“When he’s in battle mode, he has greatly increased power, but he can’t use any stealth technology in battle mode, the energy just bleeds through the dampening and distortion effects, even through multiple layers. All stealth technology consumes power and costs money, so the amount of cloaking devices needed to hide the power levels of battle mode results in a very expensive and impractical method of trying to create a new solution for a problem that already has a cheaper solution.”, I explained to Ylisaya.
“So stealth mode is usually the first attempt, and battle mode is reserved for emergencies?”, Ylisaya asked.
“It does look like that. But I’d say it’s more like an ongoing process of when a specific strategy is best. When the Red-Rotono wanted a warning shot fired, we were still getting paid under that contract. If the job was just to assassinate the faction leaders, going in stealth mode and using a long range instant kill attack from a safe distance is the most effective way, also for getting out of there. But against two gangs with completely distinct methods with hundreds of weapons, methods, and multiple unknown variables are all targeted for extermination, not so easy. All I know is Tony is going kill all high profile targets, but also needs to steal their ammo. If he went in battle mode, they’ll probably start shooting as soon as they see him, like they did last night. That will only make stealing from them more difficult and waste the ammo he needs to steal. We still don’t know why the Confederacy paid to keep target lock on the city, just part of the job.”, I replied to Ylisaya.
I sensed Tony as he was also still in the cyber-link. The fleet’s scan detected the distortion Tony vanished into move through and around the city observing multiple movements of Lahthano in a long row of vehicles, only stopping as they discovered roads to be unsuitable or too badly damaged by fighting to allow more vehicles to pass. The heaviest of vehicles also had heavy weapons attached to the roof, but as the Lahnthanos progressed they became further separated, until some were isolated from the safety of the larger gang. Those were Tony’s first targets. He would wait, scanning with the hand-cannon from behind corners, moving from shadow to shadow. Tony’s plan of attack was to find a blind spot and quietly eliminate one enemy after another. After he dispatched the last enemy within view of the ammo cache, he would steal their supplies without any interruptions. And he returned to quietly waiting and watching for the next batch of enemies to get separated.
“Is stealth mode always this slow?” Ylisaya asked.
“I’m watching the fight between our former client and the warlord during my breaks. If they say anything I get paid to translate. And I should watch them, especially if I might fight the winner.”, Tony’s thoughts passed through the cyber-link.
The opinion of some of the fleet was to bet wagers on the Red Rotono, since Tony poisoned the Warlord, but the fleet scan indicated that the warlord was still fighting, as the broker had intended. The opinion of the fleet left them conflicted. While many of us cheered for the Red-Rotono, no matter who won, that victory might be followed by an execution.
Ylisaya focused on the Ugian mansion and I shifted my focus as well. The Red-Rotono was no longer our client, but still fought bravely and with great skill. In a sword fight against the most skilled opponent in the Black Dragon Clan, the Red-Rotono could only retreat from the warlord in single combat. The warlord attacked with flawless technique every movement, every step, turn, and spin placed the warlord’s vision and stance ready to either strike or evade. It seemed the Red-Rotono’s claim that the warlord was the best student of a sword master was an accurate statement. None of the warlord’s movements seemed improvised nor needed any adjustment. The warlord’s movements flowed into perfectly timed evasions and explosive counter attacks, that the Red-Rotono barely deflected. The fleet also observed the Red-Rotono was tiring faster than the poison was affecting the warlord.
The Red-Rotono held the Red-Rotono-blade high near the shoulder of the sword arm. The warlord closed the distance, changed direction, lunged with an overhead sword-strike with increased mechanical power from both his power armor and the metal wheel in the convex edge of his Rotono-blade. The Red-Rotono evaded and escaped the attack, but the warlord didn’t waste the energy of the attack. The warlord sprang forward instead of stopping, rolling the blade over the shoulder of his off-hand and aiming a fatal stab at the Red-Rotono. The warlord reversed his stance sending the sword forward with blinding speed. The Red-Rotono deflected again, and the warlord reversed his stance again. The momentum of the warlord’s spin allowed his attack to strike with increased mechanical power, striking the Red-Rotono’s face cutting off part of the white mask. The Warlord jumped away ending the attack, and the fleet suspected something was wrong with his health. He gripped his stomach and supported his weight with his sword, stabbing into the roof of the mansion. He was in significant pain which caused him to lose his stance. The warlord took a deep breath and resumed a sword stance. The Red-Rotono attempted to attack the warlord, with a mechanically empowered strike. The Warlord deflected the attack to the side and flipped the blade over, and with a flick of his wrist the blade stopped right at the Red-Rotono’s throat. The Red-Rotono stood motionless, the fleet suspected the situation left the Red-Rotono uncertain what move to make. The Red-Rotono led with the open hand striking at the sharp edge of the Warlord’s sword. The warlord’s blade sliced through the armor on the Red-Rotono’s arm. The Red-Rotono groaned and pulled back the injured arm, but the risk was worth it as the Red-Rotono escaped the warlord.
