Second chapter in, keeping with the hype :)
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"Rains have come early this year." Narud said as he breathed in the noxious fumes of his cigarette. It was a downpour accompanied by a thick mist that wafted in from the jungle rivers below, making everything within a three foot distance obscured from view.
The skies above Edvos had a predictable cycle of heavy rains, but this one was unexpected, same as many things as of late.
"From your reports, I'd say that's not the only thing that's come early." The silhouetted form of the Shadow Broker commented. Narud's office had been swept off of bugs and other surveillance devices beforehand, just as instructed.
Within the coalition of pirates in the Skyllian Verge, Narud had been the most reliable of informants working with the Shadow Broker, dealing information that had changed hands to manipulate events in favor of his employer's plans.
"I didn't expect the Alliance to launch an attack on the mines of Arnessa." He calmly answered, moving away from the window and commanding the blinds to close. "Even if I didn't, I would've heard some rumor from a pair of loose lips and have come straight to you."
"And yet, you don't believe it to be the Alliance, correct?"
"No sir." The batarian confessed, and tapped the little stick on the ashtray, "Humans kowtow to the Council too much that they've lost all the nerve since the day the turians invaded Shanxi. They'd have their eyes on the Skyllian Verge, but that's just about all they do. Sit and watch."
"In your opinion." The Shadow Broker pointed out.
"Yes sir, but an accurate one." Narud nodded, "They don't have the kind of technology these guys have, much less the firepower. Just looking at the estimated size of that ship makes me consider all those rules the Council put up to tone down militarized cruisers as a fool's idea."
"Need I remind you who you're working for?"
"I'm just saying, sir." Narud apologized, shrugging non-chalantly. "We don't give a shit what the Council says, and apparently, neither do these guys."
Suddenly, a loud klaxon in the courtyard below interrupted their meeting. Edvos was under attack, and the pirates scrambled to get their fighters ready for the upcoming battle. With that strange ship at large, every defense system one every world under their control had been recalibrated to operate with maximum efficiency. And it paid off pretty well.
They had a 30 minute headstart for preparation.
"Find out what their angle is and report to me whatever you learn. That will be all, Narud." The Shadow Broker severed contact.
He may be a man with few words, but Narud understood what the plan was all about. The Shadow Broker saw a chance to make a new ally, and wasn't one to just sit around and let others make the offer first. It gave the batarian informant a sense of pride that the greatest information dealer relied on him so much, and that thrust aside all fears of his current mission.
He'd be the middle man to bridge the two shady organizations.
That is, if the other side was willing to negotiate. From what Narud heard on Arnessa before all contact was lost, the batarian in charge was split in two when he tried to make a bargain with the marauding faction's leader.
Narud donned his armor, quickly strapping in and leaving the office for the bunkers. If the first thing that dreadnought did on Arnessa was bombard it from orbit, then what was to stop them from doing the same following their arrival on Edvos?
And sure enough. Where everyone else was occupied with priming up the AA guns or launching aircraft, Narud was already safe inside the bunkers. And a good thing too! For the next hour was filled with a non-stop barrage of heavy air-to-ground artillery.
"They're not fucking around, I'll give them that much." Narud said with a wince as a shell hits square on top of the shelter. The batarian could only imagine how his kind fared outside.
Problem was, he couldn't care less about what happened to them. He was just sticking around for one reason anyway.
When the barrage settles and all was quiet, Narud gingerly climbs the stairs leading to the exit and pushes against the heavy steel door…or rather, what was left of it.
The scene outside was nothing short of catastrophic.
Smoke drifted off into the air where the fires died out from the rains, the collected water washing away the blood and entrails from those unfortunate enough to stand in the way of the shells. It looked more like a force of nature stuck the base than the work of a battleship!
Narud gulped when he noticed a shuttle zone in from the skies, assuming that his hour of quick-thinking was approaching. Someone called him silver-tongued once, a metaphor that described one of his traits pretty accurately. He wiggled his way into the world of corporate espionage and others similar to the business, he can work his way in this.
The shuttle touched down in the middle of the ruined courtyard, and Narud walked towards it, hoping he won't get shot the moment those doors open. Just in case he wouldn't make it, the batarian activated the tranceiver on his Omni-tool so his conversation would be recovered and would be of use to the Shadowbroker.
From what he'd observed during the past week, nothing could've prepared him for what he saw next. He'd expected to see a heavily armed squad of turians or krogans to march out of the shuttle, with the kind of firepower they had on hand it wasn't wrong to think so.
