We returned to the docks and the Something Clever was unusually quiet. We entered Cargo Bay Three and the last piece of Plot armor was sitting on the table, but we didn’t find Ylisaya. Tony and I accessed the internal sensor and we quickly became aware that Ylisaya was in the Bridge. We went to the bridge we found Ylisaya lying back in the Engineering flight seat, and she seemed to be focused deep within a simulation. While her mind was active, it was linked within the simulator, and her body was essentially asleep.
“Do we wake her up?”, I asked.
“If she’s running simulations we might be able to use those results. Let’s just go in and tell her the new contract.”, Tony said.
Tony took the gunner’s seat, removed his helmet, put on his headset, and turned on his console. I took the pilot’s seat and linked my mind to the flight system. I found Ylisaya’s simulation and as I projected myself into the simulation I found myself inside the Palace of Princess Nyreeda from the TV show Contest of Crowns. The halls were lined with marble and the torches that lit the palace were on top of raised columns. The floor was made of set marble tiles, covered by a red carpet. Every ten paces there was a marble lined pillar, just like in the TV show. The castle appeared as a hologram to me, and anything I tried to touch didn’t register as an object I could interact with. My hand, as well as my entire body with the exception of where I stood, passed through every object like a hologram. While I could see everything, nothing had any substance, not even my projection. As I inspected my avatar, I looked like my physical self, but I didn’t expect my cybernetics to have any effect in this environment, and I was wearing the red and scarlet robes of an apprentice sorcerer.
“I see you, I’ll be there in a second.”, Tony’s voice said to me.
The torches dimmed and a shadow drained the colors from the walls. I saw a floating ghostly eyeball the size of human head engulfed in a shadow like smoke that danced like flames. The orb of the eyeball seemed to be made of the formless black void of space but lacked the shimmer of any starlight. The iris of the eye glowed with an evil red fury. The pupil of the eye was a vertical slit like an ambush hunter’s or apex predator. As the eye looked at me it began floating towards me. Part of me wanted to run, while another part of my mind hoped that my intangible nature meant I wouldn’t be harmed. As the floating eye neared, I heard whispers of an unknown language that seemed to push the floating eye forward. The eye got closer and the colors were completely drained from the world around me. A cold grip of fear crippled my mind. The eye looked down as me and I was given an invite to join, “PhantomEyeTrippleSix”.
“Jhess. You okay?”, the eyeball said me in Tony’s voice.
Every sound that came out of the eyeball caused the red iris to glow brighter and quickly returned to it’s original state when Tony’s voice became quiet. I took a breath and accepted the invite to join and I immetedately felt the the grip of fear leave me. The eyeball started looking in different direction as if it could see through the stone walls of the palace.
“Where should we start looking?”, Tony asked.
“What the fuck Tony? Your avatar scared the shit out of me!”, I yelled, as my voice echoed through the palace.
“Oh I’m not using an avatar, this is my game camera. I’m sitting in the gunner’s seat on the Bridge of the Something Clever talking to you through my headset. Watch.”, Tony said.
I felt a force shock move from my legs through my back, and I wondered what force hit me. Then another shockwave hit me, as I realized Tony was moving my body in the physical space.
“Hey stop shaking my chair. Too much instability and I’ll wake up!”, I protested.
“I know this place, this looks like Princess Nyreeda’s palace.”, Tony said, as the dark eye looked around.
“If this is Nyreeda’s palace, then where are all of the servants?”, I asked.
“I see two people in the princess’s chamber.”, Tony said.
“You see them? Can you see what they’re doing?”, I asked.
“I see two dots on a map, but that’s all that’s showing up in the castle. You’re in spectator mode, even you don’t show up on my map. The way I found you was through pure luck. My ability to explore this world is limited by the rules of the simulation.”, Tony said.
