The war had been raging for nearly 3 hundred years.
So many had died, so many had been destroyed by it, that we could barely understand why we were still fighting. And yet we continued to do so. We killed, we were killed, and the cycle would continue. We had been here, here in Sirius, for nigh on 340 years now.
How could our ancestors be so blind? How could they start a war that could not be won? That could not be lost?
What is with the humans of this universe... why must we consistently fight? We, the Corsairs, we started a war that ripped every criminal from its happy place. We created rifts and made barriers. We forced every criminal underlord and crime boss to choose their side. Most had gone to the Outcasts, slaves to the Cardamine that poisoned their souls.
We continue to fight, and yet I fear that this pointless war will have a pointless outcome. We shall fight, and we shall die, until we are so weak that the Bounty Hunters will sweep in, kill us all.
Are we to come to so little?
And now, now that the main houses, the "peaceful" and "civilised" ones, have started to fight amongst themselves, their petty squabbles turning into war, now they have pushed Sirius over the edge.
Everywhere you look there is death. Everywhere you look there is destruction.
But I shall fight. Though I fear it is pointless, though I know it is pathetic and useless, I shall fight for my honor, and my house. I shall fight to free people from the hidious addiction that is Cardamine, and I shall not rest until I am victorious...
-Extract from the Diary of Silvius Kane, aged 24
The Outcast Gunship, Tridente class, exploded in a fireball of shock. Silvius blinked twice, his mouth slightly agape, as he killed for the first time. The Praetorian he flew belonged to his mentor, Taius, who was waiting nearby on the Kane family Praefect.
He had never killed before, and it stung. He had ended the lives of three men, who were fighting to save their lives. Silvius, backed by 3 Titans piloted by other students, had led the charge, sweeping in, and before long, it was his Torpedo that exploded against their reactor, his shot which had killed those men.
His breath was rushed, and he could feel the adrenaline pulsing through his veins.
He felt like god.
He could end the lives of others.
The power flooded through him, more addictive than Cardamine, stronger than adrenaline, and he breathed deeply, revelling in his new found power.
Then he felt shame.
"Death is nothing to be proud of. Death is a terrible thing, something that takes loved ones from their family, it is something that can come at any time, and will take without mercy, it will not fogive, it will not fail, and one day, it will come for you."
Those were the words of his wise mentor, and he felt shameful at forgetting them. He would kill if he had to, but truly, the whole thing felt pointless to him. Why fight? Why kill when you could use something far more deadly, but with far less consequences, to achieve your goals? Words could work wonders when used properly.
But, a diplomatic Corsair? It was like saying an "Unaddicted Outcast", the thing just didn't exist.
Silvius sighed slightly. He was named after an ancient hero by his dying mother, and he had a heroes challenge. Could he dare to be different?
He pondered his options, and then, making his desicion, slammed his hands down on the controls. His left hand pulled backwards, sending his left engine into reverse, and at the same time, his right engine exploded into overdrive, spinning his bomber with a roar.
Before the other three students realise what had happened, Silvius was already 3k away.
Taius smiled as he watched his favourite 14 year old steal his ship.
"Good luck Silvius... I knew you would not resist the pull" he whispered, his face pressed against the glass of the bar window. He knew where Silvius was going.
He was going to try and talk peace into their enemies.
Silvius shivered as he arrived at Freeport 9. His journey had not been easy, avoiding Outcasts, Bounty Hunters, and even a strange looking blue ship that had said nothing, but immediatly after seeing it his breath came short, his hands becmae pale, his body racked with shivers.
So he came to the Zoners, and there he landed his ship, the small energy bubble forming to hold it up. He looked around, seeing a man nearby.
"'scuse me!" he called. The man turned towards him, and raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah?" He muttered.
"Umm, are you in charge of these shipbays?"
The other man gave a brief smile, and then shoved out his hand.
"Yeah! That's me. How can I help?"
Silvius sighed in relief, perhaps these Zoners weren't so bad. A split second later the man had a knife to his throat.
"Now then little Corsair... where are the starting keys for that hunk of junk? It'll fetch me a pretty penny..."
