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Readers,

Keep your eyes peeled for chapter 4 of LSP! It's nearly finished. I'm sorry it's taken so long, but as you all know, real life takes precidence over fantasty sometimes.

I hope you enjoy Long Since Passed- Diversions as much as I do! It was a blast to write!

If yuou haven't read them yet, make sure you read the first two chapters first!

~Redfield

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Long Since Passed-Chapter 3

"Any idea what that was all about?" Jamie asked, stumbling out of the Andrea's open side hatch and finally catching his breath. Anna was sitting on the ship's left landing strut with her head in her hands. The elegant black dress she wore was tattered, covered with dust and ripped in several places. The wound on her arm had been wrapped with a scrap of the garment, and it didn't appear to be bleeding any longer when Jamie checked it out. Both of their overall appearances were just as tattered as Cilcy's dress.

"No." She muttered, looking through her data pad. The dragoness's attempt to contact the Interlude had been met with static, and the communications array readout confirmed that it was no longer transmitting. Anna was deeply worried for the safety of her crew and the safety of her ship. She'd gotten off the order to jump out of system during their flight from the ball, but the Interlude's transponder hadn't answered back like it was supposed to do. It was possible that the ship hadn't even gotten the message.

Jamie turned away from her, surveying their surroundings with the attitude of a prey animal. The former military pilot hated the feeling that it gave him, and Cilcy was no doubt feeling it on the extended scale for the personnel under her command. After all, he didn't have a battleship to look after like she did. He wasn't used to being the hunted.

The Gryphon had put them down in a spaceship boneyard, a place that had served him well in the past when he had to stop and not be noticed. Petty criminals rarely wandered the distance from the city, and it was the same reason that limited police patrols in the same area. Military and civilian ships of various vintages rested side by side, stacked in high piles that bared the ravages of time. Orange light from the distant city reflected off of polluted pools of water, highlighting the oily rainbow patterns that swirled about in lazy circles.

"You can bet there are a lot of angry people in the system tonight. I'm glad my parents don't list their last name as Cilcy." The dragoness observed, leaning back on the strut and rubbing her eyes. She worried about them enough on a normal day, let alone today.

"Shall we see what's on the news?" Jamie suggested, running a cable out from one of the Andrea's data ports and plugging it into his datapad. This far out from the city, he'd need the ship's uplink to get anything in real time. The device lit up, connecting to the server and getting its live feed update. They watched as the evening report began just on time. The same wolf that had introduced them as attending was speaking onscreen now, reporting live. She looked just as tattered as they did.

"The scene here is grim as rescue workers pick through the remnants of the Ancient Societies ball, where a cowardly terrorist attack has taken the lives of dozens of emissaries from throughout the galaxy. The only suspects in the bombing according to witnesses and security footage are Captain Anna Cilcy and Fighter Pilot First Class James Tama, seen shooting it out with uniformed police soon after the bomb's detonation. Zealot security units also report several dead from attacks by the two specially trained military personnel. A pursuit by police was called off after several cruisers were lost. Reports indicate..." Jamie and Anna stared at the screen in shock, unable to speak as they watched the security feed play. They saw themselves in their frantic escape, with cut ins that showed them firing on the police.

"There were no witnesses in there. And we definitely didn't kill any cops." Cilcy nearly shouted, jumping to her feet. She grabbed a decent sized stone off of the ground and hurled it into one of the polluted pools, splashing the black water out in every direction.

"I know."

"Those soldiers were after whatever it was the Chancellor had. If it's worth his life, it's definitely worth ours. We need help, and we need it now." Jamie spoke firmly, unplugging the organizer and sliding it back into the pouch on his hip.

"I've got someplace we can go. They'll be able to help us get out of the system."

"As good a place to start as any, I suppose."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"What's up Chief?" Seree asked, hoisting herself over the railing on strong arms and plopping down in the executive officer's seat, unzipping her tunic in the process. Chief Eric Mons gave her a grumpy eye, propping his booted feet up on the edge of the Captain's computer console.

"All is quiet Ms. Maey."

"Quiet on my end too. I've been up in the forecastle for the past three revs trying to get that new array lagged in. It should help filter out some of the interference we've been getting near Jenni. I'm going to finish the circuitry on the guns next. I found two more bad relays while I had them apart." She answered, sliding her uniform top off and throwing it over the back of another seat.

"Good to hear Ma'am. The captain will be glad to hear that you're about done. When they return from planetside, she's going to want to get ready to cruise. A few of the sensor drones are sending some pretty strange readings back, and I'm sure she'll want to check them out." The chief responded, scanning through each one of the ship's displays on the captain's panel. Maey was the senior officer on duty, but without the chief, she was lost. Truthfully, the older dragon should have been wearing her stripes.

The communications set buzzed with a priority message that put their conversation to an impromptu halt. Seree walked over and accessed the text, freezing for a moment at its contents before looking back over to Eric.

"Chief, you'd better take a look at this. It's an emergency transmission from an RGP Frigate set." She called, beckoning him over. As relaxed as he'd been a moment before, the seasoned veteran dragon was on his feet in seconds and staring at the screen.

<<Emergency**Emergency**Emergency>> RGP INTERLUDE>>RGP HUSKEE 7270>> Attacked by stealth craft at transmission origin, ship damaged>> Jumping out of system>> believe significant threat to Interlude and Musta>> false sensor scans>>Medium cannons at minimum>>Good luck<<

"There is a message behind it, coming in on three-alpha." Mons pointed, clicking on it with his own claw.

<<RGP INTERLUDE>>INT-CPTCILCY>>Ball a setup planetside>>ROYAL killed by Zealot Security>>trust no one>>Relocate out of system ASAP>>direct order>>we will find you<<

Alarms sounded throughout the bridge with surprising quickness, drawing both of them away from the messages. Seree and Eric shot their eyes to the main screen as the computer pulled up the Interlude's Christmas tree display. A compartment panel alarm had just been triggered over the old escape trunk.

"That's odd. Could something have hit the hull on the outside and triggered it?" The chief asked, dialing up the security feed on a separate terminal. He wanted to see in real time what was going on up there.

"That sensor isn't on the armor. It's on the hatch itself, which sits under four layers of burn off panel. It's magnetic, and it requires the contact to be broken to activate. Sound a general alert Chief, all hands to battle stations. Something's going on up there." She ordered, quickly switching on the grid for that particular section of the ship. The heavy blast doors would block the entire section off until they could figure out what was going on, and the Interlude's Nexus would continue to monitor the developing situation.

"Ma'am, sensors indicate false readings on all sides. Patterns match anomaly data pulled from the Andrea." The sensor operator called over the bridge intercom, automatically switching to battle run active. Multiple swarms of contacts showed up on the screen, and an unfortunate civilian communication/observation satellite that was nearby overloaded and went dead as the battleship broadcast at full power.

