Billy Bishop walked with purpose down the corridor, the heels of his booted clicked against the metal grating loudly as the marched toward the mens locker room. As he approached he took a deep breath to steady himself. The look on his face was full of worry; almost as if he was about to tell someone a loved one had just died.
He has to know, he kept telling himself, though it didnt make him feel better about it. He knew the reaction that would follow and that is what had him worried.
Billy was looking for Jorhaair Dar, a young Mandalorean warrior whom he himself had saved from a wrecked trade vessel many years ago. When Billy had found him he was a mere boy, the lone survivor of horrendous attack. Billy was traveling alone on a recon mission when he received a distress call from a nearby base. He was directed to the site of a reported pirate attack. When he arrived at the coordinates given there was nothing there but a cloud of debris and wrecked trade ships. Only by chance did Billys sensors detect the weak life reading coming from the heavily damaged ship. He found the young boy floating in zero gravity, barely alive, and severely injured.
It was many months before the boys injuries were healed due to the extensive damage. The worst of his injuries was mutilation of his neck. Nearly his entire throat had been ripped out, likely caused by the numerous pieces of shrapnel flying around the inside of the ship. Billy Bishop and the boy formed a tight bond during that time and so Billy offered the now orphaned boy a home in the organization to which Billy belonged, the Mandalorean Mercs. The boy readily accepted.
Billy gave him the name Jorhaair Dar, and raised him as his own son in the ways of the Mandaloreans.
As the years passed, Jorhaairs skill improved, as did his desire for revenge for what was done to him and his family who died on the transport he was found on. Jorhaair Dar slowly pulled away from the outside world. While the rest of the kids his age were out having fun, Jorhaair was training almost without ceasing.
Jorhaair had remembered what the ship that attacked his families trade convoy looked like and it didnt take him long to find out what it was, an Outcast Destroyer. For years Jorhaair has hated the Outcasts for what had happened. However, due to the relationship the Mandaloreans had with the Outcast and Jorhaairs unwavering respect for the Mandalore outweighing his need for revenge, he was unable to hunt them. The frustration caused by this only made him train harder, hoping that one day he would be able to get his revenge.
Jorhaair Dars need for revenge on the Outcast was what had Billy Bishop worried. He had just found out something that would change his adopted sons life forever.
Billy pushed the door of the locker room open slowly. His muscles emotionally weakened by worry, needlessly struggled against the weight of the door.
Jor? Billys voice reverberated of the bare walls of the locker room as he slowly walked in. After scanning the room, Billy was about to call out again when he saw a young man come around the corner of the lockers on the opposite side of the room. The man was wearing one towel around his waist while rubbing his head with a second, obviously having just gotten out of the shower.
Despite the young mans face being hidden by the second towel, Billy knew immediately it was Jorhaair. Jorhaair Dar was hard to miss; he was an extremely fit man in his late teens. He was average height with dark hair and dark eyes, but is most distinguishing feature was not his finely sculpted body but the scars that covered it. No matter how many times he saw them, Billy couldnt help but wince a bit every time he saw them.
Jorhaair dropped his head towel into his hand and through it over his shoulder revealing his heavily scarred but still handsome face as well as the flashing lights of his cybernetic voice box. The cybernetic attachment was a gift from the Mandaloreans for his achievements within the group. The young mandalorean met the eyes of his adoptive father and smiled.
There you are, Billy said returning the smile, I thought I had missed you.
[You nearly di..d], Jorhaa's robotic voice cut out as he spoke bringing a wince from the young Mandalorean.
Still getting used to it? Billy asked.
[Still not fully healed yet], he replied, [plus Im still not used to being able to talk again]
I bet, Billy chuckled, its been a long time since you could.
The two shared an awkward silence, both shifting nervously having touched an always-sensitive topic.
[So, what was it you needed to see me for?] Jorhaa said trying to change the subject.
Billy looked at Jorhaa and shifted nervously, Uh yes, he stammered, we just got some new intel that concerns your past. Billy cleared his throat before continuing, he didnt expect it to be this hard.
Long story short, your name and how you came to be a Mandalorean was brought up between one of our pilots and a bartender. Well a fellow nearby overheard and approached saying he had some information that might interest them. Apparently the man is a long range sensor tech at Java Station and had picked up the attack and was actually the one who had alerted the Mandaloreans in the area.
Jorhaair Dar interrupted, [So was I right, was it an Outcast ship?]
Yes, Billy said solemnly
Jorhaa slammed his fist into the nearby locker. [I k..ew it!] he was so worked up now that his voice box began to cut out. He brought his hand up to his throat and winced in pain. Billy held up a hand, silencing Jorhaa before he could say anymore.
Theres more. he paused a bit trying to steady himself before continuing The craft was indeed an Outcast ship but once we ran the ships ID numbers that we got from the sensor tech past one of our contacts in the Outcast we found out some troubling news. The ship was stolen, apparently several months before the attack on you and your family.
[B..y w.ho?] Jorhaair said excitedly his face twisted into a frown of confusion.
Billy held up his hand again in a desperate attempt to keep his son calm, After a detailed investigation its been determined that it was he paused, almost as if it was a physical struggle to get the name out, MonStar.
Jorhaair Dars mouth dropped open as he slowly took a step back, staring in disbelief. After only a few moments he quickly gained his composure and a determined look came across his face. He immediately turned and began walking off, not speaking a word.
I know what your thinking, Billy began following Jorhaa, and I cant have you going after him solo. He grabbed Jorhaas shoulder and spun him around. Im not saying were not going after this monster. There are enough bounties on his head to make us all rich men, but we have to play this one smart. MonStar isnt your run of the mill bad guy were used to dealing with. We need to plan this one out, pick our battle, play on our terms.
Jorhaair said nothing, he simply looked at Billy with that same look of determination and anger on his face.
All I ask is for you to be patient, ok? I want this guy too kid, but we have to do it right. Weve already hit up our contacts across Sirius, hopefully well have a location soon.
Billy looked straight into his sons eyes, putting both hands on his shoulders, Patience, ok? he waited for a response that didnt come, Well get him. Billy looked at his adoptive son and forced a smile. Stay on alert, Im going to go check for updates. Billy Turned and headed for the door on the opposite end of the locker room. As he reached the door he pushed through stopping half way and looking back to Jorhaa who hadnt moved or changed his expression.
Patience, your time will soon come. He forced another smile before turning and leaving the room.
Jorhaair Dar stood still as he watched Billy leave the room. He slowly looked down at the ground and couldnt help but dwell on the memories of that horrific day. He didnt move for a long while he stood there, teeth clinched and hands trembling.
A soft red glow emanated from a shadowy corner of the mooring bay. A figure stood in the shadows of a stack of large crates, watching intently as workers loaded cargo onto a vessel connected to the mooring bay.
Mon'Star took another long draw off of his cigar, the red glow getting brighter once again. "Looks like i got here just in time Borgy," Mon'Star's thought to himself, knowing that his minion could hear him, "So this ship, the Innocence Lost, you found it's name mentioned where?"
"It was mentioned briefly in a financial report that i was able to find in an old Liberty Navy archive, " PSI-Borg's voice came to Mon'Star as if he were standing directly beside him, "The ship was listed as an outside consultant. Seeing as the other ships on the list turned out to be legitimate and this ship did not, i thought it wise to investigate it further. Upon said investigation, i found that this ships operation record matches the time and location in the information you provided me."
Mon'Star was quiet as he took one last draw off of his cigar before tossing it away. "We'll then, i say we have our ship then don't we?" Mon'Star's question was rhetorical but that fact was lost on PSI-Borg who answered it anyway.
"The facts I've accumulated make the chances of this being the ship we seek to be ninety three percent."
Mon'Star couldn't help but smile to himself as he began to walk to the large doors leading from the mooring bay to the ship outside, the workers still loading the cargo were too busy to notice his approach. "Well it looks like it's time to introduce myself."
................................................
