The Hunt
19 Feb 2024Krosul X. Large
Krosul X. Large was on a mission. He had received a contract from a wealthy and influential client, who wanted him to capture a notorious criminal and bring him to justice. The criminal was a pirate lord who had raided dozens of systems, killed hundreds of people, and stolen millions of credits. The pirate lord had a bounty of 500 million credits on his head, making him one of the most wanted criminals in the galaxy.Krosul and his squadron, the Hanseatic League, had tracked the pirate lord to a planet in the Witch Head Nebula, where he had a hidden base. They had infiltrated the base, using their stealth and skills. They had fought their way through the pirate's defenses, using their weapons and tactics. They had reached the pirate's lair, using their courage and luck.
They found the pirate lord.
He was a large and muscular man, with red hair, a cybernetic eye, and a scar. He was wearing a black and red combat suit, with a skull emblem on his chest. He was holding a plasma rifle, with a knife on his belt. He was standing in front of a large and complex computer, surrounded by screens and wires. He was controlling a fleet of pirate ships, which were attacking a nearby station. He looked up and saw Krosul and his squadron. He recognized them. He spoke to them.
"Hello, Krosul. I've been expecting you. I knew you would come. I knew you would find me. I knew you would try to catch me. But you're too late. You're too slow. You're too dumb. You can't stop me. You can't catch me. You can't beat me. I'm the best pirate in the galaxy. I'm the king of the underworld. I'm the master of the game."
Krosul felt a surge of anger. He hated the pirate's arrogance. He hated the pirate's voice. He hated the pirate's scar. He spoke back to him.
"Shut up, you scum. You murderer. You thief. You're not the best. You're not the king. You're not the master. You're nothing but a criminal. A criminal who raided my client's systems. A criminal who killed my client's people. A criminal who stole my client's credits. You're going to pay for what you did. You're going to pay for what you do. You're going to pay for what you are. You're going to jail."
The pirate lord laughed. He sounded amused, not afraid. He said to him.
"Oh, Krosul. You're so naive. You're so foolish. You're so blind. You don't understand anything. You don't know the truth. You don't know why I did what I did. You don't know what I gained. You don't know what you lost. You're nothing but a pawn. A pawn in a game. A game that you can't win. A game that you can't even comprehend."
Krosul felt a surge of curiosity. He wondered what the pirate was talking about. He wondered what the truth was. He wondered what the game was. He wondered if he should listen to him. He wondered if he should ask him. He wondered if he should care.
He decided he didn't.
He decided he only cared about one thing.
His mission.
He ignored the pirate's words. He focused on his actions. He saw an opening. He took it. He fired his railgun. He aimed for the pirate's chest. He hit it. He saw the pirate's body jerk. He saw the pirate's eye dim. He saw the pirate's mouth bleed. He saw the pirate's computer fry. He saw the pirate's screens go black. He saw the pirate's wires burn.
He did it.
He shot him.
He captured him.
He completed his mission.
He followed his client.
He fulfilled his contract.
He cheered.
He was joined by his squadron, who also cheered. They had won. They had survived. They had succeeded. They had followed their leader. They had supported their friend. They had honored their brother.
They celebrated.
They were interrupted by a loud and grateful voice. It was a voice they had never heard before. It was a voice they liked. It was a voice they respected.
It was the voice of the Galactic Federation.
They looked at their comms and saw a face. It was a face they had never seen before. It was a face they liked. It was a face they respected.
It was the face of the Galactic Federation.
It was a young and handsome man, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a smile. He was wearing a white and blue uniform, with a Federation emblem on his shoulder. He was holding a medal, with a Federation logo on it. He was standing in front of a large and majestic building, with a Federation flag on it. He was the President of the Galactic Federation, the leader of the largest and oldest faction in the galaxy. He looked at Krosul and smiled. He spoke to him.
"Hello, Krosul. Congratulations on your successful capture. I'm glad you found the pirate lord. I'm glad you captured the pirate lord. I'm glad you stopped the pirate lord. You did a great job. You did exactly what I wanted you to do."
Krosul felt a surge of confusion. He wondered what the President was talking about. He wondered what the President wanted him to do. He wondered why the President helped him. He wondered who the President was. He asked him.
"Who are you? What do you want? Why did you help me?"
The President smiled. He sounded friendly, not hostile. He said to him.
"I'm someone who likes you. I'm someone who needs you. I'm someone who helped you. I'm someone who has a proposition for you. A proposition that will make you richer. A proposition that will make you famous. A proposition that will make you happier. A proposition that will make you mine."
He paused. He sounded serious, not joking. He said to him.
"Join me."
He paused again. He sounded hopeful, not desperate. He said to him.
"Join me, Krosul. Join me, and I'll tell you everything. Join me, and I'll show you everything. Join me, and I'll give you everything. Join me, and I'll make you everything. Join me, and I'll make you mine."
He waited. He waited for his answer. He waited for his decision. He waited for his choice.
He waited for him.
He thought. He thought about the President's offer. He thought about the President's question. He thought about the President's gift. He thought about the President's proposition.
He thought about the President.
He made his choice.
He leaved without a Word…