METANOIA

By W. Payne Sillavan

Thank you to my mother and father,

Jaqueline and Joel Sillavan.

Your undying support and love gives me the strength to

carry on.

Thank you, for everything.

CHAPTER ONE

Silence. Silence is golden.

As the metal beneath his feet softly thudded underneath him,

Beau couldnt agree more, even though hunkering low this long

through the air system was a bit of an annoyance. The thick metal of

the air vent he was creeping through gave almost no noise; almost no

indication that someone was stalking about through the humid air. A

slight smile cracked Beaus lips, hidden behind the black visor of his

combat helmet.

Wiping steam from the T-shaped visor, Beau rubbed the circled

ends to accommodate his eyes free from the fog. Kneeling down next

to a vent to check his location, he hunched against the ventilation wall

and activated the holopad built into his left bracer. A soft green light

illuminated off the screen, bathing him in a sickly light, turning the

brown hue of his armor and helm an unpleasant color. Beau pressed a

finger to the screen and the menu projection came up. Flicking through

the files, he brought up the schematics of the Republic Embassy of

Demur building.

He was in position.

Beau powered down the holopad, and ran a quick diagnostics.

Everything checked out alright. Crouching down to the warm metal

floor, he ran the fingers of his right hand against the vent next to him,

making a soft scratch against the coarse fabric of his gloves. As he

brought his hand back up, a slender blade ejected from the bracer.

Fiddling with a dial, the blade began increase in its vibration. Satisfied

with the speed, he brought the blade to the corners of the vent. It slid

through the metal easily, cutting through as if it were paper. Quietly, he

lifted the now free cover up and placed it gingerly behind him.

Glancing quickly out the hole, he gently lowered himself down

and dropped to the ground with an almost inaudible thud. Without

wasting a moment, Beau began to make his way toward his target

location. The hallway was nicely furnished. Dim lights filled the circular

shape of the hall, softly lighting up deep crimson metal walls matched

with a thick velvety black carpet.

Low visibility and a cushion for his boots; it was as if they designed

the Embassy for assassinations, Beau noted to himself. Although, the

hallway was almost a straight shot, there was just a little bit of risk of

being spotted. A slight twang of irritation flicked through his head at

the fact.

Continuing down, keeping close to the edge of the walls, he finally

came to a sharp turn. Glancing back down the way he came. All clear.

Bracing himself against the wall, he quickly turned into the next

hallway.

And came face to face with a very surprised Demur Royal Guard.

The Guard seemed to freeze; his pale blue body was exposed in Demur

tradition, save for the black veil that covered the species face and

shoulders. Behind the visor of Beaus helm, the HUD flashed up red in

warning of the guards plasma rifle, information flaring up as the barrel

began to rise.

Before the guard could make even bring the rifle up to bear, Beau

pulled his short sword from the harness on the small of his back, the

blade unfolding with a series of clicks. Driving it quickly through the

neck of the Demur, he severed his vocal chords, ending any sound

before it passed his lips. Rich red blood spilled down, covering his exotic

skin as a pathetic, mangled gargle shuddered through the fabric of the

thin veil. The Demur dropped his rifle, which landed with a dull thud on

the plush carpet. His blue fingers reached for his wounded throat, wet

gasps sputtering from his hidden mouth. Beau brought his sword up,

driving it through the center of the aliens skull with a step of

momentum forward.

Bracing the guard against himself, he eased the dead guard to the

floor, pulling his blade from his skull, wiping it clean on the Demurs veil

before collapsing the sword. Quickly and silently, he began to drag the

body towards a nearby door. Luckily the closest door wasnt locked,

only a simple pad required to open it. He hoisted the guards corpse

inside what appeared to be an office space. Beau noticed that there

were several items on the desk and adorning the shelves. Scowling

behind his visor, he scanned the room for a place to stow the corpse.

Spotting a floor vent, he dragged his burden across the floor, the blood

invisible against the dark carpet. Beau disposed of the guard, cursing

silently to himself at the inconvenience of hiding a body. The deed

done, he slid back into the hallway, ejecting the knife on his wrist. With

a quick and cut slice he severed the control panel to the door. It would

take a mechanic to unlock it now. Even after they get the door open

later, the stench of death wouldnt be noticed till hours had passed

after the job.

Good enough, Beau thought to himself.

Moving with a bit more haste, the assassin continued down

towards the target location. The pressure of the possibility of exposure

was beginning to set in. He had gotten careless, expecting to meet no

opposition this early into the Demur morning. The pink sunlight wasnt

even visible on the horizon of the city-planet at the time of infiltration,

with plenty of time before the Embassy workers arrived. Now that the

knowledge that the building was still occupied, there was an alert

tenseness to his creeping posture.

Not wishing to have any further distraction, Beau toggled the

sensors on his HUD with a series of blinks. Picking up the eye

movement, the HUD obliged immediately, giving a faint ding of

recognition. Menus flashed, transparent enough to continue, leaving

the bounty hunter able to continue his break in of the alien government

building.

Finding the correct menu, Beau gave another series of blinks to

tune the sensors accordingly. It was thirty meters to his target location,

with four blips indicating movement on his current level. One of the

blips sat stubbornly between him and where he needed to be, leaving

Beau to sigh in irritation.

Another body to hide, more precious minutes lost.

Beau mumbled his dissatisfaction and made his way down the

hall. According the mini map, the guard was just around the next turn.

He stopped just before the turn, leaning lightly against the wall. Risking

a quick glance, Beau stuck his head out to check the guards exact

position. As luck would have it, the Demur guard had his back to Beau,

only a few feet away. Muscles tensing in anticipation for action, he

readied himself for confrontation.

Drawing his weapon in a quick, seamless motion, Beau stepped

from around the corner. Clicking to its full extension, the clinks caused

the guard to turn, the black fabric twirling. Thrusting up, the sword met

the Demur just under the jaw, exiting cleanly through the top of his

head with a gentle spray of blood.

The Demur died without as much as a whimper.

Wrenching the blade out, Beau lowered the guard, getting a grip

around its torso. Delicately dragging the guard, Beau backtracked and

stowed the body with the other inside the office.

Yeah, Beau thought looking down at the pair as he wiped blood

from his armor, this going to ruin someones day.

Leaving the office space behind, the bounty hunter abandoned

any sense of stealth, jogging down the hall. Confident with his sensors

readings, he was left to make as much noise in the empty halls. It didnt

take long to reach his destination, however the setbacks left him

agitated regardless.

A T-shaped junction split the halls, the lifts to the high security

floors to the left, conference rooms to the right. In the middle, the

perfect accident waited.

It was small, barely worth notice, countless more like it aligning

the buildings halls, proving more useful today that it ever has in Beaus

life: an air vent.

He knelt down, pulling the grate off and setting it before him.

Reaching for his belt, he pulled off a brick of military grade explosives.

Punching in a sequence of buttons on a little electronic pad on the

explosive, Beau gently placed it into the air vent. Carefully holding the

grate back in place, he began to rub adhesive on the areas where he

had cut.

Standing up, he gave the grate a slight nudge with his boot to

make sure that it was once again intact. It held firm, much to Beaus

satisfaction. Turning to walk the wall leading to the high security floors,

he reached into a one of several pouch strapped his thigh. Delicately,

he pulled out a micro camera and gently put it on the wall. With the

camera mounted, Beau activated his holopad to make miniscule

adjustments to the lens positioning, aiming it directly at the vent.

With everything in place, he once again brought up the buildings

schematics. Quickly shuffling through the floor plans of the embassy,

Beau finally came across the room he was searching for. Highlighting his

destination with a swipe of a finger, the mini map in his HUD lit up,

marking out directions.

Backtracking silently through the halls, Beau made certain to

avoid any further conflict.

After passing through several floors, he made no more hostile

contact. An emotion that could have been relief briefly swept over his

mind, only for the sake of fewer corpses at the risk of discovery. Finally

reaching his destination, Beau silently sounded out the Demur language

written across the door.

Not trusting his shaky understanding of the bubbly language, he

activated the translator system built into his HUD. An indicator in the

helmets systems flashed translating the alien language.

EMBASSY COMMUNICATIONS flashed across the screen in front of

his eyes.

Pulling his sword out with a click, Beau jammed the end into the

crevice between the wall and the door. Jerking his arm down roughly,

he felt the blade slice through the weak lock. With a great heave the

door grinded open, causing Beau to wince behind his visor at the

atrocious amount of noise. Before any guards had time to investigate

he rushed inside and quickly sealed the door. Glancing around the

room, he soaked in the surroundings of the small circular room.

Computers lined the walls, powered down at the moment. The central

communications CPU sat in the middle of the room like a black

monolith.