The Red-Rotono examined the damage, wiggled the fingers of the open hand, gripped the Red-Rotono-Blade, and resumed a sword stance. The warlord attacked again with an upward slash enhanced with mechanical power. The tip of the warlord’s Rotono-blade carved debris from the roof that flew towards the Red-Rotono, and the Red-Rotono deflected the largest piece of debris. As the fleet-scan watched they soon realized the Red-Rotono made a fatal mistake. The warlord was now ready for an attack and the waste of energy left the Red-Rotono without a defense nor counter. The Red-Rotono took a wide stance, and shifted onto one foot, then the other. The Red-Rotono’s free hand grabbed the warlord’s arm, and the momentum of the shifting balance allowed the Red-Rotono to safely spin behind the warlord. The only direction the Red-Rotono could continue was to escape the warlord, but allowed evasion from the previous mistake.
Parts of the fleet recognized this move, but it wasn’t from any battles. This was a move from a video game, a game where players move their hands and feet to simulate pop-culture dances. The warlord spun around and seemed surprised that his deception failed, as though this might be the first time he had to locate his opponent.
The warlord stepped away from the Red-Rotono, and curled up clenching his side, taking deep breaths. The Red-Rotono lunged forward with a mechaniacally enhanced downward strike. The warlord deflected the Red-Rotono-Blade to the side, knocking the sword out of the Red-Rotono’s hands, and sent the sword flying from the roof of the mansion towards the ground below. The Red-Rotono quickly retreated with no chance of defense nor counter attack without a weapon.
“I was faking sickness that time…Only way to trick you into making a mistake.”, the warlord seemed to chuckle as he managed to disarm the Red-Rotono.
The Red-Rotono retreated into the Mansion, crashing through a window. The warlord slowly followed after into the same window. As both vanished form the fleet’s scan, Ylisaya’s hands moved quickly across the console of the flight engineer battle-station and her mind worked even faster as the list of the Confederate’s targets arrived. Then Ylisaya fell back into the flight engineer’s seat in dispair.
“The last name on the list is the Red-Rotono Sword Master.”, Ylisaya said with a tone of sadness.
“The Confederacy’s list is here, now I can make some real money. Let’s see what we got…There’s two Lahnthanos, Two Black Dragons, …and one former client.”, Tony read the list to himself but stopped as the fleet suspected he had concerns over the last name on the list.
Tony jumped to the top of the closest building, began scanning the scattered Lahnthanos from a safe distance, and found one of the Lahnthano targets. The target was a wealthy Lahnthano and the Confederacy identified him as a potential contender for the role of Warlord. Tony switched to his gauss rifle and activated the targeting scanner. The fleet scan could detect the the possible flight of the gauss rifle’s bullet. Tony was aiming for the heart. The target was using a communication device speaking in a dialect the fleet did not know. As the target spoke with other Lanthanos and moved around a cluster of vehicles, Tony adjusted his aim.
The gauss rifle fired, a screech of metal burned through the air, and the first target was liquified. As the fleet scan verified the target as a confirmed kill, credits were added to the ship’s account.
Tony began scanning for the second target, and found him inside a stopped vehicle. The second target was a popular Lahnthano and potential heir of the previous target. The Lanthanos that stood around the target had better weapons, armor, and presumably better cybernetic enhancements. Each bodyguard had a visor that prevented even the fleet from scanning their eyes. There was one more person near the second target. The unfortunate witness was a child, probably no more than five or six earth years old. The fleet suspected this child was a possible sibling of the second target, and we also suspected the strategy for moving a family was for their safety if they believed there was a threat from assassination. Tony aimed at the second target, but most scenarios projected that the bullet would create lethal debris after shooting the vehicle, would kill all the occupants in the vehicle, or possibly knock the vehicle over preventing the fleet from effectively scanning the results. Tony instead jumped towards the vehicle.
