So
I'm going to tell you how it came to this, like you asked me to.
When
you appeared on my ship with that Matari woman back when we first
met, my instincts told me that something was wrong with the whole
deal. I saw how that Amarr official looked at her and when you took
Keram Themas I got the distinct impression that there was some
smallprint in the contract which I must have missed.
So
I started investigating.
First
I found out who you are. Then I found out who she is. I had to call
in some of the last favours people owed me and burned through quite
some ISK, but in the end I found out what the connection between her
and Keram Themas is.
So
it seemed as if the Amarrians want him like the last item on a fire
sale. I reckoned if I found out why, I could maybe give them what
they wanted.
For
a price of course.
So
I went to the Empire and looked for leads, but everywhere I went I
got sent away like a merchant with spoiled goods. The only thing my
investigations yielded was the name Mikkai Aluvetti, so I went back
to Minmatar space to look for him, because that's where my informant
said he would be.
He
was an easy mark. Some drinks, a revealing dress, a bit of cheap
flattery and I had him bought. He even took the sedative voluntarily
when I told him it's an aphrodisiac drug from a Serpentis pleasure
hub.
When
I had him in a deep sleep, I went through his records and I got back
to you. I found some really interesting things there about a fake
deal he had set up with an Amarr agent in the Intaki Syndicate. I
spent some more ISK and did some more digging and it turns out that a
whole base there got scuttled. A base that had been financed by the
Ministry for Internal Order.
Always
follow the money – my former CEO had taught me – and when I did I
found out that the Intaki forget quickly about confidence and secrecy
if they are not paid anymore. So piece by piece I put together the
whole portfolio. After some time I had the names of all parties
involved. All of the Awakened Industries capsuleers, the operatives
of the Ministry, I even got my hands on some station logs which told
me how the base got destroyed.
Finally
I knew why the Amarr official looked at that Matari woman like he
did. He knew who she belongs to. I also understood then why the Amarr
wanted Keram Themas. Or rather, who they really wanted. That other
Amarrian. The girl who is officially dead. She was in Aluvetti's
records too.
At
that point I had something I could sell to the Amarrians.
Through
Aluvetti's records I knew that Awakened Industries brought out
regular shipments of exotic stuff from their wormhole. Things I had
never seen before. Fullerene compounds, something about Sleepers and
other advanced technology. That knowledge I intended to sell to the
Ministry for Internal Order so they could get their agents on the
job. Maybe stow away a beacon or even an intrusion team on one of the
haulers when they went back filled with ice isotopes.
No
idea. I'm a businesswoman not a secret agent.
Only
the deal went horribly bust.
I
came there thinking I could earn enough ISK to get myself back in the
market. Instead they took everything from me.
After
I did my sales pitch, they brought me on that ship you intercepted.
At first I was told that I would meet someone more important for a
personal interview, but when they restrained me and showed me a
recording of my crew being put to death and told me that all my
assets had been impounded, I realized that it was actually a
rendition flight.
They
gave me some drugs, so I have no idea how far we traveled and for how
long. When I woke up I found myself here on your ship.
Like
I said, you bought yourself the last thing I still have: My life. I
wouldn't lie to you at this point. You are Caldari, like me, you must
understand that.
Kassina
Vikkonen looked at Tomoe Sairinen with an unmoving expression for a
while afther the other woman had finished her confession. Finally
Kassina nodded slowly. 'I've been contracted to deliver you to
Awakened Industries.' she informed Tomoe. 'I have no idea what they
will do with you, and I don't care. They don't pay me for caring.'
she shrugged. 'But since you say I own your life, let's say I just
sold it to the highest bidder.'
***
When
the comm-signal came in, Arrakh's personal bodyguards woke up before
he did. Both women looked at each other for a moment across the
snoring man lying in the bed between them, then one of the Brutor
guards shoved her commander.
Arrakh
woke up with a start and tattoos flared up on his dark-skinned face.
'What?!' he roared with a mixture of anger and confusion. Wordlessly
one of the women pointed at the flashing bedside console.
Grumbling
the Matari fleet commander hit the activation key to respond. 'What
is it this time.' he growled menacingly.
'Commander
Arrakh. Sir.' he recognized the voice of one of the men who were on
scout duty. 'We are tracking a Yanissari fleet two systems down the
chain from your position.'
Arrakh
stroked his bearded chin and clenched the muscles in his strong jaw
before replying. 'Are they coming our way?'
'Negative'
the scout replied. 'They found the exit leading our way but they
ignored it.' Not wanting to test his commander's patience he
continued immediately. 'According to our analysis, this system has a
static exit to a class five wormhole. We have eyes on them. They are
jumping carriers through back and forth. So far they have collapsed
three wormholes and looked for new ones while we were observing
them.'
Arrakh
narrowed his dark eyes and brushed some errand strands of long hair
out of his face. 'They are looking for a specific system.' He
concluded. 'Stay with them and keep me informed.' Then he cut the
connection.
'Girls.'
he addressed his bodyguards while he stepped out of bed and stretched
his naked body languidly. 'Get to the bridge and tell the officer on
deck to make the ship combat ready.' He started walking to the door
without bothering to get dressed. 'I'll be in my pod and we'll be
moving in fifteen.'
Both
women saluted. Then they began to pick up their clothes, which lay
scattered around the bed, and dressed hastily.
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