Date: Tuesday, September 02, 2178
Location: Terminus Systems / Skania Cluster / Zoter System / Oglion

The sun's rays seared along the sands of the desert planet's afternoon and baked the rocky cliffs along its surface. The vengeful heat had driven most life away from the light and into the shadows of caves or ledges. The only ones stubborn enough to be out were scavengers, picking at the corpses of sentient and beast alike. Along the slopes of baking earth and granite rested desert plants and vibrant flowers.

Echoing faintly in the craggy paths of a maze-like fortress of spires and cliffs was the sound of movement. A grunt of effort followed by a continuous dragging noise. It would have caught attention earlier in the day, and perhaps trouble. But in the hot afternoon no soul dared follow the subtle sounds.

"Almost there…" I breathed out the words quietly and immediately regretted it when I needed to gasp for more air. I would have normally paused to gain back my composure, especially with the heavy load I was dragging behind me. But the sun would set soon and with the dismissal of light would come hostile creatures. The worst of which being the krayt.

Minutes passed by as I slowly but steadily moved, sweating and gasping under the hot sun. Eventually I had to stop and catch my breath. I sucked in the dry air desperately with alert eyes scanning my surroundings. I had made sure to stay out of any shaded areas despite knowing I'd have a serious tan by the end of the job. Shade in this time of day meant carnivorous reptiles, and if I ventured too near they would ignore the heat and come after me. Dragging around a large meaty corpse behind me certainly didn't help things.

I soon huffed and forced myself to continue my trek. I could see the walls of the colony, Edna, rising up on the horizon like granite waves but I wouldn't reach them for at least another thirty minutes of effort. Before negativity set in I quickly reminded myself of the payout. Over a hundred grand was waiting for me over there.

The sudden ringing of my communicator caused me to curse inwardly and I paused once again just long enough to check who was calling. If I'd had the energy I would have scowled. Instead I accepted the call and returned to my task.

"I hope you accepting my call means you've considered my generous offer?" that wonderful grating voice stabbing my eardrum through my comm implant was a batarian, Haktra Voc. He ran a small branch syndicate and had delusions of grandeur. The real slimeball was the guy he worked for: Prinus Dedros, a turian crime lord working out of Helheim Station in the dark reaches of the Terminus.

I paused once again in an effort to make it easier to breathe. The dry air, hot as it was, was certainly helpful. Unlike the humidity of Grak or the ice air of Cetrine. A moment passed before I was well enough to speak, "The one where I'm supposed to kill Dedros for you so you can take over the Web? I haven't given much thought to assassin work Voc." I reminded him.

"Ha!" he mocked, "Hearing that from a broken hunter pup is priceless."

In spite of my current exhaustion my face pulled into an involuntary grimace. He had no right speaking to me of my or my past. No matter what had happened and regardless of what I may have deserved, it was my business alone. He had nothing to gain in goading me- in fact he stood to lose more.

"Especially from you; a guild slave. Why hold on to the Guild's code after they've already cast you out?" his question could have been rhetorical. I didn't much care, either way I wanted him to shut up.

"I'm actually just suspended you star shit. I'm still loyal to them." I bit back bitterly, glaring into the distance with rising anger. I hated being reminded of my circumstances.

Haktra just laughed, "Exactly!" his exuberance had me frowning. I had probably just walked into a verbal trap. "It's that enduring loyalty that I need. I can't trust anyone else with a job such as this."

Finally, I had my breath back. I brought an arm up and ineffectively wiped the back of my hand across my forehead. Even though I transferred some blood onto my face it got rid of those irritating beads of sweat that had built up at my hairline. "Except if I agree to do this 'job' for you I would be dishonoring the Guild code and betraying the loyalty you seek. Basically I can't work for you unless I'm disloyal, and I'm not. So I'm sorry Voc but that's my final answer. Don't call me again."

I cut the connection before he could get the rage out of his mouth in a coherent sentence. My viridian eyes scouted the distance and found no enemies or dangers to report. Hopefully I could make it back to the colony before darkness veiled the landscape and coaxed all manner of carnivores into a hunt for food.

…

Location: Oglion / Edna Colony

Once I was finally back in the colony I was swarmed by a dozen people asking questions. Seeing that I was exhausted however four rather strong-looking men took charge of dragging the krayt dragon head behind me while I steadily made my way to the posting agency. Really it was little more than a weathered one-story office building with one main desk and a few bounty terminals. It was just as dusty and sandy as the rest of the tiny colony but it had its own charm.

