Dingo's App

[RedDingo]

Profile Alias: Niven "Niv" Long Race: Human Class: Operative Archetype: Fixer? Theme: Outlaw Background: Golden Parachute Ability Scores and Skills Content

Concept

With a bloody hand, Shen lit his last cigarette and took a drag. Blowing a plume of smoke, he looked his executioner square in the eye.

"You know...I was kinda hoping it would be you, though I didn't expect it."

The Xun assassin's face was concealed behind a featureless mask, but Shen could just imagine the tattooed warrior's implacable expression. He knew it well enough.

"I'm the best there is," the latter said. "You should feel honored that they sent me."

Shen grinned and took another drag. He saw his reflection in Sinjin's mask. Even illuminated by the neon light of the alley, he could tell he was mess.

"I'm not big enough to warrant the best."

"They questioned my loyalty for my ties to you, so I volunteered to take you out."

"Cut the crap, Sinjin. Why did you really take this mission?" Shen figured this was the League's reason for sending him, but he also knew that Sinjin wasn't so insecure.

"I wanted to know why. You could have been one of the best, Shen. You could have risen with me to the top. Instead you decided desert us. You must know that the Golden League does not take kindly to traitors. So why did you even try?"

"You know why..."

"...Eox?"

"Eox."

"Hmmm...I'm sorry about Lyria, but that's simply an occupational hazard. I warned you about getting too involved someone in this line of wor-..."

"It wasn't just her! It was Xior, Mottt, and Dicer. I still have nightmares about what happened to them...or more accurately...what's still happening to them!" Shen blurted it out and shuddered. "I'm not afraid of dying for the Golden League, but I saw that there are things worse than death that day."

His killer said nothing and just stared at him. He took that as permission too keep speaking, "I just want out. If that means dying, then I'm fine with that outcome."

"You are fine with dying...yet that didn't stop you from killing Kuai Long." Sinjin gestured to the body of at the side.

"Well...I didn't want to go down to a chump like him," Shen took one final drag. For moment he thought that he heard a chuckle from behind the Xun's visor. "Let's get this over with."

Sinjin nodded and that was last thing Shen could remember before waking up to the mother of all headaches. He recognized the sound of ship engines through the haze. When he tried to rub his temples, he discovered that he was now clad in a space suit.

"Finally awake?" Sinjin's voice echoed in his ear. He groaned at the new wave of pain it sent.

"I-ugh...I guess..." he was honestly more surprised he was still alive. As he took in his surroundings, Shen realized that he was in an air lock. "So you're sending me on a Dive. You must really hate me to put me in a space suit for it."

The League had no want for ways to kill traitors and enemies, they could get dreadfully creative. The Dive was one tradition that was said to stretch back to before the Gap, and was as simple as it was ancient. Back in the day, it was just pushing the victim off a high cliff. Usually it was in the waters of an ocean where if the fall or rocks didn't kill you, sea monsters or drowning would do the job. In modern times, it meant spacing someone out the air lock of a ship. Relatively speaking, it was merciful to let exposure to the vacuum kill the victim quickly than to strand them in a suit to die slowly.

"Actually, I like you, Shen. That's why I've left you a parting gift. Check your right pouch."

Shen followed the direction and pulled out a spindle shaped pod the size of his fist. "A Drift beacon?"

"It's set to broadcast a emergency distress code for three Absalom Days. I'm dropping you in a sector close to the route of a small-time shipping company. If you're lucky one of their vessels should pass by and pick you up. Consider this a Golden Parachute for your dive."

He said nothing, just stared at his "gift" in dumbfounded silence. Shen had never figured Sinjin for the sentimental type, for the latter's talk about not getting too close people, he figured the Xun would just kill him and call it a day. "I uhh...thanks. Were you planning this the whole time?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, Shen. If you had begged for your life back in that alley, I would have killed you on the spot. You faced death with resolve, cowards don't do that. My plan was to learn your reason for leaving."

"But Kuai Long-..."

"Was assigned to make sure I did the job. Thanks for killing him by the way, he was getting on my nerves."

"No problem," Shen wryly replied. "What about the rest of the League?"

"I'll tell them I spaced you and it will be the true enough to keep me off their psychic's lie-finder radar. Of course, you are gonna have to stay off our radar. If you get made in League space, I'd either have to actually kill you or worse: call in your debt. I'm sure you know what you need to do to stay out of trouble."

"Change my name and face." He knew how to cover his tracks, the only reason they caught up to him was because the Xun were that good.

"Probably just the name. No one cares what you look like out here."

For a full minute, there was silence underscored by the hum of the ship engines.

"So what do you plan on doing with your new life."

"Dunno, I didn't really think I'd make it this far...I guess my only legal marketable skill is piloting, so I could just try my hand at that."

"Maybe you could even be the captain of your own ship..."

"Heh...always thinking ambitiously, Sinjin?"

"It's how I fly. Go big or go home. We're nearing the drop point. Keep your parachute ready."

Shen pocketed the Drift beacon. It would probably burn out by the time he got picked up so he could only sell it for scrap. He'd have to figure some other way to earn credits. He'd have to pick a new name too.

"Okay...going to kill you in 3...2...1."

The lock hissed and the door to the void opened. Shen raised his arms and let the vacuum pull him out of the Golden League and to a cold new life.

Edited November 18, 2023 by RedDingo (see edit history)