I read it, great job.

strafe! the three VHF's are equal in strength
You wouldn't use a cucumber to chop a tomato!

I like it a lot, keep it coming!

I just read your story to date and found it extreamly fun to read. And I hope you continue the story for some time to come.

Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.

The last two hours were nothing but a blur for Tanya.

Since she had met Rutger at the lobby of the Oder Plaza Hotel, she found herself whisked around by him, introduced to so many people, even her acute memory occasionally failed to recall names. It was made all the more complicated that the event was a masquerade ball. Tanya, or Evelyn her current alter ego, would be hailed by a stranger only to remember them vaguely from a previous introduction.

Tanya recalled with some joy the opening ceremony, about a dozen couples of professional dancers had taken to the floor, a wide circle of excited guests forming around the troupe. The dancers moved with incredible grace, precision and co-ordination re-enacting an ancient Terran custom known as the "waltz". Tanya was fascinated and Rutger noticed her aroused curiosity.

"Evelyn, or may I call you Eve?" he asked. He was beaming.

Though Tanya's face was hidden by her mask, the slight swagger and assured expression Rutger wore clearly indicated to other observant guests he was pleased with his companion for the evening. It was very warm inside the ballroom and Tanya had removed the silk shawl initially wrapped around her shoulders, revealing more of herself to the Daumann heir.

"Of course, Eve would be fine. Though I struggle to find an abbreviation of your name, Rutger," she laughed. "Do you prefer, 'Rut', 'Ger'?" she suggested, a wanton smile appearing and fading quickly in mock seriousness.

He coughed when she said 'Rut'. His watchful guards, ever present but careful not to intrude on the heir's privacy coughed too, stifling a reaction.

"Call me," he began thoughtfully. "Ace."

Tanya watched him impassively, under the mask an eyebrow was raised.

"You don't like it?" he asked concerned. Tanya thought it was the most awful name in Sirius.

"Rutger. I think I should call you, Rutger," she said nodding slowly, noticing his disappointment. "It has a certain strength to the name, don't you think?" she asked quickly.

"Yes, yes!" he brightened, then changed the subject. "So you like this dance? It's a traditional dance, I have no idea how such a thing could have survived so long, but they say it was an important part of our culture many thousands of years ago."

Tanya laughed.

"I do like the, 'waltz'? It looks like a lot of fun," she remarked.

"Would you like to try?" he suggested. "I am classically trained," he beamed. Tanya blinked.

"You..can dance?"

"Why yes! I spent a year at a training academy learning 'ballet'."

"Ballet," nodded Tanya, she'd heard one of the guests speaking of this art form earlier. Did men really still do this? She pictured the tall, dark haired Rutger in tights and giggled.

"What is so funny?" asked Rutger. "Ballet, is not to be laughed at. It builds great strength in the legs, brings poise and balance, albeit the tights are uncomfortable at times," he said almost to himself looking up at a chandelier. Tanya couldn't help it and burst out laughing, unable to check herself from laughing at the heir. Rutger looked shocked, almost furious, then slowly a smile began to ease its way to his face and soon he too was laughing. All around them both, guests were looking on, some bemused, some haughtily pompous.

Rutger grabbed Tanya's wrist and pulled her in to the crowd where for ten minutes, he twirled and spun the girl much to her delight. A gong rang out, signalling the end of the dance. Tanya and Rutger regarded one another with delirious, breathless grins as they joined the rest of the congregation and turned their attention to the main stage.

The band struck up a powerful anthem and almost immediately afterwards, a small procession of important looking people stepped onto the stage. There were three people in all, two men of middle age, and woman much younger, perhaps Tanya's age in appearance at least. Tanya watched the woman and the hairs on the back of her neck went stiff, she didn't know why, but Tanya sensed this woman was dangerous somehow.

Rapturous applause filled the ballroom and lasted for a good minute, until one of the men took centre stage and spoke powerfully into a microphone, probably hidden somewhere on his clothing.