Silvius's eyes flashed with shock, then fear, then anger. His knee ripped upwards, right between the mans legs. Silvius's left hand shot up, grabbing the wrist of the knife hand, pushing it away from his throat.
Too late, the knife sliced through the flesh of his neck, leaving a red scar. Blood fell to the floor, and Silvius cursed. His right hand curled to a fist, rushing through the air, connecting solidly with the mans left cheek.
He fell backwards with a cry, and Silvius pressed his attack. He took a step forwards, his hand holding the knife, and just as he rushed to plunge it into the opponents heart, he felt a blaster press against the back of his head.
"Drop the knife." he heard, and Silvius obeyed, the knife cluttering to the metal floor. The same voice spoke again.
"Bounty Hunter, get up and get to your ship."
The man Silvius had been fighting gave a quiet curse, and stood, staggering off. Silvius looked confused.
"He said he was the dock chief!"
The man behind him removed his blaster, and Silvius turned, finding three men standing there. Their clothes were very different from the other mans.
"He lied. He was a bounty hunter. We are the Zoners, and you should not have fought him. Fighting is prohibited on the station."
Silvius gaped slightly.
"He pulled a knife on me!"
The man nodded.
"I know, which is why I haven't flushed you out of an airlock. He will be walking into another group of us, and will explain himself, or will not bother anyone again."
Silvius shook his head slightly, wincing at the pain from his neck.
"Are you the dock chief?"
The man smiled and shook his head. He raised his right hand and pointed towards a door at the far end of the bay.
"That is his office. Remember young one, that Bounty Hunters wear gold bands across their tops. Your brethren will have some red on them, and Zoners will wear blue. You must not fight while on the station, and there is no fighting within 5k of the Freeport."
Silvius nodded, and the man inclined his head, before the three of them walked off. Silvius headed towards the Dock Chiefs office, his head already aching. The door swished open before he could touch it, and there stood a large Zoner.
"Ach my dear boy!"
His accent was strange, unlike any Silvius had heard before.
"What has happened to you now? Tut tut, whoever wielded this knife needs a good thumpin'!"
Silvius blinked stupidly for a second as the man peered at his neck. A split second later, he was pressing a bandage to the wound.
"Now then laddie, what can ai do for ya?"
Silvius took a deep breath.
"I need a place where I can store my Praetorian. Do you have any storage bays? They need to be secure."
The man nodded sympathetically.
"Well me lad, I have a couple available. Let's see now, Bay 9 is free. Now, lets go and- ach my! That be a lovvveely ship you be havin' there laddie! Indeed it is!"
Silvius was steered out of the office, and still trying to understand what was happening, watched as the Zoner manipulated some controls, and his Praetorian started floating up towards the distant ceiling. About 50 feet up, a large door on the side of the massive hangar opened, and his ship slid neatly inside.
"Now then! That will be twenni' thousand per week fer as long as you want it, y'understand?"
Silvius nodded, and pulled out a Sirius Credit Card for 1 million credits. He was from a rich family, not much was outside of his spending range.
"Excellent laddie! Now, my name be Taurus. A pleasure to meet you."
Silvius held out his hand, and had it eagerly shaken.
"Silvius Kane." He muttered. His eyes darted around, watching, learning.
"Well Silvius, welcome to Freeport 9."
Silvius was guided into the hallway, and realised that everywhere on board this station was packed. Corsairs, Bounty Hunters, Zoners, Outcasts were everywhere. Such a diverse culture, people who would usually kill each other on sight.
Each step he took felt like a step to his deathbed. Every person who walked past him stared at him, questions and open hostility in their eyes. He quivered under their look, each one seeming to penetrate him. Music played from his personal communicator, ringing in his ears. The bass coincided with his steps, each one pushing him further along.
He entered the bar, and almost gagged from the smell of Cardamine, Weed and Alcohol. Eyes turned at the sight of his expensive coat, mouths quirked at the sight of this young and new boy, obviously easy prey. The Zoners on the whole smiled at him. The Corsairs looked at him with general hostilitie. The bounty hunters twiddled with their eye pieces, checking for bounties against his name. The fact noone was happy in the bar saddened Silvius intensely.
