Last updated November 14th, 2005.

Update: Hehe, Cain, you naughty boy, trying to kill me off. http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=243318 Give me a while and I'll publish an ending to my story.

Part 1

     Todaki was an unremarkable system. The few travelers and ships that passed through gave it little thought and the one location that held any interest at all bore an uneasy resemblance to a giant beast. Namely an insect. This placed turned out to be a small station and, to those who were unfortunate enough to work there, was often referred to as the ass-end of space. However not all of its inhabitants felt this way.

     Eric Seldaki sat back in his comfortable chair and stared at the monitors. Within a few moments his focus began to shift off into the distance as his mind turned to to lurid memories of the previous night. The deepest, darkest recesses of the hulking station housed a small complex containing a hundred or so chambers. Each chamber had its own monitoring system, but they were all hooked up to one master computer. It was this computer, and the clones that may eventually emerge from the chambers it monitored, that Eric was in charge of maintaining.

     The technician was snapped away from the more pleasant memories of his Brutor woman by an alarm. Eric looked at the source. It was chamber number twenty-seven. A small red light on the chamber monitor was blinking in time with the alarm. Calling up the chamber on his terminal silenced the high-pitched “pinging” of the alarm and allowed Eric to diagnose the problem.

     *That’s got to be one of the oldest…* Eric’s thoughts were interrupted by the diagnosis.

     “Uh-oh.” Touching a screen next to the main terminal window, Eric called his supervisor. A bored-looking Brutor man appeared on the screen. The young Caldari often wondered why he was surrounded by so many Minmatar (even though he did not seem to really mind the night before).

     “Yes? Oh, it’s you. What is it?” Taldor was always annoyed to see his technicians and his displeasure at being bothered was never lost on Eric.

     “Sir, we have a strange malfunction with one of the clone chambers.”

     “Strange? What do you mean?”

     “This is a little difficult to explain. I think you should come down and take a look.” Eric hoped his inward smile did not show up as an outward grin on the monitor. Taldor sighed heavily and looked around his office.

     “Fine. I’ll be there in a minute.” The supervisor’s face disappeared and the monitor went dark again. The Caldari set his time piece and estimated the Minmatar’s arrival in about thirty minutes.

     Twenty-nine minutes, thirty-seven seconds later Eric heard the bulkhead door nearby open and close followed by the door to the clone storage open.   Taldor, looking annoyed as usual, sauntered in.

     “Whathaveyougot?” he not so much as said but exhaled in a deep, throaty voice. Eric simply pointed to the monitor. Leaning over, Taldor furrowed his brown in a vain attempt to understand the situation and rubbed his chin. Finally he stood up. “That’s not coming from our end.”

     “I know it’s not coming from our end. But it’s a problem none-the-less. Either the owner and the burning scanner are too far away, or,” he paused, “they are being jammed.”

     “I seriously doubt the scanner is being jammed. They’re just too far away from this clone. Either way it’s not our problem.” Taldor turned to leave. Eric was getting frustrated.

     “Look at the specifications for this clone.” The technician pointed at the screen. “Someone paid almost half a billion kredits for this clone twenty years ago; there is no way they are out of range at that price.” The Minmatar halted his exit and turned around.

     “How much?!” he exclaimed as he walked back to the monitor. “That’s insane, no one would…well I’ll be damned. Why would anyone have such an important clone in a dump like this?” Taldor scratched his temple. Eric frowned at the remark. He happened to like the station. It served its purpose for the newcomers that arrived on occasion, and Eric served his purpose also. He was very proud of the work he did, no matter how mundane.

     “Look,” Eric said after a moment of silence, “I can try to compensate for whatever it happening. I can boost the signal or try to modulate it.” Taldor looked at him suspiciously.

     “Can you do that?”

     “I can try, but without really knowing what is going happening I can’t be sure it will work.” Taldor sighed and looked at his wrist. 

     “Sounds like a lot of work, and it’s your break time.” Eric could not believe his ears.

     “What? Are you…”

     “Caldari union rules. I don’t write ‘em. I just benefit from them. You do whatever you want, but not during break hours. I’m not authorizing time and a half for something that isn’t our problem and may not even be fixable.” The supervisor headed out the door which was already opening for him as Eric gaped. “Better hurry to the cafeteria. I’m sure my daughter is waiting for you.” Eric blanched. Taldor turned around and grinned just as the second door closed. 

     The red light on the malfunctioning chamber cast an eerie glow throughout the dark room. Eric turned back to the terminal and quickly entered as many keystrokes as he could before his time ended. Heading out the door the technician wondered if it would be enough.

-----------------

     The red light continued to blink without its auditory accompaniment, and without anyone to tend to its concerns. Like a beacon in deep space, the cry went unheard. That is until a few minutes after the harried technician’s departure when more lights on the chamber’s monitor came to life. Green, blue, and yellow -- in addition to more red lights -- joined the lone warning bulb; some blinking, others steady. Eventually the front panel lit up in a symphony of light and was quickly joined by the rumbling of the suspension tank’s hydraulics.

     Suddenly a different alarm sounded. It was quickly joined by a second klaxon and three red lights above the main chamber. The chamber began to vibrate violently and the tank’s window grew a long crack from bottom to top. Some of the liquid started squirting through the crack, but the flow did not last long as the cover to the tilted chamber flew open releasing the remaining medical fluids.

     The young woman inside the clone chamber followed the rush of teal fluid. Falling hard onto the metal grate below her, the girl gasped hard for breath and coughed up some of the viscous fluid that had been in her lungs for the last twenty years. Even with the room heated above normal temperatures, the naked girl curled up and shivered on the floor.

     Behind her the chamber had continued to malfunction. Sparks flew across the room landing harmlessly on the far metal wall. A spark landed on the young woman’s back causing her to flinch slightly but otherwise eliciting no significant response. Eyes closed, she seemed peaceful until a violent memory brought her out of her respite. The girl’s eyes flew open and her body spasmed as she relived her last memories: the maniacal laugh of the bald man on her cockpit monitor, and her ship being ripped apart.

     The memory caused her to heave and expel the last of the suspension fluid from her lungs. The young woman balled her fists up against her eyes and wailed. After a few minutes her sobs died down and she dragged herself off the floor. Her light brown hair was short -- barely reaching her shoulders – and slicked back. Her slender body had little muscle tone and the girl stumbled slightly on her way to the door. With a trail of slime behind it, the security bulkhead closed.

     The dark passageways of the inner portions of the station were devoid of human life. Shivering, the girl made her way down the hall unnoticed by the station’s security camera. A floodlight above her illuminated her pale skin. The light burned her virgin eyes and she moved ahead as quickly as she could. Leaning up against a door, the young woman stumbled through it into the room. The only source of light was a pale sodium lamp over a row of mirrors. The sickly greenish light reflected off the muted tile of the room. Recognizing the room’s function, the girl hurried to the back corner and turned a valve. The cold water pouring from above shocked her skin but soon turned hot. The girl tried to regulate the temperature until she found a steamy setting and sat on the hard tile under the shower.

     For almost two hours the nude girl sat under the hot water. Her vacant stares were repeatedly interrupted by tears that were washed away past her skin and over the mildew-covered tile on their way to the rusty drain.

     “Where am I? What happened to me?” the girl thought. Again the nightmare image assaulted her. The face on the monitor laughed with its haunting sound projected through the ships speakers. The girl felt her skin on fire and her lungs burning from the emptiness of space. She screamed and tried to shut off the vision. Again she sobbed for several minutes until she heard the door to the room close.

     “Hello?” a woman’s voice called. Frantically the girl tried to hide behind a marble partition, but the running water drew the intruder's attention. The voice called out again and the room’s lights were turned on. Unaccustomed to the light, the wet girl yelped as her eyes burned under the glare. “Who’s in here?”

     The young girl swallowed hard and stood up. Trying to fake a smile she faced the newcomer. “H-hi,” her vocal cords cracked their first word. The naked girl sized up her opponent. She was a tall, slender Gallente woman. Her thick red hair was pulled back in a wild tuft behind her head; held there by a bronze-colored metal band. The woman looked like she was nearing middle age and sported a tight-fitting flight suit bearing an insignia. The young girl stared at the symbol trying to understand how she recognized the silver ship and swoop of the School of Applied Knowledge.

     “What are you doing here?” the woman demanded somewhat authoritatively. When she noticed the girl’s bloodshot eyes her demeanor softened. “Are you alright? What’s wrong?” The girl did not know how to respond. Every experience seemed new, yet familiar at the same time.

     “I, I, I…” she stammered.

     “That’s three ‘Is’ in one breath. Makes you sound like a rather egotistical young lady, does it not?” The older woman laughed at her own joke. The girl was dumbfounded and stared, mouth open. “I’m sorry. You must be new here.” The woman looked around. “Where are your clothes?” A sudden realization caused her serious concern. “Did something…? Did someone…? Who did this to you!?” The Gallentean's voice was filled with murderous rage. The young woman began shaking her head frantically.

     “No, no! Nothing! I was just, uh…just…” the girl trailed off. The older woman before her cocked her left eyebrow and studied the naked girl behind the low partition for a moment.

     “First day?” she finally asked. The girl nodded eliciting the same from the older woman. “I understand. Things can get a little rough for first-timers. You’ll do fine here.” Smiling she asked, “What’s your name?”

     The girl opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. She thought for a moment. *What’s my name!?* With no immediate response, the older woman was looking at her with suspicion. *By God, what is my name!?* Searching through her memories the girl sputtered something out. 

     “K-Kitten. Kitten Hearder.” She smiled wondering where she came up with such a ridiculous name. The commander tapped out the name on a keypad on her wrist and frowned.

     “There’s no such entry for you in our roster.” She looked back up at the girl.

     “No, it’s spelled H-E-A-R-D-E-R.” The woman narrowed her eyes at the girl before re-entering the name with its new spelling.

     “Ah, here it is. Mmmm…it really is your first day. Two hours ago? That’s interesting: our last shuttle was yesterday. The registrar must be slow indeed.” Kitten could only grin sheepishly. “I’m Commander Theresa Coreli. Head of flight training here at SAK,” the woman stated holding out her hand. The girl recoiled involuntarily from the gesture. Shrugging, the Commander withdrew her hand and peeked over the partition. “I think we had better get you something to wear.” Coreli walked over to a row of lockers and began opening them until she found what she was looking for. She pulled a grey jumpsuit from one locker and handed it to Kitten. After scanning the shower a moment she said, “Looks like there are no towels. No problem. Use that.” She grinned and pointed at the jumpsuit in Kitten’s hand. “I’ll find another for you to actually wear.”

-----------------

     Kitten awoke with a start to find her sheets wet with sweat. She realized she must have been crying out because her roommate’s head poked up from the bunk below. Gael’s face expressed concern and a hint of amusement. Kit took her pillow to wipe the sweat off her face and tried to fan herself. Gael was about to speak when Kit quickly leapt off the top bunk and made her way to the room’s sink.

     The fluorescent light above the mirror cast a pale glow over the room which seemed to be the theme for the whole station. “Dark and utilitarian was the request when the station was built,” Kitten thought. The young Caldari braced herself on the stainless steel sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. 

