What happened?

[Asher]

I stared at the screen in disbelief as the news told of a street corner about two blocks from the Military HQ. The headlines told of a fight going down between, well I didn’t quite know how to describe the people involved. There were three, no four of them causing what the experts would call an understatement if described as ‘a scene’. If I concentrated hard enough I could hear the commotion from my subconscious but my eyes remained glued to the screen as one of the two men stabbed the other in the back. A third person knelt down over the body. The news camera closed in. The image grew clearer and…

“That isn’t-...”

My eyes dart down at the pad in my hand. What did [member="Anders Sivas"] have in store for the day? I furiously swipe my way down a long list of appointments and other incredibly boring meetings. The chances of today being a good day had slimmed down to a minimum. I checked my watch. Anders, or Andra, usually came in by this point but not today it would seem. My ideas on how to fix or go through this were limited to say the least. After all, I had my own emotions to stow and lock away.

Enough time wasted was enough. They were late and in my experience that usually meant a bad day or something actually fun got in the way, again. Judging from what I’d seen, the former felt more likely. My hand reached up for the tiny earpiece and with a gentle touch it flicked to life. I winced as the static buzzed straight into my eardrums. With a mood set to annoyed I spoke to the workers on the other side.

“This is Eli. If my gut feeling is right we can expect a-” I cut myself short as out of the corner of my eyes I see none other than [member="Anders Sivas"] approach, and fast. “Okayeahit’sabaddaybye.”

I quickly hung up and went to meet up with the angry storm cloud. I had to pick an approach, but which? Did I go for the direct approach or try to act more subtle? Split second decision said...

“What’s going on? I mean, the news and the men in the streets, I... ”

The words escaped me and if anything I came across as desperate, or quite possibly too worried. So it would seem that worry was the approach I picked. How nice of me.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

The first thing I do upon getting to the Military HQ is puke in a trash can and then continue to help [member="Mikhail Shorn"] further in past the most accessible areas to the secretive inner bastions. The military officers and enlisted are rushing around, clearing paths and generally disregarding Mikhail's presence at all. Tables Turned just finished with Jared going off with his new girlfriend Anaya. I wonder if she knows how many women he's dating on the side.

"Clear my calendar. We're leaving Annaj. Anything we need to enact a remote lead, do it. I want the Sumatiyara and the Sundar I'Tara loaded and ready for launch in sixty minutes. All secure information is to be loaded onto the Sunda. Get Lietenant Canton to grab a team of Epicanthix and droids. Find my EMBU's. Deliver them to the Suma. Do it now." I'm spouting orders and hoofing it toward [member="Elias Truden"] and my office.

My arms are quivering, my face is tight and my jaw is clenched tighter than an unopening pickle jar. Mm, pickles. "And someone get me a jar of pickles!"

Pickles are nice. "And chocolate mousse from the canteen. Go now!" What? I can't be a thin, secretly pregnant woman with cravings? I bite my lower lip and push my backside against the side of my desk. "Elias. . . I . . . " I exhale and put a hand over my face, how do I explain what just occurred? "I met someone from Mikha's past and they tried to kill me. And then my ex was there and also tried to kill Mikha. So, we're getting off Annaj. I can run the military from my remote offices on board my ships. But tell me this, why the holy mother's fething cousin did the Military not respond when I was right freaking asking!? Whose on duty? Which Colonel do I need to have a serious talk with? How is it a High Councillor of the Fringe Confederation could be accosted by a crazy person in the middle of Annaj and no one came in time to do any good? Oh. And send someone to pick up my jacket! It's in an office building off third street and Pilantha Avenue. Give this back to its owner." I shove a suit jacket at Elias and ring my fingers through my hair.

"I just. . . I wanted a stimcaf. I wanted a stimcaf and a break from work with Mikha. That's all I wanted. How that ended up turning into mayhem is utterly beyond me. . . how bad is the press?"

 

[Asher]

Words came at me, and fast. [member="Anders Sivas"] seemed agitated to say the least.

“Clear my calendar.” A quick push of the button and it was done. “I want the Sumatiyara and the Sundar I’Tara loaded and ready for launch in sixty minutes.” My fingers rapidly swept away at the surface of the pad’s screen as I added note for note. “All secure information is to be loaded onto the Sunda.” Another note added and I quickly dart back and forth between my friend and the pad. “Get Lieutenant Canton to grab a team of Epicanthix and droids. Find my EMBU’s. Deliver them to the Suma.” I add the final note and slowly lower the pad. The final request hangs silently in the air but before long it’s finally announced in a roar.

“Pickles and chocolate mousse, got it.” I turn around to leave. My name is called out and I instinctively perk my eyebrows as my head turns to face my friend again. The explanation gets my full attention and I turn to completely face them. By the sound of it I got the feeling that I really didn’t want to know the details. Fights with exes were rarely ‘fun’ and to imagine what it was like with all that ‘force stuff’ involved was a thought beyond me. I merely nodded in agreement. Something that quickly changed as a jacket got shoved all up in my face with questions of the press.

