by R. E. Graham
"We cannot take on an inquisitor with troops on our own. We need someone to aid us in this fight. The lords are seeking to expand their realm, and this inquisitor is surely hampering their operations. We will act as bait, they will rid themselves of a threat."
“Sounds like as good a plan as any,” Hern said as he stood straight up. He clapped his hands together and looked around the room. “Unless anyone else has a better idea, I say we go with the Cap on this one. I for one am ready to shoot a lawman.”
“Joker set a course for Dusk,” Mikhail said before he turned back to Nina.
“Send an encrypted message back to Patrix. Tell him that we have a plan to get back at the inquisitor.”
“Yessir,” she said as she also stood up.
“Stay focused on the job at hand,” Mikhail said speaking to everyone. “We will have time to grieve when the Lawman is dead. I can’t do this without all of you. We each have a part to play in getting vengeance.”
Chapter 33
Cycle: 434 Month: 3 Rotation: 1
Corre Republic Space
Prefecture: Siimon
Planet: Destiny
Location: Aboard the Silverbolt
Inquisitor Cyrus analyzed the data the intel officers of the 12th DSST poured over as they were hard at work. They had spent several rotations digging through the records the mercenary Colonel had sent over to them looking for a clear sign of a coverup.
The Tribune walked up to the Lawman with a datapad in his hand. “Inquisitor, I have a full report of our forces deployed to Largo.”
“Read it to me,” he said as his eyes scanned a different report displayed on the holotable.
"All of the mechs have been resupplied with ammo and stand at one hundred percent effectiveness. We sustained only three casualties during the raid, but all three of the troopers should recover."
“Excellent,” Cyrus said as he looked over to Aries. “Have we noticed any sort of movement with the Razors?”
"Negative, sir. Not since they recalled all of their forces to the capital. Looks like the Colonel has caught onto us being suspicious of him."
The Inquisitor rubbed his chin as he thought. "I'm not quite sure he is intelligent enough for that though. The message he sent me after the attack on Largo was short and to the point. He accused me of looking to encourage an uprising on Destiny and that he was going to draw his forces back to the capitol to protect it from protesters." Cyrus steepled his fingers together and pursed his lips. "No matter. If he does suspect that he is going to be the center of an investigation he may be drawing his forces together to mount a defense."
“He couldn’t possibly believe he could defend against the Republic Armed Forces,” Aries said with a bit of speculation in his voice.
The Inquisitor gave him a curious glance. “It is far beyond me to understand why a man with such incompetence was ever promoted to Colonel much less how he landed this role on a Republic world. Our primary objective is still bringing the Only Hope to justice. If we are able to locate a link of Largo or Captain Tarvus to Colonel Felix, it will just make my cycle."
“Aye. I would enjoy seeing that blowhard brought down,” the Tribune said as he placed his arms behind his back.
Cyrus knew that Aries was the type of man who would consistently take the most dangerous assignments he could. If it hadn't been for Prefect Haines, he would still be on the frontline with his troopers ready to defend the Republic from all of her enemies. This mission had led them through muddy waters, but it was necessary to bring peace and order to the inner worlds of Siimon to defeat the growth of piracy.
“I want us to maintain combat readiness Tribune. We need to be able to move the moment the Only Hope hops into the system.”
“I’m curious, what makes you certain that they will return. Surely the man you marked will notify them. What’s to stop them from just going into hiding?” Aries asked curiously.
Cyrus smirked at the question feeling confidence surge through his body. “Because we have his family. He may be a pirate, but nothing in his file shows him to be a maniac. Rest assured Tribune he will come for them,” the Inquisitor said as he headed for the door.
“Yessir,” Aries replied as he turned back to his intelligence officers.
As Cyrus headed down into the makeshift brig on the Silverbolt, he thought about the coming triumph. He would be heralded as the inquisitor that brought order to a region in chaos. Promotion was assured. All that was left was bringing down Mikhail Tarvus.
His boots echoed down the hallway with every step as he walked to the brig. Two-armed shock troopers stood outside the door of the previously used storage room. Each man carried an automatic rifle and wore their full combat armor. To their enemies, shock troopers were the stuff of nightmares.
Cyrus nodded to the man on the right, and they both stepped aside giving him clearance to the door. He waved his hand over the door panel and the metal door slid into the wall. Leesa Tarvus held her son on her lap. She gasped slightly when she saw the imposing inquisitor standing in the doorway.
“Hello Mrs. Tarvus,” Cyrus said as he stepped inside.
He clasped his hands together behind his back. His leather belt cape squeaked as he twisted his torso to the prisoners as he paced back and forth.
Coral looked up to the Lawman but then hid his face in his mother’s shoulder.
“What do you want with us?” she asked bitterly. “We have done nothing wrong!”
“Oh?” the Inquisitor asked mockingly. “I do believe that your dear husband is a wanted man. He and his crew have made it their business to go about the stars and to steal from other citizens, sometimes resulting in deaths.”
He observed Leesa looking for a sign that she would cooperate.
“I told them that this wasn’t right.”
