Nothing Personal

Nothing Personal is a Short Story by BZPower and C.I.R.C.L.E. member Ballom focusing on a Skakdi's first encounter with a being who would become his nemesis.

A Tale of Terra Nui
Chazok. A simple name belonging to a simple bounty hunter, but one with the power to instill deadly fear or gleeful joy, depending on which one might be. If one happens to a thief in possession of very valuable artifact, one is more likely to be experiencing the fear, courtesy of the now-gleeful employer of Chazok. This was, unfortunately for him, the situation the Sharaku Jurjax had found himself in. “You know, stealing information isn’t exactly the best way to earn a living -- especially if I happen to be in the neighborhood.” The tall, white and silver armored bounty hunter regarded Jurjax calmly through his grinning, skull-like helmet. “Of course, judging by your reaction, it seems you were expecting me while hoping for the opposite. Correct?” Chazok asked. The short, purple Sharaku shied away the large gun pointed at his chest. “Oh, yes, you just happened to be in the area. Lucky me. Too bad all you brought was that gun.” He sneered with false bravado. Chazok sighed. “I’ve heard fools say things like that countless times. Now let’s speed the process of your capture along. If you do not wish to go with me, I may have to inflict a little harm.” Jerking his weapon, the bounty hunter pulled the trigger, spayed a series of bullets into the Jurjax’s upper leg. Howling as the shells bit through flesh and into metal bone, Jurjax hopped back up against the wall of the Zakaz warehouse they were in and triggered a button in the wall. As Chazok stepped forward to grab Jurjax, the HUD in his helmet suddenly dissolved into hissing bands of grey and white, while the mini rail gun on his shoulder dropped forward, having shut down. Snarling in annoyance, the bounty hunter decided to end the confrontation. Slamming his knee spikes into Jurjax, he injected a dose of sleep-inducing chemicals. “What are you doin’. . .” Jurjax’s speech trailed off as he fell into a drugged stupor and collapsed on the floor. “Blasted weapons.” Chazok muttered at the small Sharaku. “Is disabling electronics all you can do?” Bending to the floor, Chazok lifted up Jurjax and strode toward the warehouse’s exit. -- Having left the Zakaz warehouse, Chazok traveled toward the coast to rendezvous with his ship, The Inferno, and deposit his prisoner. Once there, he secured the still unconscious Jurjax in one of The Inferno’s prison cells and moved into the cockpit. There, Chazok placed the small data disc he had taken from Jurjax in his computer and copied it completely, just in case it might ever prove useful. His countless other successes had yielded similar data, most of which had become helpful later on. Afterward, he turned to The Inferno’s controls and set a course for the Isle of Shakaz. Although a Skakdi originally from Zakaz, Chazok felt no sadness at leaving his previous home again. When he was younger he had always been restless there. Perhaps it was his rare albinism, which was a source of scorn from other Skakdi, or maybe it was his rejection of the traditional spine slugs. Whichever the case, he left as soon as he could; buying transport with several inventions he had tinkered with. Moving to Xia, Chazok then turned to bounty hunting for money. Finding the occupation exciting and a challenge for his keen mind, he soon become very successful, partially as a result of his unique weapons and armor he had developed. With success came more money, which led to better inventions and increased success rates. As the years passed, Chazok’s victories were unmatched, and his infamy waxed... -- A few minutes later, The Inferno reached the coast of Shakaz, settling into a hovering neutral. Leaving the cockpit, Chazok returned to the prison cells and removed Jurjax, tranquilizing him again and handcuffing him. Then, he left The Inferno, heading through the Shakaz Desert to the nearest fortress -- that of the Makuta of Shakaz, "The Dark Lord", with Jurjax in tow. Upon reaching the gate of the fortress, a happy white and light blue Torika greeted him. “Oh, you must be Chazok.” The bounty hunter rolled his eyes. “Of course I am,” he snapped, “Now why don’t you let me in so I can leave his miserable desert?” His harsh tone didn’t even seem to faze the Torika, whose grin grew even larger. “Yes sir.” He turned and unlocked the door for Chazok, who stalked inside. After following a few short corridors, the bounty hunter encountered a hulking black and grey Sharaku, carrying a massive club taller than he was. “Excellent. The master has been awaiting the return of the thief,” the Sharaku rumbled. “I will take him now. Do not worry, there is no way he will escape me.” “No doubt,” Chazok smirked, “And, naturally, there is the matter of my payment.” “The master has decided there is no need for you to be paid,” the colossus stated emotionlessly. Chazok’s grin vanished. “Teridax himself pays me and yet a minion of his dares not to?” he snarled. “If you are unsatisfied you can discuss your grievances with the master -- and