Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Written in The Stars ❯ Chapter 11

Disclaimer:  RK does not belong to me. It belongs to its creator Watsuki Nobuhiro, and a bunch of powerful and wealthy companies. Jihan as well as other OC, are my exclusive creation, and I keep all the rights concerning them. If you are interested in using any of them, ask me before, please.

This fic’s only purpose is entertainment, no profit intended.

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First, I want to show my deepest gratitude to the patient women that have helped me to make this piece relatively readable. Thanks to their time, their effort, their comments and their priceless suggestions and ideas. If you enjoy this ride, it’s also thanks to them.   Therefore, to them, a deep bow from me. Thanks Gracey, MightyMightyMunson, Kamorgana and Mary Ann. They are great authors, and I’m sure you know their fics, anyway, there is no harm in reminding you to check their stories.

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You know the drill… Check the answer to reviews in my LJ, the link is in my bio, and OH, YES! Check the fabulous fan art that jbramx2 did for the previous chapter. The link can be found in my bio too!!

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Chapter 11

Keep your allies close - hold your enemies even closer

Somewhere inside Lyrian deep space, year 378 since the Alliance’s Foundation

The weak light provided by a torch of sorts was the only guide Enishi had in the dark maze of narrow corridors that pierced the mountain’s insides. Here and there, flocks of bat-like creatures on their way to hunt outside shrieked, annoyed by the dim luminosity cast by his small beacon.

He waded through the labyrinth carefully, avoiding the booby traps he had planted in the place as a precaution. That was, in itself, an achievement considering that he carried a heavy load on his shoulders: a sort of local wild goat, of stringy, foul tasting meat, his weapons, and a little gift in various provisions gathered in an unexpected stroke of good luck.

Evading the last combination of traps, he entered to their camp.  As always, she was working on her strange device.

She didn’t acknowledge his return.  There was no need; she knew he was coming long ago. 

The only sound reverberating through the walls of the cave was the plik-plik of the water rhythmically hitting the rock. Jihan gave a deep sigh, trying to find forms in the moss that grew on the damp stony walls, an exercise she did every time she wanted to clear her sight and regain her focus.

She simply wanted a distraction after hours of concentration and hard work trying to assemble an anti-scanner devise with the pieces she had been gathering for weeks. Her goal was to get something that could prevent them from being tracked down by the hunters electronically. That was an advantage that they could not afford to let them have if they wanted to face their pursuers and survive.

Suddenly, a barely perceptible sound alerted her senses. Extending her mind, she looked for who was coming, and soon she relaxed.  There was no reason to be concerned. The human had just returned after leaving the cave several hours ago. 

As soon as he stepped inside their camp, he threw a metallic container in her direction which she seized effortlessly in mid air. Jihan gave a quick look at its contents, smiling briefly after the inspection. He was clever and learned quickly, she had to admit that. There were a few excellent picks amongst what he had brought her. Undoubtedly, those would help her to finish her ‘project’ sooner.

While he arranged his apparels and the primitive but effective weapon he had put together, Jihan ran an eye over the load he dropped one corner, and nodded, satisfied.

They’d have abundant food for at least two days. He had been hunting to provide them with food while she recovered from a couple of broken ribs that she had gotten in a stupid mountain accident.

For a moment, a dark cloud of resentment settled in her heart as she recalled the incident but she forced to cast it aside immediately.  Resentment was useless, didn’t solve anything, and couldn’t change facts. And facts were that he had saved her. Again.

She closed her eyes, and repressed a sigh.

‘ What have I done  to deserve this punishment? I just clean the Universe of vermin.  It’s a good cause… It’s not fair I was given… ‘him’. He is trouble on legs.’

Without a word, he tossed a small box towards her which she once again caught in midair without even looking his way, as she always did.

Opening it, she picked at the contents, examining each piece carefully and quickly.

“Interesting.  I trust you didn’t attract unwanted attention.â€

“Of course,†he snorted.

Enishi laid out the rest of his cargo on the drier spot of the cave, close to the fire. She raised a brow, and wincing slightly, moved to inspect the new supplies.

“Careful, woman.â€

“I don’t need your advice, human.  I’m ready to leave.  It’s you and your stubbornness, that’s what is still keeping us here.â€

“You need at least another week to heal those broken ribs. I won’t risk descending the mountain with you in these conditions. It was bad enough the first time…â€

She sent him a dirty glare, making him smirk in response.  Enishi didn’t mind her bad mood in the least.  In fact, it was somewhat amusing sometimes.  The blue haired girl seemed to have a problem coping with the fact that she had to temporarily depend on him.