“And you did good to do so,” he said as he stopped pacing as he stood in the middle of the room. “However, this does not abdicate you from being associated with murderers and thieves. Your husband and his actions have resulted in your town being found guilty of assisting and concealing criminal activities.”
“No, you slaughtered innocent people!” she shouted angrily. Her eyes burned with pain, but the Inquisitor was immune to its effect on him.
“Interesting that you view them as being innocent except that it would require the entire town’s compliance in order for Captain Tarvus and his crew to be able to function. This was no hidden secret. Everyone must have known.”
Leesa's intensity dimmed some, and the Inquisitor knew he had her.
“Mrs. Tarvus, I hope you understand the severity of the situation. You are just as guilty as the rest of Largo, regardless of whether or not you approved of it.” He paused for a moment to give her time to understand his words. “This also includes your son.”
Her motherly instincts kicked in, Leesa looked up at Cyrus pleading him not to continue. “Please Inquisitor, my son isn’t even six. He didn’t understand what Mik or I were part of. Please…there must be something you can do to save him.”
And now I get her compliance…
“I wish there was Mrs. Tarvus but…”
Leesa interrupted the Lawman in desperation. “Please, I will do anything.” She gripped her son tightly in her arms as she begged.
“The choice ultimately falls to me to make the decision on whether or not who to convict. However, I cannot excuse what your husband has done…nor you.”
Her eyes grew wide as she understood what the Inquisitor was implying.
“If I help you will Coral be safe?” she asked as her grip loosened.
“I must apprehend Captain Tarvus and the Only Hope along with her crew. If you were to assist me in my mission and it resulted in bringing an end to this, then I would see to it that your son would be assigned to a private school in the core worlds."
Leesa looked down at her son who still was cowering in her arms, his face pressed against her shirt.
“And what would happen to me?” she asked
almost afraid to hear the answer.
The Inquisitor did not say anything. He just stared.
Fear gripped her of the thought of not seeing her young son grow up to adulthood. She reluctantly nodded then lowered her head. “I’ll do whatever I need to if Coral will be alright. It’ll be a good school?”
“One of the best. He will grow up in an environment that will equip him for a good life.”
The Inquisitor exited the room and left the woman and her child to share the few moments they would have left together.
Everything is falling in line. Now only for the last piece to be in place…
Chapter 34
Cycle: 434 Month: 3 Rotation: 3
Outer Rim Colonial Alliance Space
Planet: Dusk
Location: Inside Five Skulls compound
The Only Hope hopped into the planetary system for Dusk. They were heading straight for where the Five Skulls met and operated out of, and many of the crew were not excited about it.
While each lord and their branch maintained their own individual realms, with some being more vast than others, they still all regarded Dusk as a special place that was neutral for each of them to coordinate from. Dusk itself was a world that had many moons that orbited it. This helped to shield it from the bright large red star that the system revolved around. The way that the moons rotated around the planet gave it the most eclipses of any known world in the human nations, with many extending for multiple rotations. The result of less time in natural sunlight meant that Dusk had much less natural vegetation.
When the world was colonized many generations prior, the colonists instead focused on greenhouses that would also have UV lights installed to recreate the effect of better sunlight. Since Dusk was part of the Outer Rim Colonial Alliance or ORCA for short, meant that it did not receive off-world resources like the Republic worlds did. So, the people of Dusk had created many of the greenhouses across its populated surface.
Since ORCA did not have a unified military force like every other nation, it fell on each world to build its own space force to repel invaders. Sometimes those looking to take advantage were pirate lords from different worlds, or from rival ORCA worlds vying for power. Dusk had the benefit of the Five Skulls protection which meant that each lord placed a small fleet to guard the planet and its populace.
Despite being up for a fight, Hern felt very uneasy as his combat computer counted the number of ships posted around the pirate world. Unlike the fleet of Onyx vessels that had escorted them to Ko ‘Bac from Marie, these ships all openly displayed their weaponry and were older converted military craft.
“I count forty-seven vessels in orbit,” the ship’s gunner said as he rolled his shoulders nervously.
The crew knew that heading to Dusk uninvited could result in them being shot down before they ever met with any of the pirate lords. Joker gripped his controls tightly while Nina surveyed her various screens looking for whichever ship appeared to be the gatekeeper for Dusk.
Mikhail, on the other hand, had spent the rotations leading up to this moment forming a solid plan in his mind. Unfortunately, he knew that no matter what his plan was it would still require at least one of the pirate lords of the Five Skulls to agree to it. As it was, it was likely that Lord Horsh would be upset at the pirate captain trying to negotiate with the others since he had already been instructed that he would have to pledge his service to him anyhow.
It doesn't matter whatever happens. I am getting help, and I am coming for Leesa and Coral. No matter the price…
“Sir, we are being contacted by the Pillager,” Nina said as she looked up from her station.
“Put them through on screen,” Mikhail said as he sat forward and put on his most serious face.
Time to play pirate…
A very burly looking man with an eye patch filled the screen. “Identify yourself!” he said rather grumpily.
