The Prodigal Parent
Posted on Sat May 28th, 2022 @ 2:06pm by Kinmont Armstrong & Alden Loxley & Jonas Bailey
Mission:
Home Sweet Wonderful Home
Location: The Black, undisclosed location -> Fortune's Echo on Three Hills
Timeline: 3 Nov 2517 -> 15 Nov after 'Closer to the Heart'
OOC: timeline: just after Fortune's Echo departs from Li Shen's
Kinmont William Armstrong sat at one of the corvette's cortex consoles and watched the surveillance videos from Li Shen's Bazaar again. There was Kindra, dancing with a handsome man easily identified as Garret Montgomery, a registered companion and Madrassa classmate of hers. Seeing his daughter smiling as her partner spun her around the dancefloor, so confident and graceful, reminded him painfully of her mother – his wife, Siobhan.
The vid of a lingering conversation between Kindra and a large man with dark hair, and a petite blonde woman – engineer of the ship Kindra had taken up with… probably was not significant.
Security vids caught Jonas Bailey as well, a man Kinmont would be forever indebted to. Bailey had been Kindra's companion and protector for four weeks, and had even stood up to Buccleuch. But they parted on Ariel, after a formal ball.
The old spy had utilized his connections within the remnants of the rebellion to dig up information on the members of the Fortune's Echo crew, though he had yet to identify two recent additions – men who appeared almost as old as him, or the girl with the scarred face. In the security feed of the medical center massacre, the perpetrators seemed to have some connection to that girl – the only person unscathed by the violence, although the conflict was probably between that group of men and the two blue-hand agents. Eliminating witnesses was standard practice for the blue-hands, so Kinmont reasoned the girl, Fortune's Echo's captain, and a blonde young woman he knew well, could be nothing more to the combatants than collateral damage.
When he'd learned that Kindra had rented a shuttle on a ship with Jonas Bailey, and the woman calling herself Alison Bliss, he'd thought his daughter would be relatively safe.
After what happened to his beloved Siobhan during the war, Kinmont had learned his lesson and kept his distance from Kindra all these years. And yet, he'd kept tabs on her the entire time. But now it seemed James Buccleuch had shifted his personal vendetta from father to daughter. Kindra had slipped through Buccleuch's grasp on Santo, but Kinmont had no doubt his younger nemesis also had access to Li Shen's security feeds and would resume the hunt.
His daughter needed him, and it was time for Kinmont to reintroduce himself into her life.
OOC: timeline: shortly after Kindra departs from Fortune's Echo via limo
An old man strolled up Fortune's Echo's cargo ramp. He was tall and well built, and still handsome despite the age-betraying cropped white beard, salt and pepper hair, and wrinkles around his green eyes. He wore a black hat and black duster over simple but smart clothing, and a big, friendly smile. He pulled a hover-cart behind him, loaded with a luggage trunk and a crate. To the casual observer, he appeared to be an ordinary man of no great importance, the traveling salesman sort.
"Greetings, gentle-folk," called Kinmont. He squinted, eyes slower than they used to be adjusting from noon-day sun to the internal shade of the ship's cargo bay. "The name's William Armstrong. I'm lookin' to book passage aboard this-here firefly."
"I ain't that gentle," Alden offered back with a wry shake of his head. Though he had to admit to being glad of the distraction from simply staring off after Kindra's limo. Verse felt a little cooler in her immediate absence, and Ali's half-expected, but still unwanted exit hadn't warmed it up any. Strangers though? They tended to distract a mind from their troubles some, or at least moved said worries until later.
Alden strolled across the cargo bay once more to meet the man halfway into Echo's open space and offered out his hand to be shaken. "Where you looking to travel to, Mr Armstrong?" He asked, delaying his own introduction by means of what was, to Alden, a more important question.
Kinmont took Loxley's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Well now, young sirs." He tipped his hat to Jonas, pleased to find the man was even more physically intimidating in person. Looking around the cargo bay, openly curious about the ship Kindra had made her home, he adopted a tone somewhere between grandfatherly and schoolteacher. "Gentle-folk is a politeness of speech, like gentlemen but includin' all manner of people."
Young sirs?! That made Alden wince, but said expression pre-empted a wolfish look towards Jonas, his old partner in crime, and definitely recalled up some memories from when they had been young. Right now, age was relative to the amount of current stress about them both, he supposed. Today, Alden felt a little old.