He understood her annoyance, for he would feel the same.  But since she had been acting so mighty and superior, learning a little lesson in humility wouldn’t hurt her.

Two weeks had elapsed since the incident where she had almost killed herself in a bad fall while they were descending a sharp and treacherous peak. 

The pesky hunters had been trailing them around the swamp they had been hiding in after the incident where they had exterminated the hunter party. Finally, and tired of the hellish environment, they decided to leave the morasses behind and find a temporary hideout somewhere else.

And so, they found themselves climbing the sharp peaks that they had found in their path towards the East of the wetlands.

After studying the area, they finally chose a track that had signs of having been used.  It was safer to rely on these rather than try to open a new one and being forced later to retreat to point zero because of a blockade or a gorge made it impossible to cross. 

The trek hadn’t been a pleasant one, the razor-sharp stony walls of the mountain turning the climbing into something daunting and full of life threatening situations.

‘One slip, and you’ll break your neck…,’ and that was exactly what almost happened to the blue haired woman when her rope cut loose.  It was a sheer miracle that he managed to catch the ends just before she smashed her skull against the sharp rocks lying at the end of gorge.

What he couldn’t prevent, however, were the various hits she received, and that included several broken ribs and a concussion that kept her unconscious for a few days.

But if he expected some form of gratitude from having saved her, those expectations had completely vanished when she woke up. If she had been insufferable before the accident, the first days after it, he had been tempted to tie her up and throw her into the same canyon he had saved her from.

It was obvious from the start that she had issues accepting that he could be her equal, or better said, that he could surpass her, and the incident had been the proverbial straw to break the camel’s back.

However, as the days passed, her animosity had lessened enough for them to have more or less civilized exchanges.

In the rare moments she wasn’t being her obnoxious superior self, she was almost good company.

“I see that you got a new piece of your favorite meat…,†she sneered.

“It’s better than chewing on each other’s flesh, I guess…,†he answered, shrugging.

“Oh, yes. Definitely,†she laughed. “At least, you are in good mood today... or tonight.â€

“I could say the same about you. And actually, it was close to sunset when I managed to scurry back to the caves.â€

‘Variety’ wasn’t exactly the word he would pick to describe their current food supplies. There were just a handful of beasts apt to dwell in such inhospitable area and most of them weren’t big enough to make a meal out of.

‘Not even in the improbable case if I was able to catch a dozen of these critters.’

In addition, he had once had to fend off a scary creature, which disputed with him over an animal he had been chasing. The creature was tall like a bear and with as many arms as those statues of the Indian gods. Fortunately, as strong and formidable as it looked, the thing was pretty dumb and clumsy, so he had managed to get away with just minor cuts and many bruises. Of course, he lost his prey and one of his bows and they spent one hungry and cold, cold night, but she didn’t complain… which of course made things worse.

He would have preferred it if she had actually criticized him. It would have given him a way to vent his frustration at his own stupidity.

‘I’m sure she did it on purpose…’

In any case, he had learnt from his mistake. He had seen several of the creatures prowling around the area, and now he knew he had to avoid them as much as he did the hunters and other prisoners of the resort. There were a few other minor predators, but they were scavengers mostly, and none worth  worrying about… or turning into dinner.

There were some sort of edible fishes in the streams running inside the caves and sometimes, he was lucky to get a hold of some of these. However, on top of being rare and difficult to grab, they had to be consumed almost immediately as decomposition took place within hours.

By far, the alien mountain goat (that was the closest equivalent he could come up with), was the more popular choice of prey simply by virtue of it being the safest inhabitant of the place and the easiest to catch.  The nasty taste of its meat was nothing compared to the tissues of the putrid corpses he had once been forced to feed himself from. So, all in all, it was bearable.

“‘Nishiâ€&brvb ar; I meant it. We need to move along. The weather is changing and if the brunt of winter catches us here, not even all the clothing and equipment we’ve managed to get will save us from freezing to death… or dying from hunger. I don’t think you’ll find prey as easily as you still do and within such a short span of time.â€

“I agree… But as I previously reminded you, the descent is too abrupt to be attempted in your current state. We can wait for a few days.â€

Jihan was right though, they couldn’t stay there for too long, which in a way, was a pity.  The place was more or less secure. She had assured him that it also had a few veins of the mineral she had used to confuse the hunters before. The deposits weren’t huge, but were enough to render the hunters’ trace systems useless. Since it meant that bigger parties wouldn’t break into their sanctuary, and minor groups or stray fellow captives could be relatively easy to handle, that was good enough for him.

“Oh, stop patronizing me, human!†she snapped irritably. His comment about her injury brought her resentment at their exchanged roles bubbling to the fore and once again, she was reminded of his race and her humiliation.