"Electronic warfare warning on main and secondary communications. Burn through unsuccessful, switching to low band. Low band is no good, we're completely dark!"

"Ma'am, we've just been targeted by the Musta's anti-ship systems! They're heating up their weapons!"

"Maneuvering, jump out of the system!"

"Where to ma'am?"

"Follow plan kappa!" Ensign Maey shouted, jumping over the railing and down onto the battle bridge floor. She pulled the panel from the top of the nexus and entered three codes before closing it back up. Without saying a thing, Seree replaced the panel and held on as the ship prepped the charge necessary for the jump. It only took a few more seconds for the bridge window blast panels to lock in place while Seree moved back to the command section.

The dragoness looked over to the blacked-out viewports, breathing a sigh of relief that the Interlude had made it safely through the jump cycle. There was always a chance of a failure when dealing with sensitive systems.

"Ensign Maey, we've got twelve armed infiltrators just forward of the old escape trunk. They're getting ready to cut through the bulkhead blast doors." The chief shouted over the noise of the bustling bridge crew. The Chief was a soldier first and a Navy man second, he'd raided enough ships in his day to know a little bit about how it was done. He waited for her response as she calculated the information, surprised by the calm reaction he received.

"Do we have any personnel in that area?"

"Negative, AA-21 is deserted."

"Flush life support to the bilge and depressurize AA-21. When we break from the jump, open the airlock and allow the sector to vent."

"Yes Ma'am. Consider it done."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Who are these friends of yours again?" Jamie asked, sliding the heavy gate closed behind him and walking behind Anna up the sidewalk. His senses were tracking even now, making sure that no threats made themselves known. Coincidentally, his hand rested on the butt of his pistol in the uniform's holster, just in case.

"They're the owners of Hetcon. They're also my former mate's adopted parents." She answered, ringing the doorbell.

"Hetcon; like the military contractors Hetcon?"

Jamie felt a bit of apprehension. After all, there was no doubt these people had already seen the news...

The door opened a moment later.

"Anna? Is that you?" An elderly female fox gasped, grabbing the dragoness and embracing her in a tight hug. Jamie stood behind her, watching the exchange with curiosity. They weren't dragons as he'd expected.

"Fred, Anna's here!"

"Anna?" A male fox popped around the corner, pulling her into another hug that matched the first one in intensity. It was only after this exchange that Jamie was noticed in the porch light. He paused, looking the Gryphon in the eye a moment through small glasses.

"Please, come in." He said quietly, gesturing into the house's foyer, shutting the polished wooden door behind them. Jamie looked at the high ceiling and nodded his approval, following behind Cilcy as the couple led them to the living room. The female fox gestured for them to have a seat before exiting the room, leaving the three of them alone.

"The TV is talking quite a bit about you two tonight you know. Whoever framed you in those security videos really did the job well." Fredrick laughed, grabbing a beverage off of the tray that his wife had brought in. She sat down on the couch with her husband, scooting in close to him.

"They were after Chancellor Royal. He gave me this data drive right before he died." She put forth, pulling the data drive from her hidden pouch. Fred picked a larger datapad off of one of the end tables and motioned for Cilcy to toss the data drive. She complied, waiting patiently as he tried to open it.

"It's going to take a few minutes to get this thing open. You might want to take the opportunity to get cleaned up. We've still got some of your old clothes upstairs with Matt's stuff. I want to say you've still got a uniform up there as well."

"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Hetcon."

Jamie watched as Anna stood and went upstairs; already knowing her way around the house.

"Mr. Tama, are you normally this quiet?" Mrs. Hetcon spoke up, regarding the gryphon that sat with crossed ankles on the opposite couch. Jamie answered after a brief pause.

"I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Hetcon, I've been thinking. Too much has happened in the last few hours for me to fully understand."

"We understand Mr. Tama, but please, call us Fred and Julie. There is no reason to be formal here, just make yourself comfortable."

"I appreciate it; you can call me Jamie."

"Very well Jamie. How did you meet Anna, if you don't mind us asking?" The wife questioned, taking a sip of her herbal tea. The beverage was extremely strong, drifting through the Gryphon's nostrils as he spoke.

"Actually, my ship was disabled in space by a strange energy blast and Anna's ship happened to recover me. I've been freeloading ever since." Jamie laughed, lightening the mood a bit. Honestly he needed that humor, as the night's events were beginning to press in on him tighter and tighter.

"She had mentioned something about you in one of her messages a few weeks ago. She figured you'd want to leave as soon as you got better."

"I ended up hanging around on her insistence."

"Did the stealth ships that you both encountered have anything to do with it?" Julie questioned, setting her tea on the coffee table. She looked across to him, smiling at his surprised expression.

Not even fleet command knew about them! Jamie thought.

"We've been trying to figure that one out. We haven't seen them for weeks, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do."

"Anna sent us a message about them when she first found your ship, along with the video that your gun cameras picked up. We haven't been able to find anything about them either. I know what you are thinking, but you must realize, we hear a lot more in the private sector than you would with ties to the military."

Anna found her way back into the room from upstairs wearing a simple set of neutral color civilian clothes. She looked over Fred's shoulder, right alongside Jamie.

"Here we go, it's opening." Fred informed them, watching as the ATG's official government seal spun up on the screen.

"How serious was the encryption that was on the front of that drive?" Jamie questioned, hovering over Mr. Hetcon's shoulder and watching as the auto run program loaded itself.

"Pretty strong. I've only seen this stuff on diplomatic messages."

"Well, if it's that secure, I think we've got a genuine concern. You must have some serious goodies to crack something like that."

"Mr. Tama, the nature of our business ensures that we run nearly the same hardware that the Navy uses on their battleships. We don't have the same software that the Navy uses of course, but we have enough."

"The nature of your business?"

"HETCON exists on military contracts. We do all transport, security, and sanitation that the military doesn't have the time or the resources to handle. We're mainly involved with Operation Talon, and both the RGP and ATG come to us for our services there."

"Look at this, there is something written in this file here." Julie indicated, pointing to a document. Fred opened it with a click.

"Royal Ocelot."

"That doesn't make sense, Royal Ocelot?" Jamie exclaimed, scratching his cheek fur in thought.

"The Royal family are all Ocelots. Perhaps they know how to open it?" Anna chimed in.

"There is some kind of puzzlecode here. See these patterns?" Mrs. Hetcon pointed out, indicating to the swirls that lined the message.

Something didn't look right to Jamie, and he studied it for a moment more before speaking up.

"There definitely is a puzzle. See the pattern here, how it has a soft glow to it?"

"Yes." The other three agreed unanimously.

"Well, I'm willing to bet that only an Ocelot can see it. I'd also be willing to bet that it's something that only a Royal would know or understand."

