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mwexodusofficial · 4 months ago

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Chapter XXIII: Succession

2 weeks before the Magna Victoria...

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(Music: "Adagio in C Minor", by Nicholas Britell)

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A few weeks had passed since his first moment of awakening on the Aurora. The day after overthrowing the Patrolman's Bureau, his control and authority were embedded within it. In the following days, Rothman, Jimmy, and a trusted few of the Patrol Bureau concocted a scheme to prod into the other departments and bureaus onboard the Aurora; a most devious goal in mind.

"James, I got the medical files on Moretti."

"Good, hand 'em here. Get Idra to set up a meeting with me and the CMO this evening at 8 PM."

Salmire, one of his subordinates in the Patrolman's Bureau, nodded firmly and ran off just as an olive-skinned, frilly brunette with a bright imposition and a penchant for malice giddily skipped up to him and handed a hand-written note from the Head of Maintenance, Jom Eidre, to Jimmy. He took it into his hands and unfolded it, reading the text:

10 PM, Hallway by aft airlocks, bag body, place next to waste bin

Jimmy nodded silently at the brunette, Lorienna, who winked at him and ran back off to deliver more nefarious messages. Rothman came up to Jimmy, who was casually patrolling the cells to find potential informants and soldiers amongst the rabble.

"Jimmy."

"I told you to call me James."

"Uh- nah, that's cringe-inducing."

Jimmy grit his teeth and sighed. He was at the top of his game, taking power as he was destined to, and of course, he had the most intelligent jester by his side to keep him humbled- to remind him that he was not the top of the universe- that even he, a cunning mastermind overtaking an entire ship's worth of people, had to pay deference. How divine it felt to him; events aligning one after another to pave the way for his ascension to power; for what purpose, he knew not yet. But DAMN did it feel euphoric to have such immense control beneath his fingertips- for the first time in his life he held more power than he'd ever tangibly felt before.

"Alright, fair enough," Jimmy conceded with a grumble. "But only when it's us."

"Maybe."

Jimmy groaned as Tanyr walked beside him, whispering a message.

"The only Bureau we have fully aligned under us is Maintenance & Sanitation. The rest are either neutral or their Department Heads are aligned under the Captain."

Jimmy clicked his tongue against his teeth, rubbing his chin in deep thought. Being free of a deluded existence was probably one of the most enlightening things he'd ever experienced- being able to distinguish fantasy from reality was a massive step up from his previous life. The natural traits he'd carried since birth- quick wit, cunning, unparalleled persuasive charisma, the ability to read people- no longer were they stunted in growth. It also meant that he found it extremely difficult to cope with the new perception that had slammed into his head repeatedly since the moment he'd awoken on the Aurora. In fact, the delusion he'd carried from his first and second life were still ingrained in his memories, which meant every time he tried to recollect those horrific displacements, it was like a self-induced acid trip into another person's mind.

Every word that related to the past; Tulpar, Jimmy, Curly, Anya, Swansea, Daisuke, Polle, responsibility, M-o-U-t-H-w-A-s-H; it was simply unbearable to be forced to recollect those awful memories.

As much as he wanted to pay penance and think on his atrocities, he had a journey of ambitions to fulfill first; and thus forgetting those past memories was the best thing for his mental state at the moment. He beckoned Tanyr closer to whisper in his ear, concocting a plan in his head.

"We need Communications, Robotics, Supply, and Engineering for this to work. Who in Comms has shown interest in a first handshake?"

"Tawny and Raynar both said they'd consider it, the rest weren't interested."

"Alright, give them both twenty Han and tell 'em I'll be walking back to my Bureau from Medical at 8:30 PM."

Tanyr nodded, darting his eyes around for a moment before proffering a question.

"Can I, uh, ask for a bonus if they agree?"

Jimmy sifted in his coat pocket (stolen from the previous Warden) and took out a wad of fiat money- Han, as it was denoted. The standardized currency of Hannou, and with little supply of it circulating around Hannou, the buying power was tremendous; which was the primary reason why Hannou often resorted to pirating and pillaging vessels, as the rewards reaped from such victories resulted in a mass amount of wealth from currency exchange and selling off valuables and materials to brokers. On the Aurora, the previous Warden had a small safe that, upon being broken into, revealed stacks of Han accumulated from years of kickbacks, bribes, shares from pillaging, and varieties of other criminal methods- all those years, to be passed down violently to Jimmy to fund his great escapades.

Jimmy handed the wad of cash to Tanyr, who took it and bowed his head deeply in respect.

"Thank you, James."

"Yeah. Make sure they agree."

Tanyr nodded once more and headed off. Jimmy continued patrolling the cells as Rothman unfurled a long parchment and began listing off names and allegiances.

"We have the heads of departments here. The Head of Maintenance, Jom, is in cahoots with us. The CMO of Medical, Bailey, is neutral. Chief Engineer, Quzare, is aligned with Moretti. The Supply Quartermaster, Billy, is neutral. Both Head of Robotics & Research don't care, either. And in Comms Division, neither Head of Navigation nor Surveillance care, either. The only one I'm seeing that could be a big threat is the Chief Espionage Officer, Sidlon, who's being paid a handsome salary to keep an eye out for mutineers and traitors."

Jimmy chuckled wolfishly. "Fat Moretti grew complacent. That would explain why everyone's been speaking so terribly of him after the skirmish."

Control over the Patrolman's Bureau had been set the moment the Hannou Patrolmen were killed. From there, over the few weeks Jimmy and Rothman had to scheme, gather information, and prod the members of other departments for allegiances, they'd come to make a large network of connections onboard the thousands-strong vessel; the most prevailing revelation they'd discovered was that-

Most people onboard did not like the Captain.

Such a crucial key to the takeover of the ship had outlined the next courses of action for these two deviants; one equipped with a silver tongue, and the other equipped with immense knowledge and education. They complemented each other almost too well, as their ascension from simple employees to low-level bureau leaders was only a gateway drug of ambition for the twin-stifled minds. Money shifted hands daily, blackmail gathered, information collected from spies, brokers, and trusted connections. Within those few weeks, Jimmy had discovered just how well-adapted he was for the criminal underworld that ruled this ship; not only was the identification system utter garbage, but the forgery system, in contrast, was always up-to-date; and within little time, Alani, Gryn and Salmire had received new identities for the new world they were traveling to; a third-world that would likely have little in bureaucracy and a world of opportunity awaiting these Canari-in-disguise. But before the grand vision Jimmy and Rothman wished to accomplish could, in fact, be accomplished- they had to take over this vessel first and place themselves in a strong foothold to ascend the ladder (as Rothman put it to Jimmy). Not only that, but they also needed to ensure that when they pulled this move, the other Captains and the fleet's admiral would not blow them to smithereens as soon as they did so.

Lots of planning, lots of info-gathering, lots of money changing hands, and allegiances drifting like sand- propelled in a slow-building wind of a soon-to-be takeover. Rothman, with all his years of experience in politicking and plotting behind the scenes, could almost smell the air when conflict was abound and betrayal was around the corner; and thus ensured to instruct Jimmy to action based on his estimation of how long they had to execute their plans before the Captain caught on and ordered their executions.

"What's the composition of Hannou versus non-Hannou on this ship?" Jimmy asked Rothman, who pulled up his holopad notes and scrolled through them to verify.

