The Wolf.
Summer.
Free Worlds League.
331ABY
July 16th.
“Does this happen a lot?” Professor Jasmine Karner asked.
Helene Marshall shrugged, glanced at the now-closed door to the mess hall, then shrugged again, “Sort of. Though, this is the first time the Captain has thrown the punch at a member of her crew. Let alone punched Shepard Sims”
Karner frowned, “He’s a Doctor AND a Shepard?”
“Yeah” Helene nodded, “His primary position on the ship is Doctor, but he’s also been there when some of us needed a sympathetic ear or a little guidance” She sighed, “I’ll admit, they didn’t get off on the best foot at the start, the Captain has a real axe to grind against organized religion. But they learnt to get along pretty quick. I think that’s all gone now though”
“Can you say you’re surprised?” Karner scowled at Anton Marik, who lurked further down the corridor looking uncomfortable, “Had I known, I would’ve never introduced Marik”
“But you didn’t know” Helene shook her head, “None of us could’ve known about something even the Captain couldn’t remember. Except the Shepard apparently”
“Helene!” Connor’s voice called as he half ran, half jumped down the short staircase from the deck above, “What’s going on? Leeza just came charging up to the bridge to tell me that the Captain just decked the Shepard”
Helene quickly embraced him, “Pretty much” She quickly introduced Karner and Marik, then explained what they’d learnt from Marik about the Captain and Shepard Sims connection.
Connor scowled. “So she just went charging in and walloped the Shepard?” He rubbed his forehead, “I can understand her being angry, but still…”
Helene shrugged, “The Captain has always been private about what happened to her back in 305ABY. She didn’t remember much about what happened as well. It was quite a shock for her”
Karner frowned at the door, “It’s gone quiet, Maybe someone should go in there”
Helene smirked at her, “Are you volunteering, Professor?”
“I don’t know your Captain nor the Shepard all that well” Karner snorted, “Besides, I saw how angry Wolf was. I’m not suicidal”
Connor sighed, “I’ll go” He stepped forwards but Helene blocked his way.
“I’ll do it” She shook her head, “You’re her XO, acting XO anyway, you need to maintain a working relationship with her. You seeing her in this state would undermine that from her point-of-view. Give me five minutes then come in”
“Hel” Connor frowned and reached for her.
“I’ll be careful” Helene smiled and gently held his hand before letting go and heading for the door into the mess hall, “Wish me luck”
——————————————-
“You’re still Alexandria Tarn” Sims nodded slowly, “Just as you are Alex Tarn and just as you are Alexa Wolf. Each stage of your life is merely a stepping stone in your fate”
“But I died” Alexa frowned, “How can I even be sure I’m the person that little girl was supposed to grow up to become? What memories of my first seven years are real and which are manufactured? My memories of my mother, were they all fake?”
Sims frowned, shook his head, “That is a difficult one to answer. I don’t know what memories were lost and which were manufactured. From what I know, none of the team that worked on that part of the Project are still alive”
Alexa looked at him, head cocked to one side in question, “They were killed? The ISF?”
“Not necessarily” Sims sighed, and walking to the drinks dispenser, poured himself some juice, “Most of the memory team were in their seventies and eighties. Most will have shuffled off to the afterlife by now. At least two more died in a lab fire a few days before the Project was ended”
Alexa looked at him, “How many of the Project Team are left?”
“Not many” Sims answered, “The majority were those the ISF considered too dangerous to go free. The Project Leader for example, was an Arkanian called Bek. She was wanted in a number of systems for a number of crimes relating to genetic manipulation. She was in the top five on both the Alliance and Republic’s wanted lists. She was killed shortly after you were taken from the lab. There were rumours that she’d obtained a sample of the Prince’s genetic code and was experimenting with it” He frowned, “Though looking back, I wonder if it was possibly yours instead”
“I see” Alexa shuddered, “What about you or Marik?”
“We were prisoners taken during battles with the Republic and put into service with our skills on the Project” Sims replied, “I was an accomplished surgeon and Marik despite his love of history is an expert in neurology. We were never told who you were, nor did we have access to information that would tell us”
Alexa nodded, “And you found out when you scanned my head and tested my blood. You put two and two together. But How did Marik know? He recognised me and reacted to my name. My birth name”
“That I can’t answer” Sims shrugged, “I can only hazard a guess that he learnt sometime in the intervening years through other means. Or learnt during our work on the Project. Some of the lead staff did know who you were and some of them did have vices for which they could be bribed” He closed his eyes, “After our work was finished, we were released, about two dozen of us. With warnings not to speak about what we knew and what we had done. For many of us, the memory of what we’d participated in and fear of the ISF kept us quiet”
“And you found religion” Alexa nodded slowly.
