Their,the ugly monstrosity of a post has been killed !Those of the village scream "Huzzah"!

But now i must think of something different...
Ill have new post tommorow!

Edited by - stormtrooper110 on 6/19/2005 8:33:22 PM

“What in the blue Sigma blazes was that?” Rob wondered aloud as Damien's ghostly form faded from view.

“I.... don't...” Tanya said haltingly before once again slipping into unconsciousness. Her body slumped back into Rob's.

Suddenly, Rob's comm crackled to life. “Rob? Are you still alive?”

“Yes. But Tanya’s severely injured. We need immediate rescue!” Rob said, looking at the woman draped in his arms. He reached down and brushed a few strands of hair off Tanya's face. Though she was cut and bruised, Rob couldn't think of a time when Tanya looked more like a goddess.

“I have an idea,” Konn's voice jolted Rob out of his reverie a few moments later, “but you need to make absolutely sure the bridge doors are sealed, and that at least the doors on the level below you are also sealed. I plan to explosively decompress the docking bay by blasting my way out of the docking doors.”

“Got it.” Rob said, but Konn had already cut the connection. Rob hoisted Tanya’s body up and slipped his one arm under her knees. He walked as fast as he could over to the nearest console. Oh thank god. It's unlocked. Rob heaved a sigh of relief. His arms burned and shook as he held Tanya while typing in the commands to lock down the station's interior doors. Then he had a brainwave. Rob's fingers danced across the terminal. Seconds later there was a light thump as the station's artificial gravity was disengaged. His arms free of Tanya's weight, Rob quickly finished entering the door commands and hit the “execute” button. A series of clangs reverberated through Cali as door after door after door slammed shut.

Not a moment too soon either. The station shuddered as Konn turned the Humpback's guns on the docking-bay doors. After a few seconds the vibration ended, then an impact rocked Cali. Konn was out.

Rob carefully floated over to the Commander's chair, in the center of the bridge. He thought he knew what Konn had in store and that the chair, being secured firmly into the deck, would act as a perfect launchpad. The freelancer looked out of the bridge windows and saw the telltale shape of Konn's Humpback pull into view.

“Breathe in, and cover your nose and mouth.” Konn said. “It doesn’t matter how but you need to have enough oxygen for thirty seconds. I’m going to try and shoot out just one pane of glass, and bring you in with the tractor beam as soon as you’re in outer space.”

So, I was right. Rob thought. He gave Tanya a shake, hoping to wake her. “Tanya.” He said. “Tanya, wake up. You need to take a deep... oh damn.” Tanya didn't stir at all. Her chest rose and fell regularly, so Rob knew she was still alive, but Tanya quite obviously wasn't going to wake up any time soon.

Rob was worried. Somehow, he needed to keep Tanya from losing air from her nose and mouth. At the same time though, he needed at least one hand to keep her from spinning off into space. What could he do? What could he do? The idea hit Rob like a blast from a Sunstalker.

“Oh, sh*tsticks, Rob. You're not serious.” He mumbled. And yet, it was the only solution he could think of. Rob pulled Tanya in close, leaving his body and hers pressed together, and their faces mere centimeters apart. With his free hand, Rob reached up and pinched Tanya's nose shut. Tanya's mouth fell open but, other than that, she didn't move a muscle. Oh god. Rob's last “hope” had been dashed.

“Are you ready?” Konn asked.

Rob breathed in, inflating his lungs until they hurt. Then, heart pounding, he moved his and Tanya's faces towards each other. When his lips first brushed hers, soft and warm, a shiver ran down Rob's spine and his heart leapt. Rob locked Tanya's face with his and exhaled, filling Tanya's lungs with air.

Rob triggered a small flashlight in his glove by squeezing his middle and ring fingers together twice. Konn, an ex-military man, surely would understand the double-tap affirmative. Rob braced his feet against the chair, and waited.

He did not have to wait long. Konn had the shot lined up and he took it. The window shattered and air howled through the opening, taking with it the shards of material loosed by the explosion. Rob kicked off. He and Tanya, still in their life-preserving embrace, flew out of the station and into the vacuum of space.

The cold was like nothing Rob had ever felt. His clothing deadened the sensation somewhat on his body, but his face burned as his skin began to freeze. Fortunately, Rob's eyes were protected by his shades, as he had forgotten to close them. He could see Tanya's wounds freezing shut and her eyes twitching beneath their lids. Her eyes twitching beneath their lids!?

The sudden drop in temperature was enough to once again rouse Tanya. She stirred. Oh no.

Just then the tractor beam locked on to the two wounded warriors. Rob felt as if the back of his waist had been hit by a weak stun-bolt. Tanya, finally understanding what was going on, stiffened and raised her arms. Rob's heart plummeted. If Tanya pushed the two of them apart, Konn would lose the tractor lock and they would both die. Please don't push away. Oh for the love of space don't push away. For both our sakes don't push away! Rob thought as loudly and forcefully as he could.

