Chapter 6 - Homeward Bound

"Well, I don't have any more questions for you! Officially, anyway." The smartly dressed lady on the other side of the video-call smiled, her scarlett-red curls bouncing delicately around her face. "So you can relax now, and please, remember to breathe!"

Liena laughed nervously and did her very best to do as the interviewer had said, inhaling deeply through her mouth. She physically had to force her shoulders down, but no matter how much she wrung her fingers together, rubbed her hands and fiddled with the elastic band around her wrist, she just couldn't stop her hands from shaking. "I-I'm sorry. Interviews aren't really where I excel."

"I understand, I used to be the same." The lady replied kindly. "I have to say, your CV was impressive. We don't get many PhD's out in nomad space."

"It's actually worked against me in other interviews. There's not much need for biologists with a doctorate out here, apparently. I'm overqualified."

"Oh, I promise, there's no such thing as over-qualified with us."

"S-So, you said you don't have any more questions for me officially… was there still something you wanted to ask?"

"Well," The lady busied herself, tidying some papers around her, as though she were almost a little nervous herself to ask. "Just tell me if this is too personal a question, I've always been more nosy than is good for me. But your doctorate, that's from a university in the Draconic Alliance, isn't it?"

Liena shifted uncomfortably, finally deciding to sit on her trembling hands if she couldn't control their shaking. "Yeah, that's right. I'm technically from the DA, I'm not a nomad."

"I was curious! There are more and more czarites coming into nomad space these days, but they're still a pretty rare find! I just… well… and please tell me if I'm prying too much, but… why did you leave? It must have been quite a culture shock going from the Draconic Alliance to this." 

"Oh it was." Liena replied. "Everything's much harder out here, so much more… uncertain. Nomad's are a rough and ready bunch. When you're just walking around, I never know if I'm going to get shot or not. N-No offense! A-Although I will say, nomad's aren't quite the savages the DA made them out to be."

The lady laughed. "I can't imagine the DA is too pleased with the number of citizens they've been haemorrhaging in recent decades. It can be dangerous out here though, Liena, if you don't know how to protect yourself. Nomad space is dangerous for a single czarite on her own."

"Oh, I'm not on my own. Me and a friend left the DA together. She's been bread-winning ever since we got out here." She laughed awkwardly. Her fingers were starting to tingle uncomfortably with pins and needles, but at least the shuddering nerves trembling up her arms had ceased.

"Ah, that's nice! Two czarites, travelling together through nomad space. What an adventure! You can watch each-other's backs." The lady smiled. 

She's definitely got mine… I try to have hers, I really really do…

"So, how long ago did you leave?"

"Only a few months ago. Although it feels like years. Current living situation is… a bit of a nightmare." Liena gestured to the broken bunk bed frame that was just in view behind her.

"Nomad life is hard. Apologies for the blatant self-advertising, but it's something we pride ourselves on at Synergy. We offer individuals somewhere safe, somewhere more certain to live and to work." The lady said. "Although I should warn you… turnover is high, for that reason. Staff live on site. Within our line of work, we travel a lot, much of what we do is highly classified and the work itself can be hard, with not much opportunity to visit family. Is that something that would be a problem?"

"W-Well… family, no, absolutely no issues there… but…" Liena thought to Seres. While this job, from what little she'd seen and what little the interviewer had told her, wasn't exactly perfect - she hadn't spent the last seven years studying her ass off just to become a generic lab assistant - she couldn't deny how cripplingly desperate a situation they were in. But she couldn't just up and leave Seres, not after she'd dragged her out here. Not after she'd supported this entire endeavour. And the lady was clearly picking up on this hesitation.

"Your friend?"

Lienna nodded uncomfortably.

"Well…" The interviewer looked thoughtful. "Listen, as I said, our company has a pretty high turnover rate. We have jobs going all over, from secretarial staff to security work."

"Security work might suit her!" Lienna blurted out excitedly, then blushed and looked down. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to interrupt-"

"Hey don't worry! We're just chatting now!" The lady said kindly. "We've got a station open day coming up soon. Like I said, we travel all over, but at the moment we're docked at a small planet not far from where you are now. I'm just popping you over the coordinates, one sec…" She tapped her long acrylic nails against her keyboard, the clack-clack echoing through the speakers. "As a potential candidate you'd be invited anyway… but I'm sure we could add a plus one onto your invite." She glanced up at the camera as she said this, her eyes shining kindly. "I've just sent you the email. Do you think you could make it?"

Liena's laptop pinged gently as the details came through. She slid her hand out from underneath her leg and did her best to move the mouse with a completely dead arm. Her adrenaline levels were still off the charts as she tried to skim through the details before her, and the words weren't registering with her brain. "Y-Yeah, that's fine!" She tried to say convincingly. "I'd love to go!"

"Great! I'll put you both down as attending." More tapping. "Oh, and lunch is provided, which it seems like you could do with." The lady winked at her, and Liena blushed red.

"C-Could you hear my stomach rumbling?!" She asked, horrified.

"Only as little!" The lady laughed. "Don't worry, that won't affect your outcome either. I'll send you another email in a couple of days with further information. Our station isn't publicly accessible, so we'll send an escort down planet-side for you, but I'll explain all that in the email."

"Great! I-Is that everything?" Please please please.

"Almost… It's just… Well, you didn't really answer my earlier question."

"What?" Liena panicked. "Which one?!"

"Don't look so worried! The interview is over now, I promise!" She laughed. "I asked why you left the DA. It's a big move, even for the strongest, most steadfast of individuals. There's definitely more career opportunities in the line of work you're looking for there… I'm genuinely curious, why did you decide to leave?"