Enishi chose to pointedly ignore her derogatory use of the word. He didn’t want to be caught in one of her racial diatribes again, not now when they were having more or less friendly relations. And when she changed from her version of his name to ‘human’, they were very close to a major argument.
He guessed that she tried to reaffirm the validity of her views marking their differences, which she chose to forget when she was in good mood. In a way, it was like the Westerners he had met in China. They had the same habit. You were at one moment Mr Yukishiro, and the next ‘you, Oriental barbarian’, depending in how well you took their ‘suggestions’, or better said their paternalistic views. It was ironic to discover that the nature of racism was one and the same across time and space.

“Will that thing ever be finished?†he asked instead.

He indicated to the weird contraption lying on her lap. The woman had been working on it long before her fall. In fact, her main worry upon awakening had been the integrity of the apparatus, and if it had survived the accident. Some parts were lost, but the core had still been functional, to her utter relief.

“Soon,†she answered curtly.

He nodded. It was obvious that she was still pissed, so he chose a strategic retreat.

He still had to clean and gut the goat, take a bath and clean his bloodied clothes. That gave him a perfect excuse to keep a safe distance from her to avoid a useless argument that would give her a chance to use him to vent her ire.

Eventually, she glanced at him. No more words had passed between the them since their last verbal skirmish.

Jihan smirked, torn between irritation and reluctant respect.

She had to concede that the guy was shrewd. He retreated just when things had started to get hot. To be honest, she had been using similar tactics with him, and since then, they had started to get along.

Of course, she had good reasons for her otherwise outrageous behavior.

Now that her honor debt had increased, she’d have to deal with him longer, so there was no reason to make their interaction worse than necessary. 

However, it hadn’t been exactly easy for her to admit that, blinded by rage as she had been as soon as she had understood in full the consequences of the accident.

‘Depending on a human… how pathetic…’

Of course, his comments, as well founded as they were, didn’t help her mood. Getting an edema by piercing her lungs with a broken rib wasn’t an attractive perspective. That would have been the result if she had tried to climb down the mountain the first few days after the accident, as she had initially insisted on doing.

It took him a long lecture and an even longer string of yells and curses to convince her to stay. She had known he was right before he uttered a word, but the feeling of complete helplessness and wounded pride had pushed her to try to prove --uselessly-- that she could manage without him and his aid.

But as time elapsed and she cooled down, she came to accept the harsh reality she wanted to deny so desperately.

In other circumstances, she would have placed him in a very definite space in her vision of the Universe and the categories of people within it.

Before she had gotten rid of the collar, she had planned to have him by her side the whole time until they got out of that damned place. She had even considered keeping him as her slave or pet, properly fixed, of course, as the law demanded for human males.  She was, after all, a firm believer in racial superiority and total purity.

It was the only appropriate solution for him, as there was no chance that the President would allow the use of the Gate to send a mere human back to his time and place -- that was a fact.  And such a warrior could be handled only by another more powerful one. So Jihan had seen it fit to appoint herself to this task.

However, after what she had seen in his mind concerning his wicked criminal record, she had no doubts about what her duty was.  She adhered to the law and followed it strictly, eliminating criminals without so much as batting an eyelash.

The conclusion then was simple: she could not let him live.

But as almost with everything else in her life, carrying out her decision wasn’t as easy as it sounded. She had a blood debt to him, and her honor demanded repaying it.

But as the debt increased, unexpectedly, she found herself with a major dilemma on her hands. There had been a lot of clashes with hunters and other ‘prey’ like themselves, as she had thought there would be, but he had always managed to fend for himself. That had left her with no chance to balance the tabs with him at all.

As things stood, he had saved her life twice: once in the ship, and the first night on the planet’s surface. She had managed to turn the tables once when they ambushed the hunters; however, she still owed him.

Now, after the accident, the gap had widened again. The possibility of his saving her a third time made her cringe. It would mean… No, it was better not to think about it. She would not let it happen. Ever.

She couldn’t afford more stupid lapses. She’d fulfill her obligation towards him, and then…

In any case, their present situation meant that for her honor’s sake, she would have to endure him for the time being. Maybe knowing him a little better, and making their relationship a little more civil wouldn’t hurt after all.

‘Or would it?’

In the course of the past days, she had come to a frightening realization: this human had started to grow on her, and against her will, she had started to develop some sort of respect for him.

‘He is infuriating even when he doesn’t try to be,’ she thought, stirring the pot’s contents with far more vigor than necessary.

She had finally cast aside her work to do some cooking with the last remnants of their previous provisions. Soon, it would be time to call him to come and share the meal.

