“They’re like rats, you see. All those alley kids, they just form groups when there’s no one to take care of them. Take your eyes off them for a second and they’ll get you. First, your pockets – they’ll see if you’re dumb enough to have anything in them once you go below Level Hyperion. Then, it’s the loose bits on you – ID cards, glasses, watches, anything they get slip off you before you can punt the little shits away. Now, if they’re really hungry, needing a fix, or just greedy or violent enough, them they might risk giving you a quick shiv. Usually nothing too serious, but enough to stop you from running after them. After all, if they left a corpse behind, then there’s nothing stopping some borged-up corporate cleaner with a sadistic steak from making a few dozen, or even hundred, kids disappear.” – Bartholomew Jurney, CCH Sociologist, 2259. Retrieved from ‘Titanlock and Justice – The Rising Youth Crime Crisis of the Lower Levels’.

  Adin Pike wondered how long it would take his ex-comrades to kill him once he boarded the Jaeger, the command centre ship for Basilisk’s fleet. He walked down to the shuttle dock of his own ship, mentally accounting for everything he was leaving behind, his own life included.

  He had done it. He sent a small spectrum, high energy beam transmission of all the Basilisk information he had on hand to a cluster of ships descending into Kral’Thul. Adin wasn’t certain if his message, his certificate of betrayal towards the terrorist group, had been picked up by the Baraldian Heralds or not, but he doubted that it would matter overall. When he stopped his ship at the border of the fleet, a far larger flotilla than he had been informed about, he sent out the codes that would prevent the fighter-heavy armada from blowing him and his small service crew out of the sky. The men and women under him had not been told of what he was doing exactly, though Adin presumed they would assume some shady business deal of sorts.

  Now, their small ship waited on the rim of a navy capable of bringing hell down on Kral’Thul. He had lost all presumptions that his plans of a stealthy approach and escape were going to be carried out. Adin knew from the start that all the other members would take whatever approach they felt like, but a naive part of himself had hoped that rationality would be won over by bloodthirst. Initially, he had been fine with whatever it would take to get the resources needed to kill Black Sun Enterprises. Now, however, the cowboy was dead and Adin was free.

  Free to go to his own death. He prepared a shuttle by himself, waving off his crew and bodyguards when they tried to follow him. Poor fools, dedicated to his foolishness even to the end.

  “Sir, forgive my questioning, but surely you can’t be thinking of heading into… that?” Karolus, his loyal assistant as always, said. “Please, you need some protection.”

  “Sorry, friend, but where I’m going is a place you can’t help,” Adin let out a sigh. “Live well, Karolus. I’ve made some arrangements back on Titanlock, so head there as soon as I undock. You and the others should be well cared for. The bonuses should help for a while, and if you need employment, ask with Victor Xi. He’ll help you. I’m sorry I can’t do more. Goodbye… partner.”

  Adin signalled for the boarding hatch of his shuttle to close, the arguments of his closest staff silenced with a clunk. He sent his shuttle towards the battleship as a smile graced his face. Though he wasn’t sure if Sebastian would have been pleased with everything he had done, Adin hoped that in death he might find something akin to redemption. Then again, he would wait and see how it went with the others. Playing dumb and quiet might help those within the gas cluster prepare, even if it was by a few more minutes. If he was lucky, perhaps he could get the chance to take a potshot at one of the other members, preferably Citra. That mad bitch of a leader had an animal savagery Adin had rarely seen in the CCH, and having it go undisciplined was a bad fate for the galaxy.

  He sent through his boarding permission codes and entered the Jaeger’s hanger. It was a large, unwieldy ship, but it packed massive firepower and fielded a huge crew. Adin’s original plan was to use smaller ships to sneak in from the gravitational bottom of the Tylas settlement and enter Nucleus through the asteroid. Now, it appeared a full-frontal assault was clearly underway. Passing down the hallway, he saw a variety of soldiers and troops, most giving him a stink eye. Heaven’s Doctrine and Separatist forces walked side by side, their appearances not all that different from one another, comparing and boasting about their own martial prowess. In fact, most seemed to be wearing disguises consisting of various fake clan armour styles. Thankfully, it seemed Citra was fielding mostly grunt soldiers in great numbers, as opposite to enhanced elites. That would reduce the amount of Tylas causalities, at least – small arms fire would be certainly frightening to the aliens, but not deadly. Cybernetic strength or railcannons however…

  Making his way to the bridge, passing a group of warriors moving a goreskin in a suspension tank as he did so, Adin prepared his false persona once more. It felt like wearing a coat made from a dead man’s skin, but if it helped make Basilisk think he was dumber than he was, it could slow things down. The elevator pinged. Showtime.

  Adin sauntered into the command centre, several familiar faces surrounding a hologram display of the structures within Kral’Thul. Birkdale’s Gate, Urestior, and Nucleus in the centre all floated in the air. Turning to face him were Yuri and Roksana, surprisingly not showing the same erratic jubilation they had in the past, Citra Vigino, armed to the teeth with trophies and weapons, Hal Dobermann, as passive and plain looking as ever, and Juno, his main flying drone shadowed by dozens more of similar design.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “Ah, partners!” Adin yelled out. “It’s so good to see you all! I hope your travels weren’t too rough. Lord knows I got a bit of turbulence coming down the ways. S-Jumps – never good for my gut! So, how’s about we get do-“

  The electrical shock from a stun prod from behind sent Adin sprawling to the floor. His knees were made of jelly. Ah, that was quick. Groaning and coiling in on himself, his blurred vision was intruded upon by the faces of his once-associates. What was surprising, however, was how sad some of them looked.

