Eris, Ursa, Mei, and Marus entered the building where they sheltered Ubel. Their combat suits were scratched and scorched from the intense battle with Traja. The cantina outside was a mess. The once lively place was now in ruins—tables shattered, walls riddled with bullet holes and blood. Dead bodies, both patrons and attackers, were being dragged out by the gang members.

Ubel was currently hidden and protected inside one of the few still-solid structures near the cantina that was not affected by the destruction. He was leaning against the table lazily. More Demonic Monkeys’ members outside, in their combat suits, were maintaining their vigilance on the roofs and the vicinity. Meanwhile, Bastille was busy speaking with local mafias and gang members who had arrived to investigate the aftermath of the shootout. The air around the cantina had already reached other surrounding buildings that carried the scent of burnt metal, blood, and explosives. In the middle of all of these, Ubel was busying himself, watching the news and updates from the BLACNET.

The atmosphere inside was surprisingly light despite the tension of the recent battle. Around fifty of the Demonic Monkeys' crew members were scattered in the building, maintaining a strict perimeter in case there was another attack. As soon as they stepped in, Eris crossed her arms, a smirk creeping onto her face.

"You know, you’re great at hacking and ship battles. But take that away, and you’re just another helpless kid who can be easily taken down by a sniper and some droids. Are you sure you are the same person who wiped out our best fire team in the fleet and an entire UGTR fleet?”

Ubel glanced and sighed then showed a defeated smile.

"I’m only helpless because I was trying to avoid collateral damage that would attract unwanted attention from the gangs and mafia. I wanted to finish my business in this station and leave without being restrained by responsibilities for destroying one part of the station." Then he pointed out. “And by the way, unlike your fireteam who was a joke, these attackers were equipped with standard to high-grade cybersecurity. Even I would have a hard time hacking through their systems while under fire.”

“Sure, sure… whatever you say.” Ursa snorted, joining in on the teasing.

"From where I’m standing, it looked more like panic. I’ve never seen you move that fast to duck behind a table. Bet your heart was pounding like a rookie’s first time on the field." Mei covered her mouth with her palm in a mocking tone.

“I was handling the situation just fine." Ubel rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath.

"Yeah, commander! Handling it by losing both your arms and nearly freezing to death!" Marus, ever the instigator, leaned on the nearby wall, shaking his head with a grin.

"In fairness, you’ve got good instincts to last that long." Mei chuckled softly, adjusting her combat suit as she surveyed the room.

"What can I say? I’m more of a thinker than a brawler. You handle the grunts, and I handle the strategy." Ubel gave them a playful smirk. Then he started to speak his honest thoughts out loud. “That’s always been my line in battles… although I admit that I may still have been too complacent with the selection of my droids. Maybe I’ll stop demonizing some overkill measures…”

The banter continued, the tension of the battle melting away as the Demonic Monkeys found themselves easing into their usual rhythm of mockery and camaraderie. Ubel couldn’t help but grin, even if he was the center of the ridicule.

"I’ve always got more cards to play for situations like that. That’s why I’m still alive and kicking, even after all the close calls." Ubel said, pointing at them with his still-tingling, recently healed arms.

"Cards to play, huh?" Ursa raised an eyebrow, sitting on a half-broken stool and resting her elbow on her knee. "You’ve got more lives than a cat, I’ll give you that. But curiosity killed the cat, you know? You keep poking your nose where it doesn’t belong, and one day you’re gonna run into something even you can’t hack or regenerate from."

“Hey! I didn’t even do anything this time. I was just finalizing some business deals with some merchants and smugglers when they attacked.” Ubel pouted, waving her off. "And I wasn’t even the target of the first attackers who ruined the cantina."

“Wait, what do you mean by that commander?” Mei and others were confused by what he said.

“The sniper wanted my head, but those dead mercs that were still on the floors of the cantina were not. They were pursuing someone else.”

Before he could continue, the atmosphere shifted as Creed entered the building, while Bastille was in the ruined cantina, now in deep conversation with a group of well-dressed men and women. The local mafia and gang members had arrived earlier, their expressions grim as they surveyed the damage.

