A Child's Close Call

I grew up on the edges of low security space, where the Amarr borders come closest to the Caldari. My family was poor, and my parents couldn't manage as typical traders, so my father became a smuggler for another Ni-Kunni family in our system. He didn't enjoy breaking the law, but in the end it was clear that the only way for a hard-off family to survive in our area was to bypass Imperial and State tariffs, dealing directly and under the table for smaller corperations that couldn't, or wouldn't, cover those costs.

On one trip my father, after returning to Amarrian space from a pick up in Caldari, was headed to the Amarr system for final delivery. I was approaching my seventh year of age by the standard calendar, but had never visited the capital of the Empire, so my father decided to bring me along. Once his delivery was complete, he took me to Dam-Torsad to see the Imperial City. To me it was massive, wonderous and frightening at the same time.

Looking back, I am sure my father guided my tour of the city very carefully. We saw temples, embassies and monuments, but very little of the markets. Not that this seemed to work in avoiding certain trader elements. At one point my father was approached by a well-dressed man. He wanted to make a business proposition to my father, and gave him a small card. His hand convulsed around mine as he looked at the card, and he politely told the man that other business unfortunately had to be seen to at the time. Father made farewells to the man and dragged me back to his ship. I could tell that the man had upset him, but I didn't know why. I also could tell my father didn't want the man to know he was upset, so I tried my best to not show any unusual reactions as well. Once we were safe onboard, I asked my father what was wrong. He didn't tell me that day, but he did tell me after I turned sixteen years old.

"Remember when I took you to see Dam-Torsad when you were younger? We were approached by a man with a business proposition. Well, that man dealt in goods that he shouldn't have. I know what we do is also not quite on the up-and-up. But that man, he was a slave trader, and he was most likely trying to purchase you for his stock."