An Ungstiri Tale - Part 3

Landing Cavern U-999: Ungstir A tall and narrow cavern of gray carven rock, each rough carven wall is stacked several stories tall with latticed gantries and a complex weaving of color coded conduits, this bay providing the berths and maintenance facilties to the outsystem prospector fleets and their support tenders. Soft light washes gently across the intricate maze of machinery, accented by the rotating flash of amber safety lights and the occassional strident clash of crimson warning beacons. Heavy black and yellow industrial striping slashes across the walls, indicating hazard zones and traffic paths while bright red markings highlight the facility's emergency equipment.

The berths themselves are racked steel structure rising up along the bay walls, many small, for the local rockhopper fleet. Some though, are large enough to cradle a Calliope class freighter. Gangways, catwalks and open grate metal bridges zig zag and criss cross the space, umbilical conections scramble up the bay walls, to provide access, power, fuel and other services. ........................................................................... The lights are set at their dimmest level, being deep into Third Shift.

Taeren turns to Lake. "Oh - you *know* this girl?" Tay asks, blinking. "Forget that insystem hopper ... I'll fly you out on the 'Cast, she's faster." He looks soberly at Lake and nods. "It's the paintjob. Yellow's a fast color." Darting eyes to Katya, he admits - grudgingly - "although the Horse is faster ..."

Innokentevna starts, looking back to Melody with a nod. She only reluctantly lets her hand go, at her arm's full extension. "I'll be back for you, lofe ..." A parting and a promise. "An LeBeau ees rite ... notheenk's goink tobe solfe't here like z'eese."

As the two women enter the Gray Horse, Keshka pales, just a bit. She looks to her partner .. who just looks back, once, and then nods and pushes. "Go ... go ... keep our book safe ... and find us that castle and enugh money that we'll never have to steal no more and you won't have to buy clothes two sizes too small no more." She then pushes Keshka towards the hatch. "Wuss."

With a shake of her head Keshka follows Melody and Kittianna into the scout ship.

Keshka boards the UKT Gray Horse.

Rishka watches as the tall woman vanishes into the ship. She wraps her arms about her waist for a moment, suddenly looking very small. "This had better be hoopin' worth it. They hurt Keshka, and i'll fill them with so many holes they'll be mistaken for that cheese ... with a lot of holes in it.

As the three leave, Lake shakes his head. " ... I don't know." There is a swallow in his words. "I ... I know if I see Her, I shall recognize her. I have ... what is it they are called. Icons ... images ...of who she was ... of who she is."

LeBeau watches as a couple of the ladies disappear up into the Horse. With that his eyes move back to scan the entrance to the bazaar. After a moment of scanning he looks back to the group, unholstering his sidearm he checks it power gauge and put its back in the holster that rest on his thigh. "Perhaps we should all head back to Resillence. Maybe we can ged access to da one o compuder nedworks an see if dat helps wit anyting."

Taeren tilts his head at Rishka. "I know how you feel. Me and Kat are like that, but. I don't think she'll have anything to fear from those two, yeah?" He offers a faint smile and glances back from Katya to Lake. "We going? And, sir, do you know where to look for her?" He takes a step back towards the Outcast. "Kat and I, we're done with this rock here for now anyhow."

"Tcha ... let us heat out z'en, da? Ve hafe alreaty spent too much time here." Innokentevna then tilts her head, looking to the Zangali. "Urf ... vhat to you theenk ov lookink for a leetle girl, vho some fery bat folks are tryink to fint, an she mite be een lotsa trouble eef z'ey geet to her first."

"Urf heareded stupid softskins say morerer stuff," says the Zangali. "Urf go."

Isunin sighs soundlessly and shrugs her shoulders. She turns from her position and moves back to the Eos.

Brokichev glances around. "Alright. I shall stand here and be awkward, da. Is what I'm good at."

"Then we shall stand together, Dragon-Lord." Lake pushes himself forward. "I do miss steeds, however ... its been such along time and so many things have changed." He then follows the others towards the bright yellow ship.



Ungstir Landing Pad  ........................................................................... Rough hewn walls of iron and basalt, grooved by machinery used to carve this spaceport facility out of the glinting black and gray rock, rise on all sides and arches above of the broad pad that provides ample room for starships to rest during their stay on Ungstir.

Bright sulfurous lights seem to cast the chamber in permanent daylight despite the gloomy darkness and stars that loom beyond the huge portals, protected by the hazy shimmer of the prot's atmospheric containment fields. Through the force screens, silhouetted by the glow of the distant star Perseverance, one can make out the rolling, drifting shapes of rocks and planetoids - remnants of the world to which this chunk once belonged.

Squat, dark-haired technicians with pale skin and gruff demeanors move from ship to ship, checking fuel levels and mechanical fitness of the vessels. An archway leads out of the landing facility and into the city of Resilience, via the customs station.

Several large bays are set aside for ship maintenance and repair, serving as a general purpose drydock facility. ........................................................................... The lights are set at their dimmest level, being deep into Third Shift.

Taeren steps off the Outcast's ramp, leaving the bright yellow starship ticking and hissing behind him as it adjusts to the change in pressure. His jacket open, he tugs at his shirt collar as he looks around. "Where would we go to find this princess?" he asks of Lake.

Looking across the docks, the gentleman taps ahead upon his cane. "I ... I would have thought a castle or manor house ... but then, if she was there, she would nay be lost, mi'lord, would she?" Lake steps slowly and carefully off the Outcast's loading ramp. "Where do lost children live?"

Urfkgar walks away from the ship, taking another bag of carrots out of a pocket. He looks around, grumbling.

Brokichev glances at Lake. "Uh, I'm still a little lost. Who's this girl we're looking for?"

Innokentevna steps out upon the dock, dusting off her jacket. "Hoop ... z'eese ees a beeg Rock, after all. Like serachink for a neetle een a slagpile."

"I don't know, an orphanage?" Tay counters, looking back up at Lake, then turning to Katya. "Hey, wasn't there some kind of tussle between Ungstir and Sivad a while back about a girl winding up here abandoned on the landing pad ...?" He walks towards the Customs Station, brows drawn speculatively together.

A shuttle drops off the lonesome lunite, disembarking down the boarding ramp. He's looking rougher than the last time, eyes red with lack of sleep. He seems to be inadvertandtly walking in the direction of the little group.

Innokentevna walks towards the customs station, her pace a clipped step, with almost a military cadence. "Da ... but she ent't up vith zee Akimovs, da? An Dina from Tomeen Kora vith me. An hoop z'ere's no such theenk as an ungstiri..." She then pauses, "Actually, z'eres only one orphanage een perseferance." The courier draws up short. "You see, orphans on Ungstir are rare ... more rare than golt or gems."

Lake looks to Brokichev, shaking his head. "Somewhere ... she must be. Her daughter's daughter daughter. Who holds the key to the isle lost in a sea of black."

Taeren nods slowly. "Right ... because if their parents died, they'd hang out with their grandparents, or cousins ... Ungstiri families are tight," Tay prompts Katya, stopping next to her and looking out at her from under raised silver eyebrows.

"Stupid softskin girly know place. Stupid softskin girly go place," grounds out the Zangali around a mouthful of carrot fragments.

Brokichev folds his arms. "Well, to the orphanage, then?"

"Vell ..." Innokentevna pauses, leaning on the door to the customs. "Eets een zee poorer part ov zee reseedenshal kvarter, da? Z'ere vas z'eese tevachka zere, vith a robot for a guartian, I theenk." She pushes through customs. "Neet togeet z'ere, fast like ..."



Residential District  ........................................................................... A model of efficiency in both design and use of materials, the residential district of the Ungstiri community of Resilience consists of a series of caverns that once served the planetoid's mining operations - which were moved deeper into the world remnant after the Ungstiri were forced to make their home on this last surviving chunk of the shattered colony planet.

The twisting passages lead to various caverns that have been converted into "hole-in-the-wall" habitats, home to extended, multigenerational families. The Ungstiri are a tight-knit, stick-together people, and often connect to each other's homes and share in the responsibilities for raising and caring for the offspring.

Some communal caverns are used for teaching centers, while a few toward the surface of the planetoid provide windows onto the cosmos where Ungstiri may go to pay tribute to the spirits that guide them. ........................................................................... The lights are set at their brightest level, announcing the arrival of First Shift.

Innokentevna leads the small group deep into the residential tunnels, past the wealthy sectors, past even those where the poorer folks live. the area is quiet, abandoned, where the mines once were, opened up with ranks of pillars lined up in an array spreading right and left, for and back. And nestled in this stone forest there are the double doors of a small collection of living caves.

... from around the corner of a pier a big gray furred rockrat looks up to Ivan Brokichev and chitters a warning, "Oh Grand Sir of Our Kind, King Rat, Knight of the Twilight, Your enemies, they are using you!"

Brokichev blinks, looking towards one of the pillars. "Who the hoop are you talking about?" he addresses no one in particular.

... the rockrat bows its furry head, "I am but your faithful servant, My liege."

