Starbound: A Space Odyssey

Jevil never expected that when he tried to open the documents inside the device that was in Oscar's briefcase, the briefcase he took from Lenny's hand when John and Lenny helped Peri save the young Florans from the Syndicate's clutches, his terminal would be silently infected as soon as the device entered inside the computer by a malware created to the hacker known as T-Bug.

His carelessness placed him on the tough spot he was now. T-Bug easily dug up private messages between him and Nova Rebellion people once it was infected.

Now having to face Ferris Laparte that outsmarted him, he wasn't happy, but still maintained a calm demeanor.

"Oh!" Ferris exclaimed with a small, playful smile hanging on her charming lips. "Why all these soldiers, Jevil?"

"Why don't we go directly to the point, Miss Laparte?" Jevil said faintly with squinting his eyes into two slits. "What do you want?"

"This reminds me of our past, doesn't it?" Her smile widened a bit when she saw the impatient Jevil. She decided to tease him a little and beat around the bush to make him a little more impatient.

"Our past..." Jevil's eyes lost focus for a moment as he reminded of the past. "Isn't this what we always did to each other? Tricking, doing favors and ultimately trying to destroy one another." Jevil lightly chuckled.

"Yes, but this time, looks like I won." Ferris smiled triumphantly.

"Are you sure about this?" Jevil casually supported his head with his hand. "Maybe this whole situation is all part of my plan."

"I don't think so, Jevil." She stood unfazed in the face of the possibility of her falling into some of his plans. "You are a madman, but I don't think you are this insane to put your life at stake just for a measly plan. You know very well how Letheia Corporation deal with traitors such as yourself."

"Of course I know." Jevil just smiled and maintained a calm behavior. "After all, I have personally dealt with some traitors for them." Jevil threw a glance at Ferris's hologram above the cubic object. "So...why did you call? I don't think you would waste your precious time just to shove your supposedly victory at my face, right?"

"You really know me well." Ferris's eyes flashed with some unknown emotions before she calmed down and spoke, "Yes, you are correct. I don't plan to my time with such useless action. My objective is very simple. I want you."

"...what the...? Jevil's had a stunned expression on his face and he almost fell down from the couch he was sitting. He thought he misheard her and wanted to ask again, but Ferris spoke before him.

"I want you, your talents. I'm lacking a good subordinate that understands me, is good with negotiations and social interactions."

"Oh, Ferris...you know me well enough to know that I would never accept such proposition." Once he recovered his calm, Jevil let loose a low laugh before he finished talking, "I work for no one but myself."


"Really?" Ferris's eyebrow slightly lifted and she charmingly smiled, "What about Husk? Aren't you working for the Nova Rebellion's leader?"

"It's different. We are helping each other, I help him with his goals and he help me with my own goals. Although our objectives are similar, it has some differences. I don't work for him, we are partners."

"For Letheia Corporation is all the same, partner, slave, lover, soldier or spy. You are a traitor, in their eyes, and that's more than enough for them to eliminate you." Ferris said seriously before asking in a more persuasive tone, "Why don't stop being so stubborn and join me? I can convince the Ocean and Reef Factions agree to not have you killed. It might not appear, but I have a certain influence over the Reef Faction. Of course you will suffer a little, but nonetheless-"

Jevil laughed and waved his hand to interrupt Ferris. "I'm sorry, but there is no turning back to me...not anymore. I'm way too involved with the Nova Rebellion, it's impossible to turn my back on them."

"Really?" Ferris glared at Jevil then at the soldier around him.

She was able to see that the moment she extended her hand to Jevil, those soldiers' grip over their weapons tightened and they changed their line of sight from her to Jevil. They also wanted to know how Jevil would respond to such situation, and depending of his answer...they would have killed him.

"That's a shame...I really wanted to work together with you." Ferris sadly smiled. She thought her plan would work and Jevil would die by the hands of the soldiers, but it didn't go well.

If Jevil survived the assault by his own soldier, she would take him to her side, it would be a waste to not use such talented man.

Ferris cleaned up those thoughts after seeing that her plan didn't work. She looked at Jevil and said, "I already gave the information to Letheia Corporation, and the Sumeragi family had immediately sent someone to capture you, alive. They sent someone that you are rather familiar with, Sumeragi Itsuki. Be careful, she is a lot more powerful and ruthless than she show in the surface. Good luck, Jevil Redhook."

With those words, Ferris turned off the call.

Jevil silently stared at the Hologram Projector, the cubic device on top of the table.

He turned around stared at the soldiers, "What you guys think?"

"We should get out of this place, immediately." One of the soldiers said respectfully.

He started to respect the young even more after hearing the conversation and seeing him standing with their cause without a single moment of hesitation. All the soldiers around him were the same.

"They want me alive..." Jevil scratched his chin thoughtfully before touching his PIPS and dialing a number.

Soon enough, the call connected. This time there was no hologram but just a voice chat between Jevil and the person on the other side.

"Jevil..." The voice was seemly belonged to a middle-aged person, somewhere around 50 to 60 years old. It was low, masculine and strong voice, it had a lot of authority behind it.

"Husk, my friend." Jevil smiled and greeted the person warmly like there was nothing wrong. "Did something happen? You seem a little off."

"My insiders in the Letheia Corporation already caught wind of the situation and informed me that you have been uncovered by that girl, Ferris Laparte."

"Just a minor setback don't worry too much. This won't affect the overall plan, we just need to accelerate it even further."

"So be it. Just don't get caught, or else...I won't have other choice." Husk said emotionlessly. "I can't have you giving away some of our secrets. You know too much-"

"Don't worry, Husk. I still have a plan, I just need more time, trust me."

"..." There was no voice coming from the other side for a few seconds before Husk asked Jevil, "How much time are we talking about?"

"One week, in one week I think I can have everything sorted out, I just need the 'Fortitude' to be given to our primary agent inside the Black Star Syndicate, I'll give him instructions of how to act."

"...one week. You have one week to sort this out, if you are unable to do it. I think you know very well what happens to those who disappoint me..." Husk said threateningly.

*Beep*

And just like that the conversation was over.