"Profitable Connections"

[Lilet tTemarr 0]

"Jolan tru, brother," Lilet greeted the figure on the viewer.

 

"Little sister," Jalen replied with a smile. He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together.

 

He looks so much like father, she thought. "You are looking well. How is the professional snooping business?"

 

"Profitable, as always," he smirked. "How goes the 'accidental commodities' business?"

 

"Profitable, as always," she smirked in return.

 

"What trouble have you gotten yourself in this time?"

 

One eyebrow rose a fraction. "I am afraid that you have been misinformed, brother."

 

"Not likely," he said, continuing to smirk.

 

"I serve to better the Empire," she said, quoting one of his favorite sayings.

 

"I see. Well, if you wish to play it that way, I will certainly let you hold on to your wavering facade for as long as you are able… but only because you are my sister."

 

"Which is why you are my favorite brother, Jalen."

 

"I am your only living brother," he countered dryly.

 

"Exactly."

 

Jalen sighed. "What is it, Lilet? You know I am far too busy to be toyed with. You need something."

 

"Information, specifically from the decryptions of the Terran hacks."

 

"The official position of the Empire is that there are no invasions into the Terran communications network."

 

"I know," she said wryly, "which means that you already have access."

 

"What, exactly, are you looking for?"

 

"Anything related to the SS Excalibur and its crew."

 

"The pirated Terran ship? Is that where you are?" He laughed. "You really have lost your senses."

 

"Jalen," she said, her voice lowered to deadly tones as she leaned forward. "Do not patronize me. Things are in motion that even you cannot possibly understand and you have the ability to assist me at a most crucial time. I need to know what you know. I need regular updates on Terran transmissions and access to the Terran database hacks."

 

"Even I do not have access to database storage. Have you asked mother?"

 

Lilet snorted bitterly. "She would either scoff at my methods or laugh in my face. Her little engineering prodigy has always been her favorite."

 

"I know," he muttered. "As I said, I do not have access to previous transmissions in the database, but I can give you the access code to our own network incursions."

 

"There are those aboard that can give me surface-level transmissions," she sighed, slightly disappointed. "I need something deeper."

 

"Like an indirect link to their higher clearance level files?" he asked with feigned innocence.

 

"Brother," her smile returned.

 

"Terran technology is not as secure as they believe it to be. I can give you the codes, but you would have to set up your own relays whenever you surface near the network."

 

"Are they not subject to change randomly?"

 

"Yes, they are limited." he nodded. "We will keep in touch."

 

"Excellent. Once again, you amaze me. If there is anything I can do to repay the favor, name it and it is yours."

 

"Oh? I can think of several things, but we shall leave that for later."

 

"Very well. Elements be with you, Jalen."

 

"Elements be with you, Lilet. I have a feeling that you will soon need their favor far more than I ever have," he nodded and cut the transmission.

 

Lilet leaned back in her chair and kicked her feet upon the desk as she waited for the viewer to revert to ship systems. After a moment of thought, she accessed the Excalibur's own database and began to scroll through the haphazard roster that someone seemed to have cobbled together as an afterthought. After several minutes of search, she smiled in triumph as she pulled the file she needed.

 

"Travis Kroells," she read aloud from his criminal record. "Cyber terrorism, ship security hacks, and record falsification. Yes… you will do nicely."