"My Lords, Ladies and gentlefolk. I, Admiral Von Claussen, hereby welcome you to the three-hundredth and sixth ceremonial Oder ball, to celebrate the passing of night and day on our beloved capital, New Berlin!"

The crowd broke into applause again, there was some wild cheering and Tanya heard more than a few glasses of expensive beverages drop and shatter. The applause eventually subsided as the Admiral raised his hand. He was a distinguished man in his fifties, with dark hair mostly grey at the temples and strong features he cut a charismatic figure under the lights. The crowd was silent as they waited for the decorated veteran to speak.

"I would like to thank the organisers and hosts of tonight's event, the Oder Plaza Hotel, the Rheinland military for providing safe passage to our honoured guests and last but by no means least, our guests of honour - Bounty Hunter clans, Akamoto, Kurosawa and Sakata from Kusari!"

The crowd gasped as another small procession were led onto the stage, surprised at seeing so many leading members of the Kusari nobility present at once in Rheinland space. Tanya counted six men in all, and recognised one although she couldn't see the others clearly. Takashi Akamoto, leader of the Akamoto hunter clan, Kenji's father!

Memories swept over her as she remembered her missing friend. She refused to believe he was dead but the loss of someone who had been like a brother to her was almost too much to bear. She quickly brought her drink to her lips and sipped it to hide her emotion. The crowd then began to cheer as they understood what was happening, this was the first true attempt at building a bridge between the two factions, since the 80-years war and more recently the Nomad incursion, Rheinland and Kusari were virtually enemies. It was a bold and ambitious move to try and bring the two colonies back from the brink of war. Tanya wondered who was behind this and what the true motives were.

Takashi Akamoto grasped the hand of the Admiral firmly who's smile was as broad as his own. They greeted each other as though they were old friends. The Kusari noble took centre stage and raised his head to speak.

"Friends, there are only friends here, I assume?" he laughed and the joke was well-received by the guests who laughed also.

"Firstly, thank you for the warm welcome. It has been almost two decades since I last set foot in Rheinland space, and that was when I beat the Admiral in a duel over Planet Sprague," he chuckled and winked at the Admiral who nodded back in good humour. "Seriously, all joking aside, this is a great moment for our two colonies, we humans are too few to continue the constant warring and wanton destruction of our neighbour. I hope this event marks the beginning of many such events that can bring our people together. We can lead the way to a greater future!"

The crowd whooped and cheered for a while, even Tanya cheered caught up in the emotion and power of the Kusari's speech. The intent was a good one, after all, she thought. She didn't notice it, but Rutger had slipped his hand around hers and she instinctively pulled it back, but the Daumann heir held it tightly and shook his head. He leaned in close.

"Fraulein, you do not have to fear me. I will not harm you, I promise," he said, dark brown eyes boring into her own. Tanya said nothing but stared back, uncertain. Rutger saw her hesitation.

"Eve, please. Do not be afraid of me. My status and wealth I would gladly put aside to be with you!" he said quickly. His guards standing just behind them looked at each other and shuffled their feet uncomfortably.

Tanya sighed and smiled.

"My dear Rutger. You are so foolish. How can you say these things, after what your father has been trying to teach you? About responsibility, respect, honour?" she began, though she felt Rutger's hand around her own, she did not try to remove hers. "You have a duty. You must never, ever say what you said to me to anyone again. No-one is worth that kind of sacrifice," she continued. Tanya wanted to say, 'least of all me'.

"Do you understand Rutger? I like you. A lot. You're very sweet and perhaps if circumstances were different, then," she paused. "Anything could happen. But not tonight. Not yet. Not for a while," Tanya leaned in and took Rutger's face in her hands. "I am not for you," she whispered softly.

She leaned in so close that Rutger could smell her hair, her own scent combined with the perfume she wore and kissed him gently on his trembling lips. The moment seemed to last forever. It was not passionate, but it left Rutger with the touch of her lips on his own long after he opened his eyes to see her gone.