"Looks like the big boys are here already," Mei whispered, her gaze tracking the ruling circle’s representatives.

"They’re asking what happened here. We’re playing it straight for now—just a regular shootout where we got ourselves involved for protecting ourselves, nothing out of the ordinary for this station." Creed said. “At least some of the surviving patrons of the cantina said the same things which gave weight to our presence here. Bastille will be finishing his talks with the mafia then we’ll leave immediately. We don’t want to stick around and get stuck in their intrigue and internal squabbling as this may be just the beginning for something big in this station.”

“Thanks, Creed.” Ubel sighed and turned back to his crew. "Right. Well, before I get dragged into any more questions, I’m calling in that favor."

"Favor?" Eris tilted her head, curious.

Ubel grinned, opening up his holo and he began calling someone. Then he took out a black card that Eris and Ursa immediately remembered and recognized.

"A feast. Figured after all this, you lot could use a proper meal. Drinks included. As payment for what happened here. I’ll drown out you with wine and the finest food this station has to offer."

"You’re just trying to get us drunk so we’ll forget about how you got your butt handed to you today." Eris leaned back, arms crossed, a grin playing on her lips.

The other side of his line picked up and Ubel talked privately in a corner. After a few moments of back-and-forth with the person on the other end, Ubel glanced around the room. He noticed a growing number of Demonic Monkeys standing guard, maintaining a perimeter around the building just in case Traja decided to return. He quickly counted their numbers and returned to the other line.

"We’ll be there shortly." He ended the call and looked back at the crew, his expression brightening. "Alright, we’re all set. I’ve booked us the next best thing. So, anyone up for a feast?"

"I don’t think wine and food would make me forget that you almost got turned into a popsicle." Ursa mocked.

The scene shifted to a luxurious establishment bathed in warm, golden light. The interior was a stark contrast to the bloody skirmish they had just endured. Soft red velvet draped over every surface, gold-trimmed walls reflected the soft glow of chandeliers, and the scent of exotic incense lingered in the air—before they arrived that is. The air inside the hall was now thick with laughter, cigarette smoke, and the clinking of glasses. Ubel watched as the Demonic Monkeys, now scattered around the large room, embraced the celebration without hesitation. For all their battle-hardened exteriors, they certainly knew how to relax when given the chance.

Around him, the crew indulged in the pleasures of the establishment. Male and female prostitutes flirted and laughed with the pirates, and the atmosphere was electric with revelry. Ubel had used what he received from the staff of Emerald Stellar Cascade from his previous visit after winning too much at their table. Eris and Ursa, sitting across from Ubel, puffed on the expensive cigarettes he’d provided, their faces half-obscured by the billowing smoke. Both women leaned back in sofas, looking more relaxed than they had in a long while.

"You know," Eris said, exhaling a cloud of smoke, "this is some high-grade stuff.”

She playfully tossed one of the empty boxes of cigarettes that both she and Ursa already used up.

"Didn’t peg you as a smoker," Ursa commented, blowing out a cloud of smoke after seeing Ubel grabbing a stick and lighting it up.

"Yeah, first time." Eris chuckled, taking another drag herself.

"Everyone has their vices," Ubel replied casually, exhaling smoke as he leaned back into the plush chair. "Other than money and interesting encounters."

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Before they could probe further, Creed arrived at the table with Aela and Mei, who were carrying trays of drinks and more food from the kitchen. The chefs had been cooking nonstop, and the aromas of freshly prepared dishes filled the room.

As they continued to eat and drink and after a few moments of silence, Ubel glanced around.

"Won’t Kugal or Elpano will be upset if they find out you’re here with me?" Ubel gave a small chuckle, tapping the ash off his cigarette. “I know commanders of independent groups are a jealous bunch.”

"It’s complicated right now. Ever since you left, things have been… chaotic." Creed sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, things aren’t exactly stable right now." Aela joined in as she drank. Leaned back in her seat with a complicated expression.

Mei, never one to hold back, jumped in.

"After Elpano and Kugal took over, each ship had been voting in new captains, and everyone’s got their own agenda now. A lot of them don’t see the point in staying with the group or even maintaining their lives as pirates.” Then she pointed at Ubel. “Especially after you had the entire ships of the fleet, fixed.”