“I am Captain Mikhail Tarvus of the Only Hope. I would like to request permission to land on the surface. We know that the lords are about to meet, and we have information about a coming attack from the Republic on their assets. Lord Horsh of Onyx should be expecting us.”
“Lord Onyx eh?” the other captain asked with a very sour look. He rubbed the side of his face and scratched his thick dark beard. “Slow your ship’s course and wait for approval.”
The screen went dark as the signal was cut from the Pillager.
Please let him buy it…
“Joker, you heard him.”
“Aye Cap,” the pilot said as he slowed the ship.
Hern continued to observe the orientation and facing of the numerous ships orbiting Dusk. None of them seemed to be moving out of the ordinary, but he kept watching closely for any aggressive change.
“Do you think he is reaching out to Yondo?” Nina asked as she leaned forward on her elbows.
“Yeah, I think so,” Mikhail said as brought his hands together. “When we land, Hern, I want you and Rhonda with me. There’s no telling what we may run into, and we may have to fight our way out.”
The gunner puffed out his chest. “I’ll be ready.”
Nina spotted a new message on her screen. "We've been given the all clear, and they transmitted the coordinates for where to go," she said as she sat back up.
“Joker, take us in. Hern, go get ready,” Mikhail said as he reached over for the microphone. “Alright everyone, listen up.” His voice echoed throughout their ship. “We have been given clearance to land. Riko, I want you standing by in the Goblin. Rhonda, you're coming with me. Everyone else, get to your stations. Nobody do anythin' stupid, and we will be fine."
He placed the microphone back in its home and stood up. Before he left the bridge, he turned to his comms officer. "Nina, you have the ship. If you don't hear from us by nightfall take off and hop away as soon as you can."
Nina's face turned grave. "Make sure you come back, sir."
The Captain nodded and headed for his quarters.
Thankfully for the Only Hope, their descent had been uneventful. The pirate freighter headed for the coordinates they had been given.
Hopefully, they sent us straight to the meeting place of the other lords. Otherwise, it may be a bit harder to convince Yondo all on his own. Especially after our last conversation ended on undesirable terms.
Mikhail had heard through several of the crew that Poli was still not entirely onboard the plan to speak with Lord Horsh after what happened to Jaymes. He had felt it was better to avoid her the last several hours than deal with her pain straight on. There just were too many other things he had to prepare for. Getting his family back was his absolute priority, but he had to convince his crew and now at least one of the pirate lords that there was more at stake.
The loading door for the Only Hope’s hangar bay lowered and Deimos the Slayer was standing proudly on the tarmac.
“Welcome to Dusk, Captain,” he said as he extended his arm towards a parked black truck.
“Deimos,” Mikhail said as he walked past him.
Rhonda and Hern followed closely behind their captain not hiding the fact that they were both armed. The Onyx pirate eyed them both but did not seem too impressed. Mikhail stomped up to the waiting vehicle and yanked open the door. He hopped inside as his crewmembers found seats of their own through other doors.
Deimos climbed into the front seat and slammed his door shut.
The pirates had landed in Crest. It was some small out of the way town that for all intents and purposes would have been some insignificant destination if it wasn't, in fact, the secret meeting place for the Five Skulls.
Their drive through the town showed them the less than impressive structures of Crest, along with its appearance of squalor.
Each of these lords has so much wealth to their names that they have stolen, and they can't even help their own people live above poverty?
The vehicle drove up to an old warehouse and pulled into an open bay. Three pirates, evidently members of Onyx, wer
e waiting inside for Deimos and the visitors to arrive.
Each of the riders hopped out, and the three men moved up to the visiting pirates. Hern placed his hand on the pistol on his right hip while Mikhail did the same.
“What’s the meaning of this Deimos?” the Captain asked angrily.
“You didn’t think you would stroll into a meeting with the lords of the Five Skulls armed, did you?”
Reluctantly, Mikhail partially raised his hands from his weapon while Rhonda and Hern did the same. The gunner looked very bitter as a skinny man with an animal like smile took his pistols away from him. As the handguns slid out of their leather holsters the man’s eyes lit up with excitement.
Hern grabbed one of his arms and looked him dead in the face. “I’ll be back for those.”
“Haha, we’ll see,” the Onyx pirate said as he stepped back and twirled the pistols on his fingers.
“This way,” Deimos said as he led them deeper into the building.
Rhonda looked at Mikhail like she wasn’t sure about this, but the Captain headed on anyhow.
They entered into a huge hall within the warehouse that contained pirates from the different branches of the Five Skulls. Some wore their classic colored uniforms, while others looked rather scroungy and out of place. Many eyed the visitors who were clearly not part of any of the branches as the Onyx pirate navigated through the noise and ruckus.
One pirate wearing a yellow jacket punched another man in the face causing a fight to break out. Four armored blue colored warriors jumped in from the walls and broke the scuffle up.
"You have arrived during the annual meeting of the lords. Each of the branches brings along their men as an escort but must have them wait within the hall," Deimos said as he turned back to Mikhail.
“Whose men are the blue guys?” the Captain asked as he watched the two who started the fight get dragged out of the area.
