by R. E. Graham
“I’m sure everyone has questions. Let me first say that Lord Horsh has agreed to assist us. He will send a fleet of ships and men to join us in getting payback from that bastard lawman.”
Only Hern appeared ready for a fight. Everyone else seemed weakened. The fire in their bellies had been extinguished, but Mikhail had to get them pumped up again if they were going to have any chance.
“There isn’t anything I can say to bring back those that we have lost. Many of you know my backstory and how my father was one of the leading forces that helped build Largo.”
Joker looked up from staring at the floor and nodded. “My grandmother always said your Pa was a good man.”
Mikhail smiled at the memory of his late father. "Yeah…he was. A much better man than I ever could be. But we are in this situation ultimately because of the Republic."
“How so?” Nina asked curiously.
“It’s because of that little punk Lenny,” Poli said bitterly.
“Yes, Lenny was the one that played a critical part in us standing here right now, but we never would have become fugitives in the first place if the government would have helped our world when the economy bottomed.”
Several of the crew started to put the pieces together for themselves. Rhonda and Joker nodded in agreement.
"If it weren't for those that allowed the Loaner Crash to happen to begin with, we would still have respectable jobs, and our loved ones would be alive and well."
“Fraggin’ Republic,” Hern muttered.
"Yeah!" Joker shouted. "I didn't want to be an outlaw. I just wanted to be a fighter pilot. But I couldn't leave town once things got bad. I…I just couldn't leave my mom behind like that…" the pilot drifted off in thought as his heart ached from the idea of his sickly mother being killed by soldiers.
“We have a unique opportunity here and now to get back at those who enforce cruel laws on the poor!” Mikhail said as the group began to get fired up.
He stood up straighter as he tried to draw them into his energy. "We have all lost so much, and I plan to make those responsible pay with blood. But I can't do it alone, I need your help. So…" he paused dramatically. "…who's with me?"
Joker hopped up. “I stand with you.”
Rhonda did the same. "You know I'm with you, sir."
“As am I,” Nina said excitedly. “I will help however I can.”
The Captain looked to the ship’s gunner as he sat with his arms crossed. “You know I’m always ready for a fight. Be nice to get one in on the Republic boys,” Hern said as he smirked mischievously.
Poli stood up quickly with a fist held awkwardly in the air. “I’m ready!”
That left Jax and Riko to state their decision.
The overrider didn't stand, and he looked somewhat nervous. "If you feel we have a good chance at this, then I am with you, Captain."
Mikhail nodded happily. He turned his attention to his mech pilot. “Riko?”
Everyone else turned to see the last crewmember to speak up. He noticed everyone's gaze, and he blushed. Looking at his open hands, he said, "I…I don't know if I can take another man's life."
“What is that supposed to mean?” the gunner asked. “You sure have not hesitated to drop enemy armor before.”
“That was before I made an oath with the universe to cherish every life.”
“When was this?” the Captain asked surprised by Riko’s reasoning.
“After we heard about Largo.”
“That’s a damned fine time to go yellow on us,” Hern blurted out with disregard for the other man’s convictions.
Rhonda looked to the gunner with contempt. "He has his reasons, Hernando."
“Like frag he does. He is our mech pilot. He is the heavy muscle on this team, we don’t stand a chance without ‘im.”
The female rifleman was about to chew out Hern for his arrogance when Mikhail interjected.
“He’s right.”
Rhonda looked to the Captain with wide eyes that he so easily sided with the gunner.
“Riko we need you. We need the Goblin.”
The mech pilot rubbed his hands together then looked to the ceiling in frustration as he fought himself in his mind. “I’m not sayin’ I won’t help, I just can’t kill.”
Hern disapproved of the lame response. “Pfft.”
"We'll take what we can get right now. Alright, we have a lot of work to do, and we need to arrive on Destiny in five rotations. I want…"
Rhonda happened to notice Deimos nearing the extended ramp followed by three others. “Sir,” she said as she gestured with her head towards the Onyx pirate.
Mikhail finally saw the large man just as he began walking up the metal bay ramp. “Captain, I am here to inform you that there has been a change of plans.”
“Such as?” the Captain asked confusedly.
“Lord Horsh desires for you to travel aboard his personal ship.”
“I don’t understand.”
Deimos looked annoyed and bothered at the looks from the rest of the Only Hope’s people. “You are to come with me immediately. Your crew is to arrive on Destiny and act as bait to draw out the Inquisitor and his forces, at which point Onyx will arrive and deal the killing blow.”
Hern shook his head emphatically. “No way. Cap stays with us if we are gonna be bait.”
“We are not negotiating here,” the Onyx pirate said cruelly. “Captain Tarvus is coming with me.”
Mikhail thought for a brief moment before he spoke. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”
The crew was shocked at his answer.
“But Cap…” Rhonda said as she too was taken off guard by the Captain’s decision.
“Our goal is simple, to get back at those who killed our people. Whether I am aboard the Only Hope or some other ship doesn’t matter to me. I just want the land to be coated with their blood,” Mikhail said as he stepped over to Nina.
“I want you to lead this mission.”