Instead he got a human with a well trimmed beard, dressed in an admiral's garb. And at his side were two of the queerest looking women soldiers armed with a collection of the finest weapons he'd ever seen.
Humans and asari, what is with them and fashion?
"So, we've got ourselves a survivor!" The admiral exclaimed, pointing his huge pistol square at Narud's face. "You're an ugly one, I know just the thing to make you look better."
"Wait wait wait!" Narud frantically waved his hands up, "Under the protection of the Pirate Code, I invoke the right of Parley!"
"You're looking at it." The man sneered. "Choose your last words carefully now, four-eyes."
Narud would've slapped himself in the face if he heard himself right. Pirate Code? There exists no such thing! But he went with it anyway.
"Look, alright I get it. You're not Alliance, and you don't like anyone standing on what's apparently your property now. But you don't have to go through all the trouble wiping us out just to make a point."
"Oh really?" The man lowers the gun but still maintains it pointed at him, "That's a long line on your gravestone, boy."
"Just hear me out first, and you can do what you gotta do with that gun." Narud offered. "Your activities during the past week has caught the interest of my employer, the Shadow Broker. I'm sure you know all about him."
"Should I?"
"It's alright if you don't, my point is- I know your type. You're not just a ruthless world-raider, you're a businessman. Think of me as the middle man for an equally benefitial deal between you and the Shadow Broker." Narud said quickly, "Do I still have your attention?"
"Yeah, you've got balls trying to talk me out of shooting you so I'll tell you this much. If the Shadow Broker wants to make a deal with Captain Gangplank, he'd better come over in person and do it himself." The last thing Narud sees is the gun whipping up suddenly and a flash of red crossing his eyes before everything went black.
"Was that necessary this time, captain?" Kai'sa sighed as the corpse shuddered and fell back with a thud.
"Oh absolutely." Gangplank said with a smile, "People will say anything when their lives are at stake. And that…creature had the gall to assume he knew who I was! Pirate Code, what nonsense!"
"Besides." He added, "I meant what I said. If this 'shadowbroker' wants to deal with me, he'd better do it face to face. I don't respect spineless cowards." Gangplank looked down at Narud's lifeless form, "In his case, I'd make an exception. He's worthy enough to spit on."
Millions of lightyears away, as Gangplank pursed his lips to launch a glob of saliva at the fallen batarian, the Shadow Broker watched with interest through the eyes of the special tranciever Narud activated prior to his demise.
The man's capacity for violence was…intriguing. At last the Shadow Broker saw the angle he was looking for, "He'd make a good partner when the time comes."
Dead men tell better tales than the living. At least Narud made himself useful in his final moments.
"There will be more of them." Kai'sa declared, passing Vayne as she walked in. "We've hit Azir where it hurts the most, he's not going to give up no matter how many fleets he loses in the campaign." The Bullet-Angel gave voice to her concerns regarding the vengeful emperor sitting a galaxy away from where they were now.
"He hit me where it hurt the most." Gangplank reminded her, opening ang closing his mechanical hand. "It's only fair. Let him send his ships, we'll just kill more of them and build a space hulk out of the wrecks."
"Speaking of which." Vayne leaned over the desk, "What shall we do with those ships that came out of the Relay?"
"The what?"
"The Relay, those massive ringed constructs housing that swirling ball of blue that is responsible for interstellar travel in this galaxy?
"I didn't find the time to read the data you sent me." Gangplank shrugged. "Anyway, what about them?"
"I don't think we're dealing with mere slavers here now, captain." Kai'sa informed. "It seems that the local authorities have taken notice."
"Do I look like I care?" Gangplank sneered. "The poor excuses for humans in this galaxy are worms crawling in shit-pits, they're barely worth any notice!"
"Not everyone's the Empire, captain. I want you to remember that." Leona pointed out. "Sometimes it's best to make friends in new grounds than enemies. I know it's easier to make the latter over the former, but I ask that you try…sir."
For someone who suffered unimaginable abuse under the hands of the Empire's research division, it was truly something to hear that coming from Kai'sa. And Gangplank knew when to listen to her advice, having that little bit of wisdom in him.
Besides, she earned his trust long ago.
"What would you have me do?"
"Talk to them, captain." Kai'sa suggested, "In the same way you forged the Corps."