In the meantime, he had just finished with the goat, disposing of the skin and bones in a bottomless pit they had been using for that purpose since they had moved to this part of the cave.

She turned to watch her companion who had become very uncommunicative all of a sudden.

While he scrubbed the stains out of his garments, he grumbled about having to perform a ‘woman’s job’. It was his childish way of trying to irritate her. His sexist remarks--an undesirable by-product of his time and background-- simply served to amuse her though.  She had learnt long ago to take them for what they were.

‘So immature… Typical human.’

What, in the beginning, had been tension and a certain degree of frustration and hostility,  had now transformed into a certain kind of game between them. Truth be told, she rather enjoyed it too.

‘I have to concede that he is at least entertaining.’  

He didn’t really expected that she cook anything for him. On top of being a proud man, he had never been used to ask or rely on anyone else for his needs, unless freely granted or fairly dealt with.

She had also made clear from the start that he’d have to provide for himself where basic necessities like cleaning his own garments were concerned. If she had undertook the task of cooking, it was only because of her knowledge of the edible plants and animals of the area, and absolutely nothing to do with her gender, as he seemed to think.

“I’m going to take a bath.â€

“Don’t make your trip to the beauty parlor too long, the dinner is almost done.â€

He glared at her for a brief moment, not knowing exactly what a ‘beauty parlor’ was, but getting the meaning anyway. Then he nodded before turning and leaving, annoyance still etched in his eyes, though.

He could tell she was unusually pensive.  To be honest, both of them passed most of the day keeping to themselves. However, this night, she was more quiet than usual.

‘It’s no wonder… There are so many things to think about…’ 

Yet, it was in the brief joint interlude that their meals provided when they shared their thoughts and impressions on the day, tactical decisions and moves to make. Rarely did they let slip a personal detail of their lives although both were curious about the strange, different worlds they came from.

‘Will I ever go back home? What if I don’t? How will I find my answer here? Is there any answer, Tomoe? Was there any to begin with?’

“There you go again,†she interrupted in a tone that could only be described as bored.

Enishi narrowed his eyes, fighting to keep his temper in control, certain that she was looking into his brain again. Yes, the slight tickling sensation was there. And the ki she was projecting was not the usual type; this was different, more focused, strong and powerful. It had a differentiated signature, and the time she had been unconscious allowed him to notice the difference.

“Honestly, I am an idiot. I should have never helped you with that collar. If it was there, and you were the only one having it, I should have known that it was for a reason. A very good one,†he snorted. “While I don’t exactly know how your mind works, and I can’t claim I have the slightest idea of what you are talking about, I’m sure that something twisted is going on inside that very thick skull of yours.â€

“With all your present knowledge, you should have arrived at that train of thought long ago, don’t you think?†she added, tersely. “I mean, c’mon, you know that you’ve been using that self delusion of your sister’s image to justify your actions, for good or bad. As I saw in your mind, you have already accepted this fact before the Lyrians kidnapped you and started to move on to a more rational train of thought. Why the sudden relapse? You are strong; you don’t need such devises to keep you going. Not now, at least.â€

“Get the fuck out of my life and mind your own business.†he spat, furious. The woman was playing with fire, most probably willingly. “I don’t know why the fact that I saved you from death has offended you so much, but I suggest you stop trying to annoy the hell out of me.â€

She jumped visibly and narrowed her eyes at the mention of her accident and his intervention. It was clear that he had hit the nail right on the head.

“Look, I’m not trying to insult you. You shouldn’t act so defensive. But I think you have to move on.â€

“Want to know something? You have a problem with your attitude.  Even when you try to be nice, you don’t fully understand how infuriating you can be. By not respecting the privacy of my personal thoughts, you are actually insulting me.â€

“It’s not as if I had a choice.  You think so loudly that I cannot help it,†she shrugged. “Anyway, what’s the matter with you? She is dead, she won’t come back, she is not around watching your every deed approving or disapproving it. Stop using her as a lame excuse to avoid taking responsibility for what you did and for what you will do with the rest of your life.â€

“You are unbelievable… I do think I deserve a little bit of gratitude from you. All I get instead is a self-righteous attitude, and what’s worse, you are doing this because you want to piss me off.â€

“It’s not like that but if you want to think that way, be my guest. Believe it or not, I’m trying to make you see the futility of your present train of thoughts for your own good.  All you are projecting to do, all you are thinking about concerning her is useless. Your world is gone too, like your sister… Tomoe, right? Deal with it. It’s pathetic to see someone with your potential wasting away. Move on. Live.â€

“Don’t you ever mention her name again! As if you knew anything about how it was… the fact that you’ve looked into my mind doesn’t give you an idea of how it feels like… Of course, with all those airs of superiority, I can assume you don’t have the slightest idea what it is to struggle to survive…â€

“ I told you this once before, I won’t repeat it: you should not make assumptions about people’s past.â€

His words had an unexpected impact on her. Her voice rang out cold and steely, her ki indicating she barely kept her killing urges at bay. For a moment he thought she might attack him. But she stood there, at arms reach, doing nothing but stare at him.

