"It makes me sad to see brothers involving in squabbles over petty differences instead of uniting their powers and continue the traditions..
Obviously this would not be up to me, a young Corsair, to determine but to say the least that Pedro's will is far more different than the current situation our people behold. It gives me pain to say these but also makes me remember a small conversation I had with father Pedro just two weeks before the Alteneria's..."
For the moment he couldn't go on and stood still, his weary eyes making him feel inclined to break off like an elementary kid..
Teresa was aware as she quickly interrupted trying to console him..
"Sssh.. Okay, not again chico.. It's alright, come on.. Want to drink some coffee? It will make you feel better.."
Julio responded with a feeble voice..
"Maybe.."
"Hey Alfonso.. Could you bring us some coffee please?"
"Sure Teresa, coming in a bit.."
"Thanks.."
She still had her hand on Julio's shoulder in a caring manner as she had maybe never been before for an individual..
Julio took a deep breath, looked at his worn out hands and remembered the old days, his family and his sister Luciana for a second as words started to drop from the lips once again..
"Come here son.. Over here, hey.. Take a seat, hey Jose bring us Asturias Sider.."
"Sider coming Pedro.."
"Father, where were you for so long? I have had lots of questions in my mind and.."
"Listen to me son, listen carefully.. I have been busy for a while with important business..
It takes time to manage people around and the things lately.. Well, you should always be aware of the possible threats son.. One could never tell when exactly they are on your doorstep."
"Threats? What threats?"
"My innocent son.. We have been ruling this space for a very long time, and time has gravely proved me that it is always possible to face people those who sow sedition between the brothers and friends. You must keep your eyes open at all costs in the future, and prevent ill-bred scoundrels from dissenting the valuable bonds we have with our haughty friends."
Teresa was holding the coffee tray which was already losing its warmness and curiously listening to Julio as he felt intrigued for a second to look her in the eyes..
"Why do you look so sad Teresa? Is there something new that I don't know?"
Miguel Sephardi was drunk as a skunk, and singing folks songs with his flight crew, when he noticed the Benitez Custo, enter the bar. He seemed a little uncomfortable, and went to the bar and sat by himself. Miguel was having none of that. " CUSTO', Hermano" Sephardi barked as he approched the bar, " Alphonso, two more drinks." Miguel shouted as he sat next to Custo. "Hermano, " Miguel lowered his voice. " Hermano, dont worry, what ever politics is going on in the Villa's and the Council Chambers, we are famila, we are hermanos, and the Corsairs should stand together forever." "Have a drink hermano, " Miguel said as Alphonso returned with the drink. Miuguel stood on one of the bar stools, obviously drunker than normal, " VIVA LA CORSAIRS, VIVA LA HERMANOS, VIVA LA BENITEZ, VIVA LA BROTHERHOOD." With the last shout, Miguel lost his balance and feel off the stool, taking a few glasses with him.
Teresa felt disturbed by the turmoil that arisen in the bar so she took Julio's hand and led him out...
"What do you mean?", she asked.
He replied: "I don't know, it's just when I look at you, it seems that there is something wrong with you."
She knew that Julio was one of those that could be trusted so she continued: "Well, for some time now, I am having these nightmares. They are I always dark and blurred but I can recognize a hairless, weedy man being tortured in the end. Then I always wake up and can't sleep for the rest of the night. I never experienced this before."
And she looked at him, as if he could help her get rid of it...
If I die, I forgive you, father. If I live we shall see.....Teresa Chavez
They were walking in the outer cloister now. Julio felt that fresh air was the exact remedy he needed as he was listening to Teresa with attentive eyes and holding her hands gently.
"Ah, I should have known.. You just look terribly weary..
A hairless, weedy man being tortured you say. Thats bizarre to say the least. Someday, father Pedro told me that some of the nightmares could have mysterious meanings in our life that even psychiatrists could not unravel..
But I believe most of them are just strange dreams.. I mean.. Eh well, trying to find meanings for these strange dreams would make you just more depressed. I don't see a damn need for this."
Teresa seemed to be intrigued as Julio went on..
"Getting your thoughts out of your head by talking about them to someone is a good start for trying to get rid of nightmares. I mean its a decent start which would make you feel better.