"Uh, sir. Sir?" said one of his guards. "The lady Evelyn has left, sir." The guard watched Rutger's eyes open slowly, though his lips were still in a half-pout. He turned slowly as if in a stupor. "The lady has left, sir. She asked us to give you this message," continued the guard and held out his hand. In the centre of his palm lay a small datadisc. Rutger stared at it for a few seconds, all around him the music had started again and guests began to swirl around in time to the music. Rutger took the disc and loaded it into his neural net.

"Rutger, thank you for inviting me to the ball. I had a wonderful time and the occasion was simply beautiful. You are a good man, a great man. And you deserve better than me. I have many tasks yet to complete and I need myself whole to achieve success. If I took your advances seriously, I would give you everything, leaving nothing behind for what lies ahead. Perhaps in the future we will meet again. Please be the best you can be, and make your father proud. Love, Eve."

The Daumann heir stood silent as he listened to the voice message. Then he turned to his men and waved them to follow.

"Boys. Let's have a drink!" he said cheerfully and walked towards the bar.

The young woman had slid through the crowd away from Rutger and his men. Tanya had recorded the message earlier when she hadn't felt anything, and regretted it since her words may have been different. It was a simple task to disappear amongst the thousand revellers, but each step she took was more painful than the last.

Suddenly the loudspeakers broke the revelry and came to life.

"My friends, my guests," said the Admiral once again on the stage, this time with Akamoto and another man who Tanya could not see clearly. The young woman turned around to watch this surprising interruption. "Lord Akamoto has a few more words, please give him the honour of your attention!".

The crowd and band fell silent and waited for the Kusari to speak.

"Guests! I will keep this short. I am old," the crowd jeered with resounding cries of 'No'! Akamoto laughed.

"Yes, I am old. Too old to continue to function as Director of Operations for my clan. As you know the position is an important one, we represent a third of the total Bounty Hunters in Kusari. Our reputation is fierce, our record flawless. However, the time has come to announce my successor."

Tanya swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

"I give you the new Director of Operations for the Akamoto Bounty Hunter clan, my son. Kenji Akamoto!"

The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers, some members who were clearly Kusari themselves began chanting Kenji's name. The young warrior came forwards stepping out of the shadows into the spotlights of the stage. Tanya gasped, it was Kenji! Alive! She studied his face, and saw to her dismay a metal plate now covered the right side of his face, his right arm too was a cybernetic prosthetic. Kenji smiled, but Tanya didn't feel the same boyish enthusiasm in her friend anymore. It was a dead, cold smile. His cybernetic eye swivelled in tandem with his one real eye unnervingly.

"I am proud to be given the right of ascension as leader of the Akamoto clan," he began in a strangely metallic rasp. "I will begin by destroying every Outcast, Corsair and known acquaintances. I offer these contracts at fifty percent of our usual charge. There will be no respite for these criminals. No quarter wanted nor given. Anyone who stands in our way and has links or harbours these scum, be they from Liberty, Bretonia, Kusari or Rheinland will be destroyed also!"

He nodded once, then strode off the stage leaving his father and the Admiral in stunned silence.

Moments later as if ordered, the band started to play music again and the crowd returned to their dancing, though the atmosphere was subdued dramatically.

Tanya watched the two old men walk from the stage talking to each other and tried to search out Kenji from the departing Kusari delegates.

She could only see one person remain, the woman who had joined Lord Akamoto on the stage earlier and she too was scanning the crowd. Tanya left quickly, hastily but smoothly leaving the main ballroom for the elevator. Something was amiss but she was unable to understand what was happening. A soft beep from her neural net indicated a new message.

The lift doors closed leaving her alone with her thoughts and allowed Tanya to check her message in silence.

"Hey Tanya. This is Travis. Travis Carter. Remember me? I have the information you want. I'm on Hamburg. Get back to me, okay, babe?"

Tanya frowned. Travis. The man was insufferable. His cocky arrogance was beyond understanding, given the punishment Tanya had inflicted on him before.

It was time to get some answers.


