“Being assigned to watch Suha has admittedly been a “Dull” job… Someone whose been so passive, so helplessly harmless doesn’t give you much in the way of reasons to fear failure. Nothing to keep you sharp and on top of your game with your words or actions. I would find myself thinking of my own methods to be sloppy and amateur because this operation doesn’t call for anything more advanced than a stern talking… It has made me soft, caused me to be careless, and worst of all? It made me make the same mistake Suha did and become trusting…”
- Utatis Parinen
"Aren’t I just one mischievous little bunny?!~”
October 10th YC 125
6NJ8-V VII - Moon 2 - Guristas Logistic Support Station - Utatis Parinen’s office space
“Uuuuuutaaaaaatissss!~”
“Suha… What brings you around at this hour? With no forewarning…”
“Oh!~ I’m sorry about that Utatis!~ I was visiting the wounded Guristas personnel hospitalized here at the station like usual… Figured I would drop by and see you…”
“…”
“… It’s not a bad time, is it?”
“… Anytime is good for you, Suha. I was finishing up some reports… What do you need?”
< Suha walking forward >
“Wwweeeeelllll… Have you gotten ahold of a buyer for all that junk those State spies shoveled off to us?~”
“Yes… some Guristas gun runners. Wanted something cheap to resell elsewhere… I went ahead and negotiated a price and made the sale.”
“Marvelous!~ Always on top of things, like usual Utatis!~”
“… Right.”
“Something wrong?~”
“Oh… Nothing. You just seem to be in a good mood is all…”
“Well of course I am!~ I just got done meeting with so many different Gurista and getting to hear their amazing stories in combat!~”
“Hmm…”
“…~”
“… Was there anything else?”
“Oh!.. No I think that was all!~”
“Alright… Well if you don’t mind, I do need to get-”
“-Oh!~ Is this your sidearm?!”
< Suha snatching Utatis’ handgun off his desk and walking away >
< Utatis shooting up from his chair >
“Suha!”
“I don’t think I ever got a good look at this thing up close!~ Is this modified? This grip certainly feels custom…”
“Suha… Give that back…”
“Whaaaaat?~ I just wanna take a quick look at it is all!~ Is it loa- YEP!~ it’s loaded!~ < Giggle >”
< Utatis walking out from behind his desk >
“You need to return that weapon to me Suha…”
“Oh come now Utatis!~ You just left it hanging out on your desk!~ You must really trust me not to do anything Utatis…”
“it’s not a toy! Hand it over!”
“… And there’s that belittling language again.”
“What?”
“Oh, you know… The constant lecturing like I’m some clueless child that has no idea what she’s doing! You think I don’t know what a gun is by now? I was taught to shoot when I WAS a child! Maybe even sooner than you… Growing up on some backwater colony up the asscrack of this region with slavers, Caldari, and bored eggers looming above orbit… I assure you, I know what this is, and what it can do…”
“I didn’t mean to offend-”
“-Of course you didn’t mean to offend! You don’t talk that because you try to hurt my feelings… You do it because you think of me naturally beneath you… Which is funny! Because I’m supposed to be YOUR boss… But your employment with me is all ‘Pretend’… Right?”
“…”
“Tell me… Does the name Sortan Ramose ring a bell?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…No-”
“-LIAR! I saw in that one good eye you IMMEDIATELY recognize that name! You ■■■■■■■ piece of ■■■■!”
“Suha-”
“-He was telling the truth! This whole ■■■■■■■ time you were spying on me!”
“Put the gun down-”
“-■■■■ you!”
“Let me speak-”
“-Three years Utatis! Three ■■■■■■■ years you were telling that disgusting ■■■■ everything I felt safe telling you!”
“Suha… You’re upset. I see that…”
“Upset? Ohhh! I think I’d use the word ‘Irate’ right about now! Because I feel a ■■■■■■■ hole burning in my heart looking at you and thinking how much you’ve told them!”
“Everything.”
“What?!”
“Everything… That was my assignment.”