You could also drink some herbal tea, take a warm shower or try to read a book before going to sleep. Just try to relax before going to sleep and get rid of thoughts clogging up your head. And most importantly don't worry too much for anything.."
Teresa was smiling as Julio finished his words. He smiled at her in return and added..
But her smile wasn't meant to last for long. Her comm pad was beeping frequently, so she finally took it out of her pocket and held it so Julio could read the last messages too...
"Oh my god..." she whispered as she finished reading the latest 'diplomatic' conversation with the Benitez family.
An immediate though came across her mind: "Come Julio, I think we owe this to Pedro."
And they both left, and headed to the Council Chamber...
If I die, I forgive you, father. If I live we shall see.....Teresa Chavez
Custo' sat looking miserable at the bar with Miguel snoring loudly at his feet. He had lost his appetite and no longer wanted to drink. The atmosphere had become even more hostile after the departure of Teresa and Julio. He checked his personal message and read the transmission that had just come through. It was a link to TBH's and the Benitez message dumps. With horror he read the last few posts his face whitening. What the hell had happened!? Yesterday there had been tensions between both groups, but now? Traitors to the Corsair people? This was insane! The Benitez familia had proved itself to the Corsair people time and time again, often the Benitez had been in Crete orbit fighting off invasion without a sign of TBH... Custo' stood, unholstered his firearm and flicked off the safety catch. He raised his arm and fired one shot into the ceiling causing immediate silence to fall. Custo' holstered his gun and looked around the room the flames of rage in his eyes.
'What the hell have you all done?! In a time where we should be united and strong, we are becoming weak and fractured! TBH is losing its allies fast, first the SCRA now us. Soon you will be alone fighting enemies that surround you. I will not have the Corsair nation, the Empire, crumble- brought down by circling wolves! You have stabbed a powerful enemy in the back today, the Benitez are not power scheming madmen. To find them you need to look closer to home. We serve the people of Crete!'
Custo' about turned and marched out. He would leave for Yarren to join his familia as soon as he could...
Miguel Sephardi woke with a start, a blaster shot had been fired. While this bar was not the most docile place, blaster fire usually wasnt on the menu. He stood to see Custo Benitez walking out of the bar. "This must have just gotten worse." He thought to himself. He walked to the bar, "Whisky" he said to the barkeep. "Nothing like a little hair of the dog to streghten you out in the morning." He drankhis drink quickly, and slowly his mind started moving again. Sephardi walked out of the bar, remembering his conversation with Elder Yanez, mabye it was time to find the Elder, he has seen the message from Teressa and decided to walk to the Council Chambers, hoping to find Raul before he made his way into the Chamber.
Miguel Sephardi was walking the perimeter of the Council Chambers, uneasy about what was going on inside. They had been going for quite a while, and Miguel was getting a little thursty. He walked over to the Boozers Lounge and walked in. "Alfonso, a Whiskey." He said. "I think you should check your comms, singor Miguel." responded Afonso. Sephardi pulled out his comm device and checked for new messages, there was one, it was from Elder Costello. He began to read, and then slumped into the chair. quietly Miguel raised his glass, and softly, mainly to himself said " Oh Joe, your a good man, here's to losing yet another Elder."
A petite woman then walks casually into the bar with an infocard in hand. The woman being Fleet Admiral Stephanie of Osiris Battleship Adler, wearing a Black Trench Coat with two side arms strapped to her belt. She has Blonde hair, the face of an angel and a body of a goddess. As she walks in she sees the News Display for Planet Crete. Stephanie walks over and inserts the infocard. Glimpses around then walks out of the bar. The infocard reads...
"
Adler
1:24:35AM
Outside Planet Crete
Michael Shelton carrying 5000 passengers onboard instantly moored with Planet Crete. Not requesting to dock or anything. While Adler and a Corsair Gunboat were stationed outside. Adler tried to halt the vessel but it was just to fast. The pilot then stayed on Crete for about an hour and never undocked. All 5000 passengers he claimed were family but when we sent a search for him. The ship was found empty. The pilot was told not to release these passengers by 2 Corsair affiliated ships. Pilot has yet to be punished."