“How much longer until we’re ready to leave?” Kasper Calms said as she strolled down the corridor of her ship, the Innocence Lost, surveying the slave cages that lined the walls. She wore a tight leather jump suit that conformed to her fit body like a glove. The long trench coat she wore over the jumpsuit did little to cover her well-defined feminine curves.
A woman in her early thirties, Kasper was well blessed in her physical appearance and knew it, occasionally tossing her long black hair from one shoulder to the next for no other reason than to draw attention to herself. Kasper was a Slaver, making a living on the selling or capturing then selling of people, with little to no regard for their so-called freedom. A job she took great pleasure in, the feeling of control that went along with the career was right up her alley.
It was well known amongst the Slavers that Kasper was appointed captain of the Innocence Lost, for her beauty alone. However no one ever complained about her appointment, they themselves wanting her to be happy as well if only for a chance for her to take notice of them. Which did little to deflate her ego, which by this time was reaching colossal dimensions.
Kasper Calms looked at the occupants of the cages along the corridor with indifference, as if she were looking at livestock instead of people. She let out a soft sigh as she rolled her eyes before turning around abruptly, “Well?!” she said impatiently to the little man following closely behind her.
Miles Kravor flinched instinctively at the sudden outburst. He had missed the original question; too busy staring at Kasper to have noticed she had said anything. Miles ran his hand over his thin brown hair that was heavy greased down. He gave out a nasally snort and sucked his overly pronounced buck teeth before answering the question he did hear, “Pardon me my lady?” he said sheepishly.
Kasper put her hands on her hips and leaned forward, “When can we leave?” she said slowly.
Miles brought up the portable control panel he carried in one hand and began tapping on it rapidly. “We should be able to leave within the hour my lady.” He said excitedly, thinking the news would make Kasper happy, but when he looked up from his panel his smile faded as he noticed she had already turned around and continued her stroll. Miles squeaked and scurried after her to catch up.
“See if you can speed things up,” Kasper said when Miles caught back up to her, “I want to unload these slaves early so I can do some shopping.”
“As you wish my la….” Miles’ ended his sentence with a wheezing cough.
Kasper, obviously annoyed by Miles Kravors lack of manners around her, stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips once more.
“Miles, I’m am sick and tired of your…” she spun around to scold Miles but was shocked to find it wasn’t only Miles standing behind her.
Her eyes were immediately drawn to Miles who was dangling several feet in the air from a metallic arm. Miles’ face was blue as he struggled in futility at the hand that held him aloft. Kasper mouth dropped open at the sight, her gaze quickly followed the arm down to its owner. Only after several blinks did she come to realize who this person was, and when she finally did she let out an audible gasp.
“Well hello there my sweet,” Mon’Star said looking directly into Kasper’s eyes. “I believe you and I need to have a little chat.”
Kasper was frozen in place. So gripped by her fear, She didn’t notice that Miles had quit struggling against Mon’Star’s relentless grip. When Mon’Star dropped Miles onto the hard metal grating, the thud from the impact set Kasper’s panic into motion.
She turned instinctively to run in the opposite direction. Before she could take a single step, she felt a powerful tug from behind. It happened in a blur, too fast for her panicked mind to comprehend. Before she knew what had happened he found herself pinned to the floor staring up into the face of Mon’Star. She began to struggle but stopped immediately when she felt the sharp edge of a blade against her throat.
She closed her eyes and shuddered as Mon’Star leaned in and took a long sniff of Kasper’s cheek.
“Mmmmmmm,” Mon’Star said deeply, “your fear excites me my dear. Worry not however, I’ll remain the gentleman, for now..HAHAHA!” spit From Mon’Star’s laugh splashed across Kasper’s face.
Mon’Star’s outburst was short lived and he quickly turned his attention back to his captive. “Now then, due to you slaver types inability to keep proper records, I know I know, it’s all to fool mean ole lawman. Never the less, since I can’t just look up the information, you and I are going to play a little game. It’s called question and answer. How it works is, I’ll ask a question, you answer. Sounds simple enough right?” when no answer came from Kasper, Mon’Star scowled slightly, “Oh my, someone’s not been taking their smart pills. You see that was a question, which means you have to answer.”
“Yes.” Whimpered Kasper.
“Ah!” Mon’Star said gleefully, “You’re a fast learner, good” his smile widened and Kasper saw his attention was drawn to something on her face. With his free hand, Mon’Star reached up and caught a tear that had began it’s decent down Kasper’s face. She closed her eyes and tensed up instinctively; the tightening of her neck pushed the edge of the blade into her skin enough to draw a small line of blood before she could loosen her neck up again.
She opened up her eyes just in time to see Mon’Star stick the finger that had caught the tear into his mouth. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, almost as if he were savoring the taste. Mon’Star gave a low chuckle as his lips parted once again to reveal that evil grin.
“Now then,” he said bringing his attention once again back to his captive, “a little birdy told me that you, Kasper Calms, are the captain of this slaver ship. Is this true?”
“Y.e…s” she replied, her voice was barely a whisper.
“Excellent, bravo, well done even.” Mon’Star said ecstatically, “you’re a regular pro at this already.”
“NEXT!” Mon’Star shouted as he quickly brought his face back in close to Kasper’s so that the tips of the noses were touching. The sudden movement made Kasper flinch again, forcing her to wince as the blade bit into her delicate neck once more. “How long have you been in the captain’s seat of the Innocence Lost?”
“Eight….” She swallowed hard, which proved difficult against the razor edge pressed to her throat, “eight months.”
“Ah I see,” Mon’Star stared into Kasper’s eyes unblinkingly. “now we're getting down to the nitty gritty. Who was captain before you?”
Kasper frowned as she tried to think, which she found to be somewhat difficult given her present situation. Her frown faded as she began to remember. “Jeffrey’s, Burter Jeffrey’s”
“Interesting,” the madman said finally pulling away from Kaspers face, “Final question,” his voice had dropped to a whisper, “This is for all the marbles, Kasper Calms are you ready?”
“Y..es.. Please I…” she began to sob.
“Where,” Mon’Star interrupted, “if a person were so inclined, would they find this Burter Jeffrey’s?”
“Last… I heard,” she cried, “He..retired and is…living in the Omicrons.”
“Excellent!” Mon’Star said excitedly, he leaned in and gave Kasper a long kiss. He pulled away suddenly and wrapped an over exaggerated frown on his face, “Kasper Calms, how dare you try to seduce me!” the frown immediately faded into a devious smile as he removed his knife from her throat and stood up, “I have thoroughly enjoyed our time together Miss Calms. Unfortunately, due to pressing matters I must bid you farewell. I most certainly look forward to our next meeting. Perhaps we’ll have more time to get better acquainted.”
Kasper lay very still, she had expected Mon’Star to kill her or take her captive but he merely left her laying there and began to walk away.
The madman stopped over Miles Kravor’s unconscious body and turned back to regard Kasper once again. “You’ll be needing a new assistant I’m afraid,” he bent over, grabbed Miles with one hand, and effortlessly tossed him onto his shoulder, “I’m taking this one as a souvenir.” After a wink Mon’Star turned and began to walk away. “Come on Miles, I’ve got something I want to show you…HAHAHAHAAHAA!”
Kasper watched Mon’Star leave with wide eyes and baited breath. She stared down the corridor long after Mon’Star had left, too afraid to move. Realizing the ordeal was finally over; she rolled onto her side, brought her legs up to form herself into a ball, and wept freely.
“WAIT!” A desperate voice rang out in the distance. The shout stopped Billy Bishop in his tracks as he turned to see what the commotion was about. When he turned around he saw that the shout had come from Naas Jari'eyc, an older man that Billy had known for years and who had retired a few years back from active duty in the Mandaloreans. Spending his retirement as a part-time sensor tech to keep himself occupied while also providing him a way of staying “involved”.
“Hey Naas,” Billy greeted him with a smile, “what can I do ya for?” he couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of his old friend.
Naas was red faced and wheezing heavily as he tried to catch his breath. When he caught up to Billy, he put one hand on Billy’s shoulder and one on his hip as he tried desperately to catch his breath.
