Between worlds and weekends

Shopping under the stars

Outside the orbit of Pleates, far beyond Alliance jurisdiction, Mira and her crew drifted in open space, savoring the thrill of a successful raid.

She reread her son’s comment on her latest post:

“That’s a great haul, let me know what’s in there.”

Mira grinned. “Oh, I’ll show you,” she muttered, amused.

She clapped her hands. “Alright, men! Open the crates. Let’s see what we earned!”

The crew grabbed their crowbars with enthusiasm. Loni, her husband, started to rise, but Mira gently pressed a hand to his shoulder.

“Honey, your back. Remember?”

“I know,” he sighed. “But I miss doing this.”

The crew pried open the crates, cheering as they uncovered piles of albums and Argenix MK‑2 processors.

“Quiet, you fools!” Mira barked.

Dudley froze mid‑celebration. “What’s the matter, Cap’n?”

“These are recalls,” she snapped. “The Argenix MK‑2s overheat and melt themselves. And these-” she held up an album “Are from the Bathorian Swingers studio album. They only released it to appease their producers.”

She hurled the album across the storage bay. It clattered against a crate.

“There’s no heart in these songs!”

She paced, muttered, debating with Loni in low tones. After a moment, she sighed, pulled out her communicator, and deleted her triumphant post. Then she typed a message to Rone:

Sorry it turns out it was a bust.

*Frowning face*

She hesitated, thumbs hovering, then added:

Oh, how are things by the way? I saw your pastries — they looked super yummy.

*Smiley face*

She pocketed the device.

“Well,” she said, hands on her hips, “Let’s head over to the Dreg maybe we can sell this stuff.”

The crew cheered again, spirits instantly restored, and Mira steered the ship back toward Alliance territory.

Rone’s phone buzzed, and he sat up, neck aching from sleeping at a terrible angle. Two missed messages blinked on the screen.

The first was from his mom:

Sorry, it turns out the raid was a bust.

*Frowning face*

Oh, how are things by the way?

He set the phone down and shuffled to the kitchen dashboard. He needed caffeine, but he knew that coffee would leave that awful walnut‑shell taste in his mouth.

“Hot water. Oolong tea.” He commanded the coffee machine.

The machine whirred, sputtered, and produced a steaming cup.

He carried it to the couch, phone in hand, and tried to find a position that didn’t make his neck scream.

He replied to his mother first:

aw, that stinks

and I’m good, ward is moving cities and I have a date this week

how’s dad’s back? will you be visiting soon?

He checked the next message, this one from Analiz:

Hey, do you have any jobs this morning? I’m trying to find someone to go with me to the Advent Shoppes. you down?

Rone sipped his tea.

Analiz wasn’t bad to shop with she was just… indecisive. Painfully indecisive. Which was probably why she needed backup.

Sure, just give me the details.

One perk of being a specialist: lots of free time.

One downside: sometimes too much free time.

He set his cup on the table and lay back. “I’ll just nap until she responds.”

His phone buzzed again.

ok sweet, I’ll pick you up in 15 minutes.

Rone shot upright. Fifteen minutes from Analiz meant she was already in the car, backing out of her driveway.

He scrambled into clean clothes, slapped on deodorant, and hurried past the sliding door, and out of his apartment complex.

Analiz already up front, door already opening automatically.

Rone always loved riding in her car. Heated leather seats. Lemoncelli air freshener. A massaging neck rest that felt like a tiny miracle.

“What are we going to the Shoppes for?” he asked.

Analiz unlocked the doors, turned off the music, then locked the doors again. It was her signature “I lied and you have no choice” move.

“I’m sorry, Rone,” she said dramatically. “We’re not going to the Shoppes.”

As expected, Rone, Ward, and Analiz had been friends so long they could read each other like-

“We’re going to the Dreg.”

Okay. He didn’t expect that.

But it made sense why she wanted him to tag along. Of the trio, Rone was the only one who’d learned multiple languages, the universal Alliance tongue, plus the older dialects still used in rural Pleates and… less legal circles.

Black market dealers, fencers, pirates, he’d picked up their languages as a kid on his mom’s ship. Not very well though.

“Why the Dreg? They never have anything good.”

“There’s been rumors, Rone. Rumors of a large haul of rare goods.”

