Beyond EdenThe memoirs of a Space Pirate

Geoffrey Brodrick

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For LeanaYou give me a reason to get up and face the day.

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Table of ContentsForeword.............................................................................................................6

Acknowledgements.............................................................................................7

A note about sci-fi terms..................................................................................8

Galactic Map.......................................................................................................9

Prologue.............................................................................................................10

Chapter 1...........................................................................................................17

Chapter 2...........................................................................................................34

Chapter 3...........................................................................................................47

Chapter 4...........................................................................................................62

Chapter 5...........................................................................................................78

Chapter 6...........................................................................................................93

Chapter 7.........................................................................................................107

Chapter 8.........................................................................................................116

Chapter 9.........................................................................................................136

Chapter 10.......................................................................................................160

Chapter 11.......................................................................................................117

Chapter 12.......................................................................................................195

Chapter 13.......................................................................................................221

Chapter 14.......................................................................................................240

Chapter 15.......................................................................................................254

Chapter 16.......................................................................................................268

Chapter 17.......................................................................................................280

Epilogue.........................................................................................................298

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The Black Templar..........................................................................................300

Appendix.........................................................................................................301

Works consulted..............................................................................................323

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ForewordI started writing this book about three years ago during the summer break before I started high school. It began as a personal project I was doing for fun. Writing a science fiction novel has been on my “to do” list for a while now. At the time I had recently watched two of my favorite films, The Ice Pirates and Arcadia of my Youth. The films have in common the subject of pirates in space, which inspired me to create a piece about just that. At the time of this book’s publication there is, in my not so humble opinion, a shameful lack of media concerning piracy in space. I find it a great concept with enormous potential for development, yet this particular subgenre of sci-fi has been criminally overlooked.

Over time, like any such undertaking of this magnitude, the book developed, blossoming from a simple, action-oriented story to a grander exploration of concepts and themes ranging from Biblical scripture to the future of human technological and evolutionary development. The path taken by humankind in this story is one sci-fi authors and readers have traveled before. It is impossible for anyone to create something completely original- rather, I aimed to create a story that was both entertaining and thought-provoking, which I feel many current stories, especially those of films and videogames, fail to do. I hope to go on to create stories such as this that could be incorporated seamlessly into those mediums.

I feel a strong sense of accomplishment having finished this book and now presenting it to you, the curious reader. I cannot possibly know for what reason you are reading my book. Perhaps it was recommended to you by a friend or coworker, perhaps a bookstore referred to you because you read other books of this type. Perhaps you are like me and want to read and see more of space pirates… or maybe you just saw it sitting on a shelf and thought it looked cool. Whatever the reason, I thank you for picking up this book and reading it and I hope that you enjoy it and perhaps are inspired to write something of your own, because if you do then I have accomplished my goal.

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AcknowledgementsFirstly I give profuse thanks to Kimble Humiston, who took an interest in the book from the time I told him of it and gave me a wealth of information and advice to help it along. The book would never have been finished without him.

Thanks also to Devon Parkes, who against all odds found the time to help me with the nitty gritty of formatting the book and getting it out there.

Thanks to Dr. Dave Morgan for his input, and helping me to realize that you don’t necessarily need to have lasers to fight in space. And for reminding me that Warp Drive technology is rather far off. Doh!

Thanks to Mark Foard for his input and past lessons in how not to butcher the English language. I hope this book will win me cash-like prizes.

Thanks to Julie Iden for recommending lulu.com to me, and to Urban Reininger for pointing out how to resize the document.

Thanks to lulu.com for publishing my book so that others could share my glory.

Kudos to Max Jaffe, Kyle Fengler and Spencer Boehm for their input.

Thanks to my dad, who helped me out with technical stuff when my home computer had an aneurism. Know what I mean, Verne?

Thanks to my mom for getting me into science fiction in the first place. Can you grok it?

Thanks to all past, present and future authors and filmmakers who not only keep the genre of space pirates alive, but the genre of science fiction in general.

Last but not least, thanks to you, the reader, for taking the time to read this book!

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A note about sci-fi terms

There are a number of terms I’ve used in this book that may be unfamiliar to those inexperienced in the science fiction genre of writing. I assume you, the reader, know a bit about sci-fi as you are reading this

book, so you might understand some things, but if you get confused, there is a glossary of some of the terms I’ve used at the back of the

book, so if you get confused, just flip to the back for a moment and all will be revealed.

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Galactic MapThe political landscape of the Milky Way Galaxy, c. 3050 C.E.

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Prologue - A galaxy divided

Since the dawn of time, for every good in the universe, there has been an evil to counter it, and vise-versa. In humanity’s infancy, the elements of good and evil were written into our genetic code. As humanity evolved, good and evil did as well. There were many times when the line between the two was blurred, when it seemed impossible to find one’s calling in life. Good and evil are like the ancient principle of Yin and Yang. They balance one another out. The universe cannot exist if only one reigns. That is why when great evils arise; great heroes rise in turn to destroy them. The heroes pass into legend, so that balance may be restored.

It is a time of crisis. Much of the known galaxy is controlled by the Imperial Combine, a terrible and powerful empire ruled by the shadowy Melchior the First. The emperor rules through a council of corrupt and arrogant admirals who inflict almost as much damage as the pirates they continually try to capture. There are, however, glimmers of hope in this dark universe. The small republic of Yamato, which possesses a small, skilled navy and well-trained warriors, is fighting a bitter war against the superior numbers of the Combine.

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Hundreds of years ago, the first interplanetary expeditions in human history struck out from Terra, or Earth, as it was known to antiquity- the cradle of humanity. There were several waves of exploratory fleets in what is now called “The Exodus.” Terra’s resources were dwindling, and the corrupt regimes of the world would not or could not alter their greedy, wasteful ways. Second and third world nations, imaginative researchers, and privately funded scientific firms all resolved that the only solution was to strike out for the stars, and leave Terra to recuperate. Over the next few years, extensive research was conducted into the field of space travel, culminating in the invention of a device long thought impossible: a Warp Drive. This device forcibly rips a hole in the fabric of space-time between our dimension and a smaller, but difficult to traverse dimension called “Warp Space”. The Warp is disproportionately small when compared to real space, so distances that would take hundreds of years to traverse in real space can be covered in mere months, even weeks. Current designs are even better, shortening trips to under to a few days or less. The first Warp jump took place on December 19th, 2190, executed by a ship called the Pathfinder, bound for Mars. On December 29th, the first Martian settlement was founded. Dubbed Olympus City, it served as a spaceport for many years. The superpowers eventually saw the wisdom in Warp travel and followed suit. In a few short years, Terra was devoid of human life, left to its own natural devices. Humanity struck out for new worlds to colonize. Some settled for a place close to home, like the planets of the Sirius system. A few ships stayed close to the Sol System, but most ventured far and wide. Many vessels were separated from the task forces, crash-landing on backwater worlds, not to be heard from again for some time. Most of the ships landed in groups on what were deemed the most hospitable worlds and there were born the Star Nations. Many cultures blended, though the nations did their best to retain their heritage. There came to be five. The Republic of Yamato, The United Planets, The Kingdom of Britannia, the Deutschland Empire and the Kingdom of Jericho. There was a huge communications gap for many years, and humanity was plunged into a new dark age... The Age of Isolation. This era lasted for almost two hundred years, characterized by tumultuous politics and bloody border wars. During this time, the five nations were small and vulnerable, and were plagued by gangs of marauders and armed 11

warlords. The Age of Isolation lasted until technology evolved sufficiently enough for the isolated colonies to make contact with one another. They did not forget their brothers and sisters scattered amongst the stars. A golden age of peace and prosperity took hold, in which new technologies were researched- they called this the Age of Reconstruction. It was at this time that an extraordinary evolutionary change overcame humanity. Brought about by genetic experimentation and research, all of humanity gained a measure of psychic power, the first step towards recovering that primal link we all once shared. During this period, humanity first encountered other forms of intelligent life, such as the Grays. Peaceful relations were soon established, as the many races of the universe where very curious about these newfound travelers from afar. It was only in the year 3021, when human economy and culture again began to bloom, that the human race achieved the level of technology it possessed before The Exodus. It was then that the seeds of corruption began to take root once more. The nation known as Jericho, which possessed the strongest military, openly declared war without any prior indication on neighboring colonies and began violently expanding its borders. The colonies and the other Star Nations were not prepared for such sudden acts of aggression and one by one fell to the Jericho war machine. The United Planet’s massive material wealth was usurped, the seemingly indomitable will of the Britannians was broken, and Deutschland’s so-called invincible warfleets were smashed before Jericho’s fury. Only Yamato had the ability to oppose Jericho’s conquest. They were masters of stealth and trickery, and possessed advanced technologies surpassing that of the Jericho themselves.

The other races formed the Alliance of Allied Planets and declared neutrality. Surprisingly, the Jericho respected their decision. However, they continued to expand and conquer the territories of the human colonies. What followed was a decade long campaign of conquest known as the War of Suppression. Years before, Jericho had been a peaceful, progressive nation. But that nation was gone, and in it’s place, and the powerful and corrupt galactic empire known as The Imperial Combine was born. To this day, the Combine seeks to suppress and conquer the entire galaxy and will stop at nothing to achieve total and uncontested domination. When Terra, the home world, is finally

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rediscovered, the emperor has sworn to make it the capital of his new empire.

The coordinates of Terra have long since been lost. Many have tried to locate it and failed. No one really knows what awaits them if they manage to find it. Most simply want to find it for its historical significance. Continually opposing the Combine’s quest for domination and the knowledge of Terra’s location is the stalwart nation of Yamato, who seek to bar their conquest at every turn, but the descendants of the samurai are not the Combine’s greatest enemy. Indeed, the greatest threat to their dominion comes from within. The Combine is plagued by political intrigue, rebellion, and piracy, typical of a tyrannical dictatorship. Whenever a rebellion is squelched, another erupts on the far side of space. Whenever one dread pirate is captured and executed, another appears to take his place.

This is where I come in… I was born on the planet Nagasaki in the Republic of Yamato, I

was separated from my parents in a Combine assault and grew up in the company of the famous pirate Captain Azrael, who taught me the tricks of the trade. He trained me in the art of the sword, the pistol, and how to be very stealthy when sneaking about and stealing things. My teenage self was again cast to fate when Azrael’s ship, the Rising Sun, was attacked and supposedly destroyed or left adrift in the Jerrus Nebula by the Combine. Azrael’s crew scattered in all directions, though it was said that Azrael went down with his ship. I escaped in a one-man shuttle and fled deep into the Lawless Region, eventually ending up on Lagrange, the pirate world.

As the center of piracy in the galaxy, Lagrange is host to the ancient structure known as the Halls of the Brethren, a meeting place for all pirates, rumored to have been constructed there in the early days of colonization. The Halls are host to the master copy of that most sacred of documents, the only laws pirates abide by: The Codex Pirata. Better known as the Articles of Piracy, these are the rules set down over a thousand years ago, in the days of wooden ships and iron men. The code has been passed down through pirate families for generations, and all pirates must abide by the code or face swift retribution. Each pirate captain keeps a copy of the codex in his possession.

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The life of a pirate in this day and age is one continuous thrill ride, fraught with spectacular battles, deadly challenges, and unimaginable rewards for the quick of wit and trigger finger. The variety and spice of the galaxy is encapsulated within the ranks of pirates. Each of the Star Nations, past and present, is represented by a pirate lord, whom all pirates of that region ultimately owe fealty in times of crisis.

A war lurks on the horizon. A massive confrontation between the Combine and the republic of Yamato is not far in the future, and the pirate lords will have no choice but to fight alongside Yamato or face extinction.

It was on this forsaken world I spent much of my adolescence, and I made a name for myself in the planet’s most popular sport, a brutal racing league known as the Blood Rally. My successes in the Rally earned me considerable sums of money, which I was able to use to buy a ship and gather a crew, in order to carry out my most cherished dream and honor the memory of my mentor. I would become a pirate.

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Chapter 1

“A beginning is a very delicate time.”

Irulan, Frank Herbert’s Dune

I read this charming novel once. One of the underlying messages of the book was the fragile nature of a beginning, and now I realize what that meant. I realized how much I had put at stake when I left Lagrange, the place of my adolescence...

I'm sorry, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Raikiendo Toranaga of the Black Templar. I lead a pirate gang of the same name. I have a varied assortment of men and women under my command, which is precisely what every pirate captain should have. With so many people of so many professions, you’ve always got someone to fit the bill. Here I am, where I always wanted to be- the captain of my own pirate vessel. It’s every pirates dream, that and to retire filthy stinking rich, but I had time for that later. The Templar’s a sturdy old 3020’s model, a Combine Battleship, which I worked over until it was a fighting ship such as the universe has not seen. I acquired

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for myself a number of items to help me promote my image as captain, such as an imposing black mantle with my personal emblem, a black cross over a white field emblazoned on it. I also took the time to put things like fine furniture and tapestries around the ship, making it look like a floating palace inside.

My crew is one of the most motley bunches of characters in recent pirate memory. My friend from my days aboard the Rising Sun, Raeoran Yurumiri, signed on as my first mate, for which I am very grateful. He is a genius with computers and weapons, and he has the unique distinction of being able to operate the ships main cannons on his own, manually, a skill few possess in this age of darkness. My mechanic from my Blood Rally days, Akira Krannon, also joined up as the Black Templar’s chief engineer. He was responsible for maintaining our ship and our fleet of various types of space fighters and bombers, along with his own handful of mechanics. Perhaps the strangest of all, a young girl who called herself Alice Raven also asked to join my crew, offering her psychic talents and communications skills. I am partially psychic as are many people, but few psychics are so powerful that they outshine the others... people like Alice, which also made them prime targets for the Combine’s “Specter” program. They searched for latent psychics at an early age, and trained them to become their military’s most deadly and skilled agents- the Specters, who used their talents in conjunction with their training to carry out their missions. Alice had been hunted for as long as she can remember, which is not far, since she was curiously devoid of most of her memory. She sought answers to the myriad questions she had. I vowed to aid her in her search, and for this she was quite grateful, having pledged her services to me without asking for anything in return. I also hired the military strategist, professional mercenary and heavily tattooed Oliver Bronson, to be my personal bodyguard and weapons quartermaster. He was a fighter for hire, and was short of credits and was hoping to find the lost dojo of Master Wang, one of the remaining few experts on Kung Fu. He needed the money and the means to find the dojo, and so eagerly accepted my offer. Our cook, Sasha Sakagowa, was the most famous Japanese chef in all of Lagrange, but felt his standing was beneath his skills, and eagerly signed on with us so he could travel and learn more culinary secrets from master chefs around the galaxy. The kindly old Doctor Jerald Freeman 16

was wandering throughout the streets of Lagrange, using his medical skills to make a living. I found him tending to the wounded of the Rally. He signed on, hoping to put his skills to use for some greater cause then money. Don’t get me wrong, he does like the money. He tends to the wounded after every battle or boarding action, and his skills were renowned throughout the medical community. However, he harbors some dark secret, and all I know is that a large chunk of his life was spent working in the genetic labs of the Combine. My sense was that he did something he regrets doing. These few are my command staff, but a ship of the Black Templar’s magnitude needs a large crew- and I have assembled a colorful assortment of “scurvy dogs” to crew her. Jayko the smuggler, Yelena the markswoman, Armand the brawler, Vyper the hacker, Viktor the demolition man, Santis the knife-thrower- their skills are varied, as are their personalities.

Today is the third day of the maiden voyage of the Black Templar. It was five years ago today that I placed second in a race with none other then The Adversary himself. He was a mysterious figure, clad in a black driving suit and helmet with orange striping, his face obscured, his vehicle similarly colored. I was only nineteen, the youngest competitor ever to challenge the adversary. Back then, my flowing white hair was only shoulder-length, I lacked the scar on my left cheek I have now, and I wore mountain-camouflage pants and a dark red t-shirt. I also wore suspenders and protective gloves. I had my lucky wrench in one hand, I still remember it. I stepped into my car- a screaming red Striker, one of the most powerful cars in the rally. It had all the best equipment; a twelve-cylinder fuel-injected turbocharged engine, spiked off-road tires, three-inch thick titanium plating, and dual six-barreled Vulcan chainguns. It was, as such vehicles were called in the Rally, “one shining perfection”. I still have it- I keep it stored in the Black Templar’s hold. And if that wasn’t enough, I had purchased some spiked bumpers from the underground market and mounted those on the Striker, and my mechanic, the young Akira Krannon, had specially modified my engine with rocket fuel to make it the fastest thing on four wheels, just as he had done for True Tom Petrol. I could feel it… petrol in my veins, wind in my hair, and exhaust in my nostrils. I stepped into my car. I started it, and the split second the light went green, my car tore off the starting line like a bat out of hell, a cloud of noxious fumes and 17

spent casings in its wake. Alongside me was the Adversary's car. Behind us were Sam Speed and Jane Honda, both driving superior cars to mine. Jane drove a Wraith and Sam drove the mighty Deliverator. However, they never made it to the finish line. More car coffins. Somehow, I managed to stay ahead of The Adversary’s dirty tricks, ramming him and riddling his car with my Vulcan guns whenever I could. He pulled ahead at the last second, and won. I crossed an instant after him, and there was debate over who was the true winner even up to the award ceremony. As my reward for placing second in the race, a feat unto itself, I was given an enormous silver trophy with the number two on it, and a handsome sum of ten million credits. I was an instant millionaire! Gabriel MacDonald, the talkative announcer for the Blood Rally, came up and asked me to issue a statement on what I would do next. I told him I was retiring from the rally, and I thanked everyone who had helped, and asked Akira to come up and take a bow. Akira thanked me and his mentor, Tom Petrol. As we were stepping down, The Adversary stepped over. Furious at the mention of Tom’s name, he swung a wild right hook me, which I ducked under. I leapt and performed a double face kick, knocking him senseless. The judges carried him away. The crowd cheered, having never seen anyone beat up The Adversary before. I took a bow, and the crowd roared. They threw everything from roses to small pieces of jewelry to small sums of credits at me. Akira, my crew and I ran about, grabbing as much as we could. I then grabbed my trophy, my credits, and Akira and sped out of the arena, my crew in tow. The crowd roared after me, until I was too far away to hear it.

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I stored all my newfound prizes in my personal vault at my team’s apartment, whereupon I hit my favorite bar, The Ersatz Warehouse. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s anything but ersatz. To my surprise, the whole bar had tuned into the race, and was watching the aftermath. When one patron saw me enter, all I heard was “Look! It’s Raikiendo!!!” I was smothered. After much congratulation, I was able to sit down with a bottle of Tequila and watch the news. That's when Raeoran showed up out of the blue. It was the first time I'd seen him in years. He was ecstatic. Not only had he witnessed my victory, he brought news that he had found a ship. My heart skipped a beat. I told him I had found a crew. Over a celebratory final drink, we embarked on our life's work.

The very next morning, I met with Raeoran and the Admiral who had agreed to sell the ship to us, even after learning that we planned to become pirates. He bid us great success against them. With an exchange of pleasantries and a rather substantial sum of credits, we were the proud owners of a 3023 Imperial Battleship, Grendel-class, the largest ship of its type they produced in those days. Over the next few years, we repaired and modified the ship extensively, as well as gathering more crew. The first thing we did was repair the copious holes and gashes all over her hull. Then we proceeded to replace the old twin-barreled Falchion heavy laser cannons with newer, custom-built three and four-barreled Lucifer plasma cannons. Three forward, two aft, the highest having three barrels, the lower ones four. These were only our main guns! In addition to that, we dropped the older six-tube honeycomb missile racks in favor of ten-tube box racks, four each front and aft, with reloads for each. The broadside projectile cannons were upgraded to “Gigas”-type guns. We added two more torpedo tubes, making six total. The smaller anti-fighter automatic cannons were also upgraded, from four-barrel riot guns to six-barreled vulcan guns. We added on some modular cargo bays, with our new Starfire-class fusion engines to compensate for the extra weight. We set aside two bays for cargo; two for smaller spacecraft, and one was given over to give extra space for the much larger Omega fusion reactor, to replace the far weaker Iota class. The crew quarters were all furnished with the finest living conditions possible, and my personal quarters looked like a first class stateroom on a luxury cruise liner. The halls of the vessel were furnished with the 19

finest furniture, rugs and tapestries. Then the entire ship was painted a menacing pitch black, with our emblem, a black cross over a white field, on either side. The bridge was expanded and equipped with the latest black market electronics, and the ship was equipped with a cloaking field. The cloaking device was perhaps the most difficult thing to acquire. The only man who had one was not willing to give it up without a fight. He challenged me to a Blood Rally race. Akira brought my Striker to the Velodrome, the only track open at that time. The man brought a purple Wraith. We raced, and I just narrowly beat him, once again thanks to Akira’s personal modifications. I then had to beat the living daylights out of him until he gave up the cloak. During the fight, he pulled a knife and slashed me on the right cheek twice, giving me an X-shaped scar that I have to this day. He did give it up, and I hear he is still in intensive care. I mounted the device on the ship, and tested it. It worked so well that Akira tripped over one of the mooring hooks without ever knowing it was there. We all thought this was most amusing. By the way, larger ships don’t actually land, they either hover above the ground, remain in orbit, or they deploy mooring hooks to hold them in place. Our ship is the latter. In addition to the cloaking device, we also installed jamming devices of all sorts: radar, infrared, ultrasonic, and the like. The ships sensor system was also heavily upgraded. Perhaps the most illegal device on the ship was not even the cloaking device, but rather our Impervious-class energy shield generator, normally equipped on only the latest super-heavy battleships. Don’t ask me how we got it. I’m still not entirely sure. The universal pirate insignia, the Jolly Roger, was also emblazoned on the ship. Just to be official, we purchased copies of the latest edition of the articles of piracy and had them framed and hung in the bridge. Finally, we painted The Black Templar, in white cursive, on the sides of the vessel. I stood in front of the antique Taiwanese mirror we had acquired to be hung in my quarters, and I had to say I looked rather dashing, especially with my flowing white hair to complement the black mantle. I knew it would take more then good looks, snazzy threads and cheesy pick-up lines to woo the right woman, but I was not worried about that just yet. I was only twenty-four at the time anyway, and a reputable psychic once told me that I would live an unusually long life.

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A few days later, I announced to my crew that preparations were complete and we were ready to leave. It was on the eve of our departure that I met Alice.

“Friends, compatriots, partners in crime! I am pleased to announce that as your captain, the ship is ready and preparations have been made to ship out. However, we still lack a chief communications officer. Is there someone out there who thinks they are up to the task? If so, step forth. You will receive two shares of every find and a lieutenant’s quarters.” The landing pad went deathly quiet as someone stepped through the crowd. I figured it was someone short because I could not see him or her coming, but I instantly felt an enormous presence. A psychic, and a powerful one at that, I thought. Then of all people, a young girl who looked no more then eighteen stepped forth. Her hair was a sapphire blue that matched her eyes, and she wore a robe of the same color. She raised her head, and I saw what looked like years of experience in that innocent face. She had a jewel on her forehead, and a very small nose. She said, “My name is Alice. I wish to be your communications officer. Will you take me along? My skills are yours.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dr. Freeman back away slowly. Hmm… While she did not appear to be much, she spoke with confidence and she radiated powerful psychic energies. She seemed to act an adult, so I spoke to her like one. I bowed and said, “Salutations, Alice. I am Captain Raikiendo Toranaga of the Black Templar.” I flourished my cape for effect. “Your offer is gracious, and I accept. Welcome aboard. I have not seen you before. Are you new on this planet?” I saw a look of confusion wash over her face for an instant. Then her neutral expression returned. “Yes. I have only recently come here, and I have heard great things about you, Captain. Your reputation precedes you.” I chuckled. “That it does. Raeoran, get her a black robe with our emblem on it-” I glanced at her. “-Assuming you want one?” She smiled. “Please.” And Raeoran left. With that, I had my communications officer. “Alright, you mugs- everyone on board! We’re leaving.” There was much hooting and hollering, and everyone rushed to the transport shuttles. I saw Alice hovering behind them. Hovering? Ah! Levitation. 21

That was only three days ago. We have been barreling through Warp Space for some time now, looking for a contact. Alice was reporting in on an hourly basis, and each time she said that she had picked up no Combine signatures. I was relaxing at my table in my quarters, a vase of roses on the center of the table and a glass of red wine in my hand. I sipped it- “Ah, 3017. An excellent year.” I thought aloud. I closed my eyes, thinking back on all that had happened in the past few years. I again thought of my time aboard the Rising Sun¸ and my training under Captain Azrael Tunivan. He was tall and husky, with close-cropped brown hair, and a clean-shaven beard-mustache combo. He wore a large blue overcoat covered in pirate medals, with large gold epaulets on his shoulders. He carried with him always a laspistol and a titanium cutlass. He had a deep, comforting laugh that seemed to shake the ship. He also had a long scar across his left cheek, which he says he got in a fight with a rival pirate captain by the name of Blackbeard. He found me wandering the streets of Nagasaki's capital city, and scooped me up whilst he and his crew were retreating. I spent my entire childhood aboard Azrael’s ship, a Japanese dreadnought given to him when he turned against the Combine at the battle of Turkona, an agricultural world at the border between Yamato and the Combine. As I remembered this, I suddenly remembered something else. That was the same battle that this ship had participated in, I wonder if there’s a record here somewhere… Seemingly in answer, Raeoran’s voice boomed in over the intercom. “Raiki! Get down here! I just found a record of the battle of Turkona! This ship and the Rising Sun were there!” “I know, Rae. I just remembered that myself. I’m coming down.” He cut out. I arose slowly, finishing my wine and setting down the glass gently. I put on my belt and straightened by mantle. I then set off down the aptly named grand hall, adorned with stained glass viewports and chandeliers, among other fine items. I walked down the hall at a slow but steady pace, my footsteps echoing even through the muffling of the Persian carpeting. I was wearing my tall black pirate-style boots, you know, the ones that they wear in all those old pirate movies. I have a soft spot for ancient film. I regularly watch episodes of an old cartoon… the name escapes me. There’s this one episode with space pirates that I enjoyed 22

particularly, though they were the generic foul cutthroat variety, not like us idealistic types. When I reached the archives and went over the file with Raeoran, I felt as though I was really there. Though the Kaigun forces had a numerical advantage, they were outgunned and outsmarted. However, the captain of the Hannibal, the lead vessel of the task force, had been planning to defect for some time, and his crew was with him all the way. That captain was Azrael. Before the final blow was struck to the Kaigun's command vessel, The Senshuken, The Hannibal turned about and opened fire on the task force. Surprising to everyone was that another vessel turned about as well- the Sword of Retribution. Her captain and crew were aware of Azrael’s plans and wanted to defect also, and they thought the best way of showing it was to turn around and open fire when Azrael did. So both ships turned face and opened fire on the remaining Combine ships. They were decimated and it was said that only one Imperial ship made it back to dock, the rest were destroyed or succumbed to their wounds en route. The Hannibal suffered critical damage and was abandoned, but Yamato, grateful that there were those among the Combine who could not stand them also, awarded Azrael with a shiny new dreadnought, called the Rising Sun. He was so grateful that he kept the name. He and his crew then became pirates, stealing only from the Combine. The Sword of Retribution, on the other hand, survived the battle, although battered. Her captain, a kind old soul named Gregori Kreschov, decided he had enough war for one lifetime, and retired to Lagrange- a haven for outcasts of all sorts. Most of his crew joined up with Azrael, the rest went their separate ways. Over the next few years, Azrael wandered the stars, looting and plundering from Combine convoys as much as he could. He acquired a reputation among them as a traitor, thief and cutthroat, whereupon he had gone into hiding on New Nagasaki. This was shortly before I was born. Two or three years later, the Combine discovered his presence, and scrambled a task force to attack the planet. Before anybody knew what had happened, Combine strike cruisers had destroyed Nagasaki’s rather paltry defenses and dropships had landed on the outskirts of the major cities. Combine hovertanks moved in, blowing gaping holes in the city walls and allowing the cold, uncaring infantry to run in. At my young age, they were particularly terrifying. They were tall, and wore dark blue uniforms with orange-eyed gas masks. They all carried pulse rifles, and the streets 23

were alight with laser fire. The only thing I remember was one standing above me, his rifle raised, the butt facing toward me to knock me out. Then I saw a flash, and an instant later the soldier was on the ground, a hole in his chest. I ran away, and bumped into a tall man, but he was much nicer looking then the soldier. He had a smoking laspistol in his hand. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he had saved my life. I clung to his leg, probably thinking he was my father, confused as I was. He looked down and smiled for a second, then scooped me up under one arm and ran toward a large structure that was rising out of the ground, shooting Combine troopers as he went. Other men, in things like body armor, bandanas and cybernetic limbs ran towards the ship, and I later learned these were his crew. There was a storm of laser fire as the crew battled the combine troopers. They were the only ones left in the plaza- there were only they and Combine soldiers. Everyone else had gone…

It was only after we escaped did he remember me. He said, “There, there, little one. Everything is ok now. My name is Azrael. I’m a pirate and I saved you. What’s your name?” “R…Ra…Raikiendo Toranaga, Mr. Pirate man sir.” Then he said, “Well, little Raikiendo, you’re safe now. Where are your parents, do you know?” I looked down. “You don’t… I’m sorry. I don’t know where they are either. I will take care of you until we find them.” Those few moments were all I remembered of that day, or anything before that. His ship managed to help a large number of people escape, and as such, the people of New Nagasaki are forever friendly towards pirates as a rule. I hope to return there soon and search for my parents, though it will be difficult considering I have no memories of them. I realized that Azrael had failed to keep his promise, though I felt him watching over me still. He took me in as his own son, and trained me from that vary day, as well as my new friend Raeoran, who had stumbled aboard the ship of his own accord, to be pirates like him. He taught us how to fight, hand-to-hand, ranged, and ship-to-ship. He taught us strategies and tactics, as well as extensive knowledge of technology. He also taught us gentlemanly things, like etiquette and proper table manners. We learned to act and be perfect gentleman pirates, real renaissance men. He was very proud of us. Just as he was preparing to give us posts, the ship was ambushed in the Jerrus nebula, a veritable space junkyard. We were outnumbered ten 24

to one, and our fighters were quickly eliminated. He told us both to flee in escape shuttles, which we did, but before we entered the pods, we swore we would both be pirates one day. I entered Warp Space and lost contact with the ship. I never saw it, Azrael, or any of the crew ever again. I ended up on Lagrange, the pirate world, which brings me back to my Rally days. Raeoran wound up on Necropolis, an enormous city world. There he survived on the streets until he could get to Lagrange. He spent a few months there, where he found the Sword of Retribution for sale. He then found me at the Ersatz Warehouse that night- which brings me all the way back here. I’ve bored you enough with my past- time for the present. “Strange fate, isn't it?” Said Raeoran after a time. He had stirred from a deep state of thought.“I suppose,” “Well, what now? We haven’t found that convoy yet, and this is where that tip said it would be.” My expression softened. “We wait here, cloaked, until it arrives. We are in the correct location, but we're early. So, we'll wait.” “All right, but if this was a wild goose chase, it’s not a good omen.” “I don’t believe in omens, Rae. But don’t worry, they’ll be here.” So we left the archives, the file still on our minds. We walked down the hall together, admiring the high-quality replicas of fine art. Suddenly, Alice’s voice came in on my personal comlink. “Captain, I’ve got multiple contacts on an inbound vector. They read Combine.” “Excellent, Raeoran and I are on our way up now.” I turned to Raeoran. “Well my friend, here we go. To the bridge!” We broke into a run. We reached the elevator just as Alice contacted me again. “Captain, we lucked out. There’s only one escort, a light cruiser. As for the convoy itself, I read two larger cargo vessels and a handful of smaller ones,” She said. I smiled and replied, “Easy enough.” The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened. I entered the bridge, realizing this was my first engagement as a captain. “Alice, patch me in to the ship’s announcement system,” I said. “Right away sir. Here.” She handed me the comlink, and I spoke into it. “Attention all hands, this is the Captain speaking. We are about to engage in our first raid. We will disable or destroy the escort cruiser 25

first, and then we will raid the two large vessels. I have been informed that one is full of frozen water being transported. All hands, to battle stations. This is not a drill. Pilots to your fighters, gunners to your turrets. Move!” I heard much cheering. All around me, my command staff settled in for our first battle. For the first time since we left Lagrange, I sat in my lavish command chair and stared out into the void. I had forgotten how beautiful space was. “Report in. Communications!” Alice answered. “Ready sir,” she replied.“Weapons!” “All gunners in position, weapons online, attack vectors plotted,” said Raeoran. “Defenses!” “Shields at maximum,” he added.“Alice, give the order to launch fighters,” I said.“Affirmative, captain. Fighters launching now,” she replied. Raeoran turned and asked,“Shall I uncloak, sir?” “Make it so, number one,” I said, laughing inwardly. I always wanted to say that. He flipped a switch, and I saw the bow of the ship materialize in front of me. The cruiser began to scramble its fighters. “I have the cruiser in my sights, sir,” Said Raeoran.“Hmm... we could blast them out of the sky if we wanted to,” I thought out loud. “We could, but why not save them the trouble? They are clearly outmatched,” Rae replied. I shrugged.“Good point. Alice, hail the cruiser,” I said. “Yes sir, opening channel now. She is receiving,” she said. The face of a young but grim captain appeared on the left screen. I spoke first.“I am Captain Raikiendo Toranaga of the Black Templar. I claim this convoy for myself and my crew. You are outmatched, and you have the option to surrender.” His face went from grim to furious. “I am Captain Jones of the Crusader. You’re not going to lay a finger on this convoy, you pirate scum. Who do you pirates think you are, coming and going with our resources like this was a free market? I’m going to turn that ship into a floating coffin!” The image cut out. My crew looked at me. I shook my head. 26

“He had his chance. Rae, open fire on the ship. I want those shields gone!” “Yes sir! All guns, open fire!” The ship rattled as the forward and aft batteries emptied their plasma charges. Clusters of purple energy surged towards the cruiser. The Crusader opened fire also; its plasma batteries returning fire. Our barrage struck first. “Direct hit by all guns, sir,” Said Raeoran, who brought up an image of the ship up on the right screen. “Enemy shields now at 20% efficiency. Another barrage will do it,” He said, bracing himself as the ship shook from the Crusader’s barrage. “Direct hit, sir. Shields at 80% and holding,” he said. I chuckled. “They do not have a prayer. Bring the broadside cannons to bear, and give the order to fire.” “Yes sir! Broadside cannons, prepare to fire,” I said as we came up alongside the Crusader’s port side. “Fire!” He shouted. The ship rocked violently as all the massive broadside cannons on our starboard side fired, sending self-propelled metallic slugs ripping through the enemy’s shields and tearing into her hull. “Enemy shields down, sir. Several critical hits, her engines have been disabled. Her cannons are still on line, and are firing… now!” I jumped. Only a fool would fire plasma cannons at point blank- the explosions would harm them as well! “Brace for impact!” The ship rocked. One bolt penetrated our shields and impacted the ship dead-on. “Hull breach in main hangar!” he paused. “They’ve got it secured. No casualties,” He said with relief. I realized I had been holding my breath, and let it go. “Good,” I replied. The captain’s face again appeared. “Your ship is severely damaged and is unable to move. You cannot win. Surrender or face the consequences!” Everyone jumped, not having heard me be so harsh before. “I will never surrender, pirate!” Suddenly, his missile racks opened fire. “Missiles incoming, sir!” I glanced at Raeoran’s console. “Activate point defense lasers. Fire a missile volley at the bridge,” I ordered. Raeoran hesitated.

27

“We’re not going to blow them up; we’re just going to disable them. Fire, I said!” He input the targeting data and said,“Yes sir! Portside missile battery one, fire!” Little flames streaked past the view ports and screamed towards the ship. I looked at Raeoran and shook my head. “Don’t hesitate like that. Hesitation can kill a man in the middle of a battle. Do I make myself clear?” He looked down. “Yes sir. Perfectly clear,” he said solemnly. The rest turned away. “This goes for everyone. If we are to survive, you must obey my orders. Question me after the fact. I appreciate a crew that can think for itself, but I also need to trust my crew to do as I say in an emergency. Is that understood?” There were acknowledgements all around. “Good,” I said. “90% of enemy missiles destroyed, sir! The rest have been deflected. Our missiles have hit their target,” Said Alice. I looked up, and saw a handful of explosions rip through the bridge. It was damaged beyond repair, but remained intact, as I had hoped. Alice spoke up. “Escape pods launching, sir. Our fighters have mopped up theirs. Shall we attempt a rescue?” “Yes. Have the fighters move in and gather up the escape pods,” I said. Raeoran smiled. “Now I understand. You were just spooking them off the ship then?” He asked.“But of course. No sense just blowing them away,” I said, chuckling. Alice spoke again. “There are many survivors sir, but the captain is not among them. The cargo ships are hailing us, offering their surrender, sir. Do we accept?” “Of course. That will make getting the cargo out easier. Tell them if they cooperate they will be allowed to leave on their own,” I ordered. She did so. “The first mate has asked to speak with you, sir. He wishes to know if you need an extra gunner,” She said, smiling. “Tell him I accept his offer,” I said. Then his face appeared on the left screen.“Thank you, Captain Toranaga. To tell you the truth, I was about ready to mutiny anyway,” He said.

28

“Seems that the Combine doesn’t treat its people very well,” I said with a laugh.

Suddenly, another face appeared on the screen, this time in the center panel. “If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s a white hat pirate,” Said the man. “What in the blazes- who are you?” He grinned. “Captain Haddock, at your service,” He said, making a mock bow. Haddock! Serpent Riders, I thought. “Back off, Haddock. This is a Black Templar claim,” I said, giving him a cold stare. His grin disappeared. “Not anymore. You newbies are all the same, you think you can just haul off and take whatever you want. Well I got news for you, newbie. This is a Serpent Rider claim now. Just back away and I may ignore you when we proceed to plunder these ships. Thank you for eliminating the escort, by the way. You’ve saved us the trouble.” He laughed, and then his image cut out. Oliver's voice came through on the comm. and said, “We’re not going to take that from him, are we Captain?” I chuckled. “No we are not. Raeoran, give me targeting vectors for the main guns. Alice, open a channel with the cargo vessels and tell them to get clear. This is going to get very ugly very quick. Everyone else, carry on,” I said. They all nodded forcefully and said, “Yes sir!” Then I turned my attention to the view screen. “Do we have a visual?” “Yes sir, they are uncloaking now and launching fighters. Ours are still combat ready, shall we engage?” “Make it so. Have the fighters engage theirs. Tell them to keep their shields up, this is our first pirate-to-pirate battle, and things might get ugly. Raeoran, I need those vectors!” “Done sir, all vectors plotted. They cannot possibly avoid more then 20% percent of our fire now,” He said with confidence. I opened a channel with the engineering bay. “Akira, give me full power to the reactor. We need to be able to keep the guns going at full burst,” I told him. “You got it, captain! Full power, coming right up!” I turned to Ray John, our helmsman. “Mr. John, give me a three-quarters angle on the ship so we can fire all guns. Full speed ahead. Raeoran, direct all deflector shields to forward,” I ordered. Raeoran shook his head. 29

“Sir, with all due respect, that will leave our rear open to fighter attack.” “True, but their fighters are too busy dogfighting ours.” Haddock’s face appeared again. “I warned you, captain…” He made a show of struggling for the name. “Toranaga.” I said, in an annoyed tone.“I warned you, Captain Toranaga. You had your chance to escape with your lives. Now you will feel the Muspelheim’s wrath.” His image cut out once more. “Enemy plasma cannons opening fire!” “Fire main guns!” I yelled. “Yes sir, firing!” almost simultaneously, clusters of purple energy surged into space. Then we saw some coming back. They impacted, and the ship rocked slightly. “Direct hit, sir…. No shield damage!” He sounded disbelieving, and then looked at me. “I told you shifting the shields to forward was a good idea.” Then our clusters impacted the Muspelheim. “All clusters have hit sir! Enemy shields are gone!” I jumped. “Fire second volley now!” Raeoran shouted into the comm. with the order to fire. “Done!” A second group of purple clusters soared away. A few seconds later, they impacted, but I saw a blue reflection, indicating his ship had regained shielding.“Impossible. He couldn’t have regenerated so quickly. Unless he has an energy-to-shield instant matter converter…” “Sir, enemy shields at twenty percent, but he has suffered some hull damage. We can fire a third volley, but we will have to recharge afterwards. I suggest doing so and then coming up alongside to fire the broadside cannons,” Said Raeoran.“Do it,” I told him. A third volley streaked away. Just then, the ship began to sheen and then vanished. “Sir, enemy ship has cloaked. I’ve lost them.” “Damn!” I slammed my fist down on the armrest of my chair. Then Haddock’s face appeared again. I said, “I grow tired of your games, Haddock.” He ignored my insult, and said, “Well fought, Toranaga. It seems I underestimated you. Good day,” He said, the image cutting out for the last time.

30

“Sir, I just detected a Warp Drive emission. He’s left the system. I guess we won,” Said Alice. “Excellent. Well done, one and all. Just for this, I’m giving everyone a bonus,” I said.“Thank you, sir!” Was the unanimous reply.

I sat back and pondered the last half-hour. It was a strange coincidence that I would fight both my first battle against the Combine and a rival pirate captain within a few minutes of one another. I wondered if Haddock knew we were coming, and simply waited for us to disable the cruiser…

“Captain?” Said Alice, trying to get my attention.“Hmm?” I replied.“Shall we begin offloading the cargo vessels?” She asked.“Yes… Yes, begin offloading,” I replied semi-consciously. I got off my chair and walked over to where Alice was sitting. She looked up, and it looked as if she had aged a year or two.“Tell me, what is troubling you?” “Me? I can’t get the image of the bridge out of my head. I know it’s not my fault- I didn’t even launch the missiles. But…” “You’ve never killed anyone before. The feeling makes anyone sick, even if they weren’t the one who pulled the trigger.” She smiled. “It's not just that. I felt them. There weren’t many... but I could feel the pain of the ones who died just now. It hurts,” She said. My expression turned grim.“I'm sorry; I didn't realize you were an empath...”“No one ever does.” She looked away.“I'm sorry, that was rude.”“Don't worry about it. I think I understand your pain, I myself can pick up on the emotions of others,” I told her She smiled.“Really? I've never known other empaths. I wondered if I was the only one,” she said solemnly.“If there's one thing I've learned thus far, it’s that you're never alone in anything,” I said, comforting her.“Thank you, Captain, for understanding. Sometimes I wonder if it's more power then I can handle,” She said, looking back to the communications console. I placed a hand on her shoulder and shook it gently. 31

“We look out for each other here, Alice,” I told her. She thanked me once more and returned to her work.

I checked with the others, and everything seemed to be in order so I walked off, my footsteps echoing even amongst the chatter of my command staff. I returned to my own thoughts once more. I decided since we still had ample supplies we should move to a new location and search for further convoys. I returned to my quarters, and opened the door quietly, despite its hardwood nature. I removed my mantle and sat down at my table, pouring myself another glass of wine. I sipped it. “I never get tired of this stuff,” I said to myself. I removed my boots and put my socked feet up, relaxing. I glanced around, and my eyes fell upon a professional portrait of Captain Azrael, done in classic style. It was large, and hung above my mantle, which was covered in souvenirs from my earlier days. My silver Blood Rally championship trophy was in the center. I then looked at my fireplace, seeing that the fire was a little low. I walked over and turned up the heat slightly. For a moment I stood on my genuine Snarkle-skin rug and stared into the fire and thought about today’s battle again, and I imagined it looked like a scene from some cheesy old movie or something. Then there was a knock at my door. “Enter,” I called out. Raeoran poked his redheaded face through the door. “Mind if I join you?” I smiled. “Please. Have some wine. What is it?” He sat down and poured himself a glass.“Oh, I just thought I’d drop by. You okay?” “Fine. Why?” “Oh, I don’t know. Just asking.” I saw through his flimsy lie easily. “You're still upset about that ship, aren’t you? Look, I’m sorry I yelled at you. It was my duty to ensure you obeyed my orders. Don’t take it personally. Alice was just as upset as you,” I told him. He raised an eyebrow. “She was? Huh. She seemed so calm and cold before.”“No, not quite, old friend. She is just as vulnerable as anyone else. She has never had a part in killing before. Neither have we, at least not in a while, as a matter of fact,” I added, remembering that fact. His expression soured. 32

“Yeah. It's different when you're not doing it in self-defense,” He said. I shrugged.“Maybe we're in the wrong line of work,” He said.“Nonsense. You want a piece of them as much as I do.”“Yeah, but we're not aiming to overthrow the whole damn empire, are we?” I blinked.“I honestly don't know. It's too early to tell. We should focus on the present,” I told him.I sat down at the head of the table next to Rae and poured myself another glass, my final one for the evening, I decided. Rae poured a second one also. Then I smiled. He did too. “A toast,” I started, “To our first victory and all victories hence!” “Cheers,” He replied. We knocked our glasses together and drank. He stared at the empty glass for a moment and said,“Still though, I can't help thinking that we might draw their attention doing this sort of thing,” He said, ever the worry wart.“What, you think they'd starting hunting us instead of any other pirate gang? I mean, really,” I told him. He chuckled.“Yeah, I guess you're right,” He said, though he did not sound convinced.I looked at my wrist chronometer. “It’s late. You should get some sleep, Rae,” I told him. “Yeah. See you tomorrow. By the way, where we hitting ‘em next?” I looked at him quizzically, and then realized what he meant. “Oh. Well, I’ve been listening in on Combine frequencies and heard about a dry goods and spare parts shipment coming through the Hokkaido pass in Republic territory. They’ve given us permission to hit the convoy,” I said. He chuckled and said jokingly, “Are we pirates or privateers?” I laughed also. Then he walked out, saying “Night, Raiki,” as he went. “Night, Rae,” I replied. I changed into my sleeping robes and lay down on my lovely king-size Victorian bed, my eyes fixed on the portrait until I could no longer keep them open and sleep overtook me…

33

Chapter 2

“O God! I could be bounded in a nut-shell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad

dreams.”

-Hamlet, Shakespeare’s Hamlet

I once heard that the only way a determined man would swerve is if he saw in a dream or vision that what he had set out to do was folly. I believed it a bunch of crap, until this morning.

I awoke in a cold sweat, my heart beating rapidly, my breathing heavy. Nothing in my room had changed, save the holes in the wall. “Holes in the wall? What the…” I saw a series of holes along the wall, and jumped when I saw the last one to be barely a half-inch from my head. What in the blazes? I then remembered my dream. A masked gunman had picked the lock on my door, crept in and taken aim with an old sniper rifle, a slug-thrower. In my dream, he had hit his mark. But I saw that I was unharmed. I determined that my dream was some kind of warning, and I had obviously shifted in my sleep. I changed post-haste, and immediately rang Raeoran. “Rae, you better come to my room and have a look at this,” I told him.

34

“Wha… it’s four in the morning, Raiki… Holy hell!” Raeoran exclaimed. I nearly jumped out of my boots, and that’s saying something when they go up to your knees. “What?!” I replied.“There’s a row of bullet holes along my wall, the last only an inch from where my head was! What’s going on?!” He yelled.“The same thing happened in my room. I think we have an assassin on board,” I said, adding a moment later, “Or a traitor,” “I would not like to think that true, Raiki,” He replied.“Neither would I. We should go to the bridge,” I said. “Right. I’ll get dressed,” He said. Then I rang Alice. No answer. “Hmm… curious. Akira? Are you there?” again, no answer. “I don’t like this… Oliver?” No answer.“Anyone!” “Still here, Captain,” replied Raeoran.“Nobody is answering their comlink. I don’t like this. Meet you on the bridge,” I told him. “Right. See you there,” he said. “And Rae,” I added,“Yeah?”“Get your gun,” I told him. Fearing the worst, I retrieved my .44, loaded it, grabbed my saber and some ammo and made for the door. I kicked it open, my gun poised. I poked it around a bit, seeing nothing move. I advanced slowly, quietly down the hall towards the main elevator. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. In an instant I aimed and fired my gun, the shot ringing out through the hall. Damn. Better use the silencer, I thought. I heard a death rattle… not human. I advanced to where I had fired and found a strange creature in its death throes. It was small, and lizard-like. I didn't know for the life of me what it was, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whipped around, only to have my gun stopped. “Easy, Raiki. You could put someone’s eye out with that thing,” said Raeoran. I let out my breath. “Poseidon's blood, Rae. Don’t do that! You scared the hell out of me,” I said. He apologized.

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“What do you make of this thing?” I shifted the corpse lightly with my foot. He shuddered.“Damn. I haven’t seen one of those since my days poking around in the sewers on Necropolis. It’s a Gaunt. These guys are nasty, they can shred through titanium with those claws. We should be careful, there are bound to be more of them. How’d it get on board?” He asked me.“I have no idea. Did you find anyone?” “Nobody. It’s like the ship is deserted. Not a peep. I’ve been hearing some scratching around though. Probably these guys,” He said.“We should go to the bridge and find out what the hell’s going on,” he added. “Let’s,” I said. We both advanced slowly, covering each other’s backs. We reached the elevator without encountering more Gaunts. Rae hit the call button. Nothing. “What the hell?” He said. Then we heard a series of successively louder growls. “Damn. I think they’ve got our scent. Cover me; I’m going to try and hotwire this thing. I have all the codes anyway,” He said. I nodded, turning my back to Rae and the elevator door. I glanced down the hall, analyzing the combat situation and all places the Gaunts could hide. I loaded one round into the empty slot in the chamber and removed the silencer, finding it useless at this point. I cocked it. I heard a snarl. Suddenly, a pack of them burst out of a nearby door. “The mess hall secondary access. Damn. I hope they didn’t get Sasha,” “You and me both. Shoot the bastards!” I leveled my magnum at the Gaunts and took out six of them, including one with a blue crest on its head, which caused the rest to retreat.“Rae, I just found out something. The ones with blue crests are the commanders. Target them when you can,” I told him.“Right.” He said. A much larger pack came running down the hall, and I picked off six of them. “Cover me!” I ducked behind a column to reload. Raeoran whirled around, laser pistol drawn and began firing. There were sizzling noises and howls. “Looks like they hate lasers. Want to borrow mine?” I chuckled. “You keep it. I’ll manage. Done!” He whirled around again and returned to the door. I leaped out and began firing, taking down the two 36

commanders first, then four more grunts. Raeoran and I repeated the process. “They just keep coming, Raiki! I think you may have to go melee on this one!” “Right,” I replied I holstered my smoking revolver and drew my saber.“Come get some, you scaly bastards.” They seemed to understand my challenge. The commanders barked some orders, and they surged forward. I counter attacked. Each of my swipes decapitated one or disemboweled another, but they just kept coming. “How many are there?” I said, panting. “I don’t know, this is nuts!” He fiddled with it for a moment longer and then said,“I got it!” I instantly leaped into the elevator, Raeoran covering me with his laspistol. One of them got so close his head got stuck in the door. I loped it off and it shut. Rae punched the top floor button. I slumped against the wall. “Tough sons of bitches. Where in the blazes did they come from?!” Rae leaned against another wall. “Maybe our friend Captain Haddock had something to do with it,” He speculated. “Maybe,” I replied. Then I remembered the cargo ships. “Oh, hell. Rae, do you have the cargo ship manifests?” he stared at me, and then blinked. “Yeah, actually, I do,” He said, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out a small datapad. He tossed it over to me. I read through the lists, hoping not to find what I was looking for, and I did. I sighed. “Stasis canisters. One ship was full of stasis canisters with two or three Gaunts in each. I have no idea what they were doing with them, but the bastards seemed to have escaped. But that doesn’t explain where the hell the rest of the crew is.” Rae looked up at the elevator ceiling, thinking. “Maybe the whole convoy was a set up,” He said. Then I noticed that the Gaunt head had some kind of metallic collar on it. “What do you make of that collar, Rae?” He bent down to examine it. “I knew it! It was Captain Haddock! This thing has the Serpent Rider insignia on it. Somehow, he must’ve put these things on them without the Combine knowing,” He said.

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“Then some of his men might be on here,” I said. The elevator stopped and dinged, and we rolled out, guns drawn. Then my command chair whirled around to reveal the scarred face of Captain Haddock. “Welcome to the bridge, gentlemen,” He said with a laugh. “Haddock. I might have known. Get off my chair!” “I don’t think so. I am commandeering this ship, seeing as you wasted mine. Your crew is safe- do not worry. But they are my prisoners. You are wondering why you two were spared, yes? I was hoping the Gaunts would eliminate you, but I suppose that was too much to expect of such feeble creatures,” He said, raising a plasma rifle and taking aim. “Now die!” Raeoran and I dived in opposite directions just as he fired, and the blast left a gaping hole in the wall behind where we were just standing. Simultaneously, we fired our guns back at him, but he had already disappeared. “Where’d he go?” I said. “How can someone that big just vanish?!” “Over here, boys,” He said. I whirled around and fired at the direction of the voice. It ricocheted of the wall harmlessly. “You can do better then that!” Rae fired towards the sound. The bolt from his pistol fizzled out against the titanium bulkhead. “You’re making this too easy on me,” He said with a snicker. We both dived again as a crackling energy burst soared past us again. I focused and projected a thought into Raeoran’s mind.“He has a personal cloak. Set your pistol for disrupt, and fire anywhere and everywhere,” I said. Raeoran looked around, and then saw my grin, and nodded. He fiddled with a switch on his pistol, and then began firing about wildly. When a shot hit Haddock, he fizzled out of existence before appearing on the main screen. He laughed and said,“Well done. But you have only destroyed a phantom,” He said, laughing at his image cut off. “Damn, a holographic illusion. What next?” “That!” Raeoran yelled, pointing to the screen. Haddock’s vessel, the Muspelheim, battered but functional, trained its guns on the Black Templar. “Rae! Get to your station and engage the cloak! Get us away from those guns! Shields up!” I yelled.

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“Yes sir!” I ran over to my command chair and activated my personal control console, engaging the warrior drones. Hundreds of little floating balls raced towards the Muspellheim, little more then fusion engines with small computers and single laser cannons. They raced all around the ship, letting off bursts at critical locations Raeoran targeted. “Annoying little flies, aren’t they, Haddock?” Then the bow of the ship disappeared as the cloak engaged. “Cloak activated, shields up, weapons online,” Raeoran said. “Get to your gunnery station, Rae. This might get a little rough,” I told him. “Right,” He replied, making for the ladder that would take him up to his manual gunnery station. I grabbed hold of the wheel and swung the ship hard to port, to give Rae a good firing arc. His voice came in through my private comm. “On my mark, deactivate the cloak,” He said. A moment passed, The Muspelheim’s guns still trained on where he last saw us, ready to fire. “Mark,” He said. I hit the switch, and instant later, swarms of plasma clusters streaked out from the ship towards the unshielded Muspelheim. She fired back in kind, but her shots bounced off our shields with little effect, them being weakened by the damage to the ship’s reactor. Our shots were not so ineffective, blowing two turrets clear off the vessel and breaching the number 2 hangar. “Yes! She’s gone. We’ve got to get over there before the reactor goes critical and get everyone out,” I said. “Right. I know a shortcut to the hangar. Follow me!” he slid down the ladder and led me over to a small, discolored panel on the far wall. He kicked it, causing it to move inward, revealing a secret downward passage.“Did you make this?” I asked him. He chuckled. “Yup. Just in case we had to make a quick getaway. Come on!” He leapt in, and began sliding down. “Banzai!” I yelled, leaping in after him. As I slid down, I was reminded of all the times I had played in the Rising Sun’s engine room, amidst the complex pipe work. After only a moment, the passage opened up and I was deposited on a well-placed loop, where I slid about until I stopped. Rae was already running towards one of the transports.

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“Raiki!” He shouted. “We are going to have to make trips. We’d need at least four transports to do it in one trip, and we’ve only got two pilots!” “Not quite.” Someone emerged from a door, battered, his combat armor scarred.“Sasha!” it was our bad-tempered chef, a smoking laser pistol in one hand and a bloody knife in another. “Captain, might you need another pilot?” he said, panting but smiling. Then the ship's battle robot showed up, my sparing partner, KR-782, or Kraken, as I liked to call him. He was damaged and had holes in his armor, and had his wrist energy blades activated. He spoke. “And I make four. Shall we go, Captain?” “Excellent. Raeoran, you take the Sabre gunship. We might need some firepower. Sasha, Kraken, you take the Behemoths. I’ll take the Diadem. Move like you got a purpose!” We split up and launched our craft, and flew at top speed towards the Muspelheim.

“Incoming! Drones inbound on intercept vectors!” Rae’s voice exploded through the comm. “Affirmative. Move to engage, Sabre one. Beta squad, double time.” “Roger, Delta one.” I activated the Diadem-class transports chief defense; two multidirectional Starkiller-class plasma turrets, one on top and one on the bottom of the ship. I turned them over the ships computer, concentrating on landing in the Muspelheim’s crumbling hangar. Debris was falling everywhere. Occasionally, a whole catwalk or support beam would come down. This ship was dying, and I had to get my crew out before they went with it. I was exiting the hangar just as Sasha and Kraken landed. “Come on! We haven’t much time!” I yelled, running at full gait through the halls, having little idea where I was going, but instead scanning for life signs. I couldn't detect anything, none of Haddock's crew remained aboard. The ship must have been on autopilot. Suddenly, I felt an enormous wave of psychic energy, and followed it to an intact prison cell containing a stasis capsule that had been specially modified to hold a psychic. Of course, they probably didn’t have the notion of a psychic trying to break into the thing. I concentrated heavily on Alice’s thoughts. “Alice, can you hear me? It’s Captain Toranaga. Are you in there?” Her emanations stirred.

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“Captain? How did you get here? Get me out of this infernal thing!” It rattled. “Hold on, this will take but a moment.” I severed contact and concentrated on cracking the capsule’s locks, using a pocket hacking tool. I wished then I had Hestia with me. I searched for a weak spot, through hundreds of circuits. Then I found a loophole in the security system and focused on spreading the faulty signal. I did not have to do much work, as once the locks were weakened, Alice did the rest. The locks imploded and the capsule flew open, filling the room with smoke. When it cleared I saw Alice standing in front of me, waving the smoke out of the way and bowing.“Thank you Captain. How can I repay you?” I waved her off. “It was nothing. It is a captain’s duty to safeguard his crew. Where are the others?” “Oliver put up quite a fight- he took down at least ten of Haddock’s goons until they all piled on him and threw him in a capsule like this one, only strengthened to restrain him. The others are simply being held in the lower levels, although my sense tells me that Akira escaped. He knew you were coming, beyond doubt. I feel his presence, he is nearby,” She said. “Right behind you, actually,” Said a voice. I whirled around, magnum poised, only to find the short and giggling figure of Akira Krannon. “You never cease to amaze me, boy. Come. We must rescue the others. Salvage the equipment here if you wish, but get back to the hangar soon, all right? Are you armed?” He drew out some kind of strange contraption, like some kind of weapon. I raised an eyebrow. “What exactly is that?” “Call it a Tau Cannon, if you want. Basically a laser with much more power,” he said. I chuckled. “Interesting. Be careful with that beast, don’t go punching holes through the hull everywhere, it’s got enough as it is.” Akira went one way down the hall. Alice and I went the other. As I ran along, I observed the rather Spartan décor. Dull red coloring, a few paintings, and simple carpeting. It made me wonder whether I was a little extravagant. Nonsense, I thought. Each to their own. I heard an enormous racket from one of the cells as I passed by. 41

“Oliver?” I called out.“Captain? Is that you out there? Get me out of here!” He replied. I marveled at Oliver's stamina- the cell had failed to sedate him. If I could just weaken the locks enough... “Hold on, Oliver, don’t strain yourself. I’m going to weaken the joints, and then you can bust out,” I told him. “Right,” He replied. I hacked the joints, and with Alice’s help found the weak points and exploited them, severely weakening the seal. “Duck!” He yelled, and we did so. An instant later, the front cover flew over us, smashing into the wall on the other side of the hall. Oliver stepped out of the container, dusting himself off.“Hey boss!” Akira’s voice came in over the group comm. “Yes, Akira?” I replied. “I found Mr. Bronson’s guns, should I bring them?” Oliver tapped in. “You damn well better! I spent a fortune on those things.” “Y…Yes sir!” He cut out. “You know Oliver, he’s deathly scared of you. I think you better spend some time with him when you get back. I need my crew to get along for us to meet with success. Do I make myself clear?” I told him.“Aye sir,” He grumbled.“Now then, shall we find the others?” “Let’s.” we emerged from the chamber. “Split up. Whoever finds the crew first can radio ahead,” I said. “Aye sir,” Everyone replied. I kneeled down and keyed my comlink. “Raeoran? Can you hear me? What’s going on out there?” “Raiki?! Boy, am I glad to hear your voice. They’re everywhere! I can’t take much more of this… Hurry up in there!” “Affirmative. Keep your cool; you know you can do it. Don’t panic, Rae,” I told him. “Right. Yes sir,” He said, though he did not sound convinced.

I cut out, and headed towards the lifts, which were, of course, useless. One was completely destroyed, the other out of order, so I took the stairs. I wound up on the lowest levels, typically used for storage on ship of this size. I found that some additional prison cells had been constructed. Haddock was fond of taking prisoners, obviously. I crept about silently, finding the cells empty. Then I heard a voice.

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“Whuzzat bloody noise up there? Somebody attacking us?” then I heard a different one. “Eh? Maybe it’s the Captain, come to rescue us!” “That’ll be the day.” I crept towards the direction of the voice and found a rather packed cell full of my crew, and other cells full as well. “Jayko? Is that you?” They all jumped. “Who be out there? How do ye know my name? Show yerself!” I crept forward into the light. They all jumped again. I chuckled. “Don’t look so surprised. Did you really think I would not come for you?” “…Cap'n Toranaga?” I screwed my face into one of contempt. “Who else would it be? I’ve come to save you all. Hop to it, Jayko. Organize everyone and get moving. I’ll open the doors,” I told them. I searched my pockets for a moment and found my old lock picking kit. I withdrew my favorite pick and replaced the kit into my pocket. In mere seconds, I had the door open. “Pathetic. I’ve opened pickle jars more secure then this. Up! Go! Get to the hangar as fast as your feet will carry you!” They all ran out and towards the stairs as I picked the locks on the other cells. “Has anyone seen Akira?” A short, stocky man named Zeno spoke up. “They locked him in his own little cell which he picked his way out of. He said he’d come back.” Just then, a little boy ran down the hall. “Hey guys, I found the keys…” Then he saw the open cells and me. “Whoops.” I laughed. “You’re a little late, Akira. Get your ass to the hangar, this whole ship’s going to blow soon,” I ordered. He saluted. “Aye sir! Getting my ass to the hangar sir!” he ran at full gait down the hall towards the stairs. I opened the last cell and shooed the others out. In moments, I was back to the hangar to find Sasha and Kraken loading the others onboard the Behemoth transports and Akira loading some onto my Diadem. Raeoran’s Sabre was not present, leading me to believe he was still out dog fighting Haddock’s fighters. “Rae! Come in! What in the blazes is going on out there?!” “Raiki? What are you doing in there?! I need some backup out here and soon. There’s too many of them!” He cut out. Damn. I looked up to see the others still loading. My ship was ready, however. Akira waved.

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“She’s loaded and ready sir. Let’s go and give Commander Yurumiri a hand!” I blinked and ran over. “Yes, let’s. Strap yourself in, Akira. This isn’t going to be an easy ride. Everyone ready?” they nodded. “Good. Hang on, everyone!” I fiddled with the controls for a moment, and the ship rose slowly off the floor, rotating towards the hangar entrance. I punched the accelerator and the ship lurched forward and soared out. In front of me I saw a pitched battle, seemingly thousands of Haddock’s drone fighters were bearing down on Raeoran’s battered Sabre. “Hang on, old friend! Help is here!” I switched control of the ship over to the computer and went over to the top gunner port. “Akira, you man the lower turret. Take out as many of the bastards as you can. We have to cover the Behemoths and the Sabre.” I climbed up the dual-purpose ladder to the top gunner’s nest, whilst Akira climbed down the bottom one. We strapped on our headsets and swung the turrets around a little. “Get ready, here they come!” I punched the triggers and began spewing plasma bolts at the oncoming swarm of laser drones. Akira did the same. “Gods, Raiki. I thought I was done for sure. Let ‘em have it!” “As good as done, old friend. These tin cans will wish they never picked a fight with the Black Templars.” “Right on!” Said Akira.

Every shot punched a nice-sized hole through a drone, but it seemed there were ten more for every one I destroyed. Akira was taking out more than me, even. Then I received a transmission from Sasha. “Sir! All of our crew has been evacuated, and the ship could blow at any moment! Quickly, we must move away, lest we be caught in the shockwave!” I clicked an acknowledgement. “All units, break attack and make all speed to the Black Templar. Mission complete,” I announced. The computer steered the Diadem towards our ship, and activated the afterburners, hurling us towards it. I climbed down to the deck, and turned to speak to the crew. “Well, we’ve made it out of that. Now can anyone tell me exactly what the hell happened?” It was Jayko, a grizzled old smuggler who had joined up for the money, whom spoke up.