“Captain” Sims said, his voice filled with pain and regret, “I once took an oath to ‘do no harm’. An oath I took very seriously. Everything I did on the project went against everything that oath stood for. I tried to justify it by telling myself that we were saving a life, but what we did was unnatural. We experimented on a child and it was a horrifying, terrible act” He looked out of the mess hall viewport and took in the somewhat limited view of the landing pit, “I spent years trying to come to terms with what I’d been involved in and religion was a way of finding guidance in my life again. Of finding some way to atone for my sins. I can’t wipe my slate clean, but perhaps I can find some measure of mercy come my end”
Alexa was silent for a few moments, absently tapping a fork on the table top, “You and Marik talk about what was done to me, but I have no memory of it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be alive. But I was and still am angry about how it was kept secret” She looked at him with sad, yet angry eyes, “Kept secret by people I trusted”
Sims hung his head in shame, “Captain, I gave my reasons for not telling you and I still stand by my reasons. I won’t apologise for that. All I can do is try to prove I had your best interests at heart”
Alexa nodded slowly, “I can accept that” She sighed, “But I think it might be a while before I can rebuild my trust in you”
Sims returned her nod, “Yes, I can understand why”
An awkward silence descended between the pair. A relationship of trust between the two had been shattered in the space of just a few hours. A relationship built up over the last seven years and surprisingly strong despite their differences of belief had been swept away with a revelation and a punch.
The door hissed open and Helene Marshall slipped in the room, “We all a lot calmer in here?” She asked cautiously.
Alexa nodded, grateful for Helene’s arrival, “Yeah, we’re done here. I think”
Helene frowned, “Captain……Alexa, Are you going to be okay, I know it was a shock…..”
Alexa stood, suddenly weary, her rage and anger exhausted and leaving her empty, “I’m not sure. I think I need to lie down” She sighed and headed from the mess hall, pausing outside long enough to ask Connor to return to the dig site with Karner and Helene, and then she wandered to her quarters, ignoring further questions.
Helene looked to Sims, “Shepard, what happens now?”
Sims sighed, “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know”
Natasha Loren sighed as she slipped into the cabin that had been the closest thing to a home that she and Alex had possessed for seven years. Upon returning to the Wolf, she had learnt the story of what had happened.
After recovering from her initial shock, she’d pressured Shepard Sims and this Marik fellow for details and tried to piece together the story. Thus prepared she’d gone to their quarters to see Alexa. Her every instinct had been to head straight for her lover to comfort her, but she needed to know what had happened, knowing that she probably would struggle to get the story from a distressed and upset Alexa.
The door hissed open and she stepped through into the darkened room beyond, “Alex, love? You in here?”
“I’m over here” Alexa answered woodenly.
Ash followed the sound of her voice and found her in one corner of the small living area, sat on the floor wrapped in a blanket and leafing through holo-pics that she’d spread over the floor in front of her.
“Hey” Ash smiled carefully as she stepped towards her.
“Hey” Alexa frowned up at her, “Thought I’d see you sooner”
Ash winced, “Sorry, but I wanted to find out what happened” She knelt down next to her.
“Did you?” Alexa asked, her tone still wooden, but Ash thought she detected a trace of hurt in there.
“A fair bit” Ash shrugged, “Still too many questions. How are you doing?”
“Honestly?” Alexa sighed, “I’m not sure. I’m over my initial shock and anger, but I’m just a mix of emotions right now. Fear, anger, betrayal, loss” She shook her head.
Ash frowned and slipped a comforting arm around her lover, “The anger I can understand, maybe the betrayal too. But the Loss and fear?”
“It’s a mix” Alexa took a deep shuddering breath, “I don’t know what childhood memories are even mine. My memories are all I have of my mother, and they may not even be real”
“No, you can’t start thinking that way” Ash shook her head, “The Shepard and Marik have said only a few memories were replaced and Marik even said, they were specific memories revolving around the assassination attempts and your injuries”
“But they can’t be sure” Alexa shot back, “Neither of them were part of the neurology and memory teams What if all my memories of my mother aren’t real?” She gently poked at the holo-pics on the floor. Ash saw they were of a little girl in pigtails with an older boy, a woman and a man Ash recognised as Prince Harrison, “What if my memoires of my childhood aren’t mine?”
“Alex….” Ash started to say.
“Am I even Alexandria Tarn?” Alexa interrupted, “Or was I born in some lab to replace a dead girl whose father couldn’t let go?”
