Fic - Weiss Kreuz - Asset Retrieval (Part 1)
Fandom: Weiß Kreuz
Title: Asset Retrieval
Warnings: Canon-level violence
Pairing(s): Crawford/Ran
Notes: Part of a series of space opera AU fics started for the 2015 Weiss vs Saiyuki Battle. Follows on from Down Time. Many thanks to puddingcat for her work in beta-reading!
It was the greatest relief, Crawford thought, to have come safely through jump to their next destination and see the coordinates for Tulleerin displayed on his console. Their holds weren't as full as he'd have liked, but it would be a profitable enough journey, as long as he didn't think about the loans to pay off the ship's repairs. Concentrate on the fact of being alive and free to pay them off, he told himself.
"Good advice, Captain," Schuldig said. "You should take it." Before Crawford could do more than give him a sardonic look he pressed the all-ship on the comm. "All hands, stand down from jump, we are at Tulleerin." He clicked the comm off and greedily drained a rehydration pack before going to check on Navigation.
Crawford looked at the reports coming in. Everything was running smoothly and there seemed to be no trouble waiting for them in-system, thank all the gods. He set course for the main planet and stretched, taking up a second rehydration pack. It was depressing how quickly the body decided to start insisting it was preferable not to engage in hyperspatial travel, he thought. Their enforced stay station-side had left him feeling more dry-mouthed and weaker than usual after the jump.
"How's the Nav?"
"Still a bit out of it," Schuldig said, coiling up the navigation station's cables. He gently coaxed the feebly stirring form lying in the station further awake. "Come on, Ran, up we get -" He got the navigator to his feet, if swaying a little, his eyes unfocused, and pulled the loose tunic down over the young man's head. "There we go. Now, drink this - good boy. Come on, all of it, that's right. All right, let's get you properly fed and rested." He looked over at Crawford. "Coming, Captain?"
"You take him down, I'll follow."
Schuldig took Ran's arm and led him from the bridge, talking quietly and calmly to him, leaving Crawford alone. He took a final check on all the reports; the numbers stayed gods-be-blessed the same. The repairs had held, the system was peaceful, they could resume their undisturbed civilian lives. He let out a deep breath, and followed Schuldig and Ran to the galley.
* * *
"Shore leave? You just had extended leave on station," Crawford grumbled. His crew eyed each other, clearly trying to decide which of them was most persuasive. Schuldig stared into his vile fruit tea, radiating the obvious desire to be seen as neutral in the whole matter.
"That was a station, Captain," Farfarello said. "We haven't had planetary leave since you picked up the Nav." He took a breath, ready for what was, no doubt, a long and carefully-rehearsed speech.
"All right," Crawford said, enjoying seeing the crew wrong-footed. They'd probably been working on arguments in their favour for hours, and he found it amusing that Farfarello was the one who'd broken first in the desire to put them to him. He and Schuldig had made the decision the previous day, not that they'd admit it if asked. "The rota will be on your personal comms. Don't scare the locals too much. Try not to drink so much that you need your stomachs pumped more than once."
It would be too easy, he thought, to get used to pleasing people; he shouldn't act in this way often. Nagi was almost smiling openly, by all the gods.
"I hope you're not leaving me with both the navs," Schuldig said, breaking in on his thoughts. A mean grin spread across the first officer's face as the possibility of being left with him all too clearly struck Ran. "Do you want charge of Nanami for a change, Captain?"
"I'll take Ran," Crawford said, fighting the urge to cast his eyes up in a plea to the gods to somehow make the man less malicious. Schuldig's grin widened.
"Shame. I'd looked forward to renewing our friendship."
Ran took a deliberate and clear step closer to Crawford, his face stony.
See? I'm doing you a favour.
The feeling of laughter in his mind made Crawford want to shiver, but he kept his expression bland. "No one's on leave yet," he said. "Everyone back to their stations and let's get the ship to dock." As they cheerfully scattered he put a hand on Ran's elbow. "Ran, you stay here. Have a seat, boy. I need to go over these cargo possibilities that are coming in."
Ran warily sat on the bench beside him, quietly and slowly becoming less tense as Crawford read and checked numbers. When Crawford turned to him at last, he seemed calm enough.
"He was just needling you," Crawford said, and squeezed Ran's shoulder. "He isn't going to do anything. He doesn't want to harm you, whether you believe that or not." Ran's face told him his opinion, but the boy stayed quiet, which was all he had asked of him. "Good," Crawford said, and risked turning the contact into something more like the petting that Sani had always seemed to like. "We've always been a tight-knit group," he said. "You have to expect some teasing and jokes."
