A Starship Called Starsong

Chapter 47

It was at least fifteen minutes before the man finally finished inspecting and sorting the stones. He turned to face me. "You said you had larger ones as well?"

I nodded serenely. "Yes. Are they needed to assist with the identification?"

His previous irritation and shortness had disappeared. "I would like to buy all of these and the larger ones as well."

I shook my head. "Sorry sir, but I was merely looking to have them identified and thought I would consult with an expert such as yourself. I wasn't looking to sell them."

The look on his face was priceless, and I fought hard to keep my expression from changing. He was apparently not accustomed to having people in the trading hall show no interest in selling. He shook his head as he got over his surprise. "I can match any other offers you have had, that isn't a problem."

I blinked in pretend confusion as I replied, "Sir, I really didn't intend to sell these. They made such a lovely display, but I could never answer people's questions about them and wished to learn more about them. Would you be able to tell me what they are?"

He hesitated, clearly trying to find a way to get me to change my mind. He gestured to one small pile. "I wasn't able to identify these ones. You said you had larger pieces for these as well? That may assist in the identification process."

I pulled the six stones closer for a better look before nodding slowly. "Yes, I have several larger pieces."

He inquired, "Could we take a look at them? If you have time, that is."

Considering it was late afternoon, most trades would be winding down as leisure time began for the average crew member. My uniform told him that I worked on a spaceship, although I had not stated my rank, nor was I wearing anything that made it obvious. He would not have even considered that I might be a Captain due to my age.

I pretended to consider it. "I don't have any obligations for a couple of hours, so I suppose so."

I scooped up all of the gems and stones before putting them back in their bag. The old man held out his hand. "I'm Marcus."

I shook his hand. "Rachel."

He walked beside me as we left the trading hall. "If you don't mind me asking, where did you find such an interesting collection?"

I shrugged lightly. "Here and there in my travels. I used the tractor beam to pull in a few tiny asteroids under the guise of practice when the scanners picked up some interesting readings."

He tilted his head in thought. "Do you work on an exploration vessel or in the Navigations area?"

"I serve on a trading ship. I don't work in the Navigations area, but they don't mind letting me use the tractor beam occasionally." I wondered how long this could go on before he realized who I was...

I gestured towards the base of a ramp, and he raised an eyebrow at the new ship before following me up the ramp. I hadn't caught any glimpse of Ronan, but I knew he wasn't that far away. The security guard happened to be an off-duty Officer. He glanced at my companion before nodding a welcome as the door opened.

Marcus followed me inside and glanced back as the door closed. "Huh. He didn't ask to see my ID..."

"Well, there is only one exit unless you can fly – and that isn't something I am about to attempt anytime soon." The only reason they hadn't stopped him was because he was accompanying their Captain.

He chuckled at my logic. "Good point. And considering I don't have wings, I am not about to try either."

I grinned at his more relaxed manner as I headed towards the elevator. Miracle of miracles, he didn't seem to realize the significance of the upper levels, nor did he pay any attention to the buttons I had pressed. I wasn't entirely sure if he even knew what level we were currently on...

"Here we are." I waved my hand over the access panel by my door.

Marcus had probably expected me to bring the stones out of a small bedroom for him to see, which was typical on a spaceship. He hadn't expected to see a sitting room, but he immediately spotted the stones he had come to see and wasted no time in entering the room as he headed towards the display on the center table.

Starsong had given me tips on how and where to place the rocks for the best effect. This had all been planned, although no one else knew about it.

It was actually a beautiful display, and I was quite tempted to keep a couple of the more beautiful pieces if this man didn't try to add every piece to his own collection. None were precious or expensive, but all of them were very rare in one way or another – which made them priceless to a collector such as this man.

I took a seat as I watched Marcus kneel by the table. He carefully picked up the larger pieces as he turned them over with a look of amazement. He inspected each stone closely before going to the next one.

At one point, he glanced at the football sized stone that was clearly the centerpiece. The shimmering blue and purple stone peeked out of the rough grey stone that hid most of it. He blinked a few times before peering at it more closely. 'Huh, that didn't take him very long.'

"He was likely wondering why it was the centerpiece when so many other unusual pieces were present."

He held out his hand towards the stone. "May I?"

I nodded. "Certainly."

He carefully picked up the tall stone and looked it over before pulling out the jeweler's loupe again. After a long bout of silence, he quietly asked, "Are you aware of what this is?"

I kept my expression calm. "Yes, it is an aurora stone. It is a rather remarkable piece that happened to be in an asteroid we pulled in. It took a fair bit of work to polish it considering that we decided to only expose small parts of the gem."

He never looked away from the stone. "The effect is outstanding... But aurora stones just don't get this big... Some of the largest ones found are only the size of a golf ball."

"And that is why I have never made its discovery known. Such attention is not something I want."

He was still entranced by the stone in his hands as he carefully commented, "Would you be willing to sell this?"

This particular stone wasn't worth any money in an open market, and I knew it. So did he. Its size made it special for those who valued it for its uniqueness. Besides, to me, it was just a pretty stone. For him, it was a precious treasure.

I responded, "Money doesn't really interest me. I am more concerned with the long-term success of this ship."

He finally looked up with a light in his eyes as he found possible leverage. "This is a trading ship, correct?"

"Yes."

He was quite focused and seemed to be getting more excited. "I am a supplier of some other rather unusual and hard to find gemstones that are worth a lot if sold on the right planets. I rarely deal with spaceships, but if you are willing to sell this collection to me, then I will add this ship to that rather short list as long as you are on it."

I pretended to think it over while gazing at the stones in a reluctant fashion. "My entire collection?"

He gazed at me steadily, some of his pride resurfacing. "My offer is not trivial, I have access to people who do not sell to traders. The ability to supply and sell otherwise unobtainable gems is something that cannot be bought. We can check the value of these stones with three impartial sellers, and I will triple their offer."

This was more than what Starsong had hoped for; these stones were just bribery to gain access to far more valuable gems later on. I nodded slowly. "That would give us access to some rather exclusive markets. I assume you would wish to deal directly with me in any future trades?"

He likely assumed that such a trade arrangement would also lead to a promotion for myself, as well as valuable job-security due to the terms he had laid out. He replied, "If possible, I usually only get along with those who know the value of the stones under our feet."

I continued to gaze at the table and the fifty-some rocks and gems on it as if contemplating the pros and cons of what their absence would mean. After a long silence, I spoke reluctantly, "All right. I can agree to that trade and the sale. As much as I like the display, it is a shame to leave it where no one other than me ever sees it."

He held out his hand, and I reached over to shake it, sealing the deal.