Outlaw Star Fan Fiction ❯ Red ❯ macdougal trouble again? ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Hi, I'm Justin. I'm the narrator. I wrote this, the first 'episode' of my Outlaw Star series with several things on my mind. What happened to Gwen Khan? Where could the new location of the Galactic Leyline be? What's so important about Gene's red hair? How would Melfina react if she saw Harry again, knowing too well what happened to him before? What's Earth like that far into the future? How is Gene gonna earn enough money to repay his debts to Fred and Swanzo? What happened to all the minor characters that helped the crew along the way? What will Gene's nickname be? Hopefully, I'll answer all those questions and more in this series. So here it is - episode one of the second season of Outlaw Star, as written by me.
MACDOUGAL TROUBLE AGAIN?
The streets of San Francisco buzzed with life. Everyone was busy with their work, planning for the next day's business. Aircars rocketed up and down the avenues downtown on multi-layered traffic, the automated drivers piloting the best course home. An electronic scaffolding washed windows somewhere near the 350th floor of the interplanetary trade commission building as a Sylgrian businessman awaited the arrival of his taxishuttle on a nearby climate-controlled balcony. He ruffled his blue feathers as his shorter, human, personal assistant accepted a phone call via his cellular earring. Nearly three thousand feet below, a cloaked figure stepped out from his aircar, which then parked itself vertically on the exterior wall of the building.
The shrouded man stepped toward the street as the traffic came to a stop at the intersection. He pulled his hood down to his shoulders and made his way across the obsidian street, his short, candy-apple hair catching a slight breeze. As he stepped onto the cement sidewalk, he scratched at the dark scar across his face, then put his sunglasses on and unclasped his cloak. He came to a door that displayed the name "Gyodo's Grocery" on the door and entered, just as the people on the sidewalk began to crowd the path.
This man is known as Gene Starwind, cofounder of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises and captain of the grappler ship known as the Outlaw Star. Wherever he goes, opportunity is never too far ahead and chaos is never far enough behind. He is rich enough to maintain his small business rather well, but works still to help the common good. This man is what you might call an opportunist.
Since the Outlaw Star and its crew returned from their quest to the Galactic Leyline, Gene and his comrades have made a name for their business. The San Francisco police consider them "law enforcement without a badge". They are marshals of the peace - legalized bounty hunters - although that is not all that they do. They are private investigators, personal bodyguards, a bomb squad, a rescue service, negotiators, personal trainers, a tugboat crew, treasure hunters, conspiracy theorists, and scientists of extraterrestrial archaeology, in addition to being restaurant co-owners. That is quite a résumé, considering that Starwind and Hawking Enterprises consists of only seven minds.
Gene Starwind, whom you have met, is the leader of the business. He makes all the decisions as far as which jobs they take. He stands about six feet tall and has short red hair. His entire body is covered with ill-healed slash-mark scars, making him rather easy to pick out of a lineup. He is a womanizer, even though he is courting the love of his life. Gene knows he's in charge and abuses his authority. He likes the feeling of power. He likes it a lot.
Jim Hawking, the other half of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises, is a kid with tawny hair and a head for numbers. All the accounting for their business is done through him. All transactions, fees, and expenses are continuously updated in his head; nothing gets past his knowledge of business.
Gilliam is the central computer of the Outlaw Star. Without him, nothing would get done. He has a potential for infinite knowledge due to his connections to encyclopedic databases far and wide. If you have a question, ask Gilliam, but be polite… for your own sake.
Melfina is the single most advanced constructed lifeform in historical records. Physically, she IS human, but her mental capabilities far exceed those of any normal person. She can become one with the Outlaw Star's navigation system to advance the ship's flying capabilities. Without her, the Outlaw Star could never leave the ground. The dark-haired Melfina is also an outstanding cook and the most polite person you'll ever meet, unless you meet a Sylgrian.
Fred Lou is the financial support of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises. He has donated more than one million Won to Gene since Gene came into possession of the Outlaw Star. One reason for this is that Fred thinks that Gene is cute.
Aisha Clan-Clan was once a ranking officer in the Ctarl-Ctarl Empire, but was forced to leave after causing problems during her mission to claim the Galactic Leyline for the Ctarl-Ctarl. Like all Ctarl-Ctarl, she is ten times stronger than a human and can transform into a tigerwolf, her strength depending on the fullness of the moon. Aisha closely resembles a human, but is definitely feline in mannerisms and in mind. She has a tendency of losing her temper, but property damage is included in her insurance, so she can usually afford to rebuild what she breaks. Too bad for the insurance company that sold THAT policy.
Twilight Suzuka is trained in the focus of energy. With her wooden sword, she can kill anything that once lived by channeling energies into her attack. Suzuka, with her long dark hair and white kimono, is beautiful and deadly. She has never been in debt and has no plans for being there.
Together, these seven make the single most effective team in the known universe. They are the members of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises. They are the crew of the Outlaw Star.
A dark figure sat on the bench on the street corner, watching every move Gene made. Even in the broad daylight, this man's features were indiscernible under the bill of his hat. When the door shut behind Gene, the traffic of the sidewalk engulfed the sentinel. As the influx subsided, the bench had emptied without a sign of the man that had been there.
OUTLAW STAR
Inside the grocery, Gene reached into his pocket and pulled out the grocery list Melfina had handed him on his way out the door. The list flipped out several times to reveal the entire list.
Gene gawked at the length of it and then squinted at the first item. "She didn't even write that big," he said. He drew his finger along the list, stopping part of the way down. "What on Earth is a kumquat?" he asked himself.
He looked around the store, thinking, I've gotta get someone to help me with this list. He let his head fall back with discouragement just as someone walked by. He opened one eye to look at her as she passed.
Gene's mouth fell open in awe. Wow, he thought. What a woman! She was his height and had the same ruby hair he had. Man, he thought, I can't see her face - his eyes traced her figure - but what a view this is! He shut his mouth to clear his throat.
<ahem>
"Excuse me miss," he said, "could you help me find some of the things on my list?"
Please, please, please…
The woman turned around and Gene's mouth dropped open again. It's like the face of an angel… Gene thought, staring into her cerulean eyes. His eyes shifted from her eyes to her breasts. His mouth dropped some more.
Quickly realizing his appearance, Gene shot to attention, smiling guiltily with his hand extended behind his head. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. He laughed nervously as he said "Hi."
The woman smirked knowingly as she returned the greeting.
Phew! Gene thought. She wasn't offended. Must be my lucky day. As he stopped laughing, he looked at the list. With a confused look on his face, he looked back at the woman. "What's a kumquat?" he asked.
She smiled more broadly. "It's something you won't find in a city store like this," she said.
Gene slouched. "Oh," he said disappointedly. "Thanks anyway." He waved and turned to leave.
There were instantly hands around his bicep. "Wait," the woman said as he turned back toward her. She was smiling. "Aren't you going to ask me where you CAN find it?"
Gene absently asked her. "Where can I find some kumquat?" he said quietly.