"S…sir?" Fear gripped her insides. She had been in charge many times in the Captain's absence, but this was different. "I've never led a mission before."
He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “You will do great. Everyone here will back you up and perform admirably. All you must do is lead.”
Drawing from the Captain’s confidence in her abilities, Nina felt an inner strength build within. “I’ll make you proud.”
“I know you will,” he said with a calm smile. “Once you land, send someone to trigger the device that Patrix has. I will make sure that the Onyx ships will arrive.”
He turned to the rest of his crew unsure of who would make it out of this plan. “Good luck to all of you.”
“Cap…” Rhonda started to say before she broke eye contact.
“Yes?” he asked, confused by her reaction.
“It’s nothing. Good luck sir.”
Mikhail headed for the ramp but spun back around as he walked backward. "I'll see all of you back on Destiny!"
Deimos and the other Onyx pirates left the Only Hope and her crew behind.
A strange feeling consumed the Captain’s mind that he would never see his ship again.
No, this isn’t the end. Not by a long shot. This plan will work, and we are gonna get Lees and Coral back!
Chapter 38
Cycle: 434 Month: 3 Rotation: 3
Outer Rim Colonial Alliance Space
Planet: Dusk
Location: Crest
Deimos navigated through the crowds of other pirates and lowlifes that lived in the Five Skulls controlled town. Mikhail followed closely behind and bumped into a man dressed in red that carried two large mugs of ale. The alcoholic drinks splashed onto the big man and greatly enraged him.
“Aaaay!” he exclaimed as he realized the mess on his clothes.
“Sorry about that,” Mikhail said before the man threw the mugs to the ground.
“You will be!” the man exclaimed as he drew a pistol.
Before he could aim it at him, Mikhail drew his own pistol. However, Deimos caught the man's arm at the forearm and grasped it very tightly. "He's with me Cinder."
The big guy looked at the Onyx pirate then back to the man who offended him. He yanked his arm free but lowered his weapon. Knowing better than to threaten Deimos, he got up in Mikhail’s face.
“Next time he won’t be here to stop me.” Cinder said as he stormed off with the rest of his own men to their ship. As he walked off, he made sure to bump into the Captain’s shoulder.
“What’s his deal?” Mikhail asked as he watched the group push their way through the people. He holstered his weapon and put his thumbs into his side pockets.
“He is one of Redbeard’s top men. But he knows that an altercation with me will not bode well for him. They are outnumbered this time since Lord Ruby did not show.”
“Speaking of which, why wasn’t he here? I thought all of the lords were supposed to be gathered together.”
Deimos continued on walking while he spoke. “They were, but Redbeard had sent a delegator to represent him.”
“Lord Topaz didn’t seem too excited that the other man that was in the chamber instead of Redbeard himself.”
The Onyx pirate nodded. “She was displeased. However, she rarely is a happy woman.”
Deimos continued on until they arrived at the same large dingy looking transport ship that had escorted them to Ko ‘Bac.
“I take it this is your ship?” Mikhail asked as he admired it.
While the ship itself wasn’t impressive aesthetically, it was an old Oxen design, which meant it was built tough. While the Oxens were discontinued over a generation ago, it wasn't uncommon to find one still in operation. They were simple to maintain and easy to repair which made them very suitable for nongovernment use. Not to mention, they were incredibly huge.
Mikhail spotted several locations on the spacecraft where weapons had been mounted and noticed the blackened areas around the barrels of the cannons.
This ship has seen some action…
As Deimos walked up the small ramp that led them access to the massive vessel’s loading bay he turned back to the Captain. “Welcome aboard the Midnight.”
"She looks like a strong ship," Mikhail said as he took in the sight of the bustling.
Men and women loaded in supplies while some of the techs continued working on four WarMechs in the repair bay. One Republic designed Sierra, one Goblin from the Union of Stars, and two lighter Jackal mechs from ORCA. Each was painted tan with gold highlights. The Captain was impressed at the sight of the mighty titans of destruction being able to fit within an Oxen without issue.
“I guess it was a good thing we didn’t try to run from you,” he said recalling their first encounter with one another.
Deimos looked to his pike of mechs and grinned. “Yeah, guess it was.”
“How many mechs are going to be with us in the attack?”
“Enough,” the Onyx pirate said as he continued onward. “Lord Horsh is committed to bloodying the Republic. You have done well in getting him fired up,” Deimos commented.
The Captain didn’t respond to the remark.
“Come on, he is waiting for you up on the bridge.”
Mikhail again followed behind Deimos, but he noticed the other three pirates that had remained silent on their trip to the ship broke off and went elsewhere. He was surprised to see how clean the ship was. Unlike Otto's place, Deimos seemed to keep his spacecraft immaculate.
The door to the bridge had been left open, and noise from inside spilled out onto the hallway.
“Lord, here is Captain Tarvus,” Deimos said as he stopped at the side of Yondo.
Lord Horsh glanced at his visitor then looked back to a holotable with a live projection of Crest displayed on it. “Look at it Mik. This insignificant place is where the Five Skulls, the most powerful pirate lords in the known ‘verse, all operate from. But do we have true power? No.”