“Looks like those years behind a monitor screen have made you soft old man.” Billy said patting Naas on the back. Naas responded to the slight with a dirty look that only made Billy smile wider.
Naas removed his hand from Billy’s shoulder and took a step back trying to look more professional. “Message….for you….sir.” Naas said in-between gasps.
“Ok Naas,” Billy chuckled despite himself, “let’s have it.”
After several deep breaths Naas had finally steadied his breathing enough to speak, “I was just finishing up a shift at the sensor station in the control room. As I was collecting my things, I overheard a long-range message come through over at the communication station. Normally I wouldn’t have given it a second thought but as I passed I heard the name Mon’Star.”
At the mention of the madman, Billy’s smile quickly faded.
Naas noticed the change in Billy’s demeanor and quickly continued, “Knowing that you were wanting to have info on this guy I went over see what I could find out. Well, the message was apparently from a Slaver captain who said she was attacked by none other than Mon’Star himself. I’m not sure how the captain survived because from what I understand most people don’t last long when they meet this guy.” Naas realized he was beginning to ramble which by looking at Billy’s expression wasn’t a good course of action.
“So naturally,” Naas quickly continued, “This Slaver wanted the Mandaloreans to take care of this problem. After a price was settled on, we began asking the typical questions about the target. That’s where it kinda got weird. The slaver said that Mon’Star was looking for someone and left right after they told him what he wanted to know. Now what I don’t get is why he left this slaver captain alive, because from what I know…”
“Naas!” Billy interrupted, “Who was he looking for?”
Naas stuttered for a second, realizing his error in rambling again. “He asked about Burter Jeffreys, the previous owner of the captain ship.”
“Did you run a check on this Jeffreys?” Billy asked.
“Yes sir, after a bit of digging we were able to find his name on the residence dossier of Freeport 9 in the Omicron Theta system.”
“Excellent,” Billy said, a hint of a grin beginning to show on his face, “We need to scramble a squad or Mandaloreans at once.” Billy looked at the ground as he ran over the facts in his head.
“Sir?” Naas tried to break Billy out of his contemplative stare
“If it was this easy for us to find Jeffreys whereabouts,” Billy said apparently oblivious to Naas, “surely Mon’Star was successful also. We haven’t much time to catch him” Billy began to walk away and after a few steps remembered his manners, stopping and turning to regard Naas once more, “Thanks Naas.”
“Wait!” Naas said stopping Billy midway through this turn, “Sir there’s more.”
Billy Bishop’s eyebrows rose inquisitively, “There is?”
“Yes sir,” Naas continued, “Here lately I’ve seen young Jorhaa’ir Dar volunteering his free time in the control room. He was present when we received the message.”
Billy’s expression turned dire, “Did he hear the message?”
“I would think so, everyone in the control room was listening in.”
“Where is Jorhaa’ir now?” Billy said reluctantly, almost as if he feared the answer.
“The hanger logs say his ship left the station about an hour ago.”
“Damn” Billy turned and ran for the hanger leaving Naas standing in the corridor. He scolded himself for giving Jorhaa the benefit of the doubt that he wouldn’t do something foolish. Billy underestimated the size of the emotional scars Jorhaa’ir carried with him. As he turned the corridor he could see the lift door leading to the hanger in the distance. He could only hope he could catch up to Jorhaa’ir Dar before he did anything they both would regret.
"Slave, my soup is cold!" The raspy voiced man shouted as he looked over his shoulder toward the door leading to the kitchen area. No sooner had the old man barked his complaint, that a young man no older than eighteen burst through the door. The young slave glided more than walked, keeping his head lowered as he crossed the room so as to not make eye contact with his master. Upon reaching the table he quickly grabbed the bowl containing the old man's soup and was turning to head back to the kitchen when he was stopped by the old man grabbing his shirt sleeve.
"Make it perfect boy," the old man spit remnants of the soup from his mouth as he spoke, "or else you'll be certain to regret that it's not." The slave gave a deep silent bow in response and darted by to the kitchen.
The old man's name was Burter Jeffreys, a short and rather obese man whose white hair, sparse teeth, and a fair share of deep wrinkles had him looking closer to eighty years old rather than his actual age of 65. The people of the Freeport knew him as a retired businessman, having made his fortune through wise investments and profitable transactions. While those who knew Burter well, knew that he had made his fortune in the procuring, buying, selling, and trading of slaves. One need only to look at the luxurious living quarters he now lived in to know that while Burter Jeffreys was in business, business was good.
Burter tapped his well-manicured fingernail against the table impatiently while muttering curses to himself. He had developed a strong business sense over his career as a slaver. This business sense gave him an over abundance of confidence as well as a great deal of patience when dealing with customers and fellow dealers. However when it came to his dealings with the slaves, who garnered less of his respect than a simple house pet, his patience were next to none.
After several long moments, Burter Jeffreys chubby face began to flush, a sign that his blood pressure was reaching critical levels.
Hurry it up Boy! He shouted over his shoulder. Just as the words left his mouth the kitchen door began to slowly open. Burter turned back around in his chair and adjusted his lap napkin in preparation.
If it were up to you, Id be nothing more than a bag of bones. Bah! Im too hungry to give you your just deserves. Bring my soup, so that Ill have the strength to distribute your punishment. The thought of beating the boy did bring a grin to Burters face. He considered it one of the best aspects of being a slaver, nearly as good as fornicating with them. That last bit brought a chuckle from the old man as he reminisced on countless such occasions.
Lost in the fog of his daydreaming, Burter Jeffreys hardly noticed his dinner being placed back in front of him. Burter blinked back to reality as his hunger took precedence over his lust, for the moment anyway.
Looking down at what he expected to be his soup bowl, Burter saw a covered serving platter instead. Burters face curled up into a frown, What are you trying to pull here boy? the venom in his voice was blatant as he leaned forward to remove the metal dome covering the serving platter.
Burter dropped the platters lid as an unconscious gasp slipped from his mouth at the sight of what was on the platter. On the platter lay the disembodied head of the slave boy, his dead eyes staring directly toward Burter had only just begun to cloud over. Blood drained slowly from the heads neck. The wound appeared torn rather than sliced, indicating the boys head was ripped off rather than cut off. The old man wasnt a stranger to dead bodies, but the savagery that was required to rip off a human head was more than he was accustomed to. Burter pushed his chair back and stood up instinctively, his eyes fixated on the scene of gore before him.
I call this my slave boy surprise! The sound of the voice of the person apparently responsible for death of the slave boy startled Burter. His muscles jerked in fear as he quickly turned to regard the source of the voice. In front of him stood an imposing figure with cybernetic implants, bulging muscles, and covered with more than a few weapons with his arms stretched wide and a wide smile wrapped across his face, the infamous terrorist MonStar looked like he had just revealed the grand prize on a televised game show.
Burter didnt realize the level of threat standing only a few feet from him. He, like most people, had heard of MonStar but didnt know what he looked like to have recognized him. having had spent nearly a lifetime dealing with pirates and cutthroats, Burter quickly regained his composure after his initial shock at the sight of his dead. Are you mad, Burter began to scold the intruder, do you know how much these slaves cost?
The question only received a thunderous laugh in return. MonStar immediately noticed that Burter took him as a typical pirate. A common misconception that he actually preferred, as those who knew who he was expected that he would kill them, when those who thought him to be a pirate mistakenly thought they had a chance to survive. Oh what joy it brought MonStar when he saw the look of shock on their face when he showed his true nature at their climactic end.
I assume you have a good reason for breaking into my home and killing my slaves? If it was to get my attention, well it worked. So lets have it then, what do you want? Burter had completely regained his composure by now and was standing with his hands defiantly on his hips, a sour expression on his face.
MonStar grinned at the old man as he casually pulled a chair back from the large dining table and sat in it. Oh I dont need much really, MonStar said calmly as he leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up on expensive tables top, just some information.
Ah, Burter said holding a finger up in the air, a look of revelation on his face, it all begins to make sense now." Burter began pacing back and forth on the opposite side of the table, holding one finger to his mouth as he talked.