"Do you want me to show you?" she asked.
Gene said nothing; he only gawked.
"C'mon!" she said. "I'm parked down the street. We can make it before they close if we hurry!"
Gene blinked as if he was returning from hypnosis. He placed his hand on hers, which were still holding his arm. "Well then," he said. "We should hurry."
OUTLAW STAR
"You're the guy from the ads on TV, aren't you?" the red-haired woman asked Gene as they took the exit ramp out of downtown. "Starwind, right?"
"That's me alright," Gene said, fiddling with the satellite radio, "Captain Gene Starwind of the Outlaw Star -" he looked up and grinned "- the better half of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises."
That should impress her.
"You do all sorts of odd jobs, right?" she asked him, keeping her eyes on traffic.
"Depends on the money involved," Gene said absently. He sat up straight, a light bulb burning in his brain. "Why?" he asked. "You have a job?"
Please have a job, please have a job…
"I would, but I doubt I have enough money…" she said dispiritedly.
Gene frowned and looked out the window. Another light bulb. "We could still try and help if it's not too time consuming," he said, pleased with himself.
She smiled and glanced over at him. "Really?!?"
Gene nodded, smiling.
"Great!" she exclaimed. "Should I fill you in now or what?"
Gene pulled out a business card and handed it to her. "I have people who do that part for me," he said. "Just call that number and ask for Mr. Hawking or Ms. Suzuka."
Obviously ecstatic, the woman beamed as she said "Okay."
You are the MAN, Gene Starwind, Gene thought, smiling confidently. His smile faded. "Oh, yeah," he said. "What's your name?"
"April," she replied, looking over at him. "April Fujihiro."
Gene smiled again. April, he thought. April, April, April… his smile faded. Melfina… He swallowed hard. Gotta stop doing this, Gene. You're a taken man. He sighed and rested his face in his hand. He looked over at what he considered to be a gorgeous woman and sighed again, closing his eyes.
A light rain began to fall on the windshield.
OUTLAW STAR
"What do you MEAN you don't know where he is?" Jim Hawking shouted at the female Ctarl-Ctarl. "He went to the store THREE HOURS AGO!!!"
Jim, Aisha, and Melfina sat in the kitchen of their recently acquired restaurant. Jim held a clipboard tallying the inventory for their opening night.
Aisha put her head on Jim's head. "Calm down," she said contently. "Don't get your diapers in a bunch!"
Jim growled at her as he removed her hand from his hair.
Melfina sat on a stool behind the large stovetops. "Maybe he had car trouble," she said pleasantly. "He's probably on his way right now."
Jim stormed around the kitchen, fuming, scowling. "But three hours without a call!" he yelled. "It's not like Gene at all to leave us hanging like this!"
Aisha snatched Jim up by his shirt collar and began to carry him out of the room. He struggled, shouting "What are you doing, Aisha?!?"
"We're going to go find Gene, of course," Aisha smugly replied.
Jim let his body hang like dead weight in Aisha's hand. "Alright," he said. After a pause, he mumbled, "Can you please put me down now, Aisha?"
Aisha dropped him onto the floor with a thud and sauntered out of the kitchen.
Jim picked himself up and dusted himself off, scowling.
"I'll stay here in case the employees begin to arrive," Melfina said.
"Alright, Mel," Jim said, waving. "See you later."
"Bye," Melfina responded.
OUTLAW STAR
"So where do you think he is, Aisha?" Jim said as he pulled out of the aircar garage.
"Gyodo's," Aisha responded from the passenger seat.
Jim frowned. "Gyodo's doesn't have what we need," he stated. "Why would Gene go there?"
Aisha ruffled Jim's hair. "This IS Gene Starwind we are talking about," she asserted. "He's probably at the closest grocer he could find."
Jim considered the possibility. "You think so?" he asked.
"I know so," Aisha said. "There is no force quite as powerful as Ctarl-Ctarl intuition."
"If you say so," Jim retorted, turning left onto a busier street.
OUTLAW STAR
Steam and scented oils filled the small candlelit room while Suzuka lay on a massage table in the center. Sounds of the surf washing onto a beach played through some unseen audio system. Her robe and sword sat in the corner near the door.
To understand the apparent luxury Suzuka lives in, you must first know that she does jobs independent of Starwind and Hawking Enterprises, allowing her to save more money. Also, she only spends her money when it becomes necessary. She eats only as much as the body needs. That allows her to maintain her body through physical therapy sessions, visits to spas, and personal training.
Lying on a massage table is an activity that Suzuka does weekly. The employees of the beauty salon know her well and enjoy her company. Usually, Suzuka thought, they're here on time.
The door opened.
Speak of the devil…
"Hey," an unfamiliar voice boomed in the small, quiet room. "I'm Trent. I practice in Los Angeles, but sometimes I come here to lend a hand."
He picked up a clipboard as Suzuka glanced at his feet. Something about the style of his shoe struck her as odd. Where have I seen that before?
"Miz Suzuka, I see," Trent said. "An oil massage and a visit to the sauna."
"Yes," Suzuka replied. "Do I know you?" she inquired.
"I don't think so," he replied as he began to massage her upper back. "Have you been to L. A.?"
"No," she replied.
Why do I know that voice?
Trent's plain brown shoes were caked with mud.
Odd…
"I recognize you, too, Miz Suzuka," Trent said. "You're one of those guys that do odd jobs around town aren't you?"
"Yes," Suzuka replied, trying to picture the shoes in her mind.
"Must be good to work with friends," he continued.
A picture of a foe defeated and buried flashed into Suzuka's mind. LEILONG!
She jumped up, wrapping the small towel around her. She looked into his face, recognizing him immediately as the abdicated scout from the Anten Seven. "I thought you were dead!" she shouted frightenedly.
Leilong struck out with his palm, but Suzuka rolled off the table toward the door. Her personal belongings were gone.
"I'm sorry," Leilong said. "This is an ends to a means, Suzuka."
He struck forward with his elbow and Suzuka fell, unconscious. He shouldered Suzuka, draping her robe over her, then slipped through the door.
The candles all flickered out, leaving her sword in a darkened room.
OUTLAW STAR
"I sure hope he's here," Jim said, pulling up on the sidewalk outside of Gyodo's.
Aisha slapped him across the back. "Don't worry," she assured him, opening the door for him. "A Ctarl-Ctarl is never wrong about these things!" She stepped inside after Jim. "In fact, a Ctarl-Ctarl's never wrong about anything!"
Jim, cowering, pulled on Aisha's cape. "Ai-Aisha," he stammered nervously. "I think that maybe Gene's not here anymore. <gulp>"
Aisha opened her eyes to see the entrance of the grocery filled with similarly dressed fighters. Each of them had a black ski mask on.
<meow!>
"What do we do now?!?" Jim cried. "There's like eight of 'em!"