"I don't like the subject matter," Ran said frostily.
"I know," Crawford said, wondering when his hand would be thrown off Ran's shoulder. "Even so, the First Officer doesn't put his hands on you except in the course of his duty, isn't that right? And he's not rough with you then?"
"I don't even feel him make the connections," Ran muttered grudgingly. "And he lets me see the hypospray dosage so I know it's the right amount - damn it! Why are you asking me to be fair about him?" He turned away abruptly, leaving Crawford looking at his back.
It wouldn't be helpful to punish him for disrespect, Crawford thought, so he just forcibly turned Ran back again, his hands firm on the young man's shoulders.
"Because I need everyone to work together," he said. "When you're teased either give no response at all, or find something to distract him with. It's what everyone else does. Don't cringe or act like prey, boy. It'll just make bad times go on longer."
Ran looked at him in deep suspicion. "Why are you saying this to me?" he said at last. "He's your friend."
Crawford shrugged. You made me remember being thirteen wasn't much of an answer, not when he considered what it had been like to be thirteen on the Terror. And it's a survival tip we all picked up early wasn't any better. He certainly wasn't saying anything about enjoying seeing Ran's gods'-damned smile.
"I want a navigator whose mind isn't clouded by anything it shouldn't be," he said. "No one is going to touch you without my permission; you're under my protection; words are nothing - you're able to deal with them, aren't you?"
"You're not going to give anyone your permission, Captain?" Ran said, his voice tight.
"Don't obsess, you're fine. If anyone worries you, come straight to me. No one on the crew will harm you."
The tension was draining from Ran's muscles. Crawford nodded in satisfaction at his calmer demeanour.
"I need to get back to this," he said, indicating his data pad. "Why don't you go to Engineering and see if Nagi has time to explain anything to you? If not, you can do some study in your quarters."
"Thank you, Captain," Ran said. He stood, and paused. "Thank you for taking things seriously."
"I take everything on the ship seriously," Crawford said. "I want a smooth-running ship and a smooth-running crew. Remember that."
He put Ran from his mind and got back to work, checking the early cargo offers and enquiries coming in, and running through the clearances needed for landing - far fewer for planetary landings than for station dockings, for which he was grateful.
"Still commandeering the galley, I see," Schuldig said from the doorway.
"I might get the urge to eat all the snacks, so it's convenient," Crawford said, not looking up.
"Good point. I'm here to help. With the work, not the snacks."
"Just as well, I've already eaten through the contents of most of the cupboards." Crawford looked up and grinned. "This is as boring as all the heavens' idea of a good night out. Save me."
"Gods, if only our pursuers and various enemies knew how much of a goof you are," Schuldig said, sliding onto the bench opposite. "We'd never live it down. Come on, I'll do the nasty hard work for you."
"Gods be thanked. And thank you, too. I'll even make you a cup of that puke you call tea, if you promise to pretend I'm a hard-nosed bastard in public."
"Do my best," Schuldig said, looking at the data pad and certifying that all the crew were healthy and free from plague. "We're required to purchase medical insurance for our stay. Any preferences?"
"The crew will be drinking all day every day. You'd better get something good - if you can't figure out how to get around the requirement completely."
Crawford made a mug of the fruit tea and put it by Schuldig's hand, thinking how pleasant it was to have a friend he didn't have to put on any mask for, whom he could depend on and by whom he could be depended on in turn. Schuldig sipped the tea, looking up at him quizzically.
"What?" Crawford said.
"Nothing, nothing. Are you feeling all right?"
"Of course. Can't I appreciate the few good things about you without you eavesdropping?"
"It's one of my better qualities," Schuldig said, and got back to work.
* * *
"Stay close," Crawford said. "I don't want you to get lost."
"I won't get lost," Ran said, rather too snippily for Crawford's liking. "I'm not a child." He was already looking around as if he couldn't wait to go exploring.
"You're valuable property," Crawford reminded him, and was pleased to see that he controlled his expression. "What I want from you is some sense - the First Officer and I need to look around before a meeting, and I want you to keep an eye on Nanami for me."
"This should be fun," Schuldig muttered. "What could possibly go wrong? Captain? That's an actual question."
Ran looked at Nanami dubiously, his face screwing up in distaste as he saw she was picking her nose.
"Gods," he said. "Captain, I'm no good at babysitting, especially not people like her -"
"Ran," Schuldig said, "you're a person like her. Don't be so damn cruel, take care of the poor girl while the Captain and I do our best to continue putting food in your opinionated mouth." He put Nanami's hand in Ran's and gave him a level stare. "Be nice. Nanami, pretty thing, Ran's going to mind you, all right? You hold his hand like a good girl."
