A deal with the Devil

Posted on 31 Jul 2022 @ 4:11pm by Commander Amelia Fox & Lieutenant Commander Aidan Datari & Civilian J'Tan

Mission: Through the looking glass
Location: MU Blackhole bar
Timeline: MD2
1081 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Amelia and Aidan followed J'Tan into his private chambers where he had a communications display set up. Amelia was not exactly happy with this turn of events and she was waging that the Captain would not be happy about it either but they needed information and right now this was the only way they could get it and get out with their lives.

"What exactly do you want me to tell them?" She asked J'Tan and she stood in front of the communications device.

Aidan wasn't exactly pleased with this turn either, especially since he was apparently expected to find someone specific, whom he didn't even know. Rather, this universe's version of her. He stayed close to the XO, but not close enough to either crowd her or be in visual range from the person on the other end of the soon to be established communiqué. He said nothing, instead watching the people around them closely.

“That you have a well established contact at the Maelstrom to help them make a lot of Latium distributing and selling red,” J’Tan said simply.

Just then the view screen snapped on with a face Amelia recognised from their own universe. It was one of the Spice Barrons they had met after the ship had travelled through the gate, Kren Galen. That's who he was in their universe, in this universe he must be part of the Cartels Amelia figured.

"Oh, It's you. We were wondering when you'd show your face around here again."

"I told you I'd be back," Amelia replied, hoping she could pull off sounding like her mirror counterpart.

"Indeed. Did you manage to get the startup sequence for the weapons? The other Carlet leaders and I are getting rather worried. With the Alliance starting to back us into a corner, we need these weapons to turn the tables and give us the upper hand. It's also the one thing keeping you alive at the moment. The Alliance has a sizeable bounty on your head and this promise was the only thing stopping us from turning you over to them."

Amelia nodded vaguely, remembering that Mirror Fox had mentioned that they had found the Planet Killer stockpile in this universe but could not get them working. She also noticed that J'Tan had suddenly taken more interest in her "You'll have to catch me first." She replied getting agitated. "If you think I'm going to hand over my only bargaining chip without any assurances and a lot of Latinum you've got another thing coming."

Kren held his hands up "Of course, of course. Once we have the information we can assure your continued existence and you will be well compensated for your trouble. The Terran rebellion is very interested in getting their hands on these weapons."

Amelia was studying the man on the screen. He was very different from his counterpart in their universe, much more reasonable. "Before we come to that business, there's an associate of mine I want you to meet. He'll be.... assisting me with getting the startup sequence to you." She motioned to J'Tan.

Kren looked at him for a moment. "Fox here has always been a shrewd businesswoman but she has always delivered on her agreements. She enjoys violence a bit too much for my taste but she gets the job done. She also always has an angle. So what is it you want?" He asked JTan.

"I'm solely a businessman," J'Tan stated. "I run the crossroads, so I'm sure expansion of your red business here would be beneficial to you. Also, we get a lot of traffic here going other places."

Kren regarded him for a moment. "Your proposal has merit. Very well. We will organise a shipment to be delivered. Do not tamper with the merchandise in any way and we will expect a 45% cut of your profits from any sale, agreed?"

"Agreed," the purple alien said pleased at how smoothly that had gone. It wasn't about profits for him anyway. It was about control. He had enough side hustles bringing in enough profits.

Sliding easily into the background as he was somewhat used to doing, Aidan just watched the proceedings and took note of body language and whatnot, anything they might be able to use against them later on, should it be needed.

J'Tan organised a date for the shipment and his own personal docking clearance protocol and they terminated the call. Then he turned to the spotty one.

"So you .... let's see if wifey still values you shall we? We just have to put some floaters out to places where we think she might have disappeared ...... the question is did she betray your variant here or are you in cohorts,"

"We'll see," he answered, "if my counterpart is as dangerous as you're letting on, I think she probably would think twice about betraying him."

Amelia cleared her throat "You got what you wanted. Now about those coordinates?"

"Yes yes ..." he turned to the other version of Fox. "It's coming. I assume you're going to go in pursuit of your closest station or the last place you were over your side, looking for answers or allies. I know that's what I would do. Just fair warning they are a bunch of power-hungry morons."

Amelia reached in her pocket and pull out an isolinear chip and tossed it to J’Tan. “This has the startup sequence for the planet killers on. It’s encoded. Once we’re away from here, I’ll transmit the decryption sequence to you.”

“Lies are not necessary and besides, that side of business is already taken care of,” the purple alien stated.

Amelia watched the casual way he tossed the chip aside, realisation dawning on her. “You already have the startup sequence from her, don’t you? Why didn’t you use that to bargain with to get into the Cartels?”

J’Tan smiled, “I just needed your face honey. And I was sounding you folks out. Also, I don’t like the intendant on Sempok Nor so any opportunity to give her a headache …”

Amelia turned to Aidan “I think it’s time we were getting out of here. Signal the others to meet us back at the shuttle.”

“Nope not yet, we still have some snooping to do. Now I need your voice,” J’Tan told the pointy eared one.


OFF:

Commander Amelia Fox
XO
USS Andromeda

Lt.Cmdr. Aidan Datari
CScO


J'Tan
NPC Reynolds