"What are you trying to do, huh? It's going to take me days to scrub off that damn blood!" the lone desk clerk scolded, giving an angry four-eyed glare to the men and I. He didn't have much right to complain though, considering I saved his life and the entirety of the colony by killing the krayt dragon. Not to mention the fact I had to bring in proof of acquisition before I could be approved and take the bounty I claimed the day before.

"Cut her some slack, Jhett!" the young teenage boy that had stubbornly accompanied us snapped back. I raised a brow at him and gave him a once-over for the first time since he had run to my side. He was scrawny and unnaturally gaunt for one with a fifteen-year-old's facial structure. His clothes were serviceable but threadbare and far from clean. His light brown and blonde mixed hair was dusty with layers of sand as well as the rest of his tanned skin. Compared to the other kids and people I had seen he had to be an orphan or very poor. Unsurprising, considering he was the only human I had seen so far.

"She saved us all by killing this thing and you should show at least a little thanks for that!" the boy continued. I quickly grew squeamish of the unfolding scene and set a hand on the kid's shoulder to halt further words. His startled jump alerted me to the possibility of him disliking or being unused to physical touch. I pulled my hand back in response and he looked up to fix his wide hazel eyes on me.

I ignored this and turned my attention to Jhett, "Sorry about the mess." I said to the cranky old man, knowing he was giving trouble just to be difficult. There was no way he regularly or recently even tried to clean the place up. It was dirty as I had mentioned, covered in scores from stubborn acquisitions and blood stains from past fights. I liked it simply because it reminded me of my own ship, and pleasanter times.

"Hmph. No matter." Jhett conceded, wearing his permanent old man scowl. His weathered face and strong arms made him look more like a blacksmith than a desk clerk. But then a posting agency would need someone strong to stick around the danger. Especially since this one in particular had no protective shielding for the clerk stuck behind the not-bulletproof desk.
"Since you went to the trouble of dragging in the entire head just take it to the back for storage. I'll transfer your bounty to you now; you want a chit, a receipt or a direct transfer?"

Absently I watched the helpful men drag the five-meter head into the back room, "Chit please." I answered. "Once that head is in a container I'll have to take it with me to Marshal Ress. You mind having someone deliver it to the docks for me?"

"Right, right, Baktoid hired you for the job originally." Jhett said as he uploaded the credits to the chit I asked for. "I'll take care of it. Make sure to check the crate when it arrives though, just to be sure. The slags in this colony aren't as organized as I am."

I nodded once, "Understood." I approached his desk to take the full chit of 7,000 credits from him.

With my business finished I left the building and returned to the eager sun with the sticky teen at my hip. I frowned down at him suspiciously to which he seemed oblivious but continued my walk. I didn't trust him. He could be a spy or a pickpocket or someone I wouldn't like in disguise.

Regardless of his presence however I went down the street to Lia's Cantina. I settled down at a booth in the corner with a small keg of Brutal Brew. It wasn't my favorite drink- in fact the copper liquid tasted nightmarish- but I was just slightly a lush. With the stresses of this life and what I had gone through in the past five years it was hard to blame myself for slipping.

"So how old are you?" the-boy-that-refused-to-leave-me-alone asked.

"Twenty-three." I replied quietly before taking a swig of the disgustingly strong brew.

"So you're not that experienced, huh?" before I could answer he perked up in his seat with bright eyes, "So you could use help, right?! I could be your assistant!"

I stared at his hopeful face a moment before looking back down and taking in another gulp of the brute strength alcohol. Granted I was alone in this huge galaxy; I didn't need or want company. I preferred solitude above company, and quiet over noise. Loneliness was the domain in which I thrived, for there I needed no protection against betrayal or the carelessness of others.

"No can do, kid." I finally answered.

Immediately he sagged into his seat adjacent to me. "But- please! I can't stay here, it's not my home! You're human and you saved our lives so you're good, right? Please take me, I promise I'll be the best assistant ever!"

"I'm no hero." I retorted. "I just took up a high-paying job that happened to be helping the colony out as well. I also don't like people- I especially don't like loudmouthed kids that don't think before they speak."

"But-!"

"And even if I did want to take you I would have to figure out where you came from and file a bunch of convoluted paperwork just to be your guardian while in space. Add to the fact I travel around as an independent bounty hunter; in Citadel space and some parts of the Traverse I'd have to have proof of contract so you're not mistaken for a slave or some other unfortunate soul. On top of all this I would need a license proving I'm of parental quality- assuming of course that you're an orphan."