Wasting no time he set to work. Grabbing a chair and powering up

a computer, he slid a hand back into one of his pouches. As the

computer warmed up, he pulled out an average off-the-shelf

communicator as well as a small data disk. Once the computer had

warmed up he plugged the communicator in and inserted the disk.

As the data disk worked its digital magic, Beau leaned back in the

chair.

So far, it was a smooth hit. Beau almost smirked to himself.

A soft tone flared up from the computer announcing that the

program was complete. Ejecting the data disk and pocketing it, he

turned the communicator on and tuned it in to his helmets

communications. Before leaving, Beau planted one last explosive under

the computer he had been working at.

Making his way back into the corridor, he made note of the

guards positions one last time.

To his immense satisfaction, no Demur was remotely close.

Quickly making his escape, Beau began finding his way back to his

point of entry and met with no conflict. The maintenance hatch leading

into the outside world shone with the sparkling light of the Demur

capital, the Infinite City. Rich sound of the bustle leaked through the

metal lace work, filling Beaus helmet with the song of civilization.

Safely back into the wide piping of the main ventilation, he

booted up his holopad. Flipping through the interface he brought up his

personal communications as a dull throb began to pulse behind his

eyes.

Im ready for extraction, his deep voice grated out of helmets

speaker.

On its way, sir, a soft, feminine voice replied.

Opening the hatch, Beau was bombarded by the countless colors

of the beautiful city. Reds, yellows, greens, blues, and every color

imaginable filled his vision as he gazed out at the towering silver

skyscrapers of the city-planet of Demur.

As he was caught up in the beauty of Infinite City, a small cargo

carrier hovered up under the hatch he was leaning out of. The loading

chute mounted on top opened up, waiting for the bounty hunter to

jump down. Before dropping down, Beau pulled an EMP emitter he had

left on the security panel. He let himself fall down into the cargo ship,

beating the rebooting security system to catch him. Falling through,

Beau hit hard on top of stacked crates. Straightening up, the armored

man pushed the boxes around, locating the hatchway to the cockpit.

Knocking on it roughly with his gauntlet, metallic reverbs sluggish

striking through the thick air.

The hatch opened, showing a round, pill shaped metallic head.

Glowing yellow lights lit up behind the screens of its eyes, contrasting

the crudely painted on face of a skull.

Greetings, sir, a deep, clanging voice blurted out through

unseen speakers.

Beau crawled through into the seat next to the droid. He gave the

droid a pat on the back as he sat down. After settling in, Beau gave a

nod to the human man driving, who was sweating profusely with a gun

pressed to his head.

Nice of you to show up, Cide, Beau said.

Always a pleasure to serve, Cide replied.

Does our friend know where to go?

Cide turned his head with a soft whirl of gears, his eyes flashing

red.

Drive, meat.

The driver whimpered softly, setting the cargo ship into flight.

Thrusting forward on the wheel, the sped off into the air lanes of the

grand city, twisting and turning between other drivers.

Where did you find our friend? Beau asked the droid.

Initial scans have yielded that this is an unregistered vehicle

carrying unregistered cargo. Evaluation: smuggler, Cide replied.

Dont you know smuggling is illegal? Beau tutted sternly.

And this aint? the driver said before Cide pressed the gun

directly to his temple.

Decreasing in speed, they descended closer to ground level, the

lights of the magnificent city barely reaching below with its colored

tendrils. In almost complete darkness, away from the dazzling

civilization, Cide had the poor driver pilot them to an abandoned

warehouse sector, only a few uncaring, homeless aliens and humans

scattered throughout the darkness. Gliding through the low level

warehouses, Cide had the driver dock on a landing pad deep within the

shady complex.

Beau jumped out without hesitation, hitting the landing platform

with a thud, breaking into a brisk gait away from the cargo craft. Cide

quickly followed, the metallic clang of his landing echoing throughout

the desolate sector of warehouses.

The driver stammered from his seat, Does this mean I can-

Cides torso twisted as he turned to face the driver.

No.

In a blur of motion, Cide brought the gun level with the drivers

head. A pathetic squeal rose up from the smugglers throat before it

was quickly silenced by one quick shot as Cide pulled the trigger.

Unload a few more into him, better safe than sorry, Beau told

the droid.

The only response was a series of erratic bangs and the hollow

sound of shells landing on the ground.

What of the cargo, sir? the droid asked?

The bounty hunter stood there, considering the options. Walking

back toward the grisly scene, Beau tapped the cargo door with a

knuckle thoughtfully. There wasnt any need to be weighed down with

pointless materials; however whatever the driver had been hauling

might have been useful.

Well, lets take a look at it shall we? he said to the droid, pulling

the loading door open.

Together, the Beau and Cide hefted an unwieldy crate, straining

under the weight of the hard plastic container. Dropping it with a grunt,

Beau knelt down beside it, working his fingers around the metal clasps

holding the lid. Heaving the lid off, what was inside the crate caught

Beau off guard.

Piles of tightly packaged packets of fine, grainy red powder sat

neatly inside, the rancid aroma of the illegal Aran Mas spice lost on the

droid and Beaus shielded nose.

Pulling a pack out of the crate, Beau turned it over in his hands

before turning to the droid muttering, Seems weve crossed a drug

cartel.

So it would seem, sir, the droid said.

Burn the ship. We dont need this crap getting into the

population, Beau said, throwing the pack back into the box in disgust.

Immediately, Cide raised a claw like hand, a nuzzle extending from

the droids palm sending small spurts of flame. The droid set to work at

once, spraying flames over the illegal spice. Catching fire, the spice

burned strong, feeding the fiery frenzy engulfing the cargo vessel and

its dead driver.

As it burned, the engines sputtered, slowly losing altitude as it

spiraled through the air as if it were made of syrup. Beau leaned over,

watching over the side of the landing pad, the fire ball reaching the

distant ground level almost directly below.

Watching Cide kick the spare crate over the edge of the platform

into the inferno below, Beau made a call from his holopad. The

holographic green of the floating screens flickered as the signal was

connected and patched through.

Done having fun now? the same gentle voice answered.

You could say that, Beau said, we are in sector WH203.

Ill be there soon, transmitting rendezvous point.

Beau programmed the coordinates into his HUD as Cide clanked

up to his side, handing the gun over to his master. Together they

walked away, twisting through the gloom and darkness of the ancient

storage units, his robotic companion following a few steps back.

Through the darkness as the two walked, they passed a lone

Bleen; its humanoid form barely visible slumped in the low light. Its

naked, genderless body baring pitch black skin, the creature was almost

blending seamlessly into the shadows. Haunting, luminescent stark

white eyes stared up at the duo, its head splitting into a devilish lipless

grin. Rounded teeth, matched by dagger like canines shone through

dim light. The Bleen hissed its native language, lost on Beaus ears.

Here, Beau said stepping over the Bleens long legs, dropping

the pistol into the aliens lap.

Its long, spider like fingers wrapped around the weapon, and it

emitted what Beau assumed was a grateful hiss.

Turning his head as he walked away, Beau watched as the Bleen

stood, towering several feet over his own head, cradling the gun in its

slender hands. Beau kept watching, checking that the alien didnt

become violent and turn the small gift on its previous owners.

To his relief, the Bleen simply walked away, most likely to trade it

for food or drugs, but more importantly, putting distance between

Beau and the only evidence connecting himself to the dead driver.

Looking skyward as he walked, his eyes glazed past the looming

buildings toward the brightening sky as the Demur night drew to a

close. Shades of pink began to inch its way across the sky, almost

hidden by the monumental towers.

It wouldnt be too long before the rigged building started to fill

up.

Cide, ETA on our pickup? Beau turned to ask his droid.

Eleven minutes, eighteen seconds, in human standard time.

Beau sighed and began to idly eject and retract the slender blade

hidden in his cuff of his armor.

Shiink, shuck.

Cides head turned slightly toward the human as he fiddled with

the weapon, fixing Beau with an amber stare.

Shiink, shuck.

Beau turned to return the gaze as he walked alongside his droid,

perplexed by Cides sudden interest. It wasnt often that the droid was

distracted; perhaps there was something wrong with his armor he

hadnt noticed before?

Shiink, shuck.

The droid continued to stare, the yellow of his mechanical eyes

unwavering, almost analytical.

Maybe I should run a quick diagnostic, Beau thought.

Shiink, shuck.

Blinking his eyes to bring his HUD up, Beau quickly ran a suit and

systems check. Systems were fine, and his armor was undamaged,

confusing Beau as to why Cide was so intent on his stare.

Beau glanced at the painted face of the droid.

Shiink, shuck.

A faint flicker started up in Cides right eye optic.