Ash grimaced, “Little one, you can’t think like that. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve always been Alexandria Tarn, Princess of Skye, bad-ass mercenary and the girl I love. Your name may have changed, but you’re still you”
Alexa managed a weak smile,“I’d like to believe you, but……”
“Believe me, okay?” Ash gently gripped Alexa’s chin and tilted her head back to kiss her, “I love you and no matter what happens, I always will” She waved a arm as if to take in their surroundings, “And so will that merry bunch of reprobates and lunatics, in their own way and they’ll follow you wherever regardless”
Alexa chuckled, felt a little of her fears ebbing, “I guess you’re right, as usual”
Ash shrugged, “Of course, now we have a week before Bannson gets here. I’m guessing you have a plan?”
Alexa nodded as she felt her confidence boosted. She still hurt, but suddenly, she felt she could maybe deal with it, “First, we’ll relocate the Wolf to the dig site”
“Leeza or Sacul can handle that, since you’ve already sent Connor to the dig” Ash nodded, “And then?”
Alexa grinned, light flashing off her fangs, “We prepare a welcome for Mr Bannson that he won’t forget”
—————————————————–
The Star of Lianna.
Tanaab Orbit.
331ABY
July 23rd
The day had started so well, Kitten would later reflect, but that one event had soured the day and possibly the entire trip. She could admit she dealt with it well, but then again, she’d never expected to run into her past like that.
As the green globe of Tanaab rotated slowly in the view through the observation bubble, Kitten leaned back into Dan’s arms as they sat on the padded couch. The view wasn’t the important thing for her, it was just being here, with her husband and thinking about how lucky she was. After escaping her first abusive marriage, Kitten had never expected to find a man who could love her in the way that Dan did, a man with whom she’d felt complete.
With his love and care, she’d conquered many of her demons and had finally been able to put to rest the little girl she’d once been, the girl once known as Samantha Milton-Jones. Gone was the compulsion to shock, the flirtatious nature was toned down and she no longer dressed so overtly sexual.
That didn’t mean she didn’t still possess a mischievous nature. Even in a sleeveless t-shirt with cargo slacks, she still drew disapproving stares from some of the other passengers. Her dread-locked and braided bright pink hair, heavily tattooed body and often coarse humour all but offended many of the higher class passengers or ‘scared the squares’ as she put it.
Sometimes, she just couldn’t help herself. Fortunately though, the amount of credits she’d spent on this trip -nearly her entire share of the last two years worth of mission payouts- ensured that while there had been some complaints about her, there was little the crew would do.
Glancing up, she noticed her husband lost in thought, “Credit for your thoughts?”
Dan chuckled, “I’d hope it’s worth more than a credit” He smiled down at her, “Just thinking how lucky I am” He leaned down to kiss her.
“You’re not the only lucky one” Kitten grinned as she returned the kiss.
As she pulled slowly away from him, her gaze caught sight of a couple entering the observation lounge, the woman grey haired and just the wrong side of plump and the man was a small fellow with an almost ear-less balding head perched on a skinny neck that emerged from the neck of his suit, he looked quite like a turtle.
Recognition hit her like a speeding air speeder and a tremble went through her body chased by a potent mix of fear and anger. How could they be here? Of all places?
“Babe?” Dan said with concern feeling the tremble from her, “What’s wrong?”
“Those two over there” She whispered, “Sitting near the viewport now, do you see them?”
Dan glanced over and picked out the couple, “The fat woman and the guy who looks like a bobble-head toy?”
“That’s them” Kitten nodded slowly, fighting to get her heart-rate under control.
“Do you know them?” Dan frowned.
“I used to” Kitten winced, “They’re my parents”
Dan stiffened with anger, “The same parents who sold you like cattle?” He started to rise, but Kitten pulled him back down.
“No!” She hissed, “Not here, not now. I want to confront them, I think. But I want to prepare myself first”
Dan looked at her, “You sure?”
Kitten nodded, “Yes. I want to confront them somewhere private. Do you think you can find their cabin?”
Dan smiled, “I can find their cabin, their meal reservations and even their travel itinerary”
“Good” Kitten sighed, “I want to do this right”
————————————————–
Flashback
ISF Medical Facility.
Skye
Skye Alliance.
October 10th.
305ABY.
Doctor Bek frowned as she glanced over the various status readouts and information that scrolled across the screen attached to the tank within which the form of Alexandria Tarn drifted.
The Arkanian glanced at the dark haired man in the nurses uniform next to her, “The nerve grafts have taken on the spine?”
Karl Sims nodded slowly, If by taken, you mean they haven’t been rejected, then yes they’ve taken. But we can’t tell if nerve impulses are being transmitted” Sims frowned, “There still isn’t enough activity in the brain to registered the stimulus”
Bek sighed and looked to another Doctor, “Push Nucleon levels to stage four, see if that improves the healing rate”
Sims scowled, “Forgive me Doctor, but is that even safe? Aren’t we risking killing her at those levels?”
