The decor would best be described as immensely garish, yet also completely without style. Everything was very expensive, but placed to show off their monetary value instead of adding to the rooms natural style that had apparently given up hope and crawled off into some corner to die in peace. Chi looked around in fake awe and exclaimed a round mouthed "Oh" at the monument to the man that lived here. The guards had allowed her to enter after running her through a metal detector and checking her miniscule handbag. They confiscated the small bottle of mace, just as she had expected. Her petite gold paillette strop dress, little girls smile, giggle and explanation that she had to take care of herself, being self-employed and all, had calmed the guards and they had led her through. They never checked the false bottom of her lipstick, the make-up box or even the handbag.
The Senator was polite enough. He offered champagne, imported directly from Sol II and a delicacy even Chi had not had for some time. She accepted and drank while eying the Senator over the top of the fizzy, smiling in response to his broad grin. He was not disappointed by the looks of him. Chi refrained from using her higher mental faculties; somehow she knew that the Senator had not asked for a girl to discuss the policies regarding CLM or the newest ships design. Instead she smiled, laughed and giggled a lot when he said things where such a response was expected; otherwise she just looked sufficiently impressed. After about an hour of mindless talk, the Senator got up and excused himself to the bathroom. To become ready as he said. Chi smiled and waited until he had closed the door before taking her lipstick from the purse. She moved so her body shielded the drinks from the hidden camera she had noticed in the ceiling light and dropped a single pill into the Senators drink. When he came out, wearing a robe and nothing else, she stood, lifted the glasses and drank the content of her own glass in one go, waiting for him to do the same. He did and tossed the glass away, the crash of crystal against marble making him grin widely. He opened his robes; it was time for business. She dragged him over to the bed and made him lie down on the belly. She told him to get comfortable and relax. She took the large tube of oil and started to spread it on his back. Within a minute he was asleep as planned, snoring slightly. Chi wiped her hands and pulled the sheets over him. Not because she was afraid he was getting cold, but because she really didn't want to look at him. She wondered for about half a second where NP had found the rape drug, but pushed it out of her mind; it had worked after all. She walked over to the camera in the ceiling and smiled up to it. If somebody was looking, she was toast. But the odds of the Senator allowing someone to view his escapades were minimal. He would be taping it for his own enjoyment.
Chi took her high heels off and opened the secret compartment in each. She opened a connection via her headware to NP, coded and scrambled.
"I am in position. Target is... well incapacitated is the best description. Am opening the leech and accessing his mains."
"Roger, I am standby with all systems. Let me know when you have access to the mains."
The voice in her head was soft and full of confidence. She chuckled, well he could be, he was in a cosy office in Nyrius and she was here inside a most secure location in UIT space. Finding the main frame in the room was a question of searching for the nearest holoscreen. A very large one was hidden behind a real painting on one wall. Chi moved the painting to get access and entered the leech.
"Engaged. Am waiting for your go."
"Roger, activating the system. Expect two or three minutes."
She walked over and helped herself to the last of the champagne. She walked over to the large paintings on the far wall and allowed herself to be impressed by the skill of the painter. She enjoyed the brief moment of peace that was so rare these days. She also missed the fights with John, but he had been so busy with that KAOS thing. Maybe he would have time when she came back to K-10. Her system chimed and she sighed. The calm was over and she walked over to her equipment and disconnected it. She placed it in the same containers that they had arrived in, took the glass and placed it in her handbag. She then left the room and walked out to the guards. She smiled at them, received her mace and was cheered on. She walked directly down to her safe house and disappeared from UIT security. Hours later a young black haired woman with a hideous scar named Silia Katrie jumped on the shuttle to K-10.
###
The warthog had docked and Retractile had been moved with all haste to the emergency reception room. Three surgeons were waiting for him. They immediately disconnected his comatose brain from the damaged body and set about to repair whatever they could. No use, the body was destroyed beyond repair and even with limb grafts it would fail catastrophically within minutes of disconnecting from the machines that circulated and oxygenated the blood. The doctor in charge looked up over his mask at the sad looking green man outside and shook his head. Yoda was used to violence and massive trauma, but it was fortunately rare that he was confronted with deaths. He nodded and turned to walk down to the other pilots. He was going to find out what had happened.
###
The hold slowly filled with a smell of very good whisky, a smell emanating from Hortan's ungainly looking rescue pod. The autodoc was perplexed as how to open the pod, but after a bit of human intervention the collected pirates managed to pry it open. Hortan was inside, safe and sound. The autodoc injected a stimulant and came up without result. It injected him again and he slowly woke up. Swag man dropped to his knee and looked closer at the pool of liquid under Hortan's pod, sniffed a bit and then put his finger into the amber fluid. He tasted it slowly and smiled.
"Either this boy pisses Helio Mists, or he had a bottle in here that broke."
Tramshed started looking around the pod and found the small copper tube that slowly dripped.
"Found it, it is right here buddy."
He squatted behind the pod, put his cup under the tube and collected the liquid. Swag man moved over to him and waited for his turn, after all this was free Helio Mists.
###
The meeting in Dau K-10 was held in utmost secrecy. Only the highest ranking members of TGFT were present and after the meeting they were all sworn to secrecy. They only had one item unresolved, how to snatch the person. John and Waldoze thought of enrolling Hortan in the plan and thus it was agreed upon. As soon as he came home from his fool's errand they would contact him. Two days from now the mission would be initiated.
###
Buzz walked over to the dockhand as he was standing among his friends. He smiled and extended his hand. The dockhand, unsure what to do, shook the offered hand.
"I wish to express my sincere apologies."
The dockhand grinned and turned to his buddies.
"Yah, accepted mate, don't think of it."
Buzz nodded to the workers and turned to Gramps, indicating with a nod of his head that they should leave. Gramps followed and waited until they were in the corridors again before talking to Buzz.
"I must say, a powerful show of restraint on your side Buzz. I am impressed."
"Yeah, well I didn't say what I was sorry for now did I?"
Gramps stopped and looked at the grinning Buzz.
"I guess he will develop a nasty skin rash within the next day or so. The only thing I am sorry for is that I won't be there to see it. Well, that and the fact that I didn't hit him in the head to start with."
Gramps shook his head slowly. Youth, he would never understand them. It didn't matter, his task was over.