Liena hesitated. She didn't really know how to explain without sounding like a complete conspiracy theorist. The whisperings, the articles, the old books hidden in the restricted sections of the local library… and the looks. The looks recruiters had given her at her university's career fairs. The way employers had caught sight of her, and in some instances completely cut off existing conversations to make their way over to her. Little, unsuspecting Liena with a folder stuffed with random sheets of paper between her crossed arms that she could hide behind if the crowds got too overwhelming. They would smile and spew straight into their sales pitches. At first she was honest, a straight-A student, the youngest student to be completing a PhD in the last thirty years, and in one of the university's self-proclaimed most difficult courses too, and they were so enthusiastic to have her. Too enthusiastic. She'd started lying as the day went on, averaging a C, might not even pass the year… and the enthusiasm didn't die down. They were all so eager to have her on board, handing her flyers with details, phone numbers, even personal emails in case she was interested. They didn't just take graduates, they had plenty of apprenticeship opportunities that might suit… Liena generally got an uncomfortable feeling off of most people, but this… this was different. There was something in their eyes, an edge to the way they were looking at her, and they were trying so damn hard to have her…

"I'm sorry." The interviewer apologised, jolting Liena away from her thoughts. "If it's personal, you don't have to tell me. Told you, too nosy for my own good!"

"No, no, it's…" Lienna took a breath. "I didn't like the way the DA did things. There's so much secrecy. Even companies in the public eye, it only takes a little bit of research to uncover horror stories, unethical testing, people up and disappearing off the streets… For all the DA has tried to improve its image over the last few hundred years, deep down, it's still the same cesspit that it always has been. And I don't want to be a part of that."

For a moment, the interviewer paused. Her soft emerald eyes changed from kind to… sad. "I… I respect that, Liena... I hope that we can be what you're looking for."

And finally, the call was over. After a polite conclusion of thank you's and goodbyes, Liena sighed loudly and almost melted into her chair. After several long minutes, her breathing calmed, and the feeling returned to her limbs. Still shaking, she stood up and slowly made her way outside the ship, where Seres was waiting. She looked tired, and was still wearing her merc uniform. But when she saw Liena, she smiled. 

"How'd it go how'd it go?!"

"Good - I'm sorry you had to wait out here, it went longer on than I thought."

"It's cool! I didn't wanna interrupt." Seres replied. "Now tell me everything!"

"Well I… I might not need to. We've been invited to an open day at the station. You can see for yourself."

"Ooooh fancy - wait, we?"

"I-If you'd like to come." Liena stammered. "The interviewer said I could have a plus one. And they've got a lot of jobs going at the moment, I thought, maybe you'd… like to come with me?"

Seres thought for a moment, then squeezed Liena's shoulders gently with her strong hands and grinned.

"I haven't said no to you yet, I'm not about to start now! Oh this is great! Liena, we should celebrate!"

"I haven't got the job yet!" Liena laughed awkwardly.

"I know, but you've been working so hard recently… I think you deserve a break. We should go out! Get smashed, get laid." She winked.

"S-Smashed?! With what money, Seres?!" Liena stammered. Her adrenaline was building again. Going out, getting drunk and getting laid weren't exactly things that Liena was well-experienced in - or experienced at all in the latter - and she was desperately trying to push her nerves and inexperience down in front of Seres.

Seres raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Liena. We're czarites. We're hot as fuck. Trust me, we don't need money to have a good time."

***

Chapter 6 - Homeward Bound

"It really is you, isn't it?" Wex shook his head in disbelief, a deep smile betraying his feelings to the room. "After all this time… We really don't age. Although I can't say I recall the golden rings in your eyes."

"Nor the blonde in your hair and gold in your ears, captain." Diego chuckled back, thumping his brother in the arm playfully as they took their seats within a more secluded area of the café, raised away from the majority of the seating. A picturesque view of the moon through perfectly clear glass framed the scene as they sat opposite one-another, sinking almost shyly into the well-used red leather seating.

They both took a moment to get comfortable, shuffling about as the leather creaked beneath them, casting a quick look towards their respective crews who were ordering refreshments at the bar. An awkward undertone threatened to overwhelm them, both clearing their throats as hundreds of years of questions bubbled to the surface. It was hard to know where to begin. They both recognised the struggle within the other, and chuckled lightly.

"Do we, uh… start with the hard stuff? Or just…?" Wex asked with a shrug.

"I think I'd like to get it out of the way." Diego nodded solemnly. "They've taken so much from us. I'm not having the anxiety of that… day… looming over us and taking our reunion away too."

"Yeah. Sounds reasonable." Wex nodded in agreement, his eyes drifting to nowhere. "So… how did you…" His voice dropped until it was almost a whisper, "… survive?"

Diego shuddered in his seat, the corners of his eyes twitching.

This had to be done. As painful as it was to recall, the question needed answering.

"You know how the day started, just a normal, average day? I was in college, when the institute called us in for a 'spontaneous psyonic exam' before lunch. It's a bit of a blur, but I remember going into the courtyard and doing some drills… then I heard gunfire." Diego's fingers gripped the arms of the chair lightly, the leather creaking as he swallowed loudly. "I remember seeing students getting executed. Kids. Just shot in the back of the head. It didn't work on me though." For a second, Diego almost looked guilty. 

"Wait, you were shot?!"

"...Yeah. Y'know how most psykers discover their powers offensively, spontaneous bursts of fire, explosive accidents and stuff like that, but I always specialised in defence, remember?"

