great as always.
Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.
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A Freelancer Story - Complete..
Read, add and comment on excellent written stories by fans, set within the Freelancer universe
Thu Nov 25, 2004 9:34 am
Just some brief notes
You may want to rewrite that as "As far as I know, my father, the Baron..." and then put in something about how not all the details are clear.
The usual phrase is "high turnover" of employees, not "high turnaround". Otherwise, quite excellent. Poor Rutger, though!
Edited by - Hahukum Konn on 11/25/2004 11:48:59 AM
"Well, I don't know for sure, but my father, the Baron...
You may want to rewrite that as "As far as I know, my father, the Baron..." and then put in something about how not all the details are clear.
The usual phrase is "high turnover" of employees, not "high turnaround". Otherwise, quite excellent. Poor Rutger, though!
Edited by - Hahukum Konn on 11/25/2004 11:48:59 AM
Thu Nov 25, 2004 10:57 am
Ah, romance. *sighs* Great work as usual. One small thing Mr. Kohn didn't point out is the following:
If I understand correctly "softly" refers to the volume whilst "hoarse and rough" refers to the quality of the voice. The meaning is clear but the descriptions do conflict; it's hard for the quality of the voice to be soft and hoarse and rough all at the same time. In order to avoid any confusion just have Rutger "whisper" instead.
... asked Rutger softly, voice hoarse and rough with longing.
If I understand correctly "softly" refers to the volume whilst "hoarse and rough" refers to the quality of the voice. The meaning is clear but the descriptions do conflict; it's hard for the quality of the voice to be soft and hoarse and rough all at the same time. In order to avoid any confusion just have Rutger "whisper" instead.
Fri Nov 26, 2004 1:00 am
Thanks, boys. I'll make those edits.
I decided to continue with Tanya's story, there was too much unfinished business for anything else lol
I am, however, taking suggestions on the next part - "House Atreides" had an excellent idea I used (besides, it was soppy) and I welcome ideas regarding where the story could go...
I decided to continue with Tanya's story, there was too much unfinished business for anything else lol
I am, however, taking suggestions on the next part - "House Atreides" had an excellent idea I used (besides, it was soppy) and I welcome ideas regarding where the story could go...
Fri Nov 26, 2004 5:59 am
"Sir, our guests have arrived," said the officer following a crisp salute.
He wore his finest dress uniform, the same as every member of the crew aboard the Luxury Liner Hawaii. The Orbital Spa & Cruise flagship had been hired in full by all the major houses to celebrate the first 'Sirius Games' in over a century. The officer's jacket was blue in colour bearing a gold trim and deep-red sash hung across his shoulders. A sheathed military sabre was belted to his waist and his boots were polished so well, light reflected off the surface in spots.
The young officer merely stood to attention patiently, waiting for his senior commander to respond. The Admiral was a man to be both feared and respected. The Hawaii was vulnerably positioned as relationships with pirates, the great Sirius houses, freelancers and of course his superiors required constant management. The Admiral has no patience for poor performances and especially for bad attitudes. The Hawaii was a home to many, and he took the responsibility of keeping this hub of humanity alive in space very seriously indeed.
However, Admiral Michael Day was not in a good mood.
Not only had his entire ship been made a victim of house politics for the second time in a week, but his main hangar deck was being prepared for a series of 'games'. He laughed aloud at the prospect, a sharp bark that made the officer standing behind him jump slightly at the sound. Games indeed, thought the Admiral. Blood sports. Arranged to appease bored ministers and wealthy businessmen. He couldn't believe it when he saw the passenger manifest, it was almost a directory of every senior administrative position in Sirius. And all aboard the Hawaii?
Ever since the latest raft of bombings in the colonies every OS&C ship had been placed on full alert status. With all these important people here, the Hawaii suddenly became a very choice target indeed.
"Sir, our guests have arrived," repeated the officer realising the Admiral hadn't noticed him there. He coughed and flushed red slightly as the Admiral turned slowly to face him, away from the large window at the far end of the main bridge.
The Admiral nodded in response.
"Good. Have them escorted to their quarters. I assume you have secured their weapons and ensure their ships are powered down fully?" asked the Admiral raising an eyebrow. He was a distinguished man in his mid-forties, well-built and lean from running a circuit of his ship each day, a regime he had followed for the last thirty years without fail on every Liner he had been stationed on.
The officer hesitated.
"Well? Answer my question, Captain," ordered the Admiral a little more forcefully than before, frowning as he spoke.
"Sir, they were reluctant to handover their personal sidearms, though they did power down their ships on docking," said the officer quickly. The Admiral did not reply instantly, making the officer feel even more uncomfortable. He felt like he was being sized up somehow.
"Fine. You were correct in your judgement not to press the issue. Inform the Outcasts they will be permitted to carry their sidearms, but will be escorted by a squad of our troopers whilst they remain aboard our ship. If they do not like that arrangement, they know where the hangars are. Dismissed," said the Admiral with a nod of his head.
He couldn't believe they were allowing the hated Outcasts aboard his ship, at least in an official capacity, but the orders came directly from Planet Curacao and could not be ignored.
The officer saluted again crisply, turned on his heel and walked towards the lift, only breathing a huge sigh once the doors had closed.
The Admiral turned slowly and looked out of the window once more, the sight of a docking armoured transport catching his eye. As soon as he recognised the blue and white logo of the Daumann corporation, he smiled.
"It's been a long time, Baron," he said to no-one in particular.
***
Aboard the armoured transport, Tanya, Rutger and half a dozen of his best guards had been busily preparing themselves to come aboard the Hawaii. For simplicity, Rutger introduced Tanya as Eve, a freelance commando his father had hired to provide additional security given the recent bombings.
A week before arriving at the Hawaii, a couple of the guards had voiced their concerns to the guard commander about Tanya's presence on board and wanted to know why a total stranger should be appointed such a prestigious position, especially a woman who seemed suitable only for 'bedroom duties'. The guard commander realised that a great deal of resentment had been formed amongst the soldiers, and he suggested a way that Tanya could earn their respect.
"Sir, my condolences on your father's ill health. He was, is, a great man," said the old master-of-arms bowing slightly as he spoke. "I've known him for many years and he has the total loyalty and respect of the entire corporation, and indeed, most of the Rheinland military having served in it for a decade."
"Gunter, my thanks for your kind words," replied Rutger. Gone was the naive, playful, innocent youth. "What do you propose regarding Tanya?" he asked. He trusted the old weaponsmaster with Tanya's true identity and in truth, was closer to Gunter than his own father in many ways.
"Sir, I recommend she prove herself to your men. This is the only way she will," Gunter paused searching for an appropriate word. "shrug off whatever views they have of her. And you," he said nodding.
Rutger smiled ruefully. He knew since his father's injury the corporation was effectively in his hands. He was fortunate to have a strong management team able to make most of the corporate decisions, but a great deal of what his father did involved personal meetings with business contracts, forging political alliances and gaining military support. To Rutger's surprise he learnt most people viewed his father quite warmly. However, whilst the forces that built up the military power of Daumann were not huge in number, they were each hand-picked and highly trained ex-military types. It was this group within the corporation he had to prove himself to as well.
He glanced back at Gunter who still waited for his response.
"What do you suggest, Gunter? I don't want her hurt," Rutger said.
"From what you have told me of her, I doubt very much she will be. I will arrange some tests. She will have to succeed at least the secondary objectives if the men are to take her seriously. Have Tanya come to the cargo deck in an hour."
Rutger nodded, looking more confident than he felt.
Gunter saluted, then opened the cabin door and walked out. No sooner than he left, Tanya strode in, beaming a wide smile.
"Well?" she asked. Tanya's hair was auburn now, tied back into a single ponytail and she wore a Daumann jumpsuit. Rutger had to admit to himself, she looked better in the uniform than any soldier he'd seen so far.
"Gunter thinks you need to prove yourself. Otherwise the men will view you merely as my..companion," he said lamely at last. Tanya frowned.
"A bed-mate?" she said angrily. "And is that you think of me too?"
Her fists balled and Rutger almost felt a wave of anger envelope him. He feared this side of Tanya the most.
"No, no. Not at all. I care for you deeply and I know you are more than capable at taking care of yourself. It is important you at least earn the respect of the men, if you are to remain in your current position. The role of Honour Guard is very privileged, and I have overlooked several other candidates for you."
Tanya sighed.
"I do not want favours from you, Rutger. I'm an employee of yours now. So, in this case you will have to treat me like one too. What did Gunter have in mind?"
"Gunter didn't give details, he said you were to go through a series of tests. That was all. An hour from now on the cargo deck," said Rutger slightly worried at the prospect.
