OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 277 - Why Are These Things Always To The Death?

I don't really do politics. Not enough to get thousands of clicks for a retarded, ill thought out tweet anyway. It's all bullshit. Like the illusion of democracy. Politicians of every hue are merely people who are intent on doing what's best for them. While pretending it's best for you. They will lie, cheat and steal. They would stick babies on spikes or slaughter millions if they thought it would get them or keep them in power. Anyone you don't know, who claims to know what's best for you, should be taken out into a field and shot. Every election boils down to a very simple choice. You have to work out which one of these cunts is going to do me the least harm? Which in most cases is impossible to work out. You could toss a coin and have more chance of being correct. Or, as I'd much rather do, toss a politician off a tall building and see which way up it lands.

(The copyright to this image is the property of funnyjunk.)

The apparent disturbance at the ship was drawing a crowd. One that was increasing in size by the second. As the hammer blows kept falling, Scarlet scrambled for something to retrieve the situation. The catcalls and insults were flying from all directions now. Her options were becoming fewer and fewer. Pengelly, who'd remained silent throughout the diatribes and rejections, chose this moment to enter the fray.

"This is a mutiny." He stated. "According to the code of the Brethren you can demand a hearing."
This produced more laughter than anything else up to that point.
"The hearing has already taken place." Sade explained. "You have both been expelled. Your names expunged from the rolls."
"By whose authority?" Pengelly demanded.
"By mine." Came the voice of Captain Femke Smit. "The traitor was tried in absentia. The tribunal found her guilty of all charges. Packet ships are carrying the news to all ports so her ignominy is known throughout the Never. You are both persona non grata. In a couple of weeks there won't be a place you can set foot within the known regions."
The Dutch captain was accompanied by Alain and Ellie, both of whom wore angered expressions. They hadn't escaped being slandered and misrepresented either. Time was running out rapidly for anything to be salvaged from this.
"I told you I can explain everything." Scarlet began. "It's all part of a larger scheme I came up with."
Sade snorted.
"Getting pregnant with the child of the first man you met? Was that all part of the scheme. Telling him everything about us and even lying about us, that was vital to the scheme."
"Look, it's all explainable. He's just a dupe. A simple minded fool I dazzled with my words. The man means nothing to me. The child doesn't either. I only became pregnant as part of the plan. Thanks to Halliday's stupidity it went awry. That wasn't my fault. I had that simpleton eating out of the palm of my hand. The profit to be gained was enormous. That's all he was to me. A means to an end."
This only produced more ribaldry and amusement. It took a few seconds for her to understand that the crew were looking past her to the crowd that had gathered.
"Scarlet." Ydrie wailed disconsolately.
Between a rock and a hard place there was nowhere for her to turn now. The decommissioned captain wavered between the two horns of her immediate dilemma.
"Ydrie.." She squeaked. "You.. It's... Things out here are different..."
The two of them stood looking at one another both equally devastated.
"You would kill our child?" He mumbled distraughtly.
"She'd probably fuck it first." Yelled someone from the crowd to much laughter.
"Out here everyone's expendable. Morag added. "Including you eventually, you dumb prick."
Ydrie looked even more the worse for wear than she did. His journey into Palamar had not gone well. He'd had most of his possessions stolen at the terminus. If not for some fellow travelers recovering most of them, he'd have ended up naked and dead. They'd brought him all the way to the docks, where he'd raced on ahead to be reunited with his wife. The throng parted as those helpful Samaritans caught up.
"Ydrie... You don't understand..." Her sorrowful look abruptly changed to one of fury. "Halliday!" She screeched. "I'm going to kill you now like I should have done.." It was too late. She'd said it.
"Nice to see you again to." Jake cheerfully responded. "Hope we haven't caught you at a bad time. If we have maybe, we can reschedule. Catch up with what we've both been doing." He looked Ydrie up and down. "We found something of yours along the way. Probably forgot him in the rush to get home."
With nothing left to lose Pengelly went all in.
"I demand trial by combat." He roared. "It is my right to show my innocence of the unjust charges laid against me. Your new captain should face me in a duel to the death."
"New captain?" Jake mused aloud, turning to the other members of his party. "This should be interesting. I've never seen a duel before. I wonder who the new one is? I'm thinking Sade or Morag. I expect Pengelly is hoping it's Norbert the nerd."
He crossed his arms and waited. He waited a bit more. Then it hit him right between the eyes. The crew were staring at him expectantly. He heard Pip clear her throat pointedly.
"I think it's you Jake."
He did a double take.
"Nice try. Pull the other one Pip. What do I know about captaining a ship?" There was a pause as his memories sifted and shifted. "Apart from the several lifetimes I spent before the mast. Still, dream on."
Morag and Sade raised their eyebrows, nodding at him.
"You were duly elected captain of this vessel. I nominated, Sade seconded and the show of hands was unanimous captain."
Pengelly grinned, flexing his arms.
"Seriously? Shit. I can't say I'm not flattered.." He swiveled looking at his fellow crew members. "Are you sure about this? There must have been more suitable candidates."
"Let's get on with it." Pip suggested firmly. "Just gut the prick. Some of us have shit to do. You're keeping Fetu from his welcome home."
This time Pengelly sneered. Keeping his eyes scanning the others he drew his blade.
