Ask Mercenary Or No Mercy

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Well, this was a tad confusing. First Jade had wanted the Pykes to prove their worth, to join the front line and barrage bolt after bolt, and now she wanted them to guard the gate? The door. Tysjor was not alone in his speculations. What lies beyond that door? What is it you want in that building, Captain Jade, that you don’t want us to know?

Now, however, was not (yet) the time to put a bolt in the Twi’lek’s skull. Cul would let this play out, would cull the herd when the time might prove itself, though he was still banking on not. The Pyke Syndicate was not what it once was, Jade was right about that, and having these mercenaries crew the bridge of a corvette besides Pykes more remained a worthwhile endeavor.

“Fine,” Cul replied simply to Tysjor’s offer of the datarod. There was little doubt that it would be of use. Tysjor might not have had the brains that his counterpart did, but he had enough to recognize value when it stared him in the face, and conceal it. “We shall exchange our reapings after this rapine.”

Moments later and the Lonely Cubs had proven that the lives inside the colony’s headquarters had lost them and their moments too. “It is done,” Jade grinned, blood spattered on her outfit, clearly not her own.

Beside her, a pet Quarren dragged an Aqualish by the collar, saying nothing as his captain spoke for him and toward two Pykes. “This one is coming with us.”

“Why?” Cul asked plainly.

Jade narrowed her gaze as though the question might not have been warranted. “Because he is worth more to me alive than dead. And because I said so.”

“Very well,” Cul complied. There were clearly some more moves to this dance than met the eye. I will find out, one way or the other. “Then let’s leave.” He took a brief moment to survey the death and destruction all around. “This settlement is isolated enough, your ship took out the comm towers well enough, but I don’t want to be here when any authority arrives.”

That made Jade chuckle. “Have you forgotten, Pyke? I am the authority.”

As the Captain made to leave, Cul had a feeling he was thinking the same thing as Tysjor. Not for long.

@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

The Aqualish was a curious addition to the day’s spoils. Whatever had happened to no survivors? He only watched as the Quarren lugged the man over his shoulder and started to make his way back to the Lonely Cub. It was clear that there was more to this given Jade’s irritatingly vague explanation and quip to Cul, but whatever she was planning wouldn’t stay hidden for long.

The captain turned around and left, her mercenaries following in her wake and leaving the two Pykes in the back. When the others were out of earshot, Tysjor wheeled around to his partner.

“I say we kill Jade and take the ship by force. I’ve had enough of that woman’s attitude,” he snarled. “We can take the Aqualish for ourselves. If the crew doesn’t join us, then they can die along with their captain.” This waiting game had gone on long enough, and Tysjor was eager to plant a blaster bolt in the twi-lek’s head and get going. But another part of him was curious to know just why she’d decided to keep the Aqualish and what value he held. And finding that out would require Jade to be alive, at least for the time being.

It was quiet now except for the crackling of the flames in the settlement and the now-humming engines of the corvette. They would be leaving soon. For now, Tysjor was content with Cul making the plans— perhaps he would know when to strike. Whenever that would be, he was certain that both Pykes were coiled and ready to spring.

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Cul paced silently beside his partner until the latter opened his mouth. That was to be expected, and the former had learned it well enough. This one is a blaster, a pike of a Pyke, and that makes him far more valuable than a hundred Lonely Cubs whose roar is but a whisper in comparison.

“Patience, Tysjor,” Cul presumed upon himself while walking with hands clasped behind back. They were as bloody as Captain Jade’s but did not show it. “We are two among a hundred and, though we are better than the rest, we cannot take them out in an instant.”

He meant as much, hoped to let that sink in, but spoke again as the pair approached the corvette’s ramp, eyes settling on its owner. “We need only bide our time and take out just one, if it comes to it, but remember the prize…”

Did Tysjor recognize that prize? Do you see it? Cul held his hands behind his back but both became fists just then. “A Pyke’s prize, a Pyke’s pride, that no Twi’lek or Quarren or mere mercenary can ever hope to deny us from claiming.”

