Enid had lasted two months of being a housewife. She felt like she was losing her edge. It was monotonous and reminded her of her time as a noblewoman in Narfordshire. She recalled how that ended so she decided to start picking up random work here and there. She couldn’t for the life of her figure out why the refit on Apollo was taking so long. Surely it couldn’t be hard to remove storage space and add a spot for the shard. Maria had told her repeatedly it would be done when it was done and she wasn’t going to risk her sister, or her niece’s life on half assed work.

She had dyed her hair black and had taken to wearing the same kind of contacts Hazel did. She couldn’t get cybernetics, but they helped make up the difference. Today she was wearing a black leather jacket over her Atlantean armor as she usually was when she was running jobs, she didn’t have her vampiric speed, strength or durability to fall back on and she definitely didn’t have any implants like dermal armor like the rest of this crowd. She had low level jamming active on her holo-phone scrambling her ident-chit. It had been an inexpensive program to acquire. The organic chips were easier to block. She had had her feet up on the bench. She was leaning against the wall and was casually sipping what the 29th century called pop. It was a pale comparison to the glory days of the 20th century. She’d prefer if it was fresh warm blood, but her mortality found the fluid unpalatable. She quirked an eyebrow when a man she did not recognize slid onto the bench seat across from her. He wasn’t Charlie, with whom she had been working jobs for. She was not looking for company, so she frowned in his direction.

“I’m waiting for someone who is not you. So if you’ll excuse me and fuck off it would be much appreciated.”

The man flexed his knuckles she could see the tell tail silver of chrome in each of them. He had bullseyes for irises, they were cybernetic so whether they were his real color or not anyone’s guess. His hair was buzzed on the sides and his top was long and combed back with some sort of product. Her eyes were telling me he was more machine than man. And her gift told her he was annoyed at her attitude. Not that she cared much. You don’t get to be a two-thousand-year-old and stay sane without losing all sense of giving a fuck about what people thought.

“Kids these days, they don’t understand respect.”

Enid’s feet slid down and into her combat boots she’d been wearing over her armor. She felt them self-lace. The ice clinked against the glass as she place her pop down. As she shifted her bolter was in view briefly. The cybernetics only gun was rarely seen on anyone but someone with military grade hardware, so typically pros. The man’s eyes flicked to the gun as Enid spoke.

“Call me a kid again and I’ll teach you a little something about respect.”

He held up his hands in surrender.

“Sorry for the disrespect.”

“That’s better. Now like I said, I’m expecting someone, so find somewhere else to sit, please.”

Enid’s motioned to the edge of the seat with her eyes. He shook his head.

“Charlie sent me.”

“Would have been nice to lead with that, you know a, hey, Charlie sent me, may I join you? Instead of just sitting your chromed ass up down across from me. Like you own the place.”

The man nodded.

“Well, I do own the place.”

Enid made an o with her mouth and wrapped her lips which were currently looking black from lipstick around her straw and took another drink of her pop.

“How much you want for it?”

He laughed.

“Charlie said you had a strange sense of humor.”

“No, I’m serious. Four million?”

He chuckled.

“Why are you asking?”

“So, the next time some asshole decides to sit at my table without a word I can tell my bouncer to throw his ass out.”

He laughed again.

“Okay, I like you. Charlie said you were looking for work. He said a lot of things. Like you know how to fly space craft and plot FTL jumps, have access to urm, military grade hardware, and you have a ship that is able to cloak.”

“All true except the last part. It is in the shop.”

He rubbed his face and looked like he was going to break down. Enid reached out but thought better of it and kept her hand to herself.

“I might be able to borrow something, if its worth my while. What is it that you want to hire me for?”

“My daughter is on Triton. Wife ran off with some guy, moved there. Court granted me custody, have authorization to bring her back but then they closed off their border and are refusing to acknowledge Systems Alliance courts authority. My daughter, she doesn’t want to be there. Last time we able to talk before the system net to them was cut off she was at this school and she was being abused. The Systems Alliance is saying they can’t get involved. While it is kidnapping they lack the authority to retrieve her since relations were cut off. Charlie said you could get in and out…”

“I have before, but they weren’t cut off. I would definitely need a stealth craft for this, and like I said mine is currently in pieces. Don’t have an ETA on completion.”

