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There is an ancient saying, the patient hunter gets the prey. We do not live by that ethos senor. It appears you ordered us to hit your very own father. That was a little cold amigo. And yes we know who you are Steven Aldridge. I assume you wanted him dead for inheritance, Si? Well you might find your inheritance has suffered a little collateral damage - but remember amigo, your entire bloodline was marked. That did not die with your father. Well be seeing you soon, no? The link snapped shut and I promptly threw up over the cold metal floor.
A few seconds later I was fine, admittedly slightly paler than normal and languishing in mental turmoil, but otherwise fine. I resumed watching my house burn on the news channels, wincing as sections exploded or wings collapsed. I wondered how the Corsair had managed it. There was no way he could have got into the planets docking ring was there? That would have required them to hack the Planetary Defence Grid mainframe.
I resumed my pacing, stepping around the vomit, wracking my brain for any way I could twist this turn of events to my advantage. Maybe selling the property for land value alone? A developer would jump at the chance to purchase a piece of Cambridge prime property. Or another New London aristocrat seeking a summer retreat. I did a few mental calculations and estimated I might be able to make one, maybe two million credits out of it. Not good enough. After that I pressed the assistance button and stepped out the room. A droid appeared, so I pointed into my room and stalked off.
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This is just a bulletin, yall. Nothing to be worried about. Weve just jumped into Omega 7, so well be hitting Url Borderstation for customs and immigration in bout, 30 minuets give or take. Thats captain out. I pulled up a mental map of where we were - sitting in front of a tradelane south of Freistadt Base, more than likely.
I felt the now familiar tug, as the ship rapidly accelerated. That would mean we had initiated the lane sequence. I mooched off down the corridor, peering into empty cabins as I passed them. From the look of things the Dauntless was specialised for moving passengers. In that case they were obviously peasants that had no standards if the accommodation could be used as a judge of the client. From the crew I had seen, and the lack of passengers, we were operating on a skeleton crew with trace amounts of cargo.
Suddenly the deck lurched as if it had been hit by a torpedo. I landed awkwardly on my wrist and screamed at hearing something click, a red pain welling in my wrist. Suddenly sirens were wailing all around me, claxons blaring. The deck lurched again, sliding me down towards a bulkhead. The hull began to vibrate and a terrible screeching shuddered through the straining metal. It sounded like someone was dragging their nails down a blackboard.
In a welter of sparks, a molten wedge of panelling slumped inwards further down the corridor. I winced expecting to feel the fatal bite of vacuum, but instead there was a dull clink as a small canister was thrown through the jagged hole. I winced and covered my eyes with my arm, expecting a grenade. Instead smoke burst out, so I rolled over and started to crawl away round a corner. As the smoke consumed me, I rolled back over and withdrew the SDSG.
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Continuing to back away by shuffling back on my elbows, I listened for movement. There was nothing other than the hiss of gas, which was now making my eyes water. I checked the SDSG. It has three rounds loaded that Id brought off-the-record on the Freeport before returning. There was a dull bang as someone jumped into the corridor through the hole. I shut my eyes and fired. Nothing happened. I looked at the weapon to see the safety catch was still on. Firing again a deafening shot was emitted, with hundreds of razor sharp darts being lobbed out. The recoil was massive and slammed my hand against a nearby wall.
There was a wet thud followed by a horrific scream and three wild laser blasts, one striking above my head. The smoke momentarily drifted apart as the ships Intelmosphere tried to clear it. I could see the lacerated body of a man blasted across a wall. Most of his head was missing and the rest was on the floor. I gagged and almost threw up. There were more shouts as more invaders piled in, followed by another salvo of shots that ripped through the air above me.
I fired again, but this time the recoil made the weapon fly from my hands. I got on all fours and began to crawl desperately away, heading for an empty room that I knew was further up the corridor, away from those shooting at me.
I heard something else clink behind me, so I curled up into a ball. This time it was of the explosive variety. Superheated shrapnel shot past me, and one dug a gouge in my shoulder. I screamed, as I felt my own blood trickle down my back. I was bleeding my blood! The noise attracted more shots, but I managed to drag myself into an open doorway. The door slid shut after me, pitching the room into darkness.
There were yelled oaths from outside. I cowered, tears gathering in the corners of my eyes. It wasnt fair. I was going to own it all! I was going to have unimaginable power! My very destiny! What right did these dogs have to take that away from me?!
There was another bang from outside as someone kicked the door. It trembled. All went quiet. Maybe they had moved on? A blast took the door off, throwing it against the opposite wall, allowing smoke to pour in. My head felt like it had been burst by the sheer concussive force and I lay writhing on the floor in agony. I was bathed in serene silence. One of the attackers burst in with a stubby looking machine gun aimed at me. He yelled mutely at me in a strange language, before clubbing me in the face with the butt of his gun. I felt my nose snap and blood pour out. He raised the butt again, then...
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I slowly came round. I tried to open my eyes but a splitting pain seemed to tear my head open. I could feel blood crusted on my face and back. I tried to move, breaking the gash on my back open bringing me to new levels of agony and bathing me in my own blood. My eyes slowly prised themselves open I was in another room, tied to a chair. Everything was blurry. Blearily I attempted to glare at the person in front of me who was watching to door. All I could manage was a befuddled look of apathy.