Bek looked at him, “Nurse Sims, I don’t know if it has escaped your notice, but for all intents and purposes, this child is effectively dead. If we try this and fail, then we’ve failed. But if we succeed, then we will have worked a miracle” She smiled, “We’ll have restored life to one that is no longer living”
“But….” Sims blanched.
“No buts” Bek shook her head, “We’re forging new paths here. What we do could make us monsters or gods”
———————————————————————————–
Summer.
Free Worlds League.
331ABY
July 24th
Jacob Bannson stared in disbelief at Shawn Evans as the ex-Oberon marine filled him in on the last few weeks. A solidly built man, with muscles developed through rigorous exercise, Bannson felt it was his mind that was his greatest weapon. He was smart, shrewd and very, very patient.
Only his patience was wearing thin very quickly today.
“Enough” He snarled, cutting Shawn off mid-sentence, “Do you mean to tell me, you where beaten up and run off, by a bunch of couriers?”
Shawn shook his scarred head, “They said they were couriers. But I don’t believe that” He explained, “They were trained and prepared. And couriers don’t normally have a starfighter backing them up”
“True” Bannson nodded, stroking his perfectly trimmed beard, “Sounds like Karner got herself some muscle from somewhere” He frowned, “Are they local?”
“Don’t think so” Shawn scowled, “I’d have heard of a crew like that running around here. They came from off world, I’m betting it was their ship that moved from a bay at the space port to the dig site a few days ago. A Polaris VII transport”
Bannson nodded thoughtfully, “What have you done to identify them?”
Shawn winced, “I’ve put out a few inquiries to my contacts elsewhere, but I’m still waiting for responses”
Bannson forced himself to take a deep calming breath, “What do you know about them? You must know something”
The former marine shrugged, “Well, there’s at least nine of them, mostly humans, but with a Nagai, a Quarren and some sort of giant human”
“A giant?” Bannson scowled in disbelief.
“He’s probably at least eight feet tall, built like a brick outhouse” Shawn grunted, “The leader is a woman, not particularly tall. Really mouthy and arrogant with it” He frowned, “And she had tooth implants, I think” He gestured at his mouth, “Shiny fangs, like platinum”
Bannson started, now THAT rang a bell, “A mercenary captain with platinum fangs, a Polaris VII transport. That does sound familiar” He frowned, the factoid he sought lurked just out of reach, waiting for that last piece of the puzzle, “Anything else?”
His underling shook his head, “Only that they really know how to fight”
“Anything helpful?” Bannson muttered sarcastically, “Never mind” He snarled cutting Shawn off, “It’s time I sorted this out myself” He stood abruptly and added with a bitter tone, “If you want something doing right, do it yourself. I’ll show you how to handle Karner and her friends”
—————————————————-
Dig Site.
Jacob Bannson sat back in the rear seat of the speeder as it and the four others accompanying them made their way along the back roads outside of town towards Karner’s dig site. With him in the lead speeder were Shawn Evans, his on world rep Colm Sarr and the driver. The other speeders were stuffed with as many of his men as Evans could gather.
He had hoped that Karner and her students would have been chased off long ago, but they had hung on stubbornly, even after most of the traders in town had ceased to serve them after his leaning on them. And then they went ahead and found some help.
Bannson mentally berated himself for not being able to remember why Evans’ description of the woman with the fangs was so familiar. He’d never met anyone like that, but he did try to keep abreast on things and he’d read a report on such a person. If only that memory would present itself.
He glanced at Evans as the former soldier checked the charge on his blaster, “I would prefer to avoid any shooting” Bannson instructed, “This is just a discussion we’re going to have”
“Then why did you have me bring my men?” Evans frowned.
“Because it helps to start discussions on more than an equal footing” Bannson smiled, “We’ll give Karner one last warning and as for this Captain, well, she sounds like a mercenary, so she’ll have a price that should ensure she steps away”
“You’re certain she can be bought? Evans was unconvinced.
“All mercenaries can bought” Bannson laughed, “Some may be a bit more expensive, but in the end, they all sell out”
Colm Sarr gestured nervously, “We’re approaching the dig site”
Bannson nodded and looked out the window. The dig site itself was easily recognisable as a series of shallow, wide pits studded with tents and other temporary structures. More recognisable was the large freighter that dominated much of a the flat, levelled area above the dig and between the dig itself and Bannson’s people. He wasn’t particularly familiar with ships in general and wouldn’t have recognised this one as a Polaris VII if he hadn’t been forewarned, but he was able to admire it’s graceful construction.