"That was fear that drove them to fly under my colors." Gangplank reminded her, "There wasn't much talking involved, I'll have you know."
"I'll think about it." Gangplank said finally, closing the discussion.
That seemed to satisfy the lieutenant, and so the two took their leave.
Once he was left alone, the Dreadnova tapped his fingers on the table, deep in thought over the woman's words. His eyes flicked towards the painting of a certain redhaired woman that hung on a special spot above the fireplace. Gangplank felt that familiar ache in his heart just looking at her, trying his best to supress the painful memories so he could think clearly.
"Well…" He shrugged, "If things go sour, I'll be the one shooting first."
"Captain?" The intercom buzzed, "Navigation's got something for ya, I think it's them four-eyes raising hell on our borders."
Gangplank decided the time he got to meet with these 'local authorities' will have to wait. The planet under siege was not part of his territory, but he hated the idea of anyone else calling dibs on the booty. Putting a finger on the intercom, he shouted for the helmsman. "Set course for the Relay! We're about to show those bitchy little girls what true marauding's about!"
"Uh…sorry, the what, cap'n?"
Rolling his eyes, he bellowed. "The Ringed Construct, you idiot! Now hurry up, I wanna see what's on the other side of this system."
"Oh! Right away, sir!"
Gangplank watched as the stars moved with the acceleration until they were but streaks in black and blue, then got off his chair to take a ride down to the Hydroponics Bay. He was out of oranges again.
Meanwhile, the Arcturus Fleet just received word of the same attack while they were on course towards the Arnessa system. Lucky for them, Gangplank's long range sensors haven't been triggered, or else the Dreadnova would've turned his wrath on them on his way out.
"Admiral! Elysium is under attack and requesting assistance!"
"Replot course for Elysium and tell them help is on its way." Hackett ordered quickly, sending everyone swiping at their monitors in rapid succession. Tensions have definitely risen, and Elysium wouldn't be the first to suffer from reprisal. Steven put his hands on the metal railing and cast his gaze over the galaxy map.
It was just a short trip from Sidon, a nearby terrestrial planet of wide cold deserts. Hackett could only hope that the attack wasn't too harsh on the populace, else there wouldn't be a colony left to save.
Back on the Kraken, Gangplank's lips twisted into a snarl, seeing hundreds of ships in orbit of his prize. "Agh, they've started already!"
Their arrival has gone unnoticed as the batarian pirates laid siege to the garden world below. They had the element of surprise, and Gangplank wasn't one to sit back- he'd charge straight into the frey.
"Hoist the colors!" He yelled, "And let fly all guns!"
The Kraken obeys, raising its massive cannons at the batarian ships and letting loose those bright red beams of plasma charges. With their flanks exposed, it was easy pickings. Before the joined armada of slavers, pirates and cartels realized what was happening, more than half of their ships were reduced to burning scrap.
Some of them managed to turn around and fight back, but were destroyed just as easily. Gangplank demanded that the gunners keep firing, "Keep at it until you see the glow of the barrels!"
"Captain, some of them got through to the planet's surface. Shall we pursue?"
Gangplank picked up his sword and checked his pistol to see if it's fully charged, "No, I'll handle it. Just keep the rest off my back while I do a little parleying on the surface."
"Got it, cap'n. Good luck down there."
He motioned for Kai'sa and Vayne to follow him down. "If I call when things get out hand, prepare to send in the Tank. Got me?"
"Will do, cap'n." Looks were exchanged at the mention of 'The Tank', the beast slumbering within the bowels of Gangplank's ship, waiting to be redeployed and set to purpose. If all else fails, the Mecha-Designation Zero was the last resort, and everyone onboard the Kraken hoped that time will never come.
On Elysium's surface, the pirates have found their way into the cities and begun their killing spree. Alliance soldiers taking their leave on the paradise world had taken arms and formed a resistance force to repel the invading horde. The colonists were safe, for now.
Elanos Haliat, a prominent figure in the Terminus Systems and instigator of the invasion, planned to change all that. With three squads of Blood Pack mercenaries and a handful of his best men, he broke through the defense line and moved to turn the battle into a massacre.
"I want it all! Kill every last one of them, soldier or civvie- I don't care!"
He hadn't counted on the lone Alliance soldier bunkered down in a narrow pass of fallen debris, which was a difficult chokepoint that succeeded in whittling down his forces to a trickle.
