"Keep him moving, don't let your paws off those chains!"
Cedric wiped a fresh wet spot of spittle off the side of his chin.
"Disgusting murderer, you're a goddess-damned devil. Everything the Goddess stands against. Disgusting waste of Nitrogen."
One of the nearby guards was escorting Cedric back to his tiny cell after being read his charges, several others holding onto chains that bound him flanked all sides - eight guards in total, all supremely armed in the finest the United Korelleian Empire had to offer. He had to somewhat crouch through the hallways of the prison corvette, the Bachelard. Another guard spoke up,
"Twenty-Seven dead. How messed up you gotta be to kill that many? This is why mutants are a problem! Primates or not, they're all horrors of nature. What was the Goddess, rest be to Saintess Amelìa, thinking when she condoned the creation of this thing?"
A third guard shrugged,
"Beats me, she works in mysterious ways - ya know?"
The first guard piped up, "Oh, he wiped it off." Ptoo!
Cedric wiped off that one too, with what tiny bit of movement he was allowed.
"In ya go, ya little shit."
They kicked him into the tiny white cell, there was barely enough room to lay down - he had to scrunch up, the position constantly causing his joints pain. It didn't matter though, this mistreatment - he deserved it all. They were right, he was a waste. He accepted all forms of punishment they gave him during the three-week cruise to where he was to be executed. The U.K.E. Bachelard was a prison transport corvette designed to ferry high-risk prisoners, this particular one was sailing the stars to a border planet - a territory that marked the end of the core worlds, and the start of the border worlds - which lead to the outer colonies. Ideally, they'd arrive in the next few days or so - so Cedric knew he'd only have to put up with this blatant mistreatment for just a little while longer.
Unlike Alcatraz, there was no guard or constable or captain here that showed him a shred of decency. Ever since the announcement three weeks ago or so, the sphere of the Empire was in an uproar, in fact the public rallied against Cedric - since it had been revealed to them just how much death followed his wake. The Korellei people's faith in their unnamed Goddess was stalwart, and nigh unshakable - enforced by what little he knew of their inquisition and religious sects. Life and spirit, in a nutshell - these were the core values that every Korellei was raised with. Upon their government revealing his body count, he truly was treated as a demon - a chaotic entity that contested their entire belief system, and their respect for living beings (most of them, anyways.)
During the week of his transfer preparations, Thea was the only one to give him a shred of normalcy. All the rest of the inmates and guards blamed him for the new laws and prejudices formed shortly after the official conference, he couldn't blame them - he wasn't just demonized, he was used as a scapegoat to justify the Empire's want to enclose a tighter grip on their populace. Being honest with himself, Cedric didn't blame a single one for their behavior- it was a cruel happenstance. He kept his scrunched form in place, the uncomfortable hard metal walls and gridded floor of the cell causing much discomfort - he remained in place, knowing that the discomfort would turn into numbness. He closed his eyes, it wouldn't be long now. Just a few days, just a few more days...
A deep, bellowing alarm woke Cedric from his nap - bright red lights alternated throughout the dark, leaky corridors of the vessel. Shouts of readiness echoed from every corner, showering Cedric's ears with confusion. Given the alarm and the red lights - were they being attacked?
"Quickly, secure the prisoner! Pirates!"
Pirates? Cedric was confused for but a moment further before he realized why. Of course, Pirates. There was ample warning, and they were on the border - exactly where they tended to patrol according to Faring two years ago, he recalled. He was public enemy number one, his best guess was they were taking the opportunity to ransom Cedric for a fat stack of credits. Made a lot of sense, and they must be extremely well armed if they intended to take Cedric prisoner for ransom. He wasn't actually sure who would win the engagement, but based on his knowledge of the Empire- they'd obliterate the Pirates.
Some jingling tingled from his cell door, revealing a disheveled and awkwardly skinny lacertilian male.
"Exit the cell Daemon, you're coming with us."
A couple Korellei, felidae, shortly followed the lacertilian to back him up. He produced a small button key, with a speedy click a string of photons gravitated his wrist cuffs together, securing his hands. He could probably break out of them, if he really wanted to - granted, he hadn't tried yet. Given his reputation, they were no doubt constructed of an amalgam alloy with incredible tensile strength.
"Yeah yeah, whatever."
Cedric lumbered out, more annoyed than anything. He was ready for his execution, but of COURSE something had to happen to put a wrench in the plans of the Empire to transport him to the destination.