Rone slumped in his seat pouting with arms crossed. “I don’t wanna.”

Analiz pulled the car over and clasped her hands dramatically. “Pretty please. I’ll pay you back later.”

Rone turned to the window. He didn’t show it, but he was startled to see how far they’d already driven. Past the city limit into the valley. How fast had she been going?

Analiz studied him. She would need the perfect bait, the radish on a string. But Specialists weren’t materialistic; they saved every credit because they never knew when the next job would come.

“How about my 32‑season box set of Days of Our 9 Lives?”

Rone perked up.

“Director’s cut,” she added, watching sweat bead at his temple. He crossed his arms tighter. She could practically see the internal struggle.

“With the companion guide. And the encyclopedia.”

The fiend.

The temptress.

The she‑devil.

He could cancel his streaming service. He’d be set for life.

“Fine,” he muttered. “I’ll do it.”

Success. Her mouth curled into a devilish smile.

Now Rone had to face another issue: one that could make or break their entire plan, and one that neither Analiz nor Ward knew about.

He wasn’t very fluent in other languages.

He hadn’t used them since childhood and mostly was yelling at his mom’s pirate crew to stop stealing his snacks. His vocabulary was basically: hello, where is the bathroom, and drop your weapon.

They drove deeper into Kimari Canyon, weaving through tunnels and steep hills. Rone repeated in his head, You’re a grown man. You need to tell her the truth. we can’t have another Marriage incident again.

They finally reached Dreg Crater, the resting place of a starship destroyer that had crashed decades ago. The massive hull lay split in half, repurposed into a bustling market. Dozens of species moved in and out.

“Okay, we’re here,” Analiz said.

“Wait Analiz, I have to tell you something.”

Her smile faded. “What is it?”

Rone swallowed hard. “I’m actually… really bad at the other languages. I only told you guys I was fluent, so I’d seem cool.”

“Really?”

“The Senterian kid I talked to at summer camp… I told him his mother was an apple. Then I switched the words and said, ‘your apple is a mother.”

Analiz exploded into laughter. Full‑body doubled‑over, tears‑streaming. People stared. She didn’t care.

She wiped her eyes. “Man, that’s good.”

She nudged him. “Well… let’s see if your mom’s here. Maybe she can help us.”

To most first‑timers, the Dreg could be intimidating. It was dim, loud, and reeked faintly of body odor and old metal. Negotiations echoed through the corridors, punctuated by the occasional yelling match. It was often overcrowded, and as a kid, Rone had been terrified of the dealers and pirates. Big, tattoos, missing limbs, breaking out into song and dance.

But things had changed. Or maybe he had. Fear had turned into dread now that he was much older.

Analiz walked calmly beside him, taking everything in stride. Rone noticed the walls had been waxed recently, and the place was now non‑smoking. The air was breathable.

The vendors were still just as loud.

“[unintelligible] of all shapes and sizes!”

“Authentic Earth-mex tacos found nowhere else!”

“[unintelligible]!”

Analiz turned to him. “This is pretty nice. Bring back any memories?”

“They changed a lot,” he said. “Or maybe it’s just been a while.”

They started on Deck 1 and climbed the steps to Deck 4.

And there she was… his mother, surrounded by her crew. Their stall was covered in Bathorian Swingers holodisks and stacks of MK‑2 processors.

Rone grimaced, “who would want the studio album?”

Mira’s eyes went wide. “Rone! You came to visit!” She squealed and pulled him into a crushing hug. “Oh, and Analiz is here too!”

“Honestly,” Rone said, “she’s the reason I’m here.”

“Oh? On business?”

“Actually…” Analiz stepped forward. “I wanted to shop. I heard there’ve been some rare items.”

“Oh! Captain Sweettooth went to planet Rion - which turned out to be a planet‑sized monster…” Mira launched into her story immediately, hands flying as she talked.

Rone nodded along, but his attention drifted. Dudley sitting in the frowning at his vest, which was understandable. He wore vertical striped pants with horizontal vest. Basic Pirate code dictates to not mix patterns.

“…they took the treasure,” Mira continued, “but they were almost out of fuel, so they used what was left and slingshot around the orbit to get home.”

“That is the most incredible escape story I’ve heard,” Analiz gushed.