The man smiled at me with yellowed teeth, before taking out a communicator. S?nchez, que est? despierto. His spoke gutturally before grinning at me nastily. A few moments later the Corsair from the bar appeared, Sanchez. He gave me a sadistic smile before turning to the guard and talking to him in, Hispanic?
Llegar a la cabina de comando. La tripulaci?n han barricadas en el puente. Matar a todos. The man nodded with a small laugh before standing up, cracking his massive knuckles and striding out. I turned my stare back to Sanchez, before managing to croak feebly.
Why, you doing this? I paid you, time... Speech sent me into a fit of racking coughs as my dry throat was further irritated. The hull suddenly trembled and a shockwave rippled through the floor. My chair was almost knocked to the floor by the lurch, but Sanchez seemed to ride it like a surfer. He flipped out the communicator.
Qu? diablos est?s haciendo? He listened for a moment before snapping the line shut. That would be your friends up in the bridges last moments then. He spat on the floor before continuing. We have you here now, because your familia owes mine a large sum of money and your father died rather too quick for the Patriarchs liking. You will suffer far more young Steven. Firstly because of your bloodlines debts and secondly for betraying your familia so spectacularly. He flicked a knife out and took a step forward.
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Sanchez twirled the knife in his palm, teasing me. I closed my eyes, more silent tears running down my blood spattered cheeks. I supposed it would be useless to beg him for mercy, or to try to pay him off. After all, my final gambit of paying him all my funds to execute my father had failed and I wouldnt be receiving any more until I inherited my fathers possessions, which would be far too late.
Opening my eyes, Sanchez had the blade pressed against my ear. Why the long face amigo? Ill tell you what, Im considerate. Ill let you choose which ear I remove first. At that point all I remember was his maniacal laughter as the darkness closed around me again. I was jerked back into consciousness by raw red agony, as he slashed a gash in my cheek. I screamed until my throat burned and I gagged on my own blood. Sanchez laughed, mocking me. He took a step back and dropped onto his haunches, surveying me.
Pull yourself together you woman. It could be far worse, eh? If you dont pipe down itll be your testicles next. I dropped to a terrified whimper. Now, like I said, Im considerate. Left or right? I shut my eyes and bit my lip, terrified of the biting steel. Sanchez resumed his cackling, his boots making a dull thud each time he took a step forward. There was a cracking noise following by a dull hiss. Something wet was sprayed across my face. There was the smell of burning ozone, then Sanchez wasnt laughing any more.
I cautiously opened my eyes. Sanchez stood teetering before me, his head exploded open from behind. He crumpled to the floor, throwing gore across the steel deckplates. I realised what was on my face and spontaneously heaved up the contents of my stomach, before blissfully sinking back to unconsciousness.
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Mein Gott. The two words floated down to me through the haze. I considered how surreal they sounded. Maybe I was dead. Id never really been a believer in divide entities, but I was going to be pissed if God was a Rhinelander. Suddenly the pain rushed back in a single malevolent surge. I gasped for air, my very lungs seeming rend themselves apart. Spluttering, I opened my eyes, to see a young woman leaning over me. From the look of things I must have died. She was performing CPR.
A wave of relief seemed to sweep over her as she flicked a strand of black hair out of her eyes. I tried to sit up, but my body failed me, along with a searing pain from my ribs. Casting back my memory to basic first aid, I realised she must have broken my ribs during compressions. I slumped back again to unconsciousness.
I came around again, but this time the woman was sitting propped up against the bed holding a stubby pistol, looking out through the door. She'd kicked Sanchez's body out the door. I coughed up a little blood, attracting her attention. She shuffled over. Are you alright? I idly picked up og her slight Rhineland accent before looking down to see my front was caked in drying blood. From the feel of things, Id snapped my wrist, someone had dragged a burning hot iron down my back and that same person had used my head for a game of conkers against a solid rockcrete wall.
No Im not, I murmured. And I think you broke my ribs. She placed her hand on my forehead, as if to take my temperature. I was a little more concerned about my broken bones, bleeding and horrific pain than a potential fever. What happened to the Corsairs? I croaked feebly.
Errm, well I shot the one that was... attacking you. And I dont know about the others. Suddenly the hull shook, as if it had been rocked by another explosion. I let my head drop back to the floor. Id had enough of the nightmare, let it end.
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Metallic sounding voices could be heard echoing up and down the corridor. Then there was a distant scatter of gunfire followed by silence. I heard booted feet marching down the corridor, fully expecting to see a gun-toting Corsair round the corner intent on avenging Sanchezs death. Instead a distorted sounding voice rumbled down the corridor.
"Fuer den Gottkanzler!" A body armoured Rhineland special forces officer wearing a gasmask appeared clutching a exotic looking assault rifle. Which was aimed at us. The woman screamed something in rapid Germanic causing the officer to skid to a halt.Both of you! Hands in the air! The pistol clattered to the ground as she raised her hands. I feebly flopped my arms across the floor.