Aisha pushed Jim to the door. "It's nothing that a Ctarl-Ctarl can't handle." She bared her sharpened teeth and growled as her pupils enlarged. She could feel the hair on her body stand on end, and she could feel herself becoming seemingly lighter. Her hair floated above its normal position. Her claws extended in preparation for the attack.
Bring it on!!!
All in one sightless moment, she pounced upon the nearest foe, who didn't know what had hit him. The remaining opponents charged on her at once, surrounding her. She struck out at another one, then another, but these fighters had advanced skills and impressive stamina. She slowed her assault to think. She glanced around the room to see anything she could use as a weapon en masse. Her eyes stopped on the door. The young Mr. Hawking was no longer there. She blinked and her heightened senses again lowered. "Jim?!?" she demanded.
Where are ya, kid?
The seven remaining fighters converged on her and brought her down. One of them pulled out a gun and sedated her with a quick injection into the back of her neck. She struggled, but quickly lost the power to fight. A dark figure wearing a black ballcap approached her, carrying Jim on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said to her. "This won't hurt at all." He laughed and removed the hat, revealing the face of Ron MacDougal. "That is, it won't hurt me." He turned to one of the assailants and gestured for him to step forward. The man removed his mask, revealing a clean-cut, square-jawed face with a head of short brown hair and two true blue eyes.
<meow…>
Aisha fell unconscious just as the man struck down with his fist.
OUTLAW STAR
Melfina sat at a small table in the dining area of the empty restaurant, with her head resting on her folded arms. She lay there, half in sleep, hoping that Gene would come waltzing in through the door at any moment.
Where are you, Gene?
There was a noise from the kitchen. The employee entrance had slammed shut.
"Gene?!?" she called. She stood up and pushed her chair in. The sound of kitchen utensils bouncing off of each other echoed through the dining hall. "Gene," she called again, "is that you?"
Please be you…
She slowly walked to the kitchen. At first, she didn't notice anyone there at all. Then, she saw a figure standing in the shadows near the refrigerators.
"You're not Gene," she said to the figure.
"No, Melfina," it said, "I'm not Gene, but I am someone you love." The figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Harry!" Melfina gasped. "It can't be!"
"It is me," Harry said. "Look closely and you will know it to be true."
Harry no longer appeared robotic at all. His body was restored to its original condition. "But you're dead!" Melfina said. "This isn't really you!"
"My body died at the Galactic Leyline," Harry said, stepping forward. Melfina stepped back from him. "Don't be afraid, Melfina," Harry said to her. "In mind and spirit, I AM the Harry MacDougal you love."
"No," Melfina breathed, on the verge of tears.
"When I was mostly robotic, I took it upon myself to create a digital copy of my mind and memories," Harry said. "When I died, the file of my memory opened itself, with every memory up to my leaving the Shangri-La," he continued. "I AM me, Melfina."
Melfina shook her head as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Now I exist as a computer program," Harry proceed to explain. "I can be transferred from this body to the Shangri-La when I return. If this body is destroyed, others will be waiting, ready for the most recent copy of my mind to be installed. There is always a copy that will exist." He stepped forward again. "I am immortal, Melfina."
Harry continued to approach Melfina until he could embrace her. She let her face rest on his chest. "I missed you, Melfina," Harry whispered, gently placing his hand in her hair. She held on to him, crying. "My brother and I need your help," he said.
Melfina looked into Harry's eyes. He smiled warmly and kissed her forehead. She hugged him closely and closed her eyes.
OUTLAW STAR
Jim rubbed the lump on the back of his head as he sat up straight against the wall of his cell.
What happened?
The last thing he remembered was… the face of Ron MacDougal.
He stood up quickly, placing his head against the cold steel bars in an attempt to look out to the hall.
Not this again…
The MacDougal brothers had been their greatest adversary since they had first met each other. Ron, the older brother, had had something to do with the murder of Gene's father many years ago. They were later employed by the Kei Pirates to kidnap Melfina and bring her to the Galactic Leyline, where she would be used as the key to the universes most advanced encyclopedia and all-giving force. In the process, Harry, the younger brother, became unholily infatuated with Melfina and turned against the Anten Seven and the Kei Pirates to save her. To the end, however, Gene had been mortal enemies with Ron.
There was only one thing that Jim could think. They have Gene, too…
He plopped down against the bars. "This really stinks," he said.
"Jim," he heard Aisha whisper, "is that you?"
"Quiet!" a voice yelled. "Ron has ordered me to not let you three speak."
"Oh, yeah?!?" Aisha yelled. "You're all big and bad when I'm sedated or behind bars! Why don't you let me out and face me one-on-one, now that I've got my fighting strength back?"
"Injuring my hostages is not one of my orders," the man said.
Jim shuffled across to the far corner of the cell and pressed his cheek against the bars so that he might see the sentry. A tall, thin, muscular figure with short brown hair had his back to Jim. Jim could also see Aisha in a cell on the far side of the room.
"Injuring ME?!?" Aisha declared. "You couldn't touch me!"
"I'm not going to touch you," the man said, "so don't worry about it."
Aisha laughed. "I'll bet any money you're just afraid to take on a Ctarl-Ctarl like me," she taunted. She got down on all fours so she could look at his face, which he had turned to the floor. "Aren't you?"
He gave her a cold look and walked away toward a third cell. "Remain silent," he said. "You may still be able to leave when Ron acquires the girl."
"You mean Melfina," Jim said.
The man looked up at him.
"She's special, you know," Jim continued. "It seems like there's always someone after her."
"I know she's special," the man said. "Else Ron wouldn't want her."
This guy's just following orders …
"Why are you working for MacDougal?" Jim questioned.
The man closed his eyes and leaned against the empty cell, showing no emotion. "I must," he stated.
OUTLAW STAR
In a fourth cell on the end opposite Aisha, Suzuka had been sitting in silence. Now fully clothed, but still without her sword, she thought only of Melfina's welfare. She is a key to a dangerous knowledge, she thought. We can't let that knowledge into the wrong hands like with Hazanko.
Ron stepped into the room. Suzuka leaned further into the shadow to hide her face. With Ron were several of his lackeys, and Leilong.
Their guard paced militaristically toward Ron.
"Did they behave, Helper?" Ron asked the guard.
"Well enough, sir," Helper responded.
Helper? What kind of a name is that?
"You can go shut down if you'd like, Helper," Ron said. You aren't needed as long as our guests are in their cells.
Helper nodded, bowed and left.
He's a -
"I get it!" Aisha shouted. "He's an android! No wonder his punch actually hurt!"
Ron turned to her cell. "He's no android," he informed her, "he's much more special than that. It's good that I've rendered him incapable of realizing so, or he might turn on me." He leaned toward the cell. "How are these bars, Ctarl-Ctarl?" He grinned. He tapped them with his robotic right hand.
Aisha growled, but stared at the hand.
Ron looked at it. "Oh, I see you've seen my gift," he said. "Your friend Gene gave this to me the last time we met." He clenched and unclenched my hand, looking at Jim and Suzuka. "It was my Caster hand. When the Shangri-La picked me up, the hand was lifeless - the result of a close call with a number nine Caster shot. I had it replaced when we returned to Sentinel."
