I smiled softly, “He’s a marvel, indeed, and I take no credit for the things he can do. He’s an ancient sentient weapon who has decided to help me out.”
Koparr looked at me like I was mad. I saw Dolegg looking over with a gleam of interest in his eyes.
“That is some story for a weapon. Whatever the truth, it is a fine weapon.”
“That is the truth,” Calegg said, “Havok, the, er, axe has spoken to me.”
“Ha, ha. Very well. Whatever the case, keep a close eye on it. Many people would eye such a weapon covetously.”
Havok laughed in my head at the thought of someone stealing him.
“Don’t worry, Koparr. I guarantee Havok would be one of the hardest weapons in the universe to steal.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he said, then fell into conversation with Calegg. From what I could hear, it was mainly about the good old days. Seemingly, they had been close friends.
It took a while, but finally Moulagg arrived. He was an older Torax with a similar bulk to Koparr and a commanding appearance, or rather a ‘don’t fuck with me if you know what’s good for you’ appearance. “Koparr, Dolegg!” He boomed. “What's going on here then?”
“I brought the guards in to arrest these off-worlders…”
“And his son,” Koparr added, helpfully.
“…they threaten to destabilize the fragile peace we have with the Empire,” Dolegg continued, riding over the interruption.
Moulagg laughed at that, “Peace?”
“Dolegg rejected an offer for a fair price on the Suldr from his own son and the captain here,” Koparr added, pointing to me.
“What was the fair price?” Moulagg asked everyone.
I answered, “I offered 15 Senlar per Suldr, and my offer was refused. The Chancellor informed me he can only accept four.”
Moulagg's eyes went wide, “You refused more money, Dolegg?”
“We are only permitted to sell for four senlar, as per our agreement with the Empire. My hands are tied, and I don’t intend to hide money from their auditors.”
Moulagg went from a mildly terrifying, cool, calm alien to just downright terrifying in a second.
“An insulting agreement, which you signed for some insane reason, Dolegg! Apparently, for all of our own good. I can’t remember there being any stipulations on not taking more money for our Suldr. Aside from that, please explain why you would try to have your own son arrested?”
“He is a traitor. Bringing these off-worlders here with the intention of smuggling our people from the planet. If the Empire discovered why they were here, only trouble would follow.”
“We hoped to find willing crew members,” Calegg added, calmly.
Moulagg acknowledged Calegg’s statement, then turned to Dolegg again. “Let me get this straight. You tried to arrest your own son and his captain for offering more money on our only export, and offering a genuine route for our people to leave this planet?” he said, eyes almost popping out of his head with the intensity of his gaze.
“It is best that our people do not leave the planet. I say again, only trouble will follow,” Dolegg replied, calmly.
“Damn it, Dolegg. There are no rules against leaving. They have just crippled our ability to leave and have slandered us across the universe. This could be a step to start making things right with the people of the galaxy; show them we’re not the animals we have been made out to be! But you try and prevent it?” He let out a loud huff. “I cannot tolerate you any longer. I am calling a council of judgment on you. Until then, you are under house arrest!”
“Are you serious, Moulagg? You want to go down this route with me?” Dolegg replied, a mix of anger and bewilderment, “You know this won’t go how you expect it to, don't you?”
“You're a damned, shit-eating worm Dolegg, and all I can do is try. Koparr, please escort Dolegg to his home.”
Koparr and his men did as asked, leaving us three remaining in the cool room with Moulagg.
“Come on then, young Calegg, tell me everything.”
Calegg looked sheepishly at me and Ember.
“Go ahead,” I said.
Calegg regaled Moulagg of everything that had happened since he met us. Plus what he knew of our history. It was strange hearing our story from someone else's lips who'd been there. And strangely empowering.
When he finished, Moulagg spoke to Ember and me, “So, you’ve no prejudice against the Torax?”
“The opposite, having befriended Calegg,” I said.