Just as Rob had resigned himself to death by vacuum, he was shocked to realize that Tanya's arms were not pushing him away. No, they were drawing him closer.

Although Rob's skin screamed as it froze and his lungs begged for air, all he could think about was how warm he was where his body pressed against Tanya's, and how soft her lips were, and how green her eyes were, and oh god I love this woman.

Then there was a whoosh and a clank. Rob felt the hard, unyielding metal of Konn's cargo hold below him and Tanya's weight pressing against him. Quickly but reluctantly, he released the beautiful young woman and exhaled his held breath. Tanya did the same as she rolled off of Rob's chest. The two of them lay panting, side by side, as Travis rushed into the hold.

Summary: Rob's account of the escape from Cali. He uses, um, unorthodox methods to keep Tanya alive.

OOC: Yeah, I'm afraid I might have taken it a bit too far this time. I know Tanya doesn't actually feel anything for Rob yet - at the very least, if she does, it's kept well under wraps - but her reaction isn't all that unrealistic. At least, I don't think it is. I mean, if you were hurtling through the frigid vacuum of space, would you push someone away? Someone who you trust? Someone who you know only has your best interests in mind? I sure as hell wouldn't. I'd hold on.

But enough of me trying to justify my excesses. Athena, if you don't like this, I'll remove/edit it ASAP. Just say the words.

Edited by - Codename on 6/20/2005 8:40:59 PM

When the distance meter read 5 K, Hahukum Konn activated the intercom to the cargo bay and then opened a communications channel to the BMM Tau-31 Gate Construction Site. He said, “Attention BMM Base. This is Freelancer Beta-dash-Three piloting a Humpback. I request emergency docking clearance for a medical emergency. Two people will require treatment. A member of my crew is still able-bodied and can assist in transporting them.”

Konn could hear muffled protests from Rob. “No, I'm fine. Really. I just need to walk it off. Seriously. I'm okay.” Anything further was overridden by the base control room.

“Understood, Freelancer Beta-dash-Three. When you are within range, manually land in Dock One. We will hold the bay door open for you.”

Excellent, thought Konn. He could already see the base beginning to show features amid the inky blackness as the distance meter went down past 1000 M. He took the controls off automatic and guided the humpback almost to collision range, then abruptly cut the engines. On thrusters alone, he smoothly entered the docking bay with a minimum of wasted time, and let the docking sequence proceed on automatic after that.

Once inside, Konn said over the intercom, “I’m opening the cargo bay now. Travis, get them to the medical wing immediately.” The thunk of the bay door was followed by muffled shouts and quick footsteps. He stepped outside the cockpit, taking in a deep breath of its filtered air and collapsing against the side of the Humpback. I never, never want to take on a base full of Outcasts again. And I most certainly do not want to ever sound like a Bretonian fop, either! Oh yes, and while I’m at it, tractoring in people from outer space, unprotected by space suits, is a once-in-a-lifetime thing I also never want to have to repeat.

Konn hit the cargo bay door control from outside to close it, turned to leave, and then paused in shock.

Hahukum saw a man, draped in a black robe with almost-white skin, with just a shade of blue. A tear was falling down his cheek, and Konn could have sworn the man was real. Then he blinked out a second later, and there was no trace of the ghastly image, except for the drop of water remaining on the floor.

A disembodied voice was saying, “Derek spoke about you. He sends his greetings from beyond...”

This has to be a joke, thought Konn. Then the man, phantom… entity, stood there once again, his mouth forming the words. Konn stared in horror, as comprehension dawned on him. He did not know how his mouth found the strength to form the words. “Wh...what do you mean? No! That's not true!” This has to be a joke. I just saw Derek only recently! The BAF didn’t even say if it was him or not!

The strange man’s eyes creased in… sadness? Despair? He said, “I have died for love. I know the agony of separation. Understand all things must pass away.” He faded after that, leaving a stricken Konn leaning heavily against the side of his ship. Against all rational analysis of the situation, he knew the entity’s words carried the ring of truth. Derek Samuelson was dead.

Jeez. Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT ! Why did those stupid buggers have to kill Derek just before we practically wiped out the threat in Tau-23? Words failed to express Hahukum Konn’s fury at the pointlessness of Derek’s death, and after checking his pockets for credit sticks and whatnot, he stomped down to the bar for a very stiff drink.

-----

Summary: Disturbing news.

She had lost a lot of blood following her battle with Hideko, as a newly-reformed cyborg. The young woman's flesh was blackened in some places, red and angry-looking in others, a result of the energy blasts Hideko had fired at her in torturous spurts.

Rob knew as he lifted her limp body from the decking of the Outcast bridge that she had broken several ribs, one of which might have nicked a lung, as blood bubbled occasionally from Tanya's lips as she breathed convulsively.

