Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary

Five days after the battle against the terrorists, pirates, and Iniquus, things had finally begun to settle down in the Phregon System.

The situation had certainly been hectic, and recovering from the damage that had been done was far from easy for the people that lived in the system, and especially those that called Phregon III their home.

Many scars of the battle were still present within the colony, and the many people that lost others they cared about would have to carry the pain of that fateful day with them for the rest of their lives.

Still, life was gradually getting back to normal for everyone, and Avery and his companions were figuring out their next move now that they were not busy with the aftermath of the attack.

Of course, there was one major issue left to deal with. And that was what to do with Grito and Vi'ivando.

Avery had been letting them stay on the Dauntless, but there was still the matter of Grito being wanted by the Alliance Police.

As part of the deal that they had made with Deputy Chief Byrid, Grito was not going to be charged for any of his crimes. Though only if he appeared and testified as he was supposed to.

With things finally starting to settle down, Avery had recently received a message from the Alliance Police asking him to hand over Grito. The crisis was over, so it was time for things to return to normal.

Nevertheless, Avery had been toiling around with an idea ever since he saw how useful Grito's skillset was. Without too much time left, he decided that now was the moment to bring up his proposal.

In the Dauntless' dining room, Avery met with Grito, just the two of them.

"You said that you had something important to discuss with me. What is it?"

"It seems that the Alliance Police want you now. They're ready to send you off to whatever court you're supposed to be testifying in. Not that they've told me anything about it. They've been pretty tight lipped about the whole thing." Avery said shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I see, then that must mean that you've come to tell me that it's time for me and my uncle to leave. Ah, but you must also want the coordinates for the places where I stashed the goods I promised you. If you give me a little bit of time, I'll put it all onto a data drive before leaving."

Grito began to get up and head out of the room, but Avery stopped him before he could go.

"I suppose I did not get my intentions across properly. While I do want the payment you promised, it's not really important right now. We did get eighty million Krenin from Iniquus, and thanks to working things out with Deputy Chief Byrid, we'll be able to keep it all. We're not hurting for money at the moment. What I really wanted to ask was if you wanted to join my team?"

Hearing this, Grito went wide-eyed with shock. It never even crossed his mind that Avery might try to recruit him.

"B-but I'm not cut out to be a mercenary. I'm no good in a fight, and I don't ever want to have to kill anyone again. Plus, the Odium Syndicate is still after me. If I'm with you, it will put you and all of your companions in danger."

"Those are all insignificant matter to me. What I want you for is your technical expertise. It's pretty hard to get someone as skilled as you to work exclusively for a small band of mercenaries. I'd be remiss at this chance to recruit you. Also, as you said, you've got some dangerous enemies after you. But if you join my team, we'll be able to keep you safe."

Avery's proposition was certainly tempting to Grito. Even if he successfully gave his testimony and was completely pardoned of his crimes working for the Odium Syndicate, he would not have any prospects for the future.

The Alliance Police might be willing to move him to some sort of safe location, but his life as an engineer would be over. His passion was tinkering with and improving or creating new devices. But to avoid standing out to not draw the attention of the odium syndicate, he would be unable to do so in any large capacity in the future.

However, joining a team of mercenaries brought with it its own set of dangers. Grito had already experienced some of the harrowing battles that Avery and his group would continue to experience.

"Thank you for the offer, but I think it would be best that I decline. It's too dangerous a job for me, and there's really not any room for me on your ship. I'm grateful for you lending my uncle and I your room while we stayed here, but it's not like we can do so indefinitely. We've got our own situations and need to push through on our own. We can't burden you any longer."

After Grito gave his refusal, Avery let out a long, exaggerated sigh, as if he could not be more disappointed.

"What a shame. And here I had a ship with a top-of-the-line lab prepared for you. To think that it will go to waste now. Oh, what shall I do?" Avery said overdramatically.

Obviously, he was trying to draw Grito in, but the curious young Baccigan could not help but take the bait.

"How did you even get you hands on such a vessel? And why would you have something like that made before even approaching me?"

"Surely you remember the Reswen Theocracy warships that the extremists were using. If you recall, we disabled five of them. Four of them have already been sold, but I decided to keep one of the corvettes and have it repaired. It might be over eighty years old, but it's still a solid craft that was once used by a major power's military."

"As for the technical equipment, when Kasandra and Jasmine told me about the lab Vi'ivando was being forced to work in, I thought it would be a shame for everything to end up sitting in some Alliance Police warehouse as evidence. So, I negotiated to have it all given to me. Though, since you've already made up your mind not to join us, I'll have to figure out some other use for it."

Avery continued to feign overempathized despondency. Though, he was naturally trying to tempt Grito.

A sturdy warship filled with some of the most advanced equipment in the Alliance was certainly something that most engineers would kill to have access to. And Grito could not help but feel enticed.

Yet, he merely shook his head in the end, and his expression became clouded.

"I'm sure that you'll be able to find someone else more skilled than I am. It's not like I have a formal education. I just picked things up while working for the Odium Syndicate. Surely some bright graduating student from some esteemed institution will take you up on that offer."

While Grito had briefly envisioned what it might be like joining up with Avery, a flash of a far gimmer future also came to his mind. One where the Odium Syndicate slaughtered them all because of him. The offer may have been great for someone like him, but he could not bring himself to put people that had helped him so much already at even greater risk.

"I see. If that's how you feel I can't very well force you." Avery said, his demeanor going back to normal.

He really did think that it was a shame that Grito would not join his team, but there was nothing more that he could do to try and sway him.

Yet, just as Avery was about to give up, an unexpected induvial intruded.

"I hope you don't mind if I join in on this. It may not be my place, but the future of my nephew is being discussed."

Vi'ivando suddenly entered the locked room, and Avery caught a glance of the door's access panel hanging loosely to the side by the cables that attached it to the ship.

It was pretty obvious that Vi'ivando had overridden the lock so that he could force his way in.

'Am I going to need to upgrade the Dauntless' security?' Avery thought, surprised by Vi'ivando's ability.

He may have only disabled a lock, but the Dauntless' systems were some of the newest and most advanced in the Alliance. Breaking into them would not be an easy feat.

Still, this was a matter to worry about for another time, and seeing as he was already here, Avery beckoned Vi'ivando to join them.

The older Baccigan quickly got caught up on the conversation and began stroking his chin in contemplation.

"Grito, I think that you should take Avery up on his offer." Vi'ivando eventually said.

Naturally, his nephew was confused by the sudden support for joining Avery. Surely as the person that had been put in the most danger by him gaining the Odium Syndicate's ire, he should know what this meant.

"Uncle, I just can't. As mercenaries they already live such dangerous lives. I can't be responsible for adding even more." Grito objected.

"I'm sure that they already know the risks. Avery here wouldn't have asked you to join him otherwise. And think about it. This is a big chance for you. I may have been forced to work for Iniquus against my will, but the equipment he provided was certainly topnotch. In my opinion, you'd be a fool to pass up on this opportunity."