"i've delt with your kind before," Burter turned an accusing eye at Mon'Star, "the killing of my slave was all for show. either you have no money or are hoping to get what you want without parting with any of your money." Burter,still pacing, made a turn at the head of the table and began his slow walk toward the back of the dining room.
Burter was creating his own ruse while accusing his new guest of theirs. Burter was an intelligent old man, who had a plethora of experience in dealing with the shading sort. As a precaution Burter had stashed weapons around his house for situations just like this one. One such weapon was an old Outcast plasma short rifle hidden behind a decorative cabinet on the back wall of the dining room toward which Burter was now slowly walking toward. Burter was more upset about the intrusion into his house than he was letting on, but he wanted to distract his guest while he sprang the trap, only then would he reveal his outrage. The odds were in Burters favor, when he reached the rifle he'd be on the opposite side of the room with his target sitting unaware and unprepared to react to having a gun drawn on them.
"So," Burter continued, "seeing as you obviously need something from me and since your little trick has failed on me....how about we talk about price."
Mon'Star couldn't help but smile as he listened to the old man ramble. He had known about the weapon that Burter was reaching for, seeing it hidden behind the cabinet when he scanned the room with his optical implant. Mon'Star let the oldman run through his plan, prefering to let Burter's confidence rise, so it'd have further to fall.
Burter reached for the gun with the speed of a man much younger than he actually was. Under normal circumstances his trap would've been perfect and he'd have his guest dead in his sights, literally. However, there wasn't anything normal about Mon'Star.
Burter, gun in hand, spun around fully expecting to catch his troublesome guest by surprise. Three quarters of the way through his turn Burter was stopped by what felt like the gun in his fully extended arm had hit a wall, a wall that Burter knew wasn't there. A look of confusion soon turned into one of shock and fear.
Holding the gun was Mon'Star, having caught it in his metallic. Burter couldn't believe what he was seeing, before he reached for the gun he had glanced back to confirm that his target was still on the opposite side of the room, over twenty feet away. What he was seeing was, impossible.
"Wha..wha..t, are you?" Burter stuttered.
Mon'Star grinned mischieviously as he responded by yanking the gun from Burters hand and grabbing him by the throat with his free hand. With an effortless tug, Mon'Star sent Burter Jeffreys flying across the room, bouncing hard off the wall and landing face up on the floor. The impact with the wall had knocked the wind completely out of Burter leaving him weezing on the floor as he tried to regain his breath.
Mon'Star watched Burter gasp for air gleefully as he walked over to Burter and placed a heavy boot on the old man's chest. "I'm a Mon'Star of course." he said with a sarcastic chuckle, holding his arms out as if the answer to the question was obvious.
"You....," Burter said finally beginning to catch his breath, "c..an't..ki...kill me."
"Oh?" Mon'Star looked as if Burter had just challenged him. Still holding the gun he had taken from Burter Mon'Star aimed it directly at Burter's face.
"You," Burter began finally beginning to gather his breath enough to speak clearly, "need me."
"True enough," Mon'Star stated, "But i don't need all of you."
With pinpoint accuracy Mon'Star moved the gun in a flash and without looking, discharged the plasma weapon at one of Burters hands. the plasma burst disintegrated the hand, leaving nothing but a charred divet in the once lavish flooring of the dining room.
Burter screamed in pain, bringing the burnt nub that used to be his hand up to chest. Mon'Star watched Burter writhe in his torment with unbridled joy, his smile threatening to consume his entire face. As much as Mon'Star loved the spectacle and sound of Burter's pain, this visit had a purpose. The pleasurable part of the trip would have to wait until the business end was taken care of.
Mon'Star slowly began putting more weight onto the foot he was using to pin Burter to the floor. The increase in weight reduced Burters ability to breath, which slowly brought his screams and cries to an end. Barely able to breath, Burter opened his eyes to focus on his tormentor.
"Now then," Mon'Star's smile was morbid as his cybernetic eye began changing from jet black to a dark crimson, "about that information......"
Jorhaa’ir Dar marched down the corridor of the Freeport with a purpose. Having only arrived moments before, he wasted no time making his way toward the residence of Burter Jeffreys. He could only hope he wasn’t too late, he’d hoped he’d reach Burter before Mon’Star did. He could then set up an ambush and make the monster pay for all he’s done.
Dressed for battle, Jorhaa’ir wore his full compliment of Mandalorian armor. The sight of him in his armor brought more than a few nods of respect from those he passed on his way through the winding corridors of the Freeport.
Jorhaa’ir stopped at an intersection in the corridors having made it to the residential wing that Burter Jeffreys was supposed to live in.
“I’m looking for Burter Jeffreys.” Jorhaa’ir Dar asked a woman who was passing by.
“Oh,” the woman said sheepishly, “his is the door at the end of this corridor. you can’t miss it.”
“Thank you ma’am,” Jorhaa’ir said with a bow. The woman smiled in return before walking off.
Jorhaa’ir turned to see the door the woman spoke of at the far end of the corridor that she had just came from. He immediately turned and began walking in that direction. He took a deep breath to calm himself, he reached up and straightened his helmet and adjusted his light armor vest. It was going to take a bit of convincing on his part for Burter to believe him.
As he walked toward the door he looked around the corridor for places to set an ambush if he were to fail to get Burter to believe him. Not seeing much in way of cover, Jorhaa would have to come up with a different plan if this one didn’t work.
He stopped in front of the door and took one last breath to steady himself before reaching up to press the call button. Just as he was about to press the button, his finger only an inch for it, the door in front of him opened.
The unexpected hiss of the door sliding open startled Jorhaa’ir Dar. So much so that it took him a second to recognize who was standing in the doorway, staring down at him with a wicked smile on his face.
The sight of Mon’Star right in front of him shocked Jorhaa. The lack of alarm from the people on the station he had passed made him think that Mon’Star hadn’t arrived yet. Jorhaa didn’t have time to think about his mistake and immediately sprang into action.
Instinctively Jorhaa reached for his sidearm. He pulled it out of its holster on his hip and raised it to take aim at Mon’Star. Before he could get it raised completely Mon’Star took a quick step forward and slapped at the gun, connecting with Jorhaa’ir’s wrist. The impact instantly made his hand go numb, releasing his grip on the sidearm and sending it flying to slam into the nearby wall.
Jorhaa didn’t have time to think about what to do next as Mon’Star continued his forward momentum and reversed the direction of the metallic arm he just used to slap away the gun and sent an elbow into Jorhaa’ir’s face.
Jorhaa’ir’s helmet took the full brunt of the blow, denting in inches from his cheek and snapping the chin strap holding the helmet onto his head. Jorhaa’ir didn’t fight against the backward force of Mon’Star’s attack but instead used it to put some distance between the two of them. Jorhaa fell into a backward roll, landing on his feet. His helmet sliding off his head and rolling down the corridor.
As soon as Jorhaa’ir Dar landed on his feet he reached behind him and pulled out the two Kukri blades he kept in an x pattern on his back.
Mon’Star raised an eyebrow in response and reached for his own sidearm. Jorhaa leapt forward, slashing powerfully with his right Kukri. The blade connected perfectly with Mon’Star’s sidearm. Jorhaa’ir followed through with the momentum the initial strike and spun around swinging the kukri in his left hand at Mon’Star’s side. Mon’Star caught Jorhaa’ir’s blade with one of his own. The impact of the blades sent out a small shower of sparks as the razor edges grinded against each other.
Jorhaa’s momentum had been stopped by Mon’Star’s block and he now found himself with his back to his enemy, leaving him in a vulnerable position. Recognizing he was in trouble, Jorhaa’ir flipped forward and kicked his feet up toward the ceiling, both slamming into the bottom of Mon’Star’s chin.
Jorhaa, now upside-down, fell face first. Just before he landed on his head, Jorhaa tucked and rolled out of the fall unharmed. Rolling several times, he came out of it landing in a defensive crouch, blades in front of him waiting for the expected counter attack.
