Jackson and Angelo: Where are we, again?

"I'm not sure I should be talking to you." Jackson said, looking at the drink Angelo had paid for. "Aren't you one of captain Roth's lawyers?"

The bar they were in was was sparesly populated this time of day. Old wood tables and walls, brass fittings on the stools and booths. Jackson had chuckled at the old wet navy portal made into a mirror at the door. While he was mildly uncomfortable with meeting someone from "the other side" of the incidnet, his boss had approved the meeting. At least the guy hadn't picked a dive, like so many others.

"Not really." Angelo replied, swirling his wine. "I'm technically only a para-legal, if you look up certifications. In this case I was doing some advanced studies and hoped to get my Advocat's licenseure done on the trip. Roth needed a broker and I had arranged terms that would have given me a good bit of free time during jumps."

"Sorry to interrupt your education." Jackson forced himself to say. "I..."

"You did your best, Mister Platt. Roth's engineer was a insecure drunkard and convinced Roth to bar me from helping her out. I know you're not rated on Maneuver drives." Angelo looked at Jackson squarely.

"Yeah, and the insurance people are tearing me up for that." He took a drink and set the glass down. Real glass. Classy.

"Well, at least one of the crew recalls you saying just that, before Roth started brow-beating you aft while his own engineer was passed out drunk in the hold."

"I didn't see you."

"Piloting the piece of junk you tried to save, actually. I keep my comms on recieve so there are fewer surprises." Angelo sipped his wine.

"You're a para-legal and a pilot? Odd combination."

"The merchant life is strange, Jackson." Angelo smiled. "My career has been an odd assortment of whatever needed doing. Which is why you and I are talking."

"Yeah, about that." Jackson said as he looked at his now empty glass. "My boss seemed to change her mind. At first she was dead set against it. Then she was all for it."

"Francesa?" Angelo smiled, waving for a re-fill for Jackson. "Well, yes, perhaps it's merely a coincidence. Beautiful woman, though. Quite a nice conversationalist."

"Somehow I'm not sure I want a lot of details about people's personal lives, Mister Domici."

"Understood, Jackson." Angelo nodded.

"So, why are we talking? And why is this whiskey top shelf stuff? If you're trying to get me to confess my sins, you could do it a lot cheaper."

"We are talking for two reasons, Jackson. And forgive me if calling you Jackson is out of place. Sometimes I take liberties." Angelo set his wine glass down. "You tried your best to save the lives of everyone on that ship and save the ship itself. Since my life was one of those you saved, I am immensely greatful. For that, I offer this." Angelo took out a small piece of cardstock and an actual ink reserviour writer. With a flourish he wrote on the back of it, fanned it to dry, and then slid it across the table. "That is from me, personally. Perhaps someday I can repay the favor. You can return the card then."

Getting up to go, Angelo left more than enough for the tab and an extra drink for Jackson.

"Wait." Jackson said. "You said two things?"

"Yes, I did, didn't I?" Angelo smiled. "Without going into personal details, Miss Monzioni hopes to recieve a licensed engineer's evaluation of the maneuver drive and general engineering state of Roth's ship. You couldn't have saved her, Jackson. Roth had skimped on maintenance for two cycles and the engineer was as incompetent as she was drunk."

"Licensed Engineer?"

"Merchant life, Jackson. An odd calling indeed." Angelo patted him on the shoulder before walking away.

As Jackson looked at his drink, and then at the card, he agreed that merchants were odd. The card was actual old world thick paper stock with Angelo's name and contact information on the front. The back side, where he had written in bold blue, simply said "IOU".

"An odd lot." Jackson said, enjoying his drink.