Within the next hour, five large shuttles had touched down in Bauvarak's space port. To make things better for us, there didn't appear to be any other Federation troops in the settlement. However, Jackson still sent out a few patrol parties of Silver Fox bounty hunters along with Damascaras Alliance and Ashkera Dominion soldiers just to be safe.

"If you find any UTF asshats, bring them to me alive," Jackson had told the patrols before they left, "We need to figure out where Horner is located, and what better way to do that than to interrogate one of his lackeys."

Now, twenty minutes after the parties had been sent out, my crew and I found ourselves back in Nathaniel Morrison's office grilling him over everything he knew about Vincent Horner's whereabouts. Apparently, the admin had received quite a fair bit of messages from other settlement leaders across the Carrus system. However, that didn't mean we could pinpoint his location.

Far from it...At least more chairs had been brought in this time around...

"So...When was the last time a planet sent you a warning about Horner's men?" Boreas inquired, leaning forward expectantly in his seat, "Well, before my lot and I gunned down the squadron that was sent for you. I know you said you've gotten little more than radio silence from the other planets in this system, but try to see if you can remember any specifics."

"Hmm...I'd say the last broadcast I received was when problems started to pop up on Sylkiir V about five days ago. Let me see if I can find it..."

Surprisingly, Morrison had a scaled up holo-computer that was little more than a large projector built into the center of his desk. However, a neon blue keyboard appeared for him to work on. A few minutes later, a video recording played.

"To anyone out there who's still listening, heed my words," a thin, wiry woman began, idly adjusting her glasses as she spoke, "My colony has slowly lost contact with other hubs of civilization on Tyraxis VII. It was slow-going at first, but now we're completely in the dark. The name 'Vincent Horner' has been floating in the air, and I can't help but wonder if he is to blame for all of the chaos. I have tried to contact this Horner fellow, but all forms of communication have simply been...cut. I don't understand what is going on, but I implore anyone left out there to fight back–the soldiers who wear the UTF's armor are not Federation soldiers anymore–I'm not daft enough to think the Federation has our best wishes in mind, but these individuals...they're monsters through and through. No matter what has to be done, do not concede to this band of vagabonds and murderers. In two days, I'll be heading over to Ryderos on Sylviir V–I know my visit will be a surprise, but I request assistance. To anyone left out there, please be safe."

The message ended without warning, and I was left with more questions than answers.

"Who was that?" I found myself asking.

"That was Ms. Emily Flynn," Nathaniel explained, "She's the admin of the largest settlement on Tyraxis VII, which is not far from this planet."

"Hmm...I may fly over and investigate the colonies I can find. First, I have to make sure nothing's going to happen here," I began, connecting the dots as I spoke, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like Killjoy is methodically crippling every planet in this system."

"No kidding," Boreas chimed in, "A discernible pattern definitely exists–especially when you showed us that recording."

"He could be going about sabotaging each planet in a different way, though," Alexander suggested, "All that aside, it sounds like this Killjoy prick is taking a hands-on approach to conquering this system."

"But why though?" Alannah interjected, irritation laced in her voice, "We could go the easy route and say 'oh, this prick is trying to profit off the Carrus system.' However, we don't entirely know that. What motives does he have to slaughter entire colonies worth of people? That's not necessary if he wanted to simply steal every credit these people are worth."

Before anyone could come up with a response, a message popped up on the Holo-computer built into Mr. Morrison's desk.

"To the people of Sylkiir V, I bring you a message," a lone figure began. Unlike the soldiers my crew and I had gunned down, this person in particular was clad in a dark suit of armor that had only a single line of orange running down the left side of the helmet. I felt bile sting my throat as I realized this bastard was wearing the armor of a Storm Guard. I had been momentarily caught off guard, so I forced myself to listen, "I am sure all of you have noticed the...strange occurrences happening lately: broadcasts from off your planet have been silenced, and your neighboring colonies have slowly but surely gone quiet as well. I assure you, not all of them are dead. However, they are helping me with....a little project."

Dark laughter rumbled through his chest before he continued. "You see, a lot is going on outside of your homey little planet. The Federation is in shambles, and I plan to capitalize on that. There are those who wish to stand in my way, but I'll crush them all the same. After I claim the Carrus system, I will move on to other systems until I reach Versalio. Nothing will sto–."

"Boreas, trace the origin of this message," I growled, not peeling my eyes off the message before me, "This may be the lead we needed."

"Right away," he said right as the message wrapped itself up.

"-For the your sake and the sake of your loved ones, I suggest you surrender quietly. That is all."

The message shut off without a warning, but Boreas continued to work. In the ensuing silence, I tried to make sense of what I had just seen.

"So that was Vincent Horner," Vi'karac mused, "Codename: Killjoy. What a stupid nickname."

I chuckled to myself. "You think so?"

"I know so. Who in their right mind would think 'Killjoy' would be an intimidating designation? If anything, he seems like a rather dour individual."

I kept laughing while Boreas quietly did his thing.

"Is...Is he okay?" Mr. Morrison inquired.

"Yes, he and Vik have a habit of cracking each other up," Alannah explained, "It's a common occurrence."

"I will have you know, I do a stellar job of maintaining your husband's mental condition," the Darka'ash countered.

"Wait, how the hell...?"

