The two unlikely fellows arrived at Mars Sara.
After their train robbing days almost caught up to them a year ago, plenty mercenaries almost killing them in the thrill of it, they almost went to the slammer, until a patron managed to bail both of them out and made the companies that they robbed dropped their charges.
The duo was surprised of a generous benefactor.
On a condition for them to go to Mars Sara and meet the planetary governor.
For James Raynor, it was like a blessing in disguise, but Tychus Findley have doubts of their mysterious patron.
As they arrived in a planetary system, before them is a futuristic city waiting below them, Raynor and Tychus watched the heavy defenses and the orbital Dockyards still producing ships.
"Lil' Jimmy, this man we lookin out for... He's one of them, Planetary Governor of the confederacy ain't that right?" Tychus gritted his teeth as he smoked his third cigars.
"Trust me Tychus, you can put your faith in me."
"Fine I will trust ya, I tellin ya, this sounds awfully fishy." Tychus smoked his last cigars.
As they landed, they were greeted with a ceremony of soldiers awaited them.
A man in officer outfit, different from the confederacy uniform greeted them.
"Are you two, James Raynor and Tychus Findley?" The officer spoke.
James held out his invitation.
A Golden plated letter bearing the Aquila.
"Yes, we are here to visit the Planetary governor."
"Would you wait for a moment, as we need to check your identification?"
A floating skull hovered the invitation card and infrared lenses shot out of the eye sockets...
The duo shuddered as it done and floated away.
"Damm, what are those things?"
"They are former convicts, mass murderers that the Confederacy sent us to process. They are atoning for their sins by contribution to society even to the bones." The officer smiled as the dataslate opened up.
"Wait, did they done something wrong? What if you are wrong?" James asked.
"Don't worry, we held a fair trial, and check their souls if they are truly evil. About a third of the convicted convicts is innocent. All thanks to our psykers, they are like psychics from the academy but in a more... Civilian sector."
"Damm, They can see our sins? Damm... I must be a hottie in their eyes." Tychus grinned and he noticed a soldier approached him with a box of cigars.
He picked one up and sniffed it.
"Damm, this is some good stuff. Seemed like this Planet governor really know what we like."
"Those that found by our leaders eyes are worthy to be welcome by us."
They were escorted to the administration district.
Floating skulls flew by past the futuristic buildings and robed men wandered around.
As they escorted deeper the building were more archaic and gothic in design.
"Damm, this man is a nutcase, looking outside, I thought we are living in a theocratic hellscape." Tychus uttered to himself.
The duo arrived at the tallest building on Mars Sara.
"*Whistle* you folks sure like them big, don't ya?" Tychus smiled as if the person they are meeting is someone he could get along with.
A giant robot approached them, James almost grabbed his revolver by instinct but the robot spoke to him.
"This way sir's. Our leader awaits you." The robot guided them to a elevator.
"What are you?"
"I am E33Zy-17 of the Men of Iron or my friends call me easy because I am equipped with a empathy chip. And I am also a social relations staff.
"He must have spent billions to make a creation like you."
"You jest, he made me by himself, Code, parts and my soul."
"Wait, why are you saying that he can make you have souls?" Tychus mouth gape opened.
"Of course, we are already here? Hli hope you two would have a fruitful conversation with our leader, he was glad to meet you for the past... I dunno, hundred years?"
They found the elevator was fast.
They noticed that they arrived at the 31st floor, and before them was a old office, more like pragmatic that is filled with bookshelves and a unoccupied office desk with a mini bar next to the table. A sofa set that was placed around in a old fashioned fire pit. A mixed match of different designs.
They walked towards the office desk, could hear the sounds of chipping of stone.
"Who is it?" A voice was heard from the depths.
"Sir, It's James Raynor and Tychus Findley. You sent them a invitation."
"Ah, those two... Thanks Easy, I will finished my work soon, help yourselves in that minibar nearby. I will be with you soon enough."