Urfkgar continues to munch on carrots, not bothering to stop to wait on Brokichev's talk with the architecture.

Innokentevna pauses as she approaches the orphanage, slowly rubbing the back of her head. She then shrugs and starts to move forward, her balance a bit more tense, a touch more freal.

Taeren's eyes dart to the side, then back to Katya. One of the hands in his pockets slides out a little bit as he walks. "So it's in here?" he asks quietly. The Timonae meets Katya's eyes and nods slightly, lips drawn into a thin line.

Brokichev scurries off in the direction of the pillar, stooping down. "Your help is appreciated, loyal subject, but *who* are you talking about? Enemies? Where?" He glances around warily, then back to whatever he's talking about.

Innokentevna looks back to Taeren, her head tilting. "You got z'at bat feelink too?"

"Stupid softskins," says Urfkgar as he pockets the empty bag. He produces yet another bag from his pockets, though. This one is full of mixed vegetables.

"I'm Timonae," Tay responds with a thin smile. "If anyone's gonna get a hunch, it's me." His mouth moves back to a line again and his eyes dart off over his left shoulder without moving his neck, brows raising. This odd look given, he nods slightly. "So where's this place, anyhow?"

At the end of the small group lake quietly walks. he does peer a bit, as he hears Brokichev speak. "I knew he must be a lord, for his brave actions against the darkened dragon."

Innokentevna nods down to the largest of the doors in the field of pillars. "Da, there, I was here before."

Ryan has by accident more than design ended up near the group, coming into the residential area by similiar paths, hearing the same voice that interupted his fight with Tresillian yesterday, Ryan looks in Lake's direction, "Dragon?"

Slowly taptaping to catch up, Lake nods to Urfkgar. "Sir Urf, Knight of the Zangali, a Dragon of heart pure and high honor."

"All right," Tay says, sparing another uneasy glance into the shadows. "Let's go see what we can see, huh?" He takes a step towards the doors Katya indicates.

Jeff Ryan rubs his brow and asks Lake, "And you are on a quest?" His voice holds no trace of sarcasm.

Urfkgar wanders on a few meters past the orphanage before he finally comes to a halt. He uses a hand to push his snout up and left, popping his neck loudly. He pulls his neck righ, cracking it again.

Jeff Ryan gives a sad smile and a look of understanding, "Failing I understand... Would you mind if I offered you my sw..." He sighs, "I'm afraid I'm weaponless, but..." Jeff pulls himself to his full height, still tired, but looking more himself, "If I can help you I will. I will try to not fail you at least." The offer is sudden, yet there's a determination to the lunite, a knight's quest seems to appeal to the lunite.

Brokichev takes a sudden step back. "Hoop!" He almost loses his balance, but steadies himself against a pillar. "I saw something in there.."

And from behind Urfkgar there comes a tap on his tail. From around a pier a small ungstiri child peeks, having bravely reached out to touch the Zangali. "Tag! you are it!"

Urfkgar grunts once his leg is tagged and is rotating around by the time he's been told to be 'it.' He gives the general area a glower that's mildly less indifferent than it was earlier, demanding, "What stupid softskins?"

"It is not me who need the aid, Sir Knight ... " Lake replies. "Her daughter is the one we fear for. I am but a Knight-errant ... my duty is to serve. And she is all that is left of my allegience."

"Tag?" Tay repeats, turning around as well to see the source of this youthful exclamation.

The little child, a young lad, looks up to the big Zangali and immediately turns around and runs away, laughter trailing in his wake. As he vanishes around a corner a second, a young girl, peeks from around a corner, looking up to Urfkgar to chide. "You are supposed to chase us, cause he got you, fair and square, gospahza!" And then she pause, her eyes squinting. "Or gospahza!"

Brokichev walks back toward the group. "I have reason to believe we are in danger. A loyal subject has informed me of it," he explains casually.

Innokentevna, momentrily distracted, draws a hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle. "Da .. ve hafe fount zee orphanage."

Over the commnet >>> LeBeau says, "Katya dis es Remy, yu recieving on dis channel?"

Giving a sad nod the lunite says, "A Lady is in trouble?" His capitalisation of the lady is noticeable, but it doesn't seem to be in mimicry of the senior knight. He looks pained, "Tell me what we have to do."

Urfkgar scratches at his shoulder while he considers this. He shifts his attention to the kid who hasn't run off, and he tells her, "Stupid no big softskin. Urf no care. Urf no want. Stupid softskins want stupid no big softskin. Stupid softskins want. Stupid softskins move. Urf no move. Stupid no big softskin say stuff stupid softskins. Urf no morerer time do stupid softskin stuff. Urf do Urf stuff. Morerer big fake fight stuff. Morerer fake fake fight stuff stupid softskin floaty thingy."

From further out a tall and frazzled woman tries to herd her wards. She may have been pretty, once, but now all she looks is haggard. She wears a gray frumpy sweater atop a gray frumpy skirt."Children, children, leave these folks alone!" She then looks back over her shoulder, "I told you, Bobby is not to play tag, you confuse him far far too easily!" She then looks to Taeren and Innokentevna. "May I help you?"

Innokentevna takes a step away as her commlink chimes. She looks between the others and takes a step away. "Excuse me ..." She taps the unit's call button. "Da ... Katya here."

Taeren nods. "I think," Tay says slowly. He coughs into his hand with an embarrassed looks and begins, "Yeah ..." Tay looks across at Katya, but as she starts talking, he looks back to the woman. "We're, uhm. Well, has anyone come by looking for a particular girl at your orphanage recently?" he begins, a bit awkward.

Slowly Lake also approaches, and as he does he takes a set of photographs and notes from his pocket. He looks between the photographs and the children, one by one. "We need to find Her ..."

Urfkgar has partially disconnected.

Over the commnet >>> LeBeau says, "Looks like Melody an Kit hav decoded mos o da ledger. As usual jus a bunch o business transaction an money trails. Bu day also fon a couple space coordinades. Melody says she has ne'er seen an asteroid chunk on any chard dare bu da records hav one listed...on da fringes o Ungstiri space."

"And this is the place to start?" asks Jeff, the question rhetorical. He has a look from the photographs to the children. "May I ask why this young Lady is important, why is she in danger?"

"Zee place hafe a name?" Innokentevna lets out a breath. "An just vhere ees et?"

Over the commnet >>> LeBeau says, "Da ledger refers to id as U-001. We hav da coordinades here. Yu having any luck back en Resillence?"

Brokichev looks at the orphans, then at Lake. "What, exactly, does she look like?"

Speaking into her commlink, Innokentevna pauses. "Da ... at zee orphanage ... ve only got one. Sometheenk spook't us on zee vay een, espeshally Brokichev ... but he's ... h's Brokichev. But Reemy ... U-001 ... z'ats Ungstir PRIME ... ve ton't use z'at number, eets like ... usink a grafe marker or sometheenk ..."

"Because The Witch wishes to enter the Last Castle ..." Lake repeats his mythology for Ryan. "The Ledger is one totem needed ... the Hawk's Key is the next ... and only the Princess can use the Key. If they didn't get the ledger ... they left to get the ... Princess."

Over the commnet >>> LeBeau says, "I don know wha to tell yu Katya. Hell fo all we know id could jus be where Boromov stashed hes ole dirdy laundry. BU being dat ids en no oder star chards. AN ids location has id ad da far reachs o da sysdem...I tink yu would agree dat id ad lease es worth looking ento"

Taeren looks from Lake to the woman, presumably the orphanage's schoolmarm, and says, "So you see, we think this girl might be in trouble thanks to these ex-mobsters who think she's a key to some kind of treasure ... we want to make sure she's safe," he explanes, gesturing to Lake.

The lunite is tired, yet seems to hang on the strange old warrior's words, "What's the prize for those who enter the last castle? If I am to guess there is an object of power, no?"

Over the commnet >>> Melody says, "Yeah... I think Katya would want to take a look anyway."

"Have you ever something lost, Sir?" The old man nods quietly. "Power, riches ... all those are in the last castle ..." He then looks over the children, his attention turning, to a little girl who stands with one hand next to a small robot like device. It is as tall as she is, perhaps five feet wide, with a pair oftracks and a perfectly smotth hemispherical top. Who is the spitting image of the girl in one of the photographs, in hat and coat, standing before the rock wall.

Jeff Ryan nods to the gentleman, "I've lost Diana, my only true love, no longer in this world." He follows the man's sight, eyebrow raise, "Well I'll be..."

"Coming back?" Tay repeats, looking vaguely worried. His eyes follow hers to the girl and the robot. "They were already here? When?" His hand slides towards his back as he winces and mutters something in Timonese.

Taeren says, "Elei meJai da'aeu janeiU Airenei."

Continuing her commlink conversation, Innokentevna frowns. "Vhat are zee coortinates?" There's a pause, a breath. "LeBeau ... Boromov may hafe been many theenks .. but he vas Ungstiri, an hees familee built resilience ... Ungstir-002. He voultn'y mark anythink 001 enless eet vas hoopin' eemportant." her attention is then snared, and she looks wide eyed. "You mean its her?"