"You mean like how you asked me to push you down the stairs?" Wex asked in a tone that suggested he might have still been bitter about it.

"Yeah, and I was absolutely fine!"

"And how I still got grounded, even though you told me to push you, and you were absolutely fine."

"Yeah… sorry about that." Diego chuckled dryly, before returning to a more solemn mood. "I… I had to fight my way out. Next thing I know, everything is on fire and… uh… I didn't know where to go. So I ran home."

"That was in the morning…? T-That means the institutes were where they started?! They attacked students first?!" Wex spat under his breath, his jaw clenching unconsciously. "Sorry, don't let me take over. I just… I didn't think a genocide could get any worse, y'know?"

"You're fine. Honesty is good. I'm relieved to see it's not just me who's still… angry. About this." Diego cleared his throat, his leg bobbing up and down anxiously. "So. I ran home as fast as I could. Everything was a mess. Must have taken me a couple of hours at least."

"You ran all the way from the institute? You must have been absolutely booking it!" Wex's mouth fell agape as he remained both engrossed and disgusted in Diego's tale. "Dad hated doing that drive." 

"He always found city driving so stressful. But uh… yeah. I made it." Diego's hands wrapped around each-other, and he settled his fists into his lap. "It wasn't good. The front door was breached." His fists tightened, his claws pressing into his palms. "Mum was dead at the bottom of the stairs. I'm guessing she tried to stop them from coming in. The twins were shot dead in the front room, their cartoons still playing on the TV. The triplets were executed in their cribs upstairs. The house was the quietest I'd ever heard it. I never thought that quiet could be so haunting..." Diego's voice drifted away at the end of his sentence and he took a slow, choking breath in.

Wex gritted his teeth, holding back his own tears as best he could.

"I must have only been in there for a few seconds though, some of the neighbours came running in and grabbed me. Next thing I know, I'm on an escape ship with a few other people from our neighbourhood. I really don't remember how I got there. I think the shock of seeing… that, just stripped me of my cognition. I remember seeing our next door neighbour at the escape ship… What was his name? Yannear? He got all the stranded folks from our street together and got us on the ship, but they gunned him down before he could board. I kinda go blank after that… " Diego went stiff, his eyes drifting towards the floor. "He was a good man. I wouldn't have survived without him, I doubt. That's all I really remember of the day though... What about you?"

Diego's words were rolling around Wex's head and sunk through him like a red hot poker. There wasn't a way to be comfortable hearing this, but despite the unease, Wex gathered himself sincerely.

"That's… That's horrible. I'm so sorry, man. You… you really saw it all. I, uh… It started later, in the afternoon for me. The fire alarm went off in school and we all lined up outside, but something was wrong, we could see smoke rising in the distance and we could all hear the gunfire. Next thing I know, the teachers started fighting amongst themselves, the gunshots suddenly got louder and everyone ran for their lives. I was about halfway home when one of dad's work-friends saw me and grabbed me. I can't remember his name, I'm not sure he ever told me." Wex cleared his throat, clasping his hands together in front of him on the table. "He tells me it isn't safe to go home and he promised dad he'd take care of me, so I have to go with him. I failed to notice the past tense used at that point, can't say I blame myself though… We ran towards the factory where there were a bunch of others waiting."

Wex paused as he sought for the strength to continue, his own leg now jittering.

"We gathered up and made for one of the warehouses together, they had some cargo ships back there. As we swung by, the dude told me to close my eyes and look away from the factory gates… but…" Wex laughed to himself as glassy tears ran down his cheeks. "You know me! Never did what I was told! So I looked, didn't I? Dad was strung up on a fucking pole. They hung him upside down, cut his belly open. His skin was hanging over his face and branded with their emblem like a fucking animal. And not just him. Loads of the factory workers. Not a single. Shitting. Dragon. Might I add! Th-That image is burnt into my brain. I can never forget it, no matter how hard I try." He pointed a finger gun at his head, pressing his digits against his scales tightly as he snarled. "I will never forgive them, Diego. Never. The only grace was… dad was gone. Some of the others were still wriggling around, yelling for help, having to shout past their own fucking skin hanging over them. But dad's suffering was over."

Wex took another few seconds to compose himself, wiping his tears with a napkin from the table.

"I guess the surviving factory workers managed to route them or secure the area. They found some of the other kids too, and they bundled us onto an escape craft. It was some metal hauling frigate for the foundry. Dad's friends stayed behind to help and… I never saw any of them again. I… I-I remember as the shuttle door shut, the fire-bleached sky closing away, I could hear the dude talking to himself. He said, 'I got one, Marcus. I saved one of your boys.' And then the door closed fully and cut him off. Like you, it's a blur then. We made it to nomad space and… the rest is history."

The two of them sat in silence, just absorbing their feelings for a few painful seconds, all too fast yet agonizingly slow at the same time.

Words would never be enough. They both knew it.

They looked up at one-another as the pain of that day freely washed over them both. Despite the pain of remembering, a small smile found its way onto both of their faces.

The DA hadn't taken everything.

"For a second, when I saw you, I had this crazy idea that maybe even more of us survived. That was a good second." Wex chuckled awkwardly, scratching at the base on his neck. "But… hearing your account… There's only one unaccounted for. I know Elise was deep in the city when it started, so… you know." 

"Well, if any of us could have survived, it would have been her. She had her head screwed on the most of all of us. If a couple of dumbasses like me and you managed to scrape our way out, maybe Elise is out there somewhere."