Raynor waited by the sofa and Tychus helped himself with a bottle of whisky.
He noticed Raynor looking at him.
"What partner? He did say help yourself at his minibar, amirite?"
"We are meeting someone..."
A voice was heard behind them.
"Don't worry about it, I sure Mr Tychus would not mind after all, there's a reason I chose you two."
"Who the hell are you?" Tychus asked.
"Name's Alexander Solair, and Mr Tychus, how was that cigarette I gave you?"
"It was nice? Seemed that you have some class."
"I grow the tobacco myself. Glad to hear it."
Alexander laughed for the bluntness of Tychus.
Raynor looked at the man before him.
Looked like he seen better days.
A redhead in his early thirties.
"Let's talk business and I sure my proposition would be sufficient." The man before him
"Sell me the deal then."
"Tell me, what did you think of Mars Sara?"
A question was made.
"It's looked clean."
"And a dozen of skulls flying by."
"I understand that, but there been a rift between the Confederacy and my group. I ensure your protection as long as you can fulfill one condition of ours."
"You be my sheriff in this planet Raynor and Tychus, you should join the Mercenary guild man of your... Caliber would be enough for me.
"You expecting us to do your dirty work?"
"I want your underground network so that we better coordinate with you. I am not privy to your contacts, and with the injustices occuring across the Terran Confederacy... I doubt anything would have changed.
"Who's you looking for, Eh Governor?"
"Mira Han." One sentence came from the man lips and Raynor and Tychus flinched.
They know that female mercenary and she's crazy.
"Why are you looking for her? Is it about her bounty?" Raynor asked as to ascertain his decision.
"Relax, James, I don't remembered that I want her dead, I want to hire her and her crew to... Do some good in the galaxy by ridding me some pirates raiding my trading routes, with a mineral and resources payload worth of 150 million. And a up front of 50 million in cash for her services. And 80% of the bounty of the pirates they killed belonged to them. I rather have the scum dead and my planet safer for doing business."
"Surely, your planetary fleets should be enough to defend against the pirates right?" Raynor pointed it out.
"They are my shield for the people and moving them awa, James Raynor, it would prevent the people their security, but I don't want to stay behind a wall, I want someone to go out there, and tell me the location of the pirates scum so that I wrangle their necks in their sleep, and if they have the opportunity to do so of killing the scum, I am grateful for that. And I reward those that kill pirates, Human or aliens alike that harmed my planet."
Raynor stood up and walked towards the windows, there he managed to oversee the planet in its wealth and happiness.
"You aren't like those people in the capitol...
Those folks would have demanded blood sweat and tears. What's making you different from the rest?" Raynor turned towards Alexander whose face smiled as he handed a glass of Whisky.
"A chance of your little revolution working properly.
You can run around raiding trains for all you like to survive and sell what little they contain, but in doing so you give them a proper excuse to call you a rebel. And make your parents suffer.
You don't have any rich patrons that is dissatisfied with the status quo. Until now.
And last I heard, you two nearly almost got captured. Had I not intervene, one of you stuck in New Folsom and never getting out.
And there is no joke you getting out there with the Warden daughter and walking on water."
Alexander glanced at Tychus, and the man knew what he was saying. He did wanted to use his body to bail his partner out. But it made him interested.
"So why us? There are other mercs and rebels that would rally ya cause." Tychus spoke.
"Because you two are the last of the Heavenly Devil I known and you are the best of the best, considering you managed to raid the confederacy for so long. I am financing your little group of gremlins to be put back together. And I found your family managed to settle in the outskirts of this city, I will give you their address for free. And you never harm civilians if need be, So... Do we have a deal?" Alexander smiled.
"I will think about it." Raynor refused.
"I understand, here's the address, and... When you change your mind, you can inform my little robot friend at the floor lobby. Seemed like the Confederacy is making their moves now." He handed Raynor the address.