"Roughly 30% of the ship is Hannou, they mostly make up senior positions. The 70% are non-Hannou, either pressed into service or joined up in junior or auxiliary positions aboard."

Jimmy nodded, feeling as if the pieces were aligning for a perfect takeover. Even if he hated Captain Hawkes to his bones, as he reiterated, Canaris was not to blame for that unique hatred; it was only borne out of a circumstance where a self-righteous psychopath had made his own terrible, biased judgments against Jimmy in the isolation of his own authority. If Jimmy could turn the ship against the Hannou and get the necessary heads of departments on his side, it'd be a clean, bloody sweep. Alani would get a clean slate, and by the time they reached Hannou, they could make plans to continue rising up the chain of power, or take his current crew and find refuge elsewhere.

"I'm going to check on Alani," Jimmy said to Rothman. "Find out if anyone in Robotics will sit down for a drink with me sometime tomorrow."

Rothman nodded, marching off to execute the numerous plans the two of them had carefully crafted and were executing in waves. Jimmy made his way toward the Patrolman breakroom, scowling at prisoners along the way and noticing one that had caught his attention in the last few days.

"Syeong." He called out, receiving the attention of a lean, somewhat frail-looking asian individual with matted black hair and an aged face that peered at him with uncertainty and a glint of opportunity. "Get the fuck over here."

Syeong crawled over, waiting to hear what Jimmy had to say. Jimmy knelt, eyeing the other prisoners before leaning in to whisper.

"I've heard you used to be a go-between for the Xan Rebels, fought against the Krai Dynasty with sabotage. Am I getting that right?"

Syeong moved closer as Jimmy knelt, leaning in to hear him whisper. "That... would be correct."

Jimmy nodded furtively. "So you could put those skills to use, then."

Syeong eyed him with a glint in his irises. He'd been discussing this with Jimmy for days now in private 'interrogation' after Jimmy reviewed his files, this was just a formality to prevent the other prisoners from knowing the play happening here. "I could, yes."

Jimmy suddenly stood up, unlocking the door to the cell, and pulled Syeong out with exaggerated force, treating him as if he were about to be interrogated. "Get the fuck moving!"

The other prisoners eyed Syeong cruelly, thinking he was taken in for a long night of physical beating. Once Jimmy brought him into the breakroom, he pointed to one of the footlockers.

"Get dressed up, grab a holopad, Gryn will meet you in here a bit later to get your new identity and paperwork filled out. You'll only be patrolling when the prisoners are sleeping so they don't recognize you, and you'll be wearing a face-mask for the same reason."

Syeong nodded plentifully, expressing extreme nonverbal gratitude before heading over to get dressed. Satisfied with that small task accomplished, Jimmy moved past the locker room and turned the corner to enter the R&R section of the breakroom.

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(Music: "Like Real People Do", by Hozier)

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Sitting in the chair with a cup of steaming coffee in her hands was Alani, dead in the eyes and staring for an inordinate amount of time at a holopad message her eyes scanned slowly, occasionally falling still and gazing into the void. Jimmy rubbed the back of his head, feeling intensely uncomfortable whenever he entered the room.

"Jimmy." Alani said simply, her voice hoarse from not speaking for so long. She sipped on the coffee, seeming unbothered by its scorching temperature.

"H-Hey, Alani. How's, uh, the financing going, heh?"

Alani set down the mug, almost spilling it from the violent shaking her hands were doing. Jimmy took a seat across from her, patting his lap and looking around the room, trying to think of how to start the conversation.

"You, uh... you look pretty well. I'm, uh, glad you recovered so quickly!"

"We Canari are used to strife," Alani stated coldly, though Jimmy could tell she was still suffering immensely inside. "Our funds have been dwindling for all the favors, bribes, and incentives we've been offering out, but we still have more than half of that pig's fortune left over. It'd be good if we could start a few revenue streams, though, in case this doesn't pan out as quickly as we expect."

Jimmy groaned in frustration, rubbing his forehead. "It has to pan out as quickly as we need it to, according to Rothman. Any longer and we risk our plot getting discovered by the Captain, and taken out for good."

Alani eyed Jimmy with a stern expression, and Jimmy was afraid he'd said something offensive; when suddenly tears began to surface from the folds of her eyelids. "Promise me, Jimmy. Promise me you will put a bullet through my head if anything-"

"Alani, please don't say that!" Jimmy begged her, his voice tinged with quivering terror. "I-I'm not gonna allow that to happen... not another suicide... I'll execute this plan to perfection. If we have to shank a few bastards for this goal, then so be it. I'm sure you Canari have experience with that?"

Alani shook her head in disgust. "We'd never be so dishonorable as to stab our superiors in the back- it's open combat, winner takes all."

"O-Oh..." Jimmy muttered, a bit humiliated at Alani's brutally honest opinion. Alani noticed his dismay and chuckled hoarsely.

"I'm more than happy to make an exception for you, Jimmy, even if I don't contribute in the backstabbing; though I'll gladly slay my share of armed opponents. When we finish this takeover, I'll head back to Canaris and ensure you never have to fear poverty again."

Jimmy rubbed the back of his head and awkwardly chuckled- knowing he couldn't get anywhere near Canaris until that seven-foot killer was dead and gone first; hoping deeply that Hawkes and a few of his crewmates were the only ones to know of Jimmy's past, so that Jimmy could eke out a chance at living in luxury on Canaris- a vain hope he grasped to as a distant ambition. "I appreciate it, but I just want to make sure you get home safe."

Alani's eyes glittered for a moment as she eyed him, and Jimmy blushed to himself.

"What?" She asked coyly. "Did you fall for me, is that it?"

"N-No! It's not that, obviously-"

"Well, if I didn't have a husband, I would certainly entertain your proposals of romance. You're fierce, cunning, charming- Canari-like qualities. There's only a few flaws that offend me, but we can iron those out over time once you visit Canaris."

Jimmy nearly fell off his seat at the blatant forwardness of Alani; and the sheer arrogance behind her unwavering tone of conviction. "W-Well you're quite straightforward! And... I think that'd be inappropriate regardless, because, you know..."

You were violated.

Alani smiled with a frenetic but introspective gaze, understanding his implication as she swirled her finger around the rim of her coffee mug. "It's okay, Jimmy. You killed half the people I planned to, anyways, and I'm currently thinking of how to bleed the rest slow once I've gotten my shit together and can walk around that disgusting shitpit. I don't dwell on past events much- I just like to exact vengeance and move on. Thank God we have the medical tech we have now, or I would have killed them all and then myself for the visible shame they wrought unto me."

Jimmy was a bit off-put at this Amazonian warrior that had suddenly manifested in front of him, but conceded that he was of much weaker will than her- and guilt simply ravaged him from head to toe every time he laid eyes on her, on top of the fact that he had to contain the urge to sob perpetually everytime Alani recited his name. "I-I understand. Well, on a good note, what are your plans when you get back home?"

Alani continued to swirl her finger around the cup's rim, seemingly both deep in thought and repressing the urge to fall into a perpetually comatose state. "I'll be getting my cervix and body repaired with nanites, and a few other areas I don't wish to speak of. Then I'll find my husband and hug and kiss him until I fall asleep. I'll contact my family, and let them know I'm back and safe. Then I'll speak to the Atriarchs about declaring Annihilatio on Hannou and the insects chirping on its surface so I can watch the planet explode into a hundred-trillion pieces and pleasure myself to the sight of it."