“You understand that you’ll be viewed in a certain way if you have Torax crew members?”
Ember flashed a confident smile at Moulagg, “Our aim is to have many crew members. It seems there are plenty of races in this galaxy that are mistreated. Providing they're good people, we’ll have them all. And if we can collect as many as possible, perhaps we’ll be able to change a few of the injustices going on.”
“That’s a lofty desire. To be honest, it sounds more like a death wish going against the Fystr and the Galactic Empire while making enemies of the Mazltor.”
“Go big, or go home,” Ember said. I was happy for her to take this conversation on. She was generally more articulate than me, at least when she wasn’t being acerbic.
“Well, if you're judged by the caliber of your enemies, then you’re judged highly. I’m inspired by your attitude and will help you pick our toughest, most level-headed warriors. I hope you look after them and help ease the oppression the Torax live under.”
“I promise you, we’ll try best on both counts. It’s a tough galaxy out there, and we want to make it a little better if we can,” she replied, and Moulagg nodded.
“There is one problem though,” he said.
“Yes?”
“Our customs are entrenched in our minds, and no Torax will follow an off-worlder if you cannot beat them in single combat.”
“What?” Ember said animatedly, “That’s bullshit. Calegg follows, and you can't expect Shaun to fight every crew member.”
I was glad Ember summed up everything I thought.
“We’ll crush them all,” Havok said in my head.
“Thanks, bud,” I replied.
Moulagg, obviously unable to hear Havok, continued, “Calegg is not a warrior. It’s not his way. Our warrior caste follows an exacting code. You will only have to fight the strongest among them, whoever that may be. I believe that even if you were to simply put up a good fight, they’d still follow you. Do you think you can stand up against one of our warriors?” he asked, turning to me.
Ember was about to refuse, but I answered quickly, “Sure I can. Why not! I'll do it, Moulagg.”
Moulagg looked surprised, but continued, “It’ll take a few days to find out who wants to go and who should get to go. Where will you be staying?”
“In this damn heat, I think we’ll be best off heading back to the Uprising until everything is set up. Just send word and we’ll bring the ship down to Torax to collect the Suldr and our new crew members,” I said with a wink. Moulagg nodded and Calegg spoke up.
“Captain, may I have permission to stay planet side? I’ve a few things I'd like to catch up on, and I'll need to be here for my father's impending charges.”
“Of course, Calegg,” I said, patting him on the back, “But next time you think you can get more crew members, inform us of any customs that involve a brutal challenge.”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry, I never even thought about that. But if it’s any consolation, I have ultimate faith in you.” I nodded acceptance to the troublesome Torax, then addressed Moulagg again, “Um, so, what weapons are expected in this battle? I can't really use guns, but I'll face anyone with my axe,” I said, trying to gain clarity on the rules of this fight.
Moulagg's eyes raised a little. “We don't want deaths; the bout will be weaponless of course.”
“Oh…,” I said, and felt my stomach drop a little. I felt invincible with Havok, but without him I really wasn't sure of my abilities.
Yet I had committed now, and I wasn’t one to back down from the trouble my stupid mouth got me into. “Makes sense,” I said casually.
“You're a peculiar human, but I think I like you. I look forward to seeing your bout.”
“Yeah, I look forward to it, too,” I said stupidly, as I couldn’t think of another response.
Calegg and Moulagg led us back out into the stifling heat and walked back with us to the landing shuttle.
We were both worse for wear again by the time we made it back to the docking bay. Moulagg looked worried. “Will you be able to fight in our heat, if it has this effect on you just walking to your ship? I can try to arrange a Cool room for the match if you need it.”
“Oh thanks, man. Cooler will definitely be better for me. This heat is insane.”
“We’ll ensure there is somewhere cool to fight, Shaun. I’ll keep in touch over comms and let you know when to come back down.”
“Great. Now I’ll see you guys later. I want to get this damn door closed.”
“Ha, ha. Yeah, sorry Captain,” Calegg said.