"If the Chancellor is dead, that means he only has one blood family member left." Julie observed, locking hands with her husband.

"His daughter, Elaine is out of the system endorsing a government research tour to Relos, a jungle of a planet that is out past both of the controlled territories. Chances are that whoever was after the Chancellor will be after her as well if it is as you said it was. " Fred informed them after doing a quick cross check of the current news.

"Wait, what was that?" Julie asked, pointing to an unrelated article that was leading the news.

"Battleships destroyed in terror attack." Mr. Hetcon read aloud, bringing the article up to full size.

"The Battleships RGP Interlude and RGP Musta were destroyed in orbit shortly after the bombing of the Ancient Societies Celebration in which ATG Chancellor Royal and RGP Prime Minister Kenni were killed. Initial reports indicate the Interlude opened fire on the Musta and was subsequently destroyed by return fire, taking out both ships. The attack was believed to be automated per the ship's computer, a fact that the Navy's Criminal Investigation Command is hoping to confirm once the Interlude's Nexus is analyzed. More to come as this story develops."

Cilcy listened to the report, taking a seat next to Mr. and Mrs. Hetcon as she absorbed all of the information presented. Tears ran down her face, but she remained silent, obviously deep in thought.

"I don't believe it." The dragoness spoke quietly.

"Anna, I can't even imagine what you must be feeling right now. It will be alright..."

"No, I mean I don't believe it. There is no way the Interlude could have targeted anything with her main guns, as Maey was using the downtime to do a rebuild on their circuitry. All the nine series were going to be offline until tomorrow evening. That's the only thing that could have posed a threat to the Musta."

"Why would you guys have all of your main guns offline and still be on garrison duties?" Jamie wondered, piecing together the story over and over in his mind.

"Our command modules burned out during their tests. Maey had mentioned something about the relays not being big enough. It doesn't take long to fix, but our policy states that the entire system has to be checked and rebuilt when this happens to prevent further damage to their circuitry. Besides, when's the last time you ever heard of a nine being fired in anger? We've still got plenty of weapons." She finished, attempting to remember everything that she had been told.

"We need your help to get out of the system if that's the case, we'll have to get to Relos before something happens to the Chancellor's daughter. The tour begins in five days, so we've got a little bit of time to get there ahead of them. Hopefully she can help us figure this out before more serious things happen. If the stealth ships have anything to do with these attacks, I'd assume this is just the beginning."

"The only way we can get you out of the system without going through the security cordons is aboard one of our equipment freighters that is heading out to Amedyah tonight. We'll put your ship in to be first off of the boat when it docks. It's a defense-exempt shipment, so you won't have to worry about customs.

"Amedyah? Won't that put us right in the middle of Operation Talon?" Jamie asked, just a bit worried. Both the RGP and ATG troops were fighting a highly organized bandit cell there, and it had pretty much rendered the entire planet hostile.

"It will put you close to the frontline, but not directly in the fight. It's the best option we have to slip you out unnoticed. From there it's quite a trip to Relos." Mrs. Hetcon informed him.

"We'll have someone meet you there after you arrive. You'll have to lay low until then, but it shouldn't be that bad. The particular area you'll be unloaded in is fairly empty, so you shouldn't have to worry about being discovered. Your contact's codename is 'Ripper'."

"Thank you so much Mr. and Mrs. Hetcon. You don't know how much of a help you are." Cilcy spoke sincerely, standing and hugging both of them in turn.

"Just get there and find the Chancellor's daughter. Don't let what happened to him happen to her." Mrs. Hetcon offered her, whispering something Cilcy's ear that Jamie wasn't able to hear.

"Jamie, take care of Anna for us would you?" Fred asked humbly, shaking the gryphon's hand in a firm grip.

"Don't worry Mr. Hetcon, I will."

++++++++++++++++++

The Hetcon freighter departed right on schedule, sliding loose of its docking clamps and shifting into the queue to move into orbit. Jamie and Anna both watched out the portside windows as shuttle tugs made minute corrections to the ship's course. Their journey out of the atmosphere was uneventful, sweeping right past security forces and RGP navy ships that were maintaining a tight cordon around the planet.

The two were travelling under assumed names and assumed identification, helped along by Mr. and Mrs. Hetcon and their various contacts. The computers aboard the freighter didn't even notice the two 'mechanics' as they scanned aboard. They'd tucked themselves in the very middle of the ship's spine, where not even a wandering engineer or inspection team would find them. The pair intended to spend the rest of the eighteen-revolution trip there.

Anna continued to stare out of the porthole, watching as the military ships maneuvered around in full garrison. The freighter's course to the travel lanes took them directly past the ruins of the Interlude and the Musta, blackened and still venting atmosphere from the hits from the heavy anti-ship cannons on both vessels. Cilcy observed both of them, doing a poor job of hiding her sadness. The bold white lettering of the Interlude's bow identifier floated past, charred from the exchange of fire. If that was her ship, how many sailors had she lost? The dragoness was pondering that very number when something on the Interlude caught her eye.

"That isn't the Interlude."

"Anna, I know it's hard, but I..."

"I know my ship and that isn't it. Trust me. There is stuff missing."

"Were you able to get a message to Maey?"

"I sent one, but they didn't answer back."

"Those are Zealot salvage ships. What are they doing here?" Anna noticed, watching two of the gray insect-like craft floated up and over the outbound traffic lanes. Zealot's stylized two dashes were unmistakable on the underside. As per military policy, they wouldn't be allowed anywhere inside their containment zone.

Cilcy and Jamie stared on, taking in all of the information as the freighter charged for the jump. The planet, the wrecks, and the Zealot ships were all gone in a matter of seconds, replaced by a darkened portal.

"Something doesn't smell right here."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Reynard Grey sighed lightly, shifting ever so slightly so as not to wake the vixen curled up against him. The feeling of her soft fur on his bare body was something that he intended to bask in despite the occasional tickle that it brought about.

He looked down at her face, running a few fingers over her forehead and down her neck, coaxing forth a shudder on the fox's part. She was definitely beautiful, more so than any he'd seen on the system in his many visits. Reynard inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of sex and perfume that hung over her like a cloud. It was a testament to the wild night that they had both experienced in each other's arms. To Reynard's surprise she'd been rather inexperienced, something that was unusual for her species. The human had made sure to thoroughly educate her...

Reynard slid out from underneath the covers, placing a kiss on the vixen's coal black lips before pulling the sheets back up and over. He gathered up his clothes, putting them on before strolling into the kitchen and grabbing a piece of parchment. He scrawled a quick note.

"Allie, Thank you for your wonderful company. I had to leave early this morning for some business, but I would like to see you again. My number is...."

He signed the message and set it down on her kitchen counter. Reynard grabbed a piece of fruit, munching it on his way out of the building.