***

(cont'd)

Edited by - Athena on 10/21/2004 8:13:05 AM

Wow. That was as close to perfect as anything I've ever read. Just one very minor point.

Not much to change here...

---

Rutger grabbed Tanya's wrist and pulled her in to the crowd where for ten minutes, he twirled and spun the girl much to her delight. The dance soon stopped and a gong was rung. The pair stopped dancing now breathless smiling at each other madly, then joined the rest of the congregation who had turned their attention to the main stage.

---

But it does read a little better now, I think.

---

Rutger grabbed Tanya's wrist and pulled her in to the crowd where for ten minutes, he twirled and spun the girl much to her delight. A gong rang out, signalling the end of the dance. Tanya and Rutger regarded one another with delirious, breathless grins as they joined the rest of the congregation and turned their attention to the main stage.

---

I think that's it for now.

Before I sign off I want to say that you do a great job of conveying the full range of Tanya's emotions. Does this come naturally, or do you have any specific techniques? It would be nice to know.

Edit: Del i rious. Damn.

Edited by - Codename on 10/21/2004 10:09:17 AM

Lol. I guess I'm a fairly empathic person.

There's no real 'technique'. I just pretend that I am in that situation, and how would I feel given the circumstances. Then I try to visualise what her expressions might be and attempt to convey her emotions through words. It helps that you have emotions and understand them.

I suppose one thing I do reasonably well (drummed into my head by english tutors) is when providing a description (of any kind), provide good detail, help the reader visualise, be succinct and be clear.

Hope that helps!

btw thanks for the correction. I knew that sentence was clumsy somehow. It's 'delirious' Code. Not 'delerious' - just kidding

ttfn

Edited by - Athena on 10/21/2004 8:14:01 AM

wow the latest posting is wondeful. I like how you brought back kinari (?) and his speech was handeled wonderfuly. I love how you end each post almost as a cliffhanger makeing all of your readers impasient for your next post.

Blessed Be to all those that still dream of the flight to the stars.

* jaw drops to floor *

This is absolutely amazing fan fiction. I just barely read this (I've been gone for awhile with some health issues) and II can honestly say this is absolute gold. Keep this one coming!

Tanya watched the bounty hunter sat opposite her through narrowed eyes. The smoke filled diner was a bustle of activity and given she hadn't rested properly for over twenty-four hours, she found it increasingly hard to concentrate on the conversation.

Not that the current conversation was of much interest to her. Travis had spent the last thirty minutes slicing chunks off his steak and talking about his highly uneventful journey from the Tau systems. He was biding his time for something.

"So, babe," began Travis, still chewing noisily on his steak. Tanya sent him a disembowelling glare. "Uh, Tanya. How's life treating you? Shot anyone else in the jewels recently?" asked Travis with a cheeky, mocking grin that went from ear-to-ear. He knew that no weapons were allowed this close to the spaceport. Travis felt he had to at least equalise the balance of power the next time he spoke to the dangerous young woman, sat opposite him staring back coolly.

Tanya feigned a smile and tilted her head slightly to the left, then straightened it.

"I'm not here to make small talk, Travis," replied Tanya curtly. "You said you had information that could lead me which is why I didn't kill you the last time we met. If you have nothing for me, then you're wasting time." She took a sip from her drink and made to stand up.

"Wait, wait. Look, I have something for you. But, it comes at a price," he replied smoothly. Tanya didn't like his attitude, it meant Travis had something planned. She cursed when she realised she was unarmed again, although after the visit at the church she vowed to be a little more prepared next time.

"Tell me what you know, then I'll decide on the price." Tanya watched him carefully, then as his head was bowed for a moment she glanced left and right behind Travis surveying the other customers at the restaurant.

You're paranoid, girl. She told herself.

Travis finished his steak and burped loudly, then took his napkin and wiped his mouth. He shook his head.

"No way, babe. You can't kill me. You need the information I have. And I'm the only one who knows it. Therefore. I set the price, not you," said Travis, his eyes were gleaming.