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“‘T’was the damnedest thing, Cap’n. One moment I’m going over the stuffs we captured, then th’ next some vile purple beast jumps on me and I black out. When I done come around, me an’ th’ lads were stuck what in those cells. How’d ye get out, sir?” “I was never captured. I awoke to find my bedroom wall riddled with bullet holes. Raeoran and I were the only ones left onboard, save for a pack of raving Gaunts and one holographic Captain Haddock,” I said, rubbing my chin. They all gasped and chattered for a moment. I then wondered why a hologram was able to wield a plasma rifle. Armand the brawler asked, “How’d that rat bastard get on board?” “I have no idea. But I think he had something to do with those Gaunts and he seems to have captured everyone. Why he skipped us I don’t know. Probably because he thought he could stop us once we reached the bridge,” I said. They laughed. A dwarf named MacGregor stood. “Well, he got what he deserved. The bastard lost his ship thanks to you, Captain,” He said, in his thick Scottish accent.“Thank you, Rudolf. I couldn’t have done it without Raeoran. I apologize for your capture. If anyone would like to leave this outfit, they are free to do so.” No one said anything. Then Jayko spoke for all of them. “We’re not going anywheres, Cap’n.” The rest nodded. I smiled. “Glad to hear it. I would again like to congratulate you on our battle with both the Crusader and the Muspelheim. That took guts. And that’s exactly what I expect of you all from now on. No more of these mass captures. I want everyone armed at all times for the next few days. No more surprises.” “Aye sir!” We were back on the Black Templar, before we knew it. When I reached the bridge, everyone bustling about getting things fixed and in order around me, my staff was already there. They all clapped. Alice stepped forward. “The rest of us would like to thank you and Raeoran for coming to rescue us so swiftly. To tell you the truth, I have been incarcerated a few times before and that was my shortest stay in any cell or stasis canister. Thank you, captain,” She said with a smile. I returned the smile, and then struck a triumphant pose. They all laughed. “All in a day’s work,” I said, laughing as well before taking my seat. 45

“Anything on long range sensors, Alice?” “I’ve got something, sir. Looks like a lone Combine supply outpost,” She said. “Ah, I smell a supply raid in the works. Set a course, Rae, and activate the Warp Drive. We missed our chance at the convoy in Hokkaido, but there will be others. For now, let’s hit that supply outpost. Off we go. You should all get some rest, Raeoran and I can handle things from here.” They all acknowledged my offer and soon it was only Raeoran and I on the bridge. I watched in silence as the blue-and-white streaks of Warp Space flashed by. We were traveling slowly, at only Warp 2, giving the others a chance to rest for a night. We would reach the supply base the next day. I drifted off, and later retired to my quarters. I noticed that everything was as it was. Even the smashed vase had been replaced. I changed into my sleeping clothes and went to bed, dreaming of my days in the Rally.

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Chapter 3

“There is no arguing with the barrel of a gun.”

Proverb

I awoke peacefully. I got out of bed, changed into my uniform, and served myself my favorite breakfast, a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, fresh from our hydroponics farm; I then stopped by the shooting range to practice my aim. Although I am already a crack shot, I like to hone my marksmanship whenever possible. After a few rounds, Raeoran came by to practice his aim with his favorite pistol. I complimented him. “Great shot!” “Thanks. By the way, Alice asked me to tell you that we’re coming up on that station. It’s defenses are pretty heavy, most notably several heavy laser cannons and numerous ship-to-ship missile racks. That thing looks more like a fortress then a supply post,” he remarked. I shot him a sideways glance. “You sound worried. I suppose we will just have to close in to within the station’s minimum range and engage in a forced boarding action. I want

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the men to get some real combat experience,” I told him. He turned to face me. “A forced boarding action on a Combine supply outpost? You know that’s never been done,” He said, in his usual tone of doubt.“And that is precisely why we will do it!” He sighed.“I suppose there's no changing your mind. Shall we go?” I chuckled. “Indubitably. Lets.” On my way to the bridge, I noticed the crew hard at work repairing the damage my dear Black Templar had suffered in our last battle. “I’m pleased to see that the damage to the ship has already been reduced to a negligible percentage,” I said analytically. Raeoran smiled. “The crew values this ship almost as much as they value your leadership, old friend. These are the kind of men and women who wanted very badly to strike back at the Combine and you have given them that chance,” He said. Anyone who noticed me passing by snapped me a crisp salute, which I promptly returned each time. I admired their loyalty and dedication. Few pirate captains should be as fortunate as to have a crew such as mine. I was extremely proud of all of them. Before long, I noticed Akira tinkering with what looked like a plasma rifle, but slightly larger and far more dangerous in appearance. “What’s that you have there, Akira?” He looked up in surprise, not having seen me approach. He saluted. “Morning, Captain! This thing? Oh, just a little pet project of mine. A new, more powerful plasma rifle. I can’t wait to try it out.” I sniggered. “You may just get your chance. I am going to lead an assault on the supply depot, and I need someone to lead a ranged support squad.” His eyes lit up, he stood up straight and said, “Sir! Permission to lead that squad, sir!” “Granted. Get your gear together. Find some powered armor if you can,” I told him. “No problem sir. I’ll be ready,” He said with confidence. I moved on, Raeoran in tow. “Raiki, are you really going to let him fight? And lead a whole squad?” “He’s more then competent. Age affects nothing, old friend. Look at old Harrison over there,” I said, gesturing to an elder crewman, who was lifting a rather heavy crate with ease.

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“He’s sixty-four, and I probably couldn’t lift that crate without a powered exoskeleton. And besides, that rifle of Akira’s is probably extremely powerful. I could use that kind of firepower when we go up against Jaeger battle drones,” I told him. He pondered this for a moment. “Good point. What will I be doing?” “I am confident in Alice’s abilities to captain the ship in my absence, and besides, there is no one I’d rather have watching my six in a firefight,” I said matter-of-factly. He stood straight in mock attention. “Of course, Captain. I will be with you every step of the way,” He said, making an expression of dismay. “Just watch my six too, will you?” “But of course,” I said, laughing. Raeoran laughed as well and we continued to the bridge.

When we reached it, I saw that the station was already in visual range. “Ms. Raven, what’s our status?” Alice turned and smiled. “All systems nominal, Captain. I’ve already selected our best fighters for the assault. They are standing by in the hangar and await only your presence.” I stopped. “How did you…” I trailed off, watching her tap her head. I chuckled. “Of course, silly me. Rae, the way is prepared. Gather your gear and meet me in the hangar. Alice, prepare our assault tank, just in case.” She nodded. I left. “Good luck, Captain!” She called after us. I broke into a run, getting to the turbolift just as Akira stepped onboard, decked out in his custom powered armor and carrying his hefty custom plasma rifle. He looked up at me. “Ready for battle, Cap!” “Indeed. Get down there and gather up second squad, I’ll be there momentarily.” He ran down towards the hangar while I went back to my quarters to retrieve the rest of my armor. I already had the gloves, so I strapped on the most important plates: legs, arms, chest and back. I chose to take only a combat headset, forgoing the helmet. What can I say, it messes up my hair! I checked my weapons and myself in the mirror, straightening my mantle. I made all haste to the hangar. When I got there, I found my best fighters waiting. Oliver, my bodyguard, was

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wearing his fatigues combined with some plates of power armor, and he carried a rather enormous belt-fed chain gun. “Why do you insist on using that antique?” I asked him.“For the same reason you wear that antiquated mantle,” He replied. I blinked, and then laughed. “Of course.” Next to him was Raeoran, wearing power armor and carrying dual plasma pistols and a beam saber. “Ready for battle, Raiki.” He said.“Indeed,” I replied. Next to him was Akira. His height was almost comical next to the adults around him, but he looked just as formidable in his armor and custom plasma rifle. Next to him was bold and brash Armand Groz, more commonly called “The Brawler”. He carried no projectile weapons, but rather bore specialized electrified gauntlets. He grinned. “I want to get up close and personal, sir,” He said.“As always,” I replied. Next to him was the ghostly Yelena Malkevich, our best sniper. She said nothing, but nodded, sniper rifle in hand and expression hidden behind her stealth mask. Next came Viktor Novikov, our explosives expert. A cautious man, his eyes swung all over, surveying everything. He wore some powered armor and carried his favorite weapon, an old canister-type grenade launcher. He also carried several pounds of explosives in the form of C-10. “Nasty stuff,” I said, gesturing at the C-10. “Aye sir! The most potent explosives available. They’ll cut through anything short of a neutron star, Cap’n.” Kraken stood next to him, his exoskeleton repaired. His wrist energy blades were extinguished, poised to ignite at any moment. He was programmed to terminate any threat with extreme prejudice. He was a thinking machine, however, and therefore had a sense of humor like any human. “I need not guns, sir. I could defeat Watchmen with a lead pipe.” He chuckled. “And you’ll do just that, my armor-plated friend.” Last in the line was Hestia Mitnicky, our hacking specialist. She was young and spindly, wearing minimal armor and carrying only a knife and plasma pistol. Under one arm she held her ultimate weapon, her custom built remote computer terminal with which she could work electronic miracles, hacking doors, disrupting drones, disabling security systems. 50

“I can’t wait to have a look at their mainframe, Captain. Zeus knows what I might find in there,” She said with glee. In addition to her love of screwing with Combine tech, she loved to continually expand her knowledge, adding forever to the Black Templar’s archives. “Hestia, you have a special task on this mission. When we get aboard, I want you to hack into their logs and find dates and locations for all shipments,” I told her. She nodded. “Is that all? I thought you had a challenge for me.” I laughed, and then stepped back. Behind this line stood more men and women who had been handpicked by Alice for the mission. “Listen up, you mugs. We are about to do what has never been done. We are going to board and raid a Combine supply outpost. We will take whatever we can carry and burn the rest. Anybody who shoots at us is fair game, this includes Watchmen. Otherwise, non-combatants are not to be harmed. I don’t want innocents hurt. Understood?” “Aye Captain.” they said in unison.“Good. You bunch in front. Each of you will have an additional task. I will be leading first squad, Akira will lead second. Don’t let his age fool you- he’s a crack shot and a sharp wit. Listen to him and you’ll make it back with all your limbs attached. Raeoran, you will be watching my back. Oliver, you will be Akira’s second, but you are free to move about the combat zone and eliminate targets of opportunity as you see fit. Armand, you will lead third squad, which consists purely of close combat specialists, Kraken will be your second. Yelena, you will operate separately from the rest of the force. You will hang back and pick off anybody dumb enough to wander into your sights. Viktor, in addition to blowing anyone away that gets too close, I want you to plant charges on strategically viable points, not so that we destroy the place, but enough so that it’s no longer of much use. Hestia, you know what to do. Anybody asks for a door opened or a sentry shut down, you answer in kind. Otherwise, I want you in their systems messing things up at all times. Does everyone have their orders?” “Aye Captain!” “Excellent. All ashore that’s going ashore!” And we all marched aboard the combat transports. “Remember everyone, no matter what, I want everyone watching everyone else’s back. Everyone comes home. Understood?” 51

“Aye Captain!” and with that, the five transports took off. It looked more like a full-scale invasion, but that might just be what we need. The station slowly came into view. One of second squad spoke up. It was Callaway, who frequently complained about something. “I got a bad feeling about this, Cap’n,” He said. “Stow that crap, Callaway. You always got a bad feeling about something.” Akira barked at him. Callaway shut up, surprised at being talked down to by a twelve year old. Some of the others laughed. The last trooper stepped aboard, a man named Gabriel, a quiet man of impressive intellect. I flipped the switch on the port bulkhead, and the door slowly closed up, hissing as the atmospheric seals secured. I turned, observing the crewmembers aboard this transport, the Diadem class. “Nice and smooth, Graff. I don’t want anyone puking all over the deck,” I yelled over to the pilot. Some of the crew laughed. Another started rocking slowly. One woman, Julie, started to flip a five-credit coin up and down. I watched her do so. She had very good hand-eye coordination. “You’re very good at that,” I said. “Thank you, Captain,” She replied, without turning to face me or messing up. The ride was fairly smooth, until we got close to the station. “We’re encountering some magnetic interference, sir. Must be the outer shield layer,” Said Graff. The ship bucked slightly. I turned to Hestia. She understood and nodded, taking out her portable terminal and beginning to hack into the stations systems. Within seconds, she had access to the shield generators. “Amateurs,” She said. “There was only a Delta-level security system in place. Not even worth messing with it. I just swept it aside,” She added. I heard a few more console strokes and a few beeps and blips. “Shields de-activated,” said the computer.“They’re wide open, sir,” Said Hestia. I turned to the rest of the crew. “We’ve penetrated their defenses. Fortunately for us, our transports are too small to be tracked by their larger weapons, and the smaller laser turrets aren’t going to be much of a problem. But once we land it’s another story. They’re likely to have at least 3 squads of infantry plus some Jaeger battle drones. We’ve got the firepower and the skill to take

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them on, but I don’t want anybody getting delusions of grandeur. Everyone ready?” I asked.“Aye Captain!” was the response.“Damn right we are,” I said. I stepped over the people sitting or lying on the floor to the cockpit and looked out the view port. We were already close enough to see the hangar. A few stray laser bolts whizzed by, nothing particularly dangerous. But when we got to the hangar, a storm of small arms fire came our way. “Angle shields forward, just to be safe. Land facing them, and cover us while we unload,” I said to Graff. “Aye-aye, Captain.” The other transports landed beside us, also facing forward, letting loose with their weapons to cover the disembarking infantry. The others started to file out, I followed them. Deciding it pointless to try and shout over the storm of laser fire, I yelled into the comm. “First squad, on me! Second squad, on Akira! Third Squad, on Armand! Move!” I heard a few say “Aye, Cap’n” I edged forward, using the transports for cover. Across the hangar I saw several squads of those damned Watchmen, all lined up nicely in cover behind a row of crates and barrels and such, firing their pulse rifles in unison. “All personnel report to stations. We are under pirate attack. Repeat, all personnel report to stations. This is not a drill,” Said the station’s ops officer over the PA. I picked my targets and began to fire, focusing on the sergeants when I could. The hangar was filled with a hellstorm of shots from both sides. Third squad advanced behind cover, Lacking ranged weapons. Second squad took up defensive positions behind cover, returning fire in kind. I witnessed Akira’s custom plasma cannon blow away a Jaeger drone in a single hit and could not help but be impressed. After that, the other Jaeger drones started taking cover. One of my boys got cocky and ran out, only to be struck in the shoulder by a pulse laser bolt and sent spiraling to the floor.“Man down!” I yelled. “Medic!” the man cried over the ruckus. A medic crawled out and took him by his good shoulder and began to drag him back behind cover. Then, of all things, there came pulse turret fire from ports in the bulkheads. Another man was hit in the stomach and doubled over in pain. 53

“Blast! Second squad, get under those ports and get some grenades in them! Third squad, keep your heads down! First squad, hold positions and maintain suppressing fire!” I watched as second squad came around, taking out most of the infantry and tossing some grenades into the ports. One port exploded outward, sending some Watchmen flying. My boys began firing into the breach. Armand reported in. “Position secure, Captain. Ready to move on to the rest of the station.” I saw as the remaining troops withdrew behind a blast door, which promptly slammed shut. “Hestia! Get that door open! The rest of you, move this junk around so we have a defensive post in front of the door. How are they?” I said to the medic, who was treating the wounded men.“They’ll live,” The medic replied. I looked around and picked off the few remaining security cameras. “That was almost too easy.” Raeoran said as he came over. “Don’t get paranoid on me, Rae,” I told him.“I’m not paranoid, Raiki. I’m just thinking that we took the hangar just a little too easily and quickly,” he said. “Speculation later, Rae. Ass-kicking now,” I said. I spoke to my men.“Right everyone, shoot anything in a gas mask, but leave the civilians. Let them escape,” I said. Then I sensed something beyond the blast doors.“What the hell?” said Raeoran. We both turned. “What is it?” said Hestia. Then her expression went blank. She felt it too. Everyone trained their guns on the door.“Hestia, run a scan, would you?” I said quietly.“Yes sir… Wait. I’m picking up something. It’s alive, whatever it is, but it’s not a Combine trooper, at least not one I’ve seen before. I can’t make it out. Maybe we shouldn’t open the door…” The others looked at me. I holstered my magnum and drew my beam saber, igniting it and stepping forward. “Open the door… slowly,” I said. “Yes Captain,” She replied, almost in a whisper. The blast door seeped open quietly. There was no pulse rifle fire or even any Watchmen at all. Instead, there was only a shadowy figure clad in black armor. The symbol of the Combine was etched in white on his breastplate. His face was obscured by a gas mask with tinted goggles, like that of the 54

Watchmen but styled differently. The figure raised a lit beam-saber, but it was a finely crafted one, probably hand-made. Then it hit me. “Get away from here, everyone! I’ll handle this,” I said. They promptly did so, Not wanting to see what that saber could do to them. He stepped forward. He spoke, if you can call it that, in a deep and sinister voice. “No need to fear for your crew, Captain Toranaga. I have no business with them.” “Really? And what is your “business”? And how do you know my name?” “I know a great many things, Captain, about you, about your past. My business is to terminate you,” He said in an even tone. “Not likely,” I replied. The figure chuckled. “Oh? And you think you are able to defend yourself?” I raised my saber. “I do, actually. Listen, whatever the Combine is paying you, I’ll double it. There is no need for this,” I said. “A tempting offer, but I answer to a higher authority then money,” He replied, dashing forward, slashing his saber. I parried. And so it went, slash, parry, thrust, dodge, and riposte. It went on, neither of us giving an inch. I had to use my psychic talents to make up for his advantage in speed. Obviously; this was no Watchman. Clearly, this was one of the Combine’s elite agents… A Specter. I began to tire. He leaned in on me. I stopped his saber with my own.“Something the matter, Captain? Running out of steam? Haw. This is rich. You were more of a challenge then I had anticipated, but this is all I get? Come on, make this worth my while, give me something I can sink my teeth into,” He said with a laugh. “Eat my dirt,” I told him. “Hah, that's the spirit,” He said. I shoved him off. Then I tossed my saber through telekinesis. He didn’t expect this, and I clipped off his arm above the elbow. He roared in pain and dropped his saber to the floor, causing it to sear the deck before extinguishing itself. “I believe I have won, since you are disarmed. Haw! Now take your saber and get out of my sight. When next we meet, I will not be so nice,” I said. He drew his saber to him, and then dashed down the hallway out of sight. Raeoran and the others came forward. “Who or what in the hell was that?”

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“I’ll explain later. For now, let’s gather up whatever isn’t nailed down,” I said. “I heard that. All right you mugs, you heard the Captain! Let’s get looting!” Raeoran yelled to the crew. They all hooted and hollered and dispersed outward, grabbing everything they could. I wandered down the hall amidst the chaos, observing everything from my crew to the architecture of the station. It was all very plain, very much undecorated. How like the Combine. Of course, they would view decoration as useless, so they have no need for it. Thus, the only thing on the walls, floors and ceilings was a dull metallic finish. My thoughts could not turn from the Specter. Just then, Raeoran came running after me and asked, “So what was that… thing?” I glanced at him. “That is a very good question. The only answer I have is that he was a Specter,” I said. “A Specter? Are you sure?”“Yes. But, there was something different about him, about his power. It was so warped, like his mind was scrambled. I don’t like it. Post someone at either end of this hall; I don’t want any more surprises.” Raeoran nodded and ran off. I continued walking down the hallway, and soon all I could hear was my own footsteps echoing through the station. I then came to a curiously open door. I say so because rather then being left open, it was damaged and hanging at an oblong angle. I stepped into the room. It appeared to be some kind of research laboratory, filled with equipment. The first thing I noticed was a pair of curious weapons lying on a table full of broken guns and swords. They looked to be combinations of both swords and firearms. One had a faint red color, and the blade was forged in the shape of an elongated flame. On the hilt was etched a name in Arabic. Inferno. The other was angular and cold to the touch, and was a faint blue. On its handle it said Snowstorm. I picked the strange weapons up and slung them over my back. I then noticed in the back of the laboratory were some green-tinted stasis tanks, which I glanced into. I found nothing in most of them, but the last one contained something strange- a creature I had never seen before. It looked vaguely human, yet… I saw something move in the shadows, diverting my attention from the canister’s strange occupant. I crept quietly over to where I saw the movement, but found nothing. The entire room was creeping up on me, so I left. I walked down the hall a little, and then 56

turned around. The broken door was nowhere to be seen, as if I had imagined it. “This whole place is starting to get to me…” I said to myself. I returned the way I had come. When I got back to the hangar, my crew was loading up the last of the cargo. The corpses of the dead Combine soldiers where all gathered up into a corner. I motioned Raeoran to come over, he did so. “This place is too weird, Rae. When we get back, notify the rest of the command staff that I’m calling a meeting. We need to discuss what’s happened here,” I said. He raised an eyebrow. “More has happened since we last spoke, you’d best get aboard the transport,” I advised him. As soon as everyone was strapped in, we took off. When we reached the minimum safe distance, I snapped my fingers. Viktor activated the detonator, and several explosions ripped through the station. It was heavily damaged, but remained intact.

“Good. Make all haste back to the Templar, Graff. I don’t want to hang around here a second longer than is necessary,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. “Aye, sir,” he replied. I glanced out the forward view port just as a mirage-like haze appeared, indicating that my ship was de-cloaking. Thank Odin for cloaking devices. If any Combine ships had appeared, we’d have been stranded here. The landing was rather un-eventful as landings go, so I hopped off the landing ramp just before the transport actually set down. I walked somewhat proudly, glad to have a successful raid despite the strange goings-on. I received and returned salutes as I returned to my quarters, enjoying the lavish décor as a refreshing change from the haunting titanium finish of the supply station. After removing my rather uncomfortable armor, I removed my mantle and sat down at my table with a novel to read. I stopped only to grab a snack and check on things, making sure to arrange a funeral for the man we lost. A few hours later, Raeoran, Alice, Akira, and Oliver filed in. I invited them to sit. Alice spoke first, to all our surprise. “So Captain, explain to us what happened on the station,” She said. I blinked. She nodded, indicating she had not read my mind. I then proceeded to relay my tale.“After the hangar was secure, Hestia proceeded to hack the main blast doors, so we could continue. She reported that only a single person was 57

behind the door, and I was blasted with strange emanations. When the door opened, of all things a Specter stepped out, wielding a finely crafted beam saber. I fought him in single combat, and won, costing him an arm. He fled, and I did not see him again. There was no trace of him leaving the station, so I am assuming him to be dead. Or at least stuck there for the time being. The crew grabbed what they could but I ventured deep into the station on my own. Except for endless halls of silver, all I found was a single open door, such because it was broken. I entered. I found… I’m not really sure what it was. Some kind of secret research laboratory, I suppose. There were all kinds of strangeness in there. The cryogenic tanks were empty except for one, which contained a strange mutated humanoid. The tank’s markings indicated the occupant had been exposed to Zenothium,” I stated grimly. All gasped, except for Alice, who merely shook her head. Oliver spoke up. “Zenothium? That stuff is supposed to be illegal. Nobody in the universe has access to Zeno anymore.” “It’s supposed to have powerful mutagenic properties on any organic substance,” Alice said.“Correct. Zenothium, in any form, is highly mutagenic, but also has almost no toxicity- the stuff isn’t lethal in any dose. I read that the Union used it before the bans on NBC warfare. They used to experiment with it on various subjects, in an attempt to create a powerful bio-weapon. They failed, and abandoned the project. Now, I am willing to believe that the Combine has a Zenothium-weapon project,” I speculated. “How? Why?” Alice said. “The man I fought, his power was similar to that of a Specter. However, it was heavily warped, and I almost was unable to read anything off of him except strange static, like an old radio with no signal. I can venture to guess these “Super Specters” were exposed to a tiny amount of Zenothium gas. Yes; there are probably more of them. The poor soul in that container was completely immersed in liquid Zenothium, and obviously had been for some time,” I mused. They all gasped, including Alice this time. Akira spoke up for the first time. “Soooo… they’ve succeeded in creating the bio-weapon they always wanted?” “I’m not sure, Akira. It depends on the scale of the research. It’s quite possible the creature was the only one of its kind, in which case we have 58

stonewalled the entire operation. It will take decades to acquire that much Zenothium again, however it is they do it. There was one- or rather, two other things I found…” I got up, and retrieved the mysterious “gun-blades” I had found. I placed them on the table. They all were impressed, thinking it a worthy addition to my arsenal. But Alice said nothing. In fact, she was wide eyed, finger stabbed at the base of one of the blades. I looked at where she was pointing, a saw a small, strange icon carved into the blade of Inferno, resembling a simple cross with twin snakes entwined around it. I looked back at her, she seemed horrified. “What? Alice, what is it?” The rest looked at her, as she was now backing away slowly from the weapon. “What?!” Akira jumped over the table, knocking glasses over as he went. He took a magnifying glass and weighty history book out of his satchel.“Found this in the station commander's office,” Akira said, indicating the book. He proceeded to examine the icon. “Oooh, I’ve seen this icon before. It’s the insignia of Jericho,” He stated, the gravity of that statement apparent in his voice. Everyone looked mystified.“Jericho… what the Combine used to be?” Raeoran asked. Akira read on. “Yeah. Jericho was the former name of the Imperial Combine, back before they started conquering the galaxy, when it was occupied by five space nations, including Yamato and Jericho itself,” Said Akira, relaying the words from the text. I looked up, seeing that Alice had passed out, and was slumped against the wall. Oliver was attempting to revive her. Raeoran had come over, transfixed on Akira’s tale. “After settling in, Jericho established itself as the most militarily powerful nation,” He continued. “An uneasy peace had existed between the nations, since contact had been re-established after the chaos of The Exodus,” He said. I looked up. “Ah, the story of ancient Terra,” I mused.“Yeah,” He replied distantly. I pondered this; almost dropping the Inferno I was so lost in thought. Akira took it from me and set it on the table, continuing to study it.

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“These things are ancient, from the days before even laser technology. Apparently, they were forged thousands of years ago on Terra by two skilled swordsmiths… one created a gunblade of flame, the other of ice. It has something to do with an old Terran myth. Anyway, it looks like the swords were passed down through the royal family of Jericho, ending up in the hands of Prince Kassad, the last heir to the throne,” He said. “That explains the icon,” I replied. “Right. It then says that there was some kind of political coup in the higher ranks of Jericho, and it then became the big evil empire we know today, but it didn’t get renamed The Imperial Combine until later. It says that Kassad disappeared, with many accounts of what happened to him. Some say he’s dead, others say he fled to Terra, still others say he went into hiding, taking these with him,” He said, closing the book. “The info on these swords ends there,” He finished. “Guess that he lost them somehow,” Rae said, to which I replied,“Yeah, and they came into the possession of the Combine. Though I can’t figure out for the life of me how they wound up on some gods-forsaken backwater post, unless that secret laboratory had something to do with it. Well, however they got there, they’re mine now. Templar claim. But why was Alice so scared of them?” Akira glanced through his book again. “My guess is that seeing the swords made Alice recall some ingrained psychic memory or something. But even so, someone very close to her must seen them with his or her own eyes,” I thought aloud. “Hmm… Perhaps I should discuss this with her. Take her to Dr. Freeman. When she comes around, tell her that I would like to talk to her. Alone,” I added. “Alright,” He said, walking over to help the others carry Alice to the infirmary. Meanwhile, I sat down to further examine the mysterious weapons. Clearly, they were guns and swords combined into one, and they each emanated a presence. Inferno broadcasted fiery rage, Snowstorm cold hatred. I felt as if the swords were alive, and angry at being separated from their master. I hefted them in my hands. They were constructed in a way that allowed me to wield them easily as either guns or swords. I decided to take them down to the shooting range.

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On the way, the emanations of the gun-blades began to intensify. They became strongest near the hangars, and I marked this for investigation later. For now, I went to the shooting range. Upon getting there, I saw that the only person there was Yelena. She nodded, acknowledging my presence, then returned to her shooting. I drew both of them, aiming them down the range. I fired continuously for the duration of the exercise. The bell rung and I twirled them about. I looked up to find that the point counter had broken. It flashed one hundred-thousand points. “Gods,” I muttered. Yelena had been watching the whole time. “Interesting weapons you have there, Captain,” She observed. Yelena almost never spoke unless she was profoundly moved to do so. Obviously, I held weapons of enormous power in my hand. I twirled them once more. Then I suddenly realized I had not loaded them beforehand. I examined them thoroughly, but found no obvious way to load either weapon. Yelena spoke again. “You fired upwards of two hundred shots without loading or reloading, Captain,” She said, confirming my suspicions. Shocked, I realized that they must somehow be enchanted to never run out of ammunition. Curious, I restarted the challenge and paid close attention to how many times I fired. Not once did either make the distinctive click of a spent magazine. The bullets continued to fly and the empty casings continued to be expelled from both weapons. Marveled, I spun both blades about again before slinging them over my back once more. Yelena nodded her approval. I shrugged. “Good thing I found them before some damn Watchman did,” I said. She nodded again. She saluted me before returning to her practice. I returned the salute and exited the shooting range; still marveling at the mysterious weapons I carried on my back.

I decided to retire for the evening; the day’s events had been somewhat trying. I quickly changed into my nightclothes after playing on my old game console for a while. Some time later I examined the rest of the room thoroughly, not wishing to have any more surprises. Everything was as it should be. Satisfied, I went to bed and fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

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Chapter 4

“Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability.”

Agent Smith

Do you believe in fate? An overarching force that controls the paths of our lives, steering us to but one destiny? I don’t. I believe I am in control of my own destiny, and that our lives are ours to shape, not someone else’s. I willingly chose to be a pirate believing this, and I still believe it. My faith in myself has been tested before. And doubtless it would be tested again.

Getting out of bed, I glanced around quickly and found nothing amiss. So, I changed into my uniform, observing myself in the mirror as always. After milling about my room for a few minutes, straightening pictures and polishing my Blood Rally trophy, there was a knock at my door. “Who is it?” I asked, too busy to sense who it was.“Alice. May I come in?” I was a little surprised.

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“Of course. Come right in.” My enormous door cracked open slightly, and the hooded figure of Alice hovered in. She removed the hood and sat down at my table. I sat down next to her. “So. What do you want to talk about?” I asked, fully aware of what the answer would be. “It’s about Inferno and Snowstorm, the two gun-blades you found,” She began.“Yes? What of them?” “The reason I was so scared and fainted was... well, they were heirlooms of the Jericho royal family, and, well, they were said to be the weapons that usurped the kingdom.” “How so?” I asked, quite curious.“It’s not clear, really. The memory is not mine, and it is hazy,” She said, rubbing her forehead. “Do you know who was there? What happened, do you know?” She leaned back in her chair and reflected on it. When she looked at me again, she looked like she’d just read a book on the subject. “It was some time ago… before the formation of the Combine. There was turmoil in the Jericho royal family, on their home world, Nova Judea. There was some kind of coup being perpetrated by a jealous aunt against the rest of the family. Somehow, she manipulated all of the family save one,” She said. The answer was obvious.“The prince,” I said. “Yes. Kassad was the only one who saw reason, the only one who knew that if Jericho became an oppressive empire it would destroy everything they had worked for, everything those who left Earth had worked for. He tried to convince the rest of his family, but they were all mesmerized by that witch… the aunt. Hulda, I think her name was. There was a civil war. Hulda's forces versus Kassad and his loyalists. Everyone on Nova Judea itself prayed that Kassad would win, as that would secure the future of the universe for the better. Everyone knew Jericho was the strongest nation. If they suddenly turned on the rest of humanity, they would be powerless to stop them. But…” She trailed off. Tears came to Alice’s eyes. “Please. You don’t have to continue if it is painful for you,” I told her. She shook her head and continued slowly.

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“I just realized who the psychic who was there was. He was a close friend of Kassad. They had been friends growing up, and he was forever at Kassad’s side during the war. His name was Gregory. And I am quite sure he was my father,” She said in a hoarse voice.

I was taken aback. “Your father? I’m sorry. I never meant for you to… Alice, forgive me,” I said. “No, No. It’s not your fault. I needed to know that,” She said, more to herself then me. She took a deep breath and went on. “Now, the part about the swords. During the closing months of the war, Kassad’s forces had been steadily beating back the rebels. Finally, in December, they reached the palace at long last. Kassad and Gregory personally marched up the steps of the palace and into the throne room. Hulda was waiting for them,” She sobbed. “Alice, you don’t have to tell me,” I told her. “I must. You have to know,” She said, clutching her head for a moment. She shuddered, then suddenly calmed and was able to continue. “Strewn about the room were the bodies of the rest of the family. Killed by Hulda,” She said. “Gods below,” I muttered. “Kassad ran forward, screaming for her death. Gregory tried to stop him. That’s all I remember. The memory just cuts off. Kassad charging and then nothing,” She whispered and then fell silent. I drew her close to me. She cried into the recesses of my coat. I gently rocked her back and forth. After a few minutes, she looked up at me and smiled. “Thank you… Raiki,” She said. “I am your Captain and your friend. I would not sit by and watch you go through a difficult emotional moment and just stand by and do nothing,” I said. She returned to her chair. “I know you wouldn’t,” She said, laughing lightly. She took a deep breath and said,“Captain, tell me what happened on the station when you came across the swords.” I crossed my arms and stared at the ceiling. “Well, after I fought that agent, I walked down the hall and saw the open door. I entered and found the secret lab with all its broken equipment and such, that was where the containers of Zenothium were and where the swords were, just lying on the table. I picked them up and examined 64

them before slinging them across my back, whereupon I looked about. The whole lab smelled of corruption. When I left, I turned around and saw that the door was gone. The wall was smooth, no seams, like it had never been there. The whole incident was somewhat unsettling.” She paused, considering this. Then, “Show me the weapons,” She commanded. I sat up. “Are you sure?” “Yes. I must confront my fear of them,” She said. So I walked over to the shelf I had set the gun blades on, picked them up and returned to the table. I laid them out. She flinched, but continued to stare at them, particularly at the emblem carved into the blades. “No doubt, that is the emblem of the Jericho royal family. They look exactly like the ones in the vision. I do not know what to do with them, but you found them, so I suppose they are yours now. I have no idea why they would turn up now, where they did, and for you to find them. Perhaps they have wills of their own. They are powerful forces, maybe even entities. They may yet have an agenda of their own and knowledge of what we know nothing of,” She said, trailing off, and then added, “It comforts me to know they chose a man like you to be their new master. That is a sign of good things to come.” She sighed, and then looked at them again. “Thank you,” She said. “Of course. Any news?” She blinked, and then remembered. “Yes, actually. We’ve stumbled across a derelict capital vessel. It looks ancient, and its configuration doesn’t match anything in our data.” “A Terran vessel, perhaps?” “That’s entirely possible,” She replied. “To the bridge, then,” I said. “Ladies first,” I added. She giggled, and hovered out the door. I sighed. Quite a girl, that one. I followed her out. Walking down the hall, it was busy with activity, everyone running around tripping over each other just to get where they were going. Akira ran into me without ever seeing me there. He fell to the ground.“Whoops!” I said, helping him up. “You really should watch where you’re going, Akira. You're liable to hurt yourself,” I said to him, but he was already engrossed once more in what he was doing. He walked off. I shook my head and continued, 65

watching everyone hustle and bustle about. Oliver was standing by the elevator when I got there, opposite Jak, the lift guard. “Good morning, Captain,” they both said.“Morning, Oliver, Jak.” Oliver, Alice and I stepped into the turbo lift. Seconds later, we reached the bridge. The rest of the command staff was already there.“Hey Raiki! Come have a look at this,” Said Raeoran with a wave. Alice took her post and Oliver stood behind my command chair as always. I glanced over Raeoran’s shoulder at what he was looking at. My eyes went wide. “I know that ship from somewhere!” I recalled seeing an image of the ship I now looked upon aboard the Rising Sun, in one of Azrael’s history lessons.“Yup, it’s the Gettysburg,” Raeoran said, he too remembering. Alice overheard. “The Gettysburg? That’s funny… I’ve not heard of that vessel,” She said. I stood up and cleared my throat. “The Gettysburg was a battleship from the earliest days of the Star Nations. She belonged to the Union, if I remember correctly. In the early days, the Union fought with everyone, including themselves. They got away with this because their technology was years ahead of everyone else, including Jericho and Yamato. That battleship is famous because it was the flagship of the Union Navy. The Jericho Special Forces staged a desperate boarding action when they began to lose the war and succeeded in capturing the vessel. The capturers turned it on the rest of the Union fleet and obliterated them. The Union government thereafter sued for peace and never attacked anyone again,” I finished. No one said anything, so I continued after a moment. “Jericho gave them the ship back after the peace treaty, only to turn around and supposedly blow it out of the sky years later. Apparently, they did not finish the job,” I observed. “The blast marks are nearly as old as the vessel and there’s nothing on it that says it’s been touched since then,” Raeoran added. “This is the first anyone has seen of it since then. Funny we should come across it,” I said. No one said anything for a time.

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“Sir, This is a great opportunity. There’s no telling what kind of valuable or useful equipment or information may be on that vessel,” Said Oliver, breaking the silence. I pondered this. “I suppose,” I replied.“Sir, wouldn't that be grave-robbing, in a sense?” Oliver looked indignant.“It's not grave robbing, it's scavenging!” Rae glared at him.“Rae, initiate a scan. Tell me if you find anything alive, active, or otherwise out of place on a dead ship. I’ll lead the expedition. I’m taking a small team. Alice, Oliver, go get Viktor and Armand and meet me by the hangar. Bring whatever you think you need. Rae, send our boys over to get whatever we can carry after we’ve checked the place out. Get some drones out there to cover our approach,” I ordered, walking off the bridge. I went to my quarters and put on my power armor and slung the two gun-blades over my back. I felt a strange chill as I left my quarters, but saw nothing. Shrugging the feeling off, I proceeded directly to the hangar, where my team was waiting for me in front of the Diadem-class transport. “Well, you all know what we are going to do. Go in, check the place out, take out any unwanted presence, and then bring the boys in to grab everything. Keep your wits about you and check your suits. The atmosphere in there's obviously compromised. And don’t touch anything that looks like it shouldn’t be touched; this includes the crew’s personal effects. Don’t disturb the dead, that’s one of my mottos. Get aboard,” I ordered. Alice took the helm. She steered us smoothly out of the hangar and towards the Gettysburg. As we were approaching, I got weird psychic signatures from the ship. Everyone looked up.“Anyone else feel that?” Viktor asked.“Yes, I feel them. Perhaps we should turn back?” Alice said.“No, we should investigate. There could be someone aboard,” I said. I reached out to the presence, but to my surprise it immediately retreated when it sensed me. I searched, it had vanished. Then Alice exclaimed, “Captain! The ships defenses are online and are targeting us!” “Evasive maneuvers!” She banked hard to the left, dodging a plasma blast. I radioed the Templar.

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“Delta one to Templar, we are taking heavy defensive fire, please advise!” I was slammed into the port bulkhead a moment later, and only caught the tail end of Raeoran’s response. “Say again, Templar!” “Repeat, evacuate the area. We are setting main cannons for EMP and are targeting the vessel,” He said. “Affirmative. Alice, pull back. We’re going to fry that thing with an EMP burst,” I told her. “Aye, Captain. Retreating,” She said. The transport flew away from the vessel. Once we reached a safe distance, Alice turned the ship around so we could watch. The blue crackling cloud of an EMP blast flew over our heads, causing the consoles and lights to fizz for a moment. I noticed just then that the lights on the bridge were on. “Do you see what I see?” I asked. “Bloody hell,” Oliver said. The EMP burst flew through space, the Gettysburg’s turrets trying desperately to destroy it. It impacted the forward starboard side of the ship, and the turrets instantly fell silent, and the lights went off. Alice watched the consoles. Raeoran’s voice came into my head through the comm. “The entire defense system is completely fused- there’s no chance of repairing it any time soon. The other systems have been temporarily disabled. It looks like her engines were active.” “That’s impossible. Even today’s’ fusion cores burn out after a few hundred years,” I said, trying to make sense of the situation. “I know. Maybe you ought to pull back,” He advised. I saw that the rest of my team had overheard this conversation. “You heard the man. This is some weird shit. We are getting on that ship, I want some answers,” I said. Alice throttled up and we flew towards the ship once more. No more strange happenings came to be. “Captain, the hangar door has been completely blown off. I think we had better seal our suits,” She said. “Right. Zip up, everyone,” I ordered. I heard the characteristic hiss as the atmospheric seals of my suit secured. I put on my helmet, and it secured itself. The others did the same. “Check your weapons,” I said. Everyone did so. “Black Templars radio check,” I said over the comm. Everyone’s reply came through crystal clear. 68

“Right. Alice, open the hatch,” I said. She pulled a lever, and the hatch opened. There was an explosive hiss as the air vented out. We gently floated. “Activate magnetic boots,” I said. I heard several thumps as the magnetic boots secured themselves to the hull. I walked out, surveying the ruined hangar. There was floating debris and scorch marks everywhere, along with some destroyed spacecraft. “The attackers left nothing,” Oliver said. We marched across the hangar to the nearest exit. I turned to Oliver. “I want you to cover our rear. Secure this hangar and appropriate any useful equipment,” I told him.“Aye, sir,” He replied with a salute. Alice, Armand, Viktor and I reached the nearest door, an ancient looking thing. It slid open, and we did not get the venting blast we expected. “There’s no air on the ship, anywhere,” Alice said. I crept forward, Inferno at the ready. The halls where dark and had been striped of almost everything. We activated our suit lights to help us navigate. Viktor checked his schematics. “The layout is similar to old cruise liners. Cargo holds are all down below, and there’s a network of passages that meet in a commons area. In this commons area is a set of lifts, one of which takes us to the bridge. “Right. Lead the way, Vik,” and so he did, using his map to guide us through the twisting passages. Eventually we came to a crossroads, and Vik noticed that the passage we needed to take was blocked by some kind of barrier. Alice hovered forward. “That’s strange. This debris was moved here only recently.” I looked around, and I noticed some claw marks on the walls in the other direction. “There is something onboard. I don’t know what, but whatever it may be, it generated those emanations, shot at us, and has created this barrier to impede our progress. Oliver, come in. What’s the status back at the hangar?” Silence. “Oliver? What’s going on?” Again, nothing. “Oliver! Respond, damnit!” Static. “What the hell?” Alice, Armand, Viktor and I all looked at one another. I shook my head.

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“This whole mission is going down the tubes. Viktor, clear this debris. Alice, you take Armand and find out why the hell Oliver isn’t answering. Report back immediately,” I said. “Aye, sir.” They ran off. Viktor set to work at the debris with is wrist fusion cutter. While he was cutting, I surveyed the immediate area. The whole place was dark and you couldn’t see anything you weren’t shining a light on. “I hate this place,” Viktor muttered. Minutes flew by, and Viktor was making little progress. There was no word back from the others. “Oliver, Alice, Armand, come in. What’s going on over there?” There was no reply, only static. “Any receiving unit, come in! This is Captain Toranaga!” I could not raise anyone “Cut off from the entire universe. Damn!” I kicked the corroded wall, leaving a sizable dent. Viktor looked at me. “This is bunk. We’re getting out of here, come on.” Viktor stopped his cutting and followed me. He pulled ahead and navigated us back. We turned several times, and Viktor seemed increasingly nervous. “There’s something wrong here Captain- the map is all screwy and the passages aren’t the same,” He said. “What do you mean? Are we stuck in some kind of labyrinth?” “We might as well be, Sir. I’m lost; I don’t even know where we are, exactly. I’m losing my signal!” His map cut out. He backed slowly toward me, and I did the same. “Sir, what should we do…?” He asked. I pondered this for a moment. Then, as if from nowhere, we heard a deafening scream from all directions. The floor beneath me shook. “Space ghost- a banshee, to be precise,” I said. Viktor shuddered. “I heard they could cause hearts to explode with those screams of theirs… What now, captain?” The screams came again. I said, “Run!” And we ran at full gait in the direction that felt like the right way. We kept turning left, as I remembered from hedge mazes that if you kept your hand on the left wall, you would eventually escape. Viktor was incredibly fast, to my surprise. “What’s the plan?” He panted. “Keep running,” I replied, so we did. And all the while, the screams grew louder and seemingly closer. 70

“Keep running!” Suddenly, the passage opened into endless darkness. I assumed we had reached either the hangar or the commons area. “Down!” I yelled. Viktor slammed into the ground, and I whirled around, pulling from my belt a flare, which I lit and threw into the darkness. The whole room was lit, and the screams changed to ones of fear rather then despair. Then I saw the thing, a horrible floating apparition with no visible legs, spindly arms and an elongated, tortured face with flowing hair. I reached for Inferno and aimed it at the creature.

It backed away, but not far enough. I drew Snowstorm and fired both weapons at the creature. Surprisingly, it resulted in a blinding flash and an ear-splitting scream of pain. When I could see again, the creature had vanished. I twirled the blades and slung them over my back once more. Viktor was in the fetal position, slowly rocking. He noticed the absence of the banshee and got up quickly, clearing his throat and raising his grenade launcher. “Uh… sorry I was not much help, Captain,” He stuttered. “That’s alright, Viktor. We can’t all be half-crazed,” I said with a laugh. I looked around at the now well-lit room, as did Viktor. “The commons room!” He yelled. He ran over to the turbo lifts and selected the far left one. “Come on, Captain! This will take us to the bridge. Maybe we can figure out what the hell’s going on,” He said. “Right,” I replied. I ran over and we stepped in. He hit a button and we began to rise slowly. “This lift is ancient, I’m amazed it still works,” He said. After what seemed an eternity later, we reached the bridge. The door slid open.

I ducked reflexively, pulling Viktor down with me as a wave of flame passed overhead. What I saw when I looked up was something I regret seeing, as above us stood the imposing form of some unspeakable beast. Towering and bathed in flame, it was an obviously a Warp apparition. Viktor loaded some Freon canisters into his grenade launcher. “Duck!” he said, and I did so. He fired the frozen shells at the creature, and it roared in pain. When the steam cleared, the creature has several patches of ice on him that slowed his movement considerably. He spat fireballs at us, which I dodged. Viktor retreated behind a bulkhead,

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popping out occasionally to fire an ice grenade. I tried shooting the creature, but it had little effect. “I wish Alice was here, she would know how to deal with this thing!” Suddenly, a burst of static came through on my comm. “Capta…we…under attack…unable to contact Black Templar…” It was Armand’s voice. “Armand! Come in! This is the Captain! We are pinned down in the bridge by some kind of fire spirit!” Then Alice’s voice pierced into my head. “Captain! Can you hear me? I could not locate you while the banshee was present; it was blocking all telepathic signals. It may have been the psychic presence we sensed.” “This place seems to be a hotbed of supernatural activity. We are pinned down in the bridge by a... Gods, it's like a fire demon of some kind! Please advise!” “A fire demon?! That makes sense. We are facing some creatures like that. Have Viktor distract it with ice grenades.” “Already happening. Then what?”“Well, do you have any ice bullets?”“No!”“Wait- the sword! Use Snowstorm!”“What?”“Don’t you realize what Snowstorm is? It’s an ice-enchanted weapon! Use it!”“I already tried!” “You have to believe in the power of the blade, Raikiendo! The swords chose you; now show them they were right in doing so!” I slung Inferno over my back and grasped Snowstorm’s hilt with both hands. I invented a prayer to the sword. “Sword of the rightful prince of Jericho, help me in my hour of need.” Suddenly, it began to glow a faint blue and became cold to the touch. It seemed to freeze the very air it touched, as little snowflakes began to fall from it. I stood and leveled the weapon at the creature, slowed by Viktor’s ice grenades. It saw the weapon and reeled in fear. I tried to think of something to say, deciding on“Spawn of the Warp, begone!” I fired, and I was thrown back as a blinding beam of pure cold magic pierced the creature. When the steam 72

cleared, the demon was completely frozen. Viktor fired an explosive grenade into the creature, shattering it into a thousand tiny pieces. I looked at the blade. It had lost its glow and coldness. I got up and staggered over to the remains. “Chilling,” I muttered. I advanced to the ancient consoles. Some of the controls were so old that they had frozen in place and would not budge. But the navigation system seemed active. “That’s strange,” I said. Viktor had recovered and came over. “What?” He asked.“Some sets of coordinates have been deleted from the system. Probably Terra, or some such secret location,” I observed, examining the other systems. The weapons console was crackling with electrical pulses, due to our EMP burst. Most of the consoles were dark. Then I saw something amazing. “Look here! The reactor controls are active!” “No reactor could last that long, unless it had been recently replaced,” Viktor stated.“Or perhaps energized by that fire demon,” I muttered. I looked around some more, and found the Captains chair, upturned in a corner. I noticed a torn piece of paper pegged to the seat. I removed it and looked it over. The letter was in Standard.

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Captain’s log, 21/1/3021

My name is Captain John Roland of the Union Navy, and I fear this will be my last entry. My ship, the Gettysburg, has come under heavy attack by beings I cannot begin to understand. Our engines have been disabled and our weapons are running low. I cannot activate the self-destruct system, it has been disabled. I am holed up with my command staff in the bridge, hoping to stall the creatures whilst we disable the ship’s systems, rendering it useless. I will not allow my ship to fall into the hands of these... demons. Though I fear any measures we take are futile. Even as I write this, we are being boarded and my men are being mercilessly slaughtered. I cannot bear this, so I plan to gather my weapons and face the creatures myself, whilst my staff scuttle what they can. At some level I hope that someone finds this letter... but I know that no one would ever in their right mind set foot on this ship again. By some strange twist of fate, If you, the reader, finds this letter, I pray that you are well and that you can tell my wife and daughter that I love them very much, and they remain in my heart even as I march to face my own doom.

-Carl Roland

“Poor devil. His message was never heard,” I said. Viktor had read it over my shoulder, and wiped a tear from his eye. “Should we leave it here?” “Yes,” I said, pinning it back to the chair. I replaced the chair. Viktor and I placed our hands over our hearts and held a moment of silence for the poor men and women who died on this cursed vessel. “I’ve decided. We will take only the ship’s log and navigational data. Touch nothing else. This is a graveyard and should be treated as such,” I told him. He nodded and proceeded to gather said data. Then I closed my eyes and contacted Alice.

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“Alice, the bridge is secure. We are leaving,” I said flatly.“The lesser demons disintegrated when you destroyed the greater demon. I can guide you back to the hangar. I presume that whatever was blocking the comms is still active, because I still cannot contact you or the Black Templar by normal means,” She said.“It does not matter. We are leaving this ship as-is. We have no right to take any more then the data in the computers,” I told her.“I agree. We will be ready to leave… follow my signal. Captain?” “Yes?” “I felt an enormous surge of cold power. Was it the sword?”“Yes… I don’t know what came over me, but I called out Kassad to empower the blade, to help me defeat the demon. And when the demon saw it, it reeled in what I could only call fear. The blade glowed and became very cold to the touch, and when I fired, this huge beam of blue light came out, leaving the whole room frosted,” I said.“That is the power of Snowstorm, captain. You will find that Inferno is equally powerful with its power over flame,” She said, clearly proud of me. “Hmm…” I lead Viktor behind me whilst following Alice’s emanations. Soon, we had reached the hangar. The door sealed behind us. Strangely enough, we were on the opposite side from the door we entered. “This ship is too weird for me,” I said. Alice nodded. I stepped on board the transport, Viktor in tow. Oliver was behind the controls. His armor was scorched, as was Armand’s, even more so. Alice was sweating. I pointed this out. She said, “I had to concentrate intensely to throw them. The things didn't seem to have minds, so it was difficult to manipulate them. I am just happy to be leaving this accursed place,” She sighed.“As am I. And Viktor too, I’m sure,” I added. I turned to look at him. He was clutching his grenade launcher tightly and gently rocking back and forth. I looked at Armand. “I’m ok, sir,” He said. “There were thousands of ‘em, Cap. I ran out of ammo faster then you can say pissin’ metal, so I started slugging 'em like Armand here. The buggers would’ve overrun us if you two hadn’t taken down the big guy. Viktor ok?” Oliver asked, noticing Viktor’s rocking.

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“He’ll be alright,” I assured him. That ghost bit was a little much for a simple explosives expert. He rocked slower, still clutching his grenade launcher. I checked my gunblades, found everything in order. Alice saw this and commented on it. “I wonder… The book mentioned at one point that only Kassad himself could use the blades’ true power. Perhaps that one detail was incorrect,” She mused. “Maybe,” I said. I slung them over my back once more, getting up to look out the front view port. I was enormously relieved to see the characteristic mirage as the Black Templar decloaked. “I was beginning to think I would never see her again,” I said. Alice looked at me. “That ship and you are inseparable, Captain. You would never leave her, and she would never leave you,” She said, sounding quite certain. “I am… very happy to know that, Alice,” I said with a smile. She blushed and turned away. I looked back, and a very familiar voice exploded in my ear. “Raiki! What in the name of the Pantheon happened in there? Did you get anything useful?!” “Just some computer data and all my limbs intact, Rae,” I shot back. “Well, I guess that’s good news. You’re cleared to dock in bay three. Welcome home, Captain,” He said formally. “Good to be back, Rae. Remind me not to go poking around in old derelict battleships anymore.” I heard him laugh. We landed safe and sound, Viktor getting off last. I stopped him, and he looked up at me. “I’m sorry Captain. Ghosts and demons aren’t really my forte,” He said. I laughed. “That’s alright, Vik. Go get some rest, you’ve earned it, plus whatever pay I can scrounge,” I told him. He chuckled. “Thanks, Cap,” He said, walking off. I did as well. I noticed I was quite hungry, so I stopped by the mess hall for dinner. Sasha was there cooking up a storm, and the crew was all sitting about, stamping their silverware in unison. I yelled. “Alright, enough! Don’t push poor Sasha, or somebody’s going to end up with a meat cleaver in their skull!” I yelled. They all turned and cheered, happy to have me back. Sasha threw something, which I caught. It was a cold beer. 76

“On the house, Captain!” “Thanks, Sasha.” I had a seat with the crew whilst dinner was being prepared. When it was finally done, Sasha tossed trays everywhere. It was a wonder the whole mess hall didn’t erupt in a food fight. The food was quite good, roast chicken, a favorite of the crew, fresh from our onboard farm. “What do you think, Cap? Good chicken?” I made an “A-OK” sign. He leaped into the air and clicked his feet together, then proceeded to make dessert. It was some cheesecake, which was too rich for most of the crew. I had a piece, and then retired to my quarters. Rather then recite the events of the day to Rae, I simply wrote them down in my journal and went to sleep. I dreamed of cheesecake.

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Chapter 5

“They say the mind twists and bends to deal with the horrors of life. Sometimes… the mind snaps in two.”

-Sweet Tooth

I awoke to a familiar psychic presence outside my door. I quickly dressed myself. “Come in, Alice,” I called. She entered. “Good morning, Captain,” She said, looking somewhat glum.“Good morning, Alice. Have you come to discuss the Gettysburg?” She nodded. I motioned for her to sit, and I did the same. “Captain, about that fire demon. What happened, exactly?” “Well, Victor and I were riding up the lift to the bridge, and I felt a strong surge of power the instant before we saw it, or rather, I hurled myself and Viktor to the ground when I felt it. The creature wasn’t much to look at. It spat fireballs, threw waves of flame, and stomped, among other things. Viktor had the instinct to start firing Freon canisters at it. I didn’t know what to do until you contacted me and told me to use

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Snowstorm. I completely froze the creature and then Viktor shattered it with an explosive grenade. What happened with you?” She tilted her head back. “When we reached the hangar, Oliver was fighting off a bunch of lesser fire elementals with his submachine guns. He was having some success until he ran out of ammo and had to fight them hand-to-hand. Armand immediately dove into the crowd and sent them flying. I did my best to manipulate them, but I could not use my most powerful techniques because they had no mind to speak of. Then, the instant you two eliminated the greater elemental, the lesser elementals collapsed in a heap and disintegrated. There weren’t even any samples left. The ashes just floated away. Before that, we tried to contact you repeatedly but could not reach you. After you destroyed the banshee, I could begin searching for you psychically. When I reached you, I conveyed my instructions,” She said. I considered this. “Now, concerning all the loopholes. Why did the passages seem to alter themselves?” “I can actually answer that one and maybe the other questions too. After scanning the area thoroughly earlier today, I discovered that the ship was sitting on some form of weak point between the two realities,” She began. “But what were those creatures?” “Warp-beings. Why they exist, I couldn't tell you for sure, but they do. Some call them demons,” She said.“Demons... like in the myths?” I asked.“Not exactly. I've studied a little bit on the subject. I know that within the Warp there exist different nations and empires, like in our universe. Some of these are benign, but most are extremely aggressive and would naturally seek to expand into our universe, seeing as it is far larger then their own. I think the Gettysburg might have been the victim of a demonic attack, and cast back into our reality somehow. The ship itself could be some form of gateway.” I pondered this for a moment, and then remembered the letter I had found.“You might be right. I found a torn journal entry pinned to the captain’s chair, which was upturned in the corner. I left the letter, but I remember it clearly.” I relayed the memory of the letter to her. She blinked.“What is it?” 79

“There's a word hidden behind the message. Beware,” She said.“Beware?” I echoed.“I don’t know. It sounds like an empty threat to me. The ship was haunted, yes, but we defeated the demons and escaped with our heads. And I would have sensed something coming,” She seemed confident, though her brow remained furrowed.“If you say so...” I said. At length, I spoke again.“At any rate, Alice, what is our next target?” She blinked and left her trance.“I thought you would ask. Believe it or not, there are no viable targets near here. We should probably just lay low for awhile,” She suggested. “Very well, do as you wish. You’re off duty for the day,” I told her. She smiled. “Thank you sir. See you later,” She added as she hovered out of the room. I glanced up at the portrait of Captain Azrael. “What have I gotten myself into with this demon business, old friend?” Of course, the portrait did not answer. Great, I thought. I’m talking to pictures now. I walked to my rear view port and beheld the beautiful vista of deep space through the quartered frame. I would often find myself standing here for hours, just gazing at the stars. During my time at the window, I saw several shooting stars as well as a few chunks of space debris. After a time, I saw a faint blue light in the distance. Another ship, perhaps? The light did not move. However, it grew bigger. I spoke into my comm. “Raeoran, do we have any vessels on short range scopes?” There was no response for a moment. “No, Captain. Nothing on my radar up here. Why?” “There’s a faint blue light in the distance that appeared out of nowhere, and it appears to be getting bigger, though it is not moving.” “Faint blue light that appeared from nowhere and is getting bigger. Huh,” He said, his voice oozing sarcasm. “Fine. Forget I asked,” I said, annoyed. “Whoa, Don’t get hostile on me, Raiki. It’s just that I doubt we would be being followed. One, we’re in the middle of nowhere. Two, we’re cloaked. Nobody can track us. If by some strange chance somebody was

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following us, they probably don’t even know it,” He said. I was actually relieved at hearing someone dispel my suspicions. “Thanks, Rae. I needed to here someone else say that,” I told him. “No problem,” He replied. When I looked back, the light was gone, just as mysteriously as it had appeared. I blinked. I need a walk. I threw on my mantle and left my quarters to take a stroll around the ship. Many of my crew was simply relaxing, taking shifts so that the minimal required crew was still in operation. Some were at the bar, enjoying a few beers while off duty. Some were in the pool hall, others the theater, watching old pirate movies. A few were at the shooting range, most notably Yelena. She’s always at the shooting range, I thought. I visited the engineering bay for the first time in awhile. What I saw was not surprising. The bare minimal crew was working their asses off while Akira was running around yelling at them, smacking pipes and machines with his wrench and kicking anything that was in his way. It was rather amusing to see grown men pushed around by a twelve-year old. But he is the chief engineer, after all. He only stopped to snap me a salute, then went back to his ranting and kicking. I shook my head, chuckled, and left. I went to the hangar, where I found Oliver tinkering with his personal Blackbird fighter craft. A rather impressive stock vessel by itself, Oliver had made many illegal and thus, powerful modifications to the ship. I heard him hit his head and utter a string of curses. I looked under the ship. “Oops,” He said when he saw me.“Never mind that, what are you up to, anyway?” The embarrassment dissipated and was replaced by a grin. “I’m installing a cloaking device,” He said. I raised an eyebrow. “And where did you get one of those? I had a hard enough time finding one for the Black Templar,” I told him, pointing to my scar. He chuckled. “I picked it up when we raided that supply depot. You said each crewmember could take what he wanted, so,” He said. “You took a cloak. I like the way you think, Bronson,” I told him.“Thanks, boss. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this is very delicate work,” He said, shooing me off.

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“Of course,” I replied, leaving Oliver to his tinkering. I glanced around the hangar; there were few other people in here. I bumped into Viktor on my way to the bridge. “How’re you doing, Viktor?” “I’m fine now, Cap. Thanks to old Bart here.” He patted his grenade launcher. I chuckled. “Watch it with that thing. You could put a hole in the hull, you know.” “I’ll be careful, sir.” We both laughed, and continued on our way. When I reached the lift, I found Jak asleep at his post. I tapped him. “What the hell!” He shouted, brandishing his laser rifle. I caught it before it could be trained at my head. His eyes went wide. “Sorry, Cap’n. Won’t happen again,” He muttered. I tried my best to look stern. “See that it doesn’t, Jak,” I said. I stepped into the lift and pressed the top floor button. On the way up, there was an electrical disturbance, and the lights went out for a moment. The elevator stopped for a moment, but both reactivated quickly. “Strange,” I thought aloud. I got to the top and marched out, my mantle flaring out behind me. I reached Raeoran’s post. He recognized my footsteps and did not turn around. “Some kind of outside disturbance, Raiki. Read like a really weak EMP burst,” He said.“Weak EMP? Like low power or from a long distance?” “From what I can tell, it was fired from not too far away, at very low power. Like as a signal or something.” “A signal? Was there any type of code embedded in the burst?” I asked. Alice entered at that moment. “I’m getting a weird psychic signature. It peaked when the burst hit. It felt sort of like that letter,” She added. “What letter?” Rae asked. “We found a torn journal entry pinned to the captain’s chair on the Gettysburg. It had the last words of the captain, but apparently there was also a demonic warning hidden in it.” “Demonic? You mean like, from the Warp? I thought that was a bunch of crap,” He said. “So did I. It said, Beware,” I told him. Alice raised an eyebrow.

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“Let’s not jump to conclusions. First, let’s find out what emitted the burst,” She said. I saw a blue flash ahead. “I think I can answer that,” I muttered. “What the h…” Rae didn’t have time to finish swearing. A massive portal opened in front of us, and the hulking form of a battleship emerged. Rae looked at his console. “That’s impossible! I didn’t pick up any Warp activity!” “Rae, I think that ship is from the Warp,” I told him. “What…” Alice gasped. “No! It can’t be!” “What?” “It’s the Beacon of Hope! But that’s impossible. That ship was lost in a Warp jump accident,” She said to herself. She shook her head. Rae looked up at me, confused.“Did I miss something?” I asked her.“The Beacon was one of the protective vessels assigned to the first fleet of The Exodus. Back in that day, only a few select vessels had Warp Drives. Others only had beacons, which meant they could travel through Warp Space only if they were locked on to a vessel with a drive. During the final part of their jump, The Hope’s beacon malfunctioned, and they were lost in the Warp. The other ships had no choice but to go on, or risk becoming lost as well. The ship was never heard from again, along with its crew of over eight-hundred,” She said quietly. “Gods,” muttered Rae. Despite the supposed disappearance, here it was. But there was something wrong. “What happened to it?” Alice asked no one in particular. “The Hope was a dark blue color, and very smooth looking, but this…” The Hope we looked on was a blood red color, and it was covered with sharp spikes, weapons, and strange ornamentations. Rae was aghast. “That thing looks like it’s been to hell and back,” He observed. “That may not be far from the truth. Scan for life signs,” I ordered. He inputted some commands, and watched as his screen displayed some results. He shook his head. “There’s something on that ship. Whatever it is, it isn’t human. Or anything else I’ve seen,” He added. Alice hovered over to the console. “Clearly, this ship is under demonic possession, as ridiculous as that sounds. The crew must be long dead,” I said.

