Ezio walked into the desolate bar, the dust swirling in front of him as a Cretian breeze blew in.
It had been upward of five months since anyone has stopped by, and the bartender had eventually stopped coming to work.
The Brotherhood was doing poorly, hemmoraging veterans right and left, with most of the new recruits in the Corsair nation taking up with more glamourous positions in the Sails, or simply going it alone.
There were a few new recuits though, and always cause for hope in the future.
But to the matter at hand....
He began uprighting chairs, and dusting off glasses and tables.
It would need some work, but the Brotherhood bar could be restored.
He would have Adamo run some high-end supplies out from Liberty to the Nine, and start redirecting his pirated shipments here.
It would make a good office for the Agency, as well. There were plenty of storage rooms for comms gear, and extra beds for in-person reports, and a nice insulated basement that would most likely stop anyone outside from being bothered by screams of agony...yes, it would work well.
In the meantime, He needed to find some good booze.
Can't have a Corsair bar without good booze. Maybe he could get that new recruit, what's his name, Werss, to help him pirate a few transports for some exotic mixes.
He left once again, the bar in better shape, but still empty of life.
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
As Vincent walked past the bar he remembered the good times that he had in the old hole. The Rum, the Senoritas, and the good conversations with his fellow brothers. He entered through the old western style swinging doors and saw to his amazement that someone has cleaned up a bit.
He slowly walked over to the bar, wiping some of the dust off the articact textured counter. Was always a very impressive looking counter. He walked around behind the bar and took one of the old glasses off the rack. He searched the bar, making quite a noise, and finally found a old bottle of rum, still covered in dust, hidden away behind some boxes. With a slight smile he opened the bottle and put his nose to the opening. "Ah, this will do" he said to himself slowly pouring himself a glass. He took a seat at the counter, with the bottle in front of him, and took a big sip of the rum from his glass. He sat there quietly, alone, and enjoyed the old bottle of cretan rum, and all the memories of the old bar.
Two cargo trucks pulled up outside, parking right in front.
A thin man jumped down from the cab of the first and began barking orders to the workers as he strode toward the enterance.
Ezio flung open the doors and propped up the kickstands before seeing Vincent, and immediately bowing. "Buon giorno, Elder Valentine. I see I am not the only one who remembers our old hide."
He stood and smiled, sidestepping as the workers wheeled carts of electronics and furniture in. "I've been planning some renovation of the place. Shouldn't just sit here, empty and alone, aff?"
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
Vincent glanced around and saw Ezio. He stood up with a smile on his face and walked over to Ezio, taking his hand and greeting his fellow corsair. "Brother Ezio, it seemed that someone was busy cleaning in here..good to see you took up the job then. Good to see you here Amigo. Care to have a glass with me then?" Vincent gestured over to the dusty bottle of rum on the counter.
"Many of our problems in the past were solved in this very bar..these days they have council rooms and a room for every little thing. Yet, tis here that one could solve even the greatest problems in life..with a bottle of rum of course..and some senorita's..we should hold all our meeting here amigo.." Vincent laughed as he walked over to the counter to get Ezio a glass for the rum.
"Aye, Elder. That's what happens when you get a head for your own power. Everything becomes offical, proper and prim. It helps, in some regards, when you have so many many things to control....but its dreadfully inefficient, and cold to boot. Not like this rum, eh?"
Carts full of equipment continued to roll past, unloading in the back rooms.
"I've been planning on moving my comms center here for a while now. The Pace simply isn't big enough, though she serves more than well enough as a comms reciever and diplomatic envoy. Within a week, we should be set up and transmitting, and two weeks after that the comms array should be finished out in Chiriso town. After that, i should be able to communicate with my agents across Sirius from here.And then, we shall get drunk every night, with both rum and success!"
Ezio downed the glass, and, as two workers moved another cart past, he snatched an oddly iridescent bottle from the top. He held it up admirably before filling the glasses with it.
"Here, Elder, you must try this. 'Tis a special blend, the last batch made by my uncle, using all of 82 years of brewery experience across Sirius, the opus of his life. I once used a bottle as rocket fuel when i took a hit from the Hessians out in O five. A toast with it signore. To a resurgent Brotherhood!"