After an exchange of fiery glares, a long silence settled between them, and after it, she got up and walked past him, lying on her makeshift bed.

‘So fucking much for civility…’

Whether he believed it or not, she had been honest. Granted, she was a cop. Diplomacy had never been her strong point. She had never needed it. She approached the targets, interacted with them, got what she wanted, and she was gone… leaving behind no witnesses. She had gone undercover many times, but that didn’t require tact, that needed her to slip into her character’s skin and follow the rules of the game. It was a completely different thing here.

And the fact that he was acting like a brat didn’t help things.

‘Typical human’, she thought, retreating back to familiar comforting ground of belittling his race. It was common knowledge that humans were all childlike and they needed supervision, as all children. That was why they couldn’t be a free people and they were held as slaves. It was for their own good.

A sudden, uncomfortable voice in her head mocked her and what she was beginning to perceive as her hypocrisy.

<Are you sure? Or are you trying to deceive yourself to appease your conscience?> She threw a furtive glance over at her companion.

In spite of his self-induced delusions, his stubborn hold on the past and his antics, he had proven himself a valuable asset and worthy ally. It was no secret that he was a powerful warrior; she had seen it from their very first encounter. Then she had been amazed at how resourceful he was. In fact, she had to admit that his keen mind and quick mental reflexes made up for all his physical weaknesses and lack of psychic skills, putting him almost at the level of any good Alliance trooper, or even above.

God forbid I have such impure thoughts again, she thought shuddering, Anyway, the point is that he is good, very good.

That would have been enough to make her to cast aside some of her prejudices in his particular case. The contact with this human had taught her that many of her former ideas about his species might be wrong.

‘Maybe those who dwelled on Earth were genetically different,’ she thought.

After all, he didn’t resemble the humans she had seen back in the Alliance…  But if that was true, what was preventing the present-day humans from becomeing something close to this specimen?

She cast the annoying thought aside. It wasn’t the time or her place to involve herself in such philosophical questions. Humans were humans and they were an inferior species. That was all.

However, in the back of her mind, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt. Jihan wanted to kick herself. It was outrageous. She couldn’t believe that in a little corner of her mind she regretted the clumsiness of her approach.

It was inconceivable to sink so low as to feel uncomfortable because she had annoyed him.

‘The fact that he had saved you again, increasing your debt, has nothing to do with your moodiness,’ Jihan’s inner voice mocked her.

How could her debt be influencing her perception of him so greatly? 

‘Or is it because he is the first creature you are really interacting with since, what, ten years ago?’

Again, she brushed the disturbing thoughts aside. She was thinking too much for her own good.

His voice, reached her unexpectedly.

“I don’t know, maybe because I’m just bored, without anything to do here. Maybe because my head hurts with your mental monologue,†she shrugged. “I suppose it’s the same reason that pushes you to save me, hating me as much as you do.â€

“I don’t hate you. But your attitude… it’s driving me nuts!â€

“I guess I can say the same, about you. You intrigue me from the beginning, because I never knew a human like you before.â€

“How are the humans you’ve met?â€

“Shorter, thinner, their  hair is black, their skin, paler. And they would never talk their masters in the tone you use.†He tensed, anger burning his pupils, “but then again, I don’t think they’d ever have survived the kind of life you carried on. You are a true born warrior. They are servants.â€

There. She said it. Finally, her conscience forced to acknowledge that facts had won the fight against her long held theories, at least partially.  

‘Damn.’

She was implicitly acknowledging his status, closer to hers. It should have to be enough of an apology for him.

Apparently, he got the meaning of her words, because after widening her eyes, and smirking briefly he nodded.

“I think it would be better if we avoided to poke in our personal lives. We don’t know how long it will take to get out of here, and we might as well to try to get along the best we can.â€

“I agree, and believe me, I will try,â€

“But you won’t promise…â€

“Sorry, you think too loud, and it affects me…â€

“I cannot promise I won’t say something that will make you mad then.â€

“It’s acceptable. I guess we’ll have to learn each other’s limits with time.â€

“All right.â€

Muttering a thousand and one mental curses upon the insufferable woman that Fate had thrown in his path, Enishi finished his meal. He later got up and inspected his weapons. Some of them needed some replacements so he put all his overflowing energy into taming the wood, as a way to vent the remnants of his anger.

