Separate Ways

Rik sat down at a desk in a small room off of the main hull where Corvus was back in the hatch making necessary repairs now that they had gotten out of the battle. There were minor repairs that would have to be repaired eventually in a professional shop and wouldn’t hold for too long, but it would be enough to get them to their destination which Corvus still was not sure about. He jumped down from the hatch and patted himself off.

Rik had a drink of dark brown liquor in his hand and was barely gripping onto it as it swung beside the arm of his chair. Corvus examined the glass and figured that it was maybe rum or whiskey, which was a popular drink among mercenaries. Little did he know, any drink was popular among mercenaries as their line of work was not easy being sober all the time.

“Did we lose them?” Corvus asked after a moment of staring at Rik’s back. He jolted forward having not known Corvus was standing behind him and spun in his chair. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost or had been in another world entirely.

“No, we caught their signal.” He responded as he finished his drink and winced at the familiar strength of the alcohol. Corvus walked over and leaned onto the table with both arms and looked over at the unmade bed that looked as if it had not been made for a very long time.

“Who are these guys?” Corvus asked.

“By name? Well, the fun loving sack of shit who grabbed your sister is Borin Viloff, and he’s the one who makes the decisions. The other weirdo is an alien named Vikurl; not much to know about him; just a pawn of Borin’s. Borin is a high priority target of the Federation and I’d like to get back on their side again.” He explained. Corvus nodded and noted that Rik wanted to get on the Federation’s good side again. Maybe he wasn’t always a mercenary.

“Where are they headed?” he asked.

“A station not far from here called Alpha One, and to be honest, I didn’t even really need to track them too far once I saw their trajectory.” He responded as a matter of factly.

“Alpha One… Isn’t that the orbital station outside of Algodra?” Corvus asked.

“You know a lot for a kid your age, don’t you?” he asked.

“I had to learn most of it myself.” He responded coldly. Rik looked away from Corvus and nodded staring at the empty glass beside him.

“Why are they headed there, isn’t it just a trade hub?” Corvus asked.

“There is a massive underground slave trade that happens there every few weeks. The authorities don’t care about it because they get a cut of the total earnings, and a hefty cut it is. Your sister picked a good time to be kidnapped.” He finished and Corvus raised his eyebrow at the question.

“There’s a good time to be kidnapped?” he asked.

“If you’re going to be kidnapped, yes, simply because there is an auction tomorrow.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve been dealing with slave traders most of my life and I’ve been through this part of the system more than once.” He answered.

“Have you been to Fares?” he asked. There was a moment of silence between the two and Rik did not want to give the honest answer. The answer Corvus wanted was not the one he deserved or yet earned. Rik had been to Fares plenty of times before this event but Corvus didn’t need to know that. Not yet at least.

“Once before, just for refuelling.” He said. Corvus pondered at his hesitant answer and soon shook the idea of inquiring further. It didn’t matter at the moment. What mattered was his sister and how they were planning to get her back before the auction.

“What’s our plan?” asked Corvus.

“That comes in time, let’s try to relax until we get there.”

“Relax?”

“Did I stutter?”

“How can I relax? My sister could be going through hell right now, and you want me to relax?” he yelled out at Rik. Rik understood where Corvus was coming from but remaining calm was the best course of action at the moment.

“Your sister is going through hell, Corvus. The sooner you deal with that the better off you’ll be. It’s going to be a few hours before we get there.” Rik explained.

Corvus didn’t want to relax but before he could start another argument with Rik, he had already stepped into his quarters and shut the door behind him. Perhaps Rik was right and he’d be able to think straighter if he got at least a few hours of sleep before they arrived. He had been through a lot in the past few hours though he didn’t know how he’d sleep with the thought of Sasha on his mind. Rik never told Corvus where any other of the rooms were so he began to explore the ship for a room to sleep in and partially to snoop as his curiosity made the knot in his stomach loosen a bit.

He walked across the main cabin and picked up his tool, sheathing it into his belt. Two doors were on the opposite wall and he walked over to the first one which just led into a small closet that had random belongings and aesthetics that would make any home look more lively. Rik couldn’t have possibly picked these items out as they weren’t exactly something a typical mercenary would keep in his possession. Maybe he stole the ship from someone and didn’t bother to empty out the cabinets or maybe Rik was secretly a softy who enjoyed fine art. The latter seemed silly, but perhaps there was far more to Rik than Corvus assumed.