Urfkgar dumps some vegetables into his mouth, idly glaring at the children and adults. He chews a bit before he asks, "Stupid softskin see stuff?"

Brokichev looks up at the Zangali. "Who, me?"

"Urf no care," says the Zangali. "See stupid no big softskin. Go."

As the two talk, a small girl walks up and tugsat her instructors sweater. "Miss Halliwell, Boris won't ally-ally-all-in-free-oh!"

Over the commnet >>> LeBeau says, "Katya, 'm gonna fly da Horse back to dock an we'll meed up wit yu. Yu can den look o'er da enfo yerself."

Finding herself at the focus of convesation, the little girl next to the mall robot slowly starts to slink away, to hide behind its mass.

Taeren smiles at the girl, giving her a dimpled grin and a small wave before turning back to Miss Halliwell. "Then, yes ... we think they might be coming back," he says quietly, "and *soon*. It might be better if she stayed somewhere else for awhile." He looks from Katya to Halliwell. "I think she could tell you more than I can. Him too." Tay indicates Lake.

From the darkness, beyond the other piers, a small red ball slowly rolls, its path stopping near Taeren and Katya.

Innokentevna blibks, starts, and just looks up. "Oh hoop ..."

As the ball rolls out from the darkness, Jeff's eyes widen, with a dive he tries to haul the old man down with him as he yells, "Down!"

Urfkgar ignores the antics of Jeff Ryan and continues to eat and grumble vaguely, shifting into Zantra.

Brokichev backs away from the red ball, eyeing it suspiciously.

Over the commnet >>> Melody says, "Hm...? Katya? Is something wrong?"

Lake is easily dragged down, landing in an awkward sprawl next to Ryan. his steel cane goes skittering off into the darkness.

/ KATYA / LeBeau says, "Katya? E'eryting alrigh?"

The little girl, the sweater tugger, her eyes go wide. "That's Boris' ball. Its his best friend ..."

Isunin watches the chaos within the group from a fair distance. She flicks her eyes from the ball to the prone men a few times.

When nothing happens Jeff gets back to his feet looking a little sheepish, he offers Lake his hand, "Sorry, too much time in the rebellion."

Taeren looks uneasily from Katya to the ball, then to the shadows from whence it came. "What ...?" Glancing at the reactions of the others, Tay's brows rise in mild confusion. "So then where's Boris?" He asks, his hand moving to the small of his back again.

And from the darkness comes a gruff voice. A man's voice. "Thats right. And if you want Boris back for supper, you'll give us the coordinates. We know you got them. We heard.

Brokichev looks in the direction of the voice. "Told you we were in danger," he mutters. "Rockrats don't lie."

Innokentevna 's hand rises to her commlink. "Z'ey got a keet." Her voice is quiet and even, level, and far to perfectly paced. "An z'ey vant zee coordinates." A pause, a beat. "Z'ey got a *keet*"

Over the commnet >>> Melody says, "A hostage? That's not fair... Are you okay? Do you need help?"

There's a rustle as Taeren pulls his hands from his pockets. "So you found a kid's ball. Why don't you show yourself and that the kid hasn't been harmed so we know we can trust you to deliver on your side of the bargain," he says slowly, peering into the gloom.

Miss Halliwell just pales, and she looks desperately to taeren and the others. "Coorodinates ... numbers? That's Boris ... he's .. he's only five! Give them what they want, please!"

Urfkgar shifts to regard the darkness with the one eye left to him, and his tongue flickers out a few times. He also scratches at his shoulder.

Brokichev looks at Katya. "Any ideas?"

Slowly pushing himself up, Lake rises to his knees. "To threaten a child ... that is most foul."

"Urf see stupid softskin. Urf see stupid no big softskin," comments the Zangali to no one in particular. He grunts and seems to address the hostage taker next, "Stupid softskin no scram. Stupid softskin no no big stupid softskin. All stupid softskins bash stupid softskin do stupid stuff."

Innokentevna looks to Brokichev, "Last time I gotzee girl kill't ..." innokentevna swallows. She tags her commlink. "You got z'ose numbers?"

Over the commnet >>> Melody says, "Katya? The coordinates are 0406081-5003550-9451121."

Over the commnet >>> LeBeau says, "On da way Katya."

Over the commnet >>> Melody says, "Yeah... we're coming..."

Jeff Ryan nods in agreement with Lake. He growls at the voice, "If you've hurt the boy..."

Tresillian jogs along the corridors looking around.

Taeren peers into the darkness. "Let me see the boy," Tay repeats again.

From the dark the voice responds. "You heard the Zangali."

"But I didn't understand a damned thing he said," Tay notes levelly. "Boris, are you there?"

From the pillar forest coms a gruff "Tell him you are fine." And a moment later, there is a kids voice, "I fine .." it sounds scared, however. The male voice then adds. "For now."

"Stupid softskins no heareded Urf morerer times," explains Urfkgar. "Urf say stuff. Stupid softskin hear Urf. Stupid softskin do stupid stuff. Stupid softskin know stuff. Morerer stupid softskins kill stupid softskin. Stupid softskin no kill all stupid softskins bash stupid softskin. Stupid no big softskin no fixerer. Stupid softskin doeded morerer stupid stuff. Urf say stupid softskin scram. Urf no kill stupid softskin. Move mosterer fasterer stupid softskin."

Brokichev watches the darkness, then glances at the Zangali as he speaks. "What he said."

"I think he said," Tay translates in a slow, deliberate voice, "that if you hurt the child at all, he's going to hunt you down and hurt you even more. I think he also said that your chances of survival will be worse if you don't just give up the boy now and run away very very fast, because he might hunt you down and hurt you anyway."

Tresillian stops jogging after a while and props himself against a wall.

"And you'll have a broken kid first." Is the answer from the darkness. "Three numbers. Now.

"Tell him the numbers, whats taking you so long!" Miss halliwell asks, her voice on the verge of panic.

[/i]Kit arrives from City Commons <Resilience: Ungstir[/i].

"I don't know," Tay says tersely, glancing to Katya, "Ask her!"

There is the whrrr of treads, as she small robot slowly moves a bit closer to the darkness ... but his owner is no longer to be seen. The little machine seems frozen, as of caught in midprocess.

Innokentevna turns back and looks to Taeren, "Vell z'ey just tolt z'em to me!" Her eyes narrow. "Ozervize I't hafe mate zeechoice by nov!"

"Well," Tay hisses, indicating the darkness with an exaggerated inclination of his head, "Tell them to hurry up."

"Urf no care," says the Zangali who doesn't seem to be all that irritated. "Urf no need kill stupid softskin. Urf say stupid softskin mosterer stupid stupid softskin Urf seededed morerer time. Stupid softskin no no killededed. Urf say do Zangali smart stuff. Stupid softskin no killeded."

From the far end of the forest of pillars, near the entrance to the main concourses and residential blocks, there is a the sound of light footseps in the dark. They seem to be attempting to move quietly .. there pace is slow and careful ... but obviously unskilled. Thus when the clattering occurs just in front of Lebeau, the ricochette of a rock aimed in his, Kit's and melody's general direction, LeBeau knows he has been spotted. From a very different location comes a deeper male voice. "Was told to count how many you were!"

"I have no idea where they're headed." Marlan says to Pavlo as she enters the residential quarter, trying to follow the rapidly moving Melody, Kit and Lebeau

"Me neiver." Pav says trotting to keep up.

Though he may have been spotted LeBeau ducks back behind a pillar and calls out. "I suppose 've come to da righ place. I hav some space coordinades to trade fo a certain child?"

Kit doesn't waste time in finding cover of her own as LeBeau slips to the side, less for protection without a firefight in progress than to remove herself from immediate sight as she tries to familiarize herself with the situation.

Jeff Ryan waits standing next to Lake, his fists are bunched.

The man's voice echoes from with the forest piers. "Da ... lets hear them .. and you get the kid back."

Melody lets off a soft gasp as the rock bounces in the middle of their path, glancing from side to side and around in hasty look for where the voice comes from. But that doesn't waylay her shelter-seeking either... only she's much more slower in reflexes than LeBeau and Kittianna. It's with Kit, however, that the researcher ends up sharing protection with.

Brokichev looks from LeBeau's spot to the darkness where the other voice comes from, his face somewhere between angry and anxious.

A chuckle comes from around the pillar LeBeau is using as cover. "Yu tink 'm dat stupid? Dat kids life es worth mo to me an mos likely anyone here den da coordinades. SO yu led da boy go. AN when I see da boy es safe 'll giv yu da coordinades...yu hav my word"

Near the doors to the orphanage, Innokentevna stands. She looks between those on her side of the standoff,and then she looks to the right. And blinks twice, her eyes then frantically searching into the darkness.

Brokichev looks around. "Gospadin..." he takes a few steps towards Taeren, muttering in a hushed tone. "The girl and the robot. Where'd they go?"