"Yeah." Wex smiled, blinking the tears away from his eyes. "Maybe."

"It's a nice thought." Diego nodded, wiping his cheeks with the back of hand.

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes. Both needed time, just to let the moment breathe. Despite it being so long ago, the moments that defined both the brother's lives were still just as alive today as they were back then.

"It feels like fate to meet you like this though. The, uh… execution dad was subjected to, having not seen it since literally that day - I came across the exact same method only a couple of days ago."

Diego's ears pricked up and he sat up in the chair, his eyes sharpening like knives. An uncomfortable pang vibrated through his stomach as his bones chilled to a frosty numbness, deep in his limbs.

"We came across an escape pod broadcasting an SOS signal." Wex continued. "Couple of dead escapees within it and a Solar Seraphim agent, we found out afterwards, who was executed in the same manner."

"You're certain?"

"Without a doubt. What I don't know is how common that is any more. I haven't been in this part of space since… it… happened, and I don't want to make assumptions. So I don't know what it means yet. The folks I've spoken to so far said they didn't recognise it, but it's not conclusive enough."

"We might be able to help with that. Seeth is in touch with a DA commander, someone in the know. Want us to put you in touch?"

"Yeah, actually. That would be a massive help, if he's trustworthy." Wex breathed a sigh of relief. "You'd do that for me?"

"Sure thing. I don't like him, personally." Diego huffed. "But I think he's worth the time to talk to about this. You said you don't come to the DA border often though?"

"I never come down here, for uh… obvious reasons. Spent most of my time all the way up the other side of the Cutlass Trench."

"You mind me asking why you're here now?" Diego inquired politely.

 "I had a friend go missing recently. It's why we checked out the SOS. A quartz elf girl called Chalia Neighorn. She was one of the good ones. Too good. But she disappeared a few weeks ago under dubious circumstances. I'm following the trail where I can, but it seems like all roads lead to home."

"Tell me about it." Diego sighed along with his brother. "Feels like I can't escape the DA sometimes."

They shared another brief moment of quiet, digesting each-other's words. Despite all the time between them, the trust between them seemed strong. Wex cast a glance at their respective crews, everyone still coming down from the adrenaline of the fight.

"I think that's enough of the serious business for now. So… You and Lockblade, huh?" Wex grinned from ear to ear, half-jesting, half-impressed.

"Yeah. She's a hell of a catch, putting it lightly." Just the thought of Seeth seemed to relax Diego as his shoulders slowly untensed.

"How'd you meet?" Wex asked, fighting to make his grin smaller as he reached for his coffee.

"That's… That's hard to answer, actually." Diego scratched his chin, glancing up in thought. "I guess… I responded to a call for help, ended up meeting her, and the rest is history…"

"Oh, I know it's never simple with you. You don't meet girls, you crash into their lives. Like a wrecking ball with fangs." Wex laughed, blowing the steam off his drink. "Somehow they're all the more thankful for it. Let me guess… she was part of a slaver group?"

"Sex cult." Diego shrugged. "I carried her up forty flights of stairs whilst an ultra-class burned the place down looking for us."

"Ah. Of course! Sex cult! That would've been my next guess! Still, you carried Lockblade up forty flights? She's like, four times your size at least!" Wex shot another glance back at Seeth, who immediately turned her head and met his look with her trademark 'I don't know you' cold stare. "Nah, bigger than that. I don't remember your taste in girls being so… strider-sized."

Diego grinned proudly. "Size difference is fun! You should try it!"

"Who says I haven't!" Wex scoffed. "I've been alive basically as long as you. Plenty of time to play."

Diego's eyes narrowed as he gauged his brother. "You haven't." Diego responded confidently. "Not like this."

"You know what, I'll take your word for it." Wex laughed back with a snort, shaking his head. His crew turned their heads at hearing his response, all of them reeling in various states of surprise. "You guys close?"

"For how little I've known her? Yeah. Feel like I've found a couple of girls who are equal to me. Like I'm not…" Diego's voice drifted off towards the end of his sentence, and he cut himself off from saying more.

"Couple of girls? What, one Baron-slaying alien chick with - and I'm not ogling your babe - quite possibly the largest breasts I think I've ever seen, wasn't enough for you? I'm guessing the lioness is your other gal, then?"

"Who, Oxyi?!" Diego blurted out, surprised.

"Yeah… I mean, she keeps looking over here. She clearly… I figured… Ah, shit. Ignore me. Who then?"

"Erm… It's another czarite girl. Same size class, she's coming back to us soon. She's a real sweet thing, I'm hoping she's been treated well or… well. I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

"Wait. Let me get this straight. You're walking around with two strider-sized alien babes? Talk-of- the-Trench Lockblade, not enough for my brother."

"I… don't really think about it like that… It's rare I connect with people to such a degree. But yeah. I guess I am. Or will be… Or… I…" Diego deflated a little, stumbling over his words. "I haven't seen Plasia in months. I don't know if we're still a thing or not. I hope we are."

The smile dropped from Wex's face and replaced with concern, as he shifted in his seat.

"Things have been shit for you recently, huh?"

"Yeah. You could say that." Feels like the understatement of the century. Diego thought to himself, but part of him loathed the self-pity, and he quickly dismissed the thought.

"Sorry to hear that, bro. Maybe things will get better now I'm in the picture? I reckon your girl will be overjoyed to see you. They usually are."