Tanya was a long way from the beautiful, assertive and confident assassin he had known just minutes before. She now looked like a vulnerable woman beaten to within an inch of her life. His heart swelled when he saw her struck down before he had ripped apart the head casing long enough to throw a grenade down Hideko's neck. It nearly burst when she looked into his eyes with a huge depth of feeling. Was it relief at seeing a friendly face? Or was it more?

Rob struggled to contain his emotions, particularly when Konn outlined his plan to disengage them both from the station. Considering the damage Tanya had taken, it's a miracle she was still alive. Could she survive five seconds in space too? Konn shot out a pane of glass with unerring accuracy. The pair were swept out into space and he felt the tingling sensation of the Humpback's tractor beam across his skin as it pulled them towards the cavernous cargo area, his lips locked to her own in order to preserve whatever pressure equilibrium he could.

To Rob's horror, he noticed Tanya regain consciousness and thought he had gone too far with his means of keeping her alive throughout the transit to Konn's freighter. Relieved, she held the kiss and returned his embrace with a fiercer hold than his own, Rob was surprised at her strength given her recent ordeal.

They were tractored inside the cargo area where a waiting Travis was ready to help Rob lift Tanya into a med-pod nearby. The unit would lower her respiratory rate, body temperature and her brain's need for oxygen placing her in a safe, contained environment.

As gravity wells aboard the freighter kicked in and the cargo bay doors closed, the massive cargo bay darkened as the starlight issuing through the closing gap between hangar doors dimmed.

"Hold on. We're heading for the nearest BMM station. I hope you got what you came for!" shouted Konn over the internal PA, his voice reverberating around the smooth composite walls.

Rob checked the pad of controls to the side of the pod, feverishly punching in settings and reconfiguring others.

Travis was leaning over the pod, his face a mixed expression of concern, relief and frustration. He reviewed Tanya's life signs and although they were bordering on critical, at least they were now stable and not worsening.

Rob was about to stand when Tanya's hand touched the top of his own. Her fingers were light, hot patches on his skin. Rob looked up from his kneeling position and stared into her green eyes, luminous from dealing with the pain of her injuries. Her blonde hair, dusty and untidy lay lank across a sweat-sheened forehead and the freelancer brushed it aside tenderly.

"Rob," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the freighters powerful engines. Travis smiled briefly, then walked away.

"I'm here, Tanya," replied Rob, he couldn't take his eyes off her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Nothing that shopping can't cure," she said softly, the merest hint of her old strength and personality shone through for a moment. She coughed once and blood trickled out of her mouth down the side of her cheek. Her life signs blipped for a moment and Rob fraught with tension checked the read-out again. The lines stabilised and he looked up at Tanya once more, wiping the blood from her cheek using a sleeve.

"We're gonna get you some help. Just hang tight," he said quickly, finger ready to push the button that would send her into a cryogenic sleep. Would she dream? He thought. Would she dream of me? He thought again.

"You kissed me, you rogue," she said as the lid came down. Rob wasn't sure if she spoke again, or whether he imagined it. "Took your time, didn't you?"

The lid closed fully and before he could speak to Tanya again, the locks clicked shut and immediately the cooldown cycle began. A stream of faint white gases were released inside the pod, covering Tanya's body fully. She smiled at him, closed her eyes and was still.

Rob stood there for a long time watching her breathing deepen, slow and eventually become unnoticeable to the naked eye. He checked the readout one last time, then walked over to where Travis was standing at the far side of the room.

The bounty hunter looked up at him.

"She's gone?" he asked. Rob nodded.

"Yes. For a short while. But we'll get her fixed up. Might take a month. But she'll be back in no time," he said determinedly. "You and Konn did great," Rob said with a grin.

He pressed a button on the intercom panel situated at a wall nearby.

"Konn! You did great!" he shouted, making the trader jump in surprise at the sudden noise in his headset.

"Thank you, Rob. Is Tanya alright? The pod was as ready as I could have it," replied Konn.

"She's fine. Asleep. How long before we hit the nearest station?"

"Not long now. Couple hours at most. Travis, man the guns please. I doubt we'll encounter any trouble, but you never know," said the trader carefully.

"On my way," replied Travis. He looked at Rob for a moment holding to his gaze. Then extended a hand, Rob shook it. "Thanks man. I can't believe the two of you took out an entire station of Outcasts. I'm glad you brought her back. She means a lot to me."

Rob looked back at the pod for a long while, then turned back to Travis.

"A lot to all of us, my friend."

Ahead of them, the huge structure of the Tau-31 Construction Gate site loomed large and foreboding.

Konn opened up the channels.

“Attention BMM Base. This is Freelancer Beta-dash-Three piloting a Humpback. I request emergency docking clearance for a medical emergency. Two people will require treatment. A member of my crew is still able-bodied and can assist in transporting them.”


