Starbound: A Space Odyssey

The bullet was from a Tier 2 Weapon and John's armor was of Tier 1. The bullet hit the weak spot of the armor that was located right at the waist.

Blood gushed out as the projectile penetrated into John's body.

"Argh!" John groaned in pain. He placed a hand in the wound trying to stop the bleeding and with the another hand he continued to shoot at Mouro.

*Bang, Bang, Bang...*

Mouro was only able to dodge one bullet the other two hit him right at the middle of the chest, opening a hole in his Tier 1 Armor.

Lenny took the opportunity and shot the pistol out of Mouro's hand.

Mouro fell on ground while clutching his wounded hand.

"Wait, wait!" Mouro put his hand on the air.

"Lenny! Stop shooting!" John shouted at Lenny when he saw that Mouro Jas given up.

Lenny on the other hand kept his aim at Mouro.

John dropped his guard. He took a handcuff from his inventory and threw toward Mouro, "Put it on..."

"Alright..." Mouro ignored his wounds and placed the handcuffs.

When John saw that Mouro had truly put them, he approached.

The moment he was right in front of Mouro, the agent suddently jumped from the ground, took the knife in ground and charged toward John.

*Bang*

Mouro was immediately shot at the leg by Lenny.

John jumped back and stared in shock and anger at Mouro, "Why would you do that!?"

Mouro ignored the pain and ironically said, "What else could it be? I'm just completing my mission."

"You..."

Mouro took the knife again and sprang toward John once again.

*Bang*

Lenny shot again, but this Mouro slightly moved his body to the side and dodged the bullet.

Mouro's knife was just about to pierce at John's head, when John hastily pressed the trigger of his gun.

*Bang*

The energy bullet flew out of the muzzle and cleanly pierced Mouro's head and left at the other side.

Mouro's body continued forward because of the momentum, but the arm that was with the knife dropped and no longer was a threat to John.

*Blam*

John fell on the ground with Mouro's body on top of him.

John threw the body away from him and hastily stood up. He looked at the body and then at his own hands. He didn't saw blood, but for him, his hands were now stained.

He fearfully closed his eyes. His hands were trembling.

He had killed a person. A sentient race. A Human.

There is a difference of seeing dead bodies and actually killing someone of his own race. He always felt bad and depressed whenever he saw a dead body, but now... He had killed one person himself.

It doesn't matter if it was a bad person, a assassin, this doesn't change the fact that he had ended a life.

John kept rooted on the ground for a long time.

Lenny approached from behind. When he saw the state that John was he realized what was happening.

Lenny sighed and placed his hand at John's shoulders, "Let it go... This was bound to happen, sooner or later. It's for the best that happened sooner..."

"I know..." John weakly said with a trembling voice, "It's just... Awful..."

"Yes... It is... The first time you take a life of a person... It isn't the best of experiences..." Lenny tried to console John.

"Don't worry about me... In just a few minutes I'll return to normal... Like I always do..."

Lenny sighed and retreated to the side.

...

Meanwhile at the Ark Outpost...

"Sir... Agent 067... Is dead" A outpost guard informed Tepei, "The life signals we were receiving from his PIPS stopped working."

"I don't care whatever he is alive or dead." Tepei coldly said, "What I want to know is if he completed his mission or not."

"We are not sure..." The guard trembled when he heard the coldness in Tepei's voice, "But... I think he failed... We haven't received any update coming from him before he died..."

"Useless!!!" Tepei angrily berated, "Humans just a bunch of useless creatures!" He stared at the guard and coldly said, "Send Agent 080 to finish the job that 067 had started."

"That's inappropriate." Itsuki entered the office.

"What do you mean Itsuki?" Tepei angrily glared at the female Hylotl, "Are you going to disobey my orders!? The orders from a superior!?"

"No..."

Tepei snorted and turned to the guard, "Then do what I ordered you to do!"

"What I mean was... You're no longer my superior..."

"What do you mean...?" Tepei suddently felt a foreboding.

"You're being investigated by corruption and no longer has is the Overseer of the Ark Outpost." Itsuki coldly smiled.

"What!? Impossible!!" Tepei stood up.

*Bam*

The door of the office was opened with great force. 3 guards wearing a armor that was a mixture of purple and bright orange, one of the Hylotl's Tier 5 armor , entered the office carrying electric batons.

"Tepei, you are under arrest by the Hylotl Government." The guard in the middle said.

"The Hylotl Special Force (HSF)!?" Tepei fearfully retreated a few steps, "Impossible... They wouldn't fallow orders from anyone of the Letheia Corporation beside..."

"My father..." Itsuki relaxedly said, "Sumeragi Hanzo."

"You're from... the Sumeragi family..." Tepei stared in disbelief at the pale blue female Hylotl in front of him, "The leader of the Central faction... No wonder... He already had set his eyes at the Ark Outpost..."

"Yes... Ever since it was found, the Sumeragi family had plans for the Ark Outpost, but who have thought that the Extremist faction would get it first." Sumeragi Itsuki sweetly smiled at Tepei, "I have to thank you. Because of your corruption and recent agressive actions I was able to make the usually illusive Pacifist faction help the Sumeragi to take you down."

"You... Witch!" Tepei cursed a little just to have his body being beaten up by the HSF's soldiers with electric batons.

"Have a nice life in prison..." Itsuki gave her goodbye to Tepei.

She than looked at the guard, cowardly hiding behind the chair, "I'm the one in charge now..." She sweetly said with a mellow voice, "Just leave the Protector do whatever he want. I have great changes to do in this place."

The guard hastily acknowledge Itsuki and ran away from the office.