Tanya wanted so much to take the fork by her hand and plunge it into his skull, but her expression remained neutral.

"Travis, don't assume for one minute you have a hold on me. If you don't tell me what I need to know, I'll make your death a long and painful one," she hissed, leaning forwards slightly as she spoke. To her dismay, Travis looked disinterested and idly picked at his teeth with his nails.

"Your threats don't mean a frack," he said staring straight at her. "Y'see, babe. I know you. I mean, I really know you. No-one else in Sirius knows you like I know you, especially since I read your datadisc. I know, that you know, that you will do anything to make things right. And whilst that's a commendable trait. It makes you weak. They tried to take all those emotions," Travis was turning his hands into a small ball as he spoke and twisted it around. "But they failed. Now look at you. A mess. A killer with a conscience," he snorted.

Tanya's hand closed around the fork, the movement was not a subtle one and Travis chuckled at the action.

"Uh-uh. Bad idea, honey. I came prepared. Right now, a high-powered rifle is aimed at the centre of your back. My man is perched on a building opposite to ours. I have a couple other guys in here too. Besides, you don't want to create a scene, do you? After all. You're dead!" he said maliciously.

She watched him, considering his words. The fork was gently lain upon the table again.

"So much for no tricks," she said softly. Travis laughed.

"Babe, I have an investment to protect. I'm sure you understand? So. You gonna play nice? Or do I have to get rough with you?"

Tanya knew which one he'd prefer, the thought of the bounty hunter anywhere near her made her convulse.

"What do you want from me, Travis?" she asked coldly.

"That's better," he said smiling. He took a sip from his drink. "I have a contract.."

"On you? Shame," interrupted Tanya.

"Funny. Not. Now shut up and listen, woman. I have a contract I've been hired for. A kill. But let's say I'm indisposed."

Tanya tried to think of the most horrific way of disposing him.

"I want you to do it for me," he said matter-of-factly. There was a pause.

"Who?"

"Good girl," said Travis. He reached under his jacket and Tanya tensed. He laughed again, then produced a small palmtop computer. He flicked a switch and a picture came up. Admiral Von Claussen was on the screen. Tanya's eyes widened.

"You can't be serious. Him?" she asked incredulously. Travis nodded slowly.

"Yep. The kill is worth a lot of money. If you do this, I'll give you twenty percent. It's a fair share I think," he said with smirk. "And then I tell you what you want to know."

Tanya felt cold. There was nothing she wanted to do right now except make Travis suffer. However, the bounty hunter was right. Why was he doing this? Back in the Tau systems, he seemed almost, sympathetic to her cause. The sudden change made her wary, but she had no choice but to play along.

"Where and when?" she asked.

"The best time would be as he undocks from Altona station. He's flying in an armoured transport instead of one of his capital ships, stupid old man. He clearly believes this peace crap, 'eh?"

"This peace 'crap', Travis. Is worth more than your life!" remarked Tanya angry now.

"Look. Don't get emotional. Just do the job, get back to me and we can part our ways, okay? His ship leaves Altona in two hours and his escort should be limited to a couple of Valkyries. The reward for this will set me up for life. Then you'll never see me again. I bet that's worth killing one old man for, 'eh babe?" he said smoothly.

Tanya nodded.

"Fine. I'll do it," the words ate at her soul. "But I won't forget this, Travis. Make sure you have everything ready for me the next time we meet, otherwise I'll just kill you and forget about whatever information you have. Am I clear?" Travis smiled.

"You bet. Clear as photon, baby."

She got up and to Travis' surprise, instead of leaving the diner, walked over to two men sat by the bar and before anyone could react, knocked a drink over causing it to spill on their laps. Using one hand she struck a match and smiled as they both looked on in horror, then dropped the match and watched a gout of flame burst from their loins. The men ran screaming into the restroom causing all the diners to watch them in alarm. She quickly strode back to Travis who snatched his drink away from her.