Is there something wrong with your eye?

No, my optics are fine, sir, came the electrical reply.

Realization settled in Beaus mind, his mouth giving an amused

twitch behind his visor. One last time the hunter ejected the blade,

slowly retracting it with a sharp grate, provoking the droids artificial

irritation.

You should get that eye of yours checked onboard the Rabbit

Hole, Beau chimed.

Static began to seep from Cides speaker, a barely recognizable

Yes, of course, voiced itself softly underneath the static.

You seem to be enjoying the new personality chip as well, Beau

added.

Im ecstatic, the droid said flatly.

Containing his chuckle to himself, Beau gave Cide a pat on the

back as a shadow slowly crept overhead.

Above them a ring-shaped vessel drifted sluggishly toward them,

its familiar gun metal gray casing housing the one home the bounty

hunter ever truly had.

Chugging itself closer and closer, the circular ships engines began

to shake the air. The cockpit, an orbed section of the ringed body,

shone with a soft blue light emitting from the viewport. A small,

feminine silhouette waved down as the Rabbit Hole bore down, the

landing hatch opening slightly over the ground, the ramp extending to

meet the duo.

Jumping on to the ships landing platform, Beau reached down

and helped Cide up with a heave, the droids metallic joints unable to

do so on their own. Together they walked into their home, inviting blue

lights greeting them as they entered. Closing with a hiss behind them,

droid and bounty hunter walked through the comfortable hallway, past

the twelve rooms the circular ship contained. Yellow lines trimmed a

scuffed white floor, mirrored by a similar ceiling and walls. Orbs of light,

fixated evenly into the Rabbit Holes ceiling, radiated a gentle blue,

emitting a sense of ease to the core of Beaus being.

The walkway itself was part of the inner ring of the Rabbit Hole,

the counterclockwise path from the landing ramp leading through

storage, the medical and systems stations, as well as Cides room,

where the droid recharged and maintained itself.

Reaching the cockpit, they were greeted by a respectful bow by a

young Daros girl, her stark white skin bright in contrast to her long and

messy green hair. Small antlers peeked out from her head, supporting a

jeweled broach on a gold chain that rested on her forehead. As she

straightened up, a cowlick of hair on the back of her head bobbed.

With a ruffle of her black robes and a sparkle in her emerald green

eyes, she glided over to give Cide a hug, her horns clanging against his

dull silver chest, turning her head to Beau.

Mission accomplished? she asked in a breezy, fragile voice,

looking up into Beaus black visor.

Mission accomplished, Ginna, Beau replied, settling down into

the pilots seat.

Punching in a sequence of buttons, the Rabbit Hole disengaged

from its autopilot, giving Beau complete control over their ship.

Grabbing the two handed control yolk, Beau began easing the ship into

a diagonal vertical climb. The small crew sped away from the gloomy

sector, leaving behind the dark business that had just been attended.

As the Rabbit Hole climbed higher and higher, the air around

surrounding them brightened, flooding the cockpit with natural pink

light.

He began to bring the ship into a loop, heading back in the

direction of the Republic Embassy of Demur. Bobbing and weaving

through passing vehicles and ships, it wasnt too long before the small

crew had arrived back into the sector of Infinite City housing the

government building. Piloting the ship higher and higher, he flew in a

way to keep the Embassy in clear view.

Satisfied with their position, Beau leveled out and docked at a

Demur restaurant. With a gesture, the bounty hunter and his small

crew left the cockpit and descended onto the restaurants landing

platform.

Once again he activated his HUDs translator to read the name of

the restaurant, discovering it was a traditional Demur gourmet food

chain. Stomach churning at the thought of eating the native food, Beau

made a mental note to just order a beverage.

Reaching the entrance, a Demur female greeted them from

behind a counter, bowing her head endowed with a midnight blue veil.

She was a typical female Demur, her blue tinted skin exposed, her flat

chest emblazed with traditional spiraling tattoos.

How I may help? she asked in English with a thick, floating

accent.

We would like a private dining booth, please, Beau said,

handing her a few plastic chips, electronic values glowing on their tiny

screens.

Looking down in her hand, she shifted them in her palm before

depositing the chips into a small lockbox under the counter in a swift

motion. Flourishing her hand, she beckoned them to follow, leading the

way into the brightly lit dining hall. Golden lights drifted lazily overhead,

the ruby red stoned floor sparkling underfoot. The pristine walls were

bare, deep red in color, supported by smooth metal struts.

Beau scanned the crowded room idly, observing the dozens of

humans and foreign species. They passed a table of Bleen, hissing

harshly to each other, red sashes adoring their slender black chests,

their eyes empty white orbs. A lone Daros girl stood respectfully behind

the table, her green hair short, revealing more of her tender, bruised

face. Beaus insides twisted in an angry fury, but he controlled his

impulse to lash out. It was neither his business, nor worth answering to

the Demur authorities about scuffed up Bleen nobles.

Scanning over the crowd once again, Beau intentionally avoided

turning his gaze back to the beaten Daros girl. Instead the bounty

hunter focused on taking in the sight marvelous atmosphere, the

various patrons scattered throughout the glamorous establishment,

living out their dull, wealthy existence. Some even accompanied by

Daros girls, their green hair standing out amongst an already colorful

crowd. To his distaste, Beau couldnt help but notice that some wore

leashes.

Any thought of eating twisted itself out of his stomach at the

sight.

Leading the group past a few dozen tables, the Demur waitress

halted in front of the private dining booths lining the walls. She slid one

of the doors open, revealing a cozy room with a single table jutting

from the wall, the cushioned booths leaning against the close walls. A

single golden orb floated above the room, casting its dim glow that

reflected slightly on a single large window overlooking Infinite City.

Sliding into the lavishly upholstered seats, Ginnas black robes

rustled against the rich red fabric. Cide followed, clunking in beside her.

Beau thanked the red skinned alien, closing the private door behind

him. As the group settled, a holographic menu flashed up, displaying

pictures of Demur cuisine circling slowly, parading exotic foods through

the air.

Ginna stuck a small finger through her selection, a soft ping

sounding off. A gentle voice speaking in Demur acknowledged the

order, the sounds of the thick syrupy language echoing in their little

room.

Glancing out the window, Beau scanned the thousands of building

for the Embassy, finally catching sight of its domed, spiderlike structure.

His thoughts drifted off to what had transpired inside, check listing his

actions, making certain no mistakes had been made. Disregarding the

incidents with the guards, it had gone all according to plan. Lost in the

fog of his mind, the bounty hunter was unaware of his surroundings

until a he felt a weak kick to his leg.

Arent you going to order? Ginnas voice broke through his

thoughts.

Oh, yeah, was just thinking, Beau replied.

Didnt know you could think hard enough to ignore me asking

the same question repeatedly, the Daros girl replied.

Beau pushed her gently with his boot, Shut up.

Ginna smiled sweetly at him, pale pink lips stretching over her

pointed teeth that shone slightly in the dim light.

Beau waited for the beverage section of the holo to circle by,

randomly pushing his finger into a picture of a drink with an

incomprehensible name.

Do you want to anything? Ginna asked, turning her head to

Cide.

Humorous, came Cides reply.

Giggling mischievously to herself, Ginna leaned back against the

droids arm, her small brown antlers clicking against the stock still

droids scored metal arm.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, a blue skinned Demur

male knocked on their door. Cide slid it open, allowing the alien to

enter. The Demur held a tray, which he placed on the table with a bow.

Without a word, the blue alien left them to their meal, closing the door

behind him.

With absolute privacy, Beau finally relaxed. He brought his hands

to his helmet, and with a click, raised it off his head. Blinking his brown

eyes against the sudden change of light, he ran a gloved hand over the

light brown, sweat speckled skin of his shaved head. As the spiced air

hit his crooked nose, Beau rubbed his gaunt face, helping it adjust to

the sudden change in the stiff air.

Finally showing your face? Ginna said, smirking up at him as she

reached for her food.

Beau scratched at the dark bristles of his short beard, shooting

her a look.

You expect me to drink through my helmet? he said, grabbing

for his glass.

He looked down into the cup, regretting that he didnt pay more

attention. Purple fluid frothed and fizzed, lime green blobs swimming

jerkily through the bubbles. A foul smell emitted from the drink,

gagging the bounty hunter.

Placing the glass on the table and pushing it aside, Beau looked

over at Ginnas plate.

Beau immediately wished he hadnt.

Ginna sat slurping at her food, a writhing mass of squirming, thick

worms. The worms had been soaked in thick yellow sauce that splashed

off the plate as they squirmed. As the Daros girl ate, the creatures

squealed in protest.

Without meaning to, he gave a moan of disgust.