“Battle Mode!”, Tony yelled in the middle of the jump. Tony landed on the front end of the vehicle raising the back end off from the ground, and the shockwave knocked over all the bodyguards. The force from Tony’s impact completely crushed the vehicle’s drive systems. The frame of the vehicle had been mangled and all the vehicle’s door were now stuck closed. The raised end of the vehicle slowly lowered into a rest, and Tony began walking onto the top of the roof. As the guards began realizing they were under attack they began shooting at Tony, but their bullets just bounced off the black power armor, with edges that glowed like lava melting the guards’ bullets. None of shots fired fire had any effect on Tony, but a few bullets bounced off him and hit other body guards. Tony punched his hand through the roof and peeled the metal roof off from the vehicle’s frame. The two boys watched Tony use his hands to tear apart their only protection. Through the cyber-link the fleet could see the faces of the boys staring back at Tony and they looked as though they were paralyzed with fear. Tony picked up the second target by the chest of his clothing as some of the body guards stopped shooting. The fleet suspected the bodyguards were concerned their stray shots might injure their client. As the children and body guards grew quiet in the terror of not knowing what was going to happen, Tony jumped away and brought the second target with him. Tony jumped onto an abandoned building away from the Lahnthanos. As Tony landed far out of view from the bodyguards he dropped the lifeless second target, who seemed to have died of multiple ruptured organs and blood hemorrhaging. As the fleet scanned and verified that the target died of excessive gravity and pressure changes, credits were added to the ship’s account.
“Stealth mode.”, Tony said as he vanished into a distortion and started returning to the mansion. Through the fleet’s cyber link I sensed Tony’s mind, he focused on the next two Ugian targets on the Confederacy’s list as he moved through the ruble of the city.
“I’m confused, he can just super jump and get to the next target. Why is he just walking?” Ylisaya asked.
“Two things wrong with what you just asked. First, that much energy is easily detected. Second, he’s not trying to rescue the Red-Rotono. He’s in no rush. The broker believes killing her will be a liability, but the Confederacy thinks she will get in the way to their plans. My guess is the mansion is expecting their new allies to arrive at a specific time. That will be the best time for him to sneak in. Time works against them more than it affects him.”, I replied to Ylisaya.
I looked in the mirror and saw Ylisaya’s as she considered all the factors. I returned my focus to the mansion. I looked at the remaining three names on the list, in particular the two names besides the Red Rotono, since I suspected she might be saved for last. The other third and fourth remaining targets were Ugians that the Confederacy suspected of facilitating Zokoro’s rise to the status of Warlord. The Confederacy believed these two targets gave support to Zokoro in exchange for improving their position within the power vacuum resulting from a rebellion.
The third target was an enforcer within Ugian society, and had a background that involved specialization with guns. I sensed Tony’s thoughts on this target and he suspected this target to have prepared counters and contingencies against stealth or an opponent with super speed and strength. The fleet detected the third target arriving at the mansion and that was logically the best deployment strategy against Lahnthanos when they were enemies. But now the target’s best strategy is directly at the mansion in the moments prior to finalizing the alliance with a former enemy.
The fourth target was a finance specialist. The Confederacy suspected this Ugian had knowledge of the complex and well hidden wealth control of the Black Dragon Clan. While most of the fleet would more likely prefer to arrest someone that valuable, the Confederacy had other plans for the wealth and didn’t care to share those plans with the Protectorate. The plan didn’t require anything other than removing the individuals that contributed to the threat of another warlord. The fleet was uncertain of the location of this target.
The Black Dragon Warriors placed six large signs around the mansion and unknown devices throughout the mansion and the surrounding area. The fleet scan could only determine the devices were Tri-tech however the devices did not contain any explosives nor any biological functions. Tony suspected the Ugian enforcer was implementing his counter measures. The six signs all had the same message, but written in Ugian. Tony translated the message.
“This message is for the Phantom. I know you’re not invincible. I know because you hide in shadows and strike from distance. You know I’m right because I do the same. The Sun is high so the shadows are perfect for a duel. The Black Dragons will not interfere. From - The Enforcer.”, Tony’s mind translated the message.
Through the cyber-link Tony appeared hesitant to accept the promise that the Black Dragon Clan would allow a duel, yet the Red-Rotono and the Warlord showed an honored duel is possible, although a trap was still more likely.
The devices the Black Dragons placed around the mansion activated and the fleet scan only detected distortions coming from each device. The Black Dragons had setup a network of cloaking devices creating hiding places for the enforcer. Through the cyber link, I sensed Tony suspected this was their trap, he was uncertain how to find his enemy, and equally uncertain if he had been detected, by an enemy bold enough to address him directly with a message he would see. Tony had one more concern, “Would an opponent suggest sniper versus sniper, if he didn’t already possess a weapon that could kill a combat cyborg?”