"Well, that escalated quickly." Jimmy joked, quickly growing unsettled as Alani simply flicked her eyes up to peer at him, before resuming her reading. "What, uh... what is Annihilatio?"

The look in Alani's eyes were far more unsettling than anything Jimmy had lurking in his mind- glinting in her eyes was pure, spiteful, black-gut, eye-gouging, soul-rending HATE. What was even worse, was the deeper sadistic pleasure riding around in the darkest depths of her sea-blue gaze.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, it's basically deep-state secrets, but you're owed an explanation for saving my life! It's a variety of weapons we have remotely hidden in the deepest recesses of empty space. The most effective one we have is an Orbital Kinetic Kill System, basically launches massive, miles-long tungsten rods at planets which are like nuclear explosions without the fallout. Everything else is a prototype, right now- inverse to postmodern technology, it's actually really hard to weaponize advanced spatial phenomenon without annihilating yourself in the process. But, you know, we rarely get to use the weapons nowadays because the uptight asses in GAPC outlawed WMDs a couple years ago, the pricks."

Jimmy was now horrified. Alani had gotten significantly more passionate once the topic of weapons of mass destruction came up. "And, uh, you know all this, how-?"

He had recalled just now what Pandan had remarked to him the first time Jimmy had left jail, but Alani was more than happy to re-contextualize.

"I am the daughter of one of the most powerful weapons designers in the galaxy, Hamoch Hyletta. My father has his fingers in every pie from Canaris to Soslau, from Yalnir to Krai. We bleed money onto our investors and death onto our enemies, and there is no empire nor tribe that is not in need of our services."

Jimmy nodded with half-wide eyes, mouth slightly agape as he was more busy admiring her dazzling features than being wow'ed by her terrifying background. "I see. Do they give that script to you guys in your childhood?"

Alani grinned widely, then burst out laughing at the quip, much to Syeong's startling as he was getting dressed in a Patrolman's outfit. "Not only is my savior kind, but witty! I am blessed, truly."

And without many seconds passing, Alani's laughter suddenly turned into a quiet, then loud, then deafening sobbing into the palms of her hands; having let her guard down for a second, she was assailed by the trauma, despair, terror, and misery inflicted on her for months at end. Jimmy moved to comfort her, but reeled back in sheer self-loathing.

DO NOT DARE TOUCH MY CANARI-!

"HHH-!!!" Jimmy almost screamed, having suffered an auditory hallucination of Hawkes once again- was he actually free of the delusion, or was this some kind of traumatic after-effect?! And yet, his own trauma was damped loudly by the wailing cries from Alani, who continued to weep into her palms as streams of tears dripped down her arms and onto the table and her lap.

Fucking. FUCKING. Fuck. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUUUUUCK-!

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(Music: "To Be Alone", by Hozier)

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Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh, I'm gonna fucking kill them if they stand in my way. They are nothing. Nothing. PEONS. PAWNS!

In the same time Jimmy was storming toward the CMO's office to have a 'strategic' meeting, a particular Chief Engineer was being lured to the aft airlocks in five minutes, to meet a very similar fate to Barnos. It was truly an oversight of whomever designed the ship to not account for the area that was right next to the airlocks- where things could be easily spaced to no one's knowledge. It shamed Jimmy immensely to admit it, but he had ample experience in finding the flaws in camera FOVs.

He arrived in front of the Medical Wing, texting the CMO he had arrived, and a moment later the door hissed open, allowing Jimmy to pass by the front desk and beeline straight for the CMO's office. He came upon the blue-colored blast door, pressing the button to signal arrival and finding this door to open as well. He walked in, viewing a well-decorated office with equal parts advanced blueprints of medical procedures and large landscape portraits of city lines and 1920s noir-aesthetic streetviews. It was a bit jarring, but Jimmy simply honed in on the 5'8", athletic-built, 32-year-old woman laying her legs on her desk and leaning backward in the padded chair she sat in, eyeing Jimmy with her hazel eyes through an orange HUD visor and a lit cigarette hanging lazily from her thin lips.

"Jimmy, I presume."

"You can call me James-"

"I'll call ya Jimmy."

Jimmy forced a smile, wanting to verbally lash out but having the self-awareness now to recognize when his narcissism was actively kicking in- a very useful skill for long-winded or confrontational negotiations. "Sure, whatever. You know what I'm here for."

"Aye, I do."

Jimmy and the CMO exchanged gazes, and Jimmy gestured with open palms and a twitch of the neck as if saying, "Well?"

"I want up-to-date equipment," The CMO began rattling off. "10% increase in my staff's salaries across the board, contract revisions and worker protections-"

"Jesus, do you want three hundred PTO days and maternity leave, as well?"

The CMO giggled, entertained by the quick-wit humor Jimmy seemed to exhibit at the drop of a hat. "It's an ignorant backward age we live in. I'm surprised, no offense, that a male like you knows what maternity leave is."

Jimmy immediately felt tears surface to his eyes and wiped them away, a mound of stress and guiltguiltguiltguiltguiltguiltguilt smacking him to and fro, ever-present the very moment he was incited to recall the past instinctively. The action, however subtle, was obviously noticed by the CMO.

"I won't dig further. Bailey, by the way." The CMO stated, having been oddly touched by the tortured disposition of this man on a clear journey to redeem... something. "Tell you what, Jimmy. I fuckin' hate this pudgy Italian fuckwad that's piloting our ship. Our medical bay was overloaded after that skirmish because of his shit maneuvering and incompetent command. He's a fucking glorified scum-ridden pirate that only got his title by pay-to-win. I'd be more than glad to see him dead- but I'm not gonna stick my neck or any of my staff's necks out to potentially die if this shit goes sideways. The only thing I can assure you is, if it looks like your side is winning... we won't be triaging any of the... chosen demographic, to put it non-treasonously."

Jimmy nodded, glad that this conversation was wrapped up nicely. He was beginning to feel as if he'd break down and lie shivering on the floor if he tried to stand on the same mental fortitude as this person right now. "Alright... sounds good."

He turned on his heel to leave-

"Jimmy."

He stopped in his tracks, glancing over his shoulder- more tears surfacing in his eyes. He was a wreck. And a CMO like Bailey could sense it from a mile away.

"What you're doing is... a scary endeavor. With the mental state you're in, I hope you have someone solid and reliable you can trust by your side. Just some advice from a veteran on this hopeless ship."

Jimmy nodded firmly, grateful for the advice. Wiping his eyes one last time, he proceeded out the door to fulfill his next-

Scum.

-He froze as the doors to the Medical Wing shut behind him. He had figured out now what was happening. Hawkes had physically and mentally beaten this ever-engulfing feeling of terror and organ-shredding guilt into him. Guilt turned to introspection- turned into humility, renewed appreciation, and insight.

He dropped to his knees, wrought with mind-drowning despair and agony. Why? Why?! Why did he have these revelations AFTER the fucking Tulpar?! WHY?!

Ignorance. Ignorance was the bane of his entire life- led astray by delusion and an inflated ego far beyond the pithy little boy he was. And yet, he knew in equal measure that fault laid with him. The acts he committed, the ones he failed to... they did not disappear with his resurrection. They were magnified.

