Project - Prometheus Ch. 37

Seeing these robots equipped with similar hardware had some people flat out running away. A deputy with such a riot weapon, they could overpower, but a squad of battle hardened robots? No way! Once enough of the townsfolk scurried out of the way, the group made their way forward. It was maybe another five minutes before they reached the station, walking through the doors with their prisoner and into safety. Little did they know of the unfriendly eyes that watched them from a distance.

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Matthias watched from the second floor of a home that was being used for storage. It was one of many hiding places he had in Tanith's Gully that he used to keep watch of the people here. It was interesting to see this crew move around, as it reminded him of how his own group operated. They weren't fools, as they came armed and ready to party, which the man had noted right out of the gate. If they were taking such precautions, then they might be worthwhile adversaries after all.

A part of him wanted to engage in combat with this group for the aggravation they'd caused him. But half of the blame lay at Sargol's feet, so he couldn't blame them for responding as they had. While he dearly wanted to have at them and make them pay for taking his men, Matthias stayed his hand. As one of the leaders of the Shadow Dancers, it wasn't his place to stir up trouble. That was Sargol's job.

He kept watching the station, wondering what sort of distraction Sargol would cook up for him. The man had a penchant for troublemaking, something which had proved useful time and again. The man had already formulated a plan to get his men back and even had several contingencies, in case things went south. Matthias kept his eye trained on the station, waiting for his cue to take action.

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"Get in there!" Willem barked at Bailey as he shoved the boy in with his friend Dak.

"You're gonna pay for this!" Dak barked at him.

"Looks like the only ones paying for anything are you two thieving scum!" Willem retorted as he shut the cell and locked it.

"If you're done bantering, I think your uncle wants to see us, Wil," Aesha told the deputy. Hearing her voice made the boy smile, and he turned away, following the small party towards Daved's office. They found their way into the room with little issue, despite the usual goings on of the station.

"Close the door, please," Daved said as he rummaged through a pile of papers on his desk before lifting his gaze to the assembled crew. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about some reinforcements we were getting. You already know Inari. This is Priya, her girlfriend and Luminia, the Ambassador to the Artucian people," Taal'ani said to him after she had shut the door.

"Hmm. Well, I won't say no to additional hands on the investigation. Especially seasoned ones! I'm guessing you two can shoot?" Daved asked.

"Pree is our sharpshooter, and served in the Federation like I did. Lumi is limited in her firearm experience, but makes good use of that sword she carries," Inari informed him.

"That blade? May I see it?" Daved asked, fascinated by its look.

Luminia drew the weapon and offered it to Daved hilt first. The man took the blade and gave it a few experimental swings before inspecting it. He could tell that the craftsmanship of the weapon was top notch. Likely made by a master swordsmith, going by how solid it felt in his grip.

"I have never seen its equal!" the sheriff admitted.

"Few people do see work of that caliber. When Khontarans make something, it's made to last one of their lifetimes," Inari told him as he handed the sword back to Luminia.

"Wait, Doctor Korsa made this? For... Luminia?" he queried, more than a little confused.

"She did. It was my father's sword, but it fell apart and I didn't know how to remake it. Korsa was kind enough to help me in doing this," Luminia told him.

"You're going to want to hold onto that, then! A weapon like that will attract many unfriendly eyes, looking to either possess it or sell it. Khontaran made weapons sell for insane amounts of credits," Daved informed her.

"They'd have to be of Korsa's fighting skill, or really lucky if they want to take it from her. She earned herself a nickname among her own people, which were those runes you saw etched onto the blade," Inari informed him.

"What's the nickname?" Willem questioned, curious about Luminia's people.

"Beastslayer."

The crew then explained how Luminia earned said name, making sure to leave out any parts of the story that gave away why they were on Talemkha. Both Daved and Willem were wide eyed the whole time, looking like kids being told a fantasy story for the first time. Once the tale was told, both men stared at the Artucian with a newfound sense of reverence. Survival on such a harsh world made their struggles pale in comparison.

"Damn! Remind me to never question any other Artucian if they can fight," Daved laughed.

"Smart man."

"Now, I believe you had an assignment for us?" Priya questioned.

