Captain Parrott: Space Buccaneer

Part 4: Ignorant Diplomacy

Parrott marched through the large corridors of the Atlas towards the council chamber. Her full pirate regalia drew confused looks from onlookers as she passed. While most of the fleet had heard about her, few had actually met the mad pirate captain and from the snatches of conversation she could catch there was some debate as to whether or not she was herself or someone playing a prank. The smell usually provided a swift answer to this question but as a concession she'd doused herself with an agent that would suppress her musk during the meeting. Normally an audience with the fleet council required you to pass a vetting process which got you on a list to maybe talk to them a few months from now. Parrott didn't have time for that but a few hours of threats and bribery had cut through the red tape.

As she approached the council chamber a pair of guards saluted and parted to allow her access. She would have been flattered by the salute but she knew they were required to do this for everyone. More likely, they hated her guts. This was enemy territory. Her activities out in the galaxy hadn't earned her many favors with the diplomatic class and the events of the past few hours hadn't helped. But these people had the power to avert a disaster so she needed to make them see the iceberg they were sailing towards.

The chamber was relatively spartan. The walls were bare metal surrounding a raised table that seated the council and a collection of smaller desks that were moved around the space as necessary. In this instance a single desk was placed dead center to seat Parrott and the rest were off to the side; occupied by guards and recording equipment. The five council members were already seated. Parrott didn't recognize the first four but their nameplates identified them as captains Loiri, Gallo, Johnson, and Rosado. Each ship in the fleet elected their own captain and the captains cycled through one year council terms. The fifth member was Nandita Kaur, an unassuming old woman who just so happened to captain the Atlas. Being the largest ship in the fleet the Atlas' captain always held a seat on the council as mediator and tie breaker. Despite their differences, Parrott had great respect for Nandita; though she doubted the feeling was mutual.

"The council recognizes captain Emilia Parrott of the warship Revenant," Nandita announced as Parrott entered and took her seat. "Today's assembly is to discuss a proposed alternate settlement site. We have limited time so, if everyone has reviewed the dossier, let us begin."

"Let the record show that I protest the conditions under which this meeting is taking place," said captain Johnson; a bald man in his late fifties.

"Seconded," said captain Gallo; a woman in her thirties with short dark hair.

"Objections noted," marked Nandita who kept her face too blank to read. "Unless there are further objections cap..."

"I have one." captain Loiri, a white haired woman in her seventies, didn't bother with the neutral diplomatic tone. "Why does this... vagrant get a say in where we do or do not settle? I don't know about the rest of you but I don't take advice from traitors!"

"Traitor?!" Parrott snorted. "That's rich comin' from someone about t' sell the species up a creek."

"We're working to save the species while you hoard resources and go off on your little adventures."

"Y' can't be serious. I don't see anyone else linin' up t' trade raw materials fer yer useless fleet credit."

"She's talking about your ship," Johnson chimed in. "Maybe you've forgotten, but since the exodus we've survived through communal ownership. We all pool our resources for the benefit of all. And while we struggle along on ancient junkers you keep your advanced warship and, more importantly, it's fabricator unit to yourself. Imagine the good that unit could do for the fleet."

"I'm guessin' this means y' haven't figured out the schematics yet. The ship an' 'er fab unit 're stayin' with me 'cause they're an importan' part a' what I do. Yer all sittin' here huddlin' t'gether fer warmth against the darkness. Y' don't know what it's really like out there beyond the fire's circle. Facin' the cold, cruel void? That's my job an' I do more fer ya out there than y' could possibly know."