The officer noticed my state and turned off his external voice projector. I assumed he was talking on an internal comms net. Moving into the room, he opened a pouch on his combat webbing and took a small portable scanner out, running it over my chest. Are you feeling unusual amounts of pain? I nodded quickly. In response he took out a needle and stabbed me in the leg with it. Surprisingly it did make things better.
Medical attention will be arriving as soon as the vessel is cleared. I dimly acknowledged that as whatever was in the syringe began to make me drowsy. As if to punctuate his words another burst of gunfire erupted somewhere outside. There was a burst of static as his radio came online before he switched off external speakers again. I assumed that was a message stating the last Corsairs had been mopped up.
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Two field medical towing a stretcher arrived, much to my relief. The Rhienland officer had been starting to worry me. The ran another one of the scanners over me, conferring with each other rapidly about what to do. The switched the stretcher off, allowing it to coast to the floor. One of the medics tapped me on the shoulder, which cleared some of the fog out of my head.
Weve going to move you, is that ok? I grunted something feebly. In response they grabbed me by the shoulders and feet and hauled me onto the stretcher. Pain exploded through me again, causing them to almost drop me. Please! Keep still! Once I was on the stretcher they strapped me down and pulled it out.
Leading me through a maze of corridors, I vaguely noticed the shredded corpses of several pirate. I giggled silently to myself. One of the orderlies gave me a funny look. We passed through an opening, much alike the one the Corsairs had blasted and passed into another ships boarding tube. I assumed we were in a ship owned by the Rhineland Military. I placed a bet it was a Behemoth class freighter retrofitted for ship boarding. The orderlies stopped when they reached the medical bay.
You may experience a strange sensation. Please remain calm A mask was placed over my mouth. There was an odd taste in the back of my mouth, as if Id been chewing on rubber, then everything faded.
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[font=Trebuchet Ms]II
"I squash a fly against the window with my thumb.
We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in
another language and now the fly is in another language.
I breathe out talent on the glass to write my name."
I opened my eyes, only to burn them on a strip of lighting above me. I groaned and covered my eyes with a heavy hand. I blinked again and tried to focus my eyes on my surroundings. I was in a small white room lying in a medical bed. There was a small machine humming next to me.
I tried to sit up, but I couldnt. I just seemed... heavy. A man in a white uniform bustled in through the door. He had a beard that seemed to explode from the tip of his chin and a pair of extremely thick glasses. Why good morning mister Aldridge. He grinned at me for a moment before continuing. When you arrived here you were in a pretty poor shape. Your injuries included broken ribs, a broken nose, concussion, several contusions and a sprained wrist. Quite impressive really I frowned at him. I was obviously out of danger and in a medical bay. Because of that I wanted to be discharged, head back to Bretonia and collect my inheritance. The doctor continued on. Now, we gave you some medicine that will have knitted your bones back together and repaired most other damage. You may feel variations of numbness or sharp pain for a few hours though until it gets out of your system.
What happened to the woman? I croaked. The doctor raised a bushy eyebrow at me before continuing.
Ah yes, I know who youre talking about now. She saved your life you know. Miss Leoni Engel was released from medical earlier today and was escorted back to Planet New Berlin. I nodded slightly.
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I was on the bridge this time. It was about time I receive a little respect... The captain had chattered at me nervously for a short while, before lapsing into tense silence when I refused to answer back. Why should I bother myself with the likes of him? I also had a Rhineland Federal Police officer accompanying me as security. Not that a single officer would particularly matter in the case of another boarding attack.
For a while I theorised about the chances of the Corsairs assembling another boarding party in time, managing to break through into Rhineland Core space and hitting the right ship Transport. Logically I arrived at the conclusion that the probability was roughly equal to being struck by lightning while residing in subterranean cave. The chances of which hover on the verge of nil, especially considering lightning doesnt occur in the void. Even so I could imagine the captain was terrified at carrying such high risk cargo as myself.
I was aboard the Kruger transport KMS-diligence, en-route to Planet New Berlin from Planet Stuttgart. I had wanted to return to Bretonia, but had soon realised it would have looked suspicious if I had returned before the news of my fathers demise had reached me. That and a bureaucrat on New Berlin wanted to make me sign some papers for customs and immigration. So I sat and dwelled on what had happened.
Of course I was glad to have survived. I thought of the woman that had saved me - she had shot Sanchez before he could decapitate me, and then brought me back from the brink of death itself. Leoni Engel... I twisted her name over and over in my mind and tried to remember her face. Apparently Id been too preoccupied to pay any real attention to her at the time. Then I pondered over the man I had killed in the corridor.
Did he have a family? A wife and children? I wondered if they knew of their loss yet, or even if they would mourn when they did. The loss of a despicable bastard I had wiped from the face of Sirius! At the time I had felt revulsion at what I had done, but was that just a spur of the moment impulse? A knee-jerk reaction to an individuals weak sense of morality and hazy perception of social responsibility? On reflection I realised what I had done was the ultimate symbol of power and control the destruction, no, the obliteration of a human life, a soul that whispered my name from beyond the material realm. Slowly I warmed to the idea.
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