Shutting the cabinet quietly he moved to the door to his left and opened it up. A few small steps led down to a hallway that ran the length of the ship. One way likely led to the engine room that was below and behind the cockpit and the other way led to the front of the ship where it seemed like it would wrap around the ramp. He walked down the hallway looking out the long thin window into the depth of space. The calm and tranquil darkness was soothing and as he scanned to his right he noticed the edge of Delirium passing behind them. He knew Algodra was one of the moons of Delirium and it was the furthest moon from the planet which meant it was going to be a long flight.

Corvus reflected on the last few hours of his life and wondered if he and his sister would ever reach old age. He didn’t want to accept that this was their story but perhaps their story wasn’t meant to go on as he planned. This was their story: Two punk teenagers who just wanted to break free but before they could the galaxy would swallow them up whole. He could feel his cynical side sweeping over him like a cold breeze and chilled him to the bone. Cynicism seemed to be built into him from a young age and it presented itself every time he faced adversity. Usually, he would erase the pain with alcohol, cigarettes or even adrenaline but this feeling was different. It was heart crushing in its presence and mind numbing with every breath he took.

As he reached the end of the hallway he felt lightheaded and everything began to spin. He leaned on the metal wall looking into the abyss that surrounded him. Was he having a panic attack or was he sick? Crawling down the cold metal wall he sat himself down on the floor of the hallway and covered his face. His breaths became longer and more stressed. Before he could climb up the wall his eyes became heavy and he felt a wave of fatigue grip onto him. He fought as hard as he could to stay awake but felt himself drifting. For a moment he was sure that he was dying, but from all of the adrenaline he then realized he was crashing. Adrenaline was nothing new to him, but this level of excitement ripped every ounce of fight from him.

The sounds of the ship buzzed and rumbled from down the hallway. The smooth rocking of the ship that one would not normally notice until they were very still and calm began to make him feel tired instead of dizzy. Faint sounds of bleeps could be heard echoing from the cockpit and sounded as distant as a howl in the night from the mountains back on Fares. The air around him began to feel dewy and cool to the touch as if the hallway were filled with mist. He could smell the familiar scent of petrichor that came from the fields that surrounded his small town of Galek back on Fares. The smells were soon accompanied by the sounds of farm engines in the early morning turning the soil in the fields that rhythmically droned out the sound of the ships humming and beeping.

His eyes opened and he could see green flora and fauna but his vision was blurry. He quickly blinked a few times and he was sitting in a field that lied behind his childhood home. His hands were wet from pressing against the rain soaked soil. He began to pat his hands dry on his cotton shirt and felt a raindrop on the back of his neck forcing his head to look up at the churning black sky. Rain was incoming so he began to run which felt more like a jog as his house got further and further away. He seemed to be running backwards and suddenly he was out of breath as the rain began to fall on his shoulders. Every drop felt like a bullet and began to push him toward the ground with great force. His mother was standing on the back porch of the home looking at Corvus with pale, emotionless eyes.

For a moment it felt like she wasn’t there at all, but his eyes deceived him as her presence became more apparent. The more it rained the more he fell to his knees, then his hands and soon it felt like there was someone standing above him, pushing him down with hundreds of hands and feet. Soon his face was in the grass and he could taste the soil which tasted like iron, or blood. He raised his head enough to look back at his mother with every ounce of strength he had, but instead it was Sasha replacing their mother’s place, her face battered and beaten; within that moment the house and the city behind it erupted in a brilliant cloud of fire and smoke but was silent as the sounds of tractors, wind and pattering rain on his head continued seemingly unscathed by the flames. His screams were silent though he could feel his throat aching from the stress. Fire filled the sky and dove down toward him like a graceful phoenix. The flames engulfed him and for a moment the burning was unbearable.

Screaming, Corvus suddenly awoke to Rik shaking him viciously. Corvus still felt the burning but it was not as intense and he was staring up at a long, thin bright light that silhouetted Rik’s face. He could now hear his screams but it was all he could hear. After a moment he stopped screaming and began breathing rapidly and heavily; he could feel Rik holding him to the floor as his body twisted and contorted from the phantom pain.

“Wake up, kid! Wake up!” he could hear repeating as it slowly got louder and louder until everything returned to him. His eyes fluttered and he could no longer hear the rain, or feel the dewy grass or smell the farmlands. Reality had set back in and it was much colder than he remembered. Rik stopped shaking and yelling when he noticed Corvus had finally come to. The young man had been screaming and seizing for the last minute and no matter what Rik did, he could not wake him. He thought Corvus was being attacked from the screams and cries he heard echoing through the ship, but alas it was an invisible force that was attacking him.

