Playing the Market

Posted on Mon Feb 12th, 2024 @ 8:27am by Lieutenant Commander Lyra Cassiel & Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov
Edited on on Mon Feb 12th, 2024 @ 8:27am

Mission: S1 Episode 7: Prime Factors
Location: Market District, L’hur; Sikaris
Timeline: Date 2371-09-11 at 1100
6953 words - 13.9 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Lyra had been mildly surprised when Andrei had informed her the evening before they had arrived at Sikaris that he had arranged their shoreleave for them. He’d been demonstrating thoughtfulness over the past several days and she had been enjoying it immensely - and of course making sure he knew exactly how much she appreciated his efforts. Positive reinforcement was very important to people like them. They’d agreed to meet in the transporter room once they had finished assigning off their duties to the appropriate people; one of the perks of being senior staff was being able to enjoy a few days without any work on their plates. Lyra was looking forward to making the most of the occasion especially after the rather stressful month she had endured.

Prompt as usual she walked into the room wearing a yellow sundress with a white floral pattern on it; the halter neckline wasn’t overly deep but gave a playful hint of cleavage and the length hit a few inches below her fingertips while her hands were at her sides. She’d finished the look with a cute pair of comfortable white strappy sandals, a white leather clutch, a high ponytail, and Andrei’s newest gift settled around her left ankle. She looked beautiful as always, but this outfit certainly presented a softer, sweeter look than she usually wore.

“Hello, darling.” She greeted him easily.

Andrei’s eyes danced over the PADD in his hand before the doors had opened. He had decided to put his eye patch away and sport the more natural look of the bionic emerald eye. When the door opened, he looked up and watched as Lyra entered in a delicately feminine outfit. It was rare for her, indeed, and a bit of a surprise.

“You look beautiful.” He said soberly, deactivating the PADD and shoving it into the hands of the transporter chief without so much as a glance or a thank you. “You must be in a sunny mood.”

He himself was wearing a pair of faded black jeans, dark boots, and a gray shirt made of a fine fabric that hugged his muscular torso. At his waist was the hilt of the sword she’d gotten him for his birthday, tucked underneath the shirt.

“The promise of some time off always puts me in a good mood.” She replied as she moved to stand close to him. Her hand found his chest through the fabric and she kissed his cheek lightly. “I’m ready when you are.”

Andrei’s arm moved around her waist and, feeling the warm softness of her body through the gentle fabric of her dress, he pulled her slightly closer. His cologne was applied in the perfect amount, and it mingled well with her own scent.

“You have our coordinates, don’t you?” He said more sternly to the transporter chief.

“Yes, sir. And your bags have already been taken down and delivered to your suite by Operations.”the man said, avoiding the Commander’s gaze. “I’ll drop you off outside, as requested.”

“Good.” Andrei said, walking up the stairs with Lyra still close to him. “Energize.”

Lyra didn’t add to the exchange between the two men, simply remained at Andrei’s side with his arm around her and that was how she moved up to the pad with him. Instead of moving to one of the other transporter sections, she remained right with him. It wasn’t like the transporter couldn’t deal with it. She watched the chief move his hands and then the blue light of the transporter filled her eyes along with an intense curiosity of what she would find on the other side.

They materialized on a busy street in front of the ruby-red doors of a moderately tall but well-designed building which was clearly their hotel. Up and down the street, aliens of familiar and unfamiliar races processed, carrying bags and chatting. One of the most beloved markets in the city of L’hur drew thousands of people to the stands and stalls of the Sikarians on this street. Andrei looked around instead of checking for Lyra’s reaction as the smell of street food filled his nostrils.

“It reminds me of New Orleans, love. So vibrant and cultured.” He said, giving her middle squeeze against himself as they stood connected, side by side. “I know how you love to shop. And with our back pay issued, I figured you might appreciate a room next to the action.”

“I wonder if they have haunted history tours like New Orleans.” Lyra chuckled, her eyes on the market in front of her and the people milling about. She did enjoy shopping, though her flavor was certainly a bit different than the average… though she actually probably would really enjoy browsing some places in this market. Besides, she had something she needed to sell.

