Karmlyn Sen-Tiago was just hitting her stride when the newcomer entered the grubby confines of the Hotel Talan. She had spent the last half hour learning the competition's strengths and weaknesses, her mind calculating odds at a rate that would make most other Mymar, or species, heads spin.
As Karmlyn folded her particularly bad hand of cards she saw the newcomer. It was another Mymar, a lady at that. Amused, thinking that aside from herself and Jinx, who languished at the bar with a glass of fruit juice as she brushed off yet another lewd advance from a rock-rigger, that this could very well be the first time three female Mymar occupied this grubby little asteroid community. At least Karmlyn had been able to coax Jinx out of her coveralls and into a nice, if overly conservative, dress. Humans, particularly human males in a community where the males outnumbered females ten to one could be miserable to deal with and Karmlyn had once found herself in a position where she'd had to draw her holdout blaster on a drunken idiot. Thankfully, Jinx had also been present and a shelf of equipment just 'happened' to fall on the man, saving themselves uncomfortable questions about why they had violated the weapon prohibition. Why they didn't consider mining lasers weapons was beyond her. Alas, this establishment was the best the mining asteroid of Talan had to offer. Still, it was a dive, but a lucrative dive. Now if only their shipment would show up, which it wouldn't until the solar storm died down over the next few days.
Momentarily out of the card game, Karmlyn took the opportunity to scratch an itch that had developed under the fur on her left cheek while she discreetly observed the newcomer.
This newcomer immediately had the undivided attention of the rock-riggers regardless of species as she tossed her thruster-black mane that barely reached her shoulders. Aside from her clothing this stranger was black from head to toe, except for an alternating pattern of vertical ivory stripes at the tip of her mane giving the effect of piano keys. Indeed, she went to the establishment's piano and gave the appreciative pianist a kiss on the cheek as he surrendered the instrument to her.
The card games at all tables paused momentarily as the ebon Mymar rained her hands down upon the keys and belted out a boisterous mining camp song with a rock-rigger accompaniment.
Karmlyn watched the woman through the shifting crowd and grudgingly had to admit she had an excellent singing voice and very good command of the piano although she made a few classic 'Mymar' mistakes. Hitting the wrong keys, as a human piano's keys are a little too widely spaced for Mymar hands. Karmlyn thought this a little strange, considering how tall she was for an average Mymar. A quick look at Jinx brought a shock, Jinx was glaring at the woman with barely veiled hostility. Jinx? Jealous? Thought Karmlyn in amusement and then decided it might be a good thing to help her out of her shell. More than once Karmlyn had thought a 'roll in the space dust' with a rock-rigger might do the girl some good before she stuffed the notion back into her subconscious before Jinx's creepy intuition caught onto it. Well, maybe not a rock-rigger, the bartender maybe?
It was this woman's mode of dress that really caught Karmlyn's eye. Loud eyeball searing pink. A short-sleeved top cut about as low as Karmlyn would only dare in the bedroom, and a skirt about as short as she had tried to wear to school... once... until her father stopped her at the door and marched her back to her wardrobe to change.
Abruptly, the music changed and the rock-riggers looked at one another in confusion as the ebon Mymar eased into a haunting adaptation of an Absolini lullaby... and brought the audience to tears. The stranger concluded her performance and Karmlyn found herself dabbing at the corners of her own eyes with the childhood memories that had flooded back even if the song was sung in the Galactic Standard tongue. A glance at Jinx revealed an utterly blank expression, more so than was normal for her. Karmlyn filed this for later reference.
The stranger stepped upon the pianist's bench and bowed low, giving an unholy view of her cleavage, as she gushed thanks to the hooting and whistling audience. She descended and passed through the crowd to the gambling tables utterly unmolested as the crowd parted before her as though she were some sort of religious figure. And judging by her figure I'd say I know what religion it is Karmlyn mused as the ebon Mymar stood at the edge of the row of card tables with a predator's glare clearly written on her face.
The house pianist resumed his playing and the crowd returned to semi-normal... almost. A younger rock-rigger, a human, grasped the ebon tail with one hand and whispered something into the stranger's ear.
"Get your hand off me," she snarled flashing the man a mouthful of fangs.
That was all it took. Two other riggers pinned her assailant's arms while a third took his meaty fists to his midsection before the scaly Dangid bouncers arrived to bodily drag the offender outside to administer the only education available on Talan. His screams were mercifully short and judging by the sound of the low moaning he wasn't entirely done in.