She nodded, her green eyes gleaming.
"Fine. I'll be there," Tanya said, then she too strode out of Rutger's cabin.
The acting Baron merely stood still for a moment, watching Tanya leave, then sighed again deeply once the door had closed. Life as Baron was getting more complicated by the day, he mused.
***
An hour later, Tanya had made her way down to the cargo deck, a huge sprawling expanse of open decking, heavy lifting equipment and various containers that had been moved to sit along the walls, creating a large square of space in the centre. Gathered there, were around two dozen guards out of uniforms wearing only practice suits and an array of weapons on a bench.
Tanya laughed as she walked towards the group, she would enjoy this 'test'.
***
"So as you can see, a good combatant cannot rely on pure muscle or brute force alone!" said Tanya breathing hard, but not heavily.
She wore only a black top baring her arms and shoulders and a pair of combat pants. She stood bare-footed on the training mats, holding two men in arm locks that bore incredibly painful expressions on their faces as she casually walked round the edge of the mats with them in tow.
"To succeed in close combat, you must be still, be sensitive to your opponents' movements and of course, be confident in your own technique," she continued, then looked down at the men now shaking in pain. "Isn't that right, boys?" she asked, then released them where they collapsed to the mat rubbing their aching joints.
"Tricks, don't win fights," said one large man, looking at the two groaning men with contempt. "Strength wins fights," he went on. He was large, almost a foot taller than Tanya, huge thickly muscled wrists and corded tendons criss-crossed his arms and chest, massive thighs the size of fuel canisters supported his huge frame and his neck disappeared amongst a mass of more muscle. His heavily scarred face was sneering. Even Tanya was impressed.
"Your name, soldier?" she asked, noting a chuckle from the master-of-arms standing across the mat from her. The old man seemed to be enjoying watching his soldiers being beaten by a mere 'girl'. Tanya enjoyed talking to Gunter. He was a man of no expectations, what you saw, is what you got with him. She returned her gaze to the big man who had removed his shirt and was rubbing his arms and knuckles.
"My name is Frauk. And I will make you sorry you stepped onto this ship," he snarled.
Rutger winced as he watched from a monitor in his cabin. He couldn't bring himself to go downstairs and watch. The man truly dwarfed Tanya in every way. Surely even she could not defeat him?
"Very well, Frauk. Let's see what you have," Tanya said, eyes narrowed. She stepped back to allow Frauk some room onto the mats, where he grinned at the other guards, some bruised and sitting, other standing fresh but cheering the huge man on repeating his name like a chant that echoed around the deck.
"I am going to break you, little girl. And when the boy Baron sees how useless you are, I will request he gives you to me, where I will break you again. In different ways," he chuckled, a horrible sound and cracked his knuckles.
Tanya smiled briefly, saying nothing, then circled the big man for a few moments. Frauk leapt forwards with a speed that defied his bulk, and Tanya did well to dodge the incoming punch, swaying aside. She side-stepped to her right coming up behind him, where she whispered in his ear.
"I bet you haven't even seen it, let alone use it to break anyone," she said huskily.
Frauk roared and swung his other fist in a backhand which Tanya neatly ducked again, but lightly sprang to her feet and placed her face inches away from his once more.
"Do you think size matters, Frauk?" she hissed this time.
Frauk was overwhelmed at her speed, the woman moved like quicksilver. It was like trying to hit ghost, he thought. He tried to grab her for a crushing attack, but instead of moving back, Tanya stepped inside his reach and slammed the edge of her hand into his throat.
The blow was forceful and Frauk staggered back clutching his throat with both hands as his breath rattled. Tanya watched him as he tottered backwards eyes rolling upwards as he struggled to draw breath. Gunter noticed her eyes had become much darker than before, as though clouded by something.
"Lesson over," she said finally and leapt into the air, her rear foot spinning behind her then crashing into the big man's temple, where he fell poleaxed. She ignored the prone man and walked over to the other guards where they had watched in stony silence as she struck the blow, none of them daring to meet her eyes. "Anyone else?"
There was no response, only uncomfortable shuffling.
"Good. I'll be in my quarters if you need me," she said and strode off towards the lifts.
Gunter rushed over to Frauk who was slowly coming around, glad to see the big man wasn't too severely injured. He didn't have a bad heart, but wasn't particularly bright either. He chuckled as Frauk stood up and watched Tanya enter the lifts.
"She has a kick like a mule," he said rubbing his head, a lump already beginning to rise.
"I think she pulled the blow, too," laughed Gunter. Frauk grunted once and nodded.
"Seems our new Baron is at least a good judge of character like his father at least," said Gunter gruffly.
"Aye. She's a killer, that one," agreed Frauk.
***
Tanya was glad to be in her own cabin again. The hot, steaming shower was easing most of the days' pressures and troubles away. Tanya felt some regret over the way she had handled Frauk. She realised he was just full of testosterone and trying to show off to his friends. In the end, she dealt with him as quickly as she could without causing too much drama.
There was a knock at her cabin door and annoyed, Tanya turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, slowly padding her way to the door leaving a trail of wet footprints behind her.
Tanya opened it and to her surprise saw the huge bulk of Frauk standing in the corridor, head slightly hunched as he was too big for the tight space.
"Yes?" she asked curtly, holding the towel tighter now ready to slam the door in case he tried anything.
"Uh, Miss. I came to apologise for my words earlier. I was only, um. Teasing," he said awkwardly. A bandage was strapped across his head and his throat looked bruised.
Tanya smiled, but let the moment draw out for a little.
"Apology accepted. I hope I didn't hit you too hard," she replied. "I look forwards to working with you all," then winked and closed the door before Frauk could reply, whose mouth was still open.
Tanya padded back to the shower and turned it on again, her spirits lifted from before.
***
In the present, the armoured transport prepared to dock with the Hawaii. Permission to land had been granted and the transport, now a tiny blue and white dot entering a cavernous main hangar deck, slowly manoeuvred it's way to a landing pad.
Rutger, Tanya and the six guards stood to attention.
"You boys, ready?" asked Tanya. The guards nodded as one, saying nothing.
She had been drilling them all in close-proximity protection techniques, training that none of them had ever experienced before. They definitely felt stronger for it and the confidence in their new leader had grown. Rutger was pleased at the way they responded to her commands, it seemed that Gunter's idea was a dangerous one at first, but had worked. He left the master-at-arms on board his ship to supervise refuelling, with orders the older man would join them later once everything was settled.
The transport passed the gravity well and everyone on board felt a slight prickling sensation, as they crossed the invisible barrier of force that kept the hangar filled with breathable air.
"Are you ready, Baron?" asked Tanya smiling.
"With you? I am always ready," replied Rutger.
The ship landed with a gentle bump and the main doors opened, allowing Rutger and his entourage to disembark. A smiling man, well decorated in Orbital Spa & Cruise attire waited at the bottom of the ramp for them with a squard of armed guards and his smile became even broader as he recognised Rutger.
"Ah, Herr Daumann, how great it is to see you. You have grown much taller since we last met," said the officer. He extended a hand and Rutger shook it firmly.
"Admiral Day, as usual a pleasure to see you. My respect to you for staying in command of this ship for so long!" laughed the young man. Rutger noticed the Admiral glance over his shoulder at Tanya so he cleared his throat and stood back slightly. "Admiral, I would like to introduce my new Security Chief, Eve O'Callaghan. A recent appointment, she has fine credentials and has worked well with me, us, so far." He reddened ever so slightly, but the older man did not notice, his eyes fixed on Tanya's own.
The Admiral bowed, noting the determined look the woman returned. There was no give in this one, he thought.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said to Tanya, who said nothing but merely smiled and nodded in response.
"How is your father?" asked the Admiral.
Immediately, mentioning the Baron brought a pause to the proceedings, leaving the Admiral to consider what he had said. It was Tanya who broke the silence.
"The young lord's father is extremely ill. As such, he has taken a role of Acting Baron until his father is fit to resume duty," she said evenly.
"Come then, my lad. It's clear we have much to catch up on. Miss O'Callaghan, you may leave..the Baron in my care. Have you and your men attend to the barracks," ordered the Admiral, but frowned when she had not moved.
"Sir, with all due respect, I am responsible for," she wanted to say Rutger. "The Baron's protection. With permission, I would like to stay with him. But I will send our troops to the barracks as requested."
The Admiral held her gaze for some time.
"Fine. Accompany us. The rest of you will be shown to your quarters by one of my men."
He glanced at Rutger and grinned as they walked ahead.
"Where did you say you hired her?" he asked bemused. Rutger sighed.
