Private Debts Are Due

[Treoff Kellak]

Derron Daks​

I didn't see your fething name on it, nerfherder.

Head... hurts. Why does it feel...

But you aren't touching me without going all in.

Treoff remembered he was on board a.... mothership? And he was... fighting a...

I'm not negotiating with terrorists

There was a pirate, Treoff was hunting him down, on the pirates own ship. But... something happened.

You're overplaying your hand, must be how you lost it.

He jerked awake, clutching at his torso, groaning in pain. He didn't know where he was, if he was in a medical bed or bacta tank. His senses were shot, just as much as his body was, and he didn't have feeling in his left hand. No, he did - it was pain!

 

[Derron Daks]

DDSI Horizon - Medical Bay
​

"Please remain still, Chief Executive Kellak. You will dislodge the intravenous connections."

The voice came from a medical droid standing beside the bed. The bed... in a medical bay. But this was not Treoff's ship.

Unseen by the patient, a signal was sent through the ship's internal cybernet. Many of the ship's officers- including her owner- were cybernetic entities. Chief Executive Daks' impants were less obvious than most, but all people from his world were extensively augmented. Left to their natural state, they were little more than barbaric brutes.

"Chief Executive Daks will arrive presently.

In the mean time, I should acquire your input.

Doctor Velrix has reattached missing components of your hand and encased the sewn-together whole within a bacta gelpack for swift regeneration.

However, complete function of the hand is not guaranteed, with a 20 percent chance of permanent nerve damage.

We have the means to replace the hand with a cybernetic replacement that will give you full function, and indeed improved function over the original.

Some sentients do not desire cybernetic augmentation.

What is your preference?"

---

Treoff Kellak

 

[Treoff Kellak]

Derron Daks​

Treoff avoided his left hand like the plague, not even wanting to see what frankenstein monstrosity they may have done to it. When it was blown off, that was it, he wasn't up for trying to get a mangled bit of flesh sewn back on. He reached up with his right hand, holding his forehead, like he just had a hangover. He was surprised at the droid, but quickly brushed it off. The smell, the cold, the bright lights.... he understood his location. He wasn't in any danger. If he was, his enemies wouldn't have tried to save him. They'd want him alive, so it didn't matter if he was confused or knew who saved him. He was confident enough to be uncaring.

When the droid mentioned the IV, he took a gander at parts of his body, seeing he was all gussied up in patient attire and tubes to save his life. He didn't sit up or lean forward, his torso was still in pain, he just looked around. Laying his arm down, a little more aches went away, "Daks?" Treoff muttered, but not in a way actually requiring a response. He'll arrive presently? Was this Daks medical bay? "No... he shook his head, laying it back down, "no, my hand is gone. Just give me a full robotic hand for now, I'll dress it up later."

He took a breath, before being forced to cough slightly. His tattered torso not welcoming a deep breath as much as he would like, "I'm surprised you guys found it... it was... blown off..." He instantly had flashbacks of the entire event, before snapping back out of it, "wait... the ship... the self destru- where's the pirate??"

 

[Derron Daks]

DDSI Horizon - Medical Bay
​

"Once your people secured the ship, it was a simple matter of performing scans and getting cellular matches on the charred pieces we found on deck," a voice announced.

Derron had made it here very quickly. In fact, he had literally sprinted down the halls the moment the droid transmitted into the ship's net that their most important patient was waking up.

Treoff had succeeded in a statistically unlikely boarding scenario against superior forces. He was someone to keep alive, and maintain a positive relationship with. He was someone who would be useful again.

And perhaps some part of Derron's mind that remembered how to be nearly-human liked the man.

As the Yakan male came up behind the medical droid, it was possible to appreciate how large and robust the Yaka were compared to ordinary humans. This was not something that came across on vid screens. The droid was already manufactured in a tall humanform shape, over six feet in height. But Derron had inches of both height and breadth on it.

The Chief Executive of DDSI was also wearing most of an environmental suit, sans helmet. Apparently, he had gone off of his ship at some point.

"But I think it is the right decision to replace the hand. Yakan cybertech is some of the best in the galaxy. Better than Gank. And better than the Arkanians' own.

