nexus_sages | (no subject)

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Of all the things Jim Kirk wishes he could do right now, getting good and drunk to drown his sorrows is certainly towards the top of the list. But his doctor says no, absolutely not, and never in his life has he wanted to go against doctor's orders less than he does lately.

So the captain finds himself in the Forum, unsure even what the hell to do with himself, and he gingerly eases himself down onto one of the couches, moving with the careful patience of the recently physically injured, before he notices the date on a nearby calendar.

Father's Day. Huh. How... stupidly appropriate.

"For those who've lost a parent... how the hell do you honor their memory? Even if you haven't, do you bother doing holidays like this?"

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"Good luck," Jim says, sincere in his good wishes for her. From what little he knows of her work, it sounds like she's doing it for the right reasons, and he can get behind the idea of shutting down pirates like the ones she told him about.

But then, because he doesn't know the details, "Who's Ridley?"

Thank you.

*She catches a quick sip of her drink before answering.*

Ridley is a pirate general. He led the raid on K-2L when I was a child, and killed my parents. He also has some high-end cybernetics wired into his brain, copying full engrams periodically. Every time I kill him, the pirates find some way to enhance the body they've cloned for him, hoping to cover whatever I did to him for the next time.

He's had several drinks by now, so his back doesn't bother him when he sits up a little straighter, realizing that this isn't just business as usual, it's personal. "So there's a chance you might've found the spot where they keep his backups?" With that context, it makes her previous statement make a lot more sense.

It seems likely. And if it is...

*There's a dangerous light in her eyes, something frigid and incandescent both at once. In that light, it might be easy to see the Warrior who slays entire worlds.*

*In that light, it might be difficult to see anything else.*

On the one hand, it's a little more intense than he was expecting this conversation to go, and he definitely never wants to get on her bad side. On the other hand, as someone who had to avenge a parent - and an entire planet - he won't say he doesn't entirely understand, either.

Jim has to consciously make an effort not to fidget, even though he knows that predatory look isn't reserved for him. "If it is, they're going to have more regret than they know what to do with."

*She nods, consciously reeling in her dangerous side.*

Indeed. It's good to speak with someone who knows the value of revenge.

Not how he would have put it, but Jim has come to learn that issues of revenge are far more complex than they first appear. It's easy to condemn someone who seeks it as blinded by hate and think yourself above it until you're holding the corpse of someone you cared about, and it's just as easy to get lost in the fury that it provokes that you can't see anything else.

If nothing else, she's dedicated a career to taking these guys out, with lots of planning and strategy involved, not just running off half-cocked like he did. And he's the last person to go judging somebody for seeking to stop a legitimate threat, no matter the personal reasons behind it.

"If you do manage to take him down for good, what does that mean for the rest of the pirate organization?" It'd be convenient if taking down this Ridley guy would cripple the pirates, but Jim also knows that things are rarely so straightforward with this sort of thing either.

The blow to the pirates would be severalfold--they lose one of their most capable leaders and operatives, as well as the resources tied up in supporting him. They also lose the idea of their immortal, unkillable general--killed again, and for the last time, at the hands of the being they fear most in the universe. Their command caste will have its claws full dealing with the morale problem, it will slow down any reorganization. And they'll need to reorganize; a general like Ridley would need to be kept up to date on the pirates' operations. If I got his location from a mere listening post, I'll have almost too many targets to choose from after this.

*She looks a little scary, with the glow of her drink illuminating her face from below in faint blue.*

This might not be the killing blow, but it will cripple them, and it will hurt.

He would almost feel sorry for these pirates if they didn't sound like they had it coming.

Jim smiles faintly. "One step at a time, right?"

One step at a time.

*She drains her glass and sets it down, but doesn't immediately refill it. They've hit the bottle pretty hard, there isn't much left.*

Jim's still working on half a glass, and it's a good thing this stuff isn't alcoholic with how much they've put away between the two of them. As it is, he's feeling a bit better than when they started. Both physically, as well as emotionally.

"I know I said it already, but good luck."

Thank you. I've never been one to trust in luck, but I don't turn it away, either.

*She gives him a smile.*

And good hunting to you, in whatever you're doing next.

He smiles back at her. "Thanks. I hope I get my marching orders soon; the waiting is the worst part."

Sounds like you could use a hobby, yourself.

"Probably," Jim agrees. "Reading's great, but it's really passive, as far as hobbies go." He gives her a curious look. He knows she plays pool, but that's not particularly a solo game. "What do you do for fun, when you have the time?"

I take on little projects. Sometimes I'll build a safe cache in some random Facet, or tinker with something that might be useful if I can get it to work, sometimes I'll find a cause that catches my attention and take it up. Sometimes I just play interdimensional tourist and see what kind of fun I can get into.

Jim can't help a quiet little laugh at that last one. "I'm gonna take a guess and say that 'fun' means 'trouble' every so often."

Iiit's been known to happen. Sometimes dealing decisively with a simple problem makes a nice break from grappling with a tougher one.

"Don't I know it," he agrees. "I like a challenging problem as much as the next guy, but sometimes it's nice to just have the answer already and fix stuff without jumping through hoops."

That's part of the appeal of the Nexus, I think. Sooner or later, someone comes through looking for help with something you've done before and know exactly how to handle.

*Her smile becomes a little wry.*

The only question is whether they'll recognize that and listen.

Jim, of course, assumes she's talking about him, and he gets a slightly pained, self-deprecating sort of look on his face. "Yeah, I'm working on that." He's sincere in his attitude to try to do better, though. She had a lot of good advice for him to mull over, and he's going to give it all the consideration it's due.

*She laughs.*

Not you. You've been much more attentive than some I can think of. And you didn't do that maddening thing where you describe just enough of your problem to make some solutions seem worth proposing, only to elaborate with why those solutions won't work as soon as anyone brings them up.

Oh, well that's a comfort anyway. "There's an old saying on Earth that you might've heard of. 'The devil is in the details.' It's kind of annoying how true that is."

If I understand the phrase properly, the devil in the details refers to times when a small detail is the fulcrum of a major difference between two states. I'm more annoyed by the people who deliberately withhold relevant parts of their problem so they can pretend it's insoluble and wallow in self-pity and attention.

*Her shoulders roll in a shrug.*

But I've been here more than ten years, that would be long enough for anyone to develop a few specific issues.

"Deliberately? People do that?" Jim would understand if it was because something was classified, or leaving out a detail because it's so widespread in their home universe that it would be common knowledge to another native, or some other reason why they couldn't talk about it. But leaving things out just to be all 'woe is me' is a bit much, in his opinion.

He shakes his head in mild disbelief. That it happens so often that she's developed a pet peeve about it says a lot. "I haven't been here long enough to notice yet, but now I guess I've got something else to look forward to."