Alexander baded them goodbye.
As soon as they left for the elevator. A communication nodes opened up.
A familiar face appeared on the Holo vid, showing authority. Alexander smiled at the notion of his guest.
"So... Alexander Solair, What is your call?
Are you willing to join us? The Sons of Korhal awaits you."
"Arcturus Mengsk... Sorry about giving information your family death, I heard what the confederacy did... But right now, it's not a good time. We have a reports of the United Earth directorate fleets is coming here and I'm doing my best to prepare. I can't help your crusade, but I can assist your cause in forms of money, supplies and weapons." Acturus mengsk spoke softly.
"What's your gain? For you wanting my sister in one of your so called scholar progenium."
"I want her as a place to keep her safe after all, this place is a death trap for those confederate ghost, Mars Sara and this planetary systems around it is my own backyard, after all, if you did managed to topple the confederacy, not everyone would be eager to join you, and they would look for a way out, think of this place like a open prison, you can tell where is the actual dissidents is located anyway. And you get to keep your parents and sibling safe." Alexander shrugged.
In a decade, Mengsk parents and sister will die, he sneaked information to a younger Mengsk a edited future that didn't pertaining him as the monster and Sarah Kerrigan was not mention, hoping for him to rally to his cause...
But it backfire on Alexander as now he accidentally made the Sons of Korhal prematurely. And Mengsk more... Radical.
No longer a man desire of prospector of the confederacy to search for mineral rich planets, he used his knowledge and hidden those planets away and join forces with the Umojans and Alexander. By treaty or blood pacts, his alliance was shaky at best.
And the news of his future broke him, causing Alexander to be his shadow Advisor and his guide. Every now and then, these two are already consider to be good friends. For now.
"Well, I hope that future will not come to pass."
"It will, Acturus... Regardless of what we do. We can only delay it. Good night Acturus, We need a opportunity and you need to prepare."
The sun was already setting in the distance, giving the city a orange hue.
As Raynor and Tychus settle down as their conversation with the governor was finished. James looked distraught. As he was given his family address, they didn't had a good relationship after they knew he did a life of crime. As promise, Alexander gave him their address.
"Lil Ol' jimmy, what ya thinking about?"
"Just reflecting of the choices I made to get this far. Of the things we done." Raynor looked at the reflection of himself through the elevator glass panel that overlooked the city. A moment of crossroads, a more peaceful life or a life of a rebel...
"I thought ya made of a sterner stuff."
"Yeah, but a chance to clear our name right? I get to be a sheriff and you can be the Merc leader. Heard you get some experimental stuff from him. A mech called Odin or something."
"True, I can get to keep busting heads while getting paid? Sound's like a dream come true... though... We have to wait till the opportune moment would arrive huh?"
Before Alexander baded them goodbye, he handed them a recorder.
Perhaps it was only meant to be the one that focused on their eyes alone.
They were given a car to travel around, and Tychus liked it as it was a muscle car that fit his frame. And in the trunk was a proper clothes that fit his size.
"We arrived lil jimmy, want me to follow you?"
"Just keep the Engine running, I be back in a short while."
"Best be hurrying then, I got a hotel to crash for the night!"
James arrived to where his parents live in.
It was a house that have a couple of acres of farm and the house was lighted.
They lived in another planet before, but they moved out because the deeds he done made his parents very shameful.
As he stood upon the porch, he was about to tap on the door, he...held back.
"James, is that you?"
"Mom?"
"Look at you now... You grown so tall... When I first heard the news I thought, my son can be this rebel that the Confederacy spoke."
"I... Am. Listen, I got a job from the Planetary governor as a sheriff and this time is legal. I ain't doing crimes no more."
Her wrinkled hands touched Raynor face.
"Seemed like you find a better path... I am glad that your father would be ecstatic to hear the news..."
"Is he awake?" Raynor asked.