It was still pretty gloomy outside, and the temperature was increased by high humidity that made Reynard a bit uncomfortable. Despite the heat, the local population was out and about the market square going about their daily business. Reynard moved with the crowd, browsing nonchalantly through the various trinkets that were displayed in the shop windows. His primary objective was to find something quick and hot to eat; a task that had been going according to plan until a television broadcast caught his passing eye.

"Ancient Societies Ball Attacked, thirty killed. Terrorists still at large."

"Oh shit, someone had fun."

The human moved closer to the screen, watching as security footage played incessantly. A white dragon and a Gryphon were shooting it out with armed police officers, dropping several as the footage cut away. Reynard cocked his head and looked even closer, something with the image not sitting well in his mind. The video and the people in it just seemed off...

Reynard walked over and sat down on the edge of the fountain, pulling his datapad. He did a quick search through his history, calling up an article that he had read a few weeks prior.

"Zealot awarded security contract for Ancient Societies Celebration." He said out loud, earning a strange look from a pair of two passing wolves.

A quick scan of the article revealed nothing, but it still confused Reynard enough to question the validity of the news. In all of his dealings with Zealot in the past, both positive and negative, they'd demanded exclusive presence. That meant no police could gain access to the ball unless absolutely necessary. How did they get there so fast? A message buzzed in under the news article, and Reynard promptly opened and read it.

He closed the organizer.

"Time to go to work." He muttered to no one.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cilcy awoke with a start as the freighter lurched out of its jump, changing direction for the first time in eighteen revolutions. She settled back against the wall, getting an impromptu chill from the ship's circulation system. She couldn't complain however, for Jamie was providing a bit of heat as he slept against her leg, the limb's circulation lost long ago. She ran a hand through his fur before shaking him awake, listening to his grunts and moans. Experience had shown the captain that he was no morning person.

"Morning." She laughed, watching as he stood and stretched. The Dragoness was ignoring the painful tingling in her leg as a result of hours of blood loss, remaining on the floor rather than deal with the stabbing pain.

"Is it? How long have we been moving?" He yawned.

"You've been in and out for seventeen revs. And the suns just went down on Amedyah, so it's actually good evening." Cilcy spoke as she stood on her wobbly leg, feeling the remaining tingling trickle away.

"Shit, it only takes a quarter of that time with the Andrea."

The captain looked around the empty compartment, noting the age of the freighter more so now that she was awake. It wasn't the fastest means of travel to Amedyah available, far from it in fact, but it got them away from Commerce and one step in the right direction to finding Ms. Royal.

"When do we touch down?" Jamie questioned, tapping his timepiece with evident disgust.

"Well, according to the flight information before we took off we should be entering the Amedyah cordon within thirty..." She didn't get a chance to finish.

"Attention all hands, bandit sensor tracks on Amedyah have established a lock on our current position. We've detected several waves of attackers just off our port quarter. All hands to general quarters."

A loud booming voice followed by rapid klaxon alarms interrupted her, blaring obnoxiously through the hallways as well as the individual quarters.

"This can't be good."

An explosion to the rear sent a ghastly groan down the spine of the aging freighter, and the already dim lighting flickered a bit. Anna looked to the ceiling as if it was going to fall down on top of the both of them, thinking quickly. She was used to having several hundred thousand tons of armor protecting her...

"Those ships can split this freighter in half with little effort. Let's get to the Andrea and wait there. We might have to shoot our way out of here."

"Not exactly low profile, is it?" Jamie laughed nervously as he followed her out into the corridor. Crewmembers were running back and forth, worry plastered on their faces as they took up general quarters.

"Not really."

They continued through the crew quarters, jumping through the blast bulkhead entryway as another series of explosions nearly shook them off their feet. Yellow lights flashed from the warning panels that lined the walls, indicating to both the veteran naval personnel that the hull had been breached.

Thankfully for Anna and Jamie, they'd been berthed close to the bay where the Andrea, fresh in its RGP military livery, was secured. It only took them two minutes more to reach the ship, clambering aboard after the biolocks were disabled and strapping themselves in. Jamie kicked the switches for the powerplant, warming it up for the ever increasing possibility of having to fly out in a hurry.

"There, we're ready to go." Jamie whispered, listening as cannons tore through layer after layer of the freighter's armor. The only noise in the cockpit aside from the attacking fire was the soft hum of the Andrea's powerpack, ready to respond to the gryphon's command. Cilcy couldn't see too much in the blackout lighting of the master panel, and the darkness of the hangar bay didn't help either.

"All Personnel to escape pods, ship integrity compromised! All personnel to escape pods."

Anna looked through the darkness to Jamie, making out only his eyes and the subtle outline of his beak in the darkness.

"When we get out of this bay, we're going out full force. I need you to keep an eye on the countermeasure controls and drop what I need when I tell you. I don't want the computer to use them all up. Most of these bandit pilots aren't too bright, but every once and a while you find one with good equipment. Just keep your eyes out for missiles that the computer doesn't pick up." Jamie briefed as a deep vibration rattled up from the floor of the docking bay. It started small, but gradually got worse and worse with each passing second. Jamie slid the protective covers off of several switches and poised a claw over them, waiting for the right moment.

"She's tearing apart!" Cilcy exclaimed as the roof of the bay bent at an awkward angle, stress cracks forming in the alloy beams.

"It's gonna go any second now." Jamie said nervously as he unclipped the nexus service cover and flipped the far right switch. Cilcy looked around nervously as the engine spiked to almost full power, a shriek-like hum reverberating through the dying ship's cargo bay. The panel lights that were a dim blue took on a crimson red, and the HUD went from green to blue. His claws returned to the two switches, eyes looking to the roof.

"There it goes!" Anna yelled, grabbing either side of her harness as the freighter's spine split right down the middle. Jamie popped the two switches, feeling the explosives on his tie-down rings detonate, cutting the entire assembly away. It was just in time as the ship tore apart, causing the pair's stomachs to churn as they were thrust out of the bay and into space.

"Shit!" Jamie exclaimed as a still secured RGP fighter tore from its mooring and followed him, nearly taking off his right wing. Anna held on for dear life as Jamie slapped the throttle controls to full, instantly accelerating away from the venting wreck of the freighter and nearly colliding head on with a bandit ship. He took evasive action, coming back around.

"I don't think they were expecting that." Anna laughed nervously, watching through the rear cameras as the bandits swung around haphazardly to meet the new threat. The Andrea's computer was spitting out identification information to her, and she in turn was making sure none of the craft drew a bead on their tail. The Dragoness was definitely uneasy not being in a fighter cockpit herself.

"Three JS-72s and a two stripped Crowns. One of the Crowns is a modified fast attack craft." She said after taking a second to review the readout, alternating between the computer and the windows. The twisted wreck of the Hetcon freighter could be seen off to the far right side of her vision, heading into the atmosphere at an extremely shallow angle.

