Hytar's Ship ch 2

Tala wiggled her ears. "That makes being in water much more hazardous. One would not wish to drown, no matter how pleasing the water is. It is well you survived."

~~
The cops waited patiently for Hytar. They nodded in greeting when he came out to see them.

"You are the captain here?" the first cop asked.

Nikita aoftly smiled, "Trust me my parents made sure we were always safe near the water."

Tala nodded. "It must be difficult to care for little ones. In my tribe, we keep them together in a pen for many of their early years. I do not know how other people manage without containment." Then again, Tala wasn't terribly maternally inclined. What did she know?

Nikita chuckled, "my parents had maids and servants to help watch us three. Plus a Nanny, or two... we weren't *that* wild but.." she shrugged with a slightly impish grin. "Always easy to blame things on the eldest."

Hytar nodded. "That I am. What ssseemssss to be the problem?"

Tala eyed Nikita with interest. "Servants, nannies? You must have come from an unusually well off family, or your Shardian Empire is a place of great riches." Who could afford servants? They'd want minimum wage, at least.

~~
"In concern for what your intention with the freed slaves is, we must decline on their behalf the motel rooms you paid for, and attempt to settle any debts that may have been implicitly or explicitly promised, so as to ensure that the freed individuals won't be haunted by past debts in their new lives," the cop said, "This is fairly standard procedure in the Terran Empire, I hope you won't take our concern as an insult, as it's simply a standard practice."

The other cop nodded silently.

"My mother's father was a well off merchant." Nikita said, that wasn't a lie, no need to bring up about her father. "She inherit his business specializing in false chocolate."

Hytar snorted, waving a hand dismissively. "They're free, they can do as they pleasssse. Why else would I bring them here?" He was aware of the laws, he made a point of learning all region's local laws and regulations, mostly so he could manipulate them. Now what HAD his crew told these slaves or cops to get them so anxious? "What pressisssely have they told you?" He asked.

The second cop spoke for the first time, flipping open a notebook to look at. "One of the freed slaves said that one of your crew said you were not generous, and that they owed you now. We were not able to acquire the exact wording of what your crewperson said, but all the freed slaves agreed that that was the gist of the remark."

"This is of course a cause for concern, and we generally find it best to settle these cases quickly on behalf of those under the protection of Terran law," the first cop said, nodding.

~~
Tala wiggled her ears. "There is such a large market for counterfeit chocolate that she can afford servants?" She asked, amused.

Nikita chuckled, "Yes there is, many species can't eat Terran Chocolate but love the flavor. The grey shards do legal business work and that side of the family been selling false chocolates for a few generations."

"That is most amusing," Tala said. "There truly is a market for any odd product."

"Indeed, it provides the flavor of Terran chocolate but none of the effects the tru chocolate gives to many species."

Hytar looked offended, scowling a little. "Remind them that I did not have to free them and bring them all thissss way. I could have left them to die with their captorssss, or dumped them at the nearessst ssstation, but I did not, I brought them to terra, a placessse that outlawsss ssslavery, where they ssstood the bessst chancssse of remaining free." He forced a smile. "I assssure you, I have no intention of demanding from thosssse people anything they do not wisssh to give. They are free. "

Tala snorted. "For my kind, the effects of chocolate are half the fun. Still, I suppose it is better for your species this way."

~~
The first cop shook his head. "We won't remind them of that, not in those words anyway. I'm sure you can understand why." He didn't think 'we could have dumped you anywhere, but we didn't' was a great way to make people stop feeling indebted. He smiled a forced smile of his own. "I'm glad you only mean well for them. The Terran Empire is grateful for your generosity on their behalf."

The second cop held out the bag that jingled. "These are the keys for the motel rooms. You can ask for a refund or somesuch, or whatever you want."

Nikita chuckled, "In a race, called the Tuan if they eat chocolate it makes their agression worse if that was even possible." Nikita remarked, "They are warrior race, makes you Minotaur look like docile pets, forgive me of my wording."

Hytar waved a hand. "Don't bother." Wasnt like he couldn't afford it. "If they don't usssse the roomsss, find a ussse for them. I'm sssure you can do that yess?" mostly he just didn't want to have to go through the hassle, it was not worth the time and effort.
"good luck officerssss." He smiled. Yes, they'd need it with those ex slaves, they sounded like a troublesome bunch. Most ex slaves were really, which is why he didn't tend to bother to save them most of the time. But he had the crew of the ship Vestia to placate, squeamish crew to keep happy and a reputation to maintain. Besides, free slaves went on to have lives, families, whole lines of people who were grateful to your actions. Gratitude, he had learned, was one of the most valuable commodities in the universe.

Tala flared her nostrils and shook her head, earring swinging. "They sound unworthy of chocolate."

~~
"It's against policy to make use of confiscated property, we'll leave them with you. Give them to your crew or whatever if you can't get a refund."

The second cop set down the bag on a table. "Have a good day Sir, and thank you for your aid," he said.

They headed for the door.

"Indeed, but they love the flavor specially with some of their culture delicacies." Nikita said with a slight shrug while seeing the cops come out...

Hytar continued to smile until the cops were escorted off his damn ship. Then he found Ariston.

"Find Eleven and Mr Brightsssstar." He instructed. "It sssseemssss we need to have a little.. talk."

Ariston nodded.

"And while you're at it, return thesse to the motel will you?" Hytar thrust the bag toward the firey valet.

"of course sir!" Ariston saluted and rushed off.

Hytar shook his head and retired to his office, pouring himself a stiff drink from his private bar.

The cops headed out, looking rather tired. They were too distracted to look at the minotaur and the shard.

Tala watched the cops, still eating her salad. "I suppose it is well if they can pay," she said, referring to taun Nikita had mentioned.

"Yup." She looked slightly relieved as the cops didn't take notice, "Plus their fruits are delicious."

"Why would you trade with mindless fighters?" Tala asked. She was a minotaur sure, and they were stereotyped to be mindless brutes, but really they were more sophisticated than that these days. Usually, anyway. She didn't see why anyone would trade with aggressive, mean chocoholics who made minotaurs seem nice though.

"When it comes to business trade is trade, they only bicker among themselves and follow the United Galactic Council so they are a 'legal' partner to trade with. Plus their planet has assortment of alloys and the like that are useful for numerous things. Grey shards are not in the conflict between the Dark and the Light but they do have peace corps when the need arised to defend lesser colonies from the after maths of battles." Nikita said, while she was done with her food she started to pull apart a napkin. This subject was touchy for her, she had seen what the Light Shard Fleet has done to innocent colonies in the name of supposed peace.

"It all seems overly complicated," Tala said. "I am glad these people are not of my concern. You must feel fortunate to be away from their silliness."

Nikita weakly smiled, "Yeah..." the thing was, it was her concern, her almost birthright to care for these people. Damnit and her family line, her father for his rash choices. She sighed, feeling like she needed a drink. "I'm gonna head to a local bar, when you are able would you like to join?"