"Admiral, that's not an easy tale to tell," he said as they walked on.
Behind them, Tanya gave some swift orders to her men and they followed the Orbital guard to another lift.
She took in her surroundings and breathed deeply as she recalled the memories of her last visit here. By chance, she happened to glance up at the viewing gallery and saw a group of black-garbed men walking the length of it purposefully. Her breath caught as she recognised one, a grim-faced man from her past.
An Outcast.
The one she could not bring herself to kill.
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 11/26/2004 6:00:57 AM
He wore his finest dress uniform, the same as every member of the crew aboard the Luxury Liner Hawaii. The Orbital Spa & Cruise flagship had been hired in full by all the major houses to celebrate the first 'Sirius Games' in over a century. The officer's jacket was blue in colour bearing a gold trim and deep-red sash hung across his shoulders. A sheathed military sabre was belted to his waist and his boots were polished so well, light reflected off the surface in spots.
The young officer merely stood to attention patiently, waiting for his senior commander to respond. The Admiral was a man to be both feared and respected. The Hawaii was vulnerably positioned as relationships with pirates, the great Sirius houses, freelancers and of course his superiors required constant management. The Admiral has no patience for poor performances and especially for bad attitudes. The Hawaii was a home to many, and he took the responsibility of keeping this hub of humanity alive in space very seriously indeed.
However, Admiral Michael Day was not in a good mood.
Not only had his entire ship been made a victim of house politics for the second time in a week, but his main hangar deck was being prepared for a series of 'games'. He laughed aloud at the prospect, a sharp bark that made the officer standing behind him jump slightly at the sound. Games indeed, thought the Admiral. Blood sports. Arranged to appease bored ministers and wealthy businessmen. He couldn't believe it when he saw the passenger manifest, it was almost a directory of every senior administrative position in Sirius. And all aboard the Hawaii?
Ever since the latest raft of bombings in the colonies every OS&C ship had been placed on full alert status. With all these important people here, the Hawaii suddenly became a very choice target indeed.
"Sir, our guests have arrived," repeated the officer realising the Admiral hadn't noticed him there. He coughed and flushed red slightly as the Admiral turned slowly to face him, away from the large window at the far end of the main bridge.
The Admiral nodded in response.
"Good. Have them escorted to their quarters. I assume you have secured their weapons and ensure their ships are powered down fully?" asked the Admiral raising an eyebrow. He was a distinguished man in his mid-forties, well-built and lean from running a circuit of his ship each day, a regime he had followed for the last thirty years without fail on every Liner he had been stationed on.
The officer hesitated.
"Well? Answer my question, Captain," ordered the Admiral a little more forcefully than before, frowning as he spoke.
"Sir, they were reluctant to handover their personal sidearms, though they did power down their ships on docking," said the officer quickly. The Admiral did not reply instantly, making the officer feel even more uncomfortable. He felt like he was being sized up somehow.
"Fine. You were correct in your judgement not to press the issue. Inform the Outcasts they will be permitted to carry their sidearms, but will be escorted by a squad of our troopers whilst they remain aboard our ship. If they do not like that arrangement, they know where the hangars are. Dismissed," said the Admiral with a nod of his head.
He couldn't believe they were allowing the hated Outcasts aboard his ship, at least in an official capacity, but the orders came directly from Planet Curacao and could not be ignored.
The officer saluted again crisply, turned on his heel and walked towards the lift, only breathing a huge sigh once the doors had closed.
The Admiral turned slowly and looked out of the window once more, the sight of a docking armoured transport catching his eye. As soon as he recognised the blue and white logo of the Daumann corporation, he smiled.
"It's been a long time, Baron," he said to no-one in particular.
***
Aboard the armoured transport, Tanya, Rutger and half a dozen of his best guards had been busily preparing themselves to come aboard the Hawaii. For simplicity, Rutger introduced Tanya as Eve, a freelance commando his father had hired to provide additional security given the recent bombings.
A week before arriving at the Hawaii, a couple of the guards had voiced their concerns to the guard commander about Tanya's presence on board and wanted to know why a total stranger should be appointed such a prestigious position, especially a woman who seemed suitable only for 'bedroom duties'. The guard commander realised that a great deal of resentment had been formed amongst the soldiers, and he suggested a way that Tanya could earn their respect.
"Sir, my condolences on your father's ill health. He was, is, a great man," said the old master-of-arms bowing slightly as he spoke. "I've known him for many years and he has the total loyalty and respect of the entire corporation, and indeed, most of the Rheinland military having served in it for a decade."
"Gunter, my thanks for your kind words," replied Rutger. Gone was the naive, playful, innocent youth. "What do you propose regarding Tanya?" he asked. He trusted the old weaponsmaster with Tanya's true identity and in truth, was closer to Gunter than his own father in many ways.
"Sir, I recommend she prove herself to your men. This is the only way she will," Gunter paused searching for an appropriate word. "shrug off whatever views they have of her. And you," he said nodding.
Rutger smiled ruefully. He knew since his father's injury the corporation was effectively in his hands. He was fortunate to have a strong management team able to make most of the corporate decisions, but a great deal of what his father did involved personal meetings with business contracts, forging political alliances and gaining military support. To Rutger's surprise he learnt most people viewed his father quite warmly. However, whilst the forces that built up the military power of Daumann were not huge in number, they were each hand-picked and highly trained ex-military types. It was this group within the corporation he had to prove himself to as well.
He glanced back at Gunter who still waited for his response.
"What do you suggest, Gunter? I don't want her hurt," Rutger said.
"From what you have told me of her, I doubt very much she will be. I will arrange some tests. She will have to succeed at least the secondary objectives if the men are to take her seriously. Have Tanya come to the cargo deck in an hour."
Rutger nodded, looking more confident than he felt.
Gunter saluted, then opened the cabin door and walked out. No sooner than he left, Tanya strode in, beaming a wide smile.
"Well?" she asked. Tanya's hair was auburn now, tied back into a single ponytail and she wore a Daumann jumpsuit. Rutger had to admit to himself, she looked better in the uniform than any soldier he'd seen so far.
"Gunter thinks you need to prove yourself. Otherwise the men will view you merely as my..companion," he said lamely at last. Tanya frowned.
"A bed-mate?" she said angrily. "And is that you think of me too?"
Her fists balled and Rutger almost felt a wave of anger envelope him. He feared this side of Tanya the most.
"No, no. Not at all. I care for you deeply and I know you are more than capable at taking care of yourself. It is important you at least earn the respect of the men, if you are to remain in your current position. The role of Honour Guard is very privileged, and I have overlooked several other candidates for you."
Tanya sighed.
"I do not want favours from you, Rutger. I'm an employee of yours now. So, in this case you will have to treat me like one too. What did Gunter have in mind?"
"Gunter didn't give details, he said you were to go through a series of tests. That was all. An hour from now on the cargo deck," said Rutger slightly worried at the prospect.
She nodded, her green eyes gleaming.
"Fine. I'll be there," Tanya said, then she too strode out of Rutger's cabin.
The acting Baron merely stood still for a moment, watching Tanya leave, then sighed again deeply once the door had closed. Life as Baron was getting more complicated by the day, he mused.
***
An hour later, Tanya had made her way down to the cargo deck, a huge sprawling expanse of open decking, heavy lifting equipment and various containers that had been moved to sit along the walls, creating a large square of space in the centre. Gathered there, were around two dozen guards out of uniforms wearing only practice suits and an array of weapons on a bench.
Tanya laughed as she walked towards the group, she would enjoy this 'test'.
***
"So as you can see, a good combatant cannot rely on pure muscle or brute force alone!" said Tanya breathing hard, but not heavily.
She wore only a black top baring her arms and shoulders and a pair of combat pants. She stood bare-footed on the training mats, holding two men in arm locks that bore incredibly painful expressions on their faces as she casually walked round the edge of the mats with them in tow.
"To succeed in close combat, you must be still, be sensitive to your opponents' movements and of course, be confident in your own technique," she continued, then looked down at the men now shaking in pain. "Isn't that right, boys?" she asked, then released them where they collapsed to the mat rubbing their aching joints.
"Tricks, don't win fights," said one large man, looking at the two groaning men with contempt. "Strength wins fights," he went on. He was large, almost a foot taller than Tanya, huge thickly muscled wrists and corded tendons criss-crossed his arms and chest, massive thighs the size of fuel canisters supported his huge frame and his neck disappeared amongst a mass of more muscle. His heavily scarred face was sneering. Even Tanya was impressed.
