***
Ortho Gutt descended from the walkway and took the time to twist his large frame to view the resupplying of his ship, the ISD Predator. He had a habit of keeping his ship out in space longer than typically required by the Naval Protocol, and sometimes he stretched his shipboard stores just to make sure the vessel as well as the consumables allowed him to remain unsupplied as long as the technical schematics said they could.
He was not a man that easily trusted and he’d be damned if some pencil pusher technician would imply his ship could do something when, in fact (and in actual practice) it couldn’t.
He had managed to keep the Predator unsupplied for over a year, much to the dismay of his crew and in doing so, exposed a company trying to skim on the consumable preparation for starship storage. The company had reduced the shelf life of some of their products thus enabling them to make them faster and cheaper and neglected to inform the Imperial Navy Procurement Ministry of the change keeping their prices the same. A lower quality consumable kept some starships under the technical specification designs while keeping the profits in the pockets of the manufacturer.
The fines imposed by the Imperial Government were enough to drive that manufacturer out of business much to the delight of their competitors.
He let out a self satisfied grunt in as he walked through the halls of the massive station orbiting Imperial Center.
“I want that port-side engine checked out, Commander” he growled into his personal communications device before switching off, his thoughts moving onto more practical matters. Those matters of import being anything that affected his image and reputation. And having the Predator with a faulty port engine was something that reflected badly (in his mind) when set against the records of other Captains and Admirals who commanded Imperator–Class vessels.
He was shown into a sparsely decorated room and made to wait the pleasure of his superior. A superior that Gutt had no use for to his way of thinking. He never liked Kaine and he often wondered how someone lacking the fire of such greats as Grand Moff Zell could retain such a high position.
Still, if Kaine ordered him to Imperial Center, he had no choice but to obey whether he despised the one giving the order or not.
The door to the room opened and Captain Gutt saw one of the most beautiful women he ever had the good fortune of being in close proximity with. She was far more petite than the whores on Vladet he usually frequented and was nothing like the slip of a girl he used on Chandrilla. As she entered the room and identified herself as a personal aide to Simon Kaine, Gutt’s eyes never left her breasts.
Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead and under his nose as he licked his lips in unconscious anticipation.
She continued speaking rather oblivious to the scrutiny when the door slid shut cutting off the view to the Spartan Guards outside.
“..am here to see to your needs…” she was saying when his eyes flickered to the closed door which, in turn, caused her to turn in response showing the back of her head to the Captain.
His sweaty brow furrowed as his suspicions rose. She was taunting him like all the other whores he’d met. She thought him weak for being fat.
Well, he’d show her…
Impulsively, his hand shot out grabbing the woman by the back of the neck, surprising her totally.
“Then see to my needs, whore!” he barked out gruffly as he drew her close and tried to put enough strength in his grip to force her to her knees.
His other hand was already in motion to undo his trousers when, quite surprisingly, she slipped out of his hand’s grasp.
Her left hand caught his upraised wrist and twisted, her strength vice-like and
shocking given her appearance.
Still, the grip stirred memories. Unpleasant memories when, back at the Academy, a few fellow classmates had tried to set him up with a girl. Even then his bulky form then gave him an awkwardness to his personality and an inferior temperament. The fact that the girl had shown any interest had softened his personality and may have begun to unravel some of the unseen issues that lurked deep within his psyche.
His classmates, however, had another goal and dashed his self built paradise when they informed him that “she” was an HRD. What made matters worse was that they had reprogrammed “her” to suddenly feel a revulsion to Ortho Gutt and that was just too much for him to handle.
The humiliation burned away at his mind for weeks on end. And so, after much plotting and scheming, he was able to get the machine alone.
And then, he did not leave until the machine was smashed beyond repair. Even as he held a blaster to the machine’s temple, after the sound beating he had given it, watching the broken and tattered limbs, the machine still … STILL…maintained the programming and continued it’s revulsion towards him. Even in such a defeat, he could not get a machine to ‘like’ him and such a revelation hardened Ortho. He pulled the trigger scattering “her” positronic brain all over the room.
All that flashed in his mind as his knees began to buckle under the pain and strain the woman before him was exerting on his wrists. The damnable aide was an HRD!
And, in his mind’s eye, he began to believe that he could see a look of revulsion forming in her expression and those same feelings of humiliation simmering under his exterior began to creep into being.
“Release him.” came the hard command over the intercom in the room and the woman instantly released Captain Gutt and stepped back.
“If you would follow me, Captain..” she started saying as if the previous encounter had not happened.
And Captain Gutt’s hand felt his trouser snaps to make sure everything was in place and began to follow her assuming the most haughty stance he could muster.
Admission into Kaine’s office was something of a wonder to the Captain. He had never had opportunity to meet with the most powerful man in the Empire and the power from something even as inanimate as a mere office still held a daunting presence for him.
He despised himself for feeling fear and, more to the point, he despised Kaine for making him feel fear.
He walked further into the office passing a rather sophisticated communications consol to his right and a rather large holographic projection of the galaxy to his left.