Catching Ginnas attention with the small outburst, she looked up

from her living meal.

Hm? she mumbled through a wiggling mouthful.

Nothing, please just eat, Beau said, looking down from the

sickening sight.

Does this bother you? she said, her voiced muffled through the

mouthful of the nauseating food as she slurped them past her sharp

teeth.

She giggled as she swallowed her mouthful and reached for

Beaus drink.

So are you going to finish the deed? Ginna asked after taking a

long gulp from the purple liquid.

Beau nodded, turning his holopad on to checking the time.

I suppose it is time, yes, he said, with a glance out the window

toward the Embassy.

Scrolling through the holopads many menus, Beau brought up

the video feed of the camera he had hidden. Sliding that screen to the

side, he continued until he reached a nameless program file, only

identified by a series of randomized numbers. Activating the file, Beau

turned on his communications and zeroed in on the comm piece he had

left behind at the Embassy.

Clearing his throat, Beau spoke slowly and clearly, Prime Minister

Vonlen to Conference Theater 146 for the meeting of Bleen Genetic

Rights, please.

As he finished speaking, the data files he had uploaded translated

his words from the hidden comm piece into Demur, sending his false

call out through the Embassy.

There arent civilians in there are there? Ginna asked.

Shouldnt be. Our contractors ensured that the corridor should

be cleared out.

Leaning back into his seat, Beau watched and waited, staring

intently at the video feed of the hallway.

Minutes ticked by, until finally, the Prime Minister strode into

view, his black veil lavished with golden threads and precious red

stones.

Beau pulled out a small cylindrical detonator from his belt.

Three, two, one, he muttered, pressing the button.

Pressing the button, the video feed cut to static, in the distance, a

dull explosion could be heard, as if it were merely thunder from an

oncoming storm. Beau looked out toward the far off Embassy, a pillar

of thick smoke already beginning to stream up past the beautiful

cityscape.

Within moments of tragically cutting Demur Royal bloodline short,

Beaus comm began to go off, a nameless contact flashing into view on

the holographic screen, requesting a personal video feed.

He allowed the call through, revealing a group of five Demur, each

adorned with golden threads upon their veils, though not as

extravagant as the late Prime Ministers.

We felt the explosion from here, bounty hunter,

congratulations, the single female drawled in English.

You have changed the course of our world, leaving it in more

capable hands, another Demur replied, nodding his head in approval.

Glad to be of service, my lords and lady, I know how your people

view unsavory matters such as these, especially against the Ruling

Family, Beau said, bowing his head respectfully.

The Cabinet of Officials shall not forget your service, bounty

hunter, we are quite pleased, a voice came from past a veil.

Our business is concluded, and your payment has been

transferred, a male rasped.

Goodbye, human, the red female said.

The call cut off, leaving the trio in silence.

Do you think you did the right thing? Ginna asked.

They paid well, does it matter? Beau responded, replacing his

helmet.

You just shifted the power of an entire planet single handedly, it

might matter a bit, she said.

Like I said, they paid well. Besides, Vonlen was running this

planet into financial bankruptcy over petty personal matters, Beau

said with a shrug, perhaps the Cabinet can handle the money and

power better until they pick a new Ruling Family.

Sure, by paying you a fortune to incinerate half a floor of the

Embassy, Ginna said with a frown.

Beau grunted with a shrug, laying a couple dozen plastic money

tokens on the table as he stood to leave before replying.

People die in our business. You know that.

Ignoring the response, Ginna quickly wolfed down the last of the

Demur cuisine, pushing Cide to hurry so she could get out from the

booth. Together, the crew walked into the now noisy dining hall,

everyone in a panic over the attack so close by. Passing through by the

Bleen that had caught Beaus attention before, rage welled up inside

him. The thought of the bruised face of the Daros girl accompanying

the black skinned aliens to continue her life of abuse stirred up his

emotions. It would be so easy to silently murder her owners in passing.

Just a casual walk, quickly ejecting the blade mounted into his wrist,

severing the spinal cords of the Bleen one by one amidst the chaos.

Their snake like voices hissed and rasped in his ears.

Concentrating through the din of their maddening voices, Beau blinked

through the HUDs interface, shutting all audio into the helmet off. The

shell around his head quieted, but the voices still echoed in his ears,

growing louder and louder. Beau shook his head, burying the thoughts

and chaotic voices deep back into his subconscious. However, despite

his best efforts, the crazed thoughts of ending the Bleens miserable

existence flared up, as well as every kill Beau had made, the memories

rearing up to roar like creatures from sludge within the darkest corners

of his mind. Outside the trio was greeted by the sector in a panic. The

air was empty of all traffic save for flocks of rescue vessels speeding

toward the Embassy like moths to a flame, countless sirens wailing

through the towering buildings.

Climbing inside the Rabbit Hole, Beau quickly strode down the

rounded hallway to the cockpit, struggling to shove the sickening

thoughts away. Taking a seat back in the worn pilots chair, the systems

began to warm up at the detection of a pilot. Cide lowered down into

the copilots chair, assisting in booting the ships systems. Blue lights

flickered on, luminescent screens coming to life with yellow and red

readouts. The control panel breathed in life as the engines roared from

their sleep. With a small lurch, the landing gear lifted in on itself,

leaving the Rabbit Hole shuddering in the air.

Carefully easing the ship away from the building, Beau set the

auto pilot it a straight vertical climb. With traffic no longer flowing

through the sector, the Rabbit Hole easily reached the upper

atmosphere with no threat of catastrophic collisions as they recklessly

flew up.

As the pink sky faded into starry darkness, Beau leaned back into

his chair, easing into the white padding with a faint sigh.

Turning to Cide, he muttered, Set a hyper point for Ovroc

Station.

Cides compliance echoed hollowly after Beau as the bounty

hunter exited the cockpit, walking down the counterclockwise corridor.

The weight of the day had already settled in, the time spent awake

barely even registering five Demur hours. His own mind fighting against

him wasnt doing much good to the bounty hunter either, the voices

whispering and screaming, adding more weight to the wool blanket of

weariness draping around his shoulders.

Reaching the door to his personal quarters, he punched the code

on to an electronic pad mounted on the wall. As the door twisted open

from the middle, Beau stepped through the threshold into pale white

light.

He stood in the small room, rolling his neck, series of cracks and

pops sneaking through the thick black fabric under his armor. A small

white bed jutted out from the wall, mirrored by in-wall-shelves holding

old Earth novels. One small desk rested within the wall, able to pull out

if it was ever needed. A small closet sat in the corner, slightly ajar, the

stand for his armor hidden behind the blank door.

Sitting on the bed, Beau pulled his helmet off and began to roll his

neck. After loosening up, the bounty hunter began to remove his

armor, the hiss and crack of the micro hydraulics holding his armor

intact resonating through the air. Taking the last of his armor off, he

stood and stretched, his body covered in a tight black jumpsuit, the

dark flexible cloth straining against his muscles. Placing his hands to the

sides of his head, Beau twisted his back, a satisfying crackle coming

from his tired bones.

Loosened up and somewhat relaxed, Beau placed his brown

armor on the stand. After a quick change into comfortable plain white

attire, the bounty hunter left his quarters to continue the walk

counterclockwise to enter the ships mess hall. The makeshift room

owned a single table, the wall between the mess hall and food storage

removed to give direct access to the supple store. A long counter set up

for preparing meals had been placed in the middle, still giving clear

definition of separate spaces.

Predictably, Ginna was sitting at the table, scarfing down a pile of

gelatinous meat substitute, maintaining her incredible Daros

metabolism. The red chucky jelly jiggled as Ginna tore into it

ravenously, bits of the goop smeared on across her face.

Beau walked over to the food storage, grabbing a bottle of water

and a spare rag from under the counter. Walking over to a seat at the

table, Beau threw the rag at Ginnas face, catching her off guard. Her

startled movement flicked some of her jelly, splattering it across the

table.

Ugh, what was that for? the young Daros steamed, glaring at

Beau from behind the rag.

Didnt think you looked very lady like, he replied, propping his

feet up on the table.

Whatever, she groaned, wiping the jelly from her face and the

table.

Ginna took her plate, placing it on the cluttered counter along

with the rag, turning to resume her place at the table. Sitting across

from her captain, Ginna leaned in, resting her chin on her hands, idly

fiddling with the jewelry resting on her forehead.

So where we off too next? she asked.

Cide is prepping for a jump back to Ovroc Station, Beau said,

pulling a small pill bottle from his pocket.

At the sight of the bottle, Ginnas face dropped a little. Tipping the

bottle into his hand, he dumped a couple of tiny dark blue pills. Quickly

popping them in his mouth and washing them down, Ginna sighed.