Corvus’ heart rate continued rapidly but he began to catch his breath and he felt Rik’s grasp on his arms release. He began to cough and put his hands on his chest and he was wet. For a moment he wondered if he was wet from his nightmare and indeed he was but not from the dewy grass; he was soaked from sweat and tears. He looked around and it all came back to him in an instant like being hit by a meteor. Fares, his sister, Rik and the slavers. It was a bitter return to reality but he felt grounded.

“That must have been some nightmare, kid.” Rik stated as he rose to his feet and put his hand out to Corvus. He took his hand and was pulled up by Rik with ease.

“You were out for probably two or three hours.” Rik stated. This confused Corvus as he felt like it was only a few minutes he was out but dreams and nightmares had a funny way of turning your internal clock upside down, especially the more intense they got. Corvus thought to himself, so much for a good, relaxing sleep. He and Rik walked down the hallway and back into the main cabin.

“We’ll be at Alpha One in a few more hours now. We’ll definitely need to refuel and get some smaller repairs done.” Rik informed him. Corvus nodded and sat down at one of the tables and rested his head on his arms that were crossed in front of him. Something landed beside his head on the table and made him jump. It was a small metal container that had writing in a different language. Rik was standing on the other side of the table.

“It’s a food ration.” He explained, “Sorry, first class was too expensive.” He walked over to the cockpit and ascended in his chair leaving Corvus to his lonesome. Corvus looked down at the ration and opened it up. He wasn’t looking forward to this but it was better than eating nothing.

He couldn’t get the images of his nightmare out of his head. His mother, his sister, the fire and whether it all meant something. It could have been his cynicism in full throttle or it could have been a premonition. The questions flashed through his head and the more he asked himself the more he realized how little it mattered. He began unpacking the rations and reluctantly began eating the pre-packaged meal. As hard as he tried he couldn’t lift the image of his mother and his childhood home from his memory. It reminded him of the photograph he had seen in the cockpit of what he thought was Rik’s family.

Would it be nosey to ask about them? He thought. It would be a good way to find more out about Rik and also get his horrific nightmare off his mind, if only for a little while. He decided that it was the best course of action as he finished his barely mediocre packaged meal. The after taste of the food was not desirable and got worse with each passing moment. He chugged a large bottle of water hoping it would dilute the taste in his mouth but to no avail.

Corvus walked up to the co-pilot’s chair and sat down as the chair ascended up beside Rik in the cockpit who was leaned back with his hood covering some of his face and only revealing his mouth and square shaped jaw. Just like Corvus had remembered the picture was there, right at the perfect height so that Rik wouldn’t have to look too far away from the photo at any given time while flying. This had to be his family, but Corvus had to be sure.

“Why do you do what you do, Rik?” asked Corvus. Rik flinched slightly and looked over at Corvus with tired eyes; he had already fallen asleep.

“Shit, I didn’t mean to wake you up, I-“ Corvus said but was cut off before he could finish.

“God damnit, kid. Can I get some sleep here?” he replied angrily. Corvus could feel his face heating up and his short temper got the best of him. He was beginning to get sick of this mercenary calling him a kid. He was far from a child, and had been taking care of his sister for the last couple years of his life; putting food on the table, making sure she passes her classes, all while trying to work ten hour days to get them off of Fares.

“Stop calling me kid! I’m not a kid, I’m an adult and I have been for a long time!” he yelled back at Rik. Rik wanted to continue but Corvus began ranting off. He couldn’t control himself as something inside of him whether triggered by the dream or recent events, had blown up.

“Ever since my mother died I’ve been the one to take care of her. I’m not her brother, I may as well be her father because we don’t have one. He’s out there somewhere. I don’t care where, and I don’t care what he’s doing, in fact, I hope he’s dead. He’s done nothing for me or my sister. The only thing I care about is getting her back. I don’t care at what cost, and I don’t care who or what I need to go through to get her back.” He finished. His anger got the best of him and he began to break down, fighting the feeling every step of the way.

Corvus tried to use his anger to beat the sadness from his eyes but it was too long coming and too much had happened. His anger mixed with tears struck a hard note with Rik, as he had felt the very same feeling before. Not a day went by where he didn’t want to break down and cry but he would suppress it no matter what. If he gave up and broke down nobody would know what he was capable of doing; not even him. His rock like exterior made sure he wouldn’t break down.

“Look, kid, I get it. You are still a kid, and you have a lot to learn. It doesn’t mean you’re not tough. Keep your chin up and man up; tears are not going to fix anything.” He bluntly said. Corvus was enraged and felt the only suitable action was to let it all out.