***

Tanya closed her eyes, it felt comforting to lie back and rest. Her body was so weary. She had seen so much. Tanya felt tired to the core.

Before she could sleep fully, a voice spoke from somewhere nearby.

“I have died for love. I know the agony of separation. Understand all things must pass away.”

Tanya opened her eyes and found herself staring at a man with pallid white skin, dressed in black. His eyes were filled with sorrow.

"Welcome to my world, Tanya Ramirez. I have much to show you."


***

Rob found Konn in the bar. He seemed, upset.

The freelancer ordered a Sidewinder Fang, Sigma Blue that he placed on the bar next to him and after looking at Konn's empty glass and bottle of vintage Cambridge Red, ordered another bottle of the same.

"It seems the Outcasts have been broken," said Rob softly. He looked at the trader, who was clearly in some distress but still hadn't looked at him yet. "Everyone is flying in to take out the rest. Seems as though it's open season on the Omicron banditos."

Rob downed his drink, then glanced at the Sigma Blue with some longing.

"Tanya will be in medical for a month. Couple weeks at best. But we need to move on," said Rob. He produced a small palmtop that contained a datadisk, protruding from the side, that he slid across the bar in front of Konn. A tear splashed down on the surface and Rob noticed that Konn was weeping softly. He put a strong hand on Konn's shoulder. "If you need anything just call for me, pal."

Rob lift the Sigma Blue in a toast, then downed it too and strode away.

Konn lifted his head from his hands and after a deep sigh, straightened his back, wiped away any remaining tears and stared down at the tiny device. He pressed a button and watched as the screen flickered into life.

A suited man appeared, he appeared Bretonian or Liberty in origin.

"Project Farseer: Phase Three-point-four. Dom'Kavash External Testing."

Liberty, decided Konn.

"We have integrated three devices on a group of selected individuals. One test has completed, though regretfully the subject died during the process. We have traces of the spirit-form though the deceased seems to have 'moved on' before we could conduct further tests. The Dom'Kavash were able to preserve the life-forces of their leaders, or loved ones until a compatible new body could be generated for them to inhabit. We are close to resurrecting this technology."

The man in the suit walked to his left, the camera footage followed him.

"Test two involves the latest cybertechnology, fusing a Dom'Kavash power cell with contemporary mechanics. The Dom'Kavash were able to closely mimic the movements of bipedal humanoids using a kind of energy transfer we have tentatively dubbed 'Gaia-Chi'."

An image of a seated Hideko appeared on Konn's palmtop. The trader shivered, as he saw the deadly appendages, blasters, and shining metallic plate armour. The man moved away back to his original position.

"Test three, our final test remains inconclusive. Following our previous partial success in the Sigma systems, it seems that the summoning device cannot be used again. Our analysts believe the reason for this is simple, it is exhausted of power and must be recharged. It is currently in the possession of Liberty Governor Jack Mason, who is using all of his available resources to aid the project to its completion."

He paused and moved his right hand to a partially-hidden commlink at his ear.

"Thus concludes our report. Please inform the Abbot of our results. The Covenant will prevail, and we will bring back the righteous Nomads to rule over the universe once again!"

Konn blinked.

Then watched the footage again.

***

Yes. I'm emotional today. I'm also very angry with myself. Hope I was creative enough for you lot !!

ttfn

no 'x' today

Rob didn't wait long before standing up. His vision wavered for a second and he felt a bit weak at the knees, but managed to keep his footing. Travis and Konn had prepared a med-pod for Tanya as best they could and it lay in the hold, ready for its occupant. With Travis' help, Rob carefully lifted Tanya off the deck and laid her down inside the pod. Being most intimately aware of Tanya's various injuries; Rob knelt down and adjusted various settings to ensure optimal stasis and healing.

As he was about to stand, Rob felt Tanya's hand grab his own. Her fingers, hot and light, made the freelancer's heart skip a beat. Everything else in the universe faded from Rob's mind; his attention focused solely on the woman lying before him. He delicately brushed a few strands of blonde hair out of Tanya's face.

"Rob," she whispered.

"I'm here, Tanya." Rob said, pulling his sunglasses off and looking deep into Tanya's green eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Nothing that shopping can't cure." Tanya said softly. Her body shook as she coughed once, and her vitals dipped menacingly. Rob glanced down at the readouts and saw the lines stabilize. They were certainly lower than he would have liked, but he knew Tanya's strength and will to survive were not to be underestimated. Rob dabbed with his sleeve a trickle of blood running from the side of Tanya's mouth.

"We're gonna get you some help. Just hang tight." Rob said as he prepared to send Tanya into stasis. He wondered if she would dream, and wished he could follow her there to help. He pressed the button and the lid came down.

"You kissed me, you rogue." Tanya said. Rob was about to open his mouth to protest, to explain that he had no choice, when he could have sworn he heard Tanya's voice again. "Took your time, didn't you?"

