47
STRAIK
Bist looks as he always does. Disgusting.
He waves a dozen feelers at me in greeting, and I can tell by the gleam in his dark eyes that he's pleased to see me. He should be with the amount he's charging. I force a polite smile to my face. I'm not a fan of the Threshians as a whole, but Bist is just crooked enough to suit my needs. "Been a long time. You look the same as ever."
"You look as revolting as I recall as well," Bist burbles at me, his round, feeler-covered mouth making wet sounds.
"Same to you." I finger the bag of untraceable credits belted at my waist, letting Bist know that I have his funds. I eye his guards. Praxiians to a one, which doesn't bode well. "I see your hospitality is as fine as ever. Beefing up security?"
There's a ripple through Bist's segments that might be a shrug. "Prefalon is a dangerous place. Criminals trying to sneak in. It is wise to be prepared." Before I can comment on that bold statement, he recoils, feelers drawing up, and makes a watery noise of distress. "What is that thing behind you?"
I glance over my shoulder, but the only thing there is Ruth. "That's my human."
"You brought one of those unclean creatures onto my dock?" Bist makes another revolting noise, like he's vomiting backwards. "Revolting!"
"That 'revolting' thing is mine," I say casually. "Don't insult her or you'll hurt my feelings."
His legs flail again. "You have taken a mate? Your mother will not be pleased."
I don't confirm or deny his question. "All the more reason to take one, then, don't you think?"
Bist makes a noise that might be laughter. "Quite so, quite so. If you are ready, I would like to invite my good, good friend to dinner. I have reserved my favorite table at the cantina, where we can catch up on things."
It's not the worst move. The cantina is neutral territory for us both, since Bist's home is likely to be bugged and if we're in public, I can't attack him and vice versa. "Dinner sounds fine. The human comes with me, of course. My crew has earned their leisure time and don't need to sit around watching over her for me."
"Of course, of course." Bist waves a dozen arms in the air again. "We will, ah, accommodate your little companion."
Ruth is silent, which is a good thing, but I do wonder what she's thinking. If she's scared. I ignore her like I would a pet, though, and glance at my crew, nodding at them. It's the signal that they can spread out through the station. It's one part shore leave, one part spying mission. If they hear anything about assassins or my mother, we bail out immediately. I should be safe with Bist, because he always surrounds himself with guards, but one can never be too careful. Kazex stays behind, my escort and bodyguard for this particular meeting.
When Bist's sled activates and his guards lead us out of his private dock and into the twisting, dark halls of Prefalon, I can feel Ruth's presence behind me. She's nervous. Twitchy. Her clothes and hands brush against me every now and then, pointing out just how close she's walking behind me. I try to imagine all of this through Ruth's eyes. She's seen the Buoyant Star, which was like all sa'Rin ships in that it's clean and austere. She's seen my ship, the Darkened Eye, which is kept clean and well-maintained, as I pride myself on a beautiful ship.
Prefalon Station is…not beautiful. Or tidy. Or well-maintained. As we walk through the private tunnels that lead to the main hub of the station, there are puddles of condensation on the floors and it drips from the ceiling pipes. The lighting flickers in certain places, and the vents smell as if the filters haven't been changed in a good, long while. The halls are not as open or spacious as they are on the ship, either, because high ceilings on a station just means more air to be processed. Everything is narrow and tight, and when Bist's guards move to single file around his sled because of the cramped halls, I feel Ruth's hand skitter over the center of my back.
I slow my steps, glancing over my shoulder at her. The expression on her face is fierce and defiant as ever, and it makes me proud. She would never show her worry to anyone in case they would use it against her. "Stay close," I tell her. "The halls will open up shortly."
"Yes, my lord. Of course." Her tone is so incredibly sweet that I know she's full of it, and I bite back a laugh.
"Well-trained pet," Bist calls back.
"Oh, extremely. She eats from my hand and everything," I say, hoping he doesn't notice the sarcasm. "Just the most affectionate creature."