“No, you don’t understand! You have no clue what it’s like!” he screamed. He couldn’t control himself, and the more he screamed the better he felt, but Rik wasn’t having it. His face scrunched up and his eyes got glossy but not with tears, but red hot rage. He leapt out of his chair, gripped Corvus’ neck plastering him to the wall like he’d done to many men before him. Corvus tried to fight him off but Rik was far too strong and Corvus could do nothing but stare back into the enraged eyes of the mercenary.

“You fucking punk!” Rik screamed which sounded more like a bark of a wolf than a scream of a man. Corvus began to gasp for air as he stared back at the mercenary who held his life in his hands. He could feel the life leaving his body as he struggled for air. It felt as if his eyes were going to pop out of his head and his heart was going to explode. He didn’t know whether to fight or cry but one thing was for sure is if Rik wanted him dead, it would be so. Corvus wanted to fight, mentally but physically he had no fight left in him.

“You haven’t felt pain, like I’ve felt pain!” he screamed again. Suddenly, he realized what he was doing and quickly dropped Corvus who plowed into the ground gasping for air and holding his throat. Rik had blacked out for a moment and thankfully he had come back to reality because otherwise Corvus would most likely be dead. He looked down at Corvus on the ground of the cockpit still gasping for air. The look in his eyes was mixed with fear, sadness and terror which Rik could remember seeing in his own eyes many times before.

Rik fell back in his chair and looked out into space and glanced over at the photo that had been on his dashboard for longer than he could remember. She wouldn’t want this for him and would certainly not approve of what he did to Corvus. Corvus was important and he knew that hurting Corvus, or worse, would go back on a promise which was unthinkable. If Rik couldn’t keep one promise, what chance did he have to keep his other promise.

“Sorry, kid. You just don’t understand. You couldn’t.” He explained. Corvus wiped the tears from his eyes and began working on bringing his breathing back to normal. His neck was throbbing with pain and he winced whenever it throbbed.

“Make me.” He said through a weak and shaken voice. It took him everything to force the words out and they hurt as much as he thought they would.

He underestimated Rik and perhaps he shouldn’t have. The look in Rik’s eyes was unlike any look he’d ever seen and it petrified him to even think about it. He didn’t want to cross Rik in any way and he now thought very differently of him. Rik pulled the picture off of the dashboard which took some effort as it hadn’t been touched in years. Corvus looked down at it and he got his wish; it nearly cost him his life but it would be worth it. Understanding Rik seemed imperative to working with him.

“I hunt, because it’s all I know how to do. I used to be a mercenary for the Federation but it got messy when I got caught up in the slave trade. Have you ever heard of the Black Butcher?” he asked. Corvus shook his head.

“Well, perhaps it’s for the better. He got his name for obvious reasons, and this isn’t going to cheer you up, but he’s a slave killer. He buys slaves just to please his… habits.” He explained. Corvus wanted to throw up. He knew his sister was in trouble, but he had no idea it was this bad. If this man got a hold of Sasha he would definitely never see her again, and the thought of her being within his grasp was nauseating.

“He’s a plague upon the galaxy, as are all of the slave trades. Everything comes second. He is my priority.” He explained. Corvus felt it may be a stupid question but why was the Butcher such a high priority? He was notoriously known for heinous and horrific acts against slaves but there seemed to be something deep rooted. He began to put two and two together and everything made sense.

“There’s more than you’re telling me.” Corvus stated. Rik nodded as his grip tightened on the picture he held in his hand. It was his family and something horrible happened to them.

“He took them from me.” He explained, fighting the tears, “I was this close to getting him, and he got away. He knew my name. He knew where I lived. I couldn’t get to them in time.” There was a long pause in the cockpit and only the sound of Rik’s vibrating anger could be heard and felt. Corvus gulped and could feel the man’s pain, or at least he wanted to; he wanted to help with the pain. Rik was right, Corvus did not understand. He hadn’t a clue what pain was.

“And he didn’t just kill them. He experimented, and tortured them until he was pleased they had suffered enough for my actions. It’s made me a bitter, careless, selfish person and he will pay for his crimes if it’s the last thing I do. He tore my family apart, and put me through more pain than any man should endure.” He put the picture back up on the dashboard. He looked over at Corvus with red and glossy eyes which were drained of all tears he’s cried over many long years. Corvus felt horrible for having poked and prodded at Rik, but it seemed to bring them closer together. Whether that was a good or bad thing, only time would tell. Corvus was loyal and he felt now he owed something to his friend.

