The Allies we choose--the Enemies we are Born With

[James Justice]

James chuckled, "Ye will be an agent for Justice Shipping in the long run if ye would like. That'll bring in steady income for ye if ye'd like it."

The spacer fit the rest of his burger into his mouth and slid the plate over, offering his fries. He chewed and swallowed before speaking again, "In the immediate, we will take the base in the best way I know how; walking in. Ye will bring me in, disguised and claim I have some information. Once in, we will over power the guards, lower the defenses, get what we need and get out. If things go south, the strike team will move in for a sweep operation to take the rest. I'll be moving the army into place, ironing those details out while ye are out doing ye thing."

He took a moment to fish a fresh cigarette from his pocket--and order a bottle of ale to go, "How does that sound to ye?"

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

Well the plan was... bold one might say. There were many other names but those left a tad of a sour taste in the mouth. "Well... I suppose the job is better then being a canvas..." he said as he trailed off. But if James was wanted enough that a city was bombed what made him think it would be so easy.

"So. Let me get this straight." he took a deep sigh, he was in all honesty a bit more hopeful for elegance. "What makes you think that we can walk in there with no problems?" he let out quickly as he looked around, his mind lost in thought as to the possibility of dying would be. It was high. "Because if we get in there. Sure, you can send in your friends. But if we are in the middle of the complex." the chances were only going up as he thought through it more and more as it bounced in his mind, "We are... well we are screwed." he said, forcing himself not to choke out a yell as James seemed to nonchalantly pull out a cigarette as if this plan was the best plan ever in history.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

The kid had guts. He had lots of guts to stand up to James like that. The spacer smiled, he liked that. But he was also scared, and that was a good thing. Only a fool would go into a situation like this completely unterrified. The fear he had would motivate him to not take unneeded risks. It would keep him alive--if he learned how to use it well. Chances were, he already had.

James took a pull off his cigarette and let the smoke fly from his lips into the wind.

"What's gonna keep us alive are the blasters we bring with us," James said casually, "I done things like this 'afore. Many times. Walk in, get what I need, walk out. Confidence opens more doors than datacards. If ye look, think, and act like ye belong, trust me, there be few people foolish enough to get in ye way and say ye dun't belong. People be stupid like that. I know it seems reckless but," James tilted his head, "ye got a better idea?"

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

"Espionage..." he looked down, he was hoping for something more his speed but supposed that a Cook wasn't necessary. Especially one who had only ever cooked Woompa Rat over a open flame.

"I suppose not..." he sighed as he looked to James. He moved out of his chair and decided it was time to grab his stuff, "Well then. I guess I should grab my things." he said as he took a few steps away from the table, "Is there anything else we need to discuss?" he said solemnly as stopped to see if he had forgotten anything important.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James grabbed his bottle of ale to go an paused for a moment, thinking, "Just make sure ye warn me afore ye step aboard the Angel. I dun't wanna shoot ye on accident."

The spacer stood and gave Calvin's hair a playful tussle, "Don't worry, mate, ye will do fine."

He turned and went on his way, and was aboard the Lost Angel scout-fighter in a matter of a few minutes. He spent the several hours making calls on his Comm and gathering data; satellite access and imagery of the base and the surrounding area, calling up his soldiers, his fleet, planning who would be where, and how, what would happen in every eventuality.

When Calvin got to the ship, that is how he would find James, planning, working, and calling, with a bottle of half empty ale in one hand, comm to his ear and cigarette between his lips. His jacket and tee shirt would be gone, replaced with an A-shirt and his eyes looking over a set of holomaps of the area.

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

All the while Thraxis had been busy, he had no idea what to look for, what to grab but it seemed James wanted the kid. Well, there was a few ways Thraxis could have gone about that, but he had other ideas. He called for a ship to pick him up and come with a plenty of Cargo space. He moved into the sewers, taking with him a trolley to gather all of his.. valuables one may call them.

It took him a few minutes to gather everything onto the trolley but left a note behind. Deciding why not fuel the kid with a bit of anger. Making people angry was always fun to do. The note read,
"Hello boy.
This is the prosecutor. I have seen you mingling with James and have taken active measure to punish you.
Your belongings are now mine and you will never see them again. Our business together is officially. Exterminated.

-Love the Prosecutor"

[member="James Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

Calvin decided to quickly make haste, following as James had instructed, a new job, a place to stay everything was looking up Calvin.
Until he saw that everything he had cherished had vanished. Though implanted against the wall of the sewers a small note remained. Calvin tried to read it, making out a few words and realized what had happened. Somebody called Pro Sector had taken all his stuff.

After a few minutes of trying to salvage the nothing he decided to look up, and just do what he had to do. Say goodbye to the homeless. He had full intention of sending them credits monthly to help them by. He walked out of the sewers to the scent of decaying flesh, bodies bludgeoned to death laid scattered underneath the bridge, all but two had body parts crushed and battered, some necks twisted and others were missing strips of flesh. Calvin screamed as he ran towards James' ship. Tears welling up. This was the Pro Sector's way of punishing someone, he had never even met the guy or knew what he was talking about, just that he stole everything Calvin cherished.