"Thanks for telling me you had men in here. And the guy with the high-powered rifle? Did he possess a ring like this?" Tanya dropped a silver ring with embossed runes onto the table. There was a splash of blood on it. "Idiot. Don't ever under-estimate me, Travis. You're not good enough. I'll do the job and be back on Hamburg in four hours. Be here." Tanya blew him a contemptuous kiss and strode out.

Travis watched her leave and replaced his drink on the table with trembling hands. He swallowed and almost jumped when his ear comm crackled into life.

"At least she took the bait, Carter," said a heavily-accented voice. "With the Admiral dead, there will be no peace between Kusari and Rheinland. There will be war again. And as we know. War, is money."

"Whatever," replied Travis sub-vocalising. "When the Admiral dies, my debt is paid in full, right?" A pause.

"Perhaps. It depends on how public the death is."

"Outside a space station? It can't get more public than that!" said Travis. He hated being on a leash.

"You owe the Blood Dragons ten million credits. It grows by ten thousand credits each day. I hope this woman does the job well and your assurances of her ability are about as much use as your credit rating at the moment." Travis cringed.

"She will. She's the best I know."

"You realise she must die when the mission is complete?"

"Yeah. I know. I ain't doin' that though."

"Did I mention your debt is now fifteen million credits, Carter? My apologies. I forgot."

"Wait wait, dammit. Okay! I was just kidding. I'll do it," Travis looked angry.

"Good. Do the job. Kill her. Bring some evidence. Then we can consider everything, neutral. Good bye, bounty hunter." The voice signed off before he could reply.

Travis sat in his booth watching the crowd go by. The two men walked out of the restroom and looked at him waiting for orders but he dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

"She deserves better, bud. You are scum, Travis," he sighed to himself and lit a cigarette. "You really are scum."

An hour went by and a waiter walked over to him, a stack of coffee cups had built up on his table. With the exception of the waiting staff, he was the only person left in the diner.

"Sir? We are closing soon. Can I get your bill?"

Travis, lost in thought, looked up at the waiter.

"Huh? The bill? Oh yeah." He fished around in his jacket and produced a cred stick, which he handed to the waiter. He ran it through a portable charger which subsequently returned an angry beep.

"Sorry, sir. You have no credits," said the waiter coolly. Travis looked up annoyed.

"Okay, okay. Here. Take this," and dropped a silver ring into the waiter's surprised hand. Travis stood up and ran out before the waiter could say anything else.

It was raining outside, Travis pulled up the collar of his jacket and looked up at the spaceport, far above him. Travis thought of Tanya's green eyes, and her alluring pout when she blew him a kiss.

"Dammit, Tanya. You were right. I'm an idiot!"

The bounty hunter ran towards the lift.


***

(cont'd)

Okay! That's it for a while. Taking another creative break and reading some other stories. Hope you enjoyed part two!

ttfn

This story just keeps getting better. I've no criticisms to make. (Probably because there's a lot of dialogue...yay!)

I like. I like a lot. IMHO, this is one of the best fanfics going right now. Hope to see more soon!

Charter member of the Foundation for the Legalization of Medicinal Cardamine

Working on the next part, should have something up soon!

ttfn

Tanya sat in the cockpit of her powered-down Hammerhead watching the docking bay of Altona Station. She had been waiting outside the station for just under an hour, having left the station thirty minutes after meeting Travis.

"Travis Carter, I hate you," she said to no-one in particular and was surprised to learn she didn't really mean her words. For all of his slimy faults, Tanya had a measure of respect for the man who out-witted and captured her. She vowed never to let down her guard again.

A soft beeping from her on-board computer indicated the Admiral's Armoured Transport was about to disembark from the station. The young woman had tapped into the station's docking register and learnt exactly what time the Admiral's ship was leaving. In response, she activated the six wing-mounted missile launchers and armed her torpedo launcher. Two full salvoes and the ship would be destroyed.

Tanya shook her head.