"You four have done well in aiding my investigation, and the progress that's been made is amazing! This next assignment I've got for you, it's a doozy!" the sheriff told them.

"After how we came through on the last one you gave us, I don't think this one would be too much trouble in comparison," Tahral scoffed, thinking it would be something easy.

"With the new information we have, what I need is evidence on some of the individuals that have been outed as spies. I can't think of a better place to start, then right at the top," Daved stated with a smirk.

"You want us to find evidence on the members of the town's council?" Taal'ani guessed.

"Got it in one! More specifically, I need hard proof that these people are responsible for the deaths due to Neurocaine use. Your assignment is to catch these people in the act of bringing the Neurocaine into town. It would be even better if you could catch them in the act of handing it to any of the dealers," Daved told them.

"Now that... is a tall order, sheriff," Inari replied.

"You had to open your big mouth and jinx it," Willem griped at Tahral, who flushed a deeper shade of blue.

"How tough is it going to be to get this evidence?" Aesha queried.

"Really damn tough! When it comes to getting their own personal stuff with drops of offworld shipments, council members almost always get them in private. On top of which, they usually have a security team with them when they go to pick it up. Items that come from offworld are valuable here and no council member is going to run the risk of getting mugged," Willem supplied.

"Hmm. These security personnel, are they the only ones that are with the councilors when they pick up the packages?" Taal'ani questioned.

"Most times, except for the ones making the deliveries to them. Why?" Daved wondered.

"Because I just had the most amazing idea! One which will see this assignment completed, and those councilors jailed!" the catgirl giggled.

"What did you have in mind?" Daved asked.

"Let's just say that these bastards won't know what hit them by the time we're done! Oh, and before we leave, what is your take on Zuzanna?" Taal'ani wondered, and Priya nodded, curious about where the doctor's loyalties lie.

"Dr. Walczak? Why? You think she's got something to do with this?" the sheriff questioned, mortified by the thought.

"No, no, no! What I mean is, can she be trusted? If things go to shit and she needs to know what we're doing, do you think she can keep her cool and hold it under her hat?" the Fel'caan woman asked.

"Oh! Well, if it has to come to it, then yes. She can be trusted, because I trust her with my life," Daved told her earnestly.

"I do as well. She's someone who will have your back when you need it," Inari agreed. Priya raised an eyebrow in question, which was met by a hard look. The East Indian woman then sighed and nodded, not wanting to push her girlfriend too far.

"Good to know. We'll contact you when we have something," Taal'ani told him before she opened the door and stepped out, with the deputy and the Artucian on her heels. They spotted Zuzanna sitting with the receptionist as they discussed a few health related issues.

"... you need to give the man some attention, if you're going to get any in return. Men are great when they know what to do, but they're not mind readers," Zuzanna told the woman, who had a mildly annoyed look on her face.

"Ready to roll out?" the catgirl asked the doctor.

"Yup," Zuzanna said as she stood up, ready to get moving.

"Where are we headed?" Willem asked.

"Back to the Darkstrider. There's something aboard that will help us with our assignment, making it much easier to pull off," Taal'ani said to them.

The idea that had come to her was to craft several disguise matrices so they could pass themselves off as the delivery crew. It would also take some serious acting on their part, but Taal'ani believed everyone there was up to the task. She kept this idea to herself, though, as she didn't want the tech that Jaesa had painstakingly developed getting out into the wider galaxy.

They vacated the station, and just as they had cleared the doors, shots rang out across the street. Acting on instinct, Inari dove for cover, as did everyone else, not wanting to be in the line of fire. The shots sounded like they were coming from a pistol, but the rate of fire was too fast. It had to be an automatic pistol that was being used. Inari peeked up from behind her cover, seeking out the shooter.

She spotted him almost instantly, as the man was dropping a clip as he lined up a new one to ram into the slot. He raised his weapon, but Inari never gave him a chance to fire it, as her hand cannon slipped into her fingers and she fired first. The resounding boom of the cannon made anyone nearby wince, and the shot just missed her attacker. She managed a glimpse of his face as he spun around before bolting down an alley.

"Sargol!" she growled before she took off after him.

