"Wait!" Vathion yelped, "I'm his son." This made the man pause.

Scowling, Pi'Xian leaned closer to the screen, "So."

Unsure if the man would stick around any longer, Vathion cut straight to business, "You're Pi'Xian, correct?" the man nodded, "I need some information."

"Where's Natan?" Xian asked belligerently. "I don’t talk to no one but Natan."

Pursing his lips, Vathion pondered his choices. He had three as far as he could see. The first was telling the truth, the second was lying, and the third was bribing the man.

"Not even for a case of Malt?" Vathion asked. "Too bad, I guess I'll take it somewhere else. And here, my father had been saving it for you."

Hopefully, that would send him the message that Vathion was all right with the usual procedures for business.

"Why you rotten..." the pilot growled.

Vathion smiled sweetly at him.

"Fine. What do ya' wanna know an' when can I get my Malt?"

Vathion pondered, "Xarian will be in port in an hour. I'll make the usual arrangements." The usual arrangements were a specific vendor and drop-off point for the alcohol. It was a little disturbing to realize that not only was 'Prickly Pilot Xian' a real person but he could be bribed with Malt just like in the game. Natan had truly put everything he knew into Battle Fleet.

Pi'Xian nodded, folding his arms.

"I need to know what kind of traffic's been going through Baelton, and if you heard any noise about my father lately?" Vathion asked.

Pi'Xian leaned forward again, remaining silent for a long moment. "He's dead, innt he?"

This was different from the game. Xian seemed concerned. He'd never been bothered by anything whenever Vathion dealt with him in the game. He glanced aside briefly as he thought of how to deal with this deviation. The difference between dealing with a real person and not an AI is based on someone's recorded dialogue, I guess. "Of course not. Just gone on vacation. He needed to be with Mom for a bit."

The pilot did not look convinced, but he nodded. "Right... On vacation... That official?"

"Yes."

Xian stared at him.

He'd met "prickly Xian" as a fellow pilot in one of the first stages of the game. Though the man's language had been toned down to age-appropriate vocabulary, he was still gruff and vulgar. Hasabi had been upset at Natan when she overheard some of the dialogue at the time. Re-evaluating based on his own relationship with the fictionalized version of the man, Vathion sighed at himself. "Make up whatever." This hiding Natan's death thing was getting off to a great start. At least he knew Xian wasn't easily bought, despite the whole Malt bribe. That was a joke between friends, according to the game. Xian would have been upset by Natan's death if they were as close of friends as Battle Fleet indicated. "The wilder, the better. I'm sorry." He fell silent, letting Xian process for a moment.

Xian sat back, looking stunned. His belligerent expression faded. Emotions flickered across his scarred face, settling on grief. "Ancestors watch over him." He bowed his head.

After a moment, Xian wiped his face with both hands. "Nuffin' out of the ordinary here, Ha'Vathion. Just the usual traders and their usual talk. As for Natan, ain' nuffin' about him neither. Just people gettin' worried with the Fleet hangin' around for so long. They dunno what's up. I'll start spreadin' rumors."

Vathion nodded. "Good. It'd serve the Rebels more than the Empire if the truth got out."

"Can I at least ask what he died of?" Xian requested.

Scuffling his feet under the desk, Vathion looked at the ceiling. "Fatal case of compression... Someone applied a large crate to him."

Xian blinked and shook his head. "All right. You stay out of trouble, kid. Much as your breeding'll let chya." Briefly, the pilot grinned, "Call if you get another crate of Malt ya need to get rid of."

Vathion nodded. "Sure. See ya, Prickly."

The man's brows rose, and he laughed, "So he told ya that, too?"

Smiling sadly, Vathion shrugged. "In a fashion. Thanks for the info."

"Lighten up, kid. It ain' right seein' summin' who looks like Natan scowlin'."

Lips twitching downwards, Vathion sighed. "So I've been told." He shook his head. Xian disconnected the call abruptly.

Sighing, Vathion rubbed his face with both hands. That had been unexpectedly intense. It meant he needed to reevaluate all the information he knew from Battle Fleet and what he could or couldn't say to any of the people he would've contacted if he were playing the game.

"Call Miski's and order a case of Malt. Have it delivered to the Kavinndar."