I sensed Tony’s mind scour the Confederate files on the Ugian Enforcer and he found all the typical marks of a mercenary. There was the military history, recruitment to secret agency, the list of both verified and unconfirmed assassinations, and the always unreliable list of cybernetic enhancements. Through the cyber-link I could sense the fleet wondered if Tony would accept the challenge but in a duel between snipers, they would first have to detect the other, successfully attack, and avoid being detected.
Tony moved within Range of the mansion, but didn’t commit to an attack. He stayed cloaked and hidden as he approached and then changed direction to the hideout the he and the Red-Rotono used the night before. The fleet did not detect any current distortions nearby, but that didn’t mean a sniper wasn’t watching the hide-out. Tony entered the hide-out and through the cyber-link I sensed he was examining the hide-out and determined that the enforcer had been through the hide-out shortly after it was abandoned earlier that morning. The fleet sensed Tony’s mind disconnect from the cyber-link as the hide-out exploded.
The enforcer had either guessed Tony’s next move or had placed traps for every possible attack without being detected. The fleet scanned through the debris, smoke, and heat. The scan showed Tony survived the explosion, but his cloaking device did not. In that exact moment, the enforcer now knew someone was in the hide-out and probably only two other people on Mars knew where it was. Tony lost his cloak, and the enforcer knew where Tony might be. Through the scan the fleet could now easily see Tony’s power signature.
“Attack Mode!”, Tony yelled, as he jumped out of the ruble and drew his Pulse Rifle, which appeared have both the Pulse rifle and Gauss rifle active at the same time. The fleet identified this combined weapon as the Combo rifle. Tony wasn’t covered in a layer of deflector shields, instead he only had a single active deflector that focused forward as he knelt down on the rubble and aimed at the mansion. One of the mansion’s cloaking devices deactivated and the enforcer was lying flat on the ground aiming a gauss rifle in the direction of the explosion. The enforcer fired and the gauss rifle bullet bounced off Tony’s deflector shield and into the city’s atmospheric dome. The fleet scan detected some damage to the dome, some atmosphere leaked out, but the dome was still mostly intact. The enforcer activated his cloaking device and vanished into the larger distortion.
“Attack Mode? How many modes does he have?”, Ylisaya asked.
“That’s complicated. His weapons have modes too… Ask him about it when he gets back.”, I replied to Ylisaya
Tony aimed in the direction that the enforcer vanished and the targeting scanner was running at full power. That much power, feeding into a targeting scanner might get detected, but without a cloaking device and a sniper already locked onto Tony’s location, Tony would need the enhanced accuracy, although he didn’t have a target yet. The enforcer de-cloaked in a different location, but didn’t fire on Tony directly. The enforcer fired at the rubble underneath Tony, causing the rubble to collapse and Tony to fall and tumble to the street level. The enforcer re-activated his cloak and vanished again. Tony looked around, but the fleet scan did indicate he has sight of the mansion. Tony dropped the Combo rifle, threw his non-functional cloak over the Combo rifle, switched to his battle axe, and started striking the ground. This new plan with his super strength, Tony chopped the ground just six times and soon had a small pit. Tony jumped into the pit and began to bury himself, since he wasn’t cyber-linked to the fleet, no-one could guess what he was thinking. The fleet suspected Tony anticipated the mansion was now a trap. When Tony was mostly buried, the only object he left on the ground above him were the Combo rifle and the broken cloaking device. The fleet scanned the mansion trying to locate the enforcer, but instead they detected the warlord and the Red-Rotono. I reached out to Tony’s mind and luckily his cybernetics were still functioning. I sensed Tony’s mind re-connect to the fleet and his perspective seemed quiet and dark.
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“Would you mind translating? The Warlord and Red-Rotono popped back up.”, I sent my question to Tony through the cyber link, and sensed Tony’s mind quietly acknowledge the request.
The Red Rotono activated the red cloak, vanished into a distortion, and moved quietly across the roof of the mansion avoiding the warlord. The warlord yelled across the roof, speaking in the Ugian dialect, and Tony translated.
“You haven’t changed princess! You run and hide just like you did when your father built this mansion. All you’ve done is endanger the clan since you returned. You should have stayed away if you just wanted to spend the rest of your life with the Phantom.”, The Warlord seemed to gloat.
“I’m not the one who failed to grow up! You think your opinion is right only because you want to impose your views on others. Just because you can’t have what you want.”, the Red-Rotono yelled back.
As the Warlord heard the Red-Rotono’s voice he began moving in that direction. The Red Rotono continued to evade.
“You know the Enforcer killed the Phantom, and is on his way to collect a trophy off your hero. Maybe his gauss rifle or maybe the battle-axe?”, the Warlord continued to gloat.