"Watch that Crown, he'll probably hit us after we mix it up with the '72s. Whoa! heads up! Missiles inbound at extreme range." Jamie pointed at the screen, seeing the contrails as they jetted from under the bandit's wings. He guided the control stick, taking the Andrea in a wide arc to run the missiles out of range and bring his ship's rail cannons in line. He flipped the quick select to 'RL' and squeezed, walking the hot beams across the cockpit of the bandit ship that was meeting him head on. It detonated in a silent orange fireball, oxygen misting into space.

"Two more missiles in the air, only one seems to have a lock." Jamie called, watching a line trace from the approaching missile on his HUD to the very center of his vision.

"Andrea, point defense to target 090." Jamie stated calmly as he brought the ship around to a new heading, punching the thrusters to pass through the wreckage of the bandit ship that had been dusted by his forward facing rail guns. The missile that was following him exploded just shy of the bandit's shattered hull.

"Those are proximity missiles, prep one of the mags and drop it when the next set goes airborne." He ordered, forgetting Anna's rank as he slammed the stick hard right. The Crown that had been waiting in the wings moved in on the attack, letting loose two missiles from underneath its wings that immediately streaked towards the Andrea.

"Shipkillers Jamie!" Anna yelled, dropping the countermeasures per Jamie's commands. She watched the jet black shrikes as they burned through the background of stars, bypassing the countermeasures as they detonated a rogue proximity missile a moment later. They closed on the Andrea, getting around the point defense cannons with relative ease. Cilcy watched the end of the missile open up, hitting the shield with an energy disruptor before exploding with a canister shot.

Jamie hit the control yoke hard, slamming the ancillary controls for the Andrea's retro rockets. The change in course saved the powerpack from a swarm of tungsten balls that instead went into the ship's tailfin. Secondary shields recharged a moment after they struck, and the Hybrid's nexus immediately compensated for reduced handling.

"We're hit!" Anna yelled, bracing herself as the ship shuddered. Three alarm indicators sounded on the copilot's panel, and she promptly squelched them. From what she saw on the ship's Christmas tree, the instrumentation in the tail had been damaged.

She heard the railguns charge as a bandit ship moved through the Andrea's crosshairs, making the last mistake that the pilot would ever make. The other two JS-72s turned and ran, throttling up and burning their engines out of the combat zone. Jamie fired a few railgun rounds in their direction, scanning for the modified Crown.

It wasn't three seconds before the Crown brushed his right side, rocking the Andrea violently. Fortunately, it gave Jamie the edge he needed to stuff a missile right up the Bandit's weakly armored rear quarter.

The ship exploded in a silent fireball, shuddering once more as the Gryphon put a railgun round straight through the cockpit and putting the pilot out of his misery.

"We're clear." Anna said after a moment of bated breath, checking over her screen a second later to make sure they weren't about to fall apart.

"Fucking figures. I'll start damage control." Jamie cursed, unbuckling his harness and heading aft. Anna slid over into the pilot's seat, keeping her ever vigilant eyes focused on the endless black void.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

RGP Flightline: fighters N24 and E87, Sura System, ten years ago.

"That's the third scan, I don't see anything. The researchers must've gotten a false sweep on the CPS again." Anna spoke into her headset, watching as the pulses on her scanner screen returned without delay. It wasn't the first time today that the scientists had overreacted, taking a scanner hiccup for a group of Bandit fighters moving in for the attack.

"I'm telling you, the storm is messing with it." Mathew's voice echoed quietly over her headset. Just ahead of them, no more than half a revolution at most, was the gray haze of a solar storm.

"You know that and I know that, but the powers that be and the scientists say it is impossible." Anna's Magnetic Anomaly Detector was going crazy. The Dragoness was sure that the interference was messing with her shielded sensors as well, despite what the scientists said to the contrary.

"Nothing is impossible. Theoretically, the circuits we've been frying all week are magnetically shielded and impossible to cook."

The flare had plagued Sura for the greater part of the last two months. Coincidentally, it was also the reason that the joint science team was present.

There were also the unsettling reports coming from the Headquarters of Free Trade on Talyn of a large bandit force operating near their sector. The RGP had put intelligence out also, and unsurprisingly, two conflicting reports. As far as actual events in the surrounding sectors, six expensive new freighters had disappeared without a trace within the last three weeks. Of course, ever since the war started, freighters of every flag disappeared almost every day.

"Flightline, our scan is complete, green across the board. We're deploying a buoy out here and calling it a night." Anna reported, watching the cylindrical RD-1 sensor buoy as it floated away from her ship. She kicked her throttles and came about, heading back towards the white mass that made up the science vessel. The Cruiser RGP Flightline sat just behind, offloading supplies from a Military Freighter that had come in from out of system earlier in the day.

"Affirmative Perry Lead, we're tracking. Return on station." The robotic voice of the automated docking controller said in its predictable fashion.

"You know Cilcy; we may just get tied down in time for midnight chow. I'm starving. Let the extra board pilots deal with this bullshit." Matt mused; checking to make sure that his docking switches were working after a bout of doing the opposite delayed his departure from Flightline.

"Perry element, be advised, we're tracking a large sensor haze directly to your previous azimuth. Unknown classification. Redeploy, investigate, and intercept if necessary." It wasn't automated this time. That was the captain's voice on the other end of the transceiver.

"Oh, you had to say it." Anna said, drowning out some automated encryption chatter that followed the captain's transmission. Her ship-to-ship mode ensured that nobody on Flightline heard it.

"Copy that Flightline, checking it out now. Requesting more fighters for cover, over." Matt acknowledged, stifling his laughter until just before he let go of the transmit key. He was ready for another boring goose chase.

"It's going to be a few, Perry. Our fighters are updating." The words instantly dampened spirits for all involved.

Anna looked out her Arrowhead's large cockpit windows at Matt's fighter, making eye contact with him as he returned her gaze. Their sensors weren't reliable near the cloud, and there's no telling what could be hidden in that haze.

The fighters came about to their previous heading, looking forward into the massive strobing solar storm. She keyed him in on ship to ship communications.

"What do you think Matt? This is the biggest sensor haze yet. Thermals are clear, but you never know..." The white dragon asked him, looking directly to the front of her fighter. The emblazoned tiger drawn on the front of her ship reflected back up on her right window, light from the storm making it stand out even more. Cilcy stared at its bloody claws for a second; looking at the stylized 23rd lettering while she waited for his reply. Something didn't feel right this time.

"Let's do it." He responded, increasing power to his engine. His fighter jetted ahead, green line tracing him on Anna's HUD as his ship yawed left. She came about, easing the throttles forward with a single claw. The green bars on the right side of her instrument panel climbed into the yellow as she manually increased power, watching the silver nova of his engine as it cut through the space ahead of hers. Their primary threat detectors were already going nuts due to the magnetic field and as a result, were squelched.