     Gael, the twenty-five-year-old Caldari woman who had been Kitten’s roommate for the last two weeks, cautiously approached her new friend and leaned up against the wall next to the sink. Gael Gelespie typified the Deteis in every way. She was slim and attractive, although not particularly athletic which was no surprise considering she had been born and raised entirely in space. Mostly she was inquisitive, but the one aspect of her personality that always puzzled Kitten was the fact she enjoyed changing her hair color often. In the two week they had been roommates, Kitten had noticed three distinct colors. First light blonde, followed by a fair brown, and only yesterday did she emerge from the shower with strikingly red hair. Kitten finally acknowledged her friend’s presence and sighed.

     “Bad dreams again?” Gael asked. Kitten only nodded.

     “I’m surprised you agreed to bunk with me. I must have developed quite a reputation over the last six months. That or there were no other units available.” Kitten grinned, hoping to put the woman on the spot. Gael simply grinned back with her arms folded across her chest. She appeared confident, but not smug.

     “Actually, to tell the truth, I requested this arrangement.” Kitten looked up at her red-haired companion and quirked her brow.

     “I’m afraid to ask why. Some sort of social experiment?” Gael responded to the idea with a chuckle.

     “Not really. I thought I may be able to help…”

     “I didn’t realize I was a charity case,” Kitten interrupted.

     “You didn’t let me finish. I was also a little intrigued.” Gael remained standing and smiling while trying to gage her roommate’s reaction. Kitten smiled back and splashed more water on her face before drying herself off with a towel.

     “So tell me: just what is my reputation among the other students?” Kitten asked leaning against the sink and padding herself dry.

     “No one hates you, if that’s what you think. In fact out of your three previous roommates, only one left for personal reasons.”

     “And the other two?” 

     “Both Jim and Lacey said you ‘wore them out.’” Gael grinned. Kitten did her best to stifle her laughter in the towel.

     “So with no way to go back to Caldari Prime, my mother and father remained on the station. I spent a lot of time on that station until about ten years ago when we started moving around again. We never settled on one of the terrestrial colonies in Lonetrek. Just more space stations.” Gael continued to chat over her meal. The galley was one of the few places that could be called cheery. Well lit and climate controlled, it was busy most of the day. Breakfast, or first shift meal, was the most popular time. But something else occupied Kitten Hearder’s mind.

     “Kit?” her friend called.

     “What?”

     “I asked how come you never talk about your family.” Kit ignored her friend’s question and concentrated on something behind her. Gael was about to turn around when Kitten stopped her.

     “No, no. Don’t turn around. Slowly take a peek over your left should at those two guards by the door.” Gael looked annoyed but did so anyway.

     “So what about them,” she said turning back to her roommate.

     “I’ve never seen them before.”

     “What’s so odd about that? So they’re new.”

     “Ya, but the guy is Gallentean, and the woman is Intaki. We would have heard about any Gallente on the station.” Gael just sighed at her friend.

     “There are a lot of different races here, Kit. I’m…”

     “No, that’s not what I mean.” Kitten leaned in close to her friend. “It’s not that they aren’t Caldari. But don’t you think it’s a little odd to have two new security guards posted together? They prefer to assign a veteran with a rookie. Not two rookies together.” Gael rolled her eyes.

     “Jim never mentioned paranoia. This is a new one, Kit. Are you sure you’re alright?”

     Tired, Kitten walked back towards her room after a hard morning’s training. The flight instructor had been particularly vigorous today and Kit was eager to get cleaned up and eat her mid-day meal. As Kitten rounded the corner she saw the two guards standing in the open doorway of her room. Quickly, the young Civire woman leapt into a nearby hall. She could hear the two talking but could not tell what they were saying. After a minute Kitten, could hear their footsteps as they walked down the far hall away from the room.

     Kit cautiously made her way towards her room. At the adjoining hallway she watched the two guards walk to the end of the hall and turn down another corridor. Silently, she pushed open her door and crept inside. Kitten nearly screamed when she saw her roommate lying unconscious on the floor.

     “Gael!” she cried out, but there was no response. Checking her friend’s vitals she found her still breathing but with a large lump on the side of her head. Kitten picked her up off the floor and laid her in her bunk. Gael moaned softly.

     “It’s alright, kiddo.  You’ll be fine.” Kit reached under the bed and pulled out a medical kit. Breaking out a white pouch, the young woman squished in her hands a few times before placing it on her friend’s forehead. “Hold this on your head, sweetie.” Gael barely had the strength but she did as she was told. She tried opening her eyes but even the dim light made her head throb even more. Her eyes shot open and she cried out in response a sharp pain in her right arm. When she looked at the source of the pain, Gael saw Kitten holding a hypo and red mark on her arm. Again, Gael lost consciousness.

     “Sorry, sweetie; I had to do it.” Kitten put the hypo away and folded Gael’s arms over her stomach. “I don’t envy the headache you will have when you wake up. But until then: dream of me, why don’t you.” With that, Kit kissed her friend goodbye on the forehead and replaced the cold pouch. Unzipping the top of her flight suit, Kitten opened a hidden panel next to her bunk and pulled out a pistol. With a snap of the energy cell the unit emitted a short whine and Kitten headed out the door.

     “There she is!”  Kitten turned to her left to see the two guards a couple dozen meters at the end of the hall. The burly man drew his sidearm but did not fire. The blonde-haired Intaki woman didn’t appear to be handling a weapon and remained standing behind her companion. Kit kept her pistol hidden and bolted down the corridor away from the pair. She wanted answers and not corpses. 

     The two guards gave chase and Kit dashed into the nearest lift. She new she would be easy to follow and quickly formed a plan. The elevator ended its journey in the deepest regions of the station. Kit exited the box and set her trap in motion.

     Several minutes later, elevator number two opened up and the male guard carefully checked the area with his weapon at the ready. When he determined it was all clear he motioned for his companion to follow. The two stood in the corridor quietly trying to determine the location of their prey until a noise drew their attention. The man approached the door from which the sound emanated. Pushing it open with his pistol the man led his companion into the bitch black room. Suddenly the woman heard her friend grunt and the sound of his body hitting the floor.

     “Jacque?” she called.  She received no response other than the butt of a pistol to the back of her own head.

     Satisfied their bindings were tight enough, Kitten examined her would-be attackers. Stripped down to next to nothing and mouths taped over, she had placed the pair on the cold tile of the shower area. Satisfied with her work, Kit reached up and pulled a lever. A cold rain poured down upon the two Gallenteans.  Instantly the two guards began to emerge from their impromptu naps.

     “Time to wake up!” Kit told them as she reduced the flow of water somewhat. Kit decided to try the man first. Propping him sitting up against the wall, the young Caldari woman sat across his midsection and grabbed his ears.

     “Alright, buddy. Who are you and who sent you?” The man could only mumble with his mouth taped shut. “Don’t wanna talk, eh? Let’s see just how much you can take.” Kit, nearly naked herself, wriggled over the man’s groin and ran her hands through his wet hair. The guard made a confused grunt though the tape. Kitten just stared at him with a broad smile across her face. The guard’s eyes wondered down to her white shirt that had soaked through under the shower. The thin garment clung to Kitten’s breasts lewdly. The guard became very confused about her behavior until Kitten suddenly grabbed his head and smacked it firmly into the tile wall. 

     “Talk, dammit!” The man’s eyes rolled back slightly as he groaned from the throbbing ache in the back of his head. Next to Kit and the male guard, the woman had rolled onto her side and began yelling through the tape. 

     “Shut up, Blondie!” Kit said as she swung the back of her hand at the woman. Instead of turning away from the attack, the woman tensed up and took the backhand square in the face. The Intaki woman screamed through the tape over her mouth as blood gushed from her nose.

     “Oh shit, sorry!  Didn’t mean to do THAT.” The male guard slumped to the floor as Kitten quickly dismounted and turned her attention to the woman. Once Kit tore the tape off the woman’s mouth she was immediately sprayed with blood as the blonde-haired woman began sputtering for breath.

     “You broke my nose, bitch!” the woman yelled. Kit sat the woman up against the wall and tried to set her nose back into place for her. With her wrists bound behind her, there was little the Intaki woman could do to stop Kit other than yell more obscenities.

     “Jebuz, what kind of guard are you if you can’t take a little pain? Or avoid that little love tap for that matter,” Kit asked as she examined her handiwork. The woman turned silent. Kit and the woman locked eyes. “Very well. Since your friend wasn’t forthcoming, I’ll ask you. Who are you and who sent you?”

     “You’ve got to be insane!” the woman spat. Kitten calmly shushed the Intaki’s unhelpful outburst and caressed her neck. “Did you really think that once you escaped you’d be safe?”

     “Escape? Escape from who?” Kitten felt she was finally getting somewhere.

     “Wh- what? Are you serious?” The woman looked dumbfounded. Kitten sighed and gave up her last card.

     “I don’t remember ANYTHING, Blondie. Now tell me who are you working for? Does it have anything to do with this?” The woman looked at what Kit was holding in her hand. It was the corporation symbol she had hidden in her suit. The woman thought she had hidden it well. Most people would have killed her upon seeing it and asked questions later. The blonde woman began to shiver with fear and turned back to Kitten’s wild eyes.

     “You’re crazy!” was all she could say.

     “Just tell me, Blondie.” Kit leaned forward to plant a little kiss on the woman’s nose and furthering the psychological attack. The Intaki woman looked up at her.

     “I’m just the pilot, ok? Don’t do anything to me, please!” she said in a frightened voice.

     “Just…” Kitten was cut off by a noise at the door. A man in a maintenance suit appeared in the doorway holding a bucket and mop. Kitten grabbed her pistol from the ledge and fired. The high-velocity round left a short-lived fluorescent trail as it buried itself in the door inches from the man’s head. “No interruptions!” Kit yelled as the old man ran off. “Shit!” she exclaimed. Seconds later the station’s general alarm began to sound. Grabbing her flight suit off a nearby bench, Kit threw it over her wet undergarments and ran out the door.

-----------------

     “Well this is just fabulous,” Gent, the Todaki SAK station manager, yelled. “You know this information would have been a lot more helpful a month ago. No, wait. If we had known about this seven months ago we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in now!” Overseer Gent walked around his desk and leaned back against it to consider his three subordinates. Commander Theresa Coreli and Technician Eric Seldaki stood silently at attention before Gent. The head of security for the station, Captain Vince Brin, stood beside the Overseer and glared at the other two along with his superior.

     “I saw no reason to submit a report, sir,” Coreli restated.

     “I know you didn’t, Commander. Next time follow protocol. If there is a next time for you.” Theresa had about enough of the uppity Caldari man’s insults.

     “Look. I checked the girl’s I.D. and she came up clean and legitimate. It’s not my fault that someone hacked into your computer system.” The Commander once again tried to explain the events she witnessed.

     “Don’t try to shift the blame, galet,” Captain Brin paused to let his racial slur sink in, “because of you we are missing over fifty million ISK and I ended up with two of my guards in the infirmary.” Theresa nearly exploded.

     “That’s it! You can consider me retired, Gent. That is what you wanted, isn’t it? I came here to train pilots. If you don’t want me here then I’m sure my services would be appreciated elsewhere.” The Gallentean woman added an obscene gesture to her resignation and stormed out of the Overseer’s office. Not to be outdone, Gent yelled out the door behind her.

     “You can’t quit; you’re fired!” Satisfied with himself, Gent gave a nod to Captain Brin then turned his attention back to the sweating technician. “So, explain to me exactly what it is you found.” Eric swallowed hard.