“I haven’t been there in years, though I did enjoy a birthday there once.”

“We’ll enjoy this now and try the real thing when we get home then.” Andrei said, no doubt in his voice that they would indeed do just that. “You’re going to have to point me in the direction of your interests, Love.”

“Shopping first then.” Lyra considered a moment and then finally looked up at him with a devilish little smirk. “I’d like to find somewhere that sells high quality jewelry. Maybe unique jewelry at that.” She wasn’t sure if Andrei had done research or if they would have to wander to find such a place.

“Of course you do. I never would have guessed.” He said, a rather rare note of sarcasm in his voice. “I don’t know where it is, but I know they have a section for that. The only problem is the limit on the price tag.”

Her full lips pulled slightly at the corners into a little smile and she moved in front of him to face him. She took her hands in his, gave them a squeeze, and looked into his eyes coquettishly. “I’m worth every penny, darling.”

She laughed softly then, clearly joking, and moved in to steal a kiss. “Let’s do some hunting then, shall we?”

“Yes, we shall.” He said, smiling at her and sharing eye contact with intimate gentleness. He nodded to their left where the crowd grew more dense. “Let’s look that way.”

Without a word she released his hands and turned so he could start moving with her falling into step with him. She didn’t reach for his hand, but she walked close to his side given the density of people around them. Thankfully, these creatures were polite and considerate and seemed to pay attention to their surroundings so they weren’t in any great danger of running into anyone.

The market was full of well appointed stalls selling many varieties of items and of course there were food stalls which seemed to be the busiest. So far, they’d struck out on Anorra with its food, but the food on Banea hadn’t been bad - though they’d also had a professional chef preparing that for them. The crowd thinned out mildly when they moved out of the immediate area that seemed to have a cluster of food stalls.

Ahead was another vendor who seemed to be selling bolts over bolts of beautiful fabric. It wasn’t what they were after so Lyra wasn’t paying too much mind to it until the Sikarian running it practically launched himself out in front of the two Terrans.

“Ah! Young lovers! So good to see. Now… might I interest in you in something to mark the day?” He grinned. “You’re strangers in this land, from far away, yes?”

Lyra resisted rolling her eyes at the overly poetic display.

“Very far away, actually.” Andrei answered, having stepped slightly in front of Lyra in a motion of protection when the man jumped out. Once he saw the Sikarian was harmless, however, he let her stop beside him. “But we’re very selective customers. Is this your fabric?”

“Yes, yes. Please, come have a look. I am sure I have something to delight even your selective tastes.” The man was older, short, and squat. Still, he had a jovial face and shining blue eyes that didn’t seem to hold any threat - simply hope for some profit and pleasure as any Sikarian. “A beautiful woman such as you should be wrapped in the very finest.”

Lyra had looked at the back of Andrei’s head when he stepped in front of her; she wasn’t offended he had done it and it had simply reminded her of when they had returned from Zapara IV and were doing inventory… when Sovas had decided to look at her like she was a piece of meat. He’d put himself out to protect her even then when she meant very little other than being something that interested him; she wondered how far his protection would go now.

“I suppose he does have a point.”

“Very nice fabric just to be torn to shreds though, love.” Andrei said. He looked at the merchant as they spelled up to his stall, “she loses more good dresses that way. Perhaps you should sell us something..sturdier.”

“That is true, he does enjoy tearing away my clothes.” Lyra pointed out.

The merchant seemed to consider that, looked at his fabric, and then craned his neck up to Andrei. “Perhaps… you might learn to unwrap her delicately… slowly… savor the moment and save the fabric?”

He grinned again. Lyra made a conscious effort to not laugh, but the Sikarian also had a point.

“I know how to do that. And I do. Often.” Andrei said. “But, for us…how do I say this?”

He put his arm around her again and smiled at the merchant.

“Tearing her dress one in twenty times means tearing one a week. And I don’t plan on stopping any time soon. You’ll have to find a solution that doesn’t involve that .”

