Episode VI : The Amarrian

A slightly musty smell hung in the air in the rear storage room of "Bar Veto", the only noticeable noise the low pitched muffled drone of station services on the other side of heavily armored, slightly rusted, metallic vacuum sealed walls. No windows, no doors. One solitary steel shrouded light fitting sat center in the cieling, providing ample lighting for the whole roon, but flickering every so often, seemingly from the load on it's supply due to the bar next door. The room itself was a clutter of stacked and shrink wrapped wine crates and sealed ale casks and contained little furnature, the most prominent an unpainted steel topped desk, slightly rusted at the edges, flanked by two unmaintaned, heavily worn chairs. A steel filing cabinet topped by a large crimson toolbox, it's lid hanging open stood in the corner, testament to Ethan Verone's willingness to rig out his own ships, rather than leaving the task to the docking hands in his corporate hangar. A large, menacing black hound lay on a tattered black leather sofa which sat opposite the filing cabinet on the far wall of the room, his jaw and snout resting on both large, well strung paws. The hound's head lifted distinctly as the heavy door to the Bar's main room flung open, slamming against the filing cabinet, the tools inside wailing a metallic jangle as a burly looking young Deitis man, and a slightly older red haired Gallente scuffled with a robed, grey-haired Amarrian, bundling him in though the door amid shouts of protest in an aged, and heavily Amarri accented voice. "What are you people doing! I'm a wealthy and well respected citizen of the Empire!" The Amarrian was hurled at the desk, causing it to slide toward the back wall several inches as he impacted it's front face, sprawling across it's surface as his intricately decorated deep green velvet robe fanned out behind him, the well-built Gallentean now blocking his path to the exit as the young Caldari bolted shut the door behind him. The resting hound stirred, letting out at low pitched growl and sitting upright to inspect the situation as Ethan Verone's voice echoed around the room, a slightly deep, heavily Gallentean accented tone directed towards the robe clad stranger. "Shut the hell up you filth, sit down." The Amarrian glanced back as Ethan straightened the neckline of his collarless red shirt, his piercing ice blue eyes scanning the old mans features as his voice raised, gesturing harshly towards the chair facing the small room's only exit. "NOW, YOU OLD FOOL!" The Caldari grinned wryly at the old man's situation, running a hand across the surface of his hair and stretching his neck as he glanced to the red haired gallente blocking the exit. "There is one way out of this room old man, and that's through the pair of us. Try anything fancy, I'll show you how much of a savage an outlaw can be." A calm voice, heavy gallente accent as he spoke, Ethan Verone adjusted his shirt collar with his unbandaged hand glaring at the Amarrian as the words echoed around the room. The old man's only response was to wipe his mouth, perspiration beginning to appear on his thinly haired head as he took up residence at the side of the desk closest to the door. "So, my amarrian friend. It seems you're in somewhat of a pickle" "Howso, young man?" Verone reached below the table slipping his hand out of sight, it returned several seconds later with a Federal Navy Officer Issue particle blaster sidearm. "Let's cut the bullshit shall we old man? You know why you're here..." The Amarrian interrupted without hesitation, Verone tilting his head with an eyebrow raised as he listened. "This bar was recommended to me through a friend, what is your reasoning for this mistreatment? Do you want credits, is that what this is about?" The Gallente glanced down at the tabletop, placing the pistol on it's surface in front of him, barrel aimed towards the old Amarrian. Laocoon took up position, out of sight behind the old man, as Ethan's eyes met the greying expression of the Amarrian's. "If I wanted Credits, I'd cut your throat and drain them from you... It's strange how an Amarrian would turn up here, unannounced and flashing his wealth off given the circumstances." Ethan glared across the table at the weathered features before him, as Laocoon spoke up with a hint of disrespect in his tone. "You got a name old man?" Lao jabbed a meaty finger into the Amarrian's back, causing him to jump at the contact, stuttering as he spoke. "K.. Kenide... Hephron Kenide, I'm a trader, I live on Sarum Prime. I'm confused Mr Verone, how many of your patrons announce themselves exactly? What is the meaning of this?" Ethan glared at Hephron, his eyes scanning the old man's intricately decorated Sarum family styled robes as