The two Arrowhead fighters pushed silently through the blackness of space, watching their sectors for an enemy that wasn't there. The storm lit their cockpits with intense white light, silhouetting the two pilots as they forged ahead into the unknown. They were nearly on top of the flare when Matt spotted it.

"Twelve o'clock high, Anna! Looks like a freighter drifting out of the cloud." Matt called back from his point position, swooping around in a wide ark which Cilcy followed. She immediately identified it as an old Maxim class freighter. The infamous exposed reactor vessel stuck out plain as day.

"Matt, that's a Maxim class freighter. I don't think there have been any in service for about five years now. Remember, for that reactor thing?"

"I remember. Whatever you do, don't shoot it. Who knows how long this thing has been drifting, and how weak that reactor vessel is. They go thermonuclear, and we definitely don't need that right next to the science vessel." He answered dryly. She watched the notification on her instrument panel flash as he heated up his weapons.

"We don't need that right next to us!" She corrected him, listening as he keyed over to Flightline's channel for the report even before she finished talking.

"Flightline, this is Perry Patrol, we've got an unidentified Maxim-class freighter drifting dead in space. Sensors show a dormant reactor and no signs of life on board. We're coming about for a better look."

"Understood Perry. Free Trade logs indicate no Maxim-class freighter wrecks drifting or unaccounted for. Proceed with caution."

"Exactly so Flightline."

"Weapons Hot." Matt ordered, even though Cilcy's was already on full charge, just like his.

Cilcy craned her neck to get a better view of the ship as they circled, noting the large engine cones on the freighter's stern. They were scorched with the distinctive tan color of a starting shot. There hadn't been a new ship that had required a chemical kick to start its engines since Cilcy joined the Navy.

"This thing hasn't been drifting Matt, those engines have been fired recently."

"I see the starter shot. Be on your guard, this smells like a trick."

As they swung around the freighter's massive stern, something caught Cilcy's eye on the starboard side of the huge vessel. The distinctive triangle shape and brown striped scheme betrayed them almost immediately.

"Flightline! Bandit raiders in sector 26-38! They're piggybacked on this hull!"

"Affirmative Perry! We're three minutes from a fighter launch. Hold your own until then." Flightline answered just as the four bandit aggressors that were latched onto the derelict cargo ship fired their engines and jetted into space.

"Four enemy fighters; range one thousand! Too fucking late!" Cilcy called out as they turned to meet the aggressors head on. Her targeting reticule for her forward facing rail gun glowed a bright red, both claws slamming the triggers as it crossed a bandit fighter. She felt her ship rock as the rail gun charged and fired, first round caving in the bandit fighter's shield and the second round nearly slicing the ship in two. The larger bandit fighter's hull vented all of its life support almost immediately, killing the pilot and sending shards of smashed hull in every direction.

Anna didn't have time to celebrate as laser fire raked her rear shield, trying to break through to the thinly armored engine pod. The dragoness jammed her controls down, breaking away almost immediately and leaving the slower bandit ship in the dust. She clicked off her second threat alarm once again, nothing more than a single piercing tone, and maneuvered to get back to the fight. The enemy fighter lost her six, and she continued at maximum burn to leave it out of range.

"I've got one on my tail!" She heard Matt call out, seeing the tiger-striped fighter following him at her nine o'clock a moment later. She yawed back around, drawing a lock on the bandit with one of her missiles. The fighter, a brand new Crown Attacker, detected the lock and fired a row of fast-popping countermeasures. He squeezed off his own missile, which was immediately intercepted by a countermeasure stick from Matt's ship. The missile detonated in a blinding orange explosion which acted as the cue for Anna to let loose her own shrike.

"Missile away!" She called the warning, watching as the missile reached out and plucked the second bandit ship out from behind him. The little black shrike impacted the Crown on the front port quarter, burning right past the light shielding there and punching its shaped charge warhead right through the fighter's outer armor. It took less than a second to shatter the bogey from the inside out.

"Guess those burn off panels should've been a little thicker!" Cilcy laughed as she pushed through the debris. She could hear the bits of composite armor bouncing off the shield.

"Two....One more." Matthew reported. The fireball dusted off to Anna's right side, shooting off a proximity alert to her ship's computer. The Dragoness reversed her course back towards the drifting freighter, hoping to draw the remaining bandit fighter after her and set it up for a kill shot. The last remaining bandit didn't bite, instead it circled back around and launched a flurry of fire and forget missiles right at the front of Moore's ship.

"Matt, look out!" Cilcy yelled, gasping as her wingman rolled right through the volley, which missed him by mere feet and exploded in his baffles. He didn't react fast enough as the bandit closed the distance to the front of his ship, launching a large arrow-shaped missile that struck Matthew's ship just behind the cockpit.

"Matt!" Cilcy yelled as his ship burst into flames. It spun lifelessly away as Anna answered the bandit in kind with a volley of rail gun fire. One of the white-hot sabots clipped the edge of the attacker's wing, sending the ship spinning out of control.

"Fuck! Flightline, start search and rescue! Perry patrol has a ship down."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ahmedyah, present day.

The Andrea touched down after only fifteen minutes in the RGP holding pattern, accelerated by the Hetcon beacon that they were carrying. Jamie scoffed at the fact that the counterfeit RGP transponder could only be used twice, but he did acknowledge that it was better than nothing. The Gryphon reconfirmed his blessing on the Hetcon family as he watched the two trailing escort fighters, hidden in his engine wash until now; break back away to their patrol route. They disappeared behind the high shrapnel walls of the landing pads and back up into the dark Ahmedyah sky.

"It's very dull." Cilcy mused, looking out of the Andrea's windshield and over the dark desert landscape. The white dragoness wasn't fond of dingy planets, especially war-torn hell holes like the one that she was about to set foot on. The filth of these places always muddled her scales, and like a white starship flying in the atmosphere of an industrial planet, they constantly had to be washed. Back when she was a full time fighter pilot, it wasn't uncommon for her to fly sorties from her cruiser, Flightline, all the way planetside to places like this.

Mr. Tama hated putting his ship on standby power, but he also didn't want to be stranded in a full power up procedure in case he had to get out of dodge in a hurry. The steady power to the nexus was good in an emergency, but it wore hard on the reactor fuel rods. With as old as the rods were getting in the Andrea, he was very hesitant to leave it like that for a long time.

"Welcome to Ahmedyah Ma'am. I'm Lieutenant Ells, acting commander of Charlie Company, 45th Brigade Combat Team."

