Elite: Dangerous

Docked

Anwen looked at the woman. “Your ship? Last time I checked, I payed you a shitload of money for her.”

“And than you took her, and left me for dead here.”

“You took the job as administrator, I never forced you to do it.”

“You told me, we could use this station to get contraband through, and split the earnings. And then you headed off to the rim!”

“And you own this goddamn place now. Are you telling me, you’d really wanted to swap that for 10 months on a small spaceship, with no one to talk to but me?”

The older woman looked disgusted. “Pfft. I’d rather talk to ASTRA.”

“That can be arranged.”

Aisling had followed the conversation between the two women with growing puzzlement. She stared at the woman, who was obviously Meredith Barker. Barker was remarkably tall, and had the slender, lanky figure of someone who grew up in a low gravity environment. She was grey of hair, and somewhere in her late fifties. She wore a grey business suit and a handbag that seemed totally out of place in a space dock. The woman’s appearance reminded her of the officials from various imperial colonies, although this outfit was years behind the current imperial fashion.

She decided to end the little quarrel, and audibly cleared her throat.

The two women stopped in their tracks, and stared at her.

“Thank you ladies.” She began. And, to Barker. “Meredith Barker, I assume?”

The older woman was a bit baffled, but nodded.

“First of all, I’d like to express my deep gratitude for your kindness, in rescuing us from a perilous situation. You’re actions were, to say the least, most helpful.”

Meredith Barker looked at the princess, as if she’d just stumbled over the remains of an alien civilisation.

“That’s posh talk, young lady! You’re welcome, by the way.” Barker stared at her intensely. “You talk like a real blue-blood!”

Aisling decided to be careful. “I went to private school and enjoyed a proper education, ma’am.” Aisling curtsied.

Barker looked at her intensely. “Yes. I bet you did, Your Highness!” Aisling blushed.

Barker turned to Anwen. “Fuck. This really is Aisling Duval, isn’t she? Did you kidnap her? Is this why the empire shot you to bits? Because I don’t want the frikkin’ Prismatic Guard on my tails here.”

Before Anwen could speak, Aisling stepped forward. “I assure you, I am here of my own free will, and Commander Hunter saved my life, more than once. So I beg of you, withdraw your men, and let us talk in peace. We have much to discuss, and I can assure you that your service to the empire will not go unnoticed.”

Barker snorted. “I hope it does go unnoticed a while longer.”

Anwen stepped forward now. “Are you done with your show now?”

All of a sudden Barker started to laugh. “Yes, yes, of course.” She turned to the armed guards. “Guys, show’s over! Back to your posts!”

Anwen started to undo the zippers of her space suit. “Good, then we can say hello, and talk over a drink.”

Barker grinned. “You were scared I’d have you shot.”

“Not the least.”

“Admit it.”

“OK, maybe a little insecure.”

“Ha! I knew it!”

“Fuck off!”

A little later, the three women sat in Barker’s office, and Barker poured drinks. “This”, she announced, “is real Bourbon Whisky from Earth itself!”

Aisling waved her off. “Not for me, please.”

Barker seemed surprised. “Are you sure, Your Highness? Even in the empire, it will be hard to come by this stuff.”

“I know. I don’t drink alcohol. Ever.”

Barker shrugged. She turned to Anwen. “But you’ll have one?”

Anwen nodded. “Thank you.”

The two women toasted, and sipped their whisky.

“So, what brought you here, and how in the universe did you trash the Merope?” Barker asked.

Anwen began telling the whole story, about the job, the treason and their adventures. Aisling thought that Anwen was making it sound much more like an adventure holo, although she wasn’t exaggerating what actually happened. She praised the princesses bravery, and Aisling noticed how she left out the part where Aisling broke down and almost gave up. All in all, it sounded a lot more exciting, and a lot less frightening than Aisling remembered it.

When the commander had finished, Barker turned to the princess.

“So I reckon you made some powerful enemies.” She stated.

“You can say that.” Aisling confirmed. “I didn’t think, me not becoming emperor would put me more directly into the firing line than being the emperor.”

She sighed.

“I’m afraid, if the Emperor’s Dawn movement gains momentum, we’ll face a civil war.”

