The Red War Part 5

"I'll shoot him before you have a chance to take him." Trenk opened up his negotiation tactic with a disappointing display. It was patently ridiculous I'd kill Trenk before he could kill me, but I guess when you don't believe the man you have is the man he claims to be you make stupid rash decisions.

There was silence to Trenk's statement, which scared me, perhaps the followers were weighing whether to kill me themselves if that was their intent. I didn't know much about where they'd been since the Damned had emerged, their religion was blamed for it despite not being the ones who breached the five fires. So the people who believed in conflict as a way of life were ostracized and eliminated, at the time I thought it was completely fair the universe go out with such stupidity. I was not aware there were any of them still around, let alone enough to the small fleet we'd encountered.

"You will not." The voice sounded like a woman, but I could not be sure, when people talk through speakers its hard to make out sex. Trenk did not like the simple refusal.

"Not much of a negotiation." I could see the sweat on Trenk's face he knew we were in the losing position but he was a corporate stooge, they generally didn't like to be on the losing end of anything.

"Because we're not negotiating." The woman who stepped on board between B&B was missing an eye and only had one pistol in a shoulder clutch with the dull red silk clothing she wore. I was even more worried than I was before. Not only were they followers they were being lead by a Mordere, or worse, they were all Morderes.

"You're on my ship, I think you are obligated to negotiate, I mean I can kill you now too." He pointed towards B & B and the Mordere showed remarkable restraint in not killing either one, she just disarmed them in quick vicious motion that left both men sucking for air on the ground.

"My ship now Mr. Trenk, and you should be thanking me, we're saving you and your team along with Trezlan, you want to stop the war? We will help you get there, but you have to trust us, or piss me off and die right here, it's your choice." It wasn't much of a choice, but Trenk acquiesced and the dispute was over. Later I'm sure Trenk wishes she had shot him dead there, but hindsight is something only the victors really get to experience.