I can't get lost in this sea of guilt. I have things to do. Goals to accomplish. People to rid from this universe, he thought with slowly-reforming composure.

Beep, beep.

Jimmy brought up his holopad, reviewing a message sent by Rothman.

CE gone

Jimmy sighed in relief, taking pride in the news that the hit on Quzare had been done; with the one Head of Department aligned with Dino (aside from the Espionage Officer) taken out, the only thing left to do was start convincing the rest of the big wigs and by the end of this week, it was likely that Jimmy would be in position to execute the coup d'etat swiftly and mercilessly.

Renewing himself with reinvigoration, he stood up shakily and proceeded towards the cafeteria, where two Surveillance Officers were planning to speak with him.

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Fucking hell, what is this, a female-led industry?

Jimmy was thinking this both in frustration and anxiety as the two Surveillance officers sat before him; Tawny and Raynar, who'd both personally sent their messages of interest in speaking only a few days after Jimmy's coup of the Patrol Bureau. He entered the cafeteria, barely making eye contact with the hundreds of others moving about; Jimmy specifically removed the badge and insignia identifying him as the Head of Patrol (as badly as his ego wanted to wear it and strut around like a peacock), as he didn't want to attract extra attention when he was trying to orchestrate treason amongst the ranks.

In the same timeframe Jimmy was attending this little meeting, Lox and Norm were orchestrating an 'accident', wherein the EVA Specialist Teila, aligned with Jimmy through heavy bribery, had geared up and ventured outside to feign 'witnessing' the frozen body of the Chief Engineer drift out into the depths of space, unable to be retrieved based on its speed. Lox was placing a half-empty bottle of liquor next to the airlocks to suggest non-sobriety, whilst Norm was causing a dramatic ruckus in the recreation complex by telling blatantly horrific and offensive jokes with a smirk on his face- to draw the attention of surveillance to the building conflict, and delay the Comms Division from reviewing the footage of the cameras near the aft airlocks.

This was where these two crucial figures came in. Once Jimmy had an 'in' with Comms, he wouldn't have to worry about avoiding the duplicitous number of cameras onboard the ship. Not only had he found out his murder of the officer beating Alani weeks ago was on CCTV, he'd found it was recorded on a number of hidden cameras that were incredibly small and placed in shaded areas for minimal visibility. It was, yet again, a miracle that the only two officers to have seen the footage live were the ones sitting across from him, feasting on microwaved ramen and instant noodles right before his very eyes.

Is criminal ascension supposed to be this easy? Jimmy pondered to himself. "You'll eat like kings for however long you're on this ship, if I win this 'contest'."

"Deal."

Both officers responded in unison, both offering to shake his hand and slapping the other's hand out of the way repeatedly to do so. Jimmy glanced with concern at these deceptive gluttons, wondering what kind of crew he was going to be leading when he inevitably reached the top.

"What led you two to join my little circus show?" Jimmy said, using derisive words and terminology to humble himself intentionally. With the new insight he had, looking back on the actions of his first life was like seeing his fifteen-year-old self dressing up as Julius Caesar on the first day of high school- except in this case it was murdering two of his classmates, mutilating a kid he'd handicapped, and violating another then causing her to commit suicide.

His revisits of memories were visceral, intense, and horrific. And he could not stop thinking about it when this DAMN GUILT refused to allow him to think clearly. The officers looked between each other as they noticed his visible attempts to restrain himself from breaking down.

"If you didn't kill Einer, we would have paid someone to. That pond scum was turning the prison into a horror show. You did everyone a service by taking him out as violently as you did." Raynar asserted strongly, showing her clear approval of Jimmy's actions.

"Facts!" Tawny stated boldly. "And you used Hannou to frame a fight with those jailbird predators?! I'm startin' to believe God sent you to this floating grave!"

Jimmy chuckled dryly, not particularly in the mindset to feel compared to a divine savior.

"I'm surprised you two know this much," Jimmy muttered. He was asking questions with obvious answers, to garner more information from these two and elicit a better understanding of their opinions of both him and how they would feel about his plan to coup. Only a few dozen people had knowledge of Jimmy's plot, out of the thousands onboard; and already that would increase the chances every second that the Captain would get wind of his schemes.

Tawny seemed more than happy to respond. "We're the only two assigned to a quarter of the ship. Dino doesn't want a lot of surveillance officers because he knows everyone's doing illegal shit, and he's profiting off of it, and he doesn't want the feds on Hannou to crack open the records and see what happened- so he's throwing out the whole thing right before he gets back. It's like a tradition at this point."

Jimmy nodded along happily, half-euphoric that this vital information was being vomited at him, and half-terrified he was being exposition-dumped only to get stabbed to death at the end of this conversation. "I... I see. Well, I don't want to waste your time, I'm glad we've come to a consensus."

Jimmy stood up and exited, his retreating figure followed astutely by the gazes of Tawny and Raynar.

"He's giving me 'Dexter Morgan rapist' vibes."

"Don't turn this into -Class of '09- dialog, please."

"What the hell is that?"

"You should look it up. You know, when someone drops a reference on you, you should... look it up."

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The next few days were a rush of meetings with different departments, regardless of their rank on the hierarchy. It somewhat worried Jimmy that word was traveling quite quickly between the departments on Jimmy's intentions; it turned him into more of a nervous wreck than he already was, having to handle the deluge of tasks that awaited him throughout this long week—oddly enough, he took it in far greater stride and competency than even the most basic tasks onboard the Tulpar.

Even the murders that would be unfolding over the next few hours were rather soothing on the mind. Compared to the sickening thought of forcefully shoving painkillers down his best friend's gullet- the cold-blooded, gruesome ordering of hits on a few key individuals who kept tabs for the Captain was almost like drinking water. There was no guilt associated with it; the delusions were gone, which meant critical thinking and long-term planning were far easier to produce in the mind; and most of all, the reinforced idea in Jimmy's head that he was brought back to life by a higher power solidified not only his conviction in carrying out his 'vision' of righteousness, but skyrocketed his already-insane confidence to new, unparalleled heights.

It was the only conceivable conclusion as to why this former(?) horse-obsessed degenerate ever had a chance in this massive pond of devils and demons.

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(Music: "Blockbuster Night Pt. 1", by Run The Jewels)

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"Do you want to do it?" Raynar asked Tawny, who gladly took the combat knife from Raynar's hands, her eyes shining with unhinged wanton violence. "I'm not good with, uh, first-degree murder."

"I'll take it off your hands," Tawny replied sinfully, pushing open the cabin door to the Chief Espionage Officer's quarters. He turned around on his swiveling chair, curious then paling in horror as he saw Tawny and Raynar rushing him like pack wolves.

"WHAT THE FUCK-?!"

He tried to grab for the radio to call in help, only to get tackled by Raynar and restrained as Tawny jutted the knife into his gut repeatedly with sickening, devilish euphoria that only certain minds could gain enjoyment out of; splattering the small room with fountaining blood and spurts of gore across the floor and consoles.

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"Scalpel." Namo called out to Edna, his nurse, who quickly handed him the surgical tool with latex-gloved hands. He grabbed it and began the incision into the upper chest area of a Hannou corpse laid out on the operating table before him- performing an autopsy as the cause of death was undeterminable from exterior observation alone.