Barker raised her eye brows. “All the more reason, to get you off my station as soon as possible. I don’t want any part in that.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be easy. A station, just outside imperial space will be an interesting base of operation for the rebels. Emperor’s Dawn might find your place pretty interesting. And I doubt they’ll ask for your cooperation.”

Barker knew the princess was right. “What do you want?” She asked.

“I’m trying to build up an alliance strong enough to prevent a war. That’s why I’m negotiating with systems like Auserid. I still need to get there.”

“I can provide you with a ship, nothing big, but fast. It’s going to be a bit cosy, but I believe you already got accustomed to close proximity with your pilot.” She grinned sheepishly towards Anwen.

“What about the Merope?” Anwen asked. “Can you repair her?”

Barker looked at her in disbelief. “I can sell her remains for scraps, honey that’s all I can do for her. This ship is finished!”

She immediately regretted her choice of words, as she could see how hard they had hit Anwen, who seemed to be close to tears.

“You are insured, aren’t you?” Barker asked more sympathetically.

Anwen swallowed. “I am. But I doubt they will cover being shot down by terrorists.”

Aisling leaned over towards the commander, reaching for her hand. “I know it doesn’t really help, but I will compensate you for your losses. Promised.”

Anwen tried to smile. “Do you have an idea, what a ship like the Merope costs?” She asked.

Aisling nodded. “I own a fleet big enough to fight a war, so yes, I do know. Did I mention, I’m filthy rich?”

Anwen’s mood lifted a little. “I’ll take your word for it.” She grinned.

A while later, Aisling had had the chance to take a bath, and put on some new clothes that Barker had provided her with. Anwen was in her quarters, and the princess took the chance to look around the small outpost on her own.

It was a liberating feeling, to walk around the place, without a group of bodyguards around her, and without being recognised. In most systems of the empire walking around unsupervised would have been impossible. She would either be assassinated instantly, or hugged to death by a crowd. Here, however, people didn’t recognise her, and she could move about as if she was one of them. Except for the occasional turned neck, or a cat-calling dockworker, no one took notice of her.

She noticed, however that there were always two or three station security guards close. They were never so close that they where intimidating, but always around. Whether this was to keep her safe or to spy on her, or maybe both, she didn’t know.

She decided to ignore the security, and made her way to the market square. Exotic smells and noises flooded her senses, and she had to close her eyes for a moment to take it all in. She heard voices speak in languages, she couldn’t even identify, while people walked past her.

She bought some strange fruit from a woman, who showed her, how to eat them. They tasted bittersweet in a way nothing she ever tasted before.

She walked around a corner to find herself in a dark alleyway. The people here were in rags, many of them sitting on the bare floor or in cardboard boxes. Hands stretched out to her as she went past, and people stared at her; some longingly, others threateningly. She turned around to leave, back to the market, when she bumped into someone.

“This is not the place, I recommend you to go, Your Highness”, a familiar voice said. She looked up, and looked into the face of Meredith Barker, who offered her an arm, and led her back towards the market.

“What is this place?” The princess asked.

“People call it The Gutter,” Barker explained. “Sometimes people come here in hope of a better life, fast riches, or just a place to vanish into. Often they don’t find work, and they can’t afford the lift home anymore. And then there are those, who a here to prey upon the weakness of others.”

She sighed.

“I’ve been trying to close it down for years, but there are always people ending up here, and you can’t send them all home. Many of them are slaves where they come from.”

The princess looked up. “And not here?” She asked.

“No one is a slave here. People maybe poor, but at least they are free. Many chose The Gutter over a live in servitude.”

“Who will blame them?” The princess remarked.

Barker led the princess through the market, and into a quiet corner that looked astonishingly beautiful, given that it was at the center of an industrial outpost in the middle of space. People had grown lawn on the small square, and small trees framed the place. To her delight, Aisling found the trees, as well as the, grass to be real.

“Let’s sit down, and have a drink. They serve the best orange-juice in this part of the galaxy.” Barker offered.

“Real fruit?” Aisling asked bewildered. “Importing them here must cost a small fortune!”

“That’s why we don’t import. We grow them ourselves.” Barker smiled.

“You grow oranges here?”

“Oranges, apples, berries - you name it. We also have a tiny supply of grapes, so once a year there are a few bottles of wine.”

Aisling was impressed. “That’s an achievement!”

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