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“I pray they did not die at the hands of those who took that ship,” She said. We continued to stare. The ship did nothing. Raeoran received a transmission. “I'm picking something up, but I can't figure out what it is. It looks like an extremely weak pulse signal,” He said. Alice looked closely at the console and said nothing for a moment, then suddenly gasped and recoiled as if in pain. I caught her before she could fall backwards.“Captain...!” She said, but Raeoran cut her off. “Sir! The ships weapons are coming online and are targeting us! But… we’re cloaked!” “If they really are demons, then our cloak would be useless. Decloak and scan the vessel for weak points!” I leapt into my command chair and keyed the ship’s intercom. “All crews to their battle stations! This is not a drill! A demon battleship is attacking us! Be prepared for anything! Repeat, all crews to their battle stations! This is not a drill!” I clicked off the intercom and Rae relayed a report. “She still has some structural similarities to the original vessel, there are weak points along the sides and around the engine nacelles where the armor is thinner. Also, the shielding is very weak. Maybe demons don’t understand shield technology. One good blast should breach them,” He deduced. “We’ll use that to our advantage. What else?” “Those spikes are just for ramming- they won’t impede our weapons,” He said. “Get me a targeting vector on those weak points and warm up the main guns! Prepare broadsides for when we breach their shields! I want them smacked upside the sensor array ten different ways before they know what hit them. And someone get Akira on the line! Now!” They all snapped to attention. Alice patched me through. “I’m a little busy here, Cap. What’s going on? What’s this about a demon battleship?” “You heard me! We’re being attacked head-on by a demon battleship! I need much more power to all engines! Pump what’s left into the shields and cannons!” “Right away, sir!” I clicked off the comlink and looked at the vessel. A string of yellow lights appeared. 84

“She’s coming online sir… from what I can make out, that’s the first time she’s powered up in centuries. I’m reading weapons charge up, sir!” “Shields up!” Raeoran pulled some levers, flipped some switches and pushed some buttons, and all at once the shields were up and focused directly towards the enemy vessel. Our cannons where fully charged. I gritted my teeth. “Where’s that vector, number one?” He manipulated the controls franticly.“We can’t get a solid lock on her, Sir. She’s been in the Warp too long, her signature’s all jumbled,” He said. I shook my head. “Well, gods damn it, just point and shoot!” I yelled Rae’s way. “All guns, fire!” He yelled into the gunner’s comm. channel. Several pulsating plasma bursts streaked forward and impacted the ship. Her shields couldn’t take the stress and a few burst through, impacting her hull. “Hull breach on main deck of enemy vessel! She’s leaking everything except main power. Guess we didn’t hit any conduits,” He said, looking closely at his screen. “No life signs, sir. Nothing I can make out. Nothing coming out but traces of oxygen and some cargo crates. There wasn’t much on that ship to begin with. What the… incoming fire!” The ships guns flashed, and some rather unstable looking plasma bursts where sent our way. Half of them burned out before they reached us. The rest hit our shields rather hard. The ship shook violently and I was knocked out of my chair and tossed about. When I regained my composure, I yelled, “Report!” “Shields at 60% percent power, but holding. No hull damage sustained,” He added. Alice rubbed her back. “No hull damage. Great,” She groaned. Oliver said, “She’s coming around!” I looked at the screen to see that the ship was coming straight toward us! “Evasive maneuvers!” John pulled the wheel hard to port. Rae punched the throttle and the ship surged forward, narrowly missing the demon vessel. “Enemy ship status!”

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“Shields are gone, sir, and not recharging. Hull is exposed. Broadsides are ready, Captain!” I suddenly realized that our dodge had put us in an excellent position to fire our broadside projectile cannons straight into the demon vessel’s engines. “John, swing her hard to starboard! Rae, fire when you have an angle!” John swung the wheel and the ship leaned to starboard, bringing the demon vessel into full view on the starboard viewscreen. “Starboard broadsides, fire!” The ship rocked violently as the mighty broadside cannons fired. The shells streaked forth, unaffected by the demonic energies around them. An explosion or two later, and the ships engines had been obliterated. “Enemy vessel has been immobilized!” “Excellent. Prepare a second volley immediately!” Alice jumped. “Captain! I’m picking up increased demonic activity! The ship is being pulled!” I saw that the ship continued to move, towed along by a powerful entity. “She’s being towed, but she’s full of holes. One good shot should hit the reactor and blow that thing to pieces,” Raeoran said. Suddenly, as if in response, the demon vessel fired an unknown weapon at us, a green pulse of some kind. The ship rocked, and the lights went. “What the… what’s going on, Rae?” “It’s some kind of EMP- wait, there’s something on the hull! It’s eating through our armor!!” The ship rocked again. “Hull breach in engineering bay! Losing oxygen!” “Akira…! Oliver, get moving! We have to get down there and seal that breach! Grab anyone who isn’t drunk on the way!” We both ran out of the bridge, as Rae struggled with the weapons controls. The lift did not work. “Rae!” “I know, I know! Nothing’s responding! Quick, take the chute down to the hangar and then melt your way through the doors!” “Chute?” Oliver said. “Come on!” I opened the secret panel and lept in, Oliver shortly behind. When we got down, I saw Alice had come also. “I’m no good up there. Besides, I think I can pry open the doors faster,” She added, setting to work on the door. Oliver left for a moment, returning with his guns. Alice used her power to force open the doors. A 86

few more doors, and we had reached the engineering bay. I was suddenly ripped off my feet, but I grabbed onto a nearby pipe. I watched in horror as loose items and crewmen were sucked out a gaping hole. Clinging to the edges of the hole was a hideous beast that spat acid at whatever moved. I tried my personal comlink and reached Rae. “Raeoran! There’s some kind of enormous beast here, it ate through the hull with a corrosive acid, and everything that isn’t nailed down is getting sucked out…” I put on my oxygen mask. I saw that Alice and Oliver had taken cover behind a bulkhead and had also donned oxygen masks. I was also relieved to see that Akira and some of the engineers were holed up in a control room that still had oxygen. I gestured for them to stay there. Oliver tossed me a jetpack from the emergency bay near his position. I caught it, strapped it on and activated it, angling it toward the hole so I would remain relatively still. I struggled against the pull of the venting atmosphere to draw my gun blades and succeeded, and began to fire at the creature. Its carapace was too tough, but I scored one hit on the creature’s eye, which distracted it. I yelled into my communicator. “Rae! See if you can get Viktor down here with a suit and magnetic boots! I need more firepower!” “He’s already on his way, hang in there, Cap,” He said. I powered up my jetpack in order to get to where Oliver and Alice were hiding. “Captain, are you alright?” “For now. Viktor’s on his way with extra firepower. Once we take that thing out, we can worry about sealing the hole,” I said. “Cap!” Rae yelled. “I don’t know how much longer we can keep the engineering bay pressurized. We may have to seal it off soon, and you guys don’t have suits!” “There’s a pressurized cabin in here. I’ll try to reach it. Then you can seal off the room until Viktor gets here.” “Right. Be careful,” He said. I signaled Akira to open the door, and made a mad jet over to it, dragging Oliver along with Alice. We got in. The door shut tightly. I removed my mask. “Akira, what happened? How many did we lose?” “I… I’m not sure, sir. One moment I’m tapping a temperamental airflow pump, and the next there’s this gaping crack in the hull and everything 87

goes flying. I’m still not sure how many I lost or how we managed to reach this cabin,” He sobbed. “It’s all right, Akira. You did what you could.” The ship rocked again. Raeoran said, “Sir, we’re still taking plasma fire. What should I do? We have no shielding or weapons- wait, I’ve got engine control!” I yelled, “Then by Hades, get us the hell out of here!” “Yes sir!” The ship lurched. Meanwhile, the creature continued to melt through anything that wasn’t properly protected. After another agonizing minute of being tossed around the cabin, the door into the engineering room exploded outward into the room and out stepped Viktor, clad in a reinforced space suit and wielding a solid-fuel rocket launcher. He looked at us. I yelled through my headset. “Take out that creature, Viktor! Aim for its mouth if possible!” He nodded and turned to face the demon. He leveled his rocket launcher and fired. The rocket streaked wildly towards the demon and impacted its remaining eye, causing it to roar in pain. “That’s it! Keep firing!” Akira said. He fired another, impacting its carapace, and then another that went straight down its throat. A second later, the creature exploded into chunks, spraying green mist everywhere, which was promptly sucked out into space along with the remaining bits. Viktor thrust his rocket launcher into the air.“Bridge, Viktor here. The creature has been eliminated. Isolate the engineering bay!” “Affirmitve. Raiki, you there?” “I’m here, Rae. Akira, Alice, Oliver, and a few of the engineering crew are holed up in a pressurized cabin with me.” He laughed. “Must be a tight squeeze. Hang on; I’m redirecting shields to seal off the breach. Good news, sir. We’ve managed to evade the Hope, can’t see her anywhere,” He said. Oliver let out a sigh of relief. “That was too bloody close,” He said. “Indeed. I think it’s safe to go out now,” I said to everyone.“Yeah, it’s safe,” Added Rae. Akira hit the switch and the door hissed open. Thankfully, we were not sucked out instantly, rather we walked out to find that the room had been sealed and pressurized. Still, it was jarring to be able to see space. I walked over to Viktor and punched him lightly on the shoulder. 88

“Nice shooting, Viktor. You’ve saved us all.” He shrugged. “Just doing my job, sir. Though I wanted a chance to prove myself after the banshee bit.” I groaned. “Of course. You wanted to recover your honor. Perfectly understandable,” I said, then adding in a low whisper, “Remind me to give you a bonus for this.” He chuckled, then saluted and left the room. I looked at the others. “Alice, you and Oliver head back to the bridge. Akira, take your boys and see about sorting this mess out. I’ll send Kraken down to give you a hand,” I said. They saluted. “What about you, sir?” Akira asked. “Me? I’m going to have a look around,” I replied. They nodded and dispersed. Akira was in no time at all back to ranting and smacking things, though he was now far more abusive to the pipes then the engineers. I laughed to myself. Tougher then he looks. I turned and exited the room. As I traveled from one end of the ship to the other, I saw that the damage outside engineering was minimal. Tables had been upturned and glass broken everywhere, and I saw that the hall was on emergency lighting, the main lights were out. I groaned as I picked up the remains of what was once a priceless Mirandan vase. “This will be expensive to replace,” I muttered. The maintenance drones milled about, repairing minor hull damage, while the cleaning drones picked up the debris. I nearly tripped over one on my way to the hangar. Blasted robots will be the end of me, I thought. I stopped at the hangar door, expecting it to open automatically on detecting a member of the ship’s crew. It did not. I typed an override code into the door’s keypad, and still it did not open. Starting to be annoyed, I banged on the door, with no result. I keyed my lapel comm. “Raeoran, the number three hangar access door’s jammed,” I told him.“You don’t know the half of it, Captain. Half the automatic doors on the ship are jammed. Folks are having a hard time getting around. I just had to pry open a security door,” He replied. I cursed. “Well have you determined why so many doors are malfunctioning?” “Actually, yes. You know that weird signal I picked up before the Beacon attacked? It was some type of scrambler, and it fried a lot of stuff,” He said, nondescriptly. 89

“So nothing is working right? Why are the drones still functioning? And come to think of it, the communications are working too, duh.” “They run on a separate protected circuit, impervious to any interference,” He told me. “Gods below, Rae. Can you fix any of it?” “Well, I can probably get the lights working and maybe a handful of doors from here. Akira says the signal was too weak to fry the reactor, so we’re still mobile. Other then that, it’s no go,” He said. “Can you at least open the number three hangar door?” “Yeah, hang on...” A few seconds passed, and then the door hissed open reluctantly. I thanked Raeoran and stepped cautiously into the hangar, looking around as I went. My first observation was that everything was bathed in the faint red hue of the emergency lighting. The spacecraft in the hangar were all dark, and nothing seemed to be on. All I heard was the faint hum of the lights and my own softened footsteps. Something’s not right here, I thought. I whispered into my comm.“Rae. Is there anyone in the hangar besides me? Like as in someone who shouldn’t be here?” Silence. “Raeoran?” Still nothing. I tapped my comm. Something’s jamming the signal, I thought. I quietly drew the two gun-blades and crept about, checking in the spacecraft and in storerooms. I soon made my way to the opposite side of the hangar, where I noticed an odd-looking craft I did not before. I said to myself, “Was that always there?” Curious, I crept over to the strange vessel. It was unlike any other ship in the hangar. When I got much closer I realized it was a fighter, but not one of ours. It did, however, look eerily familiar. I went over to the access hatch and keyed my access code. The door opened silently and I went in. The interior of the ship had also changed somewhat, though not like the exterior. The controls were the same, yet there were additional consoles and more buttons, switches and things. I checked all around the ship, looked at its log and manifest, and examined the engines and inner workings. Other then its new appearance and additional controls and weaponry, it appeared to be the same fighter it had always been. Wait, always been? I knew I’d seen this ship somewhere before. I realized that this ship was in fact a Jericho fighter, exactly as it had appeared in Akira’s history book. Not one of those clunky navy blue Combine fighters… but a sleek 90

Jericho interceptor. The same type of ship Kassad flew into battle personally. The strange thing was, I felt as if I had been in this ship before. It seemed so familiar. But what in Zeus’ name was it doing here, on my ship, so many years after the collapse of that old power? I sat down at the ship’s console to ponder this. First the swords, and now this ship. What’s next, a map to Terra? Gods below, I thought. I continued to reflect on this, trying to reasonably explain to myself why such a vessel would be here, now, on my ship of all places. I looked around the ship again. The cross with a snake entwined on it was present on the exterior of the ship, I had failed to see it before. I also found an encrypted file deep in the recesses of the ship’s computer. I downloaded it into my pocket datapad to crack later. Then, strangest of all, at the rear of the ship I found a room that had been set aside from the rest of the interior to form a kind of living quarters, with a bed, tiny food processor, and a shelf with various items. One thing on the shelf that caught my eye was a picture. Upon closer examination, I found it to be a picture of what I guessed was the Jericho royal family. The first thing I noticed was the absence of the aunt from the picture. There, however, were the King and Queen, and also their son and daughter. The daughter had a little boy with her. The son, I guessed, was Ryu Kassad. Kassad was the younger, it seemed, and he had his wife with him, heavy with child. They all had white hair like mine, save Kassad's wife.Kassad had a son… I blinked.Son. How do I know that? Somehow, it entered into my head that the unborn child was a boy. I replaced the picture on the shelf and looked around the small room. There was a datapad on the bed, with several audio recordings. I chanced to listen to them.

“This is the audio log of Prince Ryu Kassad, of Jericho. I have been betrayed. They have all sided with my mother’s twisted sister. She seeks to control our nation- to turn it into some type of ruthless empire. I tried to stop her. A few people within the government, including my friend Gregory, remained loyal to me, resistant to the spell of the witch. We were winning. Victory was in my grasp! But then- I cannot believe I was so stupid. I knew she would try to steal them from me! Gods forgive my blind stupidity.” That was the end of the first entry. The second played next. It had been recorded only moments after the first. 91

“She took them, the twin blades of fire and ice. I was spared a death at their hands through means I do not pretend to understand, Gregory too. We had no choice but to flee. Beaten, like dogs. It pains me to think of it. All those who were loyal to me either fled with me or were cut down where they stood. She put some idiot on the throne, her mentally challenged grandson, I bet. That stupid Melchior… always fouling up everything. I managed to take back the blades in secret, an act I know has angered her. I hid them away, right under the nose of her new empire. My wife and I, along with Gregory’s family, have fled to the Republic. We believe they are the only ones who can stand up to my aunt now. They were always the strongest nation outside our domains. I used to think of them as a threat. Now they are a blessing, the only free people left. The other nations are quickly falling to Jericho’s might. No. Not Jericho. Not anymore.”

The third and final recording was recorded years later. “I have failed. Though Gregory succeeded in spiriting away his daughter, I was not so lucky. Those monsters have killed my wife, the heinous masked creatures that call themselves the Watchmen. They are minions of the ruinous shadow of Jericho, with that witch’s descendant on the throne. I do not know where my son is. He was out playing and I became separated from him in the ensuing attack. All I know is that they are not aware of my presence; they came here seeking out a pirate captain who was being sheltered by the Yamato government. A man named Azrael.” My heart jumped. “He and his men were privateers, paying back the government for their protection by striking at the Combine. I have escaped. In the confusion of the pirate’s exodus many people did. By the time the Kaigun arrive it will have been too late. I could not find my son. I hope he is safe. For the sake of us all, I pray he is safe. My little Raikiendo…”

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Chapter 6

“Because I do it with one small ship, I am called a terrorist. You do it with a whole fleet and are called an emperor.”

-A pirate, St. Augustine's City of God

What a tangled web we weave, how whimsical life is. You can go from everything to nothing in a heartbeat... but sometimes, it's the other way around. I don't believe in fate, but I do believe in luck.

I froze. The pad fell from my hand and to the floor. The words repeated over and over in my head. “I pray he is safe… My little Raikiendo…” For what seemed an eternity, that was my entire mind could process. Everything else simply disappeared. I sat down, my face in my hands.Ryu is my father? Then everything came back, in a sudden revelation like the triggering of a psychic memory. I was born an heir to the throne of Jericho. The Queen’s sister usurped my father’s right to lead, and mine. My father and his closest friend, the father of Alice, my friend, went to face her. She possessed the twin blades, which she used to defeat them, but which my father retrieved. He and his friends fled,

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those who did not were killed. He fled to Yamato, which sheltered him. There, Gregory hid Alice from the prying eyes of the Combine. My friend Raeoran was also there. However, Ryu, my father, was not so successful. He was separated from me during the Combine attack. The shock of that event must have caused me to lose much of my memory, which is why I did not remember my father. He escaped with many others. Captain Azrael’s crew was hiding on Nagasaki, where we were. Azrael found me and saved me from a Combine trooper who doubtless would have killed me. Having no time to find my parents, whom he must have suspected were dead anyway, he carried me underneath his arm and onto his ship. Ryu and Azrael slipped away in the chaos, neither knowing the whole story. Nagasaki eventually repelled the invaders, they having not found what they were searching for, which, I now suspect, was my family and not the pirates, as my father and I originally thought. Onboard Azrael’s ship, the Rising Sun, I met Raeoran, my childhood friend, and we were raised as gentlemen pirates. When we were both teenagers, the Rising Sun was ambushed and we escaped, though we do not know if Azrael was so lucky. He wound up on the sinister city world of Necropolis, where he survived on the streets. I found my way to Lagrange, the pirate world, where I made my fortune in the Rally. We met up there a few years later, whereupon we purchased the ship I am now on. We modified it and set off into space to be pirates, or rather independent crusaders against the combine. I had thought I was getting back at them for the death of my mentor and friend, and of course for what they had done to the people of Nagasaki and elsewhere. But now, I realized that they were also responsible for the death not only of millions of innocent people across the universe, but also of deposing my father and killing my mother. My clenched fists shook with rage. They killed my mother. I picked up the pad and stood up, placing it in my pocket. I exited the ship. I noticed that the lights had reactivated. A familiar voice blared through my comlink. “Raiki! Thank the gods I found you. You dropped off my sensors. What the hell happened?” “More then you know, old friend. Meet me in my quarters. We have much to discuss,” I told him.

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“What could possibly… all right. You’ll be glad to know we got most of the damaged equipment working again. Still, don’t be surprised if you walk into a handful of locked doors. Just holler and I’ll open them for you,” He said. “Thanks, Rae.” I turned around, thinking for an instant I had imagined it all… the fighter was still there. I reached into my pocket; the other datapad was still there. I went back over to the door, turning every couple of feet just to see if the ship was still there. It always was, right were it had been when I first saw it, when the lights were dim and red and I thought I was seeing things. This time, the door did open, so I left the hangar without a fuss.

On my way back to my quarters to meditate on everything I had just remembered, I did in fact run into a couple of jammed doors, which I radioed Rae to open and he did. Ryu Kassad is my father. How is that possible? I mean, the odds of me finding the swords were slim enough- but to find his ship and personal datapad in the hangar of my Black Templar and to find out he’s my damned father? My head hurt thinking about how slim the chances were. I mean it’s as if discovering the Zenothium lab and then being attacked by demons wasn’t enough. My head spun around and around, still trying to make sense of it all. Just months ago I was a simple pirate captain, on a quest for loot and plunder. Now all of a sudden I’m royalty, the son of the deposed heir to the throne of Jericho, which has turned into the worst government I’ve ever seen. Ooh, what old Azrael would say now…

I finally got back to my quarters, my big double doors being just plain wood they were not stuck. Raeoran was waiting for me. “Er… I let myself in,” He said. I laughed.“That’s alright. I invited you anyway. Listen, I just stumbled on the biggest discovery of my life. Listen up. What I’m about to tell you, you might have trouble believing, so just bear with me until I’m done,” I said. He looked at me quizzically. “Raiki, have I ever questioned your truthfulness on anything? Obviously it’s bugging you, so let’s hear it.” I took a deep breath and took out the datapad and set it out on the table. Before handing it to Rae, I brought him up to speed. “Well, after I got into the hangar I tried to contact you about the lights, but couldn’t. So, I just started looking around. I checked inside the ships, 95

behind crates, in storerooms for anything, anything at all even remotely out of place. At the far side of the hangar, I saw this odd-looking ship, see…”

For hours, it seemed, I relayed my tale, showing him the pad so he could listen to the recordings. He fell over backwards when he heard the last one. Upon righting himself, he sputtered, “You? You’re Kassad’s son? The bloody prince of Jericho?!” He banged his head on the table and then said, “You never knew?” “I told you, I don’t remember my childhood at all before Azrael. Hell, you’d surprise me if you told me I even had parents. Now I discover my mother is dead, killed by the damned Combine, and my father is off wandering the stars aimlessly, figuring me for dead. Listen, the morning after the space station talk, Alice came in and we had a private conversation. There both of us learned that Kassad’s closest companion, a psychic named Gregory, was her father. She didn’t know about me being his son, or doubtless she would have told me, right?” He blinked. “Well, of course,” He said, trying to follow along. “Right, so here I find his personal fighter craft in the hangar of the Templar. Far be it from me to find out why it was even there in the first place, excepting perhaps he brought it here and by some impossible twist of fate he’s actually on this ship at this very moment, but on top of it he leaves this datapad here,” I said, waving a hand at said datapad. “Raiki, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have come here on purpose. You said yourself he probably doesn’t even know you’re alive. Now I would have told you if I’d seen a ship like that coming. And what makes you positive he left the swords, the ship and the pad for you? Anyone could have found them!” “I don’t know, Rae. I’m beginning to think there’s a coherent flow to all this,” I said. He scoffed, but then reconsidered. “I’d call you crazy, but I wonder about that myself. I still can’t believe you found the swords, after what Akira told us about them, and especially after what Alice and now this pad said about them,” He said. Then he sat back. “So you’re the son of Ryu Kassad, and he fled with you to Nagasaki, where you were separated and where Azrael found you. Now mind you,

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I know what happened to my parents. Combine killed them,” He added. I started to say something, but he cut me off. “Don’t say it, Raiki. I know you feel sorry for me, but now I think you’re the one who deserves the pity. I don’t know if you realize it, but I think the Combine have wronged you more then just about anyone else!” He slammed his fist on the table, upsetting his glass of wine. “They killed your entire family and usurped your throne, Raiki! I lost a mother and father. Damn right I hate the Combine for taking them from me- you… I…. Oh, what the hell am I saying? I’m sorry Raiki,” He muttered, and slumped. “No, don’t be sorry, Rae. You haven’t done anything wrong. Hell, you’ve been the best friend I ever had. Everyone on this ship has lost everything and with each other’s help we’ve gotten back up again. Alice had to face the torturous group memories of all psychics, I had to fight my way through Blood Rally, and you had to survive on the streets of Necropolis, of all places. The Combine took everything from all of us, and may the gods smite me here and now if we’ve not gotten most of it back,” I said. Rae sat up, taken in by my words. “But we’re not finished, Rae. Now I know what I have to do. The Combine has to pay for everything it’s done to me, you, Alice, the others, and just about every free soul in the universe,” I said. “But we're just one pirate gang, how much more can we do?” Said Rae. “Do you doubt our skills?”“Not for a moment, but... we're hopelessly outnumbered. Wasn't it you yourself that said we wern't looking to start a war?” I considered this. At length, Rae said,“We'd need backup. Who would help us?”“Yamato?” I offered.“They'd be hard pressed to stick their necks out for a handful of pirates,” He said. There was some truth there.“This concerns their survival as well, doesn’t it? And the survival of the remaining free peoples?”“There aren’t that many free peoples, Raiki. We should stick to what we're good at,” He said.“Point taken, but just how long can we go on stealing from them? Sooner or later they are going to come after us,” I told him.

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“Which is all the more reason we shouldn't go looking for them!” Rae said. I shook my head.“Maybe you're right...” Just then, I sensed a presence nearby. I turned around, and sure enough, Alice, Oliver, and Akira were all standing by the door. Raeoran fell off his chair in surprise. They had heard every word. Akira leapt onto my shoulders, spitting questions as fast as he could think of them. “Are you really a prince cap? That’s so cool! Do you have a crown somewhere? Do I get to be the jester?” I picked him up and placed him in a chair. I saw that everyone had taken a seat. Alice spoke up. “Despite how improbable this all is, I can’t say I’m surprised. What other explanation would there be for you finding the swords? Still, I must admit I didn’t think that when I signed on this ship I would be serving under the prince of Jericho,” She said. Akira went on saying, “This is so awesome!” and stuff of that sort. Oliver laughed. “Look at me,” He said. “Bodyguard to royalty. Does this mean I get a pay increase?” everyone laughed. “We’ll see, Oliver,” I said. Raeoran jerked a thumb at me and said, “Can you believe this? All these years he’s a gods-damned prince and he never knew. Good old Azrael up there,” He said, pointing at the portrait of the good captain above the fireplace, “Probably didn't know any more then Raiki did, seeing as he found Raiki alone on the street, about to get smacked down by a Watchman,” he said. I sighed. “It’s a bit much for me to take in all at once. I was thinking to myself earlier, a few months ago I was just a pirate captain. Now I’m a prince, and the prince of Jericho at that,” I sighed. “I mean, what are the odds?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned to never pay attention to, it’s the odds.” Everyone turned at the sound of a new voice. At the door was an older man in a white cloak. Raeoran drew his laser pistol in reflex, but I stopped him. “Easy, Rae.” I got up and faced the man. Everyone else looked at him. “Who are you and how did you get in here, much less on this ship?” He chuckled. “You don’t recognize me? I wouldn’t expect you to, it’s been quite a long time,” The man said. I cocked my head. 98

“You know who I am?” He moved a little closer. Alice stood up and moved to my side. The man said, “I do indeed.” He seemed to look at Alice. “My, how you’ve grown,” He observed. She looked shocked. “Who are you?” “Questions, questions. First I shall answer the prince’s question,” The man said. I took a step forward. “You were listening on our conversation? Just who do you think you are, coming on to my ship, into my quarters, listening in on private conversations?” “More questions. Yes, I was listening. I know that you are Captain Raikiendo Kassad of the Black Templar, and that girl beside you is Alice Raven, daughter of the esteemed Jericho court psychic, Gregorio Raven,” He said. Alice hissed, “How dare you mention his name! Who are you?” Again, the strange man in white chuckled. “Well, I suppose I should answer that,” He said, drawing back the hood of his cloak, revealing a bearded face that seemed eerily familiar. He bowed. “Greetings to you all. My name is Vincent Kepler.” He walked towards me. I collected myself. “Kepler… why is that name familiar?” I said, my eyes drifting towards the ceiling. “The name may be familiar to you, but I can see that you cannot remember me. I expected this. You see, I was a friend of your father’s. A loyal soldier who fought for him when his aunt seized control.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Indeed?” “After his defeat at her hands, he told his followers to disperse and eventually meet on the planet of Nagasaki in Yamato. Some of them reached him quickly… I was not one of them, and by the time I had the means to reach the planet, the Combine had already blockaded it. I could not hope to engage a fleet of battleships in a single fighter. I was forced to watch as they rained down Watchmen dropships on the surface. However, I was gladdened to see a large pirate vessel emerge from the planet to combat the blockade.” Kepler looked up at the portrait. “That man… who is he?” I emerged from a reflective trance. 99

“That… that’s Captain Azrael, of the Rising Sun, the same pirate ship you saw escape from Nagasaki, with myself and Raeoran here aboard.” He looked down. “It all makes sense now. You, the prince, escaped with the pirate… I planted a tracking device on that vessel. I didn’t know what to do when I lost the signal…” The crew and I looked at one another. Kepler looked up at each of us, and then focused on me again. “So, that man saved you, and raised you?” I looked up. “Yes. When I was separated from Ryu and my mother, I didn’t really have my wits about me. When he saved me from the Watchman who was about to hit me, I just ran to him and grabbed on. Having no time to think, he took me with him aboard his ship. After he escaped, I met Raeoran here and he raised us as his own sons, teaching us to be gentlemen and pirates.”

“But then… I heard about Jerrus through the grapevine,” He sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s true. Raeoran and I believe he went down with his ship,” I said. Rae nodded. “Well, you’ve heard all this anyway. Rae and I went our separate ways, eventually meeting up again on Lagrange, whereupon we started our career as genuine space pirates,” I said. We both struck poses. “I still like the sound of that. Even if I’m not just a pirate now,” I added. “No indeed. As much as I hate to admit it, you are the prince of Jericho,” He said. I looked at him strangely. “Why?” I asked. He sighed. “Though it might not be the case that they know that you are he, it is likely the Combine is quite aware that the Kassad heir is alive,”

I pondered this. “So they know the prince is alive, but they don’t know that he is me?”He nodded. “There are a few things you must know, first, about your mother. Her name was Misuki Toranaga,” He began. “Toranaga? Then…” “Ryu took your mother’s name in secret when they fled. To everyone they knew after that, they were the Toranagas, so that’s what your legal name was. Your mother had a secret. Your father told me it was our sworn duty to ensure that should anything happen to him, she be 100

escorted safely into the hands of Yamato’s government. He told us many things, but he grew increasingly paranoid and distant. From what my fellows and I could piece together, she was the key to an ancient weapon, so powerful that it was possessed of the ability to bring down the Combine. A weapon from the days of ancient Terra.”

We all looked one at one another. Alice closed her eyes and spoke. “It is said that in the days before the Exodus, humanity had developed weapons of such destructive power that they could not possibly be used without collateral damage of apocalyptic proportions. They were brought along with the first colony vessels and hidden away in certain locations, the knowledge of which was lost. Were the Combine to find these weapons, the Republic would be doomed and there would be no one left to oppose their dominion,” He said solemnly.“It is true. And somehow, your mother was the key to the greatest of these weapons, the most destructive force in the universe short of a black hole,” He said. I struggled to wrap my head around the concept. “But… how? Why?” “This I could not surmise. I believe the answer lies in the Toranaga ancestry. All I know for sure is that the Combine is still actively looking for this key. With your mother dead, there is only one being left in the universe that possesses the key to the weapon,” He said, looking at me sharply. I sat down and put my head in my hands, trying to make sense of all this. Alice came over to me and put her hands on my shoulders. Raeoran sat back in his chair, lost in thought. Oliver looked out the window into space, and Akira visibly struggled to make sense of what he had heard. I felt Azrael’s gaze upon me. Kepler took a seat at the table. “I… must apologize for thrusting all of this upon you. I realize that when you woke up this morning you were just a space pirate. I don’t think you deserve to be asked of more than that, your family has suffered enough. Listen. I, and others like myself, a forming a new resistance. Talks are occurring between the resistance and the Yamato government. It is highly likely they will agree to help us. The pirate lords might even throw in their lot. War is coming, Raikiendo. A war that will shake the foundations of the universe…” I sat up. “Are you asking me to lead this rebellion of yours?” He looked shocked. 101

“Certainly not, just the opposite actually. I am here to tell you that you should flee,” He said.“Flee? From what?” “The Combine, what else? Should they capture you for any reason, it would not take them long to figure out who you really are and take advantage of the fact. If they get you, they get the weapon, and I have a strong feeling that they will kill you in the process,” He said gravely. I narrowed my eyes. “What makes you think that they will ever get their hands on me?” “You…” “Ever!” I yelled. The rest of the crew jumped. Kepler simply looked away. “It is not my place to tell you what to do. That is no one’s task but your own. Do as you will, but please take what I have told you into consideration,” He said, reaching into his pocket. “I was instructed by the resistance to give you this should I ever find you,” He said.

He handed me a piece of jewelry. It was a ruby amulet. “This belonged to the king of Jericho, your grandfather. I am told it has some special purpose,” He said. I looked at it intensely, but saw naught but my own grim expression reflected in the gem’s recesses. Kepler stood up. “I must go. The resistance has need of me and I must tell them that I have met with you. Good luck to you, Captain,” He said with a bow. I got up and shook his hand. “Forgive my coldness. I thank you for coming here and telling me what you have told me. Good luck to you as well,” I said. He smiled and bid me farewell before leaving the room. Raeoran said, “What now, Raiki?” I looked at him intently and said, “I haven’t the faintest idea.” He, Akira and Oliver agreed. Alice stood up and floated over to the bookshelf, returning once more with the tome of Terran lore. She put it on the table with a mighty thump and opened it to the section about Terran weaponry. We all looked over her shoulder. She began to read. “And so the greatest scientific minds of the age were made to use their talents to forge the most destructive weapon ever created, the “Phoenix Cannon”. A weapon of such ferocity and power that it could destroy

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whole star systems in a single shot. Its very blast was that of the energy of a million suns, and it became a symbol of America’s might.” “America? Like the old America?” Akira said. “The same. As I told you all before, on ancient Terra, old America was militarily the strongest nation and also the most belligerent. It is only fitting they would waste the talent of that time’s geniuses on weapons development,” She said. I looked at her. “Did they ever use this Phoenix Cannon?” “Thankfully, it was only tested. But said “test” was actually- gods, they blew up Pluto! It was destroyed by the Phoenix Cannon’s only test firing. And it says here the weapon was fired on its lowest power level,” She added. Everyone looked at each other. There was an expression of horror on Alice’s face.

“But why? Why would they make a weapon like this?” “I don’t know,” She muttered. Everyone resumed his or her seats. I looked up at the ceiling. “It doesn’t make sense. Misuki was Yamato. This was an American weapon,” I said. Alice looked at me. “Is,” She said quietly.“What?” “IS an American weapon, Captain. According to this next passage, the government of old Japan learned of this weapon and… stole it,” She continued. “Stole it? How the hell did they pull that off?” “There’s no specifics on how, just why. The Japanese knew that such a weapon in the hands of America spelt doom for its opponents, so they somehow managed to spirit it away in one of their earliest convoys at the beginning of the Exodus. They went to great lengths to ensure the weapon would never be found, as they feared destroying it would cause a devastating energy backlash. They scuttled the immense vessel that carried the cannon, erased all data of the weapon, and made everyone in the convoy swear to secrecy. They all died in the due course of time without having told anyone else of their secret. In that way, the weapon was lost. But,” She stopped in mid sentence. “But what?” “Yes, what?” The others chimed in.

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“There is a legend here. It says that a single member of the convoy thought it wouldn’t be wise to completely forget about the weapon.” My eyes went wide. I looked at the text. “Let me guess. My ancestor?” “I’m not sure captain. It doesn’t say what his name was. All we know for sure is that he used some forgotten biotechnology to enter the coordinates of the planet where the cannon was hidden directly into his own DNA, and then willingly erased his own memory of that event. And in that way, the genetic knowledge of the weapon was passed down through that man’s family line,” She said.

Oliver spoke up. “Captain, maybe this key Kepler was talking about is the map to the weapon? And that it was in your mother’s DNA the same as it was in this one guy?” I shook my head. “As unfathomable and unlikely that is, that would seem to be the case. This would lead me logically to believe that said map is also in my DNA, and that is what the Combine is looking for. They don’t want me… they don’t care about the prince of Jericho. They just want my genes. I must admit, I’d be amused if I wasn’t horrified, befuddled and unbelievably tired,” I said. Alice said, “Captain, you are the only member of the Toranaga family left. I don’t think your father will be of any help, if you will forgive the insult. I think that regardless of whether you pursue your vengeance against them, it would be wise to avoid capture,” She advised.

I stood up and looked at everyone. “My friends and compatriots. Much has occurred today, and it would seem that I am no longer a space pirate or even a prince. I am now the key to a weapon that could save the universe or destroy it. This has been a strange day and I wish to get some sleep. We will discuss our next move in the morning,” I said. Akira, Raeoran, and Oliver nodded and left. Alice remained. She looked nauseous.“Captain, if I might remain here for a moment longer,” She said. I sat down beside her. “Of course,” I replied. She continued to scan the pages of the book, but soon closed it and shoved it away. “What's wrong?” I asked.

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“Raikiendo, listen. I cannot imagine what you must be feeling at this moment, but I would ask you to listen to my plight but for a moment. You know that my father was the court psychic and the closest friend of your father. Youou know that Kepler and others like him are forging a new resistance in an effort to destroy the Combine and rebuild the nation of Jericho. You now know of one of this galaxy’s greatest secrets,” She said. She looked up.“Now, I must tell you another. I told you of the Combine’s Specter program, right? How they train latent psychics from birth to be their deadliest agents?” She shuddered violently. I stood up. “What is it?” “I am one of them,” She muttered. I stepped back. She shuddered again. “What…” “I am sorry, Captain. I have been trying to tell you since I first met you. My conditioning prevented it. They have been monitoring everything I’ve said and done since… gods, I can’t even remember,” She said. She began to convulse. “What are you saying? Are you a spy then?” I went for one of the gun-blades. She stood up, tears in her eyes, hands out. “Please, Captain! Listen to me! I am sorry for what I have done. They used me to get to you. They’ve been watching you for longer then you know. They know… everything!” She collapsed on her knees. “They know your secret. Oh gods, they know, they’re listening to me even now. They’re trying to stop me, to override my conditioning and take direct control of me. My will is only so strong…”

She looked up at me. There was true terror in her eyes. “Ahhh…. The pain!” She clutched her head. Her pupils widened. “The amulet! She looked at it. “It is the only way! The map is in you… You must find the Phoenix cannon and stop…” I knelt down beside her and tried to shake her back to sense. “Stop who? What are you saying, Alice, snap out of it!” She looked at me and grabbed my face. “The emperor... you must stop him. The people of Jericho are being led right into oblivion. He is being used!”She slumped again. “My head… get-out-of-my-mind!” She screamed. A crewman who was passing my headquarters heard this and came in. 105

“Captain, I heard a scream…” He looked at the convulsing Alice. “Captain, what’s going on?!” “She’s in incredible pain, Franco. Quickly, get her to Doctor Freeman!” Franco scooped up Alice, now unconscious, and sped off for the medical wing. Meanwhile, I raced to the bridge. I don’t think I ever ran so fast in my life… the halls became a blur and I felt myself almost lift off the ground. In the distance, I thought I heard laser fire. Suddenly, the whole ship shook and I was knocked off my feet. I tumbled into a wall and was knocked unconscious.

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Chapter 7

“Some cause must have created all this. But what caused… that cause?”

-Hans Reinhardt

Even telepaths don't always know what a person is thinking. We all have our secrets, some we even keep from ourselves.

I awoke in a daze. At first, I could see and hear nothing. Then, I started to hear explosions and laser fire, as well as distant shouting voices. “Captain… Captain! Captain Toranaga!” Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain across my face. I had been slapped back to feeling. My eyes focused on my assailant. I beheld the worried face of Armand the brawler. I groaned.“You look like hell, Captain,” He said. “Yes, well… I feel like it also. What in the blazes is going on?” “We’re under attack, Captain. Combine fighters. A lot of em… supported by a battleship. When you didn’t immediately report to the

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bridge, Mr. Yurumiri knew something was wrong and told me to look for you,” He said. “How long have I been out…? Rather, how long has it been since Franco took Alice to the medical wing?” “Almost an hour, sir. We’ve been under siege since then… they haven’t caused any real damage to the ship but they’re moving too fast to be targeted by the defense turrets,” He said. “Damn. Have we sent out any fighters?” I got to my feet. My head hurt badly. “No sir, we didn’t want to risk our pilots. There’s simply too many of them. The battleship hasn’t engaged. We don’t know why,” He added. “What of Alice’s condition?” “The doctor says she’s fine… physically. There’s something wrong with her mind. The doctor says he’s picking up brain wave patterns he’s never seen before. It’s as if her thoughts are not her own,” He said. “I’m afraid that’s not far from the truth, Armand,” I told him. “I know, Captain. The whole crew knows,” He said. “What…” “Freeman says her thoughts are being broadcast at a level that the whole ship can pick up. Everything she’s ever experienced is being forced into our heads… and it’s not all pretty,” He added. “So you know then,” I said. “Yes sir. If you don’t mind me calling you that,” He muttered.“As opposed to “your majesty” or some such nonsense? Of course not. We should get to the bridge,” I said. Armand and I sped down the corridors to the turbo lifts. We passed many hurried crew members trying to keep the ship in working order. The glances I caught from some of them had some type of combination of fear, pity and awe. When I finally reached the bridge, the scene was chaotic at best. The main screen was alight with battle. I could see that our defense turrets were struggling to hit the Combine fighters, who seemed to be toying with us. Raeoran turned around, eyes wide when he saw me. “Captain on deck!” he yelled. Everyone saluted. I returned the salute. “Damage report!” Kraken was at Alice’s usual post. “Minimal. Minor system malfunctions detected in hangar three. One defense turret offline.”

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“Enemy status?” I asked. Kraken responded in his usual businesslike, metallic tone.“I count three fighters so far eliminated, sir. The rest have throttled up and are evading all counter attacks. Enemy battleship still outside of the battle zone and is not engaging. Orders?”“Get me missile vectors on those fighters. I want to see lots and lots of lockons,” I said, sitting down in my chair. Armand stood to my left, opposite Oliver.“Aye sir,” said Raeoran. He madly fiddled with his targeting controls, looking up at the main screen every few seconds. “Sir, we’re sitting ducks!” yelled Ray John.“Mr. Yurumiri, bring us to speed!”“Aye sir,” He reached for the main throttle lever.“Full throttle engaged!” He returned to plotting vectors. The ship suddenly lurched to the starboard side and I was tossed from my seat, as was most of the crew. When I regained my composure, I yelled,“Damage report!”“Warp Space torpedo, launched from the attacking battleship, Captain. Moderate damage sustained to portside forward armor. The torpedo penetrated our shields entirely,” Kraken said. Raeoran turned to him, aghast. I slapped my forehead and said,“Warp torpedoes?! Is there anything these bastards haven’t come up with?”“A torpedo that can evade countermeasures and even detection by traveling through Warp Space... Bloody incredible,” Said Oliver, who had maintained his footing.“Sir, the Templar has sustained only minor damage thus far, despite the aforementioned impact. I recommend we close to cannon range and assault the enemy vessel directly. They will be unable to accurately target us for torpedo attack at that range,” said Kraken.“Make it happen,” I said.“Sir, I have missile vectors!”“Then take those damn fighters out!”He hit the button and a flurry of missiles streaked out from the port and starboard launchers. Little flames blossomed in the void and then disappeared as many of the sluggish Combine fighters failed to evade the missiles. 109

“Mr. John, bring us alongside the enemy vessel,” I said. “Aye, Captain, coming alongside!” He was forced to shout over the explosion of a fighter that had been very close to the bridge, which actually shook slightly.

The Combine battleship seemed to anticipate our move, as they already had us targeted. They fired a volley of plasma bursts from their main guns at us before we could react. “Incoming…!” Raeoran barely had time to say before the plasma struck us. The ship rocked violently and the lights flickered briefly. I saw our energy shields crackle outside the main screen.“Sir, shields are down to 40%! They must have hit us with charged blasts!”I slammed my fist on my chair’s armrest.“Damnation! It’s as if they were waiting for us to engage them at close range!”Armand said,“Maybe they were, sir…” I then realized they must have found us through Alice. I shook my head, and then yelled,“Answer them in kind!” To which Raeoran responded,“Main guns firing… now!” The main guns spoke with one voice, unleashing a hellstorm of plasma fire on the Combine battleship. The bursts broke their shielding and several gouts of flame erupted from the vessel’s starboard hull as they struck it. “Direct hit, sir! Enemy shields destroyed, heavy hull damage sustained! If we fire our broadsides that should finish her off!”“Hold. Kraken, open a comm. channel with the vessel,” I ordered. “Aye, Captain. Hailing,” He said.Raeoran looked at me like I had a screw loose.“With all due respect, Captain, are you insane? They won’t surrender, or retreat! You know them, its death before dishonor!”“Maybe so, but I don’t feel like killing anyone else today,” I told him.Raeoran threw his hands up in the air, but said nothing further.Kraken keyed a few commands on his console and the image of the enemy vessel’s captain appeared on screen. He spoke before I had the chance to.“Well played, Captain Toranaga,” He said. The man had a long, narrow face with a clean-cut moustache and beard. His captain’s hat was perfectly centered. 110

“Or should I say… prince?” He chuckled. “How…” I began. “You should know better then to ask that.” He cut me off.“We know all about you, pirate. You are extremely valuable, you know that of course. Today is your lucky day.” I narrowed my eyes.“How do you figure?”“My superiors had considered simply blasting you out of the sky and then harvesting your genetic material from the debris. It was through my own intervention that you still live. I wanted to prove to them that you might be of use,” He said.“If I followed your line of thinking, and I do, I’d tell you to shove off,” I replied. He shrugged.“Pity. Regardless, I must again congratulate you on your battle prowess. You will need it when the Admiral comes calling. Good day,” He said with a grin. The image vanished, along with the vessel itself. “What the hell?” Rae said. Kraken responded with,“Warp signature detected. Enemy vessel has departed the system.” I again bashed the armrest of my chair. “Damn the Combine! Damn them all!” I slapped myself in the forehead.Kraken turned to face me.“Sir, I have crunched the numbers and my processors tell me that this attack was intended to gauge our strength. The enemy captain could have warped away at any time. He wished to deliver an ultimatum,” He said.“It’s just like them to toy with their prey. Filthy imperialist dogs…” Armand muttered.“He mentioned “the Admiral”. Who might that be?” John said to everyone. I sat back in my chair and said,“The Combine has innumerable admirals. How are we to know which one he meant?” I asked.“Does it even matter, besides?” Raeoran said.“Probably not,” Said Oliver.

A light on Kraken’s console flashed. He pressed a button next to it and held one hand up to his head. He was receiving a transmission. “Captain, Doctor Freeman requests your presence at the infirmary presently,” He said. I got up and made for the lifts. 111

“Mr. Yurumiri, you have the bridge,” I told him. “Aye sir,” He replied. Armand and Oliver remained on the bridge. I took the rightmost lift down to the third deck and proceeded down the hallway in the general direction of the infirmary. I walked slowly, lost in thought. I truly did not care which admiral my opponent had been referring to, but I obviously could not fully process the danger I was now in now that the entire Combine knew who I was and the secret my body kept. They’d be hunting me now. Would I have to stand and fight? My heart said yes, but my brain was telling my heart to shut the hell up.

I entered the infirmary proper and then the ward where Alice was kept. The good doctor was operating a terminal near the stasis container in which she slept. The psychic emanations intensified with every step I took towards her. It was too painful to stand within a few feet of her, so I held back and waited for the doctor to finish his work.

While I waited, I tried to decipher some of her thoughts. The ones I already knew where ones about myself and about what of her past I knew. This was how the crew knew of my true origins. Yet, some of her thoughts were misted, others downright cryptic. There were artificial blocks in some areas. I sensed some of the hidden thoughts might have been, perhaps, her own childhood memories, if she still had those. More likely these contained knowledge of her true origins in the sinister Specter project, perhaps even the secrets of the project itself. I could understand the need for secrecy in such a project… but really, if such information got out, who in the hell would be able to do a damned thing about it? Meanwhile, I stood amazed at the Combine’s ability to mask a person’s very thoughts- something no traditional barrier can protect. How much did they know that we do not? The thought disturbed me.

The doctor finished his task and turned to me. I saw that he was wearing some form of helmet. I inquired as to the helmet’s nature.“Psi-blocker helmet. Keeps out the projections so I can work peacefully,” He said. I found I could barely hear him through the cacophony of Alice’s mind. I asked for a helmet and he handed me one. Instantly, Alice’s thoughts vanished from my mind. I could now talk to the doctor.“You asked for me?”“Yes. Captain, by now you know the truth about Alice,” He began.“Indeed,” I replied. 112

“It’s time you knew the truth about me,” He said. I braced myself for yet another shock.“I was once a head researcher in the Combine. I was responsible for the founding of the Specter project.” I grimaced. I raised a hand to strike him. He cowered.“Please! Please understand, Captain! I quit soon after the first prototype was done. I tried to escape, to hide from the nightmares. I joined up with your crew to help people, to heal wounds. To try and make amends,” He said, sitting down and putting his face in his hands.“What of Alice? What is your involvement with her?” The Doctor shook his head.“She was after my time. I know nothing of her or what they did to her. But I do know this,” He started to rock back and forth. I drew closer.“The others…”“Others? What others?” He shook his head. I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently.“You must tell me, doctor! Our survival depends on it!” He pulled away.“They can sense her! They can feel her! The other Specters. The Combine can track her through them, and you through her. They want you, what’s in you!”“I know that!” He suddenly jumped up and seized me by the sleeves of my jacket.“But they cannot see you! The only way they can find you is by finding her!” “So what do we do…?”“Listen to me, Captain! You must let me take her away from here. She is a threat to you and the rest of the crew as long as she is here, as long as they can see into her mind. If I take her elsewhere, they will lose you and her usefulness will be gone. You will both be safe.”“But what if they come after you? You don’t stand a chance against the Watchmen!”“I am useless to them. I know the project has evolved beyond me. The Combine does not waste resources tracking down what is useless to them,” He said. I started to object, but he cut me off with a hiss.“Efficiency, Captain! Efficiency is critical to them!” I said nothing.

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“Please, captain. For her sake if not your own,” He begged. How could I refuse when I saw so obviously the wisdom, if not the intelligence, in his plan? “Will you take no one with you?”“I am better off alone…” The doctor muttered.“Against my better judgment, I must begrudgingly comply with your request. Take her. Take her far from here,” I told him.“Yes Captain. Understand, Captain, this is the only way to escape their wrath,” He assured me. I nodded. Still, I did not like the half-crazed, half-despairing look he had in his eyes, despite the determined tone of his voice. I could only pray that he and Alice would be safe alone.

I granted the doctor use of a small transport vessel with proper accommodations for Alice’s stasis canister. He took ample medical and other supplies with him. Though no one saw him leave, his departure became common knowledge when everyone realized that Alice’s thoughts no longer raged in their own heads. It was just as well. One man had gone completely mad and had to be thrown in the brig.

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I watched the doctor’s ship fly into the darkness from my own quarters, the glow of the vessel’s engine soon disappearing. Not long after that, Alice’s psyche receded and I was left with only my own thoughts. Funny, my head felt somewhat empty now. Now that the Combine could supposedly no longer track us, perhaps we could go back to doing what we were out here to do in the first place, pirating. The crew was plenty eager to get back to work.

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Chapter 8

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes!”

A Witch, Shakespeare’s Macbeth

The universe has a strange sense of humor. It shares its cruel jokes and pranks with no one and can just as easily make you a god as cast you down. I still do not believe in fate. But at what point do coincidences cease to be so? The answer lies only in the coldest depths of space.

A month had passed since I last wrote in this journal. I won’t say that nothing eventful happened those few weeks… rather, I had been too busy to stop and jot down my thoughts. Being a Captain is not all jabbing fingers and shouting, you know. Sometimes you have to do some real work. Hmm… where was I?

With Alice gone, the Combine and their Specters could no longer track my vessel. With our cover regained, we had gone back to our pirating ways. We have successfully raided many Combine convoys and clashed with a number of enemy vessels, and I have twice again encountered the same gaunt-faced captain who delivered an ultimatum

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stating that I was on the hit list of the Combine’s top admiral. Said Admiral has not yet shown his face.

Each time we have attacked the Combine, they have scrambled everything within range to attack my ship. They have not ceased actively combing this sector for my vessel and will stop at nothing to find me. I suspect that the admiralty, in its paranoia, will begin to suspect the Imperial citizenry of harboring my crew and I and may start attacking their own planets. The last thing I need is the deaths of innocent people weighing down my already laden conscience. Once again I find myself disgusted at the complete inability of Combine soldiers and navy crew to think for themselves. Then again, are the Watchmen even human? Tthat is a subject for another entry.

I was stirred from my writings by a knocking on the double doors of my quarters. A crewman spoke from the outside. From the voice, I ascertained it to be Mr. Pockets, one of the deck hands.“Sir, theys asking for ya on the bridge,” He said.“Very well. I will be there presently,” I replied.“Aye sir,” He said.I slowly got up from my table. I found myself wearied. Perhaps I needed more sleep? Bah. Who has the time? I gathered my effects and ventured from my quarters, taking the now too-familiar hallway route to the lifts. The guard, Jak, was asleep at his post once more. I decided to let him rest, being almost too tired to wake him myself. I took the lift up to the bridge.

Oliver, who was leaning on the far wall, greeted me. He yawned. “Good morning, Captain. Kraken says he’s found something,” he said.“Morning, Oliver,” I replied before taking my seat. I surveyed the bridge. Most of the crew was on break. Beside myself, there was only Oliver, Kraken and Raeoran. Rae was at the helm, though he looked half asleep. “At ease, Rae,” I said to him.“Thank-” He yawned in mid sentence.“You, Cap,” He replied as he left the helm, sat himself down at his console and promptly fell asleep, his head resting on a monitor. “Gods, has anyone on this damn ship gotten any sleep lately?”

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“Combine’s kept us on a tight schedule,” Oliver said. I uttered a string of curses before remembering that Kraken had found something.“Ahoy there, Kraken. You said you found something?”“I was wondering when you were going to ask, Sir.” I detected a hint of sarcasm in his mechanical voice.“Well, what did you find?”“It’s better if you see it for yourself,” He said, giving the image magnifier dial a twist. The screen zoomed in on a distant point.

The screen was immediately occupied by a black hole.“Gods,” muttered Oliver.“have no recorded data of a black hole of this magnitude,” Kraken said.“Patch this through to the engineering bay,” I told him. Kraken hit another button.“Are you seeing this, Akira?”“Oh I’m seeing it alright,” He replied.“A rip in the very fabric of space and time,” muttered Kraken. “Huh?” Someone groaned. The sound had come from Raeoran, who was stirring prematurely from his impromptu nap. His eyes focused on the screen.“Holy…” Kraken suddenly twitched.“Sir, I’ve picked up something else of interest,” He said, adjusting the zoom dial again. The screen magnified further to reveal the silhouette of what appeared to be a space vessel against the black hole. It looked like it was floating right near it…“The object appears to be holding its present position, sir,” He added.Even in my sleepless state with my mind half-functional, I could still comprehend that what Kraken had just told me was not physically possible. “But… how? I thought nothing could escape a black hole?”“So the books tell us,” said Oliver.I rubbed my forehead.“I should have expected something like this. Nothing else has been making much sense lately, why should the laws of physics still apply?” I grumbled.“Analyzing the object, sir. Scanners are having difficulty penetrating the gravitational interference.”I leaned forward, eyed the image closer. 118

“Looks like a ship,” I said.“Don’t need a fancy sensor suite to figure that one out,” grumbled Raeoran.Grumble, grumble… I thought to myself. “From what I can discern, yes. Interference is too strong to obtain a detailed analysis. We would have to get closer,” He said.“Are you mad?” I asked.“I was just about to suggest we not do so, sir,” He replied. “Oh. Sorry,” I said.“If that thing is just sitting there that close, why can’t we get in closer?” “Maybe the black hole’s pull isn’t as bad as it looks,” said Akira over the PA.“Would you like to test that theory?” I asked. There was no response.“Besides, I’ve had my fill of strange derelict vessels. Remember what happened last time we went on one of those things?” Oliver coughed audibly. “Sir, if I might play the devil’s advocate for a microsecond,” Kraken said. I shrugged.“Be my guest,” I replied.“I have calculated the approximate gravitational pull of the black hole based on estimates of its dimensions and subsequent comparisons to existing data. I believe by diverting power from the main guns to the engines and approaching the derelict vessel at an oblong angle, we could take the passing moment to scan the vessel and use our existing momentum combined with additional thrust to escape the black hole’s pull successfully,” He said, in one long unbroken sentence.“You get all that?” Oliver said to Raeoran. Rae shrugged.“My plan of course hinges on my next theory,” Kraken continued.“Which is?” I asked.“That the derelict vessel must be projecting a null-gravity well of some description, which is strong enough to maintain its present position. If I continue on this line of thinking, it is entirely likely that we will not be able to escape the black hole’s pull on our own and we will be forced to commandeer the vessel and its gravity well and use it to lead both ships away from the hole.”“You don’t say,” I said.“This is pure speculation, of course,” said Kraken. 119

“Would it not be wiser to simply send a probe?” Kraken’s visual receptors clicked.“Calculating… Correct. Sending a probe would be the ideal course of action,” He replied flatly. Raeoran sniggered.Kraken smacked his head. “My apologies, Captain. My logic processors need a recharge,” He said.“Ah ha!” I said. Everyone looked at me. I grimaced.“Sorry. I was right. No one in this ship has gotten any sleep. And I do mean nobody,” I added. Kraken said nothing, Oliver chuckled and Raeoran let out a mighty yawn.“Don’t talk about sleep, man,” He grumbled. I waved him off.“Aligning the launcher. Probe away,” Said Kraken. I heard a dull thump and a small spherical drone were sent hurtling into the void towards the mysterious ship lurking on the cusp of oblivion. The probe soon vanished from the regular screen, but soon came into view as a small flashing light on the zoomed image of the vessel. The probe suddenly sped up and then slowed down again, as if to compensate for a change in gravity. Kraken pulled a lever.“Analysis beginning. Interesting,” He said.“What’d you find?” Rae asked.“My original theory was partially correct. The vessel is indeed projecting a null-gravity well. This is doubtless the reason for its present state. The probe had to readjust its speed to account for the sudden change in gravitational pull. There is absolutely no pull within this field at all. The vessel can totally ignore the black hole.”“Crazy,” Said Akira.“Who has that kind of technology? Could the Combine have developed such a device?” I asked no one in particular. “Unknown, but altogether unlikely,” Said Kraken. He flipped a switch. The main screen changed to a dual panel display. The right showed what the probe was seeing with its onboard camera.

The surface of the vessel appeared to be mostly unarmored; with exposed grid work and piping running the length of the vessel. Clearly this was not a military ship. The left screen began to show a wireframe model of the vessel as the probe mapped out its surface. Strands of data began to appear in the corner of the wireframe image. “Interpreting,” said Kraken. 120

“Analysis indicates that the vessel is pre-Combine in origin, likely it is considerably older,” He said at length.“Another Exodus derelict?” said Oliver. “The possibility exists,” replied Kraken.Something about the vessel suddenly caught my interest.“Kraken, cross-reference the probe’s data with the information in that Terran history book we acquired,” I said.“Accessing stored copy of the book… Complete. Cross-referencing now,” He said. While he did that, I watched the probe’s camera view. I admired the intricate craftsmanship of the vessel. This was most assuredly no Combine ship. It was too finely crafted, and it lacked the flat, Spartan architecture of their vessels. I also perceived an almost palpable sense of antiquity, as if this vessel was older then time itself. As the probe moved on, I also began to have a feeling of something not unlike dread. Like there was something on the vessel that I did not wish to see…

“Sir, I have something,” Kraken said. He typed out a sequence of commands and an excerpt from the text appeared on the screen, along with an image of a ship bearing a marked resemblance to our derelict.

Among the many research vessels built during the early days of colonization, the Iscariot was perhaps the largest

and most magnificent. A symbol of the human race's technological might, the Iscariot was a self-contained

scientific laboratory, library and research facility to rival the complexes of old Terra.

“The Iscariot?” I echoed.“Name doesn’t ring a bell,” said Oliver. Raeoran only yawned. “I have a relevant entry on a vessel of that name, from the old logs of this vessel, no less. A vessel called the Iscariot was acquired by Jericho during their campaign and used for research purposes. The vessel disappeared shortly before you were born, Captain. It was listed as lost, the crew as MIA. No evidence of its ultimate fate was ever recovered, at least, none was listed,” Said Kraken. I chuckled.“Is there any supposedly secret information that we are not privy to?”

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“The text is extremely informative sir. I would list it among the most valuable of your acquisitions, if not monetarily speaking then intellectually. However, I cannot say exactly what sort of research went on aboard that ship, before or after its capture or even what might have happened to it between it’s disappearance and it’s present rediscovery,” Kraken responded. I nodded.“I dunno Cap. Sounds like a trap. Or maybe just a dead end,” groaned Raeoran. “Oh, I have no doubt of that. But who said we were going on that thing? I intend to make trails as soon as the probe finishes its scan.” Oliver’s face displayed genuine surprise.“That’s not like you, Captain. You really don’t want to look inside that ship?” “And risk my neck for another forgotten Terran legend? Not for all the riches in the universe.” I made myself sound sincere.“Oh come off it, Raiki. You’re a good Captain and a good shot, but you’re a damn sorry liar,” He said.I shrugged.“You know me all too well, old friend,” I replied.“What is your plan of action, sir?” Said Kraken.“Well, getting on there is one thing. We’re fine once we enter the gravity well. But how exactly would we get out?” I said.“My original plan is still a possibility, if a dangerous one,” said Kraken.“Not to disrespect our metal friend here, but can we throw a few other options out there first?” Raeoran asked.“You got any bright ideas, sleeping beauty?” Oliver snapped at him.“Bite me,” retorted Rae.“Stow that crap, men. Let’s try and be productive here,” I said.“Seriously though, what other options do we have?” Said Raeoran.“Attempting to formulate alternate strategy,” said Kraken in his non-personal computation tone. “If anyone can come up with anything, Kraken can. In the interim,” I said, turning to Oliver.“Make a sweep of the ship. Make sure everything is running smoothly what with us holding on the perimeter of a black hole. Rae, go get some sleep. Oliver, after your sweep, go get some rest,” I told him. “What about you, Cap?” He asked. 122

“I’m going to keep reviewing the probe’s data for a while. More likely I’ll just fall asleep in my chair here,” I said. Oliver chuckled and made for the lift. Raeoran slowly dragged himself from his post and followed. True to my word, I reviewed the probe’s data for a time, though it eventually got rather hazy…

I awoke no more then a few hours later with a start. I had indeed fallen asleep in my command chair. I realized that I had been dreaming, though now the dream had slipped from my mind. This did not often happen to me. Was it due to elevated stress levels or some such psychological thing? I knew not.

I looked about. The scene had not changed from earlier. The main screen showed that the probe had finished its scan, though was unable to return to the ship due to the black hole. It had simply clamped itself to the surface of the derelict and continued transmitting redundant data. The only other person on the bridge was Kraken, typing at his console and occasionally tapping his processor unit into the ship’s computer with his wrist-mounted interface connector, to augment the ship’s processing power. He did not notice that I had fallen asleep or that I had just awoken. I decided not to interrupt him, as that consumed valuable processing power that could possibly throw him off. I decided on a whim to venture down to the engineering bay to check on Akira.

When I got there, Akira was snoozing, nestled in between two pipes with a large pillow for a bed. Doubtless he had pilfered it from one of the crew quarters. I decided not to reprimand him, after all, we all needed sleep and when you really need to crash, anywhere and anything will do, except maybe a sharp rock. A skeleton crew of engineers was shuffling too and fro, tapping linkages here, examining meters there. I did not interrupt their work, but did a small sweep myself and found everything to be in order. A few gravity sensors detected that the ship was resisting the black hole’s pull by a negligible amount; we were too far away for that monster to get a real grip on us. It’s true. I did want to look inside that ship, see what secrets it held. It was beyond me. Like the fruit on the tree branch that Tantalus could never reach, the universe dangled that ship above me, daring me to reach for it, to seize forbidden knowledge once again. That black hole loomed over us, like the stone over Tantalus’s head.

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“Then again, Tantalus didn’t have one of the most powerful battleships in the galaxy,” I said to myself. “Who’s Tantalus…?” Someone said. I turned to see Akira, just awoken, rubbing his eyes.“Mythical figure. Never you mind. How’s the ship?”“She’s as good as she looks, Cap. So what are we doing about that ship I overheard about…?” I raised an eyebrow.“You forgot to turn off the comm. channel, sir.” I grumbled to myself for a moment, and then said,“We’re trying to figure out how to get on board the ship without getting sucked into that black hole. But you knew that already. Any ideas?” He shrugged.“I dunno much about physics, Cap. Not astrophysics, anyway. I got nothin’.”“You and everyone else. Except maybe Kraken. You might as well go back to sleep, I know I am.” He tried to give an eager salute.“Aye, Captain. Getting right on that.” I laughed. Akira was asleep before I even left the engine room.

