Meitou noted. His own ship, the Imperial Heavy-class Interceptor Weapons Grade , had given him a short briefing of what to expect aboard the Terminal Regret . He'd been surprised (and rather disappointed) to learn that such a huge stellar cruiser only had two passengers on board. There wasn't even so much as a captain. But two men was better than no men at all.
Meitou was trying to remember the fidgeting man's name from the files he'd glanced at before losing interest and deciding to go see for himself. Something beginning with a harsh ‘G'. Gorin? Gangor? No, something that was smoother on the tongue. Gimran? Not it either... He wished he'd paid the ship's briefing more attention now. The blond glared at him firmly and it came to him at last. Genham
Meitou watched Genham a little longer, getting a measure of him. His presence was an incursion that challenged Genham's status, even aboard an empty ship carrying no women. Meitou studied him carefully, scrutinizing his every move, reading his give-away micro-expressions. Genham was a firecracker; an immature, impatient and insecure alpha male prone to impulse. None-too-interesting, from Meitou's point of view. Not many points of intrigue. Too easy to read, too easy to toy with.
Not that it wouldn't be fun to toy with him, admittedly.
It looked like Genham had finally chosen his starting point.
"So how about you begin by telling us who you are and what you're doing here."
"Is your arm okay?” Meitou asked, faking concern.
"It's fine!"
He lowered his voice to a deeper baritone, leaning his head to the side. “You seem to be rubbing at it still is all. Sorry if I hurt you."
"You didn't! Answer the question."
Too easy. Just too easy. He smiled thinly and said nothing.
Genham was already aggravated and Meitou was barely even having to do anything.
"You can't expect to just sidle aboard and stick around when we don't even know anything about you, where you've come from, what you're doing here..."
Again, Meitou said nothing.
"Fine, don't tell us anything. We'll just have the ship kick you off —"
"The ship?” he interrupted, smiling inwardly that his interruption was instantly accepted. “You mean you haven't noticed the change in AI?"
Genham scowled back at him, doing his best not to nurse his arm but keeping it still by his side.
"That AI is your ship?” This time it was the other one who responded.
Meitou suddenly found himself wondering why he'd been wasting so much attention on Genham. On screen the second man had seemed flat and uninteresting, but in the flesh it was a different matter entirely. The name wasn't a problem to recall this time. Therse Bodan. Therse was tall, like Genham, and obviously toned even beneath his Navy fatigues. He was handsome to the point Meitou actually had to stop himself from looking him over. “Yes,” Meitou replied, allowing himself a small smile.
Therse's brown eyes flicked away then back, perhaps the hint of a blush forming on his cheeks, if that wasn't too much wishful thinking.
"The hell! You can't do that —"
Therse held out a hand and Genham silenced himself. “What's happened to ours?” Therse asked.
"It's fine, still there, just...sidelined...for now."
"'Sidelined'?"
"That's right."
"So that's what the power outage was,” Therse muttered to Genham. “When will it be brought back online?"
"When my ship no longer requires control of your vessel."
"And why exactly does it need control of our vessel?” This was good, he decided. Better than expected. Therse was cool-headed, thoughtful and deliberate; a tactician. Exactly the kind of man it was fun to see lose control.
Exactly the kind of man Meitou liked to make lose control.
He smiled and said nothing. There was definitely a blush there, he was sure of it.
"What the hell are you?” Genham asked, straightening, broadening his chest and shoulders. “I've never seen that kind of uniform before."
"Meitou."
Genham looked shocked to have received a
Meitou was trying to remember the fidgeting man's name from the files he'd glanced at before losing interest and deciding to go see for himself. Something beginning with a harsh ‘G'. Gorin? Gangor? No, something that was smoother on the tongue. Gimran? Not it either... He wished he'd paid the ship's briefing more attention now. The blond glared at him firmly and it came to him at last. Genham
Meitou watched Genham a little longer, getting a measure of him. His presence was an incursion that challenged Genham's status, even aboard an empty ship carrying no women. Meitou studied him carefully, scrutinizing his every move, reading his give-away micro-expressions. Genham was a firecracker; an immature, impatient and insecure alpha male prone to impulse. None-too-interesting, from Meitou's point of view. Not many points of intrigue. Too easy to read, too easy to toy with.
Not that it wouldn't be fun to toy with him, admittedly.
It looked like Genham had finally chosen his starting point.
"So how about you begin by telling us who you are and what you're doing here."
"Is your arm okay?” Meitou asked, faking concern.
"It's fine!"
He lowered his voice to a deeper baritone, leaning his head to the side. “You seem to be rubbing at it still is all. Sorry if I hurt you."
"You didn't! Answer the question."
Too easy. Just too easy. He smiled thinly and said nothing.
Genham was already aggravated and Meitou was barely even having to do anything.
"You can't expect to just sidle aboard and stick around when we don't even know anything about you, where you've come from, what you're doing here..."
Again, Meitou said nothing.
"Fine, don't tell us anything. We'll just have the ship kick you off —"
"The ship?” he interrupted, smiling inwardly that his interruption was instantly accepted. “You mean you haven't noticed the change in AI?"
Genham scowled back at him, doing his best not to nurse his arm but keeping it still by his side.
"That AI is your ship?” This time it was the other one who responded.
Meitou suddenly found himself wondering why he'd been wasting so much attention on Genham. On screen the second man had seemed flat and uninteresting, but in the flesh it was a different matter entirely. The name wasn't a problem to recall this time. Therse Bodan. Therse was tall, like Genham, and obviously toned even beneath his Navy fatigues. He was handsome to the point Meitou actually had to stop himself from looking him over. “Yes,” Meitou replied, allowing himself a small smile.
Therse's brown eyes flicked away then back, perhaps the hint of a blush forming on his cheeks, if that wasn't too much wishful thinking.
"The hell! You can't do that —"
Therse held out a hand and Genham silenced himself. “What's happened to ours?” Therse asked.
"It's fine, still there, just...sidelined...for now."
"'Sidelined'?"
"That's right."
"So that's what the power outage was,” Therse muttered to Genham. “When will it be brought back online?"
"When my ship no longer requires control of your vessel."
"And why exactly does it need control of our vessel?” This was good, he decided. Better than expected. Therse was cool-headed, thoughtful and deliberate; a tactician. Exactly the kind of man it was fun to see lose control.
Exactly the kind of man Meitou liked to make lose control.
He smiled and said nothing. There was definitely a blush there, he was sure of it.
"What the hell are you?” Genham asked, straightening, broadening his chest and shoulders. “I've never seen that kind of uniform before."
"Meitou."
Genham looked shocked to have received a
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