We? Suzuka thought. Harry?
"How is Gene?" Ron asked Suzuka. "So far he's eluded us…"
Suzuka was relieved, but it didn't show on her shadowy face.
"You don't have Gene yet?!?" Jim shouted. "That's great!"
Ron swiftly stepped over to Jim's cell. "NO!" he yelled. "IT ISN'T!!!"
"It is for Gene," Suzuka said smoothly.
Ron looked at her and smiled. "I suppose you are right, Ms. Suzuka," he said, "but it is very bad for you." He faced her and looked her in the eye. "I have come to Earth for two things," he said calmly. "The girl, Melfina," he paused "and Gene Starwind's shooting hand on a platter." Raising his voice, he continued, "And I will kill one of you every hour until I have both!"
He straightened his jacket and adjusted his collar, clearing his throat. "My brother undoubtedly has the former prize by now. It's up to everyone's hero to show up with the other." He walked toward the door. "Leilong," he said, "kill our young Master James in one hour, will you?"
"Yes, sir," Leilong audibly replied.
"Zeke, Crow," Ron said to two dark-haired men, "stay here. The rest of you -" he gestured for them to come with him.
As they left, Jim shook with fear, his eyes watering.
Suzuka sat silently in her cell. Gene, she thought, where are you?
Leilong frowned as he watched Jim quake.
OUTLAW STAR
"Listen, April, I'm flattered, but I'm not interested."
Gene was pleading with the buxom redhead in an apartment. She had taken him there instead of to the store.
Is this Gene Starwind talking? he pondered. What happened to the guy I was a year ago back on Sentinel?
"Come on, Gene," April flirted, "I knew from the start that you wanted me. What's different now? Would you rather we did this at your place?"
"No, here's fine," Gene said quickly, before he could catch his words. "I mean, it would be no different at my place. I'm just not interested, okay?"
"Are you playing hard to get?" April asked as she grinned widely. "If you want, I could be the cop and you could be the robber, and I could chase you."
Gene thought about it. "No thanks," he said as he backed into some furniture. "Role-playing isn't my thing."
April stepped up to him and gave him a shove. He fell back onto the sofa and she climbed on top of him as he started to scoot away. "Listen, lady," he said. "I've gotta have those groceries to my cooks in like two hours or my restaurant won't open in time."
She paid no attention as she untucked his shirt.
"Hey," he shouted. "Stop that."
"Come with me to bed," she said.
Now Gene had his eyes clenched shut, grimacing, pretending it wasn't happening.
I promise to be a good boy. I promise to be a good boy. I promise to…
She was off of him, but his hand was in hers. He looked up at her shadowed face.
"C'mon," she said.
Gene stood up and followed her into a different room.
Stupid…
He laid down on the bed and she laid on top of him, kissing his neck, placing his hands against the metal bars of the headboard.
Gene made no real effort of participation. This better be over in a hurry…
<click>
Gene opened his eyes to find April standing at the foot of the bed. His hands were handcuffed to the bed. "What the -?"
"Stay put," April said. "I have a phone call to make." She began to walk away. "That wasn't as easy as he told me it would be," she said.
Gene frowned. "What?!?" he shouted. "He who?"
He could hear the phone dial the number. April stuck her head in the door. "Try to be quiet," she said. "this is kind of important." Then she was gone.
Gene tried to see through the door, but couldn't arc his head far enough. He gave a sigh of failure and laid his head down on the pillow, trying to get comfortable.
Don't worry, he thought. This is better than what you THOUGHT was gonna happen.
OUTLAW STAR
<beep-beep> <beep-beep>
Leilong reached into his pocket and pulled out something the size of a ballpoint pen. He pulled a cord out of one end and placed the round ball on the end in his ear as it beeped again. He flipped out the other end and talked quietly into it.
"Hello," he said.
"Hey boss," Crow called to him from the other side of the room. "Who is it?"
Leilong waved his hand at Crow to silence him.
"Gene's safe," came the response on the phone.
"Good," Leilong said. He flipped up the end of the phone and let the cord wind its way back into place. Returning it to his pocket, he thought, Let's get this show started.
"Was that the big boss with the order to scrub little baby boy over there out?" Crow said.
Leilong nodded as he reached for the keys.
1… 2… 3…
He threw the keys in Crow's face so hard that they cracked his eye socket. Faster than Zeke could look up, Leilong had already fired two shots. Leilong's companions lay dead.
I'm sorry guys… but that's the way life goes when you have a black heart.
He stepped over to Crow's body. He lifted the keys from the ground. A little chink in the key ring showed that the bullet had deflected off of the keys in their descent before passing into Crow's heart.
Now THAT'S a souvenir.
He unlocked Suzuka and passed her the keys. She unlocked Aisha, who was still gawking at the situation. "I thought he was supposed to be the bad guy," she stammered.
Suzuka unlocked Jim's cell. He had been rolled up in the fetal position, crying like a newborn, but had sat up straight when he realized that the gunshots weren't intended for him. He leapt into Suzuka's arms and squeezed, happy to be alive.
"Suzuka," he whimpered. "I thought…"
"I know," she said, stroking his hair and lifting him up.
"C'mon," Leilong said. "We should hurry if we want another 'Helper'."
Aisha frowned. "Does he mean…"
Suzuka yanked Aisha out of the room as they followed Leilong toward Ron Macdougal's loyal Helper.
OUTLAW STAR
"But I thought he was a bad guy!" Jim quietly exclaimed. "Why do we want him?"
Leilong stopped and put his hands on Jim's shoulders, then crouched to look Jim in the eye. "No, Jim, he's one of us." He looked to where Suzuka and Aisha were standing. "He just doesn't know it," he continued, then looked back at Jim. "He was the life's work of Professor Gwen Khan before Khan stumbled across the Grave of the Dragon. He's a cyborg that can manipulate his genetic material when provoked, or in this case - when told."
"Manipulate?" Aisha asked. "How does he do that?"
"He controls his cell growth and can manipulate the sequence of his DNA," Leilong explained. "He uses his old cells to morph into something new, as long as that 'something' is stored in his brain. His skeleton was engineered to expand and contract to duplicate different bone structures." He stood up and raised his right index finger into the air. "With one finger, he can take a genetic sample," he continued. "He's done it to me, and to the two of you." He pointed to Suzuka and Aisha. "That means that he could literally become any one of us."
"Whoa…" Jim breathed.
"Freaky!" Aisha exclaimed. "That means he could go around causing trouble in my body and make me look destructive."
Suzuka quickly replied, "He wouldn't have to do much. You've already done quite enough to make you seem destructive."
"Oh yeah…" Aisha said. "I guess you're right about that, Suzu."
Suzuka sighed.
