The Mirror: Matthew's Ship

The shuttle that took off was guided to the dock of Natthew's ship. They were welcomed off with salutes and hard lined faces, although the welcome party was the only one that seemed so serious. Other Guards and pilots both on duty and off casual strode around, settled down, or chatted with fizzy drinks on their person. A bit came by with washing supplies, but was the unfortunate victim of a flying wrench. It's eye twitching, it keeled over and sparked, the culprit swearing and running over to make sure it was all right before quickly and with much care beginning to guide it to presumably someone who could fix it. The culprit's friend yelled something about reporting her dangerous antics to higher ups and harming a fellow member. The distraction was quickly interrupted by the all too serious escort leader. "Welcome." They all stood a little straighter when they spotted Inari. "Matthew and his guest, Hytar is waiting to see you in the office."

Tala made her way out of the shuttle, looking around with interest. She scented the air curiously.

Asher would extract himself from the shuttle shortly after, and looked in worry at the bot, before relaxing as he saw it was being looked after. He turned his full attention to the escort leader, bowing his head slightly in respect. "Thank you," he said. Hytar, he thought, concerned. He'd heard that name before, and he'd heard that Esk wasn't overly fond of the guy. Oh dear. He hoped this wouldn't go badly.

Starr looked around as they were let off the shuttle, acknowledging the welcome with a smile and a dip of her head. She would follow them to the office so they could start this meeting

Both Rigels came to the ramp, looking around as they and Andre stepped off the shuttle

Esk and Stellan walked together, Esk visably twitched at the name of his father.
Stellan looked at him with a frown. "you know that name?" He spoke softly.

Esk nodded. "Congratulations, looks like you get to meet your dad after all." He muttered.

Stellan's eyes widened. "what!?"

"Just wait." Esk's tone remained flat, his expression hardening. Hey, maybe the guy wasn't an asshole in this universe, but they were about to walk into a room with two people who back home, he'd rather like to put a bullet in the head of. Only question would be who first?
His trigger finger twitched, but he composed himself and managed to bring up his mask of indifference.

Stellan looked both worried and excited.

Mirror Luka made sure the ship was secure, she was last off the ship and followed the others sedately, looking around at the antics with a fond smile. Now THIS was more like a ship she was used to. Not that awful slaveship where even the staff were bored and miserable.

The escort leader nodded, and the group was promptly led to a rather lush and large study, a mahogany table was spread with fine cheese and meat dishes that encircled a fake but heat giving hearth, like a facade firepit. Matthew was standing up from one of many plush red seats, popping open a tequila bottle. "A little treat to meet the sweets, eh, Master Hytar? Ladies and gents deserve treats and sweets..."

The adjacent sides of the study was decked wall to wall in heavy bookshelves chock full of things to read, and the far back wall consisted of a desk, the wall decorated in maps and portraits, most of them wanted posters. Funnily enough, a careful eye could recognize several off of the Vestia slave ship. Heny's and Kaylr's had a victory dagger to their face, painted red in some kind of excited scrawl.

The dark haired, yellow eyed incubus smiled a smug little smile and nodded to Matthew, standing as the guests entered.
He looked an awful lot like his prime counterpart. That same self assured posture, the same slightly cruel smile and a similarly scarred face. He was not nearly as well dressed though, he actually looked somewhat out of place in such opulent surroundings dressed as he was in the manner of a rogue or bounty hunter.

He eyed the group critically, examining them all with his one good eye.

"Ssso... thisss isss the crew who toppled the sssupposssedly unkillable Heny?" He smiled. "I sssuppossse we ssshould thank you. Or at the very leassst congratulate. "

Esk grit his teeth.

Stellan stared at the man in fascination.

Yes, they really did look unmistakably related.

"Ssso many twinsss." Hytar observed, counting both Rigels, two borrowers, Esk and Stellan... "Curiousss."

Mirror Luka bowed her head to Matthew. "Captain Alistair, it's an absolute honor to meet you at last." She gushed.