All the things Rob wanted to say, all the words that were ready to jump from his mouth, died in his throat as the lid sealed and locks cycled.

-------------

Rob left the bar. He needed some time alone and, by the looks of things, so did Konn. The past day or so had been an ordeal for the freelancer. Never in his entire life had Rob been through so much in so little time.

It was beginning to show, too. Rob was an expert at internalizing his feelings, his troubles, everything. In his line of work, he had to be. He couldn't ever let himself break, he couldn't ever afford to show weakness. At all times, Rob had to remain calm, cool, and collected. But the vault where he sequestered his secrets was bursting at the seams. If he tried to continue like this, Rob knew he would stop functioning in a matter of hours. He needed a place to go. A place to let go.

A brief conversation with the base commander and a transfer of credits got Rob temporary access to one of the unused engineer cabins. Rob retrieved his baggage from the Humpback and headed over to the crew compartments. He found the room without trouble and practically fell inside. In order to make absolutely sure he would be alone for the next little while, Rob activated his bug-jamming device and put a magnetic seal on the inside of the door.

Rob's mental defenses were deteriorating rapidly, and emotion threatened to overwhelm him. Momentarily forgetting his interactions with Konn mere minutes before, he fumbled through his pockets, searching for the datadisk which had on it all the information from the Outcast computer. Once he found it, Rob ran a quick diagnostic to verify that it had not been damaged during the battle with Hideko or exposure to space. It was fine.

Rob set the disk aside and stumbled over to the bed. He sank down onto the mattress.

And began to cry.


Summary: A bit (more) of Rob's perspective on Tanya's “exit”. After Rob gives Konn some info, he goes off and cries. Alone.

-------------

OOC: Can we move away from these intensely emotional scenes now? Please? They're damned hard to write and I just... *sniff* I just get all choked up *sniff*. Seriously though, I really was on the verge of tears when I read Athena's last post. Shut up.

---

Yes. I'm emotional today.

---

Next time, put that at the top of the post. Along with a warning that it's contagious.

Edited by - Codename on 6/21/2005 5:35:20 PM

Hahukum Konn sat in the bar, nursing his Cambridge Red. He'd shed a tear or two, but the sadness had been blasted away by the very strange information Rob had left. What in the name of Sirius was this Mason doing? While he was not as experienced with accents as Tanya or Rob might be, his dual life in Liberty and Bretonia had exposed his ear to more than a single accent. The organization that Mason belonged to seemed to be primarily based out of Liberty, if the researcher's voice was any indication.

Two more Cambridge Reds later, Konn felt sufficiently high that he leaned back against the fairly comfortable bench, and closed his eyes, letting the blessed feeling of vague disconnection from the world flow over him....

He awoke, confused, to someone shaking his shoulder. "Wake up, mister. You need to leave!"

As the blurry surroundings came into focus, Hahukum realized he'd fallen asleep in the bar for ... a few hours?! No mistake: the time strip on the wall showed that three hours had passed. He staggered to his feet, and attempted to walk out of the bar without crashing into anything.

Konn's feet automatically took him to the docking bay, and a momentary surge of panic coursed through him when he saw that the Humpback wasn't there. Then he wondered if Rob or someone had taken it for repairs, and ran to the equipment dealer. Sure enough, in the repair bay, the Humpback was being busily worked on by Travis and some other people.

Hahukum said, "Travis, I'm going inside to sleep. The captain's suite is soundproofed, so just get everything done. I have to go to bed."

He jumped aboard, went into the suite, closed the door, and promptly fell asleep.

- - -

The next day, or at least it felt like it, Konn woke up, and instantly regretted it as the weight in his head slowed his movements and made everything very painful to look at. He walked, eyes half-closed, back to the bar, ignoring the grin of the bartender. He asked for the strongest tea possible, and smiled complacently as the soothing liquid warmed his insides.

Later on, he'd need to get a shower and become presentable, but for now, it was just very nice to sit in the bar. The time strip above the bar showed that about seven more hours had passed, and likely Rob and Travis would already be up and about.

Speak of the Corsair and see his Titan. Rob and Travis looked a bit worse for wear, but they still looked like they felt better than Hahukum did after downing four bottles of Cambridge Red less than twenty-four hours ago. Best wine in Bretonia, but one regrets it the next day.

Rob and Travis grabbed drinks and headed over to Konn's table. When he looked up, he startled them both, although most of the outburst was caused by a sudden extra pounding in his head that felt like someone had dropped a mine on it.

"F*cking Outcasts. This weird phantom told me Derek's dead. If he'd just gone on patrol a few days later!"

Rob and Travis just stared for five whole seconds.

Edited by - Hahukum Konn on 6/21/2005 9:51:14 PM

Blame HK. He keeps pestering me.