     “Well, sir. I was running a search on all the data we were able to recover from the clone chamber monitoring terminal that was destroyed during the fire…”

     “Yes?” the head of security asked impatiently.

     “Well, sir, it t-turns out that at the same time that clone chamber activated, a worm got into the system and created that woman’s entry in the roster. Well, actually, it didn’t create it; the data was already there. It was lying dormant, hidden. The worm just activated it.”

     “So let me see if I understand you correctly. Whoever purchased that clone, twenty years ago, also inserted this false entry into our records. So what about the original purchase receipts? Who did this to my station?!”

     “I-I don’t know, sir. That data was marked “supar sekrit” at the time. Obviously another hack.”

     “Oh, obviously!” the overseer spat sarcastically.

     “I could have broken through that and found out who did it,” Eric paused, “if that data hadn’t also been destroyed in the fire.” Gent’s eyes narrowed at the man.

     “You are dismissed.” Eric wasted no time in leaving the office. The overseer considered the events and information for a moment before being interrupted by the Captain clearing his throat. “What is it now?”

     “Well, sir, I didn’t want to say this in front of the others, but about those two guards…”

     “Yes, what?” The Overseer looked confused.

     “Well, I actually have no record of their employment here at the station.”

     “What?!”

     “I have no record of…”

     “I heard you the first time! Who are they then?”

     “I have no idea. Everything looked official until I took the time to run them through the system. Turns out their I.D.s were false.”

     “Where are they now?” Gent’s blood boiled.

     “Gone. They both disappeared the moment they left the infirmary.” Gent had had enough.

     “Forget it. Send your final report to Concord. It’s their problem now. Just leave out the part about the imposter guards. I don’t want to look any more the fool than I have already” Brin nodded.

“Very well, sir.” The head of security turned to leave.

“One more thing, Brin. If they ever find that woman, make sure we get our money back.”

-----------------

     The CEO of the Gravis Corporation sat in his office looking out the station window as the HMS Antigone approached and docked. The Lonetrek offices of the Gravis Corporation were Spartan which attested to their infrequent use. Not many Caldari came looking for employment with the company, and its latest Caldari acquisition looked to be the last one on which Dan Wilde was going to take a chance.

     CEO Dan Wilde got out of his cushioned chair and walked to the exterior glass window. Almost pressing his nose up to it, he peered out into the starry expanse of space and wondered how to handle the latest situation. He had been called back from overseeing a deep-space mining operation to investigate the findings of one of the other Gravis members. From there he decided to summon Ms. Hearder to someplace secluded to discuss the matter. The Nonni offices where she first came to him would suffice.

     *I pray this works out without anyone getting hurt,* he thought to himself. Dan turned around when he heard booted footsteps approach the office door followed by the expected chime of the entry bell.

     “Enter,” Dan called as he pushed in his chair. The door to the office opened up disappearing into the ceiling momentarily before closing behind the woman. Kitten Hearder stood at the doorway eyeing her boss quizzically as tucked a strand of brown hair behind her left ear.

     “You wanted to see me, Dan?” Kitten stood there waiting for a response as Dan Wilde tried to gage her attitude towards his odd request for a meeting. She wore a strange black and white flight suit with a camouflage pattern. She had darkened her normally light brown hair slightly since he had last seen her and a small tattoo now graced her right cheek.

     *Who is this woman?* Dan wondered. Dan felt it was important to get to the point, but he did not want to seem aggressive. If she was who he thought she was, he would need the pistol he kept in the top drawer of his desk.

     “Ms. Hearder, the Gravis Corporation is very important tome. Almost as important as its members are.” Dan noticed that Kit had stiffened slightly at the formality but he continued anyway. “We take care of each other, and I take good care of my people. I don’t want to see any of them get hurt.” Dan paused again. Seeing only confusion in the woman’s face he decided it was time to explain the matter succinctly. 

     “I don’t want any trouble for my company or my people,” Dan crossed his arms and sighed, “which is why, when I was contacted by Concord, that I thought it best to investigate the matter on my own. You can understand my concern when Naht found this amongst some of your belongings.” Dan pointed to the insignia pin on his desk. Kitten closed her eyes and lowered her head. Dan Wilde lowered his hand to the desk drawer and waited for her response. Although Kitten did not look armed, he was not about to take any chances with his own life. Kitten looked up and sighed.

     “That pin,” she began, “was found on one of the two people who attacked me and a friend at the School of Applied Knowledge two months ago.” Kitten’s normally jovial tone was gone. Her voice nearly cracked as she relived the incident. “I’ve spent all my time here at Gravis looking for its meaning.” Dan wondered if she was telling the truth.

     “And the money?” he asked. Kitten looked like a child caught with her hand in the sugar dispenser. Dan coughed. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve never owned a mining laser, yet you have a fully armed Moa at your disposal.” Kitten’s mouth hung open. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed the coffers of certain female members of my company growing suddenly.” Dan waited patiently for an explanation.

     “I took the money.” Kit could not face her friend. “I wasn’t sure how long I would last at the SAK. I needed a way to live.” Dan leaned over his table and placed his palms firmly on the metal top.

     “Kit,” his voice rang with genuine compassion, “what’s going on?” Kitten looked up and met the man’s gaze. Taking a deep breath she decided to come clean.

     “My life, prior to nine months ago, is gone. I have no memory of my name, or who I was, or what I was doing!” Kitten calmed herself after she realized her voice had risen to a near hysterical level. Dan was visibly taken aback. “All I remember from before I crawled out of a clone chamber is dying.” This gave Dan considerable concern. A clone was supposed to remember everything except the death of its original host body.

     “I still have nightmares to this day of that…” Kit paused trying to find the words, “bald, maniacal man!” Dan’s eyes widened at the description. His suspicions were confirmed even if the situation had changed slightly. Dan held up his hand trying to calm the woman who was on the verge of tears. Kit collected herself and waited for her boss’s verdict. Would he turn her in to Concord? Dan sat down and pushed the insignia pin closer towards Kitten’s side of the desk.

     “The people who attacked you and your friend, if that pin does belong to them, were from a pirate group that calls themselves The Sordoni Syndicate.”

     “I-I don’t think I recog…”

     “No, you wouldn’t. They don’t use that name publicly. Concord has yet to find any evidence of their existence, though they’ve tried.”

     “I don’t understand.”

     “The Sordoni have a rather nasty habit of killing their prey…permanently. They can jam a person’s escape pod as well their cerebral scanner. If the poor sod manages to get their capsule to launch then The Sordoni simply keep them from reaching their clone. So obviously Concord has no evidence of their activities.” Kitten looked confused. More memories began flooding in. But they made little sense. It was like a jumbled puzzle with no coherent meaning.

     “It would appear you are the first to escape,” Dan said with a wry grin. 

“How do you know all of this?” Dan just smiled and leaned back in his chair.

     “You learn a few things when you’ve been around longer than Concord. So the question remains: why were you in their part of space in the first place? That deep in the western spiral arm of the galaxy isn’t exactly Caldari hunting grounds.” Kitten perked up.

     “Where?! Where are they located?!” Kit pounded her fists on the table. Dan looked at her calmly, his expression returning to its previous grim visage. After a few moments he made his decision and produced an encoded card. Placing it in a terminal on the desk he punched in a few numbers and watched the screen before yanking the card out and handing it to the woman. Before she could grab it he snatched it back.

     “What do you plan to do? Go back and let Xiran finish the job? The Sordoni leader isn’t exactly the nicest Amarr in the galaxy. And that’s up against some pretty stiff competition”

     “No, I plan on taking this pin and cramming up his arse!” Dan studied the woman for a moment then handed her the card. Kitten grabbed it and turned towards the door. Before she could leave Dan held the door closed.

     “Kit, you’ve been a good friend to all of us here. But The Sordoni is not a group I want any trouble with.” Kit turned around and nodded.

     “They won’t trouble Gravis, I swear.” With that she left and the door closed. Dan Wilde began to wonder if she meant that The Sordoni would not know of her affiliation with Gravis, or if they would no longer be a threat to anyone. Dan got up to watch Kitten’s ship speed out of the station dock and warp away.

     *If she makes it back, I’ll retire and put her in charge!*

-----------------

     Kitten reduced her velocity to fifty percent as she approached her destination. Past the multitude of protecting asteroid fields Kitten had found the object of her search. The colossal space station would dwarf a battleship not to mention Kit’s tiny Merlin. The station stood out in stark contrast to the surrounding rock. The lights on its dark spires and modules glowed an eerie blue as several refinery stacks belched orange flames.

     Dan Wilde’s coordinates had led Kitten on a path of ninety-seven solar systems to a seemingly uninhabited system just outside of Concord’s patrol. Kitten wondered if this was the right place.

     *Why so close to the police?* she thought. She had seen no other ships in the system and the station and its surrounding fields were not marked. Searching the area had revealed only the asteroids on her scanner. Never-the-less her hunch had proven correct. Deep inside the field lay the only possible location of the Sordoni base. 

     *Here goes nothing,* Kit thought as she opened up her intercom and hailed the station. For several minutes there was no response. Kit was about to circle the station for a closer look until flood lights appeared on a close module and a docking bay appeared. Kit stared at the open invitation for a long time before throwing caution to the wind and powering up her thrusters.

     *Into the lion’s den.*

     Piloting her frigate into the cavernous docking area, Kit looked for a free bay. Seeing nothing but free bays and no ships she once again began to question her situation. It was then she noticed the docking bay doors closing behind her. Panic set in and she tried to activate the disembarking procedure. The doors did not respond. 

     Resigning herself she maneuvered to the nearest bay and activated the ship tethers.

     *Time to see who is home.* Exiting her ship through the conduit she found several empty corridors. Kitten’s memory began to trouble her again. Some of the station looked familiar where the rest was seemingly new to her. After a few turns she found herself in a large bay filled with crates and boxes. She was about to turn around when a gigantic monitor crackled to life in front of her. Kit’s eyes narrowed as she recognized the bald Minmatar man. His grinning visage filled her with more anger than it did fear. The man began to speak.

     “So the prodigal daughter has returned. You’ve saved me the trouble of tracking you down a second time. I really enjoyed killing you once. How happy you can imagine I was to learn I get to do it a second time. It’s a shame that you don’t even know why…” Kit rolled her eyes at the screen and drew her pistol. The man’s expression changed to that of anger just before she put a round through the monitor.

     “This must be the place,” she said to herself. Turning around she yelled out into the echoing cargo bay. “If you’re going to shoot, shoot; don’t talk!” Kit waited to see what her adversary would do next. She did not have long to wait. The ships intercom crackled and the man’s voice assaulted her ears.

     “Kill her!” The command was followed by the opening of doors throughout the bay. Dozens of armed men and woman streamed through and began firing. Kitten drew a second pistol dove for cover while firing off a few rounds. Life seemed to move in slow motion as the entire bay was engulfed in chaos. Bullets flew all around Kit as they tore through crates, canvas, and cargo adding a shower of debris to the hail of bullets. 

     Hitting the ground rolling, she quickly returned to her feet and ran as fast as she could towards the door with the fewest pirates. Two of the men took aim but were each cut down by a hypersonic round to the forehead. 

     The third pirate had no time for a shot before Kit was on him. Using his rifle as a club he swung for Kitten’s head, but she easily dodged the attack and planted her knee right in the man’s groin. The Sordoni scumbag doubled over in pain and Kit ran through the open door blowing the controls once it closed.