“Oh I see. Very busy… very busy.” The merchant nodded along as if this were completely normal. “Well, I do have a sturdier set of fabrics though they are slightly less pleasing to the eye than my delicate pieces”

He paused and then thought of something. “Of course I also have the finest raseeris leather one can buy. That would be quite hard for you to tear.”

“Leather, you say?” Andrei asked with a grin, looking at his lover, “leather, Lyra. What do you think about leather?”

“Well, we haven’t tried leather. You’re more of a lace kind of man after all.” She pointed out with her eyes on the fabric and then looked up at Andrei. “But I could try leather.”

“No, forget it.” Andrei said, dismissing the idea the second she embraced it. He decided he wouldn't like it after all. “Get something delicate. I promise to be good. I’m a man of my word, aren’t I?”

He turned and started to look at the fabrics, running his hand through them and testing their texture.

When he turned away to look at the fabrics, Lyra rolled her eyes slightly at his dismissal; maybe he would have done it no matter what the answer had been. She didn’t let it sour her mood at this point and stepped up with him to start examining the fabric herself.

“Ah here now, let me see.” The merchant grabbed Lyra’s hand by her fingers. She tensed, but didn’t react past that.

“Beautiful skin, such a lovely color. Look at this one here, I think it would compliment you.” He pulled a swath of orange and red fabric over her arm, still holding her fingers but obviously not trying to trap her. “It is one of my lightest silks.”

Andrei noticed the physical contact but didn’t react, choosing to monitor the situation and give Lyra some room to interact normally with the merchant. He found a green fabric with an impressively fine stitching besides, and started to look at it for himself.

Lyra noticed Andrei’s interest fade though her expression betrayed nothing. She looked to the fabric on her arm and shook her head. “I’ve never really been a fan of orange.”

“No orange. It is a silly color.” The merchant immediately threw the fabric off of her arm and reached for another. “Perhaps this red is more to your liking? I believe you would look gorgeous in red… well, even more so than one such as you already does.” His fingers adjusted their grip a bit, this time a bit more familiar in their hold. He pulled the dark red fabric over her arm and she regarded the metallic gold, darker red, and lighter red flecks in it that gave it texture and depth.

“You would look like a queen.”

“She would look like an Empress.” Andrei corrected over his shoulder before losing interest in the fabric he had been looking at and returned to Lyra’s side. His eyes rested on her fingers which were laced with that of the merchant. Yet he said nothing and made no sign he saw.

“Empress.” The merchant corrected amiably, his attention still on Lyra. He clearly thought she was beautiful, but he did seem to still be more interested in making a sale - perhaps Andrei’s presence had put him off. “Powerful and beautiful.”

“It is very nice.” Lyra agreed and her eyes lifted to hold the merchant’s gaze. She suddenly smiled, very sweet. “How much would it be to make a dress out of it?”

“One thousand credits would be a base price. It would go up depending on what details you might want.” He replied.

Lyra instantly pulled her hand back from his, the fabric still on her arm as she brought her hand to her cheek and suddenly looked quite sad. “Oh no… that is much too expensive. I’m sure it is worth it but…”

Slowly, her gaze slowly lifted back to the Sikarian, wistful and hopeful all in one.

The man licked his lips. “Well… perhaps we could negotiate.”

The alarms in Andrei’s mind went off again, signaling suspicion that there was something more to this interaction. He had grown increasingly confident in Lyra’s faithfulness to him, however, and so he stayed his anger. Perhaps the man was truly just trying to sell fabrics and was using flirtation to his advantage. He might learn his lesson, of course, but not necessarily at this stage.

“Negotiation is good, if the terms are favorable.” He said, keeping a neutral expression. It was never good to be predictable, and flying off the handle is exactly what people expected of him.

“Of course, of course.” He looked up at Andrei briefly, still smiling, then back to Lyra. “Mayhaps you have something else to barter with besides coin. You seem like a very learned people; perhaps you have stories you might be willing to share?”

“Stories?” Lyra asked, her voice and brows lifting in surprise that was not remotely found in her eyes. “Of course we do. We have millions of stories to share.”