"To the death? Why are these things always to the death? Couldn't we just play chess or cards? Race to the other end of the docks and back?" Nobody was biting. "How about first blood?"
"To the death coward." Pengelly taunted, weaving his blade through the air.
Jake ignored him. looking at Pip and his friends instead.
"Is he allowed to do that? Shouldn't he have points deducted for ungentlemanly conduct?"
Pip corpsed.
"Just get on with it."
His opponent beckoned him on. Jake crossed his arms again.
"I think you should be allowed first move as the challenger."
"You're just putting of the inevitable Halliday." His sword whistled through the air performing more and more complicated maneuvers. "I taught Scarlet everything she knows. She was a very attentive pupil. Especially in the bedroom. She learned everything there, from me as well. I'm going to enjoy killing you as much as I enjoyed fucking her."
The Wanderer looked scandalized. Arms still folded.
"Oh come on dude. There's no need for that. Her husband's standing right there. Sorry Ydrie. If it was up to me you wouldn't have been dragged into this. Pengelly, are you sure you want to do this? We could sit down and talk it through."
The boatswain made his move. Darting forward his sword a blur as it slashed thin air. Jake having sidestepped. The Wanderer turned his back. Catching the blade, that arced towards the back of his head, between his palms. Holding it there as Pengelly wrestled to free it. Staggering backwards as it was released.
"A clever trick Halliday. A pointless one. Now draw your blade and fight like a man."
He was ignored again. Jake looking squarely at Pip instead.
"Hold on." He waved back at Pengelly. "If this is a duel shouldn't we both have seconds? I'm sure there's a rule about that."
Pip shook her head.
"No. It's just one man against another, to the death. We don't do whistles and bells out here."
"To the death?"
"Yeah you've got to kill him. Unless he kills you. Is that what you want?"
Pengelly attacked him from behind. Jake dodged out of the way of each and every thrust and sweep.
"Not really."
"You could have killed him already, instead of wasting time."
"I know, but I was hoping he'd give up and go away. So I've definitely got to kill him then. How about if I mortally wound him?"
His opponent danced in for a few more missed blows. Finding fresh air with each strike. The crowd was beginning to laugh at his fruitless efforts.
"As long as he actually dies from it, that's fine."
Pengelly drew his second sword. Now he meant business. Scarlet was being closely watched by Morag. An unspoken warning behind the pistol that was still pointed at her head. Sade had shifted on to Ydrie.
"Right I suppose I should take this seriously then."
He pulled out a dagger, then put it back. Meanwhile those two swords were whirling closer as Pengelly danced across the ground. Another knife was half drawn before being slid back into it's sheath.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" His blonde friend chided.
"Have you got anything a bit longer and thinner?" Jake asked turning his back on his opponent again. Pip eased out a thin bladed weapon half the length of a sword tossing it to him. The Wanderer flowed out of the path of the weapons aimed at him, while he caught it. "That'll do thanks. Do you need a rest?" He prodded Pengelly. "Only you're sweating quite a bit."
The answer was a lightning quick rush. Swords splitting the atmosphere. Pengelly went past him then howled in pleasure. There was a gasp from the assembly. One of those swords was clearly right through Jake. There was no knife in his hand.
"Now I can finish you off." The boatswain gurgled. Swallowing reflexively. "This is going to be very pleasurable."
Jake moved his left arm away from his body. Pengelly's sword fell to the floor.
"No your dead." He declared, looking at the other mans groin. Pengelly staggered as he looked down at the handle protruding from just below his belly. Blood began to ooze from his mouth. Blacker gore flowed along that long knife. "That's your liver. I think I nicked a lung as well. You've got about 2 minutes to make your peace. Try not to move too much."
His foe sank to his knees. Disbelief and humiliation etched across his face. The Wanderer strode past him heading for the gangplank. As he reached it his instinct made him spin back pistol aimed. The one in the boatswains hand slipped from his fingers. Another sword was jutting from his chest. Pip the wielder.
"You had your chance, shit for brains. Now die you sack of shit." Her pistol was pressed under his sagging chin. "Any last words?"
"Pip." He husked. "I'm your uncle. You can't do this, what would your mother think?"
"I know." She responded. "She told me. She told me to tell you she knows you sold her out to the Russians to."
He gave a rattling laugh.
"I'll be back. Don't you worry. Sooner than you think."
"No you won't. I've sent a message to Harrowmist to have your personality deleted there and back on earth prime. Next I'm going to delete you from the server here."
The terror on his face vanished along with most of his skull as her pistol barked. Pip returned her gun to its holster as she joined Jake in boarding the ship.
"I thought we'd agreed I was the bad ass." He murmured.
"You did say that. I thought I'd be one as well."
"Yeah but generally there's one bad ass and a really clever one with feelings and stuff. To counter balance the nasty one."
"You didn't say that I couldn't be bad ass as well."
"I admit that, but it was heavily implied you were supposed to be the more humane one."
"It's too late now. We're both bad ass. What are you worried about?"
"I'm not sure the bad cop, bad cop dynamic will work quite as well. Only time will tell."
Fetu and Sade were in clinch by this point. The crowd was still hanging around. Scarlet and Ydrie at the center of their attention. Morag saluted casually.
"What do you want to do with the carcass captain?"
His first executive decision? He deferred to Pip.
"Could you throw it in the harbor with the rest of the garbage please Morag?" She requested. "It's making the place look untidy."