Weyland was on the phone, the inter-planetary line back to earth.
"Look, I know I'm running a firm, but I need you to move those appointments out of the way." His brow furrowed "What do you mean? I told you something has come up"
He listened for a few moments. "All right, I suppose we can arrange that. I'll be receiving the call in my quarters later. Good Night."
He hung up. The HQ was rather unhappy at him missing his appointment on earth, but he wasn't going to take the eight week journey back now. He needed expert advice, and there was only one place he was going to get said advice.
He had to find Paul Cromwell, even after he had promised never to bother him again, but experts with as much hands on experience as Dr. Cromwell were rare, especially after the xenobiological Division had been disbanded.
He had ordered that himself. Experimenting, torturing creatures just didn't fit his company's profile, even though the board had disagreed.
He knew weaponizing them would never work.
But right now, he would love to know more about the xenomorph he had locked up in the belly of his ship. If humans were involved, especially on LX-783, which was a pretty un-interesting place according to his databanks, this could mean quite a few things, none of which had any pretty implications.
The yautja would cause trouble though. If word of his actions got back to his race, he'd be in serious trouble.
But then again, if word of the yautja's actions with the xeno got back to his race, he probably wouldn't need to worry about anything. And he had recorded their kiss in the holding cell.
Besides, he could just kill them, should things get out of hand.
It interested him though, why it was two males again. Obviously they were both males. He'd have to ask Paul once he'd found him, but he doubted he'd get an answer. Paul was pretty un-scientific if it came to … encounters. But, hey, to each their own, Weyland though.
For now, he had to locate a certain person, the only one who actually knew the location of the planet he had left Akkan and Paul. After having cleared it, he had struck Orubas-78 from all records, all maps, only leaving one copy to a certain person, who had flown them there.
And said person had last been here, on this planet.
Weyland had heard of her arrest, after a run-in with the colonial marines who were doubling as some sort of police force. It had seemed she had smuggled large quantities of synthetic drugs, and hadn't been careful enough.
He had arranged to visit one of the mining facilities the firm owned on this planet, hoping to at least be able to check on her in jail.
He had arrived after two months of flight, and after a short, covert enquiry, he had only found out that she had apparently already escaped the jail, heading off into the prairie. It had been enough for Weyland. She would wrangle her way back to the stars, he knew it.
He had concluded his visit of the mining facility, had a few dinners with the right and the wrong of the city, and had met the mayor in his villa out in the woods.
On their return, they had the encounter with the two that were down in the cell in his hold now. It wasn't the most diplomatic way, tranquilizing them, but Weyland wasn't going to take any chances. Especially the reaction of the Xenomorph to mentioning the name of the Olde Wood Foundation had made Weyland cautious.
It was rage, anger, he had felt it in his mind, but that didn't mean that there was no underlying purpose. He couldn't trust the two until he had at least some sort of confirmation that they weren't after him. A yautja was a formidable opponent, even so in the company of a xenomorph.
They could also be an asset, Weyland thought. He should go down to them and at least apologize for the treatment they had received. Perhaps even compensate them or something, to stop them from developing a hate towards him.
Sighing, he left the bridge. One of the three soldiers that guarded him was at the helm, and he nodded towards him "I'll be down in the hold. You wait for the take-off clearance and then hold her in the atmospheric queuing position."
"Sure Sir."
Aki had gotten up and was doing some stretches, with Eran watching him intently.
Suddenly, a voice blared from hidden speakers "Aki'ru, Eran, how are you doing?"
Aki growled, and Eran hissed "What is going on?"
"I'm sorry" the voice went, and two tiles of the room's wall turned translucent. Weyland was standing behind them, alone, wearing a suit and a dark tie. "I couldn't take any chances. I'm not sure on which side you are, and until then, I'll apologize, but I will have to leave you in there."
"You do realize that you have no authority to hold us?" Aki slammed his fist in his hand
"I do, and I'm sorry. But there are quite a few people in this universe that would love to see me dead, and sending a yautja" he stopped "I am pronouncing this right?"
Eran nodded, and Weyland continued "to kill me would just be their style"
"I'm not here to kill you, but if you don't let me out soon, I will!"
Weyland was silent for a moment. "Perhaps we can find a solution to this."
"I sincerely hope so." Aki growled.
"How about I let you out, and we talk face to face."
"How about you let both of us go?"
"I'm sorry, that's too risky. I can let you, Aki, out, but I will have to leave you friend or mate or whatever inside the cell."
Eran turned to Aki and clicked: "You can free me once you are out. Kill the human and we will go."