"She doesn't want to," Nanami whimpered. "That boy thinks bad things about her."
"He thinks good things today," Crawford said, and Ran's shoulders slumped. "Ran," he said warningly, "be sensible. Stay close, and don't let go of her."
"She was picking her nose," Ran muttered, but kept a good grip on Nanami's hand.
Schuldig rolled his eyes behind their backs, then adopted a false and sunny smile as he turned to the sulky navigators. "Let's go, kids. Time to do some shopping! You like shopping, don't you, Nanami? Of course you do. Ran's going to buy you something nice when we get to the market."
Ran's eyes widened in outrage, but before he could say anything Crawford flicked a finger against the side of his head.
"I've given you some additional spending credit," he said. "We don't get planetary leave all that often, and I thought you might like to be able to afford a couple of treats for yourself and a crewmate."
"Thank you, Captain," Ran muttered, at least mollified that he was being given money to spend on his fellow nav.
"Aren't you generous?" Schuldig said in spiteful cheer. "And you're not even getting any head in return - such a philanthropist! Aw, look at Ran's little annoyed-face, now off we go!"
The trip to the market was uneventful, Crawford and Schuldig talking as best they could in the hired transport while Ran and Nanami kept up a low level of warfare behind them. It seemed to involve Ran's belief that hand-holding wasn't needed in the close confines of a vehicle, and Nanami's sly intrusion of her somehow ever-stickier hand into his grasp.
"Gods, are they actually adults?" Crawford said as the transport slowed.
"Navs," Schuldig shrugged. "Not like you and me, Captain." He turned around to them as the transport stopped, the driver clearly irritated by her passengers. "You two, keep hold of each other now, you hear? No more silly games." He got them out and kept an eye on them as Crawford paid their fare and joined them.
The market stretched before them, kilometres of shop fronts and stalls selling everything that they could want or need. Crawford strode straight in, Schuldig by him, Ran and Nanami at his heels, ignoring the food merchants at the edge of the market. What he needed right now was to get a good idea of the layout of the place, of how quickly he could move from one area to another. It wasn't that he really expected the business deal he had arranged for the next day to go bad - he had had no warnings of anything going awry - but old habits had kept him alive for many years, and he saw no point in letting them slide.
The passages between shops were crowded and difficult to move through, the navigators adding an unwitting extra level of difficulty - what if he had to move a wounded crew member? Schuldig brushed his arm and nodded ahead.
Ready?
The crowds before them parted just a little, allowing easier movement - a fast walk, Crawford thought, a run was still impossible. By the time they reached an intersection barely seventy metres away Schuldig was looking exhausted, his face bathed in sweat.
"Dear, sweet gods above and below," he said, and bent over, breathing as if he'd run a race.
"Is he sick?" Nanami said in interest. She hunkered down to peer into Schuldig's face. "Is he going to die?"
"No such luck," Ran said, and dredged up something resembling one of Schuldig's own unpleasant smiles as the first officer looked up in irritation.
"Ran, I've spoken to you about manners," Crawford said. "Apologise."
"Sorry, First Officer," Ran said, in horribly sweet tones.
"Give me a moment, Captain," Schuldig said, "then I'll break his neck." He took a deep breath, and another. "Far too many people," he said quietly. "I can't get them to move quickly enough if we need to make a fast exit, and it's like an army shouting right into my face. I'd appreciate getting inside somewhere with walls and a door that shuts."
"Yes, of course," Crawford said. "We can find somewhere."
"I'd thought I'd got used to crowds again on-station," Schuldig said ruefully. "But this - fucking planets and their population densities."
Crawford looked at a map of the market on his comm and checked his surroundings before leading them to a restaurant that had all he wanted right then, a wall that blocked Schuldig's sight of so many people. He wasn't sure that it was enough to stop him sensing their minds; on board ship Schuldig was perfectly capable of sensing the thoughts of people in other areas, but perhaps all he needed was the illusion of privacy.
"Cakes," Crawford said, waving the menu away. It was still too early for lunch, and he knew what Schuldig needed. They'd always been told that sugar and carbs were what the body required after exerting their abilities. "Bring us a selection of cakes and pastries, with strong tea."
"Thanks," Schuldig said, and took a massive bite from a custard-filled pastry when they arrived. "That crowd's just too big for me, Captain. We need to work around it rather than go through it. It's not like the station."
"We'll work out a route to the edge of the market, then," Crawford said, "or straight up. We'll leave Nagi on the ship and get him to fly over and blow the roof off if we need an escape route."