Mikhail was confused by the conversation but stayed quiet trying to play along with it.
“Did you ever hear that at one point the Five Skulls had so much influence and power that it formed a nation?”
“No, I never did.”
The hologram zoomed in on a vehicle that was parked outside an old beige building. People went about their business as other wheeled and hover vehicles drove up and down the busy streets.
"Unfortunately, the Republic wasn't too thrilled to lose worlds to the control of criminals and launched a devastating campaign to retake what they had lost. It took an entire cycle, but eventually, they were able to wear down the concerted effort of the five lords and smashed their kingdoms back to the shadows where we have remained."
A small group of people exited the building and headed for the parked vehicle. Mikhail recognized one of them as Nadia Tymus of Topaz.
“Regardless of what you may think of me Mik, I respect you and what you have accomplished. While the reasons both of us are on this path in life may have started differently, I nonetheless recognize the potential in you. Unlike some, I agree that we need to strike back at the Republic.”
The female pirate lord slid into the vehicle, and it sped off down the road out of view. Yondo turned to Mikhail and exhaled through his nose.
“I should be on my ship for this,” the Captain said neutrally.
“This mission will lead to an event that has not happened in generations. I don’t yet know where you fall Mikhail Tarvus. You are an unknown to me and my people…so I can’t put my trust in you just yet.”
Trust me?
“How could you ever trust me?” Mikhail asked curiously. “I mean, you made me choose which of my men would die.”
The pirate lord held up a finger. “Yes, I let you choose. You see Mik, I am a monster. And I get that completely. In fact, I embrace it.”
Deimos again observed how Captain Tarvus would react during a conversation with Yondo. He had personally witnessed a vast number of brutal executions, dismemberments, and more at the hands of his lord. For whatever reason, Mikhail held himself as though none of that mattered. As if he was looking for a way to use the pirate lord and his assets.
“You have no idea the things I’ve done. There are many ways to kill a human being. Whether or not it was intentional your choice to go to Otto on Noire brought the law to my doorstep.”
Mikhail began to protest, but the lord held up his hand to stop him.
“I lost much more than a single man on that world. It was mercy that I gave you a choice rather than killing your entire crew. Remember that.”
The Captain swallowed hard, but his eyes showed his anger.
Oh, I’ll remember it alright…I’ll never forget, nor will I ever forgive you.
"I have this feeling that if push came to shove you would abandon my people in the middle of a fight against the Inquisitor. By having you aboard, I can ensure that your people will do their part and that you will see this thing through." Lord Horsh turned and walked over to the captain's chair, which was reserved for Deimos as the captain of the Midnight and sat down.
“Lord…my crew is small, and we operate very closely. I feel…”
“Your crew will function just fine,” Yondo said cutting off the Captain.
I don’t want to just sit back and watch. I need to be involved to be sure my family is freed.
“How do you know the Lawman won’t suspect a trap when he realizes I am not there with my crew?” Mikhail asked as his patience was thinning.
“He’ll come. If he has any information on you, he will come to the same conclusion as I did. You are not a heartless man Mik, at least not yet. You would likely come back to your town’s ashes at some point. I see that life ring on your finger,” he said motioning his hand at Mikhail.
The Captain looked down at his right hand at the silver band around his finger that symbolized his commitment to his wife.
He thinks she’s dead and that’s why I want to return. Better play the part
then for now.
He clenched his fist then looked back at the pirate lord.
Yondo smirked as if he had just put together some intense mental puzzle. He tapped his finger on the side of his head then sat back in the seat to get comfortable. “Nothing gets passed me Mik, it would be best that you remember that. If things turn out well enough, you could have a long career in my service.”
Oh joy, just what I want.
“I assume still as a Captain of course.”
“Of course,” the pirate lord said as he looked over to the comm’s station. “You…send a message to the Only Hope and tell them to take off and to head directly for Largo. Tell them to signal the Midnight once the Inquisitor shows up and that we will attack then.”
“Aye aye,” the pirate said as he got to work.
Yondo looked back to the Captain who now was looking awkward and out of place as he stood there. “Deimos, why don’t you take our visitor to his quarters.”
“Yessir,” the large man replied as he motioned for the door.
“Don’t worry Mik, if everything goes well then you’ll be back aboard your ship soon enough,” Lord Horsh called out as the two men left.
Feeling thirsty, the pirate lord turned to a female pirate that was at her station. “Wench! Get me some ale.”
She looked around to be sure he was speaking toward her. The other crew nearby eyed her waiting to see what she would do. Very reluctantly she slowly stood and headed down to the mess hall.
Yondo clapped his hands together excitedly. “Alright, let’s get this boat off the ground. We have a lawman to kill!”
Chapter 39
Cycle: 434 Month: 3 Rotation: 3
Outer Rim Colonial Alliance Space
Planet: Dusk
Location: Aboard the Only Hope
“So, what are we gonna do?” Hern asked openly to the group.
The crew had still been meeting since Deimos came for Mikhail. Several had thrown around different ideas, most of the team still wanted to return home. Rhonda monitored the conversation but had chosen to remain relatively silent during the discussion.