“Goodbye for now, humans. It was a pleasure to meet you both,” said Moulagg.
“You too, Moulagg. See you both soon. Oh, and stay out of trouble, Calegg.”
He grinned as the door closed.
C3
Brains or Brawn Shaun?
Both Ember and I were relieved to get off Torax. Returning to the Uprising was a piece of cake, as the landing craft had its own return function. It was simply a case of pressing a button.
We went straight to the bridge, where Elyek was waiting for us, eyes questioning. “So, how did it go? You’re back faster than I thought you would be. And without Calegg?”
“He had some catching up to do. Apparently he has a few friends down there, as well as one particular enemy,” Ember replied.
“An enemy?” Elyek raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“His father. A total wanker,” I answered this time, “tried to have us arrested for poaching people from the planet. Luckily, one of their guards was a good friend of Calegg’s. Anyway, long story short, his father is now under house arrest and awaiting trial for being in the pay of the Empire. While Calegg is working with the Torax head of security to gather some badass fighters for us.”
“Wow!” Elyek exclaimed. “As always with you guys, a lot has happened in a short space of time.”
“Yeah, and it’s hot as hell down there. We’re gonna stay on the ship until they’ve arranged our Suldr shipment and who’ll be coming with us. Then we just need to head down and pick them up.” I gave a tired smile. I had omitted the part where I had to fight the strongest, toughest Torax they could find in a duel. Not to worry though, Ember was more than happy to fill in that particular blank for me.
“Shaun has forgotten to mention that he’s agreed to an unarmed fight with the biggest, toughest Torax they can find. Because he’s a bloody moron.”
“Hey! I thought you had confidence in my hurting-people skills?”
“I do, mostly. That you won’t have to fight in that heat has certainly made me a little more confident. But there’s a difference between general carnage, at which you excel, and a stand-up toe-to-toe fight with a trained warrior who’s probably the toughest Torax on the whole damn planet.”
I was about to reply, but Elyek started speaking.
“I did not realize that was part of their culture, although many war-like races insist on combat trials,” Elyek said, then added, “If that is what we have to do, I’m sure Shaun can do it even without Havok. How is your unarmed combat, Shaun?”
“Um, should be okay. Though I should probably go and constantly train until I have to go back down there.”
“Yes. That might be wise, now I think about it. You did not fare too well against the Ang-bor when unarmed,” Elyek said with a concerned look.
“I’d just been shot! My damn arm was literally hanging off, Elyek!” I said, throwing my arms in the air in exasperation, “I killed a bloody Gro-bar with one knee!”
“You did, Shaun. I trust you to win,” Ember said, turning from disgruntled to soothing as my anger got the better of me, “I suppose you did what you had to do to get our crew. And I’m sorry for winding you up about it. I just didn’t like that we didn’t talk about it beforehand.”
“Sorry. I should’ve discussed it with you, but I didn’t want to look like I was scared.”
“Yeah, I get that. But next time, realize that you’re in a position of authority. You can calmly deliberate your choices without losing face,” Ember said.
“Okay. Fair enough,” I replied, then turned to Elyek, “While it's fresh on my mind, is there anything we can do to help with the heat? Even walking to whatever room they’ve set up for the fight will be grueling. I don’t want to be knackered before I start.”
“Other than a full environmental suit or acclimatizing you to the temperature, I do not know of anything specific. Veiletians are able to tolerate a wide temperature range, so it is not something I have looked into in any detail.”
“Okay. Well that’s a bit shit. I suppose I'm gonna have to recreate the heat. Perhaps I should’ve stayed on Torax.”
Havok spoke to me, “I might be able to help you to acclimatize, Shaun. It should work similarly to when we trained your muscle growth, hopefully.”
“Thanks, Havok. We’ll have to give it a go,” I said back, but then had to explain why I had gone quiet.