"Your name, soldier?" she asked, noting a chuckle from the master-of-arms standing across the mat from her. The old man seemed to be enjoying watching his soldiers being beaten by a mere 'girl'. Tanya enjoyed talking to Gunter. He was a man of no expectations, what you saw, is what you got with him. She returned her gaze to the big man who had removed his shirt and was rubbing his arms and knuckles.
"My name is Frauk. And I will make you sorry you stepped onto this ship," he snarled.
Rutger winced as he watched from a monitor in his cabin. He couldn't bring himself to go downstairs and watch. The man truly dwarfed Tanya in every way. Surely even she could not defeat him?
"Very well, Frauk. Let's see what you have," Tanya said, eyes narrowed. She stepped back to allow Frauk some room onto the mats, where he grinned at the other guards, some bruised and sitting, other standing fresh but cheering the huge man on repeating his name like a chant that echoed around the deck.
"I am going to break you, little girl. And when the boy Baron sees how useless you are, I will request he gives you to me, where I will break you again. In different ways," he chuckled, a horrible sound and cracked his knuckles.
Tanya smiled briefly, saying nothing, then circled the big man for a few moments. Frauk leapt forwards with a speed that defied his bulk, and Tanya did well to dodge the incoming punch, swaying aside. She side-stepped to her right coming up behind him, where she whispered in his ear.
"I bet you haven't even seen it, let alone use it to break anyone," she said huskily.
Frauk roared and swung his other fist in a backhand which Tanya neatly ducked again, but lightly sprang to her feet and placed her face inches away from his once more.
"Do you think size matters, Frauk?" she hissed this time.
Frauk was overwhelmed at her speed, the woman moved like quicksilver. It was like trying to hit ghost, he thought. He tried to grab her for a crushing attack, but instead of moving back, Tanya stepped inside his reach and slammed the edge of her hand into his throat.
The blow was forceful and Frauk staggered back clutching his throat with both hands as his breath rattled. Tanya watched him as he tottered backwards eyes rolling upwards as he struggled to draw breath. Gunter noticed her eyes had become much darker than before, as though clouded by something.
"Lesson over," she said finally and leapt into the air, her rear foot spinning behind her then crashing into the big man's temple, where he fell poleaxed. She ignored the prone man and walked over to the other guards where they had watched in stony silence as she struck the blow, none of them daring to meet her eyes. "Anyone else?"
There was no response, only uncomfortable shuffling.
"Good. I'll be in my quarters if you need me," she said and strode off towards the lifts.
Gunter rushed over to Frauk who was slowly coming around, glad to see the big man wasn't too severely injured. He didn't have a bad heart, but wasn't particularly bright either. He chuckled as Frauk stood up and watched Tanya enter the lifts.
"She has a kick like a mule," he said rubbing his head, a lump already beginning to rise.
"I think she pulled the blow, too," laughed Gunter. Frauk grunted once and nodded.
"Seems our new Baron is at least a good judge of character like his father at least," said Gunter gruffly.
"Aye. She's a killer, that one," agreed Frauk.
***
Tanya was glad to be in her own cabin again. The hot, steaming shower was easing most of the days' pressures and troubles away. Tanya felt some regret over the way she had handled Frauk. She realised he was just full of testosterone and trying to show off to his friends. In the end, she dealt with him as quickly as she could without causing too much drama.
There was a knock at her cabin door and annoyed, Tanya turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around herself, slowly padding her way to the door leaving a trail of wet footprints behind her.
Tanya opened it and to her surprise saw the huge bulk of Frauk standing in the corridor, head slightly hunched as he was too big for the tight space.
"Yes?" she asked curtly, holding the towel tighter now ready to slam the door in case he tried anything.
"Uh, Miss. I came to apologise for my words earlier. I was only, um. Teasing," he said awkwardly. A bandage was strapped across his head and his throat looked bruised.
Tanya smiled, but let the moment draw out for a little.
"Apology accepted. I hope I didn't hit you too hard," she replied. "I look forwards to working with you all," then winked and closed the door before Frauk could reply, whose mouth was still open.
Tanya padded back to the shower and turned it on again, her spirits lifted from before.
***
In the present, the armoured transport prepared to dock with the Hawaii. Permission to land had been granted and the transport, now a tiny blue and white dot entering a cavernous main hangar deck, slowly manoeuvred it's way to a landing pad.
Rutger, Tanya and the six guards stood to attention.
"You boys, ready?" asked Tanya. The guards nodded as one, saying nothing.
She had been drilling them all in close-proximity protection techniques, training that none of them had ever experienced before. They definitely felt stronger for it and the confidence in their new leader had grown. Rutger was pleased at the way they responded to her commands, it seemed that Gunter's idea was a dangerous one at first, but had worked. He left the master-at-arms on board his ship to supervise refuelling, with orders the older man would join them later once everything was settled.
The transport passed the gravity well and everyone on board felt a slight prickling sensation, as they crossed the invisible barrier of force that kept the hangar filled with breathable air.
"Are you ready, Baron?" asked Tanya smiling.
"With you? I am always ready," replied Rutger.
The ship landed with a gentle bump and the main doors opened, allowing Rutger and his entourage to disembark. A smiling man, well decorated in Orbital Spa & Cruise attire waited at the bottom of the ramp for them with a squard of armed guards and his smile became even broader as he recognised Rutger.
"Ah, Herr Daumann, how great it is to see you. You have grown much taller since we last met," said the officer. He extended a hand and Rutger shook it firmly.
"Admiral Day, as usual a pleasure to see you. My respect to you for staying in command of this ship for so long!" laughed the young man. Rutger noticed the Admiral glance over his shoulder at Tanya so he cleared his throat and stood back slightly. "Admiral, I would like to introduce my new Security Chief, Eve O'Callaghan. A recent appointment, she has fine credentials and has worked well with me, us, so far." He reddened ever so slightly, but the older man did not notice, his eyes fixed on Tanya's own.
The Admiral bowed, noting the determined look the woman returned. There was no give in this one, he thought.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said to Tanya, who said nothing but merely smiled and nodded in response.
"How is your father?" asked the Admiral.
Immediately, mentioning the Baron brought a pause to the proceedings, leaving the Admiral to consider what he had said. It was Tanya who broke the silence.
"The young lord's father is extremely ill. As such, he has taken a role of Acting Baron until his father is fit to resume duty," she said evenly.
"Come then, my lad. It's clear we have much to catch up on. Miss O'Callaghan, you may leave..the Baron in my care. Have you and your men attend to the barracks," ordered the Admiral, but frowned when she had not moved.
"Sir, with all due respect, I am responsible for," she wanted to say Rutger. "The Baron's protection. With permission, I would like to stay with him. But I will send our troops to the barracks as requested."
The Admiral held her gaze for some time.
"Fine. Accompany us. The rest of you will be shown to your quarters by one of my men."
He glanced at Rutger and grinned as they walked ahead.
"Where did you say you hired her?" he asked bemused. Rutger sighed.
"Admiral, that's not an easy tale to tell," he said as they walked on.
Behind them, Tanya gave some swift orders to her men and they followed the Orbital guard to another lift.
She took in her surroundings and breathed deeply as she recalled the memories of her last visit here. By chance, she happened to glance up at the viewing gallery and saw a group of black-garbed men walking the length of it purposefully. Her breath caught as she recognised one, a grim-faced man from her past.
An Outcast.
The one she could not bring herself to kill.
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 11/26/2004 6:00:57 AM
Fri Nov 26, 2004 4:58 pm
thank-you for the mention.
I like how you handeled the latest chapter, you had a chance to make this into a romance story ( and as such you could have lost some of your fans ) but you kept
to the solid story line that you have developed.It was good to have seen the human side of Tayna and I hope to see more of that side of her, but not at the expence of loseing the action side that is the basies of the story, and vice-versa.
Maybe when you reach the end of this story you could show her relaxing and haveing fun doing something she dared not do before. Of course I hope the story doesn't reach an end for at least ten(?) more chapters......Please?
Keep up the good work.
Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.
I like how you handeled the latest chapter, you had a chance to make this into a romance story ( and as such you could have lost some of your fans ) but you kept
to the solid story line that you have developed.It was good to have seen the human side of Tayna and I hope to see more of that side of her, but not at the expence of loseing the action side that is the basies of the story, and vice-versa.
Maybe when you reach the end of this story you could show her relaxing and haveing fun doing something she dared not do before. Of course I hope the story doesn't reach an end for at least ten(?) more chapters
......Please?
Keep up the good work.
Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.