True to form Jinx slipped out as the bouncers returned, undoubtedly to make sure the man got some sort of medical attention. Not the comfort he'd hoped for, but in his current shape he'd surely appreciate any sympathy he could get.
The stranger's voice caused Karmlyn to jump such was the proximity.
"I see my choice of tables this evening is glaringly obvious," she said in the language of Absolin.
Karmlyn placed the thick accent as southeastern. A poor area, if any area on Absolin could be considered truly poor, but indeed the locals were constantly on planetary subsidies since the whole region lacked decent agricultural land, and other resources were limited at best. It had been used mainly for prison colonies in the past and most of the residents were mixed descendants of prisoners and staff alike. Societal problems were simply handed down through the generations from that tragic experiment gone awry.
A nearly broke rigger stood up and offered the stranger his place at the table. "A pleasure, Miss Xixin," he said as the other Mymar slid into the chair giving the rigger a winning smile.
She seemed disproportionately short now that she was sitting down. Karmlyn mused, they all seem bigger on stage, but where have I heard that name before?
"Evenin' Miss Xixin," said the house gambler/honesty police.
"Hi Harvin," she chimed to the swarthy man with a mustache who sat with his back to the wall. Then she batted her amber eyes for the benefit of the two rock-riggers she'd wedged herself between before leaning across the table to offer her hand in greeting.
Karmlyn reached out to clasp hands at the wrist, noting the hand she was clasping lacked fingernails, something else for later reference. But first there were formalities to be made. "Karmlyn Sen-Tiago," she introduced herself in a crisp, professional tone.
"Lynsyl Xixin," the ebon Mymar replied.
Then it clicked in Karmlyn's mind from where she knew the stranger. This was the holo-model who'd been mistaken, possibly deliberately, as Jinx for a hovercycle advertisement. That ad had caused Jinx to be mistaken for Lynsyl almost everywhere she'd gone after that. It's wouldn't have been so bad, she supposed, if it weren't for Lynsyl's background in 'adult' films. She felt her jaw drop slightly and she whispered, "Bianca Xixi?"
Xixin screwed up her face slightly and replied, "Stage name, and I'm here to play some cards. So please, call me Lynsyl..." she trailed off.
"Then call me Karmlyn," she responded, slightly more guarded than she intended.
Then the players placed their ante and the dealer distributed the cards.
"Tell me," Lynsyl asked, "Are you in any way associated with Sen-Tiago shipping?"
As cautiously as she had been playing cards that evening Karmlyn answered, "I represent that company's interests, yes."
"You're the Karmlyn Sen-Tiago, niece of Scullinar?"
Lynsyl's eyes narrowed slightly, but Karmlyn couldn't decide whether or not it was veiled hostility so she merely pulled back her whiskers to affirm.
Karmlyn played cautiously through the first few hands studying Lynsyl Xixin, and decided that while she wasn't a particularly skilled player of cards she certainly knew how to play with heads, male ones at least. The two rock riggers, who both although smart enough to keep quiet began developing a penchant for dipping their cards at crucial moments for a glance down Lynsyl's top as she contorted herself from side to side and front to back. Karmlyn, both amused and disgusted by this, discreetly began to follow Lynsyl's lead.
Finally, with a hand worth playing, Karmlyn looked across the table and found Lynsyl pointedly not looking back at her, not quite, but her whiskers were dipped in a fashion that suggested submission... or that Karmlyn might do well to fold. Karmlyn inspected her own tidy profit, then her reasonably good hand. She considered it, then folded as one of the riggers bet far too much for comfort. To both the rigger's and Karmlyn's surprise, Lynsyl raised him. The house gambler folded and stared intently at the three remaining players. Both riggers matched her and the first one raised again, which Lynsyl matched and raised again. Finally, with most of the money between the three of them in the pot, they laid their cards.
"Flush, queen high," grunted one of the riggers, the one who'd been less aggressive in his betting. For him, staying in the game became a matter of pride, it seemed. But still, a flush was quite a good hand, better than Karmlyn's three of a kind.
Whether she wins or loses I owe that woman a drink, mused Karmlyn.
"Full house, three kings, two deuces," belted the other triumphantly as he reached for the pot. "Don't worry honey," he leered at Lynsyl, "There're ways ya can win this back."
