#Spicetrader AU

[sapiomorph]

The Spice of Life

Obiyuki Bingo, tile One; Space Opera Or my attempt at one anyway!

"And this is the last one!" Yuzuri huffed, heaving the metal crate onto the counter. "One-hundred pounds of spicy goodness. Altogether, that's three kegs of Ova Powder, eight bushels of Mako Grass, and four crates of Zilatian Spice Root. What in the wide stars do you do with it all?!"

Shirayuki smiled at the K'yaran botanist. Her fluffy ears and cat-like appearance were adorable, but her insatiable drive for success and infectious energy made Shirayuki love her all the more. They'd been fast friends for many cycles now, ever since they'd first met. Yuzuri's herb shop in the Lyrias Quadrant had the widest collection of herbs and spices compared to anywhere else Shirayuki had found, not to mention that they were in the best condition! The YuzuSuzu Herb Emporium was always a fun and safe place to come back to.

She shrugged, straightening her gloves before reaching for the crate of spice root.

"You know how the Tanbarun markets can be. They can never get enough of it!"

"Yes, that's true." Yuzuri sighed, watching the human pull the crate off the counter. The tips of her twin tails twitched.

"Do you still use an alias?"

Shirayuki paused in pulling out her wallet before giving her a sad smile. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Nothing wrong with being careful."

"But it's not fair!" Yuzuri's furry face was scrunched up in frustration, her tails lashing about. K'yaran were also similar to cats in how most of the time, they're moods and intentions showed through body language. Other K'yaran Shirayuki had met were reserved, almost gracefully emotionless, while Yuzuri was...

"You shouldn't have to hide yourself like this! It's just not right!"

"I know, but Raj is literally royalty. There's not much you can do against a spoiled Prince who can't take no for an answer." She was resigned to how her life had changed, but her friend's outrage on her behalf warmed her heart.

"I know, but--"

Shirayuki felt a tug somewhere in the literal back of her mind, and she checked her watch.

"Oh shoot, we're running behind!" She quickly placed the credits on the counter before grabbing the crate again. "I need to go. I'll call you when this shipment is done, ok?"

"Alright. Bye 'Yuki." Yuzuri replied, still a bit upset, but understanding. She waved her hand in a circular motion to wish her human friend safe travels. It was a K'yaran custom she always performed for Shirayuki, and the warmth in her heart strengthened.

As Shirayuki started to leave the shop, she heard Yuzuri suddenly shout.

"Oh, and tell me about any potential partners you meet! Specifically males!"

Shirayuki rolled her eyes as she made her way to her ship, The Scarlet Lion. It was an old traders shuttle she’d inherited from her grandparents. From the faded colors, to the outdated hull, to the stubborn whine of the hatch door that refused to be fixed, the age of the ship showed.

And she loved it with all her heart, flying through the stars with the memories of her family.

The tug came again, and she sighed, quickning her steps to place the last of the spices down in the cargo hold.

"Ryuu, you know you can just tell me to hurry, right?" She asked, entering the cockpit and sitting down in the pilot's seat.

On the shuttle's dash, a turquoise figure flickered into view, a small boy in an oversized hoodie sitting on the accelerator.

"...I didn't want to interrupt." He said quietly.

The AI named Ryuu had been terrified when Shirayuki had first found him, hiding in the coding of an ancient server she'd been struggling to hack. It had taken a long time to convince him that she wasn't an enemy, that she was trying to run from someone too. Eventually, she'd earned his trust, and he'd gingerly settled down in her implants, more skittish than a Galtese deer. It had taken a cycle or so before Ryuu got used to Shirayuki and the companionship she offered, but now he was a dear friend who monitored both the ship's health as well as her own.

"I'm sure Yuzuri would love to meet you, you know."

"Mmm..."

Getting him to open up to anyone else however...was still a work in progress.

"Alright." Shirayuki said, gently giving him a mental nudge that equated to a hug. "So, what's our schedule looking like?"

"If we hurry, we can make it to the Nebula Straightway within an hour and warp from there. And if we loosly follow speed protocols after that, we just might make it to Tanbarun before the trade routes get too cluttered."

"Roger." Shirayuki nodded, starting up the Lion and memorizing the route Ryuu laid out for her on the ship's HUD. The shuttle creaked and groaned as thrusters came to life, lifting the ship into the air and out of the port's hangar. She hummed a ditty as the Lion cleared the atmosphere, blue skies melting into inky space scattered with stars.

"Um...shall I do it now?"

Shirayuki blinked. Ryuu wasn't on the dash anymore, retreating into the ship's systems the moment they took off, but she could feel him through her implants, his worry when he tentatively asked the question.

She sighed again, running her fingers through her bright red hair. The Tanbarun System had once been her home, until Prince Raj decided that he wanted her, wanted her hair, to show off like some decoration or exotic pet. She rejected him harshly and, unfortunately, publicly, and now she hadn't returned home in...so long. All the wanted signs for her had only made things harder, had sent her scurrying off into the farthest corners of the systems, desperate for a plan.

"Yes, you might as well. Thank you Ryuu."

Shirayuki watched her reflection in the glass as the color of her hair rippled from red to a pale lavender, green eyes changing to silver, 'Shirayuki' being replaced by 'Maris'.