He looked like he was about to break down. Enid wondered if Amee could loan her something for a good cause. Of course, then she’d have to admit to her wife she was doing mercenary work. She wondered how that would go over. Enid tapped her fingers.

“Getting into their dome, its easy, they’re allowing any Christians to join them, self-proclaimed or otherwise. Its leaving that is the problem. They’ve been buying up fighters and old corp warships. Making a blockade. The only thing getting through are the people they are calling pilgrims and cargo transports. But you know all this, you watch the news. I want to help but without my ship, our escape would be doomed to failure, I’m really good at what I do, but I’m not good enough to guarantee survival flying past a block aid. If they have a sensor net plotted by a person with more than half a brain, they’ll intercept us before I can get the ship into FTL. Really shouldn’t do it in atmosphere, bad for planet, bad for ship and bad for the people on board the ship.”

He nodded and rubbed his face again.

“It was a long shot anyway. Thanks for talking to me.”

Enid held up her hand.

“Whoa, whoa, I didn’t say it was impossible, just saying its improbable. That makes it extremely expensive. I’ll need to acquire a stealth craft they aren’t cheap or easy to find. And I don’t want to be judgmental, but a bar owner doesn’t strike me as wealthy enough.”

He folded his hands and looked back at the bar and the table.

“I have some… creds left over from before I retired and had a family. Maybe two million. And if you were serious about wanting to buy the bar, I’ll give it to you, everything, if you can get my daughter out safe. Nothing else matters to me.”

Enid tapped her fingers.

“Okay, the terms are agreeable to me. I’ll need a photo, video, holo, something recent, and I’ll need to know everything about where they were living, what school she is at, if she told you her schedule, anything about her room’s location, interior or exterior window. Even the smallest detail could make or break this. Also, I need to know, if she’s at home, wife and her new partner. If they resist, what am I allowed to do?”

“Him, put a bullet in his head for all I care. Her, don’t hurt her. She might have… crushed my heart and stolen my daughter, but she is her mother.”

“I will try my best but if she’s carrying and she aims at me or your daughter, I will do what I need to do.”

He nodded.

“I’ve never been on this side of the table. Where the fuck is Charlie? How does this work? Do I give you some now?”

“Honestly, I think Charlie is avoiding this conversation because he’s had some issues with is daughter, might be too close to home. Usually Charlie would take the money, put it in an account somewhere and divvy it up once job is done, if it doesn’t get done, all goes to you. But I know where your bar is and I know where to find you so, I’ll let it slide this time. Also, I’ll have your daughter, if that isn’t leverage, I’m not sure what else is.”

“I’m good for it. Ask anyone. I’m solid as they come.”

“I know. I can tell everything you’ve told me is the truth.”

He motioned to a waitress who walked over.

“Hey boss, whatcha need?”

“I need a beer, and she needs whatever she wants.”

Enid held up the glass.

“Just another NA soda please.”

“Coming right up.”

She wandered off leaving the pair alone Enid finished off the last of her drink. The waitress came back with the refill and a beer for her boss. He took a swig and after the waitress left he looked at Enid.

“You seem like you know what you’re doing but, I mean I don’t know you. I’ve seen you in here last month or so, mostly with Charlie. He’s good people from the old days, but can you do what you say you can? I don’t even know your name.”

Enid sucked up some soda from the straw.

“Don’t know yours either. If it wasn’t for the fact I was a hundred percent certain you were telling me the truth I’d have walked already.”

He took another drink and put his bottle down.

“Robbie Harbor. Folks call me Harbor.”

Enid shook her head.

“It should have been obvious, this is a bar called the Harbor after all. You want my real name or the bullshit Charlie tells normal clients.”

“Real name please, its my daughter we’re talking about.”

“Enid Aurelius, everyone calls me Empress.”

