It could be psychological. With how apparently vulnerable the Ishivi looked, the fact that she minced around as if she owned the place practically screamed “don't screw with me”.
And that aura of danger wasn't just a bluff, either, as Aiden had discovered four or so years ago on a spaceport across the galaxy from here. One which, coincidentally, his crew was no longer welcome at.
A handful of smugglers had apparently decided to ignore the warning klaxons screaming in their heads about Belix, and had tried to grab her while she was out looking for a good time. Which, as she cheerfully explained it, she'd certainly found, although it hadn't been nearly as enjoyable for the smugglers.
He had no idea what she'd hit them with but they'd ended up in the nearest hospital, liquids seeping out of every orifice and then from their skin itself, as their DNA unraveled inside them. The elfin woman had just laughed when asked to provide the antidote, assuming there even was one, hence the Last Stand needing to make a hasty exit and being barred from returning.
Although complying with the hospital medical staff's demands to know what she'd done and how to cure it probably wouldn't have helped anyway, because before the ship had pulled away from the dock the smugglers were all dead.
There were always some idiots who didn't know how to listen to warnings.
Aiden's scowl deepened. Lana's wide-eyed, innocent look, on the other hand, screamed “lamb to the slaughter”. He didn't feel good about just leaving her, but at the same time, he'd spent most of his life fighting for a cause that believed in a person's right to make their own choices, as long as they knew what they were getting into and weren't hurting anyone.
He'd warned Lana, she'd chosen anyway. That didn't make him feel any less guilty, but he stuck to his principles.
They were some of the only things the Deeks hadn't taken from him.
In any case, the burned hand taught best, and maybe she'd learn some caution after a brush with real danger. He'd keep his ear to the ground in case he heard of her running into trouble, and check with the station before he left.
Just for his own peace of mind . . . he sort of owed it to her, after waking her up into this dangerous universe they lived in.
Aiden's purposeful strides soon took him out of the more crowded areas of the station, where people purchased nicknacks and sought entertainment. This section was where the mechanics had set up shop and worked at making repairs, improving or customizing ship's systems, and chopping down stolen ships for parts.
It was also where he'd turn a cargo bay full of the Fleetfoot's scavenged systems, almost enough to build an entirely new ship, into a small fortune in chits.
He was nearly to the shop of one of his most trustworthy buyers, Harran, when he finally ran into something that didn't have the good sense to get out of his way: specifically, a three-foot-tall holographic ship that buzzed excitedly in front of him as if on stims.
Aiden stepped around the advertisement, trying to contain his annoyance. Especially when the stupid thing followed his movements, staying in front of him.
It was a cutesy cartoon representation of a simple personal shuttle, possibly one not even equipped for rift travel, whose front had been turned into a friendly face with big puppy dog eyes and a smiling mouth. It spoke in a chipper, cutesy woman's voice. “Are you sick of clunky autopilots that just aren't cutting it in today's fast-paced universe? Brain fried from calculating rift jumps? Even worried about not being able to fly yourself to safety during a pirate attack? Well, don't worry!”
He swore and kicked at the hologram, making it frizz and ripple around his foot. “Go away.”
The ad ignored him. “I'm Pilot, an advanced artificial intelligence created by HumanAssist Enterprises! They're the best manufacturers of AI and robotics in the entire universe! In head-to-head tests I've outflown 99.999% of top-tier human pilots, in everything from maneuvering through asteroid fields to combat! I can meet all your piloting needs, including witty banter on long space voyages, and you can have me for the low pr-”
Aiden drew his cauterizer and pointed it at the nearest holographic emitter. “The only thing I'm in the mood to pay for right now is replacing as many of these as I need to destroy to make you go away.”
The cartoon ship winked out of existence without another word. He waited for a few seconds to make sure he'd gotten his point across, ignoring the amused or uncomfortable stares of the few people around him, then slammed his weapon back in its holster and continued down the corridor.
Void, he hated Pilot.
Half the ships he fought these days used the stupid AI, and aggravatingly enough its boast about outflying human pilots wasn't completely idle. He had trouble getting the better of Piloted ships, which meant fights were becoming more and more difficult as HAE's new product became more widespread.
Bad enough that the AI wanted to take his job, without having to admit that it actually could. Unreclaimed waste, if he had to hear Barix make one more jibe about how Pilot's reflexes wouldn't slow down with age, or any of the other taunts the Ishivi threw his way when he made even the most minor mistake, he was going to breach every bulkhead between the bridge and space with his cauterizer and send them all into vacuum.
HAE should just stick to making adult companions. Those he could appreciate. And did, frequently.
Aiden ducked into the wide entrance to Harran's shop, nodding curtly at the older model combat android standing vigilantly in the sales area there; ship repairs could be surprisingly cutthroat, especially on a station like Midpoint.
He continued on into the back of the shop, an area large