The attack Jorhaa’ir Dar was expecting to follow didn’t come. Instead Mon’Star stood calmly looking at the sparks and smoke coming from his gun.
“Impressive.” Mon’Star said shaking his head approvingly.
[You killed my family], Jorhaa’ir Dar said slowly rising out of his crouch to a standing position. His robotic voice caught Mon’Star’s attention. His eyes darted from his destroyed pistol to stare at Jorhaa’s throat, [I’m here to make you pay for all the pain you’ve caused].
“I’m guessing I caused those physical scars as well as the emotional ones?” Mon’Star asked with a sadistic grin.
Jorhaa’ir Dar’s eyes narrowed, [Your reign of terror ends now!] Jorhaa’ir rushed Mon’Star, who dropped the broken gun and pulled out a second knife of his own.
Jorhaa stayed on the offensive, slashing left with a backhanded swing then following it with stabbing right. Mon’Star dodged the first and parried the second attack with ease. Over the next several moments the fight raged on the same way. The sound of shuffling feet and the ringing of metal on metal resounded down the corridor.
Jorhaa was doing well, he parried a slice from Mon’Star which left an opening for a powerful leg kick. Mon’Star in return reversed his swing and threw a backhanded slice at Jorhaa who nimbly ducked below it. Jorhaa wisely followed Mon’Star’s swing to capitalize on the open that presented itself with the missed attack. Jorhaa swung his right leg around in to a round kick that landed on Mon’Star’s face. Not wanting to waste the moment from the kick, Jorhaa followed through with a spinning back kick that caught Mon’Star square in the chest.
Jorhaa’s leg jarred as Mon’Star didn’t budge from the powerful back kick, as if he had kicked a wall. The impact caught Jorhaa off guard and sent him stumbling forward as he tried to catch his balance.
Mon’Star moved in, catching Jorhaa by the back he slammed him face first into the wall and held him there.
“Tell me boy,” Mon’Star said in almost a whisper as he moved so close to Jorhaa he could feel his breath against his ear, “does it bother you that your family’s death was so insignificant to me that I don’t even remember it?”
Jorhaa’ir fumed as the madman chuckled about his family’s death in his ear. Jorhaa growled in anger as he brought a blade down and stabbed it into Mon’Star’s thigh. Pushing off the wall, Jorhaa had made enough room to smash his head into Mon’Star’s face. This gave Jorhaa enough room to bring his legs up and crawl up the wall, sending him back flipping over Mon’Star’s shoulder.
Jorhaa landed and rolled backward jumping to his feet once again holding his Kukri knives in front of him.
To his amazement Mon’Star was leaning casually against the wall he had just escaped from, without any weapons in his hands. Mon’Star wore a smirk on his face, as he clapped slowly.
“You know for someone who had his family needlessly butchered and received some life altering wounds in the process. Only to have to live with those memories for so long without an outlet for all that rage and sorrow.” Mon’Star raised an eyebrow and Jorhaa, “Then, after all this time, finally coming face to face with the very person who ruined your life.” Mon’Star stopped for dramatic pause, “I figured you’d have put up a better fight.”
Jorhaa’ir Dar’s vision went red with rage and he charged Mon’Star once again. He swung his blades left then right, both finding nothing but air. He sent a kick out as a faint for a powerful thrust with his left kukri. Mon’Star caught the boy’s arm in mid thrust stopping him in his tracks. Without pausing Jorhaa swung his right kukri in desperately trying to end the monster in front of him. Again Mon’Star easily caught the boys attacking hand in his own.
Jorhaa looked at Mon’Star’s smiling face in defiance, a let out a yell in frustration. His robotic voice box cutting out mid way through it.
Mon’Star, still smiling, slammed his head into the boy’s face, smashing Jorhaa’ir’s nose. He then pulled down on Jorhaa’s arms pulling him into a stiff knee to his chest that if he hadn’t had on his armor would’ve likely caved it in and broke his spine.
Jorhaa fell to the ground on his knees his knives dropping to the ground beside him. His vision blurred and the air no longer in his lungs he looked up at Mon’Star as he gasped for breath.
“I like you kid,” Mon’Star said happily, “I think I’ll keep you HAHAHAHAAAA!”
With his vision blurred, Jorhaa’ir Dar didn’t see the punch coming nor did he feel himself land on the floor unconscious.
The soft hiss the doors leading onto the bridge of the Necrosis made as they opened cut through the silence of the dimly lit room like a knife. As if on cue, several lights across the large room as well as the majority of the screens lining the walls sprang to life as Mon’Star strolled into the room. Carrying the limp body of young Jorhaa’ir Dar on his shoulder, Mon’Star walked to the middle of the room where a large raised platform was located.
Mon’Star bent down in the center of the platform and dumped the boy unceremoniously to the floor, letting him land in a lump on the cold metal grating. Mon’Star looked down on Jorhaa’ir Dar’s unconscious body and smile nefariously before turning around with his arms stretched wide.
“Home sweet home!” Mon’Star said joyfully, “Borgy come greet your master.”
On command, a familiar digitized face appeared on the screen to Mon’Star’s right and moved from screen to screen until it was directly in front of him.
“Hello master,” PSI-Borg said in his typical monotone voice, “I trust you had a pleasant outing?”
“Indeed I did my pet,” Mon’Star looked over his shoulder to Jorhaa’ir Dar, who was beginning to stir, “I even found a new toy to play with.”
“Master, forgive my forwardness but why don’t you just kill these organics instead of wasting time in torturing them before you kill them?”
“HAHAHAAHAAAHAA!” Mon’Star roared, “Oh Borgy, I find your coldness refreshing. The void that is your sense of humor causes you to miss out on some of the pleasures these meatbags offer.” Mon’Star looked at the blank look on PSI-Borgs digital face and realized the futility of trying to explain himself. “Let’s just say I find it endlessly amusing.”
PSI-Borg nodded, showing it’s acceptance of Mon’Star’s reasoning before changing the subject. “How was your meeting with Burter Jeffreys?”
“Ah yes,” Mon’Star’s eyes widened as he held a finger up in the air for a brief moment, “the old man was a tough nut to crack but after a few missing appendages, he sang like a bird.”
“Was your theory of Liberty being the host of the experiments correct?” PSI-Borg asked
“Indeed.” Mon’Star paused to glance over his shoulder again at Jorhaa’ir Dar, who was now sitting up and wiping the blood from his nose and mouth. Mon’Star smirked before turning back around to continue his tale. “Dear Mr. Jeffreys spoke in detail of his dealings with a Vice Admiral Nathan Arnold of the Liberty Navy. He said he was contracted directly by the vice admiral to obtain subjects for a highly classified project that he was overseeing.”
PSI-Borg raised an eyebrow, “Of course he was not told any of the details of the project.”
“Very good my pet,” Mon’Star said approvingly, “It seems you are becoming wise in the dealings of these meatbags. You make me so proud.” Mon’Star turned back to Jorhaa who was glaring at him his eyes full of hatred. Mon’Star mockingly wiped an imaginary tear from his eye, his face wrinkled up in a fake frown. “They grow up so quick.”
Jorhaa’ir Dar spit out a mouthful of blood in disgust, he winced as the motion made him realize his jaw was broken. He reached up to feel the side of his face swollen significantly. He turned his hateful gaze back on Mon’Star who laughed maniacally in response.
“No,” Mon’Star turned back toward PSI-Borg when his laughter subsided, “He was paid handsomely for his work with a little bonus put in for his silence. At that point the old man had little more to offer me. So I finished removing the rest of his appendages.” Mon’Star’s voice trailed off as eyes fixated, an evil grin growing on his face as he reminisced on what had happened next.
“Master?” PSI-Borg said trying to keep Mon’Star focused.
“Oh,” Mon’Star said as he snapped out of his daydream, “Borgy, why don’t you spread yourself out and see what you can find on this Vice Admiral Nathan Arnold. It seems our journey is nearing it’s end. Soon we should have all the answers we seek.”