As the speeders pulled to a stop and disgorged their passengers, Bannson noted a lack of activity down in the dig. In fact, the only sign of life was a young girl -almost a child- sitting on a crate near the lowered boarding ramp of the freighter.
Seeing them approach, the girl smiled warmly, “Oh hello, you must be Mr Bannson. We’ve been expecting you all morning” She glanced over her shoulder, “Hey, Helene, tell the boss. Bannson’s here”
Bannson heard an indistinct shout from inside the ship, then a woman trotted down the ramp. Like the girl, she wore a t-shirt and leggings, but she was older by at least ten years and had a katana strapped across her back.
“That’s the girl from the shop” One of Evan’s men whispered, “She’s the one with the sword” He added unnecessarily.
Bannson rolled his yes and focused on the two women, “I’m here to talk to Professor Karner and your Captain”
The girl identified as Helene shrugged, “They’ll be along in a second” Bannson waited for her to say more, but she just kept smiling pleasantly as did the other girl.
A few minutes later, a small group descended the boarding ramp of the ship. They were mostly human, but they included a Quarren with a number of replacement parts glinting in the midday sun and a female Nag’ai, who carried a vicious looking sword. The other three were human, though none matched Evan’s description of their captain.
Next to Bannson, Colm Sarr gestured wildly at two of the humans, a tall blond woman and small, almost bookish man with a receding hairline and glasses.
“You two!” Sarr spluttered, “You were in my office! You were the investors! Talia Graves!”
The blond offered an apologetic smile, “Sorry to say Mr Sarr, I decided not to invest in Mr Bannson’s company on account of not being a real investor” She grinned in a way that made Bannson’s blood boil.
“Enough stalling” Bannson snapped, “Where is your Captain?” He demanded.
“I’m right here” A voice called as one more figure descended the ramp. The first thing that struck here was how short she was, barely exceeding five feet, though he admired the fact that she didn’t try to compensate with platformed boots, instead she wore a pair of heavily padded knee high combat boots.
Her body was clad in a leather jumpsuit that hugged her curves and she walked with a swagger that oozed confidence and not a small amount of arrogance. As she approached Bannson, she grinned and let light reflect of the platinum fang implants that gave her feral appearance and with the silver streak in her hair, she was disturbingly familiar. He’d definitely seen her image somewhere before, on some report or something.
She stopped a few paces before him, “Bannson, I presume?” She looked up at him.
“I am Jacob Bannson” Bannson scowled, “I prefer Mr Bannson”
“Well, Bannson” She smirked, “What can I do for you today?”
Anger spiked in him, “First, I would know who I am dealing with”
That grin again, “I am Captain Alexa Wolf and these are my Ghosts” She indicated the people behind her, “Well, some of them at any rate”
Bannson stared at her. Alexa Wolf! He had heard of her, had seen reports of her exploits, specifically an incident involving a T’surr crime lord that had hired her and her crew for a simple cargo run, then rather than pay them had tried to have them killed. Despite overwhelming odds, Wolf and her people had survived the attempt to eliminate them, hunted down the T’surr and took down his little empire and Wolf herself had slain the T’surr.
Behind him, one of his men made a choking sound and a couple of others muttered between themselves. Bannson tried to ignore them and focused on the woman in front of him, “Well, Captain Wolf” He said carefully, “You’ve been interfering with my business here”
Wolf cocked an eyebrow, “I wasn’t aware that causing problems for a archaeological dig was considered business”
“My business is my own” Bannson snapped, “It is none of yours”
“I made it my business when you decided to bully a bunch of students” Wolf shot back, “I have a serious dislike of industrialists who throw their weight around and think their credits can get them past laws”
“And I have a dislike of jumped up midgets who stick their nose in” Bannson shot back.
Any hope that his insult about her height may have got a reaction out of her died when she just laughed at him, “Is that really the best you have?” She shook her head, then glanced over her shoulder at the blond, “Hey Ash, when was the last time I got upset at remarks about my height”
The blond shrugged, “Been a while, fair few years at least” She snorted, “I’d probably still punch this guy out though, just on sheer principle”
“I’ll keep it under consideration” Wolf laughed as she turned back to Bannson, who by now was barely controlling his anger.
“Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?” He said coldly.
“Nope” Wolf shrugged, “Don’t particularly care either”
Bannson stared at her, aware that her people and his men were watching the exchange intently, “Captain Wolf” He bit off each word, “I have very specific reasons for what I do. I see no reason to have any further conflict with you and your people. My differences are with Professor Karner and her whelps, I want them off this land and I see no need for violence to occur” He forced calm into his voice, “What will it cost me to have you and your people pack up and leave? Name your price”
Wolf didn’t answer for a moment, almost as if she were considering the question, however a red headed woman spoke up, “Cap, you can’t be seriously considering this jerks offer?”