  “Sorry, buddy,” Yuri said, stern voice accent betrayed by a hint of sympathy. “There’s been some… changes in the membership of Basilisk. I was inclined to agree with the others, but I am not happy about the execution of this decision.”

  “Well, well, well,” Citra said, face split in a cruel smile baring far too many teeth. “Seems like the corporate fuckin’ pig is where he belongs, ain’t that right, doggy?”

  Dobermann gave a sigh, looking away, “Apologies, Pike. You are a risk we can’t take. All of us have too much to lose. Juno has presented a reduction in leaders, and we’ve made a vote.”

  “Efficiency will not be significantly reduced with your removal, Adin Pike,” Juno’s speaker crackled. “Fear not, however. The plan will go on without your direct command. This decision was made some time ago – there was nothing you could have done.”

  That… sounded like his disposal was a decision long in the making.

  “Now, hold on,” Yuri butted in before anyone else could speak up. “I agree with setting him aside, being a corporate and all, but I want him alive.”

  Wait… hold on… did they…

  Adin could jump for joy had his muscles not locked up by the aftermath of the current flowing through his body. God, he was glad his jaw was too seized up, otherwise he’d be laughing. They didn’t know about his message! Petty as it was, it was relieving to know they were going to betray him anyway. He had managed to seize an opportunity at redeeming his soul, whilst also coincidentally planning to screw over his future betrayers. Success… would be what he might consider the situation, were he not about to die.

  “I am inclined to agree,” Dobermann intoned. “Functionality-wise, Adin has a vast store of knowledge on the corporations’ infrastructure and methods. Killing him would be a waste in that regard. Additionally, he has provided great resources to the mission, and it would not be right to discard him without some measure of honour kept in mind.”

  “Honour?!” Citra shouted, already unsheathing a long, slender sword. “You speak of letting that swine live, and talk of honour? No guts, none of you. He’s worthless now; better to cut him loose and then into small pieces if you ask me. Which you should.”

  “I…” Roksana muttered. If her brother looked on edge compared to the other times Adin had seen the twins, she instead looked utterly terrified of something. Even in the sea of black of her eyes, the outline of her pupil, a shade darker than black, quivered “I think we should be done with him, brother. I sense something off about him, what he brings. Just… make it quick. I don’t want him to suffer. Not like me, not like us.”

  Yuri raised an eyebrow but kept his own composure. He restated his position – Adin was not to be executed that very second, at least. Quickly seeing they were deadlocked in terms of deciding Adin’s fate, they looked once towards his still prone form and then towards Juno. Would whoever lay beyond the screen be merciful or merciless?

  “I think,” Juno started. “That removal of such an asset permanently is damaging to our long term outcomes. Furthermore, I cannot help but feel that without him that this mission would never have occurred. In that sense, I do feel a sense of reward is in order. I vote for his life.”

  Decision made, much to the sulking clanlord’s displeasure, Adin was left alive. ‘For now’, according to Citra. However, Yuri requested immediate ‘ownership’ of him until the operation was over, which boded poorly.

  “So be it,” Dobermann agreed. “But please do not harm his mind too much, if you feel such an urge to vent your anger. I know how you Doctrine and ex-Doctrine types tend to relieve stress.”

  “Please, dog,” Yuri said. “I am not some sadist. Besides, he is my friend. Right, cowboy?”

  Adin was uncertain if the tone in that last word was meant as a threat or as a genuinely friendly nickname, and he was even more unsure which one was worse. As he was dragged off, hands cuffed by a pair of rough-handed guards and legs regaining their feeling, Juno requested one last word. Yuri complied with a shrug and left Adin to speak to the digital screen, one on one.

  “Adin Pike, I must say I am impressed with how much you achieved in such a short time. Your management and resources were far beyond my calculations. Well done.”

  “Screw you, armchair terrorist,” Adin said, making no attempt to keep up the charade of his previously exaggerated accent. Without putting it on, he realised how strong of a natural accent he had. Perhaps the years of wearing a fa?ade had done permanent damage to his ability to not sound like some old-Earth yokel. Great.

  And as for his insult… Had he more time to think, Adin would’ve said something more refined, but getting a milliamp of current to the spine had left his wit feeling somewhat drained. If Juno registered any offence, the blank avatar onscreen didn’t show it.

  “As a result of your efforts, I wish to propose a… favour… of sorts,” Juno continued. “For the future.”

  “Wouldn’t be willing to cash it in now?” Adin chuckled dryly.

  “Further down the line, I think. Much further. For now, I want to say thank you, Adin. For getting me here, alongside the others. My… associates are beyond pleased. No matter what happens now, I have succeeded in my mission objectives.”

  Adin leaned back, not liking how that last sentence sounded. Just before he could respond with another insult, Juno spoke again.

  “Your message to those down below was a commendable effort. Futile, perhaps, but commendable. Yes… I shall keep it a surprise from the others. I shall be interested in analysing the combat data between the Basilisk troops and the combined corporate and non-human resistance countermeasures. Thank you, Pike.”

  Adin blanched at the thought that not only was Juno aware of his message to those in Kral’Thul, his motives didn’t even require Basilisk’s success. An eye formed on Juno’s avatar, giving a wink. Silently, the drone turned and moved away, rejoining the others as if the hacker wasn’t aware of Adin’s much deeper betrayal. What the hell? Who was Juno working for exactly? Before he could figure that question out, Yuri pulled him along to his private fighter ship.

  “Ready to ride, cowboy?” the silver haired cyborg said, smiling ferally.

  If nothing else, Adin hoped he didn’t get his butt plundered by a seven-foot-tall meat-and-metal psychopathic warlord before he died. That’d be nice.