06-19-2018, 07:20 PM
Saltwater sprayed across the ferry with every chop against the rolling waves of the Vasty Deep. The two story vessel paid no mind to the sea’s rough waters, nor to the occasional spray it gave to its passengers. The barge was filled with a diverse and hardy bunch that were unlikely to melt after being slightly doused, so it powered on to its destination. In the distance two tall buildings commanded the horizon. They dominated the view of the single island, but the occupants of the boat could see plenty of smaller buildings, as well as some seemingly uncharted woods surrounding them. Most importantly was the docks they were approaching, and the lavish beaches clearly designed for tourists. Not that any of these people had a vacation in mind. The ship was filled with mercenaries, bounty hunters, pirates, and all sorts of unsavory types, all who were responding to one of the more lucrative job offerings to be spread around the Verse.
Abner White stood at the front of the ferry, inhaling a fine cigar as he watched the remote sanctuary grow closer. He’d existed underground for years, now, and looked nothing like the reluctantly well groomed Stormtrooper captain he had once been. A heavy beard now masked his face, overshadowed only by the empty gaze in his eyes. His brown boots were heavily worn and in dire need of replacement, just like the blue jeans and long sleeve, black button up shirt he sported. A camouflage ball cap was twisted backwards so the ocean’s winds didn’t steal it away from him and covered unkempt, longer hair. He was well armed, with an Imperial blaster rifle and a twelve gauge shotgun secured to either side of the small tactical backpack he wore, while a pistol was holstered to his right side, while a combat knife was ready for a cross draw on his left side. A little bit of ammo filled out the rest of his belt, with the rest shoved into the backpack.
Once a grumbling but well meaning Stormtrooper tasked with controlling the Empire’s presence in the Nexus, Abner had managed to escape the grind of the Imperial system through two adventures he’d never dreamed possible. The unfortunate side effect turned out that his position within the Empire had been forfeited, and by fleeing his handlers he’d become one of the Empire’s most wanted targets. After all, he was the man who’s seen Omni with his own eyes, survived the trials of the Danteverse, and had become a prime through nothing but his own grit and tenacity. The Empire wanted to know his secrets, but he was far from willing to share with them anymore.
Behind him he heard the chatter of the other mercenaries. They had all been recruited individually to this island paradise for briefing on some sort of elaborate mission. The specifics were being withheld for the time being, which had unnerved some of them. It was business as usual to the veteran stormtrooper, who was more than used to shadowy figures not telling others all the details of assignments. The payout promised to be enormous, and one glance at the island resort they were approaching suggested their benefactor would be able to make good on it.
Abner looked down at his palm, weakly attempting to summon an orb of Omnilium from it. Nothing emerged, as he had become used to in the past weeks. Something was wrong, and he had begun to lose his prime promised abilities. One morning it just hadn’t worked anymore, and he had begun to wonder if he had truly been made into a prime when he visited the Oververse. The deeper implication was that he and the others were not truly immortal. Christa was the only one he’d seen since the return from the Oververse, and she didn’t survive their excursion into the Danteverse. He had been relieved to hear that she was alive after a friend met her in the Nexus, but it had been almost two years since Abner saw her or anything else.
A few measly years was a long shot from the eternity he’d been promised by Omni himself. It was something he needed to investigate, but on the flip side he could sure use the money from whatever this job would be to keep himself going. With the size of the crowd, and the reputations of some of the people around him, it certainly didn’t appear to be an easy job, or possibly a moral one either.
Abner turned and walked through the crowd of killers, assassins, and bounty hunters, occasionally glancing at the stranger looking ones and sizing them up. Odds were that there would be a cutthroat or two in this crowd looking for a higher payday. Eternal life or not, Abner was fine with that. He managed just fine before he became a prime, and he trusted himself to handle whatever came his way.
For now, he wanted another drink before they made landfall.
Abner White stood at the front of the ferry, inhaling a fine cigar as he watched the remote sanctuary grow closer. He’d existed underground for years, now, and looked nothing like the reluctantly well groomed Stormtrooper captain he had once been. A heavy beard now masked his face, overshadowed only by the empty gaze in his eyes. His brown boots were heavily worn and in dire need of replacement, just like the blue jeans and long sleeve, black button up shirt he sported. A camouflage ball cap was twisted backwards so the ocean’s winds didn’t steal it away from him and covered unkempt, longer hair. He was well armed, with an Imperial blaster rifle and a twelve gauge shotgun secured to either side of the small tactical backpack he wore, while a pistol was holstered to his right side, while a combat knife was ready for a cross draw on his left side. A little bit of ammo filled out the rest of his belt, with the rest shoved into the backpack.
Once a grumbling but well meaning Stormtrooper tasked with controlling the Empire’s presence in the Nexus, Abner had managed to escape the grind of the Imperial system through two adventures he’d never dreamed possible. The unfortunate side effect turned out that his position within the Empire had been forfeited, and by fleeing his handlers he’d become one of the Empire’s most wanted targets. After all, he was the man who’s seen Omni with his own eyes, survived the trials of the Danteverse, and had become a prime through nothing but his own grit and tenacity. The Empire wanted to know his secrets, but he was far from willing to share with them anymore.
Behind him he heard the chatter of the other mercenaries. They had all been recruited individually to this island paradise for briefing on some sort of elaborate mission. The specifics were being withheld for the time being, which had unnerved some of them. It was business as usual to the veteran stormtrooper, who was more than used to shadowy figures not telling others all the details of assignments. The payout promised to be enormous, and one glance at the island resort they were approaching suggested their benefactor would be able to make good on it.
Abner looked down at his palm, weakly attempting to summon an orb of Omnilium from it. Nothing emerged, as he had become used to in the past weeks. Something was wrong, and he had begun to lose his prime promised abilities. One morning it just hadn’t worked anymore, and he had begun to wonder if he had truly been made into a prime when he visited the Oververse. The deeper implication was that he and the others were not truly immortal. Christa was the only one he’d seen since the return from the Oververse, and she didn’t survive their excursion into the Danteverse. He had been relieved to hear that she was alive after a friend met her in the Nexus, but it had been almost two years since Abner saw her or anything else.
A few measly years was a long shot from the eternity he’d been promised by Omni himself. It was something he needed to investigate, but on the flip side he could sure use the money from whatever this job would be to keep himself going. With the size of the crowd, and the reputations of some of the people around him, it certainly didn’t appear to be an easy job, or possibly a moral one either.
Abner turned and walked through the crowd of killers, assassins, and bounty hunters, occasionally glancing at the stranger looking ones and sizing them up. Odds were that there would be a cutthroat or two in this crowd looking for a higher payday. Eternal life or not, Abner was fine with that. He managed just fine before he became a prime, and he trusted himself to handle whatever came his way.
For now, he wanted another drink before they made landfall.