"You and Cylus are linked through the bond of marriage, thus linking me to you in turn," he explained, "Huh...such an arrangement forms a triangle. How unfortunate..."

"Alright," Boreas began, cutting me off before I could scold Vi'karac, "While the holo-computer you gave me offered up nothing useful, I was able to get a general idea of where Horner was broadcasting his message. From what I was able to glean, his ship is still near Tyraxis VII. Moreover, I have a feeling they're heading our way."

I shared a glance with Jackson. "That means the Sovereign-Breaker will be spotted."

"I'll order my men onboard to get the ship out of harm's way. She still needs fuel and repairs, so she's not in shape to fight," Jackson replied, his shoulders drooping ever so slightly, "I guess that means we'll have no reason to fly over to Tyraxis VII."

"I dunno, I may still consider it," I mused, leaning back in my seat, "After Horner's dealt with, I want to see what he and his men have been pulling."

"But...What of the blasphemies he committed?" Morrison inquired in a small voice, caressing his stubbled chin with a shaky hand, "I-I have heard of the reports–of settlements burned to the ground and the dead left in the streets. I wouldn't wish even my most despised enemy to witness such a sight."

"If we go off just what the reports say, we'll never know what happened," I countered, "Moreover, Horner said he's using the settlers he didn't kill for a 'project.' If anything, that worries more than the fact he's bound for this planet."

"Speaking of which, what should we do about that?" Jackson inquired, "I'd rather not sit on my ass and wait for Horner's deplorables to show up and kick in our doors."

"Think, Jack: we can set up a trap for them," I began, smiling to myself as I turned to fully regard the guildmaster, "The Sovereign-Breaker may not be in fighting order, but her fighters are. Since we've managed to pilfer more Dreadknights from abandoned ship depots, we have a decent force to counter whatever Horner throws at us."

"What if we could sneak onto his ship and deal with him there?" Boreas inquired, "It's a thought, but I'm sure we could slip past the dogfights that'll most likely break out above Sylkiir V."

"So...lemme get this straight: you're suggesting we go straight to Horner and kill the bastard before he even touches down on the planet?" Jackson inquired.

"My whole suggestion is hinging on the fact Horner hasn't reached Sylkiir V–I may have been able to trace the origin of his broadcast, but it's not a wholly accurate method of tracking," Boreas began, "I'm guessing the squads sent out to silence the other settlements on this planet were just an appetizer–the main course is yet to come." He paused, stood straight up, took his helmet off, and tossed it to the side with a rather loud "Yeet!"

"My word..." Vi'karac mused as part of his body manifested beside me, "What is the meaning of the word 'yeet?' I do not believe I have heard it before."

A crooked grin lit up my friend's face. "It's an ancient word that allows someone to throw an object with more force."

"It's like going 'pew pew pew' when you shoot a gun," I informed my friend.

"But...it serves no purpose..." he stated, only to pause when Alannah hit my shoulder.

"Don't mock me, damn it," she grumbled.

I chuckled and waited for my old friend to continue speaking.

"...Okay, can we go check out Ryderos?" Boreas finally prompted the administrator, "Since Horner is a Federation man, I'm sure he still loves systematically wiping out hubs of civilization–AWOL or not, they play by the same book: from what I've seen, UTF troops first charge into a settlement, gather up, line up, and gun down those they believe pose the biggest threat to their take over, and hold the entire settlement hostage until the rest of their forces have showed up. Before you ask, my dear Nate, I've seen a lot of shit in my life and I've been in the wrong place at the wrong time more times than I care to admit."

"W-Why do you wish to go to Ryderos?" Morrison stammered, "Are you afraid of what you'll find?"

"Not at all. Quite to the contrary, I have a feeling we'll find the answers we need," Boreas replied smoothly, pacing back and forth, "I doubt we'll find anymore UTF soldiers in Bauvarak. Since this place is protected from any further attacks and we have some time to kill before the party pleasers arrive, I suggest we investigate Ryderos and see if we can find Mrs...Flynn–yeah, that's her name. She said she was heading over to the settlement for some reason, so she could still be there–speaking of which, why wouldn't she come here? Bauvarak is the largest colony on this planet."

"Ryderos has a lucrative medical supplies market. From genetically modified medicinal herbs and salves to advanced prosthetics, that's the place people go when they need medical assistance in this system."

"Ah, that makes perfect sense. She may not be alive, but one can hope," Boreas murmured.

"Indeed...if we can locate Emily, she could help us out."

"Indeedarino!" the white-haired hacker chirped, snapping his fingers and pointing finger guns at Morrison, "Which is why I am also asking for Jackson to stay behind."

"What? Why?" he demanded, shooting to his feet.

"Why? I need you to start training people who are interested in picking up a gun," Boreas replied, picking at his nails while he spoke, "Look, I know you want to come along and help bash in skulls. However, someone needs to stay and work with the people who wish to protect their home. These people are scared shitless, Jack, and you're the head honcho of the Silver Foxes. They need hope–something to lift their spirits. You're the man for the job, Jack. Please don't render me infertile."

"Alright, you've made your case–and your nards are safe," Jackson said, shaking his head in disbelief, "Head on over to Ryderos, and I'll stay here. Hopefully, I won't lose my shit."

I patted my guildmaster on the back and chuckled. "That makes two of us, Jack."