"He tucker out and resting... We are still your family and be sure you can visit us time to time okay?" His mom smiled as he hugged by his mother for so long...
He heard the car horn and he sighed.
"I better go now, my partner is getting upset, I am glad that you are healthy mom. Take care." He removed himself from the hug as he baded her goodbye.
"Take care Son... My little Jim..." She Smiled as she see him off. There was a slight tears in her eyes as she watched her son walked I to darkness.
There was another shadow of a figure in the dark.
She called out as if she knew the person.
"Are you sure, you will keep him safe?" She spoke with certainty.
A light flickers in the darkness and a cigarette lighted up revealing a Human fa ial feature.
"I always keep my promises... I will turn him into a hero that your family always wanted. Now rest... You will have a bright day tomorrow."
"Thank you... Mistah Saint of Mars Sara."
"I am not a god... But. I do listen to people pleas."
The old woman watched as the light of the cigarette faded from the darkness, leaving her alone.
The next day.
James Raynor found himself in the arbites office in the precinct fortress and they glanced at him as he handed the Chief Arbites his recommendation.
The man looked at Raynor and shrugged.
"Says here you are a ex-military, with numerous account of crimes under your belt."
"Doing my best sir, after all, it takes a criminal to know a criminal."
"So you have no qualms of doing service to the Imperium? Especially killing your own criminals friends?"
"As long as I abide by the high Lord."
The Chief Arbites handed him a dataslate and a badge of a old fashioned sheriff making.
"This would be your identification. And if you lose it, or even sell it, you get a bullet from me." The man eyes glowered.
"Alright, since the high Lord gave your task. You should follow orders, and a vehicle would be assigned to you." The man tossed a key to Raynor.
"Don't scratch it."
"I won't." Raynor smiled.
As he exited the arbites fortress precinct, many glance at his direction and looked away.
He didn't mind the looks as he entered the motor pool, he found there was assortment of vehicles waiting, from Bikes, Apcs, to Tanks, and people is constantly doing maintenance, Raynor wondered if this was overpowered.
"Hey there fella? What's you doing down here?
A man approached him, he is wearing engineer overalls and had wrinkles.
"Who are you?"
"Ah, I forget, the names Ludwig and I am in charge of the vehicles maintenance crews that you see before you. Your name?"
"James Raynor and got a ride ready for me to search the surroundings." Raynor tossed the key to the head maintenance and he scanned it.
"Ah, so that's so... You know how to take a vulture?" The man asked.
"Saved my life everytime."
"Good, what the confederacy version you using is pretty slow, we perfected ours. Follow me." The man walked forward.
Raynor followed behind him.
Vehicles of all sizes was finalizing their checks, Raynor asked a question.
"Why is this place equipped with a firepower of a army?"
"Hah, so that we better off than having none. They are like the first line before the army starts coming, so put yourself in our shoes, if there's a monster the size of a skyscraper and all you have is a peashooter, you going to regret of not making a choice of a better firearm. Here we are, Mr Raynor. Your new ride." The man stopped and before them was a more futuristic vulture.
"It have twin micro fusion engines, micro fabricator for your mines, missile launcher and a a twin bolters for defense, it's maneuver like a slippery frog in a thunderstorm and it can temporary fly into the air when you run out of ammo."
"How fast can it goes?
"Four hundred and sixty miles per hour. Twice the speed of a regular Vulture, If you use boosters, faster than that."
"Did the governor think of me as a speed freak?" Raynor wryly smiled.
"No, he see that you wanted some freedom he called it. This was custom made just for you."
"I see, made by him?"
"You know him too well. Now do you want me to do the tuning so that you can handle the speed?"
"Maybe, I prefer that you can teach me some basic maintenance of this fine rig."
"Happy to help, you get your job ready at next week."
As the life moves on, the enemies of man lingered behind the shadows of society.
Aboard a Xenos ship far from human space, a Young alien that have no mouth stood gazing at the numerous stars in the void.