Isunin is taken aback, scanning her gaze across the area. She begins walking towards something, but she still keeps a fair distance between her and whatever she percieved.

"So we hav a deal. Led da boy go an when he es safe 'll giv yu wan yu wan" LeBeau calls out again.

From the darkness the male voice speaks. "You are out of time. Give us the coordinates now."

A frown barely makes it onto Kit's face as Melody joins her before it is replaced by simple resignation. Turning her attention back to the scene, she examines the layout while tilting her head with a narrowing of her eyes, trying to pinpoint what she hears. With a firm touch of her fingers against Melody's elbow, she admonishes the specialist to 'stay' without words, and then tries to slip across the short distance to the next pillar for a better vantage point.

Tresillian looks around then closes his eyes and concentrates on what he can hear.

Melody shoots the cajun a questionable look as he makes his statement of bravado to the 'voice.' Not caring for the kid's life? A quick acknowledgment is given to Kit as the girl breaks from her thoughts and mental cross-examination of the situation. Stay. Again. But it isn't like she can argue... "Don't hurt him..." Her comm crackles in her ear.

"Do what he says?" Tay advises LeBeau imploringly, glancing at the woman. "No treasure can be worth getting a kid killed."

"Stupid softskins want Urf fix?" asks the Zangali before sticking some vegetables in his mouth.

"Fine fine I see yer a hard person to negotiade wit. Den 'll jus up da ante." LeBeau says out loud, then half a black book sticks out from the pillar he is behind "I know yu wan dis ledger. So led da kid go an yu can hav id. Coordinades an e'eryting else dats en id"

Tresillian finally pulls his right sleeve up and taps a control on a metal and plastic device that wraps around his forearm. A touch-screen folds out and he taps at controls. perhaps trying to track or tune in a commchannel a little better.

Taeren opens his mouth slightly, snaps it shut, clenches his fists a little. He looks around almost frantically with a look of frustrated impotence across his features.

From the darkness there comes a single gutteral noise. "Hoop!" And the sond of cloth rustling, feet padding away. "You keep the kid. But you ain't going nowhere without the key. So tell us where it is and we'll meet you there!"

Isunin's eyes widen as she observes something distant. Her face is a mix of puzzlement and anger.

"Kid yu alrigh?" LeBeau calls out "I won say a ting until I know da kid es safe." He then leans out just enough to toss the ledger out into the middle of the cavern. Followed by a power pack humming to life "An 'll shood anyone who tries to ged to da ledger until I know da kid es safe"

"hhiaaaaiiiiiiii ... I want damaholli ..." A young boy's voice echoes from the pier foret, as fast footsteps back away.

Tresillian presses a finger to his ear then moves as quickly as he can towards the nearest person he can find. "They're moving. They said if we want the key we have to meet them there."

"Boris ... boris .." The grey clad matron starts running towards the boy's voice.

"I heard," Tay says. "Boris! Miss Halliwell is this way," he calls, turning to the orphanage attendant. "Call him," he says. "Whoever you are over there with the bad accent, get that book back ..."

Kit freezes for a moment, eyes narrowing and jaw stiffening in realization before she suddenly moves to the next pillar - and the next, and the next - less cautious now as she tries to keep woman and child in sight even as she says quickly into the private comm channel to LeBeau and Katya and the others, "It's a distraction; a girl's out in the open with no one near now, and a woman made off with something she called the 'passkey'."

Isunin breaks into a run as she follows Kit, keeping an eye on a stationary figure.

"A distraction?" Melody echoes into her commlink, edging around the piller she once shared with Kittianna to peer around in a poor attempt to ascertain what is going on. Into her comm she admonishes a quiet, "Be careful."

Dama Hammiwell runs forward, intothe darkness, hell bent for the crying young lad. She skids to a stop, wrapping her arms about the boy and drawing him close. "Its all well Boris... you are safe now!"

... Isunin and Kitt turn around a pier, and you see in the distance a strage scene. A woman dressd in black, holding what looks like to be a single big dog tag hanging from a chain. A little girl lying sprawled on the floor.and between them a short and stubby treaded robot. It has a hemispgerical top, smooth and black. The woman is slowly backing into the shadows. "Gospadi ... it ... it can't hurt ME now!" She then turns and runs. "Tell them if they want the passkey, they gotta meet us there!"

... into the maze of corriors Kittianna runs, chasing the woman in black. her path winds throughpillars and short corrodors ... until the tall woman finally realizes she is chasing the echos of her own footpads ...[i]

Jeff Ryan looks from the matron to Lake, "Time to go Good Knight. Or it's all in vain."

Once Halliwell runs towards Boris, Tay turns and bolts for the commons, uttering a rushed, "Hey - purple-hair, come with me!" to Tres. His hand disappears behind his back and reappears with a pistol in hand. "Find out where those coordinates are ... we'll meet them there, all right ..."

Kit slows to a stop after a while, looking around with a helpless scowl as she tries to catch her breath. "I lost her," she reports frustratedly.

Tresillian stops tapping at command keys and runs after Tay, reaching towards a holster at the small of his back as well. "Right."

[i] ... and as Isunin moves forward to the fallen girl, she sees the small robot roll forward towards her, then back to the girl, then after the woman, repeating the action several times until it becomes obvious that Isunin will actually get close. then it stops, dead still .. one beta, then two ... and then its hemispherical top splits down the middle, its smoolth surface tranfiguring into a slotted dome ... with a deadly lookinging lense hiddn within. With a scream the little girl throws herself over the front of the robot. "Bobby! Don't hurt her!"

"You know the coordinates?" Tay manages to Tres. "Or can get them for us?"

The elderly man looks forward, leaning on his steel shaft. "If the children aresafe ..." He then looks back to rRyan. "That is all that matters. The rest we shall just have to rise above.

Isunin stares at the robot, hesitating slightly. She takes a few steps backwards in attempt to escape from the dangerous machine. After the girl has immobilised the contraption, she once again moves forward. She sends to the girl, ~Are you alright?~

Innokentevna finally relaxes, her back resting on the stone wall, as she slides down to sit on the carven floor. "Hoop ... hoop hoop hoop." She cradles her head in her hands, shaking her head slowly. "Nov vhat?"

Tresillian jabs a thumb back over his shoulder towards LeBeau and Melody. "They might be in that book the cajun tossed down." he manages.

Kit begins to retrace her steps back to the main atrium in which the majority of beings are gathered, her eyes reflexively picking out Melody and Innokentevna's positions first before she tries to assess what has happened since the chase.

The lunite nods, "The Lady still needs us to complete her Quest, or she'll lose her inheritance to thieves and murderers."

Taeren curses as he dodges between pillars, moving towards the city commons.

Over the commnet >>> Taeren says, "Katya, it's *pant pant* Tay *pant* ... I think they already ... have the key ... sounded like ... they're going after the Island already. Trying to ... catch them ... at the landing bay."

The little girl kjust looks up to Isunin, her eyes wide. As sh does the robots hull transforms again, its shell returning to its perfect smoothness, the blaster lense once again hidden, at bay. "She .. she took my momma's necklace!"

Isunin kneels down beside the girl, cupping her cheek in her hand, ~Come with me. We'll go get it back. I'm sorry it was taken, those people are...nasty~

The little girl just sniffles., the tears starting to flow. "But .. butits like Bobby. I got only three things to give when I have a little girl like me. The necklace, Bobby and my name."

Over the commnet >>> Taeren says, "Tell the others ... Outcast isn't armed ... and I need to know where I'm flying."

... Isunin examines the girls face and takes a quick look behind her, [color=magemta]~From what I've heard, you may get much more. There are some who call you a Lady. Please, just follow me. We'll get that necklace back~[color]

Innokentevna looks up with a snort, and a wave to kittianna. She holds her commlink button down, holding off on a message. "Outcast vants to knov zeecoorteenates. An ve hafeto tecite ... to ve tell z'em zee coortinates ... an eef so ... hov?"

Kit looks aside pensively for a moment as she walks over to the courier before shrugging. "How far are we away? Can we get to the coordinates before they do? If so, tell them. Unless you were able to find clues, I was unable to follow the woman's trail."

"We gotta .." The little girl swallows. "We just got to." as she follows Isunin, so does the little robot,

Innokentevna looks to Kittianna, her brows furrowing. "Gray Horse can geet anyvhere faster." A simple statement of fact.

Isunin flashes a girl a weak smile as she leads her back to the main group, ~Don't worry, we will. I promise~

"An promises are made to be kept. My Mother taught me that." the little girl follows, rubbing the dampness form her cheeks.

Tresillian keeps running along with Tay.

The lunite smiles at the young girl as Isunin leads her over, he's still looking tired, yet he smiles, "My Lady," he points to Lake, "This brave Knight and the rest of us are at your command. We shall return with your mother's gift." He gives a small, yet pronounced bow. It's followed by a wink.

