Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Written in The Stars ❯ The Best Laid Plans Part II ( Chapter 2 )

Infinite thanks to Michaela, Fujifunmum and Midori, for help me with the chapter SO much. Thanks a bunch, girls!

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Disclaimer: Read the Authoress note

Para Lupe, con cariño.

Somewhere, between Deneb and Vega, year 378 since the Alliance’s Foundation

Myriads of blue, red, and white diamonds riveted the monotonous black carpet of the night skies.

It could be admired from every window; passing by and yet being still, like a sort of visual dejà vu.

Nothing but the stars and a small lamp by the bedside, spreading a dim light, cut through the shadows of the room.

There, in the dark, a slim, tall, figure stood still, arms on the back, chiseled features fixed on the sight outside the window panels.

Colonel Jihan Masshwov was oblivious to the surroundings, focused only on analyzing the last reports lying on the bed.

Masshwov, a highly ranked intelligence officer, had been very busy during a whole year following leads to a top-secret and very elusive smuggling operation, and now for first time in months, there was a good clue to be followed.

This called for a very discreet and delicate undercover work. As always, the Colonel knew that the task at hand required a very intimate involvement, one that could only be asked to a superior officer with lots of experience and nothing to lose. The risks involved for all parties were too high to commission a less experienced agent.

The Alliance needed the evidence badly, and the job was too delicate to let any slip happen. On the other hand, due to the nature of the mission itself, which could call for many months of work allowing no contact with family or friends, if the agent involved had personal attachments at home they could make a stupid mistake due to loneliness, ruining the mission completely.

There was no choice then, the Colonel thought. The work required a personal sacrifice, one that was encased within the motto ruling throughout Masshwov’s life: Honor, Justice, Service, and Loyalty.

While these words were uttered in different undertones by most creatures in almost every culture, very few made them the true ruling principle of every deed they performed, even the smallest in every day’s life. Well, as military, the Colonel certainly lived life adjusting it only to those inflexible values, no matter the personal cost or pain involved.

Masshwov, as anybody else walking in that path, took a share of that pain and cost, knowing all the risks and accepting them in advance, and those close to the officer accepted them too, such as Anya, the Colonel’s mate for the last two years.

There were no regrets or tears at the departure, as it had always been during the time they had shared together.

They had parted company, hoping for a reunion at the end of the mission, but expecting nothing from an uncertain future.

Giving a heavy sigh, leaving the last memories of the recent past behind, Jihan Masshwov stepped outside the rigid military stance, and with the masterful grace of the spy, slipped in the skin of the character that the occasion required.

Outside, somewhere, there was someone waiting to make contact…

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The chick in front of him had the most appealing and exotic eyes he had ever met. Despite their unusual shape and color (silver, with cat eyed irises), they were warm and mysterious. She had a long braid of blue hair and her skin was a healthy tanned color. The girl was tall, and though she was slim, it was apparent under the tight long dress she was wearing that her body was well trained and healthily muscled: not too much, or too weak, just in the middle. Just as he liked his chicks.

He smiled. Maybe he’d be lucky tonight…

Markus Londergaard was an outworlder: he lived outside the Alliance boundaries, and as every outworlder he survived doing whatever he could find: dealing in space garbage, salvaged wrecks, as a bounty hunter of minor felons or as a snitch.

This time he had hit it big…

During the looting of a very recent wreckage, he found a sealed box. It took him two months to open it, but as he was a good thief, he knew no lock could resist his abilities.

Unfortunately, there were no credits or values in cash, but just when he was about to scream in frustration, he found some encoded documents. They had the seal of the Alliance High Command, so through some of his friends he contacted someone who in turn contacted the High Command. They would pay good cash for them, and maybe he could even ask for the girl’s services too. Let’s go to my room, I have your parcel there. Very well, Mr. Londergaard, but it won’t happen. What? We’ll make our deal and I’ll be on my way in the next thirty shegs. Well, I was thinking…- the man put his hand on her thigh trying to run it upwards

< Yes, I know what you were thinking, That’s why I’m telling you this: take your hand off of me or I’ll see do it myself, removing it permanently from the rest of your body>

The voice in his head was clear, and menacing. The man jumped in surprise, growling in frustration.

< They never told me you’d be a foul smelling human, so we are even.> said her voice in his head

Get out of my brain, whore, and I’m not a human, fuck you! That’s not what my nose says. I can smell a rotting human a tellamaway. By the way, I’m not a whore. I know you can’t notice the difference, since the only women you have met in your life, including your own mother, were those professionals. Not that I have anything against them, though. That’s why I’m being lenient and not frying your brain right here, right now. In fact, the thought of the poor girls bearing scum like you makes me respect them quite a bit. Why you… C’mon, give me the crystal data, and let’s finish this pleasant meeting.- she said, leading the way to the lifts which would carry them to the habitat compound, where the snitch’s quarters stood.