I decided to get some proper rest, so I went to my quarters and threw myself on my bed just having removed my boots, which I left at the foot of the bed. I soon fell asleep, though this time I venture it was much deeper, as I do not recall dreaming at all. I also slept for a good bit longer, as my clock told me it was morning when I again awoke. I got back in my boots, left my quarters, and made for the bridge. Along the way, I noticed the halls were mostly empty- everyone had followed suite and most likely the entire ship was asleep. Kraken was on the bridge still when I got there, but so was Raeoran. He looked a bit less tired. “Morning, Raiki,” He said.“Morning, Rae,” I replied. Kraken turned.“Sir, I have crunched the numbers and I have concluded that my original plan is our only course of action if you wish to investigate the derelict vessel further. If we take a small transport ship, after leaving the derelict, we can slingshot around it and use the force of our momentum to escape the black hole.”“It took you that long to come up with this?”“I did not wish to interrupt your rest, sir. I came to this conclusion shortly after you fell asleep in your chair,” He said. 124

“Gods,” said Raeoran.“No, a transport ship could never escape that monster. The only thing we have that could possibly escape it is the Templar itself.”“I calculate an 89.073% chance that you are correct, sir. However, this ship would have difficulty fitting itself inside the gravity well without colliding with the derelict,” He said.“Then I suppose we’ll have to be careful,” I decided. Rae’s eyes went wide.“We’re going in?” “Against my own better judgment, yes. There’s just… something about that ship. I felt something when we were first looking at it. I have to know what it is I felt. I have to know what’s on that ship. For my own peace of mind if nothing else,” I told him. He considered my words.“Shall I divert power to the engines?” Kraken asked.“No. Let the black hole guide us in. Make course corrections as necessary, but conserve power,” I replied.“Yes sir.” Said Kraken.“You’re not going to tell the crew about this?” Raeoran asked.“Let them sleep,” I replied. Rae shook his head, clearly not enamored of the idea. But I knew he trusted this ship as much as I did. She’d get us out of there if things got hairy. I’d bet money, even to this day that’s the only reason he went along with this particular little adventure.

To this day, I still marvel at the decision I made then. The practical side of me said we were all sleep-deprived and not thinking straight, but I’ve always thought the practical side of me had a proverbial stick up its ass. I knew I just really wanted to know what was on that ship, because every time I see a lost ship or something of the sort, I look into it and I find something out, some little tidbit, maybe not about my life, but perhaps the greater scheme of things.

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The universe holds many dark secrets, and many of them are not of its own creation. Human beings do strange things for the promise of greatness. Locked in chests or vaults, hidden away in the ground or in the depths of space, we all have our skeletons. Every so often, one such secret gets uncovered. Te results are never pretty, and inevitably, someone suffers.

“On course sir. The black hole is pulling us in gradually. Will make adjustments as necessary,” said Kraken. I had spaced out momentarily and only just caught his sentence, and had to process it for a moment while I remembered what he said. “Very good, Kraken,” I said. I looked around. I guess I must have spaced out for longer then I thought, as Reaoran and Oliver were gone from the bridge, doubtless bound for their quarters. The need for sleep is an irresistible force… I yawned. Mustn’t think about sleep. “Focus,” I thought out loud.“Keeping your mind working, sir, will stave off sleep. However, it would be better in the long run if you did sleep,” said Kraken, without turning around.“Yeah… maybe I should get some sleep…”“Seems logical, Captain,” He said. Within minutes, I dozed off.

When I awoke, the distance to the derelict had been closed. The ship was immediately visible, the nose of the ship sticking out into the void from my right. Starboard, not right. I got up and shook off the haze. I noticed in passing the accuracy of the probe’s images. Looking at the ship up close did not look all that different from the images transmitted back from the probe. Then again, I expected nothing less from stolen Combine tech.“We are holding position inside the vessel’s gravity well. Sir, my logic processor may be iffy but my statistics analysis subroutines are rarely incorrect and I am positive the gravity well’s area of effect has expanded since we detected it,” He said.“Oh, of course. Doesn’t surprise me at all,” I said. I made sure my tone oozed sarcasm. Kraken, with his advanced human interaction subroutines, picked up on it quite easily. 126

“I know, sir, it seems extremely unlikely, but if I were to follow this line of thinking I would say there is someone on that ship. Someone who deliberately extended the null gravity field’s range to accommodate our vessel,” He said. I understandably scoffed, but there was a good deal of logic in his words. There usually was. Could there be someone on this vessel? The possibility was remote, but existent, and we had evidence that could suggest just so.

The Templar’s sensors continued to sweep the vessel, as did my own eyes. Besides the obvious oddity of the vessel’s nonmoving state, it did not even drift, there seemed to be something strange about the vessel. Admittedly I had never seen a vessel of this configuration before, but that was no surprise given the ship’s approximate age.

Before I could turn my eyes away from the screen, lights suddenly came on along the whole length of the derelict ship. To me, it seemed as if some dark beast had awoken from a long slumber. “Report!” I said.“Cold start detected, the derelict’s primary reactor is coming online. The gravity well must have been running on a separate system. I’m not detecting any other activity. Wait. The ship’s forward hangar has just opened. No ships are emerging,” said Kraken.“Hmm. An invitation?” I mused.“I am not detecting any incoming transmissions. Then again, it is possible the ship’s comm. system is outdated and unable to interface with ours. Shall we investigate?”“Why not? Let me see, just us I suppose.” “Who will you leave in command?” Oliver asked.“Akira perhaps?” I said. Rae shook his head. “We should bring him along though,” I said. Raeoran shrugged.“Leave John in charge,” He said. I nodded. Kraken opened a channel.“Helmsman John, you are wanted on the bridge immediately. Chief Enginneer Krannon, report to hangar one.” He said. He severed the connection as he got up and gave his neck a twist. A small bolt popped out when he did so.“Drat,” he said, picking up the bolt. Rae chuckled.“Looks like you need a few nuts tightened,” He observed. Kraken ignored him and marched off the bridge. I glowered at Raeoran.“That wasn’t funny,” I said. 127

“What, did I hurt his feelings or something?”“No, I mean it wasn’t funny. Like as in, I didn’t laugh,” I said. He thumbed me the bird. “Come on,” I said, walking over to where he was sitting. I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him off the bridge. He put up only token resistance. Oliver followed with a mildly amused expression on his face. Akira joined us on the way to the hangar.

The impromptu expedition party boarded one of the smaller transport shuttles. Kraken, being the most awake, piloted the ship deftly out of the Templar’s hangar and towards that of the derelict ship. I chanced to peer out the window of the transport vessel at the black hole. Admittedly, I had never seen one up close, but the feeling of dread I had led me to believe that there were few as big or menacing in appearance as this one. Even more disconcerting was the vessel we now were about to board, a seemingly harmless research vessel with the power to resist the strongest force in the cosmos. If it could laugh in the face of a black hole, what might it do to us?

The shuttle flew slowly but smoothly into the hangar, with landing lights coming on as we did so. The hangar door closed behind us, indicating that this vessel lacked oxygen shielding. A loud hiss sounded outside the walls of the shuttle, indicating that the hangar was pressurizing itself. When the hissing ceased, we exited the shuttle. Kraken stepped out first to sample the environment. He stumbled, righted himself and said,“The ship’s artificial gravity has been increased beyond standard levels. The oxygen level has also been decreased. Recommend you use rebreathers.” We complied with this suggestion, taking out the small oxygen filters and placing them over our mouths. These devices served to amplify the body’s natural oxygen intake when in otherwise low-oxygen environments. I stepped out of the shuttle and immediately noticed the change in gravity- simply walking took a greater effort.“What’s with this?” groaned Raeoran as he stepped out. Oliver, naturally stronger then either of us, had little trouble with the higher gravity.Kraken continued to scan the area.“The increased gravity could be a result of our proximity to the black hole, though one would think that the well would nullify this. It is

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possible the well does not affect the interior of the ship,” He said. I sensed that he had not finished his sentence.“Or?” Akira inquired.“Or, someone deliberately turned it up,” He replied.“Why would someone do that? Seems like it’d be hard enough to get around a ship this big anyway,” Akira said.“The Combine train their Watchmen troops in high gravity environments to enhance their strength. They also may use low-oxygen environments to give them stronger lungs,” He said.“What, you think this is some secret Combine training center?” asked Raeoran. Kraken blinked.“Actually, that is a possibility,” He replied.“Why’d they invite us in then?”“Correction, Rae, we don’t know if we were invited. The hangar was just open. Besides, this could be a trap,” I said. Raeoran became increasingly irritated.“Why’d we come over here then?”“Curiosity,” said Oliver flatly. “Shall we move on?” He began walking towards what looked like a door. I looked about the hangar as we walked. The interior was a dull steel color, lit poorly by a handful of wall and floor lights. A strange smell reached my nose even through the rebreather, almost moldy, definitely the smell of age. There were no other ships in the hangar. I half expected the door at the far end of the hangar to not open automatically, but it at least did that. We found ourselves at a station along a monorail track. A car was waiting, with five conveniently placed seats. “Well, would you look at that. They sent a car for us,” said Raeoran.“Yeah, but who are they?”“I suspect we will soon find out,” said Kraken, stepping onto the car. We followed suit. The car started up automatically. We were propelled through translucent tube. From our position, we could see the bridge high atop a tower-like structure to the vessel’s rear.“I don’t like it when someone else pulls the strings, Captain,” said Oliver.“Don’t we all?” Rae replied.

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“Guess we know how they get around this big ship,” mumbled Akira. The tunnel became dark as we arrived at a far station. The car sped off just as I lifted my other foot off of it. “No going back now,” I said. In front of us, a door slid open. We walked down a narrow, dimly lit hallway. We arrived in what I guess might have been a lobby. The room was quite large but there were only a handful of benches here and there. In the center of a chamber was a cylinder-shaped structure leading upwards. As we circled around the room, a door on the cylinder slid open, revealing what was obviously a lift. “Going up?” Rae asked. “Just get on,” said Oliver. Raeoran complied, looking shot down. I could tell he was making a mental note not to make any more cracks for a while. The ride was short. When the door opened, we found ourselves on what was obviously the bridge. We walked about. The room was a large dome, with computer consoles and displays running the entire circumference. Silent robot workers operated the computers. Kraken buzzed.“Old laborer types, incapable of speech or feeling… robots in the strictest sense,” Kraken said. I detected a note of pity in his voice.“Slaves to whoever created them,” I added. I heard a clicking noise from up above. I looked up to see a massive form loom from the shadows. It jumped down and landed with a clang on the deck. I saw that it was a rather large red-painted robot, with a glowing visor in place of eyes. It lumbered forward and came face to face with Kraken, who did not back down.“Easy, Kraken,” I said. Kraken did not reply, but instead said to the red robot,“Well, aren’t you sizable,” The red robot spoke with a deep, foreboding voice.“More then can be said for you, chrome-dome,” he said.“My my, such language. Do you share circuitry with a septic system?” The red robot clenched his fists.“I’m going to make you eat those words, you worthless piece of scrap-!”

“Come now, Alexander, these are our guests,” said a voice. We spun to see a human figure in the shadows. He made a sweeping gesture with his left arm. 130

“Welcome aboard the Iscariot,” He said. So, the book was right again. Alexander backed off.“Thank you. To whom do I owe the pleasure?” I asked. The man stepped forward from the shadows. He looked to be in his late sixties, with wild graying black hair and an uncut beard. He wore a simple lab coat and tall black boots. He had a cane in one hand, though this looked to be more for looks then to help him walk. By his accent and name, I took him for a Deutschlander. “Doctor Dietrich Hellmann, at your service,” He said, taking a bow. He eyed each of us in turn. “And you all are…? No, let me guess. You are a captain of some description, no?” He asked, looking at me. His scrutinizing gaze made me uneasy.“Correct. Captain Toranaga, of the Black Templar. These are members of my crew. Raeoran, Oliver, Akira and Kraken,” I said, pointing to each.“Again, welcome. Please excuse Alexander, he is rather territorial,” He said, gesturing to him. Alexander mumbled something incoherently. He gestured to our rebreathers.“You have no need of those, the air is quite breathable,” he said. We removed them at his suggestion.“Tell me… what brings you so far from the beaten path, as it were?” Hellmann asked. I chose my words carefully.“We were… hiding. We found your ship quite by accident.” Hellmann laughed.“You must be wondering what I’m doing this far out, hmm?”“I admit the thought struck me.” He laughed again. “Well, now that you’re here, would you like to ask a few questions? I have all day, you know,” He said with a laugh.“That would be my first question. How’d you end up here?” “It’s a long tale; I’m afraid, best discussed over dinner. Interested?” I was surprised at this show of hospitality.“Why, yes, thank you,” I replied. “I will have my servants prepare a meal for you. In the meantime I must ask, did your vessel suffer any damage on the way in?” “Not really… may I ask why you did not hail us?”

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“A mere precaution. I thought when I detected your ship you might be pirates come to take my ship. You must understand, I have not had guests for some time and feared the worst when I saw that your ship flew the Jolly Roger,” He replied.“My apologies. We would not loot the ship that belonged to such an honorable host.”“You are pirates then?”“Busted,” Raeoran said.“Yes, we are,” I said to Hellmann.“No matter. A guest is a guest. Even if he doesn’t think so,” Hellman said, jerking a thumb in Alexander’s direction. The red robot made a noise rather like a snort.“I have a rather wide selection of parts and scrap metal. If you’d like something to show for your trouble, Alexander could take you there,” He said.“You are really too kind, Doctor, we’ll have a look,” I said. The Doctor snapped his fingers and Alexander stepped out of the shadows once more. He gave Kraken a menacing look but said nothing, stomping off in the direction of the elevator. The others followed him, but I remained. “Go on. I’d like to speak with the Doctor further,” I told them. They complied. When they had left the bridge, I turned to face the Doctor, who was staring out into the void.“I came out here to find solitude,” he began.“The same as us. No doubt that is why we found you,” I said. “Hmm, true. Tell me… is the Combine still in power?” I was somewhat surprised at his question.“Yes. The refuge we sought was from them,” I answered.“Same as myself- though that was many years ago. A pity they still rule,” he said.“Do you have something they want?” I asked.“I did once. I doubt it is worth anything to them anymore, but on the other hand, I don’t think I could reintegrate into their society, if it could be called as such,” he replied.“So you remain here,” I said. “I do not believe I have any other option,” he said with a sigh.“How do you pass the time?”

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“For a time, I talked with Alexander. We ran out of things to talk about ages ago, so I spend my time cataloging the movements of the stars, and watching the black hole,” I said.“We surmised that your ship has some sort of null-gravity well?” “An astute observation. Yes, the Iscariot possesses a gravity nullification device of my own design,” He said.“Such a device could fetch a high price,” I said, imagining the worth of such a device myself.“I have no concern for money,” he replied flatly.“My apologies. I should not have thought so little of you,” I said. He turned to face me, and smiled.“I admire your manners, Captain. It has been too long since I communicated with someone of my own intellect,” He said, his eyes wandering off into the distance.“I’m afraid you’ll not find me quite as wise as yourself, but I do take pride in my mannerisms,” I said. He chuckled.“You are honest. I’m afraid the people I once worked with in the Combine were not quite so frank,” He said, his eyes darkening as he mentioned the Combine.“You have a personal grudge against them?” I asked.“You might say that,” He replied, stepping off his pedestal. He began walking towards the elevator. I followed after him.“In the old days, I conducted research into various peacetime projects. But the Combine, they and their haughty admiralty were always looking for new ways to kill, to conquer the universe. I had no interest in conquest. I wanted to create! They, they…” He was getting quite angry. “They only wanted to destroy!” he coughed and doubled over. I helped him up.“Are you alright, Doctor?”“I’m afraid my health is not what it once was. I suspect I do not have much longer to live,” He said, his expression sour as he continued onward.“I am sorry to hear that, Doctor,” I told him.“To be honest with you, Captain, I was hoping that one day someone would come along before my time came. I cannot go back, but I feel it would be wrong not to pass on my knowledge. There is something I

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would like you to take with you,” He said. I could not help showing surprise.“What sort of something?” “Not yet. I will tell you in due time. For now, I would ask that you join your crew. I have some work I must attend to, forgive my rudeness,” He gestured to the elevator. He was kicking me out, sure, but he was being very polite about it.“Of course, Doctor. Excuse me,” I said. “I will rejoin you at dinner,” he said, before walking slowly back towards the operations console. I entered the lift and began the descent back to the main deck. On the way, the lift froze at a floor that was not listed on the console. I pushed the emergency exit button and stepped out onto the deck. This hall was not lit well. I advanced down said hall slowly, though my footsteps rang out on the hollow metallic floor. One of the brown-robed servitors passed by me, bumping into my shoulder as it went by. When I looked back, the servitor had turned a corner into a room I had not noticed before. I followed him in and immediately had to duck behind a bulkhead, as I saw robotic guards patrolling the area. These robots weren’t like the servitors. They were clad in what looked like laser-resistant combat armor and they carried twin-barreled laser pistols. They walked stiff-legged, but quickly, in twos. The room was massive, though I could not see much of it, due once again to bad lighting. I could see well enough to spot a humanoid shape moving in the shadows. I couldn’t see what it was, but it wasn’t a robot. I wasn’t sure it was human either. I left the room when the sentries weren’t looking and continued down the master hall. Again, I saw something move in the shadows. Then someone tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around; drawing Inferno, but someone caught the blade. The looming form of the robot Alexander stood before me. He lowered my sword slowly.“Lost, human?” he asked. “Lift froze,” I replied.“It’s working now,” he said coldly. He stepped out of the way and gestured in the direction of the lift. I complied with his unspoken request. It was clear that there was something Alexander and possibly Hellmann did not want me to see…

Then again, perhaps I’d already seen it? 134

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Chapter 9

“Imagine it… a life of terror, waking up from one nightmare- only to find yourself deep in another.”

- Paxton Fettel

The universe holds many dark secrets, most of which we as human beings are not privy to. Looking back on the events that transpired aboard the Iscariot, I am increasingly of the belief that the secrets we keep from one another are far direr.

I rode the lift down. My eyes were focused on the console, but my mind was still in that dark room on the hidden floor. I tried to reason what I had seen. It was definitely humanoid in shape, but the way it moved… so fast, so smoothly. Humans didn’t move like that, we were heavy-footed and prone to revealing our presence. I did not hear that thing move, I only saw the shadow for a fleeting moment, but enough to know something was there.

Of course, it was possible I was seeing things, due to my sleepless state. “Wishful thinking,” I said aloud. The elevator stopped on one of the lower decks. The door slid open with a hiss and I stepped out into the

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main hallway. I heard voices up ahead so I walked down the hall and turned into an open room. I found Raeoran, Oliver, and Akira sifting through some open storage containers, Alexander standing silently nearby. Kraken was off to the side, examining a fallen robot that looked nothing like the sentries or Alexander. In fact, it more closely resembled Kraken himself. I thought perhaps it had once been a combat robot. Akira emerged from his container holding what looked like an antiquated slug-thrower. He was wide-eyed as he looked the gun over. He noticed me and held the gun up to me, saying,“Look Cap! It’s a Union Arms GF-2 long-range rifle! These things are really rare!” “Looks ancient,” I said. His expression soured.“Yeah, it’s old. So what?” I displayed mock shock.“I was just making an observation,” I said.“Oh,” he replied. He placed the gun gently on the floor and turned back to the crate.“One item each,” Alexander said, stopping him. Akira groaned.“Can’t I at least find ammo for it?” Alexander mumbled something under his breath.“Huh?”“Fine,” Alexander said. Akira went into the crate and proceeded to search for ammunition for his rifle. I went into the crate Oliver was digging in. “Oh, hey Cap,” he said. “Just looking for a little something for myself here. The red bot says we can only take one thing each, so I’m looking for something good.” Raeoran came over. He was holding an older model laser pistol. It had an extended barrel and the power cell was rather large- an old pulse cell rather then the small fusion cells used today. He handed it to me and I looked it over. I recognized the weapon by its distinctive seal on the handle. “I don’t believe it. A Krupp Longshot,” I said. Rae chuckled to himself.“Yep. Most powerful pulse-cell based pistol ever made. I heard tell there were maybe five hundred of these bad boys ever made, all for select customers. I guess Doctor Hellmann was one of them.”“No way, if this were his it’d be hanging in a glass case somewhere. I couldn’t tell you how this got here, but it isn’t Hellmann’s,” I said. 137

“Right. It’s mine. That’s okay, right Alex?” He said over my shoulder.“Don’t call me Alex. The weapon is yours if you so desire it,” he said coldly. I turned and asked,“May I also take something?” “One item of your choice,” he said. I strolled into an unoccupied container and sifted around. If Hellman had a Krupp Longshot just sitting in the trash, I wondered what he kept in his own quarters. something shined in the pile I was looking through. I withdrew the object, which sent a small cascade of parts out of the container. I heard Alexander let out an audible metal groan. “Sorry, Alexander. I’ll clean this up,” I called out. He did not respond. I quickly gathered up the parts and put them back on the pile in the container. Afterwards, I examined the object I had picked up. It was a knife, partially in its sheath. I took the knife out. It was in amazing condition, with a brilliant sheen and a razor edge. It looked like polished Colossium. The grip was wrapped in fine Snarkle leather and to my surprise; the insignia of Jericho was etched into the base of the blade. Perhaps this had belonged to a royal guard or something?

I went and showed it to Raeoran. He too looked surprised.“Nice knife, Captain. Wonder if it belonged to somebody we know about?”“That’s a longshot, Rae.” “No, this is,” he said, holding up his new gun. I could not suppress a laugh. “I made a funny!” Raeoran said, before taking a seat at the entrance to Oliver’s container. He was still looking about. Akira had found a few magazines of ammo for his rifle.“I found some armor piercers, cap! I heard these could punch through solid Colossium if fired from the right gun,” he said.“Nice,” I replied. “Are you going to look for more pulse cells, Rae?” I asked him. He shook his head.“Nah. I figure I can refit this to use fusion cells,” He said.“You sure? I don’t think a pulse cell gun’s coils could handle that much energy,” I said.“Then I’ll change the coils too,” He replied. I shrugged and went in to see how Oliver was doing. Just as I entered, he yanked something out of 138

the pile and stumbled backward. I steadied him. He led me out of the container to show me what he had found- a sword of some kind. Rae and Akira both looked at it amazed.“Is that a genuine longsword?” Akira asked. “Nah,” Said Oliver. He pushed a button on the hilt and suddenly the blade came alight with arcing electricity.“Ooh, a power sword!” “Nice find, Bronson,” Said Raeoran. Oliver bowed and then swung his sword around a bit, after I had jumped out of range. Each slash left a trail of blue light that quickly faded. “These were pretty widespread before they started making beam sabers,” he said. “Looks like it takes Supercell batteries… the same we use in our torches. Heh,” He said.I looked about to find that Kraken had helped right the old robot, who was active but seemed to be damaged. “I would like to take him along,” said Kraken from across the room to Alexander. Alexander snorted.“That antique? I assure you, he is of no value. Take something from the containers,” he said. Kraken ignored him and helped the old robot out of the storage room. I asked Alexander,“Well, we’ve all got something. Where to now?”“The Doctor asks that you wait in the reception area until dinner. You may return to your transport if you wish,” He said.“Hey Alexander, why is the gravity turned up and the oxygen down?” Akira asked him.“The Doctor needs his exercise,” Said Alexander without breaking step. He walked over the entrance, each step clanging loudly, and gestured out into the hallway. We left and headed for the elevator. Kraken and the old robot were waiting up ahead.“You get the feeling we’re not welcome?” Said Akira.“No kidding,” said Rae.“I keep thinking that bloody bot’s going to attack me,”said Oliver.“As much as that is likely, he’s under Hellmann’s orders. And Hellmann seems nice enough,” I said.“Though he is ex-Combine,” I added.

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“Is he now? What a surprise,” said Rae, who threw his arms up into the air and said,“Why the hell can’t we get away from them? Everywhere we go they’re already there or they’ve been there before!” “Nothing is beyond their reach,” Said Akira.“Wrong. We’ve evaded them thus far and we will continue to do so,” I said flatly. “I believe you, Captain,” said Oliver.“Hey, what’s with him?” Rae said, gesturing up ahead. The old robot was looking around nervously. We went up to him.“What’s wrong, old timer?” I asked him. “You!” he said, jabbing a finger at me.“Are you the leader?”“Er… yes,” I replied“You and your men have to leave, it’s not safe here!” He said.“I kinda got that feeling,” said Raeoran.“What’s your name?” I asked the old robot.“My name’s Cyrus. Or at least, I think it is,” he mumbled. Cyrus obviously lacked an advanced voice modulator, as he sounded very metallic. Akira went over to him and stood up on his tiptoes trying to get a look at Cyrus’ processor. “Bend over, would ya? Let me look.” Cyrus bent over to have his head examined. “Oh yeah, got some processor damage here. How long since you got a maintenance check?”“I don’t think I’ve ever had one,” Cyrus said. Akira slapped himself on the forehead. Kraken spoke up.“He’s the ship’s original security robot.” “You’re kidding?” I asked.“I am quite serious sir; he’s as old as the ship as far as I can tell. He’s from the same line as me, just a much older model,” Kraken said.“Imagine that,” said Raeoran, looking Cyrus over. Oliver asked,“So why do we have to leave?” Cyrus looked like he had forgotten himself. He became nervous again.“That’s just the thing, see? I don’t exactly know what’s going on. You see, I’ve been sitting in that storage room for a long time, acting like I was deactivated. Alexander always ignored me, never knew I still 140

functioned. I’m pretty sure he’s the one who bashed me up… now that he knows I still work, he’ll kick my can the next time he sees me alone,” Cyrus said, shaking so hard he rattled.“Why’d he trash you?” Akira asked.“I can’t remember. Maybe because he was helping Hellmann hide something, maybe he just doesn’t like the cut of my jib,” he said. “Funny, we get that a lot,” said Raeoran. “All I know is, Hellmann’s working on something. He’s been working on it for a long time. When Alex isn’t around, I go prowling. It’s all I’ve got to do. I hear the sentries mostly, sometimes I hear Alex, but other times, I hear these weird noises. My audio receptors still work pretty well, so I pick up these sounds… like footsteps, but really soft,” He said.“So there IS someone else on the vessel!” I said. “Something we missed, Cap?” asked Oliver.“On my way down here, the elevator froze at a hidden deck. I got out and had a look around, and by chance I followed a servitor into a big chamber… there were some sentries in there, but I also saw something human-shaped move in the shadows. I saw it again back in the hall, then I bumped into Alexander, who sent me down here.”“So that’s why Alexander left for a minute there. Told us not to go anywhere,” said Akira.“How the hell did he beat you here? Besides the fact he was gone for maybe a minute or two,” said Oliver.“Maybe he can teleport,” said Rae.“Come on, joke time’s over,” I said to Rae.“No, really. Maybe he’s got a phase shift device. It’s not unheard of. He can phase out of reality, move to another deck and phase back. It would allow him to go anywhere on the ship almost instantly,” Said Raeoran, speculating.“Handy, that,” said Akira.“So that’s his trick!” Said Cyrus.“But if he can do that,why hasn’t he found me?” Cyrus’s tone belied confusion.“Maybe you don’t give off enough of a signature for him to lock on to,” They looked at me.“He must have a tracking system; he’s obviously a combat robot.”

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“Cyrus, if you will pardon the insult, your systems must be too old for him to detect- the system isn’t compatible. I’ve seen it before.”“No offense taken, Captain,” said Cyrus.“Look, if it’s not too much trouble, could we, you know-” He was gesturing to the lift. Akira walked over to it expecting it to open, but instead bumped into the door.“Ouch,” he said.“Lift frozen again…” said a voice. We all turned to see Alexander advancing down the hall. He walked straight passed us without so much as a nod and pounded his great crimson fist on the door. It slid open slowly. “Damn this antique ship,” he muttered. As he was walking away, he turned and stared directly at Cyrus, who seemed to curl away from his gaze. Alexander turned away and disappeared into the shadows, though we could still hear the clanging of his footsteps. We all looked at one other.“We didn’t hear him coming,” said Oliver.“Phase shift?” Rae offered.“Maybe he can hover,” Akira said.“Whatever. Let’s just get out of here,” I said finally. We all squeezed into the lift and took it back to the main deck. “Gah!” said Cyrus as soon as we were back in the reception area. “You’ve got to get me off this ship. Alexander will rip me limb from limb and use my plating to make himself a mantle!” Cyrus was hysterical. Kraken gave him a massive metal slap in the face.“Get a hold of yourself! Remember, you’re an Alpha Series security robot! We’re the best!”“We’re the best,” Cyrus echoed him. He ceased to freak out. “Okay. Game plan,” I said. The crew drew closer.“You three and I will attend Hellmann’s dinner. While he and possibly Alexander are distracted, Cyrus and Kraken will scout out the vessel. Report back to the transport after dinner,” I ordered.“Right. Come on, Cyrus,” said Kraken. “Avoid any confrontations if you can, return fire if necessary,” I told him. He nodded. Cyrus looked extremely uneasy, but followed after Kraken anyway. Soon after Kraken and Cyrus had disappeared into the hallways, Alexander appeared from the lift. He looked around. 142

“Where are your robots?” he asked.“They have returned to the transport, on my orders,” I replied.“I’m sure. Follow me,” He said. We followed him into the lift. It was extremely cramped with him in there, and I could tell he did not enjoy the situation anymore then he did. I could feel an almost palpable hate coming off of him. It seemed strange that a robot could be capable of so much hatred. But hatred of what? Of us? Or humans as a whole?

We got off at an upper floor, and Alexander led us down a hallway to one of the trams, which took us back to the front of the ship. There we boarded a lift up into the ship’s other tower, the top of which turned out to be a lavishly furnished dining room with a view out into the void. Hellmann was seated at the head of the table, and places had been set for each of us. Hellmann had not started eating yet. “Ah, welcome. Please, sit wherever you wish,” he said. I took a seat at the opposite head of the table. Rae and Akira sat to my left and Oliver sat on the right. “I trust you are all quite hungry?” Hellmann asked.“Quite,” I replied. He chuckled.“If you’ll wait just a moment,” He said. One of the robed servitors came in holding a large covered soup pot. From it, he poured some soup deftly into each of our bowls. He set the dish aside and went for a jug of water, which he poured for each of us. “Would you like some wine?” asked the doctor.“Yes, thank you,” I replied. Akira sat up.“No wine for you,” Rae told him. Akira’s expression soured. Hellmann laughed.“Come now, let the lad have a sip.” He snapped his fingers and the servitor went for a nearby bottle of red wine. The bottle read “Kilroy’s Finest”, a brand I did not recognize.“Very well… but only a sip,” I said across to them. The servitor poured each of us a glass save Akira, who took a sip from Raeoran’s glass. He pinched his face and shuddered.“Yecch, how do you adults handle that stuff?” I swirled the wine around for a moment and then took a sip. It was quite good, not as strong as the Hollinger I kept in my quarters, but possessed of a unique flavor. Hellmann chuckled.

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“Like many things, you’ll appreciate it more later, I think,” he said. Akira shrugged and proceeded to eat his soup. Hellmann turned to me and said,“Our wine and our parts are vintage, Captain, I trust they are satisfactory?”“Oh quite so, Doctor,” I said, taking another sip. Rae had already finished his glass and started on the soup.“Good stuff,” he said. “Fungore Mushrooms, grown right here in the ship’s garden,” Said Hellmann.“Fungores, eh? Hard to get, those,” I replied. The Doctor shrugged, had a bit of soup and then proceeded to ask me about the outside world.“Tell me Captain, what goes on in the larger universe?”“From what you’ve told me, Doctor, much of the same. The Combine is still in power and pressing in on Yamato. I’ve been told by many individuals that there is a massive confrontation approaching between the two,” I replied. Hellmann shook his head.“Always there is war. And to think my colleagues asked me why I was leaving. What of you pirates?” I shrugged.“Obviously I cannot speak for all of us, but I think it is a safe bet that we all oppose the Combine. Whether we will align ourselves with Yamato is another story,” I said.“What of yourself, Captain? Do you support the Yamato?”“I have not yet made a decision on the matter,” I replied.“I see. Best to remain neutral, in my opinion. Unfortunately, the only way to maintain neutrality in this case is to physically remove oneself from the conflict, as you and I have done.”“How long we remain out here is up for debate. No offense, Doctor,” he waved me off.“None taken, I would not have you stay here. It is quite boring sometimes,” he said. He stood up and went over to a smaller table near the wall. “Captain, would you come here for a moment?” I got up and went over to where he was standing. He was perusing a large book of notes and schematics. He suddenly closed the book and handed it to me.“This book contains all my collected research and designs. I would request that you take it with you and deliver it into the hands of someone 144

who will make good use of it. I must stress that it is vital that it does not fall into the hands of the Combine…”“Doctor, will you come with us?” I asked. Everyone looked up at me. Hellmann himself looked quite surprised.“That is a gracious offer, Captain. I fear it is too late for me to go back. I am content to remain here and continue my simple observations. My work should not rot here with me,” He said, returning to his seat and his soup, looking lost in thought. I placed the book back on its table for the time being and returned to my seat. We ate in silence.

After a time, a growing thump told me that Alexander had entered the area. He appeared from the doorway we had come from. “Yes, Alexander?” Hellmann asked. Alexander merely gestured for him to follow. “Oh, very well. Continue your meal, gentlemen,” he said as he got up and followed Alexander out. “They’re up to something,” Said Akira when he perceived them to be out of earshot.“I’m beginning to think Alexander is running the show here,” said Oliver.“A robot ordering a human around?” asked Rae.“Not ordering, per se,” Oliver replied.“I’m having doubts as to Hellmann’s culpability in anything, but I would like to know what is that I saw on that secret deck,” I said.“We better talk to the bots,” said Akira.“Good idea,” I said, keying my lapel communicator. “Kraken, do you read?” There was no response at first. “Sir, this channel is being monitored,” Kraken replied after a moment.“Understood,” I said, severing the connection. “What’s up?” Rae asked.“They’re monitoring our communications. We need to talk to them in person,” I told them.“Then something is going on,” said Oliver.“Looks that way,” I replied.“Well we can’t just all leave. It’s going to look mighty suspicious if Hellmann comes back and there’s nobody here,” said Raeoran.“Okay, you and Akira stay here and keep the Doctor distracted. Oliver and I will find out what’s going on.” 145

“Why do I have to stay?” Raeoran asked indignantly.“I don’t know, it was a split second decision,” I replied. He threw his arms up in dismay once more but said nothing further. Oliver and I got up and exited the dining room.

We took the lift back down to the main deck. After a moment, Kraken and Cyrus crept out from the shadows.“What goes on?” I asked.“Sir, we have a very serious problem,” He began.“I always knew they were up to no good,” said Cyrus.“This ship is being used as a manufacturing and training center for Specters,” Kraken continued.“You’re shitting me…?” Said Oliver.“I shit you not,” replied Kraken.“Bloody hell,” He muttered.“Manufacturing? What, they grow them here?” I asked.“Just so, sir. There are a number of cloning vats on the secret deck. They are apparently creating clones from a number of base templates, probably the top Specters… the high gravity and low oxygen is being used to make their training more difficult. They are being trained by an older Specter; we could not identify him…” Kraken cut himself off.“What is it, Kraken?” He hesitated. Cyrus spoke instead.“Captain, the spawning vats contained a whole lot of a chemical I couldn’t identify, it wasn’t in my banks,” he said.“Zenothium, sir,” Kraken said. Oliver spat.“Goddamn Combine,” He muttered. I massaged my temples.“Gods below, are there any lows they will not sink to? So they’re flash cloning and training some sort of- what were we calling them?” “Super specters, we called ‘em,” Oliver said. I then thought back to that mysterious encounter with the dark agent onboard the supply station and the secret chamber where I had found the gun-blades and the mutant creature. “Oliver, do you recall that Specter I fought on the supply station?”“That sod in the black robes? Yeah, I remember.” “I think he was a super specter, an early prototype, that’s why his power felt so warped, why we could even feel his presence. These ones must be much more advanced, able to hide their emanations,” I said.

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“I managed to hack their mainframe sir. I retrieved a file on these agents. They call them Revenants,” Kraken said. Cyrus began to shake. Oliver steadied him.“We also investigated the supply room more thoroughly. Hidden in one area were a number of high security containers, containing advanced, shielded power armor and some prototype plasma rifles and a number of top of the line pulse laser rifles,” he said.“Gods, they’re building an army,” I muttered.“Sir, a force of Revenants this size with this equipment could easily defeat any Yamato strike team. They could use them to infiltrate and seize control of the nation,” he said.“So this is their ultimate plan,” said Oliver.“I have to admit, I never would have expected them to come up with something so subtle,” I said.“But sir, if they have these Revenants why do they need you and the Phoenix Cannon?” Cyrus jumped at the mention of that weapon.“The Phoenix Cannon? That thing still exists?!”“Unfortunately, yes. Do you know of the Combine?”“Big evil empire. Overheard about them from Hellmann and Alexander.”“They seek the cannon,” I told him. He shuddered. “Oh man, that’s not good,” He said. I decided to tell him.“The key to the cannon’s location is hidden in my genes.”“Oh man,” he repeated.“It’s too simple. Just to use the Revenants to take Yamato from the inside. No, I think they’d use them to find me,” I said.“That is improbable, but quite feasible,” said Kraken.“Sir, we were discovered by some sentries in the storage area. We were forced to dispose of them. There is maybe a half hour before the other sentries go looking for them. If they’re found-” “Then we must act fast. Kraken, how many of the Revenants are there?” I asked.“I would approximate ten, plus their instructor. Add to that the large number of sentries and Alexander, I would say we are outnumbered,” He replied.“Do we retreat and destroy the ship from afar?” said Oliver.“No, you forget, we need that null-gravity generator.” 147

“Sir, I have a plan,” began Kraken.“Hold it. Have you thought this one through, thoroughly?” He adjusted one of the dials on the back of his head and said,“Yes sir. Quite thoroughly,” He replied. “Let's have it then,” I said.“By my calculations, the null-gravity generator on this ship, if subjected to a power overload, would unleash a rather nasty energy feedback. This feedback would be so powerful that it would temporarily reduce any and all gravitational forces within a wide radius,” He said.“What, it would weaken the black hole?” said Oliver. Kraken shrugged.“It is a long shot sir, but I cannot determine any alternatives that would both destroy this ship and guarantee our survival,” He said. “I don't like it, boss,” Oliver interjected.“Unless any of us have a better idea, that's our plan,” I replied. Oliver shook his head.“Hoo boy,” said Cyrus. “Okay, Kraken, you'll take Akira and Cyrus and overload the generator. Oliver, Rae and I will cause a suitable distraction…”“What do you have in mind?” asked Oliver.“We're going after Alexander,” I replied. Oliver rolled his eyes but said nothing. We made for the lift. How we all fit in there I'll never know.

We got off at the top floor and were back in the dining room. Akira and Rae got up.“What's going on?” they asked.“This place is a Specter training center. We're going to sabotage it and get the hell out,” I replied, whilst snatching up the book of schematics. I explained the plan in extended detail to the others. “I’d rather not get squeezed again. We'll go first,” I said. Oliver, Raeoran and I got into the lift and took it down to the secret deck. No doubt if Alexander was to be found, he would be there. “Are you sure we can take him down?” asked Rae.“Three to one odds,” I said. Oliver chuckled, eliciting a scowl from myself.“What's so funny?” I asked him.“Somehow I don't think it will be that easy, cap. Something about that bot just doesn't add up,” he replied. 148

“We'll grab his processor when we've scraped him, alright?” Oliver laughed again. After a minute or so, the lift suddenly ground to a halt.“Uh-oh,” said Rae. We had not yet reached the secret deck. I messed with the controls, to no avail.“End of the line,” I said. Oliver looked for the seam in the door and pried his fingers into it. “Help me with this,” He said. We followed his example and with one good pull the door slid open.“Maybe it just froze again,” offered Oliver. I looked around. The deck we were on looked exactly like all the others. “Or maybe someone stopped it,” countered Rae. They fell in behind me as I advanced down the hall. Quietly, each of us readied our weapons. This part of the ship was even quieter then before, too quiet. I began to have the familiar feeling I was being watched.

Something moved in the shadows. Everyone's guns were instantly pointed in that direction, but no shots were fired. Best to not reveal our location, I thought, chances were whoever was out there already knew we were here. It seemed like no place on this ship was beyond surveillance. “Raiki,” whispered Raeoran.“Shhh,” I replied, cutting him off. Something whizzed past my head.“Down!” I hissed. We hit the ground. Where we had been, a flurry of knives had flown by. Rae fired his Longshot back at our assailant. He dodged the shot, stepping out into the light. He had the appearance of an assassin, clad totally in black, face covered by a full balaclava and tactical goggles. He wore an armored vest, but no boots of any kind- to mask the sound of his movement, I guessed, though he seemed light enough on his feet. He carried a knife in each hand, inverted, poised to strike. He spoke to me in a snake-like voice.“You should not have come here, pirate,” he hissed.“Curiosity got the better of me,” I told him.“It will be your undoing,” he said, leaping at me with both arms extended. Oliver and Rae jumped out of the way but I parried his attack with both of my gun-blades. He rebounded off of me and landed feet first. “Not many survive that attack. You may be a worthy opponent,” he said.“You will find me more then worthy, Revenant.” He chuckled. 149

“So you know what I am. Impressive. But, unfortunate on your part. I will have to kill you on the basis of this ship's security,” He said.“Oh, how disappointing. I thought you were fighting me for fun,” I said.“I still am, pirate, make no mistake,” He replied, slashing from the right. I parried and countered. He ducked beneath my sweeping slash and made to cut my leg, but I jumped back. From the side, Raeoran fired at the Revenant, who simply deflected the shots with his knives.“Stay out of this,” He hissed, coming at me again. I kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying back. Undaunted, he came at me again and again. His attacks were rapid and unbroken, leaving me with little opportunity to fight back. Oliver charged him, but the Revenant simply knocked him back with a flying kick. He sheathed his knives and drew a long blade from a scabbard on his back. With this he came at me with a heavy chop that, I guessed, he expected I would be unable to block. I did, however, and with the other blade made a clean thrust through his chest. To my amazement, he simply withdrew his blade and jumped back, sliding himself off of my blade. He did not bleed. “What the hell?” I said.“It will take more then that to defeat me, pirate,” he said with a laugh.“What are you?”“Hmm? I thought you already knew,” he mused.“I suppose not,” I replied.“Prepare to be amazed further... if you do not die first!” He threw a wave of knives in my direction, which I ducked beneath. From this position, I jumped towards him, planning to make a scissor slash with both gun-blades. He of course avoided this.

He was about to attack me again, but a voice from behind him made him stop dead in his tracks.“Hold!” said a metallic voice. The looming crimson form of Alexander approached from the Revenant's rear.“Let me handle this,” Alexander said to him. The Revenant started to protest, but Alexander grabbed him by the shoulder and tossed him back into the darkness. Such strength, I thought. Would I be able to defeat him?“Well, pirate,” Began Alexander.

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“Still alive after clashing with one of them! I must say, I know of no human who can boast such an achievement. Tell me, who are you, really?”“Why do you care?” Alexander shrugged.“I don't. A passing curiosity. Who you are means little in the long run. I'm afraid you will not be leaving this ship,” he said coldly.“Are those Hellmann's orders?” Alexander only laughed at this. He raised both of his arms. I watched as the fists retracted into the forearms, and in their place emerged three-fingered claws that opened and began to rapidly spin. I made a mental note not to get too close to him. On that same note, I raised both gun-blades and began to fire at him. The rounds pinged off of his metal shell, and he laughed. Oliver and Raeoran, who had been watching from the shadows, attacked. Raeoran fired his Longshot at Alexander's head and Oliver leapt onto him from behind and stuck something to his back.“What?!” He said, as Oliver dived away.“Get down!” Oliver yelled, so I threw myself to the ground. An explosion ripped through the hallway a second later. When the smoke cleared, Alexander was nowhere to be found.“Bastard must have phased out,” said Raeoran.“Looks like you were right, Rae,” I told him.“It happens,” he said with a shrug. Oliver approached from the haze. “Where the hell did he go...?” “Phased,” I said.“Damn!” he said. “Do you think we bought enough time?” Rae asked me.“I don't know. Now that he's not focused on us he may find out what's up. We better try to get to the reactor room,” I said. Just as I finished my sentence, I heard a massive rumble and whole ship shook, knocking us to our feet.“Speak of the devil,” said Oliver. I decided to chance the comm.“Kraken, come in!”“Objective complete,” he responded.“Affirmative. Pull back,” I ordered. “Aye, sir,” he replied. “Showtime, boys. Back to the transport, on the double!” We dashed down the hall to the lift. The door did not open, so we all crashed into it. 151

“Ow...!” groaned Raeoran. “Get your foot out of my face!” yelled Oliver.“Poseidon's blood, The damn lift is still frozen!” I kicked the door. “There's got to be an alternate route,” Raeoran said, looking around hurridly.“Let's go!” I said. We took off back the way we came, and proceeded to check all the rooms for some way off of the level. The ship began tilting to starboard.“We're getting pulled in!” yelled Rae.“Double time it!” Oliver yelled back. We hurried wildly around the level. As luck would have it, the last room on the deck had stairwell leading to the maintenance corridors. We used this to make our way back towards the bow. After a short while, an alarm began to sound. Through the windows we could see the sentries mobilizing.“They aren't going to make this easy on us,” Said Rae breathlessly.“When it is ever easy?” Replied Oliver.

Soon enough, we reached another access point that led back into the reception area. A girder fell to the ground nearby.“You think maybe Kraken was a little off the mark?!” Rae yelled“We'll talk about it later, let's get out of here!” I said. We made for the door to the tram, but Hellmann, of all people, stood there blocking our way.“Wait!” He said. We leveled our guns at him.“Do not try to stop us, doctor! We're getting off of this ship!” “You mustn't use the tram, Alexand-” He was cut off. The door behind him slid open. Hellmann turned. In a flash, several inches of metal were protruding from his back. He slid to the ground, revealing Alexander as his killer.“What the hell?”“I'm afraid the good doctor had become a liability,” said Alexander as he spun his claw to shake the blood off of it.“So you are the brains of this nightmare!” I said.“Correct. Though I fear you've found this out a little too late. Your robot's little stunt has cost me and the Combine dearly. I'm afraid only your head will suffice as an apology to them,” he said.“Not if I take yours first!” I shouted, readying the gun-blades. Alexander laughed. 152

“Don't be a fool; you have no chance against me. Accept your fate.”“Accept this!” yelled Akira, who let loose with a burst of anti-armor bullets from his old rifle. The shots penetrated Alexander's armor. He cursed and ducked out of sight, but did not reappear. Akira and the robots had rejoined us. “Good timing,” I said to Akira.“Thanks, cap,” he replied.“Sir, the ship is destabilizing faster then I calculated. I suggest we make haste,” said Kraken. We all got on the tram. The ship rocked again, listing further to starboard. An explosion shook the tram rails and it suddenly came to a stop. Up ahead, I saw the track had been damaged.“We'll have to try the main corridor!” said Cyrus, who hopped off the tram and climbed down to the sublevel. We followed after him. He led us through a twisting maintenance passage into the central corridor. We started to cross a catwalk, but incoming laser fire forced us to jump down and hide amongst the machinery. “Sentries!” yelled Akira. We returned fire. Cyrus still had one good laser on him, so he fought back as well. The ship rocked again, causing a few of the stiff-legged sentries to fall off the catwalk they were perched on. They righted themselves however and advanced on us through the machinery. “Kraken, shoot the supports!” I said. He fired both of his wrist laser guns at the support beams holding up the bridge, which collapsed, sending all of the sentries plummeting to the floor. A few of them got up and joined the others. Deprived of their height advantage, they were easily dispatched.“These guys are pushovers!” said Oliver.“No wonder they need those Revenants,” Rae commented.“Don't get cocky, we might have to fight them before we get out of here,” I said.“Move it or lose it, lads,” Oliver said. We clambered back up to the catwalk and exited the corridor.

Cyrus led us through several halls and chambers.“Almost there!” he said. Another explosion rocked the ship and a piece of the bulkhead in the corridor we were in exploded outward, causing the air in the ship to start venting out into space. The others grabbed

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onto anything that looked stable. With one hand I seized a sturdy-looking girder, and with the other I clung to Akira's wrist.“Don't let go, cap!” he yelled. I could barely hear him over the screaming air.“Grab my wrist!” with his other hand he grabbed on. The air continued to rush out. Cyrus, his magnetics having failed long ago, was clinging to the doorway.“Containment's failed, captain! All the air in the ship is getting sucked out!” Kraken was the only one who could move freely, shuffling along the walkway, his feet magnetized. “What do we do, Captain!?” said Raeoran, who hid under the walkway.“Kraken, can you override the door there and seal this chamber?!” I yelled.“I can try!” he replied.“You'll have to bring each of us over there, one by one! When we're all through, seal that door on the far side!”“Yes sir!” He moved to grab Akira first. Slowly but surely, he carried Akira to the far side of the room and shoved him through the door.“Captain, this will take too long!” Said Oliver.“Anyone got a grappling hook?!” I yelled. Raeoran stuck a hand out, holding a hook launcher. I grabbed it from him and fired it at the far door frame. It stuck fast.“Use it to get over there...!” I anchored my end of the wire to the girder to which I clung.Raeoran crawled out of his hiding spot and seized the wire. One by one, we used the wire to get to the other side, moving hand over hand, sideways. When we were all over, Cyrus grabbed onto the wire- but it could not hold his weight, and snapped. He clung to the edge of the opening, most of him outside the ship entirely. I shuffled along the wall, shielded from the venting atmosphere, trying to reach him. Kraken followed. The others yelled after us, but their voices were drowned out by the screeching winds. I grabbed onto Cyrus' arm, and tried to pull him in. “Let go, captain! Save yourself!” he yelled. “No! We're not leaving you behind!” Kraken forced his way past me and seized Cyrus by the arm. He activated the boosters in his legs and 154

dragged him back in, and swung him around. He clanged against the wall, hard. Suddenly, a piece of the far wall ripped off and hit the opening in such a way that it covered it. The sudden absence of the forceful winds threw me off balance and I fell to the floor. Cyrus stumbled, but Kraken, ever steady, maintained his footing. “Now why couldn't that have bloody happened earlier?!” complained Oliver. “If it had happened a moment sooner, Cyrus would've been spaced,” said Rae. Cyrus twisted his arm around. “Gah. I wasn't built for this kind of structural stress,” “There's a lot of things you weren’t built for, you pathetic bucket of bolts!” I looked down the hall. Alexander had appeared in the doorway we had entered from. He leveled an arm laser at Cyrus and fired, blowing a fist-sized hole in Cyrus' torso and sending him flying back. He crashed backwards into the wall and fell to the ground.“Including survival,” Alexander added.“No!” screamed Akira.“You murderous, malfunctioning...” I started. I leveled Inferno at Alexander.“Run, Captain. I will finish this,” Said Kraken. I got up and made for the door. I heard Kraken fire his lasers as the door sealed behind me. “Kraken!” yelled Akira.“He can handle himself. Let's get that transport ready.”“Cyrus...” said Raeoran.“There's nothing we can do for him now. We have to run. Cyrus' efforts in getting us this far will go to waste if we do not escape,” I said. The others nodded. We ran at full gait. The ship rocked once more. The lights went out. Akira used the light on his rifle to guide our path.

At last we reached the hangar. To my horror, I saw that the transport was gone.“What the hell?! Where is it?!” I yelled.“Those damn Revenants must have taken it!” said Raeoran.“Bastards!” said Oliver. “What do we do now...?” asked Akira.“I might be able to get a clear signal to the boys from here,” I keyed my comm.

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“Captain Toranaga to Black Templar, come in! Come in Black Templar!” Someone responded, but the signal was faint.“...read you, cap... gravity field unstable... are your orders?!” “Our transport's been hijacked! We need immediate evac!”“Aye... port on it's...” The connection severed. “Did you get through?!” Oliver asked.“The signal was bad, but I got through. Another transport's on its way.”“They damn well better hurry,” said Raeoran. “Let's not just sit here. Everyone spread out and secure the hangar!” we dispersed. A few agonizing minutes passed, punctuated only by the shaking of the ship and the occasional falling piece of gridwork. I wondered just how long we had before the ship hit the black hole. Maybe we were already in it and Kraken's feedback theory was correct. I certainly hoped so. Another miscalculation anywhere and we were seriously screwed. I made a mental note never to go on board a derelict spacecraft again.

The door we had come from slid open. Everyone rushed over. Kraken, missing his right arm, was dragging Cyrus along with his left. We helped him pull Cyrus into the center of the hangar. Sparks flew from Kraken's severed joint.“His primary power core has been ruptured. His secondary units are holding, but he doesn't have much reserve power left. We have to get him to a charger, and soon,” he said.“Kraken, your arm,” I said.“Never mind me, where is the transport?” I shook my head.“Revenants hijacked it, we think. Another one is on its way... we hope.” Said Raeoran. Kraken shook his head. We helped Kraken affect repairs to Cyrus. Then I suddenly remembered that the hangar had no atmospheric shielding.“Shit, everyone grab onto something!” We all got up and made for the far wall. Kraken curled his arm around Cyrus, holding onto him and a girder. Moments later, the doors opened, venting the atmosphere inside the hangar. The transport flew in and landed close to us. We were shielded from the winds by the transports bulk. The door opened and someone in a magnetized suit walked out, waving for us to get on. We of course complied. The man helped Kraken drag Cyrus onboard. The door

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sealed. The man removed his helmet- it was Jayko. Graff was piloting the ship.“Excellent timing, men,” I said. “Ye don't know the half of it, Captain. This crate is buckling in on itself- something happened with th' gravity well, I 'eard. She's cloggin' the black hole like a drain, sir,” replied Jayko. Kraken chuckled.“Make haste back to the ship, Graff. We're getting out of here,” I said. “Aye captain, you don't have to tell me twice,” he replied. Suddenly, I remembered the book.“Damn, the book!” Oliver held it up. Through all of that, he'd somehow held onto it. I blinked.“You dropped it, Cap. I thought it might be a good idea to pick it up,” he replied with a smirk.“No kidding. For all we know, that could have plans for the gravity well in it,” I told him.“Too bad about Hellmann...” said Akira.“I guess he really was just an old man running from the Combine,” Raeoran added. I shook my head.“His last wish was that we take that book with us. We at least did that much,” Jayko looked over the two robots.“A nasty bit o' business ye've both been through, I takes it?” He said. Kraken nodded. Jayko gestured to Cyrus and asked,“Will he makes it?”“We must get him to a charging station soon. His primary core has failed and his secondary units are draining fast.”“I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain,” said Graff. I got up and walked over to the pilot's seat. The Black Templar had come into view. By Thor's Hammer, I was glad to see that ship again.

The transport flew into hangar one. The doors sealed behind us. I got to the bridge as fast as I could. “On screen!” I shouted. A crewman hit a switch. A box displaying the black hole came into view. I collapsed into the command chair and stared at the screen. The broken hulk of the Iscariot swirled around at the black hole's epicenter. Explosions blossomed all across the ship's surface. “Did we do that...? said Akira from behind me. He was the only one who had followed me here. 157

“Not directly, I suppose. Your sabotaging of the reactor overloaded the gravity well. Without its protection, that ship was powerless against the black hole. But now that it's stuck in there, the gravity well is having what Kraken called... what did he call it? A feedback effect, I think. It's actually lessened the hole’s pull on us.”“Sir, speaking of which,” said John,“We’ve taken some bad hits to our engines. We should retreat,”“Take us into Warp Space then,” I replied. “Aye sir,” Kirkland, the temporary navigator, pulled the Warp Drive lever. A familiar portal opened before us and the Templar slipped into that other reality, leaving the doomed Iscariot to its fate.

Kirkland turned to speak to me. “Sir, long range sensors indicate a significant Combine presence in this sector. We believe the Iscariot managed to send out a distress signal before it lost communications capability,” he said. I considered this. “Our engine damage is such that we would be unable to outrun Combine patrols. We are close to the borders of Republic space. Shall we cross into their territory?”“It would be safer, I suppose. Set a course,” I said.“Aye, Captain.” I got up from the command chair. Raeoran had just then arrived on the bridge.“Rae, take over. I'm going to go check on the bots,” I told him.“Sure thing, Raiki,” He said, sitting himself down in the command chair. I took the lift down to engineering. Akira had hooked both Kraken and Cyrus up to a core charger and he'd sent a man down to storage to find a suitable replacement arm for Kraken. Cyrus' damaged chest armor had been removed and scrapped, so his internal workings were exposed. I could see a sizable gap in his primary core. Akira took a break from his work to come and speak with me.“His power management system is completely hosed. I'm going to have to replace it along with most of his main circuits. His memory banks haven't taken any more damage then they already have, but he's got a bad motivator and I'm fresh out,” he said with a sigh. “He's in bad shape. I'll have to keep him connected to that thing. Can we stop anywhere for parts?”“Not at the moment. Not till we reach Yamato space. At least there, maybe we can avoid any more ambushes... how's the ship?” 158

“Main reactor's stable. Number three engine's operating at about half power and two took a bad hit from some debris. I've shut it down and rerouted the power to one.”“Any system damage?”“Nothing serious. There's some electrical damage on the lower decks, some lights might be out and some doors stuck. Maintenance bots might be on the fritz too,” he added.“You mean they weren't already?” We both laughed. I tousled his hair.“Well, keep up the good work, I guess,” I said. “I try,” he replied. We parted ways for the moment. After my usual walkabout, I left engineering. I found Oliver down in the quarters, playing cards with the men. As usual, he was robbing them blind.“Bronson, yer too damn good at this,” said Mr. Pockets. Oliver looked up and greeted me, as did the others.“At ease,” I said. Oliver reached under the table and produced the book, which he handed to me.“Thanks again for holding on to this,” I said. He gave me a half-salute and went back to schooling the others in the art of Sepris Hold'em. I left them to their game and returned to my own quarters. I put Hellmann's book on the shelf next to the Terran history book. Seeing it, I thought of Alice. I sighed. In the last day's confusion I had forgotten about her. I certainly hoped she and Doctor Freeman were well. Quite tired, I disrobed and fell asleep soon after my head hit the pillow.

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Chapter 10

“There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.”

- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sometimes I think that choosing to be a pirate was not the wisest of career choices. I knew in my heart I could never do anything else. I am a free spirit. It just seemed to be I had had one too many close calls, been through too many scrapes and risked my neck one too many times. Had I made the right choice?I slept uneasily. When I awoke, I could not recall my dreams, though I guessed they were unpleasant. They were often these days. I crawled out of bed and dressed myself haphazardly. It took me several minutes in front of the mirror just to get my cravat positioned correctly. “Stupid thing,” I muttered. I gave up trying to adjust my cuffs and simply left my quarters to go inspect the ship.

The worst of the damage was, as Akira said, in engineering. a couple of vases had been upturned, but there was little internal damage. I considered storing the art works. We were losing a few every time the ship got hit by something and that simply wouldn't do. Putting aside this

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trivial concern for a moment, I hurried to the bridge, returning a few weak salutes as I went. There were few men on duty, those who had slept exceptionally well. Everyone else had not stirred yet. Jak was not even at his post this morning. The lift whined for a moment but eventually complied, taking me up to the bridge at a leisurely pace. When I got there, I found Raeoran lounging in my command chair. Kirkland, John and Oliver were on duty, manning the essential consoles. We were sailing through Warp Space.“Morning, everyone,” I said aloud. They all turned around and wished me a good morning in return. Raeoran scrambled out of my chair, eliciting a chuckle from Oliver.“Easy, Rae. Don't strain yourself,” I said with a laugh. He grumbled and took his post from Oliver, who took his place to my right. I settled into the command chair and asked for a report.“We're in the Zone of Opposition, Captain,” said Raeoran.“We haven't picked up any Combine signatures for a while now... If you don't mind me saying so, I think we should hold up hereabouts and affect repairs,” he added.“Shouldn't we make port?” I asked.“Makes sense to me, Cap,” said Oliver.“But I guess you're a little leery of just pulling into port?” “Yeah, I mean, we are pirates.” Raeoran replied.“But we've never attacked Yamato ships,” interjected Kirkland.“True,” I said. I rubbed my chin and thought about it for a moment.“Let's stop here and see what we can do,” I finished.“Aye Captain, entering real space,” Raeoran said, pushing the Warp Drive lever back to the 'off' position. A hole in the Warp appeared before the ship, allowing us to reenter our dimension. According to Kirkland's sensors, there was nothing in the area save a few passing asteroids. The dull background hum of the engines cut out.“This looks like a safe spot. Still, would you kindly activate the cloak?”“Aye sir, cloaking,” Rae said. The bow of the ship phased out of view. We were invisible to both sight and sensors. The only way anyone could find us is if they ran straight into us, which was unlikely in this sector. Hell, no one came into empty sectors like this, what purpose was there in it? To hide, I suppose, as we were doing. I only hoped the Combine had no other aces up their sleeves, some hidden way of find us. As 161

predicable as their battle tactics were, their methods of subterfuge were utterly incomprehensible. I had learned to expect the unexpected whenever the Combine weren't around. To tell the truth, part of me ached for a stand up fight against them, all cards on the table. Of course, most of me thought that part was off its rocker, what could a single pirate vessel do against an entire empire? Rob them blind, one ship at a time. Not with one engine down though. “I'm going down to engineering to help with the engine. Rae, why don't you and Oliver go down and check the electrical damage?”Rae shrugged and got up.“Kirkland, you and John keep an eye on things from up here, eh?”“You got it, Captain.” Said Kirkland. The rest of us made for the lift. We split up at the lower decks. I hastened down to engineering to find Akira and his tech boys slaving over the damaged engine components. From my standpoint, I could see that problem lay in a rupture in the main power feed. There was a hole in the metal insulation and some wires were severed. Akira was lugging a rather sizable piece of metal over to the hole in order to temporarily plug it up. I hopped over to help him with the patch.“Thanks...” He said breathlessly from behind it. I helped him set it down beside the hole. He took a bit of cloth from his back pocket and wiped the sweat from his brow. He looked up and saw me.“Oh, it's you!” He said with surprise.“Thought I might lend a hand,” I said, shrugging.“Be my guest,” He said, gesturing disdainfully towards the damaged wiring and thrust tubing. I looked it over and shook my head.“This is beyond my ability. I can hotwire a door, but this is too much,” I said. Akira shrugged. I snapped my fingers.“Nebiel!” Akira shook his head.“He's on break, sleeping, probably. It would take a nuclear explosion to wake that guy up.”“Garth?”“Running inventory,” replied Akira.“Well, get him up here.”“All right. Garth, you there?” Akira spoke into his comm.“Yeah boss?”“Captain wants you up here working on this engine,” Akira told him. 162

“But what about-” Akira cut him off with,“Garth!”“All right already. Jeez,” he grumbled. “Lazy good for nothing...” Akira muttered after severing the link.“Give the man a break,” I said.“Sorry, captain. It just seems like I'm the only one who works around here sometimes,” Akira said, exasperated.“You're a fraction of their age, Akira. You've got a lot more energy then they do,” I explained to him.“Yeah, I guess,” he replied. He scratched the back of his head and slipped away to fix a faulty inertial compensator. I shook my head.That boy needs a vacation, I thought. I continued looking over the engine damage to see if there was anything I could actually do to help. I had come to the conclusion that even touching it would cause further trouble when Garth entered the reactor room and weaved through the machinery to reach the spot where I stood. He saluted.“Got here as fast as I could, Captain,” he said, huffing and puffing.“No worries. Can you do anything about this?” I asked, gesturing to the damage. He looked it over.“I can certainly try, sir. But shouldn't you get Nebiel on this or something?”“He's sleeping at the moment, Akira tells me,” I said.“Figures. If he's not performing miracles of engineering he's sleeping,” grumbled Garth as he set to work. I made myself useful by holding open a panel as another of the engineers worked. This engineer, Barret, had been one of my pit crew in my Blood Rally days. He was quite handy with almost anything mechanical- earning himself a spot among Akira's top tech boys. Barret was like Akira in that he worked almost constantly without the need for rest. “This is one sturdy ship,” He said, wiping his brow.“Not many ships get that close to a black hole and live to tell about it,” he added.“We escaped mostly by grace of Kraken's plan, but I have to admit, I expected a lot more damage then we have,” I told him.“You picked a good ship, cap. She'll get you through,” said Garth with confidence.

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“I certainly hope so,” Barret tinkered away, cutting a bit of metal here, splicing a wire there, flipping some switches over there. His hands moved deftly and swiftly, as if he were painting a picture. I admired his concentration. When he had finished with that, he moved to another panel. I followed, holding it open while he worked. This continued for a while. Occasionally he would ask me to hand him a wrench or some other tool. At one point we climbed up above the floor and I had to hang upside down to hold another panel open while he clung to a nearby pipe with one hand and worked with the other. I made a mental note to get automatic access panels.

When that task was complete, Barret moved on to other work. I went back to check on Garth. He had repaired the ruptured power flow conduit and was working on the wires. “How's it going?” I asked.“Slow but steady, Captain. Should have this done in a few hours,” he answered. Satisfied, I left the engineers to their work.

We maintained our position for most of the day while we repaired the ship as best we could. The damaged engine was eventually repaired and brought to about half its maximum power level. The system damage in the lower levels was minor but persistent. A few doors had to simply be pried open as they would not respond to any electronic input. I had some of the deck hands move a number of the art works into the cargo bays to prevent further damage to them. The works in my own quarters were bolted down.