Before him was a desk with a clean surface of smooth black glass and behind the desk a man facing the opposite direction, his back to Ortho.
The man before him was gazing at the activity buzzing around the construction yard nearby.
Ortho began to huff a bit loudly as he moved his rotund body closer to the man’s desk. Each breath cursing Kaine that much more for making him show weakness in public. The humiliation was beginning to burn once more.
And yet, the fat Captain, upon reaching the desk drew himself up to his full height, which was not that impressive.
The man turned and his face wore the trademark lack of expression and his cold eyes bored into the Captain as if he could read his very soul.
Ortho blanched a little wondering if Kaine could see the hate he held for the leader of the Imperial Armed Forces.
“Captain Gutt” Simon Kaine acknowledged and Ortho nodded at the words.
It was then that he noticed another person in the room, a slender man with a non-descript appearance.
“May I present Major Ellis from Imperial Intelligence,” Kaine continued seeing Gutt recognize the other person in the room.
“Major.” Captain Gutt acknowledged trying to keep his voice free of inflection as possible. His fear began to grow cold as he saw Ysanne Isard’s minion seated in Kaine’s presence. The conflicts between the Director of Intelligence and the Grand Marshall were legendary among the Empire’s Command Staff.
Ortho wondered if he would become a casualty in their power struggles.
“Captain,” the Major responded, his voice perfectly neutral.
“Have a seat, Captain” Kaine commanded and for once Ortho had no objection to the command. He was fighting hard to keep his growing unease as beads of sweat began to form, defying the cold temperature the room was set too.
Once all were seated, the Major started off by coming straight to the point. Or so Ortho thought as he winced at the question, especially in view of the company he was in.
“It has been noted Captain Gutt, that you have disagreed with the Grand Marshall Kaine’s orders on more than one occasion. Can you inform us specifically what you disagree with more than others?”
Kaine’s eyes were expressionless and Captain Gutt’s mind raced with names trying to identify a traitor in his ranks.
He wondered if he’d have the opportunity to fish him out, or would he end up dead before this meeting was over.
“Despite my opinions of the Grand Marshall, I have always carried out my duty as an Imperial Line Captain and…” he started, trying to grab at the lifeline his performance may or may not have provided.
“Just answer the question, Captain.” Kaine interrupted and Ortho’s anger flared.
“Very well, Sir!” Ortho said stiffly. If he was going to die, then dammit, he’d die like an Imperial! “I think you were weak to propose peace with our enemies! We should have broken their backs, ground them underfoot and sent their souls back to hell!”
The silence after the Captain’s outburst was deafening.
After a few moments of study, Kaine, surprisingly calm, to the questioning in a different direction.
“You’re a bit of a hunter aren’t you, Captain Gutt?”
Taken completely by the surprise and show of personal interest, Ortho could only nod dumbly at first. Then, “Yes Sir. About a month ago I had the privilege of hunting Vorian out on the Mid Rim. Crafty bastards. The buggers are smart and you need to be creative in your use of deception. But, once you’ve run them to ground, taken away their advantages and..” and he licked his lips at the memory, “..once you see them on a spit over a fire, it brings a good feeling sinking your teeth into their cooked flesh. They are bastards.. but tasty bastards.”
The thrill and joy that Ortho felt when hunting was evident in his expression as he talked.
“Captain Yatta seemed to think little of it..” the Imperial Intelligence Major retorted and Ortho’s lips curled in scorn at the mention of his sometimes hunting partner.
“Captain Yatta has the imagination of toast. He does not get to know the particulars about the prey he hunts. If the prey is not in front of him with a broken leg, he won’t shoot. And, even worse..” Ortho shuddered, “he leaves what he shoots to rot!”
The fact that Ortho treated the things he hunted better than he treated most people never even occurred to the round man.
Kaine’s eyes found Ortho’s and he said, quietly, “Now you know why I do not waste my time with answering my critics over my operational decisions.
Both the numbers I hunt and the field in which I hunt are greater than most can conceive. My methods must take that into account.”
And, for the first time, Captain Gutt looked at the Grand Marshall in a new light.
He imagined the man in front of him watching the galaxy at large for his prey and instantly knew the prey that Kaine hunted was far more dangerous and far more cunning than what he experienced.
He pictured the reducing of the alien fleet suddenly as a purposeful hurting of one animal to hunt another. It was something he had done when searching for more deadly and dangerous prey. He would take a smaller animal hurting it with a purpose. And out the animal would stagger, the injuries laming him. It would bleak and bleat hoping to find an empathetic ear only to draw a more dangerous animal…and animal that Ortho was himself was after. He would lay in wait for hours into the bleating was ended by the animal pouncing the other and the Captain would take his shot.
The Coalition disarmament was suddenly understood, after a manner. It had been lamed by the Empire. But what dangerous enemy… what dangerous prey circled it’s bleating body?
Grudgingly, for Ortho’s hatred did not bend nor sway easily, he nodded and accepted the mild rebuke.
He felt a stab of humiliation that was only magnified only by the quiet voice of his superior.
“I…I see your point, Sir.” He finally relented.