Markus Londergaard cursed inwardly, losing suddenly all interest in the girl. She was trouble on legs.

A big one, by the way.

He had no clue to what race she belonged, but she surely was not the average telepath. And if she was being showy about her mental shit while working for the Alliance’s Fleet, that meant she had license to mind read and probe, brainwash, mind slice and to do many other nasty things that were usually illegal or heavily regulated.

He squirmed uncomfortably at his grim thoughts, which led him into another unpleasant realization, while trailing behind her.

His outer features marked him as not even remotely related to humans, yet she seemed capable of detecting the faint traces of human blood in him. The mother of his great-grandfather had been a human, a servant born from that race of slaves. It was a fact that he and his father had managed to hide quite successfully, faking documents and genetic identifications.

However, all those efforts now could be ruined by that silver-eyed bitch. To be remotely linked with humans might mean the end of his dealings, the desertion of allies and it could even put a price on his head by some ‘old comrades’, whose addiction in hunting fugitive human slaves was well known.

How she had managed to discover his secret, he didn’t know, but he highly doubted it was through deep mind probing.

The sensation was well known to those non-telepaths who had experienced it only once. He knew it well for he had suffered it in the past, though Markus thought of himself as part of the few fortunate ones who were treated ‘kindly’. Usually, telepaths didn’t care about non-telepaths, thinking of themselves as a kind of superior elite. If they happened to possess a license to mind read, they loved to show their power to control others slicing painfully through the layers of conscience of their targets to get the required information.

The girl hadn’t probed him deeply, and since all proofs and hints of their genetic heritage had been deleted and altered, he wondered about her mention of her sense of smell as the source of her knowledge about his origins.

Yet, his time for thoughts stopped suddenly when his head received the full blast of energy discharged on the second step they took inside his suite. He had no time to register the surprise in the silver eyes of the girl near him because he was dead long before touching the carpeted floor.

The girl turned on her heels, only to realize her own dizziness. She couldn’t focus her eyes, not to mention her own thoughts. Something had been slipped in her drink. It was the end, she thought, enraged at the childish trap she had fallen for, while, as if the world were spinning in slow motion before her, her body fell ungracefully by the side of the deceased Londergaard.

The bitch looks tasty…- said a short red-skinned male, crouched near the unconscious girl. We have no time. Besides she is a cop. Rotten garbage.- told a second man taller than the other, his red frog-like skin glistening with the dim light while disdain flowed through his words. He seemed to be in charge. All the better, I’ll enjoy her screams even more then.- the first reached for the fallen woman, while starting the unbuttoning of his pants I don’t want to repeat myself.- with excruciating calm the second guy pointed his energy blaster at the other male, who growled in disgust, but withdrew- We have no time, and we have to deliver the package and that whore in the next ten pags. Do something productive: clean the mess. Meanwhile, I’ll delete any evidence of our presence here. Why do I always have to do all the dirty jobs? Because I say so. Moreover, I have the gun, and you don’t. Now, move your ass.

The first man hissed, annoyed. He hated to be commanded by that fool. However, he had to comply. It was a matter of time until their bosses discovered his true genius, then he would be the one in command, and that ‘nobody’ beside him would pay then.

I’m finished- he said, standing cockily and defying in front of his ‘chief’ Let’s go. It’s time

They moved across the some corridors to the service lifts. As it was arranged previously, they entered one of them using a stolen password code.

When they reached the basement, carrying two wrapped bundles, a burly man, his slippery skin as red as theirs, was already waiting for them.

You are two minutes late. I was about to leave. I’m sorry, we got lost in the corridors. C’mon, we do not have all day.

The three men and their cargo entered a very small ship. Within minutes, they were orbiting the planet, waiting for the freighter that would take them to their destination.

It made its appearance a few minutes later, and the little ship landed gracefully on the cargo bay of the larger one.

Once they were safe in the freighter, it took a new course that would lead them into the Lyran space. Or so it seemed.

Well, well, well, look at what you’ve got this time for me, Drex…- the captain had joined the group in the bay, and was poking at the unconscious girl.- brothel’s meat… As we are not in route to any of our houses, I assume she’s the one we requested for the crew’s amusement… No, this one is not meant to the trade.- answered the said Drex Why not? She is perfect… She is healthy and exotic, the boys would be greatly pleased. Maybe, I could take her first for myself for a couple of weeks… I can’t figure her race, though… That’s because she is a Prakeshi… Are you kidding me… Everybody know there are no Prakeshis outside their frontiers… Believe me, she is… I strongly suggest you to take the appropriate steps to ensure our safety before she awakes…- the man pointed, while the girl stirred on the floor

