'The Devils Due,' was a bar located near the landing pads on Nefratis Prime and it was about as much of a shithole as was possible, while still having luxuries like 'functioning plumbing.' This bar was still a hot spot, however, entirely for the roughest crowd you could think of: Bounty Hunters. Bounty Hunters flooded the bar to watch the takeoffs and landings of various ships, hoping to catch someone coming in with a bounty on their head, or keeping an eye on people leaving. The Courier arriving a few days back had turned a few heads but with no price on him (at the time of his arrival, anyway) it was just a curiosity.

Well, for most people anyway. There was one man who watched all incoming ships from the Olympian planets. He was always looking for one thing, and this time, he found it. He had been absent during the Courier's arrival and had missed his shot. It was an incredible boon that another ship arrived only a few days later. A ship not only from the Olympian worlds but with Pedum labelled as the sponsor.

Eyes were inevitably drawn to the hulking man when news of the ship came in. He tended to be a lurking presence under normal circumstances, resembling an immense, dark purple beetle. One of those people in the bar you glanced at and quickly glanced away. His hatred of Olympian's, especially Pedum, was very well known around the bar and other such watering holes around the planet. Few, however, knew the reason why.

The man had once gone by the name of Erick. He had been onboard one of the first settlement ships from earth decades ago, and they had arrived on a smaller world that already had a local alien species. The aliens in question were little creatures, and as far as technology went, they were still mainly in a shamanistic stage of life. They worshiped the sun, and most of their records were carved into stone. Still, they were more than happy to help these new settlers get crops growing and settled into their new homes. They also seemed to treat the new humans with an unusual, worshipful reverence.

The reason for this worship was revealed deep in a cave. As it turned out, humans had been prophesized to arrive centuries ago. They were to be the great protectors of the planet. Specifically, five heroes were to be chosen, who would awaken the great stone defenders and protect the planet from evil. The five were chosen (by ancient magical stones), and Erick was one of them. A mechanic by trade, his main job was mending damage on the 'great stone defenders' (which seemed to be some sort of ancient metal mechanical beings, not stone at all). Each defender was themed after a primary colour and a local animal. Erick was purple, and his animal was one of the immense, thankfully peaceful flying beetles that travelled in herds through the sky.

For a while, things were good. The team laughed, loved, bonded, and protected the planet from several threats of varying importance. They were more than just a team; they were a family. However, one day, the colony received a troubling message. They were to hand over all the technology related to the Defenders to the newly founded Olympian's, or they would be taken by force. Attempts to contact Earth for support were met with silence, and the local alien population were fearful. Rumours had already begun to reach them of how intolerant the Olympian's tended to be of 'Simpler races.' As a technocracy, only your technology mattered.

So the Defenders geared up to fight the oncoming Olympians. Each had a modified and themed suit of power armour, a unique weapon different for each of them, and of course their giant animal battle suits. Between the five of them, they should have been able to take on any army. At first, it sure seemed like that was the truth. Day after day, they fought off battalions of machines and even pushing them back. Everything seemed to be going ideally until the God of War showed up.

In a single battle, everything changed. Using all their power, they were able to fight War to a pause at first, but eventually, the monster overcame them. One by one, he crushed them and destroyed their machines. Only Erick survived, and even then it was only by chance. He went into hiding as everything around him burned. The Olympians set up a colony loyal to the Republic, and Erick had no choice but to flee out of Olympian space to plot his revenge.

Now, he worked as a bounty hunter with a particular hatred of those loyal to the Olympian Republic. He went by the name of Beetle, direct and straightforward to the point. Beetle rose from his table as he read the entry on the board, took up his laser staff, and headed out of the bar. He had some people to hunt.