He inspected his handiwork, brought one of the improvised cannons for the weapon he was arming and proceeded on with the adjustments in the piece of wood, leaving the metal tube by his side again.His gaze rested briefly behind him, where the bodies for two new bows were propped up against the wall. They would be replacing his current ones soon. The latter were about to fall apart. Of course, they were very far from the superb weapons that traditional Japanese bows [1] were, but they could help in the hunt for food while saving the precious gunpowder and ammunition for those occasions when danger made their use absolutely necessary.

She should consider herself lucky that he was directing his attention to carving the butts for the makeshift muzzleloaders he was arming. She was truly infuriating, he thought, removing a particular nasty loop in the wood with more force than needed.

Of course, all resemblances between this woman Jihan and Kamiya Kaoru ended in their willfulness and quick temper, because the blue haired woman was neither harmless nor innocent, as the silly girl had been. This one was a bird of prey, merciless, ruthless, efficient, someone he should never turn his back on. They were only temporary allies and he hadn’t harbored any hopes beyond that. She might help him to return to his time and world; she might not. She could end being a long-term ally, or try to backstab him. Honestly, he thought that the latter option was the more likely one, considering her profession. He was just being realistic, but didn’t want to cast aside any possibilities.

‘Who knows?’ he thought.

Maybe the annoying cop in front of him could remember the meaning of gratitude at some unknown turn of the road.

‘That was a good one,’ he snickered at the ridiculous thought.

Anyway, he had no other choices at that moment. None but staying by her side and learning as much as he could of the strange universe he had been thrown into. And if she turned unfriendly, well, they would part company as soon as he saw the first signs of danger.

Enishi made a quick visual inspection of his wounded companion through half-lidded eyes. She shifted in her place once more, trying to sleep.

Truth be told, the conversation took a path absolutely different from the one he intended at first. He didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing, though.

He pursed his lips in a tight line, feeling still a bit angry at her. However, instead of facing her contemptuous attitude, after a defensive beginning, she came out with answers that sounded even civil in the end.

Still, he thought, the fact that she might be --somehow-- accurate in her perception of his relationship to his past didn’t give her the right to mess up with his head, and less to talk about his sister like this.

However, he felt torn. She had been sincere. He could not detect any trace of malice in her when she had talked, only brutal frankness. Though it was an invasion of his private affairs, it was, in her own uncivilized way, a sort of kindness. She had tried to give him advice. In old times, he would have ordered Wu to find someone to dispose of her for her boldness. But after his defeat, he was wondering if he should stop shunning contact with other people. After all, that seemed to be what Tomoe had wanted Battousai to do…

He sighed. Tomoe was in his thoughts. Once again.

‘Will I ever let you rest, dear sister, even if I cannot see you anymore?’

But, in any case, his thoughts were his  as much as his decisions. He didn’t need a fucking alien cop to tell him what to do.

At the moment, he had seen her weakness. She detested relying on others and most of all, on him, probably because she thought of him as her inferior. He had seen that in westerners. It was usually their downfall when they dealt in the East with clever Asians.

So, he planned to use the mention to her accident if she dared to open her mouth again about Tomoe. Also, she had reacted in a puzzling way when he had mentioned her past. He’d keep his eyes and ears open for any slip on her part about that too. Information was very often a useful weapon in itself.

Because he seriously doubted this would be the last he’d hear about her opinions about his sister’s memory… Anyway, he just hoped that what she had seen of him that night would prevent her from crossing anymore limits.

 Alliance’s border, year 378 since the Alliance’s Foundation

The place was dark with rough-hewn stony walls, more or less cave-like in its appearance.  None of the patrons seemed concerned with the unappealing looks of the tavern.  It was plainly obvious that the customers were not there to satisfy a sense of style or taste.  Everyone was strictly there for business. 

The scarce illumination, noisy background and the smoky environment added the perfect backdrop for such deals, concealing faces that didn’t want to be spotted and silencing conversations that should not be heard by prying ears.  Patrons of a hundred different species, some totally unknown to the common Alliance citizen, and probably engaged in more than disreputable activities, occupied most of the tables scattered all around the place.  Scantily clad waitresses and waiters served the lecherous patrons of the crowded tavern.  In a far away corner, two of them were chatting quietly.  The red, lizard-like skin marked one of them as Lyrian, a bulky male, while a large hooded cloak veiled the other’s gender and general looks.