He wilted and looked down at the tabletop, giving me my answer.

"Alright then." I confirmed. "So I can't just take you along with me because you want me to. The galaxy is a dangerous place full of criminals and scum, especially out here in the Terminus Systems. I would be doing you a favor by leaving you here."

"I'd rather be a slave than be here alone." He muttered.

Irritation flared in me and I leveled a passive glare on him, "To speak out of ignorance and disappointment is a foolish thing to do, child." My acidic tone caught his attention and he looked up to see my expression. "A slave's life is suffering the like of which you couldn't imagine. Here at least you're free, not bound by chains or whipped daily with serpent blades."

The boy winced and his head went down in shame for what he had said. I chose not to continue and busied myself with the alcohol. A million thoughts leaped through my mind as I drank, pretending I was alone. My regrets were the most prominent.

One thing that I hated about drinking was that it never truly made me forget. Most alcohol didn't give me warmth or remind me of happier days or even excite me as it did many others. Drinking usually made me remember with clarity, and think with depth I did not want. It depressed and exhausted me to such a degree that I felt in need of immediate sleep. But in my dreams, at least, I could be someone else in another life and another time, even if for only a few hours.

"Um… I know I don't know much…" the boy began quietly, pulling my attention away from the past. "But… But I really do want to leave this place. I barely eat, and even though I'm not in much danger here I'm also mostly ignored and alone. Because I'm human the colonists distrust me and leave me out of their lives. Even if it's dangerous, and even if I am ignorant, I want to get out of here. I want to find a good life and live with just one person that looks at me."

When he raised his head to look upon me once more, I stared into his eyes and saw determination. A quiet rage that drove him to risk his hopes on someone like me. The desperation he had to be feeling wasn't one I was unfamiliar with. I had been through the same pain before, with the same naïve hope in my eyes. Except in those days my hopes had been crushed carelessly and thrown to the side. It wounded me eternally, changed me into a more distant tougher shell of a person. Yet even so the suffering and hardships made me stronger.

Did I want to deny him this last time and harden him as I had been hardened? Or did I risk leaving him weak if only to give him a semblance of joy?

Strength lasts much longer… "Kid…" But joy, even fake, after so long alone, is remembered. I wondered briefly if that could be strength as well. But then I slapped myself down, reminding myself that solitude was my haven. If I brought him along I would be doing the both of us a disservice.

"Sorry." I muttered. "But I can't."

Without another word I slid out of the booth and paid the bartender before leaving the cantina behind. I did feel guilty for shutting the boy down but there wasn't much choice. When I made it to my small ship, I checked the cargo and approved the krayt head container.

With a sigh I stared up at my ship/home. It was a Volus frigate, about the same size as the largest frigates commercially available. The ovular, sleek design was reminiscent of asari ships but owed much of its defensive and offensive capabilities to the traditional turian tech. The Volus used this design to circumvent the need for more than three or four decks, and usually the bottom level was for cargo only. I did use the bottom for cargo, but half of the space was taken by the cells. The only other spaces my ship had were decks one and two, where everything else was located. The cozy space was enough for me, but there wasn't much room for additions or renovations.

It was called the Saracen Saber and for good reason. It was reliable, fast and strong. Her canons could punch through cruiser shields and within a minute as long as they were maintained; something that had taken me a year to install and get to work (not to mention I was still paying it off). I had mostly kept away from illegal upgrades simply because I still had to obey the laws when I ventured out to Citadel space, and sometimes it seemed to only hold my ship back from being as useful as I wanted.

"Go with the Spirits, friend." the turian dockworker 'smiled', pounding my shoulder once as he passed by after transferring the dragon head crate into my cargo hold. I nodded and said the same before stepping aboard.

"Welcome back, master." I looked up and saw my one companion, Sorzus Syn. He was 6'4" with reverse joint legs and a somewhat hunched form. His frame was broad but compact and efficient. The shape allowed him speed and the ability to jump high or long distances. With upgraded armor plating and shielding he was my only backup if things went wrong. I named him Sorzus Syn after a famous assassin is asari history that managed to kill six matriarchs before dying of a preexisting disease.

With all the money I put into him from my jobs I could have bought another freighter.

"Hey, Syn." I muttered tiredly, sleepily stumbling past him. He took the hint and followed. "How's the ship?"