"And have another system lost to us," Schuldig said. "Come on, you haven't felt anything, we're going to be fine."
"I am feeling a premonition of doom about this," Crawford said gloomily, indicating the navigators. Nanami was liberally covered in powdered sugar and Ran was trying to wipe her hands clean. She drank his tea daintily and looked confused when he glared into his cup in annoyance.
"I'm feeling better, we can go," Schuldig said, after another cake and a second cup of tea. "Nanami, you eat up, we're going to go now. Ran, you too."
"Yes, First Officer," Ran said. "She's very sticky now."
"You still have to hold her hand, right, Captain?"
"Right," Crawford said. "Don't wander off. We should see what sort of small, local products might be worth exporting," he said as they walked along. "Maybe we could move luxury art or jewelry."
"Do we want to speculate on that sort of item?" Schuldig said. "Sticking with bulk contracts is safer -"
They were deep in the conversation before Crawford felt the shiver of alarm. He was about to lose an item of value. He looked around. Gods. The navs. He couldn't think when he'd last seen them.
"The navs! Where in all the hells are they?"
Schuldig looked around. "Damn. Damn." He closed his eyes, his face taut in concentration. "Come on, come on - " His eyes flew open; he shook his head as if he heard an insect's buzz. "I think - that way!"
They hurried through the throng, doubling back on their trail as Schuldig stopped and started, as if he were picking up a scent then suddenly heard a frantic, "Nanami! Nanami, where are you?"
"Ran!" Crawford yelled, and forced himself in the direction of Ran's voice. The young man was standing near some cheap fast-food sellers, his face pale in their neon lights' colourful display. Nanami was nowhere to be seen.
"Captain!" Ran said, "Oh gods, Captain, I took my eyes off her for a minute -"
"I told you -" Schuldig began, his voice sharp with worry and the strain of having had to expose himself mentally so soon to the vast crowds once more.
"Wait," Crawford said, "Ran, start over, what happened?"
"She said she needed to pee, she'd drunk all my tea as well as her own, and I wanted her to wash all that sugar off her hands, so she went in there -" he indicated the fast food seller behind them.
"You didn't go with her?" Schuldig said.
"I wasn't going into the toilet with her!" Ran said angrily. "Some of us are decent!"
Crawford saw the blow coming before Schuldig had properly started it, and managed to grab his first officer's arm. It would have made Ran flee, and two runaway, hysterical navigators were not what he needed. "And she didn't come out?" he said, staring Schuldig down.
"No, Captain," Ran said. He was so wound up Crawford wasn't sure he'd even noticed the threatened blow. "They said there isn't a back door - there has to be, though, hasn't there? Why would they lie to me? Why did she run?"
"I'm in control of myself, you can let go," Schuldig said quietly to Crawford. He took Ran's hand tightly. "Keep calm, I need to concentrate -" He looked up. "Right, she didn't look like she wanted to run, she just looked like she actually wanted to use the toilet. Ran, we need you to stay calm, we're going in to see what we can find out. You need to stick close. Do not leave our side."
"You're not in trouble," Crawford said, though it grated to say it. Gods-damned navs, he thought. Stupid, addled-brained, expensive little assholes. He shoved the door open and went in. The interior was brightly lit, and cheerful music blared from cheap speakers. The young men and the older woman behind the counter looked at him and Schuldig warily.
"A girl came in here to use the toilet about -" Crawford started.
" - ten minutes ago," Ran said.
"- and she didn't come out. I'd like to know where she is."
"Toilets are for customers only," the woman said. "I told that kid when he asked. No girl came in just to use the toilet."
"You said that when I brought her in here! I had to buy one of your damn burgers!"
"He's one of those spaceship navigators," one of the young men said. "They're off their faces on drugs all the time. We don't want that sort of person in here."
"A skinny girl, about this tall," Schuldig said, holding his hand up. "Her hair is cut short, it's sort of dark blond with bits of blue here and there. She talks in an odd way. She's got violet eyes, like this guy. She's worth almost a thousand shares, and if you don't start talking, friends, then the Lord Captain here is just going to have to sue you for her worth, isn't he?"
"What? We've done nothing wrong -" the woman said, looking between him and Crawford in alarm.
She knows something, she's worried. Schuldig gave her a level, threatening stare before turning politely to Crawford. "Captain -"
"I assure you, woman, I can afford better lawyers," Crawford said. He leant on the counter and looked around. "I'm not sure your establishment will cover the cost of my navigator and my legal expenses once I've won the case. One of you will probably have to be sold as a debt-chattel."
"Shit," the other young man said, "Auntie, it's not worth it, they only gave us ten -"
Schuldig smiled, very gently. "You were saying?"
