A million stars exploded into view as the Angel’s Fever spewed from the belly of hyperspace. It’s dark red, almost bloody form gave a strange highlight to the bright yellow atmosphere of the NR colony world of Tranquil.

"Hyperspace jump successful. Proceeding to OP. Point Able." Halo’s soothing, harmonic voice echoed through the Angel’s Fever’s bowls as she began her standard landing and passive sensor sweeping procedures. "Primary sweep complete. Hostels in area: 0. Angelseed wake up."

Fluttering his golden eyes open, Angelseed flexed his claws, passing them over a serious of controls and buttons bringing up a mission briefing on the forward screen. A Braazk dressed in a elaborate white armor with gold trimmings and the symbol of the Sun clan on his chest appeared on the screen above the subtitles.

"Mission Briefing for hunt designated as Family Feud from the Braazk Monarchy:

Greetings hunter, I am Ruling Fist, newest Sovereign of the Braazk. Your Guild has told us that you are their most ruthless and sadistic member in their ranks, making you ideal for this hunt. We need you to perform a simple extraction of this man," A 3D model of a moderately sized Braazk with a spiral scar wrapping around his face appeared. "Death Soul, one of the two remaining Death Clansmen. We believe he is on the planet Tranquil trying to contact his sister in the city of Placid Creek. Sadly we have no more intel for you. The objectives of this mission are for you to bring him to us, using any means necessary. If he dies while you are pursuing him, so be it. Upon completion of this hunt you will be paid 9.5k in Braazk Platinum currency. If you fail, you’ll spend the remainder of your days in a pain amplifier. That is all." The screen clicked off, leaving the cabin in the green and red glow of the switches.

"Threaten me?" Angelseed glared at the blank screen. "Halo, who gave me this hunt?"

"Tad Taliesin. Shortly before we departed he uploaded the briefing and navigational information into my banks. Since you where looking for something to do I thought that maybe you would enjoy a quick hunt."

A growl escaped deep from Angelseed’s throat. "You have no idea what you’ve done do you Halo?"

"You’re not pleased?"

"Of course I’m not! You’ve committed me to hunting down my own clansmen, and worse yet, he was my brother."

"Apologies."

"I’ll deal with you after this is over. But now I got to figure out my plan of attack."

"You’re still accepting the mission?"

"I have to."

"Is it because of the Sovereign’s threat?"
"Please. He underestimates me. I can easily kill him and his honor guard without dulling my talons. I’m more concerned about my reputation. If the other hunter’s hear that I turned down a hunt…" Angelseed turned in his seat bringing up a detailed hologram of city schematics. "We will continue to OP point Able, and I’ll proceed from there on foot. It’s only fifteen miles outside of Placid Creek so I should be able to get within the city limits in about… fourteen minutes. If DS has been in the city lately, I’ll be able to smell him. Once I’m inside the limits, I need you to stay in low orbit until I call. Have the stasis field and weapons online and ready. I don’t know about the planetary defenses."

"I understand." Halo responded.

"Is my gun reloaded?"

"Yes. I took the liberty of upgrading the fire and velocity rate of your Omega cannon."

"If it blows up in my hand you’re deleted."

Halo chuckled to herself. "I’ve run multiple scenarios leaving an error ratio of .003%"

"Don’t think I’m joking." Angelseed locked the gun to his back. "Bring us down."

Running full sprint across the yellow hills of Tranquil, Angelseed hopped over small obstacles standing in his path. "Halo, I can see Placid Creek about two clicks out. Begin mission timer."

"Confirmed. Mission timer started at three fifteen standard hours. For optimal success, mission hunt must be completed in two hours. Beginning radio silence."

The brush grew less and less dense as it rushed by Angelseed’s flanks like bullets as he neared the peaceful little town. All the while, Angelseed could only think about confronting his soul brother again. It’d been a few years since Peacfull Death’s body died and inhabited Trisix Fallen. Since that time the Death Clan had been all but exterminated completely. Most of the Monarchy had despised the Death clan for Peacfull’s power and close ties to the previous Sovereign Golden Sun. Naturally they feared his wraith and that of the Sovereign. After Peacfull’s murder, and Ruling Fist’s bloody succession, vengeance upon the clan was possible. Angelseed could remember watching the thousands of history holovids about the United Clan’s Militia sieges on countless Death sanctuaries and temples, massacring hundreds of Peacfull’s sub-clansmen. The most vivid memory was the mass execution of ten out of twelve of his brothers and sisters. After watching those films, Angelseed swore he’d gain revenge upon the Monarchy and the UCM, protecting his few remaining clansmen. All that came into conflict with Halo’s acceptation of this contract to hunt Death Soul. How could he possibly go through with it? I’ll find a loophole. Angelseed thought, running through the open barrier to Placid Creek.

"I can smell him." Angelseed skidded across the primitive dirt road, abruptly stopping in front of a small building. "Death Soul!" Angelseed screamed, echoing off the barren town walls.

"He’s asleep." A sweet, soft voice filled Angel’s ears, catching him off guard.

Turning around a tall, Braazk female, with long purple hair and glowing plum eyes stared coldly at Angelseed. She was dressed in a hybrid of a flowing white dress and dark blue armor. In her left hand was the typical Priestess round-groun energy shield. Her right hand contained a three-foot long gattling laser. "What have you come here for bounty hunter?" Sister Death’s eyes turned to slits.

Angelseed, resisting the urge to run to his sister and hug her intensely, twiddled his talons lightly against the handle of his lightsaber. "I want Death Soul. Don’t make me cut through you to get him." The thought of having to fight his beloved soul sister made him sick.

"You’re not getting him. I’ve lost to much to the likes of you and your employer. I cannot allow such a lowly creature as yourself to have him." The gattling laser’s barrel began to spin.

"Don’t Sis…" Angelseed held his tongue from spitting to much information.

"Sis?" Surprise ran across Sister’s face. "There’s something inside you…I…know…"

"Look deeper and you’ll find the answer." Leaping over Sister, Angelseed landed solidly behind the Braazk, twisting to the right igniting his lightsaber. The dark gray blade flashed slightly, passing through Sister’s head. The female fell to the ground with a shriek.

"Sister!" Death Soul leaped through a nearby window, firing blindly in Angelseed’s direction. "You killed her!"

"She’s only stunned." Angelseed stood where he was, not budging as the red blasts scorched the earth around his feet. "Don’t make this hard on yourself." Angelseed drawing his Omega cannon planted his feet firmly into the ground.

"I’m not going to be taken back to be executed!" Death Soul charged at Angelseed, firing wildly in rage.

"Have it your way." With a hail of bullets and a splatter of blood and bone, Death Soul fell to the ground.

"No…" Death Soul twitched his hand, feeling the blood rush from the wounds in his legs, arms and abdomen.

"Sorry brother…" Angelseed bowed his head, blasting the remainder of his clip into Death Soul’s face. The agony in his chest almost crippled AS to his knees. "I’ll bring you back somehow. Ruling Fist will die for this…" Angelseed lifted his brother’s mangled corpse into his arms. "Halo, pickup."

"Breaking radio silence. Pickup request acknowledged. Mission timer stopped at four fifty standard hours. ETA to pickup, twenty seconds. Halo out."

As he waited for the Angel’s Fever, Angelseed stared at the sibling in his arms feeling the cold wind rush across his back, embracing his fallen brother into his chest.