Fiction:Bloody Detour

"Trust me. The sooner you bring this item back to me, the sooner I don't have to worry about the balance of this galaxy getting out of hand. The sooner I have this, the sooner we can have the upper hand. You don't know much benefit this would bring if the Asilaphean blockade was lifted because I could make them."

In mid 2824, a high-profile item bound for - a  cache key - was stolen by raiders in mid-transit. Expressing an extreme desire to have this item returned to its intended place, sent out his elite hitman to discover the whereabouts of the key. The key would pass through the hands of several unsavoury individuals of the Galaxy's sectors, and several individuals found themselves in great danger trying to retrieve such a valuable item.

Prologue: Raid at Pekrû
Summer, TY 12310: Orbiting Pekrû, Xittan-Yaton/Xalakk-Xittan Border, territory

Pekrû - a barren planet made use by the was a somewhat insignificant checkpoint of incoming small cargo. Some of the cargo within the Nijusi Syndicate that came through Pekrû fed directly to the capital word of Nijusisumarec - especially, an important item that was relayed to President Nijusi himself regarding the procuring of an item of origin. It was found by an external scouting team composed of both s and near the Schism/Core Region border. Such an item was rarely seen before historically and not upon a Sarcophagus Planet. About a week before the item was cleared for transport, Nijusi himself had been given the following information from one of the members of the party:

>>Item of confirmed Zhulultu origin discovered on planet RS-8591-173-0-0-71. >>Item dimensions: 87 cm x 87 cm x 14 cm. Weight: 14.0515 kg. >>Material composition: 2 materials: 71.15 % Zhulultu Alloy. 28.85% [INCONCLUSIVE MATERIAL]. >>[INCONCLUSIVE MATERIAL] study: ''Rhodochrosite: 2% match. Anomalous compounds detected.'' >>Observational studies: ''Anomalies detected in the red material indicate that, whilst there is a two percent chance of this material being rhodochrosite, the primary anomaly of this material is that it bears intense magnetic strength to several metals both ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic. There are no qualities of the item found in more dangerous Zhulultu artifacts; none of my colleagues have experienced physiological ailments after coming into contact with the object, and from archival studies, we have concluded that this item is similar in characteristics to a Cache Key. Transport to Nijusisumarec is advised; will be transported in a suitable containment to counteract magnetic pull.''

Due to the extremely valuable nature of the item, Nijusi believed that the cargo in which it was being transported would not have additional security; attracting any attention to the nature of the Cache Key could prove disastrous should it have found itself in the hands of another. The key's transport had become so safeguarded that the designation of the item did not become separate from the general daily consignment of raw provisions to Nijusisumarec's patrols; the authorities at the checkpoint had indeed encountered the item encased in its box, although the spray upon its sides had bore the authoritative seal of Nijusi himself; such items were not to be inspected by the border authorities. It was only unfortunate that at that particularly day were Kamagorian raiders expressing their interest in pillaging the small freighter. Would have the freighter been any larger, Kamagorian raiders may have not considered their chances of successfully raiding it.

The Pekrû system had recently became host to a band of Kamagorian raiders who had smuggled themselves upon another cargo freighter. These particular raiders were evidently skilled; Nijusi's cargo patrol did not notice the discrepancies in weight before the checkpoint or after the checkpoint, and if they did, it would have been too long ago now to have enquired with the body responsible for harvesting these provisions. The Kamagorian raiders were simply biding their time; stealthily raiding and escaping with a small freighter in the time they had was probable, and, considering the lack of knowledge of the Cache Key both the raiders and the Syndicate's patrol had, the alarm to shoot down this hijacked freighter would have been slow. The Kamagorians were not equipped to deal with the full force of the Syndicate; but a peripheral cargo patrol was nothing to be afraid of.

