Kreska's eyebrows arched high as Sascha drank, and the thumbs-up she returned was as much to express how impressed she was as anything.
She was accustomed enough to these sorts of situations, at this point, to feel very little concern on Sascha's behalf. It would have been one thing if she'd been some civilian, someone otherwise unused to unsafe behavior and tricky negotiations. But from where Kreska was sitting, this frying pan wasn't much worse than any other. Or maybe she was biased by the devil she knew.
She was unaware of Fate's relative panic. But it wouldn't have surprised her, if she'd known. A strange gender divide in the fear Grilka evoked, one she'd seen before and would again.
"Krotazi do not have many laws," Grilka said, which was putting it mildly. Winner-takes-all, might-makes-right, eye-for-an-eye; Krotaz had found little need to move beyond those first and most basic of laws. "We do not own people," ey said, "and we take people at their word, when they say that they are people. This is the disagreement we have with the Alliance."
It had always been true that slavery as a concept was foreign to Krotazi, but the formalization into law was a recent development. Grilka's recommendation, in fact, to the Empire at home... as a favor to one very persistent Siladen. A fact very few were aware of, and half of them were in that bright room.
"Money is useful," ey agreed, sounding mournful, "but I have only trinkets." Ey pulled a single ring from one talon to demonstrate, a slender slip of crystosite easily worth several thousand credits. "It is not so versatile a thank-you gift, I think," ey said, "but one does what one can." Ey put it back on and admired the way it reflected the light, infinitely small fractal structures of rainbows. Eir tail adjusted to try and make Sascha as comfortable as possible, like a particularly accomodating couch. Under other circumstances, ey might try to find more interesting ways to touch her - but between Kreska and Fate, it did more good to leave that as nothing more than an unspoken threat, one for Sascha to remain unaware of. "Karma is fluid," ey said, "based on difficulty. Yes? If I go through much trouble as a favor, it is only fair that you go through much trouble - or many little troubles. No time limits, nothing like that; only a matter of need."
On the hook for as long as ey wanted, waiting for as long as pleased em for the other shoe to drop, never willing to refuse for fear of seeming less than grateful.
"What a clever girl," Grilka praised, while Kreska flinched at the shouting in her ear. The first time she'd heard him angry, that outburst, and she wished she hadn't heard it all. "We could be wonderful friends, I think. Not that I would ever ask you to do anything illegal – I am very law-abiding." Ey read the latest messages on the tablet, and with a pleased grin, handed the device back to its surprised owner. Ey stole her cigarette while ey was at it, trading the one for the other and taking a drag.
"Would you like to visit your new friend?" Grilka asked Kreska as she read what was on her screen, taking too long as she switched her settings all back to her usual.
"Don' see's't's necessary't all," she muttered, and Grilka laughed.
"Not so special, then, you only like him at a distance. What good is a courier that doesn't deliver?"
"M'fuckin' tired," she said defensively, as if that was the only reason she might have for not wanting to go chasing alone after someone that did not sound particularly pleased with her.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Grilka asked, leaving unspoken that ey would need to take care of the trouble waiting for her there.
"M'fine," she lied.
"Between friends, Sascha Bennett," Grilka said, transferring eir attention, "I wonder what it is that you did, to piss off so many very well-armed people."
It sounded as if she had taken something. It sounded as if it was very valuable. It sounded as if Grilka wanted it, whatever it was that it was. If ey could get it from her without needing to go after a hidden hacker, all the better. For now, ey wanted their knowledge and their skills more than their bodies. The one could wait until ey had the other.
No need to rush. Ey had plenty of time. Grilka petted Sascha's hair again.
Kreska's hand hovered over her tablet's screen. She felt like she ought to send Fate a message, now that she had it back. She couldn't think of what. The screen dimmed automatically before she thought of anything.
She was accustomed enough to these sorts of situations, at this point, to feel very little concern on Sascha's behalf. It would have been one thing if she'd been some civilian, someone otherwise unused to unsafe behavior and tricky negotiations. But from where Kreska was sitting, this frying pan wasn't much worse than any other. Or maybe she was biased by the devil she knew.
She was unaware of Fate's relative panic. But it wouldn't have surprised her, if she'd known. A strange gender divide in the fear Grilka evoked, one she'd seen before and would again.
"Krotazi do not have many laws," Grilka said, which was putting it mildly. Winner-takes-all, might-makes-right, eye-for-an-eye; Krotaz had found little need to move beyond those first and most basic of laws. "We do not own people," ey said, "and we take people at their word, when they say that they are people. This is the disagreement we have with the Alliance."
It had always been true that slavery as a concept was foreign to Krotazi, but the formalization into law was a recent development. Grilka's recommendation, in fact, to the Empire at home... as a favor to one very persistent Siladen. A fact very few were aware of, and half of them were in that bright room.
"Money is useful," ey agreed, sounding mournful, "but I have only trinkets." Ey pulled a single ring from one talon to demonstrate, a slender slip of crystosite easily worth several thousand credits. "It is not so versatile a thank-you gift, I think," ey said, "but one does what one can." Ey put it back on and admired the way it reflected the light, infinitely small fractal structures of rainbows. Eir tail adjusted to try and make Sascha as comfortable as possible, like a particularly accomodating couch. Under other circumstances, ey might try to find more interesting ways to touch her - but between Kreska and Fate, it did more good to leave that as nothing more than an unspoken threat, one for Sascha to remain unaware of. "Karma is fluid," ey said, "based on difficulty. Yes? If I go through much trouble as a favor, it is only fair that you go through much trouble - or many little troubles. No time limits, nothing like that; only a matter of need."
On the hook for as long as ey wanted, waiting for as long as pleased em for the other shoe to drop, never willing to refuse for fear of seeming less than grateful.
"What a clever girl," Grilka praised, while Kreska flinched at the shouting in her ear. The first time she'd heard him angry, that outburst, and she wished she hadn't heard it all. "We could be wonderful friends, I think. Not that I would ever ask you to do anything illegal – I am very law-abiding." Ey read the latest messages on the tablet, and with a pleased grin, handed the device back to its surprised owner. Ey stole her cigarette while ey was at it, trading the one for the other and taking a drag.
"Would you like to visit your new friend?" Grilka asked Kreska as she read what was on her screen, taking too long as she switched her settings all back to her usual.
"Don' see's't's necessary't all," she muttered, and Grilka laughed.
"Not so special, then, you only like him at a distance. What good is a courier that doesn't deliver?"
"M'fuckin' tired," she said defensively, as if that was the only reason she might have for not wanting to go chasing alone after someone that did not sound particularly pleased with her.
"Do you want me to take you home?" Grilka asked, leaving unspoken that ey would need to take care of the trouble waiting for her there.
"M'fine," she lied.
"Between friends, Sascha Bennett," Grilka said, transferring eir attention, "I wonder what it is that you did, to piss off so many very well-armed people."
It sounded as if she had taken something. It sounded as if it was very valuable. It sounded as if Grilka wanted it, whatever it was that it was. If ey could get it from her without needing to go after a hidden hacker, all the better. For now, ey wanted their knowledge and their skills more than their bodies. The one could wait until ey had the other.
No need to rush. Ey had plenty of time. Grilka petted Sascha's hair again.
Kreska's hand hovered over her tablet's screen. She felt like she ought to send Fate a message, now that she had it back. She couldn't think of what. The screen dimmed automatically before she thought of anything.
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