Leilong grinned. "Anyway," he went on, "Helper isn't this thing's name. It chose the name 'Eldred' and wrote the DNA for the body you see. That body is more durable than any born from a mother and father - even more durable than mine." He paused, raising the finger again. "Plus, with that same finger, he can absorb liquid matter and microscopic solids to increase his muscle mass. All he really needs is some water, but that's a time consuming process that we cannot allow him to use."
"Wait a minute," Jim said. "what I don't get is - why is he a bad guy in the first place?"
"He was protecting Melfina from Hazanko by working covert ops in the Anten Seven," Leilong explained. "Plus, he did it to save a friend. Eventually, he challenged me and intentionally lost. Only I knew that he really wasn't dead because only I knew that he wasn't human. I jettisoned him into space. I was later told by MacDougal that Eldred had been badly injured in space. By the time some vagrant Outlaw picked him up, he was unable to do much. They repaired him and decided to sell him to MacDougal. MacDougal made sure that the used space of Eldred's Personality and Memory Board was disconnected so that an obedient drone would be created. After MacDougal returned from the Galactic Leyline, I came to him, having learned Eldred's fate. I was hoping to find him well enough to convince him to leave, but he remembered nothing. He didn't appear interested in learning, either. MacDougal must've somehow programmed him to only respond to orders from him or his brother. He will answer questions, but doesn't learn from them. He just gives flat responses like an old Microsoft operating system."
"Microsoft," Jim asked. "What's that?"
"Nothing important," Leilong answered. "We need to focus on shutting Eldred down so we can repair him."
"How are we gonna do that?" Aisha asked.
Leilong, appearing quite disappointed, shrugged.
Jim sat down to think. "Do you have any idea whether a verbal command shuts him down like Melfina?"
"No," Leilong replied. "That was something specific to the Leyline Project."
"Then a button?" Jim asked.
"I'm assuming," Leilong said. "But I have no clue where." He stopped to think. "Somewhere in here are his blueprints."
Jim looked up. "That's great!" he shouted. "I can read any blueprints!"
"Well, let's find them, then," Aisha stated matter-of-factly.
Leilong led them further down the hall.
"I have another question," Jim said. "How did a guy like MacDougal get a place this big on Earth at such short notice with his track record?"
Leilong smiled. "That's a good question," he replied, opening a door.
They continued on and the hall was silent again.
OUTLAW STAR
Gene lay silently with his eyes shut, thinking.
What have you gotten yourself into THIS time, Gene Starwind? A pretty face with a hot body comes along and you end up chained to her bed! What were you thinking?!?
He listened to the silence for awhile.
"I know what I was thinking," Gene said to himself, closing his eyes in scorn. "Maybe if I started thinking with my heart instead of my -"
"Are you hungry?" April called to him. "I feel like I'm being mean to you."
"Oh yeah?" Gene returned. "You think?"
April now stood in the doorway. "You probably won't believe me," she said, "but I'm actually protecting you."
"That's what the cops on Sentinel always used to say," Gene retorted. He looked at her silhouette and squinted. "That brings up an interesting point," he said to her. "The law here on Earth is a lot tighter than anywhere else. You could serve time for this."
April strolled over to the bed and sat down beside him. "If I get caught," she said, and paused, "but I don't think I need to worry about that."
"Oh yeah, and why not?" Gene asked.
"Because the law tends to stray away from important people like us," April told him with a smile.
Gene stared at his two guns on the endtable. He looked up at her, asking "What makes you so important?"
April looked Gene in the eye.
What's she lookin' at? Is she hiding something? Alright, Gene Starwind, play it cool and she'll tell all…
She smiled. "I guess I can tell you now," she said. "The MacDougals are here after Melfina, but they won't leave until you show up to confront Ron."
Gene turned away. I've gotta go get her! If Mel's in danger…
"The reason you're here and not there is that we already have help on the inside," April continued, watching Gene's distress. He looked up to her.
"I should be there," he insisted. "No one should be saving Mel but me!" He turned away again. "What about the others?" he asked.
"They are safe," April said. "They're working with my partner to save our friends."
"Our friends?" Gene asked, looking her in the eye. "MacDougal has a friend of yours too?"
April nodded. "He grew and learned with me back home," she said, a tear dropping from the corner of her eye. "He saved me from the Kei Pirates two years ago. When I found out he was still alive…"
"Who is he?" Gene asked. "And what do you have to do with the Kei Pirates?"
"He is the only one I ever loved," she said. "When my parents died and my uncle took me in, he was there with me. Back then he didn't have much of a personality, but my uncle worked with that." She turned away, another tear trailing down her cheek. "He was all my uncle cared about."
Gene rolled toward her some to comfort her. She looked at him as she wiped her nose and smiled. Putting the tissue away, she pulled out a key and undid the handcuffs. Gene sat up onto the edge of the bed beside her.
"As I grew, so did he," she said. "My uncle would tinker and build…"
Gene frowned. "Tinker and build?"
April looked at him. "Oh," she said. "I didn't tell you. I'm sorry. You see, Eldred isn't human. Back then he was just a robot, but he became so much more. He learned to care and to want, and eventually he constructed himself a human body. But when the Kei pirates showed up, Uncle dropped all of his work with Eldred to start with the 'Leyline Project'."
Gene shot to attention, standing up. "Leyline project?!?" he cried. "You mean, your uncle is…"
April smiled. "Professor Gwen Khan," she said with a you-figured-it-out attitude.
"But I thought you said your name was -"
"Fujihiro, I know," she said. "I just made that up as I was talking to you. I didn't want you to start asking questions before I could explain the situation. My real last name is Khan."
"So, this guy's like a friend to you?" Gene asked.
"More than that," she responded. "We were in love."
Gene thought for a bit. "Isn't he like a cousin to you?" he asked.
April smiled. "Not really," she said.
But he is Melfina's brother, Gene thought. Sorta.
There was a crash in the front room. Gene's hand grabbed for his Caster as he loaded a Number Fifteen Shell. He stepped to an area of the wall beside the door, pulling April with him.
Two voices, he thought. Three sets of feet…
With the pistol, he fired a shot into the room. A soft thud resounded as a body fell to the floor. Guns fired at the door, then silence. Over his heavy breathing, Gene heard a whisper.
What are they saying? he thought. Hold your breath.
As he held his breath, the soft murmur became clear.
"Padua-sanfa, padua-sanfa, padua -"
Oh shit!
OUTLAW STAR
"Don't you think that someone knows that we've escaped?" Jim asked as Leilong poked his head into a room.
"Probably, Jim," Leilong said, shutting the door. "We've gotta hurry. The guy we're looking for is probably looking for us by now."
He opened another door, smiled, and went in. "This is it," he said.
They entered the small office and turned on the light. Leilong pulled on a desk drawer, yanking it out and breaking the lock.
"Showoff…" Aisha mumbled.
Leilong cleared the desk and spread the blueprints out. Jim climbed on top of the desk to get a better look. He got down on his hands and knees, scouring the paper for any sign of an on/off switch. "Here!" he shouted, pointing at the left armpit. "It's inside his armpit at the bone."