I thought you didnt need those anymore, she said softly.

So did I, he replied, his face now stony and emotionless.

Ginna rested her head down on the table, her green hair

cascading around her small sad face. Hesitantly, Beau reached over and

stroked her wild green head, careful not to knock her horns. She looked

up at him, her pale skin reddening as tears filled her eyes.

I thought you were better, she mumbled, wiping at her emerald

eyes.

Beau remained silent, intertwining his fingers in Ginnas silky hair,

sadness creeping onto his face.

They sat together in silence, Beau comforting the young alien who

sat staring at the transparent orange bottle resting on the table.

Seconds dragged, minutes sluggishly moving like hours, the girl

trembling ever so slightly under his gentle touch. Eventually Ginna

stood, without a word walking away, stopping short of the door.

Hesitantly, the Daros turned her head, as if to say something. Instead,

she stayed her tongue, and walked out, leaving the man alone to his

thoughts.

He truly had believed he was improving on this; the doctor that

supplied him with his medicine gave every indication that soon his

illness would be gone. Beau would have to return again, to discuss his

condition with the short, balding Dr. Prosper when he had a chance.

Sighing roughly to himself he rested his head in his hands,

isolation surrounding him with a familiar chill, harsh voices growing in

his mind, growling and screaming.

We are ready for jump sir, Cides hollow voice chimed over the

Rabbit Holes intercom.

Standing slowly from his chair, Beau pocketed his medicine,

struggling to leave behind the weight of the feeling of desolation. Hand

against the bare wall, he walked to the cockpit with only the sound of

his bare-footed footsteps for company.

Reaching the cockpit, Beau dropped into the pilots seat and fired

up the jump sequence. As buttons were pressed and switches flipped, a

ball of light formed within the inner ring of the Rabbit Holes hole. Fed

by three generators even spaced, the ball of pure energy grew as more

power was engorged by the sphere.

With a final press inside the cockpit, the generators tore the

sphere to shreds, the burst ripping through space, sending the Rabbit

Hole through the carefully plotted point Cide had created. The

explosion of the sphere enveloped the ship, pocketing it inside a blazing

ball of white hot plasma.

Readouts flashed up on a screen, indicating that they would be

spending the next seven hours hurtling through the very fabric of the

universe. Beau relaxed in his seat, staring out at the rippling energy,

shades of blues and whites swirling and colliding with each other in an

atomic dance.

Sir, permission to power down for maintenance and recharge?

Cide asked, his head swiveling from the cockpits view port.

Beau glanced at the painted face of the droid, seeing the dimming

of its lights.

Of course, I can take it from here.

Cide stood rigidly, gears churning and metal grinding as the droid

clomped down to the maintenance bay.

Beau left to take a quick trip to his quarters, programming the

armor stand to hover along behind as well as grabbing his retractable

sword and a repair kit. Stopping short of walking back to the pilots

seat, the man teetered with a foot out his door before he turned and

grabbed a random book from the shelves.

Returning to the cockpit Beau dropped the book on the floor next

to his pilots seat, spreading the repair kit on the copilots chair. He

pulled his helmet off of the floating stand and began cleaning and

recalibrating the intricate circuitry. Piece by piece he toiled, his brow

crinkled in intense concentration as the voices and dark thoughts ebbed

from his mind.

His armor freshly cleaned, his sword checked over and sharpened,

Beau rested his head back in his seat, his mind finally once again at

peace. Relaxation flowed through his body as if released from a flood

gate, his arms sliding over the sides of the chair, the sword still clutched

in his hand grating against the metal floor.

Lazily extending the blade of his sword, the hunter snagged the

book he had left alone on the barren floor. Dragging it carefully across

the floor, he brought it within reach, stooping to pick it up. Dusting off

the cover, the corner of his mouth flickered, the old and bent cover

comfortable in his hands.

Perching himself in a more adequate position, he spent the next

few hours in serenity. Lost inside the pages of the book, he hardly

noticed the door of the cockpit slide open, only looking up at the rustle

of robes breaking the delicate threads of silence. Looking into her eyes

as she glided forward, he saw her eyes looked dry, redness biting

around the edges, as if she recently wept.

The Daros girl stood behind his chair, wrapping her slender arms

around the head piece, leaning against the seat.

What are you reading? she asked softly.

A story of tripod machines destroying mankind, Beau said

shutting his book, It was famous on Earth for causing panic after being

read over a radio.

Ah, one of your old world classics, Ginna replied, gingerly

reaching to see it.

Relinquishing his grip on the worn binding of the book, he allowed

Ginna to inspect the pages. She turned it over in her hands, stroking the

cover, flipping through the chapters. Quizzical eyes meandered along

the ink, taking in every foreign word. She slid down on to the floor,

resting her back against the side of the pilots chair.

Whats a radio? she asked.

Think of Cide, but less angry and plays music, Beau explained

with a smirk.

Oh, she said as her face split into a smile.

You never finished teaching me how to read your language, she

said, mulling over the book.

Well finish up soon, I promise, Beau said, you can still read a

bit of that though, cant you?

A little bit, but not very much, Ginna muttered, her

concentration focused on translating English as she brushed her untidy

bangs from her eyes.

Leaving Ginna to examine his book, Beau returned his attention to

the Rabbit Holes dashboard, his gaze scanning over the readings. The

flashing red numbers caught his eye; the countdown to Ovroc Station

was mere minutes until reaching zero.

Standing with a grunt, Beau sent the stand to return to his closet.

Ginna looked up at the sudden movement, her round eyes flicking to

the armor floating by.

Are we almost there? she asked.

About four minutes.

Want me to go turn on Cide?

Beau considered it before shaking his head.

I dont think well need him, it wont hurt to leave him here.

Alright, she said, standing from the floor, here you go.

Extending an arm she presented the book back, but Beau shook

his head.

Ive read that thing a hundred times, go head and keep it for

now, he said with a small smile.

Ginna looked down at the book in her hands before suddenly

flinging herself around his waist.

Please feel better, she said, her voice muffled.

Beau winced as her small horns dug under his ribcage, but hugged

her back, ignoring the pain.

Ill be fine, he said, the embrace ending, now go ahead and get

ready, well be at the Ovroc soon.

Letting go of the man, Ginna stepped back, her flowing black

robes scuttling the floor, her voice cracking slightly as she said, Ill

meet you at the airlock when youre ready.

She turned with an elegant twist, green hair fluttering through the

air as the alien girl whisked herself away.

Rubbing his ribcage, Beau trekked back to his quarters, changing

into a clean jumpsuit. Assembling himself bit by bit, he was armored

once again in the mud colored plastoid shell. Grabbing his sword, he

gave a flick of the wrist, the newly sharpened blade unfolding. The

sound of the weapon cutting through the air was music to his ears,

sending the blade back to its retracted state sheathed at the small of

his back. Ejecting the wrist mounted blade, he gave it a quick

inspection, the unique metal gleaming in the pale light. With a quick

thrust of his arm, Beau sliced at the door frame, cutting it neatly as

sparks spat from the wounded framework.

The thin knife collapsed back into its housing with a shunk as Beau

ran his free hand over the door frame, feeling the countless other

gouges from previous tests. He marveled at the fact he had only treated

the knife twice for repairs, the incredibly rare alloy mined for military

use on the Kana home world. It was forged for the military, until Beau

nicked it on a petty assassination for some angry home bound wife.

Kana birdbrains never were the type for romance anyway, Beau

mused to himself.

Beau braced himself against the wall as the Rabbit Hole shook,

dropping out of the hyper jump, the engines dying down to leave the

ship drifting through the void. Firing up the holopad on his bracer, Beau

programmed the autopilot remotely, sending the ship directly for Ovroc

Station. Through a view port, the station was clearly visible, the massive

spherical structure housing countless life forms, orbiting the gas giant

planet of Rin, the swirling purple clouds mixing with vibrant violet and

vicious blues.

The station itself shone brightly, light reflecting from the systems

distant star dazzling the metal surface. Hundreds of thousands of

yellow lights sparkled on across Ovroc, behind which life bustled and

thrived, crime and diplomacy, love and violence all thriving off one

another in the humble artificial world.

As the Rabbit Hole drew closer, the ship was hailed by Ovroc, a

docking agent patching through to Beaus personal comm system.

Welcome to Ovroc Station, name of vessel and serial

numbering, a bored voice droned.

H-class Earth freighter, designation Rabbit Hole, number 388sr,

Beau replied.

Standby while we process your information.

Half a minute later, the drone of the dock managers voice flared

back up.

You are cleared for docking; your docking port is number

3850CH, and enjoy your stay.

Before Beau could finish thanking the man, the communication

line was cut.