Closing his eyes, Vathion kicked the privacy panel under his desk, listening to the clonk of his boots against the metal paneling. He kicked it again and opened his eyes, "Call Hyan, usual precautions."

Again, the screen flashed and a woman's image filled it this time. She leaned forward with a seductive smile, exposing her ample attributes to him. That part hadn't been in the game. "Ha'Natan," she purred, "How's my most handsome and most favorite customer doing? You look upset. Someone kick your pet? Can I help make it better?"

His brow twitched as he tried to get control of his face after the surprise. Keeping his eyes on her face was very difficult. He could feel his ears heating.

 Lifting a hand, he coughed behind his fist. "Ah, I'm Ha'Vathion," he corrected. "Ha'Natan, my father, has gone on vacation. I was calling because he said you'd be a good person to ask about news in the area. He didn't give me much of a brief before he ran off with Mom."

She pouted, but her full lips could not remain in that position for long. The corners curved upwards in a sly look. "Vacation. I see. Too bad. But maybe you'll come visit me then?" She rested her arms on the desk, pressing her chest forward. She could tell he was distracted. "Ha'Natan hasn't visited me in years. I guess you're the reason why."

"I'm a bit busy with getting caught up. Perhaps next time we're at Baelton, Lady Hyan."

She pouted again.

Vathion quickly forged on. "Anyone unusual come to your parties lately?"

Sitting back, Hyan adjusted her... attributes. "Hmm, not really." She always preened when she was lying.

"I suppose I'll just have to tell someone about a certain little deal my father mentioned..."

Hyan paled, then huffed. "Enough! Fine!"

Vathion gave that obnoxiously oblivious smile of Natan's.

Grinding her teeth, she crossed her legs and picked at the edge of her silky robe as she spoke.

"Fine," she repeated in a calmer, quieter tone, "The Stationmaster visited. He asked me about the Fleet and when you'd be leaving. I told him I didn't know. So, when are you leaving?"

"When I feel like it. Anything else?"

Eyes half-lidded, Hyan flipped her hair off her shoulder.

"I dunno. The Stationmaster gave me a pretty good price to stay quiet." She was telling part of the truth.

After weighing the options, he finally said, "Thanks. See ya." He reached for the disconnect on his keyboard.

"Wait!"

He paused, putting on a curious expression.

Hyan looked him over. "You're not even going to ask what I know? Or my price?"

Vathion was not sure how Natan had dealt with her, but in Battle Fleet, he always just brushed her off. If he pretended he wasn't interested, she usually ended up telling him without a fee. "You don't want to tell me. I can't make you." He continued towards the keyboard.

Hyan slapped her desk. "Fine! But you tell me something in return!"

Blinking at her, Vathion kept that idiotic expression trademarked by his father on his face. "What?"

"Where's Ha'Natan?" she asked.

Vathion put on a concerned tone. "He said something about Victory Station before he left. He was a little weird... Stranger than usual anyway. I think he might've lost it. Driven mad by Mate Deprivation. He's not had Mom around for a while... I'Savon said she could barely keep him restrained until we got here. Mom went to get him, but I don't know where they went."

Eyes widening, Hyan lifted a hand. "Oh my! At least he put someone sane in charge before he left."

Vathion cringed. "I shouldn't have told you that. Bloody... I really shouldn't have said that. Lady Hyan, please keep that to yourself?"

"Maybe for a donation?" Hyan smiled.

"Four thousand."

Her eyes widened. "Ohhh... Your secret's safe with me!"

Of course it was. Vathion was counting on it being all over the station before the end of the day. Tapping out some commands on his keyboard, he transferred the credits to her account.

"Well, since you were so honest with me. Stationmaster's got some drug rings he's running on station. They're passing Shell, and they use my parlor to have meetings." She smiled, curling her hair around her finger, quite proud of herself.

Vathion nodded and gave her another five hundred. "Just hang onto that for me, okay?"

Hyan's smile broadened. "Sure thing, love." Letting go of her hair, she kissed her fingers and blew it at him. "Come see me sometime. I'll give you your money's worth." She winked as Vathion flushed.

"Sure." He disconnected.