He knocked on the door, beneath his eyes were damp from the few tears he had shed, holding back the rest as best he could. He looked around, this was the biggest ship he had ever seen, though he had rarely ever actually seen a ship.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"No I dunt want ye to slag it, if I need ye to then--" he heard a knock on the door and pinched the bridge of his nose exasperated, "Look, captain, ye know what I mean, quit making this harder than it has to be. Good. Goodbye."


James, frustrated as anything, tossed the comm across the room, onto the couch and collected himself before moving to the door. Sometimes planning a strike force was more difficult than it had to be. He rose and marched to the door, intentionally setting forth a good attitude. Calvin needed to know he was one of the good guys, he needed to see James' better side, not the stressed one. Besides, he would give the kid a look around at the small ship and then get back to work. He was ready for anything. Or so he thought.

When the spacer saw Calvin, partially crying, and tying to hold back more tears he felt his fatherly instincts, be they ever so lacking, kick in. He surged forward and wrapped his arms around the lad, wanting to protect him from--whatever it was.

"What is it, what's wrong?" James asked.

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

His breath rolled around in his mouth before he let it all go, a few more tears started to roll down, "Someone... someone stole all my stuff. Someone called the Pro Sector..." he tried to slow down his breathing but it grew more and more erratic as the next words swelled in his mind, each carcass littered onto the ground was a horror to behold and something that made the water works go out of control.

"But... he also..." he couldn't continue, he broke out of control, sniveling and crying snatched control of his emotions for a few seconds. "He slaughtered the homeless, the ones who raised me beneath the bridge!" he screamed aloud as he fell to the ground, his body growing limp as he felt like giving up, he had seen things but that was just a massacre. "... he slaughtered my family..." he whimpered, no more tears running as he ran dry.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James felt his heart being ripped out as Calvin wept. Damn it, Thraxis. You--James shook himself, refusing to finish that statement in his mind. He had to tend to lad before him.

What could he say? That they had willingly slaughtered each other, only for an insane Zelton to kill the one survivor? He would never believe that. At least, not if he was anything like James. The spacer tried to think of the next thing to say, what would hurt the lad the least, but also be the most honest. He knelt beside the boy as he thought of what to say next.

James' fingers wiped the tears from Calvin's face gently.

"Ye have a new family now," James said softly, "Don't worry, Calvin, ye have a new family. We will take care of ye," he thought for a moment, "I got a daughter ye age. And another not much older than ye, we can make a new family for ye."

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

A new family? He had yet to even met them, he had sisters and James for all he knew didn't even know Calvin was his son, just the last name. But sisters? Of all the things they had to be they had to been teenage girls. He never had been a child he had no idea how to deal with them.

"I want..." he puffed out, holding in for a second as he blinked and anger furled in his eyes, "I need... to kill the Pro Sector..." he whined as a tear was wiped away, he forced himself to stand, his eyes emblazoned with anger as he looked to the ground, gripping the shiv in his belt. "Whoever killed them... I vow... I will kill you." he screamed out loud as he started to force himself to take steps into James' ship.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James nodded. The kid had anger, spunk, rage, vengeance, and a protective nature.

Yup, he was a Justice alright.

***
THE NEXT DAY.

It was doubtful anyone would have mistook James for James. He had picked up more than a few disguise tricks after a lifetime of smuggling; you didn't learn to get in and out of planets without that. Dressed from head to toe in armor, the spacer looked quite different from his normal leather self. A heavy helmet covered his head, thick plates of durasteel made his frame look bulkier, and his hands were occupied by a heavy slugthrower rifle. He looked like a mercenary, not a pilot. Even a voice scrambler had been added for a safe level of protection.

Following behind Calvin, the spacer was cool and casual and ready--at least on the outside.

"Ye ready?" he asked.

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

Ready... the words rang and bounced around Calvin's mind, for a few seconds. Ready was a generous term indeed, he was not disguised, his normal attire adorned his skin and all he had with him was a shiv to make sure the Guards didn't ask where he got a gun.

"Ready is a generous term. But about as ready as I could be." he sighed as he took the first few steps towards the base, his eyes flickering about the place as the first Guardsmen walked towards him.
"Calvin? Wha' are ye doin' here?" his voice grumbled out as he looked with a smile, "And who is this fine man?" continuing with the same grumble. He walked up, inspecting the man, "Ah well. Any friend of Calvin is welcomed here I suppose." he mumbled as he walked back to his station, pulling out of his pocket a smoke as he looked towards the sky.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James nodded at the question, "Call me Captain. I have information on the location of Justice," paused before adding, "If the price is right, of course."

The guard seemed sufficed at that, and they moved passed him. James' latent Force abilities gave them an air of naturalness, something he had perfected over years of practice. It wasn't that they vanished from sight, the illusion was much simpler than that. Anyone who saw them would just believe they belonged, like they were a natural part of this base.

