full image - Repost: The Cost Of A Life : Humanity's First Intergalactic Bounty Hunter 20 (from Reddit.com, The Cost Of A Life : Humanity's First Intergalactic Bounty Hunter 20)
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Royal roadPreviousFirst chapterOtto -Tancental Starsector- Docked with Remnant Medical BargeOtto nervously plodded back and forth. He was in the glittering, sterile white halls of the medical ship. Soft beeping whirs came from the room that held his companions. The occasional nurse made her way past him with a polite nod or inquiry if he needed anything. What Otto needed was a solid plan. Things had gone so bad, so fast. The owner of the ship had found them, and his home had burned to the ground. But that was all secondary concern.He just needed these leeches to get his friends stable then he could get them to a real medical facility. The absurd bribe Otto had paid The chief medic would at least keep them off the official records. But this wasn't a state of the art facility that could properly treat Chitters and Slev. They were barely able to stitch the two irregular life forms back together.This was an aid vessel sent to warzones or poor farming worlds to render medical care in times of calamity. What they needed was a cutting-edge corporate space station nearby that wouldn’t ask questions and had the ability to properly design and install cybernetics. There wasn’t anywhere nearby with the ability to regrow limbs. Honestly, Otto doubted they had the funds or time for that process either.A lithe pure white form slid up next to Otto, two long limbs ending in bone white pincers dipped respectfully. The chief medical officer's four sensory eyes looked intently at Otto.He addressed the octopod in a very even, professional tone. “The Vorimir ghost we have stabilized and treated to the best of our ability with the limited biometrics we have been able to glean from our scanners; the extent of its injuries were multiple lacerations across his thorax as well as full amputation of one ambulatory limb. Not to mention multiple miscellaneous puncture wounds surrounding the amputation site. We will be keeping it heavily sedated until you transport it to your ship.”Otto nodded. It was about what he expected. He was more worried about Slev; he hadn’t been able to tell the extent of his injury under all that armor, and he had survived going toe to toe with Boletela of all people. If Otto had known who's ship that was, he would have told Slev to leave it somewhere obvious and take a few years of vacation off planet.“Now for the human, scans indicate dozens of old injuries from laser weapons that have healed poorly, sustained approximately four years ago. The extensive scar tissue from those old injuries further complicated the necessary skin grafts to his lower extremities. The remaining leg as well as the stump of his amputated limb received major burns from the plasma cannon impact. Five of his ribs on the right side were broken, as were the bones of his hand in nine locations. He also appears to have sustained a concussion, and based on brain scans, this is far from the first.”That concerned Otto. Slev wasn't a paragon of human intelligence to begin with, from what he understood. Slev with reduced cognitive abilities would be a danger to the galaxy as a whole. Otto froze and let out a small, strangled noise. It just really dawned on him that he had shot Boletela with his own fucking ship. He was a dead man. Unless he and Slev could finish this job and disappear with the reward, The medical treatments they would need would eat up much of the funds they had on hand.The medic took Otto's concerned silence for understanding and wandered off back to his duties. Otto made his way to a lounge reeking of disinfectant and plastic. He sat at one of the many generic tables and ordered himself a small bowl of juice to sip on. His contemplative snack was interrupted as a breaking news broadcast from the planet below caught his attention.Boletela -Tansental- Central SpireBoletela slowly drew his malevolent gaze across the thousands of onlookers. They had filled the entirety of this amphitheater with members of galactic news networks and an endless array of corporate managers to witness his proclamation. This amphitheater was usually used for the rich to argue with one another over who got what piece of the peasants lives. Or petty squabbles over market shares. Boletela was uncomfortably familiar with the great and unending galactic games of power. He sighed slightly and settled into the role he had earned. He hadn’t had to act as the spokes person of his empire in an age, but it was just like donning the crown again, a natural transition from hunter to ruler one that he had made many times before.He made sure the holographic overlay he used for public appearances was active. It dulled the horrific look of his visage, hiding much of the metal and replacing it with cool blue scales. Boletela knew that he was in the eyes of most now just a monster. He had done what was needed to free his people and assure their freedom; there was no regret there. But still, it was best to put on a softer appearance for these mewling fools who loved to use him as propaganda.He stepped up to the podium and paused for a moment to let the cameras all train towards him. "I, Boletela, the ancient and emperor of the Broken Chain Dominion, immediately abdicate my throne to my trusted regent, Xerana Clutchmother. I am invoking the rights of the rival as laid out in our treaties long ago. My actions from here on out will be my own and not those of my people.”He paused uncomfortably long for the audience, then stared directly into the cameras. “I declare the human Slev Torrent to be a worthy rival who has bested me in open combat once. You may offer him aid; you may offer him succor. You may feed him, you may clothe him, you may arm him. But anyone who stands in his defense and raises their weapons against me when I strike will be eradicated.”The rooms exploded into a chorus of confused questions and panicked responses. Everyone clamoring to be heard over one another. Many people were already making calls, betting pools were being created, stocks were being sold, and bought. Bolelela chuckled. Heh, you would think I had announced a second purge.One very brave Axtorian with a recording device held in front of him, muscled his way to the edge of the stage. "My lord! May I ask you a question?"Boletela looked down. Polite and obviously a warrior species of some kind, he would answer, “Speak your question.”The Axtorian fumbled for just a second, surprised at being given permission. “How did you end up encountering the one human within the bounty guild, sir?”Boletela smiled. “The machinations of a frog who isn’t nearly as clever as she thinks she is.”OttoOtto had already rushed back to Slev's room halfway through the broadcast. This was bad, bad bad bad! Otto began pushing Slev bed and all slowly down the hallway. He needed to get everyone back onto the ship before the staff here put together some very obvious dots. With a lot of effort and some luck, Otto managed to wheel Slev into the cargo bay of the Human Instinct without running into any of the medical staff.The few he saw were still glued to any screen showing the press conference as Boletela answered a precious few questions. Otto repeated the process with Chitters, thanking all the stars above that the medical tables had powered wheels, with his friends both safely moored in the cargo hold. Otto began immediate disembarking procedures and pointed the ship towards the warp gate that would bring them closest to a real medical station. Otto was in a race against the clock before this news spread to the entire galaxy.
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