“It was quite convenient that I was working in the area.  It’s been rather hard to move around easily of late.  Masshwov’s lapdogs are following me and my people everywhere…†a female voice almost whispered from inside the hooded cape, just loud enough so that her partner heard it

“Well, I suppose it’s something you should have expected…†the owner of the deep male voice chuckled

“In your environment, this kind of suspicions from close collaborators perhaps is normal, but in mine, it’s quite insulting.â€

There was a certain strain in the voice of the woman, as if she were feeling a certain degree of hurt.

But of course, it’s Jabesh we are talking about here…, the male thought.

She was simply unrelenting, cold and calculating, and was very little concerned with the opinion of the rest of the creatures about her, unless, of course, it collided with her interests… in which case she simply took the necessary steps to finish the potential threat.  Personal feelings were never involved.

“Anyway, I finally made it here,†she shrugged, “and that’s what counts…  I have good news for you: the Gate will be open for business in two days.  So, get your people ready. They’ll have to go hunting new prey for our little business deal…†the woman casually slid a pair of carefully folded gloves over the table.  It was the signal. He took them, almost carelessly, knowing that inside she had slipped a heavily codified crystal data, including the locations they had to visit to collect their cargo.

“Wonderful, it was about time… the last three batches didn’t last too long except for a few ones, tough as Hell, who have been avoiding the hunters and even caused major trouble to some of them.â€

“Details?†The tension on the woman in front of him was blatantly obvious.  He knew exactly what she wanted to know.

“As you probably suspect, the reports give some hints concerning the identity of one of the troublemakers…  One survivor identified a white haired male, which he swears was a human, helped by a blue haired female of a species that his instruments identified as Prakeshi, who took down an entire party of hunters.  They used some kind of primitive firearms and explosives.â€

“Shit!†The woman’s features contorted in a mixture of rage and unadulterated hate. “Shit, shit, shit!â€

“I’d say it’s rather amazing…  It produces a strange sensation…  I’d almost get on the next transportation to our resort, just to hunt her down myself.  We knew she’d last long and that’s why we chose the place, to make her suffer, but I expected she would act like the worm she was when I first met her and would hide and endure persecution and humiliation.  I never expected her to fight back.â€

“Who the fuck is the bastard that is with her?  He can’t be a simple human.â€

“Oh, but according to the reports, he is!  The captain that brought her to the site remembered him very well.â€Â  The man chuckled. “The idiot didn’t heed the warnings, got too close, and she almost killed him.  He is lucky, he still has one eye…  But I digress…  The man also recalled that a white haired human male was always close to her in the ship.  I suppose that she got a pet among one of the acquisitions you got  from your human associates…†The man poured a thick substance into a couple of glasses of questionable cleanliness, and drank his in a single gulp, before talking again to the now thoughtful woman in front of him.  “Her pet seems quite dangerous by himself…â€

“Listen to yourself…  We are talking about a mere human,†the woman dismissed.  “No, he is of no consequence.  He cannot actually be helping her, except through serving her…â€Â 

“You and I know pretty well why humans are requested in the rings.  They weren’t always pets or slaves… they can turn dangerous if they are skilled.  And we were assured this was one of those.â€

“The previous ones didn’t last a week.†she snorted, “No, considering that Masshwov is his companion, there is no doubt in my mind that she is the one taking on our hunters.  Who knows why she lowered herself to let a human trail behind her, but I know something: he is simple cannon fodder.  Anyway, the game is no longer satisfying.  Preys are not supposed to hunt the hunters.  It makes us look silly…and that’s bad news for our business.â€

“No, that’s the only good point about it, actually.  After this encounter and the following tale, some parties have decided that these two are a good trophy to catch…  They won’t be able to resist much longer if several groups are behind then.  The actual problem is that they disappeared suddenly into a swamp.  There are no biotraces of her or any human around the place after that point.â€

“Maybe nature made our work easier.â€Â  There was a hint of irony on her voice.

“I wish I could believe that but unless I get verified reports of her death, or her body is brought to me, I will not trust in sheer luck.  I’ve waited for too long this moment. I want to see that she has received her retribution with my own eyes.â€

“As do I.  I was just expressing a wish…  Like you, I don’t think we’ll get rid of her so easily…â€

“Indeed…  Considering that she and her partner managed to assemble more developed weapons than the assorted blades provided, I think there is a potential for a rather long hunt, much to our customers’ delight. I think we should let ‘slip’ information about them among our assorted patrons’ ears. Only, of course, if they are spotted alive again.â€

“It’s an idea that we might consider…†The woman closed her eyes, one of her hands going inside the hood, rubbing her temples, “but I think we should focus on what’s important.  There is no way she can escape from our facilities, and even if by a stroke of luck, she manages to get her hands on a ship, she’d be too deep in Lyrian space to make it out alive to the Alliance again.  So, there is nothing to be concerned about. And as you suggested, the more she fights, the more we should take advantage of this to benefit our business. You manage it. I’ll make sure to get more fresh meat for our ring in the meantime.â€

“So… does this mean you don’t want more updates about her progress?†The red skinned man cocked an eyebrow, a mixture of surprise and skepticism plainly written in his face.