Through the halls they went, down into a room, and through an elevator. James had to admit, they had this place locked down tight, and deeply. He made his way to a small computer terminal in a maintenance room. That would work. He glanced around before getting to work, his fingers gliding across the touchscreen.

"I dun't need long," James said softly, "I just need to access the mainframe and dump all the data onto this datacard," he said plugging it in a port. He nodded satisfied as the data transfer began, "Keep me covered. I just need three minutes."

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

"Cover you?" he whispered to James, his eyes darting back and fourth, moving around was already like being chocked, the place had been locked down and the fact that they got through was amazing enough. the question that was hanging of of Calvin's tongue was what James' needed Calvin to cover him from. He almost continued but figured James' had gotten this far without any hitches, it was best to just see how it ended.

Calivn pulled out the blaster he hid in one of his satchels, his fingers wrapping around the gun. His index finger lightly wrapped around the trigger. He knew that if anyone saw him in the maintenance room there would be a questioning. He set the gun for stun, he didn't need to kill anyone, he just needed to stall them.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

"Relax, son," James muttered, the word flowing off his lips without him realizing it, "talk ye self out of this, ye got a tongue for a reason."

He watched the load bar, as if willing it to go faster. Faster, damn it, faster. He could feel his heart pounding and the adrenaline flowing through his blood. It heightened his senses, and made him feel so alive, but he refused to let it make him feel reckless or loose his cool. That would, of course, be the one thing keeping them from falling into a deep cesspool, and the only thing keeping his work from a mistep.

In a side window he opened the automatic surface-to-space defense, scanners, and ground turrets. A few simple presses of his fingers began to arc a false reading of security over them and remove the standard of defense from the guns. He opened a silent comm within his helmet, "Mate, surface to space missiles down, move into position," James looked to Calvin, "Got the safety net in place. We are almost there, mate, hang in there."

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

Almost where? he thought to himself, he was hoping James wasn't going to level the place, he said this was a weapon stockade and though James was going to take the Guns. Though if he wanted to level the place, it was no skin of Calvin's back. Just a lot of money to be wasted.

After a few second he started to hear the grumbling of men, they were far off but from the few words muttered it sounded like they were coming to check on the maintenance room. Plans just ain't plans if there isn't a hiccup after all. Calvin forced down a sigh as his heart started to quicken, a bead of sweat haphazardly balancing on his eyebrow, it was as if time slowed down as it landed with a silent thud. In Calvin's eye that single bead could have been the end if it was any louder. Though this was just anxiety of a teenage boy going to do espionage on a weapon stockpile.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James heard the guards coming closer from his helmet and felt a murmur of both excitement and ecstasy flow through him. Oh, yes, this was his favorite part of any operation. When things fell apart and the plan went to crap, all to have them flying out by the seat of their pants without a hope in this world of making it out any other way. That was the fun part about breaking into any facility to steal away their secret intel. Yes, he had done this more than once.

James closed out one of the windows, the other was still downloading the data onto the card. This would all be for nothing if that didn't go through. The two guards came into the closet and James sprang into action the moment the door swung open. His gauntleted fist slammed into one of their faces, shattering the nose's cartilage on impact and sending his victim stumbling back. The spacer pressed his advantage, bringing his other hand around to grab his victim's neck and pulling him down as his knee rammed into the guard's stomach in a trio of heavy blows. Reaching up, the man grasped at James' helmet, trying to find a eye or something he could attack to free himself. The spacer released the guard's neck, grabbing his head instead and giving it a sharp snap. The body fell lifeless and he stepped back without a word back to the computer terminal, pulling the filled datacard from its slot.

"Ye ready?" James asked casually.

[member="Calvin Justice"]

 

[Thraxis]

Calvin just watched with a kind of shock, he was ready to just stun some guys and get out of here but instead saw a bloody scene of violence as James jumped and slaughtered through a few Guards. "Uhhh...." he responded with a wide eye his gaze fixated on the carcasses. Though he knew what he had gotten himself into, a shady business espionage was and it seemed it was also quite violent to boot.

He jumped on his opportunity his hands rummaging through bloody corpses for any credits he could find, the sight was gruesome, but credits made anything and everything a worthwhile endeavor. After a few seconds of his hands moving through pockets he stumbled upon a small bag of credits, a poultry amount of at least two-hundred credits but in Calvin's eyes they were a gold mine. "Well. Ready now." he said as he pulled himself up, his hands sticky with trickles of blood.
[member="James Justice"]

 

[James Justice]

James shrugged and nodded. Well the kid saw an opportunity and ran with it. He would have to work a little on his focus, but besides that he seemed to be going quite well for his first run. He had seen full-grown men go to pieces on their first runs over less than this.

He began storming further down the hall, back the way they came, up two flights of stairs, three halls and a few checkpoints on the way. If they were lucky--

The alarm blared and James could feel himself curse under his breath.

"Every time," he grumbled as he heard boots coming from both up the hall and down the hall, "Ye know a better way out of here, mate? Or shall we punch our way out?"

[member="Calvin Justice"]