------------------

Rob woke with a start. How long was I out? he wondered. The chronograph indicated that he had arrived on the station something like 12 hours earlier. That gave him at least a good 10 hours of sleep. He felt much better for it, too. Of course there were still aches and pains to remind Rob of his numerous brushes with death, and a hollowness in his heart that would stay with him for as long as it took Tanya to heal.

“A shower would be a good idea.” Rob mused aloud to no-one in particular. He double checked to ensure that his bug-jammer was still active and the magnetic seal was still in place. Everything was as he had set it up. Rob carefully removed his toolbelt and set it on the bed. He removed the combat-vest and light armor he had fallen asleep still wearing and placed them beside the belt.

Rob took a quick look at the bathroom facilities at his disposal. They were really quite nice. Evidently this room was frequented by project managers or other high-level engineers. Lucky for Rob, in addition to standard washing implements, the bathroom was also equipped with a small washing machine. Man, clean clothes will feel so nice.

Rob turned the water in the shower on, the stream was hot enough and powerful enough to peel the armor off an Eagle. He peeled out of his clothes and tossed them in the machine, savoring for a second the feeling of air against his skin.

Rob jumped into the shower and luxuriated in the stinging hot spray.

Half an hour later the timer on the washing machine went off, telling Rob that the wash/dry cycle had finished. Rob hadn't quite finished in the shower though. He fiddled with the controls for a second and the stream of water slowly morphed from an invigorating, hot massage to a cool, refreshing rain shower. Little rivulets ran down Rob's body, carrying with them Rob's excess surface heat.

Rob stepped out of the shower a few minutes later, feeling much, much better, thanks. He gave himself a good, strong toweling-off, and was still rubbing his hair when he pulled his clothes from the washing machine and slipped back into them.

Just then Rob's stomach grumbled. The freelancer couldn't remember the last time he had actually eaten anything. I wonder what sort of vittles the VIPs get here...

Rob was impressed. The small fridge near the bedroom's door was well-stocked indeed. He pulled a few of the most appetizing items out and set about preparing them to the extent that was possible. It certainly wasn't Luxury Food from Stuttgart but, to Rob, it seemed pretty damn close. His stomach filled, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in hand, and his stuff packed away, a refreshed and almost back-to-“normal” Rob headed out to see if he could find his compatriots.

He found Travis helping with the many repairs needed by Konn's well-worn Humpback. Rob whistled. Twisted metal lay everywhere; the ship had been stripped half bare. “Travis!” Rob called. There was a thud, followed by a muttered string of curses. Travis slid out from under the Humpback, rubbing his head with a grease-stained hand.

“Goddamn it, now what? Oh, hi Rob,” the bounty hunter said.

“Sorry, hi.” Rob smiled sheepishly. “You guys have certainly been busy.”

“Yeah, we have.” Travis said. “And there's still a lot to do. We're getting a cut-rate price though. When I told the guys that we managed to take Cali out, well, they didn't believe me at first. Then a patrol came back and backed me up so we're getting a hefty discount.”

“Uh, speaking of money and discounts and all that, who's paying for this?” Rob asked.

“Oh, well.” Travis gave Rob a lopsided grin. “I know you've fronted a lot of cash for this party already so I figured it was Konn's turn to pay up. He's not badly off.” Travis twirled a credit stick between his fingers.

“Heh.”

“At least you were smart enough to find a room and take your things with you.” Travis said. “And, I have to say, you look a hell of a lot better than you did when we arrived, man.”

“Thanks. I feel a lot better. Not quite 100 percent though.” Rob replied.

“I know what you mean.” Travis said. “It's not going to be the same without her.”

Rob stared at his feet. The hollow feeling grew. Quickly, Rob changed the subject. “You mentioned Konn, where is he now?”

“Oh, he stumbled out a while ago. He's probably nursing his morning bottle of wine. You know, I didn't figure him for the wino type.”

Rob raised an eyebrow at this. “Me neither. Let me stow my gear and we'll see what's up with him.”

“Okay,” Travis said.

Rob pulled some things from his bag: energy pistols, glasses, datadisks and a few other odds and ends. Then he quickly stashed his stuff in one of the secure compartments left intact on the Humpback. He entered a 16-digit code and the door swung shut.

“Say, what've you got in the mug?” Travis asked.

Rob smiled. “An old standby from my youth. Hot chocolate. Good for the body, better for the soul.”

Travis took a whiff of the thick brown liquid. “Smells good.”

“Tastes even better.” Rob grinned wider. “I'll see if I can't get the bartender to whip up a mug for you. I'm pretty sure he'll be able to handle it.”

Sure enough, the bartender was able to whip up the chocolaty concoction without any difficulty. Travis took a tentative sip and sighed and the hot, sweet liquid coursed down his throat. “Man, you weren't kidding!” He said, eyed half-closed.