"Move, you."
A feline shoved him from behind, eliciting a small growl from Cedric out of habit from his experiences and goals while imprisoned at Alcatraz. They speed-walked through the somewhat twisted halls of the ship, the Bachelard's hull was creaking and groaning in protest to its armor being strained through the thrumming of impacts of its surface, causing the entire vessel to shake.
"Quickly! We're rendevousing at the bridge!"
The Korellei guards chattered back and forth, clearing hallways at intersections and making haste to their intended destination. It didn't take long at all, only a few minutes actually - given the small size of the corvette. Through more stutters and creaks, the small, mobile team made their way to the bridge. The ship shook once more, more violently this time. Hollers and orders ringed from the bridge, whose doors opened to now reveal a very large rounded area, Cedric immediately eyed three vessels in front of the bridge's windows, with several smaller craft flitting around. Two hulks complimented the small fleet, drifting aimlessly - no doubt obliterated by the Empire's superior weaponry. Quite a feat, for a corvette. He noticed a couple bodies in suits floating around the hulks, only to be vaporized by the Bachelard's point defense systems as they encroached on the remainder of the raid fleet. This elicted a chuckle from Cedric, garnering a couple bewildered looks from his escorts.
"For a people with such a strong belief in life, you're really leaving no survivors."
"What would you know of the sanctity of life, Daemon? You murdered almost thirty Animas in cold blood."
He shrugged his shoulders, "Pretty sure this is a war crime, I didn't do anything as henious as that. I made it quick."
"Whatever."
Several Korellei, far more than he realized was on board - scurried about. There was about thirty personnel in the now cramped bridge, many had to shift and shimmy around each other - setting up guard positions and moving between tactical displays.
"Armor won't last much longer, prep for zero gravity and zero nitro ops - keep the prisoner in place. I'm taking a fucking vacation after this!"
A female Pteronura* was in command, barking orders to the scrambling crew.
Pings of ricochet bounced off the armor of the Bachelard, actuely audible above most sounds heard from the skirmish. Most noises heard were impacts, but Cedric could not identify what their own weapons sounded like. In fact, he could barely hear the engines of the corvette - side effect of space. Sound needs to travel on a medium, like air - which was of course nonexistant in space. Impacts on the Bachelard roused fear in Cedric, but shots fired at the raiders was anti-climatic. He would witness a shot, maybe some small explosions, but that was it. Funnily enough, it made Cedric appreciate sound as an effective tool of conveying information to the brain. Without sound, many things - no matter how entertaining - lost a lot of their impact.
"We're closing in, keep up the pressure."
Without thinking, Cedric chimed in.
"We may have the advantage, put pressing the assault in such a small vessel may not be the best idea."
A few Korellei shared looks in his direction, before going back to their primary tasks. The otter woman was quick to respond.
"Shut up, prisoner."
He shrugged his shoulders, "Just saying. If they have weapons specialized in close combat, we'll be annihilated. Considering that we're somehow intact despite being outnumbered, I'd wager to bet that they want us to press forward."
Ignoring him, they pressed on. What few fighters were on the field retreated back to what was left of their fleet of five, taking screening positions around the three small raiding vessels that were left - engaging in evasive maneuvers.
"Ooooh yeah, that's definitely bait." Cedric said nonchalantly.
The captain piped up again, "Someone shut him the hell up! We're pressing forward, the armor will hold. Overheat the laser repeaters, saturate them in fire!"
Cedric raised a brow, it was a bold move - in fact, it even seemed like the captain was at least somewhat taking his advice, or mayhaps that's just how she operated normally. He didn't actually know, nor could he really infer due to lack of information.
Cedric couldn't help but notice that the Pirates had changed their movement patterns, staying danger close to their group and limiting their forward and backward movements, effectively holding position while still strafing around in an effort to avoid the repeater fire. This confirmed Cedric's suspicions, hopefully his death would be quick, the last thing he wanted was to freeze to death as his body bloated to its limit and spewed with blood in wake of ruptured blood vessels due to decompression. A terrible fate indeed.