He had been taking a drink and started to choak as his got caught swallowing as she spoke. It took him a few minutes to clear his windpipe. The waitress evens topped by with a rag and asked if he was alright. He had waved her away.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Honest answer? Boredom. My daughter is at the point where me poking my nose into her life is pissing her off and my wife is a busy woman.”

“I’m not sending the President’s wife into that kind of danger.”

Enid frowned.

“Who else is going to have access to the tech to pull it off? You’ve seen the news, you know what I’ve done.”

“Yea, you murdered a bunch of people and got away with it.”

Enid’s lips pursed.

“They killed my daughter. Tell me you would have done less. They like to leave that part of the sensationalist reports. Besides, didn’t you hear with was one of my overzealous children.”

“That was bullshit.”

“That is what power is. Trust me I am always fully willing to take responsibility for my actions. But circumstances are what they are. You have an opportunity here. I am one of maybe three people who can do what you’re asking, and I’m willing to work for pocket change, at least for me. How much would a corp charge you?”

He took another long drink from his beer.

“If you’re Enid Aurelius, you’re a vampire, why am I see a heartbeat? Why am I seeing body heat?”

“Because I want to have a heartbeat and body heat. Keeps the groupies away.”

She just spoke her first lie and his finger twitched on his beer before he nodded.

“This is more… heat then I wanted on this.”

“Do you want your daughter back? I know if my daughter was trapped somewhere and suffering I would do everything and anything I could to get her out of there.”

He nodded.

“So, you have a kid.”

“Yes. She’s sitting right over there with her friends.”

“Shit, she runs with that crowd?”

Enid nodded.

“You allow it?”

“As much as she’ll always be a kid to me, she’s an adult, at least on her ID. I need to start letting her be one.”

“She drinks a lot.”

“She can’t get drunk.”

He blinked at her.

“Trust me on this, never get into a drinking contest with her unless you have a very expensive liver.”

He looked over at the group.

“Which one is it?”

“She’s the blonde one.”

“Jesus, she’s taller than me, was her a father a giant?”

Enid nodded.

“Where is he now? Did he screw you over like my wife did me?”

Enid shook her head.

“He died of old age shortly before she was born.”

“Oh… vampire, immortal. I get it. Sorry for your loss.”

Enid spread her fingers out on the table then closed her fists and leaned them on the plastic edge.

“Look. I know what its like to be a parent. I will do everything in my considerable power to bring your daughter home safe. You want my help or not?”

He drank the rest of his beer down and started pulling at the label while staring at the empty bottle he finally nodded.

“I’ll get her home, oh and I’ll need everything I asked for, plus, I’ll need your court order. I need to make sure it’s a legal kidnapping.”

He nodded and blinked. Enid saw the transfer request come to her phone and she accepted the data. He stood up and she stood up. She offered her hand.

“I’ll be in touch when I have her.”

He released her hand after holding it for several seconds and went back to his office. Hazel noticed her mother at this point. She blushed and looked at drink suddenly. Enid let it go and walked out of the bar after finishing her pop. She went to her car and sat inside and called Maria.

“Hello Enid, he is not ready yet.”

Enid grimaced slightly.

“Careful your face will stay that way sis.”

“You should have taken that warning to heart when mom told us that in Rome. You might not look like a cranky old lady with baby face.”

Maria stuck her tongue out.

“Very mature.”

“I learned from the best.”

“I’m calling because I need a favor.”

“Another one. What is that? The ten thousandth?”

“I have no idea I haven’t been keeping track.”

Maria took a long pull from her Synth-O and Enid sighed. How she missed blood.

“What do you need?”

“I was just asked to rescue someone’s daughter from Triton. Now if I had Apollo, we’d be in and out faster then my cooking goes through people.”

Maria almost blew blood out her nose when she heard that. She wiped her mouth off with her hand and licked it.

“I am glad your sense of humor is coming back. You were starting to scare everyone.”

Enid blinked innocently.

“Anyway, do you have anything else with FTL that cloaks that can’t be traced back to the Systems Alliance.”

Maria sealed her bottle of blood and looked up. Enid blinked.

“What are you thinking?”

“Uh, well there is Apollo’s sister fighter.”

“Why the long pause?”