“Did I miss something? Something after Tony quit the client’s contract?”, Ylisaya asked.
“I think the warlord is just trying to agitate the Red-Rotono.”, I hypothesized as I replied to Ylisaya. The fleet scan indicated that a distortion was moving from the mansion towards Tony’s location, and this distortion’s speed appeared the be the maximum speed of Tri-tech.
“I hired the Phantom, because he had the best bid and the better resumé when for assassinating space pirate trash.”, the Red-Rotono said, while evading the warlord.
“I’m not a space pirate! My title is Zokoro, the Black Dragon Clan’s greatest Blade Master!”, the warlord yelled out, as he rushed in the direction of the Red-Rotono’s voice.
“Your Ugian needs work. Zokoro isn’t a title. It means pale-fool-pretend-hero. My father was the best Blade Master.”, the Red-Rotono said in common, while laughing at the warlord.
The warlord charged again, but only finding empty spaces across the roof.
“I know you’re hiding because you’re afraid of me.”, the warlord yelled in Ugian
“I don’t see anything that makes you scary, but you’re definitely disturbing and I just sense poor confidence. You betrayed my father and stole his wealth. You stole my father from the people who loved him, because you want them to love you instead.”, the Red-Rotono yelled back.
The Red-Rotono found a high ledge and stood over the unaware warlord. The Red Rotono jumped crashing down at the warlord, smashing through the roof of the mansion. The fleet was no longer able to follow, and refocused on Tony.
The distortion moving towards Tony arrived as the Enforcer deactivated his cloak and slowed from running to a walking pace. The enforcer tapped a series of buttons on one of his arm panels. The fleet scan indicated that the enforcer was not a hologram nor someone pretending to be the third target as the power level of his black steel Tri-tech armor began to increase. The enforcer looked over an area of low ground surrounded by rubble in all directions, and he saw the combo rifle under a burned cloak. The enforcer drew a hand gun, jumped from the rubble to the low ground, and walked over a pile of rocks towards the Combo rifle. The enforcer used his free hand to draw a black steel Rotono-blade and with tip of the blade, lifted the cloak off the Combo rifle and threw the cloak aside. The Enforcer sheathed the Rotono blade, holstered the handgun, and the enforcer attempted to lift the Combo rifle, but the combined gauss and pulse rifles seemed too heavy for him to lift. Tony began to move from under the pile of rocks. The enforcer was unable to turn in time, all he could do was watch Tony aiming a shotgun at him. The shotgun fired a blast and sent razor sharp pellets piercing the armor of the enforcer, with most of the blast hitting the enforcer’s arm. The enforcer drew the Rotono-blade, and was still standing as long his Tri-tech armor was keeping him alive. The enforcer charged at Tony with the Rotono-blade and Tony switched to his Battle-axe.
“Battle Mode!”, Tony yelled as he jumped out of the rubble as his armor activated a layer of deflector shields, and the Enforcer’s Rotono blade was stopped by the battle axe.
“You’re not the only one who knows how to set a trap!”, Tony said in Ugian as he laughed.
The enforcer gripped the Rotono-blade with both hands and attampted to hit Tony with a mechanically empowered strike, but the blade bounced off the Axe’s deflector shields. The enforcer held on with one hand, and the momentum pulled him away from Tony.
“Impressive you were prepared for that. Against Ryl-tech, Rotono-blades have a fifty-fifty chance of of getting knocked out of your hands. How did you shoot a gauss rifle if you can’t even lift one?”, Tony asked.
“You’re either a coward or a fool! Every government, gang, and corporation that isn’t part of the Protectorate knows they will fight you, sooner or later. The Black Dragons bought all the gauss rifles they could, and even stole a few more. I don’t need to lift one just to aim and shoot, not if there’s another I can just use later at a different location. The Black Dragons collected enough ammo and firepower so you wouldn’t even be factor. You’ve already lost, because your princess is walking into the trap set for you.”, the enforcer said with contempt.
“Not a problem. In fact, my only issue with that plan is, how am I going to steal that ammo? I’m here to get paid, and in order to do that, you need to die.”, Tony said casually.
Tony crashed the battle axe into the enforcer, and the enforcer spun to avoid the attack. Tony took a swing at the enforcers legs with the spear end of the Battle-axe, and the enforcer jumped to avoid the attack. Tony stabbed forward with the spear end, but the enforcer stepped aside. Tony stabbed again, and the enforcer jumped back to avoid the attack. Tony swung the axe across, and the enforcer ducked under the chopping blade. Tony jumped up into the air, and the enforcer tried to draw the hand gun but failed because of his injured arm. The enforcer shifted the Rotono-blade to his injured arm and with his free hand to use the hand-gun. While mid-jump Tony switched to his shotgun.