The man’s eyes lit up when he heard that and he leaned closer. “Well then, we can certainly work something out. Perhaps five hundred-“

“I think two hundred fifty is plenty as a base price and we can work from there. I will also have two dresses - the fabric is lovely - and we will provide you with stories to match the rest of the price.” Lyra cut in, her voice calm but authoritative.

The merchant blinked and then smiled, bowing his head to her and then looked up to Andrei. “Now perhaps something for the Emperor?”

“Yes, I think so.” Andrei said, seeming neither flattered or amused at being referred to that way. He stood as if it were a natural title for him and gestured to the fabric he had been looking at. “One formal garment will be just fine for me. Just be sure that the chest is broad enough and the inseam isn’t too high. Those tend to be my problem areas.”

Andrei eyed Lyra’s selections for a moment before looking back at the merchant.

“The same amount as one of her dresses seems fair to me. Do you measure here or shall we send our measurements to you?”

“I will measure right here. Please, just step over here.” The merchant indicated to an unoccupied area next to his stall and then picked up a long, cylindrical device which he activated, one end immediately lighting up purple.

“Simply stand still and this will only take a moment.” He pointed the device toward Andrei first.

Andrei moved to the place he had indicated and stood there, showing no visible hesitation, but was simply waiting for it to be over with.

When Andrei didn’t protest in any way, the man quickly went about his work, slowly moving the rod up and down then side to side at Andrei’s shoulders and hips then moved around to repeat the process behind Andrei. Lyra was watching him carefully, but he didn’t seem to mind.

“There. Done. Now the lady, please.”

Lyra moved to take Andrei’s place and the merchant repeated the process, though a bit slower with Lyra.

“Tell me, do you happen to know of any merchants nearby that specialize in unique jewelry?” Lyra asked, watching the glowing purple device though she didn’t seem wary of it.

“Oh yes, there are several such people here. I would personally recommend a man by the name of Garit Ito. I’ll be happy to point the way to his shop for you.” He finished his scan of her body and this time looked at the device, his eyes lingering on the numbers a moment then coming back up. He smiled. “Wonderful. Now are there any other specifics you would like to give for your garments?”

“Just make something wonderful for us.” Lyra replied, mildly dismissive of the question. She had a different goal in mind. “Now, where is this Garit Ito’s shop?”

The merchant took a moment to point the way which wasn’t too terribly far from where they were. He then looked to Andrei and Lyra, offering a smile. “Now for the initial payment, how will you be paying?”

Andrei reached into his pocket and pulled out an emerald green circular device the size of his palm. It shimmered like a mirror.

“This device is guaranteed by my ship. The funds will be delivered to your financial institution manually by the close of the day.” He said, his tone indicating just how disinterested he was in the process. “Move quickly, now.”

The merchant looked like he was going to ask if Andrei was paying for all of it, but decided against it and instead took the device which he placed on top of a small console. It took a moment to read and then he handed it back to Andrei with a bow of his head. “I thank you for your business, Empress and Emperor. I hope you will remember your friend Toros Myrianus if you find yourself in want of more of Sikaris’ finest garments.”

Andrei smiled at that and let out a chuckle. He didn’t grace the man with a response, however, and put his arm around Lyra once more. Together they started walking in the direction the man had indicated.

“He seemed fascinated with your measurements, Lyra. Wouldn’t you say?”

“Was he? I didn’t notice.” Of course she had, but she didn’t much care. She walked in step with him, looking around as they headed for their primary destination.

“Do you think the food will be terrible here? It doesn’t smell too bad.”

“The more the species tends to be like us in appearance, the more we seem to enjoy their culture and cuisine.” Andrei observed thoughtfully. “Other than their temperament and attitude about life, the Sikarians seem to be pretty Terran-like. They wouldn’t be good candidates for slaves, for that reason, but I have a feeling their food is at least passable. My guess: a lot of sweet, not a lot of salty.”