“As you wish my lord.” PSI-Borg gave a deep nod before the screen displaying his imaged turned dark.
“Alone at last,” Mon’Star said grimly, his back still toward Jorhaa’ir. Mon’Star tuned around slowly until he was facing the young mercenary. Jorhaa’ir Dar, who was now standing, reached down into his boots and pulled out two long daggers that had been concealed in his boots. With a blade in each hand, Jorhaa held them up in front of him ready to continue their previous fight.
Mon’Star didn’t move. He stood motionless staring directly into the boy’s eyes, his customary evil grin smeared across his face. “I couldn’t help but admire that fancy voice box you have there boy.”
Jorhaa’ir didn’t budge he remained poised, legs slightly bent ready to spring into action.
“It’s an impressive piece of technology for certain. It’s even got a wireless adapter for updating its firmware.” Mon’Star’s eyebrow rose slightly as his smile widened as he finished speaking.
Jorhaa didn’t catch on at first but the realization of Mon’Star’s meaning quickly became apparent when Jorhaa noticed he couldn’t breath anymore. His eyes went wide as he gasped for air. He dropped the two daggers letting them fall to the metal grating with a loud bang and grasped at his throat in a futile attempt to open his airway. Jorhaa’ir Dar fell to the ground a look of panic on his face.
Mon’Star walked over to the boy and looked down on him as he continued to struggle for air. “It’s funny how such a blessing can so quickly turn into a curse HAHAHAAHAAA!”
Mon’Star laughter roared across the entirety of the bridge echoing against it’s cold dark walls.
Jorhaa barely heard it; his struggle to breath was foremost in his mind, his vision narrowed as the darkness closed in on him. Just when Jorhaa’ir felt himself begin to slip into unconsciousness he felt his throat open and he began taking in deep breaths of air.
Mon’Star knelt down beside the young merc and patted the boy’s cheek, “No no no,” Mon’Star told him, “it’s not time yet, we’ve still got so much fun ahead of u…..”
Mon’Star’s smile vanished in an instant, his face immediately flushed, and he began sweating profusely. His vision began blurring, it was happening again. Mon’Star tried to stand and walk to his command chair before it got worse but it was too late. He was able to stand and take one step before falling to his hands and knees. Endless cycles of thoughts, feelings, and images raced through his mind. He tried to call out for PSI-Borg but couldn’t, every nerve in his body felt like it was going to explode and it was all he could do to keep from screaming out in pain. He crawled a few feet but the pain only grew stronger and more intense. He felt something running out of his ears…his nose….his eyes….his mouth. He brought his hand up and wiped the substance off. He looked at it. Through his swirling vision he saw red…blood.
The darkness came and Mon’Star could only let out a small chuckle before collapsing on the cold metal grating.
Jorhaa’ir watched the spectacle with a look of confusion on his face. At first he thought it was a trick, until he saw the blood pouring out of Mon’Star’s face. Jorhaa shook off the last remnants of the cobwebs he had from nearly passing out. He knew this was his chance to get his revenge. He didn’t understand what had happened and at this point he didn’t care, he just wanted one thing and that was Mon’Star dead.
He got to his knees and picked up one of the daggers lying beside him. His eyes were focused on Mon’Star. Still expecting him to jump up, he approached with caution. As he slowly approached Mon’Star, Jorhaa’ir felt the floor shake followed shortly by another shake. Jorhaa’ir Dar’s focus now broken from Mon’Star he noticed a glow coming from one side of the room.
The monitors around the room were showing the space directly outside of the ship. Jorhaa’s attention was immediately drawn to what was on the large side view monitor. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he recognized the source of the glow. It was the bluish glow of a large Nomad fleet was coming right at him.
The third impact was much stronger than the first two, a shot from one of the larger ships just now coming into firing range. In the rear of the group was the largest of the ships and Jorhaa knew it could be nothing less than a battleship. And it wouldn’t be long before it too was within weapon range.
Jorhaa took a deep breath. This was it; this was going to be where he met his end. He couldn’t help but smile as he turned back to the motionless body of Mon’Star. Jorhaa’ir Dar couldn’t ask for a more fitting end. He was going to die at the hands of a superior opponent, but that paled in comparison to being able to finally avenge his fallen family before it happened.
He took a step forward, dagger ready to strike and end this beast’s reign of terror. Suddenly the floor shook violently, nearly throwing Jorhaa off his feet. He turned to the monitor once again, and felt his heart sank as he saw that the nomad battleship was within range and was unleashing his guns against them. Not wanting to miss his chance he turned back to Mon’Star and began to run over to finish him off. He took two steps and was thrown off his feet and the platform he was standing on by another heavy impact, landing hard on the floor below.
Sparks and small explosions erupted around him as the impacts against the hull of the Necrosis steadily increased. Jorhaa struggled to regain his footing, but as he finally got to his feet a blinding flash threw him back down, slamming his head against the floor. A burst of heat swept over his exposed skin, he covered his face instinctively. Disorientated from the knock to his head, Jorhaa didn’t feel himself lifting up at first. The rush of air around him made him uncover his face to see what it could be. He gasped as he saw what it was, a huge hole had been blown in the ceiling of the bridge and everything including Jorhaa was being sucked out.
Only then did he realize he had been pulled off the ground by the vacuum of the hole. He struggled to grasp at anything and everything. He was able to grab a handrail momentarily but his grip wasn’t good enough. Jorhaa winced as he fingers slowly slipped off the rail and he was pulled out into the void.
Its the Necrosis! The voice coming through Billy Bishops helmet only confirmed what Billy already knew.
Billy and his squadron of Mandalorian warriors had been tracking down Jorhaair Dars emergency signal since they had left Freeport 9. It was when they were approaching the Freeport that they began picking up Jorhaas signal. Much to their dismay, they found that it was coming from the other side of the sector. The signal alone was enough to alarm the Mandalorians but the fact that it wasnt on the station made things much more dire. The signal was faint and only lasted a few moments but it was long enough for them to hone in on it to track it to a nearby jump hole leading into Omicron Gamma.
While the squad was regrouping on the other side of the jump hole they lost the signal. However, it was active long enough for them to triangulate its last known location. While flying to the last known location of the signal Billy had spotted it. Just outside of Scanner range he saw a large ship, Billy could only barely pick out the shape of the ship from so far away but it was enough. He had several encounters with the Necrosis before and knew the ship he saw could be nothing else. He immediately changed the squadrons course at once.
Ok team this is it, Billy spoke in an even tone, much more calm than he felt on the inside. He couldnt help but worry about his son and what was happening to him at the hands of MonStar, one of our own is on that ship and he needs our help.
Sir, a voice responded through Billys helmet, Im not picking up Jorhaair Dars signal are you sure hes on the ship?
Yes, Im not sure how MonStar found the signal but he mustve disabled it.
I thought that signal was supposed to be undetectable? another voice said in Billys helmet.
I did too, Billys tone showed a hint of frustration, It would appear MonStar is as clever as they say. Now cut the chatter and assume battle formation alpha. Weve got to..
Look! A voice exclaimed
Billy Bishop saw it too. As the Mandalorians approached the Necrosis they could see a bluish glow coming from behind it. As they got closer they could see the glow was coming from a fleet of Nomads.
What is a fleet that size doing in Gamma? Billy didnt have an answer to the question coming over the comms. Billy had never heard of or seen a Nomad fleet that size, but before he could begin pondering the reason for it being there his attention was taken by flashes of light erupting across the Necrosis, it only took a few moments for them to realize it was weapon fire.
The squids are shooting MonStar! Billy barely heard the exclamation, his heart had sank. The chances of Jorhaa surviving a one on one encounter with MonStar were slim but the chances of him surviving a full Nomad battle fleet were even less. He could help but wince as he saw the Nomad battleship begin shooting at the Necrosis.
Billy became locked in an internal struggle. He desperately wanted to fly through the maelstrom of nomad cannons to land on the Necrosis and rescue his son, but he also had a commitment to his squadron and sending them in on what he knew was a suicide mission went against everything he was.