“Havok thinks he can help me with getting used to the heat, so I’ve agreed to give it a try. Now, I’m going off to get something to eat, and then train.”
Ember followed me out, while Elyek went back to monitoring the ship's systems.
We sat and ate a ton of steak, potatoes and greens in silence, our still-battered bodies craving the sustenance. Ember finished first. I felt like I could have kept eating for eternity.
“So, what are you planning to train in?” She asked.
“Kickboxing. What do you think?” I answered.
“I knew you’d say that. But don't you think you should be training your Mental Skills? Like you said, you broke that Gro-bar's sternum and the other guy's neck. I think Combat Skill-wise and physically you're as good as you can get in a day or so of practice. Don’t neglect the whole arsenal of mental powers at your disposal, especially in this heat. I tried navigating my body from the Mindscape down there, on the way back to the ship, and it helped a lot.”
“That'd be cheating!” I said in mild outrage at the thought.
“No it’s not, you melon head. This fight is between you and another, and the skills you each have. These mental abilities are part of who you are. You'd be an idiot not to use them, Shaun. Oh… wait. That's right, you are an idiot!”
“And you’re a sarcastic so-and-so, but you don't hear me going on about it,” I said as I stormed off in a mood to the training room.
A few minutes later, Ember followed. “What’s up with you, fuck nugget?”
“Dunno. Maybe the heat got to me,” I smiled, tiredly.
She nodded, “You know I don’t think you’re an idiot, right?” she said gently, “I just like fucking around.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m well aware of my strengths and weaknesses now, so your words don’t hurt at all anymore. Although I can still occasionally be idiotic,” I laughed.
“Can't we all,” she replied with a friendly punch to my arm. “So, you gonna train up your other powers a bit? You keep saying you're bad with them, but you’re not really, not at all. I think you may have been trying too hard in the past, or just expecting too much.”
“You were so much better than me, straight away,” I said, sullenly.
“Yeah, but I had higher Mental Clarity, which as we’ve been over a number of times now, makes everything else easier to do. Plus, I’d say you were better than anyone else on the ship, bar Ogun. I mean, seriously Shaun, you’re the first human to transcend. And that was with a Mental Clarity of two percent!” she chuckled.
“Maybe, but it just doesn’t feel natural to me.”
“Of course it doesn’t. I’m sure when you first started walking as a toddler it didn’t feel natural either, but look at you now, walking around nearly as well as a normal person,” she grinned cheekily.
I didn’t find it funny. I sat there with a sour face on.
“Let me put it another way,” she said, “We’re in a strange new life, filled with aliens of all kinds of skills. Now, let’s say you were a Veiletian and your friend could go invisible for an hour, but you could only go invisible for 45 minutes. Would you stop going invisible and just throw away that huge advantage you have over other races? You don’t have to answer by the way, it’s a rhetorical question.”
My answer died on my lips.
“One more thing, before you accept what an absolute dipshit you’re being. Torax can shoot fire at you and go supernova. You can't fight that shit with a well-executed right hook. What if the Torax comes into this fight thinking they can use their powers? They probably will. What will you do then? Apart from returning to me as a Shaun shish kebab.”
“Okay! For god’s sake, Ember. Okay! You've made your point. Thanks for pointing out my stupidity yet again. I’ll train my friggin’ mental skills.”
“Good,” she said, a satisfied expression spreading across her face, “Now, we should focus on your Cognition Room again.”
“Ugh! But that's literally the most boring thing to do.”
“Seriously, Shaun. We're not going through this every time.”
“What if greater Mental Clarity means I start running away when the odds are against us, like Ogun did?”
“That hasn't happened to me, and I know without a doubt it won't happen to you. It doesn’t matter if your mind is as clear as a bell, you’ll still have your own authentic personality. You’re not Ogun, and never will be. You’re an obstinate shit, and I love you for it,” she gave me a heartwarming grin and I relented, laughing at her description of me.
Condition Evolution 3: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure Page 3