/ BX0J0Q9HIO2OFZ0MHTHD083X7FS8MQZH / Taeren says, "Well? I ... don't ... know ... what in Maza's fucked Universe ... I'm ... doing ..."

Melody slips from her hiding spot - one that did not give away underneath her feet this time, and steps toward the courier and their mutual friend. "Yeah, the Gray Horse can get anywhere faster." This is echoed rather proudly by the researcher as she leans against her captain.

Taeren skids to a halt as he rounds a bend with an unexpected stretch of wall, pausing for a hearbeat or two to catch his breath. Hands on his knees he turns to face Tres as the human catches up. "You're ... sure they're ... going to the place ... already?"

Innokentevna reaches up and wrps her arm around Melody's leg, since she's still sitting down. She leans back, gnawing on her lowerlip. "So to ve tell z'em vhere to go?"

Tresillian stops as well and taps a control on the device on his forearm, a staticy voice says. "Gospadi ... it ... it can't hurt ME now! Tell them if they want the passkey, they gotta meet us there!"

Taeren looks back at Tres, catching his breath. "You should be more specific next time," he says. "I get all excitable at times like these."

Over the commnet >>> Taeren says, "... heh ... no rush ... but they will only give us the key if we go there with them ... I thought they were ... already going to the place ..."

Tresillian looks to Tay. "If I could pick them up... chances are... they could have heard anyone... that gave the co-ords to anyone else over... comm."

Kit offers a hand down to Innokentevna to pull the courier onto her feet. "Yes. But not before we get the Gray Horse off the landing pads first."

Melody steps to the side in preparation of her captain getting to her feet. There's a sheepish and shy expression burrowing in the brunette's expression. "Um... I told Katya the coordinates over the comm when she asked for them..."

As the little girl returns, Lake just looks at her. He manages a small smile, as he falls to his knees. "Thou art the imageof thine great great great grad mother mi'lady." he then places his steelrod at her feet, bowing his hed. "My arm is thine to command, my heart is thine as it was your mother's mother's mother ... I offer you my fealty, mi'lady Princess, from now until my lifefinally fails."

Over the commnet >>> Taeren says, "Tres says that he picked up the other guys ... if you got the coordinates over commlink after all ... they might know them already ..."

Innokentevna blinks, quiet. "oh hoop ... eef z'ey got a heatstart, z'en ve may be een trouble." She swallows, looking up. "Ve got zee Gray horse, Outcast an vulfsbane ... just us an ..." She look to the others. "Ve neet ourselfs ... an ..." her attention falls upon the five year old little girl.

Kit follows Innokentevna's gaze toward the girl, and she frowns as she catches the last few words of Lake's oath. "Then may I suggest we 'get a move on', as they say?" she mumbles in aside to the courier before she calls out with genuine curiosity lacing her words, "How many 'greats' have you served by now, Lake? How old are you?"

Taeren nods to Tres, swallowing. "All right then," he says. "I told the others- let's go!" He gathers himself up again and starts running once more.

The little girl just blinks, once, twice looking down at Lake, her head tilting. her eyes are wide, as one hand comes to her cheek. Butthen she just reaches out, to touch his shoulders. "Spasiba ... thank you ... uhm ... Sir Knight ... of ... " And then she just blinks again. "oh my ... I'm supposd to ..." She reaches down and from her pocket drags a colorful bandana. "mother always said to give a Knight something nice. Bobby has one too."

Tresillian nods to Tay and also starts running again having taken a moment to tap the control that folds the touch screen back into the device on his arm.

Jeff Ryan places a hand on the old man's shoulder next to Larisa's hand. After the girl speaks he says, "Come friend, the Quest is not over. We need to make haste."

"Da ... " She looks to the old man, the young girl, and the broken stone walls about them. She slowly turns, following kittianna, her head tilting, very quiet. "Just vhoare z'eese tvo?"

Rising, Lake takes the favor, and ver graciously tiesit to his staff. "My princess ... " he whsipers, quiet. And then looks to Kittianna. "I ... age ... well."

Kit stares at Lake for a long, long moment before giving a snort as her sole response. Shaking her head, she motions vaguely in the direction of the landing pads. "Shall we?"

Isunin looks at the old man suspiciously. She turns and leaves, following the others.

Service Bay U-001 The bay curves in a huge arc, following the approximate line of a portion of the asteroid's perimeter. On the outboard side a series of heavy portals are evenly ranked, docking ports, loading ports and service connections. Their telltales still glow, green and red, innustrating the status of what is beyond each super-heavy steel hatchway. Huge ribbed girders radius out from the inboard wall, dividing the space in a repetative pattern. The floor is diamond gridded plate, matched by the equally hard metal wall panels. The surfaces reflect the sound, causing even the slightest noise to resuodly echo over and over. The bay is dim, shadowed, with but a handful of shielded light fixtures casting a gray illumination through th space.

LeBeau peers out from the hatch linking the Horse to the asteroid. The barrel of his weapon scanning everywhere his eyes go as he steps of the ship and his boots make contact with the ground below. An echo reverbating off the walls at the new arrivals.

Taeren mimics LeBeau's gesture from the lock of the Outcast, his hand keeping a tight grip on his weapon and his shoulder against the lock before stepping down it.

Katriel follows on the heels of Tay, anxiously peering around him. Her own shoes make no noise at all on the ground.

The large bay echoes loudly, with the cycling of the locks. Of the four big hatches, three now show faded green telltales. The silence is heavy on the deck ... for the third active portal ihas not opened ... yet.

Tresillian follows Katriel, also doing a sweep with his weapon as the others have, though his is more cursorarry.

"We could mow them down," Tay calls uneasily, looking mournfully at his pistol's modest 5-shot pack. "Shoot them up while they're stuck in their boarding ramp ..." There's a metallic rustle as he adjusts his grip on the weapon and points it at the unopened lock. "Maybe we'd have a chance ..."

Innokentevna enters, unarmed, and quickly turns a full three hundred and sixty degrees. Her eyes narrow, looking at the unbroken hatchseal. "To ve make our stant here?"

"Or they could just lob a grenade in and mow all of us down." Tres comments. "Like a stun grenade or something.''

Larisa looks about the big room, her eyes widening. "Its so big ... big ... big ... big ..." She then giggles at the echo.

Taeren glances at LeBeau. "Talk to him about grenades," Tay suggests. "Maybe sneak up there and throw one in as soon as the lock cycles ..." He looks uneasy, quickly adding, "I don't know, do I look like I've been in many gun battles?"

LeBeau pulls Larissa to his side and looks back to Katya with a shake of his head "No, to open an no co'er. If we ar gonna make any sord o stan den we should mov furder ento da complex."

Katriel looks about ready to jump out of her own skin, and makes little startled jumps every time someone speaks.

"Or we could just point all ships guns and have at it," Kit adds dryly as she debarks behind Innokentevna, one knife already in hand though it seems she has unsheathed the weapon simply for security's sake rather than out of any thought for its actual efficacy.

Lake nods to LeBeau, his gaze washing down the loading bay. "Then I suggest we find our battleground sooner than later."

"Stay with me, okay?" Melody replies to the princess as she reaches out for the girl's hand, the other handling a Mk6 with a faulty uncertainty as to its workings.

Taeren slides away from the Outcast's boarding lock, and when it is empty, closes and locks it behind him. "All right," he says, voice uneasy but with forced confidence. His Adam's apple bobs when he swallows. "I'm following you two." He looks from LeBeau to Lake.

With no uncertainty then, Lake then strides forward, heading quickly to the service way.

LeBeau glances around until he notices the service way "E'eryone follow da ole man, now befo we hav company.

Tresillian follows Lake towards the service way.

Kit watches as the others begin to move out, and as they hurry to the accessway, she glances down at the firearm before murmuring quick instructions to Melody.

Katriel takes a deep breath and blows it out slowly, and seems to focus a little better. She follows behind Tay.

Taeren offers Kat a flashed smile before barreling off quickly, leaving his ship tightly locked behind him.

Innokentevna stuffs her hands in herpockets, following swiftly. Her expression is set, like steel, as she stands at Melody's shoulder. "Come on .. ve hafe face't vorse ... right?"

Service Way U-001

The access serviceway is wide, large enough for a small vehicle to pass through. The walls are lined, full height both sides, with racked conduits, heavy service lines, junction boxes and locked power panels, and shielded raceways. Both floor and ceiling are diamond gridded metal plates, with the occassional recessed latchhandle providing access to systems hidden beyond. Almost pitch black is this package, the only illumination coming from the glow of system telltales, red and amber and green, like fireflies in the night.

"I just hope that Zangali won't be joining the party this time. I'm not loaded for Lizard." Tres comments as he moves along.

As he walks down the hallway, Lake looks back to LeBeau. "I do not believe thisis the place, my lord."

"Just don't drop in for a visit in such a hurry, if there are," Kat replies to Tres, her hushed voice strained.

Melody goes rigid as she is instructed on the pulse weapon, listening to the advice and suggestions. Her eyes, rather fear-filled, are not without molding into determination at her courier's valid point thereafter. "Yeah... we'll see." She trails with her crew, steps cautious, and grip reaffirmed with more confidence.