"Thanks, Wex. I appreciate that. You mind me asking how you recognised Seeth before we saw each-other though? You knew her as Lockblade immediately." Diego asked, his eyes drifting over to Seeth across the room. Again, Seeth looked back at them, but her glare warmed immediately to Diego, giving him a little 'hello' twiddle of her fingers.

"The Barons in the Trench are going crazy over her. You know rumours, they often travel faster than ships do. The story of a single merc going toe-to-toe with an arrogant baron fleet makes for big news in the Trench. Her body count has them shook, she's been literally killing them with her bare hands and they know it." Wex's index fingers twitched subconsciously, as though he were squeezing a trigger. "Usually when Barons lose, it's because they pissed off one of the big players, not some random nomad merc. That and the fact that she's also a total looker has everyone going crazy over her. It's one thing to get your head blown off in a firefight. It's another when it's a total baddie doing it. The privilege of being attractive I guess."

"You rub shoulders with the Barons?" Diego asked tentatively.

"Me?! No chance. I'd sooner lick the rim of a corpse barrel for the worms than indulge in their company." Wex paused for a second, rubbing his chin in thought. "Easier for me to explain the whole thing. Else it just comes across weird. I established a pirate coalition in the northern section of the Trench, there's a few of us involved of various sizes. There's me and my crew, the Jeweled Fangs, then there's the Rum Runners, After Dawn, the Grift Keepers, the Drain Whores and -" Wex's face scrunched in disgust as the last name rolled off his tongue. " - the SilverFish."

"I'm sensing some tension with that last lot?"

"The SilverFish are… the biggest gang, outnumbering the rest of us put together. But what they make up in numbers, they lack in every other conceivable metric, and even some inconceivable ones. The single brain cell that their various captains share put in enough overtime at the thinking factory and they joined my coalition, which I allowed purely to end the conflicts in the sector. But the SilverFish aren't just half-wits. They're a bunch of dishonourable half-wits and it's them who rub shoulders with the Barons. They ain't best friends, but I've seen Barons and SilverFish in the same room and they're not exactly enemies either. And that's where I get my news from."

"Gotcha." Diego nodded, relaxing into his chair again.

"The others are generally pretty good. Rum Runners are a great bunch of girls, honourable and a total riot to have on-board. After Dawn are odd balls but they've taken on my code really well, and I like 'em. The Grift Keepers are sticklers for getting their share but will always keep their word, so there's trust there. And the Drain Whores are a bit of a coin flip, quite unpredictable, they've been dipping their toes in with the SilverFish and the two are getting a bit too cosy recently for my liking. I -" Wex stopped suddenly, his cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. "I didn't mean to start a lecture on pirate politics. Although I appreciate your attendance."

"Any time, captain." Diego winked back. "My gut's telling me that you suspect some form of foul play regarding your missing crew member?"

"Yeah. Good guess. I'm not sure exactly, but the trail has dragged me all the way to the DA border. My intuition says that the SilverFish are involved in Chalia's disappearance, but there's nothing directly linking them to it right now. And the fact that they aren't down here only further proves that. The south of the Trench is Baron territory. We don't come down here and neither do the Fish. Forgive the shit pun, but there's something fishy about all of this. Perhaps if you stick around, you could indulge my thoughts? It'll be nice to have a fresh perspective."

"Sure thing. I'd be happy to help if I can. We're staying here at least today until Plasia arrives, then we're gonna head for the Warlocks of Detromus outpost just south of the UC border."

"The fucking Warlocks? Okay." Wex's eyes briefly widened in shock, but quickly fell back into his usual cheeky-neutral expression. "I suppose I should have inferred that. You've been indulging me in my struggles, I can lend an ear back if you want?"

"You heard anything about the corruption going around?" Diego asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Corruption? Maybe..? But I wouldn't claim to be familiar."

"It's… what got me tangled up in all this. I'll tell you the specifics later, but there's a lot of people after me, and they're tearing up nomad space in the process. So I'm going to phone in some favours and see if I can bring some back-up to assist in containing this stuff."

"Gotcha. Well, maybe we could help too? Would be a shame for us to immediately part ways after finally reuniting."

"Yeah. It would. I'd appreciate the help, but you ought to know that this is some serious shit. I wouldn't want to put you in danger -"

"Diego. I'm a fucking space pirate captain, dude. My life is danger." Wex chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Always so protective! You really haven't changed one bit. So! Tell me about your crew! I wanna know 'em! You got your actual girlfriend, Seeth. Your not-girlfriend-but-maybe-wouldn't-mind- some-of-that-ass, Oxyi. Who's the adorable one with the antennae?"

"That's Tivy. Her and the two guys next to her were escapees from the sex cult I told you about earlier, Trent and Geralt, respectively. I'm pretty sure her and Trent are dating, actually." Diego smiled.

"What about the rat? I get more official vibes from her."

"That's Venner. She's… okay in my books. We're a rag-tag bunch but we look out for each-other. What about your lot?"

"The girl with the fins is Ceri. She's my techie and second in command, but don't tell her that last bit." Wex pointed to her at the bar. She was a human and axolotl hybrid, with big, innocent looking hazel eyes and a cute face. A messy bob of brown and purple hair was punctuated with a set of axolotl fins in place of where her ears would usually be. Her slightly pink skin varied between a more human texture and faint, shimmering pastel coloured scales, more pronounced at the break between her t-shirt and ripped jeans where a peak of her thick hips were visible. A long, finned tail swung behind her as she waited patiently for her turn to order. "She's got a heart of gold and good hands for scrapping, she can be a little bit clumsy sometimes but her fingers always grow back if she loses them in the shop. More importantly, she's always got my back. Always."

