(Nyrean Super Galaxy- Rtern Region)
(Illegally Modified Spacecraft- Mess Hall)
There was a tense atmosphere inside the hall.
Five aliens surrounded a table and stared intensely at a humanoid figure whose body was concealed by a thick cloak.
A mask covered his face, so it was impossible to tell what he looked like. He held a strange pair of objects in his right hand.
Metalloid spheres whose surfaces were so smooth and polished that one could see their reflection.
"Alright boys… who wants to bet first?" Rokan calmly spoke as he gestured at the scene on top of the table.
A shoddily constructed arena made from wooden sticks glued together to form a maze-like structure that rested gently on top of the table.
In the center of the arena were two insect-like animals with sharp pincers, claws, and rows upon rows of razer sharp teeth.
The pair of creatures were separated by a long plastic barrier which trembled violently as the animals kept slamming into it.
"Alright John… let me put twenty coins on Old Blue," Zix spoke confidently as he slammed some coins on the edge of the table.
Zix was a Quirkalian, a large alien with neon- coloured skin and a pair of elongated antennae that jutted out of the middle of his forehead.
"Old blue? Buddy you must be drunk still…" the alien next to him laughed madly.
"Let me get forty coins on the one on the right. Double or nothing."
"Alright you got it Gizmo," Rokan smoothly replied.
He took the coins from the little green alien who was perched comfortably inside of a metalloid exoskeleton that extended the reach of his limbs.
The other crew members quickly got into the action and soon a sizable number of coins lined up the edges of the table.
Rokan used a piece of paper to record all the bets.
Of course, he could remember everything since he possessed enhanced mental capabilities but for the sake of his disguise, he needed to pretend that he needed help to recall.
On this starship he was not the feared Duke Peterlor the leader of a high noble house and the former commander of the Imperial Army.
No… he was John Goodman.
A well-mannered weakling who was friendly, kind, and courteous to everyone.
"Mr. Goodman as the crew sometimes called him. Or John to the ones who he was on friendly terms with.
"Alright… is everyone ready?" Rokan slowly lowered his voice for dramatic effect and then stretched out his hand to touch the plastic barrier.
He received loud shouts in response as the crew eagerly waited to see who had bet correctly on the outcome of the fight.
Rokan wrapped his fingers around the top of the plastic barrier and then pulled it away with a flourish.
The two insects inside the arena froze for a moment and then rushed towards each other at a breakneck pace.
They were mirror images of each other and their chitinous bodies gleamed under the artificial lighting coming from the illumination systems.
With quick movements, the insects circled each other with their multiple eyes locked in a stare that would not break.
Their pincers snapped together angrily while their claws swung forward hoping to rip apart their opponent's hard exterior.
Loud cheers and shouts came from the audience watching the spectacle and words of encouragement were spoken as well.
"Get em Old Blue!"
"Oh please… that creature won't last!"
"I bet twenty coins on the younger one! That's my salary for the next six months!"
"No one told you to bet you fucking idiot…"
Suddenly there was a change in the battle situation. Old Blue turned around so that its back was facing its opponent.
A soft hissing noise could be heard as Old Blue unleashed a cloud of noxious gas from a gland hidden above its posterior.
This vile cloud of smoke was a greenish- black colour and it made the mess hall smell like a mixture of rotten eggs and sewage.
People immediately began to put on masks to deal with the smell while Rokan coughed violently and pretended to be uncomfortable.
The younger insect was briefly disoriented by the gas attack and that moment of hesitation was enough for the fight to be decided.
Seizing the advantage, Old Blue struck with renewed ferocity and tore the younger insect apart piece by piece using its sharp teeth and deadly claws.
The fight was over.
Loud cheers mixed with groans of excitement echoed through the mess hall as Rokan began to pay out the winnings.
Like all gambling events there were winners and losers.
Those who had doubled their earnings were grinning from ear to ear while those who had lost their bets were much less excited.
"Don't look so glum boys!" Zix shrieked happily as he began to tuck his new coins inside his many pockets.
"Drinks are on me!"
The mood instantly brightened since there were few problems that alcohol could not solve.
One of the servants walking nearby immediately headed for the drinks section of the mess hall to bring some bottles.
Rokan smiled beneath the mask covering his face and glanced outside the window. He could see nothing but the vast expanse of space.
A lonely void with few planets and numerous stars that twinkled brightly in the distance. It had been three days since the journey had begun the starship was making good time.
With any luck they would be out of the Nyrean Super Galaxy by the end of the week and one step closer to the border between the Federines and the Earth Federation.
One step closer to home.
One step closer to his darling daughter.
Rokan picked up a bottle and lifted up the bottom of his mask to take a sip. The alcohol inside the bottle was a fiery liquid that slid down his throat with a burning sensation.
The unpleasant taste was oddly refreshing.
At first, he had hated the liquid, but humans were adaptable creatures and now he could drink as well as the rest of the crew.
"Is this going to be your first time entering the Earth Federation?" a soft voice interrupted Rokan's quiet drinking session.
He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Gizmo staring at him with an expression of curiosity on its little green face.
"Yes… is there anything that I should know about it?" Rokan asked worriedly as he added a slight tremor to his voice.
"Well… stay away from those humans," Gizmo warned sternly as he used the robot exoskeleton wrapped around his body to reach for a drink.
"They are vicious barbarians. I saw them kill members of their own race… a savage brutal people…"
"Their cruelty knows no bounds… I remember I was on a mission last year and I saw…"
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