Cavalier's Gambit -ch 18- (Patreon)

Wayne was taking the elevator down to the Lower commerce sector.

Or more specifically, the afternoon market held in the central area.

It wasn’t any better or worse than the Upper version, but he’d found people didn’t expect him there.

His goal was simple.

All the food he had in his kitchen was gone and he needed more.

Because he ate it all.

After waking up in the Cougar, he had immediately left, gone back to his room, stopped responding to anyone, other than Tink when she called him, and did nothing.

Nothing other than eat.

Eat and speak with the contracted therapist from his Hive-city mission, then the therapist from the most recent mission.

Today he felt mentally well enough to actually venture out.

It’d been a week since he’d returned and as far as he could tell, or at least knew, nothing had changed despite the mission success on Basal. Another battle in a war that may or may not have had any value.

Dressed in clothes that made him look like anyone else on the station, Wayne really wanted to blend in right now. The last thing he needed was someone bothering him.

The elevator pinged, opened, and Wayne exited.

Turning, he started off down the hall with his head down. The hoodie he was wearing made him feel less obvious.

I wonder if this is how Tink feels all the time.

Though I guess it’s different.

She likely doesn’t want people to see her because she’s aware of her looks. Of how people perceive her.

I’m on the opposite end of it a bit.

I just don’t want people to bug me.

The number of calls, texts, and emails that’d been sent to him since coming back had been significant.

Other than Tink, he hadn’t answered anyone else’s call. Those calls with Tink were mostly to try to plan testing times for him, as well as discuss his rewards and other things.

Thankfully Michael, the administrator, hadn’t called.

Or his secretary for that matter.

That’d be a fucking call I’d have to take.

Nodding his head at that thought, Wayne trucked on.

He entered the market quickly and then just moved off to the side.

The market was different every day. What was being sold changed by whatever was brought in by the merchants and vendors.

Sometimes there was fruit and vegetables, sometimes all that was there was fish. From somewhere out there in the universe.

Should the market fail, everyone would be eating nutrition cubes provided by the Terran Confederation. Made out of discarded food, waste, and other products.

Cleaned, recycled, refined, and made edible.

With a shelf life of thirty years.

Starvation wasn’t really a concern anymore.

Or at least, so long as you were on the government lists. If you were living in the Confederation without your citizenship papers, as Tink had been, you were on your own.

Watching, Wayne tried to figure out what was moving through the market today. He had made sure the time was just after merchants would be bringing out whatever had been imported on the daily shipments.

As he watched, he spotted a familiar face.

Tink was moving through the aisles of merchants. She had a basket on one arm, and was quietly looking through what looked to be canned products.

She visually picked over everything and then fled before the man behind the counter had even noticed her.

Moving closer toward Wayne, Tink came up to another booth. She was closer now and Wayne wondered if he should call out to her.

Tink was deeply engrossed in inspecting freshly baked bread it looked.

“Ah! Miss Tink, a pleasure, a pleasure,” said the man behind the counter. “How’re you today? Are you doing well?”

Tink’s mouth curled up into a small smile and she peeked up at the man through her bangs. She didn’t look unhappy or bothered with the greeting.

“I’m well. Th-thank you. Could I please have two loaves of your wh-white bread and uhm… do-do you have any apple pastries left?” Tink asked, her right hand pressing to her stomach.

He didn’t know she liked apples. As far as he knew, she didn’t have a sweet tooth at all.

Or she just didn’t want him to know about it.

“I do! I do. I saved one just for you,” the merchant said happily and turned away from her. He came back with something packed in a small container. Then he put down her requested items.

“Th-thank you,” Tink said with a wide smile now.

“Of course! Ah… is… there anything Lord Hesh might need, Miss Tink?” asked the merchant. “Is he well?”

Tink smiled wider now and shook her head. She handed over a card she’d been clutching in her hand.

“Lord Hesh is d-doing fine. He’s just been recovering from the last mission. I’ll let him know you asked about him,” Tink promised.

The card was swiped and quickly returned to Tink.