Ceri noticed the brothers looking in her direction and she waved at the pair of them, her other hand fiddling with the collar on her t-shirt as a faint blush became visible even through her pink tinted skin.

"She seems nice. It's important to know you have people who'll back you up." Diego smiled and waved back.

"Too right. With the fights I tend to pick, I need people who trust me. The critter insect dude is Hammond, he's my infiltrator -" 

As if on cue, Hammond began to bang the bottom of his glass against the bar with a sharp, rhythmic tap. It appeared that his glass was already empty, despite only just being served. He settled into a bobbing dance in time with his tapping.

" - Ugh. Sorry Diego, two seconds. HAMMOND!" Wex barked, causing the bug to spin his head on a swivel as he paused his glass just millimetres above the bar. "Knock it off! I'm trying to have a conversation over here!"

Hammond nodded once and turned back to the bar, still bobbing back and forth, but otherwise silent. He was an interesting mix, perhaps part wasp or ant, but lacking any of the most distinctive features Diego was aware of. He had a pair of mandibles, wings and a second pair of arms under his main ones, but all of them were undersized, to the point where the wings certainly were non-functional in terms of flight. He carried a strong honey colour, dipping into red here and there over his shelled body, with a big pair of smooth, black, compound eyes. Unlike Tivy he had no abdomen at all, and a much shorter pair of antennae that twitched constantly above his eyes.

"Sorry about that. Hammond is… non-verbal and fiercely loyal, but a bit of an oddball. Not entirely sure what he is, but we saved his life a few years ago and now he follows my orders to the letter. He's absolutely silent when he's on the hunt and the shotgun we've given him is lethal, even if he was to aim up at most folks."

"I've travelled with weirder. As long as he's a friend and doesn't cause too much fuss, being weird is no problem." Diego smiled, endeared towards Hammond's demeanour already.

"At most, he's annoying. But never dangerous or problematic towards the crew. His eating habits are a bit unusual though. He eats the rawest meat you can find, still usually dripping with blood or whatever it is. Hearts, kidneys, gristle and cartilage. Munch munch munch, no problem. But drinks wise? Only the pinkest, most fabulous drinks on the menu, no exceptions. That's it. If it doesn't have glitter in it, he's not interested."

"His diet is raw meat and pink drinks? You sure he just doesn't love pink things?"

"God no. Ceri thought that, got him a pink scarf to wear and he ejected it out of the airlock within seconds. Didn't even hesitate. Just bundled it into the lock and bap on the button, done. Ceri wasn't too pleased, but I saw the funny side. They made friends again later though when Hammond kindly offered her some of his dinner as an apology. Near-raw pig heart. It's his favourite too, so she knew he was trying, you know?"

"He sounds fun!" Diego snorted, seeing Hammond insistently shaking his still empty glass at the irritated bartender passing by. Next to him, the strider sized bear shook his head in a subdued manner and casted a curious glance up the bar. "What about the bear?"

"That's Diesel."

Diesel was a mean looking bear. Coated in thick black fur, his face was speckled with muddy brown dots, a ring nose piercing and a pair of matching silver fangs that were visible even with his mouth closed. He was strider height, shorter than Seeth but the second largest in the bar, by far. Currently wearing a heavy flak jacket, thick combats covered in pockets and stompy looking boots, he was as broad as the doors into the coffee shop and carried himself with an imposing aura. A short, fluffy mohawk ran between his dinky ears, the tip of it coated in blood red dye.

"We call him Big Diesel, because apparently nicknames are no longer about shortening names. Not that it'll stay anyway. With Lockblade on the scene, he's not the biggest anyone. So Medium Diesel it is. He'll be heartbroken." Wex giggled to himself. "He's a sweet lad though, nowhere near as mean as he looks. He lost his job as a labourer some time ago and was getting passed around by some of the nastier pirate crews which we've since… uh… dealt with. Apparently, treating him with an ounce of kindness was all it took to win his loyalty."

The two brothers casted a glance over at Diesel, to witness him shyly edging towards Seeth, his eyes focused on something on her person. Ceri appeared to be nudging the bear forward, encouraging him with words far too quiet for the komodos to hear.

"What's he up to?" Diego asked with a rising eyebrow.

"I bet you… he wants a look at that giant shotgun that Lockblade's carrying. Diesel loves guns. Probs wants to figure out where he can get one of his own."

The two brothers waited with baited breath, leaning in slightly as Diesel did indeed pluck up the courage to shyly tap Seeth on the arm. For a second, Seeth's scathing look sent a visible wave of bristling fur down Diesel's back. But her expression softened with surprise when he asked about the SAFU, rather than her. The bear appeared totally smitten by the vicious lump of titanium brought in front of him, as Seeth began to show its various features.

"He's my peacekeeper. Diesel will never start a fight, but he'll break them up or end them if he needs to. Great hauler too, super careful, never broken anything and can carry twice his body weight."

"A gentle giant?" Diego smiled, seeing Diesel's practically innocent smile as Seeth showed him one of the SAFU's remarkable shells.

"Yeah. For sure."

"Wait, I thought there were more of you?" Diego asked, surveying the bar for anyone else he could recognise as part of Wex's crew.

"I sent them back to the ship. They got shit to do! I'm a busy man." Wex laughed. "I've got about a hundred crew on board my ship, all solid, trust-worthy people. But only these lot were ready to roll when GLYPH showed up. You should meet them! Hell, you should see my ship!" Wex grinned, his excitement visibly showing. "Ceri pushed me to get a private hot-tub installed in my quarters and it was honestly the best decision I think I've ever made. You fancy a tour?"