"Well, polite's been lacking around here some," Alden noted with a friendly tone. "So I guess you're good."
Kinmont gave Loxley a charming, innocent smile, but was careful not to overplay his hand by laying it on too thick. "As to where I'm lookin' to travel... I'm a salesman by trade, good sir. I'm not so all-fired particular 'bout where I go, so long as there's good company along the way and interestin' customers to be found at the destination."
The big guy knew that Kindra had a business to run and clients to meet, but that didn't stop him from being a little concerned every time she left to go meet one. He had trained her pretty good on how to handle herself, shoot a gun, and keep an eye on her surroundings, though. So he just had to trust her and the training in times like this. And now there was a potential customer standing in the bay to take care of.
A salesman with no particular plan. Well, that wasn't all that different, Alden considered, and he observed this stranger while the man traded charm and conversation with Jonas. Armstrong certainly had the demeanour of a successful tradesman, and his clothing and luggage marked him equally as such. Not rich enough to be flying first class, but canny enough to seek out a wandering, and characterful transport. Hopefully not too fussy about the condition, though the guest quarters were smart and clean enough for most paying passengers. "C'mon inside," Alden suggested, wondering if a look around would put the man off his choice of ship and keen to know sooner rather than later if that was to be so. "We'll discuss rates an such-like."
Jonas nodded his head towards their visitor as he tipped his hat. "Plenty of interestin' customers to be found most places," he said, slipping back into the 'Verse vernacular. "So Mr. Salesman, what're ya hockin' to the good folks of the 'Verse?"
Loxley and Bailey seemed to buy the act so far. Kinmont slid fully into his cover with practiced ease, allowing a slow enthusiastic grin to spread across his face. "Well son, I'm pleased as punch and chuffed to bits ta answer all your questions." He sauntered on into the cargo bay, positioned his hover-cart in the open space's center, licked his thumb, and turned to face them. With a flourish, he pressed that thumb to the hidden dna lock on the crate, whilst poking the obvious keypad. The crate lid opened, but all that was visible was a black cloth covering the contents.
Kinmont removed his hat and held it over his heart, like a man giving witness to life's blessings in church. "What I have in this crate is pure pleasure and satisfaction. Relaxation and release. The most sure-fire way to stimulate natural endorphins and trigger that moment of joy and bliss. My products were manufactured on Sihnon, of the finest materials and craftsmanship, and each one has my – William Armstrong's personal guar-an-tee to last a lifetime or your money back. Gentlemen, these here toys are the perfect gift for that woman in your life in need of relief from whatever stress and tension the 'Verse might throw her way. And you'll be pleased to know I even carry a line of products for men." He winked at them and placed his hat on the cart.
He'd chosen this particular product mainly for its value as a distraction, but also because he'd hoped to amuse Alison. Kinmont threw back the cloth to reveal three phalluses of graduated sizes and colors, neon pink, green, and orange. He picked them up one at a time, tossed them in the air, and began juggling all three. "Good sirs, these are only samples, any toy you purchase for the low, low price of four credits each, that's ten platinum, will be packaged and new." As he juggled and grasped each in turn, he set them to vibrating, then tossed the orange one to Loxley and the green to Bailey, retaining the pink one and gesturing with it. "Well then young sirs, that there's the basics o' my spiel. With the right audience, I can wax on eloquent for an hour or so, though it's fair to say many o' my customers prefer a might more discretion."
Not Alden's first encounter with such items, in more ways than he cared to remember right now, so he caught the orange sex toy and involuntarily grimaced. Yup, this was a salesman alright. His pitch was practised, his merchandise was garish and universal. If all he was to be touting was vibrating pleasure he was sure to do well enough at most of the Border planets, and - he couldn't help thinking - it would have amused the hell out of Alison. She'd have reminded him about that time back on... no wait, times...
That brought Alden out of internal reverie and he threw the unwanted item back to its current owner.
"I won't be needing a product sample, thank you, Mr Armstrong," he noted. "But I'm sure you can find plenty of souls who'll be happy to trade credits for pleasure wherever we're headed." He wiped his own hand on his trousers, offered a serious expression to the older man and pointed to his own chest. "Captain Alden Loxley," he introduced himself. "And this is my First Mate." Alden looked to his brother-in-all-but-blood, and let Jonas decide what name he was giving.