     Kitten closed her mind to the danger and ran on pure instinct. She realized her familiarity with the station was no coincidence but she ignored the obvious implications and continued down the corridor. Several men appeared at the end and Kit raised her guns and fired with deadly accuracy.

     One man fell but the others made it to cover and began returning fire. Kit dashed down an adjoining hallway but found herself trapped. Hearing the men closing in she looked up to find a loose panel. Kit opened it to find an access tunnel running vertically as far as she could see.

     “Perfect.” Grinning, she scurried up the rungs attached to one side of the tube. When the pirates rounded the corner they found the dead end to be empty. That is until the dual-pistol-wielding woman emerged from the ceiling upside down and began showering them with aluminum rounds. Blue trails of electron rails filled the corridor as the men fell to Kitten’s hybrid pistols. When the last pirate slumped to the ground, the Caldari woman pulled herself up and holstered her guns. After Kit pulled the bulkhead closed and secured it, she pulled out a small electronic device and activated it.

     In the main docking bay the Caldari frigate she arrived in, the HMS Antigone, powered up and began to slowly turn. Before the docking crew realized what was happening the ship automatically loosed its payload. Dozens of rockets poured out of the ship two at a time. There was no need for guidance for these projectiles; the entire station was their target. Some of the pilots tried to reach their ships before being engulfed in the rain of fire. Four interceptors managed to escape the docking bay before the Antigone performed its final act. With all of her missiles depleted the ship’s computer released the safety protocols and dumped the entire capacitor into the warp drive. With nowhere for the energy to go, the ship exploded sending shockwaves throughout the lower half of the station. The station shook causing Kitten to lose her footing and nearly fall back down to the hatch.

     Outside of the station, the activity had become as frantic as the inside. The ships that had escaped now circled the station to secure the perimeter. One of the Minmatar interceptors flew towards the main power module -- which had been heavily damaged by the internal rocket attack -- and was caught in a tremendous blast. 

     Inside warning sirens blared. Kitten had finally reached the top of the access hatch and crawled out onto the floor of one of the upper decks. Kitten had no illusions about her chances of escaping. If she could not leave then she would see to it that no one else did either.

     The damaged modules had been sealed off from the rest of the station, but the explosion had set off fires in the nearby sections. The station was crippled and would soon turn into a firetrap. Kitten, however, saw no reason not to at least try to escape. She ran through corridor after corridor until something looked familiar. The stations secondary docking bay came into view and she pressed the panel to open the main door. Inside she witnessed a solitary woman running up the ramp to her Taranis.

     “Stop right there!” Kit yelled as she aimed her pistols and fired off a single warning shot. The woman halted as the bullet glanced off a pole next to her head. Turning around she faced her attacker.

     “Blondie!” Kit exclaimed. “How’s the nose?” Kitten could not believe her luck. The blonde Intaki woman -- who had been part of the ill-fated assassination attempt on her life -- uttered a Gallentean curse that Kit recognized as referring to a certain bedroom act that even she had not attempted. At least not that she remembered. The woman held up her hands and glowered at Kitten.

     “Well? Are you going to shoot or not?” the woman asked. The words did nothing to erase Kit’s ear-to-ear grin. She thought for a moment as the station shook under another explosion and the sirens continued to blare. Finally she holstered one pistol and flipped the other around until she held the barrel.

     “Actually I was thinking we would stand a better chance if we left together.” Kit held out the pistol to the Intaki woman, smiled, and motioned to the ship. “You can fly that thing, right?” The blonde woman lowered her hands in astonishment. Suddenly she grabbed the gun from Kit’s hand and fired. Kit simply closed her eyes and heard someone slump to the ground. When she opened them again she saw that her gamble had paid off. The wide-eyed Intaki still held the pistol aimed just over Kit’s left shoulder. Behind them one of the Sordoni pirates lay dead.

     Kit turned around and, upon seeing the woman’s shocked expression, gingerly removed the weapon from her grasp.

     “I’ll take that,” she whispered smiling. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here.” The Intaki came to her senses and turned towards the ship. Kit encouraged her with a swat on the rump which garnered an angry look.

     The unnamed Gallente interceptor roared out of the small bay with the blonde Intaki woman at the controls. Kit quickly joined her in the copilot’s seat, but rather than sit beside her, Kit swiveled the seat to the gunner’s position behind the pilot.

     “Head for the asteroid field,” she commanded as she began punching in command lines on the ship’s computer.

     “What are you doing?” The blonde woman craned her neck around in an attempt to see what the interloper was doing to her ship.

     “Watch where you’re going!” The Intaki woman turned around in time to dodge one of the three Sordoni interceptors trying to block their escape. Kit returned to her task at the computer. “I’m putting your weapons on manual.”

     “What!”

     “Trust me!” The computer’s controls went dark as they flipped around to reveal the manual firing controls. Kit grabbed them and instantly the turrets sprang to life. Taking aim, Kit plugged the pursuing Stiletto in one of its wings. Its two wingmen scattered as the Stiletto listed to one side and exploded. “Yes!” Kitten yelled. “Now get us in that ‘roid field.”

     The Intaki woman’s piloting skills proved exceptional as she swerved around the asteroids, but the extra maneuvering made hitting the interceptors that followed difficult. Kit did her best to keep them from gaining a decent lock on their ship, but she could not hit them herself.

     As they rounded a large Veldspar asteroid, the closest Raptor fired off a missile. Kit tried to fire off a defender missile, but was met with an obvious dilemma.

     “Dammit!” she cursed. “No launchers?”

     “No, you idiot!” the Intaki yelled back.

     “Then hang on!”

     “What?” The blonde woman did not have long to wait for the answer as the ship was tossed to one side by the proximity explosion. Before the two woman could regain their controls a second missile was fired. This time, however, Kit was prepared. Carefully leading the missile she fired off rounds from all three available turrets detonating the missile before it could reach its target.

     To answer the Raptor’s attack Kit found a small asteroid and fired upon it. The fragments blasted through the Raptor’s shield and through the cockpit. With its pilot sucking vacuum, the ship careened into an asteroid. Kit grinned in delight until she saw the final interceptor emerge from the flames of it’s cousin.

     Kit’s pilot continued her nimble, high-speed flight through the asteroid field until it finally began to thin. With fewer giant rocks to dodge the remaining Raptor closed the gap between the ships and began raining down rockets and railgun rounds. Kit was able to destroy the missiles before they could reach them, but her attention was distracted, allowing the guns to begin depleting the Taranis’ shields.

     “Do something!” the pilot yelled.

     “I’m trying, sweetheart,” Kit replied calmly. Suddenly she remembered something. “Crazy Ivan!” Without thinking, the Intaki woman instinctively threw the ships engine into reverse and surged to port. Unable to interpret the move, the Raptor flew past giving Kit a clear shot. Several uranium rounds hit the ships engines causing fire to break out. Eventually the entire ship was consumed and exploded.

     “Woohoo!” Kit yelled. “Now get us out of here.” The blonde pilot breathed a sigh of relief and made for an opening in the last of the asteroids. The tiny interceptor skirted past a giant Veldspar and right past a Sordoni Megathron. The Intaki uttered a curse and engaged the ship’s warp drive but it was too late; they were caught in the battleship’s jamming field. Kitten turned around and saw what was happening.

     “Go!”

     “I’m trying! We’re caught in a stasis field as well!” The woman began frantically hitting controls in an attempt to gain as much distance between them and the Megathron as possible. The Interceptor began losing velocity at an alarming rate. “That’s the best I can do, but they’re going to catch up with it soon.”

     “Shit!” Kit looked at her targeting monitor to see the battleship launch cruise missiles. She took aim as they neared and began systematically shooting them down. “Better think of something fast, or we’ll be in range of their turrets soon.” 

     “I know that!” the pilot screamed. “There is nothing I can do!” Kit remained calm and tried to think in between missile attacks. She knew of no other way.

     “Blondie. Turn the ship around.”

     “What?”

     “Turn the ship around and head straight for them.” The Intaki woman just stared at the back of Kit’s head

     “No!” The woman was exasperated.

     “It’s our only chance.” Kit replied while aiming at another missile.

     “How the hell…”

     “Trust me.” Kit was growing impatient. The battleship’s turrets had already reduced their shields to nothing and would soon make short work of their armor. The pilot simply slumped in her seat frustrated and angry.

     “No! Think of a better plan!” the Intaki woman replied crossing her arms. Kitten had had enough. She got up from her station, grabbed the woman’s face, and planted a forceful kiss right on her lips. The Intaki woman tried to fend off the odd attack with absolutely no success. Finally Kitten released her companion, drew and released a deep breathe. The Intaki woman glared at her.

     “There,” Kit began, “you want the die knowing I got away with that? No? Didn’t think so. So pretty please, with sugar on top: turn the ship around.” The blonde-hair woman growled at Kitten.

     “Fine,” she barked as she reversed the controls. “At least I’ll know you died, too. Psycho bitch.” The epithet was murmured under her breath but was still audible to Kitten eliciting a smile from the Caldari woman.

     Approaching the Megathron at only half velocity was still enough to avoid the cruise missiles, but the Taranis was being torn to shreds by the ship’s guns.

     “Fly us past the bridge! As fast as you can.”

     “This is the fastest.”

     “Don’t worry; they’ll release the stasis field soon.”

     “Why?”

     “So they can shoot us more.” Kit grinned but her smirked turned to determination once the ships alarms went off. The Taranis’ armor was down to fifty percent and dropping. But sure enough, as they cleared the Megathron’s twin hulls, their interceptor lurched forward as the stasis field was released. The Intaki woman’s joy was short-lived as they were pounded by several more heavy turrets. “Stay on course, Blondie. I need a clear shot.”

     “Would you please stop calling me that?!” Kit ignored her protests and aimed every turret at a spot just below the battleship’s bridge. Kit lodged the anti-matter charges deep inside her target and an orange glow began to craw through the area. Kit held her breath hoping for a correct hit. Suddenly the Megathron’s power flickered releasing the jamming field.

     “Now! Hit it!” The blonde woman was so astonished that she nearly forgot to activate the warp drive. In flames, the Taranis angled itself and disappeared into the depths of space leaving behind the exploding Sordoni battleship.

-----------------

     “I don’t think we’re going to make it.” The Intaki slumped in her chair. Kit swiveled her seat around on its track along side her companion. They were in the middle of their 100 AU warp and slowing for some reason.

     “Why do you say that?” she asked. The woman simply pointed to a red, blinking readout below the hull indicator.

     “The repair system was damaged and the hull is breaking away.” Kit looked at the repair system as it tried it’s best to repair the damaged ship. The Intaki woman held her head in her hands and sighed. “I can’t believe I let you do this.” She sounded almost on the verge of crying. Kit monitored their distance from the destination stargate and the disintegration of the hull. A large piece of the ship flew off and the pair were thrown from their seats. Kit picked her friend off the floor and tried to calm her.

     “We’ll make it. Not much further.” Kitten was trying to convince herself as much as the blonde woman.

     “You don’t understand!” she said angrily. “My clone was on the station you just blew up.” Kit sighed and tried to comfort her.

     “Well, if it’s any consolation, during all the excitement of the last nine months,” she grinned sheepishly, “I forgot to get another clone.” The Intaki woman frowned at her.