As if to solidify his intuition, the corvette boosted danger close to the three pirate vessels and their escorts, which he could now see were about corvette sized themselves - but unlike the Bachelard, had no real rhyme or reason to their structure. The Imperial corvette sped between their formation, unleashing a fury of laser fire between the targets. A large explosion to their right pounded the Bachelard's armor with debris, and knocked its occupants hard to the left. Good shot, Cedric concluded. There was no time to celebrate however, as the crew was immediately jolted to the right and back - killing a few crew with the force alone, not including some that had their little bodies smacked so hard against various consoles and walls thet half of them were turned to mush as their bones shattered. A gruesome sight. Cedric recalled something that Faring had told him - "We're one of the strongest species in the galaxy!" - or something like that. Cedric shook his head as he regained his balance, he greatly questioned the claim.
The source of the feral force soon let itself be known, as Cedric turned his head to the left of the bridge - several cables were leading from the raiding vessels to the Bachelard - harpoons.
"Told you." Cedric said dryly. Unsurprisingly, the crew did not respond in their panic. The Captain, head level, barked more orders.
"We're being boarded! Security teams, arms up - neutralize the invaders! Scum, the lot of them!"
Cedric began to follow a mobilizing security team, until two swift kicks landed themselves on the back of his shins - an effort of his escort to keep him in place.
"Stay put, you!"
He got a good look at their uniforms, same as the security team was wearing. They almost appeared to be wearing full plate, like a dollar store version of a knight. Korellei security, at least onboard the Bachelard, were covered head to toe in a suit of sturdy, plated, form-hugging armor. Full helmets of a grey metal-like material protected their vulnerable snouts, with a glossy translucent material keeping their eyes protected while still offering admirable visibility. Any Korellei not covered in some sort of protection was bound to die suddenly, and without warning. It did a fine job of protecting them from bruises, cuts, scrapes, and even small arms - but sudden shifting forces or blunt impacts would reliably kill them, if not disfiguring them. He learned that easily during his second year of imprisonment. The guards in Alcatraz tended to only wear thick, but protective chest rigs on their torsos - Several had helmets, many didn't wear them due to their discomfort, if what he had heard from the guards over time was any indicator.
The boots of many Korellei stamped the metallic floor, gearing up and dividing into their security teams. One thing that Cedric always admired about the Korellei people was their agility. For what they lacked in brute force and stature, they more than made up for in speed. In fact, many were so flexible that their movement could put Cedric to absolute shame - as it most often did. They also had a strange sense of pack mentality. This mindset was much more prominent amongst the canidae, but as a general rule he discovered during his time - they moved effectively and in unison, with minimal communication. It was no surprise they were able to take over this new Era as they did, because their team work was impeccable. That being said, he also noticed that if any failed to pick up what the others laid down - they'd often fall to the wayside. For example, if a strike team had one member out of coordination - they would inevitably be left behind. A brutal fate for the less-than-skilled. Despite their reverence for life within their religious doctrine, they acted extremely hypocritical.
Cedric changed from kneeling to sitting down in a somewhat comfortable fashion. There really was no point in resisting, in fact they didn't even need the four guards stationed by his side to keep him in check - yet understandably, they didn't trust that. More thrums resounded throughout the hull, and then there was a moment of eerie silence - saturating the area in a fog of breathless anticipation. The only clear sound was Cedric's breathing apparatus, gentle inhalations and exhalations peering through the quiet. It happened then, in the distance towards the hull of the scrapping corvette - explosions and yells of combat. Many of the bridge staff pulled out their sidearms as the captain proceeded to bellow orders, their primary goal was to free themselves of the pirate's harpoons that found themselves lodged snuggly in the corvette's scored hull. The small, elite crew moved about to and fro in professional communicae, knowing exactly what to do and when. A few spare engineers on the bridge were redirected to their airlocks, commanded to don EVA equipment and torch off the great cables straining to maintain tension and connectiveness to the great metal spears antagonizing the vessel's effort to move even an inch.
Laser fire and screams of pain reverberating throughout the Bachelard indicated where the advantage now lied - to the boarding Pirates. Cedric casually stood up, waiting for them to burst through the bridge - whose sturdy alloy doors kept the conflict raging beyond at bay. A few more minutes, more scrambles. Cedric ambiently licked his lips - the taste was salty. Crescendo, and silence.
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The bridge stood still, as though trapped in a bubble of time. Cedric turned his head backwards counter-clockwise, the captain stared at the door in mock horror. He then began to hear beeping just beyond the door. He looked to his guards, cutting the silence.
"You should probably dive for cover."