Sagging, Vathion sighed. Who was next? The news stations needed to be called directly. They did not move in the circles Xian and Hyan did. "Kiti, call Baelton News anonymously. Tell them that you heard that Ha'Natan has gone on a solo mission for Emperor Daharn and that you spotted him incognito on station somewhere but that when you tried to talk to him, he said something about going to Heartland."

Kiti giggled. "Okay, Stud Muffin."

Vathion frowned. He had not seen her visual yet, no one outside of the Fleet knew what she looked like. Even the Natan Fleet Show did not have visuals of her. They just had a dry female voice that confirmed commands over the audio.

In Battle Fleet, Kiti's visual was of a pretty young mint-haired and eyed woman. Her voice was warm, and her responses were nearly as versatile as any living person's. "Done, Sexy Beast."

Vathion frowned. "Don't call me that."

"Sorry, sweetie, it's my programming."

Vathion shook his head. "Insane jerk," he muttered. "All right, Kiti, call E-Sector News and give them the message that Ha'Natan's finally lost his mind and after streaking around the ship naked, he stole a Ferret and headed off to Datanna, swearing at the top of his lungs that the universe was dirty and he was escaping the germs. Those in the know suspect it to be Mate Deprivation."

Sighing when he couldn't think of anything else to do, Vathion shook his head and looked at the time in the bottom corner of his wallscreen. He still had half an hour.

"Kiti, call my mother. You know the number, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

In front of him, the screen went black, clicked a few times, and then finally brightened. Vathion put on a smile for her. "Hey, Mom."

She was dressed, brushing her hair dry, but she looked unhappy and haggard. At least he had not disturbed her sleep. Hasabi managed a smile, but it faded quickly. "You actually called."

"What? You think I'd forget?" Vathion winced as he realized he had just quoted his father. He made mental note to tell himself to call her daily.

Hasabi shook her head, putting down the brush. The room behind her was a spacious bedroom decorated with rich fabrics and antique paintings. It did not look like a hotel room. "No. You're better at remembering things than he ever was," she admitted. "Are you doing all right?"

"Well enough, I guess. I keep freaking people out, though." He glanced at the time again.

"You have somewhere you need to be." Hasabi interpreted his glance.

Shaking his head, Vathion said, "Not yet. Not for another twenty minutes, anyway. I'm going to parade around Baelton and do damage control." Lifting his hands, he scrubbed his face with them, then shoved his fingers through his hair. "I lied to my captains. And I just lied to several news stations and a whore. I'm lying to the Empire..."

Reaching out, Hasabi touched the screen lightly. Vathion lifted his hand, desperately wishing he could lace his fingers with hers. "I'm sure you're doing it for a good reason." She smiled.

"I'm doing it because... Dad was a symbol."

Hasabi sighed and closed her eyes, nodding. "Soon, you will be too."

"I'll never be as good as he was," Vathion said bitterly. "Not when Ma'Gatas says 'why' to every word that comes from my mouth."

"It's understandable he'd be a bit upset."

"He says I'm inexperienced. That I don't know what I'm doing. And the bad part is, I agree. But... But if I just left him in charge, everyone would know something was up..."

Casting a sad smile at him, Hasabi finally lowered her hand. "Just do your best. Your father had faith in you." She paused, eyes going to his forehead. "Where's Jathas?"

Looking away, Vathion curled his hands in his lap. "Paymeh mistook me for Dad... He merged, and it killed Jathas."

She gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh no! I'm so sorry!"

Clenching his teeth, Vathion shook his head.

Hasabi stared at him, then slowly sat back. "I wish... I could make it better. I'm sorry. I wish things had been different for us. I wish we could have been a proper family. Not... this."

Vathion lifted his eyes to look at her, "Don't talk like that. I'll deal with it later. I have work I've to do, and breaking down isn't going to help me convince anyone else that Dad is still alive." Taking a breath, he shook his head, and then asked, "Where are you?"

"Ha'Vathion," Kiti interrupted, "We've arrived in dock."

For a moment, Hasabi sat silent, watching him from billions of miles away, wherever she was, and Vathion could not bring himself to tell her goodbye.

Finally, she made the first move, "Go on. Knock their socks off. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." He reluctantly cut the link and got to his feet.