"Now, Captain, let's talk about your friend here, and then about the mess you made in the alley st night," Katrina said to John, then focused her attention on Niki. "I apologize for not introducing myself to you earlier, dear. I am Lieutenant Commander Katrina Eligan, though you may know me better as Lady Eligan, the heir to the Western region of the Kestrel Empire. You are Niki Hanson, daughter of Garret and Nichole Hanson, correct?"

  "Ahh... Y-Y-Yes, midy." Niki said, squeaking out a reply.

  "No need to be nervous here, dear. I reviewed your case, and I am honestly appalled with the way the courts handled it. I cannot change the past, nor do I currently have the power to reverse their decision immediately; however, I hope I can aid you today. First, can you expin what has happened from your perspective, from the trial to the time you have spent here to the Third Ring?" Katrina asked, her demeanor changing yet again to that of what John thought a noble woman sounded like.

  Niki was gripping John's arm tightly, but with a reassuring nod from him, she began to speak. At first, she was stuttering her words, but when no one interrupted her, she slowly grew more confident reying her experiences. She felt that everything happened insanely quickly once she was unable to make her payments. She was dragged out of css and brought immediately before a judge. The proceedings began even before her legal counsel had arrived, and once he did, anytime he tried to defend her, he was talked over by the prosecutor.

  She was then given the options of how to pay for her crimes, which she chose to come to the Third Ring to try and find work. She was immediately taken out of the court and deposited in the Atrium with her legal counsel and four armed guards, who then forcibly dragged him back before he could really talk to her about her options here.

  She then started looking for work, but every time she was hired, within a few days, the gangs would show up and threaten her employers with violence if they didn't fire her immediately. Eventually, no one would hire her, so she spent her days running from gangs and searching for food. She would beg for a shower now and then, but always had to be careful since Timur's gang or another one would find her, and she would have to run again.

  She had been sleeping in air ducts and in cargo boxes for weeks. She was at a breaking point and was about to ask for her contract to be sold to a brothel so she would at least have had a bed and food to eat. That is when the gang started to intensify their chase, and she could barely get an hour or two of sleep at a time. She had fallen over in exhaustion after eating the food John had bought her, which allowed the gang members to corner her.

  "And that is when John shot them and rescued me," Niki said, her voice not as shaky as when she started.

  Katrina's expression grew darker as her story unfolded, and John didn't bme her at all. He was getting royally pissed at the entire situation. If he ever found this Timur guy, he was going to light him on fire with his magic. A bullet was too good for him.

  "Niki, this was a terrible thing that happened to you. You have my deepest apologies that the nobility has allowed something like this to take pce here in Parrax. I can't promise you an immediate resolution, but I will be investigating the parties involved in your case." Katrina said, then turned to John. "Now, Captain. Do you have anything else to add about the encounter st night?"

  "Not really. I heard her screaming, turned the corner, and after a moment of listening to the conversation, shot them. Something weird happened, like time seemed to slow down for a moment, but other than that, I was just putting down some guys who appeared to be trying to kidnap Niki. They also mentioned some... rather disturbing sexual things they, rather their boss, was pnning on doing to her. I was outnumbered, so I put them down like rabid animals instead of trying to de-escate the situation." John replied. He really had no qualms dealing with filth like that.

  "Well, be that as it may, there is a major issue with what happened." She said, then continued when John raised an eyebrow. "One of the gang members you shot was a noble. The nephew of the Baron who is in charge of this Ring, to be exact."

  "You are saying one of those punks was a bloody noble? Why would a rich kid be down there harassing Niki?" John said, confused.

  Katrina sighed. "Being an idiot? Doing something against his family's will for a little thrill and rebellion? I honestly have no idea. Publicly, the guy had a fairly clean record, other than hanging out with Timur. I know he has his fingers in some illicit things, but I have never been able to get solid proof. The real problem is, despite what he was doing being morally wrong, legally, he was in the clear."

  "How the fuck was kidnapping and attempting to rape someone, legal?!? What the fuck, Kat!" John said, standing up, his voice increasing in volume as he spoke.

  "Easy, John. I know how you feel. Remember, though, according to the w, Niki is a criminal. Most people in the Third Ring are criminals of some sort, or spacers who come and go from the station. While the criminals here are not bad enough to be required to serve out their sentence at a penal colony, they are still criminals. If she had been employed or part of one of the guilds, she would have some rights, but as it stands, it is almost as if she doesn't exist. Sometimes, idiots like those gangsters take advantage of people in her situation." Kat said. She looked like she swallowed a lemon, displeased with the situation as much as he was.

