathize with your hermanos who were ... slaves. A while back I almost would have met that fate as well. But that is el different story..." She exhaled quietly. "I always thought the junkers were interested in junk and machinery. It dismays me to hear that they traffic people, that is muchos honorless. I wonder if mi hermanos are aware of that ..."
She paused a moment. "At any rate, honored senors, muchos gracias for your advice and shared intel, even if it was bad news. I for one, see the junkers in a new light and will be very careful from now on."
Hidden at a corner table shrouded by shadow and a cloud of smoke Canebreak was quietly observing the scene from a distance.
A fellow pilot approached him and sat down at the table.
He sighed and started to speak.
''Dudley , you really gotta stop smoking that stuff, if Lance finds out you are gonna be in a heap of trouble , you know damn well it's against our ideals to use dr.."
Before he could finish his sentence Canebreak interrupted him.
''First of all Malcolm, it's Canebreak to you. Second of all , Lance knows when to mind his own business , because I don't mind his business."
Malcolm looked surprised and asked
''What do you mean -his business- , Lancehead has a golden reputation man!''
Canebreak smiled and moved his chair a bit closer to Malcolm.
''See that chick over there , the one he's talking with?'' he whispered.
''I've seen types like her before , now I've never met no Corsair in my life , but I recognize an Outcast when I see one.
So before you point that little trigger finger of yours at me , for chilling out with some mary jane that went missing from some Cryer warehouse, ya better keep your eyes on that Outcast and make sure she doesn't turn one of ours into a cardi addict.''
Malcolm nodded and gave Canebreak an annoyed look before he walked off.
''Like I said Dudley , ya gotta stop using that stuff , it's making you paranoid.''
Ronnie yawned and rubbed his eyelids. It was a long day for him and he just started to feel how tired he was. If not for the Corsair guest, he'd probably already go to his quarter to get some sleep. But at the same time, he was very interested in what Valeria was telling them about Corsairs and their home system. "You mentioned that you use junker bases from time to time" Lancehead said trying to smother another yawn. "What for, if I may ask? Is it somehow related to those... artifacts I hear about all the time?" he then asked the girl sitting across the table.
He turned his head towards the bar, waved at the bartender and, by pointing at Adder's empty mug and adding a few other gestures, he ordered some more coffee for everyone.
![[Image: 3bAki.png]](http://i.imgur.com/3bAki.png)
![[Image: zElBwT7.png]](https://i.imgur.com/zElBwT7.png)