The crowd that had assembled to watch the betting frenzy took a sharp breath as Lynsyl gave the rigger her most sultry smile as she laid down another full house, only hers had three aces.
The rigger with the flush roared with laughter while the other looked at his hand, then hers, then his again.
"Ya had tah be cheatin'," he snarled.
"Something up my short sleeves?" she batted her eyes at him, "Or perhaps something down my shirt? You've been staring down it enough tonight. Oh, and perhaps you might consider keeping your hand under better guard in the future."
"Bitch!" he roared, grabbed her arm, and raised a fist as big as her head.
Karmlyn reached into her handbag for her blaster while somewhere in the crowd she heard Jinx yell, "No!" Several riggers all began to launch themselves into the situation, but stumbled to a halt as Lynsyl's assailant crumpled with five angry red marks on the side of his face.
Karmlyn blinked and looked at Lynsyl, or her hands in particular and saw five black points disappear into her fingertips.
Gulping back her breath, Karmlyn asked, "Is he..."
"Out cold for the next few hours?" finished Lynsyl, "Yes. And considering what you've just been through with the Lagos mob, you might consider investing in some built in protection as well."
The bouncers came to collect the unconscious rigger and Lynsyl whispered to one of them. The bouncer nodded, and they dragged the man to the door and dumped him outside for a constable to collect with a paddywagon, rather than an ambulance to collect with a spatula.
The remaining rigger stood up, bowed to both Karmlyn and Lynsyl and said, "It was a pleasure losing a month's wages tah ya ma'am."
Without looking at him she asked, "Does that idiot have a wife and cubs?"
Confused at the question he replied, "Um, no."
"Do you?"
"Yes ma'am."
"So you sat here in a gambling hall all evening pissing away your cubs college education while staring down a former porn star's top. You, sir, are a bigger asshole than your friend lying out in the gutter."
The rigger blinked and Lynsyl turned on him, "Get out of my sight."
The man jumped and turned tail out the door.
Lynsyl then turned to Karmlyn, causing her to flinch unconsciously, and asked, "Care for a hand? Nothing heavy, just friendly?"
Karmlyn smiled at the invite and replied, "I'd be delighted."
Lynsyl turned to the house gambler and pleaded with her eyes as she said, "Harvin, we'll be changing languages now, could you?"
"Well, considering present company I don't believe I'll be needed to keep an eye on your... technique, Miss Xixin. Y'all have a fine evening." He stood, bowed and kissed both Lynsyl's and Karmlyn's hands, then went behind the bar to talk with the bartender and one of the bouncers.
Jinx sat down next to Karmlyn and waved off being dealt a hand.
Meekly, Lynsyl peered across the table at Jinx, and in Absolini said, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Karmlyn looked over at Jinx as she stared at the table for a moment. Slowly, Jinx looked up and replied, "It is... nothing."
"Your eyes are lying," countered Lynsyl.
Jinx looked back and their eyes met. "I thank you for your apology, and accept it."
"Good," replied Lynsyl, "If we can't be friends at least we can hope to not be enemies."
Jinx held her expression characteristically neutral and replied, "I don't hate you, just the unwanted attention."
Karmlyn, filled to the bursting with the mushy sentiments flinging left and right interrupted, "Same rules?" as she began to deal two hands.
Lynsyl snapped her attention back to matters at hand and twitched her whiskers in affirmative.
They played a few with small bets and no planet-shaking hands until Karmlyn asked Lynsyl, "Why Bianca Xixi?"
Lynsyl tilted her head in indifference, "My agent at the time picked it out. A play on words in Galactic standard, Xixi. Bianca means white in some dead human language. I probably wouldn't have chased down the Hando Repulsorlifts contract unless my current agent had suggested I play on the 'ghost' theme. And the news about you two breaking the Lagos mob had just been released the morning after I'd dyed my fur for the try-outs. Naturally, some marketing genius saw credit marks when he saw me." She rolled her eyes.
Jinx looked away for a moment and resumed her blasé stare before asking, "And why are you here?"
"Overpaid riggers buy a lot of expensive toys, like hoverbikes. I'm here for the same reason the breweries send bikini girls from asteroid belt to asteroid belt." Lynsyl got a queer look on her face and said, "You know Jinx, you might do well in this gig, I hear you know a thing or two about bikes. Might impress the hell out of people at Hando, both knowing what you're talking about and having the right set of looks."