“Attack Mode!”, Tony yelled out, as his armor reconfigured. As Tony landed a shockwave blasted in all directions, knocking down the enforcer. The enforcer dropped the Rotono-blade but managed to keep the handgun with his good arm. Tony fired the shotgun at the enforcer, and the enforcer fired the hand gun back at Tony. The blast from the shot gun shredded the enforcer’s last good hand and part of his leg on the same side. The bullet from the handgun bounced off Tony’s deflector shield and went into the ground beneath him, but then exploded in an unknown shockwave.
I felt a surge of pain, I lost all sense of the ship around me, and then all was quiet. I sensed Ylisaya’s mind and she felt the same experience. The fleet also sensed the pain, and as I regained control of the ship, I saw the prisoner was right where we last saw him. The only mind I didn’t sense was Tony, because he disconnected. The fleet scan resumed as the fleet slowly recovered from whatever just happened. We found Tony standing over the enforcer with his foot stepping on the enforcer’s chest and the shotgun aimed at the enforcer’s face. The enforcer looked disappointed at the handgun.
“Where did you get bullets that can hurt me, without even hitting me?”, Tony demanded.
“It was supposed to kill you. That bullet cost the Black Dragons two hundred billion credits. Where they got it?…I don’t know.”, the enforcer said in a defeated tone, as he tossed the hand-gun aside. The fleet scan determined that the enforcer’s arm was so badly injured he probably couldn’t even pull the trigger, as the Tri-tech armor was the only thing keeping him alive. Tony switch to his battle axe.
“For the Auro blade.” Tony said in a spiteful tone as he decapitated the enforcer, and credits were added to the ship’s account.
Tony picked up the handgun dropped by the enforcer, and as he examined it, the fleet detected the weapon was empty. Tony examined the ground where the strange bullet impacted, but didn’t even find any fragments. Tony knelt down and touched the impact damage on the ground, but the fleet scan determined the entire projectile had burned away. Tony took the enforcer’s cloak, and any remaining weapons except the Rotono-blade which was now unusable without the Enforcer, though the fleet couldn’t determine exactly what these weapons were.
“Stealth Mode.”, Tony said as he vanished into a distortion and started heading towards the mansion.
I reached out to Tony’s mind and he accepted the cyber-link.
“Maybe we should stop? If there are weapons that you’re not immune against, it might be safest to cash out now?”, I sent my question to Tony through the cyber-link.
“Someone got paid two hundred billion for a bullet to kill me. I wanna know more about that bullet.” Tony’s thoughts reached me through the cyber-link.
Tony’s mind focused on the mansion and he wondered how he was going to find the fourth target. The fleet’s scan followed a distortion depart Tony’s location and bounce from roof, to pile of rubble, to roof, and to rubble. The fleet watched Tony stop at the field of cloaking devices. Through the cyber-link I sensed his hesitation at the notion of walking into another trap so quickly, and the possibility that he would spy on the mansion for at least several micro-cycles before approaching.
The fleet was unprepared for when the mansion’s cloaking field suddenly deactivated, and suspected another trap, as when they felt the effect from the mystery bullet, when they watched Tony cheat death. Before any could think to ask what was happening, Tony got a call from the broker. The fleet was again allowed to observe the interaction.
“Hello Phantom. We see you’ve made a lot of progress on the list, and that last fight was very impressive, lots of action, but we’re going in a different direction for the next one.”, the broker said to Tony.
“We still have a contract! If the Confederacy breaches contract now, they invite war with the Protectorate, and there’s a fleet of Protectorate battleships surrounding Mars!”, Tony protested.
“You’re gonna wanna hear this. The change isn’t coming from the Confederacy. The fourth target has decided to surrender.”, the broker said to Tony.
“That’s fine, now she’s the Confederacy’s problem, I’ll skip her and go…”, Tony said, as the Broker interrupted him.
“Not to the Confederacy. She says she’ll only surrender to you.”, the broker replied.
“The logical move would be cashing out on the Red-Rotono, and then go back for target number four. I don’t exactly have time to deliver a prisoner out of the city, while fighting a gang war. Then turn around and collect on another bounty.”, Tony reminded the broker.
“The war is over, according to the fourth target. The damage you’ve inflicted on their forces leaves them with two choices, they can surrender or die, either against you or the next enemy.”, the broker told Tony.
“Fine, what does the target want?”, Tony reluctantly asked.
“She wants to meet at the rock garden on the other side of the mansion.”, the broker said to Tony, and then disconnected.