* * *
Part 2
Title: Asset Retrieval
Warnings: Canon-level violence
Pairing(s): Crawford/Ran
Notes: Part of a series of space opera AU fics started for the 2015 Weiss vs Saiyuki Battle. Follows on from Down Time. Many thanks to puddingcat for her work in beta-reading!
It was the greatest relief, Crawford thought, to have come safely through jump to their next destination and see the coordinates for Tulleerin displayed on his console. Their holds weren't as full as he'd have liked, but it would be a profitable enough journey, as long as he didn't think about the loans to pay off the ship's repairs. Concentrate on the fact of being alive and free to pay them off, he told himself.
"Good advice, Captain," Schuldig said. "You should take it." Before Crawford could do more than give him a sardonic look he pressed the all-ship on the comm. "All hands, stand down from jump, we are at Tulleerin." He clicked the comm off and greedily drained a rehydration pack before going to check on Navigation.
Crawford looked at the reports coming in. Everything was running smoothly and there seemed to be no trouble waiting for them in-system, thank all the gods. He set course for the main planet and stretched, taking up a second rehydration pack. It was depressing how quickly the body decided to start insisting it was preferable not to engage in hyperspatial travel, he thought. Their enforced stay station-side had left him feeling more dry-mouthed and weaker than usual after the jump.
"How's the Nav?"
"Still a bit out of it," Schuldig said, coiling up the navigation station's cables. He gently coaxed the feebly stirring form lying in the station further awake. "Come on, Ran, up we get -" He got the navigator to his feet, if swaying a little, his eyes unfocused, and pulled the loose tunic down over the young man's head. "There we go. Now, drink this - good boy. Come on, all of it, that's right. All right, let's get you properly fed and rested." He looked over at Crawford. "Coming, Captain?"
"You take him down, I'll follow."
Schuldig took Ran's arm and led him from the bridge, talking quietly and calmly to him, leaving Crawford alone. He took a final check on all the reports; the numbers stayed gods-be-blessed the same. The repairs had held, the system was peaceful, they could resume their undisturbed civilian lives. He let out a deep breath, and followed Schuldig and Ran to the galley.
* * *
"Shore leave? You just had extended leave on station," Crawford grumbled. His crew eyed each other, clearly trying to decide which of them was most persuasive. Schuldig stared into his vile fruit tea, radiating the obvious desire to be seen as neutral in the whole matter.
"That was a station, Captain," Farfarello said. "We haven't had planetary leave since you picked up the Nav." He took a breath, ready for what was, no doubt, a long and carefully-rehearsed speech.
"All right," Crawford said, enjoying seeing the crew wrong-footed. They'd probably been working on arguments in their favour for hours, and he found it amusing that Farfarello was the one who'd broken first in the desire to put them to him. He and Schuldig had made the decision the previous day, not that they'd admit it if asked. "The rota will be on your personal comms. Don't scare the locals too much. Try not to drink so much that you need your stomachs pumped more than once."
It would be too easy, he thought, to get used to pleasing people; he shouldn't act in this way often. Nagi was almost smiling openly, by all the gods.
"I hope you're not leaving me with both the navs," Schuldig said, breaking in on his thoughts. A mean grin spread across the first officer's face as the possibility of being left with him all too clearly struck Ran. "Do you want charge of Nanami for a change, Captain?"
"I'll take Ran," Crawford said, fighting the urge to cast his eyes up in a plea to the gods to somehow make the man less malicious. Schuldig's grin widened.
"Shame. I'd looked forward to renewing our friendship."
Ran took a deliberate and clear step closer to Crawford, his face stony.
See? I'm doing you a favour.
The feeling of laughter in his mind made Crawford want to shiver, but he kept his expression bland. "No one's on leave yet," he said. "Everyone back to their stations and let's get the ship to dock." As they cheerfully scattered he put a hand on Ran's elbow. "Ran, you stay here. Have a seat, boy. I need to go over these cargo possibilities that are coming in."
Ran warily sat on the bench beside him, quietly and slowly becoming less tense as Crawford read and checked numbers. When Crawford turned to him at last, he seemed calm enough.
"He was just needling you," Crawford said, and squeezed Ran's shoulder. "He isn't going to do anything. He doesn't want to harm you, whether you believe that or not." Ran's face told him his opinion, but the boy stayed quiet, which was all he had asked of him. "Good," Crawford said, and risked turning the contact into something more like the petting that Sani had always seemed to like. "We've always been a tight-knit group," he said. "You have to expect some teasing and jokes."
"I don't like the subject matter," Ran said frostily.