"Any response?" He calmly spoke.
"We detected the swarm that is being active again."
"Any news of the Golden Armada?"
"We have been exterminating the swarm, but I fear that they would enter the primitive race and it would be a catastrophe."
"Continue with the patrol and inform me of the situation."
"We have found something.... Two highly advanced races in the fringes of Terran space... One is mechanical in nature and the other is purely psionic. But there is a Psionic class that is being protected by the two."
'what could these races be in this place?' thought the leader of this vessels as he gaze the readings of these two highly advanced races near a primitive one.
"We shall head to them to ascertain if they are a Threat to the Conclave! Send the psychic message to the Council!"
From the shadows of the ship, another stood, hidden in cloak, this figure stood among his people from the shadows.
"The Conclave is moving? This is bad, the Nerazim is not prepared, I better contact the leader of these new races before they reached to them." The figure disappeared in a puff of smoke. And a sleek vessel departed before the crew realized it.
(A/n): Sorry, My handlers gave us all a order we can't refuse.
Stop the smuggling and We are to bail out the bastard sons of the party that is kidnapped by the local crime boss. 500 yuan each that will participate the gang war and 1200 for killing one of them, with a hint that refusal means death... My life is that cheap huh?
Either we die by the locals or die by the party whims....
They done more damage to the operations in the town we are in than the actual police department, that the local Crime Boss became attracted of our business and their arrogant mouth opened wide and revealed all our hideouts... Great, there goes my internet cafe I am writing.
They broken the three unwritten rules of the Smuggling rings
1. They stand out. They used half of our operation funds to hire prostitutes and karaoke and the local illegal casino, abusing one of the hostess that worked for the local crime boss and killing one of them and ordering a team before us to toss the said corpse in front of the boss house, and that said woman is a relative to the crime boss to soothe their egos (yeah I am fucked, more like a tyger klaw cleaning up the mess).
2. They exposed our existence to the criminal, showing the number of people that is staying at the town thinking that the locals should be grateful that china and accept their superior race and we outnumbered them...
We had enough trouble with the local gangs, but they tolerated us because we did nothing to them and now these inbred brats managed to unify half the town gangs against us.
3. And they collected all the money in one place that was meant for our operation by abusing their authority:
They act like bunch of narcissistic bastards, thinking that their wrinkle ballsack of a fathers would bail them out... For those that worked outside of china, that is a joke especially when the locals don't give a fuck about your parents status in the party.
How the hell they even reach 21 years old with that mindset of them thinking the world revolve around china and not get smacked in the skulls? And they forced us to hand over our finances by forcing our handlers to give almost all the money to them.
Some of us, were more lucky to had our money at hand before they mugged us, to pay our suppliers for the goods, I did my quota... And the majority was wasted by the bastards.... And more likely the money is at the hands of the crime boss.
Why they didn't send in the special agents?
They were lacking of value and left their ivory towers without supervision. And the fact that the agents were called back to the capital and dragged in the political mind games of factions.
And what my handler is essentially doing is damage control. If the agent did arrive, the boss would essentially hold them hostage and force the government to gib them money. Yeah not a good look. So we are doing dirty work. Under orders by our handlers to get a favor.
And the handlers is under pressure by the party to bring both the money and the bastard sons back. I'm more in favor of letting them die, but the consequences is great.
In a past few days, I'm joining the mess of a elite...
At least I joined the group to just defend the vehicles to bring the morons to the border. Because we are the first timers and we are not used to seeing blood and corpses.
Yeah, I am grateful that they let me guard the refrigerator truck for our cargo that was paid, others must really be desperate for taking credits... How I wished they be stuck there and be frozen to death.
We fight in the dark with limited timescale, by dawn, by the time I am writing this, we would hopefully reached the border with the freaks..., so that we don't get caught, Escape is not possible. This is beginning to be more like "Black hawk down" instead of loyal US Marines to bail out, we are bailing out the sludge of society that fucked our little slice of heaven in the outskirts of china, because of their stupidity.