Tony moved cautiously and slowly around the mansion, and eventually reached the Rock Garden. In the center of the Rock Garden an Ugian woman sat on her side reading a data tablet. She wore a yellow garment with a scarlet band tied around her waist. She wore a wide floppy gray hat, that looked thin and delicate but held it’s shape. If she were standing straight or walking, the hat might be large enough to shade her entire body in the noon day sunlight, as the sunlight passed through the Martian atmosphere and the city’s dome. On the ground next to her there was a boiler and small ceramic cups. It appeared as if she was making hot drinks. As the fleet scanned the woman they verified her as the fourth target.
“You wanted to see me?”, Tony said to the woman in Ugian, while he was still cloaked.
The woman looked around and didn’t seem to notice Tony.
“Who’s there?”, the woman asked, in common.
Tony deactivated his cloak and appeared in front of the woman with his hand-cannon drawn but not aimed.
“You are not in any danger, Phantom. I only have a knife.”, the woman said.
“Why are we speaking common? How did you know?”, Tony asked.
“You can’t hide your Aurovean accent. Sounds like North Alyrikan. No offense but when you speak Ugian, you sound like you don’t enjoy it.”, the woman said calmly as she put down the tablet and poured the hot liquid into a cup and took a sip.
“He feels that way about talking in any language.”, I said to Ylisaya.
Tony looked up at the ship and through the cyber-link I could sense he was holding back his thoughts.
“What’s wrong with the sky?”, the woman asked Tony.
“Thinking about my ship and crew. Not your concern. Just tell me why you called me here.”, Tony replied.
“I know you’re here to kill me, but I have no more reason to live. I died fifteen minutes ago, when I read that my beloved Behrahn died fighting you. There was a bounty on his head, just like mine. He walked out the gates, kissed me for luck, faced you in battle, and now you’re here wearing his cloak. Yes, he was the enforcer. I knew he died the moment the money vanished from the bounties, and I know I’m next. I called your broker because I have too much blood on my hands, too much that I will have to answer for, I won’t find mercy in a Confederate trial, least of all from a Confederate prison.”, the woman said.
“My contract says a different story. Why should I believe you?”, Tony asked.
“Right. I’m wanted dead, not alive. The Confederacy officially put a price on my head, but do you think they actually want to pay that much money? That reward was just an attempt to force me and the rest of the Ugian leadership out into the open, so their secret police could track us down, throw us into an off the books prison, and reconstruct our finance operations for their own use. If the official story is that I’m dead, then nobody will expect a trial, and the Confederacy can skip right to torture. Nobody will ask any questions.”, the woman said.
“Can you prove that?”, Tony challenged the woman’s claim.
“When you fought, Behrahn did he shoot a strange bullet?”, the woman revealed.
“I don’t see a connection. Behrahn said it costs two hundred billion credits, which is impossible. That’s more money than the combined economies of every Protectorate colony.”, Tony replied.
“If you only count assets, but the Black Dragons hold, sell, and trade ownership rights too. Nothing costs two hundred billion. The only part we paid for was the information to locate it moving through the black market. We stole it from the Confederacy, and the Confederacy obtained one and tried to copy it. Their real goal was locking down their monopoly on the ammo exports market. That first bullet was just the beginning. Whoever made that bullet, plans on making more. All the proof you need is the location of where the bullet is made and how they are being tested.”, the woman said.
“Why steal it? Taking their legally obtained property will just further creates conflict with the Confederacy. If the Confederacy wants to turn me into an enemy, that doesn’t affect you.”, Tony asked.
“They weren’t planning on turning you into an enemy, they wanted to turn you into a customer. Our first plan was to reveal the bullet to you, frame the Confederacy, and let you wipe them out for us.”, the woman said.
“Sounds like a decent plan. What changed?”, Tony asked.
“Lord Zokoro seized power.”, the woman said.
“Let’s assume I believe you, which I don’t. You’re saying your plan is take away your skills from ever falling into the Confederacy’s hands. I would have done that regardless of this conversation. What exactly do you want from me?”, Tony asked.
“The only person that mattered was Behrahn. I won’t fight you, I don’t think I could, but can I ask about Behrahn, the last moments of his life?”, the woman asked.
“You get three questions, and you accept the answers I give as is.”, Tony said to the woman as he disconnected from the cyber-link.
“Do you think he was brave?”, the woman asked.