“I took the pastry off. No charge today, Miss Tink,” the clerk said. “Have a good day.”

Tink looked like she wanted to argue about that but merely smiled, took her gods, loaded her basket, and moved on.

It was then that he noticed that everyone around Tink had realized she was there. People were making room for her, and the counter clerks were all watching her and ignoring others.

Heh.

Hehehe.

Is it because she’s my armorer now?

They once ignored her, and now pay her attention?

Oh that’s the best. I should make this even more obvious.

Really get them to pay attention to Tink.

So how do I… oh.

That’s easy.

“Tink!” shouted Wayne at the top of his lungs in a jovial way.

The volume of his call had surprised everyone.

Even Wayne.

Tink was staring at him wide-eyed, her basket and card clutched to herself.

Moving over at a quick trot he caught Tink up in a hug and pushed her into himself.

“It’s so good to see you today, Tink,” Wayne said, still being a bit loud about it.

The small armorer’s head was pushed up under his chin.

“Sorry I’ve been grumpy lately. Thanks for taking care of everything. I couldn’t do this without you,” Wayne gushed, wanting to lay it on thick. So thick that people would think Tink was the easy door to him and would treat her well.

“W-Wayne,” whined Tink, gently thumping a hand against his chest.

Letting her go, he released her for the most part, but then caught her basket and took it from her. Holding it next to his side.

His free hand quickly came up and gently laid itself to her shoulder.

“Let me carry this for you, Tink. Where are we going next?” Wayne asked, smiling at her widely, staring into her face.

Tink’s eyes skittered to the side, then up to him. She was once again staring at him with wide eyes. He didn’t miss the annoyance on her face, or the extreme determination lurking there.

He only continued to smile at her. His free hand still resting on her shoulder.

“Thank you, Tink,” he said much more quietly. For her ears alone.

Tink slowly blinked. Then blinked again.

Reminding him again that she loved to blink.

“You’re welcome, Wayne. And th-thank you,” Tink murmured quietly, though a smile threatened the corners of her mouth. She apparently knew what he was intending. “You don’t have t-to do this much. You’ll… you’ll look bad.”

Wayne chuckled at that.

He actually didn’t mind if people thought he was dating Tink.

Realistically, he’d considered her more often than he wanted to admit, and he felt like seeing where things went with her wasn’t a bad idea.

“Why, already seeing someone?” he asked instead, his hand pulling on her until she was practically in his side. He gave her a gentle push to get her moving again.

“What?! No! No one wou-no. I’m not,” hissed Tink, her volume dropping immediately to a whisper.

Thankfully everyone around them had spread away and gave them more than enough space.

“Then shut up and be my market date,” Wayne said and stuck his arm around Tink’s shoulders. He’d done it often enough now that it felt somewhat correct to be there. “I need to get a whole bunch of groceries. I ran out. Want to help me out with that?”

“I mean… I’m al-already using your bank card for my own groceries. It wouldn’t be very hard to shop for you t-too,” Tink agreed, her head tilting to the side till she could peer up at him. She sounded gratified in a way.

“Great. Lead on my dearest Tink,” Wayne said, increasing his volume again.

Once more, everyone turned to look at him, holding onto Tink in a very obvious and possessive way.

“Fine. B-but we’re doing the testing I wanted later. Now that you’ve recovered,” Tink demanded.

***

Having finally finished up with Tink’s testing on his new AI, Wayne went down the steps from the Dashi Raider.

Which Tink had named “Cavalier’s Redoubt”.

Given how quickly she’d changed the transponder, paintwork on the exterior nose section, and updated the records, he realized she was more than fond of the name.

“Uhm, Wayne?” Tink asked from above him.

Stopping at the foot of the steps, he turned and faced her.

“I really am… grateful,” Tink said and met his eyes fully. She didn’t hide or look away. “I’m well aware of ho-how much you’ve changed my life. I’m grateful.

“I wanted to say it. I’m grateful, to you, Wayne. I’m grateful.”