Meanwhile, Kraken had recovered enough of his power to reactivate his interface circuits, so I returned once more to engineering that evening to speak with him. He waved to me from his perch when he saw me. “Everything working?” I asked him. Kraken was still hooked up to the charger, but had been equipped with a new arm.“I've reactivated most of my core systems successfully, and this new appendage is satisfactory. I would have to answer in the affirmative,” he replied.“Good to hear,” I told him. He leaned forward and looked to his left to observe Cyrus, who was still inactive.

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“However, I cannot say the same for him,” he said. I too looked Cyrus over. Akira had removed his core assembly and had his reserve batteries wired directly into the charger. Kraken sighed.“Chief Krannon believes he can repair him, but the severe damage he sustained combined with years of disrepair would lead me to suspect he will not be combat-worthy again for some time, if ever,” he informed me.“If we can get him functioning again, that will be enough. There's a place for him on the ship, somewhere,” I said.“As there would have been for the Doctor, sir?” Kraken asked.“Indeed,” I replied after a time. “Hmm,” Kraken said. His visual receptors closed and he retracted into the charger, as if deep in thought. I took this to mean he wished to be left alone, so I made my exit. Everything seemed to be in order, so I returned to the bridge. John and Kirkland were still on duty.“You two can take a break,” I told them as I sat down in the command chair. “I'll handle things here,” I added. “By yourself, sir?” asked John.“I can handle it. Go on,” I repeated, waving my hand. The two left the bridge. I could monitor all vital systems from the controls on the chair, so I simply sat back and observed the void. The navigation panel told me the ship lay in the Zone of Opposition, or Kokuu, as the Yamato called it. Sensors detected no ships in the area, Combine, Kaigun or otherwise. Like most times when I found myself alone, I reflected on past events.

What had Hellmann been trying to do? If Alexander had been running the show all along, what was Hellmann's purpose there? I must admit the whole thing made little sense in my mind. At the time I just went with it. What else can one do when one is trying to escape from a crumbling spacecraft? But now, in retrospect, something just didn't add up. I suppose I was simply bothered by the fact that those Revenants had gotten away, with our transport, I remembered with some annoyance. Doubtless that would come back to haunt me. At least Kraken had destroyed Alexander.

Hadn't he? I rubbed my forehead and banished the thought from my mind. I had enough to worry about without thinking some psychotic robot was gunning for me. 165

A red light flashed on my console, indicating an incoming transmission. I opened a channel. The transmission was un-coded and on an emergency frequency, but it was also garbled and I didn't pick much of it up. “Calling any... vessels, we... attack by... -bine! Need help... unarmed!” the message said.“No... damn them!” I shouted. I switched over to the ship's PA and said,“All hands, this is the Captain! We are receiving a distress signal from an unarmed vessel under Combine attack! All hands to battle stations!” I activated the ship's alarm. Within minutes, everyone had returned to the bridge. Raeoran got there first.“What civilian vessel?” He said breathlessly.“We'll find out when we get there. Kirkland!” I said as the lift door hissed open and he entered.“Yes sir?!” He said, suddenly snapping to attention.“Get on the navicom and trace the incoming signal!”“Yes sir!” He replied, jumping into his seat. Akira contacted me on my personal comm.“Sir, the number three engine is still down, we don't have the power to,” he began, but I cut him off.“There's no weapons damage, right?”“No, but,” he said, but I cut him off again.“Then we're fine! We'll just blow them away and be done with it!” “Yes sir,” he said. Oliver arrived on the bridge just in time to say,“Who the hell is this far out?”“You mean besides us?” He was about to reply, but cut himself off, looking sheepish.“Raiki, we have no idea how big the Combine force is,” Rae began.“I don't think they'd send a whole fleet after a damn cargo ship or something,” I said.“Maybe not,” he said, shaking his head,“But I don't like it,” he finished.“Duly noted, now I'd like you to pre-calculate some missile vectors,” I replied. He shrugged and turned around to face his console.“I'm on it,” he said, proceeding to type furiously. Across from him, Kirkland did the same. He banged the console and then said,

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“I've got it! Several thousand kilometers due rimward of our position, on the edge of the sector! Yamato cruise ship!”“A cruise ship? You mean a luxury liner?” Asked Oliver.“Damn Combine. Just when you think they can’t sink any lower,” I said.“Sir, it's too far away for standard engine travel- especially with the damage we've sustained. We'll have to warp there,” Kirkland said.“But we might end up smack in the middle of another ship!” said Rae.“That's a risk we'll have to take. Make it happen,” I said.“Entering coordinates,” said Kirkland. “Locked. Mr. Yurumiri, if you would,” He said. Raeoran groaned and pulled the Warp lever. A portal opened and we slipped into Warp Space.

The ship hurtled through the Warp, unfettered by its engine damage. Thankfully the Warp Drive itself had not sustained any damage. I only hoped we would make it in time to save the Yamato vessel. The swirling blue energies of the Warp streaked past us. As we drew closer to the ship's location, the transmissions became clearer.“...Repeat, this is the cruise ship Kurasawa! We are under attack from Combine forces! Our shields are down and we have no weapons! Please assist!”“Sounds like they're in a bad way, cap,” said Oliver. I shook my head.“Raiki, what if this is a trap?” Rae asked.“Oh, I'm sure it is. But I'll be damned if I will let innocent people be slain on my account,” I replied. “This is nuts! How can they do this? How can they slaughter people like this just to get to us?!” Rae shouted.“They have lost all compassion, Rae. To them, all that matters is power and getting more of it. All other considerations, especially the lives of innocents, are secondary to them, if that,” I said gravely.“Bastards,” he muttered.“We're coming up on the ship, sir. I'm reading a single Combine battleship and two cruisers in the area. The ships are staying back and letting their fighters harass the cruise ship,” said Kirkland, head craning over to the sensor screen.“Hmm. They must be waiting for someone to show up,” said Oliver, rubbing his bearded chin.“Us, no doubt,” said Rae. I chuckled.

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“Well, let's not disappoint them, boys. Rae, bring us out of Warp Space and activate the cloak,” I ordered.“Aye, Captain,” he replied, pushing the Warp lever back. We slipped out of Warp Space and out of sight. Raeoran twisted the zoom dial, bringing the battle up ahead into focus. As Kirkland said, the capital ships were simply sitting back and letting their fighters do the work. The Cruise ship's shields were down and it sprouted flame from a few locations, but it seemed only superficially damaged. “Sir, I'm picking up some sort of energy field from the battleship. I can't identify it,” Kirkland said.“What, another secret weapon?” I asked.“I don't know sir, though I don't think it's a gravity field,” he said. “Well, what good would that be out here?” Rae said. Kirkland muttered something and fiddled with the sensors. “What goes on?” I asked him.“Sir, the Kurasawa is attempting to enter Warp Space, but something’s interfering with its Warp Drive,” he replied.“What? You sure it's not just damaged?”“These sensors don't lie sir. Her Warp Drive is fine. Something is interfering with it,” he said, convinced of the fact.“The energy field from the battleship?” offered Rae.“What, a Warp-nullifier?”“It's not impossible, sir,” said Kirkland.“I would really like to know where they're getting all this technology so quickly,” I asked, though of course no one had the answer. I massaged my temples and came up with a simple, if blunt plan. “Rae, give me two-thirds throttle and plot some missile vectors. John, maneuver us between the Kurasawa and the Combine ships,” I ordered.“Aye Captain,” They said in unison. The ship lurched when Raeoran hit the throttle and a low rumble sounded, indicating we were moving. “It doesn't usually do that,” John muttered.“We're running on two engines, so they're doing a bit more work than usual,” Rae said to him.On the screen, the ships gradually drew closer. Kirkland continued his analysis of the situation.“Sir, that battleship looks awfully familiar,” he said.“Oh? Which one is it?” 168

“I'm not sure yet, sir. I'll know in a moment.” He typed in a command and an image of the ship appeared on his console's screen. Pulsing green lines moved across its hull as the Templar's scanners scrutinized the enemy vessel. “Jormungand-class. Biggest ship they make,” he said.“Lovely,” Rae muttered.“Arn't those only given to the admirals and such?” Oliver asked.“So we've heard,” Kirkland told him.“Why would an admiral go out of his way to attack a civilian ship?” Rae asked.“Because he can,” I said.“And I know of a particular admiral who is known for such things.”“I think I know who you're talking about,” said Rae.“Kojak,” I said flatly. Harsh whispers permeated the bridge, cutting through the stale air.“What, you think that's the Butcher of Dresden Prime himself out there?” Oliver said with some disbelief.“And why not? If I know my history, and I do, he would not be above going out and attacking ships to provoke some sort of response.” “You think he's looking for us?” Rae asked.“I would not rule that out, but he could just be looking to pick a fight with the Kaigun,” I replied.“Or both,” added John.“That makes sense, who else would be dumb enough to go looking to fight them?” said Rae.“Another Combine admiral,” retorted Oliver. This provoked laughter from everyone. “Captain, if I may be the devil's advocate for a moment,” Rae began.“What, like you arn't always?” Oliver said.“Shush,” I told him. Raeoran glared at him.“I think it would be a bit unwise to attack that ship directly, especially if Kojak happens to be on it,” he said to me.“Are you suggesting we allow them to destroy that cruise ship?” I said.“Of course not. I'm suggesting it might be better to lure the battleship away, so that the Kurasawa can escape,” he said.“Hmm, you might be on to something there,” I replied.

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“Yeah, but would they be tempted to attack an armed target over an unarmed one?” Oliver asked.“Good point. Sorry Rae, looks like we go in and do this the old fashion way,” Rae shrugged.“Can we see if we can't drive the battleship off rather than trying to blow it away? We’re not exactly in fighting shape here,” said John.“We can certainly try. But if any admiral is on that ship, much less Kojak, I doubt we can force them to retreat,” I said. Oliver scoffed.“You gotta hand it to them, they're damned stubborn,” he said.“I'll say,” added Rae. “How about those missile vectors?” I asked him.“Too easy. Lousy Combine fighters take longer to make a pass then I do to go to the bathroom,” Raeoran remarked.“Interesting analogy,” said Kirkland.“Thank you for sharing, Rae. ETA?” He turned a dial.“Two minutes at present velocity,” he replied.“Kirkland, what is the Kurusawa's status?” I asked.“Still superficial damage, sir. Distress call is still being sent out,” he replied.“Can we contact them?”“Not without being detected,” he said, then reconsidered. “No, wait, let me send a burst transmission,” he added. I snapped my fingers.“Tell them who we are and what we intend to do. Tell them not to reply,” I said. I opened a comm. channel from the bridge to engineering.“Akira, prepare to divert engine power to main guns.”“Aye sir, starting the allocation cycle,” he replied.“Sixty seconds to destination,” said Raeoran.“Cut engine power. Reverse thrusters on my mark,” I ordered. “Aye Captain,” he replied, pulling the throttle lever back to neutral. The rumbling of the engines ceased. Our inertia carried us forward. Kirkland removed the zoomed window, as the battle was now within range of ordinary sight. When the two ships disappeared off the main screen to port and starboard, I said,“Mark!” Rae pulled the throttle lever backward, firing the forward thrusters to bring the ship to a halt.“Akira, divert now,” I ordered. 170

“Aye sir, powering up main guns,” he replied.“Raeoran, target the battleship's main guns and shield generator for attack. On my mark, decloak and fire all guns and missiles,” I said to Raeoran.“Targeting,” he said, his focus intensifying.“What in Zeus’ name?” Kirkland said.“What is it?”“Sir… we're being contacted by the battleship,” he said. Everyone gasped.“What in the Warp? They detected us?”“I guess so, sir, but I never picked up any scanner sweeps!” The bridge went quite except for the 'incoming transmission' beep.“Patch it through,” I said. The face of an older officer appeared on the main screen. His cap was perfectly centered, his mustache was neatly trimmed. Even the scar that ran down the left side of his face looked clean. “I thought you might show your face here,” he said with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow.“Do I know you?”“Not personally, but perhaps you've heard of me,” he said. I ventured a guess.“Admiral Johnathan Kojak, I presume?” He bowed.“At your service. And you are Captain Raikiendo Toranaga, I take it? Or is it Kassad?” I too, bowed, and said,“Whichever you prefer. Our reputations precede us, it seems,” I observed.“So they do,” he agreed.“Might I ask why you are attacking a defenseless civilian vessel?”“I had no intention of destroying it, I assure you,” he said. A bold faced lie, if I'd ever heard one.“Indeed?” I asked.“My intention was to draw you out of hiding,” he said. This much seemed believable.“It would appear you have succeeded,” I observed.“So I have. I wonder if you are aware of how badly my superiors want you dead?”“Enough that I was trying to keep a low profile,” I replied. He chuckled. 171

“But what self-respecting white hat pirate can resist helping some poor defenseless civilians, hmm?” he said with some scorn.“You've cost the Combine quite a hefty sum in personnel and equipment, you know. We would our equipment back,” he said.“I'm afraid that's out of the question,” I replied. He shrugged.“I suppose we cannot settle this in a civil manner?” He asked.“Not if you insist on attacking that ship.”“I see. It appears we have but one course,” he said, feigning disappointment. I stuck a hand out, making a duelist’s gesture.“Shall we dance?” I asked“Let's shall,” he reply.“Let guns say what words cannot,” I said.“Indeed,” he said, before the image cut off. “Sneaky son of a-” Oliver started to say, but I cut him off with,“Raeoran, do we have lock-on?!” I asked quickly.“Yes sir!” He replied. I stomped my feet.“Then fire, damn it!” I yelled, after which he yelled into the comm.“Open fire, all guns!” Bright purple plasma bursts shot out of nowhere off to port, and missiles streaked out in all directions. The ship automatically de-cloaked to save power, revealing the guns and missile tubes from which the shots had come from. “Sir, enemy ship firing!”“Aim all shields to port!”“Redirecting!” A moment later, a loud boom sounded from the port side and the ship rocked violently, tossing me from my command chair.“Damage report!” I said after righting myself.“Shields down by fifty percent! They must have hit us with a charged blast!” shouted Rae.“Damn! What about them?”“We hit them harder, sir! Enemy shields down to thirty percent efficiency!”“Charge up another volley!”“Aye sir! All guns make ready to fire!” I got back into my command chair and barked at the helmsman,“John, bring us about!” He swung the ship's wheel hard to port and the ship leaned hard in that direction as it turned.“Raeoran, give me full throttle and make ready the broadsides!” 172

“Aye sir! Starboard broadsides, prepare to fire!” The ship rumbled as the two engines gave all they had to get us moving.

The admiral's ship came into view. At this distance, the name of the ship was visible on her hull: The Emperor's Fist. Typical. The Fist looked considerably larger then my own ship, but with our modifications I hoped we were equal in firepower. “Main guns ready!” shouted Raeoran.“Hold.” I said. We maneuvered closer. John turned the wheel slightly further to port, steering us past the Fist.“Sir, enemy is charging his guns!” Said Kirkland.“Hold! Just a bit further!” The Fist's guns rotated, tracking us as we moved. I saw blue pulses appear in their barrels, gradually growing larger. When we were parallel to the Fist, I shouted,“Reverse throttle! Fire!”“All guns, fire!” The cannons’ firing rocked the ship, and the lights flickered. Immediately thereafter, the Templar was struck by an equally powerful blast. The ship lurched to the left, the lights went out and I was once again thrown from the command chair. “Report!” I yelled from the ground.“Our shields are down! Enemy's are as well!” Rae said. I couldn't tell what direction it had come from.“Can we fire broadsides?!” I called out.“Aye sir!”“Then fire them, by Hades!”“Starboard broadsides, open fire!” The lights flickered back on for a moment, only to wink out again from the violent shaking caused by the firing of our starboard broadside cannons. Kirkland shouted something over the rumbling, but I couldn't hear him.“What?!” I struggled to say.“Incoming!” he yelled. A massive explosion punctuated him, throwing me for a loop. Somewhere above, a piece of metal plating fell, taking with it some electronic component. It landed with a shower of sparks nearby, forcing me to shield my face. “The bloody hell's going on?!” yelled Oliver from the dark. Raeoran strained to answer him, but it was more directed at me.“Enemy fired their broadsides at the same time as us! We've taken severe damage to our starboard armor, I've got breaches on several 173

decks, Numbers two and five starboard cannons offline!” He muttered something under his breath afterwards, which I did not catch. An exposed conduit sparked, briefly lighting the bridge. From my floored position, I could not see John. I called out to him.“John, are you there?” He did not reply.“John!”“Gods below,” I heard him say. “On your feet, spacer! Bring us about!” I said, getting up.“Aye sir, working on it,” he said, clambering to his feet and struggling madly with the wheel.“Someone get these cursed lights back on!” “I'm trying to, cap,” Said Akira from my lapel communicator. Another spark flew, this time from the left.“Enemy ship status?”“We've offlined their main guns, at least temporarily,” Raeoran replied.“Do we have enough power to fire our main guns?”“Not without shutting down the engines completely.”“Any missiles?”“Not enough to cause any damage,” he said. I grew irritated.“Well, do we have any torpedoes?!”“No. Wait, yes! Preparing torpedo volley,” said Raeoran, working hard attempting to align the torpedo tubes. Sub-Warp torpedoes can cripple an unshielded vessel, so I've been told. It was time to test that particular theory. The ship rumbled.“Energy feed rupture in engine two! Losing thrust!” Akira yelled.“Sir, there's no way we can outrun them with only one engine,” said John. I scoffed.“Who's trying to outrun them? Rae, do we have torpedo lock?” Rae spat.“I'm trying, sir. Targeting systems took a hit,” he said, then letting off a string of curses.“Cut throttle. Direct any remaining engine power to starboard aft and port fore thrusters. Get me a visual!” The lights clicked back on, though dimly. “Aye sir,” Said Rae. He leaned way over to the power console, while still keeping a hand on the targeting console. The faint rumble of the remaining engine faded, replaced by the sharper roar of the side thrusters. The ship turned quickly around, still drifting away from the 174

Fist. She came into view on the main screen, now a considerable distance. At this range, the torpedoes would be hard pressed to get to their target. I saw that the Fist's support ships were drawing in closer, forming a defensive line between the vessels. They did not fire, however.“It's a stalemate then?” whispered Oliver.“Looks that way,” Kirkland replied. “Sir, shall I fire the torpedoes?” Raeoran asked.“Hold. Divert power to engine one and bring us in closer.”“Raiki, are you sure? What if they fire?” he asked.“They won't. Bring us in,” I said with false confidence.“But,” he started.“Do it,” I said, cutting him off.“Aye sir…” he pushed the throttle forward and the ship rumbled and began to crawl forward, towards the Combine ships.

They made no attempt to move or fire, but simply awaited our approach. It seemed the battle was over, though I doubted they would surrender. Still, if they tried anything they'd get a face full of heavy torpedoes. Kojak might be a murderous bastard, but he wasn't stupid. Numerical advantage aside, I'm sure he knew I had him right where I wanted him. “Seven-zero meters and closing,” said Rae.“Still no target lock. If you intend to fire, sir, we'll have to do so by sight.”“We're facing right at them. We won't miss, even at this distance. Bring us in closer. The lights got a bit brighter.“Better late then never...” I muttered. We crept closer.“Four-zero meters. Approaching minimum safe distance for torpedo launch,” he said.“Closer still,” I said.“Kirkland, are communications still functional?” I asked.“Yes sir. Shall I hail the Fist?” “Yes. Give me a direct line to the bridge,” I ordered. He typed in the command, then noticed something on his screen and said,“Sir, the Fist's engines are offline. We must have damaged their power system,” he said. The comm. console buzzed, and a smaller window 175

opened in the corner of the main screen. On it was displayed their bridge, in the dull red glow of emergency lighting. The Admiral was on his feet, his cold blue eyes staring directly into mine.“Well, Admiral. Here we stand,” I said to him.“You fight well, pirate. I must give you credit,” he said coldly, but there was some measure of respect in his voice.“Never in my career have I lost engine power in a battle,” he added.“I thank you, for what that's worth. So, what happens now, Kojak? Shall we finish this or shall we call it a day?” His fists trembled. “Don't call me that, pirate. I demand respect from my opponents and frankly, you're the first that I've respected. But that doesn't mean that I will hesitate to destroy you. Unfortunately, we have so damaged each other ships, I assume, that for now we cannot finish this. I will allow you to retreat, pirate, this once. You will not be so fortunate again,” he said. I displayed mock surprise.“How very generous of you, Admiral, though I must say that I cannot grant you the same favor. Your actions against the people of this galaxy are unforgivable and judgment must be rendered upon you, however unworthy I may be of doing so. Rae, fire the torpedoes,” I said. The Admiral's eyes went wide. Raeoran, however, did not give the order. I was about to yell at him, but was interrupted in the most direct manner possible.

“No!” Screamed a woman's voice. Both Kojak's face and my own took on an expression of shock when a young woman no older then I ran onto the screen and stood, arms outstretched, in front of the Admiral. She had the same piercing blue eyes as Kojak, and gave me a glare that expressed desperation, purity and contempt in a single stroke. “Please, I beg of you, spare us! Don't fire!” She said. Everyone on both bridges froze. I stared into that face and her expression softened as she stared into mine. I came to the realization that she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Time ceased to progress.

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Chapter 11

“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche

I always thought myself a man whom little could faze. Many times up to that point I had found myself in life threatening and emotionally trying situations. Each time I had more or less kept my cool. I should have known it would take a woman to break my stride. I never believed in that whole “love at first sight” thing, but that's exactly what happened to me that day on the bridge.

“Isis, what are you doing?!” Kojak's voice broke the time lapse. He tried to move the woman out of the way. She resisted. I just stared, as did my crew and Kojak's. “Damn it, Isis! Move!” Finally, he forcefully shoved her out of the way, sending her flying to the ground.“Father,” She started.“You will do as you are told!” he snapped, before turning to face me.“This isn't over, you pirate scumbags! I will return, and destroy you once and for all!” The image cut out, and on the main screen I saw a 177

portal into Warp Space open. The Emperor’s Fist and its support vessels slipped into it out of sight.

For a moment, the bridge of the Black Templar was silent, if properly lit again. “Well, don't see that every day,” said Oliver at length. Raeoran wringed his hands and closed the safety case over the firing button. I thought I heard Akira ask me something.“What?” I said to him.“What happened, cap?” I struggled for the words.“They ran away,” said Oliver. “Oh,” was all Akira could manage.

I went over to my command chair once again, dropped myself into the seat and slumped. “I'm shutting down engine one to conserve power,” Akira said. The low hum receded once more. “Affirmative,” Kirkland replied. Oliver left the deck to check on things with the crew. I tried to banish the woman's face from my mind, but I could not. What was her name?“Isis,” I whispered.“Who?” asked Raeoran.“Nothing. Never mind,” I told him. He shrugged and went back to fiddling with the weapons console. After a few minutes of vainly attempting to focus on some thing else, I asked,“Damage report, anyone?” Raeoran sighed and proceeded to rattle off a whole list of bad news.“Engines two and three offline. Reactor at 23% efficiency. No reserve power. Portside armor at 32% integrity. Portside cannons two and five offline. Hull breeches on decks two and three, portside, contained. Warp Drive, main guns and shields offline. Missiles at 28% ammunition count. If anything, we still have all our torpedoes,” he said with a shrug.“Lovely,” I muttered. “Are we dead in the water?”“No, but we might as well be. We won't be getting anywhere on our own.” A spark flew from the navigation console, sending Kirkland reeling.“Gah! Navigation's shot, captain. We're flying blind,” he said.“Bloody hell,” Said Oliver. The comm. console beeped. 178

“What? Sir, I'm receiving a transmission from the Kurasawa!” he said with amazement. I realized that in the chaos of the battle, we had all forgotten why it started.“Well, by Odin, patch them through!”“You'll have to use this screen here, sir,” he said. I got up and went over to the screen. I saw the relieved face of a Yamato man.“Captain Toranaga?” He asked.“I am,” I replied simply.“I don't know how to thank you, Captain Toranaga. You've saved my ship, my crew and a good number of civilians. You're a hero,” he said. I shook my head.“I'm no hero. I'm just a pirate with morals,” I told him.“Thank you anyway. Please, how can I return the favor?” I gave this question some serious consideration.“About that. You see, my ship has sustained considerable damage. I'm going to level with you, I don't think we can make port on our own. Is your ship tow-capable?” he blinked.“I'm not sure. I'll have to check with my engineers,” he said, disappearing off screen.“Get me engineering,” I said to Kirkland.Kirkland fiddled with the comm. console and managed to patch Akira through.“Damn it, cap!” He yelled.“Next time, maybe you could steer her around more of their shots?!”“I'll try. Listen, if there's any power left; I want you to redirect it to the maneuvering thrusters.”“Aye, Cap. Redirecting,” he said. I turned to Rae.“Did I hear you right?” he asked.“You did. Fire the forward port and aft starboard thrusters, would you? Bring us in line with the Kurasawa's ass end,” I ordered.“Raiki, that cruiser is a third of our size. It couldn't possibly have the engine power to tow us,” he said incredulously. “I know that. We'll use the remaining engine to help us along,” I said. he shrugged and hit the switches for the thrusters. Slowly, the ship rotated, bringing the cruiser into view. I turned to face Oliver.“Oliver, I want you to go below and help out any way you can. Rae, go with him,” I said. 179

“But what about,” he started to say, but I cut him off.“Go!” “All right, all right. I'm going,” he grumbled. I took his place at the weapons console and looked around for the grappling controls. Before I could find them, the lights went out. I almost cursed, but John beat me to the punch.“Damn it!” I heard him yell.“John! You still over there?!” I had forgotten about him.“Yeah, I'm still here, sir,” he said.“Zeus' beard, John. Go get some rest, would you? We've got things under control here. Such as they are,” I added.“Aye to that, sir,” he said. I heard him shuffle off as the emergency lights came on, bathing the bridge in a dull red glow. The shield controls sparked. The light was nonetheless enough for me to locate the grappler controls. “Ah ha! Found them,” I said. “Found what, sir?” Said Kirkland. He was struggling to bring navigation back online.“The controls for the grappling cables. I doubt that cruiser has tow cables, so we'll make our own,” I said.“Sounds like a plan, sir,” he said the comm. console beeped.“Kurasawa actual on the line, sir,” he told me. I went over to the console and conversed with the cruiser's captain. He looked glum.“Captain, I'm sorry, but my engineers tell me we don't have the power to tow your vessel,” he said.“I know that. I still have one functional engine; I can use that to supplement your ship's engines,” I told him. He repeated this to someone off-screen and then said,“Okay, that might work, but we have no tow cables.”“If you don't mind me scratching your paint, I can fire my ship's grappling cables into your aft hull and you can use that,” I offered. he nodded excitedly.“I don't mind! Excuse me, I must tend to the passengers,” he said.“Of course. Speak with you again in a moment?” He nodded and went off. I got up to go back to the weapons console, but on the way there I heard a loud explosion and the ship rocked violently, knocking me off

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my feet. I struggled to my feet and looked out into space to see an explosion on the starboard side.“Report!” I yelled. Raeoran's voice came in on the bridge intercom.“We've got an explosion in the starboard side ammunition storage bay!”“Gods below, are there any casualties?”“We lost a man!”“Damn it all! Do you have it contained?!”“We've sealed the chamber off, but I think we just lost all the ammo for the cannons on this side!”“Poseidon's blood,” I muttered, rubbing my forehead. Kirkland muttered something but then said,“Kurasawa on the line, captain,” he said. I stumbled back to the comm. console to see the worried face of their captain.“We saw the explosion!” He said.“What happened?”“One of our ammo bays blew up. We lost a man,” I told him. He looked away.“I'm... sorry,” he said. I rubbed the bridge of my nose.“It's not your fault,” I said to him.“Captain,” he said.“If you wish, we are ready for your grappling cables.”“Yes, yes of course. We’ll fire them now,” I said. He nodded and went away again. I returned to the weapons console and brought up the targeting display. A wireframe image of the Kurasawa appeared with a green targeting reticule superimposed over it. A few beeps sounded and then became a continuous tone when the reticule turned red, indicating I had achieved lock-on. I pressed the button and the four grappling claws shot out from the bow of the ship, pulling their respective cables along with them. The cables stopped after a time, accompanied by the message “grapplers attached” on the screen below the cruiser's image.“We're attached. Kirkland, tell them to power up their engines,” I said. He did so, and after a moment I saw the cables begin to go taut.“Akira, can you hear me?” “I can hear you, cap,” he replied.“Redirect our remaining power to engine one, if you would,” I said.“Aye, sir,” he replied. I pushed the main throttle lever up to half power. The ship rumbled and begrudgingly began to move forward. The cables 181

went completely taut, but held. We sped up a little. I sat back in the weapons console and tried to relax for a moment, but Kirkland called me back to the comm. console to speak with the other captain.“We're making good time, considering,” he said.“How far is the nearest port?” I asked.“Okinawa is about a day's journey from here by sub-Warp engines.” I experienced a brief moment of skepticism.“Will they allow us to dock?” “I'm sure they will be receptive when they hear that you helped us,” he assured me.“Very well,” I replied. I started to turn away, but he stopped me.“Captain, if you wish, you and your men can come over to our ship to be properly thanked. You could also make use of our accommodations.”“Thank you, captain, I will consider it,” I told him. He nodded and severed the link at last. I groaned and stretched my back.“I think I lost a year or two there,” I said to Kirkland. “Listen, take over here, would you? I'm going to go check the damage,” I told him.“Aye sir,” he replied. I made my way to the lift. “Don't blame yourself, sir,” Kirkland said as I was leaving.“I don't blame myself, Kirkland... it's just that, oh, never mind,” I said, waving him off. I pressed the '4' button. The ammo bays were on the fourth deck. When I got there, two crewmen carrying a covered body rushed by doubtless bound for the infirmary. I slumped against the wall. I only hoped he had died painlessly.Damn Kojak. Damn him to hell. I'll make him pay. “Raiki?” I heard Raeoran call, as he came down the hall towards me. He kept his head low, there was smoke clinging to the ceiling.“You okay?” he asked.“I don't know. Maybe,” I replied. “Listen, I'm sorry about Denson there. I tried to get him out, but... “Don't dwell on it. That's not what's bothering me though. Okay, maybe it is, but there's something else,” I said.“What?” he asked.“That woman on the Fist's bridge,” I said. He eyed me suspiciously.“You mean Kojak's daughter?” “Yeah. There's something about her,” I added. 182

“I know what you're thinking. Trust me; she's out of your league. Out of all our leagues, I think,” he said. I looked at him like he'd desecrated sacred ground.“What the hell does that mean? I don't have the hots for her, for Zeus' sake,” I said.“You'd better not. Anyone with that beast for a father isn't getting any action anytime soon,” he said, shaking his head. I told him to piss off.“Hey, sorry. It's just weird, seeing someone die like that. It's been awhile since I've seen that sort of thing up close. The Watchmen, you know, they're just faceless soldiers who are trying to shoot your ass off. You have no problem fighting them. But this,” he said. He shook his head and did not finish his sentence, instead leaning on the wall next to me. A few more crewmen went by. He sighed.“You think maybe we're in the wrong line of work?” I asked him.“Probably, but I’ll be damned if I'd be able to do anything else,” he muttered. We both hung there for awhile, thinking, snapping off salutes to the occasional crewman who noticed us there. At one point Oliver passed by and told us that the port ammo bay was undamaged, which was good news, I suppose. At length, Rae and I started walking down the hall, which had now fallen silent, save for the low hiss of the receding smoke and our own rhythmic footsteps.“Hey, listen,” I said.“Yeah?”“The Kurasawa's captain invited us over to his ship. Might be good to relax, you know? We can give Denson a proper send-off over there,” I said.“Yeah, I suppose. Who else is going?”“Most everyone, I guess,” I ventured.“You want to go now?” He asked. I shrugged.“Can't think of anything else to do,” I told him. Rae doubled back to the hangars, saying he'd go prepare the transports. I went down to engineering to check on Akira. When I got there, he was tinkering with Cyrus and looking over the damage report. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw me.“Holy crap, Captain. You could knock before you sneak up on me like that,” he said.

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“Sorry,” I told him. I looked Cyrus over. His condition had changed little since I last was here. Some of the engineers were milling about, including Nebiel, I noticed. Perhaps the ammo explosion had stirred him. He was monitoring engine one to ensure it remained functional. Akira sighed. “I can't fix him on my own, Cap. I need parts that we don't have.”“The Kurasawa is towing us to Okinawa. Maybe you can find parts there,” I said. He nodded.“Sounds good,” he said.“Listen, do you want to take a break? A bunch of us are taking Denson over to the Kurasawa to have a service for him and try to unwind a little,” I told him.“You don't think that's... er, what's the word?” He scratched his head.“Inappropriate?” I offered.“Yeah, that's it,” he said.“Denson was a fun-loving guy, if I remember. He wouldn't want us to stew in the muck over him,” I said.“You're right. I'll go,” he said.“Rae's waiting down in bay two. I'm going to go find Sasha. He'll want to check out their buffet,” I said. Akira laughed lightly. I followed him out of engineering and made my way over to the mess hall. A few crewmen were snacking. The lights here were working fine, I noticed. I figured there was a problem with the bridge's wiring. In the back, Sasha was chopping up some onions for later use. His usual chef's hat was not to be found.“Ahoy there, Captain,” he said. “Hungry?”“Not really. I came to ask if you'd like to pop over to the Kurasawa for a bit. Maybe talk to the chefs there,” I said. He considered this.“Let me finish with these onions,” he said. I nodded and left the mess. I wandered around the ship for a bit longer, rounding up Oliver, Kirkland, John, Armand, Viktor and a few others, afterwards making my way to hangar two. I was careful to avoid a hole in the floor plating in the hangar. The removed panel lay nearby. I heard Garth curse, so I stuck my head in, only to be greeted by a discarded bolt which hit me in the face.

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“Ow,” I said, rubbing the spot where I had been hit.“Damn it! Who's up there?” I heard Garth yell.“Only the Captain,” I replied. “Oy!”“Sorry about that, Cap,” he said. “Just look before you throw things, hmm?” “Right. I'm on it,” he said. I retracted my head from the hole to prevent further damage to my face. On getting up to my feet I found Raeoran hollering across the hangar, standing at the remaining Diadem transport. I made a mental note to purchase a new transport ship when we reached Okinawa.“Come on, Raiki! We're all set over here,” I shambled over to him, rubbing my nose. Rae asked me what the matter was.“Stray bolt got me in the face. Let's go,” I said. We got on.“Take her up, Sarah.” I told the pilot.“Aye Captain,” she replied. I sat down next to Mr. Pockets, who was shielding the makeshift coffin that held Denson. The two had been close friends, I remembered.“I'm sorry, Pockets,” I told him. He said nothing. The Diadem eased off the hangar floor and flew out into space.

We banked gently to port, bringing the cruiser into view. The cables still held up. In the back of my mind I had always wondered if we'd find a use for those. I suppose everything has its use. Raeoran used the Diadem's comm. system to contact the Kurasawa. “Templar Alpha to Kurasawa docking control. Do you read?” “Roger that,” said a voice. Rae continued.“Requesting permission to board,” I said.“Permission granted, Templar Alpha. Proceed to hangar one on the starboard side. The Captain is expecting you,” said the controller. “Affirmitive, docking control. Beginning landing sequence,” said Raeoran. He severed the link. Sarah piloted the transport into the hangar bay, which was packed with private shuttles. A small welcoming committee was standing near what looked like a good spot to land. I guessed the man in front was the captain, the man I had spoken to. We landed and disembarked. Pockets loaded the coffin onto a hand-truck and rolled it off. Raeoran and I went over to the Kurasawa's captain. He and his fellows crowded around us, thanking us profusely. I was almost 185

blinded by the shine the hangar lights created on their crisp white uniforms, though disheveled as a result of their ordeal.“I can't thank you enough for saving our skins, Captain,” said the captain, who introduced himself as Toshiro Matsumoto. “To be honest with you, Captain Matsumoto, I can't stand it when the Combine attack innocents. It really pisses me off,” I said.“The passengers are equally thankful. They wish to express their thanks by throwing you a party,” I said. My face took on a look of embarrassment. Raeoran groaned. “That won't be necessary, besides, I have a funeral to attend to first,” I said. The smiles disappeared from the crew's faces. Matsumoto rubbed the back of his head.“I'm sorry, Captain Toranaga. Forgive my rudeness,” he said.“It's quite alright. Do you have someplace we could hold a service in?” The man to Matsumoto's immediate left spoke up.“One of the dining rooms on the top deck is currently closed. You can use that,” he said.“Thank you,” I replied. I waved for the rest of my friends to follow along. Matsumoto led us out of the hangar and through the ship to the upper deck. The ship had gotten jostled around and a number of things were broken. Vases were smashed, paintings fallen, lights cracked. Still, ship still had a luxurious, peaceful air to it. For a moment I thought I could actually relax here. We were led past many of the passengers, some of whom virtually groveled at my feet, thanking me for saving them. It really bothered me. I wanted to scream at them.I'm not damned hero! I'm a pirate, for gods' sake! And I might've, too, but Raeoran put a hand on my shoulder. He had picked up on the thought.“You've given them hope, Raiki. Don't take that away,” he whispered. I said nothing in response, but his words had considerable impact. My mind was silent until we reached the empty room. The two crews worked together to shove the tables aside and arranged the chairs. Mr. Pockets pushed the handtruck across the hardwood floor to the far end of the room, leaving no mark. He deposited the coffin in front of the podium, normally used by the conductor of the ship's band, I guessed. The ship's first mate, Yoshi, leaned over to speak to me.“Captain Toranaga,” He began. 186

“Please, call me Raikiendo,” I told him.“Raikiendo, we have a cleric onboard. Should I ask him to come up?”“Denson was not a particularly religious man... but I suppose it is appropriate,” I told him. He nodded and left the room. “Toshiro,” I said. He came over.“If you would, I ask you to inform your passengers of our loss. This man died that they might live,” I said. He considered this. “I will tell them,” he said solemnly as he exited the dining room. I walked down the makeshift aisle, past Rae, Oliver and the others, to stand in front of the coffin. Akira sat down on the floor nearby. The coffin itself had been welded together of spare titanium plating and lined with Denson's extra clothing. It had been constructed so that the front half could swing open. His burns were masked by a space suit and helmet. Oliver, as the Templar's quartermaster, had placed Denson's sword and pistol in with him. Around his neck hung a small pendant with a picture of his family, whom he had lost to the Combine years ago. Denson had joined for revenge… and he died his wish unfulfilled. Akira sniffed.“Did you know him?” I asked.“Not very well. I never really talked to the gunnery guys,” He said, lowering his head.“Why him, Cap? Why any of us?” He asked. Initially I could not answer his profound question. It remained unanswered when Toshiro and Yoshi returned. Following them was a Pantheon cleric and a mixed assortment of passengers. In a short time the whole room was filled. Toshiro had to send for more chairs. It somehow comforted me that so many had come to honor this man that they would never know. The cleric, an elderly man, introduced himself as Father Devin Rawlings, a former Britannian. He had been speaking with Raeoran, who had informed him of what had happened.“Thank you for coming here, Father, even though Denson was not a religious man,” I said. He put a hand up.“Faith is only asked for, never demanded, Captain. We are all honored in the eyes of the Pantheon,” he said.“Even those of the Combine?” I asked him. He shook his head.

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“No man is beyond redemption, Captain. Those who stray from the path may always return, though perhaps not in this life,” he said. I considered his words.“I'm sure he would have been honored, regardless,” he added. Then he asked,“Tell me, Captain; are you a man of faith?” I shrugged.“I believe in myself, my ship and my crew.” He nodded.“That is enough, Captain. As long as one has something to believe in, one can have hope,” I noted with something akin to amusement how open-minded this cleric was. He stepped towards the podium. “Akira,” I said. He got up and followed me to the two remaining chairs up front. Rawlings cleared his throat.“Friends, citizens and pirates,” he began. “We are gathered here on this day to honor the fallen Frank Denson, a crewman of the pirate battleship Black Templar and a loyal friend to his fellow crewmen,” he said. He paused to allow the whispers to die down.“Frank died during a battle against the Imperial Combine, killed, I am told, by an ammunition explosion. He died helping his fellows protect this ship from destruction,” he said, pausing once again.“I regret that I did not know this man, who gave his life to save others. It is difficult for many of us to understand the concept of sacrifice. Why indeed would a man or woman pay their life to accomplish a goal? Is one life worth the loss of another? Two lives? A thousand, perhaps? Even I, a servant of the gods, do not have the answer to this. That is not meant for human ears. What I know is that this one man sacrificed himself to save you all. It is enough that you honor him for this, rather then try to understand why,” he said. Rawlings gestured to me.“Captain Toranaga. Would you like to speak?” I was hesitant. Raeoran nudged me. I took this as a signal to get up, so I approached the podium. There were a few scattered claps. I breathed a heavy sigh and cleared my throat.“My crew and passengers of the Kurasawa,” I said, then paused to think of what to say.“I suspect that these events were the last things any of us expected to occur today. Daily matters that might have, a short time ago, meant a great deal now seem trivial. The truth is, this sort of thing has become a daily matter to us. Each day it seems my men and I face life-or-death 188

situations, escaping from the frying pan only to land in the proverbial fire. Sometimes, not all of us make it,” I said, gesturing to the coffin. “The Combine took everything from Frank; his home, his family, his dreams. They have done the same to me and most of my crew. Now they have taken his life.” I felt a tear run down my cheek. “I became a pirate because I was taught how to be one, how to survive, to benefit from opportunity. I never wanted to be a hero, or a soldier. I simply wanted to make money. Now I feel like,” I trailed off, searching for the words.“A selfish bastard,” I finished. No one flinched, so I continued.“What good is money to Frank now? What good is it to us, really? You can't buy freedom. You can't buy survival. And you certainly can't buy mercy from them,” I said, jabbing a finger out into space. “I was also taught to be a gentleman, to help those less fortunate then myself. Today I found myself in a position to save the lives of innocent people from certain death. I should be happy, so should all of you. Instead, I must say goodbye to a friend,” I shook my head. A woman in the audience began to cry. “By Combine law I am criminal and I carry with them a death sentence. By my law, by the law of morality, it is they who are the criminals. Sure, we are pirates. We steal. But do we kill without provocation? Subjugate populations? Decimate entire planets just to prove a point?!” I slammed the podium. A low murmur began to permeate the room.“Judge them as we may, who are we to stand against them? We are but pirates. We are no more soldiers then heroes. You were all lucky today. There was but one battleship attacking this cruiser. We were able to repel it only with a considerable cost in damage to my ship, and… well,” I said, gesturing once more towards the coffin.“More and more I see in myself a sort of naiveté. I would like to think that I could stand against the Combine. I am only one man with a few more under his command. What can I do? Truly, for what reason did Frank Denson die? To save the lives of a few? Perhaps. I feel as if his sacrifice will ultimately have been in vain.” I shrugged. The crowd fell silent. I began to step down from the podium. I heard a harsh whisper from the back of the room and looked up to see a young Yamato woman walking down the aisle, carrying a single black rose. All eyes were on her as she approached the coffin and laid the rose atop Denson’s body. 189

She simply stood there and stared at him. Then, slowly, starting with Raeoran, the whole room stood and lowered their heads. Those with hats removed them and placed them over their hearts. At length the passengers began to depart. Soon only Rawlings, Toshiro, Yoshi and the woman remained. Raeoran, Oliver, Akira, Pockets, Armand, the others and I gathered near the coffin. We gave our fist-to-heart salute to Denson.

We all stood there for quite a while. I supposed the others reflected inwardly on Frank Denson’s life. I know we all made secret promises to ourselves not to forget him, nor the engineers who had died during our clash with the Beacon of Hope. By the time I had stirred from this reflection, Toshiro, Yoshi and the woman had left. Only Rawlings had remained, quietly reading funeral rites from the Libro Degli Dei. When he had finished, he lowered the coffin’s lid.“What now?” Akira asked.“Take him to a launcher, I suppose. Father, is there anything we could use to do that?”“It would be unceremonious… but I believe the garbage ejector is large enough,” he said.“The garbage ejector? Bugger that,” Oliver started, but I cut him off.“Would you prefer to bring him back to the Templar? Or perhaps simply vent him out the hangar?” He let out a string of curses under his breath. “As long as we don’t put anything else in with him,” said Raeoran. Rawlings nodded and gestured for us to follow. Armand helped Mr. Pockets get the coffin back on the hand-truck and they wheeled him out of the room behind us.

Rawlings led us through the ship down to the maintenance decks. The crew allowed us through, paying their respects as we passed. The chief engineer admitted us to the garbage chamber, which the maintenance crew had cleared out to make it more presentable. Mr. Pockets, Armand, Oliver, Raeoran and I conspired to raise Denson’s coffin off the ground and up onto the conveyor belt. The chief pulled a large lever nearby, activating the conveyor and sending Denson into the launch tube. “We commit this brave soul to the void,” Rawlings said. The chief made to push the launch button, but Mr. Pockets stopped him.“Wait,” He said. 190

“Lemme do it.” I put a hand on Pockets’ shoulder. “Are you sure?” I asked him. Without turning around, he replied,“I gotta do it, Cap. I’ll never let go if’un I don’t.” Pockets sighed, removed his beanie and said,“G’bye, Frank,” before pushing the button, causing the launcher to emit a loud whoosh followed by a dull thump. Akira ran from the room.“Akira!” Oliver yelled after him.“Let him be,” Rae told him. “Come on, guys. Let’s go get something to eat,” said Armand. “Good idea,” said Pockets. The other crewmen all nodded in agreement. “Father, might you direct us to the food?” I asked him. He nodded and asked us to follow. The chief and his men bid us farewell.

Rawlings himself became lost for a moment, mumbling something about bad layout. Eventually he did lead us to the primary dining hall, a massive chamber with a grand view of space to either side, luxurious accommodations and a single, massive chandelier anchored by what looked like concealed titanium cable. That thing, thankfully, did not look like it would come down. Well, that’s a relief. Rawlings took his leave of us, saying he must tend to the spiritual needs of the passengers. We stood awhile, surveying the room. Due to this not being a mealtime, there were few people present. Those that were looked our way with some degree of awe. I then observed the maître d' approach at a rapid pace. “Welcome, please sit wherever you wish,” he said breathlessly.“If you’ll just wait a moment, I’ll send someone out,” he added.“Of course.” I told him. We found ourselves a large table and sat down, myself at one end and Raeoran at the other. “Everyone alright?” I asked, when all were seated. More or less, they were. Mr. Pockets did not reply. Then I asked,“Well, is everyone hungry?” The responses to this were far more vocal.“Captain, might I go to the kitchens?” asked Sasha. “I’d ask the maître d' about it, but you have my permission,” I said.“Thank you, sir,” he said, getting up.

Armand produced from his pouch a deck of cards and struck up a game of Sepris Hold’em with Oliver, Raeoran and Viktor. I lay back in my chair and stared at the ceiling. Sometime around the fourth hand, Akira came back, looking somewhat less bitter. I could tell he’d been to 191

engineering. A moment later one of the waiters showed up and between us we ordered everything on the menu. When the waiter returned with our food a half-hour later, he had four other waiters with him to help him carry everything. By far the most impressive dish was the roast Cadizian bullhog. It was a big one, so there was enough hog meat to go around. The maître d' showed up shortly thereafter to ask us if we liked the food- he informed us that our own cook, Sasha, had assisted in its preparation. “Hmm, thought I tasted a little too much salt,” Rae commented, though he assured the maître d' that he was not complaining. We told him the food was excellent.“I wonder, shall we pay you or…?” I asked.“The food is free, sir. Courtesy of Captain Matsumoto and myself for saving all our hides,” the maître d' said with a bow. Oliver laughed,“Enjoy this, lads- you don’t get many free meals on this job!” he said, eliciting a good laugh from everyone, even Mr. Pockets. We ate in peace. Mr. Pockets cheered up somewhat after eating his fill of mashed potatoes.“This is good eating,” said Armand.“I don’t think I’ve ever had a meal like this,” added Viktor. The maître d' left. Sasha, whom carried a plate of shrimp for himself and took a seat next to Viktor, soon replaced him.“Am I good or what?” He said, stroking his Fu Manchu mustache. For once, we pampered his ego.“I must say, Sasha, you seem to be able to apply your talent to any dish,” I told him, gesturing to the now-stripped skeleton of the bullhog. He shrugged.“I haven’t gotten to cook one of those in quite a while, but I have not lost my touch,” he said with a smirk. The others laughed and dug in to what was left. At the end of the meal we thanked the maître d', who in turned thanked Sasha for his assistance. He took a bow, and we took our leave of the dining halls. Outside the hall, under the gradually dimming lights, we ran into the captain.“Thank you for the meal, Toshiro,” I told him.“Please, it was the least we could do. If you wish, feel free to make use of the accommodations. We have some extra staterooms left when you wish to retire,” he said. 192

“Your generosity is much appreciated,” I said.“Too right,” added Oliver. The captain hurried off to take care of other business. I noticed we had lost Rawlings at some point.“Anyone see the cleric leave?” Raeoran asked.“Nope,” said Armand. “Nevermind that,” said Viktor. “Let's go see what they have. I sure hope they've got some slot machines,” he added. Pockets groaned.“You all go have fun, if you can. I'd like some time to myself,” I said. They all nodded and split off, save Raeoran. We walked down the hall at a steady pace. Our footsteps were muffled by the luxurious carpeting.“You alright, Raiki?” He asked.“I don't know. I can't get that woman off my mind,” I replied.“If it makes you feel any better, I don't think we've seen the last of Kojak or his daughter,” he said.“Gods know why he keeps her on his ship,” he added under his breath.“I can understand why she tried to protect him, but it seemed like,” I trailed off, scratching my head. “What?”“It almost seemed like she was standing between us. Like, trying to protect us as much as him,” I said. Raeoran scoffed, clearly skeptical, but almost immediately reconsidered. He'd gotten that vibe as well.“You know what I mean?” “Yes, I think so,” he replied.“Listen, you go relax or whatever. I think I'm going to get some sleep,” I said. Raeoran glanced at his chronometer. It was getting late.“See you tomorrow, then. What are we doing when we get to Okinawa?” he asked.“Get the ship fixed up, and then, well, I have no idea,” I replied. Raeoran shrugged and walked off. I looked around and ventured down a side hallway, which I saw contained staterooms. I checked the doors and found one, room two-thirteen, open and empty. The room was smaller then my own quarters but almost as comfortable. I supposed this was a first class room, or something to that effect. I hadn't ever stayed in a rental room this nice. Even the best hotels on Lagrange were still sort of sleazy. The furniture was genuine Nagasaki cherry wood. I locked the door after hanging up the “do not disturb” sign on the front, placed my 193

weapons on top of the bureau and hung my mantle from a hook on my side of the door. I availed myself of the room's stock of Okinawan Saké, and the mirror, noticing I was pretty banged up. The face that stared back at me seemed older then my own. I made use of the room's shower, after which I lay down on the too-comfortable bed and soon fell asleep.

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Chapter 12

“It has a strange, quick jar upon the ear, That cocking of a pistol, when you know

A moment more will bring the sight to bear Upon your person, twelve yards off or so.”

-Lord Byron

Within the human mind is a void that surpasses that of the universe. Thoughts and memories wander in this inner space like the stars and galaxies, infinite in number but futile in their efforts to fill it. Many memories and bits of knowledge lay beyond our reach. The vast spans of light years between them prevent our feeble minds from accessing them. Occasionally, we reach a scrap, only to find it is something we already knew.

I awoke from a deep, dreamless sleep. No, it was not dreamless. There remained some foggy memory of a vision, a vision of her face. I knew then that I would never know peace until I knew who she was.

I got out of bed and gathered my effects, examined myself in the mirror and ventured out into the halls of the Kurasawa once more. It was

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as yet early in the day, not many passengers had stirred, so I simply wandered for a while, waiting to bump into someone I knew. I took the time to admire the works of art displayed throughout the ship. Most of the pieces were reproductions- but there was one piece, a painting at the base of the grand staircase, which looked to be the genuine article. The painting depicted a great tree emerging from the center of what appeared to be a galaxy, our galaxy perhaps. The roots swirled around with the currents of the galaxy's rotation and many stars and planets were nestled in its boughs. In the center of them, lay a blue planet masked by swirling white clouds. “Terra...” I thought aloud.“Correct,” said Father Rawlings, who had appeared at my shoulder. His eyes were also fixed on the blue planet.“This is the original copy of “Beyond Eden” by Tetsuo Yamazaki, painted centuries ago. You'll notice if you look close that the painting is protected by an energy shield,” he said. I stuck a hand out, pulling it away when a wave of blue energy emanated from the spot at which I touched the shield. Rawlings sighed.“The field protects it from theft or damage, but if this ship had perished, this priceless work would have been lost. It belongs in a museum, yet it resides aboard a commercial cruise liner. You've saved a piece of history, Raikiendo,” he told me.“It would appear so. Perhaps I will ask the Captain if it can be transported somewhere safer,” I said.“You would be doing a great service to us all. Captain Matsumoto has asked me to inform you that we have entered Republic territory and are nearing the planet Okinawa. The Combine would not dare attack us here,” he said. I nodded.“Thank you, Father,” I said. He bowed and took his leave of me. I decided to see if the others had stirred.

I found Raeoran leaning against the bulkhead outside his stateroom. He yawned.“Morning, Raiki,” he said.“Morning, Rae. Sleep well?”“I haven't slept like that since we lived on the Rising Sun,” he said, punctuating it with a chuckle.“I think that's about right,” I replied. 196

“Anyone else up?” I asked.“Thought I saw Oliver around here somewhere... Not sure about the others.”“Boo,” Said Oliver, who had appeared from behind me.“Lame,” Said Raeoran. Oliver flipped him off. “At ease,” I told him.“Morning, Cap,” he said. I responded in kind.“You seen anyone else yet?” I asked.“Hi guys!” Yelled Akira from a ways off. He ran over to us at full gait. His hair was flat and damp and his clothes had been cleaned.“Shhh!” Oliver hissed.“Don't want to wake the passengers, lad,” Akira apoligized, looking sheepish for a moment, but his expression instantly changed to excitement as he said,“You guys got to try the steam room out. They wash your clothes while you're in it!” Raeoran blinked. Oliver laughed.“Now that's service,” he said.“To the baths then?” I said. They nodded.“Akira, round up the others and bring them down. We could all use a little relaxation,” I said. He nodded and ran off.

At length the party had gathered at the ship's bathing chambers. Julia, Sarah and Hestia split off and headed for the women's side. We gave our clothes to the cleaners, donned crisp white bath towels and hit the steam room. Akira cranked up the steam to a modestly high level. The room itself was quite large, obviously built to accommodate all of the male passengers at once. Almost immediately, I began to feel relaxed, cleansed even. Exposed thus, we all had a good look at Oliver's impressive array of tattoos.“Damn,” said Armand.“Never realized you had so many,” he added.“I've got more then this, mate. Just trying to keep the PG rating here.” This elicited a good laugh from everyone.Akira stretched himself out on one of the benches.“This is the life.” He said.“Never been in one of these before. Really calms the mind,” said Reaoran. The others voiced their agreement. Viktor leaned over to the far wall. 197

“Too bad it's not co-ed,” he said, a little louder then he would have if he’d just been talking to us.“I heard that!” yelled Julia from beyond the wall. We all laughed. I sat back and relaxed, as did the others. For a while, we simply sat there in silence, allowing our pores to be cleansed. After an hour or so, there was a knock on the door. Akira answered, and spoke to someone outside.“Our clothes are ready,” he said. We all got up and filed out.

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After redressing ourselves and uniting with the female members of the party, one of the attendants informed us that the Captain was expecting us on the bridge. Akira, who already had an intimate knowledge of the ship's layout, led us through the twisting corridors to the upper deck, which contained the bridge, crew quarters and observation chamber. The view from the bridge was as impressive as any afforded the passengers, and I perceived a tiny greenish ball in the distance. Captain Matsumoto greeted us.“Captain Toranaga and distinguished company. Welcome to the bridge. As you can see, we are nearing Okinawa. My comm. officer has already spoken to that of the Anegawa, the battleship tasked with defending the planet,” he said. “Do they know you're bringing pirates?” asked Raeoran.“They're not exactly thrilled at the prospect, but they have granted you amnesty in return for saving this ship.”“Lucky for us,” muttered Oliver.“They've relayed us a message from the planetary government, as well. The Daimyo has asked for an audience with you. He has granted you permission to moor your vessel at the docks in orbit, and has tasked its staff to assist in repairs,” Matsumoto continued.“Where shall I meet him?” I asked. “Boss, are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Oliver.“I assure you, you will suffer no treachery here,” said Matsumoto. Oliver fell silent, but remained unconvinced.“The Daimyo will meet with you aboard the Anegawa.” “Very well. Thank you for your hospitality and understanding, Captain. We shall be returning to our ship now,” I said.“Of course,” He said with a bow, gesturing towards the door. The rest of his crew bowed in turn, which we returned as we left the bridge.

While we walked to the hangar. “Raiki, I don't like the idea of you going to that ship alone,” Rae whispered.“For once, I agree with you,” Oliver said to him.“What's with you two being suspicious of the Yamato all of a sudden? This Daimyo probably just wants to give me a medal or something. I don't feel like going, but it would be very rude of me not to. I would be

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dishonoring him and you know how they are about honor,” I said. The others nodded.“To dishonor a Yamato is to wave a red cloth before the proverbial bull,” Sasha said.“Precisely. Therefore, I will go. Oliver will come with me. Raeoran, you will oversee the repairs,” I said. Raeoran nodded.“When do we leave?” Oliver asked. “Presently, let's just get back and check in with the crew,” I said.“Righto,” Oliver replied. We came across a few passengers, including Father Rawlings, who gave us a blessing and wished us good luck in our travels. We reached the hangar in short order and set off. “Nice folks,” Said Armand when everyone was aboard. “Take her up, Sarah.” I said.“Aye, Captain.” The transport flew out of the Kurasawa's hangar and back towards the Black Templar.

The damage was more noticeable from out here. I groaned. It would take days to repair her at least back to a state of combat readiness. It would be difficult to repair the damage in the starboard ammunition bay, not so much from the damage itself, but because no one would want to go in there after what had happened to Denson. “Bloody hell,” Said Oliver, voicing what was on all our minds.“Captain, what will we do after we fix the ship?” asked Julia. There was genuine worry in her hazel eyes.“Honestly Julia, I don't know. More pirating, I suppose,” I replied. Rae chose that moment to interject.“Raiki, maybe we should lay low for a while. Hang out here in Yamato and find other work,” he said.“Hmm,” I said.“What, hide out, you mean?” said Oliver, never one to run from a fight.“Call it hiding if you want, It just seems to me like the whole Combine Navy is out for our blood and angering them further would not prove wise,” Raeoran retorted. Amazingly, Oliver had no comeback to this. “Alternatives?” I asked. No one had any ideas. Akira opened his mouth and made as if to speak, but instantly lost whatever he was going to say and remained silent.“Very well. We shall repair the ship and remain in Yamato for the time being,” I said. No one objected. 200

“Black Templar, this is Templar Alpha, we are approaching bay three,” said Sarah through the comm. Kirkland's voice responded.“Roger, Templar Alpha, doors are open. Welcome home.” The transport entered and landed softly on the deck. This was the longest time I had been away from my ship since first setting out from Lagrange. It felt good to be home again, battered as it was. “Oliver, arm yourself accordingly and meet me back here in ten minutes,” I told him.“Aye sir,” he said, speeding off. I went over to the hole in which I had stuck my head the day before and been hit by a bolt. Garth climbed out. He jumped when he saw me.“Captain! How long have you been standing there?”“Since yesterday,” I said. He laughed. “How goes it?” I asked.“All done down there, Cap. I'm headed up to the bridge to check the wiring. Nibel's working on the engines.”“Good, good. We're pulling into the Okinawan docks. You'll have some help from their boys,” I said. He grinned.“Well that makes things a whole hell of a lot easier,” he said. I patted him on the shoulder.“Keep up the good work,” I said.“Thanks, sir,” He replied, walking off. I keyed my comm. and sent for the bridge. Kirkland was on the line.“Welcome back, sir. Feeling better?”“Somewhat. The crew showed us excellent hospitality. Listen, the Daimyo has requested my presence on their battleship. Oliver and I will be going over there in a minute. I've left Raeoran in charge. We'll be mooring at their docks; their repair crews will be helping us. Please coordinate their efforts.”“Of course. Good luck, sir,” he said.“Thank you, Kirkland,” I said, then severed the link.

I waited in the hangar for Oliver to return, busying myself by checking my own equipment and the various ships in the deck. After exactly ten minutes had passed, Oliver returned. He had changed into his combat fatigues, and wore his submachine guns so that they were clearly visible.“That's really not necessary,” I told him. 201

“No sense not taking the extra precaution, Cap,” he replied. I shrugged. We climbed aboard his fighter craft and set out for the Anegawa. I looked out at the planet. I saw only one city on the surface, the rest was rolling green hills and deep blue oceans. They said Terra did not look terribly different from this and other worlds inhabited by man. Surely, we did not want to see Terra again simply because it was a lush world. No, there was more to it then that. It was our home world, the planet that had given birth to us. We all return to where we came from in due time.

I turned my vision towards the Anegawa. It was smaller then the Templar, sleek and angular, simplistic and yet elegant. It was painted the gold-on-red color scheme of the Kaigun and possessed the decorative fan-like wings found on all Yamato vessels. Its name was printed in Kanji characters towards the bow. My eyes swept across the vessel, focusing at last on its impressive-looking triple-barreled plasma cannons. I took some small comfort from the fact that these guns were centered and inactive, rather then trained on my vessel. They were welcoming, but would they allow us to leave again? I shook the thought. I was beginning to sound like Raeoran.

The voice of what I supposed was the Anegawa's captain came through on the fighter's comm.“This is Captain Takagi of the Anegawa to the pirate fighter approaching,” he said. Oliver responded.“This is Templar Alpha Leader. Go ahead,” “Is your Captain aboard?” I approached the console.“I am. Captain Toranaga, at your service,”“Toranaga?” Said Takagi. He sounded quite surprised.“You've heard of me?” I asked.“No, it's just that I did not expect to be speaking to a fellow Yamato,” he said. “Half Yamato, actually,” I said. Oliver chuckled.“Regardless, I have Lord Genjuro aboard. He would speak with you,” he said.“Captain Matsumoto told me. Requesting permission to come aboard,” I asked.“Granted. Please proceed to bay two, doors opening now,” he replied. The line cut off.

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Oliver steered his fighter into the Anegawa's second hangar bay and squeezed in between two small Kaigun fighters. We disembarked. Takagi and his entourage entered the hangar and greeted us.“Welcome aboard, Captain,” He said, shaking my hand. “Please, follow me,” he said. He led us through the crimson halls to the Daimyo's chambers. The entourage gradually split off. Members of the crew bustled past us, hardly even noting our presence. At one point we passed the mess hall and saw a few pilots enjoying themselves, tossing back a few drinks and telling stories. They reminded me of my own crew. We eventually came to a special chamber that had been set aside for the Daimyo's private use. He opened the screen door and gestured for us to enter. The Daimyo sat in a traditional stance, eyes shut in meditation. He wore traditional Yamato dress, as if he were attending a formal occasion. I supposed it was. The wall behind the Daimyo was decorated with old Yamato artifactsl swords, woodblock prints and a set of samurai armor. I saw in the shadows, in each of the far corners, a man stood cloaked in black.“Ninja,” I whispered to Oliver. He made a noise of admiration. These stealthy warriors were the Republic's vanguard, their only defense against the shadow warfare waged by the Specters. “Set your weapons down by the door. All of them,” I said. He grumbled, but complied. I did the same, and then knelt down on the opposite side of the raised wooden platform. Oliver did the same, behind me and to the right. “Welcome,” said the Daimyo at length. “Captain Raikiendo Toranaga. I would speak with you alone,” he said. He glanced to his left and right.“Leave us,” he added. The Ninja bowed and left the room. Oliver grumbled some more.“Go on. This is tradition,” I told him. “Pah,” he said. He got up and left. I bowed to the Daimyo. He returned my bow.“You've probably heard this enough, but thank you for saving the Kurasawa. I have repeatedly warned the cruise lines against sending ships into the Kokuu. This incident should prove enough for me to pass a law on the matter.”

