“What’s on the agenda for today?”

Cid asked the question after they had all eaten their fill and tidied up the mess-hall and galley.

“Osar promised he’d tell us more about the System,” Eric said, turning to the big man.

“I say we do a logistical assessment first, sir.” Serra said, emphasizing the sir. Clearly, she was still annoyed by how Eric had tried to beg off being their leader. “We might have a better understanding of our options and the System itself if we knew the number, kind, and quality of the resources we have at our disposal.”

“Well, said Serra,” Osar said, running his fingers through his chin fronds, the small tubes undulating calmly under his caress. “We can sort through the loot and get an idea of where our strengths and weaknesses are resources-wise.”

“That… sounds like a good idea,” Eric said, though he really wanted to get Osar started on helping them all get a grip on the functions of the System that was slowly changing all of them. Still, he could see the value of knowing what they had in order to make informed decisions going forward. “Any thoughts on how we’d go about that?”

“If Luna can provide lighting and a clean space, I think this hangar where the Plunderer is in could provide us with a good space to go through our loot.”

“We need a space that big?” Cid asked, surprise showing over his face, although he seemed excited about the prospect of looking over treasures.

“You’d be surprised at how much a standard spatial device can hold.” Osar said with an anticipatory grin. “And from what I’ve seen of our current haul, our gains could rival the treasury of a small Sect or Clan.”

“That much, huh?” Eric murmured to himself, a tingly feeling of excitement running through him as his Flaw triggered at the talk of treasure. He caught Serra smirking at him and he sighed. The woman just couldn’t help herself.

“Remember that the Plunderer was returning to this region after a successful year of… well, plundering.” Osar continued, not noticing the little exchange. “Not to mention that most people would want to keep their most valued treasures in their own personal spatial devices to make sure everything was safe! Trust me friend Cid, the entire hangar might not even be enough for everything we have.”

“Okay,” Eric interrupted as the import of Osar’s declaration widened eyes and produced calculating expressions. “How do we go about this then?”

“First, we’ll go through the ship,” Osar smile was wide at the effect he’d produced. “We’ll pay particular attention to clearing the crew cabins and the other storage vaults, then we’ll bring them all together at the hangar floor and empty all the spatial devices one by one.”

“Wouldn’t that make a mess?” Eric asked, still captivated by the thought of so much treasure.

“There will be a bit of a mess, sure,” Osar said, waving a hand to dismiss the thought. “But I know a few tricks to prevent too much of that... I suggest we get started now so we don’t lose more time than is necessary.”

Under Osar’s direction, he and Serra went through the ship like a fine comb, gathering up everything of value that they could find while searching out hidden caches. Serra’s expertise at laying down traps and bombs for Eric’s Hexguard crew proved useful more than once, as she found physical traps that the Geludan team had left to safeguard their belongings from each other.

“Bit paranoid, that.” Serra muttered as she disarmed a nasty poison pin and latch combination that would have pierced her hand had she lifted the lid of an unlocked chest higher than an inch.

“They were pirates!” Osar snorted out with a laugh at her facial expression. “Despite being together for a year, or maybe because, likely none of them trusted any other member one little bit!”

It took nearly an hour for the pair to finish their walkthrough, finally emerging from the belly of the Plunderer to march towards the brightly lit area where Eric and Cid had carried down the spatial chests and other items from the three obvious treasure storage rooms aboard the ship.

Luna had been particularly helpful, arranging not only to increase the lighting of the area and augmenting it with stationary lumen drones, but also sending a veritable army of sweeper drones to go through the Fortress Belzond and carry anything of value they found, which was admittedly not very much, down to the gathering area. By the time Osar and Serra approached, the drones had gathered the dead chitterer’s bodies onto a small mountain on one side of the room, and Cid and Eric had begun the tedious task of harvesting the small beast cores from their remains.

“Gather round everyone!” Serra bellowed out as they came to the large table containing more than fifty spatial devices, mostly rings and bracelets, and the neatly arranged stacks of spatial chests that created a sort of wall around it.

Eric and Cid abandoned their messy jobs and walked over, smiling in response to the elation visible on Serra’s scarred face.

“We truly hit the jackpot here boys,” The young woman crowed, holding up a length of cord that had been passed through fifteen rings of different shapes and sizes. “Looks like those assholes that owned the ship had been going at their pirating and plundering pretty hard before stupidly trying to shank a dragon, because they were fucking loaded!”

“Most of what they had was taken from a small void-station,” Osar said in an oddly subdued voice as he tossed Eric a small leather-covered notebook. Eric snatched the book in mid-air, looking curiously at the Urgan. Osar shrugged, indicating that Eric read the notebook, his eyes troubled despite keeping his smile. “One of their biggest hauls, according Lugthal’s personal raid journal.”

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“One of their hauls?” Eric murmured as he thumbed through the notebook. It was all there, dates and locations, names of voidships taken and small settlements raided, along with anything else of interest. The Maroan had been very thorough and methodical about his raiding strategy, not only hitting vulnerable population centers but making note of the surrounding area and other nearby future targets. He even wrote down local stories and legends he gained by ‘interviewing’ captives, as well as possible deposits of precious minerals and resources.

“The bastards worked their way through the Wishring Trailing out to the edge of the Basilisk Void, raiding along a predetermined route while taking whatever prizes of opportunity they came across. They must have murdered well over a thousand people during their rampage.”

“And the local authorities did nothing?” Eric asked in a troubled voice, looking up from a notation that indicated a village on some planet called Seresta where the Geludan had killed ‘105 people’ and gained ‘mixed foodstuff and some materials only’.