His music ending as he slid his calloused thumb along the volume control, he walked to the bar, glancing over what was on offer.
"Umm, could I have a "Sidewinder Fang" please?"
His posh accent and polite manners made the bartender stare, do a quick double take, and then he nodded, pulling the drink expertly into a glass.
"Thirty credits please" the man muttered, his chipped teeth shining in the dim corner. Silvius counted out the change, placing it on the counter top, and picked up his drink carefully, not really sure what to do now.
Leers and jeers sprang out of the shadows at him as he walked slowly between the tables. He ignored them all. The adrenaline of his body thrummed inside his veins, empowering him. He felt alive. His black coat whistled slightly as he moved, and as an Outcast stood to block his path, he lifted his head and looked him in the eye.
"Y'alright there little boy? Sure you're supposed to be wanderin' around without yer mommy? Huh?"
A couple of nearby people snickered, but Silvius merely smirked at him.
"Fine thanks. Once you learn how to talk properly and with a tad more intelligence than your average space slug I'd be happy to answer your pathetically annoying questions."
The outcast paused for a second, before his hands shot out, pushing Silvius backwards a step. Silvius looked up in surprise. He had thought he was untouchable! How could this man touch him? The man took another step forward.
"You makin' fun of me? Huh punk? You think that's funny, usin' all those big words huh?"
Silvius swallowed deeply, and reached for his knife... which had been confiscated by the Zoners earlier.
"I think I'll mess you up punk."
The Outcast pulled out a blaster, and without the usual swagger, or pointless drivel about how this was some sort of incredible act, shot Silvius in the upper right thigh. Silvius's voice cried out, higher and more pathetic than he would ever admit to sounding, and collapsed on the floor.
"Make another move and die you friggin little Cardi sniffer."
The voice was low, dangerous, with a strange accent behind it. The Outcast who had shot Silvius froze as a cold metal of a gun barrel pressed against the back of his neck. Shivers raced up his spine, hairs lagging behind, as he swallowed deeply.
"Now then, how about you drop the blaster, and you start running, before I arrange an accident for you?"
There stood Taurus. All the joy and happiness that used to flood his eyes was now gone. He seemed to be outlined with anger, which radiated off him like a tidal wave. His eyes flashed darkly, and his mouth was an angry slash across his usually cheerful face. His rage was so all consuming that all that looked at him gulped and shuddered. Silvius gasped slowly, the pain ripping through him. He barely noticed Taurus standing there.
Some people think I'm bonkers, but I just think I'm free.
Silvius felt nothing except pain. Pure, unphased, unstopped pain. It felt like his leg had been ripped off and someone had poured acid into the wound.
He vaguely felt himself lifted up, carried along a corridor, laid down. White, he saw white, and then he blissfully faded into black.
You said you'd be there for me
In times of trouble when I need you and I'm down
Life was swimming and swirling. A whirlpool of colour and feelings, thoughts and emotions twirled and twisted in tornado's of power and feeling. Truly Silvius was scared, his own brain seemed to betray him, seemed to attack him.
Moon's awake now, with eyes wide open
The Zoner doctors worked quickly, trying to restitch the artery before the boy before them bled out. They hooked up a blood transfusion, which flowed into Silvius's arm like the pipe of life. For him it truly was.
They worked quickly, to save the boys life. Something spurred them to work faster, for some reason, they felt that this boy, though so small, was important.
They worked quickly, for a presence seemed to manifest in the back of their skulls. This boy was destined for something special. Each move they made was perfect, by the book, and was done far quicker than they ever had done before.
You can be a sweet dream, or a beautiful nightmare, either way I, don't want to wake up from you.
Silvius's eyes flashed open instantly. He screamed, his voice carrying through the halls of the station.
And several rooms away, an outcast knelt in front of an airlock, crying. He whimpered as he looked at the large man that stood on the other side of the glass. The large man looked at him, no pity in his eyes.
"You have doomed a child to a lifetime of pain." he said.
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