“Damn straight.” Rob said and pointed to a table near the back of the bar. “There's Konn. I don't see a bottle though.”

“Could just mean he's already finished his first. Or second.” Travis said grimly.

“No, no I don't think so. He's not falling over or anything. I'd wager he's nursing a 'cuppa'.”

“A whatta?” Travis asked, puzzled.

“A cuppa.” Rob repeated. “Tea.”

“Oh.”

Konn either heard the voices or footsteps. He looked up from his drink and said, “F*cking Outcasts. This weird phantom told me Derek's dead. If he'd just gone on patrol a few days later!”

Rob and Travis stopped in their tracks. Travis' eyes widened and Rob's jaw dropped ever so slightly.

“Did he - ?”

“I think he did.” Rob said, surprised. “Mr. Konn, Mr. Clean-cut-ex-military-how-are-you-gentlemen-today Konn just swo – hold on.” Rob's eyebrows knotted together. “Did he say 'weird phantom'?”

“Uh, that's, um, actually what I was talking about.” Travis said. “But yeah, now that you mention it, swearing is a bit out of character for the old chap.”

Rob's face had drained of some of it's original color. He looked directly at the trader. “Was it all cut-up and bloody? Spoke with a Rheinland accent?”

This time, it was Konn's eyes that widened. “How did you know?” He asked breathlessly.

Rob took a seat and began to explain to a half-hungover and fully confused Konn who Damien was and, to the best of his ability, what had happened with him on Cali. Travis also sat and listened to Rob speak as he savored his drink.

“We first encountered Damien - that was the guy's name - when he tried to assassinate Tanya.”

“I don’t know whether to be impressed or shocked. But do go on.” Konn took a healthy gulp of his tea, and set the cup back down.

“Well, it was on Gas Miner Naha. Same place we met that blue-haired punk who I want to rip up from one side down the other. Little snot took a potshot at me, too. I’m not forgetting that anytime soon, either.”

“Just a second. I overheard some people saying that someone had stabbed the blue-haired kid’s hand to a table. Was that you?”

Rob grinned.

“Ouch. Remind me never to get on your bad side. But please, continue.”

“Yeah. I’ll get that kid later. So anyway, after Tanya and I were trying to get back to our ship, this long-haired guy with tattoos all over him tried to get her, and only quit when he broke down after seeing her face. I still don’t know why, but in any case it turned out Mason was involved there, too. He had Damien’s lover, a guy named Nikolai – whose name I could swear I saw when I was scanning the raw dumps of the data from Cali – kidnapped and ransomed for Tanya’s life.

“Anyway, he came over to our side, I guess you could say, and the connection with Travis here is that it turned out the Bundschuh – who Damien was with – had found Travis and were holding him prisoner. After Damien left us, he got Travis released and sent off to meet Tanya. Anyway, it looks like the kid must have died in action, or…. I don’t know. But he’s now a floating… something, that goes around and scares the bejeesus out of people. He showed up on Cali just after Tanya and I nailed Hideko for good, and that’s when she blurted out his name.”

Konn’s face worked as he tried to assimilate all this new information. He had only one word: “Wow.”

Nods all around. Konn said, “We’ve got to get his man, Nikolai. But Mason first. This ruddy bastard keeps showing up in one way or another in all the nastiness we’re seeing.”

Summary: Rob recuperates after the whole Cali ordeal. He explains, as best he can, Damien's story.

Edited by - Codename on 6/21/2005 10:28:56 PM

*claps hands excitedly!*

Great series of posts, guys.

OOC: And exactly what is wrong with being emotional ?!

OOC: Who said there was anything wrong with it? Not me. I actually quite like it sometimes, but too much just makes me switch off.

So, any people reading this, now would be a very good time to join up. Konn and I can probably handle one or two more PCs in our group (they can't be just any kind, mind you). Feel free to drop either one of us a line and we'll do what we can to slot a character of your creation into our party. Someone could go out to Rheinland and witness the swath of destruction Dev leaves behind. Or maybe develop Stormtrooper's plotlines a bit more. As Konn noted, the Outcasts have been hit pretty hard by the loss of Cali so a number of options are open to new and current players there as well. So yeah, join. Or I will, um, post more. Well, actually I'll do that anyway.

OOC: Alrighty then ,I'm going to give this another try. Here goes nothing.

IC:

Michael Garrett awoke and groaned. He tried to sit up, but the constant pounding in his head made him lie back down. He groaned again.

He had to admit, however, that this hangover was worth it. He had just bagged his biggest bounty yet, an Outcast by the name of Suarez, and had pocketed half a million credits for him. He was pretty sure that based upon how he felt he must have blown half of that in the bar celebrating his victory. The bartender on Freeport 10, after all, mixed some damn good drinks.