“Got it. I’m grateful you’re grateful, my dear Tink,” Wayne replied with a grin. He was tired from her prodding and poking at his implant and making him do things, but he couldn’t deny she was a capable partner to him being a Walker pilot.

She smiled at that, then gnawed at her lip.

“You said just to be myself.”

“I did. I meant it. You’re great just the way you are.”

“I’m ugly.”

The way she dropped the words felt a lot like someone letting go of a frying pan in the middle of a quiet kitchen at midnight.

“I think you’re pretty in the right way,” Wayne answered, suddenly wondering where this conversation was going.

“You’re attracted to me? Despite… despite all that’s wrong with me?” Tink asked, though it didn’t sound like a question. Not completely. “You touch me a lot. In ways that are innocent, but not. You push the idea that I’m already yours to outsiders.”

Once more, her words were flung out with abandon.

Opening his mouth, Wayne wondered how to reply.

Then he shrugged and nodded his head.

“Yeah. All of that. You’re right. I am attracted to you. Physically, at least. I figured if you didn’t like the touching, you would have said no, by the way. I assumed you liked it,” Wayne admitted. “No idea if it’s anything beyond that though. I didn’t want to talk about it or ask you out though. Would’ve felt wrong after hiring you.

“That and… well… eh… I’m honestly kind of messed up in the head right now. Still-still recovering from everything that’s happened. I’m not really sure of myself at all.”

Tink was blinking rapidly, watching him studiously all the while. Her face was a bright red color as well.

“You-ah… yes?”

“Yes what,” he replied, wondering what was going on in her head now.

“Yes,” she repeated. Then grabbed the door and hauled it shut.

Leaving him standing there, completely uncertain as to how that conversation had just ended.

“Yes,” he parroted, then turned and began walking away.

The door jerked open behind him causing him to look over his shoulder.

“Yes I liked the touching!” squeaked out Tink before slamming the door shut again.

“Huh… yes. I like that yes.”

Walking around to the other side of the Cavalier’s Redoubt, he noted that it was bouncing up and down a bit. As if the sole occupant inside was jumping up and down, or running back and forth.

Or so his AI told him as it calculated the wild load displacement and calculated what was causing such a thing.

Smiling, feeling nervous, Wayne left the hangar.

He made it halfway down a hall when he came across something out of the ordinary. A young man crouched down against a wall in the shadow of a bulkhead.

He was partially cloaked in a shadow.

Wayne had a momentary sensation of having met this person before.

Staring at them as he approached, Wayne suddenly realized who it was.

It was the young man that he’d guided out of the mission from Michelle’s squad.

“Well hello there,” Wayne said with a grin as he walked up to the young man. “Strange to see you her-oh my fuck!”

Looking up at him, Wayne saw the young man’s face was bruised. The left eye was swollen shut, both lips fattened, and there was a cut right above the eyebrow.

His short blonde hair was ruffled, and the single blue eye looked somewhat dull.

“What the hell happened?” Wayne asked and then got down on one knee. He’d realized he was looming over the young man.

“Lord Hesh,” whispered the young man.

“Yeah, skip that spisht. I’m Wayne. What the fuck happened?” Wayne pushed.

“I… I came here to try and-and… I don’t know. I don’t know why I came, I guess,” he sputtered. “I thought maybe I could find you and… join you, I guess. Or learn from you.

“I got here, and I got robbed. This is all old.”

He gestured at his face as he said that part.

“It was almost as soon as I went off the normal paths. Robbed and everything was taken from me,” the young man said in a whisper. “For the last several days I just sleep in the halls when I feel like it’s safe. I get food at the administration building otherwise.”

Wayne clicked his tongue and considered what to do.

He suddenly had a weird and intrusive thought shove its way into his head.

This kid was too young to understand the world they were in. Wayne had been blessed with parents that’d gifted him a lot while also having to struggle. To fight for what he wanted.

Michelle might’ve been probably meaning to raise them up and give them a chance.

“No family?” he asked, wondering if his thoughts would line up.

“Dead.”