As this marked freighter had entered the checkpoint, it had docked upon the hanger to receive inspection. The inspectors were only mildly armed Sumikians; not particularly armoured enough to deal with Kamagorians. The freighter's crew had exited their ship - these inspections often took up to an hour to complete thoroughly, so often the crew onboard would make use of the small-time amenities present. Between several high-stacked metal crates in the hangar, a party of fourteen Kamagorian raiders silently made their way to inspect the scene. Their captain had noted that the original crew was not present, and there were only four armed Sumikians at the crew platform itself. There was no challenge to a raiding party present, let alone a team of well equipped mercenaries or anything between. There was also little chance for the Sumikian patrol to survive the attack - the Kamagorian raiders soon made themselves known to the patrol, and their rifles made quick and bloody work of the patrol outside.

It was only a matter of seconds however was the alarm raised - the raiders would have to act quickly to board the freighter, neutralise the crew and escape the system before heavier support would arrive. It was also clear that these raiders knew the design of Sumikian freighters; it was not their first Sumikian-ship raiding. The inspection crew were even less armed than that of the patrol crew outside - and, with a swift and heavy bullets accurately placed upon the crew themselves, it was only a minute or so before the raiders easily neutralised and took control of the ship. Taking control of the cockpit - almost humorously so for a Kamagorian to take command of a Sumikian ship - the freighter violently broke off from the docking platform, causing some damage to the station itself. The shields rose almost immediately as the support arrived - the ship narrowly avoiding heavy bolts of ballistic force tearing through it. As soon as they were clear, the raiders activated the procedures for the travel out of the Pekrû system, towards an unknown territory outside of the sector.

It had taken sometime for the transport crew to index all of the items upon the ship to the Pekrû checkpoint; specifically emphasising the Cache Key that was also upon it. With not a moment further, the checkpoint had immediately relayed this to Nijusi's contacts on Nijusisumarec - the news of a Zhulultu artifact inadvertently stolen in a failed undercover transit would not sit well with him at all.

Nijusisumarec, Capital

Nijusisumarec was the capital of the Nijusi Syndicate; formerly an administrative colony of the before Tuk Nijusi himself wrestled control of the Xittan-Yaton Sector over a millennium ago. Nijusisumarec was built in time to represent what could have been an illustrious capital; Nijusisumarec was developed, impressive in architecture, and according to Nijusi's plan was a fortified haven of galactic cosmopolitanism coupled with highly organised criminality. Uninhabitable in most regions, Nijusisumarec's cities and outposts were built in encased domes, of where its vast and immense skyscrapers grew to such a height that it blocked the sky above them past the already obscuring dome. Because of this, Nijusisumarec's cities were only lit artificially; neon lights and veritably insane traffic systems made their cities bustling and overwhelming to most of the uncivilised galaxy. The networks of the transport systems were so sophisticated that the cities built apart had begun to sprawl all over the planet.

Nijusi, however, did not take residence in one of these immense skyscrapers that made the very air of the planet dense and urban. Instead, his palatial residence was underground - a complex of sturdy buildings built underneath the infamous Nijusisumarec Coliseum that played host to the Tuuros Galaxy's most known annual event. It seemed cliché to Nijusi to live within a vast skyscraper; and, the concept of living so may have presented the opportunity for one of these towers to collapse in a surprise attack. Hence, Nijusi's underground complex served as his home. Cold and hard as it may have sounded, Nijusi made every effort to make his home appear as if it were rural and high-class; so much so that Nijusi took to using convincing artificial and holographic scenery to give off the illusion that he lived in a far away palace of itself. As expected, Nijusi's complex was fortified and protected to the degree where little to no force in the galaxy could come a hundred light years close to it.

Living in the luxury that immense wealth had gave him however, did not steady Nijusi's anger that day. As the message of Pekrû's raid eventually reached him in mid dinner, Nijusi made it readily known that he was indeed enraged - throwing his plate across the dining hall and storming off towards his office. Followed by a number of his advisors, Nijusi had made way to his desk. His office was spherical in shape, and half the room was a series of windows that opened on to a holographic environment of a similarly rural nature to 's plains, giving the room a brilliant light. Upon his desk was a terminal; regarding recent mail sent to him on the topic of the Cache Key itself. Alongside that, a report was given to him regarding the incident of the raid; including the surveillance of the Kamagorians raiding the freighter itself.