After laying on his bunk for a few moments, he decided he was just going to have to suck it up and get moving. He slowly got up and carefully made his way to the small bathroom. He splashed his face with some cold water and stared at his reflection in the mirror. His reflection stared back as if to say, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Michael Garrett, or 'Wolfman' to his closest friends, had once been a promising young pilot for the Liberty Navy. His promising career had come crashing down after being accused of treason. His wingman had turned on him and began attacking during a routine engagement of Liberty Rogues, and he had destroyed his wingman in self-defense. His flight recorder, damaged during the fight, showed only Garrett's destruction of his wingman. The charge of treason was later reduced to gross negligence due to lack of evidence, and Garrett was given the option of facing court-martial or voluntarily resigning his commission. He decided to give up his military career, but was convinced he had been set up.

He used up what little savings he had, bought a cheap Starflier and began a career as a freelancer. He had taken a liking to bounty hunting, and had made a modestly successful living off of it, eventually moving out to the Border Worlds in search of better ships and bigger prey. Always present in the back of his mind was the surety that someone had betrayed him in his military career, and if he ever found out who had screwed him over, he would make them pay.

Garrett's thoughts were interrrupted by the gentle chime of his neural net alarm. He activated the neural net, checking the latest batch of job offers. He noticed one on the list that paid a million credits. Intrigued, he selected it and read the description.

"Private party wishes for elimination of a recent thorn in our side. Your target is a jack of all trades---Bounty Hunter, spy, you name it. Your target's last known location is in the Tau systems, but may have moved to the Sigma systems. He is dangerous, but we need him eliminated and will pay a handsome amount for his death. Your target's name is Rob Schaefer."

Garrett thought about it for a moment. A million credits? That's a pretty good payday, he thought to himself as he accepted the mission.

*** Freelancer 2---Starring Napoleon Dynamite. Coming to a computer near you. ***

"I object to being called a 'kid', Rob." Damien's haunting voice rang out. He materialized at the bar counter, his gruesome visage becoming clear to Travis, Rob, and Konn. "I am confident now that I have seen much more in my significantly short life than you will ever."

Konn had turned a sickly colour and was hiding inside his glass of tea. Travis, similarly, was horrified at the phantom sitting to his left. Only Rob was unfazed. "Lay off on the bitterness. I had nothing to do with any of this."

"Sorry." Damien stared at his blood covered hands, then: "You may rejoice, my friend. Tanya will be recovered within the week." Rob's face leapt. "But she may not be the same. I offered her a brief glance of the Beyond when her mind was lost.

And I thank you for your help in finding Nikolai."

"Its no problem. After Mason, of course."

Damien looked down again. "After Mason. Of course...." he paused a second, gazing into the blood pooling in his palms. "He has ordered a hit on you. A bounty hunter has taken it. Be aware.

I am going to meditate in the clouds of Sigma for a while."

He left and vanished.

Edited by - Wilde on 6/22/2005 5:54:26 PM

OOC: It's tea, Wilde. Konn was drinking tea. Other than that, good post. Were you planning on having Damien keep popping up like this though? I'm just a bit worried that it might start to lose its impact if you do it too much.

Neuro - Don't you dare delete this time!

Fixed it . And don't worry, I won't have him pop up too much more.

Hans stared out the bar window, sipping on a a liqour they called a Berlin Death Wish. "Not the greatest time for a drink" Has thought to himself.

He could see Sabres circling the whole base, like bees to a hive that been filled with glue.

"I wonder.........." Hans walked over to a communicator set in the bar, luckily the ships didnt jam the communications on Vogtland. Hans started filing through his nueral net log, looking for contacts.

"There you are you little rascal" Hans said to no-one in particular. "Wakey wakey, Vinny".

"Hmmgrph gimme ten more minutes alri?" said Vinny in an Italian accent.

"Vinny, wake up you lazy slob!"

"Alright alright, Hans, what is your problem?" Vinny rebutled.

"Youd have a problem too when your surrounded by 50 Sabres!"

"Whazza?!" Vinny unintelligibly replied.

"Vinny I need a 'speacial order' today" Hans told the illegal arms dealer.

"What do you need my Hessian friend?" Vinny annoyidly replied.

"I need.....3 fusion bombs".

-----------------

A few hours later three ships, Hammerheads approached the base. "Heh, thanks Vinny" Hans said to himself.

As quickly as the ships appeared they dropped their payload on the Sabres. Although most were destroyed, 3 remained. In the hangar bay the port master spoke over the intercom, "Gamma, Kappa, Delta and Zeta Wings cleared for luanch".

The wings were dispatched, and engaged the remaining ships. With 12 casualties the Hessians won the battle.

"Now, for Leipzig" Hans said over the Stilletos Comm set.

OOC:Thanks for the more readeable version,Code.Fixed spelling errors as well.This old keyboards is hard to use








Edited by - stormtrooper110 on 6/23/2005 5:32:19 PM