"Here?" Tay asks, looking around. "It's dark in here and light outside ... we could see them, but they couldn't see us ... enough stuff to hide behind while they're still out in the open ... or, deeper?" He looks expectantly from LeBeau to Lake, walking quickly and fingering something in a jacket pocket. Additional powerpacks which click together with metallic rustles.

Tresillian checks the telltale thar indicates how many shots he has left, "I should probably start carrying more powerpacks."

LeBeau nods in agreement as with Lake as he scans the hall way "I tink yer righ. True dare es enough to hide behin, by mos o dem seem to be junction boxes an conduits. A goo hid on one o dose an we don hav to worry aboud gedding shod. NO leds keep going"

Innokentevna looks back over her shoulder, managing a small smile. "Anyone geets betveen me an you, Meloty, goink to hafe a Katya size't hole een z'em. Ve can z'ees to ..." Her expression is set, as she scans left and right along the hallway. "Reemy, z'eese place ees to hoopin' clean for a vreck."

Taeren swallows again and nods, a thin patina of sweat forming on his forehead. He shifts his grip on his pistol again, following close behind LeBeau and Lake - his hand getting sweaty, too.

And as if to accent LeBeau's words, as the small group approaches the hatchway at the end ofthe hall ... the hatchway wheere they entered can be heard to cycle.

Kit pads along behind the others, allowing them to debate it out between themselves as she continuously glances over her shoulder to monitor their backtrail.

Processional Way U-001 The carven boulevard is wide, almost two hundred and fifty meter wide and at least twenty five high. Its floors are polished marble, patterned in black and honey. Twin lines of columns, wide and heavy, extend all the way down the length of corridor. Finely carven, they stand like honor guard, like ancient soldier on watch. They also cast long shadows down the hall, gray bands through dark black shadows, for only a few scattered lights, hidden in recessed coves, provide illumination.

At the far end of the promenade there is a set of heavy doors, worn and dust covered. They are crafted of stainless steel and gold filigree and set in a heavy carven frame. Tucked between a pair of columns is a second set of doors, similar to the first of a much smaller scale.

"I think it is safe to say that this is hardly a 'wreck'," Kit murmurs in response to Innokentevna as she eyes the next section of their tour.

Tresillian looks around, "Anyone see a data port, let me know. There might be 'systems' we can try and use to our advantage."

Jeff Ryan enters through a large sliding door, carefully concealed within the stone carved paneling.

LeBeau looks around the large room as he rushes in "Looks like dis es da bes we ar gonna ged. E'eryone take up a posion behind a column. We'll us dem fo co'er an try to sed up a kill zone." He calls out to the assembled group as he is already heading towards one of the central columns."

Taeren nods. "There's nowhere for dust to come in," Tay says. "And it's pressurized, fully functional ...' His words come quick, like his voice, as he looks from column to column and then to the doors. "What about the tradesman's entrance there?" Tay asks, gesturing to the small portal. He presses his shoulder against a column nonetheless and gestures to the one behind him, saying, "Kat, get behind me," in a terse voice. Both hands grip his pistol as he whets his lips anxiously.

Jeff Ryan runs in in time to hear LeBeau's words, he looks to Lake and the girl, "We'll stick together." His pistol in hand. He starts to walk in the diretion of one of the pillars.

To that end Lake chooses the column closest to the door, settling against its tall cool form. He lifts his walking stick as if it were a claymore, holding it balanced. "Be sure that the Princess and the Ladies are protected.

Katriel swallows as Remy speaks the words 'kill zone', moving so close to Tay she bumps into him, and then follows behind him to go around the column.

Still holding Melody's hand, the little girl gasps as she sees the huge gilded doors. She points at the emblazonment, blurting out, "That's my hawk!" She smiles, finding something familiar. And then she covers her mouth and hides behind Melody, as if she had spoken when she wasn't supposed to. Upon the two steel doors, however, there is a hawk ... a stylistic and boldly graphic one in red.

Tresillian likewise picks a column to hide behind while also checking it's surface for access panels with his non gun hand.

Kit pauses as she is about to slip toward a likely ambush point to cast the girl a contemplative look, turning to eye the icons in question for a moment before she takes the last few steps behind cover.

"Your hawk...?" Melody murmurs down at the young girl quizzically before turning her attention on the decal that the princess points to. Her eyes blink a few times behind her wire-rim glasses as she studies the symbol. "Uhm... Oh. Noble in make... and Pre-Kretonian. I think."

Jeff Ryan isn't close enough to Melody to speak, he just nods to himself, "Everyone take position."

In the dimly lit promenade Innokentevna finds her place behind a column opposite Lake, crouching down, low to the floor. She looks back over her shoulder and quickly whispers, "Melody ... behint column, da?"

Katriel bites her lip, doing her deep breath trick again, and studies the hawk on the door as she does. Her eyes trace the design, and she whispers, "Noble house Romanov... Anastasia, Nicolas, the last of them."

LeBeau drops to one knee and rests the side of his pistol against the column as he takes aim towards the small hatchway they just came thru...and that the others are expected to come thru.

Melody ohs embarrassedly at having to be "reminded" to get to safety. As usual. An absent-minded scientist when it comes to knowledge and research. "Right... sorry..." She whispers while ushering the princess with her to one of the columns. "We'll just stand over here, okay? Don't worry... I'll be here. I won't let anything happen to you -- none of us will."

Tresillian continues to check the surface of the column he's selected to hide behind, as he slides himself down then peeks around towards the accessway they came through.

Kit notes the positions of all the people in the room as they scatter, then sinks down into a crouch to wait.

It is silent for the longest while ... here in the ancient ceremonial walk. A count of one, a count of two, a count of four. Most are still, save Larisa, who paces back and forth and back again, peeking around the column she and Melody share .. a count of ten ... a count of twenty ... and then the concealed panel swings open, showing a maw of black. And at first there is nothing, nothing save for the beams a pair of flashlights lancing out from the depths. Then silence follows, as they flicker off ...

They rush the opening, a fire team of five moving out at first, followed by a second rank.

Katriel frowns, and seems to recall something else. Something actually relevant to the preparations everyone else seems to be making, and she sinks down into a crouch. Just before the wave of people hit the room.

LeBeau stays compleatly silent and still, wanting the invading group to commit just a bit more to the ambush before it is sprung.

Kit remains waiting in her corner, watching for stragglers as she lets those with firearms deal with the foremost aggressors, eyes narrowed with a hand to the ground to steady herself.

The old man doesn't wait, however. Bradishing his long stainless staff in hard and awkward sweeps, Lake rushes those first coming into the room, wading in with an expression grim. His target parries the first blow, bringing his long arm up to defend himself ... the two now drawn into a knot of furious melee.

Jeff Ryan sighs as the old man rushes the group, he targets one of the first group of five and lets off a careful shot. Time taken on the shot he puts his pistol away as he prepares to go and aide the old timer.

Half of the lanky Timonae is hidden behind a column, the other half in shadow, pistol raised and already charged. He points the pistol at the doorway with a shaky hand; as the doorway bursts open he forces that hand to steady by clasping his other palm over it. Wincing as Lake rushes up the middle, Tay chooses a silhouette near the edge of the group and sends an angry bolt of energy lancing out towards the thug. The telltale on Tay's pistol changes form: 4.

Tresillian fidgets ever so slightly, adjusting the grip on his firearm and mouthing a few words to himself then holds until he can take a careful shot at one of the figures not alreacy engaged in Melee bracing the gun against the column.

With a gentle guiding hand, Melody motions for the young princess to crouch down and stay behind her. She takes a moment to steel herself like she has witnessed her fiancee to do countless times before, back resting against the solid pillar and pulse gun raised to chest level, both hands tightening on the rubbery grip. A whispered wax and wane of nervousness, "Hyperbola of trajectory... allow brace for recoil... it's just numbers, Melody... it's all just numbers."

As Lake charges, so does the ungstiri courier, a mad dash forward, an awkward attempt to tackle the first invader to tresspass in her shadow. Teeth set, silent, she tries to emulate a hunting laaskavolk. "Z'eese Rock ees ours!"

At the first sound of gunfire Larisa ducks back, to tuck herself into a little ball next to Melody. "Oh no ... They are here again ..." She hugs herself and falls silent.

And as the first shots lash out, they are returned. To the cover of the columns the wave of of brigands sweep into the promenade. Three shots arc out in the deep hues of a pulse rifle bolt. One slams the stone right next to Taeran's head, a breath slower and there would have been his blood upon marble. Innokentevna slams into her opponent, and is easily pushed away, tossed into the center of their ranks. The shot her target fired at her, however, harmlessly blows a perfect hole in her heavy jacket. Ryan's charge places him forwards, the return fire upon him missing, but only by a whisper.