Power, in all its golden glory, could not be regained overnight. No, the Pykes had to be as patient as the Hutts, and if Tysjor did not know this already then he would learn it soon enough.

Back aboard the Lonely Cub as it wasted no more time to take to the sky, the two Pykes were back in their quarters where some privacy could be afforded. Cul had a portion of information to share but decided to start with Tysjor’s datarod.


@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

The prize. Tysjor grudgingly admitted that Cul had a point. No true prize was so easily won, and what the Pykes were aiming to achieve again was certainly impossible to win without patience. Killing Jade and taking the corvette would be just one small step toward their ultimate goal.

Soon the Pykes were aboard the ship and in their quarters. Tysjor had plugged the datarod into a small monitor conveniently located in their room. As the screen flickered to life, the Pyke leaned in to see what information the device held. It turned out, there was quite a bit.

Copies of various documents appeared on the screen, the first detailing the full story of the mining colony from one of the settlers’ perspectives. It seemed that they had been doomed ever since they’d uncovered a large quantity of minerals. Being an independent colony, they’d attempted to keep it secret to potentially profit off their find themselves, but it hadn’t been long until the information reached their former sponsor, Ortigo. Another document indicated that negotiations were short between the two parties, ending with a threat by Ortigo to take over operations themselves using nothing short of violence.

The last one was a plea to Blackwell, informing them of the resources discovered and indicating a willingness to work with them in exchange for protection. Looking at the date, this one was sent much more recently, though it was evident that Blackwell had either not received the message or had ignored it. Tysjor glanced at Cul.

“What do you think of this?” he asked, taking a step back so that his partner could have a look as well. It didn’t mean much to him as of now, but it did provide some insight into part of what was really going on.

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Cul pulled up a chair as Tysjor projected the contents of the datarod onto the computer, fingertips pressed together, as motionless as the room. What he saw, what he read, was everything and more. So, that’s what this is all about, Captain Jade. He corrected himself. No, there is more to it.

“Well, we know why the Lonely Cubs were hired.” Before the Pyke’s finger tapped a key to open another file, the evidence was clear. “Ortigo can’t afford to be implicated in what happened on Bandomeer, so they hired mercenaries to do their dirty work. The corporation needed the infrastructure intact but did not need its colonists alive.”

The document he discovered confirmed it. There was correspondence between one Dovor Olma of the colony and Ortigo, back and forth, emphasizing the urgency to take action before Blackwell got involved. That lined up with what the communications center had revealed. Cul sifted through more data, and to a Pyke like him whose family included bankers, well, data was just numbers in the end.

What struck him was how it was laid out. Tysjor had informed his partner that he had plucked the datarod from a woman, and she turned out to be a colonist fighting for independence. Her notes showed that she had stumbled on the dealings between Olma and Ortigo, and his portrait proved to be familiar.

“They left no witnesses. Save one. This Aqualish that Jade found, Dovor Olma, the colony’s resident representative for Ortigo. Hmm, what have we here…” Another click, another word, this one ‘Cubs’. “So, he served as facilitator not just between Ortigo and the colony but also between Ortigo and the Lonely Cubs…”

The data was naked before Cul's eyes, Tysjor’s too, more voicing his thoughts aloud than informing the latter, fingertips pressed together once again. “Interestingly, Jade put Dovor in the brig.” Why? Why keep prisoner the individual who helped arrange this job for you, Captain Jade? What do you want from him? Maybe…you don't want anyone on this ship to know what only you two know.

“The mystery unravels, Tysjor, like the threads of a spider’s web. At the center is this ship, which will be ours soon enough, and I have an idea of how to claim it.” Shutting down the computer, Cul retrieved the datarod and turned to his companion. “To the brig, then. We have some business to discuss with an Aqualish named Dovor Olma.”


@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

Now it made more sense as to why Jade had kept the Aqualish alive. From what they had found out from the datarod, Dovor could provide some valuable intel that could be of use later down the road.