     “I can’t believe I’m going to die with a moron.” Kit stuck out her tongue in response. Just then the ship dropped out of warp and began drifting towards the stargate.

     “Told ya we’d make it.” Kit winked. The blonde woman just frowned.

     “We’re not safe yet.” The crippled ship drifted towards the stargate spinning slowly from the jets of oxygen escaping from the cracked hull. Kitten Hearder approached the forward monitor and took in the sight. The bright red star illuminated a nebula that hung across the sky like a veil. The desert planet that was the center of the stargate’s orbit looked so beautiful to Kitten. She searched her memory and realized she could not remember ever seeing a sunrise from the surface of a planet.

     Feeling cold Kit crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed her skin. The stark reality of the end of her life became apparent. 

     “T-tell me your name, please.” Kit’s voice was tiny. Her normal bravado was shattered.

     “What?” The Intaki woman was confused by the sudden mood swing.

     “I want to know your name.” The blonde-hair woman frowned.

     “It’s Sera,” she said evenly.

     “I’m sorry I got you into this, Sera.”

     *You have no idea,* Sera thought to herself as she placed her hands on Kit’s shoulders. Another piece of the ship broke away and what was left of the interceptor began drifting off course and away from the stargate and into the pull of the planet’s gravity. Kit fixed her eyes on the deck but Sera’s gasp snapped her attention to the monitor.

     Seven Concord ships emerged from the stargate and closed in on their position. Before Kitten realized what was happening, Sera pulled her Ident card out of the ships Com slot. Kit saw panic in the woman’s eyes.

     “What did you do that for?” she asked. Sera clutched the card.

     “Ev-, Kitten, I’m not exactly in good standing with the police.” Kit’s mouth formed an “O” in comprehension. The lead ship’s hail rang out over the interceptor’s speakers.

     “We have you on our scanner. Please identify yourself.” A young man’s voice queried them, but they did not answer.

     “What do we do?” Sera begged. Kit thought for a moment then smiled. 

     “Unidentified Gallente frigate, please identify yourself. We will not provide assistance without your Ident transmission.” Pulling a similar electronic key card from her shirt, Kitten placed the item in the empty slot and snapped it into place. There was a long pause before the information was relayed and Concord responded. Sera held her breath.

     “My apologies, Mister Ambassador,” the man said. “We are dispatching repair drones immediately. Please hold tight.” Sera furrowed her brow.

     “What the he…” Kit hushed her with a finger to Sera’s lips.

     “I thought that card might come in handy someday.” Sera watched the repair drones converge on the ship and wiped her brow.

     “Thank goodness,” she sighed. “I need a shower. And I still owe you for the broken nose.” Kit simply ginned at her.

-----------------

     The pair docked their ship at the first clean-looking station once they reached empire space. Sera made good on her promise of indulging in a long, hot shower and Kit disappeared to her own room. When Sera emerged from her room’s facilities she was startled to see the wet-haired Kitten sitting on the bed and wrapped in a towel.

     “Excuse me?” Sera tightened her towel around her torso and narrowed her eyes at the Civire woman. Kit smiled, got up off the bed, and approached her new friend. Cradling Sera’s face, Kit planted a long kiss on the Intaki woman’s lips. Sera exerted a mild effort to escape the woman’s embrace before giving in to the familiar sensations.

     “Reparations for the nose,” Kit said after finally breaking the kiss.

     Sera lay sitting up on the wide bed with the young Caldari woman curled up beside her. The Intaki woman gingerly stroked Kitten’s back and checked the scratches she had inadvertently left there earlier. It was not exactly the revenge she had in mind, but she felt the debt had been satisfied none-the-less. Kit broke the silence.

     “What’s my real name?” Kit’s voice was almost inaudible. Sera ran her fingers through her hair while she tried to decide what to tell the young woman.

     “What?” she replied, trying to stall.

     “Earlier you almost called me something else. You know my real name, don’t you?” Sera sighed.

     “Does it matter?”

     “Of course it matters.” Kitten looked up at her friend. “I want to know the past. I have no memory of who I was.”

     “A person is defined by their deeds; not their memories.” Kit was silent for a few moments while she digested the woman’s words.

     “I need to know who I was, Sera.”

     “Kit,” Sera began, “if you’re worried about what you may have been or what you may have done I think you can be assured that you have more than made up for any transgressions.” Kitten laid her head back down. “You pretty much put an end to the Sordoni. Concord should give you a metal and your own planet. And you got me out of a very bad situation. I was just a chauffeur, remember? I was basically held hostage by the Sordoni; forced to work for them because my only clone was there. That’s the last time I’ll try freelance work,” she grumbled. “Besides: you have a clean slate, a clone twenty years younger, and a company that is looking out for you. I think you’ve got it made pretty well, don’t you think?”

     “Then tell me why I died.”

     “Fine, then no more questions, ok?”

     “Aye.”

     “Let’s just say that Xirin wasn’t too happy with you encroaching on his territory.”

     “Was she worth it?” Kit asked after a long pause.

     Damn, she’s smart, the woman thought.

     “She wasn’t exactly pleased with you in the end either.” Kit rolled over and studied the woman’s face.

     “Does she know I’m alive?”

     “I said no more questions, Kit.” the woman scolded firmly and reached over to turn out the lamp. “Now get some sleep. You have to find me a job in the morning. Or at least hack someone’s database and create me one.” Kit stared at the back of her friend’s head in the dark.

     “Do you think she’s forgiven me?” Sera sighed at the woman’s persistent questions, but remained facing away from Kit.

     “Yes, she has.” 

     Kitten lay awake watching her friend for many minutes until she thought Sera was asleep.

     “Sera?” she called a few times. Satisfied she could not hear her, Kit grabbed her pillow and curled up with it. “Thank you,” she whispered.

-----------------

-----------------

Part 2

     Sera walked up the ramp to the Taranis, her gate quick as she tried to avoid the woman behind her.

     “So that’s it? You’re just leaving?” Sera kew this was not going to be easy and halted at the top of the ramp. Leaning up against the ship’s hatch, the Intaki woman sighed. Sera turned around and regarded the young Caldari woman standing a few meters away at the bottom of the ramp. Kit stood there staring at her friend and waited for a reply, he face a mix of anger and near tears. The image nearly ripped Sera’s heart in two, but the memories of what she had endured over the last year at the hands of the Sordoni and its Mistress solidified her resolve. Sera laid her pack down and walked slowly back down the ramp.

     “I’m sorry, Kit,” she said with only a hint of emotion as she gently rubbed Kitten’s shoulder. “I’ve got to leave. I don’t want any part of the Sordonis anymore.” Kit frowned at the implications. Sera sighed again. She did not so much as regret her words as she did having to tell Kitten herself. She hated confrontations, and this was the worst. “Kit,”she began, “I think it’s best we do this.”

     “But you’re the only one who can help me. I...”

     “Forget about your past, Hearder!” Sera interrupted. “Trust me: you don’t want to know, and I’m not going to relive that time with you.” Kitten was taken aback by her friend’s tone. Sera reached over and gave Kitten a big hug. “You have friends. They’ll take care of you.” She whispered in her ear. Sera released the embrace and took one last look at her friend. Kit turned around angrily and listened to Sera’s boots as they rang out sharply on the metal ramp. After a few moments she heard the towing appendage as it grabbed the Taranis and pulled it to the bay airlock. Turning around she watched the ship disappear into the airlock and out to space.

     Kitten’s memories were interrupted by an alarm on her ship’s dash. A red light flashed in time with the soft, high-pitched tone of the Badger’s proximity alarm. Kit grinned and learned forward, pressing a switch on the Neocom.

     “Don’t even think of it, Hal.” She said into the microphone. There was no reply and the alarm continued. Kit could not help but smile. “I’m warning you, old man!” she laughed. Suddenly her ship lurched as the automatic avoidance system was triggered by the approaching Rupture. The ship’s cabin was tossed about as the heavily laden cargo ship attempted to resume its course. Luckily Kitten was kept safely in her seat by the restraints. Kitten cursed for several seconds before she realized no one could hear her. Turning on her Neocom she resumed her verbal assault.

     “Dammit, Hal!” she yelled. A low chuckled greeted her. Kit sat back in her seat and smiled as she pulled a portable communicator closer. “Get used to it, grandpa; that’s about the only way you’re ever going to be allowed to hump me.” Kit waited for a response. After a short moment the Neocom’s visual link activated and the dark, grinning face of a Brutor man appeared on her screen. Like so many Brutor men, he wore obsolete corrective optics mostly for style than for aiding vision. And like all Brutor men he spoke in a deep, gravely voice that Kit found very enticing.

     “That’s what you say now, Kitty.” He laughed. Kit tried to hide her smile in vain attempt to look angry. Hal had been one of her closest friends during her time in the Gravis Corporation and recently the two of them had left to join Convergent together. Although she had made it clear she was in no way interested, Kit was amazed at his persistent amorous advances and sexual innuendo. Kit leaned back and folded her arms.

     “Now and forever, grandpa.” Kit tried to keep a straight face but the Brutor man’s expression caused her to burst out laughing. Hal joined in the mirth. Kit’s hysterics were fading slowly until she saw her proximity alarm reactivate.

     “Hal! Not again! I’m going to lose my lunch if that happens again!”

     “It’s not me this time. It’s…” Hal was interrupted by both ships lurching out of the way of an incoming ship. The Condor sped through the small gap between the Badger and the Rupture causing both of them to evade.

     “Damn kids.” Kit thought as she scanned the ship’s identity. Hal must have done the same.

     “Noobie corp, and she’s been in it long enough to know better.” The Brutor stated. Kit frowned at the thought as she watched the Caldari frigate speed its way towards the station. The pilot’s information came up on Kit’s screen and she almost screamed.

     “I don’t believe it!” she yelled into the Neocom. On her screen, Kit saw Hal rip his earpiece out.

     “Damn, woman! Not so loud. My ears are bleeding.” Hal swirled an index finger in his ear trying to clear the ringing. After a moment he reinserted the earpiece and looked at his own screen. “So who is this ‘Gael Gelespie’ anyway?” he asked. Kit did not hear the question and just kept watching the Condor as it docked at the very same station to which she and Hal were headed.

-----------------

     “She must be here somewhere. Let’s check the station registry.” Kit ran down the corridor followed by the Brutor who maintained his usual casual stride. He saw Kitten stop at a window and ask question. The attendant disappeared for a moment as Hal approached.

     “So Gael was your roommate at SAK?” he asked.

     “Uh-huh!” Kit replied as she leaned over the counter on her tip-toes trying to see the station employee return. Hal noticed the young woman hopping slightly on her toes. He’d never seen her this giddy even after she’d inherited a hanger-full of valuables from a stranger. The station employee had returned.

     “Time of entry was thirty minutes ago, miss. No record of her leaving so I can only assume she is still here.” The young man looked up from the log to see if there was anything else he could do, but Kit was already gone. Hal thanked the man and turned to follow his friend.

     “Anxious to see her?” Hal asked the obvious question.

     “You bet! I’ve always wondered what she was up to. Maybe she’s heading back to her ship. C’mon, grandpa!” Hal narrowed his eyes at Kitten, but she continued skipping down the hall oblivious to his anger. As the pair rounded the corner to the docking bay Kit saw the object of her search. Gael Gelespie was talking to two men over a ship manifest. Kit could hardly contain her glee.

