A Routine Job Interview

[Pher 0]

“Byblos? You’ve got skills we want, with engineering wise, and with a blade. You dislike the Guardians, rather badly, I believe. And they want you just as badly, and not in a good way. In a lot of ways, a good intense clash with the Guardians might stand in place of a good character reference. We don’t much like em, either.

 

“But we can’t afford to tick em off, either. I guess I have a few questions. Have you got an agenda you just have to push? Are you looking for revenge? Something little, something achievable, something that is done once and finished, sure, that’s understandable, and I might even help you out. We all might. But if you’re going to tick them off at us every time we land on one of their worlds, we can’t do that. We’ll have enough of our own fights to fight without taking on your fights too.”

 

"Revenge?" Byblos queried, Then took a sip of his bloodwine. "It is revenge the Guardians have dealt me and my companions. We used to own the Unspeakable District until the Klingons got involved and that Engineer and the Ghost who has been unleashed by the Guardians against my brothers of the "Cycle." I have seen enough of my comrades corpses with their heads turned into Targ vomit, the rest arrested and never seen again. The time has come to move on. Oh don't get me wrong, I will still kill Guardians if asked."

 

“The other thing? Dirt side, every time I’ve seen you you’ve been drunk and angry. Is that just shore leave syndrome, or is that you? I know all about addictions, about temptations. Believe me, I’ve been there, and I’ve done that, and am not looking to repent. I’ve lived and made a living dancing with the devil. I have to know, though. Are you riding the devil, or is he riding you?”

 

"I confess I try to wash the visions of death away with drink. Seeing my allies..my friends heads blown off is something I try to blot out." Byblos paused briefly. "Minos had me sold that the city was finally going to burn along with it everything left I had here. I thought everyone was going to die..including myself. I decided to have one final ...toast. To the end."

 

"You ask am I riding the Devil? Byblos drank from his bloodwine again and looked at it. "It does not control me. But clearly my fate on this rock is in his hands. I have been beaten, but have paid my debts to all I could repay. Including "Pete?".

 

"I have nothing left, no currency, no family; no honor in this city. Just the sword on my back and a small disruptor and clothes..the Hovercycle out front, I offer for getting me of this cursed rock and back on my feet again! Away from the devil that haunts this city," Byblos set his drink down looking at the Orion female, not at her looks but at her eyes to convey his message.

 

Pher met his eyes, and considered. She’d made something of a living off reading men, but was more used to those who could afford New Risa’s surf side than those who lived near the edge on the streets. Only in the past few years had she left the beach and started visiting what might properly be considered the real world where the company’s will was still openly contested. He seemed sincere. What he said sounded right. She couldn’t be sure. She’d see what Joe thought.

 

She had another problem, though. “We might have to ask that you lose the disruptor. Starfleet stops and searches ships. They don’t like to find lethal weapons, and we don’t like to tick them off without cause. Might manage to let you keep the cycle. At the moment at least we’ve room in the hold for it. If we call it collateral, I’ll cover your debts until payday. Might come in handy on landfall.”

 

"Fine. Take my disruptor," Byblos promptly hands the disrputor to Pher. It hasn't done me any good against the Guardians lately..nor the devil that plagues me in this city. The Hovercycle, I could see might be useful for a merc crew. I've made modifications to it so it's speed maybe a challenge so some of your crew. I can keep it running if it needs maintance. Bikes I can fix." Byblos ends with a chuckle.

 

“How good at you with guns?” was Pher’s next question. “Between my stick, Shane’s claw and your blades, QoB would be fairly brutal in a close up brawl. It isn’t that much of a problem, but I’d actually like a few people who lean more towards shooting.”

 

Over my lifetime in service on a Nausicaan "Raider" of as we call them nicely, Freighters and my Time on Tranquility. I have used a variety of weapons. As you know the bigger the weapon the more likely if you are boarded by Guardian inspectors, the more likely they'll find it..confiscate it and arrest you. The Unspeakable District, while riding hoverbikes and exacting tribute when we ruled the streets. Weapons were not of the "heavy" variety. Mostly pistols, we contracted out to other "organizations" if we needed something handled with a larger weapon," Byblos Paused.