Wolf started, “Huh? Oh no, was just thinking of the most eloquent answer to convey exactly how I feel” She looked back an Bannson, “Take your credits, Bannson and go shove them up your…….”
“Enough” Bannson couldn’t hold his anger in anymore, “I gave you a chance, but it’s clear I’m being too lenient” He signalled to Evans and his men to draw their weapons.
Before Evans could clear his blaster from it’s holster, he was suddenly dancing back as a blaster bolt slammed into the dirt at his feet. Their eyes were drawn up to another figure on top of the ships hull, a heavy rifle in his hand.
At the same time, Wolf and her people produced a variety of blasters and in the case of the Nag’ai and the girl Helene, had drawn their swords.
“You want to start a fight?” Wolf said easily, her own blaster pistol aimed squarely at Bannson, “Well, we’ll be happy to finish it”
Bannson fought his heart back down into his chest, “I notice a certain disparity to our numbers, my people outnumber yours”
“True” She smirked, “On the other hand….” She indicated to one side and he turned and felt shock run through him as a battlesuit, a Golem he thought, stepped around from behind the ship. At the same time, a starfighter suddenly appeared above them, hovering on repulsorlifts and pointing it’s weapons in their direction, “On the other hand, I have the superior firepower”
Bannson’s men shuffled nervously, their blasters drawn, but pointing at the ground. They were unwilling to put their weapons away, but also painfully aware that they were stood in the middle of a murderous crossfire.
“This isn’t over” Bannson stared hard at Wolf, “I will get what I want. I always get what I want”
Wolf shrugged, “Well, maybe it’s time to break that run. So, what’s it to be? You gonna leave or do I just give my people free rein to glass you and the ground you’re stood on?”
Bannson tried to think of a parting shot, some remark that would give him the last word, but it just wouldn’t come to mind. Instead, he just turned in anger and stalked back towards his speeder. After a moments hesitation, Evans and Sarr and the rest of his men did likewise, most of them making no attempt to hide their eagerness to get out from under the sights of Wolf’s people.
————————————————
Alexa watched the speeders head out and then turned to the others, “Okay, stand down” She instructed and everyone put their weapons away. Scooter Barnes powered down the weapons of his Golem battlesuit and matched the bulky armour up the boarding ramp into the ship. Meanwhile, Leeza took her fighter drifting in towards the Wolf and began the process of docking it into the upper bay.
“Well, that went well” Ash remarked, “If he was angry before, he’s probably pretty hacked off now”
Alexa nodded, “That was the point. I wanted to show him that we weren’t just going to roll over and look the other way, just because he can throw the credits around. But I also want him reacting, not thinking clearly”
Connor Solo scowled, “Making him angry might just make him more dangerous. Jacob Bannson has a reputation for unpredictability, being angry may make him more so”
Alexa shrugged, “Or it may make him even easier to lead around by the nose” She looked at Galatea, “How’s our little project going?”
“It’s ready” Galatea frowned, “Though need to point out, we’re acting on a lot of assumptions with Bannson. We don’t even know that it’s what he’s after”
“Actually” Sacul cut in, “I hacked into his files finally. He’s made over a hundred searches of various archives across the League for details on the Skull of Thanatos. It’s a fair bet he’s after that, however, non-existent it really is”
Ash frowned at the HRD, “And there I was thinking you’d been wasting your time and vandalizing Merc-pedia all week”
Sacul grinned, “I also devised a new fuel formula and composed a sonnet. When you can do twelve dozen things at once, it’s very easy to get bored if you don’t keep busy”
Alexa smiled at Galatea, “Your mom still prepared to help us lay the trap”
Galatea nodded, “We’ll get the skull planted tonight, she’ll dig it up in full view tomorrow with a couple of her most trusted students and make a big show of it”
“Then we’ll see what happens” Alexa nodded, “I want us on alert though. I expect Bannson to just send someone to steal it, but as Connor pointed out. He may act in a way we can’t predict”
Connor grunted, “And there I was thinking you only kept me around for my good looks rather than my opinions”
“That’s certainly why I keep you around” Helene smiled as she stepped up and slipped her arm around her fiancée.
“Thanks babe” Connor sighed, though his smile ruined his attempts to look unhappy,“Thanks a lot”
————————————————————–
The Star of Lianna.