Wed Dec 08, 2004 3:42 am
"Name?" barked a burly man, in ornate leather armour. Only his eyes could be seen behind the full face mask, the spiked shoulder pads and large wristbands encased in metal studs created a fearsome appearance. "I said, what is your name, slave?" demanded the slaver again, he glared inside the mucky cell, where a single man sat in the corner.
His clothes were rent and torn in several places and his face was dirt covered. Hair that was once clean and well-managed now hung in lank tendrils around his head. The man looked up slowly from where he sat, dark, brooding eyes fixed on the slaver peering through the grubby hair.
"Travis Carter," he said through dry, bleeding lips. It had been a long time since he'd had any water, the mistreatment gave him anger, and his anger gave him strength. "It's written on the fracking wall up there, idiot," he said, lips curling into a tight smile ignoring the pain as old wounds reopened and new ones formed.
The slaver glared in response but merely stood.
"Lucky for you, Liberty scum, my orders are to keep you alive. Unluckily for you, no-one told me in what condition," he smirked showing broken teeth. "I will enjoy the moment when you are called to the arena. Enjoy these hours in this cell. It is all you have left now," hissed the slaver, then stalked away down the corridor.
Travis closed his eyes until the heavy footfalls became nothing but a soft echo in the distance. In his mind, he saw so many things. Scenes from ages past. A girl with green eyes appeared constantly, then disappeared whenever he tried to focus on her image.
Would Tanya come? he thought.
Travis bunched his fists until his knuckles became white.
***
"By Rheinland, this is terrible!" whispered Rutger, the young Daumann heir's eyes were wide open in shock and amazement as he took in the scene below.
The arena floor was filled with sand and terrible spikes were mounted on the wall, facing downwards at an angle to prevent any combatants escaping. The walls were twenty feet high, close enough for the spectators in the front tier of seating to smell the blood and occasionally for droplets to splash on those watching.
Rutger was sat on the third tier out of seven in all, Tanya, posing as his security chief Eve was sat beside him. Around them were people they didn't know, Tanya presumed they were wealthy guests paying high fees to watch the illegal fights. She glanced around but couldn't see the Admiral anywhere, perhaps he didn't agree with the events either, she thought.
The Daumann heir gripped Tanya's hand tightly and winced as a combatant's skull was caved in by an opponent's blow, the bone cracking audibly as the man twitched and fell. Tanya shot him a quick look and Rutger removed his hand.
"Cut that out," said Tanya. "Someone could be monitoring the spectators."
Rutger nodded and focused his attention on the battle raging inside the arena. Six men, all swarthy and dangerous looking had walked onto the sand floor from recesses within the arena wall. Each had saluted the crowd, now only two remained as the brutal free-for-all resulted in quick, bloody conclusions. The two men eyed each other warily and circled waiting for an opening, as well as gathering strength. They were unarmoured wearing loose trousers and tunics made of dull brown material. Both carried dented and battered round shields. One was swinging a spiked ball on a chain, the other carried a curved sword.
Almost immediately the tiers of spectators burst into life as bets were taken and odds revised.
"You should put a wager on," suggested Tanya. Her green eyes remained hidden behind the mirrored shades she wore, but she was closely watching the two men in the arena. "You need to make a statement that would be noticed."
Rutger nodded then gulped.
"Very well, who should I place my money on?" he asked, his eyes switching between the two. He had been watching the fights but felt at a loss who would be the better fighter. Everything happened so quickly. He looked at Tanya when she didn't reply, until at last she spoke.
"The one with the sword. Go!" she urged. "A hundred thousand credits should be enough," Tanya said smiling. "No. Make it a million."
Rutger blinked.
"I know you have the money, Rutger. Go, quickly!" said Tanya.
Rutger nodded, then set off at a pace, hurdling towards a group of spectators crowded around a large, balding man who appeared to be taking cred-sticks and giving out coupons as fast as he could. Behind him stood a giant of a man, similar in size and bulk to Frauk, the soldier Tanya fought a week before. Rutger stepped up quickly and shouted across the throng.
"A million on the man with the sword!" he bellowed.
Suddenly everyone stopped talking and turned to face him. The whole area around him fell silent as those within earshot craned to get a view of the man who had just offered to bet such a sum. Rutger reddened and felt very small indeed, a million was a huge amount of money.
The balding man grinned and reached past other waiting spectators to take Rutger's cred-stick and returned it along with a red coupon. Rutger went back to Tanya and sat down, breathless.
"Well. It's done. I hope you're right!" he said panting a little. Tanya didn't reply continuing to watch the arena floor.
As the men circled again having paused momentarily, the crowd began to cheer and hoot wildly, baying like animals, thought Rutger. The man with the ball and chain swung his weapon at his opponent and forced him to duck under the wild swing. The sword-wielding fighter quickly sprang to his feet and lunged forwards with his blade only to growl as his opponent brought his shield up to parry. The sword rang against the metal shield and both fighters stepped back again, seemingly calm against the explosive violence that they were involved in.
The ball and chain fighter attacked again, this time sweeping low making his opponent jump to avoid the blow. He used the momentum of the swing to bring the weapon around again at chest height and the sword-wielder barely to managed to bring his shield up in time. The spiked ball crashed into the shield with great force and Rutger saw several spikes bit into the metal, the wielder tugged on the chain sharply pulling the shield from the sword-wielder's grasp and the spectators cheered again, knowing the end was drawing near.
"It's over," said Rutger miserably.
The sword-wielder charged in a desperate lunge but the ball and chain fighter brought his shield up and sent it flying into his opponent's face. The man went down and before he could rise, the spiked ball was whipped around and buried inches deep in his skull.
A huge cheer went up from the crowd and there was a bustle of activity as bets were paid off. Rutger sighed.
"Win some, you lose some," said Rutger looking up at the roof. Tanya laughed making Rutger turn towards her. "I don't find losing a million credits funny!" he said angrily.
Tanya nodded.
"If you believe in me, you'll trust me," she said softly. "This is not the only fight today."
Down in the arena, bodies were dragged off and fresh sand brought out to cover the pools of blood beginning to congeal on the floor. A man dressed in a black uniform stepped out onto the sand, accompanied by several others. Tanya noticed one seemed very out of place, his designed suit was most unsuitable for an arena sand pit.
The man in the black uniform spoke first, a comm-link worn on his ear was sending signals to a loudspeaker somewhere.
"Friends! Welcome to the first in what I hope are many such tournaments. Welcome to the Sirius Gladiator Tourneys!" he yelled. The crowd cheered again and Tanya noted the expensive clothes, accessories and jewellery adorning many of the spectators. She never realised there was such wealth in the colonies. She also had come to realise there was a huge gulf between those scraping an existence and those with true wealth. The man spoke again.
"I am your host for this evening's events, you may call me 'The Ambassador'. For I am enemy to no-one and friend to all. I seek only to provide entertainment where there is none. And I want to bring the wealthiest and most powerful in Sirius together. I am your servant, and I hope you will all be entertained!" he said emphatically and was met with a rousing cheer. "Today you have seen the first of the melee contests. Tomorrow, we have space combat, where your best pilots will compete for the illustrious title of Colony Ace! Now, a word from our sponsors."
He gestured for the man in the suit to come forwards and passed him the earpiece. When he spoke he used low, deliberate tones. Tanya knew instinctively this man was dangerous and watched him carefully.
"My name is Governor Jack Mason. I work for the Liberty Defence Ministry. Many of you may not know me. But I hope that a certain number of you will. I am hosting a meeting later today after the bouts, those fortunate enough to have received an invitation would do well to attend, for the reward is great prestige and power," the man paused taking the gaze of the people sat above him. "Enjoy the tournament," he said finally, handing back the earpiece to the uniformed man. The group left leaving Tanya with her thoughts.
The young woman frowned. This was the man Travis spoke of before, Governor Mason, the man who gave the order for dozens of assassinations, the man who treated the lives of her team like dust, and the man who was responsible for ordering their deaths.
"We need to find out what's going on, Rutger," she said determinedly. "You have to be in that meeting later!"
"How do I do that? I haven't received such an invitation," said Rutger.
"Don't worry, I think we have an opening," replied Tanya nodding down at the arena floor once more.
More men walked forth from the darkened corridor wearing two different colours and she studied them all as they warmed up. One in particular had caught her eye, he moved with a feral grace and great confidence. The assured manner of his movements singled him out to be very well trained, or possessing great natural athleticism and he appeared to be strangely familiar.
***
Travis was breathing hard, it had been a long time since he had to undertake any kind of intense physical activity. He blamed the continuous lethargy of long space journeys making his muscles soft. He felt like a freighter trying to move in ways only a scout fighter could.