They started the Yakan technology train, but we've since run them over with it, in terms of sophistication. It makes us more capable, and we redesign it more effectively, so that it makes us even more capable. There have been one-hundred and fifty-two iterations in Yakan prosthetic limb technology since the Arkanians first uplifted us."

Derron glanced at the droid, and suddenly it went into motion despite the fact that no words had been exchanged between them. It went to start work on choosing an appropriate prosthetic hand.

"We're manufacturing essential parts for your salvage as fast as we can. It should be hyperspace capable by tomorrow.

Most of your boarding teams have survived, and those who are injured are in treatment facilities like this one. This was an expensive day for you in terms of casualties and lost materiel, but I think you got something for your efforts.

The replenishment ship is worth over one-hundred-million credits, according to my people. Much more, once it's restored to full function... if that's what you choose to do. I have a good working relationship with a manufacturer in the Tapani sector who could fully repair and outfit it for you at a reasonable cost, if you like.

As for how the ship survived... Disabling the self-destruct was easy enough for my people. A reactor overload can be quite spectacular, but it requires a hypermatter fuel supply. Once we found and closed the emergency fuel cut-off valves, the potential for explosion petered-off and died.

Then we were able to reset the engineering computer to its default factory state at our leisure. It is operating normally, now.

Unfortunately, the Pirate leader escaped.

He went EVA out of an engineering maintenance airlock without a suit. Somehow surviving that, he made his way to a hangar, entered it from outside, and killed two DDSI security personnel who were helping to hold it. Then he took off with what seemed to be a Scurrg bomber. I regret most of my sensors were turned the wrong way at the time.

Still... If he reports to anyone in his organization, I doubt he'll live long. Criminal groups tend to be unforgiving of this sort of epic loss. Even if he somehow buys his life, he's done as a Dusate pirate."

They had enough prisoners from among the pirates to know which group of ruffians it was. The Dusate were one of the more formidable pirate groups operating in the galaxy. Somewhat less so, now.

Something occurred to Derron, then.

A protocol he'd skipped.

"How do you feel?"

---

Treoff Kellak

 

[Treoff Kellak]

Derron Daks​

His eyes widened as he heard his employers voice, seeing as how he was the owner of the medlab, and raced as soon as Treoff drew a conscious breath, he was glad. However, his smirk slowly faded away. Treoff couldn't believe the life story this man was giving him, but as a good man, he felt it would be rude to cut him off. Especially for saving his life. Daks had no obligation to save Treoff. Treoff was there to save Daks if something happened, and yet Treoff went off on a wild goose chase with immense rage, blinded by it, even. He raised his right arm, resting the forearm on his forehead, as he felt exhausted, sweating, even. He wasn't coming down with a sickness, no, this medlab was preventing that. No, he was overwhelmed with guilt, which turned into anxiety.

He lost men. He lost hardware. And the damned pirate even got away. It felt like such a loss, it was one to be mulled over with the others, whether they get paid or not. This isn't a 'do as I order' company, it's a 'I wouldn't ask you if I wouldn't myself' family. He was thankful the men did one last hurrah for their leader, thinking he was dead, and it was amazing how his plan actually worked to disable the bridge... but this is surely what is considered a pyrrhic victory.

"I'm alive... apparently thanks to you. I have no idea how you saved me, that rat must have riddled me like actual swiss cheese. Seriously," he right hand pulled down from his head, rubbing over his torso, imagining what it would feel like if he felt the bullet holes, "Thank you, Chief Executive Derron Daks. How do you rate StarGuards performance? I'll reduce the payment, to cover your losses..."

 

[Derron Daks]

​

Derron shook his head, "You covered departing personnel successfully against an unexpectedly large force.

That was the assignment.

Then the environmental circumstances supported you in a full attack and boarding option..."

'Environmental Circumstances' referred to the birth of a giant space insect which fired powerful energy rays at the enemy. Quite the 'environmental circumstance.'

"...and you succeeded in an improbable operation against a seemingly superior force.

This success allowed me to secure the physical location for continued study, which satisfied my objective.

If I had to select an area of improvement, I would advise you not to send boarding teams onto an enemy ship without combat engineers. Technical specialists are a necessity when boarding spacecraft. There are many potential technical issues to deal with on a technological artifact like a space vessel."

