"We?" Arthur pushed him on the forehead and sat cross-legged. "You think I'd save you if I wanted to kill you?"
"Slagspawn!" Salome spat. "Ain't this just your sick idea of fun—torturing me before finishing me off? Go to hell!"
"Slagspawn." It was clearly Salome's go-to insult. From the look on his face, Arthur could tell it was crude, demeaning—exactly as he'd heard.
"Watch your mouth," Arthur shot him a look. "I'm not that bloodthirsty. Now tell me where the item is."
"The item?" Salome froze, confusion replacing his anger. "What game are you playing? Didn't your partner already take it?"
"Partner? Zack?" Arthur frowned even deeper, equally confused.
Seeing Arthur's genuine puzzlement, Salome shrank back slightly, his tone softening. "Wait—you're not with Aurelio?"
"Aurelio?"
Arthur was stunned. He needed to rearrange the clues. Maybe he'd misjudged Ralph after all—all roads led back to Zack. He let out a cold laugh, mocking his own hasty judgment.
"Aurelio?" he said. "That's the most creative answer I've heard yet. I thought *you* were his mercenary. Why would he do this to you—"
Salome spat foam to the side.
"Pah! Cut the crap, hypocrite!" he snapped. "Yes! That thief's face of yours is burned into my memory! You took the item—why are you back? I can only think of one reason: to finish me off!"
"Wait—what makes you think I'm with Aurelio?"
"Amnesia got you too?" Salome sneered. "You and your goons did this! Who else but Aurelio's men would be those charred corpses?" He pointed to his head. "And I'd never forget the boot that crushed my skull! That footwear's one of a kind—even burned to ash, I'd recognize it!"
Arthur fell silent. Maybe they'd both been mistaken.
His mind raced, trying to piece together the conversation, but clues were still too scarce.
"No—let's start over," Arthur said, pointing at Salome. "You stole something from Reno. Correct?" When Salome nodded, he continued. "They sent me to get it back. What does that have to do with Aurelio destroying your base? I don't see the connection."
"Reno? Blair's bunch of bastards? You're with Reno?"
Salome stared, then shook his head and sighed. "Why the hell would you work with that slagspawn?"
"Zack?" Arthur scoffed. "Reno forced him on me. If I ever see him again, he won't be so lucky."
"Your answer surprises me too," Salome looked up, a hint of apology in his voice. "Sorry for mixing you up with those goons. I never thought Blair—the spineless coward—would send someone like you."
"So Aurelio has the item now?"
"Obvious, ain't it?" Salome laughed coldly. "Looks like we both got played by Aurelio. Just like his uncle—"
"Played?" Arthur said. "You sound like you speak from experience."
"At this point, I got nothing to hide." Salome shifted, stretching his legs and sitting on a nearby step. "Aurelio paid me a fortune to steal a specific item from Telos. But the second we walked into that lab without breaking a sweat, I knew something was off."
"Off? How?"
"Mercenary's intuition. Big jobs like this are never easy." Salome nodded at Arthur. "Sure enough, we got ambushed on the way back. Lucky I came prepared—all they took was an empty box."
"I'm curious. Who could steal from you so easily?"
"Don't flatter me. Only Aurelio could've known my route—"
"But he hired you. Why ambush you?" A thought hit Arthur—something Ralph had mentioned. He snapped his fingers. "He wanted your ship's gravity ion trail!"
"Smart guy," Salome sized Arthur up. "You're Reno's mercenary, huh? Their regular special forces wouldn't set foot in a mess like this."
Arthur nodded. "You got that right."
"Then you know the golden rule of mercenaries," Salome said. "No pay if the job fails."
"True. But I've never seen a case like yours."
"Stick with the same employer long enough, and it happens." Salome looked down. "Truth is, Aurelio wasn't the only one after that item."
"Someone else wanted it?"
"Before you showed up, my adjutant met a rich guy claiming to be from Aurelia. He had a sketch—said he was obsessed with the item. Knew more about it than Aurelio, even. Didn't matter to me—whoever paid the most got it."
"How were you gonna explain that to Aurelio?"
"Fake!" Salome grinned proudly. "My craftsmen are masters at copying stuff. I planned to make two fakes—rip Aurelio off, and get paid twice. But fate had other plans. Right before you arrived, Aurelio's lab ship docked here..."
"Lab ship?" Arthur said.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Keep talking."
"I never thought he'd bring the lab ship here. Keeping the real item with me was too risky—if he found out, he'd level the base. Your arrival solved my problem. Even if I gave you a fake, I could blame Reno. And tracking you would've been child's play."
"I'd be innocent, get paid twice—what's not to like? Besides, Aurelio's a sneaky bastard. He's screwed me over more than once. Finally, I had a chance to get back at him. Never thought your partner was his mole..."
"Screwed you over?"
Salome nodded glumly. "Aurelio always makes sure he wins. He's not as brave as his uncle Kansas, but he's a master schemer. Getting paid by him? Near impossible."
"Looks like things didn't go as planned."
"You think?" Salome spread his hands. "The second that slagspawn came back, I knew we were busted. The minute he got his hands on the fake, he saw through the whole plan."
"So those shadows weren't your men?"
Salome shook his head. "Aurelio's personal guard. Soulless shells—cold, creepy eyes. Never thought he'd send them after you. If this army's as strong as it looks, other sectors are in for a world of hurt."
"Your plan sounds great on paper, but it's full of holes," Arthur said coldly. "Did you really think Aurelio wouldn't notice the fake? What if I *was* sent by him to double-cross you?"
He let out a bitter laugh. "Looks like we were all pawns in his game. Funny how he's always the last one standing."
Salome shrugged, showing off his yellowed teeth. "Worked for me! If it weren't for that mole, no one would've found out."
"You're too naive—" Arthur sighed at his pride. "Ralph told me the item has an unusual energy field. Did you really think Aurelio sent his army and lab ship for nothing? You practically built him the perfect alibi—all the blame's on you, not him."
"Wait a minute..." Salome snapped his fingers. "That box he gave me earlier—so that's what it was for!"
"But I gotta hand it to Aurelio. The Zack move was genius."
"Yeah?" Salome grinned. "I'd kill to see those two old foxes' faces when they realized they got played."
"Not them," Arthur glared. "Me. I got played."
"You?" Salome raised an eyebrow. "Why're you so mad at that slagspawn anyway?"
"Because of him!" Arthur's anger flared. "Aurelio's goons captured me. I woke up cuffed to an operating table. If I hadn't gotten lucky, I'd be dead right now. And that slagspawn—*your* slagspawn—is the one who put me there! Bastard! Just thinking about it makes my blood boil!"
"Aurelio told me you escaped?" Salome muttered. "That's why they packed up and left in a hurry—"
"You'd believe anything he says," Arthur shook his head and stood up. "You're the only person in the galaxy who'd keep working for Aurelio after getting played this many times."
"Where are you going?" Salome tried to stand, but dizziness from blood loss sent him crashing back onto the step. "Mind giving me a hand?"
Arthur held out his hand, hauling Salome's massive frame up. He was heavier than he looked.
"All clues point to Aurelio. Looks like I gotta head to Eyelo. If that slagspawn's still alive, I'm gonna settle the score!"
"Heh. At least we got a common enemy. By the way—what's your name?"
"Arthur."
"Arthur. You saved my life—you're my brother now. Deal? That slagspawn's mine. I'm gonna make him regret messing with my little thief's brain!" Salome tapped his head with a thick finger.
Arthur froze, turning to stare at him.
"What'd you just say?"