 

"In Nausicaan space and Federation space while I was a young lad learning my chops used a weapon left over from the Dominion War. Federation in make, not certain what it's designation was. But it was a rifle. So yes I have used them before boarding vessels". Byblos extended his full height and crossed his arms. "My question to you, is if you are so concerned about a disruptor pistol on your ship, how do you plan on having heavier weapons on hand? I hazard a guess you "acquire" your weapons wherever you go..." The Nausicaan leaves that one up to the Orion female to disclose.

 

“Good guess,” Pher responded. “It actually varies depending who we’re up against and what they’ve got.”

 

“And have you thoughts about Orion ladies? This isn’t a hire or not question, but I have to ask. I might be looking for a sparring partner. Your blade looks similar to my stick in length. If it’s a bit heavier, you’ve likely got the strength and reach to make up for it. I’ve had formal training for ritual encounters, while you’re from the streets where there aren’t so many rules and stakes are different. We might show each other some stuff…

 

“But Orion ladies play the game at other levels. We have other defenses. Even my training… New Risan pain stick fighting is a spectator sport, and giving the front row spectators a whiff of honey dust is part of the game. Pain and fear make for lots of dust. Some think what happens after the game more important than the game itself.

 

“Anyway, do you have enough of your own devils to want to avoid dancing with mine?

 

Byblos laughed. "Ah, the lure of Orion women. Does it affect or attract Nausicaan males? Interestingly no. How do I know? Female liked to ride with us on our hovercycles back when we owned The Unspeakable District and other areas of the city. Girls loved a pretty ride. And some of those girls were Orions. Did any of them once pull a fast one on a "Cycles of Death" member with your Orion.. abilities. Not that I am aware of. We never had to hunt down an Orion Slave Girl/Prostitiute for ripping one of our members off."

 

"As for combat with my blade," Byblos unsheathed his weapon and let Pher get a good look at it's size, and the decor of Shane's autograph etched it in. "I've never had any formal training. You just learn from other Nausicaans other tricks in sparring and hope you don't loose a limb. Thankfully that did not happen to me. I'm no fool..just because I am bigger and stronger than you are does not mean you'll sweep me of my feet with that stick of yours." Byblos sheathed his weapon.

 

"But if you want to dance..I'm game." The Nausicaan smiled for the first time in quite some time.

 

“Oh, sure. I’ll dance,” Pher replied with a genuine smile. “In fact it’s good to not have to worry about you’re partner’s poor fragile brain.” She sighed. “Doesn’t hurt to keep in practice, chasing a guy without cheating.

 

“I think before we dance, though, a bit of shopping? You might have gotten away with sparring with live blades, but I’d feel better if you had something for practice with the same length and weight but less edgy? Maybe we could sell the disruptor, pick up a stunner? Might be good to pick up and ID with a different name on it? If you’re too hot to handle any of that yourself, I could cover it. If’ you’d rather use your own connections, that’s fine too.

 

"I would know plenty of people who would purchase a disruptor like the one in you hands. However, all of them are in the Unspeakable District. I've been basically in exile here in the Merc District since the "Cycles of Death" were systematically dismantled by that fat sheriff. He's a persistent type, and it would be unwise for me to do any shopping there. This district has far more Nausicaans moving about. I shouldn't be an issue. As for purchasing a sparring weapon. As I mentioned earlier, I am broke paying my debts to all I owed latinum to.

 

"The ID issue," The Nausicaan stepped back a second placing his hand on his chin. "We did have a forger in the 'Cycles' but he was arrested for attempting to sign off as the fat sheriff's deputy when we were trying to get some of our bikes back from impound. Again my lack of latinum haunts me."

 

“I’ll handle the shopping, then. We might want to hold that until tomorrow, though,” she said after a pause. “I’ve got to clear you with Joe, and maybe check you out with a few people I know. I think you’ll be OK. I don’t get the last word, though.”

 

"Your Captain, I noticed the last time I was in this bar clearly had a working relationship with Marshall Savoy. If he fails to clear me, I will know instantly when a bunch of Guardians arrest me and he claims the bounty on my cursed head"

 

“If you truly believe that,” said Pher with a wry grin, “then you shouldn’t have applied in the first place. Look. You’re just a cop killer. One of our other applicants broke the Prime Directive! We aren’t in a position to be picky. Sides, Joe and Savoy aren't that close. They are both trying to hold the other over a barrel. Both of em are too clever for their own good. I might be able to tell you the story someday, but not on the planet. Too new. To hot.”