"I have sanitized all invading particles of earth and secured the krayt head in the cargo hold. Regretfully, I did not kill the disgusting meatbag that accompanied it aboard… Our next course is set for the planet Garin, home of Baktoid Industries and where our money is." Syn answered, and I smiled inwardly at the familiarity of his voice. He and the Saber were all I really had. I was never comfortable unless I was in my ship with Syn nearby.

"Sounds good." I answered back as I settled into my one and only recliner. It sat before the galaxy map (a standard for all starships to have though they could come in different sizes depending on the type, make and purpose of the craft) in the CIC- the heart of my beloved Saber. Or perhaps the mind.

"I would advise you not to sit there, master; such loamy constructs are liable to be covered with bacteria and infectious diseases." Syn told me, glowing red eyes fixed on me. Given I had him installed with a diverse vocabulator he sounded convincingly irritated.

I shrugged tiredly, not heeding his words, "It's comfortable. Besides, you sweep the ship quite thoroughly every week. I'll be fine."

"I would hope so, master. Unlike all other meatbags, I would like to see you live a long and prosperous life." I was about to smile when he continued, "All the better for lengthening the list of casualties I wish to inflict upon the galaxy for you."

I of course was flattered by this. Syn might have been 'evil' or 'twisted' as some would say, but his loyalty was unmatched. "Thank you, Syn. I'll do my best to maintain your wishes."

"I appreciate that master." The robot straightened a little and tilted his chin up, no doubt showing 'pride' for my consideration. He was easy to get along with if you knew how.

"Now about the bounty. Has our esteemed receiver sent anything?" I wondered aloud, turning my gaze to the map in front of me. It showed the planet Garin with information at each side of it. The right had the general data all ships were equipped with while the left had personal notes and other such data Syn and I had put down. I used the note-taking to the highest degree, always setting in enemies or marks or events that were important to remember. Garin, for example, had few notes; but the ones I did have showed the bounty contract and my bullets for the good club and restaurant I'd visited.

"Marshal Ress contacted me this morning, under the impression that we were to be returned by Monday afternoon. While we are able to arrive in time, I was not aware of the lengthy appointment that she said she booked with you personally." Syn prodded nosily, obviously uncomfortable with the idea of me being without him for too long. He was such a clingy mech.

I felt a smile stretch my lips as I recalled our last encounter. Ress seemed an uptight woman with nothing but business on her brain 24/7, but in bed she was anything but. I still had the marks to prove just how long she could last. "No need to worry, Syn." I said distractedly, recalling the pleasing memories vividly. "I made sure of Ress. The appointment is… necessary."

"Ah, so your carnal appetites are to be satiated once again?" the mech asked bluntly, catching my startled attention. "Do not look so shocked, master. I did not spy on you two or conduct any other shadowy operations, as per your request four days ago." I settled a little, relieved he hadn't seen any of that. While he wouldn't feel or want anything I was still a private person. Marshal Ress also didn't deserve to have the glory of her naked body seen by a third party.
"When I saw the damage on your neck and across your torso I suspected torture, but soon discounted that when I made a thorough examination of these markings." He went on to explain.

"Yes I remember." I grumped and looked back to the image of Garin.

"I then discovered pockets of heat and cold in certain areas of your anatomy as well as the increased hormones and pheromones your and Marshal Ress' bodies were so suddenly accumulating. After observing your behavior and body language when speaking to Marshal Ress or when the Marshal was subject of conversation it became quite apparent that the two of you were experiencing increased libidos. With this vital piece of information-"

"I understand, Syn." I interrupted. "Thank you for paying so much attention to my safety, I appreciate it."

"You are very welcome, master." Syn answered back, satisfied with a job well done.

I shook my head at him but couldn't help a smile from escaping. "Come on, let's get this ship up in space before I die of old age."

"While I hardly believe that possible at this point in time, I agree." The literal-bot replied. "I will be piloting the Saber. In the mean time I suggest that you rest and gain back the energy you used in the hunt."

"Sounds good." I yawned and stood back up to stretch. After giving Syn a pat on his shoulder plating I headed to bed.

A/N: Alright, so for everyone who follows tGT, I apologize for not updating like I said I would. The reason being the military decided to redeploy me soon after I had gotten back so I just didn't have time to continue. I'm back again and this time I'll be staying a while so I can work on what needs work. I'm considering going through everything and fixing them, for lack of a better term, before actually uploading new chapters. As for tGT, I'm stuck at an impasse because the story has evolved to the point that I don't think my original idea and reason for writing the story isn't realistic anymore. Unless... somebody dies.

Anyway. I will update about once a week or every other week depending on my workload. Let me know what you think about this please.