“What local authorities?” Osar said bitterly as he placed several long tables in a specific arrangement, helped by Cid and Serra. “Ever since the Cataclysm the entire southern fringe of the Empire has been largely left to rot. Even the salvage Sects and the few Reclamation Clans haven’t gotten around to organizing any large-scale expeditions to survey into the region, much less begin rehabilitation.”

“And were going to take what these assholes have stolen for themselves?” Cid asked, a mortified look on his face.

“It’s ours now.” Eric snarled, looking at the scientist as if he’d physically assaulted him. Pure unthinking rage had risen up within him at Cid’s question, surprising everyone with its intensity. For a long moment Eric wrestled with his irrational anger, his teeth gritted painfully as he fought against the feeling. A small part of his mind wondered why the mere thought of giving up all or even a part of the treasure they had on hand was making him react as if he was being faced with a direct and deadly threat.

“Steady, sir.” Pig interjected almost immediately. “It’s your Flaw activating that’s making you react this way.”

“Are you alright, Captain?” Serra said cautiously, having quickly taken a position before Cid, unconsciously guarding the scientist from Eric.

Osar frowned as he settled into a ready stance, chanting something under his breath. Eric, still gripped by the emotions stirred by his flaw, turned his attention to the big Urgan, his bloodshot eyes narrowing at the big alien’s actions.

Eric’s Dragon Sight suddenly flared with indigo and pearl, and instinctively he tried to dodge to the side even as he pulled out his favored sword from his ring. He had acted too late though as the glowing light enveloped him.

Eric’s mind cleared almost instantly and the veteran soldier staggered, midway into a lunge against his comrades. The sound of Serra’s shout of warning were still echoing from the hangar’s walls.

“Wha- what?” Eric stammered, hastily stowing away his sword. Sweat drenched his body and his jaw muscles ached from clenching his teeth.

[Is there something wrong Commander?] Luna’s voice suddenly asked, seeming to come from everywhere. Pixels and swirls of light converged to Eric’s right, forming a holographic image of the Vessel Interface looking the same as it had in the Control Room. Out of the corner of his eye, Eric could see the various drones halt whatever they were doing and turn toward the small knot of people, their stances somehow… menacing.

“No Luna,” Eric quickly answered, deliberately turning his back to his friends as he faced the light projection. “It’s just a slight misunderstanding. I over-reacted, but it’s all good now.”

The agitated swirl of pixels and light calmed down as the Luna hologram inclined its head at the three others standing behind Eric. Tellingly, her drones had not returned to their tasks.

“We’re all friends here, Luna,” Serra said placatingly as she walked forward, hands held out to her side. “Just having a bit of an argument, nothing serious.”

[Very well, Second in Command Jakobin,] Luna said after a tense few moments, even as her drones relaxed their tense stances and returned to their work. [I shall tend to other matters, then.] The light construct turned to Eric and bowed its head. [Commander.]

Eric nodded as the Vessel Interface broke apart into individual light motes and dissipated. He turned to the others with an apologetic look.

“Sorry guys,” Eric said softly, not meeting their concerned looks. “I seem to have gained an unfortunate… condition.”

“It’s my fault, Primus.” Cid’s voice was shaky and not a little hurt. “Maybe I shouldn’t have…”

“No, it wasn’t Cid,” Serra said, marching forward to stand before Eric with her hands on her hips. “Are we going to have to watch our words around you sir? Can you even control yourself from attacking us over a misplaced word?”

“It was out of my control Jakobin… The rage just took over.”

“I know that sir… I’m asking if you can control it next time?” Their two other companions had come over to stand in front of Eric. Cid was clearly still shaken, but the Urgan’s expression was more curious than anything else.

“I’m not really sure that I can, Serra.” Eric admitted as he took a towel from his ring and began wiping the sweat from his face, using the action to buy him time to think.

“The Flaw’s effects have disappeared, sir.” Pig said softly.

Osar moved forward, intent on studying Eric. “Is it some sort of curse Jad-Os?”

Eric hesitated, stowing his towel away before actually answering. “No… maybe… I don’t truly know. My status labels it Loot Mad and says it’s a flaw, whatever that means and it seems to be triggered by someone trying to take away something that I view as mine by right.”

“I have heard about Flaws, but I have never met anyone with one, or at least no one who admitted to having one.” For the first time since the incident the Urgan’s smile appeared genuine, and Eric relaxed further.

“What was that you did at the end? It seemed to remove the Flaw’s effects.”

Osar looked sideways at the others, clearly hesitant to discuss another of his abilities, before finally shrugging. “It’s a spell called Calm Mind, which I’ve found can be useful in certain… situations.”

“You can cast spells?” Cid exclaimed, pushing forward, his earlier trepidation seemingly forgotten. Serra cast Eric a worried frown, which Eric responded to by nodding solemnly.

“Excuse me, Cid,” Eric’s voice cut through Cid’s questions, making the scientist turn to him. “I’m sorry for reacting so violently to what was a pretty pertinent question.” As Cid’s face lightened up with relief Eric allowed himself a slight smile. “Forgiven?”

The scientist gave a grin and a nod. “No worries, sir… At least now I know what topics to avoid when talking to you.”

Eric winced at that, but nodded anyway, glad to have the matter settled between them.

Seeing an opening, Osar suddenly clapped his hands, catching everyone’s attention.

“Right, everyone!” The Urgan declared loudly. “Gather round and I’ll tell you how we’re going to go about sorting all this shit!”