I followed Tony’s Dark Eye through the palace and when we reached the Princess’s chamber. Tony’s Dark Eye floated through and I walked through the iron framed and sculpted door while it was still closed. The door didn’t physically exist to us and vice versa. In the marble room of the princess’s chamber we found the beautiful Princess Nyreeda half naked showing her soft caramel skin and long dark hair. Her elegant face glowed and her soft brown eyes looked down at another person in her bed. The other person I didn’t recognize, but I could see it was a young half naked man. Even though he was lying down and the Princess hovered over him, I could tell he was tall, strong, and had big shoulders. His face was square, his chin was sharp, and his hair and beard were short and darker than Nyreeda’s flowing locks. The half naked Nyreeda leaned down and kissed the man.
“We need avatars to interact with this simulation.”, Tony said.
A werewolf in savage armor manifested in front of the Dark Eye, but my only avatar in Contest of Crowns was Princess Nyreeda. My projection turned into another Princess Nyreeda in the Robes of an Archmage. My Nyreeda wore the Royal Blue Robes of the Magister, the Crown of light, and Golden Girdle of The Last Queen. She also carried the scepter of Lost Magic. I used my free hand to grab the other Nyreeda and pulled her out of the bed.
“Who are you? What are you doing in my chambers?”, the other Nyreeda yelled at me.
The werewolf drew a dagger and pointed it at the face of man lying in bed. The man saw the blade and froze in place.
“Ylisaya what are you doing here? Romance in a simulation is unhealthy. He’s just a fantasy.”, I yelled at the naked Nyreeda and I pointed at the man lying in bed.
“Actually, she’s not Ylisaya. I’m Ylisaya.”, said the man lying in bed.
“Okay both of you, wake up right now!”, Tony said.
The man looked at the Dark Eye, and didn’t seem surprised or afraid.
“You recognize Tony?”, I asked.
“That’s what he looks like in future visions. I recognize the All Seeing Eye.”, Ylisaya’s avatar said.
I summoned the menu and in my vision the simulator menu appeared. The simulation of Contest of Crowns had its own menu, which appeared as a parchment scroll, with the top and bottom rolled. The top of the menu pulled in the scroll from below and the bottom unrolled running the scroll upwards to the next series of choices. The menu finally asked me if I wished to return to the physical world. The werewolf vanished as if it faded from existence, followed by the Dark Eye. I waited for Ylisaya’s avatar to vanish before I finally accepted. I wanted to make certain that Ylisaya didn’t protest, before I took my exit. As Ylisaya’s avatar vanished I accepted on my menu and I watched the Princess’s chamber blur and fade into a single light that appeared all around my vision. The image darkened into the void of night and then I open my eyes finding I had returned to the my flight seat on the Bridge of the Something Clever. I looked over my shoulder towards Ylisaya and she sat up.
“Do you have any idea how much danger you put yourself in?”, I yelled at Ylisaya.
“Why because I was playing a game?”, Ylisaya argued.
“No, because you plugged your brain into the simulation of a male body, you could rewire your brain, into a male brain. You shouldn’t risk that.”, I protested.
“It’s possible, but unlikely. Ylisaya’s too old, not Earthborn, and volunteered. Nobody forced her to do that, so she should be safe. The risk of virtual dissociation is at most three percent and likely less. I’m more worried about the Cooperative.”, Tony said.
“Why is the Cooperative of any concern?”, Ylisaya asked.
“Because using a woman’s image for sexual gratification without her knowledge is something the Cooperative will define as rape! And that’s one hundred percent.”, I said.
“But I was just playing a video game. I’m not gay.”, Ylisaya argued.
“There’s two problems with that. First, if smugglers can hide pornography inside art, simulations, or anywhere an exception is allowed, they absolutely will and they do. Second, we just caught you in bed with another woman. I don’t even wanna know the parameters of the simulation you were running. You’re just lucky this world protects women.”, Tony said.