"Hemostat." He requested, Edna reaching onto the surgical tray and handing him the tool, which Namo used to clamp nicked vessels during the incision.

"Retractor." He snapped quickly, and Edna took the retractor from the tray and placed it in Namo's hand, immediately prompting him to slowly work it under the folds of the skin and pull the flesh back. Edna heard the sound of quieted footsteps and turned her head.

"Bone saw." Namo snapped his fingers. Silence. "Bone saw! Edna-! OH FUCK!"

Namo stumbled backward in horror as Edna was stuck in the gut by a knife; held for a moment by CMO Bailey, before she wrenched her knife out of Edna's gut and let her fall to the ground in a bloody mess. Nurse Idra was duelly present in the room, carrying a pristine scalpel of her own that she spun between her fingers like it was second-hand nature.

"What the FUCK are you doing, Bailey?!" Namo sputtered, tears running down his eyes as he foresaw his death in the next few seconds. "Don't-!"

Sst-!

Namo cried out in pain, and then immediate horror as his eyes followed the spurts of blood shooting out from his sliced carotid artery. He attempted frantically to apply pressure, hyperventilating as the reality of the deathly situation closed in on his mind. He felt a horrible mixture of betrayal, rage and terror as he saw Nurse Idra wielding the bloody scalpel like a toy in her hands. Consciousness only lasted for a few more dozen seconds, seeing Idra's brutally indifferent expression and Bailey's underlying indignation.

"Your nurse here been OD'ing my patients," Bailey scorned him, wiping the blade of her knife on the edge of the operating table. "And you've been hiding Dino's hits. Right under my nose."

Namo stumbled and crashed against the back wall, sliding slowly down to the ground and leaving spurts of crimson brushing across his portion of the room; a morbid, visual ballad of his final moments alive. Bailey rounded the table and knelt down, glaring him down in his hazy eyes.

"You can die now. A little faster, please. Yes. Like that. Thank you."

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Rothman and a small team from PB (Patrol Bureau) were hiding amongst the shady and dim-lit corridors near the aft airlocks- where Quzare had been framed and officers commissioned by Captain Dino personally were sent to investigate the matter of a Department Head aligned with Dino suddenly expiring randomly.

"Stay on your toes," Telfrey relayed to his partner Security Officer, Saxna. "There might be a takeover underway."

Saxna paled in the face, glancing frequently over her shoulder with rising panic as the words registered in her head.

Takeover underway.

"A-And," Saxna muttered fearfully, pulling up closely behind Telfrey. "You're sure that... this is happening right now?"

"No coup takes place in one day," Telfrey snarled unreasonably at Saxna, stressed beyond capacity as the smell of an incoming bloodbath lingered in the air; a kind of sixth sense that a vigilant, veteran leader would know if they weren't always lounging in the upper decks of the Aurora. Still, money was money; and Captain Dino paid his enforcers well to quell these kinds of plots. If he could get some visual confirmation of treason, he'd radio in confirmation and have the entire Military Garrison swarming the area in minutes. The only reason he wasn't doing it now was simple- if he was wrong, or didn't have evidence, any coup that was happening immediately became far more probable as people would now be incensed to get revenge for the tyrannical beating of their persons and ransacking of their private quarters.

"Sax, watch my back, we're sticking to the outer walls as we approach aft airlocks, in view of the cameras. If anything should happen, we'll have the entire ship up in arms within seconds."

"Wh-!" Sax muttered in terror. "I-I don't want to be bait! I don't wanna fuckin' die!" She cried out, tears streaming down her reddening face; a relatively new recruit on the vessel who was caught up at the worst possible time.

SHICK! "A-AAAAAUGGGHHH!!!!!"

Saxna crumpled to her knees, incapacitated by a makeshift bolt puncturing into the lower left area of her back and almost tearing a hole in her liver. As Saxna screamed and fell writhing to the ground, Telfrey only had time to look back before two Patrolmen turned the corner and stuck him with knives in multitudes, letting him drop to the floor in a bloody mess. Saxna screamed in pure horror, watching in helpless agony as the blooded, knife-wielding Patrolmen turned cold-blooded eyes on her, advancing with murderous intent-

"Hold on!"

Saxna fell silent with wide eyes, shuddering as rivulets of tears tore their way down her paling face in what she believed to be her final, gruesome moments. A 6'2" fair-skinned Patrolman entered from the rightmost periphery of her vision, looking her up and down curiously.

"Heard you hail from a family of diplomats," The individual rasped, eyeing her continuously. "That true?"

Terrified but looking to survive the encounter, Saxna nodded her head feverishly, and Rothman nodded in satisfaction. "Good. My friends here will escort you to the Patrol Bureau, and you'll keep your mouth shut the entire way. We have need of your services, and the payout is more than worth it."

Saxna tried not to sob, nodding frantically to stay alive- it wasn't as if she had any more choice in the matter.

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(Music: "MARK - Emrygul Remix", by SHAHMEN)

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Beep, beep.

Jimmy didn't even have to pull up the holopad to know the hit jobs were finished. Sat in the breakroom alongside Alani, he tapped his foot in excess stress, knowing that the more bodies he stacked, the faster this scheme was going to get uncovered; and with a lot of 'neutrals' onboard, he couldn't take chances betting on their joining him against Dino just yet. Not until-

Hsssssshhhh.

Here he arrived. The key player. The alloyed door to the room hissed through its hydraulics, opening up and revealing Syeong with an individual from Robotics behind him, who walked in while surveying the breakroom with an idyllically-noir look about him. A 5'11", tan-skinned male with a stocky physique who looked to be in his late 30s with a beauty mark below his left eye and a horizontal scar across his right eyebrow, accompanied by a foxy smirk and mischievous look in his lavender irises. He wore a set of copper dog tags around his neck, paired with a dark purple tropical shirt and grey slack pants tucked into black military boots.

Jimmy had heard plenty about this character, Deeno Olpharios, days before this meeting would take place. A programmer with a natural inclination and expertise in hostile takeovers of operating systems and sensitive data, Deeno's skills would be most useful to Jimmy in the coup; whilst Jimmy's agents would be cleaning house with the Captain's backers, Deeno would be overriding door-lock mechanisms, hard-breaching protected archives within the Aurora's servers, and generally tearing apart the various security networks of the ships then rebuilding them with far sturdier, pen-tested security software.

"Nice place," The second-generation Hannou remarked humorously, a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth; seemingly devoid of that subtle, brimming hatred underneath the skin that most Hannou exhibited as a result of Canaris-inflicted hostility passed down through the ages. He moved around the room rather loosely, as if entirely unbothered by the strangers before him, before taking a seat next to Jimmy and Alani, who eyed him with their own calculations in mind. "Ghyun told me you wanted a 'favor', per se."

Jimmy glanced at Alani before moving his arms onto the table, getting comfy to make his proposition. "I've heard word that you're one of those 'Black Hats'. Is that true?"

The casually dressed employee from Robotics took a drag from his cigarette before removing his from his mouth and blowing a cloud of smoke to his side, eyeing Jimmy rather disdainfully. "All of five seconds in this room, and you can't bother for pleasantries?"

"With the kind of plan we have in mind, no that's not something we can oblige everyone."

The tan-skinned individual snickered, taking another drag from the cigarette.