"At the bone?!?" Aisha shouted. "How are we supposed to get at it there?"
Leilong held up his hand to silence her.
Footsteps in the hallway…
"There," someone shouted outside, "Dr. Han's office!"
Leilong, Aisha, and Suzuka stormed out of the room. In the hall, they found their next goal. Eldred stood there with five lackeys. At once he pounced at Leilong, but all three of the heroes were there to pounce back. Swordless, Suzuka concentrated on the energies of her hands as she struck down on Eldred's neck. Leilong's fists cracked hard against Eldred's metallic jaw. Roaring, Aisha scratched against the armpit, tearing the constructed skin apart. Eldred's fist landed hard in Leilong's gut. Saliva flew from Leilong's mouth. The four fell apart as the lackeys began their approach.
Leilong staggered backward, staring at the cut on Eldred's shoulder. Slowly, it closed up, leaving only the blood to show the wound. Eldred wiped the blood away, revealing the new skin beneath. Leilong caught his breath and pulled out the pistol, shooting down two of the lackeys before the click of the gun told him he was out of ammo. He tossed the gun aside and pounced at a third. By the time the body hit the floor, Aisha and Suzuka had dropped the other two.
Eldred struck at Leilong's head, sending him flying down the hall to skid face-first on the cold metal floor. Suzuka pounced and wind pushed Eldred back several centimeters. Her fist found itself deep in Eldred's gut. She looked up into his eyes, feeling the warm blood flow from the wound. Eldred simply reached up and held her head with both hands, then threw her head-first into the nearest wall.
Aisha had been standing still, letting her blood boil. She could feel her Ctarl-Ctarl lineage give her power as the Moon shone down on the ground outside. She quickly turned into a large white tiger with long, dark ears. Her clothing was ripped apart as she transformed into the beast. Her cape billowed, minute in comparison to the new form of its wearer.
Eldred was focusing on healing the wound. As it became healed, he looked up, just as Aisha pounced. He went flying with her on top as she sank her teeth into his shoulder, ripping flesh from metal. With that arm, he struck upward at Aisha's jaw. Her head snapped backward. She shook it off and looked down at him as he pulled back again to strike. The second blow struck her in the eye. Half-blinded, she stepped back.
Eldred stood as his shoulder tried to heal. The bleeding stopped and skin healed over despite the obvious lack of muscle mass. He stepped forward toward the beast as she pounced again. Swift as lightning, Eldred dodged her bite and crippled her other eye with his fist. She screamed an awful beast-scream as she thudded against the floor. He pounced on her, sinking his right index finger into Aisha's back. Like magic, his shoulder reformed to its original proportion. He removed his finger, leaving a massive wound in Aisha's back.
As he stood, Aisha de-transformed to her normal body, her choker and cape all to keep her warm.
Eldred looked at his allies. He stooped to check the pulse of one that lay nearby.
<BLAM!>
His shoulder short-circuited and he fell forward onto the lackey's crippled body.
Jim Hawking stood alone in a crowded hall, pistol in hand.
OUTLAW STAR
Gene fired the #15 into the other room and dragged April to the floor. Bright lights filled the room as it burst into flames. April and Gene staggered to their feet and jumped out the window. Their bodies froze in midair as the chant grew louder. Gene stared into space, unable to move or speak.
"Padua-sanfa, padua-sanfa, PADUA-SANFA!!!"
A single figure emerged from the wreckage of the burning building. Despite the light from the flames, the Tao master's features were hidden in the pitch-black folds of the robe it wore. It levitated toward the space where Gene hung frozen in air. A long sleeve of the cloak reached out to touch Gene's hair, then April's.
"Two for the price of one," the dry, genderless voice hummed. "Padua-sanfa, padua-sanfa, padua-sanfa, padua-sanfa…"
There was a bright flash and all that remained was the burning building.
Gene's Caster dropped to the ground.
OUTLAW STAR
Leilong sat up from his position sprawled on the floor. He looked around to see his new comrades sitting together down the hall. Jim was staring at something on the floor. Aisha, badly injured, lay unconscious across Suzuka's lap. Suzuka had been trying to focus her energy into the wound in Aisha's back, but looked up at Leilong as he stood.
"I thought you were dead," she said in astonishment.
Leilong popped the vertebra in his neck. "So did I," he said, looking down at Eldred. "We got him?"
"You can thank Jim," Suzuka said.
"All it takes is a little ingenuity!" Jim proudly boasted, giving a thumbs-up.
Leilong ruffled Jim's hair. "Congratulations, kid," he said. "If only Gene could be here to see your victory."
"That's where you're wrong, Leilong," Jim replied. "If Gene was here, nobody would've gotten hurt. It would've been him who woulda put the bullet in this guys armpit."
Leilong smiled. "I guess you're right," he said.
Jim traced his finger along the blueprints he had spread across the floor. "I can't figure this guy out!" he shouted. "These blueprints suck!"
Leilong shouldered the hulking Eldred like he was a small child. "Don't worry about that now," he said. "We've gotta find Melfina."
Suzuka stood, with Aisha in her arms. Jim rolled up the blueprints and stuffed them in his jacket. "Right!" he shouted. "Let's go!"
Leilong plucked a gun off of a nearby lackey, then hastily paced down the hall with the others in his wake.
OUTLAW STAR
April awoke to pitch-darkness. A slow metallic hum told her she was in a spaceship.
Where am I?
She felt around on the cold metallic floor until her hand came to a wall, then followed the wall to an opening. Steel bars greeted her fingers. She felt around on the floor on the other side of the bars until she felt something solid.
A boot?
It moved. Se shrieked and slid backwards in the cell.
A cruel laugh started from the other side of the bars. The dry, genderless voice from her house began to speak again. "Do I scare you, woman with red hair?"
April shivered. "Who are you?" she asked weakly, scared. "Why is it so dark?"
"My name is not important," came the voice. "Just know that I am the most powerful Tao Master that still lives today. I am older than you can imagine, and could buy a planet such as Earth at a moment's notice." The voice paused. "It is dark because I like it."
"Are you a man?"
"To be a man, I must first be human," the voice said. "I am human. To be a man, I must also be male. I am male. To be a man, I must be mortal. I am immortal. I am not a man."
"Why did you kidnap me?" April asked.
"To settle my debt to a weaker being," he answered.
"Who?"
"A subordinate in the Kei ranks who saved my life when I was young," the answer came. "Not that it should matter to you."
"Why me?"
"That is not an answer I can give," the voice responded. "You will need to speak with my friend to acquire that answer."
April heard the movement of her captor's cloak. "Where's Gene?" she asked.
Silence was her only answer.
"Well?" she whispered, coming closer to the bars. She listened carefully. ""Are you still there?"
She felt around on the other side of the floor, this time without finding a boot.
A million thoughts were flowing through her mind. How powerful is he really? What did he do to Gene? Did Leilong save Eldred? Does this have anything to do with Melfina?