Rude, he muttered to himself, programming the flight to the

dock.

Engines roaring back to life, the Rabbit Hole began powering its

way toward Ovroc. As the ship drew close enough, it slowed its speed,

descending toward its designated dock. Through the viewport, all that

could be seen was the white metal surface of the station, minuscule

glances through its yellow windows offering a show of the life

happening inside, lost to Beau through the speed of the descent.

Finally, almost coming to a complete stop, the Rabbit Hole eased

itself closer still to Ovroc, so close Beau could have reached out to

touch. They passed hundreds of ships, all of various makes and designs,

however Beau noticed that they became more worn and dodgy the

lower they dropped. After a few minutes, the Rabbit Hole reached

3850CH, magnetic clamps extending from the ships air lock, securing

itself in place as the two airlocks connected.

Beau entered his ships airlock to join Ginna, standing by her side

as a soothing female voice chimed through the airlock.

Please wait while the pressure is reset, the voice said cheerfully.

Air vented in and out with a hiss, bringing the pressure up to

Ovroc Stations. After a few silent seconds save for the workings of the

air, the airlock finally opened to reveal a short hall way, the white floor

and walls scuffed by hundreds of past footsteps. A thin layer of dirt

lined the bottom section of the rounded walls, light shining down from

yellow lights, some even flickering.

Beau sighed, irritated over the fact that they had been sent to

such a grungy docking port. Together the two walked down the dirty

hallway, turning the corner before almost running head long into

another pilot.

The man staggered back, avoiding the collision, his thin form

clothed in a somewhat loose, blue jumpsuit trimmed with light gray

padding. His upper chest was armored in a dark gray piece of metal, the

armor thick on his right shoulder. A long energy rifle was strapped

across his back, gloved hands clutching at the dark brown strap across

his chest. His face was masked in a plain form fitting metal, glowing

white eyespots shimmering at the two from under a blue hood.

Oh, Im so sorry, he stammered, his voice tinny through his

masks speaker.

Its fine, Beau said, turning away to continue on his way into the

noisy lobby of the docking terminals.

Ginna smiled sweetly and waved at the stranger before rushing to

fall back in stride with her captain. She looked back as they left, the

hooded man hesitating before walking on his way behind them. His

white eye spots changed to a soft green color as he fidgeted with the

rifles strap. The shining green eyes looked up, catching the dark green

of her own as he waved his farewell to her before losing their line of

sight through the crowd.

Beau took Ginnas hand to keep her from being swept away by

the waves of aliens, pushing his way to a terminal. With her free hand,

Ginna cupped the golden jewelry hanging between her short antlers

from any bold pickpockets.

The terminals stood sin four lines of ten, almost unreachable by

the colorful crowds surrounding them. As they were bumped from side

to side, Beau was able to grab an unused terminal as soon as the

previous user had slithered away.

The screen lit up in acknowledgement that it detected the bounty

hunter. A long list of languages flared up, leaving Beau to sift through

strange symbols as he searched for English. Familiar letters finally

scrolled by, a new menu bringing itself after selecting the human

language. A small plugged wire ejected from a slot, requesting for the

docking information and fee. Beau plugged his holopad into the

terminal and made the payment after entering the required

information.

Their business done in the stifling lobby, Beau led Ginna further

into the space station.

Where are we going? she said, raising her voice over the din of

noise.

To get some drinks and resupply, he replied, his voice not quite

cutting through the thunderous chatter.

Ginna pointed at her ear and shook her head, a puzzled look on

her face. He made a drinking motion with his hand to convey the

message, understanding dawning on her delicate features.

Can we eat too? she asked loudly.

Beau nodded, not bothering speaking until they had entered a

calmer atmosphere. Exiting the enormous lobby, they entered one of

the several hundred plazas aboard Ovroc, the door sealing behind

them, cutting them off from the chaos of the lobby. Colorful lights

advertising goods lit up the plaza, the neon colors lighting the area

more effectively than the dingy yellow lights which barely functioned

high above them.

Meandering along the walkways, the bustle was much easier to

navigate, the claustrophobic vise of living creatures no longer as

pressing. Picking out a bar suitable to human taste that didnt seem too

sketchy, they walked under the orange neon sign advertising the

coldest booze on Ovroc. Only a handful of patrons were inside, a few

human scattered about, and oddly enough a dirty looking Gaff, his pale

blue skin clothed in ratty brownish garments, the white, tiger like

stripes on his flat face smeared with dirt, a mangy beard limp hanging

of the aliens face. The Gaffs black hair hung greasily around his face,

curling a bit under the glassy orange eyes above his long needle like

nose.

Walking up to the counter, Beau sat in an old beaten stool that

wobbled, despite the fact it was mounted to the floor. Ginna took a

seat next to him, her chin just barely coming over the top. The

bartender greeted them, a plump man with a thick mustache hiding

half of his face.

Whatll you get? he asked in a rough voice but warm tone.

Just whatever is fresh, Beau replied, looking down at Ginna,

you wanted food right?

Ginna nodded, simply saying, Meat.

The bartender glanced quickly at the Daros girl, smirking slightly

before asking, Any kind of meat in specifically?

Ginna shrugged at the man, leaving the bartender to shrug as

well. The man knew he was about to make a quick dollar of Daros

appetite, so who was he to argue.

Ill see what I can get for you and the little lady then, he said,

stepping into the bars kitchen.

Out of the corner of his eye, Beau noticed a flicker of movement.

Instinct kicking in, his head subtly tilted to catch it. Everything seemed

normal, however a prickle of uncertainty burrowed into his mind. He

noticed the Gaff was missing from his table. Beau frowned, uneasy

about the alien, the species notorious as infamous pickpockets and

cons.

Door banging open, the bartender came back from the kitchen

holding a plate and a glass of alcohol. He set the plate in front of Ginna,

her eyes widening in hunger at the generous pile of meat slabs sizzling

with heat. Within the blink of an eye, she was shoveling down the food,

her pointed teeth digging viciously into the greasy slices.

The bartender placed the mug on the counter for Beau, and

walked off to tend to some other customers.

Reaching to take his helmet off, Beau felt a sharp tap on his

shoulder, sending muscles to a rigid state, years of fighting triggering

every reflex in his mind for a fight. Whipping his head around, he came

face to face with the Gaff, the aliens grin showing all of his long,

disgustingly yellow teeth.

You look like a man who can handle himself, my friend, the Gaff

said, his voice surprisingly smooth and articulate.

What do you want? Beau asked.

Oh, I just have a proposition for capable folk, if you know what I

mean, the Gaff answered.

Beau sighed, not quite eager for another job so soon.

Who do you want dead? he said, agitation creeping into his

throat.

You have me all wrong friend, I represent certain, shall we say,

persons of great power, if you catch my drift, no need for anyone to

die, the alien said, grinning widely.

Thatd be a nice change of pace, dont you think? Ginna asked

Beau, pausing from ravaging her food.

The Gaffs face dropped, his sickening smile falling into a scowl.

I dont think I was asking you, slave, the Gaff growled.

Before the alien could react, Beau had him by the throat, lifting

the scrawny Gaff into the air and slamming him down on to the

counter.

What did you say to her? Beau whispered, voice crackling, his

helmet inches from the Gaffs face.

The bar had fallen into silence, all eyes on them, though none

bothered to intervene.

Shock was plastered on the aliens face, his bright orange eyes

shifting left and right nervously, unable to look into at Beaus face to

properly assess how much trouble he had gotten into.

N-now look here friend, she is just a little who- he stammered,

sweat beginning to form on his greasy forehead.

Before he could finish his sentence, Beau ejected the hidden

knife, the blade stopping just short of slicing through the Gaffs eye.

WHOA, whoa whoa, Im sorry, friend! Im sorry! he exclaimed,

writhing in Beaus grip.

I dont think hes very eager to be friends at this point, someone

in the crowd shouted with a hint of amusement.

Look, how about this, Im sorry, Ill cover your tab, you hear me

out, please, Im sorry, Ill buy you a drink, he sputtered, smiling weakly.

Look at her when you say it, Beau said, his voice barely audible,

the blade edging closer to the glassy eye of the alien.

Hey girl, Im sorry, really, sorry, Im trash, scum, so how about

letting me go, eh? he said desperately, his face turning as much as it

could to look at Ginna.

She smiled, looping her hands through Beaus arm, gently pulling

the edge of the blade from the Gaffs eye.

I think Ill accept his apology for now, she said.

Great! Great, see there we can be friends, right? Now how about

letting me up so we can get to business, yes? the Gaff said, trying a

weak grin.

Beau eased off, pulling the alien to his feet.

See now there we g-OOF! his words ended abruptly as Beaus

fist smashed it his blue face, knocking the Gaff to the ground.