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Ells." Cilcy responded, returning a salute to the Corgi that stood before her in accordance with the courtesy. He was short, at least three inches shorter than Anna and about an inch shorter than Jamie with a medium build. The Corgi was filthy from head to toe, armor stained with the grime of combat and weapon scratched as if it had ridden from storage underneath a truck. They both knew why a moment later as artillery started falling on the other side of the base, sending alarms squealing and personnel running for bunkers. The Lieutenant motioned for the two of them to follow, walking to a bunker not too far away from the landing facility. As they stepped in from the outside, Jamie watched a rapid-fire weapon blot several artillery rounds out of the sky. He instantly thanked his lucky stars that he wasn't a ground pounder.

"I'm sorry to drop in on you like this Lieutenant, but we're conducting secret business on a different system, and we are stopping here for a short time while we make preparations for the run." She addressed him as soon as the door closed, taking a seat in one of several chairs that were arranged in a horseshoe. The canine, whose name she had learned was Morris, dropped his armor and pulled up one of the chairs.

"It's quite alright Captain, we don't mind a bit of company every now and again. Our commander has been stuck on the other side of the planet since the beginning of the last offensive. I've been in charge since. We've been under strength for quite some time, as well. Now that we lost that supply ship, it looks like we might be on our own for a few more days."

"The bandits that attacked in orbit had some pretty serious ordinance; I'm amazed we made it at all." Jamie spoke for the first time, spinning a chair around backwards and sitting down.

"You must've run into the group that hit one of our Close Air Patrols yesterday. They're using some military-grade shit, not that usual homemade stuff that blows the track off of an Aardvark or something petty like that. Matter of fact, we lost two Shepherds out on a convoy last night before I called the rest back. Do you have any idea what it takes to kill one of those things?" The lieutenant asked, tossing a picture across the table of two burned out armored vehicles. They look like they'd been caved in by battering rams, melted straight through the gelplates.

"A sure amount of Thermoplast, from what it looks like." The Captain answered, acknowledging the burns. It looked like a naval scuttling charge had blotted the vehicle right off the road. She had four of the large vehicles in the cargo bay of the Interlude, and even to secure them with tie downs was a pain due to their bulk. She couldn't imagine what was strong enough to breech their hull.

"Back during the battle of Lorton, they had something called CoDem that was basically the precursor to Thermoplast. The Bandits mixed it with an industrial solid and created the ThP that we use today. It would scuttle a frigate if used in the correct place. Perhaps it's that?" Jamie suggested as he looked over the pictures.

"I don't think so, look at how clean the burns are through those vehicles. CoDem scatters more when it goes off, one reason why the RCC banned its use in construction projects. Hell, even Thermoplast is becoming obsolete." Anna informed him, looking at the battle damage more in detail.

"Can we see the wrecks?" Anna asked, studying the picture for a few seconds more. The Corgi nodded, standing up and motioning them to a door on the far side of the bunker room. Lieutenant Ells typed in a code, listening for a metallic click before opening the passage. The smell of burned fur, flesh, and other nastiness wafted through their nostrils, nearly knocking them over as the white lights over top of the two wrecks Illuminated.

"Be careful, they haven't been sanitized yet."

"Holy shit!" Jamie exclaimed, looking over the caved hull of the armored vehicle in front of him. The vehicle was a good 14 feet tall, and the tan paint covering the armor was black on almost the entire left side. The armor was pierced completely through, and a walk around the other side revealed that the top of the armor was bowed out.

Cilcy traced her fingers along the gash, watching as the black carbon wiped off onto her pearl white skin.

"This scorching is definitely something like Thermoplast. However, it would have to be concentrated to cause this much damage. Look at these holes here, those are definitely from a projectile." The captain observed, indicated towards two clean holes through the gel plate and composite armor.

"Some kind of penetrator." Jamie said, walking around to the back of the vehicle and sliding it open. The hatch swung freely, hydraulic rams shattered from the explosion. Jamie recoiled at the sight of the interior. What was left of the crew was splattered on the passenger side bulkhead. The driver side of the vehicle had been destroyed by fire, and it was pretty evident that the ammunition had cooked off.

"As you can see, whatever hit them set the fuel tanks up. The crew didn't even feel it. We suspect that their overpressure system malfunctioned."

"It looks that way." Jamie commented, shutting the back door a second later. He walked back around and leaned against a shredded run-flat tire.

"Definitely not something home made. I'll tell you what Lieutenant; this might have something to do with our current mission." Anna explained, crossing her arms. She leaned up against the wall of the bunker, letting the news sink in.

"Can you explain please?" The Lieutenant asked, standing rigid. Cilcy could tell he wasn't happy. She pulled Jamie aside, whispering so that the Corgi couldn't hear.

"We have to tell him; this is something he needs to know."

"Ok, but don't think I won't kill him if he goes crazy." He responded. Anna nodded, turning back to him.

"Lieutenant, how you choose to interpret this is your business. How you chose to report this is also your business. The way we leave this room is also on you." The Dragoness said matter-of-factly.

"I understand Captain. I want the truth." The corgi demanded, crossing his arms.

"We are fugitives from the RGP government. We were framed for the bombing of a treaty signing on Commerce, but the news wouldn't have traveled out here yet. We are carrying information that we obtained from Chancellor Royal and protect it from the people that bombed the ball to get it. After what you showed us here, I have a suspicion that a third party has vested interest in the war going on here. We think they might be planning something big."

"Captain, I think you need to leave. I don't want you here to endanger my soldiers when whoever is chasing you gets here. There is a Zealot team here to help us figure out what killed these Shepherds. Your assistance here is greatly appreciated. I'll make sure my CAP escorts you past bandit air cover." His reaction wasn't as surprised as they expected.

"Zealot?" Cilcy and Jamie exclaimed in surprise, ignoring the Lieutenant's instructions to leave. They could see him getting antsy.

"Yes, they have a sweep team on ground right now. Said they are looking for a smuggler or something like that. They disappeared out of the wire this morning and haven't been back since."

"Have you told anyone else of our arrival?" Jamie questioned the LT quietly, turning his chair so he could face the door.

"It is easily visible on the nexus in the Operations Center. The log rolls over every thirty-six revs or so."

"We need to see the logs, as it is essential to our mission. Their commandos were responsible for the death of the ATG Chancellor. I've got no doubt that if you try and interfere with them, that they won't hesitate to kill you."

The Lieutenant's reaction changed from somewhat neutral to worried as he acknowledged their statements, resting his right hand on his sidearm reassuringly. It wasn't every day that a ship's captain came down to your command and tells you that someone that is sitting in your own back yard is about to stab you in the back.

"Why?"

"I don't know, Lieutenant. I apologize for bringing them down on your doorstep, but they're here, and we could use your help."

"Ma'am, I just hope you're right. You aren't the first person to tell me that same story. A message came in on the encrypted band a few revs ago from someone that I trust." He responded, keying his personal radio.

"Sergeant Arnes, where are those Zealot soldiers?"