“Home? Where you came from?”

“Was Michelle’s… it’s all gone now.”

“Friends?”

“Don’t have any.”

Wayne clicked his tongue and nodded his head at that. He slowly looked down and to the side.

A wisp of a memory trailed up from the deepest parts of his mind. Memories that, while treasured, had dimmed with age.

Memories of his parents.

“We escaped the Hive because you needed a chance. A chance to succeed.”

“Your father’s right. We did anything. Everything… to get out of the Hive. A chance for you to live. Live and thrive.”

“Ahhh… I guess I have another mouth to feed,” Wayne whispered to himself.

“What, Lord Hesh?”

“Wayne. Not Lord Hesh. Now… get up. We’re going to go talk to my armorer,” Wayne growled.

“Miss Tink?” asked the young man.

Grabbing the man by the arm, Wayne pulled them upright.

Surprisingly, they were only a few inches shorter than Wayne, though considerably thinner. Malnourished, almost.

“Come on then,” Wayne ordered, guiding the young man forward in front of himself. “Unless you don’t want me to take you in.”

“Take me in?” the young man asked in a fretful voice. “As what?”

“Trainee. Attendant. Squire. Something. Pick one of those titles,” Wayne answered, still guiding the young man along.

Nothing was further said until they reached the Cavalier’s Redoubt.

“Stay here,” commanded Wayne and pointed at the ground. He then marched up the steps to the Cougar and hesitated. Then he knocked on the door loudly.

There was a clack and a thump from inside. Tink had clearly heard him.

Her face appeared in the window and her eyes landed on his face. As if she couldn’t control it, her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

The door opened a moment later.

“Wayne?” Tink asked as it swung open.

“Tink, my dearest armorer, I think I might have a squire to take on,” Wayne explained and gestured to the young man at the foot of the steps. “He was part of that squad that I took over. Michelle’s. Came here and… well, they’re naive.

“Got robbed and lost it all. Been living in corridors.

“However… I won’t accept him as a squire unless you approve. Because you’re my armorer. You’d end up likely handling a Walker for him too.”

Tink was gazing at the would-be squire. Her brows low across her eyes and her mouth screwed up into a frown that was partially a smirk.

“Michelle was your…?” Tink asked quietly.

“She was-ah… she was my aunt,” admitted the young man. “She was my aunt. I was left behind by my parents and she was the only one who stepped up.”

Tink sniffed, her frown deepened, then sighed.

“Okay,” Tink finally said, looking to Wayne. A sad smile curled her lips. “Thank you for consulting me. As your person, I appreciate it. A squire is needed anyways.

“As Lord Hesh, you should have an attendant to help you with things suitable to a Cavalier’s needs.”

“Great,” Wayne looked down at the young boy and then put a hand on Tink’s shoulder. “This is Tink. She’s my armorer. She is worth… she has no worth. She’s beyond worth.

“Tink here is my most prized person, acquaintance, employee, however you want to call it. If Tink tells you to go sleep outside, go sleep outside.

“If she wants you to scrub the ship down, scrub it down. If you’re willing to take that on, I’ll make you my squire.

“Whatever the pay is supposed to be for that, we’ll figure it out after I get a contract for it tomorrow morning. Along with any title that comes with it, I guess.”

“I’ll take the job,” promised the young man with a sudden and fierce look of extreme excitement flashing across their face.

“What’s your name?” Wayne asked.

“Ah, it’s Natalie! But Michelle always called me Nat.”

“Natalie,” Wayne repeated stupidly. “How old are you?”

“I’m nineteen. I’ve ah… I’m a bit thin. I haven’t eaten in a while and Michelle was trying to put some weight on me but there wasn’t much time,” Natalie said, looking down at them-self.

Herself.

“Though I guess that was helpful in a way. I don’t think the people who robbed me realized I was a woman, otherwise they might have done more,” Natalie said, then looked back up to Wayne and Tink.

Wayne looked to Tink, now deeply unsure about the situation.

Tink however, somehow, looked relieved.