Upon Silver Devil: Chapter Three

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[I can't say i've ever seen him drunk actually. I haven't seen him in nearly ten years.] Hmm that'd be interesting. [He got tall.] He smiled oddly, trying to make light of what was clearly pretty awkward and difficult.

James glared at Esk. "He was happy-ish when I found old cookies for him. Don't go making inaccurate claims!" He added to Luka, "Maybe we should bring him with us?"

"He still hasn't made a will. If he offs himself, you'll be sent back to Mars right? and everyone else is outta a job. " Esk pointed out in a near bored tone.

"Maybe... maybe it would be better to stick together... all of us." Luka looked concerned. "I mean... it would only be for a short while right? how long does it take to change a ship's registration details?"

"I'm not going anywhere near Mars, under any circumstance," James said. He looked fairly annoyed now, "And he's not suicidal now. Stop going on about his will!"
"Yeah, maybe we should just bring him," James agreed. "We can load the entire ship into Vestia, I bet."

"How do you know he's not suicidal? Just because he's not currently trying to stab himself in the throat doesn't mean he's not going to do it at some point in the near future. " Esk still sounded like he didn't really care.

"Just ignore him." Luka told James, noticing his annoyance.

"What I don't get is why you're so protective of him anyway James. I mean, I get crew loyalty, but this is beyond idle loyalty. Even the lieutenant here doesn't jump to his defense, and she's pretty much been brainwashed to obey authority figures. "

"I'm not brainwashed." Luka huffed. "I just respect and honor the chain of command."

Esk shrugged again. "Point is, it's weird. I'd have thought you'd resent your owner, I know I would."

James tried to ignore Esk, as Luka had suggested, but he had never been all that good at that. "I resent authority figures," he said quietly, taking a step closer to Esk, "Believe me, I hate them and everything they've done to me, and to the people I cared about. They're horrible. Some of them are sadists, some just never treat you as anything other than a mindless object, like a car or something. Acus hasn't been perfect, but at least he's tried. There were so many times when he could have used his authority on me, and he didn't. Yeah, eventually he did start giving me orders, but that was after he went half-crazy with grief. So I respect him, even if he does terrify me sometimes."
He glared.

"It only takes a few minutes to change the numbers in the computer, takes longer to repaint, so a day." Dawn answered then shrugged a little. "At least for the small ships."

Esk stared back at James impassively, the glare didn't seem to intimidate him at all.
"What'll you do if he won't let you leave?" He asked.

Luka patted James on the shoulder. "We won't let anyone hurt you James. You're our friend."

"That cruise ship is huge, it'll take days to paint." Esk turned his attention back to Dawn. "And there's still the problem of the bounty. Even disguised, so long as that warrant stands, there's always that danger."

"Is there any way to remove the bounty?" Luka asked.

"No, only the people who set it can remove it. "

James looked at the ground. "If he orders me to stay, then I obey him. It's the only way to keep my new programming secret."
He smiled at Luka gratefully.

Dawn shrugged a little. "Then get the word out that it is a false bounty?"

Esk shrugged. "IF anyone will listen."

"your brothers are on that ship." Luka frowned deeply. "You have to try."

"They aren't my problem."

"just try... "

Esk sighed. "Fine, i'll get word out. Not that it'll make any damn difference."

Luka nodded. "thank you." She spoke quietly. "And James... we'll work out a way for us all to go okay?"

James smiled sadly. "Thanks, Luka." He shook his head, "I have a feeling the bounty hunters will just think we're trying to keep the competition down while we hunt Vestia. They won't give up easily."

"a few of them. It's a dodgy bounty but there's always those desperate enough and always those suspicious enough to try their luck. Pretty certain whoever tries to claim it will get themselves killed anyway, if not by that crew, by the Family themselves." Esk shook his head. "their funeral."

"Bounty hunters haven't caught up with us yet.. " Luka mused.

