Slicer

Captain Slicer sits in his office above the bridge of the Starblazer. He scrutinises the results of the mission he has given to some willing soldiers of his misfit crew. The weapon has been retrieved and now taken into custody but not without incident. Still, he should have all reasons to feel satisfied, but circumstances of the incident gnaw at him. He needs a report on it. Sooner rather than later. But for now, he can only wait until the Mudswimmers involved in it arrive in his office.

While he waits, he wonders about how the Empress has taken notice of this weapon and how strong it ought to be. He knows next to nothing about her motives. And before Gloomer had brought it in he hadn't even guessed the weapon could be a creature. A fact that drives him mad. It also doesn't help, that a few the crew members have reported the appearance of strange time altering bubbles. If this weapon can manipulate the time-space continuum, it will be a valuable addition to the Fleet. But how does the Empress want to use this weapon? Bionics? Conditioning? Mind-control? To Slicer mind-control sounds best.

A rebellious thought crosses his mind.

He can, after all, invade the minds of others to plant certain urges into them, a rare and unique ability. Thanks to it, he has been able to avoid the execution after one of his co-conspirators got cold feet and snitched on him.

Maybe I can control this weapon and force it to listen only to my orders, he thinks bemused and smiles. Then I can finally kill those stupid Terrestrials. They're after all the problem of our overpopulation. Sure they are nice workers, but I would prefer them dead. No. I shouldn't be thinking such thoughts. This can get me executed for real if one of those stupid mind readers is close by…

Ever since he has left the Birthwaters he has dreamed of taking them down. Sure conquering the whole universe has eased the pressure for the moment. But the Empress and her mindless aquatic Drones on Cetus are too fertile for their own good. If he doesn't take care of the overpopulation, who will? He can wipe the majority of the Terrestrials out and take the rest to do all the dirty work for him.

Perhaps the Empress will have nothing against it if I don't make any remarks towards her fertility, he muses frowning. No. Best she goes too. It's time for an Emperor to shine!

A few moments later the buzzer in his desk rings. Pushing the papers on it aside he picks it up and pushes the speak-button.

"What ya want?!" he asks with a snarl.

"Sorry to bother you, Sir." says his thin-voiced assistant. "But Crossshot Vadias and Bladedancer Aricci are here."

"Send them in," he orders harsh and tries to get his face back under control, Those stupid soldiers don't need to get the feeling that something's off.

As he takes a deep breath and sits up straight in his comfortable chair, the door opens, and the two misfits enter. Slicer finds himself not surprised to remember them. The moron with the broken off horns and the midget. Slicer has sincerely hoped to have someone more reliable to give him a report, but he can't change it. At least not at the moment…

"What the fuck happened?" he asks them banging his fist on the table.

Vadias wants to speak but is silence by Aricci, who pushes him aside as if this is the most sensible thing to do. He protests but his words are immediately proven empty by his lack of action. Slicer fights the urge to jump over his desk and strangle him.

"Sunaru got a bit overworked, Sir," she starts to explain in a much to gleeful tone. "She wanted to be the first to find the weapon, but Crossshot Vadias and Bladedancer Gloomer have found it first. They were in the middle of packing it up when we arrived. So, she got a bit angry and pounced at Bladedancer Gloomer before I could stop her. Lucky for the mission Crossshot Vadias could hold her back long enough for Bladedancer Gloomer to secure the weapon without damaging it. After all, there was nothing more important to do than to bring it unscathed and in one piece to the Starblazer. Crossshot Vadias was valiant in his actions but unable to subdue Bladedancer Sunaru for long. So, I did what was necessary and banged a piece of dead wood across the back of her head. This knocked her out, so we could carry her back to the Starblazer without any more incidents."

Slicer rubs his eyes, while he processes what she has told him. A rather unpleasant thought crosses his mind. This doesn't sound like a soldier out for revenge. What has driven Bladedancer Sunaru really into madness? The weapon? There is the possibility but…

He needs to know for sure. After all he doesn't want to get his ass handed to himself if this weapon can induce temporary or even permanent insanity. He doesn't want to use it as pawn and become one of it in the process. The topic needs to be cleared before he can engage into his plans. But, as many things, this has to happen later.

"And you're sure that she attacked you out of wounded pride and not out of something else?" he asks, careful not to give them any funny ideas.

"Not that we could think of, Sir, right Serfin?" she says and nudges Crossshot Vadias with her elbow.

He looks for a moment as if he wants to protest, but then some form of understanding pops up on his face. Even before he can express his agreement, Slicer already has the information he needs. All he needs to do now is to dismiss them and pay the weapon a visit.

But I can't go right now, he decides. They might be stupid but sometimes even an idiot can piece two and two together…

"You’re sure?" Slicer asks flat.