"Well, you'll oblige me. I'm one of your 'key' pieces, yeah? Bet you don't call all your clients in for these little one-on-twos. So oblige me with some pleasantries, or find another Black Hatter on this floating Little Italy."

How about I use you, then space you out of the fucking airlock when I've finished my takeover? Jimmy thought spitefully. "Fine. James." He stated, jutting out his hand for an honest shake. The Black Hatter eyed his hand briefly, puffing from his cig before throwing his right hand forward and clasping it firmly against Jimmy's.

"D-Note. And if you wanna be taken seriously with this upcoming 'merger' you got in mind, stick with what people know you as."

"Right..." Jimmy muttered. "And I guess 'D-Note' is your government name?"

D-Note chuckled. "It's the pitch I speak at. Sometimes nicknames are dumb as shit, not much you can do 'bout it. Anyways. Up for a game of Blackjack?"

(Above art credited to @rabstergabster on Instagram)

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Before Jimmy could protest, Alani jumped on the opportunity to his shock. "Best of 1."

D-note nodded with a grin, pulling out a set of cards from his coat pocket and placing it neatly on the table, dealing two face-up cards to Alani (7, 6), Jimmy (King, Ace), and himself (Queen, 4), placing one card face-up and one face-down in the center of the table.

"Got a 21 already, eh? You've done a pretty good job at moving this coup along more quickly than anyone I've seen before," D-Note complimented Jimmy, analyzing his cards before calling 'hit' and pulling a card from the stack.

Ace of Spades

Deeno smirked at his luck, placing it face-up next to his 4. "But, uh, from my observations, you've been showing your hands a little too much."

Jimmy, disinterested entirely in the card game, flicked his eyes up at Deeno with slight loathing, but nonetheless open to hearing the flaws in his framework. "In what ways?"

Deeno looked to Alani, waiting for her to make her call on her cards. She called 'hit', and Deeno drew the next card from the pile, placing it in front of Alani's set:

Eight of clubs

"Another 21," Deeno muttered, seemingly becoming more invested in the game as it went on. "I'm sensing some divine luck from this side of the table."

Jimmy forced a half-smile, unamused with the drawn-out interaction and time this was taking. Deeno stared over his set, returning his gaze to Jimmy. "Several people have died in the last few days, that's the biggest indicator. Your cronies have been seen and heard by quite a few hundred people by now. You ascended to power rather quickly because the last Warden had 'miraculously' gotten shanked to death by a bunch of prisoners. It doesn't take a rocket scientist. The only reason you're not lying in a puddle of your own blood right now, is because the Captain's in a deep depression over the recent battle loss and you've had miracles line up for your ascension one after another."

Alani kept her eyes trained like a predator on Deeno, narrowing and widening her eyelids as if visibly dissecting Deeno's nonverbal actions down to the basic building blocks.

"Looks like you're the only one left who has to get above the dealer's value." Alani concluded, lounging back in her chair and watching Deeno closely to try and pick him apart. Deeno's eyes traveled toward the house's card set; The face-down card was unknowable, the face-up card was a Queen.

Shit, He thought in resignation. I have to hit or I'm fucked.

He tapped the table as was traditional in Blackjack card games, signaling his intent to 'hit', pulling the next card from the stack and laying it next to his current set:

Ten of Spades

Deeno sucked in through his teeth- 25. He had busted and lost the round. Jimmy and Alani quietly high-fived each other under the table. "Well, I suppose that settles it." He stated.

"What?" Jimmy inquired. Deeno gathered the card stack, tucking it into his coat pocket. "Settles what?"

"I'm in. Seems like the divine wind, proverbially speaking, is blowing in your favor."

Jimmy didn't want to say 'That's all it took?', but-

"That's... that's really all it took for you to hop on the bandwagon?" Jimmy muttered. Deeno flashed a shiny grin, his onyx ear piercings glinting momentarily in the haphazard lighting of the breakroom.

"It's a lot simpler than listening to you yammer about your whole mastermind scheme and wondering if you're a good bet or not. When the cards or die decide, that's fate speaking. In an age like this, especially? That's a philosophy I'll double down on. With the luck you seem to have consistently, I think you'll be a better payoff than spending the rest of my years rotting on this vessel coding drones and soldering circuits."

Jimmy's eyes briefly flicked to Alani, before settling on Deeno and nodding his head. "Uh, well, so be it then. There's a few things I need you to do because we're about to rally some important big wigs in the Starboard Lounge..."

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(Music: "Sympathy For the Devil", by The Rolling Stones)

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A few hours later, most of the Department Heads were gathered in the Starboard Lounge, at the request of a rapidly ascending figure among the ship's crew; their consent only given after they had the guarantee that Surveillance officers loyal to Jimmy would be monitoring the Lounge and its surrounding corridors. Along with the Heads of Departments were many of the people who were aligned with Jimmy and Rothman, attending to hear how this coup would be unfolding. Confirmation of the essential departments being onboard with this was enough for a coordinated effort to take place, and so the dozens of attendees idled around nervously, still anxious that they were about to initiate a takeover and potentially lose their lives, or suffer much worse fates.

The most important figure here was Mons Lanicaster, the Assault Captain of the Aurora and direct commander over the Assault Squads. If he didn't align with the coup, even if Jimmy got every other department onboard, they were fucked from the start; he who controlled the military, controlled the power structure.

Mons was idling at the front of the crowd, flanked by four of his most apt fireteam members and surveying both Jimmy and Rothman with cold, half-open eyes; a startling 6'4" in stature, built like a tank, fair-skinned with a short blonde buzz-cut and sculpted facial features emphasizing his stoic yet grim expression.

Rothman was more than a bit anxious; their life or death was hanging in the balance based on Jimmy's persuasive abilities and the Assault Captain's openness to betrayal.

"Thank you for attending, Mons." Jimmy obliged the Assault Captain with a welcoming introduction. "And the rest of you, as well. I have done my research, as you can tell- which is why I've managed to wrangle all of you into one room together!"

A light chuckle passed through the crowd, which Jimmy allowed to pass before resuming his speech. In the back of his mind, he was thinking to himself, How is it possible that I have gone from a stumbling, faltering anti-socialite to an eloquent, outspoken, and witty personality? Has my prior mental illnesses impaired these gifts of mine this terribly?

"I know of the feuds between your various departments," He continued speaking, changing the inflection, pitch, and intensity of his tone based on the changing subjects in his speech. "And I am more than aware that my tenure onboard this ship is dust compared to however long many of you have served onboard."

He paced back and forth on the elevated stage granted to him for this little speal, his eyes darting to the CCTV cameras scanning across the room; placing trust in the Surveillance Officers to keep them in discrete secrecy. As it was the dead of (solar) night, it was unexpected that anyone would be raising alarms over the Heads of Departments not being at their offices.

"But I have little doubt as to why all of you chose to come here tonight," Jimmy insisted, scanning his gaze across the room to try and read the expressions of those in attendance- his attention paid most to Mons, who seemed inclined to listen more to Jimmy's proposition in detail. "The Captain of this ship... is incompetent. The leadership is not up to par with the employees they have authority over."

The rabble whispered and glanced amongst themselves, as if speaking more at near-silent length about the topic at hand. Jimmy did not let the issue settle.