Inari charged after the man as he scurried away, trying to outrun her and her weapon. She had a shot and fired, barely missing the man. Cursing her luck, Inari kept on the man, keeping him in sight, but barely. Sargol moved deftly through the alley, always getting in front of some sort of cover as he ran. Another shot rang out, but this time, she heard the gasp of someone who'd been hit.

"You can't dodge bullets forever!" she taunted as she chased him out of the alley. Inari noted a few drops of blood on the ground as she went after him. At the rate the man was moving, she'd clearly just winged him. While it wasn't what she hoped for, she'd take it!

"Catch me, if you can!" Sargol shouted out before he ran into the crowd on another street.

The Persian woman was only a few seconds behind the man, but when she emerged into the busy street, Sargol was gone. Inari whirled this way and that, trying to spot the dirty and unkempt man she was trying to catch, but saw nothing. All that was there were citizens of the town, going about their daily business.

"Slippery son of a bitch! I'll catch you eventually!" she huffed as she holstered her weapon and headed back to the station. When she arrived a few minutes later, she was greeted by the sight of Zuzanna patching Willem up. Her hands were coated in the boy's blood as she worked on him, stemming the bleeding as best as she could.

"By the... shit! Is he going to be OK?" Inari yipped as she rushed over, ready to help.

"I'm doing what I can but won't be able to help him unless... Callista!! Over here!" the young doctor shouted, getting her nurse's attention. The dusky skinned woman whipped her head around and spotted them before hurrying over with a few others from the clinic.

"What happened?" Callista queried as she and the other nurses starting unpacking their gear.

"Willem has taken multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. I've done what I could to stem the bleeding, and the bullets are still in him," Zuzanna informed her.

"Fuck! We need to get him to the clinic! It's the only chance he's got!" Callista stated, surveying the damage. "Did you get the shooter?"

"No! The fucking coward got away!" Inari griped as she stood and backed away, letting the medical professionals do their job.

"Who was it?" Daved growled behind her, surprising the woman.

"Sargol. Bastard just opened fire with a machine pistol in broad daylight!" Inari replied.

"You're sure it's him?" Daved questioned, giving the woman a hard look.

"I'll never forget his face. Not after what Alex did to him," she told the sheriff confidently.

"This son of a bitch needs to pay for this! I only tolerated him because he left me and mine alone! Now, he's gone too far!" Daved rumbled. He then raised his voice so anyone from a few dozen meters away could hear him. "Ten thousand credits to the one who brings Sargol in! Dead or alive!!"

Hearing this declaration had many of the onlookers, and passersby, stop in their tracks. Sheriff Daved had just offered a bounty of ten thousand credits to the one who brought Sargol in? Dead or alive?!? More than half the citizens gathered there suddenly bolted, either heading home to gather their weapons, or off to search for any hidey holes nearby! Even for someone as slippery as Sargol, ten thousand credits was well worth the risk!

"That's one hell of a way to galvanize help from the populace! Can you pay whoever it is that brings him in?" Inari queried, knowing that Daved didn't have a lot of money.

"If I have to dip into the kids' school money for it, it will be money well spent!" Daved stated vehemently.

"He's stable enough to move! We're taking him to the clinic!" Zuzanna announced to the group.

"Ryans, Harhnek, Tohln, escort the doctor and her nurses to the clinic and set up a watch rotation! Make sure nothing and no one gets in! The rest of you, find that weasel bastard!" Daved barked, and every deputy jumped to obey.

"Sheriff? I'd like to go and assist your deputies, if I may," Aesha offered, looking worried for her new lover.

"Are you capable of using a firearm and fighting back if you have to?" Daved questioned, worried she might be a liability.

"I was an honor guard on my world, tasked with keeping my chieftaness safe from harm. Since I joined the crew of the Darkstrider, Korsa has taken me as her student, training me to fight as she does," the Artucian woman answered.

"That'll do. Go with them and keep him safe!" Daved told her. Aesha nodded and fired a look at Inari, getting her take on it. The woman nodded, knowing how it felt to have someone you were drawn to get hurt. Aesha then joined the three deputies as they hustled with Zuzanna, Callista, and the rest of the nurses to the clinic.

