The medical orderly pulled a small amount of blood from the two unconscious agents and dripped it into the ID sequencer. The machine clicked softly to itself while doing its arcane magic as the orderly continued to administer first aid. Even though the sequencer was not the latest model out of Betheshee, it was still leaps and bounds beyond what was generally available in UIT space. Within 5 minutes a suggested body form and face would appear in the display with a full DNA write-up. Then he would just have to check it against the twin profiles that the Boss had sent before. He winced at the bruises and damages on the agents; they both looked like they had been involved in a death match in Odia, complete with bite marks and all. The sequencer chimed softly and he turned to get the read-out. He immediately opened a link to Chief Investigator Alex.
###
Retractile kept low while the sounds of the footsteps faded outside. Only when it had been silent for a minute did he peek out from the crate he was in. Only one person was in the bay, heavily armoured but at least with his back to him. He lifted the lid ever so slowly, stopping three times when the armoured figure moved his body. Fortunately he never turned to face the crate that contained Retractile or he would have been caught immediately. After five nerve-wracking minutes Retractile had managed to remove the lid and like thawing carbon-dioxide ice he rose ever so slightly and silently. The only exit he hadn't tried yet was blocked by the armoured figure. Having no other options, Retractile slowly advanced on his almost motionless back. He was so focused on what the armoured person did that he missed the three pressure canisters on the floor and managed to kick one of them into the two others with an impressively loud noise. The armoured figure started to turn and Retractile charged him low, impacting with his shoulder in the low of his back and shoved his stun gun into the inner thigh of the armoured figure. With a loud crack the figure dropped heavily. Retractile kept the stun gun active until the battery gave up and the armoured figure was absolutely still.
Retractile turned onto his back lying on the top of the armoured figure, panting for a couple of seconds before he started to strip the armour off of the person. The man inside was completely white faced but slowly breathing, vomit slowly dripping from his mouth onto the floor. Retractile grabbed the armour and donned it, clicking the full-face helmet into place with some distaste as the smell of bile, koffee and semi-digested donuts hit his nostrils in full force. He almost gagged but managed to keep it down, rising and staggering slowly down the last corridor he hadn't tried yet. A group of three agents were positioned with two strangle net launchers and a single standard UPK assault rifle, covering the corridor. Retractile straightened and walked past the guards waving his hand as he passed. The guard with the rifle waved back but kept his attention in the direction of the bay. Retractile slowly grinned; he was going to get away.
###
The Warthog Mk II slowly drifted through the asteroids that surrounded Epsilon Hold, a major Xang Xi station and also the headquarters of the Cargo Liberation Movement, CLM. The Warthog had scrape marks in several places, evidence of impacts with a lot of the mainly ferrous asteroids that covered the station like slow snowflakes on a windless night. The Warthog was destined for yet another impact with a particularly bit asteroid in another ten seconds and surely enough, the ship scraped a long ten centimetre gash along the side of the asteroid before the impact sent the Warthog along a new vector. It could just as well have been without a pilot and only the heavily flashing lights from the cockpit betrayed that it was in fact piloted. If the ship had been in an air filled area instead of hard vacuum, any bystanders wouldn't have been in doubt for a second. The extremely loud music that had drums beating in concert with the flickering lights was high enough that they would easily penetrate the armoured canopy of both the Warthog and any bystanders ship. Just like Tramshed liked it. This was his weekly guard duty and he hated every second of it. He would rather be hunting all over grey but took his guard duty seriously. Well, as seriously as could be expected. A single contact appeared on his radar and he queried it for identification. John Eldritch, council member of TGFT, flying a heavily laden Axia Wraith.
"Satan's balls!"
Tramshed almost choked on the remaining decilitre of Pyronean Embers, the last remainder of a particularly nice cargo load he lifted off an Atlas some months ago as he pushed the throttle all the way to max. A twist and a tickle of the belly thrusters ensured that he would be on an intercept course as he engaged the turbo booster function. Accelerating to 220 m/s in almost no time, he switched attention to his targeting. There, acquired, the heavy gauss turret tracked effortlessly as the Wraith flew in a straight line towards the station's docking bay. With a small twitch of his right hand pinky, he sent a challenge to the Wraith.
"Arr, pay me 200,000 KC's or equivalent or I'll boom ya'rrrrrr"
He knew the almost inevitable reply and prepared for the dual set of flares that would be streaming towards him in milliseconds.
"Can the crap Trammie. This ship has been liberated already."
Tramshed was a bit confused about the female voice until his brain went out of targeting mode and into thinking mode.
"How the hell did you steal a TGFT ship Az?!"
"Skill hun. And wearing the right outfit. Listen, Retract is still at Daltas Hold without an exit. Maybe you wanna go get 'im?"
Tramshed considered for about a second before grinning firecely.
"Nah, he is a big boy. I'd rather see that outfit."
The Wraith did a victory roll above his ship as it passed him on the way to the dock. The hearty laughter from Azumi tickled his ears as they both docked.
###
The motley crew of KAOS were gathered in the briefing room as Silia outlined the day's duties. Cat glanced over at the two Itani pilots that were seated to her side. It had been harder for her to accept that she was now working with Itani pilots than she had realised but at least they had behaved civilly.
"So, flight schedules for today: Head Hunter and Bloody Mayhem, escort to Dau, Red Tide and Shenanigan, Sol II and Tomahawk and McMayhem take the Bractus escort. Questions?"
Cat raised her hand while frowning slightly.
"Ah, yes Cat. I forgot your assignment. You will prepare for training in boarding techniques. You should have a full Serco EVA marine training, right?"
Cat nodded but frowned even more.
"Yes ma'am, but I was promised that I could fly. I have my entire kit ready for an escort mission. If at all possible I would like to be allowed to fly."
One of the Itani, McMayhem turned to Cat and grinned. He opened his mouth and a deep almost growling tone emanated from his mouth. It took almost a whole second before Cat discovered that he was saying something.
"Doy yaouw understan' what I yam sayen? I said yaouw can tek me floight instead. I yah loads of stuff ter does."
"Okay McMayhem, you do whatever and Cat will fly with Tomahawk. But tomorrow I want you prepping for training the others in EVA tactics, okay Cat?"
Cat nodded. This was not really what she signed up for but as long as she got to fly and belong she could live with it. Besides, they seemed a nice enough bunch so far. She followed Tomahawk as he left for the launch bay and their respective escort fighters. This was going to be good.
