Space Odyssey: Spectre

Jace hummed as the communication connected back to the Underworld System. "Hielo, is everything alright there?"

"Yes, although there is a former noble’s private militia that has set up inside of the kitinol territory. They claim they are hunting pirates." Hielo answered with a sigh. "I am double checking for spies among all ranks. I am sorry, I thought we could trust them. How many did we lose?"

"We lost three people, eleven of ours were injured. We killed twenty-six mercenaries and we captured three including the commander of the mercenary group. I will personally interrogate them. Were they recommended by the same former noble that is setting up?" Jace answered and then asked. He was sitting in the captain’s chair as the back up bridge crew worked and checked over the ship’s systems to see what damage the mercenaries did.

"They were not, they were recommended by Director Fenrir. Should I inform her?" Hielo asked.

"No, I will get the message across." Jace told her. "We are going to move to that system and check on their armaments. But first I am going down to interrogate some scum that held their weapons on Cho and Jordan."

Hielo made a weak choke for a moment before sighing. The communication cut off and Jace stood up as Shilla walked onto the bridge. "I am going to run a check from top to bottom on the ship. Are we continuing with Operation Prometheus?"

"If we get the opportunity. But we first need to make an example of them." Jace informed her as he walked past her and out of the bridge. He made his way over to his office first. Finding Jordan and Cho sleeping inside. He nodded before walking over to a wall and pressed his hand against it. It lit up and then a panel slid open to reveal his archaeology journal. As well as a collection of printed photos, a data pad that was disconnected from any net. As well as a revolver and knife. Then the final object was a roll of tools. Which is what he took out of the hidden wall.

He closed it after he grabbed his tools. He walked out of his office without waking up either of them and made his way down to the brig. There were a few guards on duty. They nodded at him as he walked in. He made his way to the uninjured mercenary first. Opening the door and modifying the laser wall so sound could not be heard from inside by anyone beyond the wall.

"What are you doing?" The mercenary asked as Jace removed the gag and blindfold.

"I am about to interrogate you." Jace answered as he unraveled the tool bag to reveal a variety of tools that he has used to torture people in the past. "Now a days I would not resort to torture. But no one will look twice after you used children as hostages."

The mercenary audibly gulped as Jace pulled out a jagged blade. "The commander said we would get paid in an entire planet. All I know is that we were being given the planet by a noble from the former Montez Kingdom region."

"I am sure you overheard something as well." Jace told him. "A bit of pain can help you remember." He moved towards the mercenary and he struggled in the restraints.

"I-I the speaker of the noble council. The speaker of the noble council was mentioned. I swear that is all I know." The mercenary spoke quickly. "I try not to keep appraised of our jobs. All I knew was that I was to hold those girls at gunpoint and to help secure the bridge. I swear that is it."

Jace sighed as he backed away. Putting his tool away and then grabbing the gag and blindfold. Putting them both back on the mercenary before he moved to the other mercenary. He would get the subordinates done first before moving onto Isel, the commander of these mercenaries.

He walked into the next cell and unraveled his tools first before sealing the wound in the room. Then he removed the mercenary’s gag and blindfold.

"What?" The mercenary looked at Jace. "I am not saying shit and your tools are not going to scare me because I know you won’t use them."

Jace smiled as he grabbed one of the ’tools’ and walked toward him. He flinched in a moment of panic before relaxing himself. But then Jace grabbed the man’s hand and forced it to stay still as he started cutting along the knuckles with almost surgical precision. "Start volunteering information when you are ready." Jace told him as he cut through a finger’s skin and then cut along the other side so the skin fell away to reveal the bone and muscles of the finger.

"Saint Judas... you will be charged-"

"Thre would have to be evidence and witnesses." Jace reminded him. "No one on the ship would be willing to come forward for a bunch of mercenaries that take children as hostages."

"If you are just going to kill me, then why would I tell you?" The man asked as tears started falling down his face.

"Because I can cause an unimaginable amount of pain before death. So the question you should be asking yourself is, how much do you want to suffer before you die?" Jace asked as he started working on another finger, ignoring the panicked shaking of the man’s hand.

Jace continued for a few more minutes, stripping the skin all the way up to the man’s elbow. "It was the Oda empire! They hired us!" That was a lie. Jace could tell. So he continued getting further up the arm before he moved onto the other arm. "What are you doing? I told you what I know!"

"You lied. Try the truth this time." Jace told him as he began cutting through the other knuckle.

"What- Ah! Fine, some small political party hired us." Now he was telling the truth. So Jace stopped for a moment. The mercenary sighed and then continued. "I just know that they were hiding the job from other people." A partial lie. Jace began cutting again. "Wait! They were hiding it from the military, MILD, and the speaker. So they used Cthulians and a few other trade companies to get the messages to use. As well as the down payments." Now he was telling the truth.

"How do you know so much?" Jace asked as he tapped the blade on some uncut skin.

"Isel had a bunch of us investigate. It turns out the speaker told the politicians, governors, and other members of the political council to behave. But they turned around and began scheming. The Cthulians and trade companies did not know the contents of the message and only knew the origin and destination. We got paid in rare minerals as a down payment." The mercenary quickly explained.

"I am sure there is more you know." Jace told him.

"Yeah. I know the identities of the governors and former nobles that hired us. I also know the plan was to bring the Lance of Thanatos to the Lesen System. There the ship would be boarded and all Cerberus members would be killed or captured depending on if they could be sold into slavery. While unique individuals like your daughter Cho would be sold to research centers to be studied." The mercenary explained.

Jace tightened his jaw as his eyes gained a dangerous glint in them. The mercenary just told him the complete and honest truth. "The names."

"Former Count Edel Jessen, Former Baron Jack Kiln, Governor Edrich Jewels, Governor Lane Golto, and the ringleader who I did not learn the identity of." The mercenary answered. "Now can you please just kill me?"

"Not yet." Jace stood up and grabbed his tools. "If your boss matches your information then I will kill you. But until then you can stew and think if you know anything else."

He moved onto the next cell. Isel did not even speak until Jace stepped forward with a tool in hand. Then he began speaking quickly. All of the information matched the last mercenary’s but it was far more detailed. Mentioning times and places for when the messages were passed along. Even mentioning a back-up plan if they took too long to arrive in the Lesen System. They still had a large time gap before that plan came up.

Then he started mentioning the names but mentioned the ringleader as well. "The leader of the attack is Former Duke Meltan Basic. He planned everything out and sought me out specifically because he seemed to know that we were struggling. My group was performing but my members had habits that needed a high amount of money as payment."

"He knew you were struggling?" Jace asked. "How? It is not like our accounts are available to them."

"The Xenar. Apparently the Xenar has been passing on information. Telepathically gleaned from the Cerberus Unit. Somehow they could work through the block before it was removed." Isel explained.

"Well that changes things." Jace mumbled. He took the weapon and jammed it through Isel’s neck. He started choking and coughing up blood as Jace walked to the other cells and executed the other ones. He walked past the guards. "Remove their heads and put it in a bag. Let Isel die before you remove his head."