Aki was about to reply, when Weyland butted in again "I am fully aware that you are probably planning to kill me once you are out, and free your friend, which is something I don't really want. The door to your cell is code-locked, and the only one who has the code on this ship is me. I'm not your enemy, and I'm trying to show this to you. But never once take me for a fool."
"Give me a moment to confer." Aki said
"Of course."
"What do you say, Eran?" he clicked.
"I don't want you to go. But if this man wanted to kill us, he could have done so multiple times over."
"You are right."
"I will stay here, and you will go out and talk to him."
"I won't forget you, Eran. I'll get you out, somehow."
Eran put his hands around Aki's shoulder "I just want to kiss you once again."
The word kiss felt wrong, but Aki quickly hugged the xeno, kissing him, and then breaking away.
"We are ready!" he said to Weyland.
"Good! Aki'ru, step into the exit. It's a two door design, and one door only opens when the other has shut."
A pair of panels slid away, revealing a small, dark chamber.
"Go" Eran clicked. "I'll be fine"
Aki had emerged into the ship's interior, and finally could confront Weyland in person. The man was smaller, especially so close up. Aki was larger, almost hitting his head on the roof. They left the hold, and headed for Weyland's quarters. Aki didn't feel good at leaving Eran back there, but the faster this was over, the faster he could be back with the Xeno.
"May I offer you a drink?"
Aki agreed, and Weyland poured them a whisky.
"A friend of mine makes these, I hope you like it."
"I'm not here to talk niceties."
"I had thought so. Still, I shouldn't forget my manners."
"Words that have no meaning are dishonourable. Your actions speak of you as a dishonourable man."
"Well, I do apologize."
Aki growled. Weyland had a certain courage. Of all the safeties he had implemented, the code lock and everything, Aki could still snap the human's neck like a twig, and find some other way to escape. But Weyland was sitting down in a leather armchair, calm as day.
"Apology accepted" he said.
"Good! Now, down to business. How did all of this" he swept his hand, encompassing the entire situation "Get to happen?"
Aki grunted "We had an accident on our ship, and we had to jettison. Headed back to the spaceport on a hover bike I borrowed."
"That explains the lack of equipment on your person. I've never met Yautja without at least a ton of armour and equipment. What it doesn't explain is the shape your friend is in."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't take me for a fool. I've spent time close up with a xeno before, I know how fresh wounds and old ones look on those creatures. And the one your friend has in his side is pretty fresh!"
Aki decided not to tell Weyland the full truth. "There was an accident during the descent in the escape capsule, and he got injured."
"That's rather a bad lie, isn't it?"
"Sorry?"
"I'd prefer the truth. I know your people aren't too good at deceit. The amount of blood he would have lost would have disintegrated the entire escape capsule."
"All right. We had a run in with some human bad bloods, and in the course of the confrontation, Eran got hurt."
"Human criminals? Where?"
"Somewhere east of the spaceport. It was a settlement on top of a mountain, led by someone called Jeff the Governor"
"What happened?" The matter-of-fact tone of Weyland surprised Aki. He'd have thought that the man would not believe him.
"There was a crime. A child was killed, and a woman almost. I had to prevent it."
"What did you do?"
"I killed one of the men, but there were more, and I was taken to the bar to be questioned. Eran had hidden, and after a small standoff we managed to flee through an underground river."
"Underground river? Wait a moment. I think I know what you mean. This town's mayor told me about outlaws active in an area similar to the one you described. Pray go on."
"In the course of said flight Eran got injured, and we had to wait till he had recovered sufficiently."
Weyland nipped his whisky. Aki hadn't touched his yet, but now took a small swig, the liquid slightly burning his throat. This was not unlike the drinks he used to drink with the Elder who trained him. It was good. He continued "We returned after dark, to gain access to the hover train that transp-"
"I know which one you mean."
"And what's more, I wanted answers."
"Answers?"
"About the crime. About this world."
"So what did you do?"
"We entered the governor's house, and had a talk with him."
"Did you get your answers?"
"No, we did not. He was clearly deranged!" Aki took another sip.
"Deranged you say. Could you describe him?"
"He was tall, thin, with grey hair, high cheek bones, no beard, blue eyes, his hair was not very long." Aki was a hunter, so he knew how to observe things.
Weyland sipped more of his whisky, and then turned to the computer screen in the wall. He tapped in various commands, and a picture of a man appeared. "Is that him?" Weyland asked
Aki nodded "Yep"
"That's Jeff Carter. He's wanted for murder on more than one world."
"Not anymore"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I killed him."
Weyland breathed out. "I'll have to inform the colonial authorities eventually. They will check the place out and pronounce him dead."
"Why are you so interested in this?"
"Call it natural curiosity. What happened to the woman?"
"She fled. Oh, I remember. The governor knew her name."
"Well?"
"It was Jeanne."