“He probably exaggerated his story, but now he had a lot of loot come into the Dreg.”

“Where’s Dad?” Rone asked.

“He’s at the casino playing Taps. Come on, we’ll pick up some space squid on the way.”

They made their way toward the recreation zone on the other half of the ship.

“How’s work? Have you been eating well? You look thin,” Mira said.

“I wish that was the case.” Rone placed a hand on his stomach, feeling the soft pouch of fat. “Work comes and goes. Not to brag, but I do have a date this week.”

Mira pursed her lips. “I’m glad you’re getting back into the game. Not since…”

Rone sighed. For the longest time, he’d stayed single because of that moment.

“I never heard this story,” Analiz said. “What happened?”

He swallowed.

No man wants to open that door. His past was a graveyard of mistakes and embarrassment.

Analiz was instantly drawn in by his seriousness.

Rone took a deep breath. “Okay. So. When I was a kid, my mom used to sell things at a black market. And there was this little girl there, around my age. I wanted to talk to her so we could play, but because of a language barrier… she thought I was proposing to her.”

Analiz blinked. “Wait, what?”

“At first our parents were against the marriage,” Rone continued, staring into the middle distance, “but they also believed in the power of love. My mom was a big soap opera fan. And as it turns out, the girl’s dad was the Duke of Westalis.”

Analiz leaned forward, eyes wide.

“Mind you,” Rone added, “we were both extremely confused about what was happening.”

“And then what?” she whispered.

“So, I was made inheritor of Westalis. They gave me maids, a concubine, and a whole space fleet of warships. Even got to conquer an entire planet.

“And you got Married-married?”

“Yup. The wedding was actually very nice. good food, they had a clown. But unfortunately, due to the language barrier, I didn’t know when to say I do, so we ended up calling off the wedding. And I’ve avoided relationships ever since.”

“Was the warship thing before the wedding?”

“It was an apology from the duke. He felt bad for forcing the wedding.”

“Do you still have it?”

“It got impounded; I parked it by a hydrant.”

Rone cleared his throat. “Anyway. I shared my dating story what’s yours?”

She blinked. “I… dated a guy in college for a few weeks but broke up because he stole my toaster.”

Silence fell as they passed the slot machines and Peggle tables. Outsiders not from the Alliance territory are always surprised the Dreg recreation area exists. Gambling is illegal. but the Alliance operated on a ‘if you’re not caught it’s not illegal’ bases and this is also how they choose leaders.

Legend has it President Malabe won presidency in a game of Quasar roulette.

On deck 2 Rone could see his father lying on the floor of the taps table, the dealer flipping cards on his behalf.

“Rone hi!”

“Is it your back again?”

“Yeah… I won a round and jumped now I’m down here. Belmont come lift me up, I wish to speak to my son”

Belmont the Synth butler picked him up, throwing him over their shoulder, his father’s body dangling over like a mannequin.

Mira rubbed his back, maybe we should get you to the spa, they’ll get your back good as new”

Analiz was concerned, “Don’t we need you for...”

“It’s okay Captain Sweettooth speaks our language we’ll be fine” Rone assured.

“Ok now we can go shopping.” Analiz cried, slamming her fist into her hand.

Rone held up the interdimensional cube, it blue light and rumbling noise was intriguing, “so where does the cube take you?”

“Apparently the stomach of a planet sized monster, we found it by a skeleton holding it.”

Specialists are normally too busy picking up odd jobs, but it had been a while since he had been on vacation. Maybe it will be the heart thumping adventure to revitalize his lease on life, “I’ll take it”

He gleefully held the cube and could add it to his cursed object collection.

Analiz held up a jar with a green slime, with black beady eyes, “do you know what these guys eat?”

“So far everything we could stick in the jar.”

“Doesn’t your Roommate hate pets?”

“I’ll keep her on my desk, and feed her the love letters, and complaints at work.”

She also went ahead and bought a sunhat that shares gossip about anyone in the universe.

For the rest of the day, they gambled, ate ice cream, and joined the song and dance number. Though Rone normally took displeasure in not having work to do, he had a good time. He felt more relaxed and sharper. Analiz was so excited she slept in the seat as the car drove them home, mumbling, “Where is my damn toaster!”