"Was the recent escapade not proof enough? The failed takeover of the Argonaut- now, whether or not you believed that was a good tactical decision... I'm sure many of you agree with the claim that the Captain performed poorly in carrying out the plan."

The crowd was silent, nonverbally agreeing or stoically unmoving whilst Jimmy delivered his precise oration. "So then, the solution seems simple. Everyone's here. His... associates within the ranks aren't an issue, and I know none of you had attachments to them. So the only question remains: Do you have the stomach to rid the ship of its last waste?"

Jimmy kept the speech short, simple, and to the point- as he had been instructed by Rothman. If he had gone on for minutes on end about facetious matters and trying to appeal to their emotions, it wouldn't have ended in his favor. No, according to Rothman the battle was already won the moment they entered this meeting area; all that remained was to confirm the objective of this discourse and the desired outcomes from the Heads of Departments.

"I'll be the first to lodge my demand," Mons stated coldly, his gravelly tone echoing through the spacious Lounge with tinged authority and stained bloodlust. "I want decision-making power when it comes to boarding maneuvers and deployments. I'm not gonna send my crew to die needlessly anymore."

Jimmy nodded. "I don't see a problem with that. It's your control, should be your choice by right. The rest of you feel free to make your requests now, before we fully commit."

Mons nodded in return, appreciating the granting of the request. "Then me and the rest of the squads are onboard. There's a few scum-shit officers being paid by Dino to keep tabs on my boys and girls, I'll be glad to rid them from my company permanently."

"Speaking of which," interjected Jade Nautica, assistant researcher to Miroslavka, Head of Research. "Do you have a planned date for this whole thing?"

Jimmy grinned, interlacing his fingers as he announced the desired date for takeover.

"Tomorrow."

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One day later...

Vane and Parill changed from their casual clothing into their military outfits as the day began, getting ready for their routine patrols across the Aurora as was the norm. The only thing both of them had to look forward to was the end-of-day bonus they got for acting as inside informants for Dino to ensure the Assault Squads of the Aurora remained loyal to the Captain, free of treason or mutinous mutterings.

"What's the score currently?" Vane asked, referencing a very popular soccer game happening between two galaxy-acclaimed teams competing on Nova Terra in the bi-yearly SOLIFA (Solar Football Association) soccer games held on various planets every 2 years- this year, it was currently being held on the first-world planet of Biralya.

"4-2." Parill replied, pulling a white sleeveless T-shirt over his torso as his eyes were glued to the holographic television screen projected from the H-DTN device sat on the footlocker next to their bunkbed. "Grand Aldebaran is up 2 but Solinaris has been catching up-"

Slam!

The two of them suddenly jerked their heads as a band of fireteam soldiers stormed into the room, knives in hand; and immediately Vane and Parill knew what was happening. They tried desperately to scramble for their equipment and bolted, but their exits were cut off by more soldiers, led by Captain Mons, who stormed into the room to confirm their deaths as his soldiers swarmed the unfortunate duo and perforated them with sharp instruments until they fell twitching to the floor, dying or dead as quickly as they comprehended their own rapid demise.

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All throughout the Aurora, screams and wails of horror were heard and quickly cut off with the sound of gurgling or choking, then a deadly silence. By this stage of the coup, it had become aware to all those onboard, including the High Command, that a mutiny was in action, and alarms were raised; a bloody civil war was about to take place, and one side was overwhelmingly at a disadvantage.

SHICK! BANG-BANG! BANG! SHICK, SHICK!

The ship was in a horrifying state of pandemonium and absolute chaos; with the battle rapidly swinging in Jimmy's favor as those crewmates aligned with Dino were found, isolated, and killed in quick fashion by Mons' assault squads whilst those who were unknowing of the coup d'etat hid in their departments in fear and apprehension, waiting for the bloody purge to end. This wasn't a battle, so much as it was a series of assassinations carried out on the remainder of the ship which would not concede peacefully to the transfer of power.

"WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!" Captain of the Aurora, Dino Moretti, cussed plentifully and wrathfully, his neck bulging with veins carrying mounds of stress straight to his brain matter. "ROSSI, YOU SAID SID REPORTED NO ISSUES! DOES THIS LOOK LIKE NO FUCKIN' ISSUES?!" He raged at Rossi, his First Officer, as he gestured at the CCTV on his monitor showing the squads of Assault troopers moving from room to room, clearing the ship of Dino's supporters.

"I'll phone him right now, sir!" Rossi said apologetically and fearfully, turning to dial up Sidlon- even though he knew there'd be no response. Dino turned back to helplessly gaze in horror as he watched his power base crumble in the span of minutes.

"Wh-What the fuck am I gonna do?! Oh, I know! I can request reinforcements from Sake and Pom! Fucking shit, why aren't the door locks activating? Why haven't I heard shit about any of this?! ROSSI, GET THE OTHER FUCKIN SHIP CAPTAINS ON-!"

Shick.

Dino choked, his eyes bulging and staring down at the serrated knife lodged into the side of his neck; faltering gaze moving up the arm of his assailant and settling on Rossi's face. He tried to communicate his outraged, adrenaline-induced cries of outrage and betrayal, but was unable to do so as his esophagus was cut in half by the impaled knife through his throat.

"Always yelling in my fucking ear, malnato rompi scatole," Rossi cursed him out with bared teeth. "Maybe now I'll finally get some quiet around here."

Rossi left the knife in Dino's throat, pushing his writhing body out of the Captain's chair and commandeering it for himself; enjoying the cushy feeling of an upgrade in pay well earned. He grabbed the radio transponder and tweaked the channel, radioing in to Jimmy.

"The Captain is dead. Mons is almost done. It's time."

"Alright. I'm heading up."

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(Music: "A Painting in Paris", by Arrested Youth)

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Jimmy, Rothman, Alani, Deeno, and a number of heads of departments and the High Command who were onboard with the coup gathered in the bridge, anxiously waiting for their communications to establish with the Eversor; vessel of Admiral Raaz Mawe, leader of the SCR Armada.

"Wh-What should be the first thing I say?" Jimmy asked Rothman, who deliberated on Jimmy's question for a second while the heads of departments quibbled behind them.

"You need to immediately make it clear that you are loyal to Hannou. You'll start with, 'Hail, Lord Admiral.', then introduce yourself and make clear that you have, with the 'consent' of the majority, asserted command as the new Captain of the Aurora. Alright?"

Jimmy nodded, beads of sweat running down his face as he pulled on his collar and cleared his throat. "I-I got it. I got this."

Beep. "Connection successful."

Hearing the confirmation, Jimmy picked up the radio with clammy hands and thumbed the receiver button, taking one last gulp of confidence before initiating the conversation. "H-Hail, Lord Admiral."

Silence. It was a hair-raising few moments as everyone on the bridge awaited a response, their fears and anxieties magnified by the bloodied, dim-lit corridors and open chambers of the Aurora. Then-

"This is Lord Admiral Raaz Mawe. This doesn't sound like Dino."

"N-No, Lord Admiral!" Jimmy was quick to respond. "This is Jimmy Z- Holt. I have..." He quickly glanced his nervous eyes back to Rothman, who silently mouthed the next words Jimmy was supposed to say. "...I have gained the... 'con-sen-sus', of the ship's majority to lead."

Another long silence. Most everyone on the bridge was nearing the point of self-defecation out of sheer horror.

"So Dino's dead and gone, then?"