The captain glared at the tall newcomer, and barked an order to one of his underlings, who brought him a black band of some kind of material. He put it on the girl’s neck securing it with a kind of lock

You never told me…- hissed the taller man’s companion- She could have fried our minds… You did not need to know- shrugged the addressee Well, now that her telepathic and kinetic abilities are under control, I can’t see why she could not serve to my men’s necessities. Shackle her too. Her mental abilities are the smallest of our problems with her… She is warrior caste. Believe me, she can take down half your crew before you can aim any weapon at her. Fuck you!- hissed the captain in pure rage- Why did you bring her in here! With the other slaves on board, I do not need another fucking problem in my ship! I have my orders. She has to be placed with the ones destined for the hunt. Someone wants her suffer…- the captain said thoughtful Her destiny or who ordered this is out of my… or your concern. I only had to make sure you got her to be carried there. Now that it has been done, I’ll leave. They are waiting for my report. All right then… Captain, wait a minute. Before I leave, I was instructed to have a chat with you. A private chat. Follow me. In a minute, first I have to give some instructions to my associate. What? !- the other squealed- I was not supposed to go back with you?

The taller red skinned male, took his companion by the shoulder, walking some distance from the captain before starting to talk.

They told me you have to take the documents in custody. Someone will come during the trip to bring you to a safe place with them. Now your job is to protect them and never be away from them. You have to carry the crystals with you at all times. B-but… Hey! You were the one complaining about the big ones never giving you any major responsibility! They’re giving you a chance, you should be happy!- the taller man put his hand on the shoulder of his companion, in a friendly gesture Oh, yes… I suppose so… Drex… Are you sure that the bosses want me to do this? I mean… I knew that someday they would realize my true capacities but…- the short red-skinned looked suspiciously at the other man’s hand, now patting him Rest assured, they commissioned you expressly. They didn’t want any other for the job. Take it as a promotion. Oh, well…- the shorter man straightened up, now full of pride. Yes, his partner was right. They had recognized his talents. It was his time.- I knew it was only a matter of time. Remember: keep the crystals always with you.-said Drex Will we meet again soon? Sure, pal. And we’ll then share some drinks to celebrate this day. Good luck with your new assignment.- the tall man give a last pat on the back to his now former comrade, sending him on his way,

The short man walked away. A crew member was waiting to show him his quarters. When he was out of sight, the taller man, approached the captain.

Let’s go to my office. No, it’s not necessary. This only will take a minute. Get rid of him as soon as you are in deep space. There should be no evidence at all about him being in this ship ever. Dispose of both bodies in a discreet way. Consider it done. And concerning the girl… She is really dangerous. Keep her isolated. Do not be stupid by trusting in your numerical superiority. Then, deliver her with the rest of your ‘special’ cargo at the designated post. Don’t worry. I know how to do my job.Â

The captain’s annoyed stare told Drex that the man would not pay attention to the instructions concerning the girl, learning how dangerous she was in the hard way.

While he walked away, to the little shuttle that would take him back to his bosses, he shrugged.

Well, now it was not his problem. He had done what he was told. Londergaard was dead, the girl was on her way to her own private little Hell, and the crystals would be soon destroyed with the only witness that could compromise the mission.

It was time to go back home.

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The captain came back to his cabin just in time to see the shuttle turning suddenly into a flaming ball for a few seconds just before the lack of oxygen of space finished the fire. He smirked, satisfied.

<These two will meet each other really sooner than they expected> he thought remembering the chat that those men had shared minutes before they parted ways.

Well, another job well done.

One down, the other being processed… and the bitch waiting for him on his bed…

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K’Tal was now a trembling; whimpering mass crouched in a corner of the room. Just in the opposite, the lifeless body of Markus Londergaard reminded him of the fragility of life.

He wanted to kick himself for his own stupidity. He had known a trap was being set on him when Drex had behaved that friendly with him. K’Tal had seen these things happening to others, but he had never thought…

In the beginning, when he was walking the corridors, he was so full of pride that he didn’t registered he was not being driven to the quarters section of the ship. He had worked on a freighter before, so he knew.

When he realized that he was in the engine room, it was too late. Two guys grabbed and threw him, Londergaard and all their belongings and compromising evidence into the fusion chamber. He knew what would happen in seconds.

It was of no use to beg, or kick the doors. The shields in the section were too heavy.

The reaction produced by the mixture of matter and antimatter at the moment of the take off was of such violence that the walls of the chamber were covered with three layers of athelitha, the only mineral capable of taking the shock of the reaction. There was no way that somebody would hear him. And even in the remote case that somebody would, nobody would help him.

Suddenly, he remembered the words his mother had taught him during the innocent, simpler days of his childhood. These were a prayer recited for the dead ones.

The words floated from his mind to his tongue when the sluice gates were opened to the chamber. Because he knew at that moment, that he was already a dead man.