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Chapter 7[]
Dead Man's Hand: Family Values[]
New Saigon, Kowloon
Bucklands Province
Lyran Commonwealth
October 7th, 3057
Nathan Roshak felt the unpleasant sensation of two of his ribs cracking as something hit him in the chest with considerable force. He staggered backwards, tripping over the body of an unconscious gang member and fell against the wall before sliding to the ground. Looking down, he saw where the front of his uniform was ripped open, right above his heart, only the reinforced trauma plate in his tactical vest saving his life. Reaching up, he dislodged the still hot bullet and examined it.
While no expert in infantry weapons, it seemed remarkably large, even if it had been drastically misshapen by the force of the impact...and why were his ears ringing?
A shadow fell over him, and still somewhat in shock, he looked up to see Aung standing over him. His mouth was moving, but the former Jade Falcon couldn't here anything but the damn ringing...
"I SAID, ARE YOU BLEEDING?" Aung repeated, his deep, almost seismic voice finally getting through.
"N...Neg." Nathan Roshak shock himself, forcing his mind to clear and his sense to return to normal.
"THEN WALK IT OFF!" the towering mercenary grabbed him by the shoulder strap and effortlessly yanked him to his feet, "We're not done here."
Looking round, Nathan Roshak took in the situation: one of their Cost Guard allies was down, bleeding from a gunshot to the leg, but was already tying it off with a Tourniquet. Elsewhere, he could see Scilicorn junked down behind a low internal wall, exchanging weapons fire with an unseen opponent in an upstairs office. He watched the other man draw a stun grenade and lob it over arm. The charge smashed through the remains of a glass window before exploding with a loud crack, thick white smoke filing the room in an instant. Two forms emerged from the doorway, struggling to each fresh air, only to take a full-power hit by the Sonic Stunner being wielded by Kelso.
A large man with crazed eyes charge at them, what looked to be a fire axe held over his head. Aung swung around, grabbing the gang enforcer by the throat and lifting him up into the air before bringing him down, hard, onto a table, which promptly collapsed beneath him. Despite the what should have been an incapacitating blow, the man kept trying the fight back, so the massive mercenary simply punched him in the face with enough force the shatter his nose, and finally rendering him unconscious.
Seeing movement toward the back of the warehouse, Nathan Roshak checked his own weapon, and set off to investigate. He was approaching a corner, when a chuck of the thin wall exploded before him, and he ducked down just in time to avoid a second burst that would have taken his head off. Even so, he felt something tug at the back of his neck, and his hair felt slick. Reaching round, he could feel a small cut, just below his hair line, where a needler shard and nicked him. Inching forwards, he carefully looked around the corner to see a woman struggling to reload a needler pistol of some kind. Taking careful aim, he fired his laser pistol, hitting her in the left shoulder, making her drop her weapon without killing her.
It didn't take much longer for the last few criminals to decide that discretion was the better part of valor, and surrender.
"Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, this is a Morality Inspection." Kelso survayed the prisoners as they knelt on the ground, hands on their heads, the Coast Guard going about checking them for hidden weapons or other contraband before securing their hands with zip-ties, "We're not a rival gang, or even the local cops, looking to shake you down for additional protection money. No: we're here under the personal authority of her Grace, Duchess Elizabeth Ngo."
Nathan Roshak couldn't help but notice how a couple of the prisoners looked decidedly less sure of themselves.
"Now, until recently, this little operation of yours was allowed to continue, because you were keeping to the unwritten rules, and not involving anyone who didn't want to be a part of it." Kelso continued, "But, then you got greedy, and decided to use some of the local kids as drug mules. We are here to make it abundantly clear that this will. Not. Be. Tolerated. You have, by your own actions, been selected to be made an example of. Under Commonwealth Law, we already have enough evidence to see each and every one of you spends the next couple of decades in prison. So, the only question is.. who wants to make a deal?"
"You're bleeding." Scilicorn appeared at the exStar Colonel's side, first aid kit in hand.
"It is nothing." he waves the other man off, "A scratch."
"Still, best to get it cleaned and bandaged. Who knows what kind of filth they have here?" the mercenary ignored his protests and quickly tended the wound, applying an antiseptic ointment that stung on contact, "Look on the bright side, you've got a nice little trophy to impress the young Duchess with."
"You think I need battle scars to gain her favor?" Nathan Roshak asked.
"There's an age-old saying: wounds heal, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever." Scilicorn explained as he applied a bandage, "You've bled in the line of duty, leaving you with a scar that only your sweetheart will ever see, and you'll have a cool war story to tell in the future. Take the win."