(Til Death Do Us Part) 10: Eye For An Eye
07 Mar 2023Silvia Sharpe
It's a crisp winter morning as snow falls in the mountains around Silvia's home. Jules is sleeping soundly and Silvia is in the kitchen preparing some food. The news is playing in the background reporting the latest on the Thargoid war. Nearby a ship is making its way towards the mountain side manor, hardpoints deployed in preparation for an ambush.Silvia sets the table and proceeds to wake Jules. As they are eating breakfast the two of them are having a simple but meaningful conversation. Jules sets her fork down and looks to Silvia who is explaining a family tradition of providing a preserved flower encased in acrylic to remember those who are lost.
'Each and every one of my family members is remembered by one of those flower arrangements you see on the wall. Each member chooses their favorite flower and uses it to remember their lost loved one or person of extreme significance.'
Jules turns to look at the wall covered in preserved flowers. A dazzling array of colors and sparkles. It's beauty can only be compared to a galactic nebula. She looks at all of them before turning back to Silvia.
'So which ones are yours?'
'All of the Royal Blue Calla Lily bouquets with gold flakes and violet splotches. So for me there are only 4. One for each of my grandparents.'
Silvia fishes her breakfast as she replies pointing to the lower right of the display.
'I know that one day I will have to add more to that wall. With the recent events and thargoid war I fear for my family. My younger brother and sister, my mom and dad and most of all Venus.'
There is a loud explosion from the landing pad as Jules' ship Pit Viper is destroyed. Jules and Silvia drop to the floor as debris rips through the house. A missile blasts through the large bay window over looking the landing pad and strikes the wall of remembrance flowers destroying it. Multicannon rounds pelt the large stone fireplace and splinter the large support pillars in the main room. A second missile strikes the side of the house blowing it to pieces. Panicked and afraid Silvia reaches for Jules' hand.
'Jules!'
'I'm right here Silvia. I've got you.'
Jules grabs Silvia's hand as debris rains down and smoke fills the air. Jules and Silvia slowly make their way to their feet as the last few pieces of wood drop to the ground. Silvia lets out a cry of pain as she sees the destruction of her family home and notices the wall of flowers is obliterated. Her once beautiful home was now a smoldering mass of broken timber and stonework. A fire blazed on the northern side of the home from where the second missile had struck. Silvia could do nothing but collapse to her knees and cry as all of her memories crumbled around her.
As Jules knelt down beside Silvia an ominous, evil laugh could be heard coming from the broken glass wall. Jules turned around and saw through the smoke the outline of a man. As she stood the man spoke out.
'Jules, Jules, Jules..... did you really think you could get away from me that easily? HA! The thought of that is laughable. You will pay dearly for attempting to flee with MY property!'
Silvia and Jules both gasp when they realize the man talking to them is Diaz. Jules taps her wrist, activating the messaging app and sending a hasty message to Venus. *Help us please. We are at 69 G. Carinae C 5 A Gardner Point.* She looks up at Diaz who is standing a few feet in front of her holding his plasma rifle.
'How the hell did you track us down?'
'Really? Come now, do you really think I'd let you join my outfit and not place a tracking beacon on your ship?' Diaz smirks as he takes a step forward glass, stone and wood crunching beneath his foot. He looks past Jules and shouts. 'Now!'
There is a sharp pain in the back of Jules head as Grenshaw strikes her with the butt of his shotgun knocking her unconscious. He then strikes Silvia in the face splitting open her forehead and rendering her unconscious as well.
Diaz and Grenshaw grab the two women and proceed back to Grenshaws ship. Before departing from the home for good Grenshaw unleashes the remaining missiles laying waste to the rest of the house. They proceed back to Gardner Point.
Back at the base Diaz throws Silvia into her room and locks the door. Grenshaw throws Jules onto the table near the "kitchen" and straps her down. Diaz enters with a machete in hand. His eyes are burning with rage and hatred. He shoves Grenshaw out of the way and tells him to keep and eye out for any ships landing outside the planetary port. He turns to Jules and snarls.
'You have caused me entirely way too much trouble.......' Diaz punches Jules in the stomach hard enough to wake her from her unconscious state. '..... Wake the hell up you dumb bitch! I will not tolerate insubordination in my crew. I will not tolerate betrayal. Mutiny is punishable by death but I think instead I'll just maim you, torture you and make you scream!'
Jules coughs and groans as the pain sets in. She struggles in an attempt to free herself from her bonds. She kicks at Diaz striking him in the ribs. Diaz reaches down grabbing her leg with his free hand as he grips his machete tightly. He drives his weight forward and down as he holds Jules' leg snapping it just below the knee. Jules let's out a pained scream as Diaz let's her go.
'You will mind yourself or you will never walk again.'
Jules spits in his face before yelling out between the bursts of pain.
'You vile monster! How dare you! Scum like you deserves whatever karma is coming your way!'
Diaz smiles before back handing Jules in the face. He grabs her by the jaw and in an evil tone he growls back.
'Karma can bite me! You betrayed me and for that I will take a trophy!'
He swings his machete as hard and fast as he can down onto Jules' cybernetic arm. Jules let's out a blood curdling scream as the nerve emulators in her arm fire off. The blade stops about halfway through. Diaz brings the machete up again and slams it down once more, this time managing to cut all the way through. Jules screams out from the pain as Diaz grabs her severed cybernetic arm off the floor.
Diaz turns to walk away and pauses. He looks at the arm in his hand and smiles. Without hesitation he turns and begins to strike Jules with her own arm. He beats her until her face is covered in blood. As a final measure he takes his machete and slices across her chest leaving a gnarly gash. Jules let's out another deafening scream as Diaz turns away satisfied with the punishment.