Starr dipped her head at the greeting "And you as well Hytar, Matthew. I am Princess Starr of the Star Dragons. Yes, we have some doubles on our ship, and we can tell you about how they got here once we decide what to do with the ex-slaves."

Mirror Rigel smiled at Matthew, glad to see a familiar face while Prime Rigel was trying to see any differences in this Hytar and the one he knew.

Andre was silent, merely there out of curiosity and boredom. He stayed to the back so he could observe what was going on.

Asher nodded politely in greeting to Hytar and Matthew. He glanced at the luxurious room, slightly confused. Freeing slaves wasn't terribly profitable, was it?

Tala stood behind the others, arms folded, looking mildly intimidating.

"Yes, yes, quite right, Master Hytar. Many doubles. That one is probably a double too." He pointed at Asher, "He's not glowering or skittish like a child who's been caught, so I presume he is not Kaylr's sorry serf?" His eyes lit up at Inari and he bounded over, gracefully taking her hand and kissing it gently. "Ah, la fair and benevolent Inari! A dear treasure to see you again! And a dear treasure to see you all!" He went around shaking hands, completely unphased by any intimidation tactics and taking priority of Mirror Luka for her compliment and smiling. "My honor, my honor..."

Asher smiled slightly. He doubted Ethan would have appreciated such descriptions of him, had he been there to hear them. "You assume correctly. I'm not the android who served Dr Freidmann," he said, "I simply look a lot like him."

Starr, Andre and both Rigels shook his hand, unafraid.

Luka enthusiastically shook Matthew's hand, grinning ear to ear. "your reputation precedes you sir."

Hytar shook his head, he didn't move to shake any hands, he just nodded his head vaguely politely at them all.

Stellan tensed when Matthew tried to take his hand, even though he was wearing gloves. He pulled away before he could do so.

Esk tilted his head at Matthew, man this guy was excitable. He didn't seem overly keen on shaking his hand either, but he let him take his gloved hand and unenthusiastically shook.

Despite Esk's lack of enthusiasm, Matthew shook it heartily all the same. He paused when Stellan stepped back, before spinning around gaily and slipping back to his seat to pour a shot. "Drinks, anyone?"

"How's the infestation on the homeworld going, Matthew?" Inari asked casually, welcoming herself to a seat.

"Horrible! Thankfully the insects have been battling themselves more than us, but ever since the eruption things just haven't been the same..."

"I can imagine. And the hosts?"

"No cure yet, but we'll hopefully get there. Terrifying, isn't it? Imagine if they stopped fighting each other and banded together? Our kingdoms would surely fall. Ha! Drink?"

Asher frowned and took a seat. "Are you all right? That sounds ominous."

Tala stayed standing, and didn't drink. She was on guard duty, she had decided. It was Very Important.

"Oh, we're handling what we can." Matthew said to Asher. "See, about two hundred years back a massive mountain of what we thought was an empty chamber exploded from the pressure of oxygen gas! Now our homeworld's atmosphere is thick with it, but still breathable, mind you -- but the worst part of the matter it seemed to have infected our insects somehow. Wasps that were just an inch or two in length had grown into a massive size of an average of twelve feet long or so within several generations. They among other insects that had the same effects began infesting our cities, their eggs and larvae using our species as food. If it weren't bad enough some of their toxins have an almost hypnotic effect to where the victims walk around and alert the hive of intruders by releasing chemicals by vomiting. Not a pretty sight, I assure you. Thankfully their fronts are split more between themselves -- that saying, the ants, bees, wasps and spiders, since they all seem to be the most intelligent enough for military tactics -- and we have yet to be truly overwhelmed. Still, frightening, frightening..."

They weren't joking, were they? Asher didn't know these people well enough to tell. "That's horrible, I'm sorry," he said quietly, deciding that the story was unpleasant enough to be true.

Esk actually perked up a bit at the mention of alchohol. "You know.. a drink sounds good." He spoke flatly.

"sssuch a good thing people, or... creaturesss... are generally too busssy with petty in fighting to ever think of the bigger picture hmm? If the blood war wassssn't sssstill raging of courssse, well, who knowsss what the Celessstialssss would do. they might try to take the nine. " Hytar nodded at the mention of drinks.
"Why do you ssshy away boy?" He asked Stellan, curious about his behavior with the hand shaking.