“If he was a coward, he would have abandoned the Black Dragons at the start. So as for the man you knew, no…He was not a coward. Today he was sent to face an opponent alone and to an extant he did. When he challenged me by name, I took his threat seriously, he had a good plan, probably the closest anyone has gotten to killing me in one on one. I try to avoid walking into traps, so if he knew I set a trap of my own, then he’s the braver. He fought with his best weapons, and when I took those away, he fought with whatever he had left, he even tried to fight with words. But not once did I see fear in his eyes. I would say he died fighting.”, Tony said.
“Was he thinking of me in his final moments?”, The woman asked.
“In the end, something broke in him. When he fired the strange bullet and it didn’t go as planned, I’m guessing that bullet was his last hope of winning against me. Based on what you’re telling me, it might have been something to do with you. I thought he lost hope. If his goal was to fight for a future with someone, then I would conclude taking that future away from him would have such an effect similar to what I saw. Unfortunately that’s just my opinion within a highly flawed theory. That’s all I’m willing to say about that.”, Tony said.
“That’s accurate, we did have such a plan. Do you think he was honorable?” , the woman asked.
“I only define honor as a matter of principle. I hunt down space pirates for money, I’m no judge of honor.”, Tony said.
“I’m not asking about what you think of honor. I’m asking about what you think of him.”, the woman calmly replied.
“There’s more to this question. Ask it again, but in Ugian.”, Tony replied as he connected to the fleet.
“A stranger would say honor because they want something. A lover, a follower, a friend, and even a superior would say honor as empty flattery. But an enemy has no motive to say honor. If an enemy says one has honor, then it’s true.”, the woman said.
“Behrahn fought for what he believed, he fought whether or not he thought he could win, he was the Black Dragon’s choice to face the greatest threats, and until his last breath he believed in those principles. As I look in your eyes, I’m guessing that’s why you loved him, and why they bet everything on him. We both know this is true because you claim a future without him is impossible for you. I don’t claim to know honor, but he at least lived honor. Since I survived our battle, I will not make the same mistake again.”, Tony said to the woman.
“That’s all I need to know, thank you. I will need a moment to prepare.”, the woman said, as she deleted all the information on her tablet, setting it down beside her.
“What happens now?”, Tony asked, as the woman removed her hat and waist wrap, setting the hat down beside her.
“Without Behrahn nobody can protect me, another warlord will find me, and learn what I know. My secrets must die with me.”, the woman said as she held the waist wrap hanging in one hand moving the wrap side to side letting gravity fold the cloth.
“What do I need to do?”, Tony asked, as the woman took a last gulp of the tea and knelt down to face a nearby shrine.
“I know what the Auro Blade is, Behrahn and I would watch that TV show together. Rozkuten is my favorite character. I need to borrow Behrahn’s cloak.”, the Woman said as she placed a knife on the ground in front of her.
“I’m sorry but I won’t help you fake your death.”, Tony replied.
“Keep it, but remember, I loved him. So I will say goodbye through something that belonged to him. Aren’t you going to tell me your favorite character or do you just use say for the Auro Blade as your catchphrase?”, the woman asked.
“Myrginia Ravay.”, Tony said and he presented the cloak to the woman.
“She’s my favorite in that show too.”, I said to Ylisaya.
“I understand now, and I will help you.”, Tony said to the woman as she held an end of Behrahn’s cloak in her hand. She kissed the cloth of the cloak and dropped it.
“Why support Lord Zokoro?, Why not just help Behrahn become the warlord instead?”, Tony asked, as he switched to his battle axe, but did not activate the blade.
“Behrahn was high born, and I’m not. If Behrahn became a warlord, he could only be a Ugian high born, which is why he didn’t. Zokoro was our only hope to make a new world, a world that would allow a love like ours to even exist.”, the woman said.
“Now I see why Rozkuten is your favorite Auro-Blade character, even though he’s one of the show’s villains.”, Tony replied.
“Many Ugians died because of one man’s greed. My knowledge is too dangerous, another warlord must not be allowed to repeat this mistake, but leave my body with my clan.”, the woman said as she smashed her tablet with the handle of her knife.
Tony only nodded at her. The woman gripped her knife with both hands, pointed the blade at her heart, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
“Behrahn’s soul will find yours in the afterlife. Battle Axe Execution Mode!”, Tony said as he activated the chopping blade of his battle axe into a single blade that glowed green with unstable fury.
The woman looked up at Tony, nodded, and closed her eyes.
“For the Auro Blade.”, the woman cried as she plunged the knife into her own heart.
Tony swung the battle axe, the woman’s life vanished from the fleet’s scan, and credits were added to the ship’s account.
“Goodbye Lynyrra. You died with honor.”, Tony said to Lynyrra, as he folded his battle-axe and turned towards the mansion.