Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary

Avery could tell from Burke's face that he was feeling uncomfortable with the warm welcome that he was receiving.

Obviously, the man blamed himself for Doyle's and his followers' actions and wanted Avery and his team to do the same.

Still, it was hard to do so when Burke himself had been nothing but cordial to them and even went out of his way to warn them about Doyle's possible attack.

'I'd better clean everything up and help him settle his feelings first before moving on to what I'm really after.' Avery thought, figuring that the discussion he wanted to have would not be fruitful so long as Burke's guilt was eating away at him.

Putting on a sterner expression, Avery gazed directly into Burke's eyes and did his best to mimic how Jasmine looked while interrogating people.

"Okay, Burke, I don't think that you had anything to do with your partner's crimes, but I need to make certain of that. I'm going to ask you what you know, and you're going to tell me. And don't try and lie. My very lovely companion here has trained to pick up the signs of anyone being untruthful."

Avery motioned towards Kasandra, and for a moment she looked comically perplexed by the sudden shift in Avery's tone. The fact that she was in the process of shoving a piece of fried fish into her mouth did not help.

The original plan was to try and be friendly to win Burke over, but at some point, Avery had decided to shift tactics.

Fortunately, Kasandra and the other members of Avery's team sitting at the table were competent enough to pick up on this.

Quickly they began placing more pressure on Burke with their expressions and demeanors.

At this sudden change, Burke gulped loudly. The intensity of several high-ranking mercenaries was enough to unsettle even him.

Of course, this turn of events made him start to forget about the emotions and thoughts that had been causing him turmoil. Instead, his focus was now on Avery and what was to come next.

"First, you did not have any part in Doyle attacking us, did you?"

"No, I didn't know what he was planning until I found most our ships gone and the remaining ones sabotaged. I swear I had nothing to do with it."

Avery glanced towards Kasandra, and she nodded her head. Burke was telling the truth.

"I see, so you had no knowledge about what he was up to. But what about suspicions? Surely you could have anticipated that something like this might happen." Avery said accusatorily.

Burke winced at this question. He had not thought that Doyle would do something so drastic. Nevertheless, Burke had harbored some suspicions that his co-leader might try something else to get back at Avery.

There was no point in trying to save face now, and any lies would be detected by Kasandra anyway.

"Yes, I considered that Doyle might try something else. He was unreasonably angry at what happened and voiced his complaints regularly. It was my incompetence and lack of attentiveness that led to the splintering of our company. For my failures, please let me apologize."

Bowing his head, Burke felt a weight off of his shoulders now that he had sincerely been able to apologize. Yet the words that Avery said next reminded him of the severity of what had happened.

"I appreciate your sincerity, but that doesn't change that it was your friend and subordinates that attacked us. So, how are you planning on making this right?"

Burke could feel a weight pressing down on him from the intensity that Avery was emitting.

For a few seconds he wondered how someone so young could be this intimidating. It was unsettling.

Little did he know that Avery was merely emulating his teacher. Urs had an undeniable presence to him, and he had made sure that Avery knew how to come off as strong and competent.

"There's not much I can do other than continue to express how sorry I am and pay reparations as the Mercenary Association demands. I assure you that I'll make sure that there's no fight with the proceedings. My company is the one that wronged you and I promise to make things right." Burke said wholeheartedly.

He was a man with a strong sense of values. He could not just claim that what Doyle had done had nothing to do with him. His conscience would not allow it.

"There were no lies in what he's said so far." Kasandra assured Avery when he looked to her for confirmation.

"Good, then I'll be sure to hold you to what you said, Burke. You want to make things right with us, correct?"

Nodding his head, Burke agreed with what Avery just said without thinking about the implications.

All he wanted to do currently was repent and lessen the immense burden weighing down on him. Perhaps he would never receive forgiveness, but at least he wanted to do something to make amends.

Except, he never expected the manner in which Avery wanted him to atone.

"Since you feel that strongly, what I really want from you is to come work for me. You've made some mistakes, sure. Still, I think it would be a waste to let a man of your talents fall to ruin."

"Huh?" Was all Burke could say in response.

His mouth was hanging open and his face now wore an expression of bewilderment. Never in his wildest imagination had he thought Avery would offer him a job.

Once his muddled mind recovered enough to properly think again, Burke opened his mouth to decline the offer. Believing that it was too much for him. How could he start working for the man his partner had tried to kill just the day before. It did not make any sense whatsoever to him.

Before he could speak though, Avery raised his hand to stop him.

"Don't even consider rejecting me. You're the one that just said moments ago that you would do what you could to make things right with us. Kasandra told me that you weren't lying then. So does that mean that your resolve is really that shallow that you would go back on your word just a few moments later?"

Avery knew that he was being manipulative here and was forcing Burke into a corner.

It was a tactic that he really did not want to use on such an honest and upright man, but he felt that it was necessary in this case. If he let Burke refuse simply because of his guilt, it would truly be the end of the man and the loss of a great opportunity.

"I'm sure that you have already realized that your mercenary company is done for. You've lost most of your ships, your internal affairs are in turmoil, and the Mercenary Association is not going to let you off easily for this. The reputation you've cultivated was already on the decline thanks to Doyle and those that followed him, and now it has essentially been thrown into the trash. There's no future for you in the occupation as things currently stand. But that all changes if you join my team."