"I know," Crawford said, wondering when his hand would be thrown off Ran's shoulder. "Even so, the First Officer doesn't put his hands on you except in the course of his duty, isn't that right? And he's not rough with you then?"
"I don't even feel him make the connections," Ran muttered grudgingly. "And he lets me see the hypospray dosage so I know it's the right amount - damn it! Why are you asking me to be fair about him?" He turned away abruptly, leaving Crawford looking at his back.
It wouldn't be helpful to punish him for disrespect, Crawford thought, so he just forcibly turned Ran back again, his hands firm on the young man's shoulders.
"Because I need everyone to work together," he said. "When you're teased either give no response at all, or find something to distract him with. It's what everyone else does. Don't cringe or act like prey, boy. It'll just make bad times go on longer."
Ran looked at him in deep suspicion. "Why are you saying this to me?" he said at last. "He's your friend."
Crawford shrugged. You made me remember being thirteen wasn't much of an answer, not when he considered what it had been like to be thirteen on the Terror. And it's a survival tip we all picked up early wasn't any better. He certainly wasn't saying anything about enjoying seeing Ran's gods'-damned smile.
"I want a navigator whose mind isn't clouded by anything it shouldn't be," he said. "No one is going to touch you without my permission; you're under my protection; words are nothing - you're able to deal with them, aren't you?"
"You're not going to give anyone your permission, Captain?" Ran said, his voice tight.
"Don't obsess, you're fine. If anyone worries you, come straight to me. No one on the crew will harm you."
The tension was draining from Ran's muscles. Crawford nodded in satisfaction at his calmer demeanour.
"I need to get back to this," he said, indicating his data pad. "Why don't you go to Engineering and see if Nagi has time to explain anything to you? If not, you can do some study in your quarters."
"Thank you, Captain," Ran said. He stood, and paused. "Thank you for taking things seriously."
"I take everything on the ship seriously," Crawford said. "I want a smooth-running ship and a smooth-running crew. Remember that."
He put Ran from his mind and got back to work, checking the early cargo offers and enquiries coming in, and running through the clearances needed for landing - far fewer for planetary landings than for station dockings, for which he was grateful.
"Still commandeering the galley, I see," Schuldig said from the doorway.
"I might get the urge to eat all the snacks, so it's convenient," Crawford said, not looking up.
"Good point. I'm here to help. With the work, not the snacks."
"Just as well, I've already eaten through the contents of most of the cupboards." Crawford looked up and grinned. "This is as boring as all the heavens' idea of a good night out. Save me."
"Gods, if only our pursuers and various enemies knew how much of a goof you are," Schuldig said, sliding onto the bench opposite. "We'd never live it down. Come on, I'll do the nasty hard work for you."
"Gods be thanked. And thank you, too. I'll even make you a cup of that puke you call tea, if you promise to pretend I'm a hard-nosed bastard in public."
"Do my best," Schuldig said, looking at the data pad and certifying that all the crew were healthy and free from plague. "We're required to purchase medical insurance for our stay. Any preferences?"
"The crew will be drinking all day every day. You'd better get something good - if you can't figure out how to get around the requirement completely."
Crawford made a mug of the fruit tea and put it by Schuldig's hand, thinking how pleasant it was to have a friend he didn't have to put on any mask for, whom he could depend on and by whom he could be depended on in turn. Schuldig sipped the tea, looking up at him quizzically.
"What?" Crawford said.
"Nothing, nothing. Are you feeling all right?"
"Of course. Can't I appreciate the few good things about you without you eavesdropping?"
"It's one of my better qualities," Schuldig said, and got back to work.
* * *
"Stay close," Crawford said. "I don't want you to get lost."
"I won't get lost," Ran said, rather too snippily for Crawford's liking. "I'm not a child." He was already looking around as if he couldn't wait to go exploring.
"You're valuable property," Crawford reminded him, and was pleased to see that he controlled his expression. "What I want from you is some sense - the First Officer and I need to look around before a meeting, and I want you to keep an eye on Nanami for me."
"This should be fun," Schuldig muttered. "What could possibly go wrong? Captain? That's an actual question."
Ran looked at Nanami dubiously, his face screwing up in distaste as he saw she was picking her nose.
"Gods," he said. "Captain, I'm no good at babysitting, especially not people like her -"
"Ran," Schuldig said, "you're a person like her. Don't be so damn cruel, take care of the poor girl while the Captain and I do our best to continue putting food in your opinionated mouth." He put Nanami's hand in Ran's and gave him a level stare. "Be nice. Nanami, pretty thing, Ran's going to mind you, all right? You hold his hand like a good girl."