Diego turned back towards his brother, somehow, it felt like neither of them had aged a day.

"I'd love to."

With their coffee taken to go or already finished, both Wex's and Diego's crews mingled tentatively behind the brothers, who led the way back out to the docks. A good deal of the carnage from earlier had already been taken care of, purely because the leftovers had value to them. Although the carpet of spent nails that littered the ground had yet to be cleared away, only swept to the side of the paths for collection later.

But as the brothers began to ascend the steps to the next level up, an approaching series of vessels snapped up their attention in a series of bright blue flashes.

A DA battleship, vastly outsizing even the elite merc ships docked above, swung its immense hull into the atmospheric bubble of Garon Moonstop, along with a suite of escorts. Ranging from heavy fighters to gun laden frigates, it was practically a fleet in itself, bristling with formidable-looking weapons. The battleship did not dock; it was too large to squeeze in, instead launching a smaller vessel from one of its ports on its white-steel chassis.

The smaller ship rapidly approached the docks and found an empty space on the same level as Wex's ship, landing just opposite. The rumble of its engines rapidly diminished to a sharp hush as the glow of its plasma jets faded and a ramp emerged from its body, connecting it to the dock.

"Speaking of the DA! Look at this!" Wex scoffed. "They escorting a princess or something?" His eyes landed on the battleship's armaments, the heft of its multi-barrelled vulcan cannons currently sitting idle on the outside of its armoured hull. "As if the unhelpful mercs above weren't lugging enough firepower, now these guys are here too? Must be important if they're bringing a whole damn battleship."

A few armoured soldiers descended from the ramp first, taking up formal defensive positions on either side and standing to attention. Their rifles were pointed high and clasped tightly to their chest as a new set of figures emerged from the craft's steamy, white ambiance.

Jace marched out first, dressed to impress in his military suit with a vulcan pistol strapped to his leg. His stern gaze immediately landed on the brothers, where it briefly faltered upon seeing Diego's death stare back at him. But he regained his confidence and continued down the ramp unimpeded.

Behind him, two figures emerged, arm in arm, along with a second squad of marching soldiers behind him.

Theo stood on one side, his chest swelling proudly in all his scarred and clanky glory. His arm looped around a tall, beautiful, sapphire czarite, standing over a foot higher than Theo or anyone else for that matter.

Plasia was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Clad in a sweeping dress of deep black and speckled with honey amber hues, her ultra-curve form was well supported, somehow flaunted and yet elegant at the same time. She had a rucksack slung across one of her shoulders, clearly well-laden with something heavy but its weight failed to impact her elegant glide down the ramp. But despite her stunning appearance, the czarite looked tired, her smile all but fake as Theo ensured she was safe.

Wex struggled to keep his jaw closed as Plasia made her way down and placed her feet on the slightly blood stained walkway.

"Wait, is this… is this your other babe, Diego?!"

"That's her!" He confirmed, still picking up speed.

Plasia's eyes lit up as she saw Diego charging down the walkway towards her, a jolt of electricity zapping through her irises. 

"Is she royalty or something?! She's got a battleship escort!"

"She is to me!" Diego grinned. Plasia gently but quickly unhooked her arm from Theo's and launched herself towards him, throwing her arms open wide.

The lights across the walk-way began to flicker as they drew close. The lines of nails swept to the sides of the path clinked and rattled, before suddenly bolting upright, their flat heads pinned to the walkway.

Their embrace was met with a sudden flash of darkness as every light, both on the closest ships and the docklights punctuating the walkways died. They embraced in the deep glow of the moon as the scraps of metal around them saluted their reunion.

It was only a couple of seconds before the lights around them flicked back on, but that brief moment of just the two of them were utter bliss. Soft scales on sapphire, with nothing but the moon to illuminate their passion.

The lights did click back on to reveal a grinning, almost glowing Diego, clutched tightly against Plasia's enormous bust like an overgrown teddy bear. They stared deep into each-others eyes, as Diego's hair rose across his entire head with static potential. 

A soft, shy giggle broke free of Plasia's lips as she hugged him close with one arm and gently stroked his hair back down with her free hand.

It was like they'd never been apart.

Wordless communication arced between them, told with nothing but the eyes. Pain. Captivity. Sorrow. Hope. Struggle. Everything. Both felt tears swelling, it was impossible to tell if it was because they were so happy to see each-other, or so sad the other had been treated so wrong. Perhaps it was both. They buried their heads into the others neck, gripping each-other even more tightly.

Those precious few seconds drifted by all too fast as Diego whipped his tail around her waist and hugged her even closer.

No, they knew why. The connection was still there. Their pain and separation hadn't killed them or their feelings.

They made a promise as their fingers danced up and down the others back, stroking up and down the centre of their back. A deep blush overtook them both, their cheeks flushing cherry red as a pounding excitement frothed deep in their chests, threatening to spill out at any moment.

They were owed time together.

There was business to attend to first. Then, the debt would be paid in full.

*

With Plasia safely amongst her friends and crew, Diego tucked tightly in her arms, Theo turned his attention back to Jace. A small bead of sweat trickled down the rhargnorn's forehead as he braced himself for the next part of the task. A smear of blood on the walkway caught his gaze for an all too long second.

"We need to stick around and tell this lot about the potential danger." said Theo, his heart thumping ever harder in his chest.

"Right. We're not done just because she's back with her friends. There's much to discuss with them."

Theo began to raise his arm to order the escorting guards forward - 

Please, please do this alone, Jace. They can't know everything. 