his army on this island.” As if to prove his point, the Sharaku unsheathed his large hand claws. “Very well. Tell your master that if he ever desires my service again, he should learn the definition of a deal -- and honor as well.” Dropping Jurjax, Chazok whirled and began heading toward the entrance. On his way, he noticed a red Sharaku standing in the shadows, with a small mechanical device in hand. As Chazok passed him, the Sharaku gave a long, loud cackle. “Flatfoot didn’t get his tip, did he?” sneered the Sharaku. If Chazok had possessed one of the more devastating Skakdi eye powers such as heat vision, he would have cut the laughing Sharaku to pieces where he stood. However, hypnosis does not lend itself to cutting opponent to pieces, so he chose to simply display the most vulgar hand sign he knew before departing. -- After leaving the gloomy fortress and traversing the desert again, Chazok soon became aware of several alarms chiming in his helmet, indicating that The Inferno’s security had been breached. Sighing, as well as muttering “This hasn’t been a good day,” Chazok broke into a run toward his ship, while simultaneously remotely ordering The Inferno to shut down all computer systems. Moments later, he reached The Inferno, barely stopping to open the hatch. Then, he sprinted toward the cockpit, powering down all of the surveillance cameras along the way. Pulling out two weapons -- his Kemet Nui Blaster and dart launcher – Chazok entered the cockpit and threw himself into a roll, ending with his guns pointed at the various consoles, ready to blast apart whoever dared to enter his ship. Remarkably, however, there was no being in the cockpit, and everything appeared normal. Undaunted, Chazok scanned the entire room from his helmet HUD, searching for any signs of disturbance. Within a few seconds, he found the intruder – a small, multi-legged Nektann around the size of his fist, hiding in a shadowy corner. The tiny burglar possessed no standard weapons, and only had a computer jack projecting from its' front. Realizing it had been discovered, the droid made a run for freedom, scuttling toward the nearest door. Striking suddenly, Chazok reached down with lightning speed and grabbed the Nektann by two of its' spindly legs. Lifting it up to eye level, Chazok rotated the Nektann around, searching for any clue that may lead to the being behind the intrusion. Suddenly, the droid shut down, its' segmented legs going limp. Then, its' chassis began to glow red and smoke alarmingly. Coming to the logical conclusion, Chazok hurled the Nektann into an empty corner of the cockpit, shortly before it imploded into a charred mechanical skeleton. Leaving what was once the Nektann where it fell, Chazok turned toward The Inferno’s main computer. Reactivating it, the bounty hunter began searching for files the Nektann may have modified, copied, destroyed, or otherwise wreaked havoc on. After a moment, it was clear what had become the Nektann’s target: a series of complicated blueprints for a robotic army, with various types of robots in varying complexity, had been utterly removed. Frustratingly, only slight traces to indicate where it had been were preserved. Having learned all he could from The Inferno’s computer records, Chazok left the computer and began pacing around the cockpit, trying to reason out where the attacker was. The being that had controlled the Nektann -- which had to have been remotely controlled, as it was too small to fit a robot brain -- was likely within the vicinity of Shakaz. In addition, he or she was probably on land, since the waves off the sea could disrupt his or her concentration, causing drastic errors, and outside of the desert at that, for the sandstorms could result in similar difficulties. Also, for optimum control over the Nektann, the being must have been within a kio or two of The Inferno. The only settlements in the area were "The Dark Lord" ’s fortress and a few other buildings. Thinking back on the stronghold, Chazok’s fury rose again. How impertinent the black Sharaku had been, as well as that maddening red Sharaku. The bounty hunter could still hear the Sharaku’s laughter as he sneered at him. If he could return, Chazok imagined how he would take the mechanical apparatus the Sharaku had been holding and ram it down the Sharaku’s throat... Chazok’s pacing went a sudden halt. That was it. The mechanical device which the Sharaku had carried was the controller for the Nektan, which was likely infiltrating The Inferno just as Chazok spoke to the Sharaku. And the cause of the Sharaku’s prolonged laugh -- that would have been from knowing the harm he was causing the bounty hunter. A dark smile spread across Chazok’s face, making his helmeted head to appear even more skull-like. He would return to the fortress, there was no doubt about that... -- The moronic white Torika remained guarding the door, and still wore his ludicrously large smile. Nevertheless, when Chazok demanded to be let inside, the Torika happily refused. “Sorry,” he said apologetically, “but I have orders from Master Argarak not to let you in.” “Is ‘Master Argarak’ a red