Twelve men entered the arena this time, six on each side. The theme was to defeat the other side, but clearly the side against him had been given better odds. They looked fresher, their equipment was better and they had clearly fought together before. Only two men had survived on his team, against four on the other. Fortunately for Travis, they had split into smaller groups and begun to hunt the men on his side singly, giving him time to pick on who he thought was the weakest overall. He and the last surviving member had attacked two in such a way and Travis took a deep breath as he prepared to engage the last of the pair.
He ducked a wild swing then lashed out with his own blade, catching the man high in the shoulder. Blood spurted out and he fell back dropping his sword clutching his useless arm. Travis backed away too wiping the blood from his eyes, opening them to see his opponent run through from behind by his remaining team-mate who grinned at Travis.
At the far side of the arena, the three men dispatched their quarry and turned towards Travis and his companion.
"What is your name?" asked Travis hoarsely.
"What?" asked the tired man. He was in his mid-thirties and handled himself well.
"Your name? I'm Travis," replied the ex-bounty hunter.
"I'm Shaun, pleased to meet ya. When we're done with these guys, how about I buy you a drink later?" he laughed.
Travis laughed too.
"Sounds good, buddy. But we might have some competition first," he said, nodding to the approaching trio. Travis gripped his sword tighter. He was a dead man. The wounds he'd taken earlier, whilst not deep had slowly been sapping his strength. Against three fresh opponents better armed and trained he would stand no chance. At least he would go down fighting.
***
Up in the stands, Tanya and Rutger watched with avid interest. The young woman knew Travis was tiring, but was powerless to do anything. She touched Rutger on the arm lightly.
"Rutger, that man, on the left. That's Travis," she said softly.
Rutger's eyes widened.
"That is him? That fighter there?" he asked, pointing to the dishevelled warrior in the arena. Travis had thrown away his shield and stooped to retrieve a fallen sword to accompany the one he had already. "He looks, tired," said the Daumann heir sadly.
Tanya nodded expressionless. To act now would blow her cover and everything they had planned for would be wasted. Travis was on his own. Still, there could be something positive out of this.
"Go place a bet. Two million on the blue team to win," she said with a grin. Rutger looked at her and for the first time in a while frowned.
"Fraulein. I've already lost a million on your tips. Do you want me to sell my company to pay my debts?" he asked annoyed.
Tanya shrugged and looked away to the arena floor again.
Rutger sighed.
"Fine, fine. I will return shortly," he said resignedly. Before he could rise, Tanya put a firm hand on his arm.
"No, make the bet from here. Shout it out if you have to," she ordered.
The Daumann heir shook his head in total confusion, but eventually nodded and sighed again.
"Two million credits on the blue team to win!" he shouted at the fat, balding man who had taken his bet before.
The man looked up surprised but once he understood what Rutger was saying could hardly conceal his delight. He quickly barged his way past a few people and had given Rutger a coupon and swiped his cred-stick. Inspired, a dozen people took bets and counter bets too.
"I hope you're right this time," said Rutger to Tanya. "I really do! If we keep going like this, I'll have to sell 'you' into slavery, Miss O'Callaghan!"
***
"Well come on then, girls! Don't keep us waiting all day!" bellowed Travis at the three men facing him.
They had approached warily, fanning out as wide as possible to try and surround him and his partner. Travis smiled, it was a foolish move. His training had come flooding back to him and his mind remained calm and clear. Had they attacked together they would have overcome at least one of the pair, leaving the last alone and vulnerable. Travis edged slowly to the man on the far left of the semi-circle, then without warning, charged him screaming at the top of his voice attempting to unsettle his opponent.
His first sword came down with great speed but was blocked by his surprised opponents shield. Travis shoulder charged his man and sent him hurtling to the ground with the momentum. Before he could bring his shield to bear Travis was standing above him, slicing, hacking and stabbing downwards mercilessly with both of his swords. Within moments, his blades found their mark and the man lay prone in a pool of his own blood with several gaping wounds. The ex-bounty hunter turned and saw to his dismay his companion Shaun, stabbed in the chest as he desperately attempted to defend against two men. He slid to the ground with his back against the arena wall, leaving a bloody trail on the surface.
Travis roared and charged again. The two men braced themselves. Travis reached his arm back and before the men could react threw one of his swords at close range as hard as he could. It spun through the air and hammered into the visor of one man, forcing it shut as the blade impeded his vision. His companion stood transfixed as Travis continued his charge and weakly parried Travis's downward swing using his shield. The ex-bounty hunter swatted it aside using his free hand then brought his sword up in a deadly stab under the guard of his opponent screaming in rage and desperation as the point rammed home. The sword burst through the man's back and Travis, still screaming let go of the blade and pushed the man away in contempt.
Covered in blood, eyes wild and chest pumping heavily he turned on the last man who had barely managed to prise open his visor. He looked at the bloody, snarling creature ahead of him and slowly backed away, his eyes showing great fear. Travis bent down and picked up a sword dropped from a fallen fighter, then with his head still bowed flicked his eyes up at the man who now stood trembling. A moment later, he turned around and ran for the dark recess in the wall of the arena, presumably where an access door was. Once there, he pounded on the door with his fists all dignity abandoned.
"Let me out! Let me out! This wasn't part of the deal!" he screamed. Behind him, Travis stood still watching the man and his futile attempt at escape.
The door opened and he stepped back with a relieved smile on his face only for it to freeze suddenly. There was a bright flash and the smell of burning flesh filled the arena and the man looked down to find his chest had been burned away, then fell back onto the sandy floor, creating a minor cloud of dust.
All around the arena, resounding cheers could be heard and most of the spectators had risen to their feet clapping and stamping their feet.
Travis walked over to the still form of his team-mate.
"Shaun, I'm sorry buddy," said the ex-bounty hunter, closing the man's open eyes. "In the next life."
Two fully armed men appeared from the recess, carrying blasters and beckoned Travis over. Wearily, he limped over to them totally exhausted now. Before he reached the door, for some reason unknown to him he felt eyes on his back and spun to look up into the crowd. He saw a huge group of people surrounding a large balding man who was desperately trying to swipe a dozen or more cred-sticks. He did not look happy. Just beside him was a handsome, well-dressed man in a white and blue uniform who was on his chair leaping up and down.
Standing in front of him leaning on a rail staring straight at Travis was a strikingly attractive, athletic-looking woman. She too was dressed in uniform similar to the young man behind her. The woman reached up with a hand and pulled her shades down to the end of her nose. She held his eyes for a fleeting moment, smiled briefly, then replaced the shades and turned around gently pulling the young man off the chair.
Travis chuckled as he walked away.
He'd recognise those green eyes anywhere in Sirius.
***
"We won! We won!" repeated Rutger. He was the first to arrive before the betting tout and wore a grin as wide as his face when he returned to Tanya. The young woman smiled but maintained her calm. All around them the cheers were defeaning.
A black uniformed man pushed his way through the crowd and approached Rutger, tapping him on his shoulder. Tanya moved in closer to hear what he said.
"Sir, Baron Rutger Daumann. I represent the hosts of today's events. You have been invited to join us for a meeting in one hour. Should you desire greater wealth, status and power you would do well to attend. How should I respond to my superiors?" said the cold-eyed man. He stared directly at Rutger, though his eyes occasionally flickered to Tanya's mirror shaded eyes.
Rutger nodded immediately.
"I will be there. Where is the meeting?" he asked.
"A guide will come to your cabin door and escort you. Bring one attendant. No more," replied the man sharply. He bowed his head slightly, then pushed his way back into the crowd. Within moments he was lost amongst the throng.
The Daumann heir spun to face Tanya.
"How?" he shrugged.
"Because, now you're thought of as young, foolish, bad with money, but lucky. You will be under-estimated and hopefully you'll hear and see more as people consider you harmless. With a woman as your attendant instead of a hulking bodyguard, they'll probably even consider you as some corporation-bred playboy with a soft lifestyle," she concluded and couldn't help herself but smile as she spoke. "No offence."
Rutger laughed.
"Well. That's not a bad summary at all, really!"
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 12/8/2004 8:00:59 AM
His clothes were rent and torn in several places and his face was dirt covered. Hair that was once clean and well-managed now hung in lank tendrils around his head. The man looked up slowly from where he sat, dark, brooding eyes fixed on the slaver peering through the grubby hair.
"Travis Carter," he said through dry, bleeding lips. It had been a long time since he'd had any water, the mistreatment gave him anger, and his anger gave him strength. "It's written on the fracking wall up there, idiot," he said, lips curling into a tight smile ignoring the pain as old wounds reopened and new ones formed.
The slaver glared in response but merely stood.