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“I did what I felt was right. I received their distress call and answered.”“Indeed... had you not been in the area, that ship probably would have been destroyed. By the time the distress call reached us here, they might have already met their fate. Which makes me wonder,” he said. He rubbed his chin.“What were you doing out there?”“It is a long tale, lord,” I said.“Then please, start from the beginning,” he said. I sighed and proceeded to rattle off the story of my pirating journey. He kept pressing me for more details, so eventually I ended up telling him my whole life story, including my ancestry. He was quite moved.“To think... my superiors had informed me that the last heir to the Jericho throne had died,” he said.“Last heir?” I asked. He grimaced.“You do not know? Ryu Kassad- your father has been dead for some time,” This news hit me like a torpedo to an unarmored transport ship. I was rendered speechless as my heart seized. The Daimyo looked embarrassed with himself.“I am sorry to be the one to inform you of this, in this manner. He died a peaceful death, in his home,” he said. I fought back tears.“He went back to Nagasaki?”“This is what I heard. I'm afraid I don't know if he knew you still lived,” he added.“Who gave you this information?” Genjuro paused, then continued.“A man named Kepler. I did not speak to him directly, but through another man, a doctor, called Freeman.” My heart jumped.“Kepler? Vincent Kepler? The resistance fighter?”“More of a commander, actually.”“And Jerald Freeman?”“Correct. He had girl with him, she was quite ill,” he said. My heart began to race even faster.“Is the doctor still here?” Genjuro smiled.“Aboard this very vessel. Do you know him?”“He was the medical officer on my ship, for a time- please excuse me, lord. I must speak with him regarding the girl's condition. She is a friend of mine,” I said. “Of course. We will speak again afterwards,” he said. 204

“Yes, lord.” I bowed again, as did he. I left the chambers in a hurry. I ran passed Oliver, and before he could ask what was up, I yelled,“Freeman is here, with Alice!” “Bloody hell,” He said, taking off after me. We hurried through the ship, eventually blundering our way into the infirmary. We bowled the poor old doctor over.“Gods below!” He exclaimed. We helped him to his feet. He repeated his curse when he saw who had upset him. “Captain, Mr. Bronson! How... how did you get here? How did you find me?”“Doc, we're just as surprised as you are,” said Oliver.“I came here to speak with Lord Genjuro, and he told me you and Alice were here,” I told him. His expression soured.“We are, though she is not entirely here.” I grabbed him by the shoulders.“What happened? Is she alive?!” He tried to shake me off.“Yes, yes, she's alive, but her mind is elsewhere!” I let go. He led us over to her stasis canister; the same she had been in when I had last saw her. The saddened expression on her youthful face had not changed.“The poor girl's psychic emissions intensified greatly. I had to bring her here so that the Ninja could mask her presence. Then, about a week ago, her brainwaves completely flatlined. It's like her mind went comatose. I have no idea how or why this happened or what to do,” He said, shaking his head. “I cannot pick up anything, not even the strongest projections. I was going to take her down to the planet's surface, to a hospital, today, as a matter of fact. It is strange that you should come here now,” he said.“How strange?”“Just an odd twist of fate, is all. Do you have any idea what might have happened to her? Can you pick up anything?” I tried to focus on her mind, but there was nothing there. Not even normal thoughts.“It's like her mind is gone…” I said. Oliver swore then said to Jerald,“Doc, there's nothing else you can do?”“This is beyond me, Oliver. I think it would take nothing less then an act of the gods to help her now,” he said. We stood there, silent, over her body.

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“Doctor, I would ask that you remain by her side. I must return to the Daimyo,” I said. He nodded and returned to his computer console.“Oliver, return to your fighter and wait. I'll be along,” I told him. He nodded and went off without a word.

I returned to the Daimyo's chambers and knelt down before him once more. “You are troubled. The girl is in ill health,” he said.“Yes, lord. Her mind has slipped into a sort of coma and it is uncertain when and if she will wake,” I said. He reflected on this.“She is beyond mortal medicines. If the gods are merciful then she will recover,” he said.“My faith is only so strong,” I replied. “Faith is a strange thing, Captain. It is simultaneously our greatest strength and our greatest weakness. It can unite populations and destroy nations. We need only look into our own history to know this.” I nodded. Genjuro closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I decided to meditate as well. At length, he spoke again.“There is a war coming, Raikiendo. I've seen it in my dreams. You've seen it as well,” he said, sensing my thoughts.“A war such as humanity has never seen,” I replied. He nodded.“This coming conflict shall redefine our race. We shall survive as humans, of course, but as nations, that is less certain. The Combine shall achieve total dominion or perish in the attempt. “Begging your pardon, lord, but how can the Republic defeat the Combine on its own? You can hold your space here, yes, but what will occur when the Combine inevitably launch a final assault on this nation? Will you have the might to withstand it, let alone turn it around and liberate the galaxy?”“No. Not on our own, this we know,” he said. He stuck a finger up.“However, we are not alone. The resistance has thrown in their lot with us, and though they appear small, their true numbers and strength are without measure. They comprise the conquered peoples of all the lost Star Nations. I suspect you know this,” he said.“I too have spoken with Kepler. He told me that an army was being rallied from all across space to stand against the Combine,” The Daimyo grinned.

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“There may yet be more who oppose them. We cannot avoid this war, just as we cannot avoid any war. Conflict is in our nature. What the Combine does not know is that united, we stand on equal ground with them. We have a chance at victory!” He said, shaking his fist. I must admit, his words were inspiring, but somehow I was not comforted. Genjuro allowed me to collect my thoughts. At last, he asked the question I thought he would ask since I had first entered the chamber.“Captain, will you help us? Will you fight alongside us?” “I...I don't know yet. Too much has happened for me to simply go running headlong into incoming fire. I need time. Time to repair my ship, time to think,” I said.“Of course. But do not linger too long, Captain, wars do not wait,” he said.“I understand. Thank you, Lord Genjuro,” I said. He put his hand up.“Words are the least I can offer. Go, and remember- honor, discipline, courage. The three qualities that comprise warriors and heroes,” he said. I recognized this as a saying common among Yamato soldiers.“I'm no hero, lord. I'm just a pirate who doesn't like to see innocents suffer,” I told him.“For you, that is enough,” he replied. I bowed a final time and took my leave of the chamber.

I slowly made my way back to the hangar, lost in thought. “You okay, cap?” Asked Oliver when I had boarded the fighter.“Honestly, I'm not sure. Let's get back,” I told him.“Fine by me,” he replied. He piloted the fighter out of the hangar and back to the Black Templar. I escaped from my own head long enough to resolve to go help Raeoran with his work when I got back. Some subconscious thought stirred, causing me to remember that I had forgotten all about that woman. What was her name? Isis. So beautiful. Could I be falling in love with a woman I had seen for a passing moment and never spoken to? Nonsense, yet, quite possibly true.

We arrived back in the all-too-familar hangar bay three. Oliver and I went our seperate ways. I meandered up to the bridge and found only Kirkland there. He jumped.“Oh, Captain! I didn't realize you'd come back. How'd it go with the Daimyo?”

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“Good, I suppose. Very heavy conversation. You'll never guess who's over there,” I told him.“Who?” He asked.“Dr. Freeman and Alice Raven,” I said. His eyes went wide.“Really? Are they alright?”“Not really. Alice's mind is in some kind of psychic coma and the Doctor's losing his marbles trying to help her. He said himself that it would take divine intervention to help her,” I said. Kirkland was saddened by this.“I hope she recovers,” he said.“We all do. Where's Raeoran?”“Up here, Raiki,” I heard him say. I looked up to find his head sticking out of an open panel in the bridge's ceiling.“I overheard about Alice. Do you think she'll be alright?”“I don't know. I hope so. How goes it up there?”“Garth got the wires fixed up, we shouldn't have any more flickering light problems. He took a couple of guys down to the starboard ammo bay to get that sorted out. We didn't lose all the ammo over there...” He said with a degree of cynicism. “Those Okinawan boys are a big help. Most of ‘em are down in engineering trying to get those damn engines fixed. Good news, though. Kraken's back on his feet and helping out,” he added. I smiled.“That is good news. What of Cyrus?”“Akira went dockside to look for the parts he needs. I can't say for sure until he gets back,” he replied.“Anything else?”“Yeah, there was a nasty overload in the second forward cannon's power relay. Had to replace the whole damn thing, but I think we've got it working,” he said. “You think?” I said. He shrugged.“Well, I'm going down to see what I can do. What are you up to up there anyway?”“Trying to find the real source of all these electrical problems, Akira thinks there's a faulty regulator somewhere,” he said.“If he says so, then I guess there's a faulty regulator.”“Damn Combine battleships,” Raeoran muttered, ducking his head back into the crawlway. 208

“Next time, let's get a Yamato one!” He yelled down. I laughed and said,“I'll see what I can do!” He yelled out something, but it was muffled. I waved goodbye to Kirkland and set off for the lower levels.

On my way down, I heard a low rumble, and then the ship shook. My first guess was that one of the engines was just test fired, but then the ship rocked again, more violently this time. “What the hell?” I keyed my comm. and contacted the bridge.“Kirkland, what's with all this rumbling?”“Gods below, Captain! I can't believe it, we're under attack! Okinawa's under attack- there's a large Combine task force out there, and I think the lead ship is the Emperor's Fist!” I swore. How did he...“How did they get so far in system without being detected?!”“They Warped in, sir! Out of nowhere! We're taking heavy fire, the planetary defenses will take some time to activate!”“Get everyone back on board! Can we fight?!”“I don't know, sir,” he said.“We have to delay them! Buy the Yamato some time! Prepare to leave dock!”“Y...Yes sir!” The ship's alarm sounded, ringing out through the halls. I dashed back the way I had come. I came across Akira as I passed by the docking tube entryways. He was frantically assigning tasks to the engineers.“Captain!” He yelled, seeing me approach. I slid to a stop and said,“Akira, the docks are under attack. We have to disengage and try to buy the Yamato some time to bring their defenses online.”“How the hell did they find us?!” He said, about ready to pull his hair out.“I don't know. Maybe they're still tracking us somehow,”“I've checked this ship over for bugs every couple of hours. There's no way they followed us.” He sounded quite certain.“Maybe they didn't track us...” said Nebiel from nearby. He was checking the atmospheric seals on the airlocks. Then it hit me.“They tracked the Kurasawa,” I said. Akira made a fist and hit his opposite palm with it.“Then it was a ploy to get us to come out!”

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“Clever bastards. Akira, do what you can to keep the ship operational. Divert power from all non-essential systems to the shields and cannons. Use the maneuvering thrusters to move us,” I said.“I'm on it!” He ran off. Nebiel followed him. I resumed running at full gait back to the bridge. The alarm continued and crew members ran back and forth to assume their battle stations.

When I reached the bridge, I found that Kraken had resumed his post at navigation, leaving Kirkland to take care of communications. Raeoran had clambered down from the crawlway and assumed his post. He was working frantically to power up our weapons. Ray John stood poised at the wheel.“Rae, get us out of here!” I said, taking a seat. He reached for the throttle and eased it back, gradually pulling out of space dock as plasma bolts streaked past the ship, barely missing it. One struck the dock itself, severing one of the mooring lines.“Disconnecting,” He said, flipping the switch. The other mooring line disconnected and retracted into the dock.“Bring us about and give me targeting vectors on the lead vessel. Prepare to launch fighters,” I said. I examined my console. The combat theory display showed us at distinct tactical disadvantage.“On it,” Rae said. Kirkland radioed the pilot's quarters.“All fighter pilots report to your ships immediately! Prepare for combat!” “Kraken, do you know what their entry vector was?”“They appeared to have warped in from approximately two-eight-nine degrees, Anti-Axial.”“Then they came through the Zone?” asked John.“Technically speaking, no. The Warp equivalent,” Kraken replied. “You'd think they would have come up with a way to detect incoming Warp signatures by now,” Oliver said, entering the bridge and taking a seat at the second weapons console.“Unless the guys on Empyrean have come up with something, no,” Raeoran replied. “Oliver, get me some torpedo vectors. Rae, cannon status?” I asked.“Main guns online and charging, starboard broadsides two and five still offline,” he said.“Then we'll show her our port side this time,” I replied 210

“Sir, fighters ready,” said Kirkland. “Launch!”“All fighters, launch! You are clear to engage!” “Rae, give me all available throttle. Let's get out there,” He hit the maneuvering thrusters. When we had reached a good speed he cut the throttle.“On course,” said Kraken. Kirkland patched me through to the fighter squads.“Templar Alpha and Beta squads, engage and destroy enemy fighters. Squad Gamma, engage and disable enemy support ships. We might be able to salvage them later,” I ordered. I received a confirmation from each of the squad leaders.“Boss, I should be out there,” said Oliver. I considered this.“Yes, you should. Go. Keep our boys safe,” He snapped me a salute and made for the lifts.“Raiki,” Rae began, but I cut him off.“Don't even start with me right now, Rae. We'll argue later,” He threw his hands up and wet back to work. The Combine ships began to fire at us in earnest. I ordered Kirkland to patch me through to the bridge of the Emperor's Fist. The face of my newfound nemesis appeared, grinning wickedly.“Well well, we meet again- and so soon after our last chat.”“Some chat. What do you think you're doing, attacking a Yamato world? The Kaigun will come down on you like the fist of an angry god.”“By the time they got here they'd find me long gone and the wreck of your vessel floating about. I suppose you didn't have much time to repair,” he said.“It's just like you to kick a man when he's down,” I said. He shrugged.“Whatever it takes. I can't really leave without something to show for it. I suppose evidence of your demise will have to do. You've forced my hand, pirate,” he said smugly. “You forced your own damn hand, you psycho. I'll see you dead!” I said, jabbing a finger at him. His grin vanished.“Very well then. Let us finish this,” he replied before cutting out. I smashed my fist on the armrest of my command chair, not for the first and certainly not the last time. A dent had begun to form where I had repeatedly hit the same spot. 211

“That man is utterly infuriating,” I said as a plasma blast struck the forward deck.“Shields holding at eighty-two percent efficiency,” Raeoran said.“Are we close enough?!” I said, seeing little pulses and explosions begin to appear amidst the Combine ships. “We are in cannon range!” “Fire!” “All guns, open fire!” As one the main guns fired, causing the ship to shake. The blasts struck the Fist in unison, sending ripples all across her shields. Then, Kirkland said, “Sir, I've just picked up a transmission to the Fist from the Anegawa!” “What? Patch it through! Rae, keep those guns firing!” Kirkland fiddled with the console and then the voice of Captain Takagi sounded on the bridge comm.“Admiral Kojak, this is Captain Shiro Takagi of the Kaigun battleship Anegawa. You will cease all offensive actions against the pirate vessel and this planet or you shall be destroyed,” he said. Bold words, I thought. I heard Kojak's reply as it occurred.“I admire your courage, Captain Takagi... but not your intelligence! You would risk your life and that of your crew to help this criminal?”“He is a criminal only by the laws of your false empire, Admiral! I seem to recall him saving Yamato citizens from your band of marauders. Tell me, are you acting under official sanction or is this some kind of personal business?” I could almost hear him swear.“To be brutally honest, both. Now then, if you will stand with the pirate then you shall die like a pirate!” said Kojak angrily. “We shall see,” replied Takagi. The line between the two severed and Takagi spoke to me.“Captain Toranaga.”“I'm here,” I said.“We fight with you,” he said simply.“Thank you, Captain. If you would, focus your plasma fire on the Emperor's Fist. We need to disable her shields.”“Consider it done,” I realized with a small degree of pride this was my first time participating in a large naval battle. Ship to ship duels are one thing, but this! Seems like every day I try something new. Then I had an

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idea. It was stupid, potentially lethal, but it could work. The ship rocked again from a plasma blast.“Shields at fifty-two percent! We can't stand up to this for long,” said Raeoran.“Enemy shield status?” “Enemy shields at sixty-two percent and recharging. We need to hit them harder,” he said. An explosion blossomed outward from one of the support vessels as one of its cannons broke off. My bombers were making short work of Kojak's escorts, but his fighters were another matter. A spray of laser fire swept across the main screen. I ducked reflexively. “Divert rear shield power to main guns and charge up for a heavy blast!”“Yes sir!”“Takagi, do you read?”“Takagi here!”“I need your firepower. Charge up your main guns!”“Main guns charging!” The port side screen showed green energy spheres appear at the muzzles of the Anegawa's main guns, slowly growing in size. Something hit the side of the bridge, causing a panel to explode outward with a shower of sparks. The lights flickered but stayed on.At least that works, I thought.“What in the name of Zeus was that?” Said Kirkland.“Missile. Chaff must have missed it,” said Rae. He slapped his knee.“Cannons ready!” I hurried to press the comm. button.“Takagi, are your cannons charged!”“Ready and waiting!”“On my mark, all guns fire at the Fist!” I held a hand up in the air. “Mark!” The plasma cannons of both battleships spoke with one voice, sending a flurry of green and purple bursts streaking towards Kojak's monstrous vessel, pounding his shields into submission. A lightning flash appeared, indicating his shields were broken.“Enemy shields down! Shall I fire torpedoes?” Said Raeoran.“Belay that, give me some throttle, pull us alongside and prepare to fire boarding tubes!”“What? We're going to board them?!” He shouted, flabbergasted.“Just so!” I sent a message across the ship's PA. 213

“All battle-ready crew report immediately to the airlocks! Prepare to board enemy vessel!”“Kraken,” I said, cutting off the link,“Can you fight?”“I regret to say that I am not yet combat-ready,” he said.“Very well. Raeoran, let's go. Kraken, you have the bridge.”“Yes Captain,” he replied. Raeoran hesitated.“Rae, what are you waiting for, an engraved invitation? Get your ass in gear!” I ran for the lift. He reluctantly followed. We stopped to retrieve our armor. Along the way down to the airlocks we were joined by Armand, Viktor and Hestia.“Are we really boarding them?!” Hestia asked.“Indeed. When we get there I want you in their system shutting down their engines and weapons. The rest of you will sweep the decks and eliminate all opposition. I'm going to the bridge.” I said.“Are you going after Kojak?” asked Armand.“You could say that,” I replied “This isn't about his daughter, is it?” Raeoran asked.“Not entirely. We are doing the human race a favor, remember?”“Since when did the human race do anything for us?” He retorted. I told him to shut it. We reached the airlocks in short order. “Kraken, fire boarding tubes now!”“Aye sir, firing,” A loud hiss filled the hallway followed by a distant thump as the guiders impacted the far wall, finishing with another hiss as the air pressure equalized in the tubes.“Attention all fighters, protect the boarding tubes at all costs!” The squad leaders complied. A mass of crew had assembled behind us, armed and armored accordingly. Raeoran was brandishing his Krupp Longshot, which he had modified to accept fusion cells. He saw me eyeing the gun and said,“Told you it would work,” he said.“Okay, okay,” I replied, annoyed. “Yelena in there somewhere?” I asked.“Here, captain,” came her soft voice. “You know the drill?” I asked.

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“Take a position, provide covering fire, and relocate,” She recited.“Good. Everyone ready? This isn't going to be like the supply station. They're expecting us. Keep your wits sharp and your weapons loaded, and we'll all come home. The objective is to capture the ship and its supplies. Any Watchmen you encounter are fair game- leave the crew alone if possible, but the Admiral is mine.”“And his daughter?” asked Raeoran.“Shut it,” I snapped at him. He did so. “Airlocks opening,” Said Kraken. The doors hissed open and we rushed into the tubes. The battle was visible through the translucent tubing. Our fighters did their best to draw their fire. A laser streaked by my head and impacted a man in the chest behind me.“Man down!” Shouted a crewman.“Hit the deck! Return fire!” We threw ourselves to the floor of the tube and shot back at our aggressors. I saw the masked faces of several Watchmen at the far end, firing their pulse rifles down the tube towards us. I drew both gunblades and aimed them in their direction, letting loose a torrent of gunfire. The Watchmen retreated. “Lay down a base of fire! Advance!” We began to crawl forward while exchanging fire with the Watchmen. I heard my men in the next tube over break through, then watched as Armand bowled over the Watchmen covering our tube. He beckoned us forward.“Move! Smithers, how is he?” The others rushed past me. Smithers was tending to the fallen man, who was still alive.“Armor took the brunt of the shot, Cap. He'll be alright,” I gestured back down the tube.“Take him back to the Templar and then rejoin the fight,” I said.“Aye, sir,” he said. Smithers helped the wounded man, Ron, to his feet and together they hobbled back the way we had come. I climbed out into the Fist. The Watchmen had fallen back to another defensive position and opened fire. We took cover. I waved for Armand to flank them. “Viktor, shake them up!”“Yes sir!” Viktor readied his grenade launcher and fired it into their midst, taking out some of them. The rest fell back. I waved my arm in a circle.“Spread out! Secure this ship!”

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“Aye sir!” They said in unison. I ordered one man, Jak, to stay behind and cover Hestia. Raeoran did not immediately leave.“Don't do anything stupid, Raiki,” he said.“Duly noted. Now get moving,” I replied. He groaned and ran off. The ship rumbled. I set off down a promising-looking corridor, encountering several Watchmen as I weaved through the ship. The corridors were wide and barren, identified only by colored stripes to indicate the deck level. I found some stairs leading upward, which I took. I came across a Watchman barricade I was forced to take cover behind a corner to avoid a storm of pulse lasers. “Coward!” A Watchman yelled. It was the first time I had ever heard one speak.“So you can talk!” I yelled back.“We can do a lot more then that, pirate! Come out and see for yourself!”“I've got a better idea. Why don't you all come out here?” They laughed. One threw a grenade in my direction. I threw it back.“Shit!” One yelled as it went off. I went over to what remained of their barricade and found one survivor, clearly near death. “You scum-sucking sack of space garbage!” He spat. “You flatter me,” I said. I kicked him in the face, shattering the eyes of his goggles and knocking him out cold, if not killing him. I moved on, finding more and more stairs and working my way up, clearing out a few more nests of Watchmen. Aren't there any elevators on this piece of scrap? At length I came to the uppermost deck. The colored stripe on this deck was red and it said, “Bridge level.” “Well that's useful,” I said aloud. The question stood, however. Which damn way? I saw however that the corridors began to converge. I came to a massive reinforced blast door after I'd taken out a few more Watchmen. It would take some of Viktor's C-10 to breach this... or a bit of hacking.“Hestia, this is Raikiendo. Do you read?”“I hear you, boss. What's up?”“I've got a big nasty door here that I can't open. A little help would be appreciated,” I told her.

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“Gimme a second,” she said. I waited, and pressed my ear up against the door. I heard shouting and people running around from beyond. One voice was louder and more boisterous then the rest. “Kojak,” I muttered. He was in there, and maybe his daughter too. If she was, I couldn't hear her. A series of dull thumps sounded. Escape pods? I received a transmission from Kirkland.“Sir, escape pods are jettisoning from the Emperor's Fist. Orders?”“Let them go,” I said.“Yes sir,” he replied. The door began to hiss.“Got it,” said Hestia. “Good job,” I whispered back. I stepped to the side as the door slid open.“Fire!” yelled Kojak from inside. Pulse lasers streaked out into the hallway and impacted the far wall, leaving scorch marks.“Damn, must have been a mechanical failure,” said a Watchman. I peeked around the corner. Kojak had turned his back. I dove in, firing at the two elite Watchmen standing near him. They both fell to the ground in a bloody heap. “What in the name of Hades?!” yelled the Admiral. Before he knew what was going on I had both gunblades trained at his head. His eyes went wide and he slowly raised his hands in the air. “Checkmate,” I said. The Admiral spat.“So it seems. What do you want, you pirate scum?”“Order your fleet to retreat,” I told him.“I don't take orders from you!” I cocked both gunblades. He fell silent.“Do it,” I repeated. He slowly reached for the comm. console and pressed the hailing button.“Admiral Kojak to all ships. Retreat. That is all.”“End of the line.” I said. If the Admiral was afraid, he made a damn good show of hiding it. I was debating whether or not to shoot him when suddenly; someone jumped onto me and knocked me over. Snowstorm flew from my hand and slid across the deck. I saw Kojak make for the last escape pod. I forced my attacker off me just in time to see Kojak level a laser pistol at me.“No!” My assailant, who I saw was a woman, stood in front of me, hands outstretched. 217

“Please, father! No more killing!” I realized this was Isis.“Get out of the way! He is a criminal and must face justice!” Kojak yelled.“No! I won't let you hurt anyone else!” He blinked, then waved his pistol.“Fine, just get over here and get in this pod!”“No. I won't. I'm finished with you!” She said. Kojak looked utterly stunned, then his expression turned to complete rage and he said,“Fine! Rot here with the rest of the filth!” He ducked into the escape pod and the hatch sealed. I fired after him with Inferno but Isis grabbed my hand and tried to knock my other gunblade away. I forced her off.“What the hell are you playing at?!” I yelled. She retracted.“I'm so sick of people getting killed,” she said. I shook my head and walked out into the hall. “Wait!” She called after me. I stopped, but did not turn around.“What do you want? I have no quarrel with you,” I said.“Please don't leave me here…” She said. She looked around and disappeared around the corner for a moment, then returned with Snowstorm in her hands. She held it up to me. I took it from her and slung it over my back, doing the same with Inferno. She clasped her hands together and lowered her head.“Please, take me with you,” she said. I raised an eyebrow.“You realize you will be branded an outlaw? Just like us?”“I don't care. I just don't want to be a part of this anymore,” She said, gesturing to the bridge.“My father wasn't always like he is. That ridiculous empire did this to him,” she told me. I shook my head.“Maybe so. But you can't expect to defend him without looking the part of a monster yourself,” I said. She began to cry. I groaned.“Look, I'm sorry. Come along,” I said. Taking her by the hand and leading her off the bridge. She followed on her own after a time. I got a lot of strange looks from the crew when they saw her. Raeoran looked exasperated.“I knew it,” he said.“It was about her all along,” he added. I groaned.“Okay, okay. It was about her. But look at it this way, the supplies on this ship will fetch a good price with the Yamato. We could even sell the 218

ship to them,” He considered this. We crossed the boarding tubes back over the Templar. “Everyone aboard?” I asked.“All accounted for,” said Armand. I contacted the bridge.“Kraken, disconnect boarding tubes.”“Yes sir. Atmosphere venting from the Fist, oxygen levels at zero.”“They'll have to bring an EVA crew over here to salvage her,” Said Raeoran.“I suppose. Okay everyone, well done. It’s time to take a serious break. Rae, let's get back up to the bridge and get the ship back over to the docks,” I said. We redistributed ourselves throughout the ship. I directed Isis to my own quarters, were she remained for the time being. Raeoran and I returned the bridge and guided the ship back to the Okinawan docks. Captain Takagi congratulated us on a job well done, saying that his government would be grateful for the captured battleship. I told him to tell the Daimyo to take it as a token of goodwill. He said he would relay the message. The Okinawan repair crew, who had been stuck on the Templar for the duration of the battle, was all too happy to get back on the docks. The Anegawa resumed its geosynchronous orbit position near the docks. I'd beaten Kojak for a second time, not to mention stolen his ship and daughter right out from under him. After the Templar was secure in its mooring position I retired to my quarters. There I got to know Isis a little better. I found her to be a very kind soul, weary of the long war and not at all like her father. She exchanged the blue dress she had been wearing for simple fatigues donated to her by Julia. She thanked her profusely. A few of the crew were a bit leery of her, including Oliver, but her sweet personality eventually won everyone over.

We spent a lot of time together in the days that followed. Two days after her arrival on the ship, we had become lovers. My first time had been on Lagrange, with a girl I had only known for a week. She had disappeared shortly after the championship race, part of me had always wondered if she had come to some ill fate. Isis was a lot better then she had been, a lot prettier, too, now that I thought of it. Her hair was a fiery shade of red, and her eyes were a deep crystal blue, like my own. We 219

talked almost constantly. She was initially repulsed by my chosen career, but began to warm up to it when she learned that we only stole from the Combine. I learned a lot about her and the internal workings of the Combine. She would always listen to her father's conversations. He never knew she even payed any attention. Apparently, the Navy focused most of their power in a few key locations, allowing them to bring a massive amount of power to bear against a given target, but leaving other areas exposed. Within Isis' fragile exterior, beat the heart of a warrior, and her lithe figure held an incredible inner power. I found in our sparring sessions that she was just as strong and skilled in battle as I was. Her father, she told me, had raised her as a soldier. She never thought his cause was righteous, so she refused to aid him in his conquests, causing him to degrade her to the role of a passive observer. That weekend, we journeyed down to the surface of Okinawa. It was the first time I had set foot on a planet since becoming a pirate. It felt strange. Isis and I were married in the Pantheon temple in Okinawa's capital city. We spent our honeymoon in the countryside, lounging in the shade of the Cherry trees. While we were there, I told Isis of my own history and resolved to return to my home planet to visit my father's grave. It killed me to think he never knew I had survived. He died thinking his work unfinished. I could finish what he started, reclaim my family's throne and my birthright. Maybe, but what then? Did I have what it took to be a king? Meanwhile, the crew finally got the Black Templar back in working order. Akira even patched up Cyrus and got him working again. Boy, was he grateful. The Okinawans totally refitted the Emperor's Fist, rechristening it the Nagato. It was immediately sent off to the Kaigun staging grounds at the planet Kyoto. We generally just lay low. Those crew who did stay on the Templar to help went down to the planet’s surface, busying themselves with farming and other work. When the repairs to the Templar were complete, I began to make preparations to set off for what would officially be our second voyage. If all our voyages were to be like this, then I’d say we had our work cut out for us. Of course, I really didn’t know how much pirating we’d be able to get done with Kojak gunning for us. There’s got to be a better way to earn a living, I thought. 220

Chapter 13

“When four is made five, so shall our destiny be had.”

-Pirate legend

They say that faith is the most powerful force in the universe. I say that whoever said that never loved anyone. Although, love and faith are very similar, both represent ultimate dedication or loyalty, one to a person, one to a system of beliefs. Most people, however, put more stock in love than faith. I certainly do, especially after I met Isis. In the back of my mind I always knew I'd find the right woman... but the circumstances of our meeting were about the last I expected.

It was apparent to both of us that we were the perfect match for one another. Our love looked from the outside like something out of a fairy tale, the pirate and the princess, Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Isis was very kind to the crew. She found them to be much more human than the crew of her father's vessel, who were so intimidated by their leader that they made no show of emotion or free thought. The Watchmen were another matter. Their robot-like dedication to their work frightened her. Indeed, how could a man so totally submit himself to another's will as they had? In a way, killing them was not like killing people. Watchmen

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were scarcely alive, much less human. You felt no pity, no remorse towards them, just as they do. Only fear, or hatred, or both.

“Are you alright, love?” Isis soft voice whispered in my ear. We lay in bed late that night, talking like we'd done incessantly those last few days. I stared at the ceiling, deep in thought, as I tended to be more recently.“Oh, I'm just thinking,” I told her. “I do that a lot,” I added. She laughed softly.“It's good for a person to think,” she said, reflectively. “Gods know that they don't do enough of it,” she was obviously referring to the Combine. She looked directly into my eyes.“But you can do too much thinking, love. You might get lost in the past, you know, forget where you are and what you're doing. I know, it's happened to me,” she said. Truer words have rarely been spoken.“I know, I know. I remember when I used to tell that to Raeoran.” She looked away, thinking about him.“He's very kind... but very cautious. A lot like you.” “There was a time when I was a lot more gung ho then I am now. A lot has happened since then...”“Don't let me stop you from being yourself, Raiki,” she said. I liked the way she said my nickname. Nobody ever called me that besides Raeoran, though I think Alice had called me that once.“Gods no, dear. You're not stopping me from anything, save perhaps being lonely,” I replied. She hugged me.“No one's been kind to me the way you and your crew are, love, except for my mother,” She said, staring into the distance.“I don't think you told me about her,” I said.“Her name was Cleo. Such a sweet woman, she was, but blind.”“She couldn't see?” I asked.“No, blind to the truth. When they first met, she told me, my father was a much nicer man. But he changed, like Jericho did. She loved him too much to see it. By the time she realized that he was not the man she had married, it was too late. She died of a broken heart and left me to him...” Tears appeared in her eyes. I wiped them away with my finger. “Somehow I think that even if the Combine were to fall, he would keep on fighting,” she said. 222

“There's not much that can be done about him, I suppose,” I said. She looked up at me.“Promise me something, love,” she began.“Whatever you wish,” I said.“If it comes to blows... Don't kill him. Beat the evil right out of him if you want, but let him live. Regardless of what he's done, he's still my father and some part of me still loves him,” she said. I considered her words. “Alright, love. For you, if nothing else,” I replied.“Thank you.” I could understand her not wanting him to come to harm... but in light of his past misdeeds, would it not be a crime in of itself not to punish this man for his crimes? Then again, as I had myself told the passengers of the Kurasawa, it was not my place to judge. I only hoped for Isis' sake that he would not put me in a position that would force me to kill him. I don't think she could take the loss. Then I remembered that I had lost my father only recently.“At least you have a father,” I said. She shook her head.“I'm sorry...”“Whatever for?” I asked.“Here I am asking you for things and totally ignoring the fact that you just lost your father. How utterly insensitive of me...” She slid out of bed and went over to stand by the low fire. I followed after her, placing my hands gently on her bare shoulders.“You have to understand, Isis,” I said.“I barely knew the man. I've not seen him since I was a child and I have only faint memories of him, even of what he looked like. I have to admit, his loss did not hit me as hard as it should have,” I said, trying to remember him.“It is enough for me that he died a clean death at home, rather then at their hands.” She turned around and looked up at me, focusing on me with her icy blue eyes. She asked,“Do you not wonder about him? What he was like? How he felt about losing you and your mother?”“I did, almost every waking moment since I knew about him. But in a strange sort of way, hearing of his death has... I don't know. It's given me peace of mind, if you can believe it. Somehow I think it would be

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too hard for me to see him again, too painful,” She looked away, pondering my words.“I wonder about my mother too. I have no knowledge of her save what Vincent Kepler told me,” I said. She looked up at the mention of Kepler.“Kepler... I know that name. My father has mentioned him before, in anger,” she said.“As far as I know, he is a major figure of the resistance and was a personal friend of my father’s. I've not seen him in some time but I've heard his name mentioned several places, including in conversation with the Daimyo.”“You spoke with a Daimyo? I heard they don't let anyone into their private chambers,” she said.“It was an important meeting,” I replied. She shrugged. “What do you intend to do next, dear?” She asked. I shrugged, stepped around Isis and gazed into the fire.“The crew are becoming restless. They think we should be out there plundering, rather then hiding here in safe territory. I don't agree. I think attracting more attention at this point would not be at all prudent,” I said.“My father always said that the best defense is a good offense,” Isis offered.“I'm a pirate, not an admiral. I don't have the power to go up against the whole damn Navy, which is exactly what they'll throw at me when they see me again.”“Maybe you should get more ships, more crew. Make a fleet.”“A fleet of pirate ships? It's never been done.” I said, dismissing her idea. But then I reconsidered.“Actually, it has, if I recall my history. You might be onto something there. But we'd have to go to Lagrange. That's at least a day's journey from here,” I said.“So? Have we anything better to do?” She asked cynically. I laughed lightly.“At any rate, let it wait until morning,” I told her. She took me by the hand and led me back to the bed.

When morning came, I arose to find Isis already up and about. She had brought back breakfast from the mess.“Eggs and toast, love- Sasha wishes you a good morning, as do I.” She said, setting the tray down on the table. 224

“Good morning, dear. Sleep well?”“Better. I didn't sleep at all, really, until you brought me aboard. Your bed is heavenly,” she said.“It ought to be, it was damn expensive,” I replied. I dressed myself, sat down and proceeded to eat scrambled eggs and toast prepared specially for us. Sasha did not often do this. He views such simple meals as below him, so we took the time to enjoy it. Isis and I did not talk much, what needed to be said had been said the night before. When that business was dealt with, we ventured out into the halls. We walked in the general direction of the bridge.“There used to be a lot more decoration around. We had to put most of the pottery and paintings in the hold to prevent damage to them. We get tossed around a lot,” I explained to her.“I never thought it prudent to decorate the interior of spacecraft. They are so fragile,” she said.

Isis had taken to following me around everywhere, ostensibly to learn the nuances of pirating, but really, she and I could not bear to be apart for too long. “Dear, do tell your robot to stop calling me Mrs. Toranaga. It's too domestic for my tastes. And not Ms. Kojak either. Just Isis,” she said, pouting.“He's just trying to be polite, but I'll tell him,” I replied, laughing.

We eventually reached the bridge. Everyone was on deck, checking things. Isis took a seat off to the side. Oliver bowed to her.“Morning, miss,” he said. She giggled.“Really Oliver, you don't need to be so formal,” she said to him. He straightened himself and looked around quickly, clearly embarrassed.“Sorry,” he said. Raeoran laughed from the opposite side of the bridge.“I don't think I've ever heard him apologize.” He said. Oliver flipped him off.“Enough! I'm sick of you two bickering.” I said. They both straightened out.“Now, we've got business today. Is the ship fully repaired and stocked?”“Yes Captain. Ammunition and supply stores have been refilled and all systems are online and functioning at ideal levels,” Said Kraken.

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“Excellent. Okay crew, here's the deal. Isis gave me this grand idea to go to Lagrange and gather ourselves a fleet,” I began. Rae turned and stared.“A fleet of pirate vessels? For what purpose?”“Mainly to get more pirating done, but also to... how do I put this…”“Keep our asses out of the fire?” said Oliver.“Eloquently put.” I said. He chuckled.“Just so. Kraken, set a course, if you would,” I said to him.“But of course,” Kraken replied.

Just then, Kirkland announced he was receiving an incoming transmission.“From whom?” He twisted the reciever dial.“It's distant, sir. Origin reads... Lagrange?” He said. Everyone blinked.“Who the hell would be contacting us from out there?” asked Raeoran. “I'm not sure, Mr. Yurumiri... shall I patch it through, Captain?” Kirkland asked.“Make it so.” He hit the button and the message played back on the bridge's PA.“Captain Raikiendo Toranaga,” Began the voice.“You are hereby summoned to the Halls of the Brethren on the planet Lagrange for an emergency convening of the Society Court. All captains are required to attend. That is all.” The message cut out. The bridge fell totally silent. Everyone knew exactly what that message meant, except Isis.“Halls of the Brethren? Society Court? Could someone explain to me what's going on?” She asked. Kraken turned and stood.“The Society is an ancient order that comprises all pirates who follow the Codex Pirata- the Articles of Piracy,” he began, gesturing to the framed articles on the wall.“Supposedly they have existed since the time of the first sea pirates on Terra,” Raeoran added.“When humankind left its home planet,” I chimed in,“The Society came along. The backdrop of the void provided excellent opportunity for further pirating. They reestablished themselves on Lagrange- which would then be known as the pirate planet. There, in the early days of colonization, they constructed a massive structure called

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the Halls of the Brethren. Only pirates are allowed within its walls, and it has not been used in centuries.”“There's not been a meeting of the pirate lords, which we call the Court, in our lifetimes,” said Oliver.“And there probably won't be another one. Missing this meeting would be considered a crime against the code and we would be hunted down and mercilessly slaughtered. Kraken, lock in our present course, please.” I said, finishing the joint lecture.“But of course,” he said. Akira's voice came in on the PA.“Did I hear that message right, Captain? Are the lords really convening?”“They'd better be. Faking a message like that is grounds for execution,” I responded. Isis shuddered.“You pirates have rather draconian punishments,” she said. Oliver laughed.“We have to, lass. If we didn't, do you think anyone would follow the rules? We're pirates, for Poseidon's sake,” he said. She shrugged.“Coordinates locked in. Ready for Warp jump.” Said Kraken.“Engaging Warp Drive,” added Raeoran as he pulled the Warp lever. A portal appeared off the ship's bow and we slipped into the Warp once more.

Along the way, word spread throughout the ship of our present task. Whispers of awe permeated through the crew, who I suppose never thought they'd be part of such a momentous occasion in pirate history. Indeed, this was the first meeting of the Society Court since the Halls had been established on Lagrange. They'd be talking about this one for a while. The question remained however, what was the purpose of the meeting? It obviously concerned the Combine. Perhaps the brethren had decided it was time to take a stand. It was like Kepler told me... a war was coming. I knew I would be involved. I worried, though, about myself, about my crew, about my ship, and most of all about Isis. I didn't want to risk any of them for some idealistic crusade, but it seemed more and more like I would play a key role in the events to come.

Preparations were made on the ship throughout the rest of the day. The crew tried to make the ship look presentable. Sasha prepared extra meals in case we had guests. The security boys made sure the

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valuables were locked down. Isis busied herself dusting things off, shrugging off the occasional jab about housewives.I took the time to clean my mantle, Kraken and Cyrus got their armor polished, and Oliver took extra special care to clean and straighten the framed Articles.

That evening, Isis and I stayed up late again talking.“What do you think this meeting is about, love?” She asked.“I was thinking about that myself. Probably about the Combine. Kepler told me a while back that there was a war coming, and that anyone and everyone who opposed the Combine would have to take a stand. I presume that includes us pirates,” I replied. She paused, thinking.“Will you fight?” She asked at length. That was the million dollar question, wasn't it? Will I fight?“I just don't know. I've been asking myself that for a while now. I just don't know if I have it in me to fight a war.”“Look at all you've done so far. I think you have what it takes to be a soldier just as much as a pirate. You've got the leadership skills, the smarts, the skill, gods know you've got the strength.” She hugged me. I hugged her back and considered carefully her words.“Maybe you're right, love. Maybe I can, but I need a little bit more time to think,” I said.“Alright, dear. Maybe this meeting will help you make up your mind,” she said. “Maybe,” I replied.

We reached Lagrange early the next morning. The sight of it was amazing. You could barely see the surface of the planet behind the thousands of ships anchored at the docks or simply locked in geosynchronous orbit. Pirate vessels of every shape and size from the four corners of the galaxy littered the space around the planet. We all sat on the bridge simply staring.“By the gods,” whispered Oliver.“Beautiful,” said Isis. “Every damn pirate in the galaxy must be here,” said Raeoran.“Statistically speaking, no. Just the ones that follow the code.” Said Kraken. Raeoran muttered something under his breath. “Can we find a parking spot in all that?” said Akira, who was viewing the sight from the engineering computer. 228

“It's going to be a tight squeeze,” Kirkland replied.“Scanning for a suitable position,” said Kraken. While he did so, I looked to see if I could recognize any of the ships. One large Yamato one caught my attention. I'd recognize that ship anywhere.“Look, there! Do you see it?” I said.“Where?” Said Oliver.“Raeoran, lock on to that large Yamato ship right there.”“Got it.” The ship came up on one of the side screens.“Bloody hell, that's the Amaterasu, isn't it?” Said Oliver.“You're damn straight,” said Raeoran. “Azrael used to tell us stories about that ship and its captain, Hitomi Kinesawa, pirate lady of the Republic,” I said. Oliver snapped his fingers.“There's the proof then. It's a real Court convening,” he said. Raeoran looked like he was going to make a witty retort, but then reconsidered.“Her ancestor was the master of ceremonies at the last meeting, so we're told,” I said to Isis.“They'll probably make her MC. We were told she's a powerful orator,” said Raeoran. “A logical assumption,” said Kraken.“Sir, I've located a suitable spot. Helmsman, veer to starboard by twelve degrees,” said Kraken.“Starboard twelve degrees, aye,” Said John. A targeting reticule appeared on the main screen and swept across the image, locking in on a small gap in the field of ships just large enough for the Templar.“Locked in, cutting throttle. Engaging maneuvering thrusters,” said Raeoran. I admired my crew's ability to function without my orders. Isis got up and stood by my side.“I always hated this part. I kept thinking we'd hit another ship,” she said.“Shhh, don't jinx it,” said Oliver. The ship turned fully to starboard. Raeoran fired the thrusters and the ship skirted into the space.“Locked into orbit. Ship is maintaining current position,” Kraken said.“Nice parking job, If I do say so myself,” said Raeoran.“You did,” said Oliver. I activated the ship's PA.“Okay everyone, pack it up. Get everyone on the trucks and onto the transports. All ashore that's going ashore,” I said. I got up from my 229

command chair and made for the lifts. Everyone followed. The corridors were packed with crew headed for the hangars. I'd never seen them this congested.“Keep it moving, people!” said Raeoran.“Don't bunch up!” said Oliver.“Maybe we shoulda done this in waves,” muttered Mr. Pockets, shuffling by. We'd never done a mass disembarking like this before, and probably would not do it again, considering how it was working so far. At length, everyone was crowded into the hangars. Kraken and Cyrus agreed to remain behind and monitor the ship. Everyone else crowded onto the six-wheeled troop transports we'd purchased from the Yamato a few days before. The trucks rolled onto the largest of our transport ships. Some crew had to hang onto the sides and top of the trucks for everyone to get on in one go. I myself brought my Striker up from storage. Isis, Rae and Akira rode with me in it. I drove it onto the last transport just as we were leaving, gunning the engine a bit for the crew, eliciting a number of cheers. They loved this car. The doors of the transport closed and the ship lifted off, bound for one of the numerous spaceports on the surface of the planet below.

Akira bounced around all over his seat. He was extremely excited, and in one of those rare moments was showing his age.“Oh man, this is sooo cool! We're going to a big pirate meeting! Oh man!” Raeoran groaned.“Would you calm down? If you keep this up you might throw up all over the Captain's nice upholstery,” he said. I turned around.“You puke in my car and you're walking back to the ship,” I told him. Akira fell silent. Isis laughed.“What a cute little scene this is,” she said.“Eh?” Said Raeoran.“Oh, nothing. It just sounded like a father talking to his son,” she said, looking at me. I turned away, involuntarily blushing. Raeoran snickered.“Shut it, you,” I said to him. “At any rate,” Raeoran continued,“It's going to be hell on the highway down there. I know a detour to the Halls, through the sewers,” he said.“There is no damn way I'm driving my Striker through a damn sewer,” I said, jabbing a finger at him. 230

“Fine. We'll be standing so far away from the table you won't be able to hear Kinesawa,” he snapped. He had a point. Akira groaned.“I just cleaned this thing, too,” he said. “Will the trucks fit down there?” Isis asked.“So long as we avoid the maintenance passages. We wouldn't even be able to fit in those. If we stick to the A line we should come out at an access point literally across the street from the Halls parking sector,” he said, tracing a finger through the air as if mapping the route.“How do you know all this?” I asked him.“I took the time to get acquainted with my surroundings while I was here. The sewers are great hiding spot, and they make a great shortcut. Trust me,” he said with a smile. Admittedly, he'd never steered me wrong before, but I simply was not fond of the idea. “You'd damn well be right about this,” I said.“It'll be fine. Just turn when I say turn, you know? Not after,” He assured me.“Uh-huh,” I replied.

Sarah and Gordon maneuvered the heavy transports through the crowd of other transports and shuttlecraft clogging the already smoggy airways above the planet down to the Port Royale spaceport down on the surface. We cleared the trucks through customs and set off out into the streets. Raeoran directed me to a nearby sewer entrance. I put the Striker in park and hit the radio.“Listen up, guys. Raeoran says he knows a shortcut through the sewers. Stay right on my tail and try not to hit anything,” Oliver, who was driving the first truck, replied,“Oh that's just bloody great, Captain. The bloody sewers, he says! Raeoran, you're a wanker,”“Same to you,” Rae said.“Shut up, both of you!” shouted Akira. We all stared at him. He blushed.“Sorry, it's getting kind of annoying,” he said. Both Oliver and Raeoran muttered under their breath. I shifted to first and started off down the sewer entrance, activating the headlights as I went. The sewers were rather poorly lit, but that was to be expected. Raeoran directed me through the access annex into Line A, one of the primary tunnels. We were able to avoid the sewer water by staying up on the access roads. It occurred to me that these tunnels were meant for travel as much as waste 231

reprocessing. After going a few kilometers, Raeoran told me to take a right, crossing over into a reprocessing plant. The trucks stayed close behind. We maneuvered around the machinery and reached a ramp leading up to Subline A-1. We traveled down this passage a short while and then took another right, leading to another access annex. Through this, we found another entrance and thus exited the sewers. Sure enough, across the way was the unmistakably large structure that was the Halls of the Brethren. A swarm of shuttles hovered above and the parking lots were clogged with cars, trucks, transports and even the occasional tank.

I drove across the way into the parking sector, the trucks still following. We hadn't lost anyone down there, thankfully. “Oy,” Said Akira.“Where are we going to park?” “An excellent question,” I said. I drove down the aisles, searching for spaces. As luck would have it, the third row revealed a space for my Striker, and the transport section had room for the three trucks. The entire crew convened at the steps in front of the building.“Everyone here? Rae, take roll call.” Raeoran groaned and took out his datapad.“Okay. Armand?” he raised his hand.“Hestia?” “Here!” she yelled, jumping up.“Jayko?” “I's here.” He rattled off everyone's name and, as was expected, everyone was accounted for. “Okay boys and girls, I want you all to behave yourselves in there. No picking fights, pockets or potential spouses,” I said, loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone laughed. The crew marched up the steps. Two solemn guards stood in front of the massive front door. They were clad in powered armor and bore electrified pole axes. The skull and crossbones were clearly visible on the chest plate of each.“State your name, ship's name and business,” said the left guard in low voice. I cleared my throat.“I am Captain Raikiendo Toranaga of the battleship Black Templar. My crew and I are here for the convening of the Society Court,” I replied.

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“Your mark,” he said. I rolled up my left sleeve and showed him the Brethren mark, a tattoo borne by all true followers of the code. He nodded.“You may pass. Each member of your crew must show their tattoo.”“My wife does not carry the mark,” I told him.“Do you have proof of your marriage?” I grumbled and took out the marriage certificate from the inside of my mantle and showed it to him. He looked it over and nodded once more.“She may pass,” he said. The right guard banged on the doors with the broad side of his axe, and they slowly opened. We slipped inside. One by one, each of my crew was cleared by the left guard and allowed in.When everyone was inside, we began walking down the massive entrance hall into the depths of the building. Guards stood at regular intervals throughout the building.“Why such tight security?” asked Isis. Raeoran spoke up.“This building only gets used every few hundred years. The guards are always here, to protect the pirate treasures sealed in the vaults underground. They live here. When it comes time for the meeting, they'll join us in the Grand Chamber.“Is that where we're going?”“I don't see anyone around save the guards, which means everyone's in the chamber waiting for the meeting to start. It's possible one of the lords has not arrived yet. Technically no pirate can make the meeting wait, but of course the lords bend that rule.”“Hmm,” she said. The crew marched through the halls, observing the portraits of the great pirate figures throughout history. After passing many side halls and twice that many guards, we at last came to the massive doors leading to the Grand Chamber. A low rumble sounded from beyond. Two large security robots stood near the door. “Welcome,” said one in a mechanical voice.“The meeting will begin shortly.” The doors opened a fraction to allow us in. The rumble became a roar. Suddenly we passed from emptiness to total fullness. Packed from one end of the chamber was the largest assembly of pirates I'd ever seen, and they were all talking at once. I could barely hear myself think. A number of large tables had been set up, and each crew had their own table. A man approached us dressed in traditional pirate garb. 233

“Captain Toranaga?” He asked. I nodded.“You are expected. We have a table for you and your men. This way,” he gestured forward. We followed, maneuvering through the crowds. At length we reached an empty table in the Yamato section that was marked with our gang's symbol.“The Black Templars table,” Said the man. “Please, take your seats. The meeting will begin shortly.” I thanked the man, who bustled off. Amazingly, there were exactly enough seats for every member of my crew, including Isis.“How do they bloody do that?” asked Oliver.“Who knows,” said Rae. The crew chatted for awhile, sometimes with pirates from other crews. Akira stood up on the table.“Hey cap, the guards are coming in!”“Sit down. The meeting must be starting,” I said. Everyone turned to face the central table, which sat on a raised platform. A drum played, the signal for everyone to quiet down. The chamber gradually fell silent. An aging man in pirate robes stood up atop the pedestal. I recognized him as ex-captain Ezekiel, the Keeper of the Codex. He cleared his throat and stuck both hands out into the air. His booming voice rang out through the halls, aided by a hidden microphone. “Pirates! Brigands, buccaneers, and corsairs! Cutthroats and blackguards!” he began.“My friends,” he added. A laugh arose throughout the chamber. He stuck a hand out. “Thank you one and all for joining us here today. As you all know, a convening of the Society Court is possibly the most important event in a pirate's life, and there has not been a meeting such as this since the construction of these sacred halls!” He allowed the murmuring to die down.“The corrupt empire that we have long stolen from has begun to exact their vengeance upon us. Already many captains and their crew have been killed, their ships destroyed and their plunder recaptured. We cannot allow this to continue!” There was an uproarious cheer. Our table cheered the loudest of almost any other.“Long have we been pirates. Now we must become something more. We must now become soldiers!” He said. Many murmurs followed.

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“Divided, as small groups, we have plundered from the Combine, trying to take them apart piece by piece. This is no longer a viable strategy. Now, a new chapter in the history of our order must unfold. To usher in this new era, I give you a woman we all know and love, the mistress of piracy, the lady of the Republic... Hitomi Kinesawa!” A deafening cheer filled the hall as Lady Kinesawa ascended the steps from out of nowhere and stood next to Ezekiel, who disappeared back into the crowd. She stuck a hand out.“Fellow pirates,” She began.“Again, thank you for coming here. Your loyalty to our order and our code of conduct is much appreciated and shall ultimately be rewarded,” she said. Many excited whispers followed that statement.“A war is coming, my brothers and sisters. War is not a thing for pirates. We cannot prevent this conflict from coming, so we must instead adapt ourselves. As brother Ezekiel said, we must become warriors. We must unite,” she said, her words ringing out unopposed. Was she serious? A pirate army? Could it be done?“Together as one we shall form a Brethren Army, and together as one we shall stand against the Combine!” Everyone cheered.“I am not alone in this. The other lords are in agreement. My brothers, will you come forward?” She made a welcoming gesture. From the Britannian section, a middle-aged man in powered armor sans helmet, with close-cropped brown hair and carrying a longsword ascended the steps. The Britannians, including Oliver, cheered.“It's Chaucer! Charlie Chaucer! Brilliant!” he yelled. The man stood next to Lady Kinesawa.“Lord Chaucer, will you stand with me?” He took her hand and kissed it.“I shall stand with you, my lady,” he replied.Then, from the Union section, a man in a long leather coat with unkempt blond hair ascended the steps. The Unioners cheered the loudest of all, the raucous bunch they were.“Oh my gods, Sam! Sammy Crockett!” Hestia yelled, nearly fainting. Crockett stood next to Lady Kinesawa, opposite Chaucer.“Lord Crockett, will you stand with me?” He bowed.“I'm with you, Hitomi,” he said with a roguish grin. Last, but not least, from the Deutschland section arose an elderly man in old military

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uniform, who walked with a practiced strut. The Deustchlanders cheered. Armand stood and saluted. “Heil Kronen!” He said, turning to his countrymen’s section. The majority of them stood and returned his salute, responding to his call. That was Frederick Kronen, then. Each of them had once been military commanders, save Kinesawa, who had always been a pirate.Kronen stood next to Chaucer, turned and saluted Lady Kinesawa.“Lord Kronen, will you stand with us?”“I am at your service, my lady,” he said. The four took their seats. I chanced then to gaze over to the far smaller section of Jericho captains and pirates. They looked solemn, for they had no lord to represent them. The court was not complete.“My fellow lords and pirates, here we are gathered together. Yet we are missing someone,” said Lady Kinesawa. The chamber fell silent.“There are four lords. Yet, there should be five. The rules in the codex set forth by our ancestors state that there shall be five lords, one for each nation. Therefore, it is necessary that we now name a fifth lord, to represent the fallen nation of Jericho.” Amazed whispers permeated the hall, coming strongest from the Jericho section.“Until a short time ago my brothers and I could not come to a decision on this matter. However, in light of recent events and knowledge gained we have come to an agreement that there is but one man who is worthy of this honor and responsibility. A man who has been to hell and back and seen the worst our common foe can offer. I would have silence,” she said. The chamber became deathly quiet.“One man,” she repeated. Who could it be, I wondered? What man was worthy of such an honor?“It has been decided. Let all who stand here with us bear witness to the completion of the court. We have named Captain Raikiendo Toranaga as pirate lord of Jericho,” she said.

I think my heart stopped for a moment, I'm not sure. I looked around. All eyes were on me. My crew stared wide-eyed. No one said a word. I looked up. The lords gazed down at me. I looked to Isis. Her eyes were filled with emotion, with wonder, admiration and love.“Go,” she whispered. The word rang out in my head. Slowly, I got up from my chair and ascended the steps to the lords’ table. The silence was deafening. I stopped near them. Ezekiel arose, carrying with him a 236

pendant. It was in the shape of the old Jericho emblem, the cross with the two intertwined snakes, with a single foggy grey crystal set in the center. I looked around. Each lord had a similar pendant, each with a single colored crystal, one for each nation. I bent over. Ezekiel hung the pendant around my neck. I took it in one hand and looked at it.“Please, my lord. Sit,” He said, gesturing to the fifth chair. It looked as if it had lay empty for an eternity. Slowly, I sat down, looking each lord in the face as if to receive their approval. Each one nodded. Crockett even gave me a thumbs-up. “Welcome to the council of lords, brother Toranaga,” Said Chaucer, who clapped me on the shoulder. The others smiled. I struggled to find words.“I don't know what to say,” I said.“Nothing, yet,” said Crockett. Lady Kinesawa stood. “Brothers and sisters. Now, at last, the council is complete and we can come to a decision. Pirates of Jericho, arise to honor your lord,” she said. They began to rise up. “Raikiendo, stand and acknowledge your brethren,” She whispered. I got up and turned to face the Jericho section, who also stood. As one, they let out a tremendous cheer, as did my crew. Not knowing what else to do, I bowed.“My brethren, Lord Toranaga is more important to us then you might guess. He represents not just the pirates of Jericho, but also its populace. You all know of Ryu Kassad, the deposed heir of that fallen kingdom?” A massive 'yes' rumbled through the halls. “My lady, please. Maybe it's best if they don't know,” I whispered to her. She looked at me like I had a screw loose.“Nonsense, Raikiendo. Let them know who their hero is,” she said.“But I'm not,” I began. She ignored me and continued. “It is regrettable that Kassad passed away recently. You all know of this. What you might not know is that his legacy lives on in his son. There is another heir. He stands right here, among us,” she continued. murmurs arose. Kinesawa gestured towards me. I flinched.“Brother Toranaga is in fact the son of Ryu Kassad and the last heir to the throne of Jericho,” she said.

For a time, there was silence. Then, slowly, as a whisper, there came a clap. I looked out to see Isis, who had stood and began clapping 237

for me. Raeoran followed her, then the rest of the crew. Like wildfire, the clapping spread through until the whole chamber was aloud with it. Then, cheers. They loved me. I collapsed to my chair. Chaucer bent over to me.“What's the matter, lad? Aren't you happy?” Slowly, tears came into my eyes.“No,” I said to him. He blinked, and turned away without saying anything further. The other lords sat, and soon everyone else followed suit.

The other lords talked amongst themselves for a time. I sat there in a fog trying process it all. Again and again the forces of the universe had thrust me into the starring role I had so desperately tried to avoid. Now, it had taken the ultimate measure, making me one of the most important people in the galaxy apart from the Emperor and the President of the Republic. Why? Why did fate wish me to be the hero? I was just supposed to be a pirate! I didn't want this. I never wanted this.

“Are you alright, bro?” said Crockett across the table to me. I barely heard him. He leaned over and repeated his question, snapping his fingers. I stirred.“Hmm? What?” I said.“You in there, man? We've got important business here, ya know,” he said impatiently. “Right, right,” I said.“Brother Raikiendo,” said Lady Kinesawa. I turned to her.“I'm sorry if this seems like too much for you to handle. It may have been rash of me to thrust you into this so quickly. I need but one thing further from you.”“What might that be?” I said weakly.“The rest of us are in agreement, as I said, to form a Brethren Army. We need only your vote,” she said. I shuddered.“Honestly, I don't know if I can answer that right now. Could I have some time to myself for a while?”“I shall adjurn the meeting until tomorrow,” she said, nodding. Kinesawa stood up, by doing so silencing the conversations that had been going on in the crowd.“We have not yet come to a final decision regarding the matter at hand. We shall reconvene tomorrow at the same time. Then shall we speak our 238

minds. Rooms and meals have been prepared for everyone throughout the halls. Please, relax this evening, for tomorrow shall be a day to remember,” she said. Everyone cheered and proceeded to filter out of the Grand Chamber. I did not move from my seat. At length, Isis came up and shook me.“My love, are you well?” She said, bending down next to me.“Why me?” I asked. Turning to her, I repeated the question. She shook her head.“You were meant for this, love. This is your destiny. Come along. You'll be better after some dinner and a night's rest, I'm sure of it,” she said. She dragged me out of the chair. My crew was the only one left in the room. The guards were shooing us out. Raeoran made to talk to me, but Isis gestured for him not to.

A guard led us through the halls to an annex that had been set aside for us. There were two rooms each for the men and women, plus an extra small bedroom for Isis and I. Everyone wished everyone else a good night and disappeared into the rooms. I sat down with Isis at the table in our room, lit by candlelight, and we ate the dinner that had been set out for us. It was getting near Christmas, Isis said, so the dinner was roast chicken and other holiday sorts of food. We ate in silence, at least, I thought we did. Isis may have said a few things to me; if she did I missed them. When we got to bed she had given up trying to talk to me and just massaged my shoulders. She fell asleep before I did. When I at last tried to sleep I found it surprisingly easy to do so.

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Chapter 14

“Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more;Or close the wall up with our English dead! ”

-Shakespeare's Henry V

Azrael once told me that anyone could be anything, even a hero. It was one of the few lessons of his I did not take to heart. I always thought that people were free to shape their fates- but would ultimately find they were suited to a specific task. It was not fated. It depended on one's upbringing and skills learned. Specifically, once one had chosen a path, one could not stray from that path. Azrael once called me a fool for thinking so. He said he could easily have been something other then a pirate. It was all a matter of choice. Choice, the variable that makes it impossible to calculate the actions of humankind.

I awoke from a nightmare. In it, I witnessed Alice torn apart by some creature; a red demon that looked disturbingly like the red robot from the Iscariot, Alexander, his name had been. I shook the thought. Isis came over and sat near me. She dabbed my face with a cloth, wiping away the sweat.

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“You were shouting for someone in your sleep. Alice, her name was,” I said. She looked concerned. I sighed.“Alice was my communications officer for a time, before she suffered some form of psychic seizure. She was a Specter, but somehow, she broke free of her conditioning long enough to tell me she was, and about a weapon, a super weapon of terrifying power. The Phoenix Cannon, she called it.” Isis stared.“My father spoke of it once. He said it would be the key to his final victory. Where is Alice now?”“She is in the keeping of Doctor Jerald Freeman, once my medical officer. We discerned that the Combine could track us through her, so he took her away, as it turns out, to Okinawa. I saw them both again when I went to see the Daimyo. She is still in a coma as we speak, but she has changed. For a time, Jerald could pick up ordinary, though heightened, psychic emissions from her. Now, she's gone blank, like her mind is not there anymore.”“I felt another presence when you were still dreaming, like there was someone else there. As if... someone else was having the same dream, at the same time. It stirred whenever you shouted Alice's name,” I considered this.“Then her mind is intact, somehow, yet, no. Maybe,” I said, my mind racing, trying to wrap itself around the concept.“What is it, love?”“What if a person's mind could become detached from their body?” I asked her.“Astral projection?” Isis offered. I blinked.“There is such a thing?” I asked.“I overheard my father discuss it with a scientist once. They were talking about the Specters. I guess they were trying to figure out a way for them to project their presence across long distances, so that they could be better spies,” she said.“Did they get anywhere with it?”“Not back then. The theory could have developed,” she said with a shrug.“You said this Alice is a Specter. Maybe she has astral projection!”

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“That must be it, how else would it seem her mind was gone? Because it is! Gone someplace else! Somehow, Alice's consciousness is wandering the psychic pathways of the universe... but for what purpose, I wonder?”“Maybe, she's trying to find you, to tell you something,” Isis said.Yes, that must be it, I thought.