     “Gael!” she yelled. The Deteis woman looked up and handed the tablet to one of the men. Kit was about to embrace her old roommate when Gael took a swing at her. Kit felt her left eye socket burn with pain as the punch connected with her temple. Kit spun around and landed in Hal’s arms. Hal was unsure what to make of the situation as were the Deteis woman’s two companions. Gael simply stood fuming as Kit regained her balance. Kitten stood up and saw Gael’s angry look before turning back to Hal.

     “I suppose I did deserve that.” Kit’s smile turned into a wince as the pain returned as she saw a small amount of blood on her hand.

     In the infirmary, the station’s physician, an elderly Gallente man, stitched the side of Kit’s head as Hal and Gael looked on. Gael had said nothing so far, but Hal had yet to call security. He felt this matter would best be resolved quietly. Kit looked up at her former roommate leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Gael never took her eyes of Kit; not even for a moment. Kit turned away nervously and broke the silence.

     “It’s good to see you, too.” Gael narrowed her eyes at the woman. After a few moments she sighed and spoke.

     “I need to talk to you.”

     “So talk!” Kit replied exasperated.

     “Alone.” Kit rolled her eyes and turned to Hal.

     “Can you give us a minute, Hal?” Kit asked, embarrassed by the request. Hal hesitated a moment before deciding.

     “Let’s go, doc. I think I have an ‘issue’ that needs your attention.” Hal grabbed the physician and pulled him out of the room. When the door closed, Kit pulled the chilled pack from her eye and looked in the mirror. The medications had quickly reduced the swelling and Kitten was happy to see there was no black eye. Turning to Gael she smiled meekly.

     “So how’s the head?” Gael sighed.

     “What the hell happened in Todaki?”Gael yelled.

     “What do you mean ‘what happened?’ You were attacked!”

     “Yes. By you!” Kit was astounded by the accusation.

     “Is that what they told you? What else?”

     “The word was you went crazy. You knocked me out then assaulted those two guards before stealing a shuttle.” Kit could not believe her ears and just stared at her friend. Gael waited for an explanation. Kit slumped on the examination table and took a deep breath.

     “I need a drink.”

-----------------

     “And she just left you? Good grief! Some friend.” Gael took a sip of her drink and looked around. She always enjoyed Gallente stations, not only because of the good price on ore, but because just about each one had a bar. This station’s bar was by far the best she had ever seen. She thought it could be almost as big as the docking bay. All around them people from all over the region danced to the music, sat at the bar trying to find ways to express their genes, or just sat in the club’s booths enjoying a fine meal. 

     In one of these booths Kit sat flanked by Hal and Gael. The trio had emptied several containers of spirits by the end of dinner, and were already starting on a new round of drinks. Even though she had imbibed the least, Gael was still feeling the effects of the alcohol. The Deteis woman looked over and marveled at how much her friends had managed to consume. Hal and Kit were laughing at a pair of dancers. Gael put down her drink.

     “Let me see if I understand this correctly,” Gael said getting the pair’s attention. “You think that your clone had been sitting in stasis for twenty years?” Kit nodded with her lips still attached to her glass as she finished the last of her drink.

     “I think I may have been really damn old before this clone activated. Maybe even as old as Hal here, if such an age is truly attainable.” Kit nudged the Brutor and giggled. Gael looked over at Hal.

     “So you and Hal here are…” Gael asked hesitantly. Kit stared at her for a moment before realizing what her friend was asking.

     “Oh, God no!” Kit sputtered with laughter. “I don’t think his wife would appreciate that. Would she, grandpa?” Kit leaned into Hal teasingly. Gael saw a slight grin on the Brutor man’s face but she could tell he was somewhat embarrassed. Jus then Gael felt a soft foot slide up her leg. She looked at Kit who gave her a wink. Suddenly the Civire woman hopped up and poked Hal in the ribs. “Get up! I need out.” Hal grinned.

     “What for, Kitty-cat?” he asked in a deep voice. Kit frowned and cupped a hand over his ear and whispered. “Not good enough.” Kit started punching him in the arm.

     “Let me out! I need to go!” Hal laughed and got out of the booth to let the young woman out.

     “Be right back!” she said and dashed off. Hal retuned to the booth and took another drink. Gael felt more than a little nervous in the man’s presence.

     “So…” she began, “that’s quite a story of her’s.” Hal nodded at the woman. Gael’s discomfort increased at the man’s silence. “Is it true?” Hal put down his drink and smiled warmly.

     “I believe her. Besides we’ve had no reason not to.”

     “You keep her safe then?” Hal relaxed and stretched out his muscular form.

     “We’ve had a few run-ins with Concord, but nothing serious. The question of Kitty’s past, or her mysterious source of funds, comes up every now and then, but nothing has ever come of it.” The Brutor waited for the woman’s reaction. “I think she’s safe.” Gael digested the information for a moment and accepted her friend’s mysterious past. Remembering something, she decided to ask one more question.

     “Grandpa?” Gael quirked her brow, and Hal just chuckled.

     “Kitty exaggerates. My first grandchild was just born; I am not that old.” Hal grinned at the woman and looked for Kitten’s return. The two of them sat in silence for a few more minutes until Kit staggered back. The young woman nearly fell into Gael’s lap. Gael was concerned as she tryed to prop up the tipsy Civire woman.

     “I’d better get her to a room.” Gael told Hal. Hal simply smiled and raised his drink in salute.

     “Don’t wait up for me, grandpa.” Kitten drunkenly blew the man a kiss before being dragged away.

     “Good luck,” Hal replied. “You’re gonna need it,” he whispered to no one in particular. Alone, Hal sipped his drink and watched the club’s patrons until two well endowed Gallente women walked by arm-in-arm. One of them looked his way and winked.

     In the station’s living quarters Gael was struggling with the drunken Civire. Kit seemed to be making it even more difficult that it had to be. The pair made it as far as Gael’s own cabin when she made a decision.

     “OK, girl, it doesn’t look like we’re going to make it to the rental office. Better toss you in my cabin until you sober up.” Gael was about to insert her card in the lock when Kit’s agility returned with surprising speed. Grabbing both her wrists, Kit pinned her friend up against the door and giggled. Gael’s initial terror evaporated quickly as Kit moved in closer, nearly bumping noses. Gael wrinkled her brow.

     “How much did you have to drink, girl?” Gael asked. Kit staggered a little but kept her pinned.

     “Nine of those big glasses things.” Kit released her friend’s wrists and pressed her palms against the door on either side of her head.

     “Good God! No wonder you had to pee! And it’s a miracle you can still stand!” Kit shook her head at her.

     “Only the first one had any alcohol. The rest were synthetic. I wanted to remember this!” Gael opened her mouth to say something but Kit quickly grabbed hold of her and pressed her lips tightly against Gael’s own. Gael let out a muffled moan and closed her eyes. Running her hands down Kitten’s sides, she grabbed her hips and pulled the woman in close. Gael felt the Civire woman’s tongue slip between her lips when the kiss broke. Gael heard Kit slump to the ground and opened her eyes to see them both surrounded by several soldiers pointing weapons.

-----------------

     Hal sat quite comfortably in the booth flanked by the two Gallente women who had walked by just before. Being Brutor had its advantages in some cultures, and once the ladies discovered he was also a decorated ship captain they were even more enamored with him. Celin brushed her purple hair from her eyes and emitted a hollow laugh at one of Hal’s jokes as Shelli, the youngest of the pair, tried to impress the dark man by downing an entire drink in one gulp. The girl coughed and sputtered in failure and Hal began to question her age. Even a society as permissive as the Gallente Federation had its laws regarding young girls. Thankfully, Hal was about to be spared the ethical conundrum.

     “Hal! Hal!” came a yell from across the dance floor. The Brutor man stood up, his huge frame brushing his companions aside as he did. Hal could not tell where the voice was, but the yelling continued until its source bolted through the crowded dance floor. A frantic Deteis woman nearly collapsed on the trio’s table.

     “Hal! They’ve…” Gael paused trying to catch her breath. Sucking in the humid club air, the woman began coughing. 

     “Hold it! What’s going on? Gael, where’s…” Hal’s companions looked annoyed as the newcomer interrupted him between coughing fits. Gael was not used to this kind of physical activity.

     “They took her, Hal! Soldiers! At least I think…” Gael sucked in another frantic breath.

     “Who? Who took her?” Hal was getting frustrated by the lack of information. Turning to Shelli he wrapped his hands all the way around her waist and picked her tiny frame up. The young woman squeaked and Hal put her down on the other side next to her friend. “Sorry, ladies. Another time perhaps.” Grabbing the wheezing Gael by the wrist, Hal dragged her away in the direction from which she came.

     Outside the club and away from the noise, Hal removed his dark spectacles and tried to calm the young woman.

     “Now slow down and tell me what happened.” He said in the most calming voice he could muster. Gael looked in the man’s eyes and relaxed a little.

     “Six men. They were,” Gael thought for a moment, “commandos, not soldiers.” Gael realized they had no identifying insignia on them. Hal was growing impatient.

     “They took Kitten? Took her where?” Gael looked up again.

     “We have to get to the ship bay!”

     Kitten felt herself being dragged along the station’s corridor as the tranquilizer worked its way through her body. Kit tried to lift her head. As she did, through the fog she saw one of her abductors turn to look at her. The soldier’s eyes were all that were visible under his or her mask. The soldier carried an impressive array of weapons and was dressed entirely in black. Even the soldier’s face was painted black around the eyes.

     Kitten’s head drooped as she fell entirely into unconsciousness. The young Civire woman’s mind wandered back to the Sordoni Syndicate's station, her infiltration of the station, and her escape.

*********************

     Climbing through the access panel, Kit slammed the hatch closed. Looking around she found a crate. Kit got on the other side of the crate and planted her shoulder firmly up against the metal side. Pushing with all her strength, the crate slid across the floor and eventually rested over the hatch. With a smug look on her face, Kit brushed her hands off then noticed the crate’s label. “Item: Once box. Contents: Several Smaller Boxes.”

     Kit grimaced and looked around. The entire bay was filled with various crates and nothing else. “There’s one of these in every station,” she thought to herself. Kit unholstered one of her pistols and began traversing the maze of boxes looking for an exit. In the distance she could hear another explosion as the Sordoni station continued to crumble. Kit was almost to the exit on the far side of the bay when something stopped her.

     Nestled in between two unlabeled crates was a transparent box. Kit approached and stared at the contents. The naked corpse within was lying on its side in the refrigerated container, presevered and on display for anyone to see. Pirates often kept trophies, and the Sordonis were no different. Kit began to shake. The woman in the case was old. Based on her white hair and wrinkled skin, Kitten made her out to be almost fifty Standard years old. The corpse had burn marks on one side most likely from when she was killed, and her face was contorted into a visage of horror. But Kit just stared at the woman’s eyes. They were Kitten’s eyes.

     Kit screamed in rage as she realized whose corpse this was. She began firing her weapon at the case. Pulling out her second pistol she filled case with holes until there was almost nothing left. But Kit kept firing. The bay was filled with the din of the hybrid pistols discharging.

     Suddenly one of the lead rounds punctured the bulkhead on the other side of the crate. The atmosphere hissed and began escaping, but Kit ignored reality and continued to fire at the corpse. The holes began to fill the bulkhead and eventually large chunks were sucked out into space. Kit could no longer ignore the debris that was pelting her from the back as it was sucked through the breach.