Three of them listened, the fourth did not - and reaped the consequence of their inaction. A great explosion rocked the bridge as the sturdy blast door was shredded apart, raining shrapnel in all directions in lieu of a finely large hole that now revealed itself. A few of the crew were struck by the wild metal, casting them onto the ground in pain or death. Those that heeded Cedric and dived for cover were relatively unscathed - the fourth however, screamed in terror as a great chunk of the now useless blast doors crushed him to oblivion. At least it was quick, Cedric surmised.
A large, fearsome, brown fur-scarred female ursine trampled through the hole - holding the bridge crew at laser point. Cedric casually wiped shrapnel off his body, the shards failing to penetrate his skin - it did scratch him a little bit though.
"Hahaha, like a rodent in a trap. Put your peashooters down, this ship is ours now - resist, and we'll cut you down like dogs."
Cedric raised a brow at the ursine. She had a deep voice, but not as deep as he expected. He noted that she respected calling rodents, well, rodents instead of mice or rats - yet did not show the same respect to canines. She was also barely a foot shorter than him, the tallest Korellei he had seen thus far. The Pternuran captain replied as viciously as an otter could, baring her small (albeit cute) fangs at the invaders.
"I've already notified the Empire you beasts, you will be hunted down and eliminated! The Empire will know your faces!"
The Ursine took glances at her posse, what was left of her invading crew he guessed. Canines, felines, lacertilia, and many rodent genera such as guinea pigs, rats, beavers, prairie dogs, and even a couple marmots. There was even an otter.
The grizzly woman replied with a bout of laughter. "Oh yeah? I hope so. I'm Captain Garerra, and I'm the best goddess-damned pirate on the border. Surrender shit-stacks, last chance."
Cedric struggled to stifle a giggle. The pirate captain immediately turned to face him, fury in her one eye.
"Eh? Think this whole thing is funny?"
Cedric, unphased and ready to die, decided to have some fun.
"That was kind of... Cringe. Just saying."
The occupants of the bridge were stunned across the board. Silence worked its way to the core of every observer.
"You trying to die, mutie?"
"Obviously."
More silence, and to the great surprise of Cedric - she spoke in a more controlled manner.
"That ain't no way to live."
Cedric joined the stunned chorus, having absolutely no idea how to reply. On the surface, it could be interpreted as a joke - but the ursine's tone made it clear she was quite serious. He remained silent.
"Now then."
The great woman lugged her large laser rifle on her shoulder, making contact with an armored pauldron with a satisfying clunk. The adrenaline of the conflict began to wear off, and she showed off exactly why she was a pirate captain.
"We ain't interested in your lives, or your ship - nice as it is. We want your shit. Your armor is done for, but your hull ain't. So, be good little imperials and lay down your arms and gear - we'll scour your hull top to bottom, and take as we please. Then we leave. We'll be taking the mutie too. Resist..."
She recovered her weapon from her shoulder, clicking a small switch on its sturdy side to power it up - red lines casted their bright glow upon the floor of the bridge, signifying it was red hot and ready to fire once more.
"And we'll give you an express ticket to the Goddess, aye?"
Defeated, the captain of the Bachelard lay her pistol on her terminal, and activated their intercom.
"Weapons down, we're surrendering."
After yet another short bout of silence, her crew followed the command.
"Fine. I want what's left to go home. We surrender."
The ursine's muzzle curled into something akin to a side-smirk.
"Captain's a smart one. Alright ladies, you know what to do."
Cedric hadn't noticed until now, but the majority of the pirate crew were indeed female. Their gear was ramshackle, but did well to protect them. The bulk of the armor hid their female forms well, but upon conversing back and forth it became clear they were mostly women. There was a few males, but the ratio was obviously asymmetric. The ursine woman stepped the small distance close to Cedric, eyeing him up and down. She wore a plated harness that covered most of her great form, straining kevlar-like weave that barely contained her massive bust. She had the well-honed body of a competitive power lifter, bulk muscle fibers permeated every aspect of her form - this woman was a fearsome sight to behold, whatever training she underwent clearly made its mark. A simple black eyepatch adorned her right eye, a great scar made its way from the top of her forehead diagonally down across her muzzle and almost connecting with her chops, intersecting with her obviously empty eye socket. A studious brown eye did an apt job of scanning her environment for threats and potential profits.
"Here you are, the scourge of the Empire."
Cedric remained silent.
"A mutie with a death wish, huh?"
Again, he did not reply.