Derron had no idea that Treoff had been driven by rage. He'd assumed a cold calculus that leaned heavily upon combat experience that Derron himself didn't possess. Therefore, the man's calculations about the likelihood of success had been different, and he'd made different decisions than Derron would have.

But since the end result was favorable, surely the action had been well considered.

Surely.

"Your losses, in the end, are minimal. Offset by your gains. By any objective analysis, a success."

The loss of skilled personnel was something that a research firm like his had to remain keenly aware of. But it was a line item in every operation. "Expected Losses." There were always 'expected losses.' Even on the safest of operations, there was a chance of death from random stroke or heart-attack, never mind a technical malfunction, or an error while using a tool.

Derron had calculated five losses on this operation. A balance between his worst case and best case scenarios, adjusted by percentage of likelihood. He'd lost only three. So he'd come out ahead by a significant margin.

The Yakan didn't calculate success, lives, and expense the way others might. There was no emotion in it.

He had a calculator inside his brain.

Some would say his brain was a calculator.

---

Derron Daks

 

[Treoff Kellak]

Derron Daks​

As he listened to the man speak, he focused both on the responses and how they were given. He covered the personnel, he nodded. Environmental circumstances? What environmental circumstances? He gave a confused look, but it was washed away when he was complimented. 'Succeeded in an improbable operation against a seemingly superior force' - Treoff grinned. Treoffs accomplishments still allowed Daks to continue his operation, good. "I was working with what I had. The security personnel on the ground were the equivalent to conscripts, I dredged them up from poor worlds, gave them a swift job, and rushed them through boot camp. You may think that wreckless, but their purpose was protection, not fighting. Protecting.... your people. The real soldiers were with me in the squad you saw, and the ships above," he responded to Daks statement on areas of improvement.

"As for the losses," he coughed slightly, taking a deep breath "any loss is a great loss. I know I advertise StarGuard as a mercenary group and construction company, but we're smaller than you expect. Those people, they're my family. Most of them worked with my father back in the day. I trust them with my life. Now, I don't know every face, but my family does. Each man and woman that worked with my father had their own subordinates and understudies. Each ship is a home, helmed by a family friend, and crewed by those we care about. That day, you and your people were cared about equally. I wanted to show that StarGuard is real, and not just after a credit. You could have abandoned my people, avoiding paying your dues. I like to think we've shown each other we're real, and not thieves."

He cleared his throat, trying to roll over slightly to look over at Daks in the eyes, "I know you're not.... human. But have you ever heard of the meaning behind human? Humanity? Not... the species, the... spiritual meaning of it. Outside of you sounding like an absolute robot," he chuckled, before gaining a calm smile, "you're pretty human to me."

 

[Derron Daks]

​

Derron was impassive for a moment before it registered with him that he was being offered a compliment.

Then he remembered to smile.

"The xenologists call us near-human," he said, "but I am gratified it is near enough for your taste.

Let me show you something, before the medical droid anesthetizes you and attaches the prosthesis."

He lifted up a datapad. On it was a video sequence, rendered in exquisitely high detail thanks to the formidable sensors which had picked up every gigapixel of the event.

"I understand familial bonds. It is evolutionarily favorable to hold such sentiments. It ensures the survival of a genetic line.

But let me show you what motivates a Yakan researcher."

On the screen, assault missiles collided with the rogue planetoid. Whether they had been fired intentionally, or were wayward arrows, was difficult to say. But when they exploded on the surface, the world broke open like an egg.

Perhaps detecting the source of the attack, something inside the planetoid lanced out with a powerful energy beam. It raked the pirate ship from stem to stern.

A Colossal iridescent creature emerged from within the hollow planetoid. A previously unobserved and unknown space insect. In energized its mandibles, and then it was gone.

"This was something unknown to science. This was something never seen before. This, we now have because of you.

My researchers tell me the inside of the shell is rife with organic material. Genetic material. The creature is gone, but we have it, still.

We hold the genetic code to an Astro-xenological entity of immense power. We'll be spending the next year unwinding that twisted ladder, picking apart every genetic trait of potential usefulness.

Pharmacological and Bio-Industrial corporations from across the galaxy will bid a small fortune for what we discover.

If you had not defeated the pirates, we could not have remained. If we could not remain, the sample would have been lost.

Your success here most likely doubled the value of my company.

Based on my investment and its return, I should hope that you live forever."