     Kitten turned around and fought the wind as she climbed her way along the boxed towards the exit. However when she reached the door, its safety overrides would not allow it to open. Kit punched in a number on the control panel to override the lock and the door slid open. Three unsuspecting pirates on the other side were immediately sucked through the door and out into space. Kit did not even hear their screams being cut off as the door closed behind her.

     The young Civire woman stood motionless in the hallway, her pistols in her hands. Kit was lost in her anger. She did not know how to feel about what she had just done, or the revelation about her past. Another explosion -- this one even closer -- jolted her out of her thoughts, and she made her way to the secondary ship bay.

*********************

     Kitten Hearder felt the cold, hard, steel floor beneath her cheek as the effects of the sedative finally wore off. Opening her eyes she surveyed the modestly-lit room through the haze of the diazapene in her system. She saw a steel toilet in front of her face. She had not even been set down on the cot which, although also steel like the rest of the room, was lightly padded. Kitten became dimly aware of a low hum, the source of which she could not locate.

     Kit tried to pick herself up but her arms felt heavy. Grabbing onto the rim of the toilet she managed to drag herself up and out of the pool of drool where her face had been. Leaning over, Kit repressed the urge to gag. Even though the toilet was utterly clean from disuse, the water at the bottom smelled of anti-septic which brought the young woman out of her stupor a little faster.

     Kit now sat up and turned around to see the other side of her room. The large opening on the wall opposite the toilet looked like it could accommodate three people side-by-side and led to another room. Kit tried to stand on her wobbly legs as she cautiously approached the doorway. Had she been a little more aware, she would have noticed the low hum getting louder as she approached.

     The young woman tried to cross the threshold but was met with a burning sensation throughout her body. Her eyes blurred and her body spasmed as she screamed in pain. The force shield knocked her back on the floor where Kit curled up and began to cry. Even though the pain had subsided somewhat, her tears were more from that of her situation than any physical pain she felt.

     In another room, a security guard watched the entire episode through the camera feeds in the cell and outside the room. The fat man chuckled and took a bite of his meal.

     “Careful there, sweetheart,” he said to himself. “That first step is a doosie.”

-----------------

     Gael’s Condor lead Hal and his Rupture towards a station near Korama 3. Hal’s voice crackled over the Neocom.

     “Are you sure this is where they took her?” he asked, still doubtful. Gael sighed and remembered the ship they had both seen leaving the Gallente station and how it had disappeared seconds later.

     “I’m telling you, Hal, that was a Caldari ship. A Buzzard. It’s a prototype designed by the Ishukone Corporation. They haven’t released it publicly yet.”

     “Then how do you know about it?” came the expected question. Gael sighed.

     “I do a lot of work for Ishukone. I have a very high standing with the company and I’m privy to a lot of corporate secrets. I’ll talk to my agent. If she’s here, he’ll tell me.”

     “I’m sorry; I can’t tell you anything about that, Ms. Gelespie.” Gael frowned at the young man behind the desk.

     “What?” she said deadpan. Hal observed the two from just behind Gael. The Deteis woman stood in front of the Ishukone Corporation agent’s desk with her arms folded. The young man she was addressing gave her a thoughtful yet condescending look. “Can’t, or won’t?” Gael finally asked. 

     Dillon had been an agent for Ishukone for several months, and most of his work had been with Gael Gelespie. The two had become quite friendly and Dillon even imagined a spark of romance between him and the attractive Deteis. The young corporate lackey realized the prospect of bedding Gael was quickly drying up.

     “Gael, you have to understand this is a very sensitive matter,” he said in a low voice. “I realize your standing with the company, but I just can’t reveal anything about it.” Gael was growing angrier by the second.

     “Did you use me to find her?” she said slowly her rage building. Hal stepped forward until he was almost front-to-back with his companion and crossed his arms looking down at the man. Dillon leaned back in his chair; his eyes wide with fear. The imposing Brutor looked like he could rip the young man’s arms out of their sockets without even trying.

     “N-no!” he stammered. “No, Gael! I swear we had been tracking this person for months.” Dillon realized he had no choice but to reveal all. 

     “The person you call Kitten is a wanted criminal, Gael.” Dillon produced a data card and plugged it into his terminal. After a few seconds he removed it and handed it to Gael and Hal. “That is all the records we have on her. I suggest you read it. Maybe then you will understand.” Dillon became annoyed at the pair which was evident in his expression. He did not like having to bow to the wishes of people he considered inferior. Gael pocketed the card.

     “I don’t care. Kit’s not that person anymore.”

     “Oh please, Gael,” Dillon shot back. “The Yulai accords state we can try a clone for the offenses of the previous incarnation. That defense never held up, you know that.”

     “You’re going to put her on trial!?” Dillon looked at her incredulously.

     “If you read what’s on that file you’ll realize we’re a little beyond that now. Evlyn Marsh is responsible for the death of hundreds of Ishukone employees and has cost the company billions of ISK as well as that of many other local and inter-empire companies. The galaxy would thank us for getting rid of her.”

     “You’re going to execute her!?” Gael was frantic. Such punishment was unheard of in the Gallente Federation, but the other empires never hesitated to execute its criminals, or any other undesirables for that matter. Hal was stoic, but Gael’s hopes were dashed as she nearly broke down. Realizing her usual contact was too far down the chain of command, she decided on a different course of action.

     “I want to see her, Dillon.”

     “Out of the question.” Dillon crossed his arms and frowned at his former friend. Gael leaned in closer over his desk.

     “You want me to give a report to the Gallente Federation Navy? Mmm? About how a Caldari operation was conducted in their space?” The blood from Dillon’s face drained. What his friend was suggesting was tantamount to treason. Worse was the fact that she was correct. If any proof of their operation was to make its way back to the Gallente Federation, it could restart hostilities between the two empires.

     “Very well. But I don’t come back asking for any more favors.” Dillon gave Gael a security pass and opened the door to his office to let the pair out. Gael resisted the urge to spit on the man. On their way out Hal paused next to the young man. Dillon started sweating as he stood nervously by the door. Suddenly Hal flinched at the man. Dillon yelped and covered his face expecting an attack. Hal simply laughed and walked out the door.

-----------------

     Kitten sat curled up in the corner of her cell clutching her knees to her chin. She had lost track of how long she hand been there and was growing very hungry. Aside from some metallic-tasting water she drank from the cell’s sink, she had no nourishment. She had also not seen anyone since her arrival. Her isolation coupled with the perpetual lighting and drone of the cell’s force shield was beginning to take its toll on her sanity.

     Kit began lightly tapping the back of head up against the wall in order to fell something different. The wall was thick and made almost no noise. Kitten was about to try smacking her head harder when she heard something faint outside her cell. It sounded like voices. Getting up she cautiously approached the doorway. Across the outer room entered what Kit hoped was her salvation.

     “Gael!” she gasped. Behind the Deitis woman followed her bulky Brutor friend. “Hal!” Behind Hal, followed two armed guards. Kit’s smile faded. “Who are they? What’s going on? Where the hell am I?” Gael looked pensive. She turned to the guards.

     “Leave please.” The guards just stared at the tiny woman for a second.

     “Don’t approach the door. We’ll be monitoring you,” one of them said as they turned to leave. When the pair had left, Hal and Gael turned back to the confused woman in the cell.

     “W-what…” Kit began. Gael’s look made her want to start crying again. When it became apparent to Hal that no one was going to talk, he stepped in.

     “Kit, you’re in an Ishukone station. They want to put you on trial.” Hal decided to spare her most of the truth.

     “Kit,” Gael finally spoke up, “We’re doing everything we can to get you released.” Kitten’s expression was almost blank.

     “They mean to execute me, don’t they?” Gael bit her lip and suppressed her fear. “Because I was a pirate.”

     “You’re NOT a pirate.” Gael’s voice was dripping with anger. Kit just stared at the floor blankly. She knew how the Ishukone Watch operated. Kit leaned up against the edge of the doorway and felt a tiny crackle of electricity craze her cheek. Gael got as close to the barrier as possible. She wanted to comfort her friend, but all she had was her word.

     “Thank you for trying, Gael.” With that Kit walked to the cot and sat with her head hung low. Gael was immensely pissed.

     “Dammit, Kit!” she said as she pounded her fist against the wall. Kitten did not respond. Gael walked away grabbing Hal. Outside the detention block, Gael turned to Hal.

     “Let’s talk to this CEO of yours.”

-----------------

     Genovin Vendereen paced the room as several senior members of Convergent looked on. In Eddar, far from the Ishukone offices, Gael made her plea with Kitten’s employer. The entire group had been silent as the CEO digested what Gael had to say. The seasoned Sebiestor man finally stopped and ran his palms over his bald head.

     “This is a risky plan,” came his reply. Some of the officers started murmuring.

     “Wait, you cannot be seriously considering this?” The objection came from an Intaki man.

     “Calm down, Gamma. I haven’t said ‘yes’ yet.” Genovin waved the man off. “We have to think about the legality of all this. Kitten herself has done nothing wrong.” Many heads in the room nodded in agreement.

     “Oh come now. You don’t truly believe this rubbish story of hers about ‘clone amnesia?’ Pirates have tried that excuse for decades.”

     “You can’t just let her die!” Gael yelled at the man.

     “The hell I can’t. You saw the information on the disk just as we all did.” Gael was ready to plant her foot in the man’s crotch when Genovin spoke.

     “Based on her actions since joining Convergent I’m going to have to side with Kitten. She may not be the most reliable pilot, but she is loyal.”

     “You’re mad. And risk hostilities with the Caldari government?”

     “This is only with Ishukone. If they take this issue to Concord they will reveal their actions in Gallente space.” Gael’s statement seemed to win over most of the council. Genovin added his own comments.

     “Plus,” Genovin added, “we are an independent corporation not affiliated with any empire. I think we can protect her from Ishukone.” Genovin turned to Gamma to gage his response. The Intaki man was nearly seething.

     “If that is your decision, then leave me out of it. We have enough problems in the area without this.” With that, Gamma Garone walked out of the room. Hal and Genovin looked around the room.

     “Are the rest of you prepared for this?” Genovin asked. A resounding ‘yes’ from the crowd greeted them.

-----------------

     As for Kitten, psychosis had begun to set in after days in her cell. She had been fed adequately enough, but the tedium had driven her to schizophrenic acts. Apart from talking to the toilet, she had started played with drops of water on the floor. Each drop had become a soldier in her “army” and the literal wave was about to attack the door.

     Kitten flicked the drops with her finger at the force shield. Each one landed on the charged shield with a satisfying sizzle and a puff of steam. Moving on to the next column, Kitten continued the watery assault on the barrier until one of her soldiers seemed to scream. Kit paused for a second and scrutinized the next drop of water. Shrugging she flicked the soldier at the barrier who gave a muffled cry.

     Kit looked up in confusion. Outside she heard struggling followed by a thud. Two seconds later Gael Gelespie rounded the corner carrying a telescoping baton.

     “Huh?” a bewildered Kit said.

     “Hang on.” Gael slid her stolen passcard through the slot next to the cell. Immediately the humming stopped indicating the shield had been deactivated. Kit just stood inside the cell wide-eyed. “You’re welcome,” Gael said as she grabbed Kit’s arm and pulled her through. Kitten winced half expecting the shield to still shock her. As they ran through the block, Kit noticed the two guards lying unconscious on the floor. Gael had even managed to position them in a rather embarrassing pose.