Jonas smirked as he walked up to the man and his trunk of products. "Name's Jonas. Don't have much of a need for those things myself. But like the Cap'n said, I'm sure you can find some willin' souls." The ever-present cautiousness of the former merc-for-hire had his right hand resting on the butt of his pistol. "Where abouts ya been 'fore now?"
Kinmont grinned as he replaced the neon-colored merchandise in the crate and locked it. Jonas Bailey was indeed a smart one, he knew what questions to ask. Alden Loxley was a bit of a wild card. "I've been here an' there an' all over. I try not ta visit the same town too frequent, mind, on account o' the guarantee. Covers normal wear, o' course, but ya might be surprised what folks do get up to. Can ya believe a customer on Hera demanded a free replacement after the toy I sold him was surgically removed from his-" He paused as though suddenly aware he was rambling, and cleared his throat. "Ah, well, guessin' that story makes no never-mind to you boys. Anyhoo, what was the question?" He scratched his chin as though trying to remember, recalling the records he'd arranged to be hacked into the cortex to support his story. "Well now, I tagged along with a transport name o' Delany, runnin' the Trader's Guild route." He lowered his voice as though making a confession. "Not precisely upstanding members of the Trader's Guild, if'n ya git ma meanin'." He shrugged and continued, "Parted ways on Shadow, and I caught me a ride here. It were Hera afore that, and o' course New Canaan previous to Hera."
"And now here I am, mighty pleased to be on your fine ship. Speakin' o' fine, couldn't help but notice a fancy lady with all the honest to goodness appearance of a real Companion leavin' the ship in a sweet-enough land buggy. Might I inquire if'n she was here makin' a professional call?" Kinmont looked from Loxley to Bailey, eyes wide, like he was speculating which of them might've hired a Companion.
Quietly leaning on the Mule he'd stepped back to gain comfort from, Alden observed the two men interact. Jonas and... Armstrong for now, since they weren't yet into that first name territory. There was a lot of glib, amusing tale-telling to this man's patter, which made Alden wonder if the man had done this job all his life - he seemed so enthusiastic for it, yet the grey in his hair told of long years in this Verse. Probably there was something their latest passenger was running from, or at the very least a past beyond the sales pitch. Not that this mattered, careers were pliable creatures and he seemed engaging enough to be succeeding at his business. He currently had the usual, regular level of concern attached to him, but of course they'd run his name through the Cortex to consider that transport trail behind him, once Jonas had finished asking questions.
At the mention of Kindra by proxy, though, Alden's entire body stiffened somewhat. He stood taller, shoulders pushed back into his forward-protect stance and canted his head to the side as he formed his reply. "I'd say that falls under the 'none of your business' category of information," Alden stated, firmly, clearly and for the record as his gaze searched Armstrong's for any other visual clues with regards his enquiry. Then he diverted attention very firmly and deliberately away from Kindra Graham. "My interest and that of Jonas' here, however, is on what sort of business arrangement you'd like to make for travelling on our fine ship. Are you paying per port or is this more of a season pass kinda situation you'll be looking at?"
Nice redirect, Jonas thought to himself. He'd probably have just punched the guy in the nose. Which would have lost them a potential paying customer. Which is also why he'd never find himself running a business other than kill-for-hire. Not much worry about profit loss when your profit is someone else's loss. "Sure 'nuf. And just how might you figure on payin'?" he added. "I see supply trunks, but not a strongbox in sight. Less you got it packed away."
Kinmont allowed his surprise at Loxley's reaction to his inquiry about Kindra to show unfiltered on his face. He'd expected to provoke a response in Bailey. But... it seemed Kindra had a strong connection with Loxley as well. Interesting. Kinmont bowed his head with practiced contrition. "My apologies, good sirs, of course your affairs are none of my business. I meant no disrespect."
Looking up again, he shook his head ruefully. "Platinum's damn heavy and I'm getting' too old to defend myself as need would have it if I was so all-fired foolish as to carry around much more 'n a few coins on my person." He reached into an inner front pocket of his duster and pulled out a portable cortex. "I can make a bank transfer of Alliance credits. Or, if'n your druthers is hard coin, I can go to an exchange. F'r now I reckon to start with a trial arrangement and pay for transport to your next port. If we cotton ta one another and our congress be pleasant and profitable, then mayhap I can carry on as a season pass." He gave them each the kind of friendly, guileless smile one might expect of an eccentric great uncle - or a wily used spaceship salesman. "What do you say?"
