Shattered Faith: Part I

Ashab VIII - Moon 10 - Theology Council Tribunal

23:00 UTC

     Reclining back into the plush couch, Akai watched another re-run of "CONCORD's Most Wanted," attempting to wash away the foul taste of betrayal with a hefty draught of khaas, the drink of choice among Khanid alcoholics everywhere.  On the couch next to him lay a datapad, beat up and long-over due for service and replacement, blinking furiously in the darkness; Akai didn't need to keep reading much past the "We regret to inform you..." part to know he just got fucked.  Royally fucked, no less.   That he was fired didn't matter much in the end, the Ordo was falling apart as it was, but what really burned was losing that Legion to those pirates outside UNITY Station over in Providence.  Almost a billion lost, all because that bastard Davohl wouldn't undock his Curse.



    "Fucking Amarr and their damn pride," Akai muttered under his breath, slinging back another shot of khaas and spilling a few drops on his immaculate black uniform.  The spicy liquor seared his throat like liquid fire, and hit his gut like an artillery shell, sending radiating pulses of warmth through his limbs.  This is what rock bottom looks like, was all he could think; looking down at his datapad, scrolling through the long list of bills he couldn't pay.  Three months of bankrolling private covert operations had taken it's toll on his bank account; but with all the assets tucked away at UNITY Station, Akai figured he would still be able to come out of this mess with some ISK to show for it.  At least, that was before UNITY was sacked by pirates, the very same that popped his Legion.

     When the ISD reports began surfacing a few weeks ago, Akai thought little of it at the time, but once the destruction of UNITY Station was confirmed by the CVA, the realization that he had just lost almost a billion in assets was a little hard to swallow.

     That was yesterday, before he got the email from Corporate, telling him how sorry they were to fire his broke ass.  Hence, the khaas.

     Reaching over for another slug of the coarse liquor, he saw that he had missed a call from an old Navy buddy of his, Eddie Four-Fingers; Eddie was the dirtiest, most honorable thief alive, and just the kind of guy you need when your broke and your back's up against the airlock.  Fumbling around the nearly empty bottle of khaas, Akai managed to hit redial, hoping he caught Eddie before his next departure.

"Heya Eddie, you dirty bastard! What's the skinny these days?"

"Finally! Akai, where the hell have you been? I've been trying to call you since I hit planetside, something big is going down here, and it looks like your getting court-marshalled...You didn't, you know, accidentally incinerate about ten thousand Gallente tourists a few weeks back, did you?"

"Wait, wait, WHAT?! I mean, we both know how much I hate those froggy bastards, but c'mon Eddie! It's ME! I'm not stupid enough to start the war up again... And how the hell are you on Amarr Prime? Aren't you still an outlaw for that stunt you pulled in Tash-Murkon?"

"Look Akai, I can't really talk about it right now, but let's just say I'm only here as an advisor from the State, and there is someone quite high up in the Navy that is looking to pin this whole fiasco on you.  I know you, I know you wouldn't try and pull a stunt like this, but they've got evidence bro...ECM data, probes, wreckage...enough to build a damn airtight case."

"Fuck. FUCK! What the hell am I going to do?  Here I was, calling to see if maybe you could spot me a few mil to get me back on my feet, and you drop this shit on me? FUCK. I gotta get outta Domain, outta the Empire itself if I can, and it's gotta be today.  Thanks for the heads-up brotha, I'll stay in touch when I can.  Fly safe, Eddie."

"I'll get ahold of you if I find anything else out.  Fly safe, bro."

     Eddie's words echoed in the dim captain's quarters, as Akai started grabbing clothes and stuffing them into his duffel, careful to tuck his snub pistol into his combat pants.  Taking one last look around the now trashed quarters, he caught sight of himself in the mirror; the full dress uniform, while it fit him like a glove, would be a dead giveaway to any Imperial agents on the hunt for him.  Taking it off, Akai thought for a moment about just taking it with him, but paranoia got the better of him and he tossed it onto the couch, knocking over the almost-empty bottle of khaas.  With a sigh, Akai lit a cigarette, tossing the fiery match over his shoulder as he walked up the ramp towards his waiting Legion-class strategic cruiser.

     By the time the "Despair of Heretics" cleared Customs and warped out to the depth of space, a fire roared undiscovered in a deserted captain's quarter, turning an immaculate uniform to ash.