Im picking up two life signs! One of the Mandalorians stated, They just got pulled out of what looks like a hull breach!
Billy looked at his scanner to confirm. Seeing the same reading, he knew who those life signs were and one was his son. His purpose now clear, Billy Bishop sprang into action.
Blue wing provide cover fire, keep the squids off of red wing. Red wing, were going in to recover those two. Fly hot, keep your head down, and watch out for those blue lights, Billys eyes narrowed as he lowered his chin and tightened his grip on his flight controls, Were going in!
The Mandalorians assumed their positions as they closed in on the Necrosis and the swarm of Nomad ships clouded around it. Their approach didnt go unnoticed as several of the nomads began breaking off their attack on the Necrosis to intercept the mercenaries.
The mercenaries flew with stunning precision, dodging the initial barrage of Nomad fire with ease. They entered the thick of the Nomads at full speed.
The Necrosis isnt fighting back! One of the Mandalorians shouted, but it fell on deaf ears as Billy noticed a group of Nomad fighters bearing down on the two distance forms they were rushing to rescue.
Engage! Billys single command pushed the mercs into action. The entire squad dropped out of cruise speed in unison. Blue wing immediately opened fire on the Nomads heading for the pair. The nomads broke their attack run as they were forced to dodge the Mandalorian weapon fire.
Billy hit his thruster, pushing his fighter faster. He knew he needed to hurry; Jorhaair wouldnt survive the vacuum of space long.
Billy led red wing through the thick of the Nomad swarm, he fired his guns not really trying to hit anything but just to keep them out of his path. The pair were almost in tractor beam range, success was within grasp.
A ship coming around the backside of the Necrosis broke Billys focus on the two bodies. A Nomad ship the size of a cruiser came about, dropping its nose directly toward the approaching merc fighters.
Billys eye widened as he began to call for blue wings assistance but before he could utter a word the flash of two torpedo engines zoomed past him heading straight for the cruiser.
They were in tractor range now and Billy knew he had to make it quick, the impact of those torpedoes were certain to not be pleasant at this close range.
Pull them in! Billy shouted
He saw the glow of the tractor beams out of the corner of his eye as he pulled his ship into a vertical u shaped roll, ending with him facing in the opposite direction.
Got'em! No sooner did he hear the good news Billy felt the concussion of the torpedo impacts. Both of which he felt through his entire body.
Time to leave folks, Billy bishop stated firmly, Weve got what we were coming for, Full retreat!
Billy weaved his fighter through the thicket of Nomads as his cruise engines pushed his fighter through it. The Mandalorians existed the battle gracefully, the same as they entered it.
Billy jerked as a bright flash from behind the squad startled him; he turned to see the Necrosis breaking apart as it gave in to the relentless barrage of the Nomads.
Whoa.. one of the other pilots said in complete awe at the sight of the mighty ships fall. Billy just watched in silence, savoring the moment. So many had tried to fell the mighty Necrosis and failed. Billy chuckled to himself, who wouldve thought it would be their enemy to finally bring down the beast.
Billy turned back around quickly, remembering his son. Hows Jorhaair? he asked nearly in a panic.
Hes pretty beat up but he seems to be stable. Before the one pilot could finish another jumped in
Ive got MonStar, the other pilot shouted excitedly, Weve got the MonStar!
Secure him quickly, Hes not one to be taken lightly. Billy said as he looked down to check his scanner. He furrowed his brow as he noticed the Nomads werent pursuing them. He put his confusion aside for the time being and focused back on what needed to be done.
Take Jorhaair Dar to Freeport Nine for medical attention. See to it that he is treated properly.
Yes sir!
As for the rest of you, Billy gave a slight chuckle, It looks like we have a package to deliver.
The Mandalorians, spirits high from the excitement, flew on toward the Omicron Theta jumphole. So caught up by the adrenaline rush, none of them noticed a faint blip on their scanners as they passed a nearby asteroid. Hidden in the shadow of the massive chunk of rock was a single unmanned bomber. it sat in silence, completely powered down except for a few vital systems. A watchful eye could've noticed the faint power signature on their scanners but the Mandalorians were much too distracted to spot it.
When the last of the Mandalorian squad had jumped to the next system. The unmanned bomber powered up and flew off in pursuit.
And what do you think your doing? Billy Bishop said when he entered the small hospital room. As the door to the room opened he saw his adoptive son sitting on the side of his bed, covered in bruises and bandages from head to toe. Billy hid his wince at the sight behind a joyful smile.
[Getting ready to leave.] Jorhaair Dar said flatly, the strap holding his broken jaw shut forced him to talk through gritted teeth. He winced in pain as he struggled to put his shirt on. [Dont try to stop me Billy.]
Stop you? Billy said surprised, Im here to help you get ready.
It was Jorhaas turn to look surprised as he looked up at Billys smiling face. Billy merely chuckled before walking over and helping Jorhaair finish getting dressed.
Listen kid, I know I wouldnt want to be cooped up in this tiny room any longer than I needed to be. The doctor said hed like to keep you for another week but also said you were well enough to travel and thats good enough for me. Billy said happily, a big smile across his face.
Jorhaair looked at Billy curiously, he knew that look and it usually meant Billy was holding back some good news. [What is it?], Jorhaa asked
What? Billy said faking his innocence. Cant a father be happy to see his son?
[Come on, what arent you telling me?]
Bah! Billy said waving his hand, Fine, I was going to wait to tell you this later but since your grilling me about it Ill just tell you now. Billy stood back from Jorhaa as if he needed room to tell a story. When we flew into that hornets nest of at least a thousand blue squidys and saved you from certain deathyou do know we did that right?
Jorhaair Dar grinned and nodded his head slightly [Yes youre my hero, I know this. go on.]
Right well, while we were risking certain death to save you, Billy paused for dramatic effect and waited until Jorhaair was about to scold him before finishing the sentence, we got MonStar too.
The smile on Jorhaas face caused by his adoptive fathers teasing vanished in an instant. Replaced instead by a look as cold as stone.
[Where is he?] the young Mandalorian asked coldly
We took him to Newgate prison in Manchester. Billy said his smile still on his face signifying there was more.
Jorhaa missed the hint; he had stood up and was already gathering his things. [I have to go]
Patience Jorhaa Billy started to say but was cut off immediately
[Patience?!] Jorhaa's shouting made his artificial voice box squeak loudly. He spun around, his face red with anger, [Look at me Billy, do you see what he did to me, what he has done to me?]
Whoa whoa, Billy said holding his hands up toward Jorhaair Dar trying to calm him down, easy kid, slow down and let me finish. Hes being held in a maximum-security prison and hes not going anywhere. They havent even sentenced him yet.
Jorhaair, still visible upset, sat on the bed and took a couple of deep breaths. He knew Billy was right, Newgate was a fortress and there was no way MonStar was getting out of there. He knew there was no rush, but he also desperately seeked closure. To finally have an end, and see his family receive the justice he so longed for. [They are going to kill him though right?]
Without a doubt. Billy chuckled, You dont kill millions of people and get a slap on the wrist that much is certain, but they still have to go through the process.
[I have to be there when they kill him.] Jorhaair Dar stated bluntly, [I have to see it with my own eyes.]
Well, The smile reappeared on Billys face, like I said he is in a maximum-security prison and they dont let just anyone in there.
[Come on Billy, Im not in the mood for games. Just spill it already]
Alright alright, Billy couldnt help but chuckle, Since the Mandalorians were ones to finally catch MonStar AND bring him in alive. Were now considered heroes. The Queen herself wants to meet with us. Probably going to be a metal in it for us.
Jorhair just starred at Billy, he was happy for his Mandalorian brothers but right now he just wanted Billy to get to the point. Billy saw the look on his sons face and taking the hint continued, Being a hero has certain privileges of course and seeing as I want to watch that bastard burn and I knew you would as well. I posed the question of getting to do just that. They were more than happy to oblige. So by order of the Queen, we are officially invited to watch the execution live in person.
[When do we leave?]