“Mmm… perhaps. Betazoids and Trill are quite like us in appearance and many aspects of their cultures were similar to Terrans, but they make good slaves. Orions too, take away their green skin and you’d have trouble telling them apart from a Terran.” Lyra noted conversationally, not directly challenging him and simply seeming to consider the notion. “Perhaps we should test it.”

“It’s true that some of those qualities make slaves favorable, even if they look quite a lot like us. I, on the other hand, have always liked to be able to tell if someone was a Terran with a simple glance. Think of the case of Eritrea.” He said, his eyes moving to meet Lyra’s, “there, similarity of appearance was almost always confused for a likeness. It can be dangerous. Give me a ridged Bajoran nose or Trill spots any day; a reminder that we are not the same.”

Lyra just looked at him for a long moment. Obviously, that hadn’t been his preference - he’d been very public with his favor of Eritrea to free her and make her his mistress on the Lovarr. Perhaps it was his preference now given the girl’s manipulation of him; she wondered how often she had managed to do it. Eventually, she looked away and gave a slight shrug. “They can always be marked by hand as reminders too, darling. Though my family did always prefer servants to slaves.”

“We had both. The more menial the task, the more likely it was a slave that performed it.” Andrei said. He had noticed the look in her eyes after he had last spoken. Was it doubt he read there? It would be no surprise if Lyra interpreted his taking non-Terran women to bed in the past as a weakness, but he wondered if that feeling was still there. Still, he hardly felt the need to justify himself in the subject. Women would judge about such things; it reduced the competition. “I think a Sikarian would make a much better servant, but it hardly matters which one in the end, really.”

“They likely would. They are very willing to please, though they have a disposition where they bore easily and that simply couldn’t be tolerated with a servant.” Lyra considered for another moment. “They are probably quite easy to motivate though.”

“Like overgrown dogs, perhaps.” He added in a dry tone. “Money, affection, and novelty. Who knows what the future holds for this race. It may be some time before the Empire stretched this far. The Emperor has our own Quadrant to worry about.”

“Perhaps it will be some time, or it may be no time at all. Who says it must be up to the Emperor to tame new races when they are so far away?” Lyra asked, not looking at him. “They’re already happy to call you Emperor here, darling.”

“Perhaps we should stay then? Put down roots and rule..” Andrei remarked with a grin just as they were arriving at the somewhat elaborate jewelry vendor. He could already see the dazzling pieces from where they stood.

“Would you need more than seven strapping boys to do that?” She mused, not expecting an answer as they approached the stall. Another alien was approaching and Lyra immediately adjusted her path to cut them off so she and Andrei would be given attention first.

The merchant of this stall had his back to those approaching while he worked on setting out a new piece for display. His strange orange-ish brown eyes shifted to a mirror above him where he saw the approaching Terrans; he turned immediately and smiled a pearly grin.

“Ah! Our Terran guests I’ve been hearing so much about! I am Garit Ito of Ito’s Emporium. You have a fine eye to seek me out.” His eyes moved to Lyra naturally, running over her appraisingly and thoughtfully. It didn’t appear to be anything untoward; this was a man who knew his customer base. After lingering there a moment, he looked between Andrei and Lyra to address them both.

“What may I assist you with purchasing today? Have you come seeking something in particular?”

“We have, actually.” Andrei answered first. He eyed Lyra for a split second before directing his gaze back at Ito. They hadn’t discussed it, of course, but both of them had been holding something very valuable; something that would make the two of them wealthy far beyond their allotted salaries. “We have some jewelry to exchange which is very rare and incredibly valuable. Can you do that here?”

The Sikarian man suddenly looked mildly skeptical but also willing to indulge the request, looking a bit like a parent who simply wanted to see what crazy thing their child was about to come up with. “I can perhaps do that. It will depend on the piece as I only deal in the rare and exotic.”

“You’ll find them very rare; very exotic.” Andrei said. He leaned in then, making sure he wasn’t heard. “You’re familiar with the Dalium-Cobalt Gem? A beautiful jewel encased in a priceless clear crystal. We have three.”

Andrei knew that these crystals were not only transferred as currency, but also made some of the finest jewelry the quadrant had to offer.