331ABY
Heinrich Milton-Jones sighed as he swiped the key card through the reader to open the door to the cabin he and his wife shared. Once, they’d done their travelling aboard their private yacht, dealing only with the crew and a few servants.
But those days, like much of his fortune, were long gone. Too many bad deals, too many failed investments. He glanced at his wife Kyalla, and grimaced. Her addiction to gambling and frivolous spending sprees had also swallowed up a significant amount of money.
“Fortunately, the Star lacks casinos” He thought, “Or she’d be throwing away much of what’s left”
He threw another glance at her. On the other hand, she was spending most of the meagre allowance he allowed her on food. She was more overweight than ever and was -in his opinion- in serious danger of passing for a Hutt.
As the door hissed open and he stepped through in to the cabin, he repressed a shudder as his wife waddled in behind. He still loved her, yet there was a part that was disgusted by her. But she was the only thing that was truly his these days, and she did still love him, in her own way.
It was only after the door hissed shut behind the pair of them that he became aware that someone was already in the small living area. A tall man he didn’t recognise with his hair pulled into a ponytail and a woman, her hair died pink and apparently styled by a lunatic and her exposed arms covered in tattoos.
The man was stood with his arms crossed behind the chair opposite the small sofa, but the woman was seated in the chair and pointing a blaster at them both.
“Who the hell are you?” Heinrich demanded.
“Sit down” The woman ordered and gestured to the sofa.
“I am asking you a question” Heinrich said evenly, trying to keep his anger in check, “Who are you and why are you in our cabin?”
The woman rolled her eyes, “Unless it’s escaped your attention, I’m the one with the blaster. Sit down. Now. Both of you”
The man shrugged, “Trust me, Sir. I’d sit down”
The plain honesty of the man contrasted sharpely with the outright hostility of the woman and startled Heinrich and he sat down as instructed, seating himself next to his wife who trembled with silent fear, “Please, who are you? What do you want?” He asked carefully.
The woman tipped her head to one side as a hurt expression flickered across her pretty face, “I’m actually surprised you don’t recognise me. Surely you haven’t forgotten me?”
Heinrich stared at her. She was a little familiar, “Miss. I’m afraid I don’t know you”
His wife though….”Sa…Samantha?” Kyalla stammered, “Is that you?”
Heinrich stared in shock. His daughter? “Samantha? But you’re dead?” He could scarcely believe that this tattooed, pink haired spacer was his little girl.
——————————————————–
For a few moments, Kitten revelled in the expressions of shock on the faces of her parents or at least the people who she had once thought of as her parents. Kyalla Milton-Jones had gone so white that she actually thought the woman was about to pass out. Meanwhile, Heinrich was looking nervously between her face and the blaster in her hand, presumably remembering the circumstances that had led to her supposed ‘death’
She shrugged, “I used to answer to that name. When I was a child” She shook her head, “That’s not who I am anymore”
“But you died!” Kyalla wailed, “Your husband, Tormax killed you, then committed suicide”
“Husband?” Kitten laughed, “You mean the man you sold me to? The man who abused and beat me on a daily basis? He didn’t kill me, but I killed him before he had the chance, then I fled and faked my death”
“Why didn’t you come home instead?” Heinrich asked.
“Seriously?” Kitten said incredulously, “After you’d sold me to that worm like I was a piece of meat? That was the last thing I wanted to do” She shook her head, “You think I’d want to come back to the people who had done that to me?”
Kyalla blinked in confusion, “But why did you kill him? He gave you a good life, you were looked after”
“Looked after?” Kitten almost came out the chair in anger. Had she been able to she would have strangled her mother there and then. Only Dan’s hands resting on her shoulders stooped her, gently yet firmly holding her down, “Almost every day I was beaten. Sometimes just enough to bruise, other times sufficient to put me in a bacta tank. Ruptured organs, broken bones, once I was almost blinded. Six months in, he hit me with a chair so hard that my womb split. The doctors had to remove it to save my life” She sighed and said quietly, “I can never have children”
“We didn’t know” Heinrich started to say, the lie evident on his face, but Kitten cut him off.
“It was public knowledge” She snapped, “It was well known that he beat his first two wives to death” She shook her head, “The only reason he escaped justice was because he owned the police force on Anaxes” She stared at her parents in turn. Her mother blushed and turned away in shame quickly, but her father managed to hold her gaze for a few more moments.
“We were desperate” Heinrich said quietly, “I’d made some bad deals. If we didn’t get the money, we would have been killed. All of us”
“I hope you got good money for me” Kitten said sarcastically, “I’m glad you thought getting to live was worth throwing your daughter into a nightmare”
Heinrich straightened up, “I did what I had to”
“What you had to?” Dan spoke up, unable to hold his silence any longer, “It’s a father’s duty to protect his daughter” Even as he spoke, it occurred to him just how many of his friends had problems with their father. Whether it be their fathers disowning them in the case of Alexa or Ash, or outright attempts to kill them like Galatea’s father.