Stellan seemed to lose all ability to speak as he stared into that eerily familiar amber coloured eye.

"He can't touch people." Esk spoke for him, speaking in his usual casual matter of fact tone. "It hurts him."

Hytar tilted his head, curious as he came over to get a better look at both of them.
"mmm... " They were familiar looking that was for sure. "and what about you?" He asked Esk

"oh I hurt people." Esk told him flatly.

"How curioussss. " Hytar studying them both critically. "Who are you?"

"S... stellan Freidman." Stellan managed.

"Freidman? Like the doctor?" Hytar asked.

Stellan nodded. "s.. same mother, different father."

Esk started to snicker.

Hytar stared at him.

Esk stared right back. "You have no idea who he is do you?"

"Ssshould I?" Hytar asked.

Esk snickered again. "Of course you should. You had a fling with Olin Freidman right? about.. ooo, twenty one, twenty two years ago? " He looked amused. Oh this felt good to have the upper hand for once, even if this wasn't actually his father.

Hytar stared at him, and put two and two together rapidly. "Both of you?" He looked a little alarmed.

Esk snorted. "no, just him. We aren't twins. Long story, they'll fill you in on it later." He nodded toward the others.

"You both look a lot like her." Hytar remarked offhand.

Esk's eyes narrowed. "funny, she always claimed otherwise."

Hytar turned his attention back to Stellan. "Sssso, you're Olin'sss boy?"

Stellan nodded.

Hytar shook his head, laughing. "Well, I didn't expect a family reunion today. What do you think Matthew? A toassst? to long lossst family." He smiled to Stellan.

Stellan managed a weak smile back. He wasn't really sure what to think of this guy, he glanced to Esk who just shrugged.

"A drink sounds really good" Starr swaid as she took a seat then watched the little family drama before looking to Matthew again and shook her head a little "Yeah, that's a longer story than I was planning on, but...back to the slaves. Can you take them and find them homes?"

Hytar chuckled and took his seat again. "I like her, ssshe'sss to the point. "

"Ah, yes, yes. Less words and more matter kind of person! Fantastic!" Matthew cheered and began pouring several glasses for those who had asked. "You see I am actually a commissioned freelancer by one of the biggest corporations against the slave trade. I use my skills to capture slave ships, and then House the prisoners until I turn them over to the Family, that is, the corporation I speak of. They pay me well for my duties, as you can see, and the ex slaves are given choices of staying on refugee camps watched by the Family or returned to their homeland, if it's an option..." He swigged down another glass in one go, giggling, "Lady Inari, beautiful and wise! How did you manage to accumulate such wealth?"

"Time, Master Alastair. Time." Inari giggled, watching him.

Starr accepted a glass then looked between the two giggling and raised an eyebrow. Ok, that was getting odd. "Then you can take them. Second thing is finding out if you can help us get this collar off of Vestia that should have at least been changed many years ago. We have the code, but to take it off as it is would cause some damage."

Asher nodded. "Vestia's collar is far too small for her current size, and as you may have noticed, has been partially grown over by her skin. Unlocking the collar isn't an issue, but we don't know how to get it off without causing her a great deal of agony."

"Hmm." Matthew picked up a tablet on the table. Pressing a few buttons, and the fake hearth projected an image from the outer cameras, Mirror Vestia floating not too far off. "It might have to be surgically removed, in that state...

The collar really did look pretty badly stuck. The huge band of metal was partially buried under the ship's swollen skin, which certainly would make getting it out a difficult task. Some of the passengers from Vestia had probably not seen Vestia from this perspective before, and the ship's misshapen hull and patchy looking paint only made her look more hideous.

'"Do you have access to the technology for such an operation?" Asher asked, "I can't imagine this problem is all that common, bioships being as rare as they are."

"Why, dear android," Matthew grinned, "What kind of privileged freelancer do you take me for?" He typed something else in, and the cameras began to scan the distant Vestia, determining her length and diameter. "We can help with this, too."