LEGENDS OF THE VOID - VOLUME ONE

Chapter One

>>Chapter One
>>>STARDATE: 8902.4 (7 Years from UCOP Occupation)
>//: LOCATION: Slave Trading Post – Corrizon
>>>> In Orbit above the planet Praxion II

Another metallic clatter whipped through the metal framework. Even with the lines of people chained together, it couldn't muffle the sound of the docking clamps. Crumbs knew it, he had been in ships all his life. What he hadn't been in was a Slaving ship... until today. An increasing amount of anxiety hit him quicker as another round of sharp mechanical sounds came from outside of the hull.

Like a bolt of plasma, a white hot pressure built up through his entire nervous system as he felt the terror and images of what was about to happen start to take their toll on his courage. Crumbs had heard stories of the UCOP Labor camps, and even worse stories of the slaves who they sold to the Verranium mines. Crumbs knew he wasn't ready for that, he didn't even understand how he had gotten on the ship in the first place. 

>12 HOURS PRIOR / Deverin Racing Yards - Hortaxia

"Whaddya mean I still owe 2 bits?!" Crumbs slammed his paw menacingly down onto the counter. "I paid you fair and square. I know for a fact you got those bits, because you fuckin' told me about it!"
The proctor he was yelling at, a Vesk by the name of Gorrik, gave Crumbs a big, toothy smile as he leaned down. Almost hitting his chin into the counter, a palpable aura of anger radiated off the big lizard while he spoke.
"Listen here, Squeaks." Gorrik's massive claws now gripped the very edge of the counter, his nails digging into the composite material. "You placed a bet of 12 bits on that race. I say you lost. So you gotta pony up another 2 bits to cover the interest."
Crumbs gave a hearty laugh. "What in my mother's tit do you mean 'interest'?! Interest from the time I paid out my share for the loss? You mean the two whole goddamn minutes it took me to walk down here to finish the day?!"
"Yep. A bit for each minute." Gorrik's grin was almost a laugh as he said it. Clearly, he was trying to rip the Yskoi off. Crumbs knew it. Everyone else knew as well.
"I tell you what Squeeks-"
"Its Crumbs. You half brained reptile."
In an instant, Gorrik's demeanor went from laughing, to anger. "I don't think I heard you right, rodent. What in the Four Kings did you just call me?" 

Crumbs had done it now, but that was the point. Generally, calling a Vesk a reptile was something they hated. Gorrik glared down at Crumbs, angry and ready to throw a fist through his furry face. But now the tables had turned. Now, Crumbs had the upper hand.
"I called you a reptile. And now that I have your attention, here's the thing: I don't owe you shit. Y'Hear me? Nothin'. I paid out my losses, I'm gonna go home, and I'm gonna sink my furry little ass into the tub and get some sleep." Before the next few words fell from Crumbs' mouth, a shatter storm of materials came flying from the booth as Gorrik retrieved his "beating stick" and crashed through the front of his own stall. The small layer of Plexi-composite that gave Crumbs some wiggle room for his insults was now tossed about the room in several hundreds of pieces. A small gulp came from Crumbs as he reached a paw onto the spanner he had attached to his belt, ready to strike.
"A-Alright now bud, lets calm down. No need to get physical over 2 bits." Crumbs attempted to de-escalate the situation, but with quick reflexes, dodged the oncoming mace as it collided with the ground he was standing on two seconds prior. With a bust of speed, he began is escape from the angry Vesk. 

"Get back here you little asshole!" Gorrik called to Crumbs as the Yskoi took advantage of his smaller size and darted through the crowd of people. With some quick thinking, he weaved his way through the confusion, but was only able to keep a small window of distance between him and Gorrik.
"You idiot, you're gonna get us both locked up for two bits!" Crumbs called back behind him to the pursuing Vesk. Suddenly, a burst of heat and pressure caught Crumbs' right side and sent him flying. With a sharp thud, his back met the metal shell of a dumpster. A sharp pain fell through his spine and left arm while his head attempted to regain its bearings on what way was up. By the time the world stopped spinning, Gorrik stood above him, a pistol pointing down directly at his skull.
"Not so funny now, are you?" Gorrik growled through his panting.
Crumbs grunted through his gritted teeth as he lay on the trash covered ground. "You're really gonna try and kill me for two bits? Really?" The gun barrel was now closer to his head.
"No, I'm going to kill you for calling me a reptile." Gorrik replied, priming his pistol for another blast. Annoyed, Crumbs shooed the barrel from his face and attempted to get up from his prone position on the ground. Sharp pain rifled through his bones as he dusted off his overalls.
"Alright, Alright. I'm sorr-"
A sudden whistle flew through the air, met with a burning sensation on his right leg. Crumbs felt a massive shock begin to rifle through his system. He began to wrench and twist violently as he fell to the ground in a heap of pain.
A squad of UCOP soldier's suddenly approached the position, guns drawn and ready for the targets to move. "Stand down!" one of them barked over a voice-amplifier. Crumbs lay on the ground in a crumpled heap, nerves raw and numb from the shock to his system from the CDU (Crowd Pacification Unit) that sat latched to his leg. The world around him went into a muffled blur, and fatigue took him into a heavy slumber.