This stranger's surprise, Alden took to be shock at someone protecting a Companion, and he thought a little less of Kinmont for Alden's own errorneous assumption, though he wouldn't understand the rammifications of that for a while yet. "Apology accepted," he said, tightly, but with sincerity. Then he considered the older man's options for payment, and briefly weighed up the offer.
"Bank transfer is fine for the 'trial arrangement'," Alden agreed swiftly. "But I need to see them drop before we leave Three Hills. After that, if we both have an accord and continue travelling together, I'll be looking for an amount of hard coin." It paid to stay off the radar some if they were travelling further afield and for longer term, particularly if they had Daiyu's trail to consider. "I'd prefer to stay within the Border planets for that first run, unless you have an all-fired need to travel further?"
Surprise on a stranger's face regarding a Companion inquiry wasn't something that Jonas had seen too often before. The look of shock usually came from a husband when his wife asked about his late night dealings with one. Which made him wonder... The big guy filed that away in the front of his mind, intending to mention it to Alden later. "Alright then, lemme help you with your trunks," said Jonas, moving towards the stock. "Got a nice place right over here for 'em."
"Border planets work just fine for me, Captain," replied Kinmont in answer to Loxley's question. At Bailey's offer of help, Kinmont thought of his daughter, and how the big man had saved her life. Tone gravely serious, he said, "You have my gratitude, Jonas."
But then, with a boisterous laugh and a mischievous grin, he said to both men, "You-all can call me William. Or if you prefer, a good many folks are wont to call me Willie."
This guy was confusing, considered Alden, as he helped Jonas move their passenger's crates into a safer spot for travel. Or perhaps he was just overdoing his thanks? Said verbal recognition certainly seemed to hold a lot of gravitas for having folks move your luggage, and then the shift to overly happy? Maybe he was still harbouring a tiny grudge for the man's interest in Kindra, he told himself as he stood back up and regarded this overtly confident passenger of theirs.
"That's your gear all stowed, Mr Armstrong," Alden confirmed, walking back towards 'Willie' after he and Jonas had secured his stuff. "We ain't leaving til tomorrow though, on account of various appointments being underway today. While your wares are welcome to spend the night onboard, you might want to stay in a hotel this evening as we're having some work done. Gonna be kinda noisy."
"Well now, I thank ya kindly for takin' an interest in my well bein'. I may have myself a wander back inta town for a bit o' shoppin' but if'n you young fellers don't mind too awful much, I can sleep through near-enough anythin' and I'd prefer to stay the night here on the ship so's to settle in." He flashed them each a charming old codger smile and yawned widely, with a polite hand over his mouth. "Truth be told, I could do with a nap just about now. So if'n you would direct me towards my bunk, I'll put that credit transfer through before I close my eyes to catch forty or so winks."
"If the Cap'n allows it," said Jonas, as he walked up next to their newest passenger. He put a strong hand on Armstrong's shoulder, "And if he does, Bridge is off limits, cargo what ain't yours is off limits, and knock 'fore you go walkin' in crew quarters. Outside of regular meal times in the Galley, ya might find somethin' to drink. Dohn-ma?"
"Shi yan, mei wen ti," Kinmont agreed solemnly, with his left hand over his heart and his right hand held up like he was making an oath. "My nose shall not wander outside ma own business unless expressly invited."
Much as he missed Alison, it felt good to have the old partnership of himself and Jonas back in play. Ever since that first ill-fated voyage on a Sandfly twelve years ago, Alden had trusted the big guy with everything he had. Having him here now was without doubt the only reason Alden was still hanging onto his sanity.
"If it does wander," Alden said, in support of Jonas' little warning speech. "It'll cost you extra, in more ways than one. And once you're out, unless one of us crew is about, you'll be waiting for us on account of Echo here has key-coded access. So have your nap, and be mindful of what belongs to you and what don't."
He watched then as Jonas and Armstrong headed for the passenger quarters, watched and wondered what joys awaited them all here on Three Hills this time.
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