Katriel focuses in on the nearest of the men rushing them, just peering out enough to see him, and concentrates, trying to put the man down into sleep. The little Mystic looks as though she has been carved from stone, as she becomes completely still, doing what little she can to help keep them safe.

As the first two ranks scatter to cover, the third follows swiftly out, two tangles form, one at Lake, a second around Innokentevna.

LeBeau trains the barrel of his weapon upon a hopefully unsepecting target. Taking in a shallow breath the weapon in his hand quietly hums as the cajun aims. Then the moment of truth as he pulls back on the trigger and sends a ball of green plasma hurtling across the hall towards its target.

Kit winces as Lake begins the melee by throwing himself bodily into the way, but it isn't until Innokentevna follows suit that her eyes widen with a rarely muttered curse. Barely even waiting to see the disastrous results of the courier's leap, she too sprints out from her chosen space, leading with a flung knife at the closest threat to the Ungstiri woman before she is reaching back for her second knife as she joins Innokentevna's side.

It is a swarm that Lake wades into, the slash of his cane agging brigand as if it were a sword, combat close and deadly. He is met, by the butt of a gun, the shot of a pistol. Soon streaks of blood coat the floor, coat embattled cloth ... but of whose is the fell question, for only one brigand has yet to fall.

Jeff Ryan closes the distance and launches himself into the crowd determined to take some of the pressure off Lake, he throws a running punch at the first person who gets in his way.

Taeren ducks and lets out a curse as rock above his head disappears. He attempts to make himself smaller against the column, using it for cover to make him harder to hit as only his gun, right shoulder and eyes peer out from underneath the sizeable dent above his head. He aims for one of the thugs going for a column and attempts to discourage the man with another shot. The telltale on his pistol ticks down again: 3

Tresillian takes careful aim from behind his column and takes a shot, almost prone on the floor behind his column at this point. His counter clicks down to 2

With eyes widening in shock and disbelief (yet not really), Melody spies her courier rushing into the fray. "Ka... Katya!" The brunette researcher sputters as the sable-maned woman shoots into close quarter combat. There's no time for fear of limp-wrists to gain a foothold on the olive-skinned girl, however. Not while her fiance is endangered. Jaws flexing, eyebrows narrowed, she turns the corner edge of her cover... finds aim on one of the men over Katya... and squeezes the trigger.

Larisa is still and quiet and scared, until Melody moves. She then blinks and points, down the row of coulmns, in the direction the Specialist is no longer watching, away from her fallen courier. "Bad men!" she calls out.

Innokentevna slams down, caught on her back. She hastily rolls trying to get out ofthe way of an incoming bolt. As she does her breath frosts the air, and her attention focuses upon th pulse rifle targeting her.

Katriel sighs, and rubs a hand across her eyes, shaking her head a bit. She glances at Tay, ascertaining he isn't hurt, at least not yet, and then repeats the whole process on a new target, this time focusing on where the little girl is pointing.

The grand melee is joined. Ryan bowls into the tangle about Lake, as the elderly knight pushes his way towards the back ranks of the spook thugs. There is the crack of mone, the splintering of composite plastic. Though their cohorts fare less well than these two. LeBeau's sharpshooting takes down one, sending him sprawling across the stone, leaving two to sprint towards Larisa's column. Taeren and Tresillians shots can't help but hit, as well as Melody's. Taeren drops one, and Tresillian sends another to his knees. Melody's shot, however, only gains a bark of pain and annoyance ... the gun's bolt somehow ... less than lethal. For Kittianna, her steel draws blood, and pushing her opponent aside she can see the blaster bolt slam Innokentevna. The shooter, however, then screams in sudden pain, stepping backwards and frantically throwing his gun aside. A layer of bitter frost now coats his pulserifle. Last, one of the interlopers gets trampled by his fellows, as he simply, mysteriously, collapses.

LeBeau follows his shot with his eyes until it makes impact. The cry from Larisa then draws his attention towards he and he sees the two other men running towards her hiding place. Again he leads them with his weapon just slightly then with another soft hum his weapon expels another bolt of green energy.

Kit's lips are compressed into a thin, bloodless line as she darts in with a savage slash toward the nearest man's mid-section, opting for the most effective distraction and deterrence as she moves to interpose herself between Innokentevna and the next opponent.

Lake slams through the line of brigands, cutting a path like one might with a scythe against tall grass. His clothes are crimson streaked, sweat and blood a mottled pattern. But there is a fire in his eyes, strong and firm. Until his makeshift sword lashes out and is stopped dead. A hand has snared his wrist, slender but strong. Bound in a black cloak, like a fell warrior's armor. By a woman, tall, strong, fierce. The Witch. Lake just looks at her and whispers a name,

"Morgana."

The spook just look back. "Lake. You. Just who the hoop do you think you are?"

The man stands tall, muscles straining, eyes locked on the womans. "I am a kinght-Errant, and I bear the Favor of a Princess ... for while Elaine bore me a son ... there was also a Daughter, light where His son was dark."

The woman in fey black just looks at the old man in disbelief. "What the hoop ...

"Lanny Lakeson, you are a hoopin' librarian. You got that? A hoopin' librarian that went off his rocker five years ago when a Boromov enforcer shot your daughter. That's who you are, Lanny. You aren't a knight or nothing. just a plain old hoopin' librarian.

'That's the dead honest facts."

A heartbeat of silence.

The old man pales.

Lake collpases to his knees, no sword, with just a bar of metal picked out of salvage, that now clatters upon the stone floor.

It has been said by some of his friends that Ryan has the heart of Lancelot, others have observed that's he is more Don Quixote, tilting after windmills. Either way it is indisputable that he's percieved as a Knight of Luna. Knight he may be, brave or simply a fool depending on whom you talk to, but if he is, he's a practical one. He sees Lake fall, he turns to 'Morgana', "Librarian he may have been, but he's the bravest and noblest Knight I've ever served with." He continues the fight, "Arise Sir Lake, your Princess still needs you."

Taeren, too, follows Larisa's hand, looking a little less worried as his shots move away from the melee and towards the men that the princess dubs 'bad.' His trigger finger twitches again as he emulates LeBeau's motion, leading slightly - a shorter distance for his faster bolt of energy - and then firing. The telltale on his gun changes color from green to yellow. 2 Taeren's attention is focused on those men - not a knight, not an adventurer, just a thoroughly scared Timonae freighter pilot trying to kill them before they kill him. "What are you doing?" He asks, his eyes turning to Lake after his shot is released. "Get up, man! Kick her ass!"

Tresillian keeps his gun on the one he dropped to it's knees. "Buyin assault pistol..." he mumbles through gritted teeth as he watches to see the thug isn't about to get up, "startin' to make a," there's a colourful sounding phrase in that odd dialect he speaks in at times, "habit of this." Then his attention is caught by Lake and the woman in black there is another colourfull phrase from the purple haired Data Specialist and he takes a shot at the woman, over the old man's head.

Melody, the tired damsel in distress, has a spare second to grimace as her gun goes off, energy that was pent up now shooting across the 'battle field.' It hits its mark and there's a twitch of remorse in the researcher's hazel-green eyes... until she notices that it isn't a mortal wound. Stun? She doesn't have too much time to contemplate that, for the little princess takes her attention away from the gathering to the 'brutes' approaching elsewhere. Again, she pauses to aim, and fires.

Katriel looks at the man collapsed on the floor, and focuses her attention on him this time, eyes returning to their usual cheerful peacefulness for a time as she does, and then a glint of steel in them at the very end.

... Katriel sends ...

~You are more than you appear, and she is wrong. The 'verse is more maleable to will than many might think, and you have an impressive amount of will. There is a lot to fight for, but most of all there is life and light. Always and forever light and life. The darkness cannot stand before the smallest spark of candle flame. Now. Become who you are again, because we need you desperately.~

A heartbeat. That lasts forever. Old eyes look up, clear. The ungstiri librarianswallows, words broken and quiet. "I ... I ... don't know any Lanny Lakeson ..." Another moment of forever, centuries old.

"My name is Lancelot."

The old man rises, a hand reaching out for his pretend sword with a firming grip, as he takes the fight to Morgan.

Jeff Ryan grins as he throws himself back into the fight, "All right!"

Reaching out, Innokentevna grabs the fallen weapon, wrapping her fingers about its frosted barrel nnd from her prone position swings it like a club. Her face is tight with pain and concentration, letting the force of the swing drive her forward and upwards, trying to stand next to Kittianna.

With a squeak and a cry Larisa backs up, skittering on the floor like a crab.

Driving forward, harder and harder, the bloody corridor's defenders hold their ground. Lake pushes forward, closing with the black garbed Morgan, their combat bitter, fierce, and yet with each step the Boromov spook becomes more desperate. Two more fall, those seeking a Princess' breath. LeBeau drops his brigand, a single shot ... while Melody's stunning bolt holds the second long enough for Taeren's to send him down ... Two more go down, sudden and hard. One to a rifle used as a club, the second to a cyberwitche's deadly stiletto.