Garit had leaned in to Andrei a bit, indulging the conspiratorial moment with good humor until Andrei revealed exactly what they had. Immediately, the man seemed keenly interested. “Really now? Rare indeed. I would have to see them to judge their quality, but I am interested in them.”

“We’re looking to definitely part with two, maybe all three if the offer is right.” Lyra interjected quietly.

“We found the only one’s located in the past decade, it seems. The price is incredibly inflated.” Andrei said and grinned. “We have kept the place where we found them a closely guarded secret. We will be leaving the area, however, and the man who knows where it is…”

Andrei crossed his strong arms under his chest, the definition of his muscles, creating an intimidating wall of power.

“Well, he will be the richest man in the Quadrant.”

“I see, I see.” The man bobbed his head in an animated fashion. “And you might be willing to… share this location then? For the right price of course?”

“What good is it to us, man?” Andrei asked, seeming the slightest bit annoyed by the question. “Of course, the price would be very steep for such a prize. I’m not sure a merchant in a street venue could afford it..”

Garit sputtered slightly, clearly offended. “I’ll have you know I am one of the wealthiest jewelry merchants currently in business on Sikaris. I take the time to sell my wares here for exposure and to not lose the common touch. What is this knowledge worth to you? Name your price.”

“Didn’t you head me?” Andrei asked, frowning. “I said I was offering you something of incredible value. More, by far than you have. Isn’t it obvious?”

Andrei removed a PADD from his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. On it was a blank document.

“How much do you have?”

The other man seemed put off by Andrei’s disregard for his status and frowned, waving a hand slightly. “I don't even know that the information would be genuine. I would not risk my sizeable fortune on words from a stranger.”

He placed his hands on his stall. “I will look at the crystals if you have them here and we can discuss a fair price.”

“But we aren’t strangers, are we? You knew who we were when we walked up.” Andrei said with a calm and meaningful tone.

“There are other jewelers, you know. I’ve heard of a woman named..Nila Nilzan, for example. I wonder if she would have been interested in this proposal.” Andrei said, referencing a name he had seen in the digital brochure for the capital. “As for the crystals, I’m afraid we don’t carry those with us. They’re aboard our ship, safe and sound.”

He looked at Lyra then, raising an eyebrow.

“Are we wasting our time with this one?”

Lyra had been seemingly distracted by the wares the man was offering, but the truth was she had been listening to the entire exchange. Andrei’s approach with men seemed to always be heavy handed which worked sometimes, but a race like this was accustomed to charm and niceties from all sexes. Offense and boredom came easily. She could give honey though; she’d even dressed for the part.

She smiled at Andrei first and stepped up close to him, pressing lightly into his side while her hand came up to rest on his broad chest. “No, darling. I don’t think we are.”

With her body still positioned toward Andrei, she turned her head toward Garit. “I think you’re a reasonable man. I can see you are quite wealthy from the beautiful quality of this merchandise here.”

Her hand left Andrei’s chest and moved down to the jewelry out on display - they weren’t the expensive pieces of course, those were in a case but that didn’t matter - her fingers traced over them like she were caressing a lover and she caught the Sikarian’s gaze with and intense one of her own. “While we don’t have the crystals with us, I do have something very unique and beautiful with me that I was also looking to sell. Let me show it to you so that you can see that we come with a sincere offer.”

Andrei resumed a neutral expression, accepting her touches as Lyra drew close to him. They were a good team, and played the good-cop-bad-cop routine well. Attractive, charming, cunning, and difficult to please, there was very little they couldn’t get that they wanted when they were together. Of course, the past few months had brought lessons with it, and neither of them were over confident anymore.

Garit was captivated as any man with a pulse and taste for women would have been. His eyes followed the motions of her hand, enthralled with the way her fingers so delicately traced the metals and lingered on the stones. Andrei would be able to see the heat signature of the man shifting slightly and surely his thoughts had become less chaste, but could he really be blamed.

“Ah, alright.” He agreed, prying his eyes away from her hand and settling them on her beautiful face again. “I’ll have a look.”