“If you’re the chosen one, you already have responsibilities, and every political agenda will absolutely use your personal life to leverage you to serve their purposes.”, I protested.
“There’s no way you could know that.”, Ylisaya argued.
“Actually she does, because the both of us already went through it, when the Rylkonians ‘chose’ to turn me into a combat cyborg. So I was also a chosen one, and we can see you’re not ready for those political agendas going after you and everyone near you. You’re just lucky we found out this early.”, Tony said, with a subtle laugh.
“Why are you saying we’re lucky? You know what’s coming for us, and we don’t even need a future prediction to see it. You should be angry.”, I argued.
“I said no propaganda, and Ylisaya listened. That’s…progress. While I want a suit of indestructible armor and the ability to steal my enemies’ life force, I think knowing more about the chosen one, means we can be prepared, without relying on scanner vision, or risking a future prediction leading us to an incorrect conclusion. Personally, I was also a teenager once, I made mistakes and had to discover myself. If I had known every women I’m involved with becomes a political target, I would have made very different choices. At first, I didn’t know how that was going to be different for a female chosen one. But after this discovery, I think we have better odds, if I’m just calculating for the same gender.”, Tony said.
“But I’m not gay!”, Ylisaya yelled.
“That’s not even the problem any more. Listen and learn chosen one! You’re enemies will have no mercy and no shame when they take action against you or the people you love, and they might have nothing to do with your intended purpose. I don’t know because I haven’t heard this prophecy yet. But this universe has provided all the political agendas that want to pervert, corrupt, and steal your loyalty, just like Jhess said. They only want your privilege to work for them, and we saw it. I figured I can protect people if I just don’t love anyone. But that’s a stupid rule, because that doesn’t stop them from making propaganda to make people love you, and they can just as easily make people hate you. If you think you have the truth on your side, you’re a fool! Bottom line, a family can never take as much risk as a government, and an individual can never take as much risk as an institution. They know that better than us. You don’t control what people do with the knowledge of your existance. Only one rule works for me. No more heroics. That’s the rule we live by.”, Tony replied.
“Isn’t that exactly what happened to this planet? No one stood up to the Cooperative, the government kept winning, and the families kept loosing.”, Ylisaya protested.
“It’s their planet, and their laws…We’re not staying.”, I argued.
An emergency message arrived in the communications array. I looked into my mirror to see Tony’s response and he reclined into the gunner seat.
“Ylisaya, you’re not being punished for being who you are. I believe in second chances, provided you’re willing to earn them. You will earn such an opportunity and the deflector shields I promised, when my armor is complete.”, Tony said.
Ylisaya stood up and departed the Bridge for Cargo Bay three, as I watched her through the internal sensor. Ylisaya seemed to relax once she was working on upgrading the last piece of Battle Armor into Plot Armor. Tony accessed the new message and we saw an image of the new cyborg Meiyo. She seemed to be adapting to her new body.
“I just read a Huntress report that implied the Phantom might have agreed to trial by combat. The exact wording was ‘a fighting chance’. Please see me at the Senate.”, the image of Meiyo said.
I followed Tony, on the monorail back towards the senate. Once again he moved while hidden beneath a cloak and I watched for whenever people were around because I discovered I looked like I was talking to myself. This time, we each asked only one question.
“Are you really serious about this trial by combat?”, I asked.
“This is all confirming my suspicion that someone wants Arton silenced. We still need to tell Ylisaya. I don’t want her to make decisions that jeopardize her role or compromise the new objective. This new secret puppet master is an unknown, so the only thing that will protect them is if I learn that they’re an agent of the Cooperative, who I can’t expose. I don’t expect them to be a Protectorate agent, so anyone else is a valid target. Meiyo just doesn’t want another civil war, like Mars. Do you think she’s planning to double cross us?”, Tony asked.
“That question implies Meiyo is still loyal or that the Cooperative is incapable of betraying us. She’s not the queen of the planet…not yet. She’s close, perhaps the closest, but she still works for the Cooperative, just like us…for now.”, I said.