To add to his growing anger of the situation, news reached him of the sudden attack on the armada from above. Hearing that half of their forces had been wiped out caused a vein to pop at his temple. In the rush of things, he recklessly ordered the Blood Pack mercenaries to charge the pass and storm the one soldier keeping them there.
Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard was running low on ammunition, and she knew that her rifle wasn't that far from overheating. Picking her targets carefully, she fired the last rounds and switched to her sidearms, bracing herself for the powerful kickback of the dual Carnifex pistols.
At the moment, she didn't care if she'd die on Elysium, knowing that reinforcements were too far away to save her. Her priority was the safety of the colonists, and if she could buy them time it would be worth her life to trade. Soon the barrier would be breached, and her fellow soldiers would've successfully whisked the women and children away from the marauders' reach.
Much to her surprise, reinforcements came in early.
A small ship that was easily the size of a shuttle zipped through the smoke-filled Elysium sky, dropping what looked like red bulky metal barrels on top of the enemy. A man leaned out and took aim, detonating the volatile canisters with a single shot from his pistol.
Gangplank laughed as the panic-stricken batarians fled in separate ways, jumping behind blocks of rubble to escape his wrath. "Scurry off, ya bilgerats! This here's my property, and I'm not sharing!"
He jumped off as the shuttle hovered a good ten feet above solid ground, drawing his sword and starting a slash-marathon with the hulking lizardmen. Krogans were tough, but were unprepared for a plasma-coated cutlass that ignored armor and shields whenever it cut.
Vayne followed suit, diving in with her crossbow extended and joining her captain in the fight. The krogans switched tactics, pommeling headfirst into the advancing Dreadnova corpsmen like a herd of maddened bulls. Gangplank hacked his way towards Elanos, who was at the top of the hill of bodies that made up the mound next to the narrow corridor where the Lt. Commander made her stand.
"Come!" He yelled, waving his sword about. "Test yourself in the fire!"
Elanos hopped down and let loose a burst from his SMG, which Gangplank easily deflected with his mechanical arm as he raised it to protect his face. The marauder called down a barrel and followed up with a squeeze from the Parleymaker, knocking back the pirate leader from the resulting explosion.
Dazed, Haliat propped himself up with his elbows and stared up at the Dreadnova, shame and disappointment evident on his scarred features. His plans to become the undisputed ruler of the pirate factions in the Terminus Systems have been thwarted…by a stubborn Alliance soldier and an interloping raider with a big-ass warship.
"Any last words before I send you on your way?" Gangplank asked, that everpresent sneer on his lips as he draws his weapon.
Elanos had a few obscenities ready on the tip of his tongue.
"Never mind." Gangplank interrupted, pulling the trigger and blasting a hole through his mouth and out the back of his head.
Kai'sa finishes off the last of the Blood Pack mercenaries with a burst from her autocannons, looking up just as the debris from the space battle falls through Elysium's skies. "That's all for the moment, Captain."
Gangplank wasn't answering, Kai'sa and Vayne followed his gaze to the Alliance soldier atop the hill. It almost seemed like he was hypnotized by the sight. Only the Bullet-Angel, who knew Gangplank better than anyone else, realized what that look on his face was about.
The soldier, upon removing her helmet, looked exactly like Admiral Fortune- a woman from Gangplank's past and the reason for his motivations...and his pain. The twin guns in her hands did not help to dissuade the nostalgia.
"Hi." She said as she approached them, wiping the sweat off her face. "I'm Lt. Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy. Thanks for the assist."
Usually at the start of such a conversation, the captain would always haughtily declare his interests- which was a fancy way of saying he would annex the planet. But in this case, he was hopelessly tongue-tied and Kai'sa was forced to step in to save him the embarassment.
He can thank her later, "I am Lieutenant Kai'sa, I speak for Captain Gangplank. We regret not coming sooner, we could've spared your world the ruin."
"Lieutenant Commander!" One of the marines called, "It's Admiral Hackett, he's on the line! One massive ship is still in orbit, they're asking for confirmation whether it's friend or foe."
"Cap'n! Some ships just joined in the fight, a whole lot of 'em!" The bosun alerted, "Shall we engage?"
"Belay that!" Gangplank broke from his trance, "This day's requiring more talking than fighting. I'll take it from here."
"As you order cap'n. Standing down."
"Again, thanks for the help." Shepard repeated.
Gangplank just stared at her without a reply and walked back inside the shuttle, eager to get back to the safety of his beloved Kraken.
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