On the other hand, disguise programs run by an AI can work miracles, and the spice trader smiled, already eager to see her home system once more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I swear I'll never understand how Clarinese security works." 'Maris' grumbled, wearily leaning against The Scarlet Lion's hull. Four months ago, passing in and out of the Clarines system was a breeze, a simple matter of showing a (mostly) legal permit to trade, and going on your way.

Now, it had taken an extra hour and a half to even land in the market port. Security had suddenly tightened, with identity checks, extended permit examinations, and even a full ship scan to search for anything that wasn't promised to be on board. It had been a tense moment, and she thanked the stars for Ryuu's quick thinking, his intervention preventing her fake identity from falling apart.

They were late getting into the market port, but thankfully, everyone else was well. It was a usual day of business and trade, but guards patrolled the markets constantly, and whispers inbetween deals spoke of a dangerous escaped convict.

Not to mention the occasional neon wanted signs, which were everywhere. They depicted a fierce-looking humanoid with dark hair. Nanaki: Wanted Dead or Alive!

A convict is a convict Shirayuki. This is no petty thief or...or loiterer. The reward for his capture is easily three times higher than yours.

Shirayuki rubbed her forehead, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Ryuu was right, as usual, but his logic did nothing to lessen her irritation. Climbing into the Lion, she deposited most of the credits she'd earned today into a safebox, counting the growing pile of bills. There wasn't any major project she was saving up for, outside of upkeep for the Lion. But, sometimes she thought about moving to Lyrias, partnering up with Yuzuri and her friend Suzu, stopping for just a moment...

Shaking her head, she shuffled into the cockpit, the rush of the day catching up to her.

"Where do we head next again?" she asked Ryuu, the Lion falling in line with the other ships waiting to be cleared to leave Clarines. Through bleary eyes, she saw scans and lists of the Scarlet Lion's status flick across the screen as Ryuu set to work.

"Algatan. Your contact has a shipment of the Anis Sprouts you wanted, and she's given you a time limit before she offers it up for anyone el--"

Ryuu abruptly cut himself off, and the sudden silence was enough to put Shirayuki on edge. She sat up straight in her chair, tiredness forgotten and looking around in worry. Nothing in the systems looked wrong, but what was--?

"--se. So we need to hurry for that. Anis Sprouts are rare, as you know."

"What? Ryuu, what just--?"

Act natural. The scanners picked up something that shouldn't be here. Something or someone is on the ship. 

Ryuu whispered urgently into her mind. The proximity scan appeared on the HUD, and Shirayuki could now see that alongside the green triangle that represented her in the cockpit, a bright red square was pulsing in the cargo hold.

And moving closer.

"Wha--?!"

ACT. NATURAL.

The spice trader almost winced from the pressure of Ryuu's panic, and she forced herself to ignore the scan and pull up the message from her contact.

"Y-yeah. Anis is one of the, er, hardest plants to grow off-planet, so demand is pretty high..."

It's moving closer, obviously the intruder intends to come here and take over the ship. If you ambush from the other side of the door, you have a chance.

"Uh...s-so what kind of...instruments do you think they use for the Anis?" Shirayuki asked outloud, fumbling to think of some sort of code. The Lion wasn't exactly built with soundproof walls, nor was the shuttle that big. Thankfully, Ryuu easily understood the question she was trying to ask.

"There are any number of instruments or techniques anyone could use for cultivating Anis."

The battery starter. In the toolbox by the door. It should have enough power for an incapacitating shock.

"Well, thank you for that vague answer Ryuu." Shirayuki said, steadying her voice as Ryuu engaged the autopilot and she stood, quietly making her way to the door. The seconds of her trying to pull out the starter from the toolbox without making a sound were the most tense seconds of her life, even while she kept up the fake conversation with Ryuu.

"Botany isn't in my skillset. You know that."

"Yeah, but at the very least you could pretend to be interested?" Shirayuki pressed herself against the wall ajacent to the cockpit door, heart pounding in her throat as she waited.

"Very well. What instruments or techniques would you use for cultivating Anis Sprouts in foreign environments?"

"Well, soil examination is the first step, followed by weeding, and once that's done you--YAAAGH!"

The door slid open and Shirayuki whirled, the starter sparking with electricity as she turned it on and struck with all her might.

A hand stopped her attack, wrapping around her wrist in a vice-like grip, and Shirayuki stared up into a pair of piercing yellow eyes. The same eyes that had blazed above a reward for ninety-thousand credits, dead or alive.

"That was almost clever Miss, I'll give you that. But this ship is mine now, so why don't you--"

Shirayuki rushed him, using the element of surprise to push him backwards just as the hallway vents gave out a loud whine and flooded the small hallway with a thick, musty-smelling fog. The convict yelled, briefly letting go of her wrist to cover his eyes, and Shirayuki stabbed at him again with the starter.

Her aim was true, and she could feel his body jolt from the shock before a loud thump reached her ears. The smoke cleared as Ryuu vented the hallway, and Shirayuki was able to step forward and get a clear look at her dangerous stowaway.

Beneath the tight black clothing he wore, she could see lean, solid muscle spiraling down his back and over his forearms. Under the shock of dark hair, the tips of his slightly pointed ears poked into view. Shirayuki took another step forward, cautiously poking his shoulder with the tip of her shoe.

He didn't move.

The spice trader kept her distance, the battery starter still half raised as she called out to Ryuu.

"Is he dead? Ryuu, did I--?"

"Shirayuki, I'd love to tell you all of his vitals, but first we have to deal with the small issue of the Clarinese Security detail hailing us!"

"...oh no."