Kaine seemed to accept that and moved on. “Now tell me, Captain, what do you think of this Brutus Nogoth character?”
“A spineless coward!” Gutt nearly shouted. Truth be told he hadn’t really paid any attention to the broadcasts over the holonet but he did know his basics. Brutus = spineless shell fish, Empire = wielder of the shell cracker and a hungry appetite.
The Major chuckled at the outburst and, as the fat man turned to him, he picked up the conversation. “Captain, we are going to hunt him and we feel you are the perfect candidate for it.”
Ortho Gutt’s estimation of Simon Kaine not only suddenly sprang into existence but it grew, much of that estimation based on the fact that his superior recognized his own inherent value and worth as an Imperial Officer.
Ortho Gutt felt it nothing less than his due.
“Here is the objective, Captain and a smaller holographic projection of the Garqi system appeared above Kaine’s desk.
Captain Gutt looked at the worthless planet in confusion and Kaine smiled faintly. “Captain, this is what I have in mind for you..”
*
After the Captain had left, Simon Kaine turned to the Major and the other shrugged off his temporary identity like so much fodder.
‘So tell me, what do you really think of him?” Ciscero asked.
“He’s an egotistical, cruel, stupid fool but definitely a useful one.” The Grand Marshall replied. His serious expression changed and a grin split his lips.
“I wonder if your HRD is still a virgin?” the Intelligence man quipped finally relaxing after having traveled through Coalition space to get home.
“Do you think Gutt will ….” Ciscero started to ask but Kaine’s gloved hand stayed the question.
“Honestly, Ciscero? I really doesn’t matter. Not at this point. That the discrepancies are conclusive or not is immaterial. Whether Agro Incorporated is a front company or not… the message will get across to the backer’s of Nogoth."
“Not Brutus himself?”
And Kaine smiled enigmatically. “The front man of a terrorist organization is always expendable, Ciscero. It is the support structure that is the key and it is that we must dismantle.”
And Kaine’s monitor showed Captain Gutt being escorted back to his ship.
“A rather big fellow…” Kaine murmured.
“He’s always been fat. Picked on when he was little and now he works his repressed anger out by utilizing his rank.”
“Bodes ill for his crew sounds like.” Simon murmured.
“Ahh.. he’s no different than the arrogant officers of Palpatine’s rule. He is harsh with his crew but he does get results and he does offer grand rewards to those that make him look good.”
“As long as he gets results; I heard he was pretty good on hunts.”
“The man is cruel, harsh, bitter .. mistreats women.. especially his female crew. They usually try to transfer off the Predator. Typical xenophobia with regards to any type of alien authority.” The man seated sat a little straighter. “Actually, there is one story where he and Captain Yatta took their ships to the Vorian Reserve to hunt.”
“Vorian? That’s one of the locations where some displaced inhabitants of Vortex were relocated after Admiral Hyfe’s original conquest of the planet?”
“Those would be the birdies. Offshoot of the Vors, at any rate. Well, it seems Captain Yatta and Gutt went hunting the buggers. Shot some, put them on a spit and ate them. Called it the best game hunt of his life. Was quite enthusiastic.”
Kaine’s eyebrows shot up in amusement. “Game? Aren’t the ‘Birdies” …?”
“Sentient? That is the rumor..” the other commented.
Kaine laughed slightly. “Well, let us hope those on Garqi and in Agro Incorporated fair much better.”
Ciscero’s eyebrow went up, “Would it matter if they don’t?”
The Grand Marshall shook his head, “Not in the slightest. INS should be alerted to being tracking for transmissions. I want the source."
*
The Garqi System looked rather unsophisticated as the Predator and her forces slipped into the system. Captain Gutt narrowed his eyes at the planet that seemed not to have changed since the Empire owned it last and he maneuvered his large body along the walkway clipping out orders, the excitement bubbling over as his pride in his own hunting skills ran in the forefront.
The attack escorts slipped into their cloaks and executed a starburst pattern along the horizontal plane of entry.
As the pickets ran ahead aggressively scanning for anything the fleet might find suspect before reaching standard geo-synchronous orbit.
The pack that Captain Gutt commanded was lead. For half and hour to an hour behind would be the rest of the packs.
The fleet’s shields were raised and battle stations ordered.
Gutt turned to his communications station and ordered it’s activation. The transmission was aimed at the planetary agricultural magnate Agro Incorporated.
“Agro Incorporated, this is Captain Gutt of the Imperator Predator. By order of the Imperial High Command, I am ordered to take command of your security forces to better reinforce planetary protection. We will begin augmentation of your security as soon as orbit is achieved. Please suspend all flight operations for the duration of our actions.
To set your minds at ease, we will confiscate any contraband found planet-side.
Please be prepared to have your management staff ready to meet with me upon our arrival.”
It was not what Ortho wanted to say, and it was not what he would have said if left up to him.
He licked his sweaty lips in nervous anticipation and wondered how rich these people really were…
OOC Assets (arrival in system):
3 Imperator Star Destroyers
10 Attack Class Shrouds
6 Constrainers
6 Fire Class Light Frigates
- full fighter compliments