Jimmy froze, unsure of how to answer. Rothman simply took the radio from his hands and responded himself. "Yes, Lord Admiral."

A sigh emitted over the soundwaves. "Thank fuck. You can't do any worse than that useless cunt, but don't be a repeat offender. I have no more patience for fruitless deadweights. So who's the Captain, First Officer and Second Officer? This is the only information I care to know, for communication purposes."

Jimmy exchanged brief gazes with Rossi and Rothman; the former Second Officer, having been loyal to Dino, was killed; and thus a new position had opened up rather conveniently.

"I, Jimmy Holt, am now the Captain of the Aurora. My First Officer is Thomas Rossi, and my Second Officer is Rothman Monteila."

Silence, then the sound of shuffling movements. "That's that, then. We'll be at Hannou in just a few days. I'll be interviewing you personally and conducting a vast number of assessments, as is procedure, once we land."

Jimmy nodded, then realized the Admiral couldn't see his nonverbal agreement. "I understand, Lord Admiral."

"Then get the fuck off my frequency and start getting your shit together. Word is, one of our diplomats returned from the Magna Victoria and has some crucial information to share."

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(Music: "Succession", by Nicholas Britell)

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A few days later...

Oh, how good it was to be king.

Jimmy sat at the deluge of consoles before him, in a very comfortable Captain's chair and on a bridge full of bustling cadets, officers, and messengers. The day had come- they had arrived at Hannou, only a few minutes from orbit.

The bodies of those killed during the coup were dumped out of the aft airlocks of the massive ship on the same day as the coup's end, their bodies freezing and drifting perpetually into the abyss of space; given a permanent death barring the miraculous discovery of one of their body parts. The hallways were cleaned, the corridors refreshed; and the terrified crewmates who didn't partake or were partaken by force reassured of their safety and career ambitions; the vast remainder of the former Warden's treasury had been doled out to these scared-shitless crewmates to keep them from discontent and dissidence. Not that the former Warden's treasury mattered much to Jimmy anymore- he now had the equivalent of a weaponized palace and all the fortune within it under his control. Still, Rothman and Rossi were primarily responsible for administration and piloting of the ship, since that was their areas of expertise- Jimmy was primarily in charge of making the executive decisions and using his silver tongue in diplomacy and with his own crewmates when the necessary situations arose.

Meanwhile, the diplomat mentioned by the admiral had been on Jimmy's mind ever since it was first mentioned. He had privately contacted the Admiral after exchanging holopad unique identifiers to hear details on the news, and found out that supposedly the Argonaut was heading to Infernis Robotics Station to fend off a Remnant of the Terror. On the return trip, there was no doubt it would be heavily damaged from the encounter, and thus open to an easy ambush.

Not only that, but the news that an even bigger swarm was closing in on Canaris bode even greater fortune for Jimmy- he wouldn't have to fear reinforcements being sent to assist Hawkes incase he got wrapped up in a secondary engagement.

"Roth, come here for a second." Jimmy beckoned to Rothman- who was now dressed in a pristine white and red officer's uniform and beret. Rothman's gaze shifted toward Jimmy with skeptical curiosity, leaning down to hear Jimmy whisper.

"You know there's going to be issues when we confront the Argonaut- with the Canari among us."

Rothman nodded as a silent reply to Jimmy's assertion. It was miraculous that Admiral Mawe had stopped his sentence at 'The Magna Victoria' before clearing off the radiowaves, as that was enough for Alani to immediately begin prodding questions to Jimmy about what news he was talking about. Jimmy was forced to lie to Alani, stating only the news about how the Remnants were targeting both Canaris and the Infernis Station; making no mention of how the Hannou Armada planned to intercept the Argonaut on its return trip.

"How do you plan to break the news?" Rothman muttered to Jimmy. He could see multiple levels of emotion to Jimmy's expression; Wrathful pleasure; terrible sorrow; a sea of guilt; a burning core of pure selfishness. "Somehow, I have a feeling you're not going to give this poor woman the choice of knowledge."

Jimmy sighed, feeling nauseous that the first woman in his life with whom he'd felt an intimate relationship was now a direct obstacle in Jimmy's overarching plan to kill the Canari Tyrant and attain his own solidified power base. "Yeah. Some tough decisions are being made right now."

"If the Argonaut is indeed heading to Inferis Station," Rothman spoke. "They'll undoubtedly be bringing a few other warships with them. Even if they're heavily damaged after the fight, it's still going to be on roughly even ground."

Jimmy leaned forward on the console, deliberating on the next potential actions he could take for this upcoming fight; one that would determine the course of his life- or the abrupt end of it once and for all. "We could kill two birds with one stone here."

He jutted his thumb at the holo-projector button on the top-right of the interface panel. "Took me a while to understand the basics of this layout, but this button apparently projects live recordings to other vessels, for stuff like parlays, negotiations, hostage showcasing, all that jazz. I'm thinking we can use it to present the Canari onboard as 'hostages', then send them over in transport pods to the warships that will be reinforcing the Argonaut. We'll point out that the daughter of Hamoch Hyletta is aboard one of these transport pods, and that should be enough to keep them from firing recklessly on us. We'll use the wall of transport pods to land first shots on the Argonaut's most powerful cannons first, then send our boarding teams in while our ships focus fire its RMF generators."

"And, what? Do we just not fire on the auxiliary warships, then?"

Jimmy shook his head. "From what Alani told me, even if it's in the middle of a firefight, they always prioritize retreats to recover VIPs. Hyletta is Canari-born, so is his daughter, and they're one of the Ten Great Houses, or something like that. She's... guaranteed to be prioritized..."

Jimmy had to fight back the urge to sob. He found it intensely insufferable to have to coldly discuss the forced departure of his first friend onboard the Aurora. Even though it had only been a few months at most, Jimmy felt as if he'd bonded strongly with Alani. She was steadfast, unwavering, wrathful, and passionate, knowledgeable yet surprisingly playful.

He was going to miss her.

"Let's get ready for Hannou," Jimmy stated, finishing the conversation. Rothman nodded, returning to his newfound duties.

"Aurora, come in."

Jimmy quickly took up the radio and replied to the Admiral's call-in.

"Captain Holt, receiving."

"Captain, we'll be landing in Sector C-4, let your bridge crew handle the landing, you'll stay over radio and provide updates every minute until landing is complete. Got that?"

"Yes, Lord Admiral."

"Good. We'll only have a week of rest while our ships are repaired, because we're launching an ambush on that fucking Argonaut as soon as they begin that return trip."

Jimmy nodded. "Aye, Lord Admiral. I'll get to briefing my crew, now."

"Do it, over."

The radio buzzed off, and Jimmy returned it to its placeholder.

Everything's coming together, he thought in a whirlwind of ambition and aching malice- the yearning desire to return the pain and suffering Hawkes had caused, back unto that self-righteous whore-born bastard.

The only thing Jimmy would regret from this entire ordeal... is that he'd never get the chance to see Alani once the final battle with the Argonaut commenced. But as of right now, staring down at his hands, feeling the constant brimming of absolute authority that washed over his body incessantly and unendingly-

Why. Stop. Now?

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(Art below credited to @rabstergabster on Twitter/X)

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(Artist is a real one for drawing this)

(Portrait of J-Dawg, Post-Revival)