"She doesn't want to," Nanami whimpered. "That boy thinks bad things about her."
"He thinks good things today," Crawford said, and Ran's shoulders slumped. "Ran," he said warningly, "be sensible. Stay close, and don't let go of her."
"She was picking her nose," Ran muttered, but kept a good grip on Nanami's hand.
Schuldig rolled his eyes behind their backs, then adopted a false and sunny smile as he turned to the sulky navigators. "Let's go, kids. Time to do some shopping! You like shopping, don't you, Nanami? Of course you do. Ran's going to buy you something nice when we get to the market."
Ran's eyes widened in outrage, but before he could say anything Crawford flicked a finger against the side of his head.
"I've given you some additional spending credit," he said. "We don't get planetary leave all that often, and I thought you might like to be able to afford a couple of treats for yourself and a crewmate."
"Thank you, Captain," Ran muttered, at least mollified that he was being given money to spend on his fellow nav.
"Aren't you generous?" Schuldig said in spiteful cheer. "And you're not even getting any head in return - such a philanthropist! Aw, look at Ran's little annoyed-face, now off we go!"
The trip to the market was uneventful, Crawford and Schuldig talking as best they could in the hired transport while Ran and Nanami kept up a low level of warfare behind them. It seemed to involve Ran's belief that hand-holding wasn't needed in the close confines of a vehicle, and Nanami's sly intrusion of her somehow ever-stickier hand into his grasp.
"Gods, are they actually adults?" Crawford said as the transport slowed.
"Navs," Schuldig shrugged. "Not like you and me, Captain." He turned around to them as the transport stopped, the driver clearly irritated by her passengers. "You two, keep hold of each other now, you hear? No more silly games." He got them out and kept an eye on them as Crawford paid their fare and joined them.
The market stretched before them, kilometres of shop fronts and stalls selling everything that they could want or need. Crawford strode straight in, Schuldig by him, Ran and Nanami at his heels, ignoring the food merchants at the edge of the market. What he needed right now was to get a good idea of the layout of the place, of how quickly he could move from one area to another. It wasn't that he really expected the business deal he had arranged for the next day to go bad - he had had no warnings of anything going awry - but old habits had kept him alive for many years, and he saw no point in letting them slide.
The passages between shops were crowded and difficult to move through, the navigators adding an unwitting extra level of difficulty - what if he had to move a wounded crew member? Schuldig brushed his arm and nodded ahead.
Ready?
The crowds before them parted just a little, allowing easier movement - a fast walk, Crawford thought, a run was still impossible. By the time they reached an intersection barely seventy metres away Schuldig was looking exhausted, his face bathed in sweat.
"Dear, sweet gods above and below," he said, and bent over, breathing as if he'd run a race.
"Is he sick?" Nanami said in interest. She hunkered down to peer into Schuldig's face. "Is he going to die?"
"No such luck," Ran said, and dredged up something resembling one of Schuldig's own unpleasant smiles as the first officer looked up in irritation.
"Ran, I've spoken to you about manners," Crawford said. "Apologise."
"Sorry, First Officer," Ran said, in horribly sweet tones.
"Give me a moment, Captain," Schuldig said, "then I'll break his neck." He took a deep breath, and another. "Far too many people," he said quietly. "I can't get them to move quickly enough if we need to make a fast exit, and it's like an army shouting right into my face. I'd appreciate getting inside somewhere with walls and a door that shuts."
"Yes, of course," Crawford said. "We can find somewhere."
"I'd thought I'd got used to crowds again on-station," Schuldig said ruefully. "But this - fucking planets and their population densities."
Crawford looked at a map of the market on his comm and checked his surroundings before leading them to a restaurant that had all he wanted right then, a wall that blocked Schuldig's sight of so many people. He wasn't sure that it was enough to stop him sensing their minds; on board ship Schuldig was perfectly capable of sensing the thoughts of people in other areas, but perhaps all he needed was the illusion of privacy.
"Cakes," Crawford said, waving the menu away. It was still too early for lunch, and he knew what Schuldig needed. They'd always been told that sugar and carbs were what the body required after exerting their abilities. "Bring us a selection of cakes and pastries, with strong tea."
"Thanks," Schuldig said, and took a massive bite from a custard-filled pastry when they arrived. "That crowd's just too big for me, Captain. We need to work around it rather than go through it. It's not like the station."
"We'll work out a route to the edge of the market, then," Crawford said, "or straight up. We'll leave Nagi on the ship and get him to fly over and blow the roof off if we need an escape route."
"And have another system lost to us," Schuldig said. "Come on, you haven't felt anything, we're going to be fine."