After Cul detached the datarod and shut down the computer, the pair made their way to the bridge. This time though, they would have no one simply let them in. Instead, a pair of merc guards stood outside, glaring at the two Pykes as they came to a stop in front of them.

“Whaddya want?” the Devaronian sniffed. Tysjor let Cul do his thing, offering the two mercs some compensation in return for letting the Pykes in. Unfortunately, or perhaps not so as they would soon be working for the Pykes instead, the mercs staunchly refused. We could use some of this loyalty.

“We’re not gonna be bought for so little,” the Tognath added, shaking his head. Very well, then. Tysjor glanced at Cul, then back at the two guards, whose hands were now wrapped tighter around their weapons. No matter. Tysjor kneed the Devaronian in the groin, then yanked the rifle out of his hands and used the butt of it to knock out the Tognath. Once the other guard was down, the Devaronian was easy to take care of as well. They both went down, and Tysjor pressed the button that would open the door to the bridge.

“Now for our prisoner.”

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC

The correct course of action here was a lack of violence. The pair of Pykes did not want to make a scene that would get them caught, certainly not before they found their quarry and mined it for every mineral.

Naturally, then, Cul led the pair to the pair of guards, and offered them what he thought was an ample share of credits. They refused.

Cul glanced at Tysjor, glad that the two men were of one mind. These are not simply greedy grunts. They are loyal to their master. Though, as men like Cul Laaster knew, loyalty did not need to change in order for loyalties to shift. One master may yet be the same as the other.

Before Cul could make these two mercenaries an offer they could not refuse, Tysjor did so for him. Hmm. It was all he could think as his partner knocked both guards out in a matter of moments. They were down for the count.

“Not the most subtle approach,” Cul mused as the brig’s cell opened sesame. “But it worked. We shall have to make this quick, however.” The brig’s console was no less free for grabs and Cul made sure to scramble the camera feed. It was just more data, after all. But it would not last long. “If these unconscious souls are radioed for, well…”

“W-What do you want?” queried a wary Aqualish as two Pykes entered his makeshift bedroom which barely consisted of a bed. Dovor sat on the edge. No matter, Cul had no mind or time to sit.

“Everything,” he answered. One hand was behind his back, the other cradling a small metal ball he had found on the console; it looked like it belonged to some sport whose name he could care less about. “And just one thing.”

Dovor looked confused. Good. Cryptic is good. “Did…did Jade send you to execute me?”

Cul tilted his head. “Now, why among the stars would Captain Jade of the Lonely Cubs issue such an order?” He did not have the Force to use for this interrogation, only his wits. And my eyes. Look into the violet violence of my eyes. He was told they could be more menacing than a hundred Tysjors.

“Doublecrossing bitch,” Dovor spat. “She won’t get away with this, even if she spares me, you know that, right?”

“What I know is that you are party to the massacre on the planet below and behind us. I know why Ortigo used these mercenaries for their dirty work and how you facilitated the op." Cul held up the datarod. "What I can’t understand is why you are in here instead of out there with your friends.”

“Friends? Jade surely hopes to use me as a bargaining chip. I know a lot. Probably figures Ortigo will doublecross her, not hold up their end of the…” He looked away, gulping back the beans he just then spilled. “...Deal between...Ortigo and just Jade...not her crew.”

Cul glanced at Tysjor, a look that said everything. There was clearly a whole other arrangement at work here. “Go on.”

“Why? Why should I tell you? Who are you?"

Dovor's eyes widened just then as Cul's narrowed, unblinking. He clutched his ball like a fist, withdrew the pistol from behind his back, and leaned in. "We are Pykes.”


@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

“And Pykes don’t mess around.” Tysjor stepped forward after Cul’s glance, resting the barrel of his pistol in his other palm. Perhaps this man is just what we need. “Tell us what you know, Dovor Olma, and we may just spare you.” The Aqualish looked between the two Pykes, the silence spanning a few seconds, then seemed to come to a decision.