The bar-tender glimpses at the news bulletin then goes back to work.
The room stank of sweat, alcohol and oddly enough blaster fire....
"Must've got a little rowdy" he thought, as he took his usual seat alone in the darkened corner of the bar. They had installed lights there once, but they kept seeming to disappear - he didn't mind, the half light suited him. He liked to sit alone, the shadows hiding his half Kusari features. Not that his background bothered him, his mother, born on New Tokyo had been a strong woman, as noble and proud as any woman born on Crete. And married to a Corsair, she had learned how to deal with rough justice, a trait she had past onto her children, along with a healthy sense of rebellion and a deep mistrust of the Corsair "elite".
At 55 years of age, Ben had endured a lifetime of ostracism from the more conservative Corsair's, mistrustful of his family, his Kusari features, and his irreverent , sometimes short tempered nature. His father had been killed when Ben was 8, his fighter disintegrating in a glorious fireball in the skies of Malta itself and Ben had, along with his mother and sister, fought every single day since then to survive.
So he sat in the shadows, as usual, not out of shame or fear, but because he didn't want to have to put a blaster bolt into the leg of another foolish young hothead son of a noble Corsair, high on alcohol looking to prove his manlihood by challenging the "Kusari" corsair.
"ID confirmed, Ben Laowai, pilot, Corsair Titan class registered Old_Laowai" the communicator spoke as he entered his personal Id number... He checked the balance of his account after his dealings with Bjorn and the "PR" run he had made to the Texas system. It was up on yesterday. He Smiled.
"Baijiu" he called to the barkeep - He unslung his holster belt and clunked it onto the table loudly. All around him in the bar he could feel a sense of unease, even the drunken hurrahs from the other side of the room seemed... desperate. " I don't know how you can drink that rubbish" said the barman, handing him a small green bottle filled with the clear liquid, "Kusari swill, no wonder they are all mad out there". Ben scowled, noting the atmosphere around him he chuckled darkly "and we're not mad down here"?. The barman lingered, unsure of how to take his comment, Ben spoke, rowsing him from his discomfort.
"what's going on anyway"?
The barman looked around nervously, as if he didnt want to be heard "It's all that trouble between the Brotherhood and the Benitez.." he said hurriedly, "they were having some kind of big meeting, and they've all been in and out of here, everyone thinks it might get messy".
Ben chuckled, "messy?" he took another swig from the bottle.
"Yeah".. the barman said "Messy like the Benitez's are talkin' of leavin, and the Brotherhoods going every which way, and them SCRA people are in it some how as well"
Shaking his head Ben looked at the barman from the shadows... "listen to me son, there have always been Corsairs on Crete, and there will always be Corsairs on Crete, politics is politics, the clans are always on about some kind of rubbish". He sat back into the chair, turning off his communicator.
The barman looked at him nervously and Ben continued; "Do you know how many of us there are up there?" He said, pointing upwards, to the ceiling, the clouds, and space beyond that; "how many of us up there that have nothing to do with those argumentative so and so's? but in the end son, we're all Corsairs, and if i see a Benitez, or a brotherhood ship taking fire from an enemy, i will kill the enemy, and i expect they will do the same, we're all Corsairs son, thats what we do".
The barman shook his head "it's not that simple, it's not that....
Ben cut him off; "it is to me, all this politics, it's just power games son, useless talk while the rest of us get on with the business of bringing in the food, the water, and killing those who would kill us, it's that simple"
The barman shook his head again, he took the empty bottle, "you want another?" he asked. "yeah why not" Ben said, it had been good hunting today, he decided he was going to get drunk that night.
It would be a shame if the clans did split, he thought to himself, less guns in space could only mean more Corsairs will die at the hands of their enemies, and Crete could only suffer for it. But so be it, there would still be fighting to do, plunder to take, and if there were more days like today, then the days ahead would be glorious days indeed.
He stood up in his seat "VIVA LOS CORSAIRS!" he shouted, "VIVA" came an echoed chorus from random drinkers... he threw his bottle down onto the floor shattering it, "more Baijiu!" he called out.....
Tonight he would drink, tomorrow would be as today, he would go into space, and kill those who would be the enemies of his people.