But Jace caught the rhargnorn's arm and gently shook his head.

Oh thank fuck. Thank FUCK!

"No. You and the squads will stay here. Nothing says 'I don't trust you' like a handful of vulcan rifles lurking in the background. If I am to rebuild trust with these people, I must do it on their terms, not by inviting soldiers into their home."

Theo stifled his sigh of relief, lowering his arm. The guards behind him remained still, as ordered.

Can't be too obvious, now.

"You sure, boss? There's a lot of them. We have no idea who the pirate crew are, either. If it turns nasty, there's no way we'd get to you before they did."

"I can handle myself, Theo. Besides, you were vouching for Diego not too long ago. If he's the man you say he is, and Seeth is the girl I think she is, I have nothing to fear."

"Fair point. Ok. We'll be here. Holla if you need us."

"Knowing Seeth, if I need you Theo, I won't get the chance." Jace winked, adjusting the collar of his suit with a single, sharp tug.

"Tsk, you're not that out of shape, old man! I'm sure you'd get a scream in, at least!" Theo laughed, slapping Jace on the back. His laughter trailed off quite suddenly and his face hardened; there was far more at stake here than Jace knew. "Good luck, Jace. Keep me and Belle in your mind. Don't do anything we wouldn't do."

"Thanks, Theo." Jace nodded, removing his pistol strapped to his thigh and dropping it into Theo's waiting claws. "See you in a few."

And with that, the commander padded down the walkway towards the still celebrating rag-tag group, quickly catching their attention.

You do this right, Jace, and this lot will be the key for gutting those Dynasty cunts. Something tells me we'll need 'em.

Jace approached the gang with a quiet confidence, unarmed and humble, but with his head held high.

Seeth had just joined the small group, to both her own and Plasia's surprise she wrapped her arms around the smaller czarite. Plasia, although taken off guard, was quick to return the embrace. They both turned as they felt Jace's gaze on them though, and as one, they, Diego and Wex all turned to address him. All eyes on him, Jace softly cleared his throat.

"Diego. Seeth. A pleasure to meet you both in person, finally." He gave both of them a nod before turning his attention to Wex. "I'm afraid I don't know your name, sir."

Wex extended his hand towards Jace, who shook it a single time. "Wex Harley. Captain of the Jeweled Fang." His arm twitched, and Wex had to resist his instinct to immediately pull away. He was a captain. It was his job to look comfortable in uncomfortable situations.

"Commander Jace Koa of the Royal Military Division, Draconic Alliance. Pleased to meet you." With Wex introduced, Jace turned his attention back to the group as a whole. "I'm sorry to intrude, I know you must want to catch up with one-another since Plasia's return and Diego not too long ago. But I must ask for a moment of your collective time. It's a matter of your safety, so I must insist. I have information I need to pass onto you all and I'd prefer to do it somewhere private, if possible?"

"Just you?" Seeth raised an eyebrow, her eyes briefly flicking over to the DA guards, still at the ramp to their ship.

"Just me. I've made enough of an intrusion on your lives without asking for my military detail to be accommodated."

"Unarmed?" Wex questioned further, his sharp eyes seeing zero weapons present on Jace's person.

"Unarmed." Jace confirmed with a single nod. "I need to start putting things right. After what I've done, I wouldn't expect you to offer any trust, so I shall offer it first. Perhaps if I prove my intent, I might win you back a little."

"What do you think, Seeth? You've spoken to him the most. Your call." Diego asked, his fierce gaze still locked onto Jace.

"I think he's worth the time." Seeth replied coolly. But before anyone else could continue, a cold air suddenly emanated from Seeth as her gaze matched Diego's. "But cross us again Jace, and things won't go so well for you."

"Noted, Seeth." Jace nodded, feeling a chill run up his spine at the Controller's cold gaze. The stories he'd heard made a lot more sense after seeing her in person. "I have zero intention of treading old ground again."

"Good. As long as you keep your word, I think we can hear you out."

"Fine. But where?" Diego asked, motioning towards Wex. "I don't want to put you on the spot here, Wex. Do you want to head back to the shiprest or…?"

"Nah. I host people all the time, I don't see why we can't continue on my ship. We can use my navigation office. Plenty of room, plenty private. As long as the commander is comfortable with that?"

"Not my decision and I won't interfere. Any place you're comfortable, I'm comfortable." Jace smiled, doing his best to ignore Diego's still scathing stare. 

"My ship it is!" Wex cheered proudly. "You guys are gonna love it! I'll give you guys a more extended tour once the commander is finished. Anyone have any questions before we step inside?"

Wex's question was mostly met with a crowd of shaking heads, except -

"I'm hungry!" Tivy announced with a great big smile.

"Tiv, that uh, wasn't a question." Trent grimaced from behind her, a little embarrassed considering the current company.

"I'm… Hungry?" Tivy pondered, scratching her chin.

Next to her, Hammond beat his little wings in a tune of agreement, nodding with increasing vigour. Seeth, Oxyi and Venner all turned their heads towards the bug slightly as they noticed that the buzzing of his wings was actually morse code. He appeared to be saying "F-O-O-D N-O-W" on repeat.

"Yes Hammond, I heard you the first time." Wex sighed with a slight shake of his head, but his response to Tivy was much nicer. "No problem, Tivy. I'll have some refreshments brought up to the office. Follow my lead! Without further ado, I welcome you all to the Jeweled Fang!"

A palpable curiosity gripped the gang's stomachs as they ascended the ramp together.