he spoke. "Your people have something that belong to me." Verone clasped the fingers of his uninjured hand around the non-slip grip of the pilstol before him. "Something I value far more than my own life, and FAR more than your own." Hephron swallowed, the gulp barely audible as persipration dripped down the side of his face, the solitary light in the center of the cieling so hot it felt it was burning into his skull. "You're going to help us, Mr Kenide..." "Or what? You'll kill me?" Retorted the Amarrian with a weak, wry smile. The gallente craned his neck around the old man's form nodding in exaduration towards the large black hound in the corner, Kenite turned just in time to make eye contact with the massive animal as it released a low pitch growl from the depth of it's throat, yellow eyes scanning the amarrian's bulky shape. "This is my fiancee's hound, he's not a fan of Amarrians considering the mistreatment of his mistress by them. Isn't that right buddy?" Ethan glanced past Hephron to the hound, whick let out a low pitched rumbling growl as Lao glanced toward Verone, smiling broadly with amusement. "You're going to help us retrieve Shiva, or my raggy haired friend here is going to get to know you a LOT more intimatley. Do you understand?" His voice never broke pitch, never laboured and his deep blue eyes never left the lifeless grey eyes of the Amarrian. Lao's smile broadened even moreso at the mention of violence. Slipping the pistol into the top drawer of the desk, Verone stold and circled the green robed character sat in the chair, heading for the toolchest in the corner. Kenide's eye's tracked him as he passed, the old man's hands physically shaking as he rested them on the desk before him. The calm gallente voice spoke from behind him, as the metallic sound of rummaging tools could be heard. "So, Hephron... May I call you Hephron?" Verone mused. Silence. "You haven't fallen asleep on us have you?" The Amarrian shook his head as Laocoon spoke out. "Nah, he's just ugly..." The Amarrian shook his head slowly, tousled hair shimmering under the light with perspiration as he glanced down at the desk's metallic surface. Verone slammed shut the drawer of the crimson toolchest, stepping back into the old man's view, a set of heavy duty wire cutters in his left hand, the unbandaged one. "So, hephron... you say you trade? Meaning you have a lot of market contacts? I'm correct in assuming this?" Ethan clipped the jaws of the cutters together in rhythm as he spoke. "I do... yes." was the reply, the Amarrian straightening his robes as if suddenly overcome by confidence and feeling on farmiliar grounds. "We're looking for something quite special, old man. Some one in fact. A woman worth a lot of money to your people. My woman." Hephron repiled dryly as his eyes closed half way, his flabby fingers rubbing at his temple "I see." Ethan glanced across at the cutters in his hand as he continued, clicking their jaws together. "We can do this several ways Mr. Kenide. You can help us, no credits involved and walk out of her intact. Bear in mind that you walk out of here being watched. If we think you're not performing. We'll find you." Laocoon glanced to Ethan with a smile, remaining silent as he listened. "Or you can resist, and buddy here will have a little snack to see if we can't... persuade you to think from our perspective. If this happens, you'll probably leave with a little less dexterity... you understand." Verone glanced to Kenide, attempting to guage his reaction, the old amarrian was now trickling with perspiration, his hands shaking as a single droplet fell from the tip of his nose, slamming into the cold steel surface of the table. "How does that sound Hephron?" Verone asked, calmly, as he resumed position in the chair facing the old man. The Amarrian forced a fearful smile as he replied. "I'm not so sure I'm the person you're looking for, Mr Verone. I deal in commerical supplies and textiles." Ethan sighed, nodding to Laocoon as he rose from his position brandishing the cutters. Like lightening Lao was on top of the Amarrian, pushing his face into the surface of the table, and pulling back the arm of his robe with minimal effort due to his heavy table. The Amarrian winced, glancing towards his hand deliberatley placed in his field of vision. "You'll find, Mr Kenide that it is a lot better for your health in the long run to assist us and do what we ask." Ethan glanced towards Hephron's reddening face as he encircled the cutters around the Amarrian's ring finger and applied first pressure. "I... I don't know anything... I don't know... I've never traded in people before, just supplies damn you." Ethan applied slightly more pressure to the Cutters, splitting the skin as warm crimson fluid began to ooze out, spilling