The High Riders.... If angron was here... How I wished he was real, a true angel of red sands descending upon us, a true liberator. So that he would liberate us.
I checked the p*treon and I found that they had a extensive checks and rainbows flags from the past year. And I have beef with the rainbow freaks and they would shut me down, So I choose a
Another app, something that we have a anonymous accounts. And not to taxing on the paywall. I don't force people to pay. And I prefer to be anonymous.
And it's a hassle of the commisar breathing down my neck. As P*treon is now being observed by the party. Especially those that were former economic migrants. They are pretty desperate to get all forms of control...
https://s/tudio.buymea/coffee.com/leekahchunq
(my profile is just a Guardsman with a cat on his head.)
In there, I planning to make a series Short stories in that site, involving space Marines, some chapters that is not able to connect to the next plot due to time pressure, some endings that would have been approved but were tossed into the drafting table.
It is not connected to the plot, but at the same time more like a side story of the people that lived in Alexander Imperium.
bloopers, perhaps some draft. And a message that I am planning to write for men over there. I getting a feeling that I might end up like Ferrus Manus.
If someone ask why I couldn't simply just get a job? Why am I still doing the smuggling even though it might kill me?
I cannot work in a normal job. Because it already oversaturated, few jobs and no connections, and I not only have to fight my own classmates, but my seniors and my juniors as well, for limited jobs that were promised by the party, I been sending out resumes for weeks and months hoping to get away, but everytime, it's either that they end the corpo speaks, oh, I can't hire you because you are too overqualified, need years of experience, or more worse deals, as if I am nothing more than a disposable machine, 500 yuan per month with no overtime pay that was my retail, because I came from the inner regions and I don't have a residential permits to work in. I can't live in the big cities, because the rent is hell. We have a caste system. Based on where you live.
And factory work is overstaffed with newer graduates that is willing to work for peanuts. And Automation already laid off many workers, I joined the underworld because it was the only remaining path.
I am balancing my morally grey job. Smuggling electronic, Foodstuff and some Western movies that is for the party members, not checked by the censorship bureau. I didn't take part of smuggling mail order brides... Because it was more like selling human to justify my survival. Made me sick.
Sure the bulletin board that offer smuggling in women into china is rich, and flowery words of saying that you are doing the country a better future, that you are a patriot in doing so. But I asked myself...
What would Angron think of me?
What would he thinks of me if I really smuggle women into china?
While I like the Iron warriors, I could Empathize with Angron as a Primarch.
Because I am just a slave to ideology the moment I was born, a Slave to a system that is killing our nation, a system that is thrashing about with crazy solution to make china great, we are technology catching up, but at what cost? A nation that is dead in spiritually and morality, that we worship the party and money, than God and Buddha. And I could never truly be free.
While being a smuggler I have some form of freedom, I have limited access outside china, as long as I watch some business news and such and not getting with a C*a agents, But I have a leash on my neck. Reminding me the party that gave me this false freedom. That without them... I had no job, no hope and most likely be processed.
That if I managed to survive tomorrow, or by this time, this chapter is a timed chapter, I set this a week ahead of time, i don't know when I be back.... By the time you send me comments. Perhaps I be back.
Or I be dead in the coming days.
But I will inform the people in that buy me a coffee site and this website about my status.
I set it to just $1 membership and there is no higher tiers, nor I am planning to increase in the future..
People die by the whims of the elites...
This is probably the first time I see people die because of stupidity of the elites. And I am paying it with my morality.
And I thought I was someone that remained human... I may not be the same when I got return. Hopefully I don't need to kill.
Ironic, I quoting the return of the Emperor, if he truly is the one that entered the golden throne if he exited it. Would he be the Emperor of Mankind we loved from 30k?