"I am feeling a premonition of doom about this," Crawford said gloomily, indicating the navigators. Nanami was liberally covered in powdered sugar and Ran was trying to wipe her hands clean. She drank his tea daintily and looked confused when he glared into his cup in annoyance.
"I'm feeling better, we can go," Schuldig said, after another cake and a second cup of tea. "Nanami, you eat up, we're going to go now. Ran, you too."
"Yes, First Officer," Ran said. "She's very sticky now."
"You still have to hold her hand, right, Captain?"
"Right," Crawford said. "Don't wander off. We should see what sort of small, local products might be worth exporting," he said as they walked along. "Maybe we could move luxury art or jewelry."
"Do we want to speculate on that sort of item?" Schuldig said. "Sticking with bulk contracts is safer -"
They were deep in the conversation before Crawford felt the shiver of alarm. He was about to lose an item of value. He looked around. Gods. The navs. He couldn't think when he'd last seen them.
"The navs! Where in all the hells are they?"
Schuldig looked around. "Damn. Damn." He closed his eyes, his face taut in concentration. "Come on, come on - " His eyes flew open; he shook his head as if he heard an insect's buzz. "I think - that way!"
They hurried through the throng, doubling back on their trail as Schuldig stopped and started, as if he were picking up a scent then suddenly heard a frantic, "Nanami! Nanami, where are you?"
"Ran!" Crawford yelled, and forced himself in the direction of Ran's voice. The young man was standing near some cheap fast-food sellers, his face pale in their neon lights' colourful display. Nanami was nowhere to be seen.
"Captain!" Ran said, "Oh gods, Captain, I took my eyes off her for a minute -"
"I told you -" Schuldig began, his voice sharp with worry and the strain of having had to expose himself mentally so soon to the vast crowds once more.
"Wait," Crawford said, "Ran, start over, what happened?"
"She said she needed to pee, she'd drunk all my tea as well as her own, and I wanted her to wash all that sugar off her hands, so she went in there -" he indicated the fast food seller behind them.
"You didn't go with her?" Schuldig said.
"I wasn't going into the toilet with her!" Ran said angrily. "Some of us are decent!"
Crawford saw the blow coming before Schuldig had properly started it, and managed to grab his first officer's arm. It would have made Ran flee, and two runaway, hysterical navigators were not what he needed. "And she didn't come out?" he said, staring Schuldig down.
"No, Captain," Ran said. He was so wound up Crawford wasn't sure he'd even noticed the threatened blow. "They said there isn't a back door - there has to be, though, hasn't there? Why would they lie to me? Why did she run?"
"I'm in control of myself, you can let go," Schuldig said quietly to Crawford. He took Ran's hand tightly. "Keep calm, I need to concentrate -" He looked up. "Right, she didn't look like she wanted to run, she just looked like she actually wanted to use the toilet. Ran, we need you to stay calm, we're going in to see what we can find out. You need to stick close. Do not leave our side."
"You're not in trouble," Crawford said, though it grated to say it. Gods-damned navs, he thought. Stupid, addled-brained, expensive little assholes. He shoved the door open and went in. The interior was brightly lit, and cheerful music blared from cheap speakers. The young men and the older woman behind the counter looked at him and Schuldig warily.
"A girl came in here to use the toilet about -" Crawford started.
" - ten minutes ago," Ran said.
"- and she didn't come out. I'd like to know where she is."
"Toilets are for customers only," the woman said. "I told that kid when he asked. No girl came in just to use the toilet."
"You said that when I brought her in here! I had to buy one of your damn burgers!"
"He's one of those spaceship navigators," one of the young men said. "They're off their faces on drugs all the time. We don't want that sort of person in here."
"A skinny girl, about this tall," Schuldig said, holding his hand up. "Her hair is cut short, it's sort of dark blond with bits of blue here and there. She talks in an odd way. She's got violet eyes, like this guy. She's worth almost a thousand shares, and if you don't start talking, friends, then the Lord Captain here is just going to have to sue you for her worth, isn't he?"
"What? We've done nothing wrong -" the woman said, looking between him and Crawford in alarm.
She knows something, she's worried. Schuldig gave her a level, threatening stare before turning politely to Crawford. "Captain -"
"I assure you, woman, I can afford better lawyers," Crawford said. He leant on the counter and looked around. "I'm not sure your establishment will cover the cost of my navigator and my legal expenses once I've won the case. One of you will probably have to be sold as a debt-chattel."
"Shit," the other young man said, "Auntie, it's not worth it, they only gave us ten -"
Schuldig smiled, very gently. "You were saying?"
* * *
Part 2