“Rik, you get my sister back to me, and I’ll help you get him.” Corvus offered. Rik shook his head immediately, almost expecting Corvus to make the offer.

“No, this is my problem and I don’t want to drag you into this shit. You get your sister, and you get away from all of this; it’s your only way out.” He explained. All Corvus wanted to do was help, but Rik wanted different for him. Corvus was just a mechanic and he had a lot of growing up to do, despite the last few years of stress. He had to ensure she made it through school and get her into a profession that had nothing to do with farming.

She wanted to be a nurse like her mother, but Corvus knew what was better for her. Being an ambassador or politician had presented itself and though she didn’t turn it away, their mother’s death put her on the track to being a nurse to follow in her footsteps. Corvus respected her decision as she was still young and was doing what felt right. Maybe in time she’d realize that she was fit more greater things.

“We’re going to be there in a few hours, kid. We should really try and get some sleep.” He explained. Corvus nodded and descended from the cockpit. He looked up at Rik who had a cold frown on his face and for a moment, Corvus felt fear. Not like the fear he’d felt since Fares or during the space battle, but something different. Not a fear for his life, but a fear for his friend’s life. He needed Rik to hold it together long enough for him to get his sister back. This mercenary had deep rooted issues that could bring themselves out in the worst way possible, but Corvus had to have hope. Without Rik, Sasha had no chance.

Corvus stood up from the co-pilot’s chair and stepped down and into the main cabin of the ship. It was colder than he remembered so he made his way into the quarters where it looked like Rik hadn’t slept in years. Living out of a starship took its toll on Rik, and living with the memory of whatever horrors befell his family had changed him drastically. He laid down on the stiff bed and closed his eyes trying to erase everything he had seen and felt for the past few hours of his life. Deep down, he had a feeling he’d feel this way for a long time. If Sasha ended up being killed or lost within the slave trade, he feared he might become damaged just as Rik had been. Everything drifted away from him.

Rik looked down at the radar beeping quietly revealing nothing around them. They had just passed Cedrick a few minutes back and he could barely see the brown ball floating behind them. He had passed these worlds many times before, many times with his wife and child. Unless someone was sitting beside him he could not look at the co-pilot’s chair as his wife had burned her image into it. It made him sick to see her again, but every time he did see her he couldn’t look away.

Tears welled up in his eyes and he pulled his blaster out of his coat. It began charging and he put the barrel into his mouth while moaning quietly enough that Corvus wouldn’t hear. His finger shook above the trigger and the barrel begun to feel hot to the touch. There was a click followed by a high pitched hum meaning that the gun had reached it’s full charge. Corvus would be fine, he was a smart and tough kid. Tougher than Rik was at this very moment.

But, there was no doubt about it, Corvus could not last on his own. If the Butcher had gotten a hold of Sasha as well, his family’s death may never be avenged. He put his finger on the trigger but before he could squeeze it he pulled it out quickly and put it on the dashboard quivering as if the temperature had dropped twenty degrees. He had a promise to keep to an old friend, and that promise was aboard his ship, feeling responsible for his younger sister. Rik wanted to tell him everything but it would only complicate things. Some things Corvus had to find out on his own.

The gun deactivated and slowly cooled down and Rik tightly held his head trying to keep himself together, rocking back and forth in his chair. He slammed his fist into the dashboard and shut his eyes trying to bring himself down. His wife and child had suffered, and now Sasha was suffering. Saving her wouldn’t bring them back, killing the Black Butcher wouldn’t bring them back, but it would feel so damn good, he thought. He had to kill the Butcher; after that, nothing else would matter.

The gun suddenly slipped off of the dashboard and landed at Rik’s feet. He went to pick it up and saw he was no longer shaking. The images weren’t gone, and the feelings weren’t gone but he was still. Rik had many faults with his anger, sadness, grief and greed but there was one thing that put him above the rest; something that gave him a purpose, a name in the galaxy: he could be still. Regardless of emotions, tension or situation, when push came to shove he could be dead still and accurate. He was the fastest gun duellist in the galaxy, by far and had killed a lot of men that deserved it, and some that did not.

Rik had broken a lot of things in his life; necks, belongings, gangs and relationships but it was time to stop breaking things and time to start fixing them. His wife believed in him and as much as he doubted it and there were others that believed in him and Corvus seemed to be one of them. Two promises had been made, and had to be kept: one to his family, the other to a father and a friend.