“You’re not denying it then?”
“You have me at gunpoint Suha…”
“Oh! So that changes things?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me why! Why spy on me?”
“If you’re asking why I was given my orders. I can’t give you any official answer, because I don’t know. Then again, there’s not much left to the imagination as for why the Guristas would want a man inside for your little startup… You saw what Esri accomplished… You think what you built was anything challenging for the Guristas?”
“B-But-”
“-All these years idolizing these people and yet you still don’t get how things work, do you?”
“… I-I trusted you!”
“That was your first mistake.”
“THEN WHAT THE ■■■■ WAS THE SECOND?!”
“Letting that trust evolve into dependency… Giving me more access to you, leaning on me to manage and organize your operations. Telling me your secrets and your schemes, desiring my input on decision making… I dare even say you needed me more than Avio…”
“…”
“I’d go further down the list, but I think you get the gist of it… Now, I need you to relax. And lower the gun…”
“…”
“Slowly…”
“…”
“…Good… I understand your frustrations about these revelations, but I assure you they have been for your own good-”
< Suha shooting Utatis in the leg >
< Utatis crashing to the floor, yelping in pain >
“… Awww!~ Utatis you goofer!~ How can you trip standing in place?~”
< Utatis gasping >
< Suha stepping forward >
“Don’t worry!~ That kind of injury can be treated nowadays!~”
“S-Suha! Don’t!”
“Never thought I’d see you beg Utatis…”
“ I’m trying to s-stop you from making a mistake!
“Would I be making my third mistake? Fifth? Tenth?”
“Final!”
“Closure sounds nice right about now…”
“I’ve kept you alive!”
“And I’m sure you did it out of kindness and generosity!”
“Without me you become too much of a rogue element!”
“And without me, you don’t serve a purpose anymore… At least that’s how your ‘Old friend’ Sortan put it…”
“He exposed me…”
“He reeeaaaaally didn’t speak fondly of you…”
“You’re playing into his hands!”
“Am I? Way I see it Utatis, this is an opportunity to start fresh…”
“W-What?!”
“I’m not gonna kill you Utatis!~ That would just be a waste… Maybe I did depend too much on you, but that’s only because you’re too useful… I’m not done with you yet!~ There’s still so much more to do!~”
“… Ideas. Of course… You just can’t help yourself…”
“What? Have you just completely tuned out the world around you? I haven’t… I’ve been made to sit on the sidelines, but that’s only forced me to watch what’s going on around us… Ever since those gates were discovered, I’ve felt the pulse of this region… I know not the scale, but good things are on the horizon!~”
“What would you know?”
“Oh my visits to the wounded here aren’t ever just for charity alone… You’d be surprised what a soldier high on painkillers would tell a pretty face with an open ear!~ Not to mention the uptick of egger traffic as they scurry into the region trying to establish positive relations with the Guristas… And on that note! I know from Avio directly that he helped galvanize the formation of a ‘Special interest group’ inside BOSS to support Guristas interests… And of a new alliance of eggers by the name of Black Rabbit suddenly emerging inside 6NJ…”
“Y-You have contact with Avio? You’re not supposed to!”
“Aren’t I just one mischievous little bunny?!~”
“…I’d have to report this.”
“Or we can just keep this one interaction between ourselves. Afterall, what good is you snitching now if that means letting Guristas know you’ve been exposed?”
“…”
“… If I need you to live, and you need me… Way I see it, we’re bound together! We’re better off cooperating…”
“You’d just go back to me working for you? Knowing I’m a spy?”
“Sure!~ I just have to be smarter around you is all…”
“And I have to be smarter with you…”
“That’s right!~ So… Care to just continue like nothing happened!?~”
“… Sure.”
“Great!~”
< Suha walking away >
“…S-Suha!”
“Hmm?’
“I need a medic!”
“You do!~”
“Get me one!”
“Oh, You’re capable Utatis! You can get one yourself! I believe in you!~”
< Suha walking away >
“Suha! Suha, don’t leave me like this! SUHA!”