Trail of the Forsaken

Chapter Two: Deal

The next thing Taak knows is that hes sat in the hangar of a battle cruiser transporting various soldiers and mercenaries. He is cold, distant and his focus doesn't break. A few soldiers around him exhibit the same trait, their gazes transfixed, their limbs loose and heavy. On the other end of the cargo hold a young spindly soldier bolts up in a frenzy he panics not knowing where he is, why he is, the sergeant is infuriated and shouts at him in a language the boy clearly isn't familiar with. The kids clothing barely fit him and his bullet proof vest hangs off his shoulders. He pulls at his oversized belt, "what? what have you done to me? what is this?" he shouts and pleads. He's terrified, he dares not make a sudden move. Taak comes-to just as the poor boy is beaten to the floor, he lays there motionless trodden into the cold metal. Taak's emotion is non-existent, these people are ruthless, they don't favour defiance.

Taak watches the boy waiting for his chest to rise any second but it doesn't. Distant screams leak into his mind as a foggy memory emerges. A planet at war. On his skin he feels a light tropical heat, he can see a blinding sun, but its nice, so nice. Large fauna reaches across the landscape and an array of animals feed off of the green open land.  Despite the peace, he felt a deep sense of vulnerability. Coarse sand whips at his face. He smells the ash as huts burn to the ground and families are forced to flea. Children are pulled away from their mothers and cast aside to watch as everything they know is destroyed. He hangs his head, his heart aching and pounding in his chest. The sergeant  stops at his feet, Taak takes a deep breath before he lifts his head and his eyes meet with theirs, he sees the same anger as the ones in his dreams.  A burning whisper, a careless warning. The sergeant moves on surveying the next soldier. 

Taak is left disillusioned, he cannot recall much at all. The ship is filled with strange people some are Baobo'an but others aren't but they all sport similar uniforms. He knows he should be here, he knows that this is something he fought for, but deep down a conflict has ignited inside him. Suppressing it he sits up straight as his body starts responding to him.

He leans on his knees and takes a look out the porthole window directly in front of him to see a shining blue planet. The colour so crisp and clear he could pluck it straight from the abyss around them. Hes never seen anything like it the sterile colours almost burn away at his retinas. It's something of absolute awe, they fly in closer and break through the atmosphere where below is a city the size of a continent. Through the thin cloud cover are white high rises with bubble like features. A small ship speeds past the window, and another, he spots in the distance a whole sky network of ships and other transport zipping through the tightly knit and neatly arranged buildings. The cruiser picks a landing on top of the closest skyscraper, and it comes to a jolting halt almost throwing the sergeant to his feet. He screams and others start to stand up in orderly fashion, Taak follows not entirely sure what the protocol is. From behind mercenaries start to shove everyone out onto the landing pad and  begin to sort everyone into formation. There must be about 15 in total, some stand proud whilst others cower holding their guns pointed to the ground. Hes handed a rifle that looks as tho it was made from the same debris that the prison cells were made of on his home planet, hes so glad he's not sweeping them out in that blaring heat. In fact this may be the first time he's felt a cool breeze brush his arms. He holsters his rifle across his back, his thumbs resting at his belt, he wasn't afraid. 

The mercenaries start to scale down the outside of the building. A bulky blue creature with six arms crawls down the skyscraper face first without trouble, others wield grapples from their belts or arm bracers. The soldiers, are forced into a large elevator. Shortly after they arrive in a large minimalist office where three business men stand around a table that meets them at chest height. They do not look surprised about the warriors presence however remain cautious nevertheless. The sergeant clicks a small round tab on his temple and speaks perfectly in a language Taak can finally understand. "Give us the shipment". I guess that gets us straight to the point.

A businessman replies. "We have contacted Crux about this, it isn't yours" 

Another chimes in, more gutsy than the last, "this will be brought up with the Union". He goes to reach for the communicator that lays on the desk, but is shot square in the chest and falls shockingly quick to the floor. 

"does anyone else want to talk" the sergeant asks waving his pistol around. That moment a woman walks in through a side entrance, she doesn't look surprised to see her counterparts either but instead looks to her colleague on the ground and then up to the two businessmen left standing. Just as they were going to speak the sergeant butts in again "this couldn't get better, we'll take her too" He smiles a menacing smile, looking her up and down.

"Maya go to the other room, she will not be included in this-" the first businessman says anxiously. Meanwhile one reaches behind himself and his fingers search for his pistol,a pistol well hidden on the underside of a table. At this moment the mercenaries break through the window guns pointed at the three. 

"I said we'll take both" The sergeant looks back, he motions Taak to step forward. "Take her somewhere secure" Taak handcuffs her arms behind her back and takes her out the room, he doesn't point his gun at her nor does he utter a word, he just doing his job. As they leave two distinct gun shots are heard, Maya flinches in his hands.

The sergeant follows quickly behind with two mercenaries at his side, all three wear armour notably wielded from some high tech form of an armoury, certainly like nothing Taak's ever seen. You can tell from their seamless designs, fitted undercoats, expensive materials. If he knew anything it was that this scheme he was under wasn't just something built from his home planet, this was something far far bigger. Only time will tell him he thought, either way he's loyal to the ones who have fed him and housed him for his lifetime. The sergeant catches up just as Taak reaches the end of a hall, he pulls out a key card and taps it at the terminal prompting a door to unseal and slide open revealing a long room with a table readily laid out with food and drink. The mercenaries wait outside either side of the door and the sergeant enters with Taak grasping Maya's wrists behind her with one hand. After the door re-secures the three sit at the refectory table.The sergeant, head of the table, pushes back his sweat filled hair with his hands, "shall we cut a deal?". He grabs a small fruit from a bowl and takes a bite.

Maya doesn't speak. 

"So that's it now?, we come all this way, I've had to kill three men and the message still doesn't get through to you" He falls back in his seat forcing Maya to speak.

Maya waits for her cue, "you won't be getting the deal" she  watches the men's faces fall as gunshots can be heard rattling outside.

"what is that? what the fuck is that?" The sergeant runs out the room, pulling his pistol from his holster, barley gaining his balance. Taak is just as perplexed, fixing his gaze on Maya who smiles at him rather smugly.