Why does this Kei soldier want me?
OUTLAW STAR
Leilong stopped by a pair of large double doors. "They're right through here," he said, setting Eldred down. "On three."
Suzuka set Aisha down beside Eldred and began to prepare to pounce through the door. She nodded, raising her hands for the attack.
Leilong put his hand on the doorknob. "One," he whispered. "Two." His hand was on his gun now. "Three."
The pair busted through the door. The large room they entered was silent. A computer hummed softly on the other side of the room. Leilong searched the small rooms that were connected to the large one. Suzuka glanced around, looking for clues.
"No, Aisha!" Jim hollered from the hall.
Aisha poked her head through the doorway. "What's goin' on?" she asked. "I thought that those guys were supposed to be in here."
"They were," Leilong said. "I guess they ran when they figured out I turned on them."
"And just left Eldred behind?" Jim asked.
"They don't care about him," Leilong replied. "He's just a thing to them, and not a very important one."
Suzuka turned on the monitor of the computer. As the plasma display became clear, Suzuka frowned.
Kei pirates?
"What is it?" Leilong asked, strolling toward her.
What are they doing here? Suzuka thought. Then it came to her. Melfina. That's why the MacDougals ran.
"Come on," she said. "We have to get to the ship." She left the room, assisting Aisha toward the exit.
"But how are we gonna fly it without Mel and Gene?!?" Jim shouted as they left. "It's impossible!"
Leilong looked at Jim from his position in front of the computer. "Nothing's impossible, Jim," he said. "There are always alternatives."
He left the way he came.
"What alternatives?" Jim asked as he left. There was a long pause. "Of course!" he shouted from the hall. "That's perfect! But that means I've gotta work hard between here and the spaceport!"
OUTLAW STAR
"But that's a Kei pirate!!!" the helmsman Leo shouted aboard the Shangri-La. "No way am I attacking him!"
Ron began to chuckle. "I don't think you understand," he said, reaching into his cloak. "I gave you an order." He pulled out his Caster staff with his cyborg hand.
Leo stepped back and fell into his seat.
"Do you wanna die, Leo?" Ron asked, charging the shell.
Leo stared down the glowing barrel of the weapon. "Hey, don't get me wrong," he said defensively. "I'm always up for a good fight. No way would I pass this up!"
The Caster dimmed and Ron put it away. "That's better," he said, sitting in his chair. "I've lost enough men today. It would be such a shame to lose the last one I have left."
Gonna lose your own life, goin' up against a Kei pirate, Leo thought. I like this job, but you couldn't pay me enough to want to do what I'm doin' now.
"Are we ready for departure, little brother?" Ron asked.
"All systems green," Harry replied from his control center. "Is Melfina safely buckled in?"
"Don't worry about her," Ron said. "She's as safe as can be, given the situation."
"Then everything's definitely green for go," Harry said. "Here we go."
OUTLAW STAR
"There's the spaceport," Leilong said from the wheel of a MacDougal airvan. "And sure enough, there goes the Shangri-La."
"My back kinda hurts, guys," Aisha said. "I don't think we should wake that guy up just yet. He might go nuts and blow us all to smithereens."
Jim looked up and stared at Aisha through his magnifying spectacle. "Give me a little credit, Aisha," he shouted. "I know what I'm doing, okay?!?"
"Fine," Aisha said, "but don't look at me for help when you're splattered all over the highway."
"What a pleasant thought," Suzuka mumbled.
"Hey, Suz," Aisha said, "where's your stick?"
"It's not a stick," Suzuka replied. "And it got left behind when Leilong kidnapped me."
"Oh yeah," Leilong mumbled. "Sorry about that. It's not like me to forget things."
"I'm sure they're keeping it safe for me," Suzuka said. "I'm a regular there."
There was a long pause.
"And STOP calling me 'Suz'!!!"
"Hey, I think I'm done," Jim shouted. "I'm gonna turn him on!"
"It's unbelievable what that kid can do with a paperclip and a screwdriver," Suzuka said. "It really is quite amazing."
"I'm not a kid!" Jim shouted. "But thanks. The paperclip was to reconnect his old memory board. The screwdriver was to get in there and also to turn him on." He looked down at the bloody mess. "I got pretty grossed out by the blood on this guy. It's so real!"
"It is real," Leilong said. "Except for his bones, ligaments, and some cartilage, he's an authentic human being."
Jim looked down at Eldred. "Eww…"
"Turn him on," Leilong suggested. "Let's see how you did."
Jim held his palmtop scanner above Eldred's armpit as he inserted the screwdriver. Eldred shot to life. Instantly, the tissue that Jim had cut away began to rearrange itself and heal over. He blinked thoughtfully.
"I'm sorry about that back there," he said. "I wasn't myself." He smiled.
Leilong smiled back in the rearview mirror. "I see your sense of humor is back to normal as well," he said. "It's good to have you back on the side of good."
"Look who's talking," Eldred joked.
"We're almost there," Suzuka said. "Jim, have you radioed in to Gilliam?"
"Yeah," Jim said. "He's gonna have everything ready for us. We just need to provide the pilots."
Leilong looked at Eldred. "That's me and you, buddy," he said. "This experience is gonna be a little bit different for you."
"Oh yeah?" Eldred said. "If it's anything like how I was piloting the Shangri-La these past few weeks, it'll be cake to pilot."
Leilong chuckled. "It's something like that, actually," he said, then paused before asking, "You actually flew that thing?"
"Yep," Eldred said. "It was pretty cool. I could make a habit of it." He took off his torn jacket and used it to wipe the blood off of his head and arm. Perfectly healed, he rubbed his head. "I think someone left a screw loose in here."
Jim looked disappointed. "Oops," he said. "I was kinda in a hurry…"
"I was joking," Eldred said.
Leilong pulled the van to a stop and they all piled out. They sprinted across the launch pad to where the Outlaw Star was parked and were greeted by a pink capsule.
"I thought that was you driving up," Gilliam said. "The ship is ready as requested, Jim. They just got it out onto the launch pad before you pulled up."
Jim grabbed the capsule as he stepped into the lift up to the hatch. "Thanks," he said. "We've gotta go get Mel from those MacDougal creeps."
"And Gene from the pirates as well," Gilliam said.
"What?" Leilong inquired.
"That's why the MacDougals left in the first place," Gilliam reported. "They were after Gene."
Damn! Leilong thought. April…
"I have a question," Eldred said. "How did the ship's computer request launch clearance."
"The people here know me pretty well, actually," Gilliam said.
"You out here by yourself twenty-four-seven?" Eldred asked him.
"Yeah," Gilliam said. "It gets pretty lonely."
OUTLAW STAR
"We're closing in on the vessel," Harry said from his tank.
"Receiving transmission," Leo reported. "It's the Kei pirate."
"Show me," Ron ordered.
A thin picture became clear in midair. It was pitch black.
"Come on," Ron groaned. "Can't you do anything right? Bring it into focus."
"It's in focus," Leo asserted.
