Space Odyssey: Spectre-Chapter 541: Cafe Meeting

"Sherlock? A bit on the nose, is it not?" Jace asked with a chuckle. "Let me guess you come from a line of investigators and members of the government?"

The man’s smile became even more strained as he nodded. "You are right on the money. I have family members that have served, family that currently serves, and family that will serve the Investigation department of the Imperials." Sherlock answered as the waiter came back. "I will have a coffee, dark roast."

"Very well," The waiter nodded before walking away.

"Now then. Is there anyway you or your people are going to willingly surrender yourselves? You did enter our galaxy illegally." Sherlock asked with a wisp of hope.

"Nope." Jace chuckled. "We are not that kind of people. Besides, don’t you have bigger problems than me? Or have you not noticed it because you were distracted by me and finding my people. Because I certainly noticed it on my way here."

Sherlock frowned and Pliro did as well, he was much more relaxed after he realized the man was from the government. "Explain."

Jace smirked and glanced at Pliro before raising his hand and rubbing his fingers together. Pliro made a noise of annoyance before looking at Sherlock who looked over at him. "We need to pay for the information. The only intel he gives will come at a price that he expects to be repaid." Pliro explained to the man who looked just as annoyed.

"Okay..." Sherlock then looked back over and saw Jace smirking but it also felt like the horse was smirking as well. "Well then what should we pay him with?"

"Lunch to start with." Jace answered before nodding at one of the closed stores across the street. "I noticed a bunch of small shops that were closed when they did not need to be. Which can only mean an unusual closing. That would only happen in the event of a communal meeting or another emergency of some kind. In this case I also saw several coded posters as we were walking here. It was in all three different areas I was inside of. I am guessing it is across not just all cities on this island but the smaller towns and villages as well."

"Shit." Sherlock cursed as he clearly put the pieces together quick enough. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"What?" Pliro glanced at the man before looking at Jace. "What does it mean?"

"Something similar happened right before the Mars Rebellion. It was theorized that someone intentionally riled them up to start a rebellion and it is happening again." Sherlock answered as he leaned back in his chair. "The civil unrest on the Southern Islands is likely to reach a boiling point in the next few days." He then looked at Jace. "Did you know this would happen when you shot down those ships?"

"You mean after they destroyed more than half that village by shooting it to hell and back?" Jace asked with a chuckle as he shrugged. "I knew that something would happen. But who knew such an intrepid group existed."

"Haa..." Sherlock sighed as he went to stand up but Pliro stopped him. "What?"

"You are paying for lunch." Pliro told him.

"Sirs, are you ready to order?" The waiter returned.

"Yes, get me a bottle of your most expensive wine. A platter of meats, cheeses, fruits, along with a desert tower." Jace began ordering and the horse neighed and headbutted his shoulder softly while nodding at something. "As well as an assortment of grains, vegetables and fruits for my horse. Actually I will take an apple slice salad as well."

The waiter blinked and then looked at the three of them. "Very well. Will that be all?"

"No, that is just for me." Jace answered as he pointed at Pliro and Sherlock. "These two have to order as well. In addition I will be getting some more once I am done with all of this." Jace answered.

Sherlock seemed horrified while Pliro burst into laughter. "You can get reimbursed later! That is what I do. I will take your best bottle of bourbon, the sandwich variety plate, along with a glass with ice in it."

Sherlock sighed and leaned back as he rubbed his head. "Martini, bowl of dates and some water as well." He took a drink of his coffee. "This is going to be a long day. I can already tell."

"It is not even five o’clock in the morning and we are already drinking." Pliro shrugged. "I think of it more as a day of relaxation."

"You know, it would be reassuring and would hold off the soldiers and whatnot if I could acquire some other information. Something my superiors feel is of a fairly high priority. Like how and why you have come to this galaxy?" Sherlock asked in exasperation.

Jace shrugged. "Oh... well... who said we intentionally came here?" Jace responded, stopping both Pliro and Sherlock in the middle of what they were doing. "We had boarded an enemy vessel and were in the midst of killing them so they could not get a foothold in our galaxy when we warp jumped through a blackhole. That is all I am going to tell you about the events leading up to our arrival."

Sherlock frowned while Pliro blinked in surprise. "Well... either way, someone with enough pull to command a fleet is coming to talk to you. Normally I would inform the other party to be as cooperative as possible. But I have a feeling you would just take that as a challenge to be as difficult as possible instead."

Jace nodded and hummed. "You are right." He then glanced at an alleyway. "Are you going to let your compatriots continue to wait and stand around?" Jace asked, getting a confused look from Pliro. "They are drawing attention that will eventually become unwanted given enough time."

Sherlock sighed and raised a hand before waving to the side. A moment later, Jace could see through the walls as they moved down the alley and split up. Probably moving up the surface. But he also watched as a woman walked over from the alley. She was armed and in tactical gear. But she looked unbothered by the looks as she walked over.

"Sherlock?" She seemed to be asking something with just the man’s name.

"He noticed you." Sherlock answered. He then waved at the spot opposite him. "Get a seat and sit down."

"So who is your companion?" Jace asked.

"I can speak for myself. If you tell me your name, I will tell you mine." The woman answered as she dragged over a chair.

"I won’t tell you my name, but you can call me Gladiator." Jace told her as he relaxed in his seat and glanced at the mime that was across the street.

"Then you may address me as West. Now, are we celebrating something? Is that why the waiter is coming over with several others and a literal barrel of what I assume food?" West asked as she sat down.

"Oh dear... there is another one." The waiter sighed as he arrived. Then they began setting down the food. One of them set down the barrel and opened it up. Colonel dived his head right in and began crunching on the grains. "What would you like to order?"

West eyed the alcohol and pointed a thumb at Jace’s bottle of wine. "Bring me a glass, I want some of that wine."

Jace raised an eyebrow and looked at the waiter who looked between them. "I do not mind sharing. But I plan to drink from the bottle."

West watched him and frowned, her eyes flickering to the side for a moment. "By any chance did you notice...?"

"Yes, I did notice. But I was not going to point it out because it has not yet become relevant." Jace answered with a shrug.

"I think it is becoming relevant." West pointed out.

Jace frowned and looked at a window in the cafe. A clown and an acrobat had joined the mime. "Maybe. But I will let them make the move first." Jace told her before they all flinched as there was a massive plume of fire in the distance. "Well this is a shame. But I think you two are about to be busy with something else very soon."

"I think so as well." Sherlock sighed as he stood up. "I am going to pay for whatever your tab is going to end up being." He walked into the cafe as Jace poured West some wine before taking a swig from the bottle.

"Decent wine." West remarked.

But Jace frowned and sighed. "Your gravity is several times stronger, your people have evolved to an unusual degree. Even your animals are evolved and unusually strong. Yet for some reason... your alcohol is weak. What is this? Twelve percent?" Jace frowned.

"How is that unusual? What percentage of alcohol is usual where you are from?" West asked as she swirled her wine.

"Twenty percent is our weaker alcohol level." Jace answered. "For my physiology I usually need around forty five to even feel a slight buzz."

West blinked, "hmm... interesting." She then gulped down the rest of her wine before standing up. She looked at him with amusement. "I hope to see you again soon."

Jace smiled as he watched her walk away. "Gladiator, I hope you realize you are playing with fire." Pliro pointed out.

"It can be quite fun." Jace told him.