"Lucky for you, Liberty scum, my orders are to keep you alive. Unluckily for you, no-one told me in what condition," he smirked showing broken teeth. "I will enjoy the moment when you are called to the arena. Enjoy these hours in this cell. It is all you have left now," hissed the slaver, then stalked away down the corridor.
Travis closed his eyes until the heavy footfalls became nothing but a soft echo in the distance. In his mind, he saw so many things. Scenes from ages past. A girl with green eyes appeared constantly, then disappeared whenever he tried to focus on her image.
Would Tanya come? he thought.
Travis bunched his fists until his knuckles became white.
***
"By Rheinland, this is terrible!" whispered Rutger, the young Daumann heir's eyes were wide open in shock and amazement as he took in the scene below.
The arena floor was filled with sand and terrible spikes were mounted on the wall, facing downwards at an angle to prevent any combatants escaping. The walls were twenty feet high, close enough for the spectators in the front tier of seating to smell the blood and occasionally for droplets to splash on those watching.
Rutger was sat on the third tier out of seven in all, Tanya, posing as his security chief Eve was sat beside him. Around them were people they didn't know, Tanya presumed they were wealthy guests paying high fees to watch the illegal fights. She glanced around but couldn't see the Admiral anywhere, perhaps he didn't agree with the events either, she thought.
The Daumann heir gripped Tanya's hand tightly and winced as a combatant's skull was caved in by an opponent's blow, the bone cracking audibly as the man twitched and fell. Tanya shot him a quick look and Rutger removed his hand.
"Cut that out," said Tanya. "Someone could be monitoring the spectators."
Rutger nodded and focused his attention on the battle raging inside the arena. Six men, all swarthy and dangerous looking had walked onto the sand floor from recesses within the arena wall. Each had saluted the crowd, now only two remained as the brutal free-for-all resulted in quick, bloody conclusions. The two men eyed each other warily and circled waiting for an opening, as well as gathering strength. They were unarmoured wearing loose trousers and tunics made of dull brown material. Both carried dented and battered round shields. One was swinging a spiked ball on a chain, the other carried a curved sword.
Almost immediately the tiers of spectators burst into life as bets were taken and odds revised.
"You should put a wager on," suggested Tanya. Her green eyes remained hidden behind the mirrored shades she wore, but she was closely watching the two men in the arena. "You need to make a statement that would be noticed."
Rutger nodded then gulped.
"Very well, who should I place my money on?" he asked, his eyes switching between the two. He had been watching the fights but felt at a loss who would be the better fighter. Everything happened so quickly. He looked at Tanya when she didn't reply, until at last she spoke.
"The one with the sword. Go!" she urged. "A hundred thousand credits should be enough," Tanya said smiling. "No. Make it a million."
Rutger blinked.
"I know you have the money, Rutger. Go, quickly!" said Tanya.
Rutger nodded, then set off at a pace, hurdling towards a group of spectators crowded around a large, balding man who appeared to be taking cred-sticks and giving out coupons as fast as he could. Behind him stood a giant of a man, similar in size and bulk to Frauk, the soldier Tanya fought a week before. Rutger stepped up quickly and shouted across the throng.
"A million on the man with the sword!" he bellowed.
Suddenly everyone stopped talking and turned to face him. The whole area around him fell silent as those within earshot craned to get a view of the man who had just offered to bet such a sum. Rutger reddened and felt very small indeed, a million was a huge amount of money.
The balding man grinned and reached past other waiting spectators to take Rutger's cred-stick and returned it along with a red coupon. Rutger went back to Tanya and sat down, breathless.
"Well. It's done. I hope you're right!" he said panting a little. Tanya didn't reply continuing to watch the arena floor.
As the men circled again having paused momentarily, the crowd began to cheer and hoot wildly, baying like animals, thought Rutger. The man with the ball and chain swung his weapon at his opponent and forced him to duck under the wild swing. The sword-wielding fighter quickly sprang to his feet and lunged forwards with his blade only to growl as his opponent brought his shield up to parry. The sword rang against the metal shield and both fighters stepped back again, seemingly calm against the explosive violence that they were involved in.
The ball and chain fighter attacked again, this time sweeping low making his opponent jump to avoid the blow. He used the momentum of the swing to bring the weapon around again at chest height and the sword-wielder barely to managed to bring his shield up in time. The spiked ball crashed into the shield with great force and Rutger saw several spikes bit into the metal, the wielder tugged on the chain sharply pulling the shield from the sword-wielder's grasp and the spectators cheered again, knowing the end was drawing near.
"It's over," said Rutger miserably.
The sword-wielder charged in a desperate lunge but the ball and chain fighter brought his shield up and sent it flying into his opponent's face. The man went down and before he could rise, the spiked ball was whipped around and buried inches deep in his skull.
A huge cheer went up from the crowd and there was a bustle of activity as bets were paid off. Rutger sighed.
"Win some, you lose some," said Rutger looking up at the roof. Tanya laughed making Rutger turn towards her. "I don't find losing a million credits funny!" he said angrily.
Tanya nodded.
"If you believe in me, you'll trust me," she said softly. "This is not the only fight today."
Down in the arena, bodies were dragged off and fresh sand brought out to cover the pools of blood beginning to congeal on the floor. A man dressed in a black uniform stepped out onto the sand, accompanied by several others. Tanya noticed one seemed very out of place, his designed suit was most unsuitable for an arena sand pit.
The man in the black uniform spoke first, a comm-link worn on his ear was sending signals to a loudspeaker somewhere.
"Friends! Welcome to the first in what I hope are many such tournaments. Welcome to the Sirius Gladiator Tourneys!" he yelled. The crowd cheered again and Tanya noted the expensive clothes, accessories and jewellery adorning many of the spectators. She never realised there was such wealth in the colonies. She also had come to realise there was a huge gulf between those scraping an existence and those with true wealth. The man spoke again.
"I am your host for this evening's events, you may call me 'The Ambassador'. For I am enemy to no-one and friend to all. I seek only to provide entertainment where there is none. And I want to bring the wealthiest and most powerful in Sirius together. I am your servant, and I hope you will all be entertained!" he said emphatically and was met with a rousing cheer. "Today you have seen the first of the melee contests. Tomorrow, we have space combat, where your best pilots will compete for the illustrious title of Colony Ace! Now, a word from our sponsors."
He gestured for the man in the suit to come forwards and passed him the earpiece. When he spoke he used low, deliberate tones. Tanya knew instinctively this man was dangerous and watched him carefully.
"My name is Governor Jack Mason. I work for the Liberty Defence Ministry. Many of you may not know me. But I hope that a certain number of you will. I am hosting a meeting later today after the bouts, those fortunate enough to have received an invitation would do well to attend, for the reward is great prestige and power," the man paused taking the gaze of the people sat above him. "Enjoy the tournament," he said finally, handing back the earpiece to the uniformed man. The group left leaving Tanya with her thoughts.
The young woman frowned. This was the man Travis spoke of before, Governor Mason, the man who gave the order for dozens of assassinations, the man who treated the lives of her team like dust, and the man who was responsible for ordering their deaths.
"We need to find out what's going on, Rutger," she said determinedly. "You have to be in that meeting later!"
"How do I do that? I haven't received such an invitation," said Rutger.
"Don't worry, I think we have an opening," replied Tanya nodding down at the arena floor once more.
More men walked forth from the darkened corridor wearing two different colours and she studied them all as they warmed up. One in particular had caught her eye, he moved with a feral grace and great confidence. The assured manner of his movements singled him out to be very well trained, or possessing great natural athleticism and he appeared to be strangely familiar.
***
Travis was breathing hard, it had been a long time since he had to undertake any kind of intense physical activity. He blamed the continuous lethargy of long space journeys making his muscles soft. He felt like a freighter trying to move in ways only a scout fighter could.
Twelve men entered the arena this time, six on each side. The theme was to defeat the other side, but clearly the side against him had been given better odds. They looked fresher, their equipment was better and they had clearly fought together before. Only two men had survived on his team, against four on the other. Fortunately for Travis, they had split into smaller groups and begun to hunt the men on his side singly, giving him time to pick on who he thought was the weakest overall. He and the last surviving member had attacked two in such a way and Travis took a deep breath as he prepared to engage the last of the pair.
He ducked a wild swing then lashed out with his own blade, catching the man high in the shoulder. Blood spurted out and he fell back dropping his sword clutching his useless arm. Travis backed away too wiping the blood from his eyes, opening them to see his opponent run through from behind by his remaining team-mate who grinned at Travis.
At the far side of the arena, the three men dispatched their quarry and turned towards Travis and his companion.
"What is your name?" asked Travis hoarsely.