"You're not my type, but we're taking you with us anyways. I'll give you a choice."
Cedric cocked his head.
"Join the Greyskull clan. You're obviously worth your weight. If freedom isn't your thing, that's fine - we'll sell you off."
"You... Want me to join your pirate crew?"
"That's what I just said, ain't it? Are you deaf?" She growled.
"No, I'm not. I'm worth a lot, I killed a lot of Korellei - why would you want me?"
"Goddess... I already said you're obviously worth your weight. We ain't just Pirates."
She slammed her chest with a furled fist, creating a resounding thump throughout the bridge.
"We're freedom. We do what we want, when we want, and we got the strength to keep it that way too. I want your strength so that can happen, so you want in or not?"
Cedric thought for a moment, but Garerra gave him no pause.
"In or out, we ain't got time to wait. Make the choice now."
He really wanted more time to think, but she had no patience - which he didn't blame her for. They had just boarded a top-security UKE corvette, the more time they wasted the more likely it would be that a QRF force would soon arrive. He obviously wasn't going to arrive at his intended destination, and freedom as a pirate was a much better prospect than being chained up as a prisoner and sold off to be the target of the Empire's ire. Wasn't so bad, he thought. That's what he wanted - or did he? The captain's words resounded throughout his mind - 'That ain't no way to live.' - maybe, even though he was a horrible person, he could eke out something with this life style? Upon killing Faring and her mother, he had lost his killing virginity - he was obviously a murderer. As a pirate, he'd just be taking a realistic route. He'd already ended the lives of other Korellei to reach his goal, it's not like increasing his body count further could be anything worse than what he'd already done.
"Fuck it, I'll join. Better than being cramped waiting to die, I'll die on my own terms."
The captain nodded her approval, "Alright then Sleaze, you can start by helping the rest of the crew collect the Empire's shit."
"Sleaze?!"
Without stopping, Garrera grasped his shackles with her large paws - ripping them apart. Cedric messaged his wrists idly in pleasant surprise.
"Fuck it. What are you fuckin? You ain't a breeder, so obviously you're a perverted son of a bitch. Your old name don't mean nothin' anymore."
"Bruh." Cedric blinked followed by his wide eyes staring into the ursines's.
"Huh?"
"Nothing, what are we taking ma'am?"
The ursine's posse completely failed to contain their laughter. Garerra gave him an incredulous smile.
"Ooh, think I look pretty do ya?"
"What? No-"
Stopping him in his tracks, Garerra lifted Cedric up by his neck - her rippling muscles almost bursting from her undersuit. Cedric was dumbfounded, she very well may be stronger than than he was - recalling the table he shattered two years ago though, maybe she was just really strong - not super-human as he appeared to be.
"I'm your captain, you pretentious shit. You address me as your captain. Stop talking like a little bitch, I know full well just how brutal you are - you're a serial killer, act like it. Unless you're trying to take it in the ass or something."
Cedric gazed into her eye, she was not to be trifled with. She was right too, he was a serial killer - nothing had changed from then to now save for his current position. His ruthlessness was his front, but if he wanted to survive life as a pirate - it needed to be his personality.
"Understood, captain." He affirmed through gritted teeth. His body hanging limp pulled on his neck, making him extremely uncomfortable - he felt as though his head would be ripped off his body at this rate.
"Good." She growled as she set him back down surprisingly gently, showcasing her extraordinary control. "You heard it here ladies, he's one of us now."
To his surprise, which seemed to be a common occurrence as of late, the rest of her crew congratulated him.
"Aye, welcome aboard Sleaze!"
"I ain't fucking you."
"Ayo, someone gets this mutie some clothes. Those rags smell like shit."
"Cleopatra is gonna have a fun time with that one."
"Pfft, not if the Man-Maker gets him first."
Cedric messaged his neck, and following Captain Garerra's orders began walking towards the front most part of the bridge, aiming to start removing the protective gear that a few of the bridge crew were wearing and relieving them of their weapons. In the hubbub of congrats, he made note of one particular name he heard. Cleopatra. That was human history, not Korellei history. They said it so non-chalantly, he wondered if maybe somehow - the Korellei had legends derived from his own. Cleopatra is a well-known historical figure - but a human one. How did the Korellei know who she was? Hopefully, he'd meet more of his new 'crew' after they finished looting the Bachelard.