 * Nijusi - ...How is it that fourteen RIDICULOUS Kamagorians managed to get away with that ship?!
 * Kau Tekjora - With all due respect, Mr. President, you did authorise the ship to be...well. Unprotected.

Taking some moments to composed himself, Nijusi slumped back in the padded chair of his desk, letting out a heavy and somewhat annoyed sigh without little sophistication to stop it.


 * Nijusi - I suppose I've taught myself a lesson today. But do you know the value of an artifact like that?
 * Tekjora - I was always told that Zhulultu artifacts were priceless.
 * Nijusi - The bigger ones, yes. Small ones like that? Those raiders could sell it and then buy out their own fleet for that money.
 * Tekjora - You want to have the raiders found and killed, Mr. President?
 * Nijusi - As satisfying as that is, that won't clear my conscience. No. I want the Cache Key found. Every trading post we have eyes on between here and the Schism. I want to see where it goes. Where it goes, we'll get it back.
 * Advisor - I understand that you don't want the fleet on this.
 * Nijusi - Good thing you're not an idiot, Tekjora. Correct. Prepare my shuttle. We're going to have a talk with Dijun.

Ped Dijun - Tuk Nijusi's personal hitman - was confined to a compound on Nijusisumarec for most of his time. Whilst paid by Nijusi, Dijun's skill set had made Nijusi paranoid. Dijun running freelance work outside of Nijusi's jurisdiction could have proved detrimental to Nijusi's plans; so in exchange for a substantial wage, Dijun was confined to his home. It was not a small compound - Nijusi had little expense wavered to give Dijun a comfortable lifestyle even in house surveillance - otherwise the agreement the two had may have proved to have ended more violently than Nijusi would intend. Arriving on the compound, some four or five hundred miles outside of the city in the midst of Nijusisumarec's immense and barren landscape, Nijusi cleared his entry to contact his hitman. As he found Dijun, Dijun himself was within his own personal gym; exercising every muscle he could in preparation for impromptu work. Fortunately for him, Nijusi was just about to do so. As he caught sight of Nijusi, Dijun set down his equipment and sat down upon the bench, taking a swig of a Sumikian drink designed to supplement exercising. Of course for Dijun, it was a drink with mildly experimental qualities that had Nijusi had developed in order to improve his potential lethality during field work.


 * Nijusi - How are you finding the new equipment?
 * Dijun - ...Comfortable.
 * Nijusi - ...Is that it, Ped? I know you're not the most talkative individual in the galaxy, but you could at least show some more gratitude that I've put six hundred million into this compound. Not to mention your annual salary.
 * Dijun - ...
 * Nijusi - Hmph. ...Anyway. I guess you know why I'm here.
 * Dijun - Another kill contract?
 * Nijusi - Could be. But mostly search and retrieve.

Giving Dijun a tablet, Nijusi presented his hitman with the information of the Pekrû raid, and, of course the totality of the information of the Cache Key - its size, characteristics, and including the faces of those who partook in its raid.


 * Dijun - ...Are you serious? Why not send your normal search and retrieve teams?
 * Nijusi - Most search and retrieve teams don't retrieve items that are stolen. Could you imagine the dangers of that key falling into the wrong hands?
 * Dijun - Your interest in Zhulultu paraphernalia will get you killed.
 * Nijusi - Trust me. The sooner you bring this item back to me, the sooner I don't have to worry about the balance of this galaxy getting out of hand. The sooner I have this, the sooner we can have the upper hand. You don't know much benefit this would bring if the Asilaphean blockade was lifted because I could make them.
 * Dijun - Alright. Stop monologuing. ...Do you have any leads?
 * Nijusi - Kamagorian raiders aren't fast travelling. Outposts along the Xalakk-Xittan Sector is a start.

Dijun handed back the tablet to Nijusi, and, walking past him, made his way back towards his compound. For Dijun, such a mission was unusual. He knew better than to pry too much into Nijusi's intentions - doing so normally ends in execution - but to him, it was better than idly sitting on Nijusisumarec.