“Ah, well. That’s a better deal than what Jade was offering,” he finally admitted. “She was going to kill me either way. No witnesses.” Tysjor cocked his head slightly. Dovor wasn’t as big of a fool as he had seemed at first, and seemed to know what choices would lead to an outcome in his best interest. Even if that meant trusting Pykes. Tysjor lowered his blaster and put his hands behind his back.

“I was the middle man, a representative of Ortigo. I’m sure you know that already,” he added with a glance at Cul and the datarod in his hand. “I was responsible for hiring Jade and her mercenaries. The deal was simple. Wipe out the colony so that Ortigo could put their own men in, and in return, she would be handsomely rewarded. But that wasn’t all of it.”

In a motion so small that it was practically unnoticeable, Tysjor pressed a button behind him that would broadcast what the Aqualish was saying to the entire ship. He had a feeling that whatever he was about to say would be more useful if more heard it.

“For completing the mission, Jade would be granted the position as head of security for Ortigo. She would receive all the funding she could ever want. Only catch is, she’d have to turn in her crew and anyone else involved with the job. Can’t have the public knowing about a massacre like that. Not good for business.” Tysjor nodded for him to go on as Dovor glanced at him.

“By the deal, everyone on this ship except for Jade will be dead when we touch the ground. You and I included.” The room was dead silent after that, and Tysjor could hear running footsteps in the hall. I wonder who that could be. He turned around, glanced at Cul, then at the entrance to the bridge. This was about to get even more interesting.

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

At last, the web spins over itself. What Dovor was saying made some sublime sense. He was a dead man. Jade could just as well have offed him back in the colony but, given the apparent extent of her nature, she probably planned on milking him for all he was worth and then shoving him out the airlock.

Now his utility has been repurposed, his value increased, his life in our hands. The deal was deadly, drastic, but made no less sense. Captain Jade was a witness too, but a capable creature.

Like Tysjor, after a fashion at least, she would become Ortigo’s blaster to point where they needed, keeping her closer than a mere mercenary, and who would listen to her testimony if she tried to sell out her new employers?

There was more to the story, some gaps that still needed filling in, but not really and not now. The Pykes cared less about an intricate plot and more about the ship that ferried it and, more importantly, there were footsteps coming down the hall outside the brig.

“Is it her!?” Dovor pressed his back against the wall. The door opened and a lone figure entered.

“You’ve got a big mouth, Aqualish,” the Quarren scowled, pointing his blaster. “Let me close it for you.”

It was Cul’s turn to glance at Tys, pointing his blaster in return. Was Jade's first officer in on it too? Or just a dumb henchman carrying out a kill order without question?

“The gig’s up, Quarren,” Cul assured. “Your captain has some explaining to do. Now stand aside and let us pass…or we’ll go through you.”


@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

The Quarren hesitated at Cul’s words, looking between him and Tysjor’s already-drawn pistols. Contrary to what the Pyke had thought earlier, the mercenary did value his own life. The Quarren lowered his blaster, though the scowl didn’t leave his face.

“She’ll explain, alright. Then when she’s done, I’ll end you three right where you stand.” Fool. As if he could. For now though, Tysjor merely nodded, which evidently caught the Quarren off guard. His earlier confidence further melted down when Captain Jade herself stormed into the bridge, her look on her face one of frustration and irritation.

“I ordered you to kill them! What about that is so difficult to understand? I always end up doing things myself.” She drew her own blaster, pointing it at Cul. But before she could press the trigger, a hand from behind grabbed her upper arm. It was the Weequay guard from earlier. Jade’s face contorted into an expression of utter fury as she wheeled around to face the man.

“Hold on a minute, cap’n. Is it true?” The Weequay didn’t budge, and neither did Tysjor. It was quite entertaining to watch, really. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one who thought so, and a small crowd of the other crewmates had gathered near the entrance of the bridge.

“Was she really going to sell us out?” “No way!” “What do you have to say for yourself, Jade?” There was some muttering among the men, gradually turning into some yelling and shouting to be heard over the voices of others. Tysjor glanced at Cul. It was all happening better than expected.