Both nod their head almost in perfect unison.

Oh, why do I have to be on this stupid ship full of rejects and weirdos?

Well, he knows why.

Once he controls the weapon he can show them what he thought back then and still thinks about them now. About everyone! But for now, he has to deal with these clowns right in front of him.

"Fine," he says calm and stands up.

He pushes the chair back and turns around facing the interstellar map. It spreads over the wall behind his desk and shows various sectors with many habitable planets with Cetus being in the middle of the map.

"We arrive in the Cetus-Sector in about fourteen days," he says once he has calculated the distance. "Until further notice the two of you, as well as your partners, have duty-free. But I expect a full report on the issue before we arrive at Cetus to be on my desk. Clear?"

"Crystal-clear, Sir," both say and salute him.

"You are dismissed," he growls and waves them away, to which they gladly comply.

He waits still facing the map until the door closes with a swish. Then he goes back to his desk and picks his handheld communication device up. There is still a part in him that is worried about the consequences of this endeavour. But he pushes those doubts away since they are nothing but poison to his plans and schemes.

All Empresses have built the empire without doubts and the fear of consequences. Why should he not do what they’ve done? He can do it. He is not a small, dumb Mudswimmer like the other fools on this ship. Before he became Captain of the Starblazer, he was the leader of his division. An elite of elites. With a sinister grin, he pushes the button of his communication device.

"I'll be down to take a look at the weapon in about one and a half hours," he growls into it.

"Understood, Sir," answers a nasal voice through slight static. "Every'ing shall be ready, Sir."

—

Serfin

The Starblazer is a vast ship. Appropriate for any warship. The most spacious parts are reserved for essential components. Deep in the bowls of the ship one can find the life-support system, the supply, the engine and weapon-systems. Tubes crisscrossing above, below and next to metal-grate walkways barely wide enough for two Menkar to pass each other. The hum vibrating in the metal of the whole structure. Darkness swallowing everything past the pipes that bang and raw like beasts or beat like the heart of a giant monster.

The remainder of the ship hosts the living quarters, the dinning hall and the medical bay. In there among the entertainment areas one can find most of the crew off-duty. Music and laughter can be heard above small and big conversations. Sometimes those who are able, perform little tricks and entertain the others with her psychic powers. But most often one can find two or more Menkar in a brawl.

As Serfin walks to the living quarters, he doesn't pay any attention to the Menkar around him. All he can do is think about the mission. Slicer doesn't seem like he will give the promotion. Then again Serfin isn't that disappointed it didn't work out. It ought to have been a ruse from the start, he muses as he moves along the plastic and metal grate corridors towards the sleeping quarters. Slicer likes to do this stuff. At least Res has made it!

Serfin enters the cabin he shares with Respin. As he closes the door Respin changes into a lime-green turtleneck and turns around. Once he has pushed his head through the top, he looks at Serfin, and his expression drops from neutral to worried. This expression causes Serfin's heart to skip a beat. Before Respin can say anything, Serfin pulls him into an almost bone-crushing hug. Taken by surprise the smaller Menkar lets out a sound like a squeaky toy and doesn't know where to put his hands.

"I was so worried about you, Res," Serfin mumbles against his Bondmates shoulder while fighting back the tears collecting in his eye.

"Worried about me?" he asks confused and somewhat shocked. "I should be the one to say that! Dear Gods of the Void! All those patches…"

"Just a few scratches," he replies without any intention to let go.

"And her partner?" he asks muffled and pats Serfin's back.

"She's alright," he tells him and gives him some air to breathe. "Topasa, that's her name, knocked Nethra out by hitting her with something… Respin? Is something wrong?"

The frown on his head is deeper than usual.

"N-no. Nothing," he hastily says but it does not convince Serfin.

"You worry about something," he says and sits down on one of the two chairs beside their water-tanks. "You know that you can tell me everything."

"Yes… Sure…" he replies strained. "Umm… I don't know… I shouldn't be worrying about something like this but…"

"Go on," Serfin encourages Respin as he falls silent.

Before he continues, he sits down on the other chair in front of Serfin.

"You don't happen to have seen, by any chance, this small chitinous creature we bumped into?" he asks cautiously as if defusing a bomb. "I'm worried because I have the bad feeling that it… he's on the ship…"

"Is this your sixth-sense tingling?" he asks alarmed and half raises from his chair.

"Perhaps… I don't really know," he answers frowning and looks away. "I can't concentrate on anything since this whole debacle…"

"Then we better take a look around," Serfin suggests after a while. "I don't think Slicer takes kindly to intruders. And I can tell you on the way what has happened. Deal?"

"Deal," he replies with a smile.