"What?" asked the tired man. He was in his mid-thirties and handled himself well.
"Your name? I'm Travis," replied the ex-bounty hunter.
"I'm Shaun, pleased to meet ya. When we're done with these guys, how about I buy you a drink later?" he laughed.
Travis laughed too.
"Sounds good, buddy. But we might have some competition first," he said, nodding to the approaching trio. Travis gripped his sword tighter. He was a dead man. The wounds he'd taken earlier, whilst not deep had slowly been sapping his strength. Against three fresh opponents better armed and trained he would stand no chance. At least he would go down fighting.
***
Up in the stands, Tanya and Rutger watched with avid interest. The young woman knew Travis was tiring, but was powerless to do anything. She touched Rutger on the arm lightly.
"Rutger, that man, on the left. That's Travis," she said softly.
Rutger's eyes widened.
"That is him? That fighter there?" he asked, pointing to the dishevelled warrior in the arena. Travis had thrown away his shield and stooped to retrieve a fallen sword to accompany the one he had already. "He looks, tired," said the Daumann heir sadly.
Tanya nodded expressionless. To act now would blow her cover and everything they had planned for would be wasted. Travis was on his own. Still, there could be something positive out of this.
"Go place a bet. Two million on the blue team to win," she said with a grin. Rutger looked at her and for the first time in a while frowned.
"Fraulein. I've already lost a million on your tips. Do you want me to sell my company to pay my debts?" he asked annoyed.
Tanya shrugged and looked away to the arena floor again.
Rutger sighed.
"Fine, fine. I will return shortly," he said resignedly. Before he could rise, Tanya put a firm hand on his arm.
"No, make the bet from here. Shout it out if you have to," she ordered.
The Daumann heir shook his head in total confusion, but eventually nodded and sighed again.
"Two million credits on the blue team to win!" he shouted at the fat, balding man who had taken his bet before.
The man looked up surprised but once he understood what Rutger was saying could hardly conceal his delight. He quickly barged his way past a few people and had given Rutger a coupon and swiped his cred-stick. Inspired, a dozen people took bets and counter bets too.
"I hope you're right this time," said Rutger to Tanya. "I really do! If we keep going like this, I'll have to sell 'you' into slavery, Miss O'Callaghan!"
***
"Well come on then, girls! Don't keep us waiting all day!" bellowed Travis at the three men facing him.
They had approached warily, fanning out as wide as possible to try and surround him and his partner. Travis smiled, it was a foolish move. His training had come flooding back to him and his mind remained calm and clear. Had they attacked together they would have overcome at least one of the pair, leaving the last alone and vulnerable. Travis edged slowly to the man on the far left of the semi-circle, then without warning, charged him screaming at the top of his voice attempting to unsettle his opponent.
His first sword came down with great speed but was blocked by his surprised opponents shield. Travis shoulder charged his man and sent him hurtling to the ground with the momentum. Before he could bring his shield to bear Travis was standing above him, slicing, hacking and stabbing downwards mercilessly with both of his swords. Within moments, his blades found their mark and the man lay prone in a pool of his own blood with several gaping wounds. The ex-bounty hunter turned and saw to his dismay his companion Shaun, stabbed in the chest as he desperately attempted to defend against two men. He slid to the ground with his back against the arena wall, leaving a bloody trail on the surface.
Travis roared and charged again. The two men braced themselves. Travis reached his arm back and before the men could react threw one of his swords at close range as hard as he could. It spun through the air and hammered into the visor of one man, forcing it shut as the blade impeded his vision. His companion stood transfixed as Travis continued his charge and weakly parried Travis's downward swing using his shield. The ex-bounty hunter swatted it aside using his free hand then brought his sword up in a deadly stab under the guard of his opponent screaming in rage and desperation as the point rammed home. The sword burst through the man's back and Travis, still screaming let go of the blade and pushed the man away in contempt.
Covered in blood, eyes wild and chest pumping heavily he turned on the last man who had barely managed to prise open his visor. He looked at the bloody, snarling creature ahead of him and slowly backed away, his eyes showing great fear. Travis bent down and picked up a sword dropped from a fallen fighter, then with his head still bowed flicked his eyes up at the man who now stood trembling. A moment later, he turned around and ran for the dark recess in the wall of the arena, presumably where an access door was. Once there, he pounded on the door with his fists all dignity abandoned.
"Let me out! Let me out! This wasn't part of the deal!" he screamed. Behind him, Travis stood still watching the man and his futile attempt at escape.
The door opened and he stepped back with a relieved smile on his face only for it to freeze suddenly. There was a bright flash and the smell of burning flesh filled the arena and the man looked down to find his chest had been burned away, then fell back onto the sandy floor, creating a minor cloud of dust.
All around the arena, resounding cheers could be heard and most of the spectators had risen to their feet clapping and stamping their feet.
Travis walked over to the still form of his team-mate.
"Shaun, I'm sorry buddy," said the ex-bounty hunter, closing the man's open eyes. "In the next life."
Two fully armed men appeared from the recess, carrying blasters and beckoned Travis over. Wearily, he limped over to them totally exhausted now. Before he reached the door, for some reason unknown to him he felt eyes on his back and spun to look up into the crowd. He saw a huge group of people surrounding a large balding man who was desperately trying to swipe a dozen or more cred-sticks. He did not look happy. Just beside him was a handsome, well-dressed man in a white and blue uniform who was on his chair leaping up and down.
Standing in front of him leaning on a rail staring straight at Travis was a strikingly attractive, athletic-looking woman. She too was dressed in uniform similar to the young man behind her. The woman reached up with a hand and pulled her shades down to the end of her nose. She held his eyes for a fleeting moment, smiled briefly, then replaced the shades and turned around gently pulling the young man off the chair.
Travis chuckled as he walked away.
He'd recognise those green eyes anywhere in Sirius.
***
"We won! We won!" repeated Rutger. He was the first to arrive before the betting tout and wore a grin as wide as his face when he returned to Tanya. The young woman smiled but maintained her calm. All around them the cheers were defeaning.
A black uniformed man pushed his way through the crowd and approached Rutger, tapping him on his shoulder. Tanya moved in closer to hear what he said.
"Sir, Baron Rutger Daumann. I represent the hosts of today's events. You have been invited to join us for a meeting in one hour. Should you desire greater wealth, status and power you would do well to attend. How should I respond to my superiors?" said the cold-eyed man. He stared directly at Rutger, though his eyes occasionally flickered to Tanya's mirror shaded eyes.
Rutger nodded immediately.
"I will be there. Where is the meeting?" he asked.
"A guide will come to your cabin door and escort you. Bring one attendant. No more," replied the man sharply. He bowed his head slightly, then pushed his way back into the crowd. Within moments he was lost amongst the throng.
The Daumann heir spun to face Tanya.
"How?" he shrugged.
"Because, now you're thought of as young, foolish, bad with money, but lucky. You will be under-estimated and hopefully you'll hear and see more as people consider you harmless. With a woman as your attendant instead of a hulking bodyguard, they'll probably even consider you as some corporation-bred playboy with a soft lifestyle," she concluded and couldn't help herself but smile as she spoke. "No offence."
Rutger laughed.
"Well. That's not a bad summary at all, really!"
***
(cont'd)
Edited by - Athena on 12/8/2004 8:00:59 AM
Wed Dec 08, 2004 7:50 am
About freakin' time! 
Although if you need that much time to create something like this then, by all menas, take as much time as you need.
One small stylistic issue:
"... he felt like a freighter trying to move like a scout fighter."
The double "like a" should be changed. Try this one on for size:
"... he felt like a freighter trying to move in ways only a light (or scout, whichever you prefer) fighter could."
Very minor, I know but the overall quality makes a small thing like that stand out. I can't wait for the next episode.
Although if you need that much time to create something like this then, by all menas, take as much time as you need.
One small stylistic issue:
"... he felt like a freighter trying to move like a scout fighter."
The double "like a" should be changed. Try this one on for size:
"... he felt like a freighter trying to move in ways only a light (or scout, whichever you prefer) fighter could."
Very minor, I know but the overall quality makes a small thing like that stand out. I can't wait for the next episode.
Wed Dec 08, 2004 10:05 am
Ooh! Excellent!
Minor (extremely minor) nitpick:
Change the first comma to a semicolon or a period; it'll make the sentence structure a bit better
Minor (extremely minor) nitpick:
Only his eyes could be seen behind the full face mask, the spiked shoulder pads and large wristbands encased in metal studs created a fearsome appearance.
Change the first comma to a semicolon or a period; it'll make the sentence structure a bit better
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