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Everything was proceeding as Cul Laaster had foreseen—more or less. In fact, future events looked so promising, so certain, that he lowered his blaster without fear of reprisal. He wasn’t shot, no Pyke was, for the mercenaries in that brig were turned to each other. To soon turn on one another. No, just one.

“I say…” Jade sucked air between her teeth, looked from one crewmember to the other, bared those teeth. “I say that I am the captain of this ship! Captain of the Cubs! I say that those two Pykes and that Aqualish have pulled the wool over your kriffing eyes! They want what is ours!"

That was a fair accusation, all perspectives considered. If these two Pykes wanted this ship then, sure, it was feasible to instigate a conspiracy for its captain to be ousted and replaced. You’re up, Aqualish.

“Why?” Dovor emerged from his cell, standing up straight on both feet. “What would I possibly want with this ship besides getting off it and back to Ortigo? I thought these Pykes to be my assassins, but you are your own crew’s assassin, Captain.”

“Silence!” Jade hissed.

“Why, Lonely Cubs, would your captain keep me, a company representative, as the only survivor from that colony? Lock me up like a crate of credits? Tell you nothing about it?”

“I said…shut. UP.” Jade squeezed the trigger and drove a bolt into Dovor’s shoulder. She had aimed for his heart.

“Sorry,” Cul lied, having shoved his new tool aside just in time. “But he is worth more to me alive than dead.”

“I know you better than anyone,” the Quarren told his captain who had completely lost her cool. “What have you done, Jade?”

“Don’t listen to her,” Cul beckoned, holding up a datarod. “Listen to this. Plug it into your astromech. Do it on the bridge where the rest of the crew can pay heed.” Cul’s gaze narrowed upon Jade, a corner of his lips curling upward ever so slightly. “Where the Lonely Cubs can witness the betrayal of their lioness as she sheds her fur…”

Kicking off the march, Cul gestured for Tysjor to tag along with Dovor and the two unconscious guards just then resuscitated. The Pykes would have to explain that too, being targets themselves no less, but everyone wanted answers right now.

Clutching his shoulder, Dovor reached for a weapon, vengeance in his eyes before they met the violet eyes of Cul Laaster. "Leave the blaster. Take the medpac." They headed into the corridor.

@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

Tysjor followed closely behind Cul and Dovor as they led the way to the bridge. The Quarren was busy arguing with Jade in the back, with the Weequay and two of his buddies tagging at the back of the small group to make sure no one tried anything, whether it be their captain, Dovor, or the two Pykes. Tysjor could feel the tension in the air all the way up until the moment they arrived at the bridge, and it was only when the astromech rolled up to receive the datarod that it exploded in the form of Jade’s outburst.

“You can’t be serious. You’re trusting these Pykes and some evidence that they made up? It’s obvious that they threatened Dovor for-”

“Dovor? How do you know his name?” the Quarren interrupted. Jade’s mouth remained open for a moment, speechless, before she caught herself. Tysjor could see both the desperation and the anger in her eyes.

“He- I did make a deal, I admit it. But I wasn’t going to hold it up! I would never sacrifice my crew.”

“But you made the deal anyway.” The Weequay turned back from reading the documents being projected by the astromech, his companions at his side. All three looked like they had just been stabbed in the back. He went on.

“You could have taken any other deal. We have so many job offers, the Lonely Cubs, and you chose this one.” So far, he hadn’t mentioned the Pykes yet, but just as Tysjor thought the thought the Weequay turned to him and Cul.

“How long’ve you known about this for?”

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

There were those like Tysjor who were thrilled by violence, reveled in combat, but the Culs of the universe, even though there could only be one, were enticed and excited in the political arena. The betrayal, the uncertainty, the distrust and mistrust, and all that was happening right then and there without a blaster being fired.

Jade was cornered as much as surrounded, and she knew it. She felt it as surely as a sorcerer felt the Force. The deeper she slipped down the hole she had dug for herself, the more anxious she became, and the more reckless. Don’t worry, Captain. Your watch is soon to end.