LeBeau watches as the two men going for the 'princess' are taken down. The commotion between Lake and the woman named Morgan draws his attention. And with his postion it seem not compromised he turns the barrel of his weapon towards the black clad spook and draws a bead...a slow release of breath and then he pulls back on the trigger.

"Stay down," Kit hisses at Innokentevna, no doubt having caught the direction of the last shot toward the courier and drawing her own conclusions. Barely missing a beat, she turns on the last spook confronting them and lunges for the fastest kill possible.

"Damn you to ..." Morgan lurches forward, one last gasp ... as her ranks break about her. They panic, they run, against blade and deadly bolts of energy, against the driving thrust of a steel bar that tents the back of Morgan's black leather coat. Her back arches, eyes wide, a hole burned through Boromov black from a lunite's expert shot ... and her last words, focused on Lake, cut short by Kittianna's blade.

"... We are too old for this world ... me and y ..."

As Morgan falls there is a triple whumf, the slam of a capacitance cell emptying, From one hand falls a pendant, a rectangular talisman with a red hawk upon it. From her other ... lifeless now ... hand falls a pistol.

The edge of the highlighted brunette's eyes twitch as her next mark hits, at least distracting her chosen target long enough for another person's bolt to fell the man. It's obvious that Melody is estranged to this form of fighting. Actually any form of fighting. Her back braces against the firm support of the pillar, allowing herself to breathe and muster her barings with Mk6 clutched close. "See, I ke-keep my promises. Katya taught me that... A-are you okay, princess?" She asks the little girl without actually examining her with her own eyes, focused outwardly on Morgana and Lake. And Katya.

Katriel passes a tired hand over her eyes, and then slumps back against the column, surveying the hall with a dull horror.

"I almost shit my pants," Tay exhales intelligently, tucking his pistol away and stepping out from behind the column. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he gives the backs of the running spooks an amazed look and steps shakily forward, towards Lake and Morgana.

Kit rakes narrowed across the scene one last time to ensure that all elements are accounted for before she takes a deep breath to calm herself and then leans down over Innokentevna. "Where are you hurt?" she asks stiffly, the tension of a close-contact fight now bleeding away to irritation at the actions that had initiated it.

Innokentevna sends the frosted pulse rifle at the fleeing brigands, reaching out to grab Kittianna's arm for support. "Zat ..." She draws her jacket about her with one arm. "... vas nyi one ov my smarter mofes ..."

Larisa peeks around the corner ... and then rushes forward. Though she draws to a sudden stop at the bodies. She looks away, and then whispers. "Im okay... did .. did ... is my Mother's necklace here?"

Katriel remains with her back pressed up against the column, and simply begins to shake. Lowering her head to press her forehead against her updrawn knees, she quietly tries to get her emotions back under control.

Melody swallows hard as the battle seems to be over... Or so it appears with all the spooks fleeing every which direction. Not as if there is much choice where they can go, however. "That's good..." She puffs through her lips, carrying with it multiple meanings. "I... don't know. Is that it? Here, take my hand." The tall olive-toned researcher gives her free hand to Larisa before walking to rejoin Kit, Katya, and the body. "The princess is looking for her mother's necklace." She tells Ryan with a nod to what he holds. "I think that might be it..."

Jeff Ryan gives a nod and a smile, he goes down on one knee, "I think this is the first of many things to be restored to you M'Lady." He places the pendant over the young girl's neck.

Taeren looks from Jeff to Lake to Larisa. "He has it," Tay says, inclining his head to Lake. "Your, um ... Knight, has it." He leans against a column and lets out another heavy breath, trying to stop the shaking in his hands.

Ducking her head, the little girl smiles. "Mother said never lose this ... its.. its our Job to take care of ..." her eyes narrow. "She never explained what we had to take care of."

Innokentevna looks to her shoulder and her upper arm. "Marly's goink to kill me Kitt ... I got shot z'ere before." Her eyes close for a moment as she gathers herself. "But I steell breaf ... means ve vun, da?"

"Whatever's in there I guess..." Melody trails off while glancing to the door, but then she turns to spend all her attention on her courier. She stands there first... looking at her and looking her over. Then, abruptly, the girl throws her arms around the Ungstiri whirlwind, hugging tight. "Stupid..." Is the only word she mewls out during the embrace.

Taeren turns to the Princess, leaning a forearm against a column as he looks from her to the large double doors behind him, hands clenching and unclenching until their shaking gradually subsides. "Little girl - Princess ... I think what your mom wanted you to protect ... it's just beyond those doors." He looks down at her and smiles. "I get the feeling that after holding hands with Maza for so long, Lin has finally come to take you to where you belong, child." He turns towards the double doors and stands behind the princess, just off her left shoulder, a lime-haired Timonae pilot in real life ... but, just maybe, this place has made him a loyal squire. "Do you want to find out?"

"Stupi ..." And Innokentevna looks like she is going to cry out as she is hugged, but she bravely grits her teeth and transfers her weight to Melody. She rests for a moment with deep breaths. "Da .. vas stupeet ..." she admits. But then she looks to the big steel doors. "Da ... lets see vhat ees zere ..."

"I am going to kill you," Kit sighs, perfunctorily brushing off her blade on a pants leg before she tucks it away. "How - " She is interrupted as Melody abruptly interposes herself, and then looking grateful to have the Specialist take up part of the burden, she looks toward the situation surrounding the Larisa and then murmurs uneasily, "I would like you to go back to the ship - I would accompany you. Whoever mentioned it earlier is right; someone should also remain behind to see to it that nothing has been tampered with."

Nodding, once and thats all it takes. The little girl walks up to the big hawk guarded gates. She studies then for a moment, and then, standing upon tiptoes, she slips her pendant into a slot on the jambs, like it was a passkey. A light flickers from red to green, and the doors slowly part.

Tresillian picks himself up and ewwwws, "That's going to stain." He then puts his gun away, turns and promptly throws up.

Jeff Ryan standing at the entrance with the girl, Jeff nods, "Let's go" And he walks into the double doors.

Melody pulls away after a moment of composure to keep her misty eyes from completely tearing up, distanced an arm's length away from each other now. "What are you trying to do? With so many of them -- you could have been killed." She frowns, sighing, and seems at a loss as what to do or say other than that. So... she turns to check on the cyberwitch. "You okay, Kit? Thanks... you know, for keeping Katya safe..."

Taeren stands behind the girl, and a little to the left, looking disapprovingly at Jeff. "Let her go first. It's *her* birthright," he chides, holding out a hand to stop him and stepping aside for the girl to go before them.

As the doors open, Lake turns. He takes three steps forward. And upon its threshold his knees crumple. The steel rod goes clattering away, and he slams forward, barely holding his head from the stone with one bent arm. Lake takes in a deep breath, and when he exhales he spits out blood. Thick rich hearts blood. Now that his back is upturned ... there are the tell tale burns .. of three pulse pistol shots. From belly through .. and out.

Katriel looks up just in time to see the doors open, taking a deep breath as she watches. And then she frowns, watching as Lake begins to crumple, and she's running across the floor to reach the old man's side.

Jeff Ryan growls, "Everyone get away from the door." He bends down next to Lake, "Stay with us old man...."

From over the shoulder that supports the hand holding Jeff back Tay turns to look over and down at Lake on his knees, just a step behind them. "Hey, old man ... you all right?" But the neat holes in his jacket tell the tale. He turns to Jeff. "Help me carry him in," he says. "He deserves that much, at least." His foot steps back a little, shoulder dropping slightly towards the bloodied old warrior - the simple librarian who, perhaps, read one book too many.

Jeff Ryan nods to Taeran, as he helps to carry Lake, "Stay with us old man."

Tresillian spits then wipes his mouth with the back of one hand, he looks towards the large set of doors taking in the fallen form of lake, "Errr..." he murmers, "maybe I'll pick up a first aid kit or something?" he says and turns to head back towards the ships.

"I should .. have known ..."

Broken words escape from blood splattered lips as Lake speak quietly. There is a fell rattle in the knight's breath, as he tries to look up.

"I ... I can't go there. Not me. Can't cross that last threshold." His head turns, to look up in the Mystic's eyes. "The young lord spoke of betrayal ... he .. knows .. nothing about betrayal. Oh Genny, it hurts." The man coughs, another river of blood lost. " ... Look, see ... its the one place I cannot go. Please .. please tell Him I'm sorry."

Ancient eyes dim, and the librarian is still. The Knight's eyes empty, his breath fails, as cold they fall upon the placard faded upon the passage. Once gold, now gray and stained,the faded words are barely legible, cut deep in elegant cyrillic:

Ungstir Prime Novo-Moscow Park and Wildlife Preserve Number One AVALON

"No, no, no-- this is *not* how the story is supposed to end, it's not," the Mystic states, fiercely, as though she could change everything simply by saying those words. Her hands ball up into tight little fists, white knuckled, and shaking, tears running down her face. And then she turns away, a stiff little figure of denial, and begins to walk, steps moving her away from this hall and the blood and the death and the lost innocence that she can't bring back.