Claimed by the Hunter

The Hunter's Serenade:>>EP2

"Hmm, it's been a pleasure... I hope we can do more business. I have no shortage of jobs lined up that require a person in possession of your talents. Just give my bounty liaison a call whenever you desire, ho ho ho!" Giving a slight nod, Sev took one last look at the red-headed girl before departing the king's personal chamber.

As the enigmatic bounty hunter departed, King Gornu reached out and grabbed the red-maned slave girl, his touch invasive. He questioned her, "Have you had any prior acquaintance with that man?"

Emma, with a slow nod, replied, her voice barely above a whisper, "Yeah, you could say something like that, Master. He was an adversary in my former life..." She attempted to recover her equanimity, acutely aware of her master's dominating presence.

-

Back on his ship, the bounty hunter stowed the suitcase containing the valuable alloys in his personal safe. He then settled into the cockpit and initiated contact with his personal AI.

"Kira," he called out.

"Yes, boss? I observed that everything proceeded smoothly. Well done," a female voice responded from within his helmet.

Sev, a hint of vindication in his tone, retorted, "Yes, as usual. I've told you to cease doubting me all the time."

Kira, being well-informed as always, promptly interjected, "Job number 567 has been logged in the database."

"Sorry, Sev. I'm just analyzing the statistics. King Gornu is a highly erratic factor," the feminine AI tried to clarify. "He could have gone back on his word and possibly tried to kill you." Sev shook his head and started to tinker with the controls of his ship as he listened to her explanation.

He paused briefly to contemplate the array of adverse consequences if the mission had gone wrong. Sev was forced to reluctantly agree with his trusty AI that King Gornu was indeed an erratic employer. But fortune favored the bold. What he had been seeking was of elusive rarity nowadays. The rotund warlord had been the only being within a hundred parsecs who had the know-how and the leverage to obtain the Hyperium Alloy.

But after running the whole job quickly back through his mind, Sev nodded affirmatively to himself. He was still confident that he would be able to handle whatever came his way if things were to go sour with King Gornu. He was, after all, one of the most notorious and dangerous independent bounty hunters in the galaxy.

"So, Sev, may I ask why you needed more Hyperium? You still haven't told me anything," Kira queried in a slightly whiny tone. "Your armor is in no need of repair. And it seems safe to assume that you aren't just going to turn around and sell it off, given how hard it was to obtain in the first place." The curious AI listed several increasingly unlikely speculations as to why he had needed to go to such lengths to acquire the surpassingly rare alloy. But to her dismay, the bounty hunter refused to elaborate any further.

Beneath his helmet, Sev chuckled lowly at his AI's curious conclusions. "What's the matter? Have something to share? Come on, please tell me." Shaking his head while still wearing an amused grin, he ignited the ship's engines. A powerful, high-pitched rumble cascaded through the entire cockpit and cabin, signaling the ship's readiness for action.

"I'll let you in on it once we're clear of orbit," Sev informed the AI. He couldn't see her, but he could hear the faint excitement in Kira's response, a small and intrigued giggle.

"Set Input coordinates for the Conclave," he commanded as he deftly guided the ship, initiating the course for their next destination.

"Understood, boss. Inputting coordinates for the Conclave," Kira obediently answered.

Lifting off from the landing pad, the ship executed a swift ascent, hurtling upward into the planet's turbulent atmosphere. It sliced through the layers of thick, orange-tinged clouds that shrouded the skies over Abogon. The vessel quivered under the strain of the rapid ascent, but the seasoned bounty hunter barely registered the turbulence, maintaining an unwavering focus on the next item on his to-do list.

Breaking free of the planet's murky atmosphere, the vessel swiftly entered the inky expanse of space. With a confident nod, Sev relinquished control of the ship to his capable AI and settled back in his seat, ready to make the jump into the vast cosmos.

"Coordinates for the Conclave locked in. Jump space drives primed. Temporal harmonics stabilized. Engaging quantum inhibitors..." Kira relayed the vital systems check, going through the routine procedures with precision. "Are you ready, boss?" she inquired. Sev gave an affirmative nod in response.

Kira continued with an air of readiness, "Initiating faster-than-light-speed jump sequence."

Kira began the countdown, "Launching in three... two... one..." In an instant, the ship surged forward at incredible speeds, piercing the fabric of spacetime. The view through the cockpit window transformed into a mesmerizing tunnel of cerulean streaks of light as they hurtled through the enigmatic realms of jump space.

As the ship translated across the surreal hallucinations of jump space, Sev couldn't help but shake his head. An uneasy feeling lingered in his mind and an expression of mild irritation flitted across his features. The abrupt transition and the characteristic whiplash of jump space travel were sensations he had never quite gotten used to, no matter how many faster-than-light-speed jumps he'd undertaken.

Still pensive and vaguely out of sorts, Sev rose smoothly up out of his seat and paced pantherishly over to his well-organized weapons locker, where he began offloading his equipment. With well-practiced motions, he fluidly but methodically unburdened himself, one piece of gear at a time. Unbuckling his utility belt, he laid it out carefully on a nearby workbench. He unlatched his ammunition pouches and performed a brief munitions check. Only then did he begin to unholster the varied assortment of weapons that had served him so well.

As he continued to unload his gear, Kira gently prodded Sev's memory, "Um, boss? Didn't you say that you were gonna explain why you needed all that Hyperium?" Sev nodded in response to her reminder.

"Right..." Sev uttered, his voice carrying a thoughtful undertone, as he finished the soothing task of polishing his trusty railgun. Glancing over at his cozy-looking bunk that was shielded by an opaque curtain, he said, "The Hyperium, it's for her."

"For her?" Kira repeated in a confused tone. Then, recalling something important, she exclaimed in realization. "Oh, right. Of course. Duh. I forgot she was still here. Is she still asleep? Why don't you go check on her, boss?" Sev headed his AI's suggestion and strode over to his bunk.