He paused, taking a breath.

"I confess to finding you an agreeable person, Chief Executive Kellak. But it would do you a disservice to allow you to misjudge me if we are to become.... friends.

In my experience, those who fail to account for the value of seemingly altruistic acts are merely failing to take the full measure of outcomes into their accounting.

As events demonstrate- being good is good for business."

A lot of words to try to explain that he wasn't being human at all.

One might almost believe it.

---

Treoff Kellak

 

[Treoff Kellak]

Derron Daks​

Treoff grimaced slightly, that isn't what he meant! But he wasn't prepared to interrupt the man just yet, he would let him speak. He gulped naturally, leaning forward to look at the datapad as Daks showed it. His company wasn't even a genetic family, jeeze Daks you ro-

His breath was still as he watched the vid screen, clearer than some Holo movies, play right in front of his eyes. As the missiles impacted the surface, cracks began to form. No... he didn't guess a damned egg already... there's no way he... there is way. No... Treoff was disheartened, seeing as it was the very thing that disabled the enemy vessel. It wasn't even his plan of attack, and here he had gloated and felt unstoppable. Treoff really did overplay his hand. And in an instant, it was gone. It defended itself from an attack and ran away. Nothing Treoff could have done would have dented that ship, then. Without this creature it would have been a slaughter.

He leaned back down in his medical bed, completely awestruck. Daks may not understand, but this was a realization to Treoff, that he lead his men into a meat grinder, overblown by confidence, thinking he did anything to the mothership. When Daks was finally done, Treoff just stared off into space. Thankfully, this creature prevented a slaughter. But he could not count on a creature saving his people, "Daks," he paused, thinking, then he took a breath, "I didn't mean genetic family. I mean I am responsible for every sole. They are not an employee, they are a non-genetic brother or sister. The same feeling you have for a blood sibling, for a non-blood sibling. And for you," he turned slightly, looking up at Daks, "you... I don't imply your... meaningless percentage of human DNA. I mean your strength of character, your integrity," once more, he sighed, looking off into space, "to be human is different from being a human. I mean your compassion. Your capacity for empathy, kindness, and a willingness to help others in need. You had no idea your discovery of the galaxy was right there. You supported my fighter screens even when we were overwhelmed, when you could have abandoned me. You boarded that ship with me when you clearly knew it was a suicide mission. It was a suicide mission. I was seeking vengeance."

The monitors showed his heart rate elevated above normal, as he was overcome with emotion, realizing the danger, the fire, he threw his people into, "In some ways.... you're more human than me."

 

[Derron Daks]

DDSI Horizon - Medical Bay
​

The medical droid returned to the bedside, and began pumping some anesthetics into the intravenous line. In a minute, perhaps two, Treoff would lose consciousness again. Then the cybernetic hand would be installed into his body, meticulously connected to severed nerves through neuro-machine interfaces.

When all was said and done, he would have full sensation. The model being installed was not designed for superhuman strength, but it was inevitable that it would be capable of feats that a normal human would be incapable of. It could exert at maximum capacity indefinitely without tiring, as long as its power-cell was charged. It would be able to endure damage far in excess of a human hand, and punch through materials that would break human bones. Yakan cybernetics did not need to be specifically designed for combat in order to have some utility for it.

As the droid prepared the patient, Derron considered what Treoff had said.

Then he nodded.

"Perhaps the most human trait one can possess is to be flawed.

But flaws are not an end-state. In science, even a failed experiment teaches us something. And so, failure is only a prelude to success.

You and I have done better than most. We have succeeded despite our failures. All that is left, is for us to learn from it."

He reached out to touch the man's shoulder. A genuine expression of reassurance? A learned and regurgitated behavior? Even he never knew for sure.

"When you awake, you will be whole.

I understand that synthetic limbs can trouble some people. Do not let it trouble you. The body is just a tool. We are restoring the tool. Whatever comprises the essence of you will remain."

He could not say the same for himself. His cybernetics were also in his brain, changing the very structures of thought and self.

He sometimes wondered who he would be without the cybernetics which had uplifted him from barbarity. Would his mind process emotion more clearly? Would he understand other people better?

Most likely.

But he supposed that didn't matter.

Like all people, he had to make the most of who he had become.

---

Treoff Kellak