     “Where are we going?” Kit asked, finally realizing what was happening. Gael, with Kit in tow, navigated the maze of corridors.

     “We’re getting out of here. My ship is in the main hanger.”

     “What? How do you plan on getting out? They’ll see that I’m with you.”

     “That’s being taken care of.” Gael grinned.

-----------------

     In the Ishukone Watch station orbiting Korama 3 - Moon 6, the door to the main hanger security bubble opened. The lone security agent swiveled around in his seat to see who the unexpected visitor was. Before him stood a short, slim Sebiestor woman dressed in a light blue jumpsuit. It was not your typical pilot suit. Niatasha smiled at the Caldari man and strutted forward. She pulled her shirt down a little revealing a small amount of cleavage – no small feat for your average Sebiestor woman.

     “Your friends said you could do with a little break.” Nia revealed a bottle of alcohol and two glasses. The security controller just sat in his chair with a stupefied look on his face. Nia grinned and straddled his lap. Pouring out some of the liquor for her companion, Nia looked over his shoulder through the windows. She saw Gael's ship, but no Gael or Kitten. Worried that she may have to continue the charade longer than she wanted, she hoped the pair arrived quickly.

     Finally the Caldari man accepted his gift with enthusiasm. Grabbing the bottle, he knocked the glasses from Nia’s hand and pulled her close on his lap. Even though frightened, Nia kept up the act and giggled like a girl for the man. The agent took a gulp from the bottle then placed the neck close to Nia’s lips. But when she tried to take a drink, the man pulled the bottle away slightly causing some of the bottle’s contents to spill onto Nia’s chest.

     “Oopsie!” Nia giggled. Her wet suit now clung to her chest revealed all that she had to the man. The agent eyed her hungrily and leaned in to bury his face in her bosom when he heard a ship powering up.

     “What the…” he yelled as the sat up quickly. Nia was knocked to the ground with a thud. When the agent turned to his controls Nia crack the liquor bottle across the back of his head. The man fell on the panel and slowly slid off onto the floor unconscious. 

     “Ug. Disgusting! You owe me, Kit,” she said to herself. Niatasha dropped the bottle and pressed several buttons on the panel. The bay doors began to open and the bay’s tether claw picked up the Condor and began positioning it for departure. As the frigate rotated, its cockpit swung by Nia’s position. Inside she saw Gael and Kitten and gave them both a grin and a wave. Gael gave a thumbs-up motion. Kit waved and stared bewildered at Nia’s odd appearance. When the alarms came on, Nia bolted out the door.

     “Are you sure we can make it?” Gael ignored Kit’s question. Outside the station Nia rocketed out the main bay, but several Ishukone watch interceptors appeared from behind the station and took pursuit. Kit positioned her seat behind Gael’s, locked it in position and watched the ship’s tactical display over her friend’s shoulder. The interceptors were gaining fast.

     “Was this the fastest ship you could find?!” Kit was getting frantic.

     “No one in your corp has a Caldari interceptor. You think they would let a foreign ship dock at the main Ishukone security station?” Gael shot back in frustration. Kitten was making her regret attempting rescue. The three Crow interceptors locked onto the Condor and activated their warp scramblers. The ship’s Neocom activated.

     “This is the Ishukone Watch. You are harboring a known criminal. Power down your engines and…” Gael closed the link.

     “Screw them,” she growled. Kit was impressed and nearly forgot that her friend had just signed her own death warrant. Reopening her Neocom, Gael tuned in a secure channel.

     “Are you ready?” she said. 

     “Aye,” Hal’s voice responded.

     “Anytime, then.” Gael continued to maneuver the Condor past the sentries. The interceptors were joined by two Scorpion battleships. Gael’s face was grim with determination. Suddenly the Neocom reactivated.

     “Gael. You do this; don’t ever come back to an Ishukone-controlled system.” It was a familiar voice. Gael activated her visual communicator.

     “Go to hell, Dillon!” she yelled at the monitor. Dillon became frustrated.

     “You can’t do this! Evlyn Marsh is dangerous! You…” Gael cut him off, but it was too late. Kitten stared at the monitor then swung her seat around to the rear computer console.

     Logging into public records, Kit entered the name she had heard and pressed “Enter.” The information that was received made Kitten’s heart sink. Kitten’s face was illuminated by the monitor. Over 150 years of atrocities committed by almost a dozen clones began scrolling by. A tear trickled down her cheek and finally she found it. Buried beneath the crimes and depravity lay the information she had wanted to see. “Mother: Silvie Hearder Marsh. Father: J’nar Marsh. Both deceased.” Their pictures flashed up on the monitor and Kit clenched her eyes shut. She then remembered her mother’s pet name for her when she was growing up. “Kitten.”

     Gael Gelespie took a moment to look over her shoulder. She knew she could not stop Kit from finding anything out once Dillon has mentioned the name. Realizing there was nothing she could do at the moment, she reached behind her and smacked Kit on the back of the head.

     “Strap yourself in now!” Kit barely registered the words but buckled her restraints none-the-less. As the pursuing ships closed the gap, Hal’s Rupture along with twelve more ships warped in between Gael’s Condor and the interceptors. The local Neocom was flooded with chatter.

     “Yeeehaw!” cried a woman’s voice as her Rifter swooped across the path of one Ishukone interceptor. The pilot veered off narrowly avoiding the Covergent frigate.

     “Is this the Eve gate?”

     “I need ISK!”

     “Gate campers at Nonni!”

     “Hey, has anyone seen Sully!” one drunken pilot asked loudly. The noise continued as the interceptor pilots tried to regroup and coordinate. In the lead Scorpion, the commander of the Ishukone watch yelled at his men in anger.

     “This has gone on long enough. Fire!” the commander ordered. A single cruise missile launched from the Scorpion.

     “Uh-oh.” Gael pushed her ship as fast as she could. They were almost out of range of the interceptors’ warp scramblers. Kit looked up at the monitor. Exhaling, she dropped her head into her hands feeling defeated. However she cared little about her immediate danger. All that she could think of was the person she had learned she was.

     “We’re not going to make it, are we?” Kit asked rhetorically, her head still buried in her chest. Gael looked at the tactical display. The missile made its way through the cluster of Convergent ships and continued towards its target.

     “No.”

     As the cruise missile reached 12 kilometers, another battleship warped in just in front of it. Gamma Garone activated the Megathron’s smartbomb as the cruisemissile circled around the bow. The missile exploded punching through the shield and causing slight damage to the armor. But the damage was enough. Immediately five Concord police ships warped in and locked onto the Ishukone ships.

     “You have committed and act of aggression. You have thirty seconds to deactivate your weapons.” The mechanical voice of the automated Concord warning blared over the local Neocom.

     “Dammit!” the Ishukone commander yelled.

     “You now have twenty seconds to comply.” The commander gave the order to stand down before his entire platoon was blown to smithereens. His face went white as a sheet when he heard the next message.

     “You now have ten seconds to comply.”

     “Shit!”

     “Nine. Eight. Seven.”

     “Get us out of here!” the commander screamed.

     “Six. Five. Four.”

     “They’ve scrambled us sir!” came the reply from one of the Crow pilots.

     “Three. Two. One.” The commander’s next words were drowned out in the ensuing laughter from the Convergent fleet. “Prepare to be disarmed.” The Concord ships launched a tremendous barrage as the five Ishukone ships were destroyed. The fireballs became a distant glow as Gael and Kit, along with the rest of the fleet warped to the Malkalen stargate.

-----------------

     In Luminaire, Gael Gelespie found Kitten exactly where she knew she would. Kit lay on the grass in the station's arboredum. Looking up at the stars, Kit appeared to Gael to retain most of her previous unease and she wondered if her friend would ever come to terms with the recently discovered truth about her past. Kit sensed her friend's presence and took a deep breath while she waited for Gael to join her on the grass. Gael sat down next to her and felt the cool air of the module's artificial breeze on her face.

     “How are you feeling?” Gael finally asked. Kit remained silent and just stared up at the planet. Gael was desperate for a response. Kit's silence was becomming painful to the young woman. Gael ran her fingers through Kit's auburn hair in a nervous habit to fix her touseled locks.

     “Do you think there are more surprises waiting for me?"Kitten finally said. Gael frowned and contunued to organize a few more strands of hair.

     “Well, if there are, I'm sure we can face them."Kit looked up at her friend giving her a bemused look. “After all you have an entire fleet of Convergenoobs on your side,” Gael quickly added. Kit smiled and returned her attention back to the vast expanse of stars above them. Gael continued:

     “Besides, you already killed off one corporation, and I don't think the Ishukone corporation will try entering anyone else's system to come looking for you after this incident.” Gael chuckled at the memory of her daring recue.

     Thank you for that, by the way,” Kit said sleepily as she curled up next to her friend and buried her face in Gael's thigh. Gael rub her friend's back.

     “Don't thank me,” Gael replied. “A lot of people were looking out for you.” Gael stiffened slightly when she felt Kit’s fingers traveling up her leg. “I-I just helped put the plan in…” The Deteis woman’s words were cut short as Kit sat up and flashed her brown eyes at her. Kitten leaned in slowly stopping only inches from Gael’s face. The fair-haired Deteis hesitated for a moment before closing her eyes slightly and brushing her lips up against Kitten’s own. Gael could not stop herself even after she felt the other women’s tongue dancing playfully across her teeth and gums. It was only when she felt Kit tugging on her shirt that Gael felt the spell break.

     “Kit, wait.” Her words were muffled by the woman’s lips. “No, stop,” she finally said as she pushed the Civire away gently. Kitten looked more than a little perturbed.

     “What’s wrong?” she asked, backing off a little to give Gael some space. Gael sighed, trying to think of a way to avoid hurting her friend.

     “I’m not exactly drunk this time, Kit.” Kitten looked devastated. Gael quickly tried to salvage the situation. “I’m not exactly a ‘sure thing’ this time.” Gael ran her hand over Kit’s shoulder. “Hey,” she called as she grabbed Kit’s arm, preventing her from getting up, “I didn’t go through all that trouble to save your butt just to turn around and dump you.” The Deteis woman grinned at the flustered Kit. “Let’s just take it slow and see where this goes.” Gael smiled warmly and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek before getting up.

     “You rest up now, little kitty. I’ll see you in a few hours.” Kit remained sitting in the grass and feeling a little miffed. Kit decided to play the angry card and refused to wave goodbye to her friend as she left. But Gael’s next words caused Kit great alarm. “Hiya, Hal!”

     Kit’s heart skipped a beat. Turning around she saw the grinning Brutor man stading in the archway as it closed behind the departing Deteis woman. Kit stared at him for a while.

     “How long have you been standing…”

     “I heard EVERYTHING,” Hal interrupted, grinning ear to ear. Kit groaned. She was never going to hear the end of this one. “Y’know, Kitty, my ‘services’ are always available if you need me.”

     “Your services aren’t for sale, grandpa,” Kit replied as she got up.

     “Who said I was charging?” Kit stifled a laugh and walked over to Hal who placed his large hands on Kit’s shoulders and gave the young woman a firm rub. After a minute he broke the silence. “Are you going to stand for that?” he asked motioning to where Gael had just left. Kit found it hard to concentrate as Hal worked wonders on her sore muscles.

     “You know me: I love a challenge.”

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Story continues here: http://forums.convergent-corp.net/index.php?showtopic=792