"Then why is it black?!?" Ron shouted.
"Why do you pursue me?" came the voice over the transmission, cutting through the dispute like a laser.
"You have someone we want," Ron answered after a pause. "Gene Starwind. Give him to us."
"I will not surrender Starwind to you," the voice answered.
"Why not?"
"He is in my custody and will remain in my custody until I deliver him to the person for whom I am acquiring him."
"Then bring him over here so I can cut off his hand."
"No."
"I can come over there if you want…"
"Starwind will remain healthy while he is in my custody. You will not remove his hand."
"Are you aware of the capabilities of this grappler ship?"
"Are YOU aware of MY capabilites?!?"
The transmission cut out.
Ron pulled out the headset for the dorsal grappler arms. "Deploy the cameras and prepare the Shangri-La for grappler combat."
"Ron!" Harry shouted.
"Are you out of your mind?!?" Leo shouted. "He's a Kei pirate! And from the looks of that ship, he's a Tao master to boot! No way am I gonna get myself killed fighting that!!!"
"DO IT!!!" Ron screamed at Leo. "I will have Gene Starwind's hand!"
"Ron," Harry said, "this isn't like you. Before you would've backed away and let the pirates do your dirty work. What's changed?"
"I think that that number nine altered his brain," Leo mumbled.
Ron chuckled. "Oh, you think that's it, huh?" he stood up and leaned over to Leo. "That might be true, but mostly it's because before, Gene Starwind was the target of a job and now, it's PERSONAL!"
"Ron," Harry said calmly, the negotiator, "calm down. We'll get him next time. Would you rather lose your life trying to settle this?"
Ron sat down and thought, strumming his cyborg hand on the console. He removed the headset. "Alright," he said. "Figure out where the pirate is taking Gene and follow him from a distance. Be smart. For now, pretend to make a descent."
The ship changed course and the pirate vessel seemed to accelerate away.
The computer beeped in alarm.
"What is it?" Ron asked, looking around in the space in front of them.
"Another ship," Leo reported.
"The XGP!" Harry exclaimed.
"I guess that means our 'Helper' lost," Ron said. "That would take a lot to do…"
"They're hailing us," Leo said.
"Let's hear what they have to say," Ron told Leo.
Leilong appeared on the display. "Give her back, Ron," he said. "She's not yours to keep."
"She came voluntarily!" Harry shouted. "She wants to be with me!"
"She does not, you jerk!" Aisha shouted. "She wants to be over here with her friends where they wont use her as a tool for interstellar power!"
"Aisha, sit down!"
Ron glanced around the bridge of the Outlaw Star. His eyes came to rest on the organic navigation stasis tank. "Helper…" he whispered to himself.
"Here's Johnny!" Eldred sarcastically mocked. "How may I be of service, o great and powerful… not to mention wise and honorable… master?"
"How?" Ron said to himself. "He was programmed…"
"To lie? To cheat? To steal?" Eldred offered. "Howbout this - to ignore my past. To ignore ME. Is THAT what I was 'programmed' to do?"
"You were better off!" Ron returned. "You were better off not knowing that you were built by a man who had lost it, better off not knowing that you had lost the one you loved, better off not knowing that you had sold your soul to the Anten…"
"No," Eldred said. "You were better off with me not knowing those things. You took away my curiosity, my wisdom, my honor, my integrity, my intuition, my sense of humor, my compassion… you took it all! And YOU got a new toy to save your ass when trouble started."
"Enough!" Ron shouted. "You shouldn't have switched sides, because I'm not giving up Melfina. That means that you're toast!" He put his headset back on, turning to Leo. "Prepare the grappler arms for combat!"
"Alright!" Leo said. "This I can do!" He geared up for the lower arms as the picture blinked out.
The six grappler arms of the two ships broke away in unison as the ships dove at each other.
OUTLAW STAR
"Trust me," Eldred was saying. "I know what I'm doing. Just leave it to me. It feels like they're actually my arms. It'll be a lot easier this way!"
Leilong frowned.
"Plus," Eldred continued. "We won't hafta buy more camera pods."
That caught Jim's attention. "Give him a chance," he said to Leilong. "You can take over if you think he's not doing well."
Leilong continued to frown.
"You hafta make a decision soon!" Eldred insisted.
"Okay," Leilong said.
The arms of the Outlaw Star crashed into the Shangri-La's nose, scraping off some of the bulkhead.
Power and precision… Eldred thought. He closed his eyes and felt the Outlaw Star's movement. It careened to the right, avoiding the blows from three of the Shangri-La's arms. The fourth blow managed to nick the edge of the left grappler arm. With the right arm, Eldred punched at the belly of the Shangri-La, now exposed. It left a huge dent near the nose. As the ships continued to move, Eldred dented the belly of the Shangri-La near the rear. Leo's grappler arms struck downward at the Outlaw Star as it was propelled just centimeters out of reach. The ships moved away from each other, then turned to face each other.
Eldred saw then a sight he had not expected. The four grappler arms of the Shangri-La returned to their storage positions.
"What the…?" Leilong muttered.
"What do those fools think they're doing?!?" shouted.
"They're giving up!" Jim yelled, throwing a fist to the air.
"I don't think so," Eldred said. "They're revving up their engines now. They're trying to get away. They saw my irrepressible skills and quaked in their underoos!"
"It feels like Gene's still here with that kind of cockiness around," Suzuka said.
Eldred smiled.
"We have to stop them!" Jim insisted.
"I'm on it," Eldred informed him as the ship lurched forward again. The grappler arms reared back as the Outlaw Star approached the Shangri-La at full tilt.
The Shangri-La disappeared into sub ether with a flash.
"Dammit!" Eldred shouted.
"Where'd they go?!?" Leilong hastily asked.
"After that pirate ship," Eldred reported.
"Where's that?" Aisha asked.
"It looks like it was pointed into pirate territory via the quickest route possible," Eldred said. "I'm revving the sub-ether drive as we speak."
"Let's go!" Aisha shouted, throwing her fist into the air. She winced and reached down to her aching back. "Ouch…"
"There's a colony near the border on this course," Eldred said. "We should be able to make it there in four jumps, which means that we'd arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon by San Franciscan Earth Standard Time."
"Let's do it," Suzuka said.
"Yeah!" Jim shouted.
Leilong remained quiet, focused.
"This is your captain speaking," Eldred reported. "The 'Fasten Seatbelts' sign is now on. Please make sure that your seat backs and tray tables are in their upright and fully locked positions."
The sub-ether drive systems finished their startup.
"We hope you enjoy your flight."
In a moment, the Outlaw Star and it's crew vanished into the distance, destination unknown.
TO
BE
CONTINUED!
Hey everybody, this is Gene Starwind. Boy am I in a fix! It looks like April and I are on a direct course to Kei pirate central! Our dark and mysterious host settles his debt, but first, we run into some of our old allies! You'll never guess what could happen to this vagrant outlaw on the next exciting episode of Outlaw Star!