“Well, there were issues… which is why I built Apollo.”

“Define issues.”

“Well, the AI had quirks. The cloak was… not perfect.”

“And you are suggesting this?”

“Well, I figured out most of the issues on Apollo, I can have her ready in a day or two, but it would delay Apollo. I would need to put the two-seater cockpit on her. New liquid metal coating…based on the new tech you brought back. Weapons, I do not have anything I can add. Everything else I can just pull from my test bench, but weapons, I have to requisition those, which means paperwork, which means traceable back to Systems Alliance.”

“Can’t you just put Apollos on it?”

“The power core is not strong enough to power those particle beams. Hers is a gen three, Apollo’s is a gen eight and he has the antimatter core as a backup. She still has her rail guns. I would need your supply of ammo that you requisitioned for Apollo before you swapped them out. The ammo is compatible they had the same weapons.”

“No missiles?”

“Well again, if you have any that you requisitioned, they will fit.”

“If you can get me an FTL transport I can bring what I have.”

“That is easy. You might have to carry extra cargo through.”

“Whatever. If I’m going there anyway its not like it will take any extra effort on my part.”

“Uh, sis, when you said the AI has quirks… are they still there?”

“Yes, but they will not hinder the operation of the craft.”

“What are the quirks… just so I’m prepared.”

“Well, she was closer to the original alien AI. Also, slightly flirty.”

“Slightly flirty?”

“Well, the AI was intertwined with Amee for centuries. Some of her rubbed off on her.”

“So, I’m going to be a flying a flirty starfighter that was imprinted with some of my wife’s… uh personality?”

“I guess that sums it up pretty succinctly actually.”

“Do not tell Amee.”

“I think it is kind of amusing.”

“Well, you’ve only been married once, and it was arranged. Trust me, just leave this out of our family dinner conversations.”

“By the time you get here, she should be ready to go. And guess what, she will be black.”

“Small miracles.”

Maria laughed.

“What about Apollo?”

Maria frowned.

“Well, if you want inferior armor, it can be black.”

“You can’t copy the alien tech?”

“I probably can in a few decades. Look I have a lot on my plate, between the Silwrath ship, the data from the military base, Ruby’s info, now these new automated defense ships. I’m putting whatever time I can into him.”

“But if its better armor then don’t you want it for the fleet?”

“I would love to, but the armor on these fighters, even my batch is generations more advanced than the stuff on the fleet. It is expensive to make. Especially the purple armor. There are elements to it we just do not have on our periodic table. Andromeda has elements we just do not have anywhere we have been in the Milky Way. The Silwrath use FTL drives based on a completely different principle then us. They do not even make antimatter.”

Enid held up her hands.

“Okay, Okay, sounds like you’re about get into technobabble I’m just not equipped to understand. So, Apollo will still be purple if I want the best armor. Uh, just thought of something though because you brought it up, what do I do to vent antimatter from the FTL drive if I’m not in the 29th century?”

“Put it in a magnetic containment storage unit and drop it in interstellar space and be nowhere near it when the charge wears off.”

“That sounds so… safe.”

“Well, you asked. I answered. Please do not shoot the messenger, I cannot control how reality works.”

“Liar.”

“Okay I cannot control how reality works without using blood magic, like a certain one of my siblings.”

“I can’t even use blood magic now. So shut it.”

“Sure, whatever you say. I will let you know when the transport is ready. Can you get the ordinance to the Systems Alliance orbital cargo station?”

“My wife is the president, I’m pretty sure she can make it happen.”

Maria nodded she leaned close to her desktop holo putting her chin on her interlaced fingers.

“How are things going?”

Enid sighed.

“Perfect. She’s happy. Hazel’s happy.”

“Then why do I sense you are not happy?”

“I am happy.”

“You do not look happy, sis. Funny how impossible it is for anyone to lie to you, yet you are so proficient at lying to yourself.”

“Like I haven’t heard that before. I’m going to head home and get changed before Amee gets there. See you tomorrow.”

Maria waved and disconnected the call. Enid started her car and drove towards her shared apartment. This was going to be an adventure. She felt more like herself… it had been a while.