Ugh, I deserve that, yes, I deserve that, he groaned, picking

himself up while spitting out a mouthful of blood and rotten teeth.

Richard, put them on my tab, and, oof, Ill be back tomorrow,

the Gaff moaned to the bartender.

Richard, the bartender, turned and pulled out a new, more

expensive clear bottle of liquor, setting the bottle down in front of

Beau. Tugging his helmet off, Beau set it down on the counter as

Richard poured his drink.

How about some for the little lady? Richard asked smiling,

swirling the alcohol in the bottle.

Can I? Ginna asked, excitement leaking into her eyes.

Hesitating momentarily, Beau ran a hand over his head and

answered, I suppose one wouldnt hurt.

Ginna grinned widely as a smaller glass was poured for her.

Raising it to her lips, she took an apprehensive sip.

Hows it taste? Beau said, drinking from his own glass.

Ginna crinkled her nose, smacking her lips in disgust.

It tastes funny, she said, her eyes fluttering delicately.

Taking another sip, Beau noticed something off with the flavor,

something under laying the burn of alcohol. As Ginna slumped forward

slightly with a soft thump, Beau realized what the odd taste was.

Panic welled in his chest as his vision began to blur. Grappling

with his sword, Beau felt numbness shoot through his limbs.

You bastard, Beau tried to scream, but he was sure all he

managed was a meek, slurred mumble.

Before his vision faded to darkness, he could have sworn to see

the bloody smile of the Gaff.

Through the black fog of unconsciousness, Beau dreamt of

memories, as if looking through a white veil. His subconscious thoughts

lingered on his young friend, how he had met the Daros girl Ginna.

In his dozing haze, he relived how he crept through the elegant

floating mansion four years ago. No matter how much time passed, he

would always remember of the infamous drug lord Cas Gatten, his

estate decorated in lavish silks and priceless art. His elite team of

guards incapacitated, thrown over the edge into the clouds, or their

broken bodies stowed out of sight, Beau remembered how he had at

last reached Gattens private bedroom, only to find the drug lords

favorite slave girl chewing through his neck.

Standing there, Beau had watched in mild shock at the starved,

shaking naked body of the Daros, who had to be no more than ten

years old. Her face and hands were covered in the mans blood, the

bruises of his abuse still a deep purple. The sound of her ravenous

snarls filled the room as she devoured her tormenter. The glass cage

that had housed her in his room had been smashed apart from the

inside, and Beau had noticed a few cuts along her forehead around her

horns. He had approached after sometime, the Daros jumping with a

start and backing away, angry and hateful tears streaming from her big

green eyes. He had knelt down, taking the poor girls hand, having had

noticed how the deep purple bruises crept from her face downward,

covering her hips and shoulders.

Beau recalled how much she had reminded him of what he

remembered of his own youth, seeing himself in the slave girl. An

uncharacteristic empathetic wave of emotion he had not felt before on

any job washed over him as he draped one of the impossibly expensive

curtains around her, leading her away from the gnawed corpse.

Whats your name? he had asked.

She didnt answer, only wept softly against the hard armor of his

side.

Beau had freed all the other slaves; however the Daros he had

found in Gattens room stayed by his side, having tentatively followed

Beau aboard his ship, clutching his gloved hand. After two days of

silence, she had finally uttered a broken sound, looking into his black

visor.

Ginna, she had at last relinquished, Im Ginna.

How had fought through the torment of her life she had

displayed such resemblance to his own youth that it struck him. From

what little he could recall, he had spent months on a small colony.

Waking up day after day, alone and starving on the failed space colony

by the name of Ageous 277. Somehow surviving on scraps of spoiled

meat and water leaking from pipes, Beau had come very close to death

and losing his sanity, let alone his life.

His only escape had been a Human military cruiser, which

miraculously came across his derelict home. He had been revived,

medicated, and underwent psychiatric treatment. With nowhere to go,

Beau had stayed and trained over many years as a soldier, receiving his

medication directly from the onboard Medical Chief, until his eventual

fallout and desertion.

As the hazy memories faded from his mind, his vision slowly

returned, a harsh red light burning his eyes. Slowly, sight returned to

him, as well as sensation in his arms and legs. What feeling he felt

brought a black anger from the pit of his stomach.

Restraint.

Beau was unable to move, realizing he had been strapped to a

chair, along with other unconscious figures. Panic welled up now,

overcoming the anger as he scanned the room for Ginna. There she

was, to his left, right next to him. His heart pounding, he saw how she

was restrained as well, so small in the chair. He could have glazed over

her had he not noticed the shining green of her hair.

With knowing Ginna was unharmed, Beau focused on his

surroundings.

A large round table sat in the middle of the room, its only feature.

A ragtag group of beings sat at around it, held down in the same

manner as he. A portly human male with a kind face wearing small

glasses and heavy beard almost engulfed by a massive black duster, as

well as a Bleen nursing a rifle in the crook of its arm with a long red

scarf wrapped around the lower half of its face. Much to Beaus

surprise, the man they bumped into at the docking bay was at the table

as well. Across from him was a human female, her wavy red hair hiding

her features. Along with the captives were two Kana soldiers standing

in rigid attention, both in full silvery armor, their feathered faces

hidden behind cone shaped helmets with luminescent orange

faceplates.

One nudged the other, and pointed directly at Beau.

Hold still, a voice said close to his ear.

A sharp pain shot through his neck as a needle pierced the fabric

protecting his neck. With the needle now pulled out, Beau twisted his

head to see another human female, bald and heavily altered from with

drastic surgeries, standing over him. She looked almost like a bird, her

brown skin stretching over beak that didnt look right on her face.

Artificial feathers rose in a tuft from her forehead, a dazzling array of

blues and white.

Placing the needle in one of the pockets of her light blue lab coat,

what might have been a smile stretched uncomfortably across her face.

You shouldnt be awake yet young man, she tutted, her voice

flitting to in a way that matched her appearance. He wondered if the

infliction was an alteration as well, or simply just practice.

He was too dumbfounded to respond.

Walking up to her place at the table, she took a seat as one of the

Kanas hit a sequence of buttons on a holo pad resting on the table. The

pad flared up, projecting the face of an elegant looking Kana, his deep

auburn beak poking out through stout red feathers. Sharp yellow eyes

glared at the group, judging each with a haughty air of distaste.

Slowly, the other captives became conscious, moaning softly.

Becoming more aware, several took stock of their situation, beginning

to shout and writhe against their bonds, struck with confusion.

SILENCE, the holographic Kana commanded, his voice crisp and

fluttery.

Every eye turned toward the floating image, hate boiling in their

eyes. Beau could feel the emotions radiating from each one; he could

imagine the air almost vibrating with the hostile emotions.

Welcome, and thank you for your presence. You have been

honored with the privilege to provide service to the might of the Kana

military, the alien said in crisp English, I am General Thabus, leader of

the Kana Military Science Division.

Thank you, for our PRESENCE?! the red headed woman shrieked

shrilly. Her eyes were blazing with rage; however that didnt mask their

pleasant shade of brown.

Thabus regarded her with steely, unfeeling eyes before

continuing.

You few have been selected careful- General Thabus began,

before the round man interrupted.

YOU BASTARD ILL FU- the human female began screaming,

before a sharp crack cut of her crude words.

Blood sprayed across Beaus visor, but the gristle didnt block the

sight of the now headless human body slumping across the table. From

the corner of his vision, he saw the pseudo-human female pointing an

electronic pad of sorts at the dead hunter. Every head turned and

stared in stunned silence at the oozing stump, glistening wetly as a final

spurt of blood gushed onto the table. Ginnas terrified eyes felt like a

stab to his gut.

Interruptions, as you can now see, have zero tolerance, the

Kana general spat through his beak.

A horrific smirk rose from lunatic as she set the remote down.

As I was saying, you have carefully selected to serve our great

Empire in a most dire matter. The great Kana Empire is vast and

influential enough for to tap into the comings and goings of those even

outside our territory. Our reach is almost limitless, when there is

something we desire. When you docked we scanned all dossiers for

potential candidates, he said, his voice cold, and we liked what we

saw in you guns-for-hire.

Thabus glanced around the room, inspecting each face. The

Kanas ice cold gaze fell on the squat human, the yellow eyes squinting.

Human, state your name.

Name is Pen, the man said, his thick beard rustling as he spoke,

a strained smile playing across his lips.

Ah yes, youve been employed to our service before, Thabus

said, nodding to himself.

Sadly, Pen muttered.

Luckily, neither the General nor the woman playing executioner

heard him.