We met Meiyo again in her office and as she greeted us, she seemed to attain a new kind of focus and commitment to her work and everything happening on the planet. I wasn’t certain what changed her between now and our last meeting, but she was acting more like a warlord now than a loyal huntress. I suspected the pressure of fewer huntresses, the influence of the senate, the publicity of the rape trial, and the effects of her new body were all factors, but I couldn’t be certain without a medical scan.
“Do you have any idea, what Saressah’s attorneys have done?”, Meiyo demanded.
“Declaring a mistrial, because I’m not a Cooperative officer, perhaps?”, Tony suggested.
“I wish…They’ve convinced the court to arm Arton with an energy weapon and give him a suit of Tri-tech armor. The trial by combat starts tomorrow at dawn. If you don’t show up, I suspect the task falls back to the lawyers to find a new solution.”, Meiyo said.
“Oh I’ll be there. I don’t think I could have asked for a better result.”, Tony said.
“Maybe for you? But the one in control here now is Saressah. She’s turning this into a contest of truth versus justice, humanity versus technology, and the cold logic of technology against the power of love. The wrong people could use this as an opportunity to destabilize the Cooperative.”, Meiyo said.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
“You have an entire medical industry at your command. Just offer to let her keep the baby and send her off planet. See if that shuts her up.”, Tony said.
“Not an option.”, Meiyo replied.
“Why not?”, Tony asked.
“Our position is weak, she doesn’t need to negotiate, and she knows it. In her eyes, this gives her a chance to save Arton and their…son.”, Meiyo said.
“I see…No sides are willing to negotiate. And the situation turning into trial by combat is no coincidence. The Cooperative needs me to kill Arton. That’s a mistake. If you can’t get Saressah to cooperate, Arton might know something.”, Tony said.
“Allow a rapist to negotiate? Did you forget which planet you’re on?”, Meiyo argued.
“But the Cooperative is moving closer and closer towards civil war, and is now giving that rapist a suit of power armor, energy weapons, and a chance to fight for his life. So did the Cooperative or the planet change?”, Tony asked.
“We need to change, or we face extinction…but I can’t tell them that, so I’m trying to show them. But nobody will look or listen.”, Meiyo said.
“That sounds like you’re dealing with a faction of political leaders and maybe a few of the business owners?…Waiting for an opportunity?”, Tony asked
“You’re not usually this quiet.”, Meiyo said to me.
“Would I get in trouble if I said I’m just waiting to leave?”, I asked.
“Executions usually require witnesses, let’s broadcast the trial by combat, and the Cooperative can sell tickets.”, Tony joked.
I sensed a realization in Meiyo as if part of her had awakened. I realized her strategy to make the situation as public as possible, this secret puppet master might have nowhere to hide. I was shocked that Tony and Meiyo reached the same conclusion so quickly again. I suspected this was going to become a pattern for these two.
“Actually that’s not a terrible idea. What is my faction willing to do for the good of the Women of Venus? Worst possible outcome is we make some money, lose an election, and if we’re lucky, we’ll avoid a civil war. When everyone sees some senseless brutality, we’ll realize the point of the Cooperative is to protect women. I regret loosing opportunities, but the planet believes a marginal benefit to all women is worth that sacrifice. So let’s give them a show.”, Meiyo said.
“It’s Mars all over again.”, I said.
“We also made a lot of credits on Mars.”, Tony said.
“So do we have a contract?”, Meiyo asked Tony.
“We do. Send us the details. We’ll be ready in the morning.”, Tony said.
We departed the Senate and on the monorail returning to the docks we briefly discussed our situation.
“Do you think Meiyo is setting us up?”, I asked, when no one was looking.
“Is that a good idea, if the Mermaid goes rogue? Or if the planet is at the brink of civil war. The side with more loyal firepower will be the winner. Meiyo can’t afford to betray anyone.”, Tony said.