“I’m done with her.  I’m not concerned with Masshwov anymore.  She won’t be able to move her sorry ass back to the Alliance ever.  The only news I’m interested in is that of her death.†The woman put away her glass, still untouched.

“I thought you’d like to follow her suffering, for what she did to you…†The man narrowed his eyes, studying his partner.

“In a way, I do.  But, knowing that she is there… it’s enough for me.  Now, it’s strictly about business.  Without her putting her nose into our affairs, we can do anything we want.†She paused before adding, “Do me a favor: tell the hunters that whoever brings me her scalp will have his fee from me, and I’ll throw in an additional juicy plus in any currency they choose.â€

“A trophy?â€

“No, just  proof that I kept my promise.  I’ll bury it in the place their remains are resting, and that will be all.â€

“At least you have a place to make your offering to your avenged ones…,†the man said bitterly.

“As long as she is dead, we should be satisfied,†she cut him short. “I don’t think that our dead ones would even care, even if there is something after death…†the woman shrugged. “  Personally, I’m doing this for me, and for the benefit of our business.  Everything else is irrelevant.  You should also consider this point of view.  Sentimentalism can cause disastrous mistakes,†she admonished him.

He had to bite his tongue.  He wanted to argue that he was far from being sentimental, but he knew in advance the outcome of his protest.  It was useless, that was Jabesh in her pure, true form.  And definitely, arguing with her would ruin his plans with her later, and that was not something he wanted to endure.  He could let her win the argument; after all, his coldhearted lover was his only weakness…

“How strange that you didn’t  rise to the bait…â€

He could almost feel the smile on her face, concealed under the hood’s shadows.

“Are you teasing me with something so sensitive??â€

“No, not in the least.  But it’s so unlike you to keep quiet about this issue…â€

“I haven’t seen you in weeks,†he simply stated, looking into the bottom of his glass.

 “I see…   But any plans that you might have in mind for us tonight, they’ll have to wait for a more propitious moment.â€Â  She leaned forward, and he could see her face.  A smirk crossed it, but he could tell that there was barely repressed longing in her voice “As soon as I’m done with our business chat I must leave to Transkel. I have spent too much extra time without contacting the command, and I don’t want them on my back, especially with Masshwov’s people being so nosy lately.â€

“Shit…,†he growled, frustrated.

“I know…,†her voice carried a hint of regret.

“This should not be happening at all…â€

“Our friends must keep a low profile, that’s why.  We all knew about this in advance, and if they let us take the bitch so easily it is because she had become too nosy for their liking.  But they still have to save face at home.â€

“Fuck!  I already know all this, but it does not make it more acceptable,â€Â  he hissed.  But he composed himself almost instantly.  “She had too much independence in her post… that’s the source of our friend’s problems.â€

“That post, in the right hands, together with the powers that follow it, is just perfect…  It’s a question of dropping certain names in the right ears, and our friend and us will be covered and granted access to the most vital information in the Alliance.â€

“I suppose we should be happy with this for now…â€

He wasn’t stupid, and even if he didn’t like the outcome, there was a lot at stake here. Pleasure would definitely have to wait. He wasn’t in the mood for brothel’s meat either.

“I’ll let you know as soon as possible where we can meet safely. I’ve got to go now.â€

And without another word, she got up and disappeared amidst the rowdy crowd.

He waited twenty-two shegs [2] as usual, and then he followed her example, losing himself inside the foggy atmosphere of the rogue city.  He had matters to attend to.  Their little resort was open for business again…

[1] Bows (Yumi): Traditionally made of hardwoods laminated front and back with bamboo the Japanese bow is one of the longest in the world, usually over seven feet in length. It is a natural double recurve bow with the arrow nocked one third of the way from the bottom and the bow actually rotating in the hand at release approx. 270 degrees. The unique design of the bow requires that the bow actually be torqued or twisted in full draw to make the arrow fly straight. (ecb) The length and weight of a bow is used that is appropriate to the archer's physique and skill. In kyudo the effectiveness of a bow is more dependent on mastering the subtleties of technique to express the energy of the bow than mechanical action. This is why a master archer can shoot a light bow faster than an inexperienced archer with one of heavier weight.

[2]  Shegs (as mentioned in chapter 2) are a measure equivalent to Earth’s seconds. Toshegs are minutes in this universe.