As I was saying, Thabus said, you were selected to carry out a

mission we lack resources to invest in. With our forces spread thin due

to our current war, we must rely on filthy mercenaries. You may now

speak freely.

The captive bounty hunters shifted in their restraints

uncomfortably before any dared speak.

I think a good starting point would be why the hell you abducted

us and blew someones head off, Beau finally said.

This mission is extremely sensitive. We had to be sure that we

had complete control over our tools, next! the mutant doctor replied,

dismissing any further words from Beau.

Ill kill you first, Beau seethed to himself.

What is job, exactly? the Bleen hissed quietly, voice grating

from behind its scarf.

A weapons research station under our funding, Kaskurst, has

been missing for two standard months, we believed it had been found

and destroyed by those who oppose the Kana Empire. However, a

group of scouts fortunately discovered its current location over the

uninhabited planet Lashada. We lost contact with the scout team

shortly after communications had been established onboard the

station.

So you want us to find the station? Beau asked.

That is secondary, the General said, on the station is a vital

asset to our war effort, a scientist by the name of Dr. Hanson along

with his research. You are to locate and return the doctor, if he is

indisposed, retrieve his work.

Why do you need a whole team of filthy mercenaries to

recover one scientist? Pen asked with a raised eyebrow.

Circumstances require a group of capable beings with no ties to

our military, the Kana general replied.

Wh-hat circumstances? the hooded man asked.

Hesitating slightly, the Generals hard yellow eyes flitted with

uncertainty before answering.

We believe there may hostile military forces onboard the

station, General Thabus said, his voice losing a bit of its edge.

With a slight scoff, the bearded mercenary shook his head.

I think we can handle a few bugs, Pen said grinning.

Our Desen subordinates should rightfully be mocked, however

the insects have somehow overpowered our scouts, so caution is

advised in the situation, the General said.

Pay? the Bleen asked.

The Kana Military is willing to pay five hundred thousand chips.

Each.

The Bleens ghostly white eyes widened hungrily, as if almost

forgetting how it was tied down to the chair. The rest of the group sat

in shock at the reward. Beau himself had only been paid half of that for

the assassination of Prime Minister Vonlen. Ginna looked up at Beau,

her eyes filled with avarice.

Beau, think about all the food, she said in an excited whisper.

Shush, he said testily, I dont know about this, it sounds

sketchy. And have you noticed youre strapped to a chair?

Oh come on, killing the Prime Minister was sketchy, this just

squashing some bugs to get a scientist. As for being tied, I think I can

look past it for that kind of money, she retorted, shifting more

comfortably.

Beau shook his head at her, astounded her stomach was

overpowering her sense of reason.

This is insane, he muttered to himself.

What did you put in our necks, Beau said, staring at the woman

coldly from behind his visor.

Ah, the Doctor Hanley will explain, General Thabus said simply.

Doctor Hanley, the altered human, smiled sweetly.

Smiling really didnt flatter that face.

To ensure your compliance, you have been implanted with a high

grade explosive gel that will detonate remotely if you do not follow our

orders.

Her unhuman twittering voice was preceded by an angry silence.

When you are ready, speak to my soldiers and they will prepare a

transport to the station, General Thabus said, breaking the silence.

Why cant we take our own ships? Beau asked.

The Desen are not our only enemies. We cant risk other

malicious forces to track your ships to the station or if you were to be

foolish enough to try to run. You will take a shuttle we have prepared

personally. It is trouble enough that those insects are infesting the

station, Thabus replied before continuing, An entire station going

missing is not something we wish to become public. I will leave you to

your preparations.

His floating head scanned the faces and helmets of the room

before shutting off with a blip. With transmission ended, the two alien

soldiers eased out of attention, the silver metal of their airtight armor

creaking slightly.

Besides usual Kana hospitality, this feels wrong, dont you

think? Pen said to the group.

I agree, his explanation wasnt very solid, Beau said.

Silence, a Kana solider cawed rigidly.

The aliens clanked around the table, silently handing each bounty

hunter a data pad, bow legs awkwardly maneuvering around the chairs.

After receiving his, Beau flicked through the red text, reading up where

the dock with the transport was located, contract information, along

with Kana propaganda. Like a cruel joke, at the end of the entries a line

requiring his signature with a final stanza lit up.

Reading through the last paragraph carefully, Beaus anger raised

its ugly head.

Failure to comply will result in execution with collateral of Ovroc

destruction? he said, temper flaring.

The Kana both nodded curtly, Hanley raising the remote, shaking

it playfully.

So you mean we either accept your job or you destroy the space

station? Pen asked dumbfounded.

Cannot risk Intel loss, one of the soldiers squawked in broken

English, must insure your compliance.

Th-hats insane! exclaimed the hooded hunter, his glowing white

eyes seemingly to damp in radiance.

An attack like that would be an act of war! Pen moaned as his

face turned ashen.

Nothing the Empire cannot handle, said one of the Kanas.

Orders, said the other, hanging his head.

Was that regret?

The Bleen stood, holding the data pad. It walked casually over,

giving the plastic device back to its owners.

Signed and ready, it said.

Acknowledged, please remain, one of the Kana said.

If supplies needed, we escort one at time, the other said.

Beau glared at the soldiers from behind his visor, seething in rage.

As controlling and harsh as the avian species were, promising the

destruction of millions of innocents was a new low for the Kana

military.

They must be desperate, Beau thought to himself as he signed the

pad, roughly sliding it across the table.

Pen sighed, signing his and placing it on the table as the other

nervously fidgeted before doing the same.

All signed, no supplies needed? a Kana asked, collecting the

data pads.

I have what I need, Pen said, echoed quickly by the anxious

mercenaries.

Im ready, Beau said, seething.

Good, meet at dock in thirty standard minutes, the Kanas

twittered almost in unison.

They moved to leave out the door before one stopped, turning to

the group, saying, Warship monitoring Ovroc. We know if you do not

obey.

With the Kanas gone, the group stood from their seats. The Bleen

quickly stalked out, ignoring the others, almost plowing down Ginna in

its haste to leave.

Well, this s-sucks, the hooded man sighed.

Oh, Im sure weve been in worse, comes with the job, Pen said

as he began polishing his glasses.

Th-this is my first job, the man stuttered.

The plump man seemed taken aback, confusion lacing his face.

How did you get lucky enough to get roped into this if youve had

no experience? Didnt the bird brain say we got picked from our

docking info?

I-Im docked under m-my fathers ship, he said.

Why did you get picked? Beau asked.

I-I guess they think I-Im him, his voice trailed off.

Where is your father then? Ginna asked.

He died on a job, the boy said.

Pen sighed walking over to the poor kid, the long duster scrapping

softly across the floor.

Whats your name son? he asked, placing a hand on his

shoulder.

Quint, he replied softly.

Well Quint, it looks like we are all stuck in a rotten situation,

Pen said, pulling one of two pistols from his belt, we are hunters, and

we arent going to let some beak faced freaks control us. Are we?

Pen handed the pistol over to Quint. He stared at the gun in his

hand before nodding.

Thats the spirit! Nobody messes with hunters, right? Pen

exclaimed, turning his head to Beau.

Uh, right, he said.

Beau knew full well that Pen was only trying to lift the boys spirit,

but the notion seemed useless. Quint and Pen walked outside together,

brothers in the hunt, creating a bond in the face of the awful

circumstance.

You were reassuring, Ginna said.

He took up his fathers place, either he lives up to it or dies,

Beau said simply.

Brow furrowed, Ginna nudged Beaus side roughly as they walked

quickly to the Kana docking bay.

Be nice, he is just a kid, she said.

You know what kind of life this is, Beau said, if he doesnt

adjust to it he will die.

Im just a kid! she nearly shouted.

Stunned, Beau said nothing. He knew how young she was, and he

felt a heavy, guilty pull at the pit of his stomach.

It still wouldnt hurt to try to support him; were all hostages to

those beak faced freaks, she sighed.

I suppose, Beau grumbled, regaining his voice, if there is even a

warship out there. Never know; it could just be an empty threat.

You know its not an empty threat, Ginna said angrily.

Pressing the power button on his holopad Beau hailed Cide,

waking the droid from his artificial slumber. The droids static filled

voice garbled forth, an edge to each word.

Recharge is still incomplete, sir, but how can I be of assistance?

Cides voice grated.

I need to run a scan of Ovroc and the space around it for any

Kana vessels, and I need you to guard the ship for an indefinite amount

of time.

Affirmative, please stand-by, the droid replied.

Sounds grumpy, Ginna said, do you ever regret putting that

personality chip in him?

Sometimes, Beau mumbled.

Reporting, Cides voice interrupted, four civilian-class Kana

vessels are docked with the station.

Is that all? Beau said, hope wel