She actually thought the old Admiral had very good intentions. To bring peace throughout Sirius is no simple task and many would lose from such an event occuring. She wondered what the various military factions, corporations who supplied and developed their technology and of course, the governments that relied on the military for support would cope if Sirius was without conflict.

Suddenly without warning her comm channel opened and a full helmeted image appeared in her HUD. Another blip on her screen indicated another ship leaving Altona Station. It was Travis.

"Travis, by the suns of Sigma, what are you doing?" asked Tanya furious. "If you stay anywhere within a hundred metres of the docking bay you'll be blown to pieces!"

"Tanya, listen to me. You cannot attack the Admiral's ship," replied Travis quickly.

"What are you talking about? Is this another trick?" she demanded.

"No, listen. I'm serious. The Admiral is-"

Tanya interrupted.

"Travis. Stop playing games. You need the Admiral dead. I need him dead. Then you tell me what I need to know. Then we're clear. It's simple."

"It's not that simple. The Admiral never travels without an escort," said Travis.

"Whatever. I can handle a few ships," said Tanya locking her seat belt into place. So much for a quick kill, she thought. Travis' Hammerhead flew closer to Tanya's.

"Tanya, I'm serious. These pilots are the elite of the Rheinland military. They fly the best ships, Valkyries," Travis heard Tanya snort in derision. "And they're cloaked."

Tanya blinked.

"Cloaked?" she asked.

"Yes, cloaked damn it!" shouted Travis. "And there are twelve fighters! You can't beat twelve ships on your own, especially when you're presumably mounting missiles and torps for a cap-ship kill."

Tanya thought about this, then noticed a large, grey Armoured Transport bearing the Admiral's colours, leave the station.

"Travis. He's leaving," she said.

"Please. Trust me. I swear I'm not lying to you," pleaded Travis.

"Trust you? That's asking for a lot. But fine. I can wait. Armoured Transports don't move particularly quickly," said Tanya coldly. "If you're lying I can catch him at the next point."

She watched the Transport coast its way to a nearby trade lane and activate a docking sequence, then frowned as it sped off into the distance. Just before she was about to berate the bounty hunter, a dozen heavy fighters suddenly appeared out of the darkness of space, their cloaking fields shimmering away with a green aura. The Valkyries also docked with the trade lane and soon blinked off her HUD.

Tanya unclipped her seat belt and breathed a huge sigh.

"Travis Carter. Start talking. Why did you send me on this suicide mission? And more importantly, why did you stop me from carrying it out?" she demanded.

"It's complicated, babe," began Travis. Tanya cringed again. "But I'll be blunt. I'm now in the same pile of frack that you are," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You've heard of the Blood Dragons, right? Kusari organised crime syndicate. Allies to the Golden C. Friendly to the Outcasts?"

"Yes," was Tanya's reply.

"I owe them..a lot of money," admitted Travis.

"That's not my problem," said Tanya curtly. Travis shook his head.

"Well, it's kinda become your problem, babe. I told the Blood Dragon's that you would kill the Admiral and probably die in the process of doing it. Even if you failed to kill the Admiral, I could take him out on my own at a later stage, though the death would be less public."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! You slime!" raged Tanya. Her green eyes gleamed in fury.

"Listen, listen. I saved your life remember?" said Travis trying to calm the woman down. "Problem is, I disobeyed their order, so that means I'm now a marked man. And you, Tanya, are a marked woman."

Her grip on her joystick tightened until her knuckles were bone white from the tension.

"Are you telling me, that I'm an enemy of a whole crime syndicate?" she hissed through gritted teeth. Travis was careful in his reply.

"Tanya, help me out. Take out the leader of the clan and his lieutenants that I'm indebted to and I'll tell you what you need," proposed Travis. "It's not all of the Blood Dragons. By Kusari hells, they fight each other as much as the rest of Sirius."

"No. This is getting old, Travis Carter. Each time I get close, you throw something else at me. How can I trust you after everything I've been through? Who's to say I do what you ask, then something else comes along. I won't be on your leash anymore Travis. Tell me something useful or I'll kill you right here, right now."