At the Weequay’s query, Cul turned to Tysjor. Truth be told, the Pyke was the only one that the other Pyke could trust, though he saw no reason to lie. They are mercenaries. Liars no less, perhaps, and liars do not reward the lies of others.

“That datarod you just dug into, we found it back on the colony, upon the corpse of the woman who put it all together.”

“And you tell us now?" barked the Quarren.

Cul shrugged. “Why not wait? We stumbled upon information that might get us killed either way, much like Dovor here, and we are newbies as much as Pykes—we protect ourselves first and foremost.”

Anyone who knew of the Pykes would know as much, and apparently most of the mercenaries did. They would also know this next part. “But we do not reward loyalty with betrayal, not like your captain.”

Jade seethed in silence. Seems you're learning. “We could have killed your jailers. We bumped them on the head. Now they stand. More importantly, now we all know the truth; and, remember, we broadcasted that truth to you on our own accord. The question is…what now?”

As Cul’s eyes went into his and hers, hers and his, about half the Cubs were watching the other. That was plain as daylight; there were those still on Jade’s side and those shifting from it, and in the middle were one Aqualish and two Pykes, safe for now. Just a little more…then the lions roar.


@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

Your time is up, Jade. Tysjor knew it, Cul knew it, and the crew surely did too. Even though many looked hesitant to believe what they were hearing, which Tysjor couldn’t blame them for, they couldn’t deny the documents in front of them and the signature of their captain scrawled at the end of each of them.

Jade herself didn’t seem to be doing so well either. Her composure had all but vanished now that her true intentions were laid bare for everyone on the bridge to see. One of her hands was clenched into a fist, the other around her blaster handle, swiveling from Cul to Tysjor to Dovor to the Quarren, who had shakily pointed his own at her. However, she stayed silent, and Tysjor knew that she knew she was beaten.

Cul’s explanation and veiled offer seemed to satisfy the mercenaries, at least most of them. It had successfully taken the attention off the Pykes and shifted it to Jade again. Though it didn’t look like the mercs would turn on Pykes at the moment, Tysjor had his trusty blaster ready just in case. At the end of the day, they would be taking this ship for themselves, with or without the mercenaries.

What now? Cul’s words hung in the air, and Tysjor looked from merc to merc as a couple debated quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to come to a decision in a matter of seconds, looking at the documents and then at Jade. What now? Your choice.

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC

It was hard to argue with evidence, especially when it was staring you in the face. There was more on that datarod, deeper levels, and with Dovor on the scene he had uncovered certain secrets, certain signatures, that had slipped beneath the Pykes’ eyes when first they tapped into it.

Now all eyes were open, the secrets were naked, and there they were: a room full of mercenaries looking to their captain for answers. No, that’s what they had been looking for, now they were looking for explanations.

No, Cul smiled, even wider behind his lips. No more explaining. Now it is time for judgment. He looked from one crewmember to the other but most had lost interest in Cul, in Tysjor, in Dovor. It was Jade who they saw through.

“Lock her up,” demanded one. “We’ll figure out what to do with her later.”

“No,” barked another. “Space the bitch. We’ll throw her out the airlock together.”

“Hand her over to Ortigo, like she would have done to us. We’ll renegotiate, demand more money.”

“Nah, put a bolt in her skull. The one who does it gets to captain ship and crew. This is the way.”

“Mando’s right. But who will do it?”

“Kriffing cowards. What are we waiting for?” A merc stepped forth brandishing a blade.

“Step back, scum!” The Quarren backhanded him.

All of a sudden, the bridge became a boiler waiting to blow. Blasters were raised, some at Jade, some toward the other half of the room.

“Lonely Cubs!” Cul rarely raised his voice. When he did, it was heard. “The Pyke Syndicate stands before you, such as we are, and we did not board your Lonely Cub without purpose, without promise.”

He had ears and eyes on him, enough of them anyway. “The galaxy is changing. War is coming, only more of it. Mercenaries like you will thrive in the chaos, but you cannot do so alone. You need partners, and the Pykes can provide. Together, we can prosper. Your captain mentioned as much upon our arrival.”