“Wonderful.” Lyra replied with a slight trill of a laugh behind the word making it sound even more charming. She moved her hands from Andrei and the jewelry and opened her clutch.

“Now this is a ring that is very precious. These stones originated from another galaxy that we Terrans have named Andromeda. Now, we Terrans enjoy naming things after figures from our mythos and this was no different. Andromeda was a beautiful princess from the land of Aethiopia; she was beautiful and the fancy of many men. Her mother Queen Cassiopeia foolishly declared that her daughter was more beautiful than the creatures known as the Nereids.”

There were a few items inside among them a small piece of folded fabric which she pulled out. She held it in one hand and began to slowly unfold it with the other, taking her time as she spoke and making a little show of it.

“Unfortunately, the Nereids were favored by Poseidon, a very powerful god of the sea. On hearing Cassiopeia’s insulting claim, he sent a monster named Cetus to destroy the city. Andromeda’s parents consulted an oracle and were told they should chain their daughter to a rock so the monster could devour her as a sacrifice for their transgression. A man named Perseus found her chained and learned of her plight. Perseus slew Cetus by turning the creature to stone using the head of another monster he had slain, and then he took Andromeda away to be his wife and queen. The two ruled in harmony and she gave him six sons, together starting the great Perseid dynasty.”

Normally, Lyra would have never bothered with any of this, but these people loved stories and her taking the time to explain this clearly had the intended effect. The man was enraptured by the tale as much as he had been by her. The ring was finally unwrapped - a delicate gold band with the center stone being a large polished oval that had all the colors and depth of fire. It was surrounded by smaller stones that looked like diamonds but shimmered in a unique way. It was truly unique and beautiful, and Andrei would recognize it immediately.

It was the ring that had adorned his bastard sister’s ring finger given to her by his “beloved” blood brother. Kassandra had been wearing it before her body was burned and it had seemingly burned with her… and yet…

“Have a look, Garit.” Lyra all but purred and extended the ring toward the man who plucked it up eagerly and began to inspect it.

“My my…” He murmured.

“We Terrans have a way of stumbling upon some interesting finds.” Andrei said with a smile, watching as the Sikarian man ogled the piece of jewelry. He wondered if John had squired it on Anorra or if he had simply replicated it. Knowing John, he would have gotten something real and spent his last dime on it as well. “And each has a story, unique and powerful.”

“Yes. Not surprising. You are a unique and powerful people.” Garit agreed with a distracted tone. He pulled out a small device to scan the ring in his hand. “Fascinating. I have never seen anything like it.”

Suddenly, he turned to Lyra and smiled at her. “For even showing this to me and sharing the story, I wish to give you a gift. Please, pick anything you like.”

Lyra demurred appropriately, looking down, but then bringing her eyes back up to look through her lashes at the Sikarian. “That is very kind.”

Instead of the jewelry on display, she moved to the cases to inspect what was inside, though was also keeping her eye on Garit who was fascinated by the ring. Andrei’s apparent insult to him seemed forgotten. Finally, he looked back to Andrei, an almost apologetic smile on his very human face.

“Come, we can surely find an agreement. Now, I can offer quite a sum of money, but perhaps you might also be interested in other things to go with it? You are traveling home, are you not? Perhaps information? Other supplies?”

“What information and supplies could we acquire from you that we couldn’t simply get elsewhere?” Andrei asked, the question seemingly genuine in its nature. They weren’t sure what he had to offer, but he knew for certain that these people did not have the same values as the empire.

Garit nodded at Andrei’s question as if it were a good one. “Everyone enjoys fine jewels and jewelry. I have learned over the years that sometimes information and connections can be more valuable than money. I have suppliers here on Sikaris that could cater to any and every desire you might have no matter how exotic. As for your travels, I can provide very detailed star charts to you of what is ahead along with information regarding trade routes and traders who deal in ship components you might find useful. If I knew more about your desires and needs, I might be able to provide more curated information as well.”

“Maybe. Star charts seem useful, but easily acquired, and exotic experiences sound..interesting but those items are of moderate value to us. They’re certainly worth discussing though. For now, I’d like to settle on numbers for the information we have to offer you.