“I bet Ylisaya will be furious when she finds out.”, I said.
“I’ll take that bet. Ylisaya has seen the real side of the Cooperative, and she’s not surprised by any plot twists.”, Tony said.
“But you can predict the future, it’s not a fair wager.”, I protested.
“That’s easy. Just let Ylisaya be the judge of that. If she has a vision, I have to forfeit.”, Tony said.
“So what do I get when I win?”, I asked.
“How about half of the this job’s retainer fee?”, Tony asked.
“I don’t have that many credits. You should know how much you pay me.”, I argued.
“So what do you wager?”, Tony asked.
I thought for a moment about something that I knew Tony would value, but didn’t substantially cause me detriment. I was really gambling against Tony’s ability to resisting his use of scanner vision, so I could have a one hundred percent chance to win.
“I’ll go from my current ten percent risk up to…Twenty five percent. Same Salary.”, I said, as I was confident staying under fifty percent risk wasn’t going to get us another pilot.
Tony paused for a moment, and I suspected he was calculating how increasing my individual risk as a pilot factored into the new types of jobs the Something Clever can take, the collective risk of the crew, and his individual risk as the captain. While my eyes couldn’t see him, I could hear his voice and sense his general movements around the room.
“I’ll match your fifteen percent increase with twenty five percent of this current ten million contract, for two hundred and fifty thousand…So either half the retainer fee like before or a cut of each installment. Fixed, so no inflation. Do we have a wager?”, Tony asked.
“I’m loyal to the ship and crew, so I’ll take the installments.”, I said, because I’m really more interested in being right, and more money doesn’t actually change my situation, so I can buy loyalty more valuable than credits.
When we returned to the Something clever, we thankfully found Ylisaya in cargo bay three. She had been working on the last piece of Plot armor, but stopped to watch the widescreen display. The widescreen’s image was a conversation between two news correspondents about the upcoming trial by combat.
“The Phantom has more experience as a cyborg and better technology. Arton is just a man in a suit. If we’re calling this trial by combat, a contest between the best from the Cooperative versus the best from the Protectorate, we are literally saying the best we have to offer is a rapist, and that’s just sad.”, the image of the correspondent said.
“So you know?”, I asked Ylisaya.
“I know an assassin, bounty hunter, and mercenary has been hired to kill someone. I know the client doesn’t care and can just hire someone else. Nothing I do or say is going to make them care, I’m just a slave, like every other women in the Cooperative’s harem. So if the client doesn’t care, I say just take their money. It’s their planet and their laws.”, Ylisaya said, in a sad tone.
“You learn quickly chosen one. Is my armor ready?”, Tony asked.
“It’s ready, but if you need it tomorrow I can’t finish the elbow in time. Just don’t get hit in the elbow by a super weapon. You won’t need to worry about a hit from energy weapons anywhere else.”, Ylisaya said in a cold and unfeeling tone.
“Just so you know. we’re getting more than just money. Meiyo is leading a new faction within the Cooperative, and they agree with me, at least Meiyo does. We think Arton knows something. This is the only way I can get close enough to even ask question.”, Tony said, and I knew he was right but Meiyo never said that.
I saw a change within Ylisaya as she didn’t seemed surprised by anything Tony just said, but she did seem relieved that she knew something else was happening behind the political theatrics. I suspected Ylisaya’s thoughts changed from the unfair situation to the secret situation. I wondered if Tony would say anything to distract me from the fact that I lost our bet.
“The only thing that Arton could possibly know that’s of value to Meiyo’s faction, has to be something her rival faction wants to keep secret. Otherwise she has uncontested access to a prisoner and any Huntress should question him. Unless the rival faction also has huntresses, then Meiyo would know she can’t trust them? It’s just like the prediction.”, Ylisaya said as she realized.