“It could have been better.” I hung the jacket on my shoulder. “Definitely could have been worse. If we play it smart we should be able to twist the story into something more favorable to us. A crazy woman and an ex-boyfriend acting out on their jealousy. It’s a weak cover but playing the self-defence angle usually plays out better than claiming a, uh, ‘mutual disagreement’ so to speak.”

I let the silence hang. The colonel in charge had already been in trouble earlier this month and something like this would without doubt mean consequences. Of what kind I did not know but ultimately the decision to give him up was for the best. Even if he too had become a familiar acquaintance.

“I’ll see to it that the Colonel in charge gets his.” Somehow. “How are you feeling, Andra?”

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Puke worthy. I'm feeling like a person who watched their invisible ex plunge a sword through their lover's ribcage. I ... I feel like curling into a ball and hiding under my desk but there isn't time for that. There's only time to get stocked on the ships and take off. Annaj doesn't feel safe. Not till I figure this out." Elias does an amazing job. He's a solid friend and an even more solid human being, with enough ghosts in his closet that I know I can help relieve some of them. I prop myself up on the desk and rub my hand on my stomach. I haven't told Eli that I'm pregnant yet, I keep things as ambiguous as possible when it comes to my gender for many reasons, but mostly to protect self and other. Mikhail is a jealous man, what would he do with Elias if he thought Eli some form of romantic threat?

"Fancy a tour of the troops, Eli? I don't think our border forces have gotten enough attention lately, we can spin a tour. Start near our borders with The Protectorate and sweet up and over. Might not be back on Annaj for some time. Oh dear. Drat, eh?" I smirk and let it grow to a mishevious smile, what a better way to get past the potential leak of information than positive press?

"We've got to send a private message to [member="Lucien Cordel"] to contain what information he can, while letting him be aware that [member="Mikhail Shorn"] is still alive. He will have seen the footage and probably be concerned enough to be delicately foaming at the mouth. Jared will expect us to go straight to Skye, so we make for a location I choose after launch."

I glance over to where I left Mikhail on the sofa and put a hand on my face. "Put a bounty out on [member="Anaya Fen"]. . . See how long it sticks. Same as the others, she stays out of my territory, she lives. She comes within fifty parsecs of us? Here? In Fringe space? I want every money hungry son of a desperado bogging her down until we can get out, or Mikha c-can m-m.. " make the kill. Why can't I say it? I gulp down the lump in my throat and rub the back of my head. "How are you, Eli? Turning you off to life as a civil servant, yet?" I joke, trying to smile. It falters.

"I did it. I saved Mikha's life. I didn't let him die. . . The ring I made worked. Funny thing, a circle of stone and gemstone and there he is. Alive. I'm stunned, Eli. Stunned and relieved. You're coming with us, aren't you? Come with us."

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien ground his teeth , fingers drumming on his desk. A brawl in the centre of the capital, mikhail impaled , Andra Prehaps hurt. Lucien stopped drumming locking eyes with the hologram of the capitals police chief "There was a public afray in the middle of the capital the consort of a high councillor was stabbed and yet you caught no one ... I am disappointed officer" that was Lucien's way of saying that he expected resignations on his desk very soon "I task your department with finding madam Fen and for her sake I hope you find her before my agents do, you are dismissed "

The transmutation was cut and Lucien rolled his head with a sigh. He watched the footage over a few times it was a queer set of events. His thoughts were disturbed by the opening and closing of his study door. Lucien span to face the door.

"A report from [member="Anders Sivas"] Lord Shorn is alive that is all " Lucien nodded "Tell Lady Sivas that I am available should she need me " he dismissed the intruder with a wave of his hand. Alone and in semi darkness he set a price upon Anya Fen 50,000 on her body on the condition that her death was slow and painful ... 100,000 if he received her alive. Sometimes vile acts could only be countered by viler ones.

His work done Lucien took a moment to curse Mikhails foolhardy behaviour over a glass of whiskey . Would he never learn

 

[Asher]

If there ever was a side of the argument I needed it was my friend’s. The feeling that Annaj isn’t safe anymore made too much sense and I slowly nodded my head once again. As they slowly got up from their desk and rubbed their belly I found myself reminded of the pickles and chocolate mousse. A quick look down at my pad, a few swipes and the ship was to be stocked with all the pickles and mousse [member="Anders Sivas"] could dream of. By which I really meant that it would have a pickle jar and mousse prepped and ready to go. Perhaps sometimes I thought a little too highly of the work I committed.

The offer of seeing the troops doesn’t pass me by. I open my mouth to speak but just as ever I get cut short. I raise my finger to point out I could have the message sent shortly, but I was cut short again. Andra’s attention wanders for the sofa, my chance to speak up is ripe for the taking and… No, cut short again. Eventually she mentions the bounty and I force my voice into it.

“It will be done.” I came across as a robot. The civil servant joke had me laughing and I looked up at my friend. “Work is work. Then again, so is attention. Administrator of a small planet, perhaps. However, never in your life will you see Elias Truden in that chair behind you.”

I point at their worn-out seat. A few moments of silence lingered before my friend went on to ask me to come along to see the troops. I tilted my head and shrugged with a mock-frown.

“You pay the rent, ma’am. I can’t afford to say no.”