The low hum of the carrier's ventilation system filled the silence that followed the interrogation.
The tension had thinned, but it still lingered faintly... like static in the air after a storm. Alara stood with her arms folded, her expression unreadable, while Orion leaned lazily against the wall, studying her with that same fake confident smirk he'd worn since she walked in.
"Mr Kord," she began, her tone level but deliberate, "I'm going to offer you something that doesn't come twice."
Orion raised an eyebrow. "That sounds serious. Should I be flattered or worried?"
"A bit of both," she replied dryly. "You'll be on my payroll. You'll get a monthly allowance, equipment access, and limited clearance under my division. In exchange, you answer to me... only me."
The smile on Orion immediately faded as he sat up straighter ready to disagree... he wasn't going to go back to cooperate life ever.
Noticing his expression change Alara immediately clarified herself, "What I mean is If any of my colleagues or competitors in Helix Corp approach you for work, you tell me first. You can still take jobs elsewhere, but not if it interferes with my operations."
Orion's smirk reappeared slightly as he realized what she was saying. "So you're not hiring me as a full staff... just a regular long term contract with a mercenary."
"Think of it as mutual insurance," she said, tone clipped but calm. "You get protection and channels to resources, I get someone who knows how to survive and handle harsh environment. Fair trade, wouldn't you say?"
He crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. "And if I say no?"
Alara met his gaze squarely. "Then you can walk out right now and see how long it takes before one of my brothers' divisions or the Chrysalith finish what the crash started."
That earned a quiet chuckle from him. "You drive a hard bargain, Commander."
"I know right?."
There was a pause, heavy but not unfriendly. Orion finally nodded, the decision obvious. "Fine. I'll play along... for now. But I don't take kindly to being played."
Alara's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. "Trust me I have no plans of playing you."
'Trust... really?' Orion thought as he chuckled to himself.
She turned to the guards by the door. "Escort Mr Kord to one of the vacant high-level quarters. Make sure he's cleaned up before he's brought back to command. And give him his backpack."
"Yes, Commander." The guards stepped forward, motioning for Orion to follow.
As they passed a desk outside the interrogation room, one of them picked up a worn black pack from a drawer and handed it over.
Orion slung it over his shoulder without a word, though the faintest relief flickered in his eyes. He gave Alara one last look over his shoulder.
"Commander Veyrn," he said, a half-smile tugging at his lips, "Thank you very much... I look forward to working with you"
"Me too," she replied simply.
The door hissed shut behind him, and for a few moments, silence settled again. Riha, who had been standing quietly beside her throughout, finally turned.
"Permission to speak freely?"
Alara nodded without turning.
"Why him?" Riha asked, her tone curious but cautious. "You just offered a contract to someone we detained an hour ago. He's unpredictable, and the readings marked him as a Beta-class human at best... So it isn't exactly like he is special"
Alara's eyes flicked toward her, a faint spark of amusement breaking her composure. "We checked his backpack before we came here, didn't we?"
Riha frowned slightly. "Yes. Mostly loot from dead soldiers and workers as well as few weapons which is typical for a mercenary."
"Exactly... and what type of weapons did we find?" Alara Asked
"A couple of projectile-class weapons all Helix-register, except for one small dagger that is most likely sentimental than functional."
"Exactly," Alara said. "He survived six months on that hellhole with just a small dagger and judging by his replies, he likely jumped from a collapsing ship to the surface with no time to time to get any supplies, no resupply, and yet he's standing there looking better than half my platoon."
"Even if he did manage to get some supplies off I doubt it would be able to last a month talk less of six months."
Riha blinked, the implications dawning on her. "You think he's enhanced beyond the readings?"
"I doubt that," Alara said. "But he's resourceful, clever, and still human enough to keep his charm. That's a rare mix in this line of work."
"What if he was lying about everything?" Riha finally asked.
"Well if he was and he was also able to go undetected by the Truth box well isn't it better to have such a person as a friend than an enemy." Alara paused and said in a low voice to herself, "If I have no use for him in the coming years I can use him to test my brothers."
If he had far more advanced tech and was more powerful than the machines read, well... her brothers would throw themselves at something they didn't understand and most likely get destroyed or Orion dies after causing them a massive damage... a worthwhile investment in her book.
She turned away, her tone softening just slightly. "Besides… he's one of the few people I'm certain my brothers haven't bought yet."
Riha gave a quiet nod of understanding, a faint smirk touching her lips. "That's reason enough, then."
Alara glanced toward the sealed door where Orion had exited. "Let's hope he's as useful as I think he is," she murmured.
The carrier's engines rumbled in the distance, steady but heavy, like the calm before another storm.