“There’s a lesson to be learned here. If we shared that vision of the future what are the possible consequences?”, Tony asked.
“Another assassin might have simply eliminated Arton, and his knowledge would have been lost. The hidden faction might go deeper into hiding, and further undermine the Cooperative. If we gave that information away for free, we’d miss out on a high paying contract.”, Ylisaya said.
“Correct. All bad, worse, and terrible outcomes. Last question in this lesson. Who is the only person you can trust with a prediction?”, Tony said as his eye flicked in my direction.
Ylisaya looked skeptically in my direction, as I suspected she thought back to my failed actions at the dance off. Ylisaya returned her focus towards Tony and his eyes flicked in my direction again. I nodded my head side to side and I gestured with my hand to not think hard about this question.
“The crew.”, Ylisaya guessed.
“Close enough. We need more crew anyways, and scanner vision is too important for me as the Ship’s gunner.”, Tony said.
“If I specialize as a cannoneer can I learn how to use scanner vision the same way you can?”, Ylisaya asked.
“Cannoneers are not the only specialization with scanner vision. Engineers and Medics have scanner vision too.”, I said.
“Their scanner vision isn’t the exactly same as a cannoneer’s, but Jhess is correct and no other cannoneer has ever mentioned a vision of the future. I imagine having a brain that’s more technology than human is a factor, but as to why you also have visions without a specialization, I honestly have no idea.”, Tony said.
“So am I just burdened with these visions forever?”, Ylisaya asked.
“I have also considered the possibility that a specialization may take away the visions altogether. I’m just glad scanner vision is unlikely to get you killed. While a ship can benefit from double crew, we’re nowhere close to even just a patrolling shift of eight crew. Do you have any other preference? Because once you attain a specialization, to my understanding it’s permanent.”, Tony asked.
“Why not just decide for me? You’re the Captain you should know what crew you need.”, Ylisaya asked Tony.
“Then the list is limited to Engineer, Medic, or remain as you are. I hope to have a cook lined up soon, so you will not choose cook or supply chief. The major factor is the possibility that you might be the Chosen One. It would be too easy to guess wrong.”, Tony said.
“So if the risk is high, does that justify a prediction of the future?”, Ylisaya asked.
“That’s even higher risk. What if I determine that you are not the chosen one? Or if I irrevocably re-write your destiny and the destinies of millions of Rylkonians. I already did that once when I killed the Dark Tyrant. I use scanner vision to increase my accuracy and precision when I kill or I’m trying to get paid, that’s how every other cannoneer uses scanner vision. But I have to refuse anything that puts the entire Rylkonian population in danger, as long as I’m a Protectorate citizen. A future prediction is too dangerous if it’s wrong. That decision has to be made without any influence from a future prediction.”, Tony said.
“Are you willing to no longer be the chosen one, and risk perhaps the burden passing to another?”, I asked Ylisaya
“I don’t know.”, Ylisaya said.
“Wait. Another can become a Chosen One?”, Tony asked.
“That’s my theory. And why not? I’m on a ship with two of you.”, I argued.
“Hmmm. That’s a good point.”, Tony said.
Tony turned to Ylisaya and handed her a schematic. Ylisaya examined the sheet of plastyn and looked back at Tony.
“Where did you get this?”, Ylisaya asked.
“I scanned it in the Senate. Can you make it?”, Tony asked.
“I’ll get started.”, Ylisaya replied as she reached for her tools.
“What is that?”, I asked.
“Holographic decoy. Could be useful. Can I get an old cloaking device?”, Ylisaya said, as she asked Tony for components to build the holographic decoy.
“Check the bin next to the door.”, Tony replied to Ylisaya.
I remembered when Meiyo offered technology and Tony declined except he was close enough to get a good look at the device on Meiyo’s desk. Ylisaya began working on her new project, and I felt it was unnecessary to inform her that she was now helping Tony steal technology from the Cooperative, but that knowledge might just have enticed her more after the last four days on this planet.
