“That will be just about enough of that,” Fortunato said, knowing that he was speaking to himself more than anybody else.
He jabbed a key on armrest and then punched in a command. The ambient speakers in the detention room let out a painfully loud, painfully high-pitched squeal. He watched in pleasure as the three Rebellion crewmembers reacted in pain… the catman had the worst time of it, but the look on Lilliana’s face was particularly exquisite.
“Now that I have your attention,” he said to the dazed figures on the screen, “it’s time that I laid my cards on the table. All of them. Yes, I had Roquelaire place an alchemical explosive among the fuel bars he provided you. You see, it was necessary for the purposes of my scheme to dispose of not just the Donna Stella but everyone who knew the details of its theft. It was not my idea to involve you in the heist in the first place, but when I heard you were docking at Rylea… it seemed serendipitous. You’ve always been a loose thread in my life, Lilliana… an unfinished chapter, with no end in sight. I saw a chance to resolve things, once and for all… perhaps not the way I’d always envisioned it, but perhaps the only way I could end things. So I flipped a coin… the coin, our coin, and so how could I argue with the results? And now here you are after all, so I like to think that things have worked out just fine… we have a chance to start over, to embrace the fact that our destinies are entwined, to seize together what we could never…”
“What the holy hell was that?” the loud-mouthed Hibernian exile yelled, even louder than she normally spoke.
“Please don’t force me to use the pacifier again,” Fortunato said.
“What?” Lilliana responded
“Ignore her, my pet,” Fortunato said. “Now, listen, because here’s the important part… I sought to use the confusion surrounding the Donna Stella’s disappearance to sell hundreds of knock-offs so I could use the money to buy back my station. Now, that didn’t work out, but I have made a powerful ally and with a little help from you…”
“What’s that, the Gypsy?” Bard said. “If ya said somethin’, I can’t hear it, like.”
“Regan, I can’t hear you,” Lilliana said. “Face me when you’re talking, please.”
“Oh, balls,” Fortunato said.
« « 72: Regan Tyrannus 74: Lip Service » »
Note: I'm trying out a new comment system. It's new and subject to jiggerypokery. It's moderated. Detailed guidelines to come but follow the general rule: be excellent to each other.
If you enjoy reading, please consider a financial contribution.
« « 72: Regan Tyrannus 74: Lip Service » »