Morvian: The Protector

Prologue: Chapter 3 - Thaelin

Null Sector

Inter-sector Space

10th of September

E.Y. 4007

The primary screen of the cockpit lit as he brought himself down into the pilot's seat. He entered the access code and the main panel displayed. New Diagnostic Results was at the top right of the screen with an exclamation point over it, indicating Ani had run the test. He pressed on it and a secondary view screen lit up to the left. On it were the various stats of the ship's singularity engine.

Singularity: 91%

Decay rate: 0.021% per cycle

Cycle Time: 5hrs

Current Power Output: 63%

Containment Field: 99%

Fuel Mass: 88%

Time Until Depletion: 4 days 3 hrs 32 mins

Would you like to view advanced stats?

He pressed on no and the screen went away. Everything seemed normal except the engine power was about five percent lower than expected. He blew it off as a bad reading but made a mental note to take a look at it once they had reached Firas. The door to the cockpit slid open and he spun his seat around as Meri stepped in. That woman. She had him wrapped around her finger. He didn't plan on letting her know that at that moment, but had a feeling she already did. It had taken him a few years to come around to talk to another woman, but when he saw Meri for the first time, he couldn't help himself. She had approached him looking for a job and he obliged without hesitation. Who wouldn't want a gorgeous woman walking around their ship? He knew it was shallow of him, but at that time, he never thought he would feel anything emotional again. That remained at least partly true. He couldn't help but think he was betraying Lana every time he looked at Meri.

I'm sorry, Lana. It was a thought that remained when Meri was around.

"So, what did you think of the new contact today?" she asked.

"A lot better than the typical contacts we run into. It'll be nice to work with a professional for a change."

"So, were you Thaelin or were you Mr. Black? So tough." She mocked him with a smile as she sat down in his lap.

"Hey now, Mr. Black keeps us safe." His tone matched her mocking.

Thaelin had always made it a point to separate himself during business transactions. Mr. Black was his business persona, much colder and blunt than Thaelin actually was. Eibris Suman, as harmless as he had seemed, had met Mr. Black. It was a necessary precaution in this business. The normal contacts they had done business with were not so harmless, and so the protector came out in him. Mr. Suman would get used to it if, in fact, this was a permanent job as Meri implied. She had been the one to get the job and most of their current work for that matter. Thaelin had his place in the business, but Meri's went much deeper. To a point, that worried him, but it was probably nothing.

"How do you think Ani will handle this?" He frowned at Meri, concerned.

"Us?" She had a certain look in her eyes, one that made Thaelin question if he was right about how she felt. Maybe this was just fun for her.

"What we do. The jobs." Not what he meant, but it seemed he may not want to know the answer.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about this." She said, and the look faded. He was right. "We should stop after this job. Start doing legal work. Then, you wouldn't have to explain anything."