“I should have never brought you aboard.” Jade looked poised to kill but was powerless to do so.

“Oh, but you did, Captain. I’m guessing you brought the two of us along for the ride as a couple of extra bodies for your dirty work. Maybe to take the blame for your conspiracy in case your crew caught on. Maybe, even, you genuinely hoped to build a relationship with the Syndicate as much as Ortigo.”

The Quarren remained the least moved, clearly unhappy with his mistress but standing by her side like a guard dog. No matter, Cul stood beside Tysjor, and the pair were far more loyal to one another.

“In truth, I don’t care. Yet, regarding disloyalty to your own crew, including my partner and I, well...the Pykes send their regards.” In one fluid motion, Cul lifted his pistol and squeezed the trigger. The bolt burrowed into Jade’s skull just as the Quarren raised his blaster to fire—but no other Cub did. This is the way.


@Sicadorito

 

[Tysjor Maspat]

There it is. The crew had finally come to their senses, and Jade’s command was at an end. The various suggestions as to what to do with her, each becoming increasingly violent, made Tysjor more eager to see what they would do, and throwing her out of the airlock seemed like a fairly attractive idea. Then came the brief exchange between Cul and the former captain, and in a matter of seconds the twi-lek was dead on the floor.

Only the Quarren seemed to have an issue with it, his being the only blaster raised among the Cubs. He seemed to realize it too, and his hands wavered. Who’s the lonely one now? Tysjor met the Quarren’s gaze.

“You have a choice, Quarren. You can continue to stand alone for a traitor,” he gestured at Jade’s body lying on the floor, “or you can put your blaster down and follow the will of your crewmates.” And they will stand with us. That much was clear. The Pykes had been the ones who had revealed Jade’s plotting, and in Tysjor’s eyes the mercenaries owed their lives to him and Cul. And, when one was in debt, Tysjor expected it to be paid back in full.

The Pyke put his pistol back on his belt, knowing that there was no longer any need for it. If the Quarren didn’t submit, he was expecting the already riled-up Cubs to take care of him. Some already looked eager. Either way, the Pyke Syndicate would soon receive the prize that it had paid for. A successful deal indeed.

//Exit character

@Die Shize

 

[Cul Laaster]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Cul reckoned he could have shifted his blaster just a few inches and squeezed the trigger again, but in those milliseconds the Quarren could have gotten a shot off and Cul would be dead. That, however, is why Tysjor was there. Only, there was no need for that blaster either. This Quarren is not as stupid as he looks.

Jade's former first mate lowered his weapon, like a bear lowering a paw, and that meant it was time for the lion to raise his. For the lions to raise ours. Tysjor tucked his gun away, Cul too, but it was a movement that meant so much more. We are Pykes. We are so much more!

“You have been betrayed,” Cul Laaster stated the truth, what was now obvious, just as much to let it sink in, let it settle; let the Cubs come to terms with the reality of what had just transpired. “But not by us. You,” he looked toward one of the jailers Tysjor had rendered unconscious. “And you.” Tossed an ingot of credits to each. “For your trouble. There is more where that came from.”

Mercenaries, however, tended to have clashing personalities, many quick to anger, so Cul did not recoil. He did not step back. He stood up straight, gazed at them all with his violet eyes, and they did not blink.

“Forget what you have heard about us. We. Are. Pykes. The Syndicate grows again, with or without Kessel and its Runs, and you shall grow with it. Run with it. From this day forth, Lonely Cubs, your Lonely Cub is not so alone anymore, and neither are you.” He raised a hand, curled its fingers, clutched the future, squeezed out the drops like juice from a fruit. “A lion leads it and you now...toward riches and glory.”

Some looked left, looked right, spat on Jade, cheered their new captain by right of execution. Then the whole bridge came to life, cheered both Pykes, roared for the future. Hear me roar. And my house, my family. The Laasters send their regards…

[END THREAD]​

@Sicadorito