“She was a spoilt little brat!” Heinrich suddenly snapped, his voice laced with anger, “Always wanting the latest expensive fad. Always wanting me to spend more and more credits on her. She did as much to contribute to my money troubles as her mother did”
“Heinrich!” Kyalla grabbed her husbands arm, “She has a blaster!”
He shook off her grip, “So?” He snapped, “What is this then? Have you come to kill us for revenge? Because we valued our lives over that of a daughter we hadn’t even wanted?”
“You hadn’t wanted?” Kitten whispered, “Was I an accident? Is that why you sold me so willingly?”
Heinrich hesitated, “Do you want me to apologise? I made a decision that I still stand by, I refuse to admit to making an error of judgement”
Shocked and angry, Kitten stared at him, at them both, “You’re not even sorry?” She stood abruptly and the blaster came up and Heinrich found himself staring down the barrel. She held it there for a few moments, aware that Dan was stood behind her.
“Babe?” Dan whispered.
Kitten held the blaster on Heinrich for nearly a minute, then suddenly, like a breaking fever her anger dissipated and the blaster dropped, “The hell with this. I don’t know what I was expecting. That you’d be sorry, that you’d at least have some guilt over what you did” She sighed, “I guess it was too much to hope that maybe my parents still had humanity in some small way” She looked Heinrich in the eye again and was gratified to see him finally turn away in shame. She snorted, “And just so you know I have a far better life than I ever would have had with you”
She headed to the door, still hoping for some sort of acknowledgement from them, but neither would even look at her. She lingered there for a moment, just to give them one last chance, but when none came, she shook her head in disgust and opening the door slipped through before it had fully slid open.
“Just so you know” Dan said lingering at the door and looking at them, “When I accessed your details to find your cabin, I noticed you were travelling under assumed names on false documents. So I did some checking, there’s an arrest warrant for fraud and embezzlement for you in both the League and the Republic. I sent a notification to a few enforcement agencies, so I imagine you’ll have someone waiting for you at the next stop”
Heinrich stared at him in anger, “You had no right”
“Just like you had no right to sell your daughter to abuse and essential slavery” Dan shot back, his anger finally unleashed, “The only reason I didn’t want her to shoot you in cold blood is that I don’t want her to become the sort of monster you are. What I’ve done is something I consider justice. I understand you could both be facing up to forty years incarceration each, you’ll be wishing she shot you” And with that he too left the room, leaving the couple to contemplate their future and their past mistakes.
Dan caught up with Kitten down the corridor, “Hey, you okay?”
Kitten glanced over her shoulder, “I’ll live” She sighed, “I shouldn’t have done this. I honestly thought I’d see something in their eyes. Remorse, guilt, a sign that they’d loved me” She wiped her eyes, smearing some of her make-up in the process, “They barely even seemed to care that I was alive. Did I really mean nothing to them?”
Dan shrugged, “I can’t answer that accurately without knowing what was going through their heads, but consider this. Perhaps they did love you back then, but in the last thirty years, they’ve convinced themselves otherwise to try and rationalize what they did” He sighed and reached out to hold her hand as they walked, stepping around other passengers in the corridor, “Fear for our lives can make us do things that we might never do otherwise”
“Maybe” Kitten conceded, “But it doesn’t matter anymore. I gave up on them when I left my life as Samantha behind. I just, I don’t know, hoped I might have been able to get some closure” She gave a weak smile and looked at her husband, “At least I’m not the only Ghost who has parent issues”
Dan nodded, having had the same thought earlier, “Alexa hasn’t spoken with her father in seven years since he stripped her of her birthright and name. Natasha was disowned after she chose to join the Alliance military and Galatea’s father ordered her thrown out of an airlock and when that failed, he had her framed for assassination, sabotage and kidnapping” He shrugged, “Apparently, Rei also fell out with her father over not following him as a member of the Nagai elite guard, but you know how private she is”
“At least I’m in good company then” Kitten sighed, “I’m sorry I’ve kinda brought down the mood on your birthday trip. To be honest, I’m not sure I want to stay on this ship anymore”
Dan squeezed her hand, “I suspected as much. We’re due to stop over at Commenor tomorrow. What do you say we get off there and find a quick ship to the Sprawl?”
“Sounds good to me” Kitten smiled, “Besides, I sure the others will be wrapping things up about now and will soon be on their way back there soon as well”
Fractured Galaxy 