To Karmlyn, Jinx looked about as embarrassed as she'd ever seen her. Jinx looked down at herself and felt her midsection.
Giving voice to Karmlyn's thoughts Lynsyl said, "Oh honey, you have a bit of a package but it's nothing that a little time in the gym and brushing your fur right won't cover. You look fabulous, I wish I had your looks."
"I'm not so sure Jinx would be happy prancing about like a..." muttered Karmlyn, and she immediately wished she could take it back. Both Lynsyl and Jinx stared at Karmlyn gape-mouthed as Karmlyn fumbled for damage control.
Karmlyn watched Lynsyl slowly close her amber eyes and when she opened them they were blood red, a terrifying contrast against her ebon fur. "Prance about like a what? A table dancer? A prostitute?"
Karmlyn held her hands up and pleaded, "I meant nothing..."
"Listen here, Miss Sen-Tiago, she who likely went to all the right schools and never known a day of hunger in her life. I live in realspace with real people. Little people. And I made it. I had to sell a portion of my soul to do it, but I'd sell the rest to make sure my brother doesn't have to."
With that, the ebon Mymar stood up, now much shorter than she had been earlier as she collected her credits, and stalked across the hall to the cashier. She performed a few transactions and left, this time at her 'full' height walking on tip-toes as if she were digitigrade.
Karmlyn stole a glance at Lynsyl's feet and looked at Jinx in bewilderment.
"Repulsorlifts fitted in her heels," Jinx explained, "A very new fashion trend podiatrists are screaming about. Ruining the ankles of our youth, they say. It hasn't quite caught on yet, but one never knows."
Karmlyn eyed Jinx, obviously impressed. "I had no idea you stayed abreast of fashion trends, Jinx."
"I don't," she replied, "I do watch technological innovations. There was a write-up in last month's Tech Galactica magazine."
"I see," murmured Karmlyn as she surveyed the vaguely hostile crowd knowing full well what happened to people who crossed their 'star.' But first, Karmlyn wanted some information.
With Jinx in tow she went to the cashier's booth and discreetly asked, "Just how confidential is transaction information here?" as she slipped a thousand credit note under the forcefield.
"What can I do for you ladies?" the teller replied cheerfully as the note disappeared under the counter.
Karmlyn handed the teller her cash won that evening and asked, "Please convert this to a credit stick," and in a lower voice she whispered, "and show me where Miss Xixin's deposits were allocated."
As the teller counted the cash, a readout appeared detailing Lynsyl Xixin's transactions. Three separate items, one to a personal account, a second to the University of Mixinar registrar's office on behalf of a Kendel Xixin, and a strange item. An education trust fund set up for two children, a boy and a girl both under ten who lived on the local biosphere station. The figure was a rough approximation of what a rock-rigger might make in a month.
"Do you suppose..." murmured Jinx.
"I think so," replied Karmlyn. Then to the teller she asked, "These cubs belong to that one who Xixin just called an... asshole?"
The teller made an affirmative indication as he rolled Karmlyn's credit stick under the forcefield.
Karmlyn rolled it back and said, "Add this to the trust fund."
Jinx eyed Karmlyn incredulously while the teller performed the transaction and as they left together Jinx asked, "That seemed unusual for you."
Karmlyn snorted, "If an actress-model can be a philanthropist, so can a rich girl who's never known a day of hunger in her life."
And Karmlyn saw a brief flash of what was the closest thing to a smile she'd ever seen from Jinx as they passed through the blast doors into the main shaft of the asteroid habitat.
Transit cars ran the length of the shaft and the two Mymar ladies queued up at the station that would take them to the starport where Karmlyn had parked her freighter.
Their attention was jolted to their left as Lynsyl's shrill voice sounded out into a comm, "Of course I mean it! The bitch is going down! I'll see you in the morning."
And they watched a black tail disappear into a transit car bound for the asteroid's core.
Based partially on characters and concepts created by and copyright (c) Murray M. Lee. Used with permission.
Lynsyl Xixin and storyline copyright (c) 2001 by Alqua Kalina.
Karmlyn Sen-Tiago and Islyne "Jinx" Jixsi copyright (c) Murray M. Lee. Used with permission.