That night Tony prepared his weapons. Tony detached the Gauss Rifle and Pulse Rifle, and locked the parts of the Pulse Rifle in a transportation crate. His logic seemed to focus on the fact that he was going to fight against a single opponent. Rylkonians had very little knowledge of the concept of trial by combat. We only learned about the idea of a duel-to-the-death by watching Contest of Crowns. As a Rylkonian, I never expected two Rylkonians could decide to wage war against each other and both conclude that warfare should be limited to just the two of them, nor did we ever observe such behavior from the Kanerites. I supposed it was something unique to Earthborn. Although the situation does isolate variables and it becomes easier to predict the winner. I imagined the first generations of Rylkonians realized a duel-to-the-death implied terrible odds of success, it’s a worthless political process for Rylkonians, and training for this method of warfare is a waste of time. I estimated that the Gauss rifle carried the highest odds of success as it could delivery a lethal strike at any distance, and if Arton managed to survive a hit, the venom coated bullets may also be fatal.
I departed for the bridge and decided to relax and watch some episodes of Contest of Crowns. I learned from other fans that the show had an incredible fourth season and I hadn’t seen anything after the first season. However I elected to start over completely from the first season since that’s where my favorite character, Princess Nyreeda appears, but only in that season. The actress who portrayed Princess Nyreeda got offered movie roles and didn’t want to do any more nude scenes. I connected to the internal sensor incase something else happened on the ship or if someone needed to warn the crew.
Tony examined his Battle Axe, his signature weapon, and I imagined it carried the second highest odds of success. I have seen Tony chop right through most materials. Only deflector shields have ever resisted such an attack, but also I know energy blades can defeat a deflector shield in just a few hits. Since the duel was set to take place in the abandoned city of Valontyme, the environment would be unpredictable and a tool such as the Battle Axe would be useful if the duel presented any up-close situation. Tony set the battle axe down next to the Gauss Rifle.
Tony examined the Hand cannon, and place it in a small storage crate next to the Pulse Rifle. I imagined a pistol type weapon could be useful in a duel-to-the-death, or perhaps provide an alternative if Tony needed to shoot something but didn’t want to waste the more expensive Gauss rifle ammo. I estimated that Tony suspected the hand cannon could never deliver as much value in a situation where he could end the fight in one hit with the Guass rifle. I suspected he believed the Hand cannon to just be extra weight and unnecessary.
The last weapon that Tony examined was one I did not expect. He decided to take his war-club. He almost never used it because he almost never had room for it when he preferred to bring extra ammo instead. I wondered what benefit the war-club provided that was better than a hand cannon. On my individual display I watched Princess Nyreeda study magic and apply her lessons in the armory of her palace. Her instructor was a member of the dragon guard, an order of dragon riding mages who served the high king. But the question of the choice for the war-club over a hand cannon echoed in my mind. Tony set the war-club next to the gauss rifle and battle axe, and he seemed content with his selection. Shortly afterwards, Tony entered the bridge, took the gunner’s seat, switched on his console, and began updating inventory files for his different types of ammo.
“Hmm season one.”, Tony said as he glanced at my console, and retuned to inventory.
“Can I ask about the war-club?”, I asked.
“What about it?”, Tony replied, as he continued updating files.
“You almost never use it. So why now?”, I asked.
“Have we ever been hired for a trial-by-combat?”, Tony asked.
“I don’t think so. Just assassination, bounty collecting, consulting, the monthly duel-to-the-death, and the recent body guarding, but no. I remember no trial-by-combat…ever.”, I said.
“So the numbers suggest I have only one target, like an assassination or duel-to-the-death, but no body guards to deal with.”, Tony said.
“That explains the Gauss rifle, but not the war club.”, I said.