  "That is insane. So you are saying I was not allowed to shoot that asshole to defend her?" John said, sitting back down. Niki clutched his arm again, seemingly trying to calm him down.

  "Pretty much. Don't concern yourself at the moment, though. I have no intention of turning you in; that guy was a pig." She turned back to Niki. "After hearing your story, you were wronged badly here. There should have been proper support in pce to advise you of your rights. I cannot say sorry enough for what you had to suffer through in my realm."

  "Ahh... thank you, Midy," Niki said after a moment.

  "Don't worry about anything happening. I am sure the Captain here will pull something out of his ass and be able to help you."

  "Ahh, what?" Both Niki and John said at the same time.

  Kat smiled at them, then continued talking. "Now, the other issue is Niki's debt. Right or wrong, it exists and has already been ratified in the courts. Even using my influence, I wouldn't be able to overturn the decision, not yet anyway. You could hire a wyer, but it would take months, possibly years, to get this decision overturned. I am not an expert, but education on our legal system is mandatory for nobles, and with that in mind, it might be cheaper to just pay off the debt."

  "And how much is that debt?" John asked, not a hundred percent sure where Katrina was heading with this line of thought, but he had some suspicions.

  I am going to have to pay it off, aren't I?

  "I have no idea. I don't have access to that file here. I would need more time than an hour and a half to find out everything, not to mention that I received a promotion this morning. It has been busy." She replied, shaking her head slightly.

  "It was a lot. I can't remember the exact number, though; there was too much going on at the time." Niki said, clutching John's arm again. She looked ready to cry.

  "It's fine, Niki. You are doing surprisingly well considering the situation you are in. You are a very strong woman." Katrina told her.

  Niki sniffed a few times, then replied. "Thank you, Midy."

  "Captain, while she is in debt, her options are severely limited. She cannot leave the Third Ring, nor can she legally leave the station, unless she is under a government-sanctioned work party. This is for all the IDS in the Third Ring. There is a long-winded expnation I could give you, but the main reason many chose to be here instead of a penal colony is the job opportunities. The opportunity that gives them a chance to be picked up by a merchant crew, or do mercenary work."

  John's mind was piecing together what Kat was leading to. "You are saying I should hire her as part of my crew, aren't you?"

  She smiled at him. "That is correct. However, you will need to buy out her IDS contract. Normally, when this is done, the IDS would have some skill you require, like an engineer or an operator. In this case, though, I think you are looking to save her, yes? So it shouldn't really matter what skills she has."

  "Wait... I need to think for a moment." John said, trying to wrap his head around this conversation. "Why would I need to pay out her contract? What are we doing here, Kat?"

  "John. You killed a noble. He was a piece of trash, but a noble nonetheless. You only have two options right now. One, head to your ship and depart the station. You will be on the run in the Kestrel Empire, and depending on how much stink the family puts up, the other Empires might not accept you at their stations. Short of heading to deep space, I have no idea what you could do to save your skin." She said, looking sadly at him.

  "What is the other option?" He asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear it from her.

  "You pay out her IDS contract. She becomes a member of your crew, and suddenly the murder of the noble becomes the defence of a Free Captain's crewmember."

  "Seriously? Is there really no other option?"

  "Not for someone with refugee status. If you were a noble or a royal, you could easily get around this by saying you executed them for the crime, but you do not have that power unless you were on board your ship." Kat said. She was watching him like a hawk for some reason

  "I suppose that would work." He replied, trying to think of another realistic option with what he knew. He came up short.

  "But... that would mean-" Niki started, but Katrina cut her off.

  "Yes, it does, dear."

  "Mean? Mean what exactly?" John said, wondering if he missed something.

  "That she would become your IDS, on your ship," Kat replied to him, not breaking eye contact with Niki.

  "Ahh... okay?"

  What is going on between them right now? They are both staring at each other.

  After a few moments, Niki finally spoke. "I'm... I'm okay with that."

  Why do I feel like we are having two separate conversations at the same time here?

  "You are okay with me buying your contract, Niki?" He asked her, wanting to make sure they were on the same page.

  "Yes. You healed me, gave me food, and then saved me from being raped by those terrible people. If there was anyone whom I could choose to call Master, it would be you!" She said, smiling up at him.