“What do you mean?" Ubel frowned, looking between them.

“It seemed that I missed this, as well as Munda and even Elpano,” Creed added. “One of the glaring problems of the ships—or rather the fleet, that we ignored was that they were not strong enough to operate on their own. Most were in a state of disrepair, had no munitions, or even had no financial power to maintain their ships and crew. So each captain and each crew on these ships had to rely on remaining with the fleet to cooperate for plunder and loot.”

“And now that you’ve given their ships the fixes and maintenance that they needed as well as restocks of provisions and armaments, you took out their reason for sticking out with the fleet.” Aela inserted. “Now some of them were thinking of starting another career.”

“I heard some were already adamant about changing to become smugglers or even joining local gangs and mafias here. Their background as former pirates and their ship added to the platter would be a good plus in joining a powerful organization in this station.” Mei nodded.

“Not only that, you gave us those fat credits as a parting gift. Five hundred thousand credits for each crew of the fleet? Some of them don’t see the need to keep risking their lives for plunder anymore and wanted to quit or settle down." Aela scratched her head.

"So, the crew’s splitting up?" Ubel asked, his cigarette forgotten for a moment.

"Yes, Demonic Monkeys are now on the verge of splitting, Ubel. There’s a lot of conflict over what direction to take." Eris took a sip of her drink, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Not just that, after you left, things haven’t been the same," Creed explained, leaning forward. "The standard of living you introduced changed everything. Now, no one’s satisfied with the small-time scores we used to get. The crew expects more from the new commanders."

“You had poisoned the minds of Demonic Monkeys, Ubel.” Ursa took another cigarette and lit it. “Although I don’t know if you intended it.”

"It’s like they’ve had a taste of something better," Mei added. "Did you know that when we found your ship, we were actually on the verge of splitting or mutiny that we hoped to get a big ransom or plunder? Now, also imagine experiencing a sudden luxury after months of enduring eating rations in the black."

"Elpano and Kugal are struggling to keep the fleet together." Eris stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray, leaning back with a more serious expression.

"Sounds like things are a quite mess." Ubel processed the information. It seemed like his absence had created a vacuum, and now the entire fleet was on the verge of fracturing.

"That’s putting it lightly." Creed sighed.

Still, Ubel knew the risks and shook his head slowly.

"But that’s not my problem anymore. I left, remember? Isn’t that what you all wanted?"

“Not really.” Creed gave him a knowing look. "Maybe some wanted to be free from your command but the majority had now turned to your side. I was already receiving some requests to have you returned to the fleet. Your shadow’s still hanging over all of us."

“Well, I am not returning anymore if that’s what you wanted to ask later. You can tell them that.”

Sensing the tension, Creed quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, what about that sniper from earlier?"

"Probably. Wouldn’t be the first time." Ubel shrugged, taking another drag of his cigarette.

"That sniper Traja was formerly a member of Elpano’s small group. But now she wasn’t working under a contract. She made it pretty clear that she was after you for personal reasons." She sidled up next to Ubel.

"Great. Just what I needed. A bounty hunter with a personal grudge." Ubel groaned, rubbing his temples. “If what I thought about her is correct, then she must be that sniper who survived after I blasted her.”

“I feel like you did more than that to her… so what did you do to her?” Ursa asked. “Did you break her like what you did to Elpano and others?”

“Like what I’ve said, she attacked me, but I survived. Then I blasted her back but she also survived my attack.” Ubel replied. “She got away before I could do anything to her.”

Then he went silent as if he was in deep thoughts for her.

“Maybe after that encounter, she got to know about my near-immortal regenerative capabilities, and from what you said, she told you that she was not hunting me for any bounty—so she probably wanted the satisfaction of defeating someone like me.”

“Well, I can’t blame her.” Ursa looked at Ubel with a smirk as she tilted her head on her seat. “Maybe she thinks that a toy that keeps fixing itself is a toy worth having. Maybe we should start using you as a practice dummy for mock battles, you are practically unkillable anyway.”

“Pardon me for breaking your intrusive thoughts here, but even I, still feel pain when I get injured. It’s even worse after a resurrection or regeneration.”