Esk shrugged. "True. Though the bounty for Acus and Vicky isn't on the ship, its on them themselves. I'm sure it's only a matter of time, though the money being offered really isn't worth the risk you lot present. Still, all it takes is someone recognising one of them... "

"Maybe we should lay low for a bit... " Luka fretted.

Esk shrugged. "Vicky beat the shit out of two hunters, they didn't even realise who she was. This place is full of criminals and lowlives, I think we're pretty safe here."

"We shouldn't leave Acus here then. Someone will recognize him eventually, and then he's toast," James said. "Better to be protected by Vestia's crew, even if it means another bounty on his head. At least they won't try to turn him in, unlike the thousands of jerks who stop by Defiant every week. I volunteer to drag him to Vestia."

Esk smirked. "Kicking and screaming?"

"Preferably with his cooperation." Luka said.

"But kicking and screaming if we must," James said, keeping his face carefully serious.

"It's for his safety." Esk snickered.

"Oh oh! So, if we can come up with some credible threat... " Luka smiled sneakily.

"An android can't let harm come to an organic being through action or inaction." Esk nodded.

Luka grinned at James. "We can figure this out, a plan, a scheme.. a... " She lowered her voice. "A way to trick him into thinking you're acting within the confines of your laws still."

"I like the sound of that," James said. He looked at them curiously, "Any suggestions?"

Esk shrugged. "nope."

Luka thought about it. "mmm.. well... there's bounty hunters right? So... what if one of them recognized Acus or Vicky.. or both of them, and there was... talk around the station that this was the ship they were holed up on? And that the big cruise ship could hide us till we get out of the system..."

James nodded."He doesn't talk to strangers much. We could just say they're talking about him, and I could drag him away before he could fact check, like the good little android I am." He grinned.

Luka nodded. "Yes yes, if he complains, tell him that it's not safe to show his face out there and we need to leave NOW."

Esk watched them, bemused. Hmmm, maybe it'd work.

"That cruise ship can hide this whole ship inside her, Rigel can finish the work he needs to do, we can hang out and you guys get to do family stuff." She snickered at Esk.

Esk rolled his eyes. "what FUN."

James started laughing at the idea of fitting something so big in Vestia, then made himself be serious. "We need to swear everyone to secrecy when they talk to Acus. Can't have them telling him I'm free."

Luka nodded. "Good plan. " She eyed Esk. "We can do that right?"

Esk shrugged. "I'm not talking to the captain... about anything. Ever."

Luka chuckled. "Good point. He'd probably stab you."

"Or shoot me.. or kick me... Or threaten to draw every bit of water out of my body."

"He can do that?!" Luka looked alarmed.

"Dunno. Don't wanna find out."

"your secret's safe with us James. " Luka told the android.

James grinned. "You guys are the best. Now we just need all Vestia's passengers to agree, and I'll be safe. Can we just, like, drive Silver Devil over to Vestia now, and park it in her shuttle bay?"

Luka chuckled. "We should wait till the others get back and make sure everyone's okay with the idea first."

"Tala won't like it, but she doesn't like anything," said James. "But okay, we can wait."

"Tala is loyal though." Luka pointed out.

"She's sensible, I don't blame her for being suspicious. We know nothing about these people." Esk said.

"You're related to two of them!" Luka scoffed.

"technically only blood related to one of them. And he's only my half brother. "

"still, they're family." Luka said.

"I hate my family."

"Still, personal issues aside, are they the sort to hang out with dangerous people who are a real threat to us?"

"Probably not. They're both too sickeningly idealistic."

"and James vouches for his brother. The two others we met seemed fine... " Luka continued.

"you don't have to convince me, i'll go wherever this ship goes. Not like I have that much choice in the matter is it?" Esk spat bitterly.

"You could just leave." luka snapped.

"Ironically, i'm safer on that cruise ship."

Luka shook her head. "Tala will go wherever the captain goes, as will I. We protect our crew, and we can't do that if we're all separated."

James sighed. "Dump Vicky and get hired by Vestia. Easy. She's huge, you can hide from your brothers."