  This fucking world is crazier than the one filled with devil children running a high school. Lord help me, let's stop pussyfooting around and just do this.

  "Niki, I don't know how much your contract is, but I should have enough funds on hand to buy it." He said, patting the hand clinging to his arm.

  "Thank you... Are you sure you want me, though, Sir?" She said, looking up at him with those crystal blue eyes of hers, a few tears running down her cheeks.

  "Yes, Niki. I want you to come work for me. I have no idea what you will be doing yet, but we can discuss that ter, okay?"

  "Yes, Sir."

  "You know I am a merc, right? You sure you will be okay when we are out hunting pirates? Or Javarians?" He asked her, reminding her that his job was considered fairly dangerous.

  "If it is with you, then yes!" She said happily. Her ears and tail were both twitching.

  God, she is adorable like this. Reminds me of a nicer version of that hellcat that tried to beat me up in the DxD world.

  He turned back to Katrina. "So, the timelines don't really match up if I am only hiring her now."

  "True, but the guild was shut down for anything but emergency services yesterday, correct? Well, they should be opening soon. So, if anyone asks, you say you were going to seal the arrangement with her st night, and ended up needing to defend your new crewmember. You then vacated the scene immediately, just in case more of that gang showed up."

  "And this will work? Even though he was a Noble?"

  "Absolutely. I know it is not exactly what happened, but that guy was starting to become a menace. Seeing him defeated like this actually brings some joy to my heart." Katrina said, then sighed again. " Also, you should be aware that his family might come after you anyway. That particur line of nobles has always operated on the edge of the w.

  "Okay then. Well, what should we do now?"

  "I have already contacted the penal office with the INP. Your appointment is in... thirty minutes. In an hour, I will file a report to the police stating a merc captain reported defending one of his crew members st night from three thugs, then vacated the scene in case they had reinforcements. Meanwhile, you take Niki to the guild and get her registered right after the INP visit. Just like that, it will then be between the guild and the police to deal with any legal issues. Mention to the guild about the altercation, of course." Katrina said, a smug-looking smile forming on her lips.

  "Wait, you already came up with that pn? How?" John said. He had no idea she already come up with the solution for them before their arrival.

  Katrina ughed, a genuine smile showing on her face. "After your text message, I pulled the security footage. I knew you had a damsel in distress in your custody. You put on a tough act, Captain, but I know you have a soft spot for a pretty face." She giggled

  I've been made!

  "Seriously? I'm not that bad!"

  "No, you are not. You are just a good guy." Katrina said, getting her giggles under control.

  "He really is!" Niki said beside him.

  "John, you know, you saved me, too, right? Think of this as repaying a bit of that debt. Oh, speaking of, your bounty money should be wired to you shortly as well. Your cut was 50 000 GSC, with an additional 200 000 GSC bonus for being the lynchpin of the operation. 250 000 GSC total, not a bad payday, Captain."

  "Y-You... you just made 250 000 GSC in one day? How is that even possible?" Niki said, looking shocked.

  "Take out a pirate base, and a pile of their ships. He was also the one who pnned the operation, executed the most dangerous part, not to mention having seventeen confirmed kills on his own. He quite literally prevented billions of GSC of materials from being stolen. If anything, we could have paid him more." Katrina said, seemingly happy about the outcome of the operation.

  "That is insane," Niki said, trying to pick her jaw up off the floor.

  "That is pretty good. Now, will you let me take you out for dinner soon, Kat?" He asked.

  "Yes, but it will have to be after things settle down with my new position," Katrina said, then switched back to business mode. "You have the next week to yourself. Do whatever you want, just message me if you are leaving the station, and don't leave the system."

  "Alright. Well, if there is nothing else, Lieutenant Commander, we will head over to the other station and get your pn started. Thank you."

  "Thank you!" Niki chimed in as well.

  "You are both very welcome. See you soon." Kat said, then walked the pair of them to the exit.

  With that, John and Niki left the dockyard INP station and moved to the interior of the Third Ring. He held onto her hand with his left hand, keeping his right hand free to draw his pistol at a moment's notice. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his first crewmember.

  For her part, Niki just leaned on his arm, enjoying walking next to the massive man who was going to be her Master. She was terrified of becoming someone's direct IDS, but something about John made her feel safe and protected. She had no idea what was going to happen to her in the future, but suddenly it felt a lot brighter than it had been for years.