Sharaku by any chance?” asked Chazok. “Oh, indeed he is. How would you know that?” inquired the Torika, mystified. “A small hunch. Now will you let me in, or will I have to make you suffer a long, miserable death?” To embellish his point, Chazok pulled out his Kemet Nui Blaster. The Torika gulped and, for once, his constant smile slipped. “You’re so convincing I...think I...can bend the rules for you.” He pivoted and unlocked the large door. “I’m glad I am so persuasive.” Chazok strode inside with his gun still in hand. Remembering the route he took earlier, he traced his steps to an empty room where the black Sharaku was. “Is anyone here?” Chazok yelled, “Or must I begin blowing this place apart?!” Seconds later; a panel slide open to reveal the Sharaku Argarak. “Why have you returned?" he asked, feigning weariness. “If you are here to argue about your lack of payment, I have little patience for that.” “You know exactly why I am here,” hissed Chazok through gritted teeth, “You stole from me, and you expect me to do nothing in response? I will destroy you.” “Still complaining about that payment, eh?” Argarak sighed theatrically. “I am sorry for what pain you may have suffered at your loss, but I’m afraid I must keep it.” His eyes gleamed. ,br> “I have no time for this,” Chazok spat, leveling his blaster in front of Argarak. “You will pay. And not in the way you think -- return what is mine before I blast you limb from limb.” “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” growled a voice behind Chazok. Against his better judgment, the bounty hunter turned, and was immediately glad he had. Standing behind him was the black and grey Sharaku, his club held in a battle stance. Argarak chucked. “Would you like to withdraw your request?” Pausing, Chazok slowly lowered the blaster, his gaze still fixated on Argarak. “Very well. I do. But know this, Sharaku,” Activating his eye power of hypnosis, he stared into the Sharaku’s red eyes, ensuring his message would never be forgotten, drilling it into Argarak’s memory, “I will never forget.” At the sight of the burning pink eyes riveted on him, even Argarak quailed. “S-s-show him out,” he commanded shakily, stepping backward. Suddenly ending his eye beams, Chazok spoke quietly. “There is no need. I know the way out; I will leave myself.” Then, in a blur of movement, his rail gun abruptly aimed at Argarak, firing a single shot that came so close to the Sharaku’s head it burnt a furrow in the side of his helmet when it passed. “Remember.” Whirling, Chazok left the stronghold at a leisurely pace, never once turning back. -- Still shocked from his experience with Chazok, Argarak shakily walked through the network of tunnels in the Sharaku fortress until he reached a central room, full of security screens. Collapsing in the nearest chair, he then looked toward the other beings in the room -- a gleaming gold and black Sharaku of formidable height, as well as a hunched figure of pitted ebony and dull gold armor, whose sharp expression regarded Argarak with an unfathomable expression. “That technology you stole -- is it what we require?” asked the Sharaku. “Oh yes, it is more than sufficient. He is really quite the mechanical genius,” Argarak remarked, “However, he was unable to access the data Jurjax had. I made sure of it. Everything went according to plan.” “Except we earned the enmity of the most dangerous bounty hunter in the universe,” the other Sharaku pointed out. “Yet that is no matter. Where we are going he will be unable to find us until we are unstoppable. Too bad Jurjax decided to betray us like that -- although he did deliver our army on a silver platter.” “And now that Ruhktar has him, his death will be brutal. He was a good member, and deserves better,” lamented Argarak, “Shame.” “Pity is a trait of the weak,” murmured the last occupant of the control room, “and Viermoc will make a willing replacement for the journey. Now everything we need is in our grasp. I am pleased, Argarak.” “Thank you, Lord.” Argarak bowed his head. -- Chazok sat in front of The Inferno’s main computer again, lounging in the large piloting chair. After dealing with Argarak and the blasted Sharaku, he needed to find something to calm himself down. Looking around on his computer, he was about to start creating more designs for new inventions -- always a soothing exercise -- when he noticed the files he had unscrupulously copied from Jurjax’s data disc. Naturally, he had duplicated the files perfectly, without any trace of the action on the original disc. Now, he bypasses the encryption on the files it contained, hoping to find some secret he could exploit. Although the bounty hunter had been hoping for a few facts, what he found was a treasure trove. When the data disc’s files opened up, he found a huge mountain of text titled "Operation Terra Nui". Suddenly, Chazok’s exultant laughter filled The Inferno’s cockpit. He knew exactly where Argarak would be, with only a few to protect him. Yes, Chazok would travel to Terra Nui, and he would meet Argarak again. And then he would kill him for his actions. It would be nothing personal. --