In response to her words, she armed her missiles, glad she had retained the sense to keep an EMP missile launcher mounted, then swung her ship around to face his.

Travis stared back at Tanya through his cockpit window, his blue eyes meeting her own of green. A few minutes passed, though it seemed much longer until he spoke.

"Governor Mason. Jack Mason. He was a Major in the Liberty Navy until he resigned his commission four years ago and now works for Liberty as a diplomatic advisor in the Senate. It's all a sham though, Mason is still on the Liberty Navy payroll, but functioning as a civilian on their council gives him wider access to certain people."

"You mean, bribes?" ventured Tanya.

"Yes. In a sense. He is able to turn votes around very quickly by lending unofficial military support to certain key corporations. Ageira, DSE, IC, the big ones."

"So why did he order the destruction of my team?" asked Tanya. She wanted to say volunteers, or victims, but felt getting emotional now wouldn't be helpful.

"Because the team went on a mission that he requested. The objective was to destroy a large installation, an Outcast installation. A one-of-a-kind biodome similar to the Freeports in design. It was the Outcasts first foray into extended absences away from Planet Malta. As you know, all Outcasts rely on Cardamine to survive. Their cells begin to break down if they remain away from Malta for too long, even with the aid of Cardamine to slow down the deteriotation of their bodies. Hence why their front lines on bases like Cali and Ruiz are frequently rotated. This was some of the information you sent back during your mission."

Travis took a breath, then continued.

"So your team infiltrated the Outcasts. We got you close to their leader who was at the inauguration ceremony of the new outpost. But you failed. You, Tanya. After spending so much time with the Outcasts, you fell in love with the Don's son and when he stood between you and his father in defence, you couldn't do the job!"

Tanya reeled in her seat, bright lights and fast-moving images flashing before her eyes. Her locked in an initimate embrace with a young, handsome Hispanic man. Gentle touching and kissing soon replaced with more intense passion. Another image, a lavish hall full of people. An explosion. Tanya at the head of a group, a blaster in hand. 'Why, Tanya? Why betray us?" he asked. Travis' voice brought her back to the present.

"The mission was a failure and the project suspended. The whole team was either brought back for corrective treatment, or killed if they resisted. You were one of the last, and you undertook more treatment than anyone. I'm sorry."

Tanya shook her head trying to free her mind from the swirling faces.

"I..remember," she said between large, gulping breaths. "I couldn't kill him. I loved him. The Kusari doctor told me I had re-discovered my true personality. It's why he helped me escape from detention and get to the Tau systems on your trail. Mason ordered the destruction of the station I was on? He was the one who ordered to wipe the slate clean?"

"Correct," affirmed Travis. "When he found out you, the person responsible for causing the mission to fail, were still alive he arranged for everyone that was even remotely involved in the project to be present on the station. He decided to remove all trace of the projects physical existence in one fell swoop. Mason then declared the station as outlaws, a Rogue hideout and had the Liberty Navy destroy it."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"So. Mason had everyone killed when the project failed? How evil," Tanya said.

"He doesn't know evil, babe. He's above that. He has no feelings. I'd say he lost a chunk of his humanity when they replaced his body after the Nomad wars."

"Replaced his body?" asked Tanya incredulous.

"Yeah. He's virtually metal. The only remains from his human body are his brain and spinal column."

Tanya absorbed all the information. Only one more question remained.

"Travis. How do you know so much?"

Travis didn't reply straight away, instead looking out beyond his cockpit to the stars.

"I went AWOL on my first mission after taking a hit that crippled my ship. Mason and his co-ordinators thought I was dead, so I stayed low for a couple of years trying to remember my real name, my family, friends, the life I had before I joined. I knew I was in danger so I had surgery. Eventually I began to remember."

Tanya's eyes widened as Travis continued.

"I'm a 'volunteer'," he said. "We're the last two."


***

(cont'd)

Edited by - Athena on 10/29/2004 4:37:55 AM