“I assure you, star charts with the details that I have are much harder to come by.” Garit insisted though it wasn’t overly forceful. He seemed quite convicted in the statement and Andrei could see that he wasn’t trying to upsell the value. “Again, I thought perhaps a combination of the information I have to offer as well as monetary compensation might be more suitable and useful to you instead of just one or the other.”

“Perhaps you’re right. We’d be interested in seeing them.” He responded with moderate interest.

“You won’t be disappointed.” He reached out and lowered the forcefield over the display case Lyra was looking into but continued to speak with Andrei. “I have only a few available here, the rest I would have to retrieve. I am happy to show you what I have if you would like, but perhaps you and the lady might like to meet later for dinner and we can discuss more details there?”

Lyra had been completely passive during the exchange and played the part of the woman enthralled with jewels for Garit. Andrei of course would know she had been observing the exchange with intensity. She did reach down and pull something out of the case, then moved over to Andrei’s side though didn’t interrupt while he was finishing with the Sikarian.

“Yes.” Andrei said with a smile, more charming and engaging than before. “You can treat us to a proper and pleasurable Sikarian dining experience and we can discuss the details of our agreement after some preparation. An excellent idea, Garit. Let us know the place, and we’ll meet you there.”

“Of course, of course.” Garit nodded.

When the Sikarian paused to think, Lyra finally lifted a bracelet up between herself and Andrei. It was a thicker band of obsidian chevrons tipped with silver; it was polished, but it wasn’t overly shiny. It was clearly a piece designed for a man and it looked quite masculine while being stylish.

Andrei smiled at the piece she offered and slipped it onto his wrist, liking the way it looked against his pale skin, he looked up at Garit and smiled.

“This as well.” He said, his voice unusually gentle and friendly. It had taken him a while to adopt the approach, but he supposed it was worth a try.

Lyra was legitimately surprised when Andrei accepted the bracelet she had picked for him. She’d expected him to dismiss it immediately, though she considered then perhaps he had only accepted to add to the amiable facade he was putting forward to the merchant. Deciding that was the more likely option, she smiled and looked back at Garit.

“Ah, that looks handsome on you, sir.” Garit said and looked at Lyra. “Perhaps something for the lady then as well? My gift again.”

“Oh, what’s the harm..” Andrei said with a somewhat boisterous laugh. He looked at the case of jewelry and searched, his eyes finally settling on a golden necklace with the most interesting iridescent stone in the oval pendant. The colors seemed to shift and change all on their own. He picked it up and lifted it in front of Lyra. “I think this would look beautiful around your neck.”

“It is lovely, darling.” Lyra’s expression gentled slightly when she was presented with Andrei’s pick. She wouldn’t deny she enjoyed beautiful jewelry such as these pieces and it was fitting of a woman of her status. She may have worked in a predominantly male job, but she was very much a woman and embraced feminine things.

“It will compliment your complexion perfectly.” Garit agreed amiably and extended a hand toward Andrei so he could hand over the necklace and bracelet if he so chose; in his other hand there was a small silky bag he seemed to intend to pack it away in. “I will take you to one of the finest restaurants the city has to offer tonight. It is formal. Where might I reach you with the details?”

Amiable as they might be Andrei wasn’t an idiot. One didn’t simply tell a man one holds all the riches in the galaxy and then give him one’s address. He smiled, handing over the jewelry so that the man could bag it.

“That sounds wonderful, simply contact the ISS Vengeance command office. They will get the information right to us.” He said with a friendly tone. “I’m excited to taste your finest cuisine.”

“Marvelous. I will do so. Now, is there anything else I can interest either of you in?” Garit asked while he handed the bag with the necklace over to Lyra.

“Nothing for me, thank you.” Lyra replied with a gracious smile and slid her arm around Andrei.

“I think we’ve had our fill for now.” Andrei said, returning Lyra’s affection calmly. “We will see you later.”

With that, they turned together and started to walk away thinking about the promise and potential of what was to come.

END