"Let's move!" Inari stated gruffly, as she tasked the Sentries to stay close, in case Sargol was still lurking nearby.

"Wait! Where are we going?" Tahral questioned, running to catch his girlfriend.

"Back to the ship. We're still going forward with the plan Taal'ani has in mind, but now we're going to find that son of a bitch!" Inari growled.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Tahral wondered.

"Talon, you ready to go to work?!?" Inari questioned the Fel'caan hacker.

"Fuck yeah!"

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Sargol winced as he sat in another hideout of his, one he rarely visited. This one was a place that no one knew about, not even Matthias, as he couldn't allow the man to find him here. This was the place where he kept everything about who he really was. His ID's, credentials, everything. It was also the place where he kept the bulk of his firepower and med supplies, which he was currently dipping into.

The man looked at his arm and grimaced, thankful that the shot only grazed him. Sargol could tell that the hand cannon the Persian woman was packing was no joke. Hearing its report after she fired it told him enough about how it would have ruined his arm had she aimed an inch more to the right. He shuddered at the thought of having a mangled arm as he patched himself up.

While he'd created an ample distraction for Matthias, he'd also done what he could to throw a wrench in the plans of Sheriff Daved. But that meddling crew of the ship, the Darkstrider, had thrown a few wrenches of their own into his plans. He knew of the missing Neurocaine dealer and the corrupt deputy assigned to watch him.

What had Sargol stumped was where they'd gone, as it was like they'd just disappeared into thin air. He'd heard chatter about how the Darkstrider crew had been involved, but how or why, he didn't know. If he had to guess, Sargol figured Daved had enlisted their help. For what exactly he had asked them to do was unclear, as Daved was obsessively paranoid about being spied on, which was a disadvantage to Sargol.

With Daved as the sheriff, Sargol had been able to predict some things happening as they should, but not everything. More than half of what Sargol believed what Daved would do was proven wrong, as he would often surprise him. It was because of several such surprises that had almost had him caught, which would have ruined everything. Daved's paranoia was starting to become a serious problem and Sargol needed to take steps to eliminate the man.

Things were much better when Old Fred was still alive, as the man had been a useful idiot. Much of what the old sheriff did was an indirect benefit to Sargol and every Confed spy he brought in. Many of whom had soon found prominent positions within town, helping steer public opinion the way they wanted. Sadly, that had all ended the day Old Fred had died and Daved took over as sheriff.

Daved had proven to be a constant pain in the ass, but the true thorn in his side was Jenque, Daved's wife. For some time now, she had served on the council and was constantly getting re-elected to her position. It was because of that woman that their plans had stalled constantly. Sargol wasn't sure if she knew who they were and what their plans were, but regardless of whether she knew or not, Jenque had to be stopped.

It wasn't just how she was making moves and plans that were counterproductive to their own, but her influence was troubling. While the town council of Tanith's Gully had no official leader, Jenque was the one councilor that everyone deferred to. Sargol had started making some headway in weakening her position with what he and his minions were doing.

The councilors that reported to him were using the surge of Neurocaine as a talking point to make her seem like an ineffective leader. He was hearing talk around town about how maybe Jenque had been on the council too long, and maybe it was time for her to step down. Such talk had been sporadic at best, but it was a start. The thing he feared most right now was that momentum being killed before it picked up speed.

Sargol had been trying to push this chatter some more to get people talking about it, but that's when the Darkstrider arrived. He'd hoped they'd just drop what supplies they had and be on their way, but seeing Inari come with the ship dashed those hopes. While he didn't know her personally, he knew of her and the history she had here.

Because of this, Sargol immediately started working on a plan to remove her and her crew from the game board. If Inari was able to wing him like that, along with what he suspected the rest of the crew being capable of, it was going to be a long, drawn out fight. Unless he found a way to even the odds, and quickly. If he didn't, then the operation the Confederacy had spent years planning would be in jeopardy. There was no way he was going to allow that to happen.

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The pirate ship Peregrine sat in the trackless void of space, cruising through an independent system. It had taken them a few days, but they finally figured out where the Darkstrider was headed. Once they knew of this, they put in a holocall to the pirate base, letting them know what they'd deduced.