What? No thank you, no reward. Billy teased, when he received a blank stare in return he laughed out loud. Just trying to cheer you up kid.
Jorhaair did crack a small smile at Billys attempt. He was thankful for all Billy had done for him but until he saw MonStar dead, he found it hard to focus on anything else.
Well leave as soon as youre ready, Billy nodded at Jorhaair and moved to begin helping him pack his things, Come on lets get you packed up.
Jorhaair Dar stood up and walked around the hospital bed to where Billy Bishop was bent over gathering up his things. Jorhaa put his hand on his adoptive fathers shoulder, and after a long moment finally spoke, [Thanks Billy.]
Billy looked up at Jorhaa and smiled, Anytime kid..anytime.
I dont envy you, the guard, a fairly young man in his late twenties whos time as a prison guard at the super max prison made him look closer to his mid thirties, told his replacement with a sarcastic grin on his face, my assignment is up as of right now and I wont be back until this tosser is long gone.
Yeah yeah rub it in why dont ya. A burly middle-aged man said with a scowl.
Hes been asleep the whole time, the young guard said, maybe youll get lucky and hell stay that way?
The two guards eyes were transfixed on the far wall of the room and had been practically the whole time during their exchange. If asked they both would have said it was their job to keep an eye on the inmate but the truth is that it was fear that kept their eyes glued to the thing on that far wall.
MonStar hung upright in a semi spherical chamber, open at the front only. His arms and legs were stretched out taught. They were spread out as well, so much so that his body formed an X shape. His hands and feet were enclosed in metallic cylinders that protruded from the walls of the spherical cell. He hung there, head dangling, completely naked. The only modesty provided was from the automated toilet that rose up from the floor of the sphere and attached around his waist, roughly covering his genitals.
It had been several days since he had been brought to the prison and hed been completely unconscious and hadnt moved a muscle the whole time.until
Ah bloody hell, the older guard said as he noticed MonStar twitch and begin moving his head slowly side to side as if to stretch his neck. The older guard brought a hand up to his face and ran his open palm over it once from top to bottom before quickly backhanding the younger guard in the shoulder, You just had to say it didnt ya.
The younger guard just smiled at his replacement, Ill notify the Warden on my way out. Enjoy! he said with a bow before exiting the room.
Sod off! the older guard shouted after him. His face was wrinkled up into a frown as he turned back to look at MonStar who had his head raised now and was examining his bindings.
MonStar looked at the metallic cylinders holding his hands and feet closely. He pulled with his left, fleshy arm, the well-defined muscles tensed as they struggled against the grip of the clamp, but it didnt budge. He turned his head toward his right, metallic arm. As he began pulling with it, the metal holding it in place groaned and creaked. MonStar stopped when it didnt budge as well.
You wont be breaking those. The guard said, his words full of venom.
MonStar looked at the guard and smirked, It would appear not.
Looks like your finally going to pay for all youve done. The guard walked over to stand only a few feet from MonStar.
HAHAHHAAHAHAAA! MonStar roared
Oh you think thats funny? MonStars reaction to the situation wasnt what the guard had expected and it didnt set well with him at all. He moved a little bit closer, his face beginning to turn a slight shade of red.
Very, MonStar grinned, Ive lost count of how many times Ive heard that and it all ends the same way. With me wiping their blood off my hands.
Not this time, the guard said through gritted teeth, My niece died when you flew that battleship into Cambridge Research Station. Im going to see to it personally that you make it to your execution.
MonStars grin turned into a full smile as he looked past the guard, his eye glazing over as if reminiscing. Ah yes, I remember that. He chuckled before looking back at the guard, Good times.
The guard growled, his face red with rage, stepped forward, and delivered three solid punched into MonStars face.
MonStar, never loosing his smile on his face, didnt seem to be bothered by the guards attacks. Here I was thinking you were a man; when its clear to me now, after those slaps, that youre a woman.
You bastard! the guard shouted as he grabbed MonStar by the throat and leaned in close so that the spit from his words splashed on MonStars face, I cant wait to see burn you piece of ****!
You meat bags are so easy to manipulate. MonStar said with a chuckle before slamming his head into the guards face.
The guard grunted from the impact. He instinctively reached up to his face as he stumbled backwards. The guard made it only a few steps before falling onto his back.
HAHAHHAHAHAAAHAA! MonStar howled as he watched the guard squirm on the ground, blood pouring out of his nose and mouth.
The door leading into the cell opened with a hiss bringing MonStars attention from the writhing man on the floor to who had just entered. Two guards entered into the room each looking at the fallen guard with mild surprise on their face. They both quickly stood aside for a third man to enter.
He was a tall slender man with a head full of white hair and a pencil thin mustache to match. He was dressed and carried himself like a person of authority. He walked into the room and stopped almost directly over the fallen guard, looking down at him with a look of indifference on his face. Almost as if he had expected the guard to be exactly where he was. Ah I see your finally awake, excellent.
The man snapped his fingers at the other two guards and pointed to the man rolling in his own blood at his feet. See that this one gets to the infirmary at once please.
The two guards moved without hesitation and quickly gathered up the bleeding guard and exited the cell. Two more guards replaced the ones who had just left and took up their position on either side of the door.
I am Warden Williams, the slender man said as he looked down is long beak-like nose at MonStar, Let me be the first to welcome you to Newgate Prison. This cell will serve as your new home until your sentence is carried out. As you may have already surmised, your cell has been specifically designed to house special persons such as yourself and therefore your chances of escape are well below zero I assure you.
Oh yes, MonStars interruption brought a sour look from the warden, as if he had just smelt something foul, Reinforced graviton containment sphere, electromagnetic compression shackles with electric resistance deterrent stripsoh and I especially like the communication shielding lining the walls, nice touch. MonStar grinned devilishly, the inappropriate happiness of his tone seemed to unnerve the warden momentarily but he quickly regained his composure.
Per Bretonian law when someone commits a crime, it is that persons right to hear the charges and/or sentence given as consequence of said crime. This duty has been delegated to myself and seeing as I find being in your presence utterly revolting, Ill get straight on to business. The warden pulled out a small collection of papers that he had folded and stowed in his inside jacket pocket.
This should be good, MonStar said eagerly; with his typical smile still showing on his face, I always love a good story.
The warden didnt respond except for raising his eyebrows and smacking his lips together a few times as he finished unfolding the papers, he held them nearly at arms length in front of him before beginning to read them aloud. You have been charged with three hundred sixty seven thousand five hundred and fifteen counts of terrorism against the Bretonian empire. Theses acts resulted in the deaths of seven hundred sixty nine thousand three hundred twenty six Bretonian citizens and damages to both civilian and government property in excess of one trillion credits.
Ahhhhh, MonStar interrupted, good times.
The warden obviously flustered, flipped through several sheets until he finally stopped close to the last page and after a quick glance began reading again. You have been found guilty on all charges and have been sentenced to death via thermal execution.
The warden took a step forward; just close enough so that he could look at something above MonStars head. MonStar followed his gaze to a large vent above his head. The vent was currently closed. The spiraling gate and the tip of the vent itself were charred black, a sign that the thermal vent was functional and had been used several times before.
When that gate opens tomorrow, an arrogant smirk came across the wardens face, Youll be blasted with a twenty five hundred degree jet of fire, until theres nothing left of you but a pile of ashes. Which at that point will be unceremoniously jettisoned into space like a simple pile of trash.
Oh, MonStars eye twinkled with excitement, Sounds like fun. I cant wait.
The warden huffed, his smirk replaced by a sour frown. He turned and walked toward the cell door stopping just short, he turned back to regard MonStar once again. A look of disdain consumed the entirety of the wardens face.
MonStars lips broken apart as his grin grew into a wide smile. The wardens face flushed and he turned and left the room, motioning to the guards at the door to follow. As the warden stormed down the corridor leading away from MonStars cell, a thunderous laughter roared from the cell door, seeming to follow along with him.
The cell door slid shut shortly after, once again the corridor was silent except for the clanking of boots in the distance.
