"Klaus Schneider, this is Freital control. Please respond."
"Freital control, Klaus here. What do you have?"
"Maximilian told us you're looking for Hektor. We think we found him."
"What? Where?"
"A Wild patrol engaged one of our groups near Solarius Station. One of them was hanging back, and broke off a few minutes ago. It's Hektor's ship all right. Transmitting coordinates and heading."
"Thank you."
"If you need backup, we have two wings standing by, plus the group from Vogtland that's stationed itself around the jumphole. Just let us know."
"Will do. Klaus out."
"Good luck out th-"
Without warning, the comm cut out. Klaus checked his scanners, but they were nearly useless between the radiation and the debris. He searched the asteroids with his eyes, and for minutes saw nothing. Then, something moved in his peripheral vision. The Sabre swung to face it, but the Wrath was already on top of him. A torpedo whizzed past Klaus's ship, and within seconds the Wrath followed suit.
"Quite touching you bothered to shoo off your friends. Really, Klaus, I'm honored."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what? Taunting you, or doing what needs to be done?"
" 'What needs to be done'. What exactly do you mean? Why do you hunt us?"
"I hunt you because you are monsters. Preying on innocent workers trying to make a living, leaving them to die out in the radiation. At least I have the decency to take you in or kill you. Yet for whatever reason it seems I'm the homicidal monster. Strange, don't you think?"
The ships flew past each other, Klaus barely dodging another torpedo.
"I don't do that. That's your job."
"You don't believe that. Haven't you seen what they do to people? 'Oh look, a transport full of expensive goods. Let's rob it and fill our holds. No use picking up passengers, unless they're VIPs the ransom isn't worth the effort.' Sound familiar?"
"You... you're just playing with my head!"
"Another thing you don't believe. I'm right, and you can't admit it because I've realized something you haven't, that your so-called friends are nothing but scum, and you're wasting your life helping them. The truth hurts, live with it."
"They aren't scum, they're real people, something you ceased to be years ago!"
"I'm not real? Ha. Maybe this will change your mind."
A missile streaked from Hektor's ship. It flew into an asteroid in front of Klaus's Sabre, spraying the area with debris and doing considerable damage to the Sabre's shields.
"You know what I meant. That thing inside you is doing the talking."
"Funnily enough, it isn't. This is all me. The Nomad dwells within me, but while I do them service I have control."
"What? No, that can't be-"
"Believe it Klaus, I own myself because I see. Why do humans think it is right to kill each other freely over such petty disputes as territory or money? Our race is one of savages."
"You can't seriously be saying that..."
"You haven't seen such atrocities as I have. So many of humanity's heroes are nothing more than cold-blooded murderers. We can be more than that. We can be a light shining in the dark."
"I don't believe this..."
"The Nomads aren't the heartless bastards they're made out to be. Really, they can be quite charming when you get to know them. Far from the alien menaces you are trained to believe in. Would you like to meet them?"
"Are you asking me if I would willingly put one of those... things inside of me?"
"Willingly or not, it would open your mind to all kinds of new interpretations. Enlightenment is about the closest thing I can think of to describing it."
"No thanks, I prefer to keep my humanity."
"On the contrary, it was when I met them that I gained my 'humanity.' You know where to find us."
"Huh?"
Hektor's Wrath turned away and disappeared into the asteroids. It was a few seconds before Klaus realized there was a fighter wing behind him, asking if he wanted them to pursue. He told them not to.
"Klaus, are you alright? Your ship was banged up to all hell."
"I'm fine, Max."
"You don't look fine. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Maybe I have. Ghost of what once was."
"Did Hektor say anything?"
Klaus's eyes shifted away.
"Well?"
Klaus bit his lip for a few long seconds, then sighed.
"No... he said nothing I didn't already know."
"I am... truly sorry for your loss."
"Thank you for your concern, Max. It means more than you know."
"No thanks are necessary, friend. Can I get anything for you?"
"I'd rather not fly for a few days, if that's alright. I need some time to think about things."
"Its good to have you back, Klaus. Come, you could use a drink or two after a fight like that. I'll buy."
"Oh yes. A few drinks would be quite nice."
After a long night of drinking and talking with his squadron, all eager to hear of the battle, Klaus returned to his room and thought about what Hektor had said. He remembered hearing of people being left to die, of personnel transports marooned in a dead, cold, system. He remembered what he had been a part of, and slowly cried himself to sleep.
"Hmph. You know, the design boys want you to test out the latest version of the Odin. Something about 'Klaus always gives us the best comments and we don't have to do so much patchwork'. Of course, I can't let them hand it off to someone who still needs some re-"
"Alright, I'm good. Totally fine. I could rip up a goddamn cruiser with my bare hands I'm so fine. Where do you need me?"
"That's the spirit. Something simple to get you back in the swing of things; a standard run at the tradelanes, hang out of sight until we catch something coming through the jumpgate, then pounce."
"I can handle that."
"Shiny. Your ship is waiting in the hangar, we've got a small wing together to take care of any escorts while you take care of the heavy stuff. If you get a good haul, send a buzz and we'll send out a transport to collect the scraps. Understood?"
"Got it."
"Alright. Bring me back something nice from the corporate fools, will you?"
"This is Klaus Schneider to Vogtland control. We're in position. You have a mark on those transports?"
"Yep, they were a little late leaving but they should be arriving inside of five minutes. You'll have to move fast though, we're reading activity inside the cloud outside Bautzen. Probably a military patrol. If they start moving toward you we'll let you know."
"Shouldn't take too long. We'll be back with the loot before dinner."
"Good hunting. Vogtland control out."
"Alright boys, standard procedure. Fan out, get ready to look threatening."
"Yessir."
"And remember, if those Kriegsmarine boys show up we turn tail and run, right?"
"Yessir."
"Alright, let's do this nice and-"
"Transports on scanners, sir!"
"Showtime."
This is Orbital Spa and Cruise transport A-87. Stand down and let us pass.
"No worries there, but we'll be taking our import tax first."
This is a passenger ship! We don't have anything to give you!
"I'm reading a fair supply of expensive trinkets in your cargo hold... we'll take custody of them."
We're just doing our job... we'll get fired for this, then how do we feed our families?
"I got this, Herr Schneider. We're just doing our job too. And that job right now is robbing you so we can feed our families. Fork 'em over, or we'll be extracting them from the wreckage."
But-
"This is Vogtland control. Those fighters popped out of the cloud faster than we thought. They're headed towards you and running hot. You've got sixty seconds before this starts getting messy."
"Right, we've got to do this fast. Fork over the goods, or you'll be floating out here!"
"I call the shots here... we are not killing all those people over a little clump of money."
Thank you sir... may we go now?
"Dammit Klaus, I want to get paid! Open the cargo bay! NOW!"
"This is Vogtland control. You're out of time. Get out of there!"
"Wait- those aren't Kriegsmarine... DIE WILDEN!
"Take point around the transport, we're not letting them kill all these people!"
"Klaus, have you gone mad? We lost this... they aren't worth it."
"That's an order. We may be robbers, but we are NOT murderers."
"Sorry mate, but I care about my own hide. You're on your own."
"Goddammit... A-87, get out of here while you can. I'll hold them off."
Thank you sir! We won't forget this!
"This is Vogtland control to Klaus Schneider. Get out of there. No way you can take them all."
"I am NOT letting those people die..."
"That's an order. Get back here."
"I'm no savage."
"Klaus-" *CLICK*
Klaus wiped a tear from his eye, then muttered to himself;
"Uncle... I'll prove you wrong, even if it kills me."