onto the tabletop in front of the Amarrian. Hephron began to recite a passage from the scriptures, speaking under his breath and barely audible as the blood trickled across the tabletop towards his face, the blades of the cutters now potruding deep into the flesh of his finger. "Mr Kenide..." Silence, still the Old man recited. Ethan's voice raised. "Mr Kenide!" Ethan pulled the cutters tight, the two blades connecting and slamming into the bone of the Amarrian's finger as he let out a high pitched cry of pain. Final pressure and the finger flopped away, as if discareded by it's four brothers, lying lifeless on the tabletop as deep red lifeblood oozed from the severed knuckle. Ethan glared at the Amarrian... "Do we have an understanding?" Nothing, the Amarrian simply sat up after being released from the Caldari's grip and cupped his hand, his face losing all color and turning silver grey. Verone continued. "You're going to go back to Kador... and you're going to be looking at the market for genetically modified slaves, of the "Siren" bloodline. i trust being amarrian you're familiar with the trade, despite what you say." Kenide looked dazed, his lips also losing color. "I dont trade with slaves, but... I will ask around." "Yes you will." "I... It... It might be easier if I had a little more information..." Ethan smiled. "Now you're talking my language, my Amarrian friend." He paused, glancing at the Amarrian as blood dripped through his fingers, soiling the surface of his green velvetesque pants, which matched his robe perfectly in hue and decoration. Verone reached into the bottom drawer of his side of the desk and retrieved a white package, a sterile bandage tossing it across the surface of the desk to Hephron before continuing. "You're looking for a woman, a slave of the "Siren" generation... her name is "Shiva". She's Sebiestor, a Matari. You'll find her information on the DED most wanted list, alongside my own. That shouldn't be too hard to locate." Kenide fumbled with the bandage, his hands slipping and shaking as he tried to tear open the package. Eventually he suceeded as Verone continued, his voice still as a collected as ever. "This woman, i will stop at nothing to retrieve, she is everything to me and i will die to find her." He glanced to the amarrian's hand, and then to his face, eye contact maintained for a split second before Kenide broke it to finish tying off the bandage, already stained red from the trickling blood. "I will KILL to find her, Mr Kenide." Ethan breathed out, almost with a sigh as he spoke, still eyeing the Amarrian's ever paling complexion. "Here are your terms, old man. You will speak to no-one about this buy myself and Laocoon here." Lao smiled broadly as he placed a robust hand on the Amarrian's shoulder. "You will report everything to me that you find, we will be watching you. VERY CLOSELY. Any attempt to alert the authorities, and i will come for you my friend. Personally." Kenide remained silent, his gaze seeking the door briefly as his head turned to the Caldari. Laocoon smiled down at the Amarrian broadly, patting his shoulder as Ethan continued. "Am I understood?" "Y... Yes... Yes... Perfectly." "Remember, we'll be watching you... and we'll know where you are. Bring me information that brings home my wife, and you'll be rewarded. Fail, and you'll lose a thousand things as dear to you as she is to me." Ethan stood from the oppsite side of the desk, wiping the blood off the blades of the cutters against his baggy black sombat pants as he rose. "Bring me results, or I'll bring you hell." "I... I understand." The old man's gaze returned to the door as he spoke, his voice trembling and shoulders heaving. "May I go... now?" Ethan glanced to the Amarr with a broad smile, white teeth contrasted against the dim light of the room. "You forgot something, Mr Kenide." Hephron followed Verone's gaze down to the tabletop where his severed finger lay, skirted by a pool of scarlet fluid. Laocoon stepped forward, picking the soggy slice of meat from the liquid on the surface of the table. Verone smiled as he watched the young Caldari stroll over to the Amarrian slipping his pocket open and dropping the severed digit inside. "I hear Inherant Implants are good at fixing that sort of thing..." The Caldari whispered, winking at the old man. Laocoon stepped aside opening the door as the Amarrian turned to face it, the sound of the bar outside flooding into the peacefully quiet room. "A pleasure doing business with you, enjoy your drink, Mr Kenide." Verone patted the Amarrian on the shoulder as he passed, smiling slightly as he exited the storage room into the well lit Bar area. Laocoon followed sharply at his heel as the Amarrian made a hasty exit through the front doors to the hangar floor.