"They just came out of Operations, headed your way Sir."

"Mr. Tama, Ms. Cilcy, there is someone here for you too, but he's not with these Zealot troops. He has given me instructions to only speak with you."

Jamie and Anna exchanged nervous looks.

"Did he say anything else?"

"Ripper."

"Take us to him." Anna ordered as soon as she heard the name. Is this the meet that Fred was talking about? The code word matched up.

The corgi led them back through the bay, past the destroyed shepherds to the command bunker. Both Anna and Jamie drew their pistols as the lieutenant slid his card, pushing the door open a moment later.

"Captain Cilcy and Jamie Tama?" A human asked, studying the both of them closely.

"What makes you think that?" Jamie questioned, tracing the barrel of his pistol over the man's head. If this man was a bounty hunter, he wouldn't live to see the next minute.

"My name is Reynard Grey. Mr. and Mrs. Hetcon sent me to escort you to Relos." The human answered, looking head on into Jamie's eyes. The gryphon lowered his pistol, sliding it into the holster. Anna stepped forward.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Grey. If the Hetcons sent you, I'm sure you know the situation."

"Captain Cilcy, Mr. Tama, you need to leave. Those troopers will be here in under ten minutes." The lieutenant piped up, gesturing towards the door.

"I understand Lieutenant. And thank you." She responded, handing him a small data drive.

"Yes ma'am. Good luck." The Lieutenant answered, taking the drive and saluting just as smartly as he had when she arrived. Cilcy liked him.

"To you as well Mr. Ells. Be wary of who you trust."

"I will ma'am."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jamie kicked back his seat finally after three revolutions, once he was sure that they were out of range of bandit air cover around Amedyah and the RGP fighter escort had peeled back to base. Though the planet was fading fast to their rear, he couldn't relax until he ensured that they were completely out of danger. Bandits had been known to wander pretty far from the planet from time to time with their fighters.

Reynard and Anna were in the small crew compartment in the ship's midsection, catching desperately needed sleep that they would need in the coming days. The trip to Relos would take near twenty five revs, so it wasn't as if they were missing anything. Cilcy and Jamie had decided not to take the travel lanes even before Reynard had come to join them, and his presence further helped them in ways to avoid detection. The human had a unique knowledge of their pursuers, which both of the fugitives welcomed outright. Though, Jamie could see from the onset that Anna seemed to resent his presence.

The Gryphon watched the scope with a bored eye, studying the sweep bar as it made its rounds over and over. Nothing but the dark, cold space around him, which is just the way he liked it. Jamie didn't want to admit it, but he'd rather have his dark void filled by a warm body. He especially wouldn't mind it filled by a certain pearl white dragoness. For a species that was known for its sexual prowess and multiple partners, he was surprised that nothing had happened between them.

Letting his thoughts wander, Jamie traced his fingers through the air in the shape of the Carta-Asi, which maintained its glow in the white lights that lit the cockpit. Usually, the Gryphon ran with the lights off for either stealth or ease of sight, but tonight, he just wanted to enjoy his art. The helmet that usually adorned his head was hanging lazily on the back of the co-pilot seat, fitting in with the overall design of the cockpit. It was his personality traced throughout his pride and joy. It was a shame he'd had to paint over the outside, but his unique color scheme had to go in favor of traditional red, white, and black RGP military livery.

The Andrea's communications array was set on receive only, and with Reynard's help, several automatic reporting features required by RGP law were altered. They would have to do with the modified registration until the two had time and a place to manipulate it further. They still had one false docking register left, and they intended to use it on Relos.

"Mr. Tama, care for some company?" He heard Mr. Grey ask from the entrance to the cockpit . He turned and nodded, clearing off some remnants of his quick dinner and making room for him to sit in the co-pilot's seat.

"Can't sleep." He muttered, sliding into the chair next to him. The man's eyes noticed every detail of the cockpit, from his art to his uniquely modified controls.

"So where exactly are we going?"Jamie questioned him, studying the human's closely shaved blonde hair. Strange, he thought, that with almost every creature in the galaxy covered in fur and they wanted to slice all of theirs off.

"We're going to Fairlane. We need help if we're going to extract the Chancellor's daughter. Also, your ship, no matter how modified it is, needs some serious repairs before that can happen." He said matter-of-factly, studying the worn pages in a star atlas that he had been carrying in the inside pocket of his coat. That same coat, surprisingly heavy with all of the modifications that had been installed, was hanging in the compartment just aft of the cockpit.

"I've never heard of it." Jamie responded after a moment of thought, making some minor adjustments to his course. He couldn't help but notice the sheer amount of ordinance that the human carried in holsters that went over his shoulders.

"Most people haven't. Here it is on your starchart." Reynard answered, pulling up the hologram. He had to scroll over several hundred sectors before reaching a dark, dingy planet.

"It says it's husked. That's where you're taking us?"

"No, trust me, that planet isn't husked. There isn't anything for hundreds of sectors in every direction that's worth anything. It's doubtful any RGP vessel past a survey crew has ever strayed out this far to even look at it."

"I'll take your word for it." Jamie observed, not too sure if Reynard was completely out of his marbles. The Andrea had the latest RGP starchart, and they didn't make any mention of anything other than a hollow, mined planetoid.

"Zealot is going to be hot on our trail before too long. They won't mess with the Fairlanians directly because they'd get steamrolled quicker than shit. If they're going to do something, they're going to find a way to negate their enemies. That includes the RGP, ATG, and Fairlane.

"Is Fairlane's army really that big? And do you think Zealot even knows about them?" Jamie asked curiously. After all, how could such a huge and reputable military force stay out of the RGP's sights?

"Yes, every bit as big and every bit as powerful. They prepared to go to war with everyone after the last war. They had no choice. As far as Zealot, I don't know. They have sent recon drones out all across the galaxy for the past decade, so it's anyone's guess."

"That makes me feel better." Jamie responded sarcastically. He had to put eyes on the actual planet before he believed anything.

"They'll be able to fix the damage to your ship." The human said, gesturing back towards the tail fin.

"How do you know that they'll even help us?"

"They owe me a few favors." Reynard answered, hesitating as he thought of a good way to explain it.

"Favors?" Jamie questioned, turning away from the Andrea's main viewport as he waited for his answer.

"I...uh...slept with their princess. Well, let me rephrase that, I returned their princess after they'd lost her, and then I slept with her. Not necessarily in that order." He answered, embarrassed.

"They lost her? What, like she ran away?"

"No. More like she was involved with some not so reputable men that required money for her return."

"Oh I see. You're a mercenary, aren't you?"

"I prefer to think of myself as an opportunist. I had done some business with one of their corporations for some time before the last war, so someone with a vested interest gave me a call."

"Well, let's hope that your connections haven't soured."

"Yes, let's hope."

To be continued...