His first target was a science officer near the sensor suite terminal flanking the main piloting controls. She wore a trademark blue jumpsuit that indicated she was a member of the KAA, or Korellian Ad Astra. This division was commanded by the Pentarchy personally, and was used for exploration, diplomacy, and high-profile military operations - such as VIP Prisoner transport ops, like himself. The unisex jumpsuits were form fitting, yet comfortable and flexible. They were colored a neutral grey base - featuring trim and a large section of color starting from the nipples and ending at the base of a turtleneck collar. The color was different, depending on their division. This first particular crewman was of the science division, thus their color and trim was that of an easy blue. Engineers wore yellow, command wore red, and security wore light grey. Small badges adorning the left of the chest functioned as communicators, fashioned in the shape of the unified symbol of the UKE. The jumpsuits and color palette reminded Cedric of a certain popular historical science fiction show, but he could not remember the name. Unlike those from the cult-followed show, this bridge crew wore flat, plated chest rigs similar to what the security on Alcatraz donned, effective at protecting their vital organs from small arms fire. These protective rigs and weapons are what Cedric began to collect. In front of him was a female skunk, peering with rage into his hazel orbs.
"Well, you heard the captain. Chest rig and your weapon."
The skunk woman spit in his face, Cedric was growing quite annoyed with the trend. He looked to his now fellow Pirates for guidance.
"Just kill her if she doesn't cooperate." Stated a female ferret plainly.
"Is that really necessary?"
"Not if that bitch listens."
He looked back to the skunk. "Last chance."
"Crawl back to your hole, you mutie asshole."
Sighing, Cedric swiftly balled his fist and launched it at her muzzle - shattering her entire head. Blood and chunks of grey matter splattered against the bridge view window, suffice to say claiming her armor and sidearm was no longer an issue after that. One of the pirates let out a long whistle, it was their otter.
"Remind me to not piss you off, big guy."
Cedric didn't respond, he truly took no pleasure in the action. In fact, he hit her far harder than he meant to - but what was done was done. He clipped off her rig and began to recover her sidearm when he heard a yell from behind him - it was one of the guards who had taken his instruction to dive before the blast door to the bridge exploded.
"That was my mate, you bastard!"
It appeared to be a female feline. They charged head on in Cedric's direction, one of the pirates began to pull their weapon. Before they could loose a shot, the feline was practically on top of Cedric. Out of instinct, he shot his left arm out in an attempt to slap her aside. Instead, she went sailing across the bridge behind him and to the left, then crunched against the blood stained viewport, slumping down next to the dead skunk with a now much thinner torso - nothing more than a jiggly mess of broken bones and mashed innards. Cedric sighed again.
"Jesus fucking christ..."
He heard some commotion from the rest of the pirate crew who were finishing up their looting, and the otter who had spoken before commented again.
"Good Goddess Sleaze, I said kill them not mince them."
He shrugged, "I don't know my own strength sometimes."
"I'll say, you're a mutie and a half. Mind if I be honest with you though?"
Confused, he turned around to face her.
"I don't know what your love life is like, but I hope you kept those muscles in check with your ladies."
"Dude, really?"
"I'm just saying."
"Yeah well - fuck off."
"Huh?"
Cedric just shook his head. Captain Garerra spoke up this time.
"Quit yer yappin' and get to lootin' Sleaze, you stay here with me when we're done sweeping the bridge."
"Yes, Captain."
The rest of the process was speedy and smooth, thanks to the most recent display. They recovered a decent amount of gear and valuables from the crew, then left through the crater present within the now useless blast doors. The pirate crew shuffled out, talking amongst themselves about drinking and partying to celebrate their latest haul. Cedric sat still within the center of the bridge, Captain Garerra approached him - her weapon now holstered. He expected some sort of reprimand, and was confused when she slapped a large paw on his shoulder - it stung just the slightest bit. She produced some sort of cigar from her kit, and lit it with a small device, heating a metal wire on it with a short press of a button. She offered him something similar, it was more like a cigarette.
"Bacco stick? Can't have my bacco stogie though, that's mine."
He gingerly accepted her offer.
"Captain?.."
He hadn't actually smoked before, and it was easy for Garerra to pick up on.
"You tellin' me you never smoked before? Light the tip and inhale."
He looked at the 'bacco stick' and back to the captain, and pointed at his mask.
"Just take it off and puff. Surprised they let you wear that thing though."