“The only other clue I have is Arton will be armed with an energy weapon, I’ve never seen a hand held energy weapon that shoots, so I’m guessing that means a slashing, stabbing or bashing weapon. I should expect a very up close duel.”, Tony said.
“That explains the Battle-Axe…but this isn’t a normal duel-to-the-death…You get a whole day to plan…that’s so different.”, I said.
“I don’t know if planning is even allowed, I don’t know the rules, and I don’t know what to expect. If we start shooting, there are very few methods to counter a Gauss rifle, and all of them require a cloaking device. If I can shoot him, I only need to hit him once. But if Arton is learning anything about me, he might have devised a method to counter a Battle-Axe. Nobody cares about my war-club, because I almost never bring it, when extra ammo is just too valuable. But extra ammo doesn’t matter when I have only one target. So I think the war-club can provide an opportunity for a surprise attack and extra ammo would be just dead weight.”, Tony said.
“I guess it’s working, because I saw it, I know exactly where you left it, and somehow I’m still surprised.”, I joked.
When Tony didn’t humor my joke, I knew something was on his mind.
“You didn’t laugh. What’s on your mind?”, I asked.
“Sorry. But it wasn’t that funny. Something I read in the Holy book tells me I’m walking into a trap. I know it probably sounds crazy.”, Tony replied.
“This would be the first prediction that didn’t come from you. So if you’re now looking at it, then it might be something. Maybe the Holy book can teach you something about predictions?”, I suggested.
“Maybe. But probably not if you heard the story.”, Tony replied.
“Well now you have to tell me the story, at least the synopsis.”, I suggested.
“It’s the story of the Shepard King of Izrom, how his priests attempted to betray him, and forced him to duel a giant. The Kingdom of Izrom was already at war with several of their neighbors, over water sources, trade routes, and even the very sand of the region. The nobles within Izrom invited the spies of their neighbors and attempted to gain influence and favor, but the King won every battle. So the enemy nations hired a mercenary who was a giant with metal armor and weapons, presumably the best tech available at the time, and this warrior led their alliance of armies against the Shepard King, and challenged him to a duel-to-the-death. The priests told the Shepard King that no weapon made of wood nor bronze could defeat the giant, so the king used a stone flung from a sling of leather and chords. The stone hit the giant’s head so hard it bent his metal helmet into his skull and he choked on his own blood.”, Tony said.
“The situation doesn’t match, so what if you’re a mercenary? You’re not that mercenary and you’re not going to fight some Shepherd King. You’re going to fight a man who’s supposed to die… Oh. Okay I see it now.”, I said as I realized Tony clearly saw the setup.
“I think the point of the story is that even bad advice can still provide good results. I think if the Shepherd King had used his normal weapons the mercenary would have been prepared. And because the king used a weapon the mercenary didn’t expect, he had no strategy nor counter. Which is kind of what you’re doing with the War-club…right?”, I asked.
“Nice try, but now I know it’s definitely a trap. I’m going to be alert tomorrow.”, Tony said, as he closed out his last ammo inventory file.
“So who is this cook you hope to have lined up?”, I asked.
“Ryzekkis.”, Tony replied.
“Really? He’s coming out of retirement and rejoining our crew?”, I asked.
“His answer was yes a few days ago, and he’s taking an extended break from the restaurant business anyways. He’s on Freya station, and waiting for us. So pending any other delays or the restaurant needing him back, he’s going to resume being our supply chief.”, Tony said.
“Are you gonna try to get the old crew back together?”, I asked.
“Maybe…We are the crew that took down the Dark Tryant, makes sense if we want the best odds with the safety of the Chosen One.”, Tony replied.
When the crew mutinied, against Mykayla we each found it difficult being accepted by another crew. We wouldn’t blame them for being concerned for their reputations. While an engineer, medic, or cook can find work almost anywhere, a pilot that doesn’t fly has a different problem. So the only ship that will let me fly now is the Something Clever.
When did you realize Jhessyreen is a Rylkonian woman?