“Well, you’re the only one who’s going to feel pain so what’s the disadvantage here?” Ursa shrugged, which Ubel sighed as he finally realized that his immortality may not be all benefit for him. He could already see that being kidnapped and consistently under torture would be one of the worst cases for him instead of death.

Both Eris and Mei exchanged a knowing glance before laughing.

"Shouldn’t this be something you ‘want’?" Mei teased. "We all know you love a good challenge. Seems like Traja is giving you exactly that."

“And maybe that got you the attention of that woman, Traja… that it triggered her tingles after seeing you survive her fatal shots that took out her previous targets.” Eris laughed. “You’re going to be a heartbreaker when you grow up, Ubel.”

Ubel exhaled heavily, slouching in his seat.

"I won’t lie. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little... intrigued with being hunted. But it’s still a headache I don’t need right now." He countered, but the small smile on his lips betrayed him. Then he whispered to himself. “Although… I still haven’t tested if I will grow up though… maybe I’m not aging anymore or it just slowed down? Hmmm… this is an interesting case that needs to be tested.”

Ursa interrupted his thoughts.

"One day, your luck will run out. And I don’t think even your neuromancy is going to save you from a fate worse than death. But keep asking for trouble that you think will interest you, and you’re going to end up with a whole lot worse than just missing an arm." She said dryly, leaning against the sofa.

Eventually, Ubel stood up, clapping his hands.

"Alright, enough about that. Let’s focus on the here and now. I owe you all a feast and reserved this place for two days. Feel free to enjoy yourselves. Get wild, get crazy—just don’t burn the place down."

The Demonic Monkeys let out cheers, raising their glasses in a toast to their eccentric former commander. Ubel waved them off with a smile before turning to leave. As he walked toward the exit, he opened his Holo, already contacting an arms dealer to replace the combat droids he’d lost during the battle.

Before he could leave the building, Creed and Bastille intercepted him. Both of them stood in his path, arms crossed, determined expressions on their faces.

“Ubel, we need to talk," Creed said, stepping into his path.

Ubel glanced up from his Holo, clearly distracted.

"Can’t it wait? I’ve got some things to take care of."

"You always have things to do," Bastille added, stepping in closer. "But this is important. We need to talk about what’s next for the Demonic Monkeys."

"I’ve told you before, I’m done with that. My lines are open—send me a holo if you have something interesting to say." Ubel waved them off casually. With that, he walked out, disappearing into the busy streets, his mind already on his next task.

As Creed and Bastille returned to the others, Eris and Ursa, who knew what Creed and Bastille wanted to discuss with Ubel, raised their eyebrows.

"Did you manage to get through to him?" Eris asked, her tone skeptical.

Creed shook his head, his expression troubled then sighed.

"Not exactly. We’re going to have to be more... creative if we want his attention. You know Ubel—he only cares about interesting things."

"Good luck with that. At least we know now that he only pays attention to things that interest him." Ursa snorted.

"Exactly," Creed replied.

Just as they were discussing their next move, they were interrupted by the sound of slow, deliberate clapping. The group turned, their hands instinctively moving to their weapons as a woman in a luxurious dress approached them. They all tensed, ready for a fight as this person was not a member of Demonic Monkeys. They were in deep thought, curious about how she got in without them being notified of her arrival as Ubel reserved this place for them only.

"No need to be alarmed. I’m not here to fight." The woman said calmly, raising her hands to show she meant no harm. Then continued with a soft, disarming smile. "I’m here to help you. And your former commander, Ubel."

“You know him?” Aela asked.

“He is one of my main benefactors.” The woman said as she sat in one of the vacant seats at their table.

This woman had arrived out of nowhere, and her indifferent demeanor to their hostile reactions only heightened their suspicion. The air grew tense as the group exchanged uncertain glances. This woman’s presence felt like the beginning of another twist in the dangerous game Ubel found himself in.

"Then who are you?" Creed narrowed his eyes, stepping forward cautiously. Her presence was calm but commanding, her every step radiating confidence.

The woman bowed with elegance, her voice dripping with poise. And she introduced herself.

"You may call me, Gold. I believe we have much to discuss."