"I need it to live. Suppose I can pull it off for just a sec."
He did exactly that, and as he inhaled the smoky fumes he began to cough nonstop - the hot smoke melting across his throat, irritating it. He had to gasp a few times between the coughs, utilizing his mask. He considered just giving up, but then he felt a rush of euphoria and started to experience lightheadedness.
"Whoa..." He said, rocking back and forth attempting to recover his balance. Garerra chuckled.
"Good right? Ya get used to it. Helps cope with the stress."
He balanced the cigarette and his mask, ensuring he had enough oxygen to not tire and pass out. Through his puffs, he questioned her demeanor.
"You're being nice to me now?"
"I ain't nice, but I also ain't so much of a fool that I can't empathize."
"With what?"
She pointed the index finger of her paw, tracing his arms in the air.
"That. Bein' too strong."
"How so?"
She took a deep draw off her cigar, motioning him to follow as they exited the bridge.
"Had a mate once. Good one, strong ursine he was." She started. Cedric listened intently.
"Got too excited, and I killed him."
A little part of Cedric wanted to laugh, but the moment was far too solemn and serious.
"I'm damn near close to a mutant too, my muscles got too big too quick. He wanted cubs, I wanted cubs. We got all hot and ready, then - in the middle of it - killed him."
"That's... I don't know what to say."
She shrugged. "I didn't either. Got pinned a murderer. So I ran away like a little bitch. Learned that day I wasn't fit for society, but I was a damn good fit for this - so here I am."
"You just met me and you're laying all this out on me, honestly I don't understand why."
She shrugged again, and puffed her cigar. "I ain't gettin' any younger. Most of the crew know my story. I'm telling you this because I need you to understand what freedom for us is."
"You made it pretty clear on the bridge."
"Freedom isn't just doing what we want when we want, it's also not being tied down to the Empire's beck and call. It's why I'm telling you this right off the bat, cuz you're like me - like us. I ain't just your captain cuz I'm the biggest and strongest, but because I understand what being labeled a 'pirate' means. We're beggars, misfits, traitors, screw ups, mutants. That mephitis you dusted? Her mate was a female. Empire don't like that."
"Empire isn't a fan of lesbians?"
She shook her head. "Nope, affront to nature. Just like you are. It's why I offered you a spot with the Greyskull clan right off the bat. I could see it."
"Yeah well, guess you're a good judge of character."
She chuckled, "I ain't smart - but my gut is. Hasn't strayed me yet. I'm a damn good judge of character. Kipper is a bit blunt, but she was right."
"Kipper... The lutra?**"
Garerra nodded.
"If you ever get a lover, take care not to kill em' - feels like shit. How many did you actually mean to kill?"
He knew exactly what she was referring to.
"Most of them."
"But not all of them. First few was where it started, right?"
"How do you know?"
"Already told you. Gut."
"Yeah, first couple was where it started..."
"Then you tried to kill your way to a death sentence."
"Yeah..." Cedric tossed his cigarette to the side, the flames of the bacco sticks were something he wanted to investigate. They burned just like regular cigarettes, but the atmosphere should be composed of Nitrogen, not oxygen - which is what flame feeds off of to burn. In fact, Nitrogen he recalled was used as a common fire suppressant. Through some esoteric or technical means, that didn't seem to be the case with these cigarettes.
"We're almost to the boardin' spot, don't expect me to be this easy on the regular. This is a special case, understand?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Good. Also, ya might want these."
She handed him a few packs and her strange lighter.
"You're giving me all of these?"
"Baccos are addictin' - you'll want more later to keep the edge off. Just carry it, the crew will find somethin' for you to wear afore anythin' else."
He nodded.
"Welcome to Clan Greyskull Sleaze, celebrate with the rest of the crew. You're gettin' off easy for today, but tomorrow you best get your shit together and learn what we teach you, understand?"
"Understood captain."
He followed the captain through their boarding breach, KAA bodies were strewn about the entrance, stripped of their gear and weapons.
"One more thing." She finished, "Get used to killin'. If you're good at something, own it. Cuz the Empire ain't gonna give a damn about your morals - they'll dust you no matter what. Best ensure you kill them before they kill you."
He nodded, understanding all too well the mindset - it was identical to his military training, which he mentally admitted to himself he had carelessly ignored up to now, what with the two years he was locked up passing him by in a flash. He needed to remember his training, if he wanted to survive in this harsh new environment.