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
A cold wind blows into the bar, followed by a cold young man. His long black hair is neatly combed and arrayed on his shoulders, he is wearing a standard corsair uniform, and he has a short stubble of young age on his chin.
Acacio D'Souza sits down with a huff on one of the empty seats, and looks at the scene beyond the window. It's a lot different from his usual surroundings, the rocks and the oranges of the Omegas, and Hessian and corsairs intermingling in a old tortured dance that has lost all meaning.
He sits there for a while, and then leans back with his eyes closed, trying to absorb the change.
Vincent downs his rum and holds his metal cup out for Ezio to fill up. "Well then, lets taste that bottle then. 82 Years is a long time, something good must come out of it" he grinned slightly as Ezio filled the cup. After Ezio filled it Vincent held the cup close to his nose, and slowly breathed in the strong smell of its contents. "Si Senor Ezio, it seem is a strong one then. Viva la Corsairs, Viva La Hermandad" A metal against metal sound echoed through the empty bar as the two corsair's cups toasted.
After he took a sip of Ezios speacial blend Vincent pulled a slight face. " Aye Amigo, this is good. A comms centre you say" Vincent Glanced to the workers hauling crates past them. " Tis will be a good place indeed for it, none will suspect it, just make sure the front part stays a bar. Cant be messing up our drinkin place now can we. " he chuckled.
As he laughed his eye caught a man sitting alone in the bar. Vincent Recognised him as being the new recruit from Cadiz.
"Senor D'Souza? It is D'Souza right amigo? Come join us brother..no use in sitting there by yeself amigo. Brother Ezio, get the man a a cup and some of that special brew ye got there."
Acacio opens his eyes, hearing his name being called distantly. As vision comes into focus, he sees he's being called by Vincent Valentine, a Corsair Elder. He gets up with surprising quickness, considering his restive pose a moment earlier, and walks up to this brethen.
Si Amigos, I think I will. He takes a bottle from the other Brother, whose name he is not familiar with, and sits down.
"Ahh, Brother D'Souza. It is good to meet a new recruit. Every one helps. I am Ezio Ricardo Angela Della Francesca, but most don't remember the middle part, so no need."
Ezio took another cup down from the rack and slid it across the bar to D'Souza so he could pour a drink.
"Anyways, once the arrays are finished, I should be able to maintain an secure intelligence database from any properly installed terminal in Sirius. I always have thought it a good idea to keep tabs on all that our enemies do."
A thin tall man in crisp military uniform entered, with stripes on his collar marking him out as a sub-lieutenant. He briskly stepped over to Ezio's chair, and, leaning down, whispered into his ear. Ezio slowly nodded, before turing to face the liutenant and speaking.
"Of course, bring it all in. There is a large room in the basement, down the stairs, second door on the left, for the wreckage. For the other, a cell has been set up down there as well, first door on the left. Please make sure he is securely restrained, Liutenant Alvarez. And, no need to whisper, signore. We are among Brothers here on Crete."
"Yes sir. Of course sir. Also sir, Agent Rose reported in to temp HQ 500 SUT. She requests updated orders and additional discretionary operating funds."
"Of course, of course. Send a transmission. Suspect TimRhy is approved for recruitment, by any means neccesary. Transfer whatever funds she deems neccesary."
"Yes sir."
With that, the liutenant turned on his heels and strode out. Ezio took a sip of his drink.
"No worries, brothers. He will be bringing in wreckage from Pushkin's remote fighter destroyed three days ago, as well as a rookie Zoner prisoner taken by the Pace yesterday. Even if we do not get anything out of him, the process should be quite enjoyable. I have already taken the liberty of soundproofing a storage room and installing a restraining system."
gone four years, first day back: Zoners still getting shot in Theta :|
The young hispanian looked around him. These surroundings were very strange to him. From the smells, to the sounds, to the company sitting around him. The Brotherhood's bar was very different from the rusty, brown, smelly bar on Cadiz, where men celebrated liked animals.
He gave an ear to what his comrade was saying, and recorded the name. Ezio.
He leans forward, and tastes the drink he had poured. Even that is different.