There came a knock on the door.“No time to worry about it now,” I said. Isis got up and answered the door. It was a guard, announcing that breakfast was on the way and that the meeting was resuming in a few hours.“Thank you,” She said. The guard bowed and went off. She returned to me. My thoughts had returned to the business at hand.“Gods,” I said, rubbing my head.“How am I supposed to manage all this? I can run a ship, but an army?”“I don't think you have to run the whole army, dear; probably just the Jericho part, and that's not many from the looks of it, maybe just a few other ships. That's what we came here for in the first place, right?” She had a point.“There's more, though. What about the resistance, and Yamato?” I asked her.“They'll have their own commanders. Don't look at it like they're laying it all on you, dear,” she told me. There was another knock. Isis got up and answered. It was Raeoran.“Come in,” I called to him. He came in, only partially dressed.“You okay, Raiki?” He asked. I shrugged.“Honestly, no. All this is a bit much,” I said.“Yeah, I guess,” He replied, not sounding at all stressed out.“What do you mean?” I asked him.“I kind of saw this coming,” he replied. I stared at him.“Saw it coming? What the hell, you expected them to come right out and name me pirate lord of Jericho and then announce to everyone that I'm the damned heir apparent too?”“More or less,” he replied. I slapped my forehead.“Well, excuse me for forgetting to read the damned script, but this is the last damn thing I expected, wanted or damn well needed!” Isis rubbed my shoulders. Raeoran raised an eyebrow.“Are you going to refuse?” “What's with you? When did you get so trigger-happy?” He frowned. 242

“Who's trigger happy? I'm just a pirate following the code. What are you?” He leaned in real close. “You're acting awfully cowardly,” he said. “Really now, is that necessary?” Isis asked. “Cowardly? Is that what you call it? I thought I was being cautious, like you!”“I am cautious! But I also do not shirk my responsibilities. When did you turn into such a wuss?” He said. I was getting rather angry.“You're out of line there, Raeoran.” He did not move.“I'm well within my position here, Captain,” he said, putting a sarcastic spin on the last word.“Are you now?”“Yes. And I'll still be doing my job even after this,” he said, but nothing happened.“What, after this argument?” I said, confused.“No, this!” Out of nowhere, his right hook came flying at me and hit me square in the jaw, sending me flying back across the bed and into the opposite wall, whereupon I hit the ground with a thump.“For Gods' sake, Raeoran, what the hell are you doing?!” Isis shrieked.“Straightening him out! I've done this before,” I said.“What, punched him across the room?!”“Yes, as a matter of fact. And he's done it to me, too. The best way to bring a man back in line is to sucker punch him.” I massaged my jaw. Thankfully he had not dislocated it. I struggled to my feet. The old correctional punch, I thought. It did get me thinking.“Ow. Nice hit,” I said. He bowed.“Thinking straight now?” He asked. I did not respond.“Do you remember what Azrael said? About rising to the challenge? Don't you know what's happened here? Azrael always said that we'd be given a chance to make history, to save mankind! He saw that power in us! This is it, Raikiendo, don't you see? This is our chance!” Isis said nothing. I walked over to him.“I never believed all that until yesterday. Go ahead and punch me if you want, it doesn't change the fact that we've both got a job to do,” he said. I made a fist, but then released it. Instead, I sat on the bed. Isis sat next to me and examined my cheek. She pouted.“You bruised him!” 243

“All the better to remind him,” said Raeoran. “Alright, I get it. You can drop the act,” I said. He shrugged. Isis shook her head. I stood up and lightly punched him.“Okay, Rae. You win. We'll play this game, but what if we lose?” He smiled.“We won't. I had a dream last night, a good one,” he said, his head tilting back. He stared at the ceiling until I asked,“Is that your reason for this sudden bout of enthusiasm?”“I guessed a nightmare was the reason for your bout of depression,” he replied. I blinked.“Yeah, I had a nightmare. I saw Alice... torn apart, by a creature that looked like Alexander, Isis felt her presence while I still was dreaming.” He considered this.“We were discussing astral projection. We think Alice's mind may have separated itself from her body, and is wandering the universe looking for something, or someone,” I said.“I think she's trying to contact you,” Isis repeated. Raeoran nodded.“Sounds feasible to me. You know me, I always expect that kind of craziness,” he said.“Like your phase shift theory?”“Hey, I was right, wasn't I?”“So we think. We don't actually have proof.” He snapped his fingers.“I'm going to have a look at Hellmann's notes. Maybe there's something about it in there,” he said.“What, astral projection or phase shifting?” He shrugged.“I don’t know, both?”“You do that. I'm going to eat breakfast,” He nodded and left. I rubbed my cheek, but found it sore so I rubbed my forehead instead. Isis led me to the table.“Are you alright, dear? He didn't dislodge your brain or anything, did he?” I laughed.“No, I think that's still where it should be. It's my heart I'm worried about,” I said. She got the message.“I think he's right, though I don’t approve of his method of convincing you. We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do,” she said. There was determination in her eyes.“What if I don't want to?” She hugged me. 244

“I think you do want to, love. I think there's a part of you that wants to be a hero, to be a warrior. It's in your blood,” she said. I sighed.“I never listen to my blood. It always cries for more of itself,” I replied. “Maybe it's time you listened,” she said.

Then something hit me harder than Raeoran's right hook ever could. It was a memory, lost for years but now brought back, a memory of my father.“Son, someday you'll have the chance to be someone. Not just my son, not just a prince, but something more. Someday you will have the chance to be a hero and by the gods, you must seize that chance before it slips away from you. Promise me that no matter what comes to pass, you will seize that chance when it comes. Promise me,” he said. I remembered his words clearly as if they had just been spoken to me and I said,“I promise.”

“Promise what, love?” Said Isis. I stirred from my recollection and saw her face. “I just remembered something my father said to me years ago, when I was a child,” I said. I relayed his exact words to her.“I promised him I would comply with that wish. It was the only thing he ever asked me to do,” I said. Isis closed her eyes.“This is it then, my love. This is the chance your father spoke of,” she said. It felt almost like she had been there.“And I must seize it... or tarnish his memory forever,” I stood.“It is decided then. What must be done shall be done.” Isis got up and hugged me tightly. I returned it with equal strength.“Your father would be proud of you, Raiki. Your mother too. I know I am,” she said. We hurried to finish our breakfast when it arrived and got dressed. We ventured out into the halls to find that most of the crew had stirred. I left that room a different man then I had been before. The man that had gone in was a pirate. The man who emerged was a warrior. “Good morning, everyone, I hope you all slept well.” They returned my greeting.“I've made up my mind. If it is war the Combine wants, then by Odin's spear we'll give them one. Who is with me?!” They all raised their fists into the air and shouted,“We fight with you!” 245

“I knew from the first day of our voyage that we were destined to write our names in the pirate history books. Now, we shall inscribe them in fire upon the very sands of time!” Again, cheers. “Now then. Ready yourselves. A great battle lies ahead and we should be ready for it,” I said. Everyone split up to take care of business before the meeting resumed. Raeoran, Oliver and Akira remained. They clapped. “Bloody brilliant, Captain, just bloody brilliant!” said Oliver.“Had a change of heart?” Akira asked.“Just so. I remembered something my father said a long time ago,” I relayed the words to them as I had to Isis. Raeoran bowed respectfully.“It's good to keep the promises we make to our elders,” he said, then paused to consider his own words.“They only thing I ever promised my folks was that I would try to stay out of trouble,” he added, shrugging wearily.“I broke that one ages ago,” he said. We all laughed. Then Raeoran remembered something else.“Hey, do you remember that Haddock character?”“How could I forget? Come to think of it, what ever happened to that rat bastard?”“That's just it! I heard from one of the other crews that the Council sent a special detachment after him. They caught him and strung him up good.”“What, they killed him?”“Hung, drawn and quartered,” he said. I grimaced.“Gods below, isn't that a bit harsh?”“As it turns out, he was working for the Combine! If you ask me, the bastard had it coming.”“I knew it,” I said, cursing the name of my fallen foe.

Three hours later, A guard came by.“The meeting will begin shortly. Please follow me.” He said. We followed after him. Other crews came from other annexes, causing the crowd behind the guard to increase in size exponentially. Fortunately, the halls, unlike those of my ship, were built to accommodate huge numbers of people, so we made good time. We reached the Grand Chamber in short order. Most of the crews had already taken their seats, but more were filing in from the other entrances. The four other lords 246

had already taken their seats. Isis kissed me before going to take her seat at the Templar table. I went up to join the lords. Each bid me good morning in turn.“Good morning, brothers. And sister,” I added, bowing to Lady Kinesawa. She laughed softly and returned the bow.“Feeling better now, chap?” Said Chaucer.“More then you know. Charles, was it?” “My mates call me Charlie,” he said, shaking my hand. Crockett stuck his hand out across the table.“The name's Sam. Good to meetcha’,” he said. I returned this handshake as well.“Frederick. Pleased to make your acquaintance,” said Kronen, who also shook my hand.“I don't suppose they call you Fred?” I asked him. He raised an eyebrow.“Frederick then,” I said. He nodded. The others laughed. “What shall I call you then, my lady?” I said to Lady Kinesawa.“We are all friends here. You may call me Hitomi,” she said with a warm smile. “Well then, now that we are all introduced, it is time to get down to the matter at hand. Brother Raikiendo, will you stand with us?”“I shall do more than that. I propose that we contact both the Resistance and the government of Yamato and ask that they join us. We shall form a Coalition,” I said. This suggestion went over well.“Right good idea, I'd say,” said Charlie. “Sounds like a plan, man,” said Sam.“I concur,” Frederick added.“I agree as well. It is decided. We shall contact both parties and attempt to negotiate an alliance.” We all nodded. Hitomi rose and announced this decision to the crews. There were murmurs and whispers all around, but gradually they warmed up to the idea and began to cheer. Ezekiel gestured for them to settle down. Two large screens lowered from the ceiling on the far wall. These, I guessed, would be used to communicate with our potential allies. A technician approached and knelt down near Hitomi.“My lady, we are attempting to contact both parties as you asked,” he said.“Very well,” She replied. The man arose, bowed and ran off. 247

“What if they refuse?” Said Frederick.“They have no reason to. This concerns their survival as well as ours- this is not a trade negotiation, Frederick,” said Hitomi. Frederick looked mollified. “My lady, we should also contact Queen Isrina. She controls a considerable number of warships and troops. She would be only too eager to help us,” “Very well,” she said. She called for the technician and instructed him to set up a third channel. He ran off and shortly thereafter a third screen lowered.

A short time later, the first screen, the middle one, lit up with the image of a middle-aged Yamato woman in a traditional kimono, seated at a wide hardwood desk. Flanking her were two ninja. I recognized her as President Yuki Shizuka.“Good morning, madam President,” said Hitomi. The president nodded and said,“Good morning, Lady Kinesawa. How are you?” Her face darkened when she saw that a lot more people were watching.“I'm afraid this is not a social call, Madam President. We have a grave matter to discuss,” Hitomi said.“I see. Does this concern the Combine?” The president asked.“Yes,” Hitomi replied. The President leaned over slightly. She seemed to be looking at me.“There are five of you!” She said. “Yes, madam President. Lord Toranaga here, or rather, Lord Kassad, has been named pirate lord of Jericho,” Hitomi explained The President nodded.“Ah, yes. Lord Genjuro told me of you. How do you do, Lord Toranaga?”“Greetings, Madam President. Please tell Lord Genjuro that I send him my regards,” I said“I will,” she replied. “Raikiendo, perhaps you should lead now,” said Hitomi. I nodded, stood up and spoke.“Madam President, as you know the Combine has lately tightened their grip on the galaxy and redoubled their efforts to eliminate all opposition, your nation, our people. We as pirates can no longer stand divided. The 248

council has decreed the formation of a Brethren Army to oppose the Combine and settle the matter. We humbly ask if you would lend the support of the Kaigun to this undertaking,” I bowed. For a time, there was silence. “This is no small request you make of me, Lord Toranaga. If I was to commit my full naval strength to you and you were to lose, my country would be defenseless.”“We are aware of the risks, Madam President. We too have our freedoms and lives to lose. Time has run out. We must make a stand now or perish,” I said. The President considered my words. Just then, the left screen blinked to life and the bearded face of Vincent Kepler appeared. He was wearing a dusty black hat. The signal was faint, as the resistance was forced to use substandard equipment. He jumped when he saw all of us. “Great gods, it's a pirate convention. What's going on?” He asked.“Mr. Kepler. How are you?” I said. He focused on me.“Bless my bones. Raikiendo? It is you, isn't it? I see you did not take my advice,” he said. I laughed.“It is in my nature to stand and fight. My father told me that I would have the chance to be a hero and that I had to take that chance,” I said to him. Vincent sighed.“That sounds like the Ryu I knew. So, what can I do for you?”“First things first. We're patching you through to the President of Yamato,” I said.“Oh? I should have shaved.” This elicited a laugh from many of the crews. Ezekiel silenced them. Vincent looked to his left, and the President looked to her right. Vincent removed his hat and said,“Good morning, Madam President.” He said.“Good morning, Mr. Kepler. Am I speaking to the leader of the resistance?”“For lack of one better suited to the task, yes. What can I do for you?”“Ask Toranaga, he's running the show,” said the President. He turned back to me and asked,“Well, what's going on then?”“I've recently been named pirate lord of Jericho, putting me in command of all its brigands. I've also recently heard of my father's death.” Kepler closed his eyes. 249

“I'm sorry for your loss. He was a hero to all of us,” Kepler said.I nodded. The crowd murmured in agreement. “We have agreed to form a Brethren Army to stand against the Combine. The final battle is coming, Vincent, just as you said. I have asked the President to lend the support of the Kaigun to us. We are attempting to contact the deposed queen of Britannia. Together, we hope to form an alliance and make a final push for freedom,” I said. Vincent considered my words.“You are my king, Raikiendo. Even if I thought this a bad idea, it would be treasonous of me not to help,” he said.“Think of me not as your king, Vincent. Think of me instead as your comrade. We need the support of the resistance. This is their kingdom we are fighting to retake,” I said.“We stand with you, my lord,” he replied. There were cheers from the crowd, strongest from the Jericho section. I turned to face the President, as did Vincent.“Madam President, as you can see, Kepler and the resistance have joined us. Will you now stand with us?”“I am almost convinced, Lord Toranaga. I wish though to see what the queen says,” she said.“Very well,” I said. Hitomi called for the technician again, who told us they were having trouble reaching the Queen, who had hidden herself well. After all, she was the most vocal opponent of the Combine. At length, the connection was made and the face of the aging Queen appeared on the right screen.“Oh, look at all the pirates. How interesting,” she said. Charlie stood up.“My Queen, are you well?” The Queen smiled when she saw him.“Lord Chaucer, how are you? I'm fine. All this hiding has rather bruised my ego, I must say,” she said.“I am well, my Queen. We have contacted you regarding a matter of grave importance,”“Well, that's good news. My security head tells me I am taking a great risk accepting your transmission,” she said. “If you'll wait but a moment, we'll patch you through to President Shizuka and Mr. Kepler,” said Hitomi.“Oh, a meeting of the minds is it then?”

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“You could say that, your Majesty,” I said. In moment, everyone was in contact.“Good day, Isrina,” said the President.“Yuki my dear, how are you?” said the Queen. I found her informality amusing.“I'm quite alright,” the President responded. The Queen turned and spoke to Kepler.“Oh, how do you do?” she asked.“How do you do, my lady? My name is Vincent Kepler.”“Ah, the leader of the resistance. Pleased to meet you. Tell me, what's all this about?”“You'd best ask Raikiendo, your Majesty,” said Kepler. “Oh, where are my manners? How do you do, Lord Toranaga?”“Greetings, Queen Isrina. And now to the business at hand.”“Quite right. What's all this then?” asked the Queen. Chaucer spoke up.“My lady. We, the pirate council, have convened and formed a Brethren Army to take a final stand against the Combine. Kepler and his resistance have pledged to support us and President Shizuka has given it serious consideration. I must ask that you allow the other Star Knights to aid us.” The Queen considered this.“I see. You were right all along then. It is war?” the Queen asked.“Yes, my Queen,” replied Charlie.“Then my decision is obvious. The Star Knights shall join this alliance,” the Queen said. I turned to the President.“Well, Madam President. Are you convinced?” She smiled.“I would say so. The Republic shall join this alliance,” she said. Hitomi stood up.“Then let all bear witness to the formation of the first Galactic Coalition!” The loudest cheer yet filled the hall. This time, I cheered as well, as did the other lords. When it had died down, I turned and spoke to all three leaders.“It is decided. When you all are ready, our forces shall convene with ours at a location decided by this council, unless you would like to offer a suggestion?” The three shook their heads.“Very well. Then I bid each of you good bye, for now,” I said. The President spoke.

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“And we bid you good luck, Lord Toranaga. All our hopes ride with you,” she said.“I shall not fail,” I assured her. “Oh, how inspiring. You remind me of my late husband. A true warrior, he was,” said the Queen. Murmurs of agreement came from the Britannian section at this. Charlie placed his hand over his heart and yelled,“Gods save the queen!” every Britannian in the room responded in kind. I heard Oliver say it loudest of all.“For the Union!” shouted Sam, who jumped onto the table, fist in the air. He was answered by a roar of approval from the Unioners. Frederick stood, turned to the Deutschlanders, saluted and shouted, “Für das Vaterland! Heil Toranaga!” They answered in kind. Hitomi turned to the Yamato and said,“For the Republic!” she was answered by her countrymen and the President. At last I stood. The chamber fell silent. Sam sat down. I raised my fist in the air and shouted,“Long live the king! Long live Jericho! Long live the Coalition!” Kepler and all my countrymen responded in kind. Then, I was almost blown off the pedestal by a final deafening cheer. I recall actually falling over and being carried out over the heads of the crews.

Over the next few days, the various leaders marshaled their forces and the Coalition First Fleet was born. We decided not to attack from the Zone of Opposition, where the Combine would most expect it, but from the other side of the galaxy, going by way of the Axial Rim, up through what used to be the United Planets. This region was the least well defended, as the Combine would never have expected a mass pirate assault from the Lawless Region. We decided on Sigma Francisco, a world of archipelagos and floating cities as our first target. We would destroy the orbiting presence, liberate the world, and then move on. In this manner, we hoped to leapfrog from planet to planet straight to Nova Judea. By cutting the head off the snake, the body would die.

The fleet was a sight to behold, the largest assemblage of vessels no doubt since the Exodus. The variety of the galaxy's peoples and military was encapsulated in this fleet. It was ragtag assembly of warships, transports, cargo vessels and small fighter and bomber craft of every imaginable description. Heavily modified pirate void-galleons 252

flew alongside the small, sturdy, stylized Yamato battleships including the Anegawa and the Nagato, the sleek black gunboats of the resistance, and the bulky, heavyweight Britannian heavy assault cruisers that would serve as our muscle. At the head of the fleet was my ship, the Black Templar, a Combine heavy battleship turned pirate war vessel.

I was unanimously chosen to be the fleet admiral. Many of my crew took to calling me Admiral Toranaga. I realized with some amusement that I had amassed quite an array of titles. Captain, prince, husband, pirate lord, king and now admiral. If Azrael could see me now, I thought.

When the fleet reached Sigma Francisco, we found only a single vessel defending it. A new type of battleship I had never seen before, larger still then any ship we had. Kraken told me it had been positively identified as the Emperor's Fist II. I knew then the meaning of irony.

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Chapter 15

“Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the

less he demands in slaughter.”

-Winston Churchill

A famous Terran general was once quoted as saying, “War is hell.” Whoever he was, I salute his wisdom. No amount of personal combat can prepare you for war on a grand scale. The war the galaxy would now witness would be the largest ever fought by humankind. A galactic war that would mean freedom for all of us or the extinction of our species. The stakes were that simple. Each time there's a big war, they call it the “last great war.” They marvel at it, the reasons for its occurrence, the brutality of its battles, the ideals of the politicians that started it, and the hellish reality faced by the soldiers. Each generation learns the hard way why we shouldn't start wars. Then, they forget that lesson while 254

forgetting the horrors of their experiences and become the politicians that send the next generation off to war. History does repeat itself.

“Kraken, could you repeat that?” I said. “Sir, the enemy vessel has been identified as the Emperor's Fist II. It's Kojak, and only him,” he said.“What are the odds...?” Muttered Raeoran.“To put it simply, extremely slim. This is not a coincidence,” Kraken said to him. “I'd have to agree with you there,” Raeoran replied. I felt a migraine coming on. How the hell did he find me, again? “He must have tracked us,” said John.“No, we'd have found the tracking device during the repairs. He must have tracked his old ship!” said Oliver. “What? No, that couldn't be. Surely the Yamato aren't that unobservant,” said Raeoran.“I should say not,” said Captain Takagi over the comm.“Regardless of how he knew we were coming, the question is why is he here alone?” I answered him with,“Let's find out, shall we? All ships hold back until I give the order. I'll see what he wants,” I said.“All ships confirming hold order,” replied Kirkland. I gave the order for two thirds throttle and we began moving forward.“Kraken, magnify image,” I said.“Aye, sir,” he replied. The image of the Emperor's Fist II enlarged so that I could better see it. It did resemble the old ship, but was larger and more heavily armed. There were special markings on it that I did not recognize. Surely this was not a production line model, where would they get the resources for such a monstrosity?“Sir, enemy vessel does not match any known configurations,” Kirkland told me.“So we don't know what we're up against,” Rae said, groaning as usual.“I can make a fair assumption just from looking at it, and I don't think tangoing with that bugger would be at all wise,” Oliver said.“We outnumber him, remember? Let's just see what he's up to and then we'll just send him packing,”“Easier said than done,” John muttered..

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We approached the planet and Kojak's new ship at a steady pace. When we were within weapons range, I ordered Raeoran to bring us to a stop and Kirkland to open a channel.“Hailing enemy vessel... transmission established,” he said. A side screen blinked into life, revealing Kojak's mustached mug. He looked as if he had aged several years since our last encounter.“Admiral Kojak,” I said. He looked up and directly at me. This time, there was no cocky grin.“Captain Toranaga. We meet again,” he said.“Let us dispense with the pleasantries. What are you doing out here all by yourself? Were you expecting someone?”“Not that I owe you the explanation, but yes. I was out here waiting for you, as a matter of fact. I've reconsidered my words and would very much like my daughter back,” he said. I turned around and saw that Isis had entered the bridge. She had overheard our conversation and come up. I turned back to Kojak.“I'm afraid that is not my decision to make. You'll have to ask her yourself,” I told him. She walked over to where she could see her father. Kojak's expression softened.“Isis, please forgive the harsh words I spoke to you. Please come back, you're not safe with those pirates,” he said. I saw her steel herself, whereupon she replied,“I may not be safe, but for the first time since before mother died I am happy.” Kojak blinked.“Happy? What could those pirates possibly offer you that I cannot?”“Love, for one,” she said.“Love? Do I not tell you I love you every day? Did I not raise you myself after your mother died? What sort of love can a pirate...” He cut himself off and looked directly at me.“You!” Before he could insult me, Isis cut him off with,“Stop it! Raikiendo is a good man, something I remember you used to be, before all this, before the Combine! Can you reasonably justify the things you've done? All the people you killed?!” He grimaced.“I did what had to be done, my daughter. Unless the galaxy is unified under a single throne there shall never be peace.”“That's it? That's your justification for murdering the population of an entire planet?!” 256

“You call it murder, my dear. I call it purification,” he said. She gasped. “Purification? What the hell happened to you, father? What did your leaders tell you that could make you do these things? And worse, you raised me to be like you! You wanted me to be a killer!”“I taught you what was necessary to survive! Doubtless that is why you still live, in such bad company,” he said, sneering at each of us. Oliver flipped him off. Isis let out a furious shriek.“How could you even think that these people have tried to hurt me? I have found the only friends I've ever known in these people! These, these are real people! The people of the galaxy you say you fight for, yet kill every day! Look at those masked murderers around you, the bloodthirsty admirals, your vaunted emperor! They’re madmen! They’re not even human! ” She said, waving her arms.“How could you submit me to that? How could you submit mother to that? You broke her heart, you bastard! You destroyed her!” Suddenly, she clasped me tighter than ever before.“Look at this man. Look at him! He is a kind and caring soul and I’ve found the love of my life in him! You were like him once, and mother loved you the way I love this man! What happened, father? How could you have thrown all you had away?” She said, now beside herself with grief. All anger had disappeared from Kojak’s face. Instead, he only looked sadly at Isis and tried to say something to her, but she cut him off.“I hate what you’ve become, I hate you!” she screamed, and then ran off the bridge. I called after her but she did not respond. I turned to Kojak and stared him down with cold fury in my eyes.“You’ve broken her heart, Kojak. I think for all our sakes you should just pack up and leave,” I said. He ground his teeth.“I’ll burn in hellfire before I flee from you, pirate,” he said, his words dripping with venom. The image cut out. Kraken informed me that “Kirkland, signal the fleet to move up. Let's scare him off,” I said. He did so, and as one the various ships of the fleet approached and overshadowed my vessel. Kojak's ship reversed throttle almost immediately upon spotting the other ships. His face appeared on screen again. He'd gone white as a sheet.“What in Hades' name?” he said.

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“I warned you, Admiral. Perhaps I did not make myself clear,” I said. He shook with rage.“I’ll be back, pirate. You mark my words, I’ll be back with the whole damn navy and I’ll make you pay,” he said. Kirkland severed the transmission. Soon thereafter, a Warp portal appeared in front of the Fist and it vanished into Warp Space.“Kirkland, radio the troop carriers, tell them to send down some detachments to deal with the Watchmen presence on the planet.” I said.“Yes sir,” he said. I got up and followed after Isis.“Rae, you have the bridge,” I called back over my shoulder.“You got it,” he said.

I caught up with Isis one deck down. She stood in front of one of the remaining paintings, though she was not really looking at it. She was still crying. I rushed over to hold her and she buried her face in my chest. We stood there as such for a time. When she was through, she looked up at me.“I don't understand him, love. How he can be so absolutely loyal to them? I can't reason with him... I'm afraid of him,” she said.“I won't let him harm you, Isis,” I promised her.“Thank you,” she whispered. We held each other close. Suddenly, she began to cry again.“What am I supposed to do? He won't listen to me! He's hypnotized by that damn Emperor of his! He won't listen...!” She pounded my chest. I took hold of both her wrists.“Stop it!” I shouted. She stopped. I released her arms and they fell limp to her sides. She stared down at the ground. “We'll deal with him when the time comes. For now, we have a lot of work to do. Why don't you go rest awhile and let me take care of things?” I said.“Okay,” she said, wandering off. I was very worried about her. This situation with her father could only end in pain. I found myself hoping I would not have to fight him directly. If we were to meet in single combat, only one of us would walk away.

I returned to the bridge in short order. Kirkland greeted me.“Back so soon, Captain? General Hikari of the Guntai wishes to speak with you,” he said.

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“Put him on,” I replied. Kirkland entered a command and the face of an aging, wizened-looking Yamato man appeared on one of the left screens.“Admiral Toranaga. My men have begun liberating Sigma Francisco. The Watchmen are putting up a fierce resistance, but we are fiercer, and I must admit, the assistance given us by the Star Knights and Resistance forces are making it easier. We should have the planet back in Union hands by the day's end,” he said with confidence.“That is good news, General. Do your men require orbital support?”“As a matter of fact, I am being relayed coordinates for several Combine strongholds. Shall I give them to you?”“We would be honored to help your troops.” He gave a signal off screen and then said,“I shall tell my men who watches over them,” he said. He saluted and cut the transmission. I turned to Raeoran.“Rae, would you like to do the honors?”“With pleasure,” he said, getting up and heading for the ladder leading up to his special gunnery position. Kirkland relayed the coordinates up to him and then the ship rumbled as Raeoran fired the main guns manually onto the Combine instillations below. Oliver clapped.“Brilliant,” he said. Just then, Kepler's face appeared on the top left screen.“This was almost too easy. Do you think Kojak was here to deliver a message?” He said.“This planet has immense strategic importance, but little actual value. They've sacrificed whole planets to deliver a message before,” I said. Crockett and Kronen had been listening in. They too appeared on the screens.“That reminds me,” Said Crockett.“I owe Kojak for that one. I'm from Boston, you know,” he said. I grimaced.“I'm sorry, I had no idea...”“This is personal, Raikiendo. Very personal,” he added. Kronen sighed.“My wife was on Dresden Prime,” he said.“Gods below, they've taken everything from all of us,” I muttered.“Captain, what was Kojak's message?” asked John.“I don't know, Ray. I think Isis got him so flustered he forgot to say what he was supposed to say. He'll catch hell for that one,” I said. 259

“He's going to catch a lot more then that!” shouted Crockett. Chaucer's face appeared on yet another screen.“Easy, Sam, time enough for our revenge when it comes,” he said. Crockett grumbled. Chaucer looked at me.“Raikiendo, how is your wife?” I sighed.“She's not taking all this well. She's torn between love for him and the desire to help us,” Crockett raised an eyebrow and asked,“Did you really steal and marry Kojak's daughter?” I laughed wearily.“Steal? Not really. She came of her own volition,” I replied. Crockett made an amused sound.“Admiral, what is our next objective?” asked Kronen. “My strategists tell me that securing either the Boston shipyards or the Philadelphia mining colony would be prudent.”“We don't have time for both?” asked Sam.“Unfortunately, no. I believe it is only a matter of time before the Combine redirects the whole Navy against us, and we cannot afford an engagement of that magnitude and still have the forces to assault Nova Judea.”“So, it's a race against time, then,” said Chaucer. Kronen chuckled.“Is not life itself a race against time?”“I say we go for the shipyards,” said Sam.“There's a lot of old battleships docked there that are still combat ready, if I remember correctly. The firepower on those puppies could give us the edge we need!”“The boy has a point,” said Kronen. Crockett groaned.“What did I tell you about calling me 'boy'?” Kronen chuckled again. Chaucer looked to me.“The shipyards then?” he asked.“Looks that way. I'll have my navigations officer plot a course,” I said. Each of them cut out save Kepler, who had merely listened. He looked troubled.“I'm beginning to grow suspicious,” He said.“Of whom?” Ie asked.“Kojak, or rather, his masters. According to what you've told me, he's found you far too many times for it to be simple coincidence. I think perhaps they have some other way of tracking you,” he speculated.“What sort of way?” 260

“Something, I believe, not inside the bounds of ordinary science. Something psychic in nature, but more powerful then we can muster,” I said.“What are you saying?”“I'm no cleric, Raikiendo, I'll tell you that right now. I've heard things. Seen things, which make me believe there are other forces at work here.”“What, the gods?”“No, something else. Something... evil.” I scoffed.“What are you going on about?” He frowned.“Fine, don't listen to me. It's just a suspicion, after all,” he said. He made to cut out the transmission, but I bid him to stop.“Alright Kepler, out with it. What do you think is going on?”“Are you familiar with the concept of demons? Not in the religious sense, but those creatures supposedly found in the Warp?” I froze.“Yes... Yes I am,” I replied.“I read once that they have the ability to enter our world, under special circumstances,” he said.“I myself have encountered such creatures. I did not know what they were at the time,” I replied. His eyes went wide.“You have? Then it is true! They infest our reality!”“Calm down, Kepler. What, do you believe they are in control of the Combine?”“I would not make so outlandish a claim as that. It's just that I think they are involved somehow, in some small way,” he said. Then he slapped himself on the forehead.“What am I saying? I'm imagining things. You'll have to excuse me, Raikiendo. Such talk is the product of too many late nights spent reading dusty old texts,” he said.“I must admit, it makes for a good story,” I replied. He laughed.“That it does. Sorry for taking up your time,” he said.“Oh, don't worry about it. Just... let's not talk about this so openly from now on,” I said. He went white.“How many overheard?”“Just my close friends, nothing to worry about,” I said. He apologized and cut out. Oliver made a whistling noise.“The poor sod's gone off his rocker,” he said. I glowered at him.

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“He's not crazy, Oliver. Don't you remember the Beacon? The Gettysburg?” he shook his head.“I remember, boss. I just don't see how those things could be demons,” he said.“I suppose the term is something of a misnomer. They're creatures, like any in this universe, just not of this universe,” I replied.“It doesn't help that the Combine officially denies the existence of such beings,” said Raeoran, climbing down from the gun nest. I sat back in my chair.“I remember some time ago, Alice and I spoke alone after what had happened on the Gettysburg. She told me that in the Warp, there exist nations and empires like in our own. Some of these are benign, but most are hostile. She said that they were always trying to expand into our reality, because it has so much more room in it. For all I know, they could already rule countless other galaxies, or maybe the ones we've seen are the first to enter our universe. Regardless, they exist. I just doubt they'd be in league with the Combine,” I said.Kraken spoke up.“If ultimate dominion was their objective, they would enslave us rather than strike an alliance,” he observed.“Or, simply wipe us from existence,” said John. “Enough of this nonsense. Let us focus on the goings on in this reality, hmm?” I said. “Fine by me, Captain.” said Oliver.

As General Hikari had promised, Sigma Francisco was free by the end of the day. All the leaders went down to the capital city to greet the populace, who welcomed us as saviors. The most cheers were directed at Sam Crockett, a national hero and the symbol of their hope. With our aid, he established a provisional government there.

Over the course of the next two days, Crockett rallied the scattered forces of the old Union Navy together, who had been in hiding throughout their former territory. He established a new base of operations for the Union military on the planet. With the Union fleet amassed, we set out, bolstered, to liberate the shipyards of the ash world Boston. During the War of Suppression, the Combine made an example of the planet as they had done with Dresden Prime, though this had been even more horrific. Boston was reduced to an irradiated wasteland by a 262

sustained nuclear bombing. Even to this day, the planet was totally uninhabitable. You couldn't even enter the atmosphere without the radiation melting through your ship's hull. They had, however, left the orbiting shipyards intact, in order to produce more ships. For some reason, they left behind many of the existing Union vessels, which remained moored there, their crews long since dead. This proved to be a great mistake on their part.

At Boston, we had our first real battle. The shipyards were guarded by a small fleet of vessels led by no less than three Dominator-class battleships. In the course of the battle, the Yamato lost one of their battleships, though most of the crew was able to escape beforehand. It was our first real loss, but not our last. Bringing with him crew he had raised from Sigma Francisco's populace, Crockett reactivated the abandoned battleships, which subsequently joined the Coalition Fleet. Among their number was the Patriot-class heavy battlecruiser Washington, a vessel of some renown, which played a key role during the civil war that preceded the formation of the Union. The fact that this ship had survived all these years and was now a part of the fleet again was a tremendous morale boost to the whole fleet.

Following this battle, the fleet held its position at Boston for a time as we reassessed our strength. Though we had lost one battleship, we gained four more and twice that many smaller vessels. Our fighters and bombers numbered in the thousands. A part of me thought that maybe we could stand against the Navy and come out on top. The evening after the battle, I chanced to visit one of the other Jericho pirate vessels, the Ebon Scimitar. Its Captain, Abdul Al-Muhammad, was a great fan of mine. While touring the vessel, I met one particular crewman. He was a little older than me, with the same snowy hair. He was having difficulty moving large crate, so I helped him get it onto a handtruck. “Thanks,” he said.“No problem,” I replied.hen he had a good look at me his expression became one of awe.“Admiral Toranaga...” He knelt down. I asked him to stand.“Please, no need to grovel. I'm just a man like any other,” I said. He got up and laughed softly.

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“It's true what they say, sir. How modest you are. Captain Muhammad tells me you do not give yourself enough credit. You've given people like me hope when we had none,” he said. He looked very nervous.“What's your name?” I asked. He hesitated to answer, which I found rather odd.“Come now, I'm not a Specter or anything,” Then he asked me a curious question.“Is it true that your last name's Kassad? That you're the son of Ryu Kassad?”“It is. Why do you ask?”“My name is Omar Saladin. This is going to sound very strange,” he began.“Why, what is it?”“Ryu was my uncle, my mother's brother. Her name was Jasmine Kassad.”

For a moment, I thought this was some kind of joke. Then, from within his jacket, he pulled out an amulet. I realized with a shock that it was like mine, only his was in the shape of a crescent moon, with twin snakes entwined around it. The gem of this amulet was a sapphire.“My mother gave this to me before we separated. She told me it belonged to my grandmother.” I looked at him closely. Could he be...? Yes, yes, I saw it. He was the boy in the picture. This man was my cousin! I took out my amulet.“Vincent Kepler gave me this. He said it was my grandfather's- our grandfather's.” Omar smiled. We hugged. He fought back tears.“My mother always told me you were alive. I clung to that hope. It was all I had... after I heard that Ryu...” He began to cry. I hung onto him tightly and I too, cried. “What are the chances that we'd meet here, like this?” He managed to say.“I don't know, cousin, I don't know, I don't care. What matters is that we're finally together...”

When we had both regained some measure of our composure, Omar led me to the bridge of the Scimitar, where he showed Captain Muhammad that we were cousins. He was ecstatic. “To think, a member of the royal family on my ship all along!” he said. Omar asked him if he could go with me, and he reluctantly agreed. 264

When I returned to the Templar and broke the news, everyone greeted Omar warmly. I brought him to the bridge.Raeoran walked up to Omar and introduced himself.“So it's true then. There is another Kassad!” Omar looked embarrassed. “Not really. Saladin is my name, Omar Saladin,” raoan shook his hand.“Raeoran Yurumiri. Your cousin and I go way back. Tell me, have you heard of one Azrael Tunivan?” Rae asked him.“Yes! I am told he was a hero among pirates,” said Omar. I nodded.“That he was. He raised us, you see, to be pirates,” I said. Omar was intrigued. We all had a seat and set about relaying the stories of our lives to one another, as reunited relatives tend to do. Raeoran added a little here and there from our experiences together. After a time, Isis came to the bridge, eager to meet Omar. Her mood had risen somewhat. Omar stood and bowed, eliciting a soft laugh from Isis.“He's so formal!” She said.“Then again, everyone bows to me these days. It's rather embarrassing. How do you do, Mr. Saladin?” Omar blushed.“Please, call me Omar, Mrs. Toranaga,” he replied. I laughed.“Call her Isis, cousin. She doesn't like being referred to in such a domestic manner,” I said. Omar nodded hurriedly. Then, he scratched the back of his neck and asked,“Um, this may be quite out of line for me...” His voice dropped to whisper.“Is it true that you are Admiral Kojak's daughter?” She sighed.“Biologically speaking, yes. I no longer acknowledge him to be my father,” she said. Omar lowered his head.“Forgive me... Isis. That was rude of me,” he said. She went over and hugged him, causing his face to turn a brilliant shade of crimson.“You couldn't have known. It's good to have you here, Omar. It means so much to Raikiendo and all of us,” she said.“Thank you,” he replied. He turned to me.“Um, perhaps there is some work I could do?” he asked. Kraken spoke up.“Are you good with machines, Mr. Saladin? Our chief engineer could use an extra hand,” he said.“I'm pretty good. Which way to engineering?”

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“Kraken, show him down, would you?” Raeoran asked. Kraken nodded, got up, and gestured for Omar to follow. Isis assumed the seat Omar had formerly occupied. Raeoran turned and went back to his work.“Are you feeling better?” I asked her.“A little,” She said, leaning back. She smiled at me.“I'm proud of you, love. Of what you've accomplished. These poor people had no hope for the future, and you come out of the blue and smash their oppressors. It's beautiful,” “Someone would have risen to the task if I hadn't,” I replied with a shrug. Raeoran shook his head. “What?” I asked him.“You don't think so?”“Honestly, no. There's no one with the kind of importance to people that you have. Your name is known the galaxy over, Raiki, or it will be. Your vote made the Brethren Army. Your words convinced the other powers to join us. None of us would have gotten this far without you,” he said. Now, Raeoran tended to be very insightful when he spoke in seriousness, but this... this was the deepest thing I'd ever heard him say. His words resonated in my heart. It reminded me of not only why I embraced the task of Admiral, but why I became a pirate in the first place. I nodded to him.“Thank you, Raeoran. That means a lot. However, we’re not done yet,” I said.“True, that,” added Oliver. “Sir, Lord Crockett reports that the Union ships are operational and ready to move out. The rest of the fleet is also ready,” said Kirkland.“Very well then, let us not waste time. Kraken, what would be our next move?” He typed away at his computer. He gave his head a tap and said,“I believe our best bet would be to assault planet Washington directly. With the capital restored the rest of the Union worlds would soon rise up in rebellion,” he said.“Will there be heavy resistance?”“Unfortunately, yes. Long range scanners indicate a sizable presence there, but not as large as my strategic algorithms suggest is normal. I presume the Combine are beginning to pull back their forces to within their core territories,” he replied. This was good and bad news. The good

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news was is that retaking the Union worlds would be easier, but once we pushed into the Jericho province, things would get more difficult.“Kirkland, relay this message to all vessels. We'll retake Washington, then consolidate our position while the government reinstates itself. We'll raise any other available ships and crews from throughout the Union and then press into the Combine heartland. Once in, we'll take any worlds that lie directly in our path to Nova Judea,” I said. Kirkland relayed my message. Isis moved close to me.“If you tell me we'll make it, I'll believe you,” she whispered.“We'll make it... we have to,” I replied. She nodded.

I believed we would make it. I knew we would. The Combine would fall, it was only a matter of time. What worried me were Isis and her father, and to a lesser extent, what would happen when we got to Nova Judea. Honestly, Kepler's words had begun to make me wonder just what would lie within the Imperial Palace. After all, no one had been in there in a decade. We had won this battle, but the war had only just begun.

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Chapter 16

“At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall.”

-Optimus Prime

Many are the follies of man. Hatred, greed, pride, wrath. We are victims of our natures. We do occasionally rise above our nature, numerous names come to mind that have only contributed to our progress in the universe, but many have not, and many more still have hindered it. Truly, could we ever set aside our petty feuds long enough to unite as a species?

Managing a war is a trying business, and certainly a task I never thought I would be undertaking, but I was, and doing quite well at it, I might add. In the month since we retook the old Union capital on the planet Washington, we had entered the Jericho province and retaken a stunning number of worlds from the Combine. Time after time we won a 268

lightning victory, handing a crushing defeat to the Combine Navy at every turn, with few losses incurred, and new troops and ships from each world. It became obvious that Kraken's previous prediction was correct. All indications led to a final stand at Nova Judea. The Combine had sacrificed everything to have as much defense around their homeworld as possible. Our morale was high, until we at last reached that cursed world. For when we did, we found hell waiting for us. Arrayed around the planet, so thick the planet itself was not visible, was a massive fleet such as I had never seen before. Seemingly thousands of battleships, cruisers and support craft sat waiting for us. This was it. This was the reason we had come so far so easily. They had led us along, allowed us to hope for victory, only to crush us in what we thought would be our finest hour.

We stood on the bridge, Isis and Omar included, staring out at what looked like the whole damn Navy.“Oh, bloody hell,” said Oliver. I could not have put it better if I tried.“Kraken... don't tell me the odds,” I said. “I won't, sir,” he replied. “Raiki,” said Raeoran, but he did not finish his sentence at first. He struggled to find the words, and settled on,“What do we do?” That was it. Raeoran was asking me for advice. It was at that moment that I knew I was royally screwed. I'd been in some tough spots, but this one took the cake and ran away with it. “Good question,” I replied. I turned to Kirkland.“Kirkland, send a message to the fleet. If anyone has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions here,”I said. He fumbled to send the message. Isis sat down. All the color had drained from her face. Omar started to mutter something in Arabic, a prayer, it sounded like. This had to be Kojak's doing. He was probably out there in that mess somewhere, with that stupid grin of his.

Kojak. That's it!“Kirkland! Find the Emperor's Fist and get me that damned Admiral! I've got a plan,” “What do you have in mind?” asked Raeoran.“A duel,” I said. I turned to Isis.“I'm sorry. It's our only option,” I whispered to her. She said nothing, only nodded and turned away. 269

“Sir, we would lose a ship to ship battle with him,” said Kraken.“I'm aware of that, Kraken. I mean a duel. One on one.” “Would he agree to that, Cap? The man's got a rather... astute sense of self-preservation,” said Oliver.“But he's easy to rile. I'll appeal to his ego,” I said.“Could work,” said Rae.“Captain, I've hailed the Fist... she's answering,” Kirkland said, his voice braking as he said it. Everyone was sweating. The upper right screen blinked into existence, revealing once again the face of Jonathan Kojak. He was not grinning. “Cap... no, that's not right. You're an Admiral now, aren't you? Congratulations,” he said. My ears could have been playing tricks on me, but he almost sounded sincere.“I invited some friends. Hope you don't mind,” he added.“Well, Kojak, you said you'd be back with the whole navy and you weren't kidding,” I said, managing to keep my cool.“Indeed. You are outmatched,” he said simply. What was wrong with him? Where was his boiling temper, his biting insults? The man had changed, somehow. Perhaps his last encounter with Isis had affected him as much as her.“I've got a different game Are you a gambling man, Kojak?” He raised an eyebrow. I hoped he would play along. He did.“Under the right circumstances,” he replied.“I propose a simple resolution to the present situation. A duel. You, me, a pair of swords, winner takes all,” I said. He shook his head.“Surely you are not that desperate?”“What's the matter? Are you afraid to face me?” He frowned. My split-second plan was working.“Afraid? I know no fear,” he said.“Then what is holding you back?” He considered my words carefully, but ultimately he fell into my trap.“Alright, pirate. We settle this in single combat... aboard my ship.”“Very well then, but know if I am killed unfairly, your precious fleet will not save you from their wrath.” I gestured around the bridge. He said nothing further. The transmission cut out.“Smooth talking, Raiki. You always did have a way with people,” Raeoran said. I rubbed my forehead. 270

“You all stay here. I'm going alone,” I said. Rae tisked.“Raiki, that's really not a good-”“I didn't ask for a professional opinion on that one, Rae. I'm going alone and that's the end of it,” I said, getting up and making for the lifts. I stopped before entering one.“If I don't come back, blow that scrap heap out of the sky,” I said without turning around. I entered the lift and went down.

I stopped at my quarters to retrieve my rapier, and thereafter went to the hangar.Halfway up the boarding ramp into one of the Diadem transports, I heard footsteps behind me.“Wait,” Isis said. I stopped and turned around.“I can't say goodbye, Isis. It’s bad luck,” I told her.“Take me with you,” she said. I looked at her like she was out of her mind.“What? Why? There's nothing for you over there but pain.” She looked away.“I know. I can't explain why I want to go. Closure, maybe. Somehow I feel I have to... someone has to be there to pick up the pieces,” she said. I shook my head.“I can't stop you,” I replied. We boarded. I started up the transport and guided it out of the hangar and towards that of Kojak's ship. I gazed out into the void to see both fleets arrayed for battle, though none moved an inch closer than where they currently were. There was an old Terran expression for this sort of thing... A Mexican standoff, I think it was. Isis and I did not talk on the way. I tried to read into her mind a little, but mental blocks prevented me from picking anything up. She was a trained psychic.

I was in no rush to get where I was going, which is unusual for me, but we got there soon enough. I landed the transport inside the only open hangar. The Fist had vertical-style hangars so I had to fly up and into the ship. A small squad of Watchmen stood at the hangar exit, with a sergeant in front. Their pulse rifles were slung over their backs, but they looked as if they would ready and fire them at any moment. The sergeant carried a deactivated stunstick. He seemed to eye Isis for a moment, then looked back to me and spoke. He spoke in a deep voice, muffled slightly by the gas mask. 271

“This way. Don't try and pull anything,” he said. I nodded. He snapped his fingers. One of the Watchmen behind him used a nearby retinal scanner to open the door. The sergeant beckoned us to follow. The other Watchmen remained behind.

It was a good thing we didn't try to assault this ship as we had done before- security here was extremely tight. Every door was a blast door and secured by retinal scanners, a sentry turret guarded every intersection. The guns were active and seemed to track me as I walked past them. Getting out of here would be… interesting. The sergeant led us through the twisting hallways to the mess hall. A number of Watchmen stood at attention along the walls. I saw that they had shoved the tables and chairs out of the way so that there would be room. At the far end of the room stood Kojak, his back towards me. In his hand was a rapier.“So you showed up,” he said.“I thought you might attempt some trick,” he said.“I'm a man of my word, Admiral,” I told him.“I admire that,” he replied. He turned and faced me. He had removed his officer's cap and the encumbering medals that once took up his jacket were also gone. I removed the gun blades from my back and handed them to Isis, who took them and sat near the door we had entered from.“Why did she come?” asked Kojak. His confusion, I saw, was genuine.“Your guess is as good as mine,” I replied. Kojak looked as if he would say something to her, but decided against it.“Well then. No sense delaying this any further,” he said.“I agree. Let us dance,” I replied. To my surprise, he gave me a fencer's salute. I cast aside my mantle and returned the salute. Then, he charged at me with a warcry and made a wild slash to the left that nearly caught me off guard, but I managed to parry it and slide to the right. He whirled around to face me again.“Not bad, pirate,” he said, coming at me again. Again, I parried, this time riposting, but he parried me. We exchanged a few slashes and thrusts and then retreated. We circled one another. The Watchmen, well, watched, with rapt attention. I guessed Kojak had expressly ordered them not to interfere.

We fought furiously. This was not simply a matter of a personal rivalry to settle. The fate of humanity lay on this one battle, this I was 272

certain of. He knew it too, but somehow, I sensed he did not care. For a brief moment, I saw a sentiment in him I knew all too well, the desire for simpler things. That was why he agreed to this duel, to keep things simple. He never wanted a war any more than I did. I would never know why he did the things he did during the Suppression War. Maybe no one ever would. But I was sure the Kojak that bombed Dresden Prime was not the same man I fought now. Maybe this was really Isis's father with whom I dueled.

He came at me with a roundhouse kick, which I ducked under. I swept my right leg under him, but he jumped over this. He slashed, I parried and cut straight up, hoping to catch him by the throat, but he beat my blade away and came back with a reverse slash. I jumped back to avoid it.

Neither of us conceded an inch. We had both broken out in a full sweat and begun to strike even more furiously. Both our jackets were soon riddled with slash marks. I was bleeding from several rather deep cuts, though Kojak was as well. I did my best to ignore the pain and fight on, but I was beginning to tire.

At last, I caught Kojak off guard and slashed upwards, cutting a deep gash diagonally across his chest. He dropped his rapier and fell to one knee, clutching his chest with his sword hand and breathing heavily. I held the tip of my sword inches from his face. He looked up. To my amazement, he seemed to be laughing, though he was in too much pain to put much effort into it. The Watchmen did not move.“You fight well, pirate,” He managed to say.“It's over, Kojak. You've lost. Order your fleet to surrender,” I said.“They… wouldn't listen. They hate you and your kind too much. It doesn’t matter to them if I die,” he replied.“Doesn’t it matter to you? I thought you cared about your life more than that.”“My life-” He coughed up blood.“Means nothing. All this... was for naught. I just wanted... to make a safe world... for her,” he said. With his free hand he pointed weakly towards Isis. She gasped and ran towards him. She had done her best to restrain herself during the battle, despite every fiber of her being screaming to stop us, but she could no longer resist.

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“Father!” She screamed. He collapsed. She raised his head up on her knee and whispered to him.“Please, father. Don't leave me...” She looked up and screamed to the Watchmen.“Don't just stand there, you bastards! Get a doctor!” None of them moved. I tossed my rapier aside and knelt down near him.“Kojak, was this your plan all along? To die as a martyr?” He shook his head as best he could.“Not really, though I guessed it might happen. This is... going to sound strange... Toranaga, and I don't expect you to believe me, but here it is. There... is not a day that goes by that,” He coughed again.“Please, father, don't speak. We'll get you to a doctor.”“No, Isis. I'm done and glad of it,” he said.“Don't talk like that...!” He turned back to me.“Raikiendo, if I may call you that... There is not a day that goes by where I do not regret what I have done. I thought I was... making a better world for my daughter... but I only destroyed it. I've destroyed your future, hers... everyone's. That fleet out there... I'm just their figurehead. I would have... outlived my usefulness eventually anyway, and they would have cast me aside... like an old toy,” he continued. I could only nod.“I know I cannot repent of my crimes in this life... I apologize to both of you, for what that's worth,” he said. He was dying. There was no questioning the matter, but not by my sword. Jonathan Kojak died long ago. The man that died here was but his shadow. He summoned one last ounce of power to raise his hand up to Isis' face. She held it close.“My daughter, I've failed you utterly. I've dishonored your mother's memory and our name. I'm so sorry…” She struggled to speak to him. “Please, father. You don't have to apologize to me. None of this... it's not your fault, father. I don't care what you did anymore,” she sobbed. He tried to smile, and said,“I love you, Isis.” Isis found space in her weeping to say,“I love you too, father...” his hand slid down and fell limply to his chest. She pulled his body close and cried. I looked around. The Watchmen had vanished, almost as if they had never been there.

I sat down and looked at the two. Isis began to rock back and forth, holding Jonathan’s body close with both arms. She cried a river 274

onto the ground. Her tears mingled with her father's blood and my own. Was it wrong that I felt no guilt for killing this man? Shouldn't I feel guilt? I didn't. I pitied him, though. I remembered another of Azrael's sayings. He said that the right man in the wrong place could make all the difference in the world. But who was the right man here, Johnathan, or I? I guessed I would never know.

We sat there for seemingly an eternity. When she at last let go of him, she gently laid him to the ground. I shut his eyes. She continued to weep, though softer than before. When at last someone spoke, it was her.“I wish,” she said,“I wish that there was... had been another way,” I looked at her.“You are not angry?”“How can I be? He wanted you to kill him. It was the only way he could redeem himself,” she said, wiping her eyes.“I can't be angry at you, love. I knew this would happen, one day. I think he knew it too,” she said, staring down at him.“What do you want to do?”“Let's at least send him off. He deserves that much.” I told her to wait there. I went off to try and find the medical bays, which I did succeed in finding. Within lay what I was looking for- a stretcher. I carried it back to the mess hall. I slid the body onto the stretcher. Isis lifted the front and we carried him to the ship's funerary chamber. There we loaded him into a coffin and started the conveyor. “Do you want to say anything?” I asked her. She shook her head and pulled the lever, and Kojak's body was sent into the void. We left the ship thereafter. I stopped only to retrieve the gun blades.

Everyone had seen the coffin, on both sides. When we returned to the bridge of the Templar, no one said anything. I think Raeoran and the others, at least, understood what had transpired.“Raiki, what should we do now?” he asked.“I think I may have the answer. An Admiral Duran is on the line. He's claiming to be the new leader of the Combine Navy,” Kirkland said. I grimaced. Kojak was right. His death meant little in the long run.“Patch him through,” I said. The face of a much younger admiral appeared on the top left screen, white with rage.

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“You pirate scum! You tricked Admiral Kojak into that duel! You probably just stabbed him in the back. I'll see you hung!” I shouted back at him.“You blithering idiot! That was an honorable duel and he died like a soldier!”“Shut up! I'll not listen to you sully his name any further. Prepare for destruction!” He cut out. A moment later, the targeting console lit up with engine signatures. Raeoran jumped out of his seat.“Sir, the entire enemy fleet is mobilizing for attack!” “Bloody hell!” said Oliver. I shouted to Kirkland,“Get the whole damn fleet on the horn! Everyone get off their asses and prepare for battle!” “This is it, boys and girls,” said Raeoran.“Captain, if we don't make it, it was an honor to have served you,” said Ray John.“Thank you, John. That means a lot,” I said.“Sir, I've got Admiral Yamazaki, the other lords and Kepler on the line, they stand with us,” Kirkland said, smiling.“Then it is time to decide the fate of the galaxy. Full systems check! Communications!” Kirkland answered. “Ready sir! All ships reporting in formation, ready for battle!”“Weapons!” “All gunners in position, broadsides and torpedoes ready, main guns online and charging!” said Raeoran.“Navigation!” “Attack vectors plotted,” said Kraken.“Defenses!” “Shields at maximum! Hull integrity nominal!” said Raeoran.“Hangar control, you are clear to launch fighters!”“All fighters, launch!” said Kirkland. I turned to Oliver.“Go,” I said to him.“Yes sir!” He snapped a salute and ran off.“Get me engineering!” I yelled.“Yes sir, opening channel now!” Said Kirkland.“Akira, can you hear me?”“Aye captain, like crystal,” he said.“Keep my ship alive, you hear?” 276

“If I have to give it my own blood, I will. She'll see you through, Raikiendo. I promise,” he replied.“Thank you, Akira.” I severed the channel. I ordered Kirkland to put me on line for all vessels.“Attention, all ships of the First Fleet of the Galactic Coalition. This is Admiral Toranaga. It has been my honor to lead you on this glorious crusade, and now I ask for your support in this one last battle. Fight hard, fight smart, and we may yet see victory!” I heard thunderous cheering. “By the gods, let's give them hell,” I muttered. This was it. We would free the galaxy or die trying.

If there is such a thing as Armageddon, this battle was it. The darkness of the void was alight with plasma blasts, missile trails and swarms of fighters flying in all directions. Both fleets broke formation and plunged into battle. In the chaos of close combat, the Combine's numerical advantage was dulled. I saw maneuvers during this battle I'd never seen before. Ships deliberately crashing into one another, hitting targets on either side with broadside blasts, ships changing hands multiple times through boarding actions, fighter pilots sacrificing themselves by crashing into the bridges of capital ships, it was brutal. This was no-holds-barred space warfare as it had been during the Age of Isolation. My ship was at the forefront, guns blazing, and I think we took more plasma blasts then we should have.

An incredible thing happened during the battle. I saw that a number of Combine ships turned on their fleet and began firing on the other ships! At least two battleships and a number of smaller vessels were re-designated as friendly. It was just like the first battle at Nagasaki, when Azrael turned on his masters. Always within the ranks of the Combine were those who were only too eager to rebel.

The mutiny sowed confusion within the ranks of the Combine and gave us the edge we needed to begin pushing them back. A handful of ships escaped into the Warp, sensing defeat. The majority fought on. The tides of war shifted again, however, when the Combine brought their orbital defense platforms online. The massive magnetic accelerator cannons mounted on these platforms destroyed several of our ships before they could be disabled by torpedoes launched from the bomber squadrons. The Templar took a bad hit from one, already severely 277

damaged by sustained plasma fire. We were all knocked out of our seats. Something told me that it had been a fatal blow.

The critical damage alarm blared in my ears. Raeoran came over to me and had to yell straight into my ear for me to hear him.“We're in serious shit here, Raiki! The reactor's been breached, all weapons are offline, and all three engines are gone! Damage control is inoperable!” I looked all around. The crew struggled to keep her together, but I saw that it was little use. She was going down.“Raeoran, listen to me!” I said.“You've done all you can! Get going!”“What?!” He said. It was more disbelief then lack of hearing.“Kirkland, give me that damn comm!” I went over to the communications console and took the comm. from him.“This is the Captain! All hands abandon ship, repeat, abandon ship!” I threw it away. I waved my hand towards the lifts.“All of you, get to the transports! Get everyone and as much cargo as you can carry off the ship! For Poseidon's sake, someone kill this damn alarm!” Kraken entered a command and the alarm shut off, though the emergency lights still flashed and the ship rumbled beneath our feet. This was a different kind of rumble. My ship was in its death throes.“Get going!” I repeated. They all got up and hurried off the bridge. Raeoran turned and said,“Aren't you coming?!”“I've got a plan. I'm going to use her to breach the palace defenses,” I said. He blinked and yelled at me.“You're nuts! You're raving mad! You'll never get off in time!”“Don't worry about me. The captain's supposed to go down with his ship after all. Now get out of here, that's an order!” He gave me a forlorn look and stepped into the lift. “Good luck,” he said, and saluted me as the door closed. Only Isis remained. I took her by both hands.“You can't stay with me this time, love. Go. Raeoran will take care of you,” I told her. She was on the verge of crying again.“Promise me you'll come back. Please,” she begged. I hugged her tightly.“I promise,” I replied. She shook her head.“Not just for me. For the three of us,” she added. 278

“Three?” I wasn't sure what she meant.“I'm pregnant, Raiki. It's a boy, I'm sure of it. Promise me you'll come back for our son,” she said, tears in her eyes. I choked in disbelief.“We're going to have a baby?” I asked her. She nodded and smiled.“Now promise me!” “By hell or high water, my love. Now run!” We kissed. She did as I asked. I turned to face the rapidly approaching planet. Nova Judea... my father had been born here. This was my home away from home and I was coming back in the most explosive way possible. The comm. was dead, as was pretty much everything else. The power console said I had maybe ten minutes more of reserve power, if that. The ship hung on to the maneuvering thrusters. The navigation console was still functional and I managed to plot a course for the palace. Using that last bit of power she had, the Templar fired her thrusters to ease her descent. I looked out onto the bow. With a flash and a rumble, one of the cannons exploded and flew off, leaving behind a gaping hole that leaked fire out into the void. She was fading fast.Hold together a little longer, girl.I went to my command chair and brought up the manual control joystick. Funny, I'd never used it until now. The course was plotted, but I'd still have to steer her past any buildings that were in the way, assuming I could still steer.

The ship began to rock violently as I entered the atmosphere. The bow began to glow red. The shields peeled away, and so did a few bits of armor. A warning somewhere told me that the atmosphere had been compromised. Not that still mattered. After a couple of minutes, I could see the surface. I was flying in low over the capital city. As luck would have it, I was over a canal leading straight under the palace. I would not have to destroy any civilian buildings. Thank the gods for small favors.

I looked out onto the cityscape and towards the palace. It was massive. The anti-air guns tried desperately to shoot me down, but their fire was meant for fighter craft and was useless against the Templar, even in its wrecked state. When I felt I was damn close enough, I ran for the escape pods. There was one left that might as well have had my name on it. I locked myself in and punched out. The extreme G's of launching an escape pod in-atmosphere caused me to black out.

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Chapter 17

“You must face the truth squarely and without flinching from duty. Our Enemies are mortal no longer. Mercy for such as they is a chimera, self-deception is its only ally.

Dedicate this weapon, given unto your hand at the behest of the Emperor, to their destruction. Regard its

function as your only duty: you live only to bring cleansing fire. Take up your rod and staff, your armour

and psycannon, and go forth.”

-Inquistor Historical Galbus Heer

Humans are a cruel race. We slay each other just as easily as we love one another. But no evil wrought by man can match that wrought by the darkness. They who are without age or number manipulate the passing of events to their own ends, that they might have ultimate power over both universes.

Slowly, I regained consciousness. When I could feel my limbs, I crawled like an infant from the escape pod and the stone rubble. When I

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could see, I beheld the twisted wreck of the Templar in the distance. Crashing the ship into the defensive wall had broken both the palace shielding and the physical barrier of the wall itself. The forces of the resistance could pour into the palace with impunity. Sacrificing my ship had secured our victory. High above I could see that the battle continued to rage. My friends and family were up there, somewhere. I prayed they were safe.

There was one task left to be done. It was time to reclaim my throne. I struggled to my feet, gathering my wits and effects, and ventured into the depths of the Imperial Palace.

The interior resembled the images of the Egyptian temples I had seen in Azrael's library. There was little decoration save the occasional statue, and the halls were lit by torches. Torches! They lit the palace with fire? How quaint. I made my way through the halls. At one point, I found myself in a library. Against all better judgment, being the inquisitive person I am, I stopped to look at the books, wondering for a moment if there would be some clue to Terra's location. Funny, I hadn't realized I still cared about finding that blue rock. Did it matter all that much? To someone, I suppose. I almost gave up after a short while, thinking it ridiculous that the knowledge the Combine so desperately sought would be right under their noses. Then, one curious, small book caught my eye. 'Earth and beyond' was its title. Something about it intrigued me, so I stashed it within my jacket and exited the library. I encountered no Watchmen or guards of any sort, and that worried me. I got the distinct feeling I was being watched. I began to creep, moving as softly as possible. Through the innumerable annexes I crept, through the antechambers, corridors and at least two ballrooms. The palace seemed to stretch onward into infinity. I honestly began to think I had gotten lost.

Then, as if as an answer to the question, “Where am I?” there appeared the largest damn pair of doors I'd ever seen. These made the entrance to the council chamber on Lagrange look like a bathroom stall. From top to bottom, the door was painted with a grand scene of battle. At the top of the image, atop a pile of bodies, stood a gray-haired, strong-built man in golden armor, holding a spear. From the spear flew a banner that bore the symbol of old Jericho. I guessed, perhaps, that he was King Abraham, my grandfather, long since 281

slain by his jealous sister. Arranged around him were dark-skinned cherubs. Throughout the painting were depicted stylized images of the other members of the family. I could easily identify each one, especially the visage of my father, Ryu. He wore silver armor and carried a shining scimitar and shield, on which, too, was the Jericho emblem. Absent from the image, interestingly enough, was Aunt Hulda. Even at the time of this painting there was strife within the family. I wondered then for the first time, what might have motivated her to murder her family and seize the throne? Had she hated her brother that much? What human being could bring such evils to pass...?

Suddenly, I heard a voice in my head.“Not human!” It said. Not human? Who wasn't human? The voice sounded so very familiar. The door was open. Had I opened it? No, I hadn't touched it. I hadn't seen it open, either. Lacking a better alternative, I went in.

Sure enough, I had found the throne room. It must have been truly massive, because I could not see the walls or the ceiling. They faded into darkness. A long crimson carpet stretched out in front of me, lit on either side by tall torches. I began to walk forward. The carpet muffled my footsteps, so I walked at a normal pace. Like the palace, this carpet went on for some time. I saw that it got wider, however, and up ahead I could perceive a raised platform in the darkness. As I drew closer, I saw a grand chair perched upon it, flanked by torches. The chair seemed to be made of solid gold and encrusted with jewels. Obviously this was the throne. Somehow, I pictured it being far less pompous. I supposed this was not the original throne.

I came at last to stand at the foot of the pedestal. Shallow steps led upward to the throne. On the throne sat a man, cloaked in black save his head. He had short, graying brown hair and wore a simple silver circlet. His head hung low.“Emperor Melchior, I presume.” He tilted his head up. An empty grin crept across his withered face.“Welcome, cousin...” He whispered. “I wondered when you would come... quite a mess you made out there.”“Well, here I stand. I am here to take my throne back.” He laughed lightly.

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“You are welcome to it. I have sat here for too long ruling an empire I never wished to rule... an empire that never should have existed. You see, it was not my decision.” I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”“I am a puppet, cousin. Her puppet,” he said.“Her? Her who?” “I rule here,” Said a voice. It was loud, disembodied, but feminine. This was not the voice I had heard outside the door. I responded to the voice, looking around.“Who's there? Hulda? Show yourself!” The voice laughed.“Hulda is long dead, child! She was a useful puppet, but she outlived that usefulness. Melchior here is close now,” she said.“Then, who are you?” I saw as a woman stepped out from behind the throne. No... not a woman. She only looked like one. What I saw was a monster. This creature had hooves and plated skin leading up to the waist. Her breasts were barely covered by thin strands of cloth. Her skin was sickly white with purple spots running down her arms. Her left arm was plated from the elbow down and terminated in a grotesque claw. Embedded in her navel was a fractured jewel, a ruby that seemed to pulsate with otherworldly energy. Her face was like that of a siren, but her hair was stained the color of blood. This creature could only be a thing of the Warp, a demon.“What are you...?” I asked. She smiled, though it was cold, pitiless smile. She spoke perfect Standard.“What I am should be obvious, Raikiendo,” she replied.“A demon,” I said. She laughed. The sound grated on the edge of my mind.“Such a strange word, that is. Only a human mind could give such mysticism to a thing,” she remarked.“You know who I am, but who are you?” I felt stupid for asking. The demon did something akin to an amused huff.“If I were to speak my true name to you your brains would melt. And you don't want that, do you?” She laughed and said,“I have heard humans call me Lilith.” Lilith... I had heard that name somewhere before.

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I felt her try to probe my mind. It was a strong, inhuman presence, but I could resist it. I'm not sure how, but I could. She seemed to sense this and was somewhat intrigued by it.“You have a strong mind, human. Stronger then any I have seen, like those of your family,” she observed. I clenched my fists.“It was you that slew them, was it not?” She displayed mock indignation and said,“Oh no, not I. It was Hulda who carried out that deed. She already carried the desire for power within her, as all you humans do, but it was strong within her. Very strong...” She began to walk down the steps towards me. I did not move away. I decided it was best to keep her talking.“She contacted you?” She huffed again.“Not directly. You see, when mindbenders-”“Mindbenders?”“Ah, a term my people use. To describe those of you who have powers like ours,” she explained.“Psychics,” I said. “That is the word? How plain. At any rate, when mindbenders of her caliber have very strong emotions, it resonates within our minds. Most of my people ignore such… calls. They are fools for doing so. You humans have such raw energy!” She placed a finger on my shoulder, then, dragged it slowly across the back of my neck and off the other shoulder as she walked around me. “I am one of the ones who believe that there is something to answering the calls. So when I heard this one, the strongest I ever felt, I answered.” She turned her back to me and stared up into the dark. I saw then that she had a tail which terminated in a rather nasty looking barb. She waved her human hand in the air and an image appeared in the darkness. Waves rippled across the picture, so I felt as if I was staring into water. The image focused and I saw the face of a middle-aged woman. She was very beautiful, but her face was contorted in anger. I felt evil emanate from the image, though not as strong as that which I felt from the demon. Why was she showing me this, talking to me like I was a student in some classroom? Why did she not try to kill me?

The image changed as Lilith spoke, showing what her words told me. 284

“She called, and I responded. I whispered to her in her dreams, told her how to bring me into this universe. I lured her with promises of power,” Lilith said, laughing to herself.“Yes... she was strong, but foolish. Her brother was not, however. He had increcible powers of perception, for a human. He found out everything. It was too late, of course. I had already entered your reality. I took control of Hulda and used her body to carry out her desires,” she said, looking directly into my eyes. I thought for a moment she was trying to hypnotize me, but she merely stared. Her eyes were as black as the void, but within them were red irises that burned like hellfire. She smiled at me again.“Are you not angry, Raikiendo? You are well aware of what I've done. In all honesty, I was quite angry with you myself before you got here. My control was almost complete, you know. I had this universe in the palm of my hand until you showed up. One human, with the power to change history. How poetic.” She turned away. Her tail whipped around.“But seeing you here, now... Has given me a new outlook on things.” She turned back to me and slowly walked towards me. No, it was more of a sashay. Her hips swayed gently from side to side. Her human hand came to rest on my chest.“You are strong, Raikiendo. Stronger then Hulda, and smarter. You will not allow yourself to be used, I can tell. You've come so very far, my dear,” she said. I felt cold rage begin to boil within me. Melchior snickered.“Too far, to come away empty handed. You wanted your throne back, no? You can have it, and more. I can give you the power Hulda never deserved. I can give you the universe, and we will rule it together.”“Don't listen to her! She will destroy you just as she destroyed Hulda!” That voice again. About that time, Lilith's hand had gotten below my belt. I pushed her away. She frowned.“You do not want me? You do not want this power?” At last, I spoke.“I will have nothing further to do with you, demon. My mind is my own, and my body belongs to another.” She grinned.“Ah... you have a woman. How presumptuous of me to think that such a handsome human would not have a mate.” I wanted to rip her throat out. I tried desperately to contain my rage for the right moment.

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“You will not speak of her as if she was mere meat! I will not collaborate with you, demon! I told Melchior I was here for my throne and I will share it with no one save the woman I love!” I said. It then began to dawn on Lilith that her attempts at seducing me had failed utterly. She dropped the act and assumed a position of superiority.“Perhaps I was wrong about you. You are as foolish as the rest of your pathetic race. I am the laughing stock of the Warp, did you know that? Trying to bend humans to my will. You have made me look quite the fool.” She turned away from me.

The voice spoke to me again. It said,“Look out behind you! Move out of the way!” Without hesitation, I dove to one side. I saw that where I had been a split second before, a massive axe lay stuck in the stairs. Many stones were cast aside by the impact. I looked up to see who the axe belonged to, and I beheld another demon. This one was massive, many times larger than me. It was clad totally in dark red armor. Its other hand was a massive claw, almost like Lilith's. The axe protruded from the other arm. Atop the creature's head was an ornate helmet. From within the helmet shined a single red eye. I realized with a start that this was the same demon I had seen in my dream on Lagrange, the one that had tore Alice limb from limb. The one that looked like Alexander...

The demon spoke.“No one ever avoided that attack before. Well done... human,” he said. I knew that voice. I knew him.“Alexander?” He laughed a great, low, sinister laugh that filled the halls and shook the floor beneath me.“We meet again,” he said.“You're a demon?” I asked. He laughed again.“Not quite. I am an android, just not one of your universe,” he said. Lilith spoke.“Lord Nyssalor here is what you might call a Golem, a being crafted of inanimate materials and given life by the Warp itself. He has been a most helpful servant. And now he shall carry out another task for me... disposing of our most troublesome pawn,” she said.“I am no pawn, witch! And I shall not be defeated by your toy!” Alexander, or rather, Nyssalor, roared and swung his great axe-hand at me. I narrowly ducked under it. 286

“Destroy him, Nyssalor!” shouted Lilith. He came at me again and forced me to jump back. In the process, my amulet was jostled loose. Nyssalor pointed to it and said,“My lady, he has the amulet! The Cannon shall be ours!” She stomped her hooves and said,“Fool! The Cannon means nothing! That amulet holds much more significance than that! Do not harm it!” They were of course, referring to the Phoenix Cannon. That forgotten super weapon was supposed to be part of my mother's legacy, but according to them, the amulet had another purpose. Obviously, it behooved me to keep it out of their hands.

Nyssalor swung at me again. I took out the gun blades and proceeded to fire at him. The rounds simply pinged off his armor, eliciting from him an amused chuckle. He came at me with his claw hand and thrust it into the ground, creating a sizable hole where I had recently been standing. Taking advantage of his lumbering movement, I clambered up onto his shoulders and hacked away at his neck. He roared and shook himself violently, causing me to tumble off him. I guessed his neck was a weak point, but he wasn't going to let me back up there again. I needed a new plan. I dodged his axe again as he brought it down in another mighty chop, making another hole in the ground.“Stop fooling about,” said Lilith.“You're ruining this beautiful stonework!” Nyssalor roared and said,“Hold still, vermin! I promise your death shall be quick!”“You'll have to catch me first!” I said. I dodged another swing. I was avoiding him pretty well, but I had to find a way to hurt him soon or he'd start to tire me out. “The twin blades are the key! Use their power!” said the voice again. Once again, I called to the blades to lend me their ancient power. It came much more naturally to me this time, as if the blades activated themselves. A burst of flame erupted from Inferno, setting Nyssalor's arm on fire. This did not faze him, however. He totally ignored it and kept fighting. So, I tried Snowstorm, aiming it at his leg. In a flash, a layer of ice formed around his left leg, freezing him to the ground. “What the...” He said. Lilith screamed.“He's got Warp blades, you idiot! Fight back!” Suddenly, the axe on Nyssalor's arm seemed to transform itself, melting and assimilating back 287

into his arm. In its place some kind of cannon emerged. From it he fired a burst of flame at his leg. Great. He's got a flamethrower, I thought. He laughed and sprayed a great wave of flame at me, which I was forced to jump back in order to avoid. He had set the carpet on fire, thus creating a wall of flame between us. His cannon morphed and from it he fired some sort of projectile at me, a bomb, it looked like. It exploded near me, sending me flying to the right. He laughed again.“What's the matter? Your powers are weak, human! You cannot hope to defeat me! Embrace your fate!”“Embrace this!” I used snowstorm to spray a blast of freezing water, dousing the fire and causing a number of his armor plates to fuse together, limiting his movement. He was forced to use the flamethrower to free himself again, and while he was distracted I pulled a limpet grenade out of my jacket and threw it at him. It stuck square on his chest and exploded, filling the area with smoke. I heard him roar in what sounded like pain. Then, I heard him shout,“Revenants, attack!” Revenants?“Duck!” said the voice, so I did so. I heard whistling noises as several daggers flew past, inches from my head.“He's good,” said a voice.“But we're better,” said another.“Let's finish him,” said a third. Out of the smoke stepped a figure clad in black. He was missing his right arm above the elbow. The figure laughed a sinister laugh. In his left hand he held an ignited beam saber.“Hello, Captain. So nice to see you again,” he said. Could it be? Then I felt it. That same warped power. Only, now I knew why it was so warped, for this man was the same Specter I had fought some time ago, on the supply station. I knew then that he was a Revenant and that Revenants were not Specters genetically altered by Zenothium. That was an act. No, Revenants were Specters gifted with Warp powers that no human should have.

From behind him, walked a number of soldiers clad in special ops uniforms. They each carried twin swords. These were the Revenants from the Iscariot.“Witness the first of my children,” said Lilith. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere, as it had when I had first heard it. 288

“Human warriors who gave their bodies to us, to evolution. Their power is many times that of yourself, but imagine what could have been, Raikiendo, if you had given yourself to me. With your seed, I could have given life to a new creature, the perfect union of our two universes, with the power to rule both. It could have been yours, Raikiendo. You could have sired the future.”“As if I would sleep with a Warp witch!” I called out. The swordsman hissed.“You will not address our lady as such. If you will not willingly give yourself to her, then we shall present your corpse to her as a token of our loyalty!” He swung his beam saber at me, and I instinctively parried with Inferno, surprised to see that it parried his blade. The swords could block energy blades. The swordsman was caught off guard and jumped back.“Ah, the twin blades of fire and ice. My lady spoke of those. This should be interesting.”

We proceeded to duel. He was every bit as skilled as I remembered, and fought well for a man with one arm and sword versus a man with two of each. The other Revenants stayed back and merely watched the fight. At length I was able to plunge both blades into his chest, but he simply laughed and kicked me back.“You cannot harm me, Captain. I have embraced the darkness. I am invincible!” He screamed.“He is not invincible! He does not realize what is lodged in his chest! Quickly, grab hold of the blades and focus on my voice!” The voice had not led me astray yet, so I quickly got to my feet and did as the voice instructed. Without warning, I felt a tremendous surge of power flow through me and out into the swords. The swordsman cried out in pain and began to convulse horribly. At last he burst into blue flame, and crumbled to ash. The swords remained in my hands, gripped tighter than ever.What just happened?“He killed the master!” hissed a Revenant.“Let's make him pay!” Said another. As one, the remaining ten Revenants came at me all at once, spinning their swords about like whirling dervishes. Suddenly outnumbered, I did my best to beat them back. I could not get an attack in edgewise; they came at me so 289

ferociously. I was forced to retreat, to put some distance between us and think of a plan, or at least wait for the voice to speak again. Sure enough, it came.“They are weak! Use the power of both swords!” I raised both and focused on activating both. Suddenly, they flew out of my hands and joined together at the hilt, forming a single double-sided blade.“Behold, the blades' true form, Frostfire! Apart, they are strong, but together, they have the power to destroy the creatures of the Warp!” I tried to respond to the voice.“Who are you? Why are you helping me?”“All will be made clear! Now, you must fight!” I took hold of my newfound weapon. The Revenants rushed out of the dark, and I met them with this new sword, swinging it about like a quarterstaff. I had never used such a weapon before, but it felt like second nature to me. In fact, it felt almost as if the sword acted on its own, fighting of its own volition.

Within minutes, the Revenants lay dead at my feet, their corrupted black blood seeping into the stones beneath them. I walked back towards the torches. Nyssalor stood there, with a warblade protruding from his weapon arm. He looked unimpressed with my victory, but complemented me nonetheless.“You fight well, human. My pawns are not easily dispatched,” he said.“I would say otherwise, Nyssalor.” He saw the weapon I carried, Frostfire, the voice had called it, and made a sound that I thought might be gasp, but I was not sure. He turned towards the throne. Lilith stood there still, clapping.“Well done, Raikiendo! Well done! You've tapped into the true power of the swords! I did not think it possible for a human to do that. Nyssalor, I think you better step aside and let me handle this. He's out of your league now,” she said. Nyssalor scoffed.“I will defeat him, my lady, Warp blade or not!” Lilith shook her head.“Very well, Nyssalor. Dispatch him,” she said. “As you command, my lady!” He charged at me with a mighty thrust from his warblade. I jumped up and over him and plunged Frostfire into his back, causing black blood to seep from the breach in his armor. He roared in pain, grabbed me with his claw arm and tossed me away, then took the sword out and cast it into the darkness. He shook off the blow. 290

“You'll pay for that, vermin. Let's see how good you are without your precious sword...” His sword transformed into a morning star, which he swung at me. I did my best to avoid it, but one of the spikes caught me on the left arm, cutting deep. I winced and took hold of the arm, and looked at the wound. With horror I saw that it was black, and little tendrils started to creep outward from it, causing sending little bolts of pain through my arm. Was it poison? No, this was worse. “What is this?” I said. It throbbed.“Aghh, what did you do to me?” “My weapons tend to have that effect on humans,” Nyssalor laughed maniacally.“Soon that poison will spread to your heart, causing it to stop. Of course, there's a lot of pain between here and there!” Continuing to laugh, he turned and began to walk away from me.So this is how it ends, I thought. I came this far only to be poisoned, to die in the dark. It had all been for naught. The poison crept up into my shoulder. The pain was unbelievable. Not even my faceless guide could help me now.“Do not dispair!” It said.“The poison is one of the mind! You only believe that you are in pain, that you are dying! It is a trick! Fight the illusion!” Could that be true? Maybe she meant that it was neural poison, in which case I was screwed anyway.“It is an illusion! Cease to believe in the poison and it will cease to be!” I tried to stand, and succeeded. “It's a trick, it's an illusion, the pain is in my head...” I repeated this mantra a dozen times until finally, the poison did recede, and even the wound disappeared.“Gods below, it worked.” I crept off into the darkness to try and find my sword. Lilith knew I was still alive and called out to me.“Again you impress me. Not even Nyssallor's mindbane venom could kill you. You are truly worthy of siring my children!” Responding would give away my position, if she was not already aware of that.

Somehow, I managed to stumble across the sword out in the dark. It had stuck in the stone and thus had not slid far. I pried it out and again, went back towards the torches. I knew it wouldn't be over until I slew both of them. When I was in the light, I called out to Nyssalor. 291

“Nyssalor! I survived your little trick. Why don't we cut the bullshit and finish this?” He came out of the dark, again brandishing his axe.“Fine by me,” he said. This was it. I had to land a killing blow before he pulled some other underhanded maneuver. I trusted in the voice and the sword to carry me through.

We charged at each other in one final clash. I leaped into the air like a spring and swung Frostfire as hard as I could. The blow severed Nyssalor's head clean at the neck. His body tumbled to the ground behind me, and his head came to rest at my feet, his eye dimming away into nothingness. Black blood spilled out, staining the carpet and my good boots. Lilith had stopped clapping. Instead, she shook her head.“Oh, I warned him, did I not? Out of his league, I told him. He was a loyal warrior, a good soldier, but he was too self-confident. Tsk, tsk,” she said. She looked up at me.“You continue to surprise me, Raikiendo. My offer still stands, if you would like to reconsider at this final juncture,” she said with a mirthless smile. I glared at her.“You know my answer to that, Lilith,” I replied. She shrugged.“A pity. I will just have to salvage what remains of you after I have destroyed you utterly,” she said. I flourished Frostfire.“What makes you think you'll beat me?” She laughed.“Don't make the same mistake Nyssalor did, Raikiendo! Remember? He thought he could beat you? He couldn't. The same goes for you and me. Submit and I promise you a painless death,” she said.“If I go down, I'm taking you with me,” I told her. “Very well then,” she said, sounding almost disappointed. She clapped her hands together and suddenly, the rest of her body became armored like her legs. Her claw hand remained, though it grew larger. Her face was hidden behind a mask of bone. Without another word, she let out a banshee cry and leaped into the air, coming down on me like a bolt of lightning. This time, I did not dodge, but raised Frostfire to parry her blow. The sword stopped her dead in her tracks. She leaped off of it and came at me again.

So this was it. The final battle would not be between Kojak and I, nor the two opposing space fleets, but here, in the heart of darkness. A duel between a simple space pirate and a witch, a demoness of the Warp. Even with my strengths, I don't think I would have gotten even this far 292

alone. Someone was helping me, even now, granting me split-second insights as to where Lilith would strike next. I sensed it was me who fought her now, not the sword. Frostfire no longer moved by itself, It was I who swung each slash, parried each blow, performed each flourish.

She jumped and executed a double roundhouse kick to the side of my head, knocking me away. Amazingly, I was able to recover and come at her again with a spinning slash. She stabbed at me with her claw, but I parried it and spun around behind her, slashing her across the back. She screamed in pain and whirled around, coming at me with a furious triple slash with her claw.

If the duel with Kojak had been trying, this was the most titanic struggle I had ever participated in. Every fight I had won in my life led up to this. My whole life led up to this moment. I had to win. The fate of all humanity rested on my shoulders. Funny, that was exactly the sort of thing I'd hoped I'd never get mixed up in. This hero business is bad for my health.

She stabbed at me, and this time she connected, plunging the full length of her claw into my stomach. Shit, I thought, just before the pain set in, but the pain never came. Here I was with a half inch of enamel sticking out of my back and I couldn't feel a damn thing. What the hell was going on?“You've lost, Raikiendo. Give my regards to the void.” I found myself able to speak.“I don't think so,” I said, kicking her off of me. As soon as her claw had retracted from me, my wounds healed almost instantaneously. Could the voice have done this? Lilith jumped up to her feet.“You are not human at all!” She said. I shrugged.“To be honest with you, I'm not really sure anymore,” I said. Suddenly, Lilith contorted in pain, unable to move. She screamed in a language I guessed was of the Warp.“Quickly! Strike now! I will not be able to save you again! Strike now or all is lost!” This was it. My phantom benefactor had come through for me one last time. I ran towards Lilith as fast as I could and when I reached Lilith, I swung Frostfire around in a full circle three times, sending her falling to the floor in pieces.

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I turned to gaze on my triumph. The witch was dead, victory was mine. Humanity was free. Melchior got up from his throne and began to shamble down the steps.“Freedom...!” He said, before falling to the ground, crumbling to dust as he fell. Only the cloak and circlet remained.

Then, where there had been silence in my mind, at once it was filled with a raging cacophony. Thousands of thoughts and memories that were not my own flooded in and out of my mind, causing me great pain. I sunk to my knees, clutching my head in pain. After all that, was my head going to explode?

Then, the storm was over as quickly as it had come. “You did it, Raiki,” It was the voice. But it was close. Not in my head. I looked up to see a pale, ghostly figure standing at the foot of the steps. I could not make out the figure, so I moved closer. I realized with a shock that it was Alice. Her hair was longer and she was clad in a loose fitting white robe, but it was definitely her. “Alice...?”“Yes, Raiki. It's me. You've done well.”“What's happening? Are you an angel? Or ghost? Am I dead?”“I am neither, and you are very much alive, Rakiendo, thanks to me, I might add,” She said, giggling.“It was you who spoke to me, guided me through the battles! How is it that you're here, when...”“This is my true form, Raikiendo. The girl you knew was a shell, a poor child who died at the hands of these monsters,” she said, gesturing to the bodies.“What are you?”“The creatures you have slain were beings of the Warp. I once told you that not all Warp entities were hostile, yes?”“I remember.”“I am one such being.”“You're a... what are you?” She giggled.“If you'd call them demons,” She said, gesturing to the fallen creatures,“You might call me a spirit. I am an energy being, able to travel instantly to any place touched by Warp energies. Since there are so few in this universe, I could not make myself visible to you until you arrived here,” she explained. 294

“Then you were trapped in human form? How did that happen?” The spirit sighed. “When the creature you call Lilith first came here, she brought with her a number of servants. One was Lord Nyssalor, whom you have slain. I was another, thought of course not willingly. I was more of a slave. Since I am an energy being, she was forced to bind me to a physical form, that of a young girl. She submitted me to her pet empire's Specter program, made me undergo the most tortuous experiments and tests and then forced me to spy on you. She always felt you were the greatest threat to her,” she said, laughing lightly.“I suppose she was right.”“What will happen to your... shell?” She looked into the distance.“Now that I am free, it will simply fade from existence. The body was an illusion, like Nyssalor's poison. Much of the Warp consists of illusions.”“How do I know I'm not halucinating?”“You're not,” she said, pouting.“What was with all those voices?” She smiled.“Those were the voices of all humankind, Raikiendo! When Lilith came to this universe, her presence as a powerful Warp witch suppressed much of your race's psychic ability. You evolved to a higher state of awareness and never knew of it! Now that she is gone, all humankind is now telepathically linked to one another!” She clasped her hands together.“Just like us! Is it not wondrous?” I blinked.“How come I can't hear them now?” “Unfortunately, my being here is blocking them out. My people emit a sort of aura that nullifies psychic powers in other beings,” she said, frowning.“It is difficult to explain.”“Where will you go? Will we see you again...?” I asked. She smiled.“I'm sure of it. All you have to do is enter the Warp.”“How come we've never met any others of your people?”“We're rather reclusive, but they’ll be more welcoming when I tell them all about you.”I sat down. She giggled.

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“Why don't you sit up there? It's your throne, after all.” I looked up to the jeweled throne, which had grown smaller, plainer.“I don't know if I want it anymore. I've had enough of all this.” She blinked.“But who will rule the kingdom?”“What about my cousin?” She blinked again, then smacked her fist against the opposite palm.“Yes! He could rule! Though, I doubt he knows much more then you do.”“I guess he'll have to appoint a regent. Me, I'm going away.”“Back to Earth?”“Earth. That's what they called it in the old days, right?”“Yes... my father told me of it once,” she said, staring off into the distance.“There's one other thing I want to know,” I said.“What is it?”“Is your name really Alice?” She giggled.“No, my name's really Marlynia.”“Marlynia... I'll try to remember that.” I walked over to her and tried to hug her, but my hands simply passed through her. She blinked, and tears of joy came into her eyes.“You're going to be a father?” I was confused. “You touched me, and that let me see into your mind,” She shrugged, somewhat embarrassed. I made a similar gesture.“That's what Isis told me. She made me promise that I'd come back to her,” I said. She nodded and smiled.“Then I won't keep you here. I'm sure you'll be a great father,” she said. I scratched the back of my head. She asked me to run my hand through her again, and when I did, I felt something, a pulse of energy. It felt like...“Love?” I asked.“The closest thing I can do to a hug,” she said. I smiled.“Goodbye, Raikiendo. I hope we can see each other again soon,” she said.“Bye, Marlynia. I hope so too.”

With a flash, she was gone. I half expected the storm of thoughts to come back, but it was gentler, like a stream. I could pick thoughts out 296

as I wished, and I felt others do it to me. It was true. Not only had I freed all of humankind from the shackles of demonic slavery, I had freed our minds as well. This would be an interesting experience...

I made my way out of the palace. Along the way, I checked inside my jacket to find that the book was still there, and the amulet, as well as something else, a tiny white box that had not been there before. Inside it, was the photo we had taken the first day of our voyage, of myself and the other top crew, and a letter from Marlynia, thanking me for freeing her.

I eventually found my way out of the palace. It was daybreak. The fire of the wreck had long since burned itself out, though black smoke still drifted into the air. I found my crew waiting for me, with a transport, not to mention a significant portion of the capital city's population. They were able to express their gratitude with a single mass thought. Although Raeoran had already adjusted to his mind being a public access computer, Oliver and Akira were less adapted. There would be a few more scuffles between Raeoran and Oliver regarding insults they had left unsaid. No one was happier to see me then Isis. She nearly knocked me over as she ran over to hug me. We held onto each other for dear life, fearing to ever be separated again. Loving thoughts poured from our minds into one another's, saying more than spoken words ever could.

The war was over. The Combine was finished, we had won. The remaining Combine forces surrendered within days. In a month, all the old Star Governments were restored. Queen Isrina was only too happy to get back to her palace on London, with Chaucer at her side. Lady Kinesawa retired to her private estate on Tokyo, but would go on to serve as an advisor to President Shizuka. Omar was happy to take the throne in my place, though he did take my advice and appointed a regent, Vincent Kepler. And the pirates, well, most went their separate ways. Some joined the navies of their native nations; others just took up business as free traders. Crockett got elected President of the Union in a landslide victory, and one of Kronen's younger cousins, a prominent resistance figure, became Chancellor of Deutschland. And me? I decided to take a well-deserved vacation.

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Epilogue – The circle’s completion

“Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in

nature, but every end is a beginning, and under every deep a lower deep opens.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

History moves in cycles. No leader remains in power forever, good or ill. The only constant is humankind itself, and we move in cycles, too. Dark ages and golden ages, wars and peace. Many are hills and valleys of our existence. The Warp is no different. Just as there are humans as evil as any so-called demon, so too does the Warp have benevolent, compassionate beings. And their history is like ours. For every great evil that arises, so too does a hero rise to destroy it, and then the hero goes his own way and the balance is restored; the balance of our universe, the balance of theirs, and the balance between both.

As it turned out, I had picked the right book. Right there, inside the cover, were the exact coordinates to the planet that had given rise to,

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in my opinion, one of the most intriguing species in the universe. They really had it right under their noses all along, the fools.

The Republic gifted us with a brand new battleship, which we named the Setting Sun. Isis gave birth to our first son, Azrael, on the 15th

of September 3051. In the history books, they would call the war we had fought the Liberation War. A liberation not only of the people, but their minds as well. Linked in thought such as we were, we were never far from one another. Even far away, in the depths of Free Space, as the Lawless Region had come to be called, I could hear the galactic leaders as if they were standing next to me. It was this link that held the Coalition together. Formed as an emergency army of the people during the war, it was solidified as a political entity in 3053.

We reached Terra at long last shortly before Azrael was born. It was every bit as beautiful as the books had said; A verdant paradise, with great blue oceans, towering mountains, dense forests and thick jungles, vast deserts and rolling tundras, volcanoes and calderas, tropical islands and arctic wastelands. It had everything and then some. What was most incredible is how the species of the planet had thrived there in the absence of humans. Species that were said to have been on the brink of extinction had multiplied exponentially and the planet's ecosystems had evolved, become more hardy and bountiful in their offerings.

My crew and I landed the Setting Sun in the midst of a vast wintry plain on the largest continent, in a region that had once been a nation called Russia. There, we constructed a small city and began to eke out a simple life as the farmers might have once done, over a millennium ago. This city would be called Eden, after the mythic garden in the Pantheon. History moves in cycles. We had left Eden, gone beyond, seen all that our galaxy had to offer.

Now, we were home again.

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The Black Templar

The Black Templar –Technical ReadoutModified 3032 Grendel-Class Battleship

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c. 3050

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Appendix 1 – A glossary of terms

Age of Isolation: The two-hundred year period of time following the Exodus in which humanity had begun to settle the stars, but remained isolated from one another due to the loss of many ships in transit, as well as the loss of some technologies and much knowledge that would not be regained until the Age of Reconstruction. It was only when humanity invented, or perhaps re-invented means with which to travel and communicate effectively over vast distances in space did the Age of Isolation finally end. Those who had left in the Exodus would not live long enough to see the dream that first drove them into space come to fruition. Four of the Star Nations were also formed during this time, beginning with the Jericho Empire, followed by the Republic of Yamato, Britannia, and Deutschland.

Age of Reconstruction: Considered the last golden age of mankind, the Age of Reconstruction was a period of development and discovery that lasted for over half a millennium, six hundred and twenty years, approximately. It began with the end of the Age of Isolation, when humanity was reunited. Throughout this age, many important discoveries were made, such as the development of laser weaponry and the advent of psychic power through genetic research. It was also during this time that humanity first made contact with other intelligent, space faring species, most notably the peace loving and mechanically skilled Grays. The last of the Star Nations, the United Planets, came into being at this time. The Age of Reconstruction is universally considered to have ended in 3021, when Jericho transformed itself into the Imperial Combine and began its long campaign of conquest.

Alliance of Allied Races: A loose confederation of alien races founded at the same time that the Imperial Combine rose to power. The only tenant of this alliance is that they all agreed to stay out of the bloody affairs of humankind. In the twilight of the Age of Reconstruction, open

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trade took place between several of the colonies and these races. None of the alien races known to humankind have the military power to oppose the Combine, and thus far the Combine have let them be, but most believe that will not last much longer.

Anti-Axial: A term used to describe one's position relative to the galactic center, in this case, in the opposite direction of the galaxy's rotation.

Autopistol: Compact, pistol-sized automatic weapon. A popular low-cost, low-maintenance alternative to laser pistols.

Axial: A term used to describe one's position relative to the galactic center, in this case, In the direction of the galaxy's rotation.

Ballistics: A term used to refer to traditional, projectile based weapons, such as gunpowder-derivative slug throwers or magnetic accelerator weapons, usually used to differentiate them from energy-based weaponry.

Beam sword: A modern form of sword that uses a fusion cell and crystal, much like a laser. However, in this case the energy is projected out as a blade. Beam swords are deadly close combat weapons and the blade of a beam sword can pass through most known metals, though it cannot pass through the blade of another beam sword. Meleé combat is more common in this age, such as in forced boarding actions, and the beam sword is a popular choice for the discerning combatant. It is usually only seen in the hands of very skilled fighters, however, as there is a high potential for self-injury with the weapon, in addition to it's high cost and maintenance to the rarity and fragility of sword-grade crystals.

Blood Rally: The name of one of the galaxy's most popular bloodsports, and the only one still active under the Combine. The Blood Rally is a brutal automotive endurance race involving weapons and various dirty tricks. The sport is highly lethal and most racers do not survive their first season. There is a tremendous amount of money involved. The more you invest in your car, the more you can make if you survive, much less 303

win. The Blood Rally is held primarily on the pirate planet Lagrange, a lawless world beyond the range of Combine patrols.

Boston: Former world in the United Planets. Boston was once a bustling city world, one of the Union's industrial, commercial and residential centers, the lifeblood of that Star Nation driven by wealth. In orbit above Boston, were the famous Boston Shipyards, the center of Union spacecraft production. From the Union Shipyards came such famous vessels as the Gettysburg and the Benjamen Franklin. However, all that was blown away at the beginning of the War of Suppression. Though the Union Navy handed the Combine some of it's greatest military defeats that day, the Combine turned right around and punished them for their efforts. Without even giving the opportunity to surrender, the Combine Navy commenced a merciless nuclear bombing of the planet Boston. Some ten billion lives were snuffed out in an instant, sending a tremendous psychic backlash across the stars, just as the later firebombing of Dresden Prime did. The Combine seized the Boston Shipyards. The following day, the Union government surrendered unconditionally. Today, Boston is so irradiated that its atmosphere can burn through titanium.

Britannia: Former Star Nation conquered by the Combine, made up of people descended from the English, Irish and Scottish. Britannia was known for the fierce will of its people and their Queen, Isrina. Today, much of the underground resistance force's troops are made up of Britannians. In its time, Britannia was known as the most free-spirited of the Star Nations. Britannia had higher immigration rates then any other nation and also, after a time, the most ethnically mixed population. Their troops, called the Regulars, were as skilled as those of any other Star Nation, and they were fiercely loyal to their commanders, the Star Knights. When the Combine conquered Britannia, the Queen and most of her Knights survived, going into hiding. Britannia is the only one of the three conquered nations that maintains a government-in-exile. When it comes time to strike back at the Combine, it is likely that the Star Knights and the Britannia Regulars will make up the bulk of the troops. It is rumored that the pirate lord Charles Kirkland is in fact a Star Knight, ordered by the Queen to rally the brigands of Britannia against 304

their common foe. Queen Isrina, the most outspoken opponent of the Combine, has vowed to reclaim her throne and see the head of the emperor on a pike outside her palace on London.

Broadsides: A unique form of ballistic weapon developed expressly for ship-to-ship battles in space. These heavy, side-mounted cannons fire large, self-propelled explosive shells with considerable force. The shells maintain their velocity through space, are capable of trajectory self-correction, and explode with considerable force on impact. A shaped warhead within each shell ensures that the full force of the explosion is aimed directly at the impacted target, likely penetrating an unshielded target and causing considerable internal damage. To ensure maximum damage inflicted, these guns are usually mounted in sets of between three and eight on the side of a large vessel, giving them their common nickname, a name drawn from this same style of combat in the days of Terran sea pirates.

Cadiz: Independent world within the “Zone of Opposition”. Cadiz is a planet of dense jungles and swamps rife with predatory creatures. The dangerous wildlife and extraordinary humidity make living conditions impossible save in the north polar zone. Cadiz is locked in close geosynchronous orbit with its star, so that the planet’s western hemisphere is always facing it. While the planet’s humidity levels rarely change, it is significantly cooler on the dark side, especially at the north polar zone, which is home to a small free trading colony. The Cadizians, predominantly of Spanish descent, make their living hunting the plentiful game on the warmer side, most notably the famed Cadizian bullhogs, whose meat is considered a delicacy throughout the galaxy. The bullhogs are fiercely territorial and their hides are crystalline in nature, so they reflect laser bolts completely, necessitating the use of high caliber ballistic rifles in order to hunt them. Cadiz is known to host millions of crystal cave structures and geodes beneath its surface. Indeed, many of its plants and animals, like the bullhog, are crystalline. Cadiz would be a goldmine for the laser weapon industry save that the heat and humidity levels wreak havoc on mining equipment. Cadiz’s crystal deposits remain mostly untapped to this day.

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Cloaking device: An advanced form of stealth technology, originally developed by the Combine. A cloaking device, when activated, coats a vehicle or ship with a light and sound wave-bending energy field that renders the ship totally invisible to both the naked eye and sensors. Cloaking devices require enormous amounts of power to function, so generally a cloaking device cannot be used in conjunction with any other high-consumption devices, such as plasma cannons or rail guns. To this day only the Combine produces and widely makes use of cloaking devices, though a few models have been stolen and used by a number of pirate gangs.

Codex Pirata: Also known as the Articles of Piracy, these ancient laws laid down by the first pirates and passed on through the ages detail the necessities and intricacies of being a pirate. All pirates must abide by the code or face severe punishment by the Society. Most pirate captains keep a copy of the Codex in their possession for reference, or else have memorized the key details. Most pirates bend the rules somewhat, with little consequence; a certain amount of deviation is to be expected, so they say. Inevitably there are those who disregard the code completely, acting more the part of murderous thieves then true pirates. Just as the Combine Admiralty looks upon all pirates as scum, so too do the pirates of the code look upon these rogues as such. Most respected of the Articles are those considering the rites of the duel, parley and the intricacies of staking a claim.

Collossium: An extremely durable metallic alloy that consists of titanium and corum, a metal found in most space rocks beyond Terran space. Collossium is typically used in the manufacturing of spacecraft, space stations and military ground vehicles, but is also used in the manufacturing of powered armor and some types of close combat weapons. Due to a galaxy-wide shortage of corum, collossium-forged ships are becoming less common, and are being supplanted by titanium ships, due to the readily available supplies of titanium throughout the galaxy. Titanium ships are less durable, but far less costly.

Comm.: A common abbreviation for commlink, or communications link device. A comm. is a small digital radio that can be worn in various 306

places, such as on the wrist or on the lapel of a shirt or coat, that can send and receive signals to any communications device in range, and also to any linked comms. In this way, a signal from a personal comm. on one planet can be relayed to another practically on the other side of the galaxy. Vehicular, ship-based, and planetary versions exist, capable of sending multiple signals over vast distances. The invention of the comm. system is doubtless what enabled humankind to unite across the stars. If there were ever a widespread failure of the commlink system, it would throw the whole galaxy into chaos.

Coreward: A term used to describe an object's position in the galaxy relative to one's current position, in this case, closer to the galactic center.

Credits: The standardized form of galactic currency, used by all humankind from the Combine to the fringe worlds. Credits are minted as metal coins or plastic cards, in units of five and ten.

Cryopod: Also called stasis pods or tubes. Old technology developed for long distance space travel. A cryopod freezes a human being in suspended animation. The pod can be set to thaw out it's occupant after a certain period has passed or it can be manually opened. Cryopods were designed to preserve the lives of a ship's crew over the many years it would take to travel through real space to another planet. However, the invention of the Warp Drive rendered this technology essentially useless in this regard. However, cryopods found use in medical applications, where it can be used to save a person who is terminally ill or mortally wounded, whereupon doctors can work safely to help the person without the restricting time limit of mortality.

Cybernetics: The modern equivalent of old-world prosthetics. A cybernetic limb or organ is a direct mechanical replacement for a lost organic one. Cybernetic limbs are usually manufactured on a case-by-case basis by doctors certified to do so, so that the replacement matches the original closely or at least is compatible with the person. Cybernetics make use of of special wires that connect themselves to a person's nervous system, enabling the person to feel sensations in the limb and 307

manipulate it as they would have with the original one. Cybernetic organs are less common, and tend to be riskier operations. Replacement livers are fairly common, though replacement lungs and even hearts are not totally unheard of.

Datapads: Small handheld computers that can hold a myriad of data and files, the modern equivalent to old-world PDAs.

Demons: Foul creatures that exist within Warp Space. The fabric of Warp Space does not obey the same laws as our own reality does. Nor does it seem to obey any rules at all save its relative size compared to our reality. However, one strange quality of the Warp is the creatures that live within it. Prior to humanity's psychic evolution, no evidence of such creatures existed... however, once humanity became aware, reports began to be made all across the universe of horrifying, hostile creatures dwelling within the Warp that would occasionally prey on passing ships. People who were supposedly victims of demonic attack were never seen again, nor were their ships most of the time- though such derelicts occasionally turn up in real space. Investigating such wrecks is inadvisable. Humanity took to calling the creatures of the Warp demons, because of their similarities to such creatures of Terran myth. One accepted theory has them as dark parodies of ourselves, or manifestations of the evil that supposedly exists within the souls of all humankind, created by the effects of psychic power on the Warp. Regardless, the vast majority of humankind denies the existence of such beings and the disappearances are attributed to the normal hazards of space travel.

Deutschland Empire: Former Star Nation conquered by the Combine, made up of people descended from the people of central and eastern Europe, primarily Germans. The Empire was known for it's powerful fleets of warships, most of which were appropriated by the Combine, of which many are still in service. The Empire was a martial nation, sporting the majority of the galaxy’s finest military academies and some of the most tenacious troops ever seen. Deutschland was the smallest of the five nations despite its age, and its formation was characterized by a war between the nascent Deutschland military and the forces of a local 308

warlord, Hans Bismarck. Of the three conquered nations, Deutschland was hit the hardest and little remains of their government and military. Former soldiers of Deutschland's army, the Milchstraßenarmee, are nonetheless a common sight throughout the galaxy, finding work as mercenaries, pirates, smugglers and couriers.

Dresden Prime: Former world of the Deutschland Empire, covered with dense alpine forests with several major cities and ports. Dresden Prime was at one time home to the Dresden Militärakademie, one of the most famed military schools in the Galaxy. The planet was utterly leveled during the War of Suppression when Admiral Johnathan Kojak commanded his ships to drop incendiary bombs onto the surface when it's populace refused to surrender to the will of the Combine. This horrid act earned Kojak his nickname “Butcher of Dresden Prime” and is considered the worst of the Combine's attrocities, short of the nuclear holocaust on Boston. Today, Dresden Prime is an ashen wasteland populated by only a few scattered survivors. The totality of the burning has rendered the environment fallow, unable to restore the forests of it's own accord.

EMP: An acronym that stands for Electromagnetic Pulse. An EMP is a burst of electromagnetic energy that disables any electronic equipment in a wide area. Originally, EMP bursts were a side effect of nuclear blasts and could not be created otherwise. Now there are special EMP devices that create this sort of burst expressly. EMP weapons are fairly rare, as they are prohibitively expensive due to the sensitive magnetic coils they incorporate, and the fact that any ship mounting an EMP device must also have magnetic shielding or fall prey to it's own blast. More commonly, a fusion gun can be configured to fire a low intensity burst that causes minimal physical damage, but fries the electronics of whatever the blast impacts.

Empyrean: Independent world within the Zone of Opposition. Empyrean was settled during the Exodus by a mix of peoples from all over ancient Terra, and today the people of the world have no identifiable ethnicity. Empyrean is an idyllic world of forests and oceans that resembles the temperate zones of old Terra. By virtue of chance, 309

many of the world’s original settlers were scientists and researchers, leading to the founding of the Empyrean School of Thought, one of the galaxy’s foremost centers of education and scientific development. Unlike the schools within the conquered star nations, the Empyrean school did not fall prey to the Combine’s nationalization of all educational institutions. Save the Republic’s Hokkaido Institute, the School of Thought is the last remaining such center in the galaxy, and is now the hub of what little development occurs in these dark times. Empyrean has been spared from the flame thus far as it lies on the Republic’s side of the Zone, but how long it remains an independent world remains to be seen.

Fusion reactor: The groundbreaking technology that enabled space travel. Developed just prior to The Exodus, the fusion reactor is one of the oldest technologies still in widespread use. A fusion reactor uses the atomic process of fusion to generate vast amounts of power, sufficient for such demanding machines as starship engines, lasers and Warp Drives. At first, fusion reactors were known for hazardous radiation leaks and devastating overloads, but humanity's determined expansion into space prompted the development of safer, stronger reactors. Today, fusion reactors power everything bigger then small appliances- which rely on rechargeable fusion batteries. The exact origin of fusion reactor technology is unknown, but it is widely believed that the technology was developed on Terra and its advent was what prompted the Exodus.

Fusion weapon: A more powerful, but more dangerous form of energy weapon that relies on unstable fusion gas as ammunition. These weapons fire ovoid or spherical clumps of this gas contained in a thin energy shell. Some of the gas seeps out of the shell as it travels, giving the blast a sort of corona. The shell deteriorates rapidly over time, restricting the effective range of fusion weapons. Ship-based fusion cannons fire much sturdier blasts that can travel considerable distances, though still not as far as a laser bolt can.

Gunblade: A unique form of personal weapon that combines a firearm with a sword. These strange weapons are not seen normally and the few

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that exist were custom-built by their original users. A few have been imbued with properties that cannot be explained by logical science.

Guntai: Japanese for “army.” The Guntai are the mainline ground forces of the Republic. They are rarely employed in full combat operations and serve mostly as a defense force on outlying planets.

Hologram Projector: A form of digital display that uses lights and laser projectors arranged in a loose spherical formation that can display a three-dimensional image without the use of a computer display. A hologram display can show a map, a planet, a ship, or anything so required by it's user.

Imperial Combine: An oppressive, imperialist empire with strong military power and little regard for it's own populace, a pale shadow of the Jericho Empire from which it was born. It is ruled by a shadowy emperor, Melchior the First, who is rarely seen in public and rules through a council of corrupt military officials. The Combine seeks dominion over all known space, and there is little left that stands in their way. Three of the four other Star Nations were conquered by the Combine in the war of suppression. The Combine's ground troops, the Watchmen, are mysterious, brutal soldiers clad in dark blue suits and gas masks. They are engineered, created in genetic laboratories with no identifiable ethic origin. When the Combine unleash the Watchmen upon a world there is usually nothing left afterwards- but surprisingly, this has rarely been done. During the War of Suppression, often the looming shadow of the Combine Navy, led by a cartel of greedy, ruthless Admirals who act almost as an independent entity was enough to bring a planet into line. When it wasn’t, the Combine often utterly destroyed the planet to make an example of it, a warning to other worlds and populations not to resist. The Combine conquered most of the galaxy through fear and maintains its viselike grip through a combination of fear, military force and unrestricted secret experimentation with new technologies- one product is the cloaking device, another is their secret agents, the psychic Specters. Today the Combine controls an empire that spans almost the entire galaxy, save the extreme Rim, the lawless region, and the space controlled by the 311

Republic of Yamato, also on the extreme edge of the galaxy. However, for every world the Combine exerts its dominion over there are numerous others that escape their grasp. Combine propaganda says that their rule is unopposed, when in fact their empire is crumbling, warred upon from within and without by pirates, smugglers, resistance fighters and in general, those who seek a return to more peaceful times. It is because of this that the Combine actively seeks both to conquer the Republic of Yamato, the greatest symbol of resistance, and to unlock the secrets of the galaxy, the discovery of ancient super weapons and the location of Terra among them, in order to secure their dominion over the galaxy.

Jericho Empire: The first and once greatest of the Star Nations, populated initially by people of Arabic and Mediterranean descent. Ruled by a prosperous family that traced its origins to the Caliphs and possessed of vast wealth, diverse culture, thousands of opportunities to prosper and a powerful military, the Jericho Empire was as strong as it was idyllic. In many ways, Jericho was the utopia envisioned by so many in our history but never attained. The seat of Jericho’s power, the planet Nova Judea, was the shining jewel of the galaxy, the closest thing humankind ever had to a second Terra. Alas, it was not to last. All of it was destroyed overnight by the last king of Jericho’s jealous sister, Hulda Kassad, who made a mad bid for power and slew the rest of her family save the king’s only son, Ryu, who fought as best he could, but was forced to flee along with many others as Hulda transformed the utopian Jericho into the nightmarish Imperial Combine. She appointed her son Melchior as emperor and promptly disappeared. All that is known is that Melchior is fulfilling his mother’s wish- to rule the galaxy in her stead.

Kaigun: A Japanese word meaning “navy.” The Kaigun is the Republic of Yamato's primary fighting force, incorporating a small, but powerful fleet of agile warships and a well-trained marine corps whom follow the ancient code of Bushido, the way of the Samurai.

Laser: An acronym that stands for Light Amplification by Simulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers are typically used for mining and combat. 312

Combat-grade lasers channel compressed fusion energy through a special focusing crystal, resulting in coherent bolts that strike with considerable force. Due to the high power outputs of modern ship fusion reactors, most warships mount laser or plasma cannons as their primary armaments to take advantage of that output. The laser bolts themselves can vary in color depending on the color of the focusing crystal, which in turn depends on the planet the crystals were harvested from.

Libro Degli Dei: Italian for “Book of the Gods.” This is the collected scriptures and fables of the Pantheon, equivalent to similar texts of old Terra. The Book is carried by all professed clerics of the Pantheon and contained within its writings is much of the oral and religious history of old Terra, though many of its exact meanings are disguised by flowery language and riddles.

Missiles: Tube-shaped self-propelled projectiles. Today's missiles rely on disposable pulse engines and high explosive warheads. Missiles are employed primarily by larger ships to destroy attacking fighters and bombers or to deter larger vessels.

Necropolis: City world formerly of the Jericho Empire, now an Imperial world. In the earliest days of colonization, Necropolis was a barren, mountainous planet with rich deposits of ore. The colony that would become Jericho established numerous strip mining facilities on the world, and when the planet was exhausted of its resources the entirety of the surface was given over to urban development. At one time, more people lived on Necropolis, then known as Medina, then anywhere else in the empire. However, in 3008 the outbreak of a deadly plague wiped out much of the planet's population. Some people survived and the planet lived on, though much of the surface-wide city was left empty, dead, in a sense, earning the world the name it has today. The survivors taught their descendants to be extremely cautious, to be sparing with money, trust and forgiveness. Where Medina had been a prosperous, friendly environment, Necropolis was a virtual hellhole. The populace herded themselves into controlled “safe-zones” protected by a pseudo-military police force. The rest of the planet was abandoned to large street gangs and destitute survivors who could not make the journey to 313

the safe zones. The lower levels of the city are strictly off limits, due to rumors of the presence of strange creatures, possibly former humans mutated by the plague, but the promise of forgotten ore and lost treasures lures many off-world adventurers to almost certain doom. The rest of the empire essentially forgot about the planet, and the Combine never bothered to send any troops there, deeming it no threat to their control. Today, Necropolis is a festering urban wasteland, an Imperial world in name only.

Nova Judea: One of the first planets colonized by humankind during the Exodus. Settled by a number of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean peoples, Nova Judea became the seat of the first and most powerful of the Star Nations: Jericho. Once, Nova Judea was a shining desert jewel, with towering mountains and vast areas of fertile farmland. When Jericho became the Combine, Nova Judea's light vanished, and it became a dark ball of dust, choked by towering, military-run metropolises that represent the pinnacle of the Combine's tyranny. At the center of Nova Judea's capital city of Jerusalem lies the Imperal Palace, once a beacon of peace and now a bastion of darkness- it is here that Melchior, the shadowy, manipulative emperor lurks.

Ninja: In ancient Japan, there were a number of highly skilled, deadly assassins known as Ninja, whom were trained in the art of Ninjitsu and a variety of other fighting styles. This art has been passed down through the generations and like many Japanese traditions, it carried over into the formation of the Republic of Yamato. Today, Ninjas are covert operations specialists, with psychic capability, schooled in the art of Ninjitsu and employed by the Republic's government to counter the Combine's Specters. Many of the Republic's amazing victories against the Combine are credited to the covert war waged by the Ninja.

Pantheon: Since humankind had the ability to think, it has always attempted to explain things through religion or reason. The diversity of human minds gave birth to an equally diverse range of gods and goddesses, heroes and demons. In the chaos of the Exodus and the Age of Isolation, cultures became blended and interspersed, and with them came the old religions. This intermingling of mythologies broke down 314

all barriers that had once separated them, and many sects of humankind. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and all the other religions from past and present fused into a single collective mass of stories and personas that became known as the Pantheon. Much of this was collected in the Pantheon’s Bible, the Libro Degli Dei. The Pantheon has a sort of clergy made up of wandering priests known as clerics, who are more bards and teachers then true clergymen. There came to be so many deities to honor that it became common practice to simply refer to all of them at once. Some still honor a particular god or goddess above all others, but the majority of humankind owes their faith to the Pantheon as a whole. Among the not so religious, however, this simply resulted in a fusing of previous blasphemy into the catchall phrase, “Gods below!”

Phoenix Cannon: An ancient super weapon of terrifyingly destructive power, created by the old United States at the twilight of their power, before the Exodus. It was subsequently stolen and hidden by the Japanese. The weapon is thought to still exist, but no credible information remains regarding its location. The Combine desperately seek this weapon, believing it to be the key to their final victory.

Pirate Lords: Feared and respected leaders of the pirate gangs. During the Age of Isolation, piracy took hold such as it had not done since the days of wooden ships and iron men. With much of humanity cut off from one another, there was virtually no defense against these roving bands of marauders and no way to strike back at them for their crimes. It was during this lawless age that the ancient pirate order, the Society, resurfaced. The Society commanded the loyalty of the pirate captains and curtailed the activities of their wayward brethren. Those who refused to comply were destroyed utterly. The captains swore to the Society that they would uphold the laws of the Codex Pirata. From then on, the pirates only preyed on cargo convoys and never assaulted worlds directly. When the Combine seized power, however, being a pirate took on a whole new meaning. These brigands, once loathed as the scum of galactic society, suddenly became heroes, crusaders against an oppressive empire. The Society enacted an ancient pirate custom at this time, appointing a pirate lord for each major power from which pirates 315

hailed. There were supposed to have been five, including one for Jericho. But for some reason, perhaps because they could not decide, perhaps because they thought that Jericho was gone forever, no lord was selected. Therefore, four lords were chosen, for the Union, Britannia, Deutschland and Yamato. By the Codex, these four lords would be responsible for keeping their respective brethren in line, and should the need arise, unite them against the Combine. To this day, the four lords command their brethren from the shadows, ordering them to strike only at Combine shipping. This of course has had the side effect of all Yamato looking upon pirates as heroes.

Powered armor: A modern form of personal defense that consists of multi-layered Colossium and an outer energy shield layer. A network of fiber-optic cables allows the wearer to move as if the armor was a second skin. The armor is designed to reflect laser bolts and bullets with ease. The armor requires a small fusion power unit that is traditionally worn on the back or belt.

Pulse weapons: A form of laser weapon that fires many shorter laser bolts in quick succession, rather than a single long bolt as a traditional laser rifle does. Pulse laser rifles are more like the automatic rifles of the pre-Exodus and modern periods. Pulse rifles are more compact then standard laser rifles, making them suitable for widespread use. This has lead to their adoption as the primary weapons of the Combine Watchmen.

Psychics: In the days following colonization, advances in medical science and to a greater extent, unregulated genetic experimentation, led to an unprecedented evolutionary change in much of humanity. Much of the next generation was born with incredible powers that some believed to be magic. The ability to manipulate physical forces and the minds of others became commonplace. People fast learned to hide their powers, lest they be snatched up for analysis. Now, most humans have some degree of psychic power and it is far less mystifying, but no less amazing. Some psychics have considerably more power than others. These are often targets for the Combine's Specter program.

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Railguns: A form of ballistic weapon that uses magnetic acceleration instead of an explosive compound to fire its projectiles. Railguns of course depend on an ammunition supply, but can often bypass energy shields completely, unlike plasma cannons. Several prominent Combine worlds are protected by orbital space platforms, equipped with massive railguns called magnetic accelerator cannons.

Real space: A term used to describe open space in our universe, as opposed to Warp Space.

Republic of Yamato: A small, but economically powerful Star Nation of people descended from the Japanese and various Southeast Asian peoples. The Republic possesses a small, but skillful navy known as the Kaigun and numerous highly trained Ninja commandos. The Republic wages a guerrilla war against the oppressive Combine for their own survival.

Rimward: A term used to describe an object's position relative to one's current position, in this case, closer to the edge of the galaxy.

Robots: A simple term for a mechanical being made to resemble a human. Robots existed before The Exodus, but they were clunking, ungainly machines with limited movement, no creative intelligence and capable of only very simple tasks. After the settling of the planets, however, a number of scientists and technicians took it upon themselves to develop advanced AI. The first self-aware AIs were modeled after the minds of researchers, who, having spent their lives working towards this goal, donated their very brains to the projects. Today, many self aware robots exist, the vast majority of which are programmed not to harm humans. Some robots are designed to be bodyguards, programmed to protect their owners by the best available means, the most well-known type being the famous Alpha Series, in widespread use throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately, just as there are less scrupulous humans, there are robots out there who are not programmed to protect and serve humans... some are out for their own interests, some even act with open hostility towards humans.

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Sepris Hold'em: A popular card game that originated on the planet Sepris Prime. It is similar to the old Terran game known as Texas Hold'em and uses the same cards, though there are a few variations to the rules. The game is played differently in different regions of space and sometimes the variations are such that it becomes a different game.

Sepris Prime: A barren desert world on the very fringe of the galaxy, home only to a few hardy species of creatures, including the predatory Snarkle. Sepris Prime hosts a single large settlement, New Dodge, known as a haven for smugglers and wanderers. Sepris Prime's only other visitors consist of hunters in search of prized Snarkle leather and prospectors hoping to procure some ore from the desert's mineral-rich rocks. Sepris Prime is also home to a population of nomad scavengers, leftovers from the earliest days of colonization. The Sepris Nomads pick over the wasteland ruins for salvage, and are rumored to have vast knowledge of the past. Scattered throughout the deserts are the ruins of massive strip mining facilities, from when Sepris still had much of what is called Sepris steel, an extremely tough metal that could be used in place of titanium in the creation of Collossium alloy. Today, there are but scattered pockets of Sepris steel left-,most of which belong to the Nomads. On occasion, a party of Nomads will journey to New Dodge to exchange the valuable steel for food and supplies. The Nomads are said to be related to the Native American peoples of old Terra.

Sensors: Much like radar, its ancestor, sensors actively scan the area around a ship for other ships and objects. Different sensors use different detection methods. A sensor designed to detect ships would scan for fusion energy residue or signatures, while one designed to detect distant stellar objects would scan for gravitational disturbances. Most ships mount one or two types of sensors, though military vessels are equipped with full sensor suites. It should be noted that sensors can be jammed, bypassed or otherwise evaded through a variety of countermeasures.

Shield Generator: One of the most important developments in the history of warfare, the shield generator projects a tangible energy field around a vehicle, ship or structure, which protects it from any incoming hostile fire. The incredible amounts of power needed to 318

keep this energy field going can only be met by fusion reactors. Shield generators have undergone much tweaking in their history, as technicians have experimented with various forms of energy to find which provides the best possible protection. Today, energy shields are most effective against energy based weapons. The brunt of the damage caused by lasers and plasma bursts is absorbed by the shields. However, ballistic and kinetic weapons are less likely to be intercepted. Thus a shielded vessel is still somewhat susceptible to torpedoes and railguns. Shields are not impregnable; sustained weapons fire, even from energy weapons, can wear them down and eventually cause them to “break.” If a shield “breaks,” it usually causes an energy overload, which makes it difficult to bring back online quickly. This weakness is commonly exploited by naval gunners.

Sigma Francisco: Former world of the United Planets. Francisco is an oceanic world, peppered with archipelagos and few larger islands. It was a major population center of the Union, it's cities built onto and over the large islands, sometimes extending down into the sea. Following the nuclear bombing of Boston, the Union government surrendered unconditionally to the Combine, sparing it's other worlds from their wrath. The Sigma Francisco of today is relatively unchanged, save for the dark Combine military structures now present on several islands. The populace live an oppressed existence, lorded over by the Combine's planetary governor, as on other conquered worlds. There are whispers of resistance, but the movement as yet numbers too few to make any real moves against the military presence on the planet.

Snarkle: A large, lizardlike predator that exists in abundance on the neutral planet of Sepris Prime, on the fringe of the galaxy. Particularly skilled hunters enjoy traveling to this world to hunt these dangerous animals. The tough, leatherlike skin of Snarkles is sometimes used for rugs and upholstery, and as armor on more primitive worlds.

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Standard: The language most commonly spoken throughout the galaxy. Known as English in Terran lore, the language has changed little since then.

Star Charts: A star chart is a three-dimensional map of a region of space contained within a computer and displayed via a screen or hologram projector. Star Charts vary, displaying anything from a single star system to large sectors to the entire galaxy. A ship's navigation computer can incorporate any added charts to create a single map, adding data discovered from sensors as necessary.

Star Nations: The common term for the present day interstellar nations and empires. Most of the nations were conquered by the Imperial Combine, so only the Republic of Yamato remains.

Starships: Space travel is an ancient pursuit of man. From the hydrogen rockets of the 20th century to the modern, fusion powered starships, spacecraft have bore us across the void just as boats carried us across the sea. Starships range from small, one man fighters or personal craft to larger ships like transports and cruisers, up to massive cargo vessels and battleships. Starships are as varied as the people who operate them. A certain degree of style or purpose goes in to each one's construction. Depending on where you go in space, the architecture of local ships will reflect the style and culture of the locals themselves.

Stunsticks: Batons equipped with small electric generators, electrifying the surface of the weapons and drastically enhancing their damage output. Stunsticks are the melee weapons of choice of the Watchmen, with which they beat down dissident citizens and enemy soldiers alike.

Specters: Genetically engineered covert operatives born as psychics, the Combine's fiercest warriors, totally without emotion or mercy. Specters are well-trained, conditioned and equipped to eliminate anything their leaders deem a threat. If Yamato Ninjas were not equally gifted and skilled, the Combine would have picked the Republic apart from within years ago.

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Sub-Warp: A term used to describe travel through “real” space. Typically ships only travel through real space when they are going extremely short distances, such as from a planet's surface to an orbiting space station or natural satellite. Most space-borne weapons also travel in real space.

Terra: The legendary home world of mankind. Terra, known to antiquity as Earth, is said to be a lush, verdant world of varying environments, host to a wide variety of plant and animal species. Knowledge of the planet's location was lost in the chaos of the Exodus, and legend says that thousands of wondrous, powerful artifacts were left behind. Since the beginning of the Age of Reconstruction, when humanity could explore space at will, people of all shapes and sizes from every background have tried to find their way back to our homeworld. It is said that whoever manages to find Terra shall find ultimate power. Thus, the Combine has exhausted many resources trying to locate the planet. Some of those with faith in the Pantheon believe that humanity lost the right to live on such a paradise, and it will never be our fate to find it again. Others believe that we must earn the right to return.

Torpedoes: Much like their seagoing predecessors, modern torpedoes are powerful ship-to-ship weapons that fly through space on fusion engines and carry a powerful explosive warhead. They are usually much larger then missiles and due to their size and cumbersome turning rate, cannot track small, fast moving targets. They work very well against large ships however. It is possible to destroy an incoming torpedo with laser fire, but this requires precise aim and a calm that few gunners possess.

United Planets: Former Star Nation conquered by the Combine, made up of people descended from Americans, Mexicans and Canadians. The Union was known for its skilled ground forces and vast material wealth and extensive manufacturing facilities, now used by the Combine to manufacture their formidable weapons of war. The Union in its time was quite warlike; indeed, the nation was only formed following a ceasefire between two smaller nations that had their origins in the respective 321

Northern and Southern regions of the old United States. In the short time the nation existed, there was much political infighting. Though small chunks of Union military forces survived the War of Suppression, their government was completely wiped out and the survivors are scattered and quickly losing ground. Each day the Combine Navy finds an enclave of Union soldiers and eliminates them. If the Union is to survive, then its soldiers need a leader.

War of Suppression: The decade-long conflict that followed the two-century long Age of Reconstruction. The war signaled the end of Jericho and the rise of the Combine, which systematically swept through the Galaxy, using the former Star Nation's military might to subjugate nearly all of humanity. Only the Republic of Yamato managed to survive the onslaught, though many planets and small communities survive even to this day. Not all were so fortunate- the burning of Dresden Prime and the nuclear holocaust on Boston stand as painful reminders of the war.

Warp Torpedo: A highly specialized variant of the torpedo that uses its own dedicated Warp Drive to travel through Warp Space to a target, drastically shortening the time it takes to get there and preventing enemy turrets, ships and countermeasures from intercepting it.

Warp: Also called Warp Space, the Warp is another dimension, a reality that exists outside of our own. It is smaller then our own universe, and the space within looks like a swirling blue ocean of cosmic energy, rather than the empty black void that characterizes our space. The stars and planets of our universe have reflections in the Warp, as do the creatures that dwell on them. Through the use of a Warp Drive, space ships can enter the Warp, and by traveling through it, traverse enormous distances in minutes to hours, distances that would take hundreds, even thousands of years to cover in “real” space.

Warp Drive: A special device mounted in a spacecraft, which when activated, allows it create a time/space rift through which the ship can enter the Warp. This highly advanced technology is nonetheless

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commonly available, with variants and configurations produced by numerous manufacturers.

Watchmen: The Combine's frontline troops. Clad in dark blue armor, glow-eyed gas masks and wielding pulse rifles and electrified batons, the Watchmen are merciless, brutally efficient soldiers, the symbolic storm troopers of an oppressive regime. Their numbers make them strong, but their lack of emotion and feeling is a weakness that the Combine's strong-willed enemies can exploit.

Zenothium: A rare, highly volatile chemical found on only a few planets in the galaxy. The chemical is known to have uncontrolled mutagenic effects on any living tissue it comes in contact with. Use of the chemical in any application was banned by interplanetary treaty in the days preceding the Combine, but the Combine themselves have had no qualms about experimenting with the chemical and its effects on human tissue.

Zone of Opposition: A buffer region of space that separates the Republic of Yamato from the Imperial Combine. The Zone is somewhat like Terra’s 38th Parallel, both sides patrol the edges of the zone regularly and any crossing of the zone into the other’s territory is met with immediate retribution